iStock/Thinkstock(LOS ANGELES) -- A cargo facility at Los Angeles International Airport was briefly evacuated Friday evening after "questionable materials" were reported on a cargo manifest, LAX police said.



The Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad arrived on the scene to investigate after the report was called in at 9:08 p.m. local time. The suspect cargo was reported outside the British Airways cargo area.



A few hours later, LAX police tweeted, "Repopulation of cargo facility taking place near LAX," with an image of a stamp that reads "Case Closed."



LAX police said that workers were evacuated from the Mercury Cargo facility as a precaution.



No passengers were evacuated, nor were any terminal areas or commercial airlines affected.



The cargo in question was reported after crews came across its manifest while screening cargo, LAX police said.



Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Meteorologist Paul Douglas writes about Minnesota weather daily, trying to go beyond the "highs" and "lows" of the weather story to discuss current trends and some of the how's and why's of meteorology. Rarely is our weather dull - every day is a new forecast challenge. Why is the weather doing what it's doing? Is climate change a real concern, and if so, how will my family be affected? Climate is flavoring all weather now, and I'll include links to timely stories that resonate with me.
The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher,
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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Amari Phuket invites guests to experience a new buffet themed night at Rim Talay restaurant. The buffet concept provides an amazing combination of Indian and Thai food. The menus feature not-to-miss Thai dishes and popular curry dishes from the northern part of India.

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Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association

Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America.
QUEENSBURY -- A Corinth man pleaded guilty Wednesday in Warren County Court to a felony charge for having sexual contact with a 7-year-old girl.

Leon O. Hickok, 63, of Angel Road, pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal sexual act in connection with a sexual assault of a girl at a private campsite on East Schroon River Road in Bolton last summer.

Police said Hickok was acquainted with the girl.

He is free pending sentencing by Warren County Judge John Hall on Oct. 5. He could face up to 7 years in state prison.

The case was investigated by the Warren County Sheriff's Office and State Police and Hickok was arrested in February.
A Republican primary on Sept. 13 will determine whether the general election in the 113th Assembly District is a two-person or three-person race.

Gerard Moser, one Republican candidate, must win the primary to continue in the contest against Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake.

Chris Boyark, the other Republican candidate, already has the Conservative Party and Reform Party nominations, and will be on the general election ballot regardless of the outcome of the primary.

Boyark said Thursday he will continue to actively campaign through November, regardless of the outcome of the primary.

Both candidates cite their business experience, opposition to the SAFE Act state gun control law and concern about political corruption as the crux of their candidacies.

Both criticized Woerner for not immediately calling for former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to resign when he was initially charged with political corruption.

Boyark, of Mechanicville, is co-owner of the Almost Saratoga bar in Malta, and, until recently, managed Hannoush Jewelers, a family-owned business.

Moser, of Malta, worked in hospitality and health care management, and he now owns a personal training firm.

Neither candidate has previously held elected office.

Boyark is a longtime member of the Saratoga County Republican Committee.

Candidates said what differentiates them from each other is their level of party and advocacy group support, or absence thereof.

Boyark touted his endorsements from Saratoga County and Washington County Republican committees and from the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association.

Ive been all over this district, he said.

Moser said not having endorsements makes him an independent voice.

I am definitely an outsider when it comes to politics. I am not the endorsed candidate, which I feel actually gives me a little bit more of an edge, he said.

Boyark said Moser is wrong to label him an establishment candidate.

He said he earned party endorsements by starting to lay groundwork more than a year ago.

The only time I was on a government payroll was when I served my country, said Boyark, who was in the U.S. Air Force.

Moser said primary elections benefit voters.

I have said multiple times that if I was elected, I would expect that somebody would primary me. I believe that if we primary everybody, that keeps those folks on the straight and narrow, he said.

Both candidates have run low-budget campaigns, so far.

Boyark had $2,974 in his campaign fund, as of July 11, the most recent report available, and Moser had $2,469.

Woerner had $49,378 in her campaign fund, as of July 11.
LAKE GEORGE  Getting more people to know about the military history of Fort George is the goal of a study the town will seek a consultant to conduct.

The town has received a $50,000 grant from the National Park Services Battlefield Protection Program to hire a firm to conduct an inventory and noninvasive archaeological exploration of sites associated with Fort George battles during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.

Fort George was the site of a key battle in 1755 during the French and Indian War, in which British and Colonial soldiers defeated the French. Americans captured the site from the British in 1775, but Great Britain took it back in 1780.

Dan Barusch, the towns director of planning and zoning, said the firm would compile a report that would inventory and describe the battles in the park and associated sites, provide GIS mapping showing the locations and movements of battles throughout the town and village and identify historically relevant sites and goals and objectives for future preservation and identification.

There will be historic signs located throughout the park and town, which Barusch hopes would be installed in 2017 or 2018.

The report would be titled Analysis of Military Campaigns Associated with Fort George and Environs.

This is the first history-related grant that the town has obtained, according to Barusch. He said he found out about the program through the grants.gov website.

He reached out to Chuck Vandrei at the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Lyn Hohman at the Lake George Alliance to research the issue and prepare the application.

He hopes the money would come through at the end of the summer.

There is no town match requirement for the grant, but Barusch said the town has identified about $20,000 of in-kind time and resources to be donated to the project from his office and the towns partners.

This project is unrelated to SUNY Adirondacks archaeological digs that have happened inside of the park. The report would be submitted to the National Park Service, according to Barusch.

Barusch said they plan to have a public workshop next summer to invite history buffs, the chamber of commerce, visitors and local experts to attend.

Barusch said he is very excited about the project. Encouraging heritage tourism is one of the goals from the towns newly adopted Comprehensive Plan.

The project will advance the tourism experience through the interpretive signage and public participation, he said.
LAKE GEORGE  Four people have been taken by the hospital due to a lightning strike in Lake George, Warren County Sheriff Bud York said Saturday afternoon. The individuals were in the area of the Lake George Battlefield State Park, according to the Sheriffs Office.

When called by a Post-Star reporter, the Warren County Sheriffs office said state police were handling the matter. But the state police, when contacted, said the state DEC was handling the incident.

The DEC said in a statement that at approximately 3:15 p.m., several people were under a large tree when it was struck by lightning, causing injury to at least 16 people. One adult male was transported to Albany Medical Center and the other injured parties were being treated at Glens Falls Hospital, the DEC said.

Authorities did say none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

Post-Star intern Justin Trombly contributed to this report.
SCHUYLERVILLE  The battles of the American Revolution were not the focus of An 18th Century Day presented by the Old Saratoga Historical Society on Sunday.

Now its focus is to teach the public about the living skills of the 18th century, event organizer Deb Peck Kelleher said.

Guests at the event were greeted with period music and could observe candle-makers, tinsmiths, farmers, coopers and woodworkers ply their trades. This year marks the events 38th year at the house. The event was held at the General Phillip Schuyler House, which is part of the Saratoga National Historical Park.

Peck Kelleher has been helping to organize the event since the beginning. When it first began she said it was primarily designed to draw visitors to the Schuyler House.

She said the event is meant to show the public how different life was during the period and how even the most basic of necessities like soap were not easy to come by.

This just serves as a reminder that everything had to be made by hand then, she said.

The event typically has around 25 period presenters. Peck Kelleher said they try to get an even split of female and male occupations, which at the time were stringently divided.

The event has continued to grow and Peck Kelleher said they typically see between 500 and 800 visitors every year. This year she said she worried the numbers may not be as high because of the heat and humidity.

As of midday Sunday, the event had attracted over 200 visitors.

Ridley and Anne Enslow have been performing period music together for 25 years. They have been attending the Schuyler Houses 18th Century Day for almost as long.

While Ridley plays the violin, Anne plays the hammered dulcimer, a stringed instrument the musician strikes with two small mallets. Anne said she first discovered the instrument when she was still in school.

I was walking across my college campus and someone was playing one of these and that was it, Anne said.

Anne said she first became fascinated with history after a trip to colonial Williamsburg when she was four years old. She said through music it is possible to gain a better understanding how people viewed the world at that time.

If you want to put yourself in the mindset of someone then, it takes more than just reading a history book, Anne said.

In addition to presentations on period craft techniques, the event also offered a colonial style puppet show for all the children in attendance.

Eric Olsen, a park ranger and historian at the Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey, organized the show. He said he began the program at the Morristown Park, primarily to provide something children would enjoy at the parks events.

The show consists of a Punch and Judy style puppet show, which was popular in Colonial America. The shows were largely slap stick humor with Punch usually killing whatever characters he did not like.

Olsen explained in his presentation that often the subject of Punch and Judys shows would fit into the social or political dialogue of the time.

Its totally politically incorrect because Punch kills everybody, Olsen said.

The show which Olsen and his assistant perform is taken from a period script. He said people often do not get the jokes, but the kids never fail to laugh when two puppets begin to fight.

Olsen said events like these are important because of how often colonial American reenactments focus on battles. He said while the study of battles is important, people often overlook other important parts of their history.

(Battles) are what you usually see, but its just one aspect of a whole culture, he said.

During the 18th Century Day Event visitors could also take tours of the Schuyler House.

The house was built in 1777 for General Phillip Schuyler. During the British Occupation of the area, it was burned to the ground. After the British surrender, Schuyler rebuilt his country home using many of the original materials which were salvaged from the ruins.

After serving in the Army during the revolution, Schuyler served as a U.S. senator for New York. After his first term of office, Schuyler was defeated by Aaron Burr who had changed political parties to run against Schuyler.

Schuylers defeat was one of the first in a long line of conflicts between Burr and Schuylers son-in-law, Alexander Hamilton, who was then serving as the secretary of the treasury.

William Valosin, a park ranger at the site, said the number of visitors to the site has increased with the success of the Broadway musical "Hamilton."

Though Hamilton never visited the Schuyler House, he did live in his father-in-laws house in Albany while he was completing his law degree.
But a few years ago, there was a sudden glaring change of the norm. And that change was caused by doughty and sassy Dancehall songstress, Grace Kaki Awo Ocansey, who is known in the showbiz circles as Kaakie.

Kaakie emerged in 2012 with a game changer track titled Toffee Pon Tongue under Xtra Large Music record label. To prove her impregnability in especially the Dancehall fraternity, she dropped another hit titled Zuuchia in the same year.

On that very VGMA night, Shatta Wale felt cheated and threatened in the Dancehall fraternity so he caused a commotion and later released diss songs directed at the awards organisers and Kaakie.

Shatta Wale released several songs to diss her in order to prove that he deserved the Dancehall crown but completely lost the fight until Kaakie took a break to study BSC in Nursing  Midwifery at the University of Ghana.

In her absence was the emergence of MzVee and AK Songstress who took charge. MzVee made her intention about the Dancehall Queen crown clear as she declared herself on several platforms. In 2014, she released "Dancehall Queen" featuring Shatta Wale to declare herself the Queen of Ghana Dancehall in the absence of Kaakie. She excelled and became the first Ghanaian songstress to grab a BET Awards nomination.

AK Songstress, on the other hand, was beefing MzVee and continuously tries to claim she is the best forgetting that there was someone who wore the crown before MzVee.

Kaakie returned after completing her schooling. On her return, she drew a precarious strategy that turned out to be a great luck. Her strategy was precarious because if it had backfired, it could bury her career. Then what strategy are we talking about?

On her returned, she served a huge beef that saw her competitors scramble over it and to their disadvantage.

In her first comeback song titled Sankwas featuring Guru, she was smart to throw subliminal shots. But music analysts decoded the lyrics and pointed fingers at AK Songstress and MzVee as the targets.

MzVee quickly fired back with Make I Shine featuring E.L but unfortunately for her, Kaakie had extra punches for her. Kaakie fired back with a more damaging track titled Time Up. In fact, E.L, who was only featured on Make I Shine also had his share of the diss. In Kaakies Time Up, she described MzVee as "skinny", "childish" and a "gossip", adding that she can't shine with a "tin lamp" (as portrayed on MzVee's "Make I Shine" cover artwork). She fired shots at E.L and described him as "Mummy's boy"  which many believed was the best punchline for the rapper. She also warned AK Songstress not to venture because she is no match for her.

In response, AK dropped Naked Truth. To make matters worse, she labelled the song Kaakie Diss and boasted on Facebook to get extra reach. To me, the song wasnt up to the standard of dissing in Dancehall plus, her act of boasting makes it too obvious that shes desperate or sort of a last-ditch move to make her presence in the beef felt. She's good but she seems to be fighting too hard to be counted among the current.

AK added another diss track called Come Out and still labelled it Kaakie Diss Part 2. That was just off the hook and gave Kaakie upper hands over her and MzVee.

To seal her comeback and reclaim of her crown, Kaakie dropped another impressive jam titled Arostor featuring Yaa Pono. The song was more of a victory song.

Since Kaakie returned, she has proved to Ghanaians that she is the Queen that will always be no matter the circumstances. She defended her diss on any platform and was fearless enough to defend herself and mention her targets. Whats braver than that? Shes been the Kaakie we knew five years ago, and her strategic, yet controversial comeback restored her in the female Dancehall throne.
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The chief described the NPPs idea as a good one that will bring the needed development to the northern part of the region.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said at Juabeso in his five-day tour to the Western region, promised to create the 11th region out of the Western Region.

Nana Addo said.

However, the Deputy Water Resources, Works and Housing Minister, Sampson Ahi, whos also the MP for Bodi in the Western Region, rubbished his promise at a political gimmick.

READ ALSO: How chiefs are endorsing the presidential candidates

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.
He said, Ghana and Ghanaians have become too miserable. However, I am urging you to have hope. God did not create us to be poor, neither did He put us on this rich land to be poor. It is bad leadership that is making us poor. Have hope that a good government is on its way coming to bring development, progress and prosperity to every part of the country without discrimination.

He gave assurance on Saturday, August 13, 2016, when he began day 4 of his 5-day tour of the Western Region in Agona, in the Amenfi Central constituency.

He noted that many Ghanaians, in the face of severe economic hardships, rising cost of living, high utility tariffs, widespread and rampant corruption, amongst others, have lost hope in the ability of the nation to provide them with a decent standard of living.

In spite of the myriad of problems confronting Ghanaians, under the John Mahama government, Nana Akufo-Addo is assuring Ghanaians that his government is coming into office to create jobs for the teeming masses of unemployed Ghanaian youth, ensure access to education to all school-going children, and provide quality healthcare delivery for all citizens.

The industrial development of Ghana will be my main project when, God-willing, I come into office. Helping to establish one factory in every district across the country will be a priority, which will create jobs for our unemployed youth. Additionally, free SHS is also coming to Ghana. The revival of the collapsed NHIS to ensure year-round, affordable access to quality healthcare will also be done, he assured.

With particular reference to the people of Agona, whose mainstay is cocoa farming, he indicated that we are coming to restore the cocoa industry back to where it ought to be, explaining that after President Kufuor left office, the cocoa sector is in decline.

Nana Akufo-Addo reassured citizens of Agona, and Wassa Amenfi, that when I win this years election, I am coming to increase cocoa production again and raise up the standard of living of cocoa farmers. Mass spraying brigades will be formed again, to ensure that everyone involved in the cocoa sector is put back into employment. The timely and proper supply of fertilizer to enable farmers increase their yields will also be done.

Citing the example of Ghanas western neighbour, which has the same acreage of land under cultivation as Ghana, the NPP flagbearer noted that, Cote dIvoire in the 2014/2015 crop season produced 1.7 million tonnes of cocoa, with Ghana struggling to produce 700,000 tonnes of cocoa.
Ghana will hold its general elections on December 7. The main contenders in the election are the NPPs Nana Akufo Addo and incumbent president and presidential nominee of the NDC President John Dramani Mahama.

Speaking to Accra-based Citi News at the Cape Coast Stadium in the Central region, ahead of the campaign launch today (August 14), he argued that the NDC needs a second term to continue to improve the lives of citizens and also complete infrastructural projects it has already started.

He further explained that President Mahama has not governed the country for four years due to the election petition hearing in the first year of his four-year term.

He said it will be a punishment for the New Patriotic Partys (NPP) flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, to take over the reins of power in 2016.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has called on NDC supporters to refrain from actions that will cause violence ahead of the elections in December.

Speaking on behalf of the President before the partys campaign launch in Cape Coast, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, said anybody who flouted the laws of the land during the campaign would have to live with the consequences of such acts.
He was speaking at the NDCs campaign launch in Cape Coast in the Central Region, today (August 14).

He expressed hope that President John Mahama would win a second term, the area of uncertainty is the number of parliamentary seats the party is going to win.To surmount these challenges in the constituencies Bagbin called on the national campaign committee to adopt strategies tailored at solving all interpersonal relationship issues within the various constituencies.

He said he was confident if this was done the party would win a lot more seats in parliament.
He however called on Ghanaians to be a part of the NDC because it is the only political party with their interests at heart.

Addressing party sympathizers at the official campaign launch of the party on Sunday, in Cape Coast, the capital of the Central Region, he said, Some time ago, I met some people and from what they told me, I didnt like it. I met the NDC and I was swayed. The NDC is a tolerant party; it is a people party."

"The opportunities in NDC are better than any party The NDC is the party that will move Ghana forward from now till eternity, he said.
READ ALSO: NDC launches 2016 national campaign today

However in an interview with Accra based Citi FM, the communications director of the NDC rejected allegations that the party was deliberately delaying its release.

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 - Solomon Nkansah said.

The NDC will launch its campaign on Sunday August 14 in Cape Coast to officially outdoor President Mahama as the party's presidential candidate. The opposition has questioned why the party was launching its campaign without a manifesto.

However, Nkansah says the party is taking this action because they "want to act to galvanize or energize the party and excite it then proceed to launch our manifesto.

The parties, including the opposition NPP, have been adamant to tell the electorates their vision for the nation because of fears of 'copycatting'.
"In the cocoa growing areas they may need a cocoa processing facility...but what we the people in this mining area will want if you become the president of Ghana is a gold refinery facility. Kwame Nkrumah built one, but it has been converted into a university hall, meanwhile gold is in abundance here. I believe you can do this".

Nana Ntaboah Prah was speaking at his palace when the flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo visited his palace at Prestea in his five-day visit to the western region.

Nana Prah also urged Nana Addo to give the Bogoso Prestea road a facelift when he emerges the winner of the December polls.
He said under Nana Addo, nearly 2000 people have been suspended from the NPP, insisting that such a leader would be unable to steer the affairs of the country.

"Nana Akufo-Addo has not been able even to keep his party together. He has not been able to bring peace into the NPP. How can he bring peace into Ghana. John Dramani Mahama has made the NDC a very attractive party, a very accommodating party, a party that receives everybody. Therefore, we are putting these two gentlemen together before Ghanaians - John Dramani Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo, who can we entrust the peace and security of this country into his hands," Ofosu Ampofo asked.

Ofosu Ampofo therefore called on electorates to vote massively for President John Mahama in the upcoming polls.

Meanwhile, the Cape Coast stadium has been filled beyond capacity as the NDC launches its campaign in the area.

President John Mahama is expected to launch the campaign which will be followed by the introduction of parliamentary candidates.

The theme of the campaign is Changing lives, transforming Ghana.

The president, who is seeking a second term on the ticket of the NDC, is expected to justify why Ghanaians should give him a second chance in the upcoming polls.
According to him, the NDC must not underestimate the chances of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Volta Region in the upcoming general elections slated for December 7 this year thus, the need to work hard to secure the victory of the party.

He said nobody should misinterpret the signals and reactions from Ghanaians since they could be very deceptive.

Speaking at the campaign launch of the party, he said, What is ahead of you will not be an easy task, it will be a challenge and demanding. Dont allow undue provocation to create undue tension.

The NPP cannot be underestimated, theyve been in existence for a long time and have been changing their names till this date, the nature of who they are, what they are, where theyve come from is something they are happy with and they will be there for a long time.

I will reserve what I will have to say after the elections to share with you how I think we can restore the kind of strength that will take us into the future," he said.
He further blamed the power crisis for the challenges that bedevilled the country.

My first term as president has been challenging but also very positive. It began with the election case in court where many Ghanaians sat and followed through the process because it was televised and the international community [had] also been slow with the necessary support because of the uncertainty which surrounded the outcome, the President stated.

President John Mahama was however quick to add that While we have done a lot to stabilize the power situation a lot more remains to be done.

He said he will ensure that Ghana becomes a hub of power supply for the whole West African region.

Former President Jerry Rawlings who is founder of the governing NDC has cautioned members of the party against complacency.

According to him, the NDC must not underestimate the chances of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Volta Region in the upcoming general elections slated for December 7 this year thus, the need to work hard to secure the victory of the party.

He said nobody should misinterpret the signals and reactions from Ghanaians since they could be very deceptive.

Speaking at the campaign launch of the party, he said, What is ahead of you will not be an easy task, it will be a challenge and demanding. Dont allow undue provocation to create undue tension.

The NPP cannot be underestimated, theyve been in existence for a long time and have been changing their names till this date, the nature of who they are, what they are, where theyve come from is something they are happy with and they will be there for a long time.
READ ALSO: NDC Campaign Launch

The Volta River Authority (VRA) has said stable power supply has been restored, rejecting suggestions for a load shedding timetable.

The country has been battling with a crippling power supply for almost four years now.

Government officials and power authorities have attributed the situation to vandalised gas pipelines from Nigeria.

But opposition officials say the problem is due to government inability to purchase fuel to power the country's turbines.

READ ALSO: Dumsor

Some consumers have said that the power supply situation has improved for the past week after government procured more than 400,000 barrels of light crude oil.

President John Mahama, however, said:While we have done a lot to stabilize the power situation a lot more remains to be done.

He said he will ensure that Ghana becomes a hub of power supply for the whole West African region.

Meanwhile, the president has indicated that his first term in office has not been easy but positive for the country.
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"Its an old trick in the book; vilify the referee and reduce his credibility in the eyes of the public when you can tell you are losing the match. This creates the platform where when you lose you contest the outcome of the match, and this is the underlying force for all the winding that is taking place against the EC at every step of the electoral process. And yet with the same EC, the same voters register and process, the same party has participated in two by-elections and won; and this is indeed a paradox.

President Mahama also heaped praises on the EC, saying the commission has a history of delivering credible elections, and its expertise sort for on the continent.

Our EC has a proud history of delivering credible elections in Ghana and has been used as a facilitator and resource person to transfer Ghanas experience to other countries. Our electoral process has safeguards that allow us to police the elections from the polling station level to the declaration of results, he noted.
Speaking at the launch of the NDC 2016 Campaign at Cape Coast in the Central region he said Nana Addo as flagbearer is an indication that, he is unfit to govern the nation due to the wave of suspension in his party.

He said, Let us not make a mistake to vote for someone who has not experience about governance. This election should be fought on track records and nothing else.

"Nana Akufo-Addo has not been able even to keep his party together. He has not been able to bring peace into the NPP. How can he bring peace into Ghana. John Dramani Mahama has made the NDC a very attractive party, a very accommodating party, a party that receives everybody. Therefore, we are putting these two gentlemen together before Ghanaians - John Dramani Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo, who can we entrust the peace and security of this country into his hands," Ofosu Ampofo noted.
The President was speaking at the Campaign launch of the NDC at the Cape Coast Stadium in the Central Region.

The IGP has recently reiterated that he still stands by his earlier intentions to ban social media during the election if need be.

READ ALSO: Emmanuel Bombande against shutting down social media on election day

But making a statement to officially launch the campaign of the NDC President Mahama said I assure my country men and women that government has no intention to shut down social media on Election Day.
Buratai gave the charge while addressing 200 cadets of Regular Course 63, who had concluded their training, shortly after inaugurating the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) base camp in Jos.

``I want to tell you that in the military there is no room for laxity. Whatever we do, we must do it with precision and a deep sense of commitment.

``One thing that is associated with the military, apart from discipline is exercise to keep fit always.

``I expect you to be at the top at all times, physically, Buratai charged.

The chief of army staff stressed that with current security challenges in the country, especially insurgency in the North East; officers and men were expected to be committed, precise and physically fit.

``The reality is that in the North East you will encounter unexpected ambushes and indeed IEDs  Improvised Explosive Devices, where the Boko Haram terrorists operate.

``You must be conscious of these threats in the theatre and wherever you operate at the end of your training here.

``And after being commissioned, I am sure some of you will find your way to the North East. So, you better make up your mind.

``You are going to be relied upon as commission officers, you must maintain that standard of discipline, you must remain physically fit, no room for any laxity, he told the cadets.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan.

It quoted Dogara as urging Nigerians to be vigilant with respect to the execution of the budget ``to ensure that they are not short-changed.

It said that the speaker had denied the allegations against him by Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin, describing them as false and baseless.

``They are fictional and scandalous, untruths and falsehoods which will be dealt with at the appropriate time.
Ijakoro made the call when the Mandate Health Empowerment Initiative (MHEI), an NGO, led a grassroots mental health campaign at the Bwari Area Council, Abuja.

He said that it was the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure that such drugs were not sold or distributed in the country so as to protect the health of citizens and ensure the future of youths.

The traditional ruler noted that some youths in the country consumed these drugs and substances to aid them in carrying out acts of violence and mischief, adding that this is also affecting their mental health.

Ijakoro said that it therefore behoved of the federal government to put in place plans and strategies towards total eliminating the importation, sale and consumption of these drugs in the country.

``Health is the life of the human being; when you are healthy, you can do anything and achieve anything but when you abuse drugs the drugs will also abuse you.

``I am appealing to the federal government to intensify its sensitisation on these drugs and their effects. Agencies in charge of addressing this problem should double their efforts.

``We need to do this because it is for our own safety so that our young boys and girls can be safe," said the traditional ruler.

While speaking to newsmen, Mr Ameh Abba, the MHEI President, said the organisation took its campaign to Bwari because it selected the community to provide mental health services, psychosocial support and related intervention.

Abba said that the organisation hoped to enhance the mental health of every Bwari dweller and open them up to opportunities for education, skills training and income-generating initiatives.

He said that the intervention was to aid the community in avoiding traditional healers in informal settings or unnecessary incarceration of people on the basis of their mental health conditions.

Abba said the organisation was working in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and in partnership with National Hospital, Abuja; FCT Primary Health Care Board and the Department of Health, Bwari Area Council to achieve this.

He said that this campaign was the first targeted at pregnant women and nursing mothers to educate them on the risks of developing postpartum depression which lead to mental health problems.

Abba said the organisation sensitised them on how to access health care services early for early and severe mental illness treatment at health care facilities close to them.

``We educated the women on how to cope with mental health conditions and seek help early to enhance full recovery of self esteem and optimal productivity.

``We created awareness on the importance of nutrition in achieving positive mental health status in infants under five and also administered vitamin A to the children.

``After this campaign, we will collect baseline information on individuals mental health conditions with a view to applying the outcome in evaluating progress being made by individuals.

``We will engage in periodic assessment, diagnosis and counselling sections in partnership with the ministry of health, FCT primary health care board, Department of health in Area Councils and the National Hospital, Abuja.
Gov. Kashim Shettima announced this on Sunday in Mainok, Kaga Local Government Area, while distributing food items and farm inputs purchased by the government.

``We are gathered here today to commence distribution of a key intervention of one million U.S. dollars food and farming aide donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

He said that about 40,000 households were targeted to benefit from the distribution.

He said that part of the money donated by the foundation was used to acquire 100 hectares farm for beans cultivation.

Shettima explained that 200 farm-families will be allocated tilled and fertile land, measuring half hectare each along with improved seeds, fertilizer, chemicals and technical supervision to grow food crops.

The governor also announced the release of two trucks of maize grains to add to the food procured with Gates donation.

``We are grateful to God for creating people like Mr Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda.

``These leading lights of philanthropy across the world have shown love to the good people of Borno at a time we are on the ground and looking for any hand to hold in trying to lift ourselves up.

``Now, with the emerging peace in Borno, it is only necessary that, as post insurgency response, we focus on supporting all categories of victims.

``From those in Internally Displaced Persons camps, those in communities within Maiduguri, those in our satellite camps outside Maiduguri, to those in communities across different local government areas.
The church denied the eight drug traffickers as being members after they were arraigned in Cambodia on Tuesday, August 6, 2016 for allegedly using the MFM premises to deal in illicit drugs.

According to a report by Punch Newspaper, the accused may face life imprisonment if found guilty by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

ALSO READ: Nigerian arrested for drug trafficking after raid in MFM in Cambodia

In a statement by Chairman of MFM Media Committee Worldwide, Oladele Bank-Olemoh, the eight accused are not members of the church and linking the church with the illicit act was an attempt to dent the image of the church.

The eight accused of trafficking are Nnamezie Victor, 30; Francis Nnamdi, 30; Sunday Nwabuisi, 31; Tony Mmaduka Chukwuonye, 34; Okorom Kizito, 35; Favour Nnabuife Okorom, 36; Maduka Simon Ukandu, 37; and Izuchukwu Chukwuma, 40.

The accused Nigerians were also charged alongside a 25-years old Cambodian, Mon Vinyong, who was arrested with the group.

While a verdict on their trial is expected in September 2016, Bank-Olemoh stressed that the Cambodian branch of the church is still opened as no arrest was made neither was drug found in the church premises.

ALSO READ: MFM General Overseer says 2016 will be a year of destruction

The MFM church is not shut down. Our pastor is there and hes busy in the ministry. Those arrested are not members of the church. They are neither our missionaries nor workers in the church. The MFM church is the only African church in Cambodia that many black people attend.

You know the country is a Muslim country. This could be a vendetta against the church. This case (of alleged drug trafficking) happened in 2014. The church was searched and nothing was found, though arrests were made outside the church. We employed a lawyer to prove the churchs innocence, Bank-Olemoh said.
Some of the farmers, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Ado-Ekiti said this would go a long way in complementing President Muhammadu Buharis administration's effort at promoting food surplus for the nation.

The Chairman, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Ekiti chapter, Mrs Funmi Ogunlola told NAN that the old practice would help boost productivity in the country.

``Some of our farmers do not know the exact quantity and time to apply herbicides and other farm inputs. Attaching such officer to the farmers will guide them.

``This will in turn increase productivity and end in bumper harvest for the farmers, Ogunlola said.

Similarly, Mr Abiodun Ojo, a farmer in Ifaki-Ekiti, Ido-Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti, said the importance of the extension officers cannot be over emphasised.

`` In the olden days, extension officers were usually attached to group of farmers. They are provided with motorcycles so as to ease access to difficult areas in the farm lands.

``The practice was productive, so governments should reintroduce it to boost agricultural supply since our dependant on oil revenue is no longer reliable," he said.
This is contained in a statement by the North-West Zonal Coordinator of the agency, Alhaji Musa Ilallah in Kano on Saturday.

According to the statement, the massive flood ravaged the 22 local government areas of the state.

The worst affected local government areas are Shanono, Bagwai, Kiru with 749 victims and N347million worth of properties damaged.

The other areas affected are Rano, Kibiya, Bunkure, Gabasawa, Dawakin Tofa, Kano Municipal, Danbatta and Takai.

``Others are Dawakin Kudu, Karaye, Rogo, Kura, Wudil, Bichi, Sumaila, Garun Mallam, Ungoggo, Bebeji and Warawa, it said.

Continuing, the statement said, NEMA commiserates with the government and people of Kano state over the loss of lives and also sympathises with victims who lost their properties in the flood.

NEMA assures that it will continue to partner the Kano State Government to alleviate the sufferings of victims of all disasters in the state, the statement said.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Ilorin by Dr Muyideen Akorede, member of the Personnel Database Development Committee.

Akorede, who is also Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Media, said that the government has no intention to contract the payment of salaries of any category of workers to any private consultancy firm.

He said that the Personnel Database Development Committee, headed by Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed only engaged a consultant to conduct the staff verification exercise.

He added that the consultant was also developing a robust payroll database for both the state and the 16 local government areas, in order to eliminate illegal recruitment of workers and other payroll offences.

Akorede, however, explained that the payroll database when developed will still be domiciled at the Office of the State Accountant-General and the relevant officers at each local government council.

He stated that immediately the database was completed and handed over to the appropriate authorities, the consultant will not have anything else to do with the payment of salaries, pensions, and others.

Akorede said that the office of the Head of Service still ``remains the clearing house for all staff recruitment and other workers related issues in the state.
This is contained in a statement issued by the states Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde.

He said that the state government had decided to seal it until further notice.

The commissioner said that government would immediately reinforce the presence of security agents in and around Ikorodu to further reassure residents of the determination of the government to safeguard lives and property in the area.

Ayorinde urged members of the public not to allow any building to be used to harbour criminals or serve as a base for criminal activities.

``The State Government warns that it will not hesitate to prosecute and confiscate any building found to have been used or is being used to aid criminal activities.

According to him, the government advised that the general public should be extra vigilant and report any suspicious activity in their immediate environment to the Police or any of the security services within the state.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by Mr Segun Adeyemi, the Special Adviser to the Minister.

The minister, who was reacting to the latest video of some of the girls, said that the government was in touch with those purportedly behind the video.

''We are on top of the situation. But we are being extremely careful because the situation has been compounded by the split in the leadership of Boko Haram.

"We are also being guided by the need to ensure the safety of the girls.

''Since this is not the first time we have been contacted over the issue, we want to be doubly sure that those we are in touch with are who they claim to be,'' he said.
The Kwara Coordinator of the agency, Mrs Roseline Ajayi, gave the warning in Ilorin while fielding questions from newsmen on Sunday.

She expressed concern over the current rate at which youths now take over dose drugs, which she describe as a big challenge facing the agency due to the harmful effect on such consumer's health.

According to her, the agency is scaling up enlightenment campaign in schools, markets and other public places, and even with youth corps members in various languages on the need for Nigerians to be aware of the dangers involved in drug abuse.

Ajayi disclosed that as a regulatory body for drugs and consumable foods in totality, it also monitor the products of manufacturers until it gets to the end consumer or user and ascertain that marketers do not stock expired drugs or other products.

The coordinator, who is a deputy director in the agency, stated that it had always collaborated with the state government and other security agencies in the war against drug abuse, but noted that it was difficult to monitor the entire state due to inadequate logistics and more so that the state has a border town which they cannot fully monitor

She said another major problem the agency is facing in the state was with bread bakers who, she claimed, have not cooperated in ensuring that they bake their products in very hygienic premises so that the people of the state would consume healthy bread.

Ajayi refuted claims by some bread bakers in the state that the agency was making life difficult for them in doing their business.
The clerics under the Concerned Christians of Nigeria and Northern Nigerian Christians said they are also reverting their membership to join the pre-independence Northern Nigeria Christian Association over what was termed improprieties of CAN and its immediate past leader.

Speaking on Sunday, the leader of the aggrieved clerics, Luka Shehu said, We are writing to EFCC to come and investigate CAN. The history of that aircraft of Pastor Oritsejafor should be investigated."

Continuing, Shehu said, Is he encouraging every CAN President to get his own private jet? while the people are dying. It is injustice, wickedness and its malicious.

We cannot continue to fold our hands while our leaders will be busy using jeeps, private aircrafts and building private Universities, and our brethren are dying of hunger.

The outgoing CAN President, Oritsejafor, the CAN General Secretary Rev. Dr. and the TEKAN/ECWA Bloc leader Rev. need to account for the five prado land cruiser jeeps given to CAN.

In the spirit of freedom of choice and liberty to choose, we hereby state emphatically that those who wish to continue membership of CAN in the North are free to do so.

However, considering our common shared values and peculiarities as Christians from the the North and in the absence of any understanding or compassion from CAN and after wide consultations amongst Christians leaders, traditional rulers, youths and women, we under this auspices from the North have unanimously decided to revert to the pre-independence Northern Nigeria Christian Association.

Without sentiments or prejudice, today we have started a movement that will redeem the name of Christians in the North and Nigeria, through promoting equity and social justice, to fight corruption and promote evangelism, he stressed.

Rejecting the electioneering process that produced Rev. Supo Ayokunle led CAN executive, Shehu stated that the election was contrary to CAN constitution and the greatest travesty of justice, lies, manipulation and imposition by men in white collar and cassocks."
Adedoja told newsmen on Saturday in Abuja that the position should be made competitive for all aspirants to test their popularity and acceptability by the people.

"If any leader in the South-West agreed to zone the chairmanship position to Oyo, my home state or Lagos, I will kick against it.

"The position of the national chairman is so sensitive and important for its occupant to be a product of any form of zoning.

"Such zoning will not afford the candidate the opportunity to actually interact with people from across the political formations of the party.

"The office should be made competitive to the extent that any interested aspirant should go round the country and seek the support of the people," Adedoja said.

The aspirant said that anybody that must be elected to chair PDP must believe in the path of peace, equity, fairness and the rule of law.

"Such a person must also understand the diversity of the country," he added.

He added that he had spent 55 per cent of his life in the North, in spite of the fact that he was born in Oyo.

Adedoja said that he had the support of the PDP leaders and members in Oyo state to contest for the position, adding that he had also visited many PDP former national officers, including some of them who had left the party.

He, however, said that his recent visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo had nothing to do with his ambition of becoming PDP chairman.
So what if she couldnt sing?

The real-life Florence Foster Jenkins remains a legend to this day. And the music she so loved and supported lives on as well, as does the outlandish music she herself delivered.

Meryl Streep gives another outstanding performance as the woman who made a name for herself as both a delusional diva and a patron of the arts.

Jenkins is a wealthy New York socialite who performs small recitals for carefully selected guests, most of whom appreciated her support of music. Her husband, St. Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant) protects her devotedly, even though he has a girlfriend (Rebecca Ferguson, Hercules) on the side.

St. Clair does everything he can to encourage applause and positive reviews, despite the fact that Jenkins barely can hit a note and has little feel for rhythm or key signatures. St. Clair slips a critic a bill or two, and encourages friends to rise to their feet with appreciation while the deluded Jenkins continues her music lessons and presentations, during which often wore elaborate costumes.

At last, Jenkins decides that she wants to give a gift to the soldiers who have been putting their lives on the line during World War II, and insists on performing a concert at Carnegie Hall.

Is her story a tragedy, a dark comedy, or possibly a morality tale about the insulation of wealth and how it draws sycophants? Its up to the viewer to decide. Although much of her life was an illusion, here was a woman who did spend many happy years entertaining people and enjoying the music she loved so much.

Watch how she appreciates her hard-working pianist Cosme McMoon (Simon Helberg, televisions The Big Bang Theory.) Their relationship and, ultimately, friendship is a kind of secondary love story.

Its no wonder that this eccentric but good-hearted woman has been the focus of several plays, books and a documentary before this. Not surprisingly, it takes such a talent as Streeps to give voice and form to Jenkins in a feature film. Streep has a terrific voice, but here she shrieks the high notes very much as Jenkins did, except for one fantasy scene in which Florence imagines herself as a fine vocalist (a simple internet search will give you ample opportunity to hear Jenkins for yourself).

Director Stephen Frears (Philomena and The Queen) adds a post-credits coda to his film with a brief documentary about Jenkins that includes interviews with the three lead actors. Its well worth seeing, and so is the biopic that precedes it.
MAQUOKETA, Iowa  Maquoketa Municipal Electric Utility and 13 other communities in eastern Iowa are considering building a digital fiber optic system in each town.

Tom Gaffigan, the Maquoketa utility manager, said the board has been looking at joining forces to make a consortium of the towns to update their current systems.

Thirty people attended a two-hour meeting last week to ask questions about what would be included and possible costs.

Gaffigan said the board has not decided exactly what would be included in the program. Cable is a top priority. Currently, Maquoketa is served by Mediacom plus other satellite systems.

The Iowa Fiber Alliance, as the consortium is called, would band together for contracts to provide a fiber loop for the small communities.

No one at the meeting said they were opposed to the project, but there were many questions.

"I was really pleased with the turnout," Gaffigan said. "Almost all of them were supported and urged us to look at it. They had good comments, and there were a lot of questions."

One of the next steps is for consultants to talk with Maquoketa Community Schools and Maquoketa government officials. A Maquoketa Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon is planned. Gaffigan said a survey will be set, and there will be information on the Maquoketa utility website at mmeu.org.

Bellevue City Administrator Loras Herrig attended the meeting at the request of Gaffigan. Bellevue has its own cable system.

"I told Maquoketa they need to look into the consortium," Herrig said. "Bellevue would be interested in talking about a partnership. We had to re-invent the wheel when we started. But with this consortium, they wouldn't have to."

Herrig said that in the next two months, Bellevue will be working with Cedar Falls to have a good partner connection.

"If we can do that, we could do something 20 miles away like Maquoketa," he said. "I issued a challenge to Maquoketa to not let a little town like Bellevue do something they couldn't do."

Herrig said the process isn't without issues. He said it's an ongoing project. The administrator said that in eight years, the city has virtually changed everything in the system except for the fiber optics.

Maquoketa Municipal Electric Utility board members will meet in regular session Wednesday to decide whether they will join the alliance. Gaffigan said he thinks "the board is leaning toward joining."

Gaffigan said estimates are a cost of $1.6 million to build a system in Maquoketa. The manager said the board would have to issue bonds for the project. He said a feasibility study is next to include costs of programming for cable stations.

He estimates a time frame of late 2018 before the loop is completed.
A booming private development is exactly what Davenport needs at the former docking site of Rhythm City Casino. Now is the time to share with the public a clear, concise and inclusive process. Otherwise, the city will be unnecessarily venturing into a political minefield.

It's been almost two months since Rhythm City moved its operation off the river. The casino even provided the city more than a year's notice. Former Mayor Bill Gluba hoped to turn the site into a hub for river cruise liners. Mayor Frank Klipsch, who last year ousted Gluba, has a better idea for the river frontage and adjoining 7 acre lot: green space and a private venue.

Downtown business owners aren't shy about the rebirth of Davenport's main drag. Restoration St. Louis took the gutted Hotel Blackhawk, poured almost $70 million into it and turned it into a gem. The Blackhawk's rebirth, a public-private partnership, was the linchpin for a rejuvenated downtown.

Restoration St. Louis owners Amrit and Amy Gill are eyeing the former casino site now, Amy says. But details are sketchy. Amy Gill said she has 15-20 pages of rough ideas. Klipsch, instead, likens the concept to mere scribbling on a bar napkin.

A restaurant, a music venue  the options are almost limitless. The Blackhawk proved the transformative ability of private investment. It should be the model for the key piece of downtown river property. It's the process  or the lack thereof  that is a recipe for disaster. Instead, taxpayers are getting little but vague rumblings about malformed ideas. The riverfront is too important, the politics are too tenuous, to move forward with any redevelopment without obvious assurances that the city is in ultimate control and public interests  and access  are defended.

City officials are unclear about whether a bidding or proposal process will be initiated. They're uncertain about the parameters.

What is known is that Rhythm City owns the barge and, according to Klipsch, might be interested in donating it to a private entity. Klipsch is rightly focused on maintaining the city's docking privileges. But the city's interest is obvious, since Davenport owns all the land around the barge.

The redevelopment of the former Rhythm City Casino will be a seminal moment for Davenport. It's a move that will shape downtown for generations.

The project is too important for the city to fly by the seat of its pants.

One only need look back to 2014 to see the deep political divisions among the various regulatory agencies, particularly when it involves river frontage. That's when Davenport Levee Improvement Commission, then chaired by Gluba, vehemently opposed developer Todd Raufeisen's plan to redevelop the former Dock restaurant, in direct opposition to the City Council.

Any private development on the river  a place many deem worthy of wholly public access  will be controversial. Gluba even floated the idea of a taxpayer-owned restaurant, in his quest to maintain public control. Even Klipsch's chairmanship of the levee commission won't wash away the long-standing political differences.

Klipsch is on the right track. Private investment is the path forward here. The Blackhawk model has proved itself, and it's reasonable to apply it in this instance, too. Given the political history of projects like this one, an important next step will be to make sure everyone is on the same page from the outset, such as pro-business Downtown Davenport Partnership and green-minded River Action.

City officials, through a lack of a formal process, are playing with fire. And the conflagration could unnecessarily scuttle an otherwise viable project.

Maybe it's time for a new round of proposal requests, which Klipsch said could be handled by quasi-governmental Downtown Davenport. Regardless of who handles it, a fully public and inclusive process is the best way head off any project-stalling spats.

Nothing should happen until the city's ultimate goal is made known. No earth should be moved until an overall vision for the site is released, discussed and debated in public.

Klipsch has the right idea. He's reiterated his intent to assure a fully public process. It's time to formalize and share that process with the public.
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 written message Friday, the first-term Republican said a series of recommended changes 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. 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 save money for state and local governments by streamlining the registration process.

Eligible residents currently can register to vote or update their registration at drivers license facilities operated by the secretary of states office. 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, then to local election authorities, who would handle the actual registration.

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 board might not have access to 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.

Rauner's other recommendations include giving the elections board more time to implement the new system,and requiring verification from the secretary of states office that those already registered wish to update their address information.

The General Assembly passed the bill with bipartisan, veto-proof majorities in both chambers. 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,. He added that the governor and supporters of the bill clearly share the goal of creating a more efficient voter registration system that "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, Connecticut, Oregon, Vermont and West Virginia already have adopted automatic registration, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law.
Nation

2 kids found dead under home

Two children were found dead under a neighbor's house Sunday after their mother matter-of-factly told someone helping her move that she had drowned them in a bathtub, authorities said.

The 30-year-old mother was in custody and not yet charged but "all indications are she is the one who acted alone" in the deaths of her 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, Houston police spokesman Kese Smith said. The woman allegedly said she drowned the children Friday but authorities have not yet confirmed a cause of death.

Smith said investigators were still interviewing the woman and had not determined a motive. She was turned into police by an acquaintance who came upon her throwing away trash in a field, where she allegedly told him she needed help moving right away.

6 die in Alabama plane crash

Authorities say six people are dead following the crash of a small airplane near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox and Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon told a news conference that a pilot issued a distress signal around 11:10 a.m. Sunday, and the aircraft crashed while attempting to land. Authorities say all six people on board the aircraft were killed.

A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration says the Piper PA-31 went down in trees while approaching Tuscaloosa Regional Airport. The FAA says the flight departed from Kissimmee Gateway Airport in Florida and was bound for Tuscaloosa.

Officer in Georgia fatally shot

A police officer in a small, central Georgia city has been shot and killed by a suspect who remains on the loose, authorities said Sunday.

Eastman Patrol Officer Tim Smith was fatally shot about 9:30 p.m. Saturday in a residential area of the city located about 60 miles southeast of Macon, Georgia Bureau of Investigations spokesman Scott Dutton said.

Smith, 31, was responding to a suspicious person call when he encountered Royheem Delshawn Deeds, exited his patrol car and was shot, Dutton said.

Dutton said Deeds, 24, then fled the scene. He is being sought by police.

WORLD

Road closed after old bombs found

A busy stretch of the German Autobahn near Hannover has been shut down after unexploded World War II-era bombs were located during construction work.

Specialists unearthed a British bomb in one location, an American aerial mine in another and unidentified incendiary bombs in a third location, the dpa news agency reported Sunday.

The A2 Autobahn was closed completely in the area, and 7,500 residents of nearby homes were forced to evacuate while the first two bombs were destroyed in place Sunday, and the others were carted away.

Yemeni troops seize towns

Yemeni pro-government troops, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, seized two large towns east of the port city of Aden from al-Qaida on Sunday, officials said.

Maj. Gen. Ahmed Seif told The Associated Press that troops entered Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, and Jaar as al-Qaida militants fled into the mountains under heavy fire and airstrikes that killed more than 40 militants and destroyed several of their vehicles. He said three soldiers were killed and two wounded. He spoke from the town of al-Husson, north of Jaar.

Military officials had earlier said that government forces entered the small town of al-Kawd after brief clashes. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

Residents of al-Kawd said army trucks with loudspeakers urged them to stay inside until the town is fully liberated. Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, the residents said two civilians were killed and four others wounded when a warplane bombed a car carrying explosives.

Al-Qaida seized both Zinjibar and Jaar last year, exploiting the chaos of Yemen's civil war, which pits an array of pro-government forces against Shiite Houthi rebels. The militants agreed to withdraw from the towns in May but maintained a presence in the area.
Caffeine and a drug used to regulate blood sugar levels for people with Type 2 diabetes wash down the drain every day to become some of the most common unregulated contaminants in Iowas public drinking water, an IowaWatch investigation revealed.

The presence of these contaminants is so minuscule that what a drinking water consumer takes in is fairly minimal. But federal government 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, among other functions.

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 Davenport, Des Moines, 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 they 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 many 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.

Treatment resistant

Although water from our drains and toilets goes through a wastewater treatment plant, emerging contaminants can survive wastewater treatment and end up in surface water, which then can become a source for drinking water for communities downstream.

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. It is hard to narrow down what to focus on given the low-priority level of emerging contaminants for most 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 process called activated carbon, which is effective in preventing emerging contaminants from permeating drinking water supplies. This treatment process uses carbon to attract unwanted organic compounds such as caffeine through adsorption, leaching those compounds out of the finished water. Activated carbon also is used in air filtration and other purification applications.

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.

Attempts to monitor

The Environmental Protection Agency does not require removal of emerging contaminants from drinking water. To better understand these lesser-known contaminants, the EPA developed the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, a program designed to monitor and collect data for contaminants suspected to be in drinking water in order to determine whether to regulate them in the future.

Public drinking water source testing began at the state level in 1988 and became a national program following the Safe Drinking Water Act amendment of 1996. The first list of contaminants to be monitored nationally was published in 1999 and monitoring ran from 2001 through 2003. The third round of monitoring was the first to include emerging contaminants.

Not all contaminants in the program are considered emerging. Naturally occurring compounds such as cobalt and testosterone were included in the third cycle, which ran from 2013 through 2015. Some of the monitored compounds considered to be emerging contaminants were perfluorooctanesulfonic acid  an ingredient in Scotchgard  and perfluoroheptanoic acid  a grease-proof substance used on food packaging.

No more than 30 contaminants can be monitored over a span of five years in the program, which Susan Glassmeyer, an EPA research chemist, said makes selecting which contaminants to monitor an added challenge.

We only get to monitor 30 at a time, so we dont want to waste one of those slots, Glassmeyer said in an EPA webinar in June.

The contaminants for the fourth round of monitoring have been chosen and include 10 cyanotoxin compounds  produced by blue-green algae  and eight pesticides.

These contaminants are monitored in all municipal supplies serving more than 10,000 people and select smaller systems. In Iowa, 58 public water systems participated in the last round of unregulated contaminant monitoring. Monitoring data is processed by certified labs, including the Iowa State Hygienic Labs in Coralville and Ankeny, and recorded with the EPA.

Monitoring expensive

Jeff Mitchell, a lab supervisor with Des Moines Water Works, said concern about pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants began in the past 10 to 15 years.

Were always trying to stay ahead of the emerging contaminants, but money does influence that ability, he said.

The EPA pays for testing systems serving a population less than 10,000 for the unregulated contaminant monitoring rule, but for systems serving more than 10,000, the cost ranges from $50 to $470 per sample, per testing method, on average. The EPA estimates the average annual cost to each of these large systems over the five-year rule period to be less than $2,381.

Des Moines Water Works operates six systems that participate in testing for the program and most often saw levels of contamination below or equal to preliminary standards set in the monitoring rule.

Monitoring, however, does not equal treatment.

Chuck Pietscher, superintendent of the Keokuk Water Pollution Control Plant, said his plant does not have a specific treatment process to combat pharmaceuticals or other emerging contaminant endocrine disruptors.

Six percent of Iowas public water systems violated standard health-based regulations in 2015, according to the DNRs annual compliance report released in July. About 200,000 of the 2.9 million Iowans served by public water supplies were exposed to some type of health-based violation.

Unlike the emerging contaminants, the contaminants in the DNR report are regulated by the EPA and proved to have some level of health risks if ingested.

Although there are no known health risks for humans ingesting emerging contaminants in water, research has shown some emerging contaminants have negative effects on aquatic life.

Iowa's water concerns

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.

One measure to increase the state sales tax by 3/8 of a cent would have allocated the additional revenue to protect and enhance water quality and natural areas in the state, including parks, trails and fish and wildlife habitats, and conserving agricultural soils.

Branstad told a crowd in Storm Lake earlier this month 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.

Kolpin said the U.S. Geological Survey and EPA research showing negative health effects in aquatic life is enough of a reason to investigate if humans could be at risk as well.

One Iowa public water system is funding contamination prevention through environmental grants. Both the East River Station treatment plant for the Davenport area and the Clinton water treatment plant are owned and operated by Iowa American Water, a subsidiary of American Water. The parent company, based in New Jersey, provides drinking water and wastewater treatment services in 47 states and Ontario, Canada.

American Water provides environmental grants to projects in their service areas with a focus on improving and restoring watersheds, surface and groundwater resources. In 2015, Iowa American Water funded a $1,000 grant to Gateway Impact Coalition, a Clinton County-based organization focused on increasing community collaboration and reducing substance abuse, to put pharmaceutical drop boxes in police departments in the county for people to drop off their pharmaceuticals for proper disposal.

A lot of people flush medications down the toilet or discard of them not the right way, so we try to find a way to make sure those are disposed of properly, Rich Oswald, superintendent of the East River Station treatment plant in Davenport, said in an IowaWatch interview.

Kolpin said takeback programs such as the one in Clinton County could prevent some pharmaceuticals from going down the drain but it will take more to prevent pharmaceuticals from ending up in drinking water.

Instead of focusing on wastewater and drinking water treatment down the line, he said, people should focus on the source: reducing what he viewed as overuse of caffeine and adjusting the way doctors prescribe medications in order to prevent excess medication from piling up in home medicine cabinets.

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.
HOT SPRINGS | If a cowboy without a horse seems unimaginable, riding horses without a saddle  its just not gonna happen. Cowboys, horses and saddles are one.

Yet saddle-making is becoming a lost art  except here in Hot Springs, which is home to two saddle makers.

Doug Pirnie of Y-L (Y-bar-L) Saddlery, creates custom saddles. Veldon Morgan is the master who taught Pirnie the craft.

I was always interested in doing saddles, said Pirnie, who grew up on a ranch near Dunning, Neb., and enjoys doing all kinds of leather work.

Pirnie put an interest in saddle-making on the back burner for a few years after checking out schools in Oklahoma, where a person could get a college degree in leather working and making saddles. He decided that was not for him since he wasnt such a great student.

He also checked ads in the back of Western Horseman magazine for saddle-making and discovered two weeks of training would cost $5,000.

I didnt have that kind of money, he said.

In the meantime, he worked on ranches and was a saddle bronc rider until he broke his arm.

That was when he heard through the grapevine about a job available at Morgans Leather, a wholesale and custom saddlemaker that also made other leather goods, owned and operated by Veldon and Wanda Morgan.

Pirnie figured he could do on-the-job training as saddle maker, so he called Veldon Morgan, only to discover he wasnt hiring at the time.

But Pirnie wasnt one to give up too easily. Morgan said both Pirnies mother, who kept insisting he give her son a shot, and Pirnie himself pestered him about working for him.

When an opening finally came up, Pirnie said, There really wasnt an interview. It was more about who I knew in Martin.

Pirnies grandparents lived in Tuthill, southeast of Martin in Bennett County. Morgan was born in Tuthill.

Finally working for Morgan, Pirnie met Lacey, a North Dakota girl who was sewing handbags and personal items for Morgans leather goods business. They eventually married.

Ive always been fascinated by saddles. When I looked at the parts involved I was amazed. Theres lots more parts than I thought there were, Pirnie said.

Morgan lauds Pirnie with what might be the greatest compliment a cowboy can have. I had some good hands in here, and Doug Pirnie was a good one, the best. He got good, real good.

Several years ago, when the saddle business was in a slump, Weaver Leather bought out Morgan's Leather.

Weaver an Ohio business owned and operated by Amish and Mennonite families, didnt want the wholesale saddle-making business, so the Pirnies decided to go out on their own, as Y-L Saddlery and continue making saddles. Y-L was Laceys grandfathers brand in North Dakota.

My favorite thing about making saddles is that Im tickled when it turns out and it actually looks like a saddle, Pirnie said, smiling. He also likes the combination of creativity and precision required in saddle-making, especially tooling and stamping saddle parts.

You pretty much have a free rein with this, he said, but it has to look like something, it has to flow, it just cant be a blob of stuff.

He also appreciates hearing from customers; frequently its this is the best saddle I ever had, because he gets a great deal of satisfaction in building a specialized product for someone. Lots of time and effort went into it, he says.

The amount of time required to produce a saddle varies. Typically, its about 40 hours per saddle. However, he said you often work 120 hours in order to get the 40 hours, due to the dry time involved in wet-forming leather parts to the tree and other items. He figures it will take about two to three weeks to complete a saddle.

Early on in the business, he said, his saddle-making was all wholesale, and he was building about six saddles per month. Hed get orders to make 10 saddles in one phone call, he said.

However, this changed in about 2001. It got worse in 2007 when the recession hit and after that it just dried up because even the mom and pop tack shops were disappearing due to someone passing away or other circumstances.

As a result, Y-L Saddlery quickly moved into retail saddle-making. They still produce some bucking rolls and reins sold wholesale.

During his 20 years, Pirnie has made more than 500 custom saddles and 1,100 wholesale saddles

Lacey does all the sewing and helps a lot, he said. He pointed out how shes the finishing department at Y-L, sewing sheepskin with two lines of stitching on fenders and making awards for Play Days, the Little Britches rodeo, high school rodeos, etc.

Much of the machinery initially came from Morgans, and a lot of it is really old. Some of it you have to make your own, he said.

About the only thing Pirnie doesnt like about saddle-making is the final process, oiling the leather. Lacey does this, heating light harness oil for a typical finish or using white oil, a blend of olive oil, to create a lighter finish.

We pride ourselves in carrying on the tradition. Each saddle is hand built here by us, Pirnie said.

Morgan and his wife, Wanda, have been in the saddle business for 53 years. Veldon said he started thinking about getting out when China and India began mass producing saddles at a cost he simply couldnt compete with.

If you look at them (India-made saddles, like the big box stores sell) and you know what youre looking at, youll see theyre junk. But theyre selling for $1,000 and I cant do that. A custom saddle here will run about $4,000, he said.

With so much work under their belts, the Morgans decided to give retirement a try, selling both Morgans Leather and the Laramie Boot company that they began. But retirement did not suit them.

Veldon couldn't stay away from leather and started making saddles and other leather products again. Wanda couldn't sit still either and opened Wanda's Finds, selling a variety of items from silver work, hats and footwear to antiques and collectibles.

I keep busy all the time, I like what I do, it keeps me alive, Veldon says. I had lots of cancer. You need something to drive your life.

The part he enjoys most about saddle-making and leather work is seeing what it will look like when its finished.

Veldon intends to keep on making saddles until he cant do it anymore.

I have no interest in retirement, he said. They told me to try fishing. When I was a kid and could play hookey from school and go fishing, that was fun. But when youre fishing, instead of doing what you like to do, thats no fun. This has been good to us. Weve met a lot of good people through this.
PORTLAND, Maine | Maine's wild blueberry crop is headed for another big year despite dry weather that has caused some nervousness in the state's blueberry barrens.

Maine is by far the biggest wild blueberry producer in the U.S., and the industry is coming off back-to-back bumper crops of over 100 million pounds in the past two years. This year's total will likely be closer to 90 million, which is still much more than the crop averaged a decade ago, the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine said.

The big crops come at a time when prices for blueberries have been somewhat depressed. Frozen wild blueberries dropped from 90 cents per pound in 2011 to 60 cents per pound in 2014.

Another big crop could help keep prices to consumers low, but growers said they welcome another big year anyway. Ed Flanagan, chief executive officer of Wyman's of Maine, said advances in irrigation are helping to make a big year possible, but the lack of rain this summer is concerning anyway.

"That's changed the outlook from a way-above-average crop to maybe something less," Flanagan said. "You really want to see a big yield per acre."

Wild blueberries made up less than a sixth of the total U.S. blueberry crop in 2014, but they are one of Maine's most beloved exports, prized for their flavor and antioxidants. Cultivated blueberries are bigger and more commonly seen in the fresh produce section of grocery stores. Wild blueberries are almost always sold frozen.

In parts of neighboring New Hampshire that have been hit hard by a drought, the network of mostly small, family-run cultivated blueberry farms aren't faring as well as Maine's wild crop. Just last week, Gov. Maggie Hassan sent a letter to the federal government requesting a Drought Disaster Designation for farmers in Grafton, Rockingham and Strafford counties.

Maine's industry is trying to take advantage of its big crop years by creating more interest in Maine blueberries outside the state, said Nancy McBrady, executive director of the blueberry commission.

"We as an industry are working hard to differentiate ourselves from regular, cultivated blueberries and educate consumers and the wholesale ingredient trade about the benefits of wild blueberries," she said.

The effort is necessary in part because big crops of recent years have led to a surplus of berries in the industry that has helped hold prices down. Another factor has been the weak Canadian dollar, as Canada also produces wild blueberries.

The U.S. government is spending about $13 million on a plan to help Maine's blueberry industry by buying some of the surplus crop. Officials announced plans to complete the purchase last month.
Sam Papendick and Karl Koth apparently have a knack for serving their well-crafted beer from a building that has been given new life.

The founders of Hay Camp Brewing Co. will break camp at their current location at 201 Main St. in the Fairmont Creamery Mall and could reopen by the end of the year at 601 Kansas City St. in what used to be a downtown auto dealership.

Papendick said the 37,000-square-foot, art-deco style building with a distinctive angular glass facade, once home to an Oldsmobile-Cadillac showroom, will allow the brewery to more than quadruple its tavern space.

It going to be more of a multi-use spot, he said.

Thats for sure. Their plans go far beyond just the brewery.

Also in the works are a 3,000-square-foot stage and event area for live music and shows, a cafe and restaurant to compliment the brewery, an art gallery, a woodworking shop and a temperature-controlled storage facility in the massive basement, where once new Coupe De Villes and Olds Rocket 88s were stored.

Their new home was one of several auto dealerships located in the downtown core in the 1970s until Regional Health bought the building in 1973 and turned it into a laundry.

The structure became expendable when Regional Health built a new laundry on Lombardy Drive in 2014. It was sold in July to Koth and Papendick.

Papendick said the building is in the initial phases of interior demolition. There is no set date yet for Hay Camp to begin drawing the first of their current ale offerings: Bitter Warrior, Victory Stout, Better Brown, Centennial IPA and Hopdlebar Maltstache DPA in the new location.

Were kind of excited to get down and revitalize an old dead building, Papendick said. Were peeling back the surface so we can figure out to what the demolition is going to entail.

Its going to be a lot of work, but were excited, he said.

Pediatric practice expands

Tim Wald of Black Hills Pediatric Therapy has added speech and occupational therapies to his regimen of treatment for patients younger than age 21.

Wald and his staff will travel to the greater Rapid City area, including Ellsworth Air Force Base and the Black Hills, providing on-site care covering all medical diagnosis and concerns, he said.

We like to work in the childs natural setting, Wald said. Doing it in a clinic that might not carry over into a natural setting like a home or the community.

Call 605-222-7336 for more information or email info@blackhillspediatrictherapy.com.

C & L Sewing doing awnings

Mike Boll brings 25 years of awning experience to C & L Sewing at 2017 E. Highway 44, Unit 21, in Rapid City.

Mike and Vickie Boll were in the process of buying Black Hills Tent & Awning from Don Mattson when Mattson completed a deal to sell the Gate City Building on Second Street, home to the awning shop and other businesses, to Black Hills Federal Credit Union earlier this year.

That building is slated to be torn down to make way for the credit union's new headquarters.

Vickie Boll said they made the difficult decision to turn the business, which they had operated for 13 years, back to Mattson rather than shoulder the continuing purchase payments, the added cost of a move and potentially higher rent.

Now they have downsized and are back in the awning business, just under a new name.

People need to know were still around and doing the same quality work weve always done, Vickie Boll said.

See C & L Sewings Facebook page or call 605-484-1946 for more information.

Magic Moments closing

Magic Moments Bridal & Formal Wear at 613 Main St. has begun a final clearance sale.

Owners and sisters Trish Jones and Fran Cersosimo have been in the wedding and formal wear business for 21 years, including 18 years at their current location. But Frans decision to retire and a downturn in their business due in part to competition from Internet rentals and major chain stores such as David's Bridal and Mens Wearhouse hastened the call to go out of business, Jones said.

Once the store shutters for good, perhaps by the end of October, Jones plans to take some time off. However, she wont rule out another business endeavor.

Once these doors close, well see which new ones open up, she said.

Jones said her family business put an emphasis on personal service in an industry demanding painstaking attention to detail, making a reference to a reality television series depicting brides-to-be as hard-to-please clientele.

Weve had really great customers, Jones said. Weve only had one bridezilla in 21 years.

Surgical center honors

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released results from its Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating program on its Hospital Compare website.

Black Hills Surgical Hospital of Rapid City has received the highest available 5-Star Rating and is ranked in the top 25 hospitals in the United States, according to a news release.

Patients want and deserve quality care, safety and service. We provide that to them every step of the way, Bill May, Black Hills Surgical Hospital CEO, said in a news release. Our daily mission is to provide exceptional care, exceptional quality, and exceptional service to both the patient and family, and we are very proud that our staff continues to excel in achieving their mission.

The CMS ratings are a combination of 64 measures in seven groups: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness and efficient use of medical imaging.

Black Hills Surgical Hospital is one of 102 hospitals and the only hospital in western South Dakota to earn the 5-star designation, with 934 earning four stars, 1,770 earning three stars, 723 earning two stars and 133 one star.

The 5-Star rating follows recognition from Beckers Hospital Review on July 7, identifying BHSH as a top 5 patient-recommended hospital in the nation. Modern Healthcare magazine ranked BHSH as the No. 6 hospital in the nation for quality care and service earlier this year.
Tamee Livermont remembers growing up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and seeing pregnant and new mothers using drugs and alcohol.

It just breaks my heart, said the Martin resident and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. I just cant understand why it continues when we have the knowledge and education of the effect it has on the baby.

Livermont, a University of South Dakota biology major, plans to do something about by becoming a neonatologist serving newborn infants and their mothers. Livermont is one of 60 students from 49 colleges and universities chosen for the Udall scholarships that provide up to $7,000 for the scholars junior or senior year.

The Udall Foundation selects recipients based on their commitment to careers in the environment, American Indian health care or tribal public policy; leadership potential; record of public service; and academic achievement. The scholars were selected from 482 candidates nominated by 227 colleges and universities.

Livermont is a member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and the USD Medical Biology Club. As part of the scholarship, she will also travel to Arizona this month to network with other Udall scholars.

Sarah Hirsch Wittmuss worked in the USD Honors program and at the Center for Academic & Global Engagement at USD, where she met Livermont. She currently works in the Academic & Career Planning Center. Livermont is very deserving of the scholarship, she said.

She is always ready for the next challenge or the next opportunity, she said in an email to the Journal. She is very self-possessed. She knows who she is and how she wants to help, while at the same time being open to new experiences and ideas. It is a powerful combination, and one which serves her well.

The application for the scholarship was rigorous, Livermont said, and it took her almost four months to complete.

In my mind, I didnt think Id get it, she said. But I was hopeful.

When she received the call, she was so surprised she cried. She has been fortunate, she said, to receive other scholarships toward her education.

This one meant so much to me, she said.

Helping her community

She is considering working in an Indian Health Service hospital or in a location with a large Native American population. A senior at USD this fall, she also plans to use her education and background to counter drug and alcohol abuse through prevention education programs. Shes hoping it will eventually help her get back to the reservation and help her community.

Its hard because neonatology service arent offered there, she said. But my mom always said that if a job isnt there, shoot for your goal. Maybe I can create the job.

The need is there, Livermont said. Alcohol use is rampant on the Pine Ridge, resulting in disease, domestic violence, accidents and fetal alcohol syndrome.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009, chronic liver disease was the fifth leading cause of death for all American Indian and Alaska Native men and the second leading cause of death for men ages 35 to 44. Alcoholism affects about eight out of 10 families.

Livermont said that despite years of research and efforts to educate people on the effects of alcohol and fetal alcohol syndrome, there is still a disconnect on the reservation.

Its mind-boggling to understand the health care problems on the reservation, she said. I want to be able to help children born with addictions and be a light for mothers for what their habits are doing to their children.

Livermont, who will be a senior this fall, said she understands the hurdles she faces. Job opportunities on the reservation are limited, particularly in health care. After having traveled and studied at college, returning home is emotional sometimes too.

People want to go back, but its bothersome to go back and see the way people live, she said. I grew up in Martin until I was 18 and went to college, and I traveled and now I cant believe people live that way.

It gives her even more of a heart to help.

This is a place Im passionate about, she said. I am that person that if I really want to do something, Ill do it.

Livermont will be successful in whatever she sets her mind to, Wittmuss said.

Tamee is always thinking of ways her science background can impact the daily lives of Native Americans and others in their health care choices, she said. The connection between pure science lab work and real world impact is something Tamee will carry forward in anything she does, and that will make any project she works on a success. I cant wait to see what she will do next.

The support from her friends, family, advisers, teachers and fellow students has been supportive and encouraging, Livermont said. Her faith has also sustained her dreams.

Im a very religious person, she said. If God planned for me to help my people this way, Hell lay the bricks for it.
Jeff Swensen/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- After a week of bad poll numbers, Donald Trump is blaming the media.



"If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%," Trump said on Twitter Sunday morning.

If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

He added to the comments throughout the day on social media."It is not "freedom of the press" when newspapers and others are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false!" he tweeted Sunday afternoon.His blasts against the media on Twitter on Sunday followed what he told a crowd at a Connecticut rally Saturday night: "I'm not running against crooked Hillary Clinton. I'm running against the crooked media."

Crooked Hillary Clinton is being protected by the media. She is not a talented person or politician. The dishonest media refuses to expose!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

Trump's barrage comes after a spate of unfavorable polls over the past week.The most recent ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that Hillary Clinton has advanced among women and consolidated support within her party since her nominating convention, while a difficult few weeks left Donald Trump still struggling on basic ratings, from his temperament to his qualifications for office. She led him by 8 points in the poll published Aug. 7.Another poll this past week by NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist showed Clinton leading Trump by 9 points in the swing state of Pennsylvania and gaining in other battleground states.

It is not "freedom of the press" when newspapers and others are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

Compounding the downward trajectory of Trump's polling data is apparent pressure from a portion of the conservative electorate that has failed to coalesce around his candidacy.New independent candidate for president Evan McMullin, a conservative, said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" that his entrance into the race won't affect Donald Trump's chances because "it's so likely that [he] will lose."In another tweet, Trump referred to the large size of his rallies and the passion of his supporters, claiming that these details have been ignored by reporters."My rallies are not covered properly by the media," he said in Connecticut. "They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm."

My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

To emphasize the statement he made Saturday at the rally in Fairfield, Connecticut, about the "crooked media", the 70-year-old real estate tycoon waved his finger in a horizontal line toward where the press was stationed.The media has served as a rhetorical target for Trump throughout his campaign. In an essay for Marie Claire last week, MSNBC/NBC reporter Katy Tur wrote that she had to be accompanied out of a South Carolina rally by Secret Service agents after Donald Trump launched a personal attack against her.In May, he called ABC News' Tom Llamas a "sleaze."Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
South Dakotas welcoming economic incentives and the worldwide fame of the Sturgis motorcycle rally continue to entice cycle-related businesses to come to the Black Hills, not just for Augusts rally, but year-round.

And now, regional economic development officials are revving up efforts to attract more motorcycle businesses and jobs to the region.

The states sunny business climate, including the lack of corporate and personal income taxes and deferred property taxes, have put the state in a favorable light for potential motorcycle companies looking to locate in the state, said Ben Snow, president of the Rapid City Economic Development Partnership.

We talk about the freedom to ride and the freedom to do business the way you want. That resonates with them, Snow said in a news release from the Rushmore Region Alliance, made up of economic development executives from Belle Fourche, Spearfish, Lead-Deadwood, Sturgis, Wall, Rapid City and Hot Springs.

Many in the cycle industry are already taking advantage of the region's unique position.

Having the name Sturgis on your address is a big help, said Kenny Price, owner of Samson Exhaust, which moved from California to the Sturgis Industrial Park in 2013.

Its all because of the rally. It lends to the credibility of being in the motorcycle business, said Price, whose company produces and sells custom and high-performance exhaust systems for motorcycles.

Samson Exhaust, Legend Air Suspension, J & P Cycles, and Competition Distributing are among the motorcycle accessory and component businesses to set up shop in and around Sturgis.

Jerry Greers Engineering, a restorer of vintage Indian motorcycles, is located in Deadwood.

Terry Components, specializing in fuel and starting systems for Harley-Davidson and big V-Twin motorcycle engines, and Baggster, a custom motorcycle conversion business, are located in Spearfish.

Also in Spearfish, Polaris opened a paint facility for its Victory and Indian motorcycles earlier this year.

But Price also believes more needs to be done to not only attract new players, but to support existing businesses.

He sings the praises of the states low tax-burden environment, but he also decries the dearth of a strong manufacturing base which he said had hindered his ability to do business in the Black Hills.

What we dont have here are similar support-type businesses, so we can have things made local. We still have parts made in California and shipped out here, he said.

He was able to contract to have brackets for his exhaust systems made by Tru-Catch Traps in Belle Fourche, but he would also like to see metal stamping and laser-cutting companies come to the area.

Most of all, Price mentions the need for a local chrome-plating company capable of producing the quality and volume he needs for his custom exhaust systems.

He now ships all of his chrome-plating needs to a company in Wisconsin. The distance makes it difficult to oversee the quality of the work being done, he said.

Sturgis City Manager Daniel Ainslie said gaps in support businesses are being addressed by the city and its business development arm, Sturgis Economic Development Corporation.

Bringing a large-scale chrome plating operation to the area is a priority, he said.

Anytime you have emerging industries, you need additional supporting industries for that supply line, Ainslie said.

So far we dont a large-scale plater nearby. Thats a hiccup for some of the manufacturers but as demand grows that niche is going to be filled, he said.

Prices son, Stan, said the lack of an industrial base also means a lack of manufacturing skills among the employees they hire.

We have to train everybody, Stan Price said.

Ainslie said the SEDC is helping to boosting the numbers of skilled industrial workers through a program that exposes high school students to the machinist trade.

Some student machinists have been hired right out of high school, while others have gone on to seek more training at trade schools, he said.

The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology also produces high-level engineers that could be attracted to stay in the area if the right jobs were available.

East of Samson Exhaust on the Whitewood Road in west Sturgis lies Legend Air Suspension, which designs builds suspension systems for motorcycles and utility vehicles.

As with Samson Exhaust and other local motorcycle-related companies, Legend markets and ships its products worldwide.

Legends Sheryl Eisenbraun said the company was founded 20 years ago by South Dakota native Jesse Jurrens in his parents garage. He built the suspension firm business using engineering support from graduates from the South Dakota School of Mines.

She said Legend employs 22 and ships worldwide through several distributors. The company has benefited from doing business in South Dakota.

The cost of doing business here is way less than in any other state. You can find a quality workforce at a reasonable rate, she said.

Earlier this month, Sturgis Economic Development Corporation President Pat Kurtenbach announced two more motorcycle-related companies plan to come to Sturgis in September.

Sturgis MotoCruzin USA will begin production of a line of motorized bicycles and Enviro Shield Products, Inc., will expand a line of spill containment products already used in the oil industry, to other markets, including the motorcycle industry.

Sturgis MotoCruzin USAs Chuck Jepson and Bruce Lindholm will have a manufacturing and license agreement with Motoped, a Kansas City, Mo.-based company.

They will employ five people to start, with plans to eventually build a 20,000-square-foot production facility.

Enviro Shield Products is relocating from Williston, N.D. Company president and CEO Shane Herman plans to be fully operational in a 7,000-square-foot building in the industrial park.

Two employees will relocate from Williston and another three will be hired locally. Herman expects to eventually employ about a dozen full-time workers.
Chris Cox says he is exhausting himself and his personal finances in his crusade to organize motorcycle riders into a voting bloc for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Yet, at his vendor display Wednesday at the Crossroads stage at the Buffalo Chip Campground during the Sturgis motorcycle rally, he did not offer any formal information about the election, or about voting, or about Trump.

What Cox offered all week at the rally were Bikers for Trump T-shirts, sold from the back of his truck for $20, or $15 for second and subsequent purchases.

A person working with Cox claimed the proceeds go to the Trump campaign, but Cox, under questioning from a reporter, acknowledged that the money goes into his own pocket.

Prior to this years presidential race, that kind of appropriation of Trump's name for profit might have resulted in litigation. Now, Trumps presidential candidacy has motivated Cox and legions of others who are cashing in on the value of the Republican presidential nominee's brand.

At this years Sturgis rally, which officially ended Friday, vendors hawking Trump-themed attire and buttons, along with anti-Hillary Clinton merchandise, appeared to do brisk business among a crowd that was outwardly for the Republican nominee for president.

There were booths offering Trump items for sale along the main route that bikers rode into town, as well as downtown where thousands of bikers lined Main Street, and also at some of the big campgrounds outside of town. Trump's flamboyant persona seemed to be a perfect fit for the rally, where painted bodies are commonplace, profanity abounds and political correctness is rarely seen.

Whether any of the vendors selling Trump merchandise were officially connected to the Trump campaign was questionable. Some said they were, and others acknowledged they were not. Some said they sent a portion of their proceeds to the Trump campaign, and others said they were in business for themselves.

The only one who claimed to be leading a movement was the enigmatic Cox, a late-40s South Carolinian who is enjoying a second shot at fame since founding Bikers for Trump last August.

'Lawnmower Guy' rides again

Cox's first foray into the national media spotlight happened during the federal government shutdown in 2013, when he took it upon himself to mow the lawn of the Lincoln Memorial in place of furloughed federal employees. He was dubbed the Lawnmower Guy and featured in media stories nationwide.

At that time, Cox, whose avocation is creating chainsaw sculptures from logs, seemed perfectly cast as a rebel patriot with his unkempt head of curly hair, full beard and no-nonsense attitude. He eventually trimmed the hair and beard and put on a collared shirt, and as recently as last August he was traipsing around Washington as the self-appointed lobbyist for a bill to keep national parks and memorials open in the event of another government shutdown.

The bill stalled in a committee, but Cox told a writer for the website DCist.com that he planned to come back to Congress after the August 2015 congressional recess to continue the work. Instead, he says now, that's the month he founded Bikers for Trump.

In his latest incarnation as a media darling, he's returned to a scruffier look while casting himself as an impoverished, nomadic road warrior. In interviews and on social media, he has repeatedly said that he sleeps in a rundown camper and urinates in old milk jugs.

Meanwhile, his behind-the-scenes moves reflect a savvier operator. He has trademarked the phrase Bikers for Trump and registered his Bikers for Trump organization not as a political action committee or a nonprofit, but rather as a limited liability company in low-tax Delaware.

There are other indications that Cox is not exactly the man of modest means that he appears to be. He comes from a politically connected family with a father who's worked for the likes of the Bushes and Doles, and his "Bikers for Trump" trademark is registered to an address in Mount Pleasant, S.C., where his mother owns a stately, two-story brick home that has a market value of more than $1.2 million, according to tax records.

In that regard, Cox may be a bit like Trump  a driven opportunist who has crafted and benefited from a man-of-the-people persona.

The two mens paths converged to much fanfare in July at the Republican National Convention, where Cox drew media attention for rolling into Cleveland with other bikers. He pledged to intimidate groups such as the New Black Panther Party and Black Lives Matter, and afterward, Cox said his groups presence thwarted some planned protests.

That was the climax of efforts that had begun months earlier, when Cox began organizing pro-Trump biker rallies and showing up at Trump events. In the days leading up to the Republican National Convention, Trump tweeted his appreciation: Thank you to Chris Cox and Bikers for Trump - Your support has been amazing. I will never forget. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Fuzzy on details

Cox now says that Bikers for Trump has 105,000 members, and that bikers are the fastest growing demographic in the presidential campaign cycle on both sides.

In an interview at the Buffalo Chip last week, he spoke in vague generalities when asked to explain how bikers become members, but one way is to register on Coxs website by providing him with a name and email address. He might also be equating his Bikers for Trump likes on Facebook with memberships, because he had about 105,000 of those as of last week.

Still, if Cox can convert even 5 percent of those likes into T-shirt customers, his haul would exceed $100,000 (the shirts, though priced at $20 and $15 at the rally, are priced at $26 online). Throughout last week, a post encouraging T-shirt purchases was pinned to the top of the Bikers for Trump page on Facebook. At the Sturgis rally on Wednesday, while Cox took a 25-minute break to be interviewed for this news story, a man working with him made 16 T-shirt sales.

When asked how many total T-shirts hes sold, Cox said he doesn't know. He said his relatives urged him to begin selling the shirts after he spent much of his own money on the movement.

Media accounts of Coxs activities have mostly failed to address where his money goes, and he has sometimes encouraged or allowed false notions about that. Besides the worker at the Sturgis rally who falsely claimed that the proceeds from the shirts go to the Trump campaign, Cox also has language on the ordering page of his website that seems intended to create the impression that he's running a nonprofit.

This is not for profit, all proceeds are used to support all Bikers for Trump! the website says.

But Cox is in fact running a company, not a nonprofit, and he has complete control of all the T-shirt revenue and the additional $12,568 he has raised through the online fundraising website GoFundMe (that site publicly displays the amount raised).

When asked if he gives any money at all to Trumps campaign, Cox initially dodged the question.

One way or another it goes to the campaign, he said. Ive been out here a year now.

Asked again whether he gives any money to Trumps campaign, he acknowledged the money he raises is funding Bikers for Trump.

Cox said he uses the money to get himself from one Bikers for Trump rally to another, and to help other bikers get to the events. He described his lack of fiscal accountability as a good thing for the movement.

With the T-shirt money, its really up to my discretion what to do with it, he said. Anybody else who sells T-shirts, theyre lining their pockets. As I sell my T-shirts, Im planning my next rally.

He has not spent any of the GoFundMe money, he said, and wants to use it to buy billboards in election battleground states. But his $12,568 might not stretch very far. Lamar Advertising reports on its website that the price to advertise on one billboard for several weeks in the state of Florida, which was one of the states mentioned by Cox, is several thousand dollars.

Next step: Washington lobbyist?

If Cox does use his GoFundMe money to conduct political advertising, he would presumably have to file reports with the Federal Election Commission under the terms of campaign finance laws. Cox said he has guys that are a lot smarter than I am when it comes to stuff like that who will take care of those details.

Despite his lack of financial transparency, Coxs embrace by bikers at the Sturgis rally seemed full and wholehearted. On Thursday night at the Buffalo Chip Campground, Cox was brought onstage in front of a throng of thousands. In a video of the appearance posted to the Bikers for Trump page on Facebook, someone in Trump-themed attire could be seen and heard giving Cox a profanity-laced introduction and endorsement.

The cheers from the crowd may further embolden Cox, who told the Journal the day before his onstage appearance that he has dreams of converting the Bikers for Trump movement into a lobbying presence in the nations capital.

Leading a biker lobbying group may seem like the logical next step for Cox, and the email list hes building on his websites registration page would undeniably come in handy for that, despite his pledge that people who register with Bikers for Trump will never be put on an email list.

Cox does lack one potentially important qualification for a biker lobbyist, which was awkwardly revealed when he was asked about his "ride" for a Q&A in Sturgis Rider Daily, a co-publication of the Journal and the Buffalo Chip Campground.

"I don't," said Chris Cox, founder of Bikers for Trump, "have a bike right now."
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam | Several B-1B Lancers and Airmen with the 28th Bomb Wing from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Aug. 6 in support of U.S. Pacific Commands (USPACOM) Continuous Bomber Presence mission.

The B-1s last participated in the CBP mission approximately 10 years ago and are returning to support USPACOM in conducting routine, strategic deterrence and regional training missions. Incorporating the B-1 into PACOM operations exercises the Air Forces ability to integrate a unique capability with regional allies and partners in various parts of the world.

Since 2004, U.S. Air Force bombers such as the B-1, B-52 Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit have been in continuous rotations providing non-stop stability and security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Air Force Global Strike Command continues to routinely deploy bombers to Guam, which provides opportunities to strengthen regional alliances and long-standing military-to-military partnerships throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

The B-1 units bring a unique perspective and years of repeated combat and operational experience from the Central Command theater to the Pacific. They will provide a significant rapid global strike capability that enables readiness and commitment to deterrence, offers assurance to the U.S. allies and strengthens regional security and stability in the region. Training in a different part of the world allows the B-1 aircrews the opportunity to integrate with Pacific partners to enhance interoperability and regional cooperation.

Andersen welcomes the B-1 squadron, and we look forward to working together to provide safety and security to the region, our partners and our allies, said Brig. Gen. Douglas Cox, 36th Wing commander. The B-52s did an amazing job the past few years, and we know the B-1s will continue CBP excellence going forward."
A home is supposed to be a comfortable setting, where a person and their family can relax and unwind from the stresses of everyday life. For Wayne Swier, a veteran of the U.S. Army, however, the comforts of home were a challenge.

Swier lost his left leg after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Memlah, Afghanistan on Nov. 3, 2010. After returning from service, Swier found that tasks he once found to be simple  reaching the kitchen counter and stepping in and out of the shower  became more complicated.

Swier will soon be receiving a new home through Homes for Our Troops (HFOT), a national nonprofit organization that builds mortgage-free and specially-adapted homes for post-9/11 veterans.

HFOT hosted a special event Saturday morning to celebrate the building of Swier's new home in Rapid City. Dozens of community members, veterans and bikers in the local chapter of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association came out to the VFW Post 1273 to mark the occasion.

Homes built by HFOT are designed with accessibility in mind. Small modifications such as widened doorways for wheelchair access, roll-in showers and lowered countertops will give Swier more mobility with greater safety than in a traditional home.

"A home is where you should feel safe," Swier said. "I can't thank Homes for Our Troops enough for giving us so much."

Also in attendance was U.S. Marine veteran and double amputee Neil Frustaglio, who received his home through HFOT in Sept. 2010.

"I can do the laundry. I can cook, clean, do the dishes," Frustaglio said. "It made a difference from day one.
Thursdays decision by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to rename Harney Peak to Black Elk Peak caught many South Dakotans by surprise and sparked a lot of questions.

The Journal first reported on the renaming proposal in September 2014 and has published roughly 20 stories on the topic since then based on historical research, oral testimony at public hearings, written comments submitted to the state and federal geographic names boards, and interviews with members of both of those boards and other experts.

Based on knowledge accumulated from those efforts, here are some Journal answers to questions many South Dakotans may be posing since learning the news about the renaming.

Q.What are the latest developments?

A. The federal boards decision to change the name applies to all federal geographic products such as maps, other printed documents and signs. But the decision does not obligate the state to follow suit with its own maps, documents or signs, and a spokesman for Gov. Dennis Daugaard said Thursday after the federal boards decision that the governor is evaluating the states options and is also interested in preventing similar future decisions by the federal board.

Staffers for U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., have told the Journal that he, too, is evaluating next steps and is potentially interested in warding off similar decisions in the future.

Friday, the Journals requests for interviews with Daugaard and Thune were both declined as staffers said the two were not yet ready to make additional public comments about the issue.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Black Hills National Forest, which is the federal agency that manages Black Elk Peak, said Friday that forest leaders were still gathering information about the decision and conferring with each other before determining how to proceed with the name change.

Q: How did this happen?

A: Basil Brave Heart, of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, proposed the name change in a September 2014 letter. The South Dakota Board on Geographic Names considered the proposal and ultimately recommended retaining the name Harney Peak, but the U.S. Board on Geographic Names decided Thursday to change the name to Black Elk Peak.

Q. What is the U.S. Board on Geographic Names?

A. The board was created in 1896 and re-created in its present form by federal legislation in 1947 to make geographic names uniform throughout the federal government.

The board consists of members and deputy members, currently numbering about 30 in all, appointed by the heads of various departments of the federal government including Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and the Government Publishing Office.

The boards meetings are typically on the second Thursday of each month, usually with 10 to 15 members attending. The board uses written principles, policies and procedures to guide its consideration of name-change requests, and a majority vote is needed to approve requests. The board's vote to change Harney Peak to Black Elk Peak was 12-0 with one abstention.

Q. Was there any indication that the board would decide to change Harney Peaks name?

A. There was at least one indication back in April, when members of the board moved and seconded the name change but postponed a vote until August.

After that April meeting, the Journal attempted to poll all of the U.S. board members to seek their opinions about changing the name of Harney Peak. Many of the board members did not respond to phone calls or emails, and several declined to be interviewed or deferred comment to the boards non-voting executive secretary.

The only board member who agreed to speak with the Journal was Jon Campbell, a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Geological Survey. He seemed to put the brakes on the notion that the board was on the cusp of changing Harney Peaks name.

Some people on the board are more eager for the change than others, Campbell said at the time. It only takes one person to make a motion.

Other factors also seemed to indicate that a name change for Harney Peak was a long shot. The South Dakota Board on Geographic Names had recommended retaining the peaks name, and a staffer for the U.S. board had said publicly and repeatedly that significant weight is typically granted to the recommendation of a state board. Additionally, the U.S. boards written principles, policies and procedures discourage name duplication, such as the duplication that has arguably occurred now with the federally designated Black Elk Wilderness area that surrounds the newly named Black Elk Peak.

Q. Who won, and who lost?

A. While Native Americans were not universally supportive of the Black Elk Peak proposal, there was general support for the change. Some wished to rename the peak Hinhan Kaga, which is a Lakota phrase said to mean Making of Owls that is believed by some to be the traditional Lakota name for the peak.

Q. Why did the U.S. board ignore the recommendation of the state board?

A. While staffers for the U.S. board have said that the board typically grants significant weight to recommendations from state boards, the U.S. board is not required to follow a state boards recommendation.

In this case, according to a statement issued by the U.S. board after its decision, board members determined that the name Harney Peak was subject to a policy that allows for name changes when a name is shown to be highly offensive or derogatory to a particular racial or ethnic group, gender, or religious group.

Harney Peak was named for an 1800s-era general, William S. Harney, who led troops that killed some Native American men, women and children.

The current name is painful and distressing to the Tribal people, one unidentified U.S. board member was quoted as saying in the boards statement. Thats a reasonable justification for the change.

Also, its important to remember that the South Dakota Board on Geographic Names was at first in favor of changing Harney Peaks name before ultimately recommending that the name be retained.

The state board conducted public meetings across South Dakota and received oral and written input from hundreds of people during the spring of 2015. In May 2015, the board unanimously adopted a preliminary recommendation to change the name of Harney Peak to Hinhan Kaga, which was proposed during public testimony and is believed by some to be the traditional Lakota name for the peak.

Another public comment period ensued, during which hundreds more opinions poured in to the board, many of them negative and some from high-ranking state officials. The five board members, all of whom are state employees, suddenly found themselves in awkward positions; one board members boss came out publicly against the proposal, while another board member who is part of the governors cabinet found himself clashing with the public opinions of two other cabinet members.

After the backlash, the state board backtracked in June 2015 and voted 4-1 to recommend retaining Harney Peaks name. That recommendation was sent to the U.S Board on Geographic Names.

Q. Did the U.S. board mislead Sen. John Thunes office about when the decision would be made, as Thune claimed in a statement last week?

A. Thune made that claim in a written statement he issued immediately after the U.S. boards decision.

Im also disappointed the board grossly misled my office with respect to the timeline of its decision, which wasnt expected until next year, Thunes statement said, in part.

The U.S. boards executive secretary responded by saying he could not recall any correspondence between his office and Thunes, let alone an advisement that a vote would not occur until next year.

Whatever Thunes office was or wasnt told, he and his staffers could have learned the truth by reading this newspaper, which reported in May that a motion to change the name of Harney Peak had been moved and seconded at a U.S. Board on Geographic Names meeting in April.

The renaming proposal remains on the table of the national board, the Journal reported at that time, to be considered again in August.

That's precisely what happened.

Q. Will the U.S. board now change geographic names inspired by other 1800s-era military leaders, such as Custer, Sheridan and Terry?

A. People may propose changes to any geographic place name, and the U.S. board may consider it; however, the board does not proactively search for names to change. It only reacts to suggestions, and considers each one on its own merits.

Q. Who was Harney?

A. He was a Tennessee-born soldier and general in the 1800s who had a long and at times distinguished career that took him across the nation, but he was also court-martialed four times and beat a female slave to death. Those dark marks on Harneys legacy are detailed in his only modern biography, General William S. Harney: Prince of Dragoons, authored by George Rollie Adams and published in 2001 by the University of Nebraska Press.

Modern Native American resentment toward Harney centers on his role in the 1855 Battle of Ash Hollow in present-day Nebraska, where he led a force of 600 troops that killed 86 Sioux people, including some women and children. The attack was said to be intended as punitive retaliation for the Sioux killings of 30 soldiers and a civilian interpreter during the so-called Grattan Fight the previous year.

It may have been 1857 when Harneys name first became associated with South Dakotas tallest mountain. That was the year an Army topographical engineer, Gouverneur K. Warren, who had served under Harney, participated in an excursion into the Black Hills and eventually produced a map bearing the name Harneys Peak.

The name appeared in alternate forms such as Harneys Peak and Harneys Peak until 1906, when the U.S. Board on Geographic Names certified Harney Peak as the official name.

Q. Who was Black Elk?

Nicholas Black Elk was a Lakota holy man and South Dakotan who became globally known for relating stories of his life and Lakota spirituality and culture to writer and poet John Neihardt, who parlayed their talks into the book Black Elk Speaks, published in 1932.

One of the stories Black Elk told Neihardt was about a vision in which Black Elk was transported to the summit of Harney Peak. Later in life, Black Elk visited the peaks 7,242-foot summit. The peak is in Black Elk Wilderness area.

Q. Do most people know anything about Harney or Black Elk?

Gov. Daugaard said in his Thursday statement about the name change, I suspect very few people know the history of either Harney or Black Elk.

While that seems to be true for Harney, who is known mostly to scholars and military history buffs, book-selling data indicates that Black Elk is more well known among the general public. According to the University of Nebraska Press, more than 900,000 copies of Black Elk Speaks have been sold since it was first published about 80 years ago.
There's an interesting debate going on among some liberals, some "Never Trump" holdouts and even some other conservatives. Can they be personal friends with supporters of Donald Trump?

They have decided that Trump stands for bigotry, misogyny and cruelty toward the handicapped and, in fact, anyone who dares criticize him, even the parents of a Muslim soldier who died defending this country. They've concluded that his backers clearly must share those outlooks, or at least find them acceptable.

So, can they maintain cordial relations with them, or must they shun them? Are they reacting to intolerance with an intolerance of their own? For a number of Americans, it's a personal dilemma.

It's also a growing issue in politics, but it's usually not about scruples, but calculation. That's clearly what's motivating various leaders of the Republican Party. Typical of double dealers, they are trying to have it both ways. House Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. John McCain, even Trump's running mate Mike Pence are among many in the GOP making it obvious time and time again that they are repelled by the repeat instances of Donald Trump ugliness. But, deeply offended though they may be, they can't bring themselves to abandon their endorsement of Trump.

Of course, Barack Obama isn't helping. By explicitly challenging them to repudiate Trump as "unfit," President Obama is putting Trump supporters in a position where they'd be perceived as caving in to the man who has been their party's bitter enemy. Besides, the current Democratic candidate offers them another rationale.

Hillary Clinton as president, they contend, would be even more cancerous. After all she's just so dishonest, they argue. Never mind that Donny lies like a rug, Hillary is still too untrustworthy to be president. Look no further than the Sunday talk shows, where she was playing true to form on Fox by misrepresenting what FBI Director James Comey had said at the conclusion of the investigation into her use of a private server for email while secretary of state. Investigators concluded that they couldn't successfully prosecute her, but during her interview she just couldn't resist claiming: "Director Comey said that my answers were truthful, and what I've said is consistent with what I have told the American people ..."

He said nothing of the sort. James Comey contradicted many of her public statements, but said that he didn't have enough evidence to seek an indictment. It's exactly that kind of statement that has earned the Clintons a reputation for keeping their distance from the truth.

But even so, some Republicans have decided that she's the lesser of two evils. Meg Whitman, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate in California, says she'll not just oppose Trump, but vote for Clinton. A small number of top aides and members of Congress have made the same public declaration, but not the heavyweights. They are leaders refusing to lead, trying to thread the needle despite fears that a Trump presidency would cause the country to unravel.

The very prospect of that is causing our society to fray. Our democracy is based on a willingness to pull together. Instead we are tearing apart. Collaboration becomes impossible when there's no binding spirit of friendship. Individuals instead are becoming enemies in our own land.
MISSOULA  Daniel Lyon Jr. strides up the sidewalk leading to the gym, arms swinging free in a short-sleeved blue T-shirt, a broad smile crossing his burn-scarred face.

Gone is the plastic mask that protected the skin grafts on his cheeks and chin. Gone are the heavy jacket and thick gloves that shielded his torso and hands.

Nearly one year after Lyon was burned over almost 70 percent of his body in Washingtons deadly Twisp River wildfire, his hair, eyebrows and eyelashes have grown back, hes got a girlfriend  and hes forging a new future.

Each day, Im able to do something that I couldnt do before, says Lyon, 26, the sole survivor of the wildland blaze that claimed the lives of three other firefighters, Richard Wheeler, Andrew Zajac and Tom Zbyszewski.

But the days and months since Aug. 19, 2015, have been harder than even Lyon likes to acknowledge. His buddies deaths have weighed heavy on his heart. And coping with his injuries has become a full-time job, an unexpected  and sometimes dreaded  occupation that will stretch years ahead.

Ill probably be in and out of surgeries for the next 10 years, says Lyon, whos scheduled for an operation this month to improve movement in his right hand. Its almost like you cant see the end of the tunnel. Its like learning life all over again.

Lyon was hurt and his friends killed trying to fight a wind-whipped fire outside Twisp, Okanogan County. The blaze exploded on a hot, dry Wednesday afternoon in Washingtons worst fire season on record. The crew members on Engine No. 642 were trying to escape down a winding dirt road when they ran into blinding smoke, crashed their rig and were overtaken by fire, a joint state and federal report found. The blaze was sparked by tree branches chafing a power line, an investigation showed.

Lyon staggered away from the wreck, engulfed in 800-degree flames, and made it back to the road. A fellow firefighter saw him emerge from the inferno.

He told me, It looked like God plucked him out of the flames of hell,  recalls Lyons father, Daniel Lyon Sr.

Lyon was burned almost everywhere. His feet and ankles were spared only by his boots. His eyes were protected by sunglasses, though the lenses were nearly melted. His right wrist bears the precise outline of the watch he was wearing.

I still have the watch. It still works.

Youll hear the scars

Before the fire, Lyon was a young man from Puyallup living on his own, training to become a police officer and spending as much time as he could hiking, snowboarding and riding his motorcycle down winding rural roads.

Now, he lives with his dad, 62, and his mother, Barbara, 59, who retired early to care for their son at their rural home outside Missoula. Lyons days are packed with doctors visits and therapy appointments, endless hours spent coaxing his stiff limbs to move and his scarred skin to heal.

How are the legs feeling? asks Josie Stokken, the physical therapist who works with Lyon several days each week. She has him flat on his back on a machine called The Reformer, knees bent, a small blue ball clutched between his heels, all aimed at increasing the flexibility and motion that the fire stole.

Theyre good, says Lyon, who has three different therapy sessions this Monday. This is a short day.

Other days include the occupational therapy that is slowly retraining his hands to write. And they include massage therapy, which sounds like a spa treatment but is actually a painful session of unrelenting pressure to break up adhesions, internal bands of scar tissue that have formed beneath his skin.

Youll hear the scars, they can crack sometimes, he says. Yeah, it hurts.

The injuries have forced Lyon to change his expectations. Doctors amputated the tips of his 10 burned fingers, leaving bulbous knobs  and likely ending his chances of being a cop.

I know a lot of opportunities have been eliminated, Lyon says. I probably wont be able to be a patrol officer.

Instead, he says hell rely on the bachelors degree in business he earned in 2013 from the University of Washington, hoping eventually to pursue a related field in law enforcement. He says hes sharing his story, in part, to create new opportunities for himself.

I do worry about what the futures going to hold, he says. I want to go back to work.

Because Lyon was a U.S. Forest Service worker, his medical bills are covered by the federal workers compensation program. He also receives 60 percent of his pay, which was a bit above minimum wage.

If I had a family or a mortgage, it would be really hard.

In the meantime, Lyon is doing all he can to reclaim the life he had before. Hes been rafting on the river near his parents home, though its hard to hold a paddle. He recently went camping at the Watershed music festival with his girlfriend, Megan Lanfear.

I try to think of myself as my old me and just a regular human, he says.

Lanfear, 19, has helped with that. He remembers when he first looked in a mirror in the hospital: My biggest fear was How am I going to get a relationship? 

Lanfear says she and Lyon had known each other for years. (Shes the friend of his best friends sister, they explain.) But something blossomed after he was hurt. She got the message hed been in a fire and went straight to the hospital. When she could finally see him, she says, she recognized him immediately, despite the bandages.

For me, its always been his eyes, Lanfear says. I was just happy to be with him. I just realized what it would be like without him.

Well be pulling for him

Of people burned as badly as Lyon, only about half survive, said Dr. Nicole Gibran, the Harborview Medical Center burn specialist who treated him.

Lyon needed 11 skin grafts, leaving permanent waffle-patterned scars on his arms and legs. Inhaling the smoke and flames damaged his airways. When his hair grew back into the wounds on his scalp, he was told to shave it every day to prevent infection.

He might have gotten a little angry with me, Gibran said. Its very painful.

The latest research shows that burn recovery is a chronic condition, she says.

We know that patients still have issues with strength and with their psychological health and their chronic pain and their scarring two, five, maybe 10 years after injury, she says. I think hes right where we would expect him to be on the recovery trajectory.

But that trajectory has hardly been smooth. Lyons parents describe the months since they got the terrible phone call saying their son had been burned. First, no one knew whether hed survive. Then, when he did, Lyon came home angry and desolate, though he tried hard to hide it.

Weeks of counseling helped.

For a while, he wouldnt answer messages or calls, Barbara Lyon recalls. Now, hes almost back to Daniel.

As Lyon has healed, his attitude has rebounded, says Lanfear, his girlfriend.

Hes very positive, she says. When young children stare at Lyon in public or when strangers stop to ask what happened, he answers with a smile and an explanation, she says.

Its been a big deal to continue on with his life, she says. Hes very well adjusted to it.

A turning point was a memorial service in May for the firefighters killed in Twisp. Lyon spoke before the crowd of family, friends and fellow firefighters, and he was nervous.

When you have to look a widow in the eyes, you go blank.

But the speech was a comfort, say Richard and Jennifer Zbyszewski, whose 20-year-old son, Tom, was among those lost.

It was so touching, says Jennifer Zbyszewski, 56, of Carlton, Okanogan County. He spoke and talked about each one of the guys individually. What he remembered about Tom. He could not have done a better job or a more helpful thing for the families.

Even as they struggle with the death of their son, the Zbyszewskis say theyre grateful Lyon is alive and hope he can put aside any guilt at surviving when his friends did not.

Well be in Daniels corner for the rest of this life, Jennifer Zbyszewski said. If theres anything we can ever do to help him, we will. Even if we never hear from him again, well be pulling for him.

Support from the families, the firefighting community and the larger community have been crucial to Lyons recovery, doctors  and his parents  say.

Hes received hundreds of cards from around the world and dozens of patches from police and fire departments across the U.S. There were so many patches, a quilting group in Twisp sewed them into a blanket and bed-runner.

It means a lot, Lyon says.

Hes heard from other burn victims, too. Lyon appreciates their encouragement, but finds it too difficult to join support groups or speak at too many conferences, despite multiple invitations.

Its easier for me to relate to people who havent been burned, he says.

Slowly, hes improving. The sight of a fire engine doesnt inspire flashbacks anymore and hes stopped reacting to the number 19  the date of the fire. But when a helicopter flew over his parents house this week, hauling water to help stop the Roaring Lion fire raging in the Bitterroot Valley, Lyon shuddered.

I got some goose bumps running up and down my spine.

As the anniversary of the Twisp fire approaches, Lyon says hed like fire agencies, homeowners and the general public to think twice about sending fire crews into danger to protect rural homes, a view shared by Tom Zbyszewskis parents.

Last year, 68 firefighters died while on duty in the U.S., including the Twisp crew, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Looking back on it, if it were up to me, most of these wildfires, they need to let them burn if lives are at risk, Lyon says. Once you lose a firefighter, they aint coming back.
The charred remains of Scott Edsons Hamilton home are mostly strewn outside his cinderblock foundation rather than inside where they would have fallen.

The sheriff told me that they thought I had died in the Roaring Lion fire, so they raked through this stuff trying to find me, Edson said. They were hoping to find bones but at that temperature, it was a crematorium. No human flesh or bones would have survived.

He wasnt home when the raging wildfire started on July 31, Although my friends would have assumed I was, he said. I loved Sundays at home enjoying the solace and not having the phone ring.

Instead, Edson was working as a Boy Scout merit badge counselor on Melita Island at Flathead Lake and didnt return to Hamilton until five days after the fire raced through his Judd Hollow neighborhood and incinerated 15 homes  including his.

The fire also destroyed his carport and shop where he lost two vehicles, many expensive tools, treasured collections and a lot of outdoor equipment.

Standing next to his 2002 Toyota Tacoma that used to be painted white, Edson pointed out the remains of his rifles that were in the back seat, the strings of radials where tires used to be and the puddles of silver metal that melted off the truck and dripped onto the ground.

Edson owns 20 acres a little more than two miles up from the mailboxes at the Judd Hollow turn off Roaring Lion Road. His property includes a sloped hillside and a perennial stream that is still percolating through ash-covered ground.

It almost feels and sounds like snow as you walk around here, he said of the blackened soil. Now you can see five times farther than when it was vegetated, he said of his view of the forest and horizon.

In the evening, almost two weeks after the fire ignited, the view from Scotts homesite is like a black and white picture of barren trees with an occasional dot of orange where a pine has been felled by a chainsaw. Underground smoldering of logs and roots creates a mist of smoke that hovers over the ground ominously.

This was the most beautiful place on Earth and now it looks like a field of punji sticks, he said.

He pointed to granite rocks that he said looked like cracked eggs with layers of shale sliding off. Only an extreme fire could do that to granite, he said.

Closer to the stream, Edson said hes seen dragonflies emerge and shoots of green grass push through the ash. It doesnt take long for nature to try to rebound, although it will never be the same in my lifetime, he said.

While Edsons vehicles were insured, his off-the-grid, solar-powered log cabin was not. So I dont know if Ill rebuild, its too early in the thought process to think clearly, he said. Ive just got to focus on clean up at this point.

Although the effects of the wildfire are a shock to Edson, the fire itself was not.

It was only a matter of time, he said. About 11 years ago, more than half of the residents up here qualified and participated in a Forest Fuels Fire Reduction Grant. We contracted with a local logger and most opted for him to come in for a fee that was covered by grant money and turned over the harvest to him. I chose to split 50/50 and worked alongside him.  We had several retired foresters who worked with the state in this effort and helped us identify which trees should be part of the harvest. It was a cooperative effort among several agencies.  What they were after was favoring the native Ponderosa Pines and taking out the Douglas Firs. The fir brought in more money anyway so it was a good deal for everyone involved.

Edson said the tragic part of forest management in the Roaring Lion area was, About 25 years ago, the forest service sent out an RFP (request for proposal) to all the loggers throughout the region, he said. The loggers submitted their proposals on how to reduce the fire hazards and burn the slash. After all this work, all the free consulting the loggers basically gave them, the proposals were ultimately filed in a circular file. I know it was probably a funding issue, but its all very alarming to me that so much good work that would have benefit this area and prevented the degree of destruction here was discarded.

Edson was born and raised in the Seattle area and earned many degrees specializing in biology and botany. He worked for most of his career as a fish biologist in Alaska but was able to move to Hamilton in 1990. His consulting work has taken him back and forth between Montana and Alaska over the last 26 years.

I was married to my career, he said. But I always wanted to come to Montana to see and explore, so this was definitely a dream of mine. Its hard to make a living here so Ive had to leave at times, but I always come back.

He is proud of his efforts to have a pure strain of cut throat trout officially recognized in the stream on his property.

Most believed there were no fish in this creek, but finally I invited a hydrologist to come and we electrofished and took some samples. I was very proud to work through that process of having the trout officially recognized. So now, my main concern after the fire is for them because of the erosion factor since theres no vegetation to bind the banks. I want to make sure theyre protected.

For the time being, Edson is staying with his friends, Chet and Penny Nelson. Chet was the one who tracked down Edson on Melita Island to tell him the progress of the fire.

He tried to get up to my house and gather a few things, but the sheriff wouldnt let him, Edson said. It was a safety issue, I know that. Im just lucky to have a friend like him. Hes always doing good for others.

He was so committed to his assignment at Scout camp that he didnt leave the island when he could have.

Im helping these boys with their requirements to earn their eagle, he said. Scouts has done so much for me, I wanted to give back. This was my first time as a merit badge counselor and to be surrounded by the boys energy and all kinds of ideas. It was a blessing to be with them since there was nothing I could do here.

Edson chokes up when he talks about the kindness of friends and strangers. Weve had a tremendous outpouring of support, he said. When I saw what was left of my house, I was pretty well braced for it. I didnt fly off the handle or get too emotional. But its all these kind deeds that touch my heart.

Ill miss it here, he said. My big window used to be right here and I had a table and chairs from my mom right here. In the winter when the snow fell, Id sit by this window and watch huge snowflakes fall in slow motion. You talk about tranquility  it was tranquility supercharged. It saddens my heart to think Ill never experience that again. But you just have to go forward.
This week, the Daily Caller News Foundation's star reporter Richard Pollock revealed that

Multiple FBI investigations are underway involving potential corruption charges against the Clinton Foundation, according to a former senior law enforcement official.

The investigation centers on New York City where the Clinton Foundation has its main offices, according to the former official who has direct knowledge of the activities.

Prosecutorial support will come from various U.S. Attorneys offices -- a major departure from other centralized FBI investigations.

Such an investigation is long overdue and the American experiment in representative democracy may well depend on its success. It appears to have been underway for some time as FBI director James Comey earlier declined to comment on whether the investigation into Clinton's emails also involved an investigation into the foundation.

Heading up the investigation is U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for New York's Southern District, who is known for his aggressive and successful prosecutions.

We've long been aware that foundation is a "slush fund" that pays out far more in salaries and expenses to its officers and employees than it does for charitable ends.

But the present focus is on the coordination of the foundation and Hillary as Secretary of State to benefit her friends and contributors.

The story is of interest, however, not just because Hillary is the Democratic presidential nominee. The story of the foundation, so well documented by Charles Ortel over the past year, illustrates the corruption of the political process and the out-of-control operations of massive funds by this tax-exempt foundation.

The Clinton foundation has collected over $2 billion in the 15 years it has been in existence. More than 1,000 of these contributions are reported to come from foreigners and their names and contribution figures are not being disclosed.

Last week [mid-April] we learned "the New York Times examined Bill Clinton's relationship with a Canadian mining financier, Frank Giustra, who has donated millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation and sits on its board. Clinton, the story suggests, helped Giustra's company secure a lucrative uranium-mining deal in Kazakhstan and in return received 'a flow of cash' to the Clinton Foundation, including previously undisclosed donations from the company's chairman totaling $2.35 million."

Peter Schweitzer, author of Clinton Cash,revealed even more about Giustra and the Foundation:

The same Canadian company, renamed Uranium One, bought uranium concessions in the United States; The Russian government came calling and sought to buy that Canadian company for a price that would mean big profits for the Canadian investors; For the Russians to buy that Canadian company, it would require the approval of the Obama administration, including Hillary's State Department, because uranium is a strategically important commodity; Nine shareholders in Uranium One just happened to provide more than $145 million in donations to the Clinton Foundation in the run-up to State Department approval; Some of the donations, including those from the Chairman of Uranium One, Ian Teler, were kept secret, even though the Clintons promised to disclose all donations; Hillary's State Department approved the deal; The Russian government now owns 20 percent of U.S. uranium assets.

In short, here was what you might call a radioactive scandal. It included secret donations, the Russian government, foreign financiers, more than $145 million, and Bill and Hillary Clinton.

It is widely believed that the main reason Hillary did not use the government email system and why she shredded thousands of her email records was to hide the pay-to-play scheme she headed as Secretary of State. This is made clear in the latest revealed Hillary email cache.

Charles Ortel has for some time now been analyzing the publicly available records of the foundation and arguing that it is engaged in massive fraud with many violations of legal, tax and standard accounting procedures:

State, federal, and foreign laws bar public charities from being run for private gain in interstate commerce -- which means, by using the mail, telephones or the internet. The Clinton Foundation's complex operations (it is not just one entity but a web of them) do not comply with this requirement. Nor does the Clinton Foundation ever seem to have submitted its financial records to an independent, properly certified audit by a qualified accounting firm.

Overall I consider the Clinton Foundation to be a charity fraud network. I base this conclusion on my review of extensive data about its operations including the activities of the Clinton family and their friends in Haiti, a nation that has suffered many disasters, both natural and manmade.

What possesses powerful, wealthy, and educated persons to prey on the most desperately poor humans on earth as they posture as "philanthropists"? And why has there been no government oversight?

Expect an increased flow of detailed disclosures centering upon Exhibits 1 through 40 through this website, and continued reaction to breaking developments via my twitter account (@CharlesOrtel).

Haiti, a Case in Point

On the foundation website, it was announced that:

"In 2008, President Bill Clinton issued a call to action to address the pressing challenges Haiti faced in the aftermath of four devastating hurricanes, resulting in the formation of the Haiti Action Network. In response to the January 2010 earthquake, the network intensified their efforts toward long-term development in Haiti by addressing issues such as agriculture, cultural preservation, education, energy, enterprise development, health, and shelter, as well as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) members have made more than 100 Commitments to Action focused on Haiti, which will be valued at $500 million when fully funded and implemented. Now in its eighth year, the Haiti Action Network has a significant focus on creating sustainable jobs and encouraging investment in the country."

Instead of this high-minded sounding claim, the example of Haiti is an exemplar of the total failure of the foundation to use its power and money to help Haitians

The National Review's Dinesh D'Souza detailed the scope of the corruption and the disastrous results of the Clintons' Haitian relief project, in which millions of dollars for Haitian relief were funneled from the foundation and the U. S. Treasury ostensibly for Haitian relief but in actuality for their friends who failed to deliver the promised relief projects.

The extent of the corruption of the Clintons and their foundation in the case of Haiti is truly mind-boggling. I urge you to read it all and see why D'Souza concludes, "The Clintons seem to believe in Haitian reconstruction and Haitian investment as long as these projects match their own private economic interests. They have steered the rebuilding of Haiti in a way that provides maximum benefit to themselves.'

Here are just a few examples D'Souza details: With no competitive bidding an outfit owned by Warren Buffet's company was awarded money to build "hurricane-proof trailers" and, instead built such shoddy, unsafe trailers they had to be abandoned. Without requiring InnoVida, headed by a Clinton donor, to provide the required financial statement, $10 million of U.S. funds were loaned to them to build housing.

The company, however, defaulted on the loan and never built any houses. An investigation revealed that Osorio had diverted company funds to pay for his Miami Beach mansion, his Maserati, and his Colorado ski chalet. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in 2013, and is currently serving a twelve-year prison term on fraud charges related to the loan.

USAID funds were directed to other Clinton cronies to build schools in Haiti. None were built; the funds went to "an Earth Day celebration and tree-building activity".

Millions went from the U.S. Treasury funds to provide cell phones to Haitians to another crony who used them to create a lucrative near monopoly on phone service and another grant of $45 million went to him to build a hotel, which employs few Haitians and is largely unoccupied.

And then there is Hillary's brother, Hugh, who profited from a "finder's fee" from a company awarded one of the two gold-mining permits granted by the Haitian government.

Ortel has detailed his findings to various news outlets, and has categorized the foundation as "Robin Hood in reverse":

The Clintons are out there holding themselves out as if they are charitable philanthropists, and in reality... I argue they are really Robin Hood in reverse. They are stealing from the poor to reward the rich, and I find that reprehensible behavior."

How much money has the Clinton Foundation raised globally? Ortel says it's a "$100 billion criminal conspiracy" and goes on to say, "I think it is a disgrace. To put that number into perspective, depending on how you look at the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, that was either $40 billion to $60 billion. This is $100 billion, and maybe more."

How much Clinton Foundation money actually makes it to charitable causes? Ortel says, "It's impossible to tell from the filings. You are supposed to tell from the filings, and it's impossible to tell. One of the biggest expenses in the recent period in the Clinton Foundation is for pharmaceuticals for supposedly fighting HIV Aids. If this were a well-run charity, you would provide a detailed breakdown of what pharmaceuticals by type and at what price. There is none of that disclosure. You don't know if that pharmaceutical number is completely made up or not. You have no way of telling, and the auditors have never done their work. This is why I say this is a text book case study in global charity fraud. It needs to be exposed as such."

How did this so-called charity get so far off track? Ortel explains, "When you look at any foundation, and the Clinton Foundation in particular, you have to check and see what its authorized tax exempt purposes are. Because this entity raises money from the public continuously... they have to be very specific. Their authorized tax exempt purpose, stated in their application dated 23 December 2007, was just supposed to be Presidential archival research facility in Little Rock. They never have been authorized as far as I can tell from the public filings... they have never been authorized to fight HIV Aids, fight climate change, convene meetings in New York and set up these various initiatives. None of them has been validly authorized, which means they have been raising money with materially false and misleading public filings. They have been doing it using the mail, using the Internet and using telephones, all of which is a federal crime.

This abuse of the charity and Hillary's government position is exactly the sort of thing Peggy Noonan described this week.

She was talking about the detachment of the world's elites from their countrymen when she wrote about open borders, "From what I've seen of those in power throughout business and politics now, the people of your country are not your countrymen, they're aliens whose bizarre emotions you must attempt occasionally to anticipate and manage." But she could as well have been talking about how the Clintons manage under the guise of humanitarian concerns to further and further beset those below them on the ladder: "The detached, who made the decisions and bore none of the costs, got to be called "humanist," "compassionate," and "hero of human rights."

I do not know where the present FBI investigation into the workings of the Clinton Foundation will lead or even when or if the prosecutors will act (a prior probe into the foundation was quashed earlier this year, according to CNN) but it does seem to me that whether you call this "crony capitalism", "corporate welfare" or "fascism", we must fight it or end up like Argentina or even Haiti.
Women chant slogans against the justice system during a march against domestic violence in Lima, Peru, on Saturday, August 13, 2016. Photo: AP

LIMA: More than 50,000 people marched in Perus capital and eight other cities on Saturday to protest violence against woman and what they say is the indifference of the judicial system.

Officials said the size of the protest against gender violence was unprecedented in Peru and followed several recent high-profile cases in which male perpetrators were given what womens groups said were too-lenient sentences. The march in Lima ended at the palace of justice.

Today, the 13th of August, is a historic day for this country because it represents a breaking point and the start of a new culture to eradicate the marginalization that women have been suffering, especially with violence, said Victor Ticona, president of Perus judicial system.

Ticona said that a commission of judges would receive representatives of the protesters.

Newly inaugurated President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski took part in the march along with first lady Nancy Lange.

What we dont want in Peru is violence against anyone, but especially against women and children, he said.

Earlier in the day, Kuczynski said his government is going to ask for facilities for women to denounce violence because abuse flourishes in an environment where complaints cannot be made and the blows are absorbed in silence  and this is not how it should be.

Perus march follows similar protests against gender violence in other Latin American countries, including Argentina and Brazil, held under the slogan #NiUnaMenos  #NotOneLess.
(From right) Minister for Energy Janardan Sharma, Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Hitraj Pandey, Minister for Information and Communications Surendra Kumar (Ram) Karki, Minister without Portfolio Dhaniram Paudel and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ajaya Shankar Nayak take the oath of office and secrecy from President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the Sheetal Niwas on Sunday, August 14, 2016. Photo: RSS

Kathmandu, Nepal: Five cabinet ministers from the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahals party- CPN Maoist Center have been administered oath of office and secrecy amid a function on Sunday.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed ministers at the Sheetal Niwas.

The newly inducted ministers include Minister for Energy Janardan Sharma, Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Hitraj Pandey, Minister for Information and Communications Surendra Kumar (Ram) Karki, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ajaya Shankar Nayak and Minister without Portfolio Dhaniram Paudel.

Earlier, it was said that Paudel was recommended as the Minister for Education. But the plan to appoint Poudel as the Education minister was cancelled after Nepali Congress claimed their stake in the Ministry of Education.

Dignitaries the oath taking ceremony, various dignitaries including Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Speaker Onsari Gharti and many others were also present.

Likewise, Prime Minister Dahal is also going to administer the oath of office and secrecy to four new Ministers of State at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on Sunday evening.

According to the source close to the Maoist, the newly appointed Ministers for state include Sri Prasad Jabegu (Federal Affairs and Local Development), Satya Narayan Bhagat (Energy), Radhika Tamang (Agriculture development) and Dhana Maya BK (without portfolio).
Kathmandu, Nepal: Police have arrested at least eight people and briefly detained them while they were protesting outside the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of the Authority (CIAA) central office in Tangal of Kathmandu, on Sunday.

The police had arrested and detained the cadres of the Bibeksheel Nepali party and the supporters of the Prof. Dr. Govinda KC while they jointly organized the demonstration demanding CIAA Chief Lokman Singh Karkis property details.

The agitators have the demand that Karkis property should be made public in accordance to Article 27 of the Constitution and the Right to Information Act, 2007.

The Kathmandu district Administration office has already issued a prohibiting order not to stage demonstration outside the CIAA office.
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Dhaka Tribune - August 11, 2016

Extremist ideology spreads across borders

There is plenty of evidence that globally inspired terrorism has come to Bangladesh

The home minister has denied again the presence of foreign hands in the militancy that has been raging in the country over the last two years or so. He and his colleagues have been consistent in this regard.

They think all militancy-related activities in the country, that include over 20 killings in Gulshan and many others before and after this incident, have been perpetrated by domestic terrorists with a local agenda.

Their assertions fly in the face of overwhelming evidence of presence of globally-inspired terrorism in the country, that includes videos of call to Jihad by people of Bangladeshi origin purported to have been made in IS-controlled territory in Syria. This is beside claims of ownership of acts of terrorism in the country by followers of that militant outfit.

The repeated denials by some of our people in authority of any foreign linkage of recent acts of terror and terrorists are an in-your-face rebuttal of the legion of reports from foreign press and intelligence agencies (including that of US) of the overarching reach of Islamic militants.

This is an outreach that transgresses international borders, and are making new associates wherever possible, Bangladesh included. Most recently, while talking about the global reach of IS, President Obama referred to Bangladesh as one of the countries that IS has attacked.

He said this in the context of US efforts to defeat the militant organisation a remarking that the organisation will continue to inspire, if not directly conduct, its terror attacks in other countries, even as though it may lose its stronghold in Syria.

We wish our government leaders were right, and the acts of terrorism shaking the country today were all the handiwork of local hoodlums recruited by political parties out to harass the government and destabilise the country.

We wish the mastermind of the tragic and horrific happenings in Gulshan, Sholakia, and murders of Hindu priests and foreigners were truly a local thug, and he and his group of criminals would be apprehended soon. We wish this could bring an end to this violence.

Unfortunately, this is not so. The reality is far from this simple assumption or declaration. The genesis of the violence in Gulshan or Sholakia did not begin with these two places, nor did it begin with the perpetrators of the incidents in two places.

The genesis has to do with the blindfold that we have been wearing for years denying existence or possibility of spread of radicalism in the country by people who have been indoctrinated by an ideology that has attracted hundreds of thousands before them in different parts of the world.

This blindfold which our leaders have been wearing, either unwittingly or on purpose, distracted our government from combating radicalism and extremists, and instead directed its attention toward suppressing political opponents by blaming them for the acts of terror.

Only two months before the terrible incident in Gulshan, the government launched a countrywide strike against terrorism, leading to arrests of thousands of so-called suspects all over the country a very few of whom had any known ties with any militant group.

We may dismantle all the unauthorised business and educational establishments in the city, we may continue to round up the usual suspects for terrorism all over the country, but we will continue to have the elephant in the room unless we are prepared to face it

Ironically, the tragic event happened and nearly two dozen innocent people perished in an apparently high-security residential neighbourhood after thousands of asuspected terroristsa were put away in jail.

It may take years and months for our government to find out the why and how of these terror acts, but the simple fact remains that all of these were possible because we have been denying the possibility of a global hand in indoctrinating our youths in such radical ideologies and acts.

As in the past, where the previous government adamantly refused to accept the presence and growth of foreign-inspired terrorism in Bangladesh and blamed the opposition for causing instability through hired hands, we are witnessing a repeat of the same story with fresh attacks despite evidence of foreign hands and foreign inspiration.

The perpetrators of terrorism and violence in Bangladesh may be all Bangladeshis, and some of them may perhaps belong to home grown militant organisations. But their ideology and inspiration are not necessarily rooted in domestic political goals.

The ideology that IS spreads attracts youths all across the globe, youths of all descriptions, from marginalised societies in foreign countries, disgruntled and economically deprived parts, and as we are seeing in Bangladesh, youths from economically well-off and well-to-do societies.

Like radicals in the Middle East, and other parts of Europe or US, the people embracing the extremist ideology in Bangladesh have shown the same level of attraction or loyalty to this overarching militant entity a be it a romantic idea of establishing an Islamic State or carrying out a distorted vision of Jihad.

The point is that the surfeit that is affecting Bangladesh is not endemic, it is an epidemic that has spread globally and we need to address it accordingly.

Our leaders should come out of their fear to make the call they need to combat this crisis properly.

It is said that crisis always presents opportunities for change. But these changes should be for the better not worse. The crisis that Bangladesh faces today is not only a threat to internal security and safety of our people; it is also a serious threat to our economic growth, business, and future investment.

The more we deny the real threat and refuse to see the sources of the threat, the more danger we expose our people to the threat. We may dismantle all the unauthorised business and educational establishments in the city, we may continue to round up the usual suspects for terrorism all over the country, but we will continue to have the elephant in the room unless we are prepared to face it.

We have to find out and terminate foreign connections to terrorism in the country, and stop our youths from getting ensnared by the foreign groups. And for this Bangladesh should seek help from all.

Ziauddin Choudhury has worked in the higher civil service of Bangladesh early in his career, and later for the World Bank in the USA.
Hindustan Times - August 13, 2016

With the BJP in power, the RSS in the ascendant, and the airwaves dominated by channels whose TRPs depend on stoking jingoism, there is an increasing tendency to submit ordinary Indians to a series of coercive loyalty tests. (HT file photo)

In the Europe of the 18th and 19th centuries, people of a particular territory were brought together (sometimes forcibly) to constitute a nation. Most often, the basis for unity was a common language and a common enemy. Thus, to be French meant you spoke French and hated the English. To be English meant that you spoke English and hated the French.

Sometimes, a dominant religion became a third key pillar of national identity. Hence Protestants were regarded as more authentically English than Catholics. In France, on the other hand, Catholics were privileged and Protestants persecuted. Likewise, to be a good Pole meant you spoke Polish, were Catholic, detested Jews (even or especially if these were born and raised in Poland), and disliked either Russia or Germany, depending on which was posing a greater threat to Polandas national existence.

In its conception Pakistan was a perfect European nation. Language and religion were both key to the constitution of Jinnahas nation. And so was a common enemy. To be truly and properly Pakistani meant that you spoke Urdu, were a Muslim, and hated India.

Mahatma Gandhi, on the other hand, refused to define Indian-ness in terms of either religion or language. Although Hindus were a majority, India was not constituted as a Hindu country. Muslims and Christians and Sikhs and Parsis were given rights of equal citizenship. Although a plurality of Indians spoke Hindi, if one preferred to speak, write, or be taught in another language that was entirely acceptable too.

Gandhi knew that the nation could be brought together and held together only on the basis of pluralism and diversity. He was right. For it was the imposition of Urdu on East Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh. It was the denial of equal status to Tamil and Tamils that led to a bloody civil war in Sri Lanka. Unlike its neighbours, India encouraged and promoted linguistic diversity, and was the luckier for it.

Remarkably, Gandhi refused even to demonise the nation which ruled India. He detested imperialism, yet recognised that individual officers and proconsuls were often honourable men. He thought the British had many virtues (tolerance, moderation and punctuality among them) that Indians would do well to adopt. He repeatedly said that once the British departed and India became free, the two countries would forge friendly relations (as they indeed have done).

This insistence on a nationalism that was positive rather than adversarial extended to Gandhias views on Pakistan. He opposed Pakistanas invasion of Kashmir, but refused to let this lead him into a spirit of vengeance. He insisted that the Government of India transfer the money it owed to the Government of Pakistan. Had he not been murdered in January 1948, he would have continued his peace mission across the border, in West Punjab and in Sindh.

Where Gandhias model of nationalism was innovative and original, other Indian thinkers and organisations were more derivative in their approach. Even before Jinnahas Muslim League had pledged itself to a Muslim Pakistan, VD Savarkar and his Hindu Mahasabha had demanded a Hindu India. Since they had seen European nations consolidate themselves on the basis of a shared language, some Indian politicians wanted us to do likewise. Among the most fervent proponents of imposing Hindi on all of India were the conservative MS Golwalkar and the socialist Rammanohar Lohia. Finally, since many Pakistanis hated India and Indians, some ideologues wished us to return this hatred, preferably in an intensified form.

Since the nation was born, 69 years ago this week, Hindutva and Hindi ideologues have sought to unite citizens on the basis of a common religion, a common language, and a common enemy. Fortunately, this project has been resisted for as long. Secularists, pluralists, atheists, and plain old-fashioned democrats have come together to thwart the Hindutva agenda of fusing faith with state. Hindi chauvinists have been opposed with equal vigour, especially in South India. And although their stoking of the conflict in Kashmir and the four wars they have fought against us have not endeared Pakistan to India, most Indians have not equated national pride with the hatred of Pakistan or Pakistanis.

The Republic of India has failed many of its citizens, by not providing them decent education and health care, or by not protecting them from violence and discrimination. On the other hand, its record of regular and freely contested multi-party elections is unparalleled for a country of its size and complexity. Its commitment to, and more or less successful fulfilment of, linguistic pluralism is similarly unequalled. Its record on religious pluralism is more mixed; even so, that in a neighbourhood so dominated by Islamic fundamentalism we are not yet a aHindu Rashtraa must be reckoned a modest achievement.

The Republic of India is still a work in progress. It may yet forget or deny its original, plural and tolerant model of nationalism, and instead adopt the more aggressive, adversarial and homogenising model of nationalism first invented in Europe and later taken further in countries such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Indeed, with the BJP in power, the RSS in the ascendant, and the airwaves dominated by channels whose TRPs depend on stoking jingoism, there is an increasing tendency to submit ordinary Indians to a series of coercive loyalty tests.

This must be rejected. For to be a good or patriotic Indian one does not have to be a Hindu by birth, religious practice, or cultural affiliation. One does not need to know or speak Hindi, either. And one does not even have to hate Pakistan.

Ramachandra Guhaas most recent book is Gandhi Before India. The author tweets as @Ram_Guha
Shirley Contreras lives in Orcutt and writes for the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society. She can be contacted at 623-8193 or at shirleycontreras2@yahoo.com. Her book, The Good Years, a selection of stories shes written for the Santa Maria Times since 1991, is on sale at the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society, 616 S. Broadway.
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Part three of our three part series explaining the H-2a program and how it is used on the Central Coast continues this Sunday, and we would want your opinion on the issue.

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Daigo Matsuis latest bubble gum pop nightmare is thankfully a more restrained but no less creative effort from the director with a music video background. Comparable to the loose Wonderful World End, this relatively linear road-trip narrative is brought to life by the leads' strong personable performances of teenage melancholy and wonder.

Chie, Ichinose, Fumiko and Sattsun are four high school friends with a definitive goal; leave Fukuoka and travel all the way to Japan to see their favourite J-pop act Creephyp play live. With barely any money or plan, they set out across the ferry, then on bike towards the concert. Along the way the friends experience the familiar beats of road-trip cliche, they make up and break up and things happen along the way that hinder their progress. They meet interesting people and get involved in some unexpectedly adult things until it becomes clear that this journey is going to be far more difficult and life-affirming then they could ever realise.

The personas of the four girls shine as they trek to Tokyo, as does the stunning locations that inspire real-world travel. No stranger to handheld, Daigo keeps the film fresh and intimate by utilising the Handycam the girls are using to document their travel, as well as all the social media they constantly and naturally interact with. This is no detriment to the film's cinematography, which beautifully highlights some vistas and the diversity of each place they visit.

Our Huff and Puff Journey has a contemporary feel about it, and the film lets the audience be privy to the cultural and social complexities of teenage life in Japan today. The four girls who are driven by commercial pursuits and a shared obsession for a produced pop band undergo some drama before their trip ends and the supporting cast involved in these moments are just as naturalistic and impressive, playing off the manic energy and craziness of youth.

Further implications of the contemporary play out when they share their progress via social media; they are ridiculed and shamed for their crazy plan, resulting in an introspective analysis of what they are doing and why. This is a very different kind of bullying in the West, and the psychological impact weighs far heavier in Japan, a place of traditional conformity.

The girls are also mature enough to discuss sex and engage in some adult situations, a frankly refreshing and realistic depiction of how easily systems are in place for Japan to utilise youth for profit. This in no way brings the tone of the film down, and despite the drama the film remains imbued with positivity. The ultimate, slightly hollow concept of following your dreams and achieving anything you want is echoed in Our Huff and Puff Journey, but the film remains grounded, making it all the more accessible and relatable.

Life is a journey, not a destination and multiple other quotes that adhere to this way of thinking drive the premise of Our Huff and Puff Journey, a trope, but a very well executed one that highlights Japanese culture and the ambition and desire that is wonderfully portrayed on-screen.
SIOUX CITY | Gretchen Gondek retired last Monday as general manager of KWIT-KOJI, ending a 30-year career with the public radio station.

Gondek leaves behind a 30-year legacy at the station housed on the campus of Western Iowa Tech Community College.

"She really built it from the ground up, and she's been responsible for a large part of how the station has come to be today," WITCC President Terry Murrell said.

When talking about herself, Gondek tends to minimize her efforts. However, she admits she helped foster a sense of family between KWIT and the community.

"I think there was a real, I'm thinking a real community," Gondek said. "We really reached out in the community and fostered and developed partnerships in really unique way that I dont think were happening before."

Gondek, who has a total of 36 years of broadcast experience, joined KWIT in 1986, eight years after the station went on the air.

Over the next three decades, she helped pioneer a number of programs and innovations, including streaming their programs online, partnerships with the Sioux City Symphony and Art Center, and IRIS, an early morning program where volunteers read the newspaper on air for sight-impaired Iowans.

KWIT, FM-90.3, whose signal extends for a roughly 100-miles radius of Sioux City, also added a satellite station, KOJI FM, 90.7, to better serve the Iowa Great Lakes region.

Gondek said she feels fortunate to have spent three decades in a career which suited her passions for classical music and broadcast journalism, and helped her develop new interests along the way.

"You know, with classical music - you have to learn all of that, and you have to do it right, because youve got a very discriminating audience out there," Gondek said. "But I loved it, and I learned to love opera - I never thought Id love opera."

"You work all these years and it goes by and its fast and its good, but its like, 'This is so great,' " she added.

Gondek said she thinks she will miss being on the air on a regular basis.

"I love that, because it was like talking to you - I always envisioned this one person out there, and there is that human voice speaking to you," she said.

Still, she is looking forward to retirement. "I dont have to go into work today. Its so great," she said.

Gondek is not giving up her microphone entirely, though. She will continue to host her Friday cooking show, "Food for Thought."

She's confident that KWIT rests in good hands with her successor as general manager, Mark Munger, and his staff, and that the station will continue to improve as time passes.

"Things are changing, and I think KWIT is going to continue to be an outstanding station, but its just going to be different," she said. "And Im really good with that, because I did my thing, and now its time for Mark to do his."

Along with continuing her cooking show, Gondek, a member of the Symphony board of directors, said she hopes to work with KWIT again soon to better emphasize the local classical music scene. Gondek predicts a lot more locally-oriented content on KWIT under Munger's wing.
NEW YORK | A new law that requires food makers to label the packaging of any products that contain genetically modified ingredients has small and medium-sized manufacturers facing some big decisions.

Should they try to provide the information on the label itself, or invest in the technology to add scannable codes? Should they change their ingredients to steer clear of such products, and is it worth getting certified as being GMO-free? These are tough questions for companies that may not have financial cushions like bigger businesses to absorb the cost of such changes, which can run into the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars  a considerable amount for a small enterprise.

The law, which President Barack Obama signed recently, requires food manufacturers and producers to disclose whether products contain GMO components, also known as genetically engineered ingredients. Companies can embed the information in a QR code, the square found on some packaging that is read with a smartphone camera.

GMOs have been the subject of much debate. The government and many scientists say they're safe, but opponents believe they can be toxic and cause allergies. Although GMOs have become a staple in many processed food products over the past two decades, many Americans may not realize how widespread they are.

Ellia Kassoff, CEO of Leaf Brands, which makes Hydrox cookies and various candies, is concerned about how the public will react to labels that say its food has GMOs  although the bulk of the nation's corn and soybean crops are now genetically modified.

"It does create this negative feeling with the customer, and I don't know if the majority of customers in the U.S. fully understand the benefits or non-benefits of GMOs," says Kassoff, whose company is based in Newport Beach, California.

But many consumers don't read labels that already display nutritional information like calories, fat and carbohydrates, and they might not read or understand labels that mention GMOs, says Alexander Chernev, a marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

"People don't know if it's good or bad," he says. "In the short term, it's not very likely to change behavior by itself."

A look at the issues surrounding GMOs that small and medium-sized companies face:

A quick primer

A GMO is a plant or animal whose genes have been altered to change how they act or react to the environment. Corn, for example, has been genetically modified to make it resistant to insects and to herbicides used to kill weeds. The Agriculture Department estimates that about 90 percent of the U.S. corn crop is modified against herbicides, and about 80 percent is modified against insects.

According to the government, the majority of plants with GMOs are used to make ingredients like corn starch and syrup and corn, canola and soybean oils and beet sugar. They're also used as livestock feed.

The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates food made from GMOs, has declared them safe, and the nonprofit National Academy of Sciences, in a review of almost 900 scientific studies and reports released this year, "found no substantiated evidence of a difference in risks to human health between current commercially available genetically engineered (GE) crops and conventionally bred crops."

But many groups that oppose GMOs point to studies in the U.S. and other countries that have said food with GMOs can cause some types of cancer or other illnesses. The European Union, relying on such studies, requires GMO foods to be labeled.

The Non-GMO Project, an organization that advocates for the production of more non-GMO food, has said that determining the safety of GMO foods requires studies spanning generations.

How much to disclose, and where?

Before the law can take effect, the Agriculture Department must write regulations spelling out what food companies will be required to do to comply. The USDA has two years to do that.

Kassoff isn't sure how Leaf will label its packages, simply because the government hasn't specified what's needed. Depending on the requirements and the size of the package  Leaf's products include small packets of candies  it might not be possible to fit everything in without using the QR code.

Soylent, a protein and carbohydrate drink maker whose website says it's "proudly made with GMOs," favors labels that give details on how GMOs are used so consumers can be well-informed about what they're eating.

"Simply saying on the label 'Made with genetically engineered' ingredients is probably not enough," says Samy Hamdouche, the Los Angeles-based company's vice president of research.

Go non-GMO?

Some companies have decided to stop using GMO ingredients rather than risk doubts in consumers' minds. Others are going further, seeking a certification from the Non-GMO Project that their food is made completely without GMOs, and getting to use a logo on their packages.

"Our consumers are the types that value certification of non-GMOs to reassure them they're getting the highest-quality ingredients," says Jonathan Davis, a senior vice president of Los Angeles-based bread maker La Brea Bakery. The company has always sought non-GMO ingredients, he says, and it plans to be completely non-GMO by the end of this year.

But some companies may not be able to afford to phase out GMO ingredients because the supply of non-GMO versions is limited.

"In some cases it's hard to acquire non-GMO ingredients and sell a product at a price where consumers will buy it," Kassoff says. If Hydrox cookies were reformulated to be GMO-free, he says, a package would cost 50 cents more than Oreos, the cookie's biggest competitor.

Kar's Nuts has Non-GMO Project certification for its Second Nature line of snack mixes, but some of the ingredients in its Kar's line do contain GMOs, says Nick Nicolay, the company's president. Finding replacements would drive up his costs.

"It's a little unrealistic for us at this time," says Nicolay, whose company is located in Madison Heights, Michigan. However, the company says going completely non-GMO is something it will consider in the future.

Deep River Snacks doesn't use GMO ingredients and almost all its products have been certified by the Non-GMO Project. Founder Jim Goldberg says the Deep River, Connecticut, company is still trying to get certification for two potato chip flavors and one tortilla chip flavor that are dairy; that takes verification from its suppliers that the cows whose milk is used weren't given feed with GMOs.

Goldberg thinks labeling is a good idea.

"This is about consumers wanting to know what they're eating," he says.
SIOUX CITY | Missouri River Historical Development will likely have to go it alone in its effort to recoup nearly $1.8 million in revenue-sharing payments withheld by the former Argosy Sioux City riverboat casino.

State gambling regulators believe that pursuing the money is not their responsibility.

"We really think it's a matter that falls outside of the commission's jurisdiction," said Brian Ohorilko, administrator for the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

MRHD, the state-licensed nonprofit gaming group that had held Woodbury County's gambling license with the Belle of Sioux City, a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming Inc., which operated the Argosy, believes it is owed the money. MRHD board president Mark Monson had previously said that he believed it was the IRGC's responsibility to pursue the money.

Monson said he was told by legal counsel not to comment because of ongoing litigation involving a 2012 breach of contract lawsuit that Wyomissing, Pennsylvania-based Penn filed against MRHD, which countersued Penn, the nation's largest gaming operator.

MRHD's attorney, Doug Phillips, also declined to comment because of the litigation.

Ohorilko said MRHD's best option may be to address the payment withholdings as part of the breach of contract lawsuit.

"This issue may fit in better with their other litigation," he said.

MRHD could still ask the IRGC to address the issue at a future meeting. The earliest the issue could be heard is at the commission's Oct. 13 meeting in Davenport. It's too late for the issue to be placed on the agenda of the Aug. 18 meeting at the Grand Falls Casino and Resort in rural Lyon County near Larchwood.

Under Iowa law, casino operators are required to partner with licensed gaming nonprofit organizations such as MRHD, which collect and distribute a portion of gambling profits to charitable and civic organizations.

Penn stopped making the Argosy payments -- 3 percent of the casino's adjusted gross revenues -- to MRHD in June 2013, two months after the IRGC awarded the county's first land-based gaming license to MRHD and SCE Partners, the operator of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which opened Aug. 1, 2014, two days after the Argosy was closed.

A Polk County District Court judge later denied Penn's motion to appoint a third-party receiver to collect and distribute the funds until its breach of contract lawsuit against MRHD was settled. State regulators also denied Penn's request to redirect the funds to a new local nonprofit for distribution.

In its breach of contract lawsuit, Penn claims that MRHD schemed to replace the Argosy with another operator before their contract expired in July 2012. The two had been unable to agree on a long-term contract extension, and the IRGC took the unprecedented step of putting Woodbury County's license up for grabs and began accepting proposals for a land-based casino.

MRHD countersued, claiming that Penn interfered with MRHD's prospective relationships by sending letters threatening legal action against potential operators with whom MRHD might pursue an agreement. MRHD also claimed that Penn's actions prevented or delayed it from negotiating a more lucrative land-based casino agreement.

There are no hearings scheduled in the case, filed in Polk County District Court, and nothing has been filed in nearly a year.

Action in the case is expected to resume in the wake of the Iowa Supreme Court's May decision to deny the Belle of Sioux City's request to review an Iowa Court of Appeals ruling that upheld previous rulings that led to the casino's closure. Belle had challenged the IRGC's actions denying the company a license renewal and instead awarding it to the MRHD partnership that led to the construction and opening of the Hard Rock in downtown Sioux City.
Campus News

Peterson elected to ISU Alumni board

AMES, Iowa | Kathy A. (Sullivan) Peterson of Aurelia, Iowa, a 1995 graduate in speech communication who is the founder and president of PeopleWorks Inc., in Storm Lake, Iowa, has been elected to the board of directors of the Iowa State University Alumni Association. Her term will expire in 2020.

The role of the board of directors is to establish policies regarding the finances, property, management and activities of the association for the purpose of engaging constituents in the further advancement of Iowa State University and the Alumni Association.

The board is composed of 21 regularly elected members and four appointed voting members. The board meets four times yearly.

For more information about the ISU Alumni Association Board of Directors, visit isualum.org/board.

Area student awarded scholarship

SIOUX CITY | The Iowa-Nebraska Chapter of the International Association of Special Investigation Units congratulates Alexia Lynn of Sergeant Bluff, for winning the Insurance Fraud Essay scholarship content.

Lynn will be awarded $150.
SIOUX CITY | George Boykin has been a dedicated public figure and Saturday more than 100 people helped celebrate his service at a retirement party at the Sioux City Public Museum.

An 11-year school board member and 30-year member of the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors, Boykin retired from his position as executive director of the Sanford Community Center in June. Boykin, 76, had been at the helm at the center for more than 40 years.

Fitzgerald Grant, 49, has been chosen to be his replacement. Grant has been working with the Sanford Center since 1993. The Sanford Center, at 1700 Geneva St., focuses primarily on after-school and summer programs and gang outreach.

"Fitz was the first outreach coordinator I hired in 1992, and I put him and two other people ... at Woodrow Wilson because that school was completely out of control," Boykin said. "There were gang members going into that school interrupting classes and kids bringing weapons into that school. Just all kinds of bad stuff."

Boykin said when the Sanford Center started its program to combat gang violence 25 years ago, there were more than 25 gangs in Sioux City.

"Now there are about six to eight major gangs in Sioux City. And I am sure it is from some of the work that is done at the center, as well as other agencies in the community," Boykin said.

After being a gang outreach specialist, Grant was promoted to program director. He is a graduate of Briar Cliff University and originally hails from Beaufort, South Carolina.

"This is a great undertaking and I am happy that Mr. Boykin prepared me for this opportunity. I'm excited for all the possibilities," Grant said. "I just want to continue to build upon his legacy and keep it in the forefront, and keeping our programs intact. And at the same time, to provide new programs to put our message out and to let people know, 'Hey, this is an agency that has been helping this community since 1933.'"

Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church Choir performed during Saturday's reception, and members of the chorus gave personal testimonies of the impact Boykin has made in their lives.

Grant then surprised Boykin, announcing that the center will name its library after him.

"I've had a lot of low points and high points in life," Boykin said. "This is one of the highest for me."
ORANGE CITY, Iowa | Nancy Landegent apologizes during an interview, laughing and asking simultaneously if there's a quota on tears in one day. She removes her glasses and uses a tissue to wipe the drops. She smiles and giggles about a memory shared with her husband, Dan Landegent, who died on April 16.

Nancy Landegent, local music and theater staple in Orange City, has directed eight Night Shows at the annual Orange City Tulip Festival. All told, she's participated in 39 Night Shows.

Husband Dan joined the theatrical ride several times. An artist, he designed and painted backdrops for the last five of his wife's directing efforts. He played accordion for the famous Dutch Dancers during the Tulip Festival.

Artists both, Dan and Nancy found one another a bit later in life, marrying in 2001, and settling into their performance routines, if you can call performers "routine" in any manner. Both were active at First Reformed Church, too, where Dan served as a deacon, played in bell choirs, presented skits for Sunday school and provided instrumental music for evening worship.

Dan's life, though, was cut short by a brain tumor, diagnosed last November. He underwent surgery, had the tumor removed and battled through radiation and chemotherapy.

"He was doing very well and had returned to work part-time at Northwestern College with the maintenance crew," Nancy says.

It ended when his heart failed on April 16 during a trip to Nebraska to visit relatives. Doctors told Nancy after his death that an MRI taken two days before he died revealed the brain tumor had resurfaced. Surely, Dan would have faced another battle, as would his wife, always by his side.

"I do wonder if this was something we could take care of again?" Nancy asks.

The question persists, waking Nancy at night. She prays on it, studies the paintings in their home -- all of them creations of Dan -- and finds comfort in the arms and prayers of friends.

She also stays busy. Nancy, you see, agreed to take on the role of Corrie ten Boom in "ten Boom, the musical," an ambitious undertaking their church tackles this week. Four shows will be staged, Thursday through Sunday, as part of the dedication of the church's Project 78 facility addition.

The musical is not for a shrinking violet. It's not "Bye, Bye Birdie," or any of the lighthearted standards Nancy Landegent is accustomed to in her illustrious Night Show career. The production tells the story of the ten Boom family, who risked their lives in resisting Nazi Germany by hiding more than 800 Jews from certain death in concentration camps during World War II.

No, this isn't "Mary Poppins" or "Music Man." Rather, it details life, death, the violence of war and prison, and the incredible ability God allows us for forgiveness.

"It is a very powerfully emotional play," Nancy says. "It is the most challenging role I've had."

Nancy Landegent listened to Corrie ten Boom speak at a conference years ago in Indiana. She was immediately taken with her family's story of courage, compassion and faithfulness. When approached last year by directors Tom Hydeen and Leanne Bonnecroy, Nancy considered playing ten Boom an honor.

It means even more today as she immerses herself in this important work, a challenge she knows Dan would surely cherish, producing this piece of art, a story that must be told, for their community, at their place of worship.

"This is a challenge because of all the emotion," Nancy says. "Corrie loses family members (who die in prison) and she had an awful prison life herself. Then, she lived to tell about it. She came out on the other side and told us all of God's grace, His providence, His protection and strength."

Most importantly, Corrie ten Boom forgave her captors. It comes through as Nancy sings "Let the Child Believe."

"Forgive what God forgives," Nancy says, reciting lyrics. "See what Jesus sees. Open up your heart and be what you were born to be."

Nancy Landegent, who plays ten Boom at age 40, reflects on her faith journey while telling this story. She admits to questioning God's plan, as anyone might in losing a spouse at age 53. She laughs and cries. She runs through boxes of tissues at home, at work. The smallest things set her off; a sound, a joke, a graphic element, a Saturday afternoon meant for two.

"I know God is here," she says, drawing a brief parallel to her acting role. "He will never forsake me. I cling to that.

"I know I could not do this without Him," she concludes. "I know many people are praying me through this. They tell me I am persevering, that I am somehow an example."

She smiles, summoning strength, and says, "With encouragement like that, how could I not do this?"
LE MARS, Iowa | A Le Mars home was engulfed in flames Saturday after an electrical equipment malfunction, Fire-Rescue Chief David Schipper said.

Fire-Rescue was called at 11:35 a.m. for the fire at 30405 Highway 3.

Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy flames from a double garage that was attached to a two story home with a breezeway, a press release from the department said. There were three propane delivery trucks on the east side of the home's property.

"Firefighters attacked the fire defensively from the outside initially putting out a nearby pull camper that had caught fire and also watering down the three propane trucks until they were moved away from the scene to a safe area," the release said.

No one was home at the time of the fire.

The fire spread to the house. Firefighters entered the house and stopped the fire coming though the attic, the release said.

The electrical equipment malfunction was determined to be accidental.

The release said the house is not able to be occupied after the fire.

There were no injuries, but several firefighters were rehabilitated at the scene by the Le Mars Ambulance Crew because of the hot temperatures, the release said.

The Le Mars Fire-Rescue Department was assisted at the scene by the Merrill, Hinton, Akron, and Orange City Fire Departments, Le Mars Ambulance Service, Plymouth County Sheriffs Office, Iowa State Patrol, American Red Cross, and MidAmerican Energy.
In 2008, we opposed the Legislature's decision to make a one-cent local-option school infrastructure sales tax, approved within counties across Iowa, a statewide tax.

One of our biggest concerns was the state one day would seek to divert money from the school infrastructure tax to other purposes. We believed making the local-option tax a statewide tax violated the trust of voters and eliminated local accountability.

Today, our concern about discussion of diverting money is reality.

During the last legislative session and again, in a somewhat different form, this summer, Gov. Terry Branstad advocated for using some of the money from the school infrastructure sales tax for water quality.

We absolutely support an extension of the school tax, which sunsets in 2029, but again today we advocate for using revenue from an extension only for school infrastructure, as was the original intent.

Woodbury County was the first county in Iowa to approve a 10-year, local-option sales tax for public school infrastructure (the tax first passed in 1998; county voters approved a 10-year extension in 2005). The benefits of this tax speak for themselves in the form of school improvements across the state, but perhaps no school district in Iowa has benefitted more from the tax than our local system. With revenue from the tax, the Sioux City school district has built new elementary schools, new middle schools and three high school science wings, and it's building or planning to build more elementary schools before the tax is scheduled to expire.

In other words, we appreciate how invaluable a tool this tax is in meeting a spectrum of school infrastructure challenges.

You will get no argument from us about the importance of water quality to the future of Iowa, but we prefer Branstad and the Legislature discuss the issue separate from school infrastructure. Begin the discussion, we suggest, by revisiting a plan proposed within the House during the last session to direct money for water quality from the state's Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund, which is funded by gambling revenue, and the state sales tax Iowans pay on their water bill.

For purposes of planning and bonding for future infrastructure projects, school districts need an end to uncertainty about the future of the school infrastructure tax. To this end, we urge the Legislature to make extension of the school infrastructure sales tax, with no strings attached, a priority in next year's session, and we urge our local delegation of lawmakers to be leaders in pushing for this extension.
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
"The terrorist massacre happening at the moment in the east is not different from what happened in Mali, France, Somalia and other corners of the world," Kabila said in North Kivus capital of Goma, as quoted by the news outlet.

DR Congos spokesman Mak Hazukay said that authorities suspect the Allied Democratic Forces armed group of having committed the massacre.

DR Congo has been mired in civil conflicts and violence since the Rwanda and Uganda backed a coup against Mobutu Sese Seko.
The latest piece, titled "Is Trump deliberately throwing the election to Clinton?" feeds into a narrative rampant on social media that points to Hillarys longstanding friendship with the bombastic billionaire prior to the 2016 electoral season and reports that the former reality television star spoke with Bill Clinton on the phone the night before announcing his candidacy.

Although the piece presumably looks to discredit the Trump candidacy by arguing that the follies of the candidate are so historically great that the only explanation is that he is not actually even a candidate in the race, Budowsky does lay out the case for what many people think  that there is no way that this is for real.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the United States attempts to invade the North Korea are becoming "ever more reckless" and noted that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea switched from their current mode of the military opposition to a preemption mode in order to cope "with the absurd war hysteria of the opponent." All of its forces are fully prepared to make a "ruthless and devastating blow" to the enemy, if he commits even the "slightest provocation," the state media added.

The media noted that the right to make a pre-emptive nuclear strike does is not the United States' monopoly.

On Tuesday, the US Strategic Command announced that the United States had sent three B-2 stealth bombers to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to conduct training sorties.


ASTANA (Sputnik)On June 5, unidentified armed assailants attacked two gun shops and a military unit in Kazakh city of Aktobe. In response, the country's authorities announced an anti-terrorism operation. The incident left 25 people killed, including 18 terrorists, who were said to be radical followers of non-conventional religious movements. Following the event, the Kazakh government introduced the "yelow" threat level.

"Anti-Terrorist Centre of the Republic of Kazakhstan is announcing the extension of the moderate "yellow" level of terrorist threat in the country until January 15, 2017," the statement reads.

The shooting of police officers in the southern Kazakh city of Almaty on July 18, described as an act of terrorism by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, claimed lives of five people, leaving seven more injured. The terrorist threat in Kazakstan's largest city has been put to "red", later to be lowered to "yellow."


MOSCOW (Sputnik)At least five fishermen were killed by a shipwreck of a trawler in the Bay of Bengal near the coast of Bangladesh on Sunday, according to media reports.

The rescuers managed to save two fishermen, while about 10 people more are missing, Xinhua news agency reported.

The incident occurred 140 kilometers (about 87 miles) away from the port of Mongla, southern Bangladesh. The ship is said to have overset because of the poor weather conditions.


NEW DELHI (Sputnik)India welcomes dialogue with Pakistan but demands that Islamabad put an end to its support of terrorist organizations, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup 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 recognized terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan," Swarup wrote on his Twitter page on Saturday, responding to the initiative of Sartaj Aziz, Pakistans prime ministers adviser on foreign affairs, to hold negotiations on the situation in Kashmir.

Relations between India and Pakistan have been strained since 1947 when both states were founded. British India, according to the Indian Independence Act, was divided into two parts on the religious basis  India and Pakistan. However, the act left space for local leaders to choose whether they want to join India or Pakistan, which resulted in the decision of the Hindu ruler of Kashmir, mainly populated by Muslims, to join India. The dispute over Kasmir resulted in several full-fledged wars, as well as a number of local military conflicts between India and Pakistan.
The territory is disputed by China, which claims the discovery and ownership of the islands from the 14th century, while Japan had ownership of the islands from 1895 until its surrender at the end of World War II.

China and Taiwan regard the islands are part of Taiwan. Taiwan was ceded to Japan in the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, after the Sino-Japanese war.

After Japans surrender the islands were administered by the US as part of the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands from 1945 until 1971, when the islands returned to Japanese control under the Okinawa Reversion Agreement between the United States and Japan.

After World War Two, Japan renounced claims to a number of territories and islands including Taiwan in the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco.

These islands, however, came under US trusteeship and were returned to Japan in 1971 under the Okinawa reversion deal.

China says that when Taiwan was returned in the Treaty of San Francisco, the islands should have been returned too.

The territory is also disputed between Japan and Taiwan.

Ties between Japan and China suffered a sharp deterioration in 2012 when Japan bought three of the East China Sea islands from a private Japanese landlord

The deal angered China, triggering public and diplomatic protests. Since then, Chinese government ships have reportedly sailed in and out of what Japan says are its territorial waters around the islands.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  India accused on Sunday Pakistan of violating the ceasefire in Kashmir for the first time in four month, local media reported, citing the Indian Defense Ministry.

"The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir Our troops are responding appropriately and no casualties or damage to our troops was reported till the report last came in," Defense Ministrys spokesman Lt. Col. Manish Mehta said, as quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency.

He also said that the Pakistani army used heavy mortars, small arms and automatic weapons.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Seoul is going to increase the number of Hyunmoo missiles to counter Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats, local media reported on Sunday, citing government source.

"To accomplish this, the South needs more ballistic missiles at its disposal," one of the officials said, as quoted by Yonhap News Agency.

According to the source, procuring more short-range Hyunmoo 2A and 2B ballistic missiles may help Seoul "neutralize" threats coming from Pyongyang. It also said that adding new type of ballistic missile to South Korea's military arsenal with range of 497 miles will boost Seoul's capacity to cover all territory of the North.
"This jumble," writes PolitRussia contributor Boris Stepnov, "is simultaneously claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei; and this despite the fact that most of the 'islands' can only be conditionally called as such."

Discussing Hanoi's decision to place missile launchers in the area, the journalist suggested that "this demarche is the largest Vietnam has made in this area in recent years."

"It was obviously caused by the Hague Court of Arbitration's July 12 decision on the illegality of China's claim to the Spratly archipelago in favor of the Philippines," he added.

Commenting on the missiles' deployment for the Russian business newspaper Kommersant, Institute for Far Eastern Studies researcher Vasily Kashin suggested that the measure actually means very little in the conventional military sense.

"In real combat, the survival of these systems would depend on their ability to be quickly moved to avoid return fire." Accordingly, "the aim, when placing them on 100x100 meter islands," where there is literally no room for maneuvering, "can only be demonstrative," Kashin said.
One day, the hunter came across a large piece of gold, the size of a horse head. The man brought the piece of gold back to his yurt and began boasting to everyone that from now on hed be the richest man in the area.

And so he was. People from all over the Altay Mountains came to see and admire the golden piece that belonged to the renowned hunter.

The happy days of the hunter didnt last long. The next summer, an extreme drought spread into the area. All the animals, birds and fish were gone; the water dried out and trees became ill. People fled the lake. Those who stayed perished from starvation.

The hunter, certain of his luck and hunting skills, stayed near the lake and continued to search for food. But all his attempts were in vain. One day when the man returned home, he found that his wife and children died of starvation.

Misery filled the mans heart. Left alone only with the piece of gold, the hunter climbed the highest mountain on Lake Teletskoye and threw the precious stone into the lake.

Dear forest and water spirits! I sacrifice this piece of gold to you and ask for your blessing that from now on this land would be rich in fish, birds, animals, forest and water instead of gold, the man cried out.

After that things returned to normal: trees began growing, water filled the hills, birds and animals became plentiful again.

In memory of the hunter and his will, that gold isnt important, the mountain became known as Altyn-Tu, or the Golden Mountain, and the lake near it Altyn-Kul, or the Golden Lake.

I dont know whether or not the huge piece of gold, the size of a horse head, still lies on the bottom of Lake Teletskoye. But one thing is certain  the lake, listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, is a true piece gold in our country.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik.
Speaking to the independent news and analysis resource Svobodnaya Pressa, the expert emphasized that there are several things to clarify. "First of all, in its current form, at this stage, Turkish Stream does not propose the creation of any 'hub' of the kind the Ukrainian foreign minister has shown so much concern. The project is intended strictly to ensure the supply of gas directly to Turkey."

"Secondly, I don't think that the bilateral economic relations between Moscow and Ankara are the concern of the European Union. Russia and Turkey are two sovereign countries entitled to pursue whatever mutually beneficial policy that they consider appropriate, without the need to regard any third party. At the same time, it is important to note that the pipeline is in no way directed against the EU."

Furthermore, Grivach noted that if the project is successful, over the long term, Turkey can of course become a territory through which Russian gas is exported to European countries in need of Russian energy. Therefore, the expert suggested that to say that the project is "contrary to the EU's interests" is an absurd blanket statement.

"Factually, Kiev is attempting to defend its own interests, and is concerned only with the desire to preserve its role as a transit country for Russian gas. But they are doing so not by improving the quality of the services to ensure that transit, or through the modernization of their industrial infrastructure, nor by finding investment for this infrastructure and fulfilling their commitments, but through primitive political demagoguery."
Seizing on this grouwing sense of unrest, Nicolas Sarkozy, the former President who left office disgraced by a myriad of allegations including fraudulent overspending and accepting money from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, has thrown his hat into the ring to be the voice of the oppressed championing the idea of a referendum as a necessary corollary to preserving Frances democratic tradition.

"I believe that we should not be afraid of the people. If they do not believe in the European idea and it does not stand the test of a referendum, then it is not the right path," said Sarkozy in a TV interview with Le Monde that sent shivers down the spine of the French political elite.

The French politician appears to be watching the polls closely with former Prime Minister and leading candidate for the countrys Republican nomination Alain Juppe leading all presidential candidates with 36% of the vote share. The popular politician has called openly for a watered down referendum not to exit the European Union, but to alter the term terms. In a hypothetical match-up against the field, Nicolas Sarkozy would get 23% of the vote according to the latest poll if he were the nominee.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the Sunday Times citing sources in the City of London, who have been privately talking about the issue with the UK ministers, the United Kingdom exit from the bloc could be postponed until the late 2019, as UK government's Brexit and international trade departments might not be ready for such a move.

In addition, the media noted, the upcoming elections in France and Germany are also being cited as a cause for the Brexit delay.

On Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May stressed that Article 50 which starts the process of a country's exit from the bloc would not be triggered before the end of 2016.
"Moreover, if projects are not implemented or are not implemented in full, this becomes a loss for us, because we spend our own funds drafting the projects, which Ukraine is not obliged to repay us. These services are not included in the loan, and the team spending its time developing and supervising the unrealized or ineffectively realized projects could spend its energy addressing other, equally pressing problems elsewhere."

The official emphasized that discussions with other major creditors involved in Ukraine have confirmed that they face the same problems.

Furthermore, Maksimenko said that "experience with similar projects in other countries demonstrate that they can theoretically be implemented in Ukraine, but experience, unfortunately, is convincing us that the opposite is true."
This week, the German government moved to raid the countrys healthcare funds to support the refugee crisis passing a law that would transfer $1.67 billion from the liquidity reserve to provide welfare and resources to asylum seekers despite growing unrest in the country over the economic consequence and heightened terror risk that Syrian refugees import to the country.

With the domestic situation rapidly becoming a powder keg for reactionary turmoil and a revival of far-right nationalism in response to the forced marriage between an unwitting public and the war zones of Syria, it was German President Joachim Gauck who finally lit the match with a most obtuse statement.

"The elites are not the problem, the people are the problem," declared President Gauck resulting in a violent crowd attacking the official while others chanted "Get out, traitor!"
On Sunday, Poland held celebrations dedicated to Poland's Armed Forces Day, celebrating the 96th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw, one of the key battles of the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. At a commemorative event in the village of Ossuve, 22 km outside Warsaw, Defense Minister Macierewicz participated in a mass and wreath laying ceremony at the Cemetery of Heroes of 1920.

The ceremony at Ossuve saw the unveiling of monuments to three high-ranking military officials who died in a plane crash outside Smolensk, Russia in 2010, which Macierewicz has previously characterized as a deliberate act of 'terrorism' against Poland by Russia.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Macierewicz noted that the officers who died in the crash "were faithful to the president of Polandflying to Katyn to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the Soviet genocide."
The Rhodes Forum , organized by the Dialogue of Civilizations non-profit, will raise such questions of contemporary international politics as issues of terrorism, migration and global cooperation of East and West.

The event that will kick off on September 30 will be held for the 14 time this year. It will be participated by Czech President Milos Zeman, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakian leader Robert Fico  politicians who have been at odds with Brussels over its proposed mandatory quotas system on relocation of thousands of refugees across the bloc.

Earlier this month, the Czech Republic's Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Prague shouldnt adhere to EU plan, saying successful integration of migrants in European society is impossible.
MEXICO CITY (Sputnik)  On Thursday, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro have agreed to the gradual and controlled reopening of the common border.

According to the Noticias24 broadcaster, five pedestrian crossing points have been open on the border, but people willing to pass through these still need to have a special border transit migration card.

The Venezuelan-Colombian border, stretching for over 1,300 miles, has been closed by the order of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro since August 2015 amid crackdowns on migrants and smugglers.
BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik)  Argentina did not find any illegalities in the impeachment process against Brazil's suspended President Dilma Rousseff, Argentinian Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra said in an interview with Sputnik and five other media outlets.

"There is not a single thing that we have found from the legal point of view which would make us think that the impeachment does not comply with the necessary moves," Malcorra said.

In May, Brazil's Senate voted in favor of starting impeachment proceedings against Rousseff after she was accused of concealing the countrys budget deficit ahead of the 2014 re-election. Rousseff has been suspended from office for 180 days, pending trial. Michel Temer, who had been Brazil's vice president since 2011, is assuming presidency during that period.
However the strategic value of hydrocarbon production increase may also serve a purpose for Iran, he said.

If the dependence of foreign states on Iranian energy resources increases, Iran will be able to play this factor in its interests and more vocally emphasize the need of lifting all unilateral US sanctions imposed on Iran, the expert told Sputnik.

Lets assume that the volume of Iranian energy supplies to such influential economies of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organization as China or India or some European countries increases in the near future. Then these states will advocate the lifting of sanctions from Iran. And the US will no longer able to find an easy pretext to impose new sanctions and hinder the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the Iran Deal), he further explained.

In this way, he continued, by increasing oil and gas production and exports to the international energy market, Iran will be able to create some kind of an anti-American hydrocarbon consortium.

He suggests it is likely that if there had been such a consortium probably there would have been no unilateral American anti-Iranian sanctions in the first place.
Since 2014, Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government forces and the Houthis, which is the countrys main opposition force. Since March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf countries have been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Islamic State, banned in Russia, the United States and numerous other states, are currently operating in the country.
It offers intelligence solutions, such as identity intelligence and biometrics, forensics and analysis, counterintelligence operations support, HUMINT (human intelligence) operations support, anti-terrorism and force protection, diplomatic security support, consulting and policy development, and analytic transformation.

The company also provides command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, intelligence surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions, including signal intercept and identification, electronic, communications, and geospatial intelligence solutions, threat warning systems and countermeasures, active electronic warfare systems, electronic tagging, tracking, locating solutions and communications reconnaissance.

It has previously provided intelligence services in Afghanistan and Europe, as well as supporting the Counter-Insurgency Targeting Program, and related intelligence and operational support for the Army National Ground Intelligence Center and US forces in Afghanistan, The Daily Beast cites the Defense Departments contracts archive.

No information has been released on the number of people who might have to go into the country under this contract.

It could be just a few (presumably well-paid) intelligence analysts augmenting a military unit or it could be many more, the website suggests.

Sean McFate, a professor at Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service, the author of Shadow War, and a former gun-for-hire himself told the website that this is no ordinary contractor.

Six3 Intelligence Solutions is a private intelligence company, and the fact that we outsource a good portion of our intelligence analysis creates a strategic dependency on the private sector to perform vital wartime operations, the outlet quotes him as saying.
ALEPPO (Sputnik)  Terrorists are currently fighting against the Syrian army with small arms, mortars and heavy machine guns close to the village of Leramun near the city of Aleppo.

Damascus forces are successfully striking back at terrorists, who have also been forced out from the number of residential areas in the 1070 district of Aleppos south-west.

Aleppo has been mired in intense fighting, with the Syrian army and local militia forces having managed to encircle large groups of militants in eastern districts of Aleppo.
While a Pentagon memo supports the allegation that in 2012 the United States was willingly aiding al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) that subsequently metastasized into Daesh, the more immediate conflict of interest in Washingtons foreign policy in the Middle East is the support of the current so-called "moderate rebels" opposing Assad who, by their own admission on social media, are led by al-Nusra Front.

Al-Nusra Front, who just changed their name to the Syrian Conquest Front and renounced affiliation with al-Qaeda, with the open acceptance of the terror network, in a bid to garner new support from the West were the leading force in the surprise bid to break the Syrian governments siege in Aleppo.
The question posed by Andreasen plagues the minds of the Americas national security establishment in the wake of the failed government overthrow in Turkey as an increasingly frustrated Erdogan regime has laid the blame for the coup squarely at the feet of the United States both for failing to extradite alleged mastermind Fethullah Gulen and also for an array of reasons resembling conspiracy theories.

Last week, Erdogan himself claimed that Fethullah Gulen was only "a pawn" hinting that the United States was the real adversary of the Turkish people, a charge that has been leveled repeatedly by Ankaras top officials beginning when Labor Minister Soylu Suleyman said in an interview that the US is behind the coup and carried forth in the pages of the Turkish press who went so far as to publish the picture of a top US general in an article titled "The Man Behind the Coup."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the July 31 state of emergency decree law, issued after the July thwarted coup in Turkey, the country's Land Forces, Naval Forces and Air Force commands are now subordinate to the Defense Ministry.

"The goal in restructuring the ministry is 60 percent civil and 40 percent soldiers in management. That percentage can be half and half in the beginning but the ultimate goal is 60 to 40 percent," sources said as quoted by Hurriyet daily news.

The Turkish authorities intend to use the experience of the United States, the media outlet added. Pentagon's management model comprises 70 percent of civil and 30 percent of military personnel.
However, the US aircraft currently lacks the infrared search and track system that its Russian counterpart has, and is not designed to be stealthy, unlike the Su-35.

In terms of air-to-air weapons, the Su-35 has 12 or more hardpoints compared to the eight of F-15C, though the long-range, radar guided air-to-air missiles sported by both planes "are basically in the same class," according to the author.

Furthermore, the L175M Khibiny radar jamming system installed on the Su-35, while possibly not as effective against the F-15 radars, may in fact pose a serious threat to radars of the AIM-120 air-to-air missiles employed by the US fighter.

But its dogfighting capability is where the Russian aircraft has a clear and undeniable advantage over its US counterpart.

"The Eagle is no slouch when it comes to maneuverabilityin fact, it is one of the first designs to prove a heavy fighter could still pull off tight, energy-efficient turns and accelerate while climbing, thanks to low wing loading and high thrust-to-weight ratio. However, the Su-35 is simply in a class of its own. It uses vector-thrust turbofanswhich means its engine nozzles can move independently to allow it to perform tight turns and yaws and maintain high angles of attack (in which the plane's nose is pointed in a different direction than the plane is moving) that ordinary aircraft cant match. The Su-35 will reliably dance around an F-15 in a low-speed dogfight," the author explains.

All in all, the author surmises, "the Su-35 takes the crown of best dogfighter, and also remains a very capable and versatile missile platform against both air and ground targets," noting that the current models of F-15 still remain "capable air superiority fighters with advanced radar."

Nevertheless, he points out, it appears that the future aircraft combat capabilities may be more defined by the "effectiveness of missiles and electronic counter measures" rather than the planes characteristics.
VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik)  The Hmeymim air base began operations in September 2015, when Russia started its counter-terrorist aerial campaign in Syria.

"Our base is necessary to fight against militants on far outskirts. These [outskirts] are like a magnet, attracting supplies of arms from absolutely all territories," he told the Rossiya-1 broadcaster.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups. On February 27, a US-Russia brokered ceasefire came into force in Syria. Terrorist groups such as Daesh (banned in Russia), as well as Jabhat Fatah al Sham (previously known as the Nusra Front), are not part of the deal.
"Over 30 of our newest planes and helicopters were provided to the Aerospace Defense Forces aviation units," said the Defense Ministry. "Radio engineering force divisions received modern radar systems capable of detecting air targets at heights from several meters to tens of kilometers."

Russias newest fighter jets including the Su-35S, Su-30M, and multi-purpose Su-34 along with the countrys most lethal combat helicopters including the Mi-8AMTSh, Mi-28N and Ka-52 were provided to the air regiments according to the statement.
US Olympic Committee Spokesman Patrick Sandusky explained the incident saying "According to four members of the US Olympic Swimming Team (Ryan Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen), they left France House early Sunday morning in a taxi headed for the Olympic village, but their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes money and other personal belongings. All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities."

The story of the robbery comes after the swimmer initially denied the incident earlier in the day in an interview with The Associated Press calling the claims that he was held at gunpoint "absolutely not true"

The Associated Press (@AP) August 14, 2016

Ryan Lochtes mother Ileana broke the story, however, when reached by USA Today indicating that there was a robbery but that Lochte and the other swimmers were unharmed in the incident. Lochtes mother explained that the cab had stopped to get gas when the swimmers were robbed by men with knives and guns.

Lochte won his sixth gold medal on Wednesday as part of the mens 4x200 freestyle relay. The swimmer plans to participate in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik)  Argentina President Mauricio Macri expects to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit in September, Argentine Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra said in an interview with Sputnik and five other media outlets.

We intend to search for a possibility to hold a bilateral meeting with President Putin, Malcorra said.
BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik)  Argentinian government will continue its policy of recognition of Palestine as an independent state, Argentina Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra said in an interview with Sputnik and 5 other media outlets.

"We confirm our stance regarding the recognition of the Palestinian State," Malcorra said.

Susana Malcorra also said that resorting to the United Nations charter is the best way of finding solutions to global problems and mitigate tensions around international issues.
"It was also important to realize that [Syrian President Bashar al] Assad, by what he did in his country, allowed ISIS to move into Syria and get strongholds and recruit," reasoned McCaskill. "That was the work and support of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, who is Trumps best buddy. So you can say Trump and his friend Putin are the founder of ISIS."

McCaskills assertion directly conflicts with a declassified Pentagon memo, released last May, which exposed that the US-backed anti-Assad coalition at the time was spearheaded by al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and the Islamic State of Iraq that soon cobbled together to form the Daesh terror network known colloquially as ISIS. These opposition rebels were referred to at the time by President Obama as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

The report also contemplated the formation of the Daesh "caliphate" in Syria stating "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." Those supporting powers were enumerated in an earlier paragraph as "Western Countries, the Gulf States, and Turkey."
MAHACHKALA (Russia) (Sputnik)  The counter-terrorist operation regime was declared in a rural area of the Russias republic of Dagestan on Sunday, a spokesperson of the operational headquarters told RIA Novosti.

At 7:30 a.m. [04:30 GMT] the head of the operational headquarters decided to declare the legal regime of a counter-terrorist operation within the borders of the Tagirkent-Kazmalyar village of the Magaramkentsky region, the spokesperson said.

The decision was made after a militant, who opened fire at police officers, was killed in the Magaramkentsky region.
According to a Bloomberg report, the hackers penetrated the systems of Open Society, an organization of George Soros, the billionaire supporter behind Hillary Clinton's campaign and the alleged mastermind of Ukraine 2014 coup. The report says that hackers gained access to the company's intranet system called Karl, used to circulate draft program proposals, budgets and other internal documents.

"The hackers may have had access to the foundations' network for nearly a year," Bloomberg writes. "Although Open Society has about 800 full-time staff, as many as 7,000 people have access to Karl, which is used to circulate draft program proposals, budgets and other internal documents."

The second target of the hack is the NATO's former top military commander General Philip Breedlove.
These technological innovations were presented at the StartUpShow, a platform for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, which, together with Sputnik, is launching a joint project to search for and support start-ups in more than 30 countries.

The previous two iterations of top startup lists are available here and here.

A Charger That You Dont Have to Plug In
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, some 100 protesters clashed with the police near the scene where, earlier in the day, a 23-year-old man with a stolen semiautomatic handgun was shot dead by police. One police vehicle was set on fire, while the widows of an another one were smashed by the angry crowd.

The media added that a woman who identified herself as family member of the dead man urged the people to leave the scene, yet many have left and the tensions remained high.

The Milwaukee police earlier said that another suspect was apprehended and is in custody.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)On Friday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared state of emergency effective until September 10 due to severe rains and dangerous floods.

According to the ABC citing several officials, the three victims died in different locations in central and southern Louisiana. One senior drowned after slipping and falling in high waters, while another man's pickup truck was swept off a flooded highway and submerged underwater. A third victim's body was recovered from the local river.

In addition, media reported of emergency teams using helicopters to rescue people stranded in their homes or cars. The rescuers saved lived of over 1,000 people.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  One police officer was injured during clashes in Milwaukee, US state of Wisconsin erupted after a policeman shot and killed an armed suspect during a foot chase, local police reported.

"MPD officer undergoing treatment at local hospital after brick thrown through squad window, striking officer in the head," Milwaukee police wrote on their Twitter page late on Saturday.

Tom Barrett, the citys mayor called on local resident to do everything to restore order.
"A lot of our case will be cross examination of the governments experts. A lot of the case can be a cross examination of the governments witnesses, in this case that will be two. When they are finished with their case, if we think theyve proven a case we will then put on our case, which will involve all of our experts," Browne said.

According to the US prosecutors, between October 2009 and October 2013 Seleznev hacked into retail point-of-sale systems and installed malware in order to steal more than two million credit card numbers from a number of businesses.

In July 2014, Seleznev was detained by US forces in Maldives, taken to Guam and then Seattle, Washington. Russia's Foreign Ministry and Seleznev's father branded the incident a "kidnapping."

"Roman was blown up, almost dying. The only reason he survived is that they flew him from Marrakesh to Moscow and gave him good treatment, but hes got scars all over his head. He definitely has head injury, he has other injuries. He needs treatment to his head injuries, but I havent seen any indication that he has any mental problems at all. As a matter of fact he is very very smart," Browne said.

Browne added that currently Seleznev was not getting any treatment.

"Once the case is over and he is convicted and goes to the prison for it, whatever period of time hell maybe get better treatment," he added.
On Saturday Night, mass riots broke out with demonstrators assaulting cops, burning police and other vehicles, and looting stores in the troubled Milwaukee neighborhood of Sherman Park. The chaos ensued as protests turned violent in the wake of the deadly police shooting of 23-year-old Sylville K. Smith.

Police have now identified the officer who shot Smith as an African-American officer taking the possibility of a race-related attack by the officer off the table. Milwaukee police additionally confirm that the officer's body camera and a "silent video" confirm that the suspect had turned towards the officer with a loaded gun prior to the officer discharging his weapon.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said during a press conference on Sunday that the officer "ordered that individual to drop his gun, the individual did not drop his gun. He had the gun with him and the officer fired several times."
TBILISI (Sputnik)  A tourist from the United States died from multiple wounds after being stabbed during a quarrel in Georgia, and the suspect who has confessed to the crime has been detained, Georgian Interior Ministry said in a statement of Saturday.

According to the statement, the wounded US citizen died at the scene. The suspect whose identity was not disclosed was detained by the Kakheti Regional Police Department several hours after the incident.

The Ministry added that the incident took place on August 12, while the suspect and the US national were involved in an argument.
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MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Six Russian Tu-22M3 bombers carried out airstrikes on Daesh positions near the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor on Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

#SYRIA Tu-22M3 bombers performed concentrated strike on #ISIS objects located in s-w, e, and n-w from Deir ez-Zor https://t.co/HBDOCJUHS7    (@mod_russia) 14 August 2016

"On August 14, 2016, six long-range bombers Tu-22M3 took off from an airport of location at the territory of the Russian Federation, carried out a concentrated airstrike with high-explosive fragmentation weapons on the facilities of the Daesh terror group southwest, east and northeast of the city of Deir ez-Zor," the statement said.

The statement also said that the airstrikes destroyed two command posts, six big ammunition depots, two tanks and four infantry combat vehicles, seven all-terrain vehicles with heavy guns, as well as killed many terrorists.
In this regard, journalist Tatyana Pushkova wrote in an article published by the online politics magazine PolitRussia earlier this month that "a superpower must have a strong diplomatic capability, as well as resources and channels of ideological, indirect influence so-called soft power."

Pushkova noted that when it comes to "hard" power, here too Russia is a significant force, its military strength ranking second only to that of the United States, according to the Global Firepower Index.

Russia's 'soft' power too is nothing to shake a stick at either, the journalist suggested, pointing to organizations such as RT, which has pejoratively been called "the most important element of Putin's propaganda machine."

I don't think this New World Order that Bush 1 proclaimed so victoriously after the fall of USSR is turning out as US hoped it would.  Max (@_CB01) 11  2016 .

"This is not a coincidence," the journalist said, adding that "thanks to its information policy, RT, which offers access to an alternative point of view, is among the top five most popular international news channels in the United States, according to comScore; in 2016, over 8 million viewers tuned in to RT each week."

"Russia's combined 'soft power' undoubtedly gives it a position of global leadership, through its involvement in the search for solutions to global problems, through various cooperation programs and extensive diplomatic representation," she said.

Her article came after remarks made by US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper during the Aspen Security Forum in late July. Among other things, he called Russian President Vladimir Putin a 'throwback' to Russia's imperial past, adding that Russia is desperately trying to look like a 'co-equal' to the US superpower.

In terms of Moscow's privileged relations, it is worth mentioning the ongoing development of Russian-Italian ties.

In June, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia and Italy signed contracts worth 1.3 billion euros (about 1.5 billion dollars) at the 2016 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Putin stressed that both countries would prioritize concrete steps aimed at boosting bilateral economic ties despite current difficulties. "In general, we see good prospects for the localization of production facilities of Italian companies in Russia," the president added.

Also in June, a lawmaker from the Veneto Regional Council, Stefano Valdegamberi, told Sputnik that the intentions of two more Italian regions to adopt resolutions that call for lifting sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia may push the Italian government to change its stance on the matter.


VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik)There are many unresolved issues regarding Syrias five-year civil war left to Moscow and Washington to settle, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sunday.

"We are asking our colleagues to tell us where the moderate opposition is  it was our first question There are many things like this that must be resolved with our American colleagues," Shoigu told the Rossiya-1 broadcaster.

Russias other proposition to the United States included determining where the Russian aviation should not conduct airstrikes, as well as gathering information from Washington on the exact location of terrorists in the war-torn country, Shoigu added.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Radicals from the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group fleeing Libya could try to reach Europe by hiding among migrants who cross the Mediterranean sea in boats, Giacomo Stucchi, head of Italian Parliamentary Committee for the Intelligence and Security Services and for State Secret Control (COPASIR) said.

The statement comes amid reports that hundreds of Daesh-affiliated militants started to flee Libya after attacks of ground forces as well as US Air Force air strikes against militants during fights for the Libyan city of Sirte.

"After Sirte is liberated there is a possibility that Daesh [Islamic State, banned in Russia] will send its fighters on boats to Italian shores," he was quoted as saying by Italian il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper.
Back in action after an injury forced him to the sidelines for last week's $34,000 Preferred Pace at Mohawk Racetrack, defending Horse of the Year State Treasurer overcame an assigned outside post with an authoritative effort to win Saturday night's (August 13) edition.

Driver Chris Christoforou left from post nine with State Treasurer and tracked Nirvana Seelster's cover as that pacer worked to clear The Wayfaring Man through the :27.1 opening quarter. Once Nirvana Seelster touched down on the front end, State Treasurer crossed over and proceeded to lead the field past the half in :55.1 and three-quarters in 1:23 wile extending his margin to five and a half lengths. He remained strong through the stretch with a :27.1 final frame to post a dominant 1:50.1 victory over the "good" track. Ellis Park, the 5-2 favourite, advanced from the backfield to finish second and Nickle Bag followed the runner-up's cover to show.

State Treasurer paid $8.60 to win as the 3-1 third choice. The victory was his second in 12 starts this year and 32nd lifetime.

The double millionaire had recently recovered from an injury to his left hind hoof caused when he stepped on a two-inch #10 screw during a workout session. Trainer and veterinarian Dr. Ian Moore tended to the injury to bring the seven-year-old son of Real Desire back to winning form on Saturday for owners Sally MacDonald of Souris, P.E.I. and Paul MacDonald of Toronto.

To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
A dog escaped injury thanks to Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue firefighters who rescued the dog after knocking down a Kelso house fire.

Firefighters responded around 6:30 a.m. Saturday to the blaze on the 1400 block of North Fourth Avenue. Heavy smoke was coming out of the attic of the single-story home, according to a press release.

All the residents had escaped the house uninjured but left the dog behind.

It took firefighters eight minutes to knock down the blaze. The small dog was rescued without injuries.

The fire caused an estimated $10,000 worth of damage. The cause is under investigation, but it's believed to be accidental, according to the press release.
In dueling speeches this week in Michigan, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton laid out opposing visions for the U.S. economy.

Neither candidate, however, has grappled with what may be the most challenging economic crisis of our times: what to do with older workers whose jobs have disappeared and are never coming back  and who are injecting so much frustration (and rage) into this election cycle.

These are the workers who got a raw deal, who saw their livelihoods ripped from beneath them, who feel left behind by an increasingly globalized and automated 21st-century economy. They are predominantly white, non-degree-holding men, many of whom lost stable middle-class jobs in shrinking sectors such as manufacturing and coal.

To be fair, theres a good reason neither presidential candidate has proposed a comprehensive, credible plan for how to help these workers.

Its really, really hard to come up with one.

We basically have a playbook for how to help younger people secure stable jobs and boost their long-term earning potential. That includes encouraging them to invest in their human capital, by subsidizing their educations or even just helping them navigate the training (or retraining) they need to get better opportunities. Policies that make it easier for workers to stay attached to the labor force, or in school, such as subsidized child care or family leave, are also useful.

Clintons economic package, as laid out in her Thursday speech, is rich in these kinds of programs; Trumps nods at some of them, such as child care. Unfortunately, such proposals would do little to help displaced, mid-skilled 50-somethings get back on their feet.

Older workers, after all, are less likely to benefit from work-support programs targeted at parents of small children.

Likewise, subsidizing their retraining offers limited benefits, at least from a fiscal perspective. Its certainly not impossible to teach an old dog new tricks, so to speak, but retraining a worker whos a decade from retirement may not be the best use of public funds (or that workers time)  especially because rampant ageism makes it harder for older workers to find jobs in new fields even when they do get training.

Trumps solution, instead, involves a promise to bring back these workers jobs in coal mining and manufacturing  through energy deregulation and tough trade talk, respectively.

This is a cruel promise to make.

Coal miners jobs are long gone. These positions vanished not primarily because of regulatory burdens but because of technological advances that make it easier to extract more coal with fewer workers and also to produce natural gas  coals most important competitor  at much lower costs.

Trumps promised tariffs and ripped-up trade deals, on the other hand, have been forecast to start a trade war, as well as a major recession. But even if you didnt believe those forecasts, a bump in manufacturing  which Clinton now promises as well  seems unlikely to help already-laid-off manufacturing workers much.

Thats because the kinds of jobs that the manufacturing industry has been adding, and will likely continue to add, look pretty different from the kinds that have been lost. Innovation has turned U.S. manufacturing into increasingly highly educated, white-collar work; about a third of manufacturing occupations in 2010 were high-skilled, compared with less than a fifth in 1980, according to economists Lawrence F. Katz and Robert A. Margo.

So what options are left for helping the bereft boomer worker?

One is to increase direct transfers  that is, cash payments  to these unlucky job-losers. We already basically have a backdoor version of this policy; the Social Security Disability Insurance program, whose rolls have swelled in the past decade, has served as a sort of last-resort unemployment insurance for many Americans whose occupations or skills have become largely obsolete.

Given that many Americans base their identity on the dignity of their work, though, paying more people to give up on employment wont fully resolve their anxiety and frustration.

Expanding the earned-income tax credit, which supplements the wages of low- and moderate-income workers, is one possible way to improve these workers lives, if theyre willing to take a job paying less than the one they lost. Wage insurance, as the Obama administration has proposed, could have a similar effect.

Another option is increasing their access to other insurance programs that could improve their quality of life  by, for example, allowing Americans as young as 55 to buy into Medicare (as Clinton has indeed proposed).

Trump has played pied piper to millions of Americans displaced by tectonic global shifts, who not coincidentally remember America as being great when they themselves had greater economic security. But neither he nor Clinton has offered a true antidote to their suffering. Theres an opportunity here for someone to offer a thoughtful solution.
The low pressure center that has been gyrating over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico for days has now dropped very heavy precipitation over southeastern Louisiana. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission, or GPM, core satellite gathered rainfall data on the system and looked at it in three dimensions.

Up to 10 inches (254 mm) of rain since Thursday, Aug. 11, has already caused flooding in parts of the state. Today, Aug. 12 the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for many parts of southeastern Louisiana. Much of the New Orleans area is under a flood watch until Saturday morning, Aug. 13.

The GPM core observatory satellite flew directly above some very intense Louisiana storms on Aug. 11 at 10:26 p.m. EDT (Aug. 12, 2016, at 0226 UTC). Rainfall estimates in these storms were calculated using the satellites Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments. GPMs radar (DPR Ku band) measured rain falling at a rate of over 3.9 inches (100.1 mm) per hour in one intense downpour.

At NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, a 3-D image and animation were created using the GPM data. The 3-D structure of rainfall within the Louisiana thunderstorms during the evening of Aug. 11 was measured by GPMs Radar (DPR Ku Band). DPR found that a few storm tops were reaching heights of over 9.9 miles (16 km). The GPM core observatory satellite gave further evidence of the power within these storms when it found that radar reflectivity values of over 53 dBZ were returned by some intense showers.

GPM is a joint mission of NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
NASAs iconic Hubble Space Telescope has spotted this new irregular shaped galaxy named as NGC 2337, located 25 million light-years away in the constellation of Lynx. The galaxy lacks regularity in its structure, similar to 25 percent of other irregular galaxies in our universe.

The galaxy is not new and it was first discovered by the French astronomer Edouard Stephan in the year 1877. He is also known for discovering the galactic group Stephans Quintet in the same year.

Irregular shaped galaxies give important information to astronomers and help us in developing a better understanding of how the evolution took place. Some irregular galaxies may have once fallen into one of the regular classes of the Hubble sequence, but were warped and deformed by a passing cosmic companion. Although, irregular galaxies are not as beautiful as other symmetrical galaxies or elliptical galaxies but they do appeal to the astronomers.

NASA scientists believe that despite the disruption, gravitational interactions between galaxies can kick-start star formation activity within the affected galaxies, which may explain the pockets of blue light scattered throughout NGC 2337. These patches and knots of blue signal the presence of young, newly formed, hot stars.

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was launched back in 1990 and since then it has peeked into the deepest corners of the universe. HST is a joint venture of NASA and ESA while it is managed by NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. At present, it is the largest telescope present in the orbit. However, soon it will be replaced by the NASAs James Webb Telescope which has thrice larger lens than HST.
About Me Common Ills We do not open attachments. Stop e-mailing them. Threats and abusive e-mail are not covered by any privacy rule. This isn't to the reporters at a certain paper (keep 'em coming, they are funny). This is for the likes of failed comics who think they can threaten via e-mails and then whine, "E-mails are supposed to be private." E-mail threats will be turned over to the FBI and they will be noted here with the names and anything I feel like quoting. This also applies to anyone writing to complain about a friend of mine. That's not why the public account exists. View my complete profile

Blog Archive
High school football playoff pairings announced

Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, 7:20 p.m. -- AREAWIDE -- The high school football playoff pairings are being announced as you read this posting. In Div. 1, Reg. 2, Lapeer will play at Clarkston and Grand...

Volleyball results from Thursday

Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, 8:34 a.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- The Almont varsity volleyball team beat Madison Heights Lamphere and New Lothrop in a triple header at Almont Thursday. Dryden beat Bay City All Saints...

Golf and tennis regional results

Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, 5:41 p.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- Boys' high school tennis regionals and girls' golf regionals took place yesterday. Lapeer girls' golf placed 11th at the Div. 1 regional hosted by Oxford...

Friday night football scores

Friday, September 30, 2022 10:15 p.m.  LAPEER COUNTY  Lapeer beat Grand Blanc 39-17 at Lapeer to remain undefeated at 6-0. Almont upset Croswell-Lexington 37-26 North Branch routed Richmond 62-10 Imlay City/Dryden fell to Yale...
On 90th birthday, Fidel Castro thanks well-wishers, appears at gala

Fidel Castro makes a rare public appearance at his 90th Birthday Gala.

Reuters, Havana :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 US presidents," he wrote. True to form, Castro went on to blast Barack Obama, this time for the US 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 US 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 US domination and introducing 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.
Marcos 'hero' burial plan sparks Philippines protests

Protesters gather at Rizal Park during a rally to oppose the burial of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes\' Cemetery in Manila on Sunday

AFP, Manila :

Protests took place Sunday in Manila over Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's plans to honour the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos with a state burial.

About 2,000 people gathered in heavy rain to denounce Duterte's plans to move Marcos' remains from his northern hometown to the National Heroes' Cemetery in the capital, Manila, next month.

"We would be the laughing stock of the entire planet," Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of four members of parliament to attend the Manila rally, told AFP. She called Marcos an "unrepentant enemy of our heroes".

Marcos's family have kept his preserved body on display after he died in exile in 1989 following a popular revolt three years earlier, demanding that it be buried with full honours in the Heroes' Cemetery.

Marcos was elected president in 1965 and declared martial law in 1972, allowing him to rule as a dictator while he, his family and allies enriched themselves through massive corruption and his troops brutally stamped out dissent. But Duterte, who has styled himself as an anti-corruption crusader, defended Marcos, noting that his father had served in the Marcos cabinet and he himself had even voted for Marcos before.

Duterte has previously said that he won the May 9 elections partly with the support of the Marcos family who remain influential in their bailiwick in the northern Philippines.

A small protest was also staged by human rights victims outside Duterte's southern hometown of Davao city, where candles and flowers were placed outside the city hall, television reports said. The protests Sunday were joined by Marcos-era victims of torture and imprisonment as well as relatives of victims of extrajudicial killings, which historians say claimed thousands of lives.

Protesters shed tears during the three-hour protest and organisers launched a signature campaign to try to reverse Duterte's decision.

"I was jailed when I was young. It's so hard to imagine that he will be buried in the Heroes' Cemetery," former Marcos prisoner Danny Tang told AFP.

University of the Philippines Professor Ricardo Jose alleged that in order to win war medals for bravery, Marcos faked his service record in the anti-Japanese resistance when Japan occupied the country in World War II.

"There are World War II heroes buried there who sacrificed their lives.... But here's one guy who distorted things in his favour," Jose told AFP at the rally.

Duterte spokesman Martin Andanar told reporters Sunday that while the leader allowed protests against the burial plan, he "remains firm" it will be carried out.




Palestinian wedding season can hit the wallet hard

AFP, Abu Qash :

For Palestinians, summer is wedding season-time for brides and grooms to celebrate. But for guests, who are expected to help cover the costs, it can mean financial misery.

The tradition of "naqout" encourages those invited to donate cash to help pay for the often lavish feasts.

They pick up an envelope, fill it with cash, usually sign it and place it in a box strategically placed at the entrance.

Technically the donations are voluntary, but hosts take a dim view of those failing to meet expectations.

Some Palestinians see the tradition as a way to share the costs of important community events. But others say the social pressure to contribute pushes them into dire financial straights.

Murad Shriteh, 46, from near the West Bank city of Ramallah, said he feels swamped after being invited to more than one wedding a week.

He spent $400, nearly half his monthly salary, in just two weeks of weddings, he told AFP at a wedding party in the West Bank town of Birzeit.

"I have already received several invitations for the rest of August, but I think I will refuse a few," he said.

The West Bank sees more than 25,000 weddings a year, according to Palestinian statistics.

Social pressures and tradition mean that most are extravagant celebrations, with much of the community invited.


On this day of his passing away

Mustafa Nurul Islam :

"As long as the Padma Jamuna Gouri Meghna flows on,

Your accomplishment will live on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

All around flow the Ganges of tears and blood today

Even then have no fear, victory is assured, a triumph for Mujibur Rahman"

- Annada Shankar Ray

In the light of the above lines, I have firm faith that history has no death: and Sheikh Mujib-the symbolic offspring of history-is immortal; he is forever luminous on the canvas of eternity.

One

The month of August has once again come back through yearly rotation, and today is that accursed date of fifteenth. Those emissaries of hell had killed the 'greatest son of a thousand years' of motherland Bangla Sheikh Mujib along with his family-members. Again, history bears witness, he was that 'Bangabandhu' who was the noblest source of indomitable inspiration for us millions of Bangalis, and it was he who was the 'Father of the Nation' of a new-born state. They were the defeated enemies in the battlefields of 1971-the local black-sheep collaborators of the marauding Pakistanis, the regressive, fanatical, fundamentalist groups-they had hatched conspiracies behind the curtain. And then like an ill-omened fate, they re-emerged on the scene on that accursed date of fifteenth. Naturally, I shall go back to that same answer-such an incident could not have happened all of a sudden. Or it could not be merely some terribly violent acts by a handful of power-hungry individuals bent on realizing their sinful designs. It has already been indicated before; and such instances have been observed in various countries at different junctures of time, history bears witness to that. Symptoms of a counter-revolution following the success of a revolution achieved through the liberation war are overwhelming. Example may be cited here of the termination of the regime of Emperor Louis, which yielded the fruit of equality-fraternity-liberty in post revolution France. But it led to the emergence of another 'emperor' Napoleon. On the other side, people saw the all-devouring rise of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in the land of Garibaldi-Italy. Similar rise of anti-freedom and anti-progress evil forces were observed in different shapes and forms in Sun Yat Sen's China, Sukarno's Indonesia, Africa's Algeria, Egypt and Iran of the Middle-east. In some cases, fundamentalism and militancy had mushroomed quite dangerously.

Let us now consider our own Bangladesh; and our very own 1971-which saw unprecedented, immortal and exceptional successes during the liberation war. Again, it was we the general masses who were the victims within a span of only four and a half years. The pronouncement, 'The struggle this time is for our freedom' was then sent into exile from the country of 56 thousand square miles. The period that followed showed they came out from the ditches of cantonment and demonstrated that a political 'party in political attire swiftly rose due to direct patronization and protection of military camps. And after that, the horses of power have maintained their dominance by uttering the dialect of democracy; and in parallel, religion based fundamentalists were allowed to thrive.



Two

I am trying to relate everything, including the symbolism of Fifteenth August for Bangladesh and Bangalis in the above backdrop. They did not merely kill a bodied man Sheikh Mujib during that dark dawn. Deep inside their conspiracy was the design to eliminate our Bangaliness which flowed throughout our history, and to uproot and completely destroy the spirit of 1971 liberation war. They wanted the medieval darkness of Pakistanism to return alongside unquestioned restoration of religious edicts. I believe, it is known to the honest and conscious Bangalis - 'Bangabandhu' was a person who had fought on the bed of ideals throughout his life. And even there, Bangladesh was the truth.

History gives shape to those rare personalities only occasionally. They are the offspring of eternity. Sometimes it is they who make possible the creation of history. And sometimes, these two are complementary to each other. We come to know about such luminous men from the canvas of eternity.

In the present context, we are looking at one such personality named Sheikh Mujib, who was the chief architect of a sovereign and independent nation-state. Let us present these words in a different way; that will make our articulation clearer. Let me cite example from the Asian landmass of the previous century.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was the last notable personality to be added to this sacred list, which includes Ata-Turk Mustafa Kamal Pasha of modern Turkey,. Bapuji Gandhi of India and Uncle Ho of Vietnam.

Needless to say, the positions of these saviour men lie above their own names and beyond their state-boundaries. They have become transformed into assets of eternity. On the global map, we got such a person in our midst in a small country of the orient.



Three

Let us consider the global scenario of 1971. The two most talked about countries then were Vietnam and Bangladesh. In one country, the American forces were carrying out carpet bombings, and in the other an indiscriminate genocide was being perpetrated by the occupying Pakistani army. And resistance took the shape of armed liberation war of the masses in both the states. A question can be asked here, is there any other instance in history where an all-out war of resistance was organized and invigorated by the inspiration of an absent leader mere nine months. Everybody knows Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was captive in a remote West Pakistani jail at that time of Bangladesh liberation war with a death sentence hanging on his head. He was counting his last hours. Then a question of faith comes-what was that inspiration which motivated millions of battling Bangalis to wage a war for their motherland?

In the meantime, some decades have already passed. But we have not forgotten those noble words of faith uttered by Bangabandhu- "Before climbing the gallows, I shall pronounce, I am Bangali, Bangla is my country, Bangla is my language, Joy Bangla". We repeatedly recollect how that deathless mantra had made us fearless and brave. The man named Sheikh Mujib then no more remains a bodied man with five senses ; he gets transformed by representing all our hopes and dreams.

I would like to say in this context that although a mourning day is being observed today, it does not end there. We get the opportunity of looking at him again and again, because he is that father figure who has remained the torchbearer of our forward march.

Another question comes here: in the kingdom of nature, or in the realm of mortal human life, how far the role of destiny is acceptable in worldly existence? Or, what role sudden occurrences play, which do not have any cause and effect relationships? The science of logic does not support such contention at all.

The inquisitive scholars explore and search; certainly, the so-called destiny or sudden events do not work in the making of history or the emergence of great men from its depths. Therefore, it does not happen that one descends from outer -space at an opportune moment. The place of avatars shall remain in the mythologies, not in history. Our Sheikh Mujib is discussed in this backdrop.



Four

There was a gap of five years between his declaration of the 6-point charter of survival for the Bangalis in 1966 and his historic speech before a sea of people at Ramna Racecourse on 7 March 1971. We witnessed within this short span of time his swift rise to the ivory peak of people's love and leadership, just like a meteor. I am speaking from my own experience; starting from the midst of leaders and workers of a political institution called the Awami League, he soon ascended to the position of Bangabandhu (Friend of Banga) in the hearts of the masses throughout this land. Certainly, there is no room for suddenness in history. And with amazing swiftness, a huge transformation had taken place in the chronological context of Bangladesh.

I would like to comprehend, how that fearless leader of teeming millions could issue instruction in such a language, "Build up fortresses in every home. The enemy has to be confronted with whatever you have." We did not look back since then; we heard his call in an invincible voice of thunder - "You shall not succeed in suppressing seven crore people .............. the struggle this time is for our freedom, the struggle this time is for our independence." Did he become a superman on that day? May be that was possible. In the meantime, after traversing some distance over time, we now have the opportunity to analyze that 7 March Address of Bangabandhu. There were undoubtedly emotions galore. And people all over the country wholeheartedly wanted such a declaration. But this development did not take place all of a sudden, on a single day. It involved a huge work-load of channeling the sense of deprivation, anger and complaints of the people into a single current through massive organizational effort. In reality, the then history of Bangladesh flowed through the man named Sheikh Mujib during that period.

He was a victim of mismle and had to undergo tortures during the prime years of his life. His work was directed at upholding the interest of the people in his homeland. The arrest warrants of hostile governments had chased him from one corner of the country to another so many times! Frequent captivity in jails, and sometimes hunger strikes inside prisons; leading anti-government processions outside in protest against misrule, confronting baton-charges by police, all these had become part of his physical existence. The man Sheikh Mujib had extraordinary organizational capacity, enormous courage and deep love for his countrymen. In return, the countrymen also held him in their heart as Bangabandhu by reciprocating that love.



Five

We are today observing the Mourning Day in memory of the Father-Architect of the Nation. Instead, let us identify the event in a different way; today is the day of passing away of the greatest man in the history of the Bangalis. Needless to say, it is not merely a ritualistic observance. It has more depth. Bangla and Bangalism of a thousand years become manifested here. I propose that we learn from his history. And a question arises within me, was that the final decree of destiny-for the noblest saviour of mortal men? Many of these great men had to perish at the hands of the evil forces from hell.

Here, I want to present some relevant examples. In ancient times, the great guru and guardian Socrates had to commit suicide by drinking hemlock in the Greek city of Athens. From Socrates to Jesus, their famous message had been, "Love thy neighbour". Jesus was crucified. Let us cross the sea of time and come to France. One of the principal symbols on the eve of the French Revolution - Saint Joan of Arc was burnt to death in fire. And these were followed by the assassinations of the people's voice of the 19th century-US President Abraham Lincoln, the proponent of non-violence-in twentieth century India Mahatma Gandhi, and advocate of the rights of the black people in the USA Martin Luther King. The cruel acts of assassinations had befallen these personalities in different countries of the world. Now, in that list, the latest and brightest addition has been our very own Sheikh Mujib of victorious Bangla.

On this special day today, we remember him, who was the Father, the Architect of this new-born nation. And especially, in the backdrop of the critical times of the present, we repeatedly take inspiration from his unequivocal assertion "I am Bangali. Bangla is my country. Bangla is my language."

No more sorrow. Let us today sing the victory-song of this mantra, this conviction.

Translation : Helal Uddin Ahmed
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

The announcement triggered off the general agitation in East Pakistan. In response, the Bangabandhu called for an all-out Non-Cooperation Movement in East Pakistan. The whole province supported him. During the course of Non-Cooperation (2-25 March 1971), the entire civil administration in East Pakistan came under his control and moved according to his directives. He became, in fact, the de facto head of government for the province. In the words of Evening Standard (a London Daily):



"Sheikh Mujibur Rahman now appears to be the boss of East Pakistan, with the complete support of the population. Rahman's home in Dhanmondi, already known as Number 10 Downing Street in imitation of the British Prime Minister's residence, has been besieged by bureaucrats, politicians, bankers, industrialists and people from all walks of life". (12 March 1971).

During this time, on 7 March 1971 Mujib made a historic address at a mammoth gathering of a million of people at the Race Course which marked a turning point in the history of the Bangali nation. In his address Mujib made specific charges against the martial law authorities which failed to transfer power to the elected representatives. At the end of his speech, he declared:

"Build forts in each homestead. You must resist the Pakistani enemy with whatever you have in hand. ... Remember, we have given a lot of blood, a lot more blood we shall give if need be, but we shall liberate the people of this country, Insha Allah [i.e, if God wishes]. ... The struggle this time is the struggle for our emancipation; the struggle this time is the struggle for independence."

Meanwhile, President Yahya Khan and other leaders from West Pakistan came to Dhaka on 15 March to start a dialogue with the Bangabandhu and his party. The dialogue began on the following day and continued intermittently down to 25 March morning. During the period, non-cooperation and hartals continued unremittingly in East Pakistan. Students and leaders of various political parties had been declaring independence from March 2 and the spree continued. Against this backdrop, at mid-night of 25 March 1971, the Pakistan army launched its brutal crackdown in different areas of Dhaka city including the University of Dhaka killing students, teachers and innocent people in the name of operation searchlight. Thus a nine-month long genocidal killing was unleashed by the Pakistan occupation army. Sheikh Mujib was arrested on the night of 25 March and was kept confined at Dhaka Cantonment until he was taken to West Pakistan for facing trial for 'sedition' and inciting insurrection. Before his arrest Bangabandhu sent a wireless message to Chittagong over the ex-EPR transmitter for transmission declaring the Independence of Bangladesh. To quote his declaration:

"This may be my last message, from today Bangladesh is independent. I call upon the people of Bangladesh wherever you might be and whatever you have, to resist the army of occupation to the last. Your fight must go on until the last soldier of the Pakistan occupation army is expelled from the soil of Bangladesh and final victory is achieved."

Although during the War of Liberation initiating in the wake of the 25 March army crackdown Bangabandhu had been a prisoner in the hands of Pakistan, he was made, in absentia, the President of the provisional government, called the Mujibnagar Government, formed on 10 April 1971 by the people's representatives to head the Liberation War. He was also made the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Throughout the period of the War of Liberation, Sheikh Mujib's charisma worked as the source of inspiration for freedom fighters and for national unity and strength.

The trial of Bangabandhu by the Pakistani junta giving death sentence to him moved the world leaders to save his life.

After the Liberation of Bangladesh on 16 December 1971 from Pakistani occupation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released from Pakistan jail and via London he made a triumphant homecoming, arriving in Dhaka on 10 January 1972 in the midst of joy and jubilations throughout the country. Hundreds of thousands of people of all walks of life received him at the Tejgaon old Airport according him a heroic welcome. With his homecoming, all uncertainties loomed large around the leadership of the new republic, for that matter, the future of Bangladesh were removed, as Daily The Guardian (published from London) in an editorial on 10 January 1972 wrote : "Once Sheikh Mujibur Rahman steps out at Dacca Airport the new republic becomes a solid fact."

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman headed the first government of the post-Liberation Bangladesh for a short period of three years and a half. Starting from scratch his government had to deal with countless problems of a war ravaged country. Under the leadership of Bangabandhu, the state-building and nation-building took off the ground covering all important fields. Restoring law and order, recovering illegal arms, rehabilitating the mukhtijoddhas, rebuilding the communication system, saving lives of the people hostile to the War of Liberation from the public wrath, and, most importantly, feeding the hungry millions and many others were the formidable challenges before his government.

In spite of all these problems, Sheikh Mujib never faltered to enact a Constitution, which he did within ten months. Return of Indian allied forces was ensured within three months of Liberation. Within a period of fifteen months general elections were held (7 March 1973). As many as 140 countries recognized Bangladesh. Bangabandhu set forth the guiding principle of Bangladesh's foreign policy: 'Friendship to all and malice to none'. Indeed, the Mujib government laid down the edifice of fundamental state institutions covering all important fields. However, despite all these achievements, the opposition mainly from the ultra lefts, who considered the War of Liberation as 'an unfinished revolution' taking recourse to arms, created a most difficult situation in the country. Law and order situation was deteriorating very rapidly, which was frustrating for all. At the top of all, a famine (1974) ravaged the country taking its tolls by the thousands. Bewildered Sheikh Mujib first attempted to confront the situation by creating a special security force called Rakshi Bahini. Depending on his charisma, his next move was introduction of a single-party (BAKSAL) system. Taking advantage of such a fluid and unstable situation, a group of disgruntled army adventurers assassinated him on 15 August 1975 along with all his family members present.

Bibliography: Shahryar Iqbal (ed.), Sheikh Mujib in Parliament (1955-58), Dhaka 1997; Muhammad HR Talukder (ed.), Memoirs of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Dhaka 1987; Zillur Rahman Khan, The Third World Charisma: Sheikh Mujib and the Struggle for Freedom, Dhaka 1994; A. Majeed Khan (ed.), Twenty Great Bengalis, Dhaka 2008; SA Karim, Sheikh Mujib: Triump And Tragedy, Dhaka 2005; Archer K Blood, The Cruel Birth of Bangladesh: Memories of an American Diplomat, Dhaka 2002; Harun-or-Rashid, Statehood Ideal of Bengalis and the Emergence of Independent Bangladesh (Bangla), Dhaka 2003; Monayem Sarkar (ed.), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: A Political Biography (Bangla), 2 volumes, Dhaka 2008.

Banglapedia




Freida kick-starts the shoot for Guerilla in London

Global icon Freida Pinto is all set to wow audiences alongside Idris Elba in John Ridleys six part limited TV series - Guerrilla, based on black activism in the U.K. in the 1970s. Shes currently in London shooting for the show, the shoot of which commenced just a short while ago.

Pinto is playing the lead role of Jas Mitra, a passionate and politically driven individual who is part of a radical underground cell that helps liberate a charismatic convict from prison to lead the street fight against social injustice in 1971 London. The cells goal is to take down the Black Power Desk, a real life counter-intelligence unit tasked with suppressing black activism.


Cooperation sought to save Dhaka-Ctg Highway

DC Chittagong Mesbahuddin addressing the owners, workers of transport sector in Chittagong at DC Conference hall yesterday.

Chittagong Bureau :

Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Mesbahuddin said Dhaka-Chittagong Highway gradually damaging due to excess carrying of cargos by trucks, lorries and covered vans. He requested the owners and workers of the transport sector to carry as per scheduled weights of the cargo.

He disclosed it while addressing the views exchanging meeting with the transport owners, leaders of transports associations and trade union, workers at DC conference hall yesterday .

Among others transport trade union leaders, owners, BRTA officials, and members of the law enforcing agencies were present in it.

In the meeting Deputy commissioner disclosed that concerned ministry asked the district administration of Chittagong through a official letter received on August 1 last for monitoring the cargo transports plying in the highway with any excess cargo than the scheduled weight .

Due to that, district administration is conducting mobile court in this highway. He said it is our prime duty to save the important highway of the country.

The leaders of owners associations, transport workers union also spoke on the occasion.

The transport leaders said drivers are not responsible for carrying the excess cargo but the cosignees of cargos compelled them to take additional load than the capacity.

DC urged the transport drivers and workers to carry excess load for the better interest of the country.

The transport leaders also blamed the Load control Stations for harassment centring the weight measurement in loading scale installed on the highway.


Ctg Chamber donates 10 rickshaw vans to CCC

Chittagong Bureau :

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry has donated 10 rickshaw vans to the Chittagong city corporation for intensifying the programs of 'Door to Door' waste removing project aimed at turning Chittagong into a clean city.

President of Chittagong chamber of commerce Mahbubul Alam handed over these rickshaw vans to city Mayor AJM Nasiruddin at a simple ceremony at CCCI office in World Trade centre on Saturday.

Among others former President of CCCI MA Latif MP, senior vice president of CCCI Nurun Newaz Selim, vice president Syed Jamal Ahmed, Director Mostafa Kamal Chowdhury, Mahfuzul Hoque shah, Jahirul Islam Chowdhury , Md. Ohid siraj Chowdhury(swapan) were present on the occasion. The city mayor as chief guest on the occasion greets Chittagong chamber for extending cooperation by donating rickshaw vans for accelerating the conservancy work in the city.


Bangabandhu`s greatness must guide us for honest service to our people

THE nation mourns the 41st Shahadat Anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman today with prayers and solemnity throughout the country. He was assassinated with almost all of his family members. Some of his closest relatives were also killed on this occasion. It was a night of massacre and Bangladesh mourns it every year as a day of national mourning. Bangabandhu is the towering leader of the Bengali nation who along with many other leaders of Awami League motivated and united the Bengali people to fight for their democratic rights and freedom. Mr Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, the founder of Awami League as the democratic opposition in Pakistan was his mentor and leader. After his death Sheikh Mujib took his mantle and led the democratic movement into a struggle for independence from Pakistan. From a student leader he rose to eminence to become the founder of an independent nation. He transformed the deprivation of the masses as an unequivocal leader of the then East Pakistan into the struggle for freedom. He used the historic Six-Point Programme as the unwavering driving force that ended in creation of independent Bangladesh. Though Sheikh Mujib was in prison in Pakistan when the nation fought the nine-month long Liberation War, his historic speech on March 7 at Race Course, now Suhrawardy Uddyan, instilled the unflinching courage and unity for armed struggle imposed on unarmed and unprepared people of the then East Pakistan. The brutality of Pakistan army had antagonized the entire world but it failed to derail the people from achieving their goal. We acknowledge the help of India and particularly its military involvement that hastened the process of the Liberation War. The physical absence of Bangabandhu, created problem of leadership for political direction of our Liberation War but he remained the inspiring force at all time. But the subsequent killing of the Founder of the Nation led to manifold complexities in our national politics that still continued today when his daughter Sheikh Hasina is now at the helm of the government. We remember his love for the people and his honesty; which should be the ideals for any worthy leader who aspire to lead the people and run the country. He openly waged his fight against corruption and tried to free Bangladesh from the grip of corrupt ones. Yet politics of Bangladesh is now more corrupt and in the hands of the dishonest people. When we see well-known corrupt ones and people who are involved actively in grave crimes against common people praise Bangabandhu to tell us how great he was, it shocks us. Where are the fighters on behalf of Bangabandhu who himself was so anxious to stop corruption.
450 to be appointed as Asstt Teachers to govt high schools

Staff Reporter :Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) has recommended a total of 450 candidates who passed in the 34th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination for recruitment as Assistant Teacher at Secondary High Schools and 10 in different positions of Environment and Forest Ministry. PSC made the recommendations along with the registration numbers of the selected candidates on Sunday.Due to shortage of vacancies in 34th BCS, those who could not secure any cadre and non-cadre first class positions were recommended to recruit as Assistant Teacher in non-cadre second-class positions, according to the PSC. The PSC also recommended to be recruited of 10 candidates in non-cadre first class positions at Environment and Forest Ministry. Of the 450 candidates, 98 as Assistant Teachers of English, 73 Mathematics, 50 Biology, 49 Geology, 48 Social Sciences, 48 Business Studies, 25 Islamic History, 24 Agriculture, 23 Geography, 11 Bangla and one for Fine Arts. Of the 10 candidates, seven were recommended as Inspector at Environment and Forest Ministry, two as Junior Chemist and one as Assistant Chemist. PSC Chairman Dr Mohammad Sadiq said, the PSC recommended the highest number of candidates for recruitment in different positions for the first time in the history of the institution.
Nat`l Mourning Day today

Staff Reporter :The nation will pay homage to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman today [Monday] in observance of the National Mourning Day commemorating his 41st anniversary of death.On 15 August 1975, a group of derailed junior army officers invaded the Presidential residence at Road-32 in the city's Dhanmondi with tanks and killed Bangabandhu, his family and personal staff. Only his daughters Sheikh Hasina Wajed and Sheikh Rehana, who were visiting West Germany, luckily escaped the carnage. They were banned from returning to Bangladesh. The coup was planned by disgruntled Awami League colleagues and military officers, which included Bangabandhu's colleague and Cabinet member Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad, who became his immediate successor. An eminent writer and journalist Lawrence Lifschultz in his book said that the CIA was involved in the coup and assassination, basing his assumption on statements by the then US Ambassador in Dhaka Eugene Booster.The death of Bangabandhu plunged the nation into many years of political turmoil. The coup leaders were soon overthrown and a series of counter-coups and political assassinations paralysed the country. In 1978, the Indemnity Ordinance was signed giving immunity from prosecution to the men who plotted the assassination.Those killed in the August 15 night were: Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, brother Sheikh Naser, brother-in-law Abdur Rab Serniabat, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and 10-year-old Sheikh Russell, daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, nephew Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni, his pregnant wife Arzoo Moni and Bangabandhu's military secretary Bir Uttam Colonel Jamil [later promoted as Brigadier General posthumously], who rushed to the place of occurrence on receiving SOS from Bangabandhu Bhaban early in the morning.Since the brutal killings, Awami League, its associate bodies and other likeminded pro-liberation, democratic and progressive political parties, social, cultural and professional organisations have been observing the day as the National Mourning Day.Not only that, the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, after sworn in power on June 12 in 1996, initiated trial of the self-confessed killers of Bangabandhu in a traditional court. The court awarded them with death sentence, which was upheld by the highest court of the country.In line with the court verdict, five self-confessed killers were executed on January 27 in 2010. Besides, the government has taken steps to bring back other absconding killers from abroad.The day is a public holiday. Marking the day, the government, Awami League and its front and associate bodies, different socio-cultural, political and professional organisations chalked out elaborate programmes. On the eve of the National Mourning Day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate messages recalled with gratitude Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's chequered, long and eventful political career and his immense contributions and dedication to the independent and sovereign Bangladesh.The day's programme will start with the hoisting of National Flag at half-mast and raising of black flags atop all public and private buildings including Bangabandhu Bhaban and Bangladesh Missions abroad in the morning as a mark of respect to the martyrs of August 15 carnage.Wearing black badges, hundreds of people from all walks of life will throng Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at the city's Dhanmondi Road-32 also in the morning to pay profound homage to the Father of the Nation by placing wreaths at his portrait there.Special prayers will also be offered at all the places of worships seeking divine blessings for eternal peace of the souls of the martyrs of August 15 carnage while blood donations camps are the other programmes of the day.In a statement, Awami League General Secretary and Minister for Public Administration Syed Ashraful Islam urged all to observe the Bangabandhu's martyrdom anniversary to mark the National Mourning Day with due solemnity.Earlier, the ruling party and its associate bodies have taken a 40-day programme starting from August 1 in commemoration of Bangabandhu's martyrdom.The programmes include placing of wreaths at his portrait at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi in the city at 6-45 am and at his Mausoleum Complex at Tungipara in Gopalganj at 10:00am.Munajat will be offered and milad and doa mahfils will be organised at both the places.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will lay wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Memorial. Besides, the Prime Minister will lay wreaths at the graves of the August 15 martyrs and family members at Banani graveyard in the city at 7-30 am.On behalf of the ruling party, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will place wreaths at the Mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj district at 10am when a smartly turned out squad of the armed forces will present guard of honour to the slain first president of the republic. Besides, the floral wreaths will be laid and fateha will be offered at the graves of the martyrs of August 15 massacre at Banani graveyard at 7-30 am.A team of central leaders of Awami League will attend the milad and doa mahfil at the Mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj district at 11am.Mahila Awami League will organise a milad and doa mahfil at Bangabandhu Bhaban in the city after Asr prayers. Under the banner of Journalists' Community, an inter-faith prayer session will be organised at the Conference Hall of National Press Club at 10-30 am seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of the martyrs of the August 15 carnage.Apart from it, Awami League will organise a discussion at the city's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre at 4-00 pm on August 16. Awami League president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the discussion as the chief guest.Other programmes of the day include holding of discussions, poetry recitation session, child-juvenile painting competition, photographic exhibition, hamd and nat competition, tree plantation and distribution of cooked food among destitute people.Bangladesh missions abroad will also observe the National Mourning Day in a befitting manner today.The national dailies will publish special supplements while Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television and other private television channels and radio centres will air special programmes highlighting the simple and selfless life of Bangabandhu, his affection and care for his people and immense contributions to the nation.
Imam among 2 Bangladeshis killed in NYC



Two Bangladeshis, including an imam, were gunned down in a brazen daylight attack in New York City while returning home from a mosque after Zohr prayers on Saturday.

The deceased were identified as Imam Alauddin Akhunji, 55, hailing from Chunarghat upazila of Habiganj and Tera Uddin, 64, of Laxmipasha village of Golapganj upazila in Sylhet.

Miscreants attacked and opened fire on them when they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens shortly before 2pm (Local time), leaving them critically injured, reports the Associated Press(AP) quoting New York police. They were taken to Jamaica Hospital where doctors declared them dead.

"Both the Imam and other Bangladeshi national died following the incident," Shameem Ahsan, Consul General at Bangladesh Consulate in New York, told UNB on Sunday.

The diplomat said he visited both the crime spot and Jamaica Hospital, where they were sent with injuries, right after the incident. Quoting police, AP reported from New York that no motive has been established and there is no reason to believe the men were shot because they were Muslims.

"There's nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner of the New York Police Department was quoted by AP as saying.

Members of the Bangladeshi community served by the mosque said they want the shooting to be treated as a hate crime. More than 100 people attending a rally at the shooting site on Saturday night chanted, 'We want justice!'

UNB Habiganj correspondent reports: Alauddin Akhunji, father of three sons and five daughters, went to the US along with his first wife, one son and four daughters in 2011. His second wife, two sons and a daughter stay in at Shayestanagar in the district town. Alauddin's brother Nasiruddin Akhunji demanded punishment of the killers of his brother. His son Fayezuddin Akhunji said, "My father was scheduled to return home on August 31I want immediate punishment of the killers."

Thara Uddin, who used to live near the house of Imam Alauddin, went to New York along with his family four years ago. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has condemned the killing of the Imam and his associate describing it as a cowardly act on peace-loving people. "We condemn the killing of Bangladeshi origin Imam in NYCit's a cowardly act on peace loving people," State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam tweeted on Sunday. Earlier, US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat mourned the deaths of the two Bangladesh-origin nationals in New York saying violence is not the solution. "We mourn the deaths of Imam Akonjee and Thara Uddin. violence can never be the solution," she tweeted on Sunday. Ambassador Bernicat in a separate message said Imam Akonjee was a respected community leader. "We join all Bangladeshis to condemn the killings of Imam Akonjee and Thara Uddin, and honor what these two men stood for," she said.
Two young girls gave statements as eye witnesses

Staff Reporter :

Two young girls, eye witnesses of Gulshan cafe killings, have given statements before the court under 164 CRPC.

Fayooz Maliha and Tahana Tasmia gave the statements being present at the chamber of Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Sikdar, reported an online Bangla news portal quoting court Sub Inspector Farid Mia on Sunday.

So far nine people have given confessional statements before the court as eye witnesses till the date.

They are: cashier of Holey Artisan Bakery Al-Amin Chowdhury Sijan, staff Miraj Hossain and Russell Masud, cooks Md Shahin, Shahriar and Tuhin, Shishir, an Indian national Sat Prakash and driver of metro-rail project consultant Based Sardar.

"They [Fayooz Maliha and Tahana Tasmia ] both went to Holey Artisan Bakery for having iftar on the day. And they became target of armed militants," Sub Inspector Farid Mian told the media.

They were freed after an army commando operation next morning.

A number of 22 persons, including two police officials and 17 foreigners, were killed when a gang of armed militants blasted grenades and opened fire indiscriminately inside a jam-packed restaurant in the city's Gulshan diplomatic enclave on July 1 night.

After the incident, a case was filed with Gulshan police station where a former teacher of North South University Hasnat Rezaul Karim has been shown arrested on Saturday. Besides, a Bangladesh-origin Toronto University student Tahmid Hasib Khan in undergoing interrogation being arrested under 154 CRPC.

The case is now under investigation by Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit.
Hasnat arrested based on evidence

Staff Reporter :Gulshan terrorist attack survivor Hasnat Rezaul Karim was named in the case based on information and evidence, Abdul Baten, Joint Commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has said.He made the statement while replying to a query of journalists in a press briefing at DMP Media Centre on Sunday afternoon. The Joint Commissioner said, "We arrest people Under Section 54 to interrogate, and name them in the case only after we find information that links him to the incident."We filed the case against Hasnat only after we got some information and evidence, the detective official said. He has become the first person to be shown arrested in the case of Holey Artisan terror attack in the city's Gulshan.Hasnat -- a Bangladeshi civil engineer with British nationality, was placed on eight-day fresh remand by Metropolitan Magistrate Emdadul Haque on Saturday.The former North South University teacher was arrested along with Toronto University student Tahmid Hasib Khan by police on August 3 night Under Section 54. Tahmid is also a survivor of the attack.The two were interrogated eight days starting August 4. Gulshan cafe siege survivor Hasnat Rezaul Karim has been shown arrested on specific evidence. "Former North South University teacher Hasnat has been shown arrested as his link in the Gulshan cafe attack was found. Hasnat was taken to remand to collect more information in this regard. He is being interrogated," he said.On July 1, five militants stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery and killed 20 hostages. The militants also killed two police officers when they tried to end the standoff.
Golden fibre glitters again

Bumper production, better prices bring smiles to farmers

Jute growers are getting better prices for this harvesting season amid widespread use of the natural fibre both locally and internationally.The price of raw jute at growers level rose to 1800-Tk2000 a maund (37kg) from Tk 1600-1700 last year.Market sources said the present prices of raw jute touched to highest level since the independence of Bangladesh, bringing smile to nearly five million farmers who are involved in jute cultivation in Bangladesh. Jute cultivation plays a key supportive role to the rural economy."We are getting better prices this season compared to that of last year. The current price is bringing profits to us," Md Rabiul Islam, a farmer at Doulatpur in Kushtia, one of the main jute growing districts, told The New Nation. He said earlier farmers of this region shifted from jute production to more profitable crop cultivation in the wake of lower prices of raw jutes in local markets due to falling demands. "As demand increasing now, more farmers are returning to this traditional crop production," he added.According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), about 7.25 lakh hectares of land have been brought under the jute cultivation across the country this year with production target of 76 lakh bales."The total jute production might go up to 80 lakh bales (1 bale=182kg) this season taking advantage of bumper production of jute coupled with increased farming by the farmers," Kifayat Ullah, Director General of Department of Jute, told The New Nation yesterday.He added: It is good sign that jute cultivation again turned into profitable for the farmers and they are happy with the production and prices."The jute growers are getting good prices for their produces this year due to growing demands for the natural fibre at home and abroad. The government's policy support has contributed to the widespread use of jute locally," State Minister for Textiles and Jute Mirza Azam told The New Nation yesterday.For example, he said, the government has made it compulsory to use jute bags for packaging of food grains leading to rise in jute demands in local market. "As the demands for raw jute is increasing, the farmers are getting higher prices for their produce this year. Such a rise in market prices has created the golden opportunity for regaining the lost glory of the golden fibre," Khandoker Golam Moyazzem, a research fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) told The New Nation yesterday.He said the government has taken various initiatives to increase use of jute goods (sacks, bags and yarn) locally which helped the sector to make a strong comeback.
Intra-country pipeline to carry petroleum products planned

Anisul Islam Noor :

The government has initiated to build an intra-country pipeline to carry petroleum products from Chittagong to Dhaka at low cost and less time, sources said.

The pipeline would be around 250-270 kilometres (km) in length and carry mostly diesel amounting to around 3.0 million tonnes annually from Chittagong oil tank terminal to Dhaka depots, said Mosleh Uddin, Director (operation and Planning) of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).

He said Padma Oil Company Ltd (POCL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of BPC, has been inviting bids from interested parties to construct the pipeline.

The POCL would be the implementing authority of the 'white' pipeline.

White pipeline means the pipeline that carries refined petroleum products.

Although the government has planned to import mainly diesel through the pipeline, it could, if necessary, be able to import other refined petroleum products too, said a senior official of energy and mineral resources division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

State-owned POCL in its tender sought to construct the pipeline by a selected contractor on build, own and operate and transfer (BOOT) basis.

The interested parties have been asked to submit expression of interests to the POCL within the bid submission deadline on August 24, 2016.

EOI documents could be purchased by any interested party or consortium by July 25.

The POCL will appoint an international consultant to get suggestions in building the pipeline, said a senior BPC official. The POCL would offer concession to the contractor, which would include the right to collect tolls, fees, or charges to generate income from the completed project facilities.

The POCL sought a minimum of 20 per cent share annually from revenue to be earned from the pipeline project during the concession term.

Officials said a Chinese firm, China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau (CPPB) had submitted an 'unsolicited' proposal to build the pipeline in August, 2015.

A subsidiary of China's state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the CPPB had submitted the proposal to BPC and requested it to take the proposal into consideration.

The Chinese proposal, however, is still pending with the government.

BPC currently imports 0.20 per cent sulphur gasoil (diesel) from Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and 0.05 per cent sulphur gasoil from Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), and Unipec Singapore Pte Ltd.

The BPC official said the proposed pipeline is set to carry diesel from BPC's Chittagong tank terminal to Godnail tank terminal in Narayanganj.

The final location would, however, would be selected on consultant's recommendations, he said.

Bangladesh never thought of building the pipeline to carry petroleum products inside the country earlier.

Tank-lorries owned by private sector and state-run Bangladesh Railway (BR) carry petroleum products from oil depots to different user-ends.

Small cargoes mostly owned by private sector have also been carrying petroleum on various river routes.

BPC has to count around Tk 1.40 billion annually to transport fuel from Chittagong to Dhaka, said the BPC official. Sometimes it takes several days to transport required quantity of fuel to desired destinations. Government's huge costs could be cut once the pipeline is built, he said.

BPC currently imports around 3.0-3.5 million tonnes of diesel from international suppliers to meet domestic demand. BPC's wholly-owned subsidiary Eastern Refinery Ltd (ERL) produces around 380,000 tonnes of diesel per year despite having the capacity of producing 1.5 million tonnes annually.
22 motorbikes handed over to female sergeants

DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia handed over 22 motorbikes to female sergeants at the Police Headquarters in city on Sunday.

Staff Reporter :Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has newly appointed 22 female scooters (bikers) as traffic sergeants for the first time in the history of the country to ply vehicles smoothly.The innovative step will bring further qualitative change in the traffic sector as the female police members will perform their duties with utmost sincerity.DMP Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman Mia said this while handed over 22 motorbikes to the female sergeants at the DMPHeadquarters on Sunday morning. "The appointment of the traffic sergeants has added a new dimension to the police department and it towards the country's women empowerment that inspire other women to come forward," the DMP boss said. The lady sergeants have been provided with the scooters so that they could reach the traffic jam-prone points and clear the roads immediately, the DMP commissioner said.Laying stress on the need for suitably following the traffic rules, Asaduzzaman Mia urged all to use the foot over bridges and underpasses instead of risking lives while crossing roads.Earlier, they have been given training on riding scooters on the city streets. Bangladesh police recently recruited 28 women to do the difficult job of managing urban transport.
The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
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Sunday, August 14, 2016 at 7:00AM

On this day in history as it relates to showbiz...

1040 King Duncan is killed in battle and King Macbeth succeeds him. Shakespeare fictionalizes everything later for Macbeth. So many theatrical productions and movies follow. Out damn spot!

1932 The 1932 Summer Olympics end. This is the Olympic year when gorgeous Buster Crabbe became a gold medalist (pictured left). Hollywood then snatched him right up for movie serials and action adventure franchises including Tarzan The Fearless

1945 Japan surrenders during WW II (the six year war will last only two more weeks.) but movie makers all over the world have never stopped telling the war's infinite stories. On that same day Steve Martin is born in Waco Texas. It only takes him another 68 years to get the Oscar he totally deserved



1946 Two actor birthdays: Blacksploitation actor Antonio Fargas who became "Huggybear" on TV's popular Starksy & Hutch and Susan Saint James TV of McMillan & Wife with Rock Hudson in the 1970s and Kate & Allie with Jane Curtin in the 1980s

1959 Marcia Gay Harden materializes in LaJolla California, presumably already perfect

1963 Emmanuelle Beart, Manon of the Spring herself, and 8 time Cesar nominee is born in France. On the same day in Los Angeles Clifford Odets dies from stomach cancer. Many luminaries of stage and screen visit beforehand. He came to fame as a highly political playwright (four of his works became movies: Golden Boy, Clash By Night, The Big Knife, and The Country Girl). He was also fond of the actresses: married to Luise Rainer during her back-to-back Oscar wins and also took up with Frances Farmer -- he's played by Jeffrey DeMunn in the 1982 biopic Frances.

1965 Jane Fonda marries director/producer Roger Vadim. Together they cook up Barbarella (1968) which lasts forever unlike the marriage

When you look at your page and you realize there are now half a million peeps here to hang with you...  excited to be creating with you guys. Thank you!! A photo posted by Halle Berry (@halleberry) on Jul 4, 2016 at 1:17pm PDT





Halle Berry Instagrammed this a month ago. 50 is apparently the new 30 for the extraordinarily beautiful people.

1966 Superstar Halle Berry is born in Cleveland. Becomes the first African-American Miss World contestant twenty years later. Hits the movies 5 years after that with Spike Lee's Jungle Fever as auspicious debut. Happy half century to the Best Actress winner.

1975 The Rocky Horror Picture Show gets its world premiere in London. It's the longest running film in theaters since it still shows regularly at many moviehouses around the world for weekly midnight screenings.

1980 Dorothy Stratten, a nude centerfold, is murdered by her boyfriend. The story was adapted to screen starring Mariel Hemingway and Eric Roberts by the genius Bob Fosse in Star '80 (1983), the influential artist's last film.

1983 Mila Kunis is born in the Ukraine of the Soviet Union. Moves to Los Angeles seven years later and by the age of 11 she's already on TV

1987 Can't Buy Me Love opens in movie theaters. No one could possibly expect that nerdy Dempsey would reemerge years later into a sexy mature leading man that everyone called "McDreamy"

1992 Single White Female opens in movie theaters

1998 How Stella Got Her Groove Back starring Angela Bassett who still had hers (before she lost it and got it back heyyyy) hit movie theaters

2004 The cinematographer Neal Fredericks of sleeper phenomenon The Blair Witch Project (1999) dies suddenly in a plane crash on location for a film

2009 District 9 opens in the US, becomes a huge hit, and even goes on to Oscar nominations including Best Picture in one of the most surprising Oscar years ever (since no one knew when the year began that they'd shift to 10 Best Picture nominees and the studios definitely hadn't prepared for it.)
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.
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Showers and thundershowers this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 54F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 54F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
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.

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Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
The hospital was awarded a gold-level plaque on July 21 for hosting six blood drives in 2015. A total of 174 units of blood was collected for patients in need.

Marshall Browning Hospital has been a fabulous partner and we are extremely grateful for their support and commitment to their patients and the community, said Tammy Lampe, senior account manager for the American Red Cross Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region. They continue to go above and beyond by hosting multiple blood drives with the Red Cross, and we are honored to work side-by-side with them and their staff.
Carbondale community radio station WDBX has completed Phase 1 of its Power The Tower solar initiative after the successful installation of 22 rooftop solar panels as part of a flagship system.

Donations from listeners, as well as matching funds from Wisconsin-based electric distributor Werner Electric Supply raised $16,500. Additional donations of parts and labor contributed to the success of the project. Students from John A. Logan Community College assisted with the install process as part of a multi-day class.

The solar campaign occurs in two phases, with a goal of meeting more than 50 percent of WDBXs energy needs through solar means.

Phase 2 fundraising begins began Aug. 8 and runs through Oct. 30. This second phase will focus on an installation of elevated, ground-mounted panels in the adjacent event space, to compliment the Phase One installation in both form and function.

More information about the Power The Tower solar initiative is available at wdbx.org/solar.

 The Southern
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."
CARBONDALE  After three months on the market, University Mall has been sold.

Debra Tindall, manager of University Mall in Carbondale, said the shopping center was placed on the market early in February and was purchased in late June by Mason Asset Management Inc., a private firm located in Great Neck, New York.

The shopping center has been part of the city for more than 40 years, Elliot Nassim, president of Mason Asset Management, told The Southern in July that other than adding additional tenants to the local shopping center, the firm does not currently plan to make any major changes.

In a follow-up interview, Nassim, whose firm is one of the largest private buyer of malls in the country, said he is very excited to be part of the local community.

"Our mall is your mall and we want to continue improving the mall," he said. "We feel that it is a wonderful asset that has been neglected because it has been in the hands of the lender for so many years, so as a private company we are interested in improving the mall and increasing the momentum that the mall already has with all the new tenants coming in."

In line with the progression of the shopping center, Nassim said he hopes to add at least three new tenants  one of which will be a restaurant.

"I can't announce any names but I have a lease out with a tenant who would take about 20,000 square feet, we are in discussions with another tenant who would take a vacant box (located in the back of the mall), and we have a pad site which we are marketing right now which would be ideal for restaurant use as well," he said.
CAMPBELL HILL  Samantha Modglin is a little bit apprehensive about starting high school next week in Trico.

The 14-year-old hasn't had much contact with her friends since the early part of eighth grade and attended school at home for the past few months.

But the biggest part about this, for her, is the fact that she's spent the past eight months out of school, expelled, after she was found to have an e-cigarette and a 14-inch knife in her locker.

The family is not minimizing what occurred, but thinks school staff overreacted.

"They definitely abused their power by over-punishing her," Lana Gall, Samantha's mother, said Friday morning.

But what she really wants is someone from the Trico School District to say, "We're sorry."

Neither Gall nor Samantha think that is forthcoming.

But a Jackson County Circuit Court judge sided with the family, deciding to shorten the length of the expulsion. Samantha was originally scheduled to be out of school a year, from Dec. 2, 2015, to Dec. 2, 2016, but Judge Ralph Bloodworth cleared the way for her to return to school at the beginning of this school year.

The day back in November 2015

On the morning of Friday, Nov. 13, 2015, Trico Junior High School Principal Ron Coleman received a call from a parent saying that another student had an e-cigarette outside during lunch and was using it. The parent also said that Samantha was talking about having some marijuana, but the parent said their child had not seen it.

Samantha reportedly opened her locker and gave the principal the e-cigarette. He then asked her about the marijuana and she said didn't have any and proffered that he could check her locker.

In the response, Coleman said he took Samantha to his office to talk about the e-cigarette. He said he asked her about the marijuana, believed she was not forthcoming and asked if she would empty her pockets and take off her shoes.

Not finding anything there, Coleman asked her if he could check her locker just to make sure, according to the document. Coleman said Samantha said yes. Amidst other items in her locker, he found a drawstring bag at the bottom of the locker and, opening it, found the knife.

Samantha said she told the principal that she brought the knife to school some time ago, with the intent to return it to the boy who'd left it at a bonfire. That boy was a fellow student, and Coleman said when he asked him about the knife, the boy said he didn't leave a knife at Samantha's house. Samantha countered, telling Coleman the boy was lying, according to the document.

Gall said the knife was the type that might be used to cut down a tree or skin a deer.

She questioned why, if school officials felt her daughter was such a threat, why they didn't offer counseling to her.

"The more I thought about this, this more I felt how bad this could have been if she used it or someone would have grabbed this out of her locker," Coleman wrote at the end of the letter.

Gall said she knew punishment was forthcoming, but did not expect that the district would choose its most extreme option, the one-year suspension. She said Samantha was a good student, who never got into any trouble.

The family hired an attorney to represent it in talks with the district, but to no avail, as far as they were concerned.

"We thought they would stop and let her back in because we had a lawyer," Gall said. "They absolutely refused; they wanted the case dismissed, and the judge didnt dismiss it."

A civil lawsuit was filed in February, naming the Trico Community Unit School District No. 176; members of the Trico Board of Education; Jackie L. Smith, longtime superintendent of Trico schools; and Ron Coleman, principal of Trico Junior High School.

Judge Ralph Bloodworth, with the Jackson County Circuit Court of the First Judicial Circuit, eventually sided with the family, scaling back the expulsion. That cleared the way for Samantha to re-start school, at the high school, at the start of the 2016-2017 school year.

"Student shall enter High School in good-standing for the 2016-2017 school year," part of the court document reads.

Reached Thursday, the district's new school superintendent said he could not comment on the case, as it was a private student matter, and noted that he has been on the job since July 1.

Studying alone, at home

On Friday, Samantha said she had made up her mind to attend school at Trico High School, where she's thought about becoming involved in the district's FCCLA.

For most of the time that she was away from school, she kept up with eighth-grade English, math, social studies and science through the Keystone online educational courses, converting her older sister's bedroom into her classroom. Her mother paid $2,000 for the service.

Gall is surprised that Samantha was not tested before being allowed to register for classes, but is confident that her daughter kept up academically with the home-based system.

She said the past year was very stressful for her daughter, who became suicidal at one point.

At one point in Coleman's document, he alludes to Samantha saying she wanted to be cool.

So was she trying to be cool?

Samantha is asked that question and takes a few seconds to respond. Her mother, standing beside her, looking at her daughter's profile, responds for her: "Yeah  just like any other kid would try to be."

"I think she probably doesnt trust authorities anymore  she shouldnt trust them anymore," Gall said. "I dont think she knows what to think about it. I think she just fears retaliation because she won the case."
This editorial appeared in Friday's Washington Post.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton traveled to Michigan on Thursday, using the quintessential Rust Belt state as a setting to talk economics, just as Republican nominee Donald Trump had done a few days earlier. There was much to agree with in Clinton's riposte to Trump, particularly her emphasis on the progress the U.S. economy has made since the Great Recession, a fact that election-year rhetoric generally glosses over, especially in Trump's alarmist portrayal of President Barack Obama's administration's economic record. The Democrat was correct when she noted that the Republican's tax plans overwhelmingly favor upper-income households. Exploring relatively unconventional ground, she called for greater support of vocational training, contrary to the "commonplace view, which is everybody needs to go to college." More than half of jobs projected to come open in 2020 do not require a degree, she said.

For the most part, however, Clinton did not venture beyond the usual Democratic talking points: higher taxes for millionaires, equal pay for women, expanded Social Security and so on down the familiar list. Absent from her speech was any discussion of the persistent sluggish trend in U.S. productivity, which has fallen for the past three quarters after growing at a historically subpar rate of 1.3 percent from 2007 through 2015. Increasingly, economists name this as the greatest long-term threat to growth, and it would be nice to know, specifically, what Clinton proposes to do about it beyond investments in infrastructure and education.

One thing she was definitive about was trade, specifically the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which she touted as secretary of state but denounced Thursday: "I oppose it now. I'll oppose it after the election, and I'll oppose it as president." This leaves supporters of the 12-nation tariff-slashing deal clutching to the thin hope that she does not really mean what she says; but her distinction between "after the election" and "as president" implied that she would not even countenance approval of the TPP by a lame-duck Congress if she wins on Nov. 8. In short, there's a disconnect between Clinton's protestation that, unlike Trump, she does not fear global competition and won't "rant and rave or cut ourselves off from the other side of the world" - and her actual policy proposals. She may not rant and rave, but she does want to create a new trade "prosecutor" to deal with nations that purportedly cheat the United States, as well as exact financial penalties from U.S. firms that move production abroad. Would Trump disagree?

Among the many discouraging consequences of this extraordinary political year, none is more ominous than the rise of protectionist sentiment in both parties, as encouraged by Trump and by Clinton's former Democratic rival Bernie Sanders. With but 5 percent of the world's population, the United States needs robust engagement in markets abroad. That will be impossible under political leaders who regard such engagement as a zero-sum proposition  or who understand the reality but decline to make the case for it to the American people.
Photo shows three Chinese tourists posing for a picture in front of Red Square in Moscow, Russia. [Photo/Ctrip .com]

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.
HARLEYVILLE -- Edmo Gutierrez, the plant manager at Giant Cement Co.s facility near Harleyville, has a succinct way of expressing how the product is made at the Dorchester County facility.

Making cement is not rocket science, he said. Its rock science. And what helps from the get-go is having the right rocks near the plant. Thats why its no coincidence that three cement companies have located in the Harleyville and Holly Hill areas of South Carolina.

The attraction? It is the natural limestone formations that were deposited in this part of the world millions of years ago. Near the surface and relatively easy to mine, this soft rock forms the bedrock of a large-scale manufacturing process.

Eighty-five percent of cement is limestone, Gutierrez said. We are fortunate to have this resource here.

Giant Cement began operations in the Lowcountry in 1949 at the site they now occupy, acquiring it from an aluminum manufacturer.

Santee Cooper serves the plant, one of the state-owned electric and water utilitys 27 large industrial customers in 10 South Carolina counties. It almost goes without saying that reliable, affordable electricity is key to any successful plant such as Giants operation, where 130 are on the payroll.

More than 40 percent of the variable cost to make cement is fuels and power, Gutierrez said. I think what we have is a very fair price and we have a very good and close relationship with Santee Cooper. I consider Santee Cooper not so much as a supplier, but as a partner. The quality of the power supply is really good, reliable, and consistent. We talk with Santee Cooper on a regular basis and if we need to call upon them, we always get an immediate response.

A large Santee Cooper substation at the site serves Giant and Gutierrez, who has been the plant manager for nearly three years and is a 25-year cement industry veteran, said he is impressed with how Santee Cooper maintains the sub, the plants electrical lifeline.

Santee Cooper has been faithful in maintaining the substation, to keep it functioning properly, he said. This plant has not stopped one single time because of the main substation here.

Good relations with industrial customers just dont happen. Santee Cooper makes a concerted effort to develop those relationships. It starts with Michael Brown, vice president of wholesale and industrial services. David ODell is the

director of industrial and municipal services. Reporting to ODell are Senior Engineer Chad Hutson and Engineer II James Stewart. It is Stewart who is assigned to Giant Cement Co., providing critical one-on-one interface with key plant personnel.

But providing power is by no means the only part of the Giant Cement and Santee Cooper story. When Santee Cooper retired its Jefferies and Grainger generating stations nearly four years ago, it presented an environmental challenge facing many other electric utilities that operate coal-fired plants: the proper and safe disposal of coal ash from decades of service.

This story has a happy ending. Since Jefferies and Grainger stations ceased making megawatts at the end of 2012, the remaining coal ash is being put to good use. Santee Cooper is reclaiming the coal ash from permitted wastewater ponds at those stations. The ash is then screened and transported to cement companies, including Giant. The use of coal ash in concrete improves the strength and durability of materials. This beneficial use of coal ash reduces greenhouse gas emissions, conserves natural resources and decreases land disposal of ash.

Coal ash is also making its way to Giant from Santee Coopers Winyah Generating Station near Georgetown. In an arrangement with Santee Cooper, The SEFA Group has been transporting coal ash that has been processed at The SEFA Group Inc.s facility at Winyah Station. The $40 million plant entered commercial operation in April 2015.

The process recycles high-carbon fly ash and is projected to produce about 300,000 tons a year, primarily for the concrete industry. Its a proprietary technology called STAR, which stands for Staged Turbulent Air Reactor. Coal ash from Cross Generating Station is also being transported to Winyah for use at the STAR facility.

Giants coal ash sourcing from Santee Cooper is not insignificant. Right now, approximately 130,000 tons of coal ash from Grainger and Jefferies stations are going to Giant Cement in Harleyville annually.

Santee Coopers decision on coal ash not only helps Giant Cement in their business model, it ameliorates environmental concern. Environmental groups have praised Santee Cooper for putting their coal ash to good use.

What is now termed the Great Recession hit the cement industry particularly hard. But with the Lowcountry gaining population and, for example, the big announcement of Volvo locating a car plant in the neighborhood, the demand for cement is on the upswing in this part of the world.

Only about 10 percent of the cement used in the United States is imported. The worlds top cement-producing nations are China, India, the United States, Iran and Turkey. China is starting up about 20 new cement plants each year. In this country, there are just over 100 cement plants in 36 states, with U.S. annual production now at 83.3 million tons. Worldwide production in 2014 was 4,180 million tons, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Last year, Gutierrez said, we made 850,000 tons and this year, we project we will make 900,000 tons. It is up 35 percent in the first quarter of this year as compared to last year. In 2017, we are projecting 1.1 million tons and that is the capacity of the plant.

To produce 1 million tons of cement, Gutierrez notes that 10 million tons of material must be processed. Thats a lot of material and besides worker safety, being good stewards of the environment is also of paramount importance. About 99 percent of the dust that is created as a result of Giants manufacturing process is collected, and approximately 30 percent of the cost of a typical cement plant, between $450 and $500 million, goes into environmental protection equipment.

Gutierrez is confident that his workforce is up to the task of maxing out production. If the market conditions for cement continue on the projected trajectory, expanding the Harleyville plant is something that is definitely on the horizon. There are proven limestone reserves for at least the next 50 years, and no reason to doubt that three shifts per day will continue to hum along on schedule.

We benchmark our cement, is how Gutierrez describes comparing Giants product to competitors. Our cement is tops.

With proven performance approaching 70 years of operation, a solid record of being a good corporate citizen and increasing demand for their high-quality product, Giants future in Dorchester County is very bright.

This plant is going to grow, Gutierrez said.
From the local to the national level, the people have the power to limits terms of elected officials with their votes. And even when the results of the balloting leave observes shaking their heads, there must be acceptance that democracy is working for better or worse.

Such was the case with Junes political primaries.

Voters in two Upstate state Senate districts decided the time had come for change.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Larry Martin of Pickens County lost his primary runoff and York County Republican Sen. Wes Hayes lost in the June 14 balloting. Of note, Martin was actively supported by Gov. Nikki Haley, who campaigned against Hayes.

So while there is no common denominator in the governors influence regarding individuals, her criticism of the General Assembly and desire to reduce the power of lawmakers did not help either incumbent.

Perhaps the bottom line is as simple as conventional wisdom about all politics being local, but from a statewide standpoint, the Legislature lost two key members who were serving South Carolina well.

In an editorial expressing similar sentiments regarding Martin and Hayes, Cindy Ross Scoppe of The State in Columbia cited examples.

Martin championed ethics reform and in 2016 saved legislation that will require income-source reporting and independent investigations. He led the move to put appointment power for the State Transportation in the hands of the governor. He achieved passage of legislation to prevent a judge from shutting down a state grand jury investigation of former House Speaker Bobby Harrell. He led strengthening of DUI laws and stopped the comeback of video poker. He was key to passage of legislation to allow gubernatorial candidates to pick their running mates.

And Scoppe called Hayes, simply, Mr. Ethics and said his loss hurts the Senate almost as much as Martins departure.

Beyond local issues, both men fell victim to a public that buys into the sentiments as expressed by S.C. Treasurer Curtis Loftis before the primaries:

The system is rigged in favor of a small number of powerful people and their rich cronies that control our government.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the state Senate. There are many intelligent and honorable members that diligently serve their constituents but the antiquated rules, especially the seniority system, keeps the real power in the hands of a few.

Only the Senate can change Senate rules.

The primary election is a few weeks away and I urge you to vote against ANY Senate candidate that will not pledge, as the first course of business, to modernize the rules so that power leaves the hands of a few and is given to the many.

Ironically, it was Martin who unsuccessfully attempted to gain approval of a rules change in the upper chamber to reduce the power of the single-senator veto.

As much as that change would be worthwhile, the concept that Senate rules should be scotched to allow legislation to proceed the same as in the House is misguided. The upper chambers rules giving power to the minority to force a more deliberative process than among representatives are as they should be.

And the seniority system has merit in that it assures there will be legislative leaders with knowledge and experience in leading state government.

The Senate rules are not perfect. But they certainly will be in place for the foreseeable future as two of their champions, Senate President Pro Tempore Hugh Leatherman of Florence and Sen. Luke Rankin of Horry County, will lead the two most powerful committees, Finance and Judiciary respectively. Haley actively opposed both in the name of reform.

In the end, all she, Loftis and other critics achieved is, in Scoppes words, a Senate diminished.
ST. MATTHEWS -- The town's wastewater treatment plant improvement project remains on schedule for completion by Dec. 31 of this year, Administrator Dick Whetstone reported at St. Matthews Town Council's August meeting.

He said two diesel pumps are being installed and the thickness of the 25-foot concrete pads are being increased by one to three inches. The holding pond is 50 percent complete and surveying for the perimeter fence is being done, Whetstone added.

Also during the meeting, he reported that all street cuts made by the town were patched with asphalt on July 27. Whetstone thanked the town employees for the work they do, often in triple-digit temperatures.

Mayor Helen Carson Peterson also thanked the town employees for the job they do.

In other business, Whetstone reported the St. Matthews Fire Department's 100-foot ladder truck was in the shop in Columbia for major engine repairs.

He noted that the owner of the Town and Country Restaurant had requested the trashcans in front of his business be removed because the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control had cited them as a source of flies.

The restaurant owner said since the St. Matthews Area Revitalization Team had provided the trashcans, he would ask for its assistance in getting them removed, the administrator said.

Also during his report, Whetstone said he has had difficulty getting the St. Matthews Zoning Commission to meet to consider a variance for the property previously owned by St. Matthews Episcopal Church.

He said the problem has been getting a quorum of members to attend.

Whetstone also reported county officials plan to meet with town council to discuss recreation facilities.

The police department reported 74 tickets were issued and a total of 120 calls for service were received last month. The department handled one assault case resulting in one arrest, served three driving under suspension warrants resulting in three arrests and made one assist to EMS and two assists to the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office.

The fire department reported eight calls last month including two building fires, one brush fire and one EMS assist.
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
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How small law firm lawyers can use their business development muscle to compete for bigger clients - Thomson Reuters Institute

Lawyers at smaller law firms can compete against larger firms for bigger clients by leveraging their business development prowess and flexing their muscles.
Our customers content that is inputted/uploaded and processed, stored, or hosted by our customers using our Services in connection with their account with us, in which this personal information is governed by our customers respective privacy policies;

The content that is distributed within our Services (including with respect to personal information included in such content), although this is addressed in our Informational Content Privacy Statement ; or

; or Any website, application, product, software, service, or content that are offered by third parties or that link to their own privacy statement, privacy policy, or privacy notice.

Importantly, some laws (like GDPR) distinguish between a controller and a processor (or similar terms). We note that we are a controller for those Services where we make decisions on how personal information is used in connection with our Services, and we are a processor for those Services where we only use personal information as allowed by our customers.

Where we make decisions on how personal information is used in connection with our Services (where we are acting as a controller), we are responsible for the obligations of a controller under applicable laws in connection with the processing of personal information  for example, we use this Privacy Statement and other notices to provide you with information about our use of personal information, as required by law. Where we only use personal information as allowed by our customers (where we are acting as a processor), our customers are similarly responsible for the obligations of a controller under applicable laws in connection with the processing of personal information, and, if you are using our Services through one of our customers, you should contact them if you have questions or concerns about the processing of your personal information or compliance with applicable laws.

For California Consumers , we have also prepared a Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Consumers under CCPA (California Statement) in compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA). Please review our California Statement attached below for more information.

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Who we are & how to contact us



Thomson Reuters Holdings Inc. is a Delaware corporation with an office at Metro Center, One Station Place, Stamford, Connecticut 06902, United States. In addition, the Thomson Reuters group of companies is made up of numerous legal entities with offices located across the globe. If you want to locate a specific Thomson Reuters office and the local contact information for an office, please see our list of locations here.

Any comments, concerns, complaints, or questions regarding our Privacy Statement may be addressed to privacy.issues@thomsonreuters.com or you can write us as follows:

To the Thomson Reuterss global General Counsel, Privacy:

General Counsel, Privacy

Thomson Reuters

610 Opperman Drive

Eagan, Minnesota 55123

United States of America



To the Thomson Reuterss Data Protection Officer in the EU/EEA:

Data Protection Officer

Thomson Reuters

30 South Colonnade-Canary Wharf

London E14 5EP, United Kingdom



As mentioned above, if you are using our Services through one of our customers, then you should contact them with any privacy-related issues or questions.

Information we collect



The type of personal information we collect depends on how you are specifically interacting with us and which Services you are using. Generally, we collect the following categories of personal information:

Contact Information , such as name, alias, address, phone number, social media user ID, email address, and similar contact data.

, such as name, alias, address, phone number, social media user ID, email address, and similar contact data. Organization and Contacts Information , such as your employer or organizations that you are a member of, information about your colleagues or those within your organization, your status with an organization, and similar data.

, such as your employer or organizations that you are a member of, information about your colleagues or those within your organization, your status with an organization, and similar data. Account Information , such as security-related information (including user names and passwords, authentication methods, and roles), service-related information (including purchase history and account profiles), billing-related information (including payment, shipping, and billing information), and similar data.

, such as security-related information (including user names and passwords, authentication methods, and roles), service-related information (including purchase history and account profiles), billing-related information (including payment, shipping, and billing information), and similar data. User Content , such as content of communications, suggestions, questions, comments, feedback, and other information you send to us, that you provide to us when you contact us, or that you post on our Services (including information in alerts, folders, notes, and shares of content), and similar data.

, such as content of communications, suggestions, questions, comments, feedback, and other information you send to us, that you provide to us when you contact us, or that you post on our Services (including information in alerts, folders, notes, and shares of content), and similar data. Device & Browser Information , such as network and connection information (including Internet Service Provider (ISP) and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses), device and browser identifiers and information (including device, application, or browser type, version, plug-in type and version, operating system, user agent, language and time zone settings, and other technical information), advertising identifiers, cookie identifiers and information, and similar data.

, such as network and connection information (including Internet Service Provider (ISP) and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses), device and browser identifiers and information (including device, application, or browser type, version, plug-in type and version, operating system, user agent, language and time zone settings, and other technical information), advertising identifiers, cookie identifiers and information, and similar data. Usage Information and Browsing History , such as usage metrics (including usage rates, occurrences of technical errors, diagnostic reports, settings preferences, backup information, API calls, and other logs), content interactions (including searches, views, downloads, prints, shares, streams, and display or playback details), and user journey history (including clickstreams and page navigation, URLs, timestamps, content viewed or searched for, page response times, page interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, and mouse-overs), and download errors), advertising interactions (including when and how you interact with marketing and advertising materials, click rates, purchases or next steps you may make after seeing an advertisement, and marketing preferences), and similar data.

, such as usage metrics (including usage rates, occurrences of technical errors, diagnostic reports, settings preferences, backup information, API calls, and other logs), content interactions (including searches, views, downloads, prints, shares, streams, and display or playback details), and user journey history (including clickstreams and page navigation, URLs, timestamps, content viewed or searched for, page response times, page interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, and mouse-overs), and download errors), advertising interactions (including when and how you interact with marketing and advertising materials, click rates, purchases or next steps you may make after seeing an advertisement, and marketing preferences), and similar data. Location Data , such as the location of your device, your household, and similar location data.

, such as the location of your device, your household, and similar location data. Demographic Information , such as country, preferred language, age and date of birth, marriage status, gender, physical characteristics, personal or household/familial financial status and metrics, military status, and similar data.

, such as country, preferred language, age and date of birth, marriage status, gender, physical characteristics, personal or household/familial financial status and metrics, military status, and similar data. Your Image , such as still pictures, video, voice, and other similar data.

, such as still pictures, video, voice, and other similar data. Identity Information , such as government-issued identification information, tax identifiers, social security numbers, other government-issued identifiers, and similar data.

, such as government-issued identification information, tax identifiers, social security numbers, other government-issued identifiers, and similar data. Financial Information , such as billing address, credit card information, billing contact details, and similar data.

, such as billing address, credit card information, billing contact details, and similar data. Social Media and Online Content , such as information in social media and online profiles, online posts, and similar data.

, such as information in social media and online profiles, online posts, and similar data. Career, Education, and Employment Related Information, such as job preferences or interests, work performance and history, salary history, status as a veteran, nationality and immigration status, demographic data, disability-related information, application information, professional licensure information and related compliance activities, accreditations and other accolades, education history (including schools attended, academic degrees or areas of study, academic performance, and rankings), and similar data.

Sources of information



We collect personal information about you either directly from you, from certain third parties (such as your employer or the subscriber providing access to our Services), or from other sources (such as publicly available sources) as follows:

You provide personal information to us when you:

Search for, subscribe to, or purchase our Services.

Use our Services or otherwise interact with us.

Create or maintain a profile or account with us.

Purchase, use, or otherwise interact with content, products, or services from third party providers who have a relationship with us.

Create, post, or submit user content on our Services.

Register for or attend one of our events or locations.

Request or sign up for information.

Communicate with us by phone, email, chat, in person, or otherwise.

Complete a questionnaire, survey, support ticket, or other information request form.

When you express an interest in working with us or apply for a job or position with us.

We collect personal information automatically when you:

Search for, visit, interact with, or use our Services (including through a device).

Access, use, or download content from us.

Open emails or click on links in emails or advertisements from us.

Otherwise interact or communicate with us (such as when you attend one of our events or locations, when you request support or send us information, or when you mention or post to our social media accounts).

We also collect personal information about you from third parties, such as:

Your organization and others with whom you have a relationship that provide or publish personal information related to you, such as from our customers when they arrange access to our Services for you or from others when they create, post, or submit user content on our Services that may include your personal information.

Professional or industry organizations and certification / licensure agencies that provide or publish personal information related to you.

Third parties and affiliates who resell or integrate with our Services.

Service providers and business partners who work with us in relation to our Services and that we may utilize to deliver certain content, products, or services or to enhance your experience.

and business partners who work with us in relation to our Services and that we may utilize to deliver certain content, products, or services or to enhance your experience. Marketing, sales generation, and recruiting business partners.

Credit bureaus and other similar agencies.

Government agencies and others who release or publish public records.

Other publicly or generally available sources, such as social media sites, public and online websites, open databases, and data in the public domain.

How we use information

This section includes details of the purposes for which we use personal information and the different legal reasons for processing that personal information.



Lawful Basis

First, some laws require us to explain the lawful basis upon which we process your personal information. With respect to these laws, we process personal information about you for one or more of the following basis:

To Perform a Contract . Where the processing is necessary for the performance of contract.

. Where the processing is necessary for the performance of contract. Legitimate Interests. Where the processing is necessary for legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms which require protection of personal information.

Where the processing is necessary for legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms which require protection of personal information. Your Consent. Where you have given us consent to process your personal information for specified purposes, such as to provide our Service and other items requested by you.

Where you have given us consent to process your personal information for specified purposes, such as to provide our Service and other items requested by you. Comply with the Law. Where the processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation.

Processing of Personal Information

We process your personal information in connection with our Services and for other business purposes, including to:

Provide, deliver, analyze, and administer our Services (including in connection with the performance of a contract).

For internal research and development purposes for new content, products, and services, and to improve, test, and enhance the features and functions of our current Services.

Process transactions related to our Services and administer accounts or profiles related to you or your organization (including registrations, subscriptions, purchases, billing events, royalty calculations, and payments).

Personalize and make recommendations related to our Services and other offerings.

Contact and communicate with you in connection with our Services or other notifications, programs, events, or updates that you may have registered for.

Send you offers, advertising, and marketing materials, including to provide personalized advertising to you.

Conduct and communicate with you regarding recruiting and human resources administration.

Comply with your instructions or to fulfill other, specified purposes for which you have given your consent.

Detect and prevent fraud and abuse to ensure the security and protection of all customers and others, as well as to identify and authenticate your access to our Service or to identify and authenticate you before we provide you with certain information.

Exercise our rights and to protect our and others rights and/or property, including to take action against those that seek to violate or abuse our Services.

Comply with the law and our legal obligations, including to respond to a request or order from a court, regulator, or authority, as well as to fulfill our contractual obligations with our customers when they arrange access to our Services for you.

Effectuate the sale, merger, acquisition, or other disposition of our business (including in connection with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings).

How we share information



We share personal information for the purposes set out in this Privacy Statement and with the following categories of recipients:

The Thomson Reuters Group . We may share your personal information amongst the companies within the Thomson Reuters group of companies.

. We may share your personal information amongst the companies within the Thomson Reuters group of companies. Your Organization and Contacts. We may share your personal information with your organization and others with whom you have a relationship in order to fulfill or perform a contract or other legal obligation, including with our customer that arranges access to our Services for you and pays us in connection with your access. We may also share your personal information with your contacts if you are in the same organization or to facilitate the exchange of information between you and the contact(s).

We may share your personal information with your organization and others with whom you have a relationship in order to fulfill or perform a contract or other legal obligation, including with our customer that arranges access to our Services for you and pays us in connection with your access. We may also share your personal information with your contacts if you are in the same organization or to facilitate the exchange of information between you and the contact(s). Business Partners. We may share your personal information with our business partners to jointly offer, provide, deliver, analyze, administer, improve, and personalize products or services (including these Services) or to host events. We may also pass certain requests from you or your organization to these business providers.

We may share your personal information with our business partners to jointly offer, provide, deliver, analyze, administer, improve, and personalize products or services (including these Services) or to host events. We may also pass certain requests from you or your organization to these business providers. Third Party Content Providers. We may share your personal information with our third party content providers to perform tasks on our behalf and to assist us in providing, delivering, analyzing, administering, improving, and personalizing content that are delivered as part of our Services. We may also pass certain requests from you or your organization to these content providers.

We may share your personal information with our third party content providers to perform tasks on our behalf and to assist us in providing, delivering, analyzing, administering, improving, and personalizing content that are delivered as part of our Services. We may also pass certain requests from you or your organization to these content providers. Social Media Services. We may work with certain third party social media providers to offer you their social networking services through our Services. These social networking services may be able to collect information about you, including your activity on our Services. These third party social networking services also may notify your friends, both on our Services and on the social networking services themselves, that you are a user of our Services or about your use of our Services, in accordance with applicable law and their own privacy policies.

We may work with certain third party social media providers to offer you their social networking services through our Services. These social networking services may be able to collect information about you, including your activity on our Services. These third party social networking services also may notify your friends, both on our Services and on the social networking services themselves, that you are a user of our Services or about your use of our Services, in accordance with applicable law and their own privacy policies. Third Party Service Providers. We may share your personal information with our third party service providers to perform tasks on our behalf and to assist us in offering, providing, delivering, analyzing, administering, improving, and personalizing our Services. For example, service providers who assist us in performing, delivering, or enhancing certain products and services related to our delivery and operation of our Services, who provide technical and/or customer support on our behalf, who provide application or software development and quality assurance, who provide tracking and reporting functions, research on user demographics, interests, and behavior, and other products or services. These third party service providers may also collect personal information about or from you in performing their services and/or functions on our Services. We may also pass certain requests from you or your organization to these third party service providers.

We may share your personal information with our third party service providers to perform tasks on our behalf and to assist us in offering, providing, delivering, analyzing, administering, improving, and personalizing our Services. For example, service providers who assist us in performing, delivering, or enhancing certain products and services related to our delivery and operation of our Services, who provide technical and/or customer support on our behalf, who provide application or software development and quality assurance, who provide tracking and reporting functions, research on user demographics, interests, and behavior, and other products or services. These third party service providers may also collect personal information about or from you in performing their services and/or functions on our Services. We may also pass certain requests from you or your organization to these third party service providers. Advertisers. We may share your personal information with advertisers, advertising exchanges, and marketing agencies that we engage for advertising services, to deliver advertising on some of our Services, and to assist us in advertising our brand and products and services. Those advertising services may also target advertisements on third party websites based on cookies or other information indicating previous interaction with us and/or our Services.

We may share your personal information with advertisers, advertising exchanges, and marketing agencies that we engage for advertising services, to deliver advertising on some of our Services, and to assist us in advertising our brand and products and services. Those advertising services may also target advertisements on third party websites based on cookies or other information indicating previous interaction with us and/or our Services. Users. For some of our Services, we aggregate information from public records, phone books, social networks, marketing surveys, business websites, and other sources made available to us to create listings and profiles that become a part of our content in these Services, such as attorney and legal professional directories. These listings and profiles may be made available to all users of these Services. As described above, we may also share your personal information with other users who are your contacts if you are in the same organization or to facilitate the exchange of information between you and the contact(s). Additionally, if you choose to include your personal information in any reviews, comments, or other posts that you create, then that personal information may be displayed other users as part of your posting.

For some of our Services, we aggregate information from public records, phone books, social networks, marketing surveys, business websites, and other sources made available to us to create listings and profiles that become a part of our content in these Services, such as attorney and legal professional directories. These listings and profiles may be made available to all users of these Services. As described above, we may also share your personal information with other users who are your contacts if you are in the same organization or to facilitate the exchange of information between you and the contact(s). Additionally, if you choose to include your personal information in any reviews, comments, or other posts that you create, then that personal information may be displayed other users as part of your posting. In the Event of Merger, Sale, or Change of Control. We may transfer this Privacy Statement and your personal information to a third party entity that acquires or is merged with us as part of a merger, acquisition, sale, or other change of control (such as the result of a bankruptcy proceeding).

We may transfer this Privacy Statement and your personal information to a third party entity that acquires or is merged with us as part of a merger, acquisition, sale, or other change of control (such as the result of a bankruptcy proceeding). Other Disclosures. We may disclose your personal information to third parties if we reasonably believe that disclosure of such information is helpful or reasonably necessary to comply with any applicable law or regulation, to comply with or respond to a legal process or law enforcement or governmental request, to enforce our terms and conditions or other rights (including investigations of potential violations of our rights), to detect, prevent, or address fraud or security issues, or to protect against harm to the rights, property, or safety of Thomson Reuters, our users, or the public.

Location of information



Thomson Reuters Holdings Inc. is located in the United States and the affiliated entities within the Thomson Reuters group of companies are located throughout the world. During your use of our Services and your interactions with us, your personal information may be transferred outside of your home country and may be stored in and accessed from multiple countries.

Whenever we transfer personal information to other jurisdictions, we will ensure that the information is transferred in accordance with this Privacy Statement and as permitted by applicable data protection laws.

Security of information



The security of your personal information is important to us. Taking into account the nature, scope, context, and purposes of processing personal information, as well as the risks to individuals of varying likelihood and severity, we have implemented technical and organizational measures designed to protect the security of personal information.

However, please note that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, while we strive to use commercially acceptable measures designed to protect personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Our security procedures also means that we may request proof of identity before we disclose personal information to you or before we process your other requests.

Retention of information



We retain personal information in accordance with our enterprise records retention schedule, which varies by Service, business function, record classes, and record types.

We calculate retention periods based upon and reserve the right to retain personal information for the periods that the personal information is needed to: (a) fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Statement, (b) meet the timelines determined or recommended by regulators, professional bodies, or associations, (c) comply with applicable laws, legal holds, and other legal obligations (including contractual obligations), and (d) comply with your requests.

Children's privacy



Our Services generally provide information solutions and, as such, our Services are intended for professionals and/or individuals over eighteen (18) years of age. We do not target children and do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under the age of thirteen (13). When a user discloses personal information on our Services, that user is representing to us that he or she is at least eighteen (18) years of age.

Marketing choices



We deliver advertising and marketing across various platforms, such as on our Services or via email, telephone, text messaging, direct mail, and various online channels. Our Services and marketing materials may also include third party advertising and links to other websites and applications. Third party advertising partners may collect information about you when you interact with their content, advertising, or services.

You can control cookies and tracking tools. To learn how to manage how we and our partners use cookies and other tracking tools, and to read our Cookie & IBA Policy here.

Your rights



In certain circumstances, local data protection laws (such as the GDPR) may give you rights with respect to personal information if you are located in or are a resident of that country, state, or territory (including if you are located in the EU/EEA). As discussed above, we have also prepared a Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Consumers under CCPA (California Statement) in compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA). Please review our California Statement below for more information.

IMPORTANT: WE ARE ONLY REQUIRED TO HONOR RIGHTS TO THE EXTENT THAT THESE RIGHTS HAVE BEEN GRANTED TO YOU AND APPLY TO YOU UNDER APPLICABLE DATA PROTECTION LAWS. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR LOCAL DATA PROTECTION LAWS TO DETERMINE WHAT RIGHTS MAY BE AVAILABLE TO YOU AND WHEN ACCESS TO THESE RIGHTS ARE LIMITED.

What rights may be available to me?

These rights differ based upon local data protection laws in your country, state, or territory, but these rights may include one or more of the following:

Access to Personal Information. You may have the right to obtain confirmation from us that we process your personal information and, if so, you may have the right to request access to your personal information. Please note that, to the extent permitted by law, we may charge a reasonable fee based on administrative costs for the first or further copies of your personal information requested by you.

You may have the right to obtain confirmation from us that we process your personal information and, if so, you may have the right to request access to your personal information. Please note that, to the extent permitted by law, we may charge a reasonable fee based on administrative costs for the first or further copies of your personal information requested by you. Rectification. You may have the right to request that we rectify inaccurate personal information concerning you and, depending on the purposes of the processing, you may have the right to have incomplete personal information completed.

You may have the right to request that we rectify inaccurate personal information concerning you and, depending on the purposes of the processing, you may have the right to have incomplete personal information completed. Erasure/Deletion. You may have the right to require us to erase some or all of the personal information concerning you.

You may have the right to require us to erase some or all of the personal information concerning you. Restriction of Processing. You may have the right to require us to restrict the further processing your personal information. In such cases, the respective information will be marked as restricted, and may only be processed by us for certain purposes.

You may have the right to require us to restrict the further processing your personal information. In such cases, the respective information will be marked as restricted, and may only be processed by us for certain purposes. Object . You may have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of your personal information by us, and we may be required to no longer process some or all of your personal information.

. You may have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of your personal information by us, and we may be required to no longer process some or all of your personal information. Data Portability . You may have the right to receive a copy of your personal information which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and you may have the right to transmit that personal information to another entity without hindrance from us.

. You may have the right to receive a copy of your personal information which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and you may have the right to transmit that personal information to another entity without hindrance from us. Withdraw Consent . You may have the right to withdraw consent you have provided to us where we rely solely on your consent to process your personal information. You can always provide your consent to us again at a later time.

. You may have the right to withdraw consent you have provided to us where we rely solely on your consent to process your personal information. You can always provide your consent to us again at a later time. Right to Complain. You may have the right to lodge a complaint to an applicable supervisory authority or other regulator if you are not satisfied with our responses to your requests or how we manage your personal information. For example, if you are located in the EU/EEA, a list of and more information about the EU/EEA Data Protection Authorities can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/bodies/authorities/index_en.htm. We encourage you to first or also reach out to us at privacy.issues@thomsonreuters.com, so we have an opportunity to address your concerns directly.

You may have the right to lodge a complaint to an applicable supervisory authority or other regulator if you are not satisfied with our responses to your requests or how we manage your personal information. For example, if you are located in the EU/EEA, a list of and more information about the EU/EEA Data Protection Authorities can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/bodies/authorities/index_en.htm. We encourage you to first or also reach out to us at privacy.issues@thomsonreuters.com, so we have an opportunity to address your concerns directly. If you are a California resident , California Civil Code Section 1798.83 may permit you the right to request information regarding the disclosure of personal information about you by us to third parties for the third parties direct marketing purposes.

, California Civil Code Section 1798.83 may permit you the right to request information regarding the disclosure of personal information about you by us to third parties for the third parties direct marketing purposes. If you are a Nevada resident, Nevada residents may also have certain rights regarding the sale of personal information. Nevada residents may opt out of the future sale of their information to a third party so that they may license or sell information by clicking the following link Do Not Sell My Personal Information or by emailing us at: privacy.issues@thomsonreuters.com.

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By 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.
By Trendc

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.
By Trend

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.
By Trend

Rapporteur of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission announced that Russia will help Iran to construct two 2,000-megawatt power plants in the near future, IRNA reported.

'According to law and as approved by Majlis we should exploit 20,000 megawatts of electricity from nuclear power and for meeting this we need 10 power plants,' Seyed Hossein Naqavi Hosseini said.

He pointed to the track record of Iran-Russia cooperation in the field of construction of nuclear power plants, and said, 'We have a good experience of building Bushehr nuclear power plant; of course the foreign ministry's officials should receive the needed assurances that construction of new power plants would not face the ups and downs that the previous ones did.'

Naqavi Hosseini said that the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has finished designing the nuclear power plants and of course it is natural that construction of 10 power plants at the same time is not possible and that is why building two of them is on the agenda.
On June 5, unidentified armed assailants attacked two gun shops and a military unit in Kazakh city of Aktobe. In response, the country's authorities announced an anti-terrorism operation. The incident left 25 people killed, including 18 terrorists, who were said to be radical followers of non-conventional religious movements. Following the event, the Kazakh government introduced the "yellow" threat level, Sputnik reported.



"Anti-Terrorist Centre of the Republic of Kazakhstan is announcing the extension of the moderate "yellow" level of terrorist threat in the country until January 15, 2017," the statement reads.

The shooting of police officers in the southern Kazakh city of Almaty on July 18, described as an act of terrorism by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, claimed lives of five people, leaving seven more injured. The terrorist threat in Kazakstan's largest city has been put to "red", later to be lowered to "yellow."




Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Labor and Social Development has lifted a ban on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, a report said.



The ban was in force for the past six years except for domestic helps from the country, said the Arab News report.



Welcoming the development, Bangladesh Ambassador Golam Moshi told the newspaper that the lifting of the ban will pave the way for all categories of Bangladeshi workers to be employed in Saudi Arabia, including skilled, unskilled, professionals such as doctors, nurses, teachers, farm and construction workers.



Currently, there are about 1.3 million Bangladeshi workers in the kingdom, the report said.


Bahrain's Ministry of Housing has started delivering keys to the recipients of houses in the Hunainya project in the kingdom.



The eligible beneficiaries had already been given the contracts entitling them to their respective units after finalising all procedures and requirements, said a BNA report.



The move followed directives from His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, to distribute 3,000 units to eligible citizens across Bahrain.



In a statement today, the ministry said that it had finalised all contract procedures smoothly over the past week paving the way for the keys to be handed over to the eligible citizens.



Housing Minister Basem bin Yacoub Al-Hamer gave instructions to complete the contract procedures and fast-track the distribution of keys to the beneficiaries.
Nissan Motor is in talks with Panasonic Corp and overseas companies including Chinese firms over the possible sale of its controlling stake in a car battery manufacturing venture, sources said.



Two people with knowledge of the matter said on Saturday that the Japanese automaker wants to sell its 51 percent stake in Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, which makes lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. The company is jointly owned by NEC Corp.



The Nikkei daily on Friday reported that Nissan was looking to sell the company because it would be cheaper to buy batteries for its electric vehicles including its Leaf model from other makers. The newspaper did not say where it obtained the information.



Talk of the sale "is speculation, and is not based on any announcement by us", Nissan said in an email. Spokesmen for Panasonic and NEC declined to comment.



Competition to supply batteries for electric vehicles is heating up due to expectations that a growing number of lower emission cars will be produced in the coming years.



Tesla Motors, which currently procures batteries for its electric vehicles from Panasonic, is planning to boost its total vehicle production to 500,000 in 2018 - two years earlier than its original target.



Nissan and Renault, under Carlos Ghosn, who heads both companies, have bet more heavily on electric cars than mainstream competitors. In 2009 the two companies pledged to invest 4 billion euros ($4.43 billion) to build models including the Nissan Leaf compact and as many as 500,000 batteries per year to power them.



Sales of the Leaf and those of other electrical vehicles, however, have been disappointing, meaning Nissan and NEC have been unable to lower battery costs through mass production.



Reuters reported in 2014 that Ghosn was preparing to cut battery production by AESC and instead use packs made by LG Chem.



Nissan is also in the process of selling its 41 percent stake in auto parts supplier Calsonic Kansei Corp, sources have told Reuters.



In May, the automaker agreed to buy a 34-percent stake in Mitsubishi Motors Corp for about $2.2 billion as it seeks to better compete with bigger rivals such as Toyota Motor Corp and Volkswagen.  Reuters
A Muslim cleric and an associate were fatally shot by a lone gunman on Saturday while walking together following afternoon prayers at a mosque in the New York City borough of Queens, authorities said.



The gunman approached the men from behind and shot both in the head at close range at about 1:50 p.m. EDT (1750 GMT) on a blistering hot afternoon in the Ozone Park neighborhood, police said in a statement, adding that no arrests had been made.



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. Even so, police were not ruling out any possibility, she added.



The victims, identified as Imam Maulama 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, hospital spokesman Andrew Rubin said.



The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group known by the acronym CAIR, said Uddin was an associate of the imam.



"These were two very beloved people," Afaf Nasher, executive director of the New York chapter of CAIR, told Reuters. "These were community leaders.



"There is a deep sense of mourning and an overwhelming cry for justice to be served," Nasher said. "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."



The organization held a news conference on Saturday evening in front of the mosque, the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid, where the two men had prayed.



"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," Nasher said. ""You can't go up to a person and shoot them in the head and not be motivated by hatred."



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," Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said in a statement.



Eric Phillips, a press secretary for New York City Mayor Bill de 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.



Akonjee 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 television in New York. "It's really threatening to us, threatening to our future, threatening to our mobility in our neighborhood, and we're looking for the justice."



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 gunman who called himself an "Islamic soldier" killed 49 people in an Orlando, Florida, nightclub on June 12.  Reuters
The impact of the Internet of Things on Smart Cities could reach $1.6 trillion by 2025, according to experts set to speak at the Gitex Technology Week, the regions largest annual IT trade fair, in Dubai, UAE.



The opportunities include $800 billion in transportation and $700 billion in healthcare, they added, citing a recent report by the research firm McKinsey Global Institute.



The 36th edition of Gitex Technology Week runs from October 16 to 20 at Dubai World Trade Centre.



Since its launch in 2014, with a mandate to make Dubai the happiest city on earth, enabled by smart technology, Smart Dubai has completed the first phase of its city transformation.



Other significant milestones in the past year include: completing phase one as the first pilot city for the United Nations International Telecommunications Union global Smart City index, and announcing the Smart Dubai Platform, the digital backbone of the city.



Smart Cities are rising throughout the world, but governments and industry need to agree on what actually makes a city smart. Dubais efforts to develop global benchmarks will help cities measure their progress, so that leading innovators, from Silicon Valley to Dubai to Bangalore, can deploy practical tools to measure how theyre improving peoples lives, said Dr Jonathan Reichental, chief information officer of the City of Palo Alto, a key speaker at Gitex Technology Weeks Intelligent Cities Vertical Days Programme on 18 October.



The City of Palo Alto in California has been named one of the United States top five digital cities by the Centre for Digital Government from 2013-2015. Palo Alto also hosts the headquarters of technology giants HP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, SAP, and Tesla.



During his presentation Insider on the United States Most Digital City, and Road Map to an Intelligent Governance, Dr Jonathan Reichental will describe having led Palo Altos IT strategy with over 60 e-services, an open data portal, and IT governance.



As a result, the city has reduced time, cost, and travel for completing requests, decreased errors, and provided more transparency and accountability, Dr Jonathan Reichental added.



At Gitex Intelligent Cities, government leaders and technology companies will have an opportunity to see, hear, and experience the next wave of innovative, integrated technologies that are already helping cities around the world become more connected.



Key speakers include Dr Phyllis Schneck, Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity National Protection and Programmes Directorate at the US Department of Homeland Security, on Keeping Smart Cities Smart on preventing cyber-attacks, Keith Kaplan, CEO of the Tesla Foundation, on Teslas Autonomous Car Vision, and Stephen Hilton, Director of Bristol Futures in the UK on Roadmap to Worlds First Open, Programmable, and Green City.



Dubai Shares Best Practices for Smart Cities



Smart Dubai Government has already demonstrated its value to the government of Dubai: a report published in June revealed that Smart Dubai Government has saved the Dubai Government over Dh4.3 billion ($1.17 billion) during its 13-year lifetime.



A new government office has been set-up to lead the initiative: the Smart Dubai Office. Under the leadership of Director General Dr Aisha Bin Bishr, the Smart Dubai Office is coordinating and enabling the citys transformation, with the support of the newly-minted Dubai Data Establishment to lead the Dubai Data initiative, and the Smart Dubai Government Establishment (formerly DSG), acting as the technology arm of Smart Dubai.



Kick-starting Phase Two, the Smart Dubai Office announced the Happiness Agenda for the city in May 2016, to guide the citys transformation with a globally unique, science-based, and methodical approach to impacting happiness.



A hallmark of the Happiness Agenda is the Happiness Metre, announced in October 2014 and now widely in use by the public and private sectors in the city. The Happiness Metre received over 2 million votes in less than one year.



After spending over two years working on benchmarking, creating a blue print, building the framework and testing services on a government level, we are now working on delivering tangible benefits to the residents and visitors of Dubai. The Happiness Metre, the Dubai Data Portal and the Smart Dubai Platform are existing new and evolving initiatives that will contribute significant improvements to the daily lives in the city in the upcoming years, said Her Excellency Dr Aisha Bin Bishr, Director General of Smart Dubai.



This year, the Smart Dubai Office is bringing a first-of-its-kind city experience to Gitex. By bringing together partners from public and private sectors, Smart Dubai is offering visitors a true smart city experience. All participating entities will be showcasing smart services and solutions that are making Dubai a more efficient, seamless, safe, and impactful experience today, contributing to Smart Dubais citywide vision to become the happiest city on earth, powered by smart technology.



Tech vendors and start-ups energise smart cities



Many leading Smart City technology vendors will showcase the latest solutions at Gitex. Gemalto will showcase its eDriver Licence, Virtual Reality, On Demand Connectivity, and Smart Watches for governments to connect, secure, and monetise the Internet of Things. LG will demonstrate the SmarThinQ Hub connected home with smart sensors and appliances.



Global ICT solutions provider Huawei, with over 60 Smart City projects in 20 countries, has recently installed its first Smart Street Solution in the Middle East at Dubai Silicon Oasis. The street features digital signage, CCTV surveillance, and Wi-Fi enabled environmental sensors.



Dubais vision to be amongst the smartest cities in the world within a short period of time necessitates the fast-tracking of innovative projects. Smarter Streets are one example of localizing global best practices to make the city more responsive to citizens, whilst enhancing the public environment. Gitex is a key event to further align with and showcase to regional government leaders what is possible within their own cities and exchange ideas across the emerging markets, said Safder Nazir, vice president, Smart Cities and IoT, Huawei - Middle East.



Technology vendors and start-ups are eager to leverage augmented reality, drones, robotics, and 3D printing to optimise Smart City goals and deployments. Demonstrating the growing opportunity, Dubai recently opened the worlds first 3D-printed building, and the Dubai Future Agenda aims for 25 percent of Dubais construction to be 3D-printed by 2030.



Energising Smart City solutions, the Gitex Startup Movement will host hundreds of global start-ups, and accelerators and incubators from Japan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the UAE that aim to help start-ups grow, secure funding, and reach new markets.



For example, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO)s start-ups could help Dubai achieve its Dubai Plan 2021 goals of safety and sustainability. One startups smartphone app can monitor the road situation and alert to avoid collisions, while another startup has an app that can control LED lights to reduce electricity usage in an office or factory.



Among the Smart City start-ups attending Gitex Startup Movement are Acacus Technologies from Jordan and the UAE that helps plan airport crew movement, Bulgarian smart mirror and smart home startup Home Touch, Indian startup TechnoPurple that is developing one of the worlds smallest GPS vehicle tracking devices, and Serbian startup TOKN for mobile device management, which recently partnered with a Dubai government agency.



Dubais achievements in applying Smart Cities technology is attracting worldwide interest, and that is reflected in the calibre of speakers at Gitex, and the focus of exhibitors and start-ups in showing how governments and developers can turn Smart City goals into actionable solutions, said Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice-president, Exhibitions and Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre.  TradeArabia News Service
Germany's Lufthansa and pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) have broken off talks over pay and early retirement terms after months of negotiations, they said on Saturday.



While progress had been made on many points, both sides were unable to reach agreement on others, a Lufthansa spokesman said.



Lufthansa has been in talks with the pilots union for four years in a long-running dispute that has seen more than a dozen strikes hit one of Europe's largest carriers.



The airline is trying to cut costs at its main brand in Germany in order to better compete with low cost rivals in Europe and fast-growing long-haul carriers such as Emirates and Turkish Airlines.



It has already agreed wide-ranging pay and pension deals with cabin crew and ground staff.



Union representatives said in a letter to members seen by Reuters that it was willing to do its bit to make Lufthansa more competitive, but there was no point continuing the talks.



Lufthansa said it still believes that an agreement is possible and will do its utmost to resume talks with VC.  Reuters
Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, a part of AA Al Moosa Enterprises with hotel apartments in the region, announced its participation in a 10-day road show to India to promote Dubai as a key destination for Indian travellers.



From August 22 to 31, the team of Golden Sands Hotel Apartments will join Lama Tours in visiting nine well-known cities in India such as Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Pune, Cochin, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Jalandhar to build awareness and boost inbound tourism.



Shaza Ahmed, sales manager, who will head the team will meet with key travel agencies and tour operators that bring large groups of Indian travellers to the UAE and secure a strong customer base.



India is a hugely important market for Golden Sands Hotel Apartments. This market consistently rank among our top five feeder markets and the numbers keep increasing year on year. Our partnership with Lama Tours will allow us to reach a bigger segment of the Indian market especially those who have relatives staying in Dubai. The India road show is a great opportunity to interact with key agents on one on one basis and present to them what we can offer, Ahmed said.



Hotel apartments will continue to be an ideal accommodation solution not only for holiday makers but business travelers too. Continuous development in the region brings both tourists and new residents to Dubai who will continue to stay in hotel apartments in certain areas of Dubai and as such, this segment will continue to grow at a steady pace, she added.



The team will update potential partners about the refurbishment projects at Golden Sands 3 and certain public areas in Golden Sands 10, in its continuing effort to maintain high standard product, service and facilities. They will also present their attractive promotions for the winter season. - TradeArabia News Service
Google announced today the arrival of Fujairah in Street View, a feature by Google Maps that will allow users to view and navigate 360 degree street-level imagery of major streets across the city.



Following Umm Al Quwain, Sharjah, Dubai, and Ajman, Fujairah is the fifth emirate to be featured on Street View.



Street View was launched in May 2007 and is already available in more than 3,000 cities across 63 countries around the world. Google Street View imagery provides users with a rich, immersive browsing experience and allows users to explore world landmarks, view natural wonders, navigate a trip or other points of interest.



Some of the main areas Street View users will be able to see in the city starting today are: the historic Fujairah Fort, a major historic landmark in the UAE as well as the citys very own Shiekh Zayed Mosque.



Ulf Spitzer, global lead for the Google Street View Program, said: Millions of people around the world will now be able to see Fujairah on Google Street View in beautiful 360-degree imagery which highlights the citys most exciting landmarks. Wherever we have launched Street View, we have seen a positive response, and we believe that people and businesses in the UAE and across the world can benefit on many levels from having this imagery available.



Engineer Mohamed Saif Al Afkham, director general of Fujairah Municipality, said: "We, here at Fujairah Municipality, have been working on different smart Government projects like VRFujairah and Where in order to provide interactive channels to the citizens and visitors to explore Fujairah and find any information of interest. These services have been using google maps APIs in providing the best possible experience to the users. With the enablement of Google Street View for Fujairah, the citizens and visitors will be able to have a new way of experiencing sightseeing and doing business in the emirate of Fujairah. Google Street view will be an added channel to improve the user experience and facilities in sectors like Rentals, Real Estate, Construction, travel and tourism, and other investment opportunities.



I feel great joy in having the emirate of Fujairah on Google Street view and thank Google for documenting the scenic natural beauty of the emirate, which is also known as the Bride of the Emirates." - TradeArabia News Service
Bank Muscat, in association with the Ministry of Tourism, is hosting renowned social media personality Sheikh Majed Al Sabah on a unique Discover Oman programme.



During the week-long stay, Sheikh Majed will explore Oman to discover the countrys well-kept secrets covering natural attractions, vibrant heritage and culture.



He has over six million followers on social media such as Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram. He travels widely and engages in open communication with people through social media posts to highlight unique Arab traditions and values as well as remarkable social and economic developments across the world.



The bank hosted a grand reception in honour of Sheikh Majed at the head office, attended by dignitaries led by Maitha al Mahrouqi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Tourism, senior management team of the bank, social media enthusiasts and bloggers.



The event evocatively showcased the countrys rich folklore music, traditional crafts and costumes, offering the opportunity for Sheikh Majed to interact with veteran craftsmen pursuing some of the countrys popular traditional crafts. Popular fashion designers engaged in designing traditional costumes for men and women also presented their latest offerings at the event.



Al Mahrouqi said: "Such initiatives open up new avenues to attract the world to the sultanate to experience the distinct tourist attractions and vibrant heritage and culture. We are delighted to partner with Bank Muscat and Sheikh Majid Al Sabah to showcase Oman, which undoubtedly will give the tourism promotion programme added value on social media. We are confident that this initiative will yield rich dividend and be successful in promoting the Sultanate as a unique tourist destination." - TradeArabia News Service
The story begins seven years ago on a busy night in Denver.

Thats where John and Lauren Griffith went on dates, because their hometown of Casper lacked a thriving arts and restaurant scene.

On this night, they visited Marcos Coal-Fired Pizza. The restaurant, which specialized in Neapolitan pies, was set in a renovated brick building in an underdeveloped part of town.

John and Lauren were with their 3-year-old daughter. When they arrived, the restaurant was packed, a line spilling into the street. They werent going to wait. Then, a stocky man patrolling the scene spotted their daughter. He pointed.

He looked at his hostess and I could tell he was like, Get them seated, Lauren recalls. And right away, he got us seated before anybody else.

His name was Mark Dym, the owner, a boisterous Brooklyn native with broad shoulders and a thick New York accent. He sat the family and gave them a jar of pickled garlic from Italy. Then, it was time to eat, and the couple was blown away.

Quickly, Marcos became their spot. Its where a waitress taught their daughter how to make cannoli, where they grew close with Mark and his wife, Kristy.

Fast-forward this story five years.

It was February 2014, and Casper locals Art and Lynette Boatright approached John and Lauren. The Boatrights had been offered an opportunity to purchase a large space in the former Pacific Fruit & Produce Co. building in the Old Yellowstone District, and they wanted to partner with John, a construction manager, and Lauren, an interior designer. The Griffiths signed on. The couples formed Midwest Urban Development and bought the building.

But how would they use the space?

One idea was a marketplace similar to the Chelsea Market in New York. Then John mentioned Marcos. The Boatrights had also eaten there and loved it. But would one of Denvers top-rated pizza joints really move to Casper, which wasnt even the biggest city in the nations least populous state?

Lauren called Mark.

Hey, its your Wyoming friends, she said. You guys want to open a store up here?

Mark was intrigued. Hed never been to Wyoming, so he and Kristy scheduled a visit. After, he asked the group to draft a restaurant proposal illustrating the benefits of expanding to the Cowboy State. Theyd meet at Marcos in Denver.

Months later, in August 2014, the group did just that. But on their drive back to Casper, before any decisions had been made, a feeling of defeat had already set in.

We cant get those guys, Art said to John. We cant get those guys.

***

Mark Dym never liked cooking. He was a businessman.

He moved from Brooklyn to Florida, where he owned a financial firm for 14 years. Roughly 10 years ago, he left the business then sold his house, looking for a new profession in a new location. Thats when he thought about pizza. He and Kristy liked a local coal-fired pizza restaurant and thought about creating a similar business.

The couple settled on moving to Denver, but before they left Florida, Marks friend persuaded him to try an authentic Neapolitan pizza place.

Thats what changed everything, when I had a bite of Neapolitan pizza, Mark said. It went from a money-making thing to I got to make this pizza.

That evening at the restaurant, he learned about a key ingredient: Caputo flour. The finely milled flour from Naples, Italy, helps give Neapolitan pizza its distinctive taste.

Mark researched Caputo, and someone suggested he contact Roberto Caporuscio. Today, Roberto is considered one of the best Neapolitan pizza chefs in the world, but back then, he was just getting started. Roberto invited Mark to New Jersey to teach him how to make authentic Neapolitan pizza.

Mark learned about volcanic stone ovens, the ones with a small opening and a short ceiling, a combination that maintains the near 1,000-degree heat that cooks the pizza in 60 to 90 seconds. He tasted the San Marzano tomatoes, grown in a tiny Italian village in the volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius. He studied the importance of kneading dough  not tossing it in the air like a New York pie but delicately stretching it, pushing air into the crust to avoid activating the gluten, which would harden the finished product.

Neapolitan pizza is about the lightness, Mark said. The thing that people really concern about in Italy is how you feel. You dont want to be weighed down. Pizza is very light. Youll eat this pizza and be able to get up and move around.

As Mark trained, he and Kristy were in the process of designing the restaurants Denver location. They wanted an old building to renovate, so they settled on an underdeveloped area where homelessness and drug deals were common.

Mark spent a month with Roberto. Before leaving, he persuaded the pizza expert to join him in Denver. When they returned, Mark ordered authentic Italian equipment, then added his own twist.

New York is known for its pizza and bagels. Mark figured it was because of the water, so he asked his sister to mail him a bottle of tap water from Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. When the bottles arrived, he brought them to a local water company.

I want you to develop a recipe for me thats as close to this water as you can, he said.

The configuration was made. Marcos Coal-Fired Pizza would have Neapolitan pizza made with New York-style water.

The restaurant opened in June 2008. Over the years, its success has led to two more locations in Colorado. The business won the 2015 Independent Pizzeria of the Year award and also changed its name in December  from Marcos to Raccas Pizzeria Napoletana, mainly because another pizza chain had a similar name.

Success also transformed their Denver location into a sprawling street with new businesses and restaurants.

Thats one reason Mark was intrigued with Casper. He and his wife saw the old, brick Pacific Fruit & Produce Co. building and fell in love with its location.

It reminded them of the original Marcos.

***

For the past eight years, Casper has tried to transform the Old Yellowstone District.

The goal is to renovate old buildings into new venues. Projects like the public plaza and the civic auditorium are underway, but progress takes time. That means businesses in the old Pacific warehouse, including the Casper Artists Guild and the under-construction Urban Bottle Wine & Spirits, are pioneers.

Somebodys got to be first, Mark said.

In his mind, this Raccas project was even better than the downtown Denver location. There were no homeless people squatting on the sidewalks. The space was larger, with the same rustic feel, and just like Denver, the city was in full support.

Raccas is bigger than pizza, said Liz Becher, assistant city manager for the City of Casper. Its a unique place that brings out the flavor of Casper, which makes it a piece of the quality of life puzzle. These are the types of things, when you put them all together, that make a city exciting to live in and give people a reason to stay.

Mark couldnt be prouder of his fourth Raccas location. Thats why he plans on sticking around.

I checked into a hotel, he said. I didnt tell them when Im checking out.

***

A man with broad shoulders and a thick New York accent walked into Raccas just after 10:30 Wednesday morning, a half hour before the restaurants grand opening.

Roughly 60 staff members were hard at work: dusting overhead lamps, sorting the toppings, prepping the dough. The kitchen area smelled like hickory, and a smoky haze hung in the air as the two 7,000-pound ovens continued to heat.

Lets get some music going on in here, Mark said to no one in particular, and moments later, Will Smiths Gettin Jiggy Wit It filled the restaurant.

Mark moved through the kitchen, looking for things to perfect. With 10 minutes to go, he gathered the staff in a circle for a speech, complimenting their hard work and energy.

I just want to tell you guys that I want you to go in with a lot of confidence, he said, talking with his hands. Theres nothing else you have to do. Go in with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of energy.

He paused.

All I can say is, lets start making some money, and, its show-time! He smacked a wooden table.

This is it. Were open, baby!

Soon, the first customers walked in, then the second and third, the kitchen seating area slowly beginning to fill. Mark continued to patrol the restaurant, fine-tuning the details.

A little more color on the bottom of the pizza.

The dough needs to be like this

Dont forget to

Customers continued to arrive. In eight years and four locations, Wednesday was the most profitable lunch service theyd ever had. Nighttime was similar. The restaurant was completely booked. It was Raccas biggest opening day by almost double.

That night, John and Lauren stood on the back patio looking in, waiting to eat. It was quiet. The sun was setting in Casper. Their daughter, now 10, was off playing down the street. The place was packed, exuding a familiar energy, the kind the couple sought on their dates years ago in Denver.

Someone opened the door. A rush of smells and sounds greeted the two.

Lauren looked at John.

Can you believe it? she said. Here we are.
Angela Emery has been the director of the Platte River Trails system since 1999. Riverfest started in 1992 as a celebration of the completion of the most recent section of trail. Some things just have a life of their own, she laughed. Twenty-four years later, here we are. Riverfest now is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the trails system, and what allows us to do our work, Emery said.

What is Riverfest? Its a free family and community event from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday at Crossroads Park, put on by Platte River Trails and our partner, Casper Rotary Club. The trails handles all the great elements of the festival and Rotary does their Duck Derby. We are so fortunate in this downturn to have Foss Motors as our sponsor.

We have the same great elements as in the past  craft brews, delicious food, excellent live music and games for the whole family, as well as lots of vendor booths.

Beer tickets are $5 for a sample and we have collectible stainless steel pint cups that people will be able to purchase. We have craft brew from all over Wyoming and Colorado and some interesting new ones to try. Food vendors will include Mad Flatters, Flour Bin, La Cocina, Essence of Life, Kettle Corn and more.

We have the usual face painting, balloon artists, lots of booths  its a totally family-friendly community event  Science Zone and Audubon of the Rockies will be there, a little bit of something for the whole family.

Crossroads has been the home of Riverfest for 11 years. Its a great location, we have more than 2,000 people sometimes, so we need a nice big space, there is plenty of room for people to spread out and enjoy the music.

Anything new this year? For the music, we have a local band, One Child Left Behind, and a group from Laramie, Grant Sabin and the Juke Joint Highball, an Americana band that people will enjoy. We do have some interesting new elements in the family games area, we have a cornhole tournament, two giant Twister games that will be available for kids to play, a fly-fishing demonstration and interactive area that Ugly Bug Fly Shop will set up, and a giant Jenga for people to play. We also have some interesting new vendor booths, including a local woman who creates solar lamps. She gathers old lamps in the winter months, then puts solar elements in them and they are beautiful for your patio or outdoor space.

And about the Duck Derby? The Duck Derby raises money for the Casper Rotary Clubs many projects, two of which have been Rotary Park and the Crossroads Park playground area, both of which are so hugely popular. Duck Derby tickets are $20 and on sale now at the Platte River Trails office at the Pumphouse, from Casper Rotarians and at Express Employment Professionals. Ducks drop into the river at 3:30 p.m. and will be netted near the Riverfest area.
A powerful earthquake that struck the Hebgen Lake area near Yellowstone National Park in 1959 also left a powerful mark on a 7-year-old boy who was asleep in his Idaho Falls home.

Historian and author Larry E. Morris said he didnt wake up. My mom certainly did. I think a jar fell and broke, he said.

The 7.5 magnitude earthquake killed 28 people, including an Idaho Falls family of five who was believed to have been entombed by a massive, quake-triggered landslide that buried a campground and plugged the Madison River about 9 miles downstream from the Hebgen Lake Dam.

The slide took less than a minute and brought down more than 80 million tons of rock into the river, forming what became Earthquake Lake. At the time, the earthquake was the second-strongest in the lower 48 states in the 20th century, said the Forest Service, which operates the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center.

It made quite an impression on me from the start, Morris said.

Morris, who lives in Salt Lake City, is the author of a book released in July and titled, The 1959 Yellowstone Earthquake, published by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press.

The book tells the story of the earthquake with a focus on the victims and survivors and those who responded to the emergency.

The book also features a foreword by Lee Whittlesey, Yellowstone National Park historian.

Morris said his parents took him and his siblings to the memorial site on top of the landslide in the early 1960s, before the visitors center was built, heard a Forest Service ranger talk about the earthquake and toured the area.

All those dead trees and Earthquake Lake. And one cabin tilted squeewampus. But that plaque with the names on it and how the folks were buried there made a powerful impression on me, Morris said.

Morris has been captivated by the story ever since and has taken his own family to the site.

It was a natural subject for a book. I find the story so compelling, Morris said.

Morris initially began research for a book in 1990 but became sidetracked by other projects and put the earthquake story aside. But, he said, he always knew hed return to it. A few years ago, Morris resumed his research and finished his book.

I was really thinking of the human interest, both survivors and first responders. Its just one incredible story after another. Its amazing, he said.

One of the first responders was Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Glen Stevens, who was dispatched from his Whitehall home to warn residents in the Madison River Valley of flooding should the Hebgen Dam fail. In the hours after the 11:37 p.m. earthquake, there were conflicting reports about whether the dam had held.

I had a nice phone interview with him. He seemed to remember it quite well, Morris said. Stevens, now deceased, a deputy sheriff and two others drove up the valley, working their way toward the dam.

They were one of the first people to reach Cliff Lake, where a boulder dislodged and killed Edgar H. Stryker and his wife, Ethel M. Stryker, who were camping with Edgars three young sons, Morris said. The boys, who were in a separate tent nearby, were unhurt.

After helping at Cliff Lake, Stevens and his companions drove on toward the Madison River where they encountered the massive landslide. There they helped Irene Bennett and her son, Phil Bennett, who had camped with their family on the downstream side of the slide. Irenes husband, Purley, and their three other children died in the quake.

Morris also interviewed Carole Painter, who was 16 at the time and the daughter of Myrtle L. Painter, who later died of injuries in a Bozeman hospital.

And Morris interviewed Billings, Montana, resident Mildred Tootie Greene, a nurse who was camped with her family upstream of the slide. The Greene family survived uninjured, and Greene spent the night and next day aiding others, including Myrtle Painter.

Morris said he spent an afternoon about a year ago with Greene at her Billings home. She was fantastic and sharp as a tack. Shes one of the great heroes. She really stayed cool. I think she probably saved some lives, Morris said.

She had a healthy attitude toward the tragedy, Morris said. Greene has been extremely cooperative with anyone who ever asked about the experience, he said.

Another nurse, Frances Donegan of Ohio, was camped with her husband, Fred, and their children near the dam, Morris said. His book recounts how Donegan rushed to help others who had gathered at what became known as Refuge Point.

Fred Donegan also helped rescue Grover and Lillian Mault, an elderly couple who had clung to a tree for hours as water rose around them.

They deserve a lot of credit, Morris said. The Donegans went back to Ohio and didnt make a lot of noise themselves. They really did a great job and deserve to be remembered, he said.

Morris book features more than 100 photographs from national government archives, from survivors who contributed family photos and Morris own photographs. The front and back cover photographs, he said, came from the Gallatin History Museum in Bozeman, Montana.

Morris started his research at the museum. They were really great in helping me, he said.

Morris also credits Joanne Girvin, a Forest Service employee at the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, with keeping the story alive.

The Forest Service opened the center on top of the slide in 1967. More than 50,000 visitors stop annually at the site, the agency said.

Morris dedicated the book to the memory of Ernest Bruffey, the 29th victim of the earthquake. Morris said Bruffey, a Havre resident, had told others of his plan to hike Granite Peak in the Beartooth Mountains between Aug. 16 and 19. Bruffey was never heard from again.

Strong shocks were recorded in the area after the initial quake and there were slides on Granite Peak, Morris said. Searchers never found Bruffeys body and his name was never included on official victim lists, he said. But evidence suggests Bruffey was a victim of the earthquake and deserves to be remembered, he said.

Morris will speak at the Montana Book Festival in Missoula, from Sept. 20 to 25.

His interest in the region extends beyond the 1959 earthquake. He authored, The Fate of the Corps: What Became of the Lewis and Clark Explorers after the Expedition, and co-authored, The Mystery of John Colter: The Man Who Discovered Yellowstone.

Morris is an independent writer and historian and has a masters degree in American literature and a bachelors degree in philosophy, both from Brigham Young University.
CHEYENNE  The Wyoming Supreme Court is set to hear arguments this week on whether a Pinedale judge who has said she wouldnt perform same-sex marriages because of her religious beliefs should be removed from office.

Ruth Neely in April filed a petition asking the court to reject a recommendation from the Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics that she lose her posts as a municipal judge and circuit court magistrate.

The commission started an investigation of Neely after she told a reporter in 2014 she would not perform same-sex marriages because of her religious beliefs. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that same-sex couples nationwide may marry.

Attempts to reach Neely and her attorneys, including the Alliance Defending Freedom, an Arizona religious advocacy law firm, were not successful on Friday. Neely is not a lawyer.

In fighting removal, Neely argues that she has a constitutional right to voice her opinion. Her lawyers have said no same-sex couples have asked her to preside over their weddings. Shes suspended from the circuit court post.

In a chilling forecast, the commission leaves no doubt that if it has its way, no judge who holds Judge Neelys religious beliefs about marriage can remain on the bench once the public learns of those beliefs, Neelys lawyers wrote.

Neelys case has similarities to the legal action in Kentucky against clerk Kim Davis. A conservative Christian, Davis was jailed briefly last year after she refused to allow her office to issue marriage licenses. Although her case sparked a national debate over the religious freedom of civil servants versus the civil rights of same-sex couples, she ultimately agreed to alter the licenses to remove her name and title.

Casper lawyers Patrick Dixon and Britney F. Turner represent the Wyoming commission. Attempts to reach them for comment were unsuccessful. Commission executive director Wendy Soto declined comment Friday.

The Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics has no interest in interfering with Judge Neelys or anyone elses free exercise of religion, Dixon and Turner wrote in a brief to the Wyoming Supreme Court, which is set to hear arguments Wednesday in Cheyenne. Neither is it concerned with suppressing her First Amendment right to permissible speech. However, it is tasked with enforcing the Code of Judicial Conduct. What Judge Neely did and said is a violation of that Code. Given her unwillingness to even acknowledge the ethical implications, she cannot remain in office.

The Wyoming Supreme Court has denied requests from a number of religious organizations and current and former state lawmakers to file legal briefs in support of Neelys position. The court is allowing a joint brief from the town of Pinedale and the Sutherland Institute, a Utah-based conservative public policy organization.
Let me just spit it out.

When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asks for public comments, they dont mean you, and they dont mean me. In fact, they dont 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 his agencys intention to remove endangered species act protections from Greater Yellowstone grizzlies and he made much ado about the importance of the publics input.

Did he mean it? In a word, no.

The public comment process as currently constituted is intended  by design  to exclude the public from making public comments aimed at serious flaws in the controversial proposal.

From the news 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 didnt mention was that the delisting documents to be commented upon consist of over 800 pages of dense, bureaucratic jargon and incorporates 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.

Were 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, Montana, we finally learned how the grizzly delisting public comment process played out.

The public submitted 290,000 comments to the US Fish and Wildlife Service during the public comment period that ended May 10. Few, if any, modern wildlife issues have so riveted the attention of American citizens.

Of those 290,000 comments, only 12,000 were considered unique. The other 278,000 dont count.

Of those 12,000, only 10 percent to 20 percent were considered substantive, at most 2,400 comments. The other 9,600 dont count.

So, out of 290,000 comments  the vast majority stating that grizzly delisting and sport hunting of these iconic bears is premature or unwarranted  only 2,400 comments will be considered in making a determination to delist grizzly bears.

That means that only eight out of every 1,000 submitted comments will be considered. Thats eight-tenths of 1 percent of the comments submitted by the American public. That is an insult to those of us who rejected cynicism toward government, took time out of our busy days and weighed in on a wildlife issue we think is important.

More than 99 percent of the publics comments are essentially thrown out the window.

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 American that was bamboozled into thinking that the comment they submitted actually mattered?

Quite simply, the public comment process provided by the USFWS has utterly failed them.

So where is the public process that allows them to weigh in on the important public policy issue of removing grizzly bears from the endangered species list? There isnt 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.

If the public comment process was a car, would you buy it?

Not no, but hell no! The public comment process is broken, rigged, dysfunctional to the needs, desires and wishes of the American people. It is a farce and its just one more reason why people dont trust government.

At the bottom of the press release that announced delisting is this mission statement: The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

The others the USFWS wants to work with apparently arent you and me. They dont want us to tell them what we, the American people, view as a continuing benefit. One wonders if they actually realize who the American people are.

Two final questions: Exactly who are the less than 2,400 commenters whose comments will be considered in making a determination? And why, exactly, is their voice more important than yours?
Wyomings next U.S. House representative must be prepared to be a strong advocate for the states energy industry.

The state is facing a host of issues, but its economy is at the top of the list. The state economy, meanwhile, is fueled by its signature energy industry  and that industry is struggling because of a variety of factors. It needs a powerful voice in Washington.

That makes the choice simple: Liz Cheney is the Republican best suited for the seat, and Ryan Greene is the best on the Democratic side.

The Republican field is far more crowded, with Cheney, Leland Christensen, Darin Smith, Tim Stubson, Jason Adam Senteney, Mike Konsmo, Paul Paad and Heath Beaudry all vying for the seat. The Democrats in the race are Greene and Charlie Hardy.

Cheney is the daughter of the former vice president. She served several years in U.S. State Department appointments and was an international policy adviser for Mitt Romneys presidential campaign.

She no doubt enjoyed some advantage because of her fathers position at the time, but she likely landed and kept these jobs because she is capable and effective.

She would be a powerful and high-profile voice for the state and ensure Wyomings priorities were heard in the nations capital. She is knowledgeable about the issues and a strident champion of the Cowboy State. She has also demonstrated that she is unafraid to be aggressive. That tenacity, if wielded wisely, could represent a significant boost for Wyomings agenda.

If Cheney wins the seat, however, she must truly represent all Wyomingites, not just the ones who agree with her. Unlike most Wyomingites, Cheney supports having the state manage lands currently owned and overseen by the federal government. These federal lands are a rich part of Wyomings history, and turning these lands over to the states would overturn more than two and a quarter centuries of established U.S. law.

Many Wyoming people treasure them just as they are  open to public access today and for future generations. This topic generated the most questions from the public to candidates in the U.S. representative debate held Aug. 2 in Casper. Cheney must listen closely to Wyomingites on that issue and others.

We also hope shell take the best of her Republican rivals ideas and traits to Congress. For example, Leland Christensen and Tim Stubson, both seasoned lawmakers, support maintaining public access to federal lands.

Both have also shown they can be effective members of the state Legislature. We hope Cheney, who has little background legislating, is prepared for the eventuality that she would be just one of 435 U.S. representatives and would need to work with members of both parties to accomplish whats best for Wyoming and the nation.

On the Democratic side, Greene, who works in a family-owned energy services company in Rock Springs, brings a depth of knowledge and experience on energy issues that his primary opponent, Charlie Hardy, does not.

Greene also is more in step with Wyoming voters and would best represent all Wyomingites at the federal level. Hes pragmatic  not an ideologue  and supports gun rights.

Since Wyoming has only one voice in the U.S. House of Representatives, it must be a strong one focused on the states energy economy. Cheney and Greene are the best positioned to advocate for our signature industry.
Editor:

The U.S. Congress has an approval rating of 10 percent, or less and people are constantly complaining about the same old politics in Washington.

Hey, Wyoming voters, you have a chance to do your part to change that. If you are tired of the gridlock and the do nothing Congress, then do not vote for Liz Cheney in next week's primary. A vote for Cheney is a vote for more of the same.

Tim Stubson has some fresh ideas and could help stop the gridlock. Cheney has promised the same old politics.

Because of Wyoming's high Republican voter registration, the primary will be the deciding factor. Vote for change, vote for Stubson.

If you are registered as Independent or Democrat you can change to Republican at the primary polling place and switch back at the general. That way you can do your part to vote for change!
Editor:

I would encourage every American to read the July issue of Our Town Casper, page 9, telling the story of Lebanese couple Dr. Ghazi and Kareen Ghanem coming to America and Casper. It makes me proud to be an American  welcome Ghanem family.

Also I would encourage every American, no matter their political affiliation, to see the movie Hillarys America. In response to Ms. O. Thomas Aug. 6 letter to the editor, Movie put together by smear artists, would you, Ms. Thomas, let us know the outright lies and blame with a bias you claim without seeing the movie? Thank you.

On the presidential race, I am leaning toward Donald Trump, an astute businessman who will surround himself with a capable and qualified Cabinet, not politicians who talk politically correct.

I will also vote for Bob Shellard for county commissioner. Bob is a down to earth, well grounded and qualified individual who will serve all people.

Thank you.
We have the unique opportunity this election to send a fourth-generation Wyoming son to Washington as our Representative. Darin Smith will fight for our conservative Wyoming values. On the most pressing issue to vets, he believes in taking care of veterans who have paid the price for freedom. Check him out at SmithforWyoming.com then vote Darin Smith for Wyoming representative on Tuesday, Aug. 16. Thank you.
Editor:

Recently, I participated in the U.S. House debates in Casper, which were organized by the Wyoming Republican Party and the Casper Star-Tribune. I enjoyed the events and I appreciated the opportunity to discuss long-term solutions to create a positive future for our state.

I was disappointed with news coverage of this event by the Casper Star-Tribune.

They wrote, Mike Konsmo, who said in an interview after the debate that he had no problem with transgender students using bathrooms that align with their gender. I never said those words. Furthermore, this statement goes against my comments from debates, forums, and social media posts earlier in the campaign. Unfortunately, simplifying this issue into a one-liner hurts the important discussion surrounding this issue.

I would like to clarify my position. I see many problems with how this policy has been implemented. Its very complicated. Yes, its the 21st Century and our state has an obligation to uphold federal law, yet the US Supreme Court has not decided its constitutionality. As humans, we have an obligation to uphold civil rights for everyone. As a teacher, I know that each school should be comfortable for everyone. As a state, however, we are being forced to accept federal policy before our state has discussed solutions. I am concerned that federal funding will be withheld if we do not comply. When our state is cutting education funding, we face other important concerns for our schools. In response to the Gavin Grimm case, I believe that creating exclusively private bathrooms at schools will provide a solution that will empower all people with equality and privacy without segregation. Indeed, there are many, many factors to consider.

I believe we must debate issues comprehensively to find solutions that benefit everyone. If we are going to uphold Wyoming values and uphold civil rights, we need discussion that promises each voice is heard. We cannot dismiss peoples opinions. I feel like my voice was dismissed by the Casper Star-Tribune. I encourage all voters to continue this discussion by writing to the Casper Star-Tribune to make sure their voice is heard.
Editor:

I support Audrey Cotherman for House District 57 in the Wyoming Legislature because she will be a strong advocate on behalf of the education of Wyoming's children.

While many people associate Audrey with her columns in the Casper Journal, they should remember also the work she put in as a member and chairman of the Natrona County School Board. I especially appreciated her dedication because I know how much time and effort it takes, recalling the many hours my late husband, Thad Walker, spend as a member of the same board years ago.

Audrey's interest in education on the local level followed years of involvement at both state and national levels. Many will recall that she served as deputy superintendent of education for Wyoming, after having obtained advanced education degrees (M.A. and Ed.D.) at the University of Wyoming. Fewer are aware, however, that she served as special assistant for the regional office of the U.S. Department of Education, or that she later worked as director of the Regional Comprehensive Training Center at the University of Wisconsin.

Today's parents of school-age children will be well represented if they elect Cotherman to Wyoming's House of Representatives, District 57.
The University of Arizonas efforts to bring faculty inventions to the marketplace bore more fruit in fiscal year 16, as the university posted strong growth in inventions, patents and licensing.

Tech Launch Arizona, the UAs tech-commercialization arm, reported improvement across almost all measures, including a nearly 40 percent increase in patents filed and double-digit increases in disclosures and licensing.

The head of Tech Launch Arizona, UA Vice President David Allen, said the university matched or set records in all major categories of technology transfer.

Allen said hes especially pleased with a jump in the number of invention disclosures  the initial faculty filings of new discoveries that kick off the technology transfer process.

UA faculty members filed 250 invention disclosures in the fiscal year that ended June 30, up from 213 in 2015, according to figures TLA released ahead of issuing its annual report later this month.

Thats a lot of raw material to work with, said Allen, who was lured from the University of Colorado in 2012 to pump up the UAs technology transfer program.

The UA also filed for 278 patents in faculty inventions, up from 200 in fiscal 2015, and executed 97 options and licenses, up from 83 in 2015. Revenue from licensing UA inventions was just over $2 million, up about 25 percent from fiscal 2015. (NOTE: On Oct. 6, Tech Launch issued a correction to its data, reducing the number of options and licenses to 95. The error was due to a misclassification of two contracts, TLA said.)

Tech Parks Arizona, part of Tech Launch Arizona that manages the UA Tech Park, also had a strong 2016, incubating 15 new companies at its Arizona Center for Innovation.

Mentors and money

Allen said TLA has refined its services to create a broader and deeper process to help faculty inventors, adding dedicated staff and a growing network of advisers.

This year, TLA started a mentor-in-residence program and retooled some programs, including broadening the focus of its proof-of-concept funding program to create an asset development program encompassing product development efforts as well as proof of concept.

TLA is now focusing on expanding its nationwide network of business advisers and potential development partners, Allen said, noting that last year the agency also developed a system to track and manage those contacts.

This year, TLA was selected as a site for the National Science Foundations I-Corps program, which provides individual project grants up to $2,250 to help tech entrepreneurs identify potential customers.

The agency brings in advisers early in the startup process, to help at every step of development, Allen said.

The tech-transfer agency has begun enlisting help from UA alumni across the West to advance UA technologies and startups, working with the UA Alumni Association.

Its all about quality, and were trying to infuse more and higher-experienced advisers and mentors and business leadership into these opportunities, Allen said. You do that, when you have higher quality entrepreneurial management in startups, youre more likely to attract capital.

While Tucson is home to an active group of so-called angel investors who provide seed money to local startups, Arizona and Tucson in particular are lacking venture-capital funds that can take companies to the next level.

This is tough in Tucson  we know Tucson is a flyover community for venture capital, and were trying to dig down and work with all those different sources and show them this is a place they should be looking for investments, Allen said.

Money to sustain the tech-commercialization effort is another issue.

Tech Launch Arizona had a budget of about $6 million last year, funded by the university as well as by the states Technology and Research Initiative Fund, or TRIF, which comes from part of state sales-tax revenues.

Allen said TLA spends about $2 million to secure UA intellectual property though patenting and other methods, $1.1 million on asset development and nearly $3 million on personnel.

The revenue generated by license revenue doesnt come close to covering those costs. According to a 2014 study by the Brookings Institution, nearly 90 percent of all universities operated their tech-transfer programs in the red over a 20-year period.

Extension of UA mission

Like other schools, the UA considers technology commercialization an extension of its research mission, and a driver for the local and state economies.

Though UAs tech-transfer results have improved, Allen said TLA will be challenged to sustain a high level of tech-transfer activity in an increasingly austere financial environment for UA.

With the right people and financial support for tech transfer, the UA has an opportunity to become an even bigger economic driver, he said.

I think we have shown that realization of that opportunity doesnt occur by happenstance or without expense, but that positive progress can be made in a relatively short timeframe, Allen said.

While other major research universities have bigger tech-transfer budgets, the UA appears to punch a little above its weight or, at least, does more with less.

In a comparison of 2014 data with 11 other peer schools, the UA lagged in invention disclosures and patents but had more startups and a higher percentage of exclusive licenses and options per $10 million of sponsored research, with less than half the average tech-transfer staff. Allen expects those comparative numbers to improve as more recent data becomes available.

Tech Launch Arizona helped form 14 startup companies based on UA inventions in fiscal 2016, up from a dozen in the prior year. The include six biotech drug companies, two companies working on metal technologies, an optics company and a social-media platform for documentary filmmakers.

The agencys comprehensive tech-transfer program is a major help to novice faculty entrepreneurs, said Dominic Gervasio, a professor in the department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and inventor on of two startups last year.

Caltrode LLC and MetOxs Electrochemicals LLC grew out of research that Gervasios lab performed on advanced energy-transfer fluids for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Metals extraction

Caltrode was launched to commercialize a patent-pending technology to quickly measure the corrosion in metal components such as tubes that carry molten salts used in power generation. The company already is working with a manufacturer, Gervasio said.

While studying corrosion, Gervasio and his team discovered a new method to extract metals from ore or other base materials, generating interest from the mining industry and leading to the formation of MetOxs Electrochemicals.

Gervasio, who had worked with one startup but had never started his own, credits TLA with helping him through the complicated startup process.

I knew nothing about all this business stuff  Im a technical guy  and they gave us a lot of good guidance, Gervasio said, who praised TLA licensing manager Bob Sleeper for helping him sort out the financial and legal issues.

UA chemistry professor Victor Hruby, a longtime UA faculty entrepreneur, said TLAs process is a marked improvement over the universitys prior tech-transfer program, which he said was daunting to faculty members.

Hruby, 77, has been involved in several drug startups including Selectide, a predecessor to French drug giant Sanofis research center in Oro Valley.

He is co-inventor with research professor Minying Cai on the 2016 startup Ahku Therapeutics Inc., which is developing a new drug technology to relieve acute depression and related disorders.

They have people who really know how to work with companies, Hruby said. They really know what the hell they are doing and they work with people who know what they are doing.
Ginia Desmond had a decision to make.

Buy a house. Make a movie. Buy a house. Make a movie. She made a movie.

The 74-year-old has been writing scripts for a dozen years, but Lucky U Ranch is her first feature-length film to make it to the big screen.

Thats because she funded it.

I consider myself the writer, she says of the low-budget film, which so far isnt readily available for viewing. I wrote the script, and I wrote the checks.

  

Writing screenplays is not Desmonds first career  or even her second. This act follows others that starred Desmond as a mother and wife, professional artist and businesswoman.

As a girl, all I ever wanted was to be a housewife and raise a family, she says. That was my only goal in life ... I came from a crazy family, so I wanted to do it right.

But life had more twists and turns in store for her than one of her own scripts.

I wanted to be the perfect wife ... I was such a 50s girl, but I had so many different careers, and now Im on my fourth, Desmond says, referring to producing. I dont say, No. I say, Yes, and that gets me in trouble, but its also probably what makes my life interesting, too. Im never bored.

She has her kids  three daughters  and has had four husbands. At 32, she earned her masters of fine arts degree from the University of Arizona and became a full-time artist. Act No. 2  as an importer from the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia  began when she lived with her second husband in Asia.

For almost 30 years, she imported goods such as furniture and baskets to sell in her Tucson store Sangin Trading Co. on Sixth Avenue. She sold the business in 2003.

Act Three was about to begin.

  

Leftover treasures from Asia still fill Desmonds home just south of downtown, and her own art hangs on the walls  props from previous scenes, the backstory to her new story.

Ginia is an interesting combination of very creative and very practical, says Victoria Lucas, a Tucson screenplay consultant with a 20-year career in Los Angeles. She has that sense of the big picture and how a business is run, and with her writing skills and talent, she has the ability to understand characters. She sees the micro and the macro.

Lucas worked with Desmond in developing what began as a short script into a feature-length version of Lucky U Ranch. The shorter version of the script, under the name Growing Pains, had already won a Silver prize at the Page International Screenwriting Awards.

Desmond originally developed the narrative as a short story in the 1990s during a creative-writing class at Pima Community College taught by well-known instructor Meg Files.

The dream to write a screenplay emerged after the 2003 sale of her business. She intended to return to art  but she also signed up for a screenwriting class at Bookmans.

It was $245 and the best money I ever spent, she says.

Lucas  who has spent her career working with writers  agrees.

Her detail in a scene makes the scene come to life, Lucas says. Very few writers write visually so that when you read the script, its like you have seen the movie. ... Ginia writes like that. She has a real gift for getting under the skin of characters and making the reader or audience understand them. ... She is a treasure for Tucson.

Lucky U Ranch is not Desmonds first script. That would be The Senators Wife, a screenplay added to a production companys library but never actually produced. Still, Desmond kept writing.

I pretty much write all the time, but when the time came and (Lucky U Ranch) got made, the last thing I ever thought I would do is produce a film, she says. It never even occurred to me. It wasnt on my bucket list by any means.

But when she shared the short script with Tucson director Steve Anderson, the story captivated him.

I read it and sat in front of the computer sobbing... says Anderson, who identifies with the young lead Junior, played by Phoenix actor Trevor Robins. I had never read anything quite so simple, but also deep and complex and beautiful.

Enter Act Four.

Desmond didnt buy that house.

  

Desmonds movie is a 1950s coming-of-age tale that takes place in an Arizona trailer park inspired by the Scottsdale park Desmonds parents purchased and named when she was a girl  Lucky U Ranch.

The film chronicles the weekend friendship between two of the parks reluctant residents  a bullied schoolboy, Junior, and the glamorous neighbor girl, Melissa, transplanted to dusty Arizona from Hollywood.

This story, like many of Desmonds screenplays, takes tidbits from her own life. Like Melissas family, Desmonds parents exchanged Tinseltown for a trailer park.

I went to about 19 schools in a year-and-a-half, and both of my parents were devout alcoholics, so that comes up in the story, Desmond says. But I wasnt as clever as Melissa, and I never met a boy like Junior.

Desmonds granddaughter Donovan Droege, who played Melissa, has heard bits and pieces of this story for years.

Its my grandmothers story, and I have heard her talk about these kinds of things for a long time, says Donovan, a 17-year-old from Denver. I tried to place myself in her shoes.

Desmond calls her father a Hollywood type who abandoned the glitz after a heart attack. Desmonds father Oakley Haldeman worked with Gene Autry and wrote the song Here Comes Santa Claus. But though Desmond still has family in that world, she never expected to return herself.

  

Filmed mostly in a Sahuarita trailer park, the films uncredited star is Arizona.

Early shots of the trailer court where Melissa and Junior live showcase a vintage park in Bisbee and old cars from local aficionados cruise the streets. Many of the cast and crew call Tucson home, Anderson says.

To outfit the cast in 1950s attire, the crew combed Fourth Avenue shops and paid Arizona Theatre Company for wardrobe access.

They filmed for 14 days, and post-production wrapped up in 2015. The Scottsdale premiere came in April  a full circle for Desmond, who based the film on her familys trailer park in that city.

The next film she hopes to make, titled Live From the Boondocks, would revolve around a cast of characters at the Boondocks Lounge on First Avenue.

So far, Lucky U Ranch has shown at the Phoenix Film Festival and the Arizona International Film Festival in Tucson. It will also show at the Seoul Youth International Film Festival in Korea at the end of August. Desmond isnt quite sure what Korean teenagers will think of these two kids coming of age in an Arizona trailer park.



Desmond now has about a dozen scripts to her name, including three book adaptations and several she was hired to write. One  based on the book Santiagos Children: What I Learned about Life at an Orphanage in Chile  could be produced next year in Chile.

She suspects that some of her screenplays undergo up to 100 rewrites. She now leads a screenwriting group here.

With Lucky U Ranch, Desmond was writing what she knew ... and Im amazed at the detail she remembers about her life, Anderson says.

Not all of her scripts are based on her experiences, but she has quite the bank of personal anecdotes.

Singapore Fling, for example, is based on a recent rendezvous with an old lover she met in Bali about 20 years ago. When they reconnected in Singapore, Desmond was 72 and her former flame was about 80. She knew she had something when he forgot her at a bus stop, forcing her to walk to the hotel.

A jaunt through Europe this summer inspired another potential plot, after Desmond met an artist who gave her a personal tour of his studio in Slovenia. It was the last day of her trip and when the artist learned, through a translator, that she was leaving soon, he told her he would marry her should she ever return.

Im actually planning, somehow, to write some sort of old fart comedy about Slovenia and what happened to me, Desmond says. It really is funny. Its like having a fairy tale in a fairy land for a very very old woman. I dont know. I think it has potential.

This is no curtain call. Act Five has yet to be written.
New Mexico

Village officer slain;

Ohio fugitive held

HATCH  Authorities dont yet know why a police officer in this 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, 260 miles east of Tucson.

Officer Jose Chavez, 33, was shot dead at a convenience store in front of a fellow officer who had just arrived, authorities said.

The suspected shooter is Hanes, 38, who along with Nelson is wanted in Ohio in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man just outside Chillicothe, about 60 miles south of Columbus.

Its unclear whether Chavez, a father of two who joined the Hatch Police Department two years ago, knew the suspects were wanted in Ohio.







New York

2 lightning strikes kill 1, injure 8 others

NEW YORK  A man hit by lightning at a park in New Yorks Hudson Valley died Saturday, a hospital spokesman said, and four other people injured 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 victims name wasnt immediately released as the hospital and authorities worked to locate his family.

Four other people were injured Saturday in a separate lightning strike in the resort town of Lake George, north of Albany, state police said.

The Poughkeepsie victims, ranging in age from 46 to 55, were gathered around a bench at Mansion Square Park when a thunderstorm hit around 4 p.m. Friday, city police said.

Idaho

Family saves girl, 4, from mountain lion

REXBURG  A family camping in eastern Idaho scared off a mountain lion that tried to snatch their 4-year-old daughter from around a campfire.

Idaho Fish and Game said Saturday the cougar dropped the girl and left Friday evening after family members yelled at the animal. The child had a few scratches but no other injuries.

The cougar was tracked and killed nearby.

Missouri

5 are wounded in random shooting

JOPLIN  A random shooting injured five people Saturday, including three members of a Joplin church who were starting a trip to St. Louis, police said.

A 26-year-old suspect was taken into custody and was being held but had not been formally charged, The Joplin Globe reported. Police said there was no apparent motive.

Wire reports
At the base of a wheat-colored knoll, partially shielded by scrub oaks and thorny bushes, Shawn Rodgers is about to unleash Mayhem.

Aided by digital technology and a complete knowledge of his surroundings, Rodgers, at the appointed moment, gives the dark bay horse his head and the 6-year-old mustang springs up the hill, rocks and dust flying as he gallops forward, brushing by trees, crushing dried branches and anything else in his path.

Seconds later, in a coordinated maneuver, Rodgers and fellow members of the U.S. Border Patrols Nogales Station Horse Patrol Unit are upon four surprised border crossers a short distance north of the Sonora-Arizona border, just west of Nogales.

As he closes in on some of the men who are making a run for it in the steep, slippery terrain, Rodgers, a supervisory Border Patrol agent, yells out, Donde vas? Tenemos caballos, letting the men know they are being pursued by patrolmen on horseback.

Such an announcement, Rodgers says later, helps people realize they should stop running because they cannot outrun a horse.

In short order, the four men are rounded up and told to sit in the shade of a tree where they are questioned and searched for identification, weapons and contraband. Their money is counted and documented.

It is also a good time to identify the foot guides, or smugglers, because thats important to a successful prosecution, Rodgers said.

The encounter with the border crossers at that spot was not coincidental.

Our operations are intelligence-based and rely heavily on information, traffic trends and all the technology available to us, he said.

Border cameras and sensors give the agents an idea of the crossers entry point, and their experience indicates the likely routes that they may take.

Hand-held radios let agents on the ground keep in contact with those who are monitoring the changing situation.

Because of technology, the areas where the mounted agents are deployed can vary daily and even in mid-shift to address changes throughout the day, Rodgers said.

Coupled with the agents knowledge of the area, it puts them in the best position to stop any illegal traffic or threat.

We can rapidly and appropriately adjust to address any incursions in the Nogales Area of Operation, he said.

Plus, they can work hand-in-hand with other ground units, including agents riding ATVs .

But the quick interception of the crossers is also where the agencys mustangs come in.

An agent on horseback can cover more ground in less time than an agent on foot, Rodgers said.

There is also the tactical advantage of being mounted and high above the ground, which makes it easier to see things.

And of course, a horse is much quieter than a truck or ATV, he said.

And a horses keen sight and hearing allow it to alert agents to the presence of people often before the agents can hear or see the group themselves, he said.

The horse, as a piece of technology, is not new to the Border Patrol.

When the agency began in 1924, in order to join the agency, an applicant needed two meet to requirements, one of which was owning a horse, said Bobbi Schad, the Tucson Sector horse patrol coordinator.

The other requirement was a gun, Schad said. The government would provide the ammo.

Now there are between 14 and 22 horses assigned at the Nogales Border Patrol Station alone, she said.

The horse units are assigned to the rural mountainous areas, ranch lands and those areas that are environmentally sensitive, Schad said. They work closely with local ranchers, who are a vital source of information, and in return, the agents tell ranchers about sick or injured cattle, downed fences or broken wells.

Statewide, there are currently 90 mustangs in use, and nine other Border Patrol sectors also use them , Schad said.

Not all mounts are mustangs. Some are purchased from the general public, local rescue groups and, occasionally, some are donated. They all must meet the agencys requirements, and any horses purchased must be at a low price, she said.

Agents who want to join the unit must be certified and go through a thorough training.

And although there are 90 agents currently assigned to the horse units in the Tucson Sector, several hundred agents have gone through the training and are certified to be in the horse patrol, Schad said.

The units apprehension numbers for this past June say a lot about its efficiency , Schad said.

For the month of June, the horse patrol units within the Tucson Sector apprehended around 400 subjects and seized approximately 2,900 pounds of marijuana, she said.

Back in the shade, Rodgers and Schad, along with several other agents and Mayhem, wait calmly as they hold the four border crossers until a vehicle can come for them.

Otherwise, the agents would have to walk them to the nearest road.

Luckily, a dirt road is nearby, and once the crossers are picked up, the agents find their way back to the horse trailer, with a brief stop for water at a well to refresh the horses for the journey back.
The University of Arizonas vice president of health sciences may be under scrutiny, but he was heavily praised during a special meeting in Tucson Friday afternoon.

During the public comment period of a four-hour Arizona Board of Regents Health Affairs Committee meeting, 14 people 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.

Garcia, who earns $870,00 per year, has come under scrutiny for his leadership, and for his travel expenses. Public attention on him began after six key leaders at the UA College of Medicine Phoenix left earlier this year, including its dean, Dr. Stuart Flynn.

The Tucson regents meeting and another one held in Phoenix Aug. 5 were convened after the Arizona Medical Association took a vote of no confidence in the UAs health sciences leadership. The association asked the regents to conduct an independent investigation.

Its unclear how the Arizona Board of Regents, which is the governing body of the states public university system, will proceed after the Tucson hearing. Board of Regents President Eileen Klein opened the meeting by saying that in recent days there have been questions about use of public money by UA health sciences and that action outside of the special meeting may be needed.

Superstar

Garcias long line of supporters, some of them UA Health Science employees, called him transformational and a superstar. Some 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 Networks merger with Phoenix-based Banner Health, which occurred last year under Garcias watch, has been a stabilizing force. Banner was the surviving entity in that merger.

I want to stay here and grow, he said.

The Arizona Medical Associations House of Delegates in June took a vote of no confidence in the governance of the UAs two medical schools, which ultimately falls under the leadership of Garcia and UA President Ann Weaver Hart.

Garcia, who reports directly to Hart, oversees all of the UAs health colleges  the UA College of Medicine-Tucson, the UA College of Medicine-Phoenix, the UA College of Pharmacy, the UA College of Nursing, and the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

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, last 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 Garcias supporters spoke against the news 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. They say that Garcia, buoyed by the Banner merger and a Banner academic affiliation with the UA, is helping to take the UA and its hospitals to world-class excellence.

Several applauded when Regent Rick Myers said that focusing on Garcias travel costs is irrelevant, given all the positive things happening within UA Health Sciences.

I dont 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 in an institution, 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 thats 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.

Other major grants were also awarded in the past year under Garcias leadership and are expected to boost the UAs reputation as a research institution, he and others said.

In addition, 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 UAs 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.

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.

Accreditation woes

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 9-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 the recent academic affiliation between Banner Health and the UA.

The Phoenix medical school has since been granted provisional accreditation this year, which puts it on pace for full accreditation in 2017, UA health science officials say.

It was the leadership void and its potential effect on the accreditation that led to the medical associations no-confidence action.

The 4,000-member, 120-year-old associations action was unprecedented, executive vice president Chic Older said in an interview last 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 said shell be doing a climate survey of the work environment at the UAs health colleges through a third party, and that shell also have an outside investigator do exit interviews with all the Phoenix leaders who left.

But Older has said the association wants the investigation at the behest of the regents, not the UA.

Huge loss

The loss of Flynn was huge for the fledgling Phoenix medical school, which sits amid a growing biomedical campus in the citys 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 years.

Pfeffer said he joined the board because he wanted to have an active role in an important educational institution.

I didnt go to the UA; I dont 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 advisory board has not met since Flynns 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 dont 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 doesnt happen when the top leadership is supportive and leads selflessly, countered Pfeffer. 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.

Some of the adversity about the College of Medicine Phoenix appears to be related to a longstanding Phoenix versus Tucson mentality that isnt helping anyone, Myers said.

Garcia said the schools have distinct missions and characteristics. Its in the interest of the UA to have both medical schools succeed  never one over the other, he said.

New medical school

In one year, the 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.

A key to alleviating a current and projected future doctor shortage is for communities to have medical schools and residency positions. Thats why medical schools are a premium for major cities.

In a ranking of best to worst rates, Arizona ranks 36th in active primary physicians, the Association of American Medical Colleges says.

The state has 79.2 active primary care doctors per 100,000 people. The highest-ranked state, Massachusetts, has 131.9 active primary physicians per 100,000 people, the associations most recent numbers show.
Los Descendientes honor Carmen Duarte

Reporter Carmen Duarte of the Arizona Daily Star and two local authors were honored Saturday night by Los Descendientes del Presidio de Tucson at the group's annual gala celebrating Tucson's 241st birthday. The other honorees were author Patricia Preciado Martin and Lydia Otero, an associate professor in the Department of Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona.

The three were recognized for their years of documenting Tucson's history and heritage through their published works.

Duarte, a Tucson native, has been a journalist for the Arizona Daily Star for 35 years. She shared her family's history through the life of her late mother, Leonarda "Nala" Bejarano Duarte. The 36-part series published in 2000 by the Daily Star, "Mama Santos: An Airzona Life," earned Duarte 11 state, national and international awards.

Preciado Martin is the author of three oral histories and several short stories published by the University of Arizona Press. For 30 years she has narrated the history, culture and traditions of Mexican-Americans in Tucson and Southern Arizona, winning numerous awards and recognition. She currently is working on an exhibit of vaquero families who lived and worked on the historic Canoa Ranch.

Otero is a descendant of the territorial Otero family and an advocate for Mexican-American studies in public schools. In her 2010 book, "La Calle: Spatial Conflicts and Urban Renewal in a Southwestern City" published by UA Press, Otero documented the systematic destruction of Tucson's Barrio Viejo and the displacement of its residents. It earned her several awards and was the source for "Barrio Stories," a recent production of Borderlands Theater.

The event was held at JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort.
PHOENIX  The sheriff of metropolitan Phoenix refused during a recent deposition to accept responsi bility 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 Flakes 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 Flakes 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 kennels AC unit failed because it wasnt properly maintained. Prosecutors have said the case presented to grand jurors didnt 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 Flakes 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 sheriffs volunteer posse into the authenticity of President Obamas 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 dont have to know everything thats 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 senators son was suspended from his college for an honor-code violation as a result of the dog deaths, Montoya said.

Arpaios office declined to comment Friday on the deposition, saying the sheriff hasnt yet received a transcript of his testimony.

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomerys office, which filed but later dismissed the charges against the Flakes, declined to comment. The prosecutorial agency isnt named as a party in the lawsuit.

This isnt 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.
Help India!

By TCN News

At the stroke of midnight Jamia Students are leading a massive protest against the administration at Jamia Millia Islamia university and while the concerned authorities are no where to be seen. The protests erupted following the intrusion of Delhi police personnels and some unknown people in plainclothes within the hostel premises. The proctor and the provost of Boys hostel who visited the protesting students stated that they had no information about any such surprise raid as it is being reported by a section of media. However, the same media reports are categorically mentioning that the Jamia administration says it was a routine exercise. The students who reside in the hostels are contradicting the administrations claim of being in no knowledge of the so-called surprise raids as they were warned by their care-takers that there will be a raid or search soon.

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The proctor and the Provost along with other university officials came and assured the students that they are writing a letter to the DCP of Delhi police urging him to take cognisance of the matter and inquire into it. The students demand that the university officials shall call a press conference and tell the media that how without their permission the Delhi police entered the hostel premise. The students have vowed not to disperse from the main gate of the university as a mark of protest until the administration acts on the demands of the protesting students.

The students are articulating this incident with the larger attacks by the cohorts of this government and its various institutions upon universities and students. This incident has raised a plethora of question among students of the university. This institution on account of being a minority institution has been a target of this government and the party in power. Why only Jamia comes under the scanner? Why not such surprise raids in the premises of Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Ambedkar University and scores of private institutions located in the NCR region? What makes Jamia, its hostel and students so suspicious elements that Delhi police needs to intrude into the premise without taking prior permission?

We students of Jamia Millia Islamia donot wish to be misquoted or misrepresented into the media therefore we take the onus upon ourselves to spread our word and request all democratic and progressive forces to stand with us.


Help India!

By Amit Kumar, TwoCircles.net

Amreli, Gujarat: Yusuf Ghaffar, a man in his 50s, sipped his tea, as he watched a dozen or so young men, all from his village of Rajula, of district Amrel converge at an intersection. One held a framed photo of Babasaheb Ambedkar, the others merely stood, waiting for a cavalcade to arrive in the town. A few metres away from the bunch of excited youth, half a dozen local Muslims stood in proximity, watching in turn these youths. A minute later, the youth holding the photo took a few steps to his left, spoke briefly for a minute to one of the Muslims. The next minute, the Muslims had joined the youth, and with more than 20 in number, the youths rally call sounded all too familiar: Jai Bhim, Jai Bhim!

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This is for the rally. Dalit rally, said Ghaffar.

It is our rally too Bhai, said Imran, a much younger man, sipping his tea and breaking into a smile.

In Savarkundla, a day before the rally in Rajula, people at the local Mosque had completed their evening prayers and stood waiting eagerly. For Mohammed Salman, a 19 year old student who was visiting home (he studies in Baroda), this was a day he had been waiting for the past week. It is good they are coming after 6 pm. Otherwise I would have to consider skipping Namaz in order to join the rally, he said. As the Dalit Asmita rally entered the streets of Savarkundla, a sea of people emerged from the Mosque, merging with the protesters. Dalit Muslim Bhai Bhai!!! thundered across the town.

Bade maze ki baat hai, Dalit Muslim saath hai echoed through the dusty town, and it was impossible to not break into a smile upon hearing this.





Dalit Muslim unity-Photo courtesy: Pratik Sinha



The brutalities of cow vigilantes, and of Hindu right-wingers, hardly need an introduction for the Muslims. Whether it is in UP, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, in the the last two years the Muslims have been at the receiving end. But on July 10, as four Dalit men were stripped and paraded by these cow vigilantes in Una, Gujarat for killing a cow (the men were skinning a dead cow), the tide turned. The video, recorded and shared by the perpetrators, angered the Dalits to no end; and as they decided to protest, they found an unlikely ally in the Muslim population of Gujarat.

We were angry anyway, but never had the courage to protest. They (Dalits) took up the matter, and we joined in because otherwise this issue also would have been brushed under the carpet. says Ghaffar, who is his 50s. He says this is the first time that he has seen Dalits and Muslims protest together in the state against their common enemy: the BJP and its increasingly vast, extended-and-unruly family. At the last count, this family, the first in the family of overzealous patriots included people who want death punishment for cow slaughter to people who believe that putting a layer of cow dung on your cellphone prevents radiation.

But before we understand why it has taken so long for Dalits and Muslims to come together, it is important to understand how the seeds of mistrust sown by Hindu right-wingers have worked in Gujarat over the past two decades. In 2002 riots, especially in Ahmedabad and Baroda, a number of attacks carried on Muslims was by Dalits. Jayesh Solanki, a member of the Una Dalit Atyachar Ladak Samiti (UDALS) says post the traumatic events in 2002, there was zero trust between these communities even though at least in big cities, they lived as neighbours. I remember, whenever I used to compare the situation of the Dalits and the Muslims, a number of Dalits would raise objection, saying that they were different, and that they (Dalits) too were also Hindus. The collapse of Ambedkarite politics and ideology, coupled with the strong rise of RSS, meant that these two communities had drifted apart, he says.

Shamshad Pathan, a member of the Jan Sangharsh Manch and one of the most recognisable faces from the Dalit Asmita Yatra, says that the Una incident has uncovered the mask of Hindu right-wingers. They have shown that they will spare no one. The brazenness of the attacks, coupled with the video being made, and the lack of police activity, showed the Dalits that there was no difference between them and Muslims. Similar attacks had happened on Muslims across the country, and now Dalits were attacked, he said.

Calls of Hindu Muslim unity assumed Dalits were Hindus

It was the common thread of being marginalised, attacked and ignored by the state set-ups, that proved to the protesters that if they wish to make their voices heard, they had to garner support from as many people as possible. One of the first things that was decided during the meeting of UDALS that instead of chanting Hindu Muslim Bhai Bhai, we will chant Dalit Muslim Bhai Bhai. Solanki explains, In the past fourteen years, there have been several attempts at Hindu Muslim unity by a number of NGOs. However, when you say Hindu Muslim unity, you ignore the basic tenet of caste, and apart from that, it also assumes that Dalits are Hindus. However, we did not want that. We wanted to make it clear that we are Dalits, and that Muslims are our fellow brothers, who have also been systematically marginalised and denied of their rights.

According to Pathan, the call for Dalit Muslim unity is as much as a social call as a political call. Dalits are about 8% of the population while Muslims are about 10% of the population. It is only when these two communities combine that their strength becomes visible, he says.

Subodh Parmar, convener of the UDALS and a fiery young leader, says that before Una, such a rally, with Dalits and Muslims marching together and shouting slogans like Gujarat Model Haaye Haaye was unimaginable. You would have been considered a crazy guy if you had suggested this idea. But now, look! he says, pointing to photographs of Muslims and Dalits holding hands, marching for their rights. Una has made the impossible come true, but now we must continue on this path and ensure that this alliance, this brotherhood, does not end with the rally. If anything, we need to work harder among the two communities, he says.
Help India!

By Amit Kumar, TwoCircles.net

(The following is a first-person account of a youth from Amreli district)

Support TwoCircles



Amerli, Gujarat: My name is Sagar Bagada. I am 18 years old, and unemployed. Due to financial constraints, I never studied after school. I want to work, but I am not sure what I can do. I tried working in Rajkot, but after three months I had a fight with one of my fellow workers who was from outside Gujarat. One day, I just ran away from work.

I saw the video of the Una incident on a friends phone. I have never been so angry in my life for something that did not affect me directly: I do not know the victims personally, but it did not matter. They were our Dalit brothers who were doing a dirty job so that the others can live a more comfortable life. Ever since then, I have been angry. I want to break the hands of the people who did this. When I was in school, people from all castes ate and sat together, but once I came out of school I understood that you will always be judged by your caste. The police watched silently; which shows that they dont care if Dalits get attacked. I want to beat up the police.

For the past week, we have been waiting eagerly for the rally (Dalit Asmita Yatra) to arrive to our village, Aambardi. In our village, there are quite a few Dalit houses. My house is close to the place where you guys had lunch. We are all coming to Una. Our village has no issues between Dalits and Muslims and we have always lived peacefully and our elders say that even during 2002, our village was peaceful. I have no memories of that time, as I was very young. I believe strongly that Dalit and Muslims can work together. If we can live together, do business regularly, then why not fight for same rights?

My parents have always followed Babasaheb Ambedkar and I was also taught to follow him. I have not read his works; but my parents tell me that he always fought for our rights. This T-shirt I am wearing is one of my favourites. A number of my friends in Rajula (neighbouring village) have also got the same and we wear it with pride. The best thing I like about Babasaheb is that he asked us to never touch dead cattle. Why should only Dalits do this? Why cant others too do this? Our generation will make sure that we never do this job again.

There is so much technology, but Dalits still need to get inside gutters to clean them. Why? I also took the pledge today when Sureshbhai Parmar asked us to never touch dead cattle again. Did you see a cowshed outside the lane? That is actually a bus stop, but currently a terminally ill cow lives in it. When it dies, I will ensure that no Dalit disposes the body. I agree with Jigneshbhai and what he said the other day: They can keep the cows tail with them, we will keep land. Until we have land, we will never be respected.

I will be coming to Una with loads of friends; I will be wearing the same T-shirt and will be carrying a framed picture of Babasaheb. He is the reason why today, we can ask for our rights. But at the same time, despite him putting so much effort for us, we are still fighting against caste. I want to get a job in Gujarat, so that I can stay close to home. I want to see what happens when 1 lakh Dalits come together to protest against state government. We will make sure that this is the biggest rally ever in Una.

I will come with the photo of Babasaheb on my T-shirt and his photo frame in hand. I am coming with about 60 other people. Will you be there too?
We all have heard about honor killings and have read horrifying cases of the same, but we rarely hear story of a celebrity honor killing. As shocking as it might sound, Pakistani model Qandeel Baloch was shot dead by her own brother as reports suggest.

Qandeel shot dead by her own brother

The 26 year old model cum actress was shot dead on Friday night at central district of Multan, Pakistan. Initial reports online suggest that her brother Wasim shot her and fled the scene immediately.

Reports claim that she died due to strangulation and she was receiving threats from her family pressurizing her to leave the glamour industry.

Qandeel Balochs real name was Fouzia Azeem and she had changed her name while stepping into the movie and modeling industry.

It is also reported online that her brother used to threaten her even on her social media sites like Facebook where Qandeel used to share care free pictures and posts which seem to always anger her family.

Qandeel had filed a complaint recently

Interestingly just three weeks ago she had filed a complaint with the Federal Investigation Authority of Islamabad and had requested them to provide her Security as she felt vulnerable and threatened. She had mentioned in her complaint that she was receiving threatening calls and the fact that she did not have any security at her residence.

Qandeel was famous for her bold posts on Facebook and her unapologetic selfies which her followers loved the most about her. Apparently she was so bold that her pictures even resulted into Ruet-e-Hilal committee member Mufti Qawis suspension.

Honor Killings becoming a menace in Pakistan

Honor Killings have been on a rise in Pakistan and Qandeels case only goes ahead to prove that a strict punishment for the same has become the need of the hour for the same.

Shockingly a law based on Islamic Shariah allows the victims family member to forgive the killer and they always use this way out since forgiveness is easily received as the killer in case of honor killings belongs to the same family as the victim.
Dr. Patricia Risso discusses Middle Eastern architecture and how ancient Islamic regimes in the Middle East used architecture to convey impressions of their wealth and power.

The Albuquerque International Association will host a talk on Middle Eastern architecture, presented by Dr. Patricia Risso of UNM.

Islamic regimes in the Middle East used architecture to convey impressions of their wealth and power. This talk will look at the Umayyad Kingdom's Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (late 7th c.), the Mamluk Sultanate's Hasan Mosque in Cairo (14th c.), the Ottoman Aya Sophia in Istanbul (15th c.), and the Safavid Shah Mosque complex in Isfahan (early 17th c).

Dr. Patricia Risso is Professor of History at the University of New Mexico and teaches courses on the Middle East, South Asia, and a seminar on Muslims in Europe. Her M.A. and Ph.D. are from the Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University, Montreal. Her research interests are cultural and economic contacts between India and the Middle East during the early modern period.

Lecture: $15/Albuquerque International Association Members, $20/Non-Members; Students (under 26) with ID  Free. You can pay on-line with credit card at www.abqinternational.org or at the door (cash and check only).By mail: Please address checks to AIA and mail to AIA, PO Box 92995, Albuquerque, NM 87199 by August 12.


Chinese-African Youth Exchange Program kicks off in Kenya Updated: 2016-08-11 19:53 By Liu Hongjie in Nairobi(chinadaily.com.cn)

Participants of the ceremony take a photo. [Photo by Liu Hongjie/chinadaily.com.cn]

"Learning Chinese makes us understand Chinese culture better, introduces more Chinese friends and brings more job opportunities to us," said student Tabitha from the Confucius Institute at Nairobi University at the opening ceremony of the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese-African Youth Exchange Program on August 10, 2016.

About 50 college and university students and their teachers from China and Kenya attended the ceremony held in Nairobi University.

Addressing the ceremony, Li Hongyu, deputy director of Asian and African Affairs office of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, said she hoped youth representatives from both countries can learn from each us, achieve progress hand in hand, grow to be envoys of Sino-African culture exchanges and bridges between China and Africa.

Professor Njeru, principal of College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Nairobi University, said that in addition to successfully fulfilling the task of teaching Chinese, the Confucius Institute has also held many activities to promote youth exchanges between China and Kenya, enhance their friendship and thus contribute a lot to the cooperation and development between China and Kenya and even the whole Africa at large.

Professor Mbeche, deputy Vice-Chancellor of the university, expressed his gratitude to the support from Chinese government and the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing, adding that after more than a decade's joint efforts, Kenyans are not unfamiliar with China and can appreciate Chinese culture. He is also the local director of the Confucius Institute at Nairobi University.

Organized by Beijing Language and Culture University and the Confucius institute, the youth exchange program was sponsored by the Confucius Institute Headquarters and the Chinese Follow-up Committee of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. In the next three days, participants of the program will tour the Kenyan Ministry of Education, visit Kenyan traditional craft workshops, and attend wildlife conservation practices among other activities.
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Regular visits by tourists to the Thanh Toan Museum have proven the success of a community-based model, which helped a well known cultural location to become even more popular.

by Phuoc Buu

A museum that displays farming tools and lies beside the famed Thanh Toan roof-tiled bridge has received over 24,000 visitors over the past six months.

The head of the cooperative running tourism services for the museum, Tran Cong Phu, said visitors were happy to learn about traditional Vietnamese farming techniques and were able to practise them in a rice field.

The museum was set up by the efforts of the local community and serves as an excellent example of community management of a cultural site.

According to Tran Duy Chien, 66, one of the 35 farmers who lent a hand in setting up the museum, locals wanted something traditional to introduce to tourists who visit their village, besides the ancient wooden bridge.

More importantly, this [the museum] is for the whole community; for older generation to look back upon, and for young people to learn about the past, he said.

Unique structure: View of the Thanh Toan roof-tiled wooden bridge. VNS Photos Phuoc Buu

In the middle of November last year, villagers at Thanh Thuy Chanh Village, where the museum is based, joined hands to build the museum, aiming to display farming tools that were used in the past.

The work was done in consultation with, and with technical assistance from, country staff from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Thirty-five locals fixed, cleaned and reorganised farming tools gathered from houses that had been organised for an exhibition in 2014, and made a museum from the collection.

Visitors now get a chance to learn how the soil was prepared by water buffalo-powered ploughs and rakes, and how rice saplings were replanted. They see how to separate the rice from the plant and how to blow away the husks using manual tools.

They can also examine bamboo boats and handmade fishing tools. Fishing and hunting amphibians were another key means of living in this rural area in the past.

Villagers donated old farming tools, bamboo household utensils, earthen rice bowls and other things that reminded them of a past life that is now largely gone.

Old practises: The older Ho Thi Vui teaches a girl how to separate rice using bamboo tools. VNS Photo Nguyen Quy

The museum took about six months to set up in an atmosphere that the villagers described as a joyful festival.

The younger generation joined in with the work showing their deep respect for their villages traditions. Few villages can keep up the easy rural life like my home village and we are proud to participate in this work, said Phu, 27, a bachelor of economics.

Life behind the villages bamboo bushes is peaceful and musical, with mothers singing folk songs to send their children to sleep. Stories of a persons life are told in an area of the museum with a bamboo cradle, bamboo bed, costumes and other items used in traditional weddings.

Ho Thi Vui, a local, said she would love to perform folk songs that were sung in the past while farming, doing housework and taking care of children. She would entertain visitors with delight and pride, she said.

The villagers are extremely proud that they have been able to make the village a charming rural destination in Hue, and are able to entertain visitors with their idyllic traditions.

Legendary bridge

In 1776, the village was bestowed with a uniquely roof-tiled wooden bridge, a gift from a native who had to travel far away for marriage. The bridge freed locals from both sides of the waterway from the risks of travelling over the water, and also gave the village a charm that mirrored the clean water of the canal.

For centuries, the bridge was appraised as one of the most complicated wooden spans in the country and is considered as beautiful as its sister Japanese-styled bridge in Hoi An.

City dwellers today take holidays to the bridge for Lunar New Year and enjoy playing traditional games at the same time.

The village also has some colourful characters including poetess known as O Kinh. She is a normal lady who sells drinks, but she has become famous locally for her poems about the beauty of the bridge and her love of the village.

Yes, the locals take much pride in their bridge, and now they have added to it with their museum. VNS
Journalist Nguyen Thuy Linh of VTC News registered as an organ donor after several brushes with death, drawing public praise. She spoke with Le inh Viet about her decision.

Organ donation in Viet Nam is still very rare due to the Asian tradition that one should die in ones original body without any cuts". Nguyen Thuy Linhs decision has drawn the admiration and respect of the public.

Inner Sanctum: Was it difficult to make the decision to donate your organs?

I have escaped death twice and have experienced lifes ups and downs. I realise that life is a circle and that we should look out for each other.

I think I have been very lucky in my life, so donating my organs was an appropriate choice. If one day I am unlucky enough to end up brain dead, my organs could save several many other people.

When I was 15, I had a deadly encounter while helping my mother sell food at a shop. I often sat near the wall, but on that occasion, when I stood up to leave, the shops wall suddenly collapsed, injuring the middle-aged woman who had been sitting next to me. She suffered a serious brain injury.

If I had been unlucky that time, I would not be here to tell you about it.

On another occasion, one summer, my friend asked me to go swimming with her. Once in the water, she started drowning. I tried to rescue her, but she held onto me so tightly that I was sure we would both drown. At the time, I thought I was going to die, so I tried to picture my family for the last time. But someone rescued us.

It was a chance occurrence, but I have always believed that there is an intangible connection between people.

Inner Sanctum: Can you tell us more about what led you to this decision, which has had a far-reaching impact on the community?

As part of my job, I was assigned to cover health issues. Fate led me to this decision.

My job is to stay in close contact with hospitals and patients. Every day, I have witnessed patients, particularly children with cancer, struggling to survive from one second to the next. Seeing these children at the threshold of death, looking to me to save them, broke my heart.

I wanted to do something to help them. I tried my best to ask for help and seek donors. I was very happy when people helped me because it meant a seriously ill patient could be saved.

Sometimes, the patient would die by the time funding arrived, which was very upsetting.

Inner Sanctum: Could you tell us about the incident that most impressed you?

One of the stories that has haunted me to date is that of a student named Nguyen Quang Khanh. He was diagnosed with cancer in his leg. He was very poor and could not buy health insurance, so my editorial office and Ha Noi Social Insurance banded together to help him get a health insurance card. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived to give him the card, his cancer had spread widely, and the doctors had to cut out the spreading tumour.

One doctor told us that Khanhs leg would need to be amputated, and they could not guarantee that he would survive.

I was very sad and tried to spend a lot of time with him. But he died a short time later.

Khanhs mother gave me a small purse of money, telling me she had received it from donors, but now that her son was no longer alive, she wanted me to give it to other needy patients.

Inner Sanctum: Any reactions from your parents, husband and children about your decision?

It was very difficult for me to tell them about my decision. After registering to donate my organs at the National Regulating Centre for Transplanting of Human Organs, Dr Nguyen Hoang Phuc, deputy director of the centre, told me to talk it over with my parents, husband and children and then return to the centre to complete the official registration.

After hearing the news over the phone, my mother said she started trembling, as she was deeply afraid of the donation process.

I had to explain it to her repeatedly. Finally, she said, You should do it if you think it is right. I know very well that my mother was afraid because the Vietnamese have a tradition that one should die with ones original body (without any organs being removed), but more importantly, she loves me deeply.

After speaking with my mother, I talked to my husband about my decision.

Fortunately, my husband agreed because he has a progressive mindset and respects my decision.

My two children have inherited my sense of compassion. Each time I tell them about someones miserable circumstances, my children often ask me to donate their money (from their own savings) to the person in need.

But it was not easy to talk to them about my decision to donate my organs. I had to tell them stories about seriously ill patients who are desperately in need of an organ transplant. They will die if they do not receive the necessary organ transplantation. I asked my children how they would feel if I was facing a similar situation. My elder daughter turned away. To calm them, I told them about a 20-year-old man in HCM City who had died in an accident. His corneas, kidneys, liver and heart were used to save six other people.

Finally, my children agreed with my decision.

Despite this, when I brought home the donation card last June, my children were still in tears, saying they didnt like the card and only wanted me, their mother. -VNS
Brought up in an orphanage, Francis Van Hoi, a 65-year-old German of Vietnamese origin, knows what its like to be disadvantaged and poor as a child.

After moving to Germany when he was 23, Hoi made a good living but decided it was time to do something for his native land, especially for talented children whose families cannot afford school tuition.

So, he set up the Andre Mai Sen Vocational School where disadvantaged kids receive free tuition and accomodation while learning how to cook and serve Western dishes.

Besides cooking, the students attend English courses at the school located in Binh Thanh District. After graduation, they receive international certificates to work at home or abroad, or they can choose to work at the Mai Sen Bistro on 56 Nguyen Van Lac Street.

Hoi, who covers all costs for the 105 trainees, says that teaching professional skills is easy but bringing the students up as good citizens with high moral standards is more challenging.

During the first two weeks of enrollment, the students are required to work odd jobs such as washing dishes and toilets. The goal is to start with easy tasks that lead to more demanding ones, Hoi says.

Y Mui, a 19-year-old trainee from the Ba Na ethnic minority group, says he was thrilled about being accepted at the school.

We know that Mr Hoi is demanding because he wants us to reach adulthood.

Soon, however, the building where the school is housed will be demolished and Hoi will have to find another site.

"I believe that someone else with a good heart will later replace me to manage the school and help the disadvantaged children, Hoi says. VNS
The oil ministry has drawn up plans to provide piped in and around the metropolis over the next three years for which a Rs 12,000-crore investment has been earmarked, Petroleum and Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.

"Kolkata will get piped for cooking. Concrete plans have been made to set up the Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline which will require an investment of Rs 12,000 crore", Pradhan told reporters at the launch of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).

He said that 40 per cent of the cost would be borne by the union government and the rest 60 per cent by state-owned GAIL.

Pradhan said that laying of the 2000-km pipeline from Jagdishpur to Haldia would help in the industrial development of West Bengal.

He said that the oil ministry was in touch with the West Bengal government in this regard. "The West Bengal government is cooperating with the Centre", he said.

The proposed pipeline would help the fertiliser plants in states through which it would pass, namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

India was also setting up an LNG terminal at Dhamra in Odisha for proposed supplies to Bangladesh.

To meet the domestic requirement of LNG, he said that bookings had been already made from the US, Australia, Mozambique, Iran, Qatar and British Columbia.

"The total LNG handling capacity in both the eastern and western coasts of the country would go up to 50 mtpa, besides there will growth in domestic supplies", he said.
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.
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.
DREW MICKLE has been promoted at Veridian Credit Union to branch manager at the credit unions first Omaha branch. A resident of Council Bluffs, formerly of Waterloo, he has been employed at Veridian for four years, most recently as a loan officer at the credit unions Council Bluffs branch. Hes a graduate of the University of Iowa with a bachelors degree in management and marketing.

ERICA HOLLINGSWORTH and ANDREA MAGNUSON have been promoted at CBE Companies to supervisor, operations. They both have been with CBE since 2014.

DR. BENJAMIN SQUIRES of Spragg, Squires & Wirth Family Dentistry in Waterloo has been promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Air National Guard. Squires serves as the base dental surgeon at the Iowa Air Base in Des Moines.

The following employees have joined the VGM Group. JAMISON HAMPTON, a recent graduate of Cedar Falls High School, joins VGMs Fulfillment division. JEFF HICKEY also joins VGMs Fulfillment division as a reporting specialist. He previously was with Target. JOSE QUINONES, a NePaul and SIU graduate, is a programmer for VGMs IS Department. DAN ETRINGER comes to VGM as a bindery technician for VGMs Strategic Imaging division. He previously was at Pioneer Graphics.

NISHANTHA RANDUNU has joined DISTek Integration as a software engineer. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and a master of science in physics. He also received his B.S. in engineering physics from University of Colombo in Sri Lanka. Randunu worked as an adjunct instructor at Florida Atlantic University.

TOM VEISETH, ARNP, has joined Wheaton Franciscan HealthcareIowa in their Covenant Clinic Orthopedics office in Cedar Falls. Veiseth, of Cedar Falls, received his BSN from Allen College and his MSN as a family nurse practitioner from Allen College. He has worked for Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare since 2014.

MICHELE WHEELER of Waverly has joined the Accel Group as an investment adviser representative. A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Wheeler has 16 years of experience in the industry.
WATERLOO  The American Red Cross urges blood donors to give in the final weeks of summer to help overcome a critical summer blood shortage.

The summer months are among the most challenging times of year to collect enough blood and platelet donations to meet patient needs, it said. Many regular donors delay giving while they take vacation and participate in summer activities.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Iowa Libertarians believe there is a silver lining to the 2016 presidential race featuring two highly unpopular major-party candidates.

Iowans dont like either major-party candidate, said Keith Laube, Libertarian Party of Iowa chairman. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are so disconnected from the American public that people are looking for another option.

If 2016 is the year people vote for the candidate, not the party, Laube is optimistic that a better-than-ever showing by the Libertarian presidential candidate in November will help establish the party as a viable alternative to two-party gridlock.

The Newton civil engineer thinks the Libertarian ticket of former GOP governors Gary Johnson of New Mexico and William Weld of Massachusetts will appeal to Iowa voters who are Libertarian at heart (because) they dont want to pay a lot of taxes and they want government to be efficient, but at the same time, they dont want to lose their freedoms.

The challenge may be to change voting habits, said Chris Larimer, who teaches political science at the University of Northern Iowa.

Regular voters who identify with a political party are going to have a hard time overcoming their partisan loyalties, Larimer said.

Laube acknowledges its hard to get people to go outside their boundaries. However, voting for the best candidate, the candidate who is best for me and my community, is the only way to get good people in office.

Even if the Johnson-Weld ticket doesnt win, Laube believes it will help the state party achieve practical and incremental goals. If Johnson-Weld can get at least 2 percent of the Iowa vote, Libertarians will be recognized by the Iowa Secretary of State as a political party rather than as a non-party political organization (NPPO). In short, Libertarians will be treated like the Democratic and Republican parties.

That would give us a lot of credibility, said Jake Porter, a new business consultant from Council Bluffs, who is a 2018 Libertarian candidate for governor. It would make things more interesting.

Johnson isnt on the Iowa ballot yet, but Marco Battaglia, a campaign volunteer who worked on campaigns for Barack Obama and both Ron and Rand Paul, said the candidate has the 1,500 signatures needed. Volunteers hope to get at least 2,200 before submitting the petition to the Secretary of State.

Iowa Libertarians are having a banner year. Laube, public works director for the city of Newton who is running for the Jasper County Board of Supervisors, and Porter expect to have at least 28 candidates for president, Congress and the Iowa Legislature.

Libertarians, who Laube explains favor a fiscally conservative and socially accepting platform, have been making slight gains in recent elections. The partys run more candidates and seen their share of vote increase since 2000 when Libertarian presidential candidate Harry Browne received 3,209 votes in Iowa or 0.24 percent. It dipped to 2,992 votes in 2004 before rising to 4,950 votes, 0.32 percent, in 2008.

The high water mark was 2012 when Johnson received 12,926 or 0.81 percent of the Iowa vote total. Still, thats far from the 2 percent needed for Libertarians to be recognized as a political party.

Were a growing party, Laube says, pointing to the number of Libertarians candidates and about 10 active county party organizations. We have a long ways to go. This is a small piece, but thats how grass fires start.

Electing a couple of Libertarian candidates would be a big help, Laube says. He hopes that happens this year.

Given how disliked Trump and Clinton are, University of Iowa political scientist Tim Hagle says 2016 would seem the opportune time.

Unfortunately, he adds, Johnson isnt very charismatic and really isnt taken seriously by some on the right.

Johnson might be able to break through in the coming 80-plus days or an outside event  and economic downturn or terrorist event  might shake up the race, Hagle says.

As much as some argue that there really arent that many truly undecided voters in presidential elections, I think that percentage is much higher this time because of the flaws in the two major party candidates, he says.

Even if Johnson breaks through it may not translate to down-ballot races, said Barbara Trish, chairwoman of the political science department at Grinnell College.

Even if Libertarian candidates get on the ballot, voters are very willing to split their ticket, so a draw in the presidential contest may not translate into a Libertarian vote at the state legislative level, she says.
WATERLOO  Requests for city hotel-motel tax funds are up for consideration this week.

Waterloo City Council members will be asked Monday to approve three grants from a pot of money generated by a 7 percent surtax on overnight lodging rooms.

While the bulk of the roughly $1.2 million annual revenue generated by the tax supports the Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center, a portion is set aside to help local tourism and quality-of-life events and attractions.

The latest requests include $11,000 for the Cedar Valley SportsPlex for marketing expenses; $7,500 for the Aspire therapeutic riding programs Night of the Horse event at McElroy Auditorium on Sept. 24; and $5,000 for Union Missionary Baptist Churchs Crusaders drill team.

Chief Financial Officer Michelle Weidner said there is $143,500 available in the hotel-motel tax discretionary fund.

Other scheduled council business includes:

A request from Lamar Advertising for a site plan amendment to construct a digital billboard at 2010 Sears St., which has been recommended for denial by the Planning, Programming and Zoning Commission and opposed by Crossroads Center Mall management.

Spending $68,250 to buy more replacement garbage carts from Toter Inc. of Statesville, N.C.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday in the council chambers on the second floor of City Hall.
Our struggle is to bring social, political, and economic justice to our nation. This is an effort of the Chicano/Mexican American Digital History Project. https://sites.google.com/site/chicanodigital/
One of the most unintentionally revealing moments of Hillary Clintons campaign so far came during her recent, unconvincing explanation of the email affair: I may have short-circuited it and for that I ... ah ... you know, will try to clarify.

Most of the resulting ridicule has focused on the short-circuited portion of the statement, which seems a particularly gentle euphemism for prevarication. But it is the later portion of her quote that exposes a serious political disability: an ingrained, almost automatic recourse to guile.

The moment really should be watched in order to be properly appreciated. Clinton launches her sentence with, I may have short-circuited it and for that... If this were an SAT question, the natural completion would be ... and for that I sincerely apologize. Clinton looks like she is headed in that direction, but stops herself. The result  and for that I ... ah ... you know, will try to clarify.

Then she proceeds with the opposite of clarification: I have acknowledged repeatedly that using two email accounts was a mistake. And I take responsibility for that. But I do think having him (FBI Director James Comey) say that my answers to the FBI were truthful and then I should quickly add what I said was consistent with what I had said publicly. And thats really sort of, in my view, trying to tie both ends together.

The complexity of Clintonian knots is one reason only 34 percent of Americans in a recent poll judge her honest and trustworthy. In the email scandal we have seen deceptions used to cover deceptions; then a minimalist apology, filled with caveats, which themselves must be revised; and then a fuller apology, long after it appears cynical and forced.

It is amazing how many problems are caused, in politics and in life, by an inability to sincerely apologize.

I am not referring here to the harder and richer form of apology and forgiveness required, say, in post-genocide Rwanda or post-apartheid South Africa. In such cases, the public acceptance of guilt by wrongdoers, the expression of regret, the recognition of terrible harm, allow whole societies to affirm a new set of moral norms and begin the process of healing. I have met Rwandans who live peacefully on the same street with people who murdered their family members. Such forgiveness, when you encounter it, is heroic. It is, as political theorist Hannah Arendt argued, the only reaction which does not merely re-act but acts anew and unexpectedly.

No, my concern is public apology in a normal, everyday political setting. Some people find the whole process to be bunk. But forgiveness is the only force that allows flawed men and women to change their minds and reconstruct their lives on firmer ground. It preserves the possibility of moral progress. For most of us, getting what we truly deserve  appealing to standards of justice alone  would not be pleasant. We know we should show forgiveness to others because we so often have need of it ourselves.

When an official makes a sincere apology, it can paradoxically improve his or her public standing. The authentic admission of wrong involves a type of courage. It shows vulnerability and humanity.

The qualities that turn people into successful politicians  self-confidence, ambition, persistence, thick skin  seem to work against them in situations that require humility and genuine self-criticism. Those virtues, by any historical standard, are dramatically lacking in the 2016 presidential nominees.

Clinton seems to have drawn all the wrong lessons from a lifetime of scandal management. Her determination to avoid partisan scrutiny resulted in actions  keeping personal control of her emails and destroying a bunch of them  that have invited massive partisan scrutiny and confirmed pre-existing suspicions about her character.

The ritual of apology and forgiveness has an unavoidably moral root. It is inextricably linked, according to theologian L. Gregory Jones, to a commitment to change the behavior that would lead to a different way of life. A sincere apology can be redemptive. What Jones calls spinning sorrow is among the lowest of political acts.

When Clinton mouths the words I am sorry and surrounds them with a thick cloud of self-justification, we are only convinced she regrets being caught. Rather than making her look vulnerable and human, it makes her seem devious and supremely political. Does anyone really believe the Clinton way of politics has changed?

This is the American emergency: an acute shortage of public integrity at the highest level of our politics.
In the U.S. we have a military model we use to deal with enemies. We declare war on an adversary and begin military action. We mobilize troops and equipment and seek to gain territory, eventually driving them into surrender or oblivion. For decades we followed this plan and were reasonably successful. Following 9/11, George Bush declared war on terrorism and even though we do not have a formal declaration of war on ISIS, we have been using military force for quite some time.

We have made some progress in reducing ISIS strength, but its elimination is not in sight. With the exception of trying to turn part of Syria into a strict Islamic state, ISIS has little territory to lose. The Obama administration trumpets the occasional successful elimination of high-ranking ISIS leaders, but there is no shortage of fanatics to replace them. ISIS has little trouble recruiting soldiers and leaders in its army. Nonetheless, we will continue to battle them. This war has many of the characteristics of a traditional war: Soldiers, officers, a desire for territory. A major difference is ISIS really has no home country to be overcome and occupied. Victories over it are probably temporary, but at least some progress can be made.

The war on terror is another matter. First, we need to recognize this is a different kind of war. Simply because ISIS uses terror does not mean it is waging a terror war against the world. The attacks in Nigeria, Orlando and Nice were not done as part of an ISIS desire to acquire land or resources. Rather, they were done by individuals with almost no political desires and little if any connection to ISIS. These killings were undertaken for sick reasons by mentally ill people sowing terror for no reason other than perhaps revenge for some personal or religious slight. While these terrorists may have received encouragement and even training from ISIS, the reality is ISIS gains little practical advantage from these bombings. It could be argued ISIS is actually hurt because it creates more incentive for governments to act against it.

We must fight the terror war far differently than the ISIS war. If there is any logic to the actions of suicide bombers, it is their belief a reward awaits them in heaven. We do know this is a message delivered for unclear reasons by some Muslim clerics as well as secular leaders. This is where we need to focus our war on terror, not with weapons but with ideas. We need to enlist the support of the Islamic community and especially clerics to deliver the message killing innocent people is wrong and killers will suffer forever. It must be said loudly and often. Young, impressionable people need to know killing is not a path to a rewarding afterlife, and innocent people of other faiths are not infidels.

The war on terror will be a hard one to win. An important first step is to remove at least one incentive for terrorist activity. Killers should know killing innocents is always a sin, and any divine power will deal with it harshly.
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The sun was shining and historic German city of Regensburg was ready to welcome triathletes from all over the world to take on the inaugural Challenge Regensburg. But it would be home athletes, Germans Jan Rafael and Julia Viellehner that would take the victory.

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The race began with the 3.8km swim in Lake Guggenberger See before racing through the surrounding beautiful Bavarian countryside and the historic citys streets, which were filled with a party atmosphere.

#challengeregensburg #wechselzone2 #run A photo posted by Challenge Regensburg (@challengeregensburg) on Aug 14, 2016 at 4:26am PDT

British eyes were firmly on Joe Skipper who was hoping to win here after a fantastic performance at Challenge Roth two weeks ago where he broke the British Iron-distance record.

Sadly though a recent bout of food poisoning meant he wasnt at full strength and he exited the water eight minutes behind the leader Sebastian Veith. From then Skipper never troubled the leaders and decided to retire on the beginning of the run, saying he felt weak and decided to just enjoy the swim and bike.

The bike leg had a 1,500 metre elevation and took the athletes through the beautiful Bavarian Forest Nature Park, and by mid-day temperatures rose to 24C.

The first ascent began at 14km, where the athletes climbed to the highest point of the course at Brennberg. A fast descent and a long flat passage, which is only interrupted by a short climb at the southernmost point of the course, will allow athletes to speed up, before the course leads back towards Regensburg, before turning right at Donaustauf for the second bike lap which partly follows along the River Danube into Regensburg.

German Jan Rafael had a great T1 and started the bike leg in the lead, from then he never faulted. By the time he came to the run he had 13 minutes lead on fellow German Sebastian Neef and Chis Fischer from Denmark. However one KM into the run Fischer moved into second and started to gain on Rafael and at 36km mark was just 5 minutes behind but Rafael hung on for the victory, winning in 8:27:27 with Fischer taking 2nd in 08:31:30

The womens race was won by fellow German Julia Viellehner, Julia in a time of 09:37:32, with Erika Csomor from Hungary in 2nd and Sylvia Felt, also from Germany in third.

Katherin Walther from Germany led after the swim with fellow German Nicole Woysch, in second but after 60km on the bike Woysch took the lead until the run when Walther overtook her again. However this was the end of the two athletes dominance on the race, as after 6km Csomor took the lead and by 16km Viellehner had moved up to second, and had Csomor in her sights. At 21.7km she finally overtook her, in the end winning by 07:32 from Csomor.

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Check out the results of Challenge Regensburg here
Aug 14, 2016 | By Tess

A seemingly small scale 3D printing project recently launched in France has wonderfully demonstrated the dedication and efficiency of the maker community, showing how a collaborative 3D printing project can actually realize the impossible. French electronics retailer Boulanger recently reached out to French 3D printer network platform Freelabster to bring together makers from all over France for a simple, but specific 3D printing challenge.

Essentially, Boulanger challenged Freelabster to deliver 50 3D printed pieces to 9 of its stores throughout France. To make the task even more pressing, Boulanger requested that the orders be 3D printed locally and delivered by hand to the stores within a 24 hour period. If the task was completed, each maker who delivered the 50 pieces would be entitled to a 60 reward. Amazingly, and through much dedication on the part of Freelabster employees, and the French maker community, the challenge was a success and has demonstrated just how quickly and efficiently the maker community can be mobilized.

For the actual challenge, Boulanger had a specific order put out: makers were to print 50 pieces, which included 40 Pokeball chips, and 10 Pokemon Go launchers, adapted for three types of smartphone. According to Freelabster, it would take about 10 hours to print all of the pieces on a desktop 3D printer (a single print for the 40 chips, and 2 prints for the 10 launchers) so they had to spread the word quickly to their community of makers. The challenge was quickly posted on the Freelabster dashboards of all the platforms certified makers, was sent out through a newsletter to over 600 makers, and was SMSed to makers within the vicinity of one of the 9 stores.

Within an hour, replies were already coming in and Freelabster already had two of Boulangers nine stores checked off: in Mandelieu and Nimes. Next, makers volunteered in Paris, Rennes, Lyons, and Gennevilliers to take up the challenge. With only twelve hours left of the challenge, Freelabsters was still missing volunteers in Avignon, Toulon, and Caen, as no fab shops were opened in their vicinities. Fortunately, makers in neighbouring regions took up the challenge and were allowed to ship their pieces through Chronopost.

Amazingly, after many of the makers toiled through the night to have all the parts printed in time, each of Boulangers nine locations received their 3D printed package on time. As Freelabster points out: This event is not trivial, as it reflects new practices brought about by a number of web innovators and economic players. Collaborative 3D printing can allow local businesses to find their place within a larger network in a way that ensures strength.

That is, though the challenge of printing Pokeballs may not strike you as very significant, the whole process of mobilizing, printing, and locally delivering products shows just how much can be achieved through 3D printing networking and communities. Perhaps the next time a challenge like this takes place it will be for something much more significant.

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Nick Ripatrazone in The Millions:

In their new book Dead People, Morgan Meis and Stefany Anne Golberg complicate our understanding of the public action of eulogy. They offer eulogies for a unique cast, includingChinua Achebe, Osama bin Laden, Susan Sontag, and Kurt Cobain. Although the origin of the word eulogy is to speak well, Golberg and Meis interrogate that idea, and instead see how the death of a fellow human being can be the opportunity to enter into that persons life. The traditional Aristotelian method of eulogy is to step back and consider someones life from a distance. Instead, the authors of Dead People dig in: Weve chosen to wear our bias on our sleeve. Weve chosen to take these lives personally.

Golberg and Meis pen alternating eulogies, some of which were published previously as standalone essays. The result is a book that is very much an anthology. Dead People is not a single narrative, thesis-driven work of non-fiction. In fact, the writers introduction to the work is their only action of framing, which results in the book having many different entry points. You dont need to read Dead People front to back; its value lies within its stylish and substantive reconsideration of an ancient form.

A few entries can example how Meis and Golberg use eulogies as part prose-poems, part historical reconsiderations, and part philosophical treatises. The result is an intellectually entertaining and flexible book. Meis first considers the life of Christopher Hitchens, and consistent with his plan for the book, interrogates the man for his unflinching support of the Iraq war: Hitch could never say it. There was something greater at stake for him. There was something that he valued more deeply, in this case, than he valued the truth. Its a clever way to craft a portraiture of Hitchens, as a man whose morality could exist on some other plane.

More here.
Mihal Greener in Salon Books:

Happiness was the last thing on my mind when the Netherlands welcomed me with a cocktail of jet lag and neck pain. The jet lag subsided, but my neck still hasnt forgiven me for seven years of straining to make eye contact with the impossibly tall Dutch. As it turned out, it was hard to avoid reflecting on happiness in the Netherlands, especially when raising a family there. Dutch kids play without parents hovering, enjoy the fresh air while being transported around by bike and every Wednesday afternoon, when schools close early, parks are filled with Dutch dads hanging out with their kids on papadag  an unpaid, weekly daddy day. Combined with five weeks of paid annual leave and an expectation that families are home to eat dinner together, this seemed like bliss. Questions about the cost of this lifestyle only started a few years later when an expat father struck up a conversation at the local trampoline center. As we watched our children bounce, he readily shared his reasons for sending his children to an international school. At the top of his list was a belief that Dutch schools fail to instill ambition and dont push students to achieve. The question of my young childrens ambition levels had, at that point, never crossed my mind. Yet his frustration with the Dutch system made me question if producing happy kids was at the expense of ambition and achievement. What do we actually mean when we say that we just want our children to be happy?

Can it be a coincidence that the countries with the happiest children are those where both social welfare and a desire for conformity are prevalent? If a more egalitarian society is what it takes to produce happy children, is it a trade-off were willing to make? Even Partanen admits that, Many a Nordic citizen gazes at America with envy, wishing his or her uniqueness could be celebrated the way it would be in the United States. Add to this the question of whether happy children grow up to become happy adults, and perhaps we should start to ask ourselves if the focus on happiness is the right measure for a life well lived.

More here.
It's not easy running against a sitting member of the New York state Legislature, but Diane Dwire is up to the challenge.

Again.

Dwire, D-Camillus, is seeking to unseat Assemblyman Gary Finch, a Springport Republican, in the 126th Assembly District. The race is a rematch of the 2014 contest, which Finch won by 10 points  55 to 45 percent.

This time around, Dwire is hoping for a different result. One of the major differences between this race and two years ago is that it's a presidential election year. Democratic voter turnout tends to be higher in presidential election years, which can help Dwire and other challengers squaring off against longtime incumbents such as Finch.

Dwire's message in the 2016 campaign is the same: She wants to be a fighter for the people of the 126th District.

"I do not believe this district, this region, has gotten what they deserve," she said in an interview Friday. "I have stayed in contact with the people here ... I have really made additional contacts in Cortland and Chenango County. I've stayed visible."

The top issues on Dwire's platform include economic development, education and ethics reform. She supports a constitutional amendment making its way through the legislative process that would strip pensions from legislators who are convicted of public corruption.

Those issues aren't necessarily new for Dwire. While some of the specifics may have changed, she was talking about them on the campaign trail in 2014.

But one new issue for her is addressing the heroin epidemic. The growing problem of opioid abuse was still fairly new in 2014 and wasn't much of a campaign. Two years later, though, it's being talked about races at the local level and all the way up to the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Dwire, a retired nurse and public health official, said it's important to discuss prevention. Treatment is also key, but costs tend to get in the way of a solution to address the growing need for rehabilitation.

"What I've seen too often in public health, they turn around and they want to do outpatient," she said. "It doesn't work. I've been there. I've seen it back in the '70s. Didn't work then and it doesn't work now.

"People have to be in more of a controlled group and work on bringing themselves together. An addictive personality is just that  it's an addictive personality. You've got to be able to deal with that personality change and we've got to have mental health services clearly available."

If 2014 is any indication, the race between Dwire and Finch this year could be expensive.

During the last campaign, the candidates and their respective parties spent $1 million on the 126th District race. It was one of the more expensive legislative races in the state.

The same level of funds could be invested, especially if Democrats see the race as a potential pickup opportunity. That's how they viewed the race in 2014, when the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee spent more than $500,000 to support Dwire's campaign.

For now, Dwire has the financial advantage in the 126th District. In July, she reported raising $18,648.45 over the first six months of the year. Finch raised $11,365 during that same period.

Dwire has $22,042.50 in the bank, while Finch has $4,459.96.

The 126th Assembly District is comprised of portions of Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland and Onondaga counties.

The enrollment edge in the district goes to the Republicans. There are 31,365 active GOP voters and 25,385 active Democrats, according to the state Board of Elections.
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.
SKANEATELES  Black Brook Farm isn't new to Skaneateles, as it was part of the organic market organized by Holly Gregg and held outside the P&C Supermarket before Tops Friendly Markets bought the chain in 2010.

This was a highly functioning market for both vendors and customers, Kendra Porter said.

Porter and her husband, Paul, farm 10 acres of land on Rickard Road in Skaneateles and 200 acres in Seneca Falls. The Porters specialize in fingerling potatoes, micro greens, heirloom tomatoes, peppers and beans, and also grow shiitake and oyster mushrooms, as well as a few unusual ones like nameko.

The original Skaneateles market they attended in the P&C parking lot was successful because people could get all their shopping done in one spot, Porter said. There was a wealth of organic produce and locally raised products in the parking lot for customers to select from, and then they could go in the supermarket and finish shopping there.

The supermarket changed hands, and I had a baby, Porter said. Bronwyn, it's Welsh  it means beautiful.

Bronwyn is now 7, and is often with her parents at the Skaneateles Farmers Market in the Austin Park parking lot from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Like Lou and Merby Lego at Elderberry Pond Farm, the Porters feature certified organic produce. They have been certified since before the Food and Drug Administration got into certifying organic. It was much stricter before, Porter said.

Her idea was to find older varieties of fruits and vegetables that were no longer in the stores. Thats because the stores carry produce that is bred for better shipping and handling. Porter is more concerned with flavor.

"We work with other local farmers and seed companies, such as Fedco Seed out of Maine, and they purchase seeds from us, as well," she said.

Visit the Skaneateles Farmers Market, and you will see that Black Brook Farm's produce is beautifully displayed. One Saturday, fragrant magnificenza cantaloupes were sitting on crisp straw, while slim, curvy, bitter-less Asian eggplants were huddled together under a giant basket of dragon beans.

The farm's cantaloupes are open pollinated, meaning these are not a hybrid nor an heirloom. Porter has studied plants and seeds and propagation for years.

We've had a really positive reception at the market, she said. We try to be a happy place. Farming is a lifestyle.

Patience Brewster, a frequent Skaneateles Farmers Market shopper, said she loves Black Brook's organic philosophy.

"Not only do Kendra and Paul grow gorgeous and healthy fruits and vegetables, but they display them with an artists eye," Brewster said. "They offer up the story of their bounty from seed to plate. Little ice pillows and nests of straw keep the produce fresh, which in turn keeps nutrition at its peak. The heirloom heritage in the tomatoes, potatoes and corn is obvious. It glows in purity and flavor. Anyone will be better off for tasting these gems. You can feel the goodness going right into your cells.

Black Brook is a waterbody that runs through the family's property in Seneca Falls. It started with Porter's mother, Lani Kellogg, and her late father, Donald Robinson.

The original farm was certified organic 20 years ago and has been supplying the independent restaurants in that section of the Finger Lakes for years: Among them are Belhurst Castle in Geneva, Woody's Cafe in Canandaigua, Warfield's in Clifton Springs and the Red Dove Tavern in Geneva.

Before agreeing to take on a chef as a client, Porter makes it a point to meet them and find out their needs to make sure the farm will be able to supply the menu properly. She understands that the chef needs consistency in their ingredients.

We work with chefs and find out what they need and a particular volume, Porter said.

Recently, she started working with The Krebs' chef Jean Paul Lourdes. He is a Michelin-rated chef from New Zealand who worked in the perfume industry in Paris before becoming a chef.

He is an interesting chef to work with, as he keeps me on my toes, Porter said. Last week, he asked if I had any raw honeycomb.

She did in fact have the honeycomb, which can be harvested as soon as the bees cap the comb. The chef served it with a selection of cheeses.

Recently, she featured a rare variety of heirloom cherry tomato at the market.

"If there are a handful of people saving it, that would be a lot," she said. "It's a white cherry tomato saved by Edgar Allen Poe. And whoever was maintaining the estate, they found a volunteer."

A volunteer is a plant that comes up all on its own. It is a rare seed that has lain in the ground dormant, and then suddenly conditions are right for it to sprout. Poe had named this particular cherry tomato after his mother-in-law, Hopkins. It's a meaty little cherry with a big tomato flavor.

"The public wants to see where their food is coming from," Porter said, "and that is fantastic because they are the ones that are driving our sales upward."

Like many at the Skaneateles Farmers Market, Black Brook Farm is feeling the effects of the region's drought. The Porters have lost about 60 percent of their produce as a result. But Kendra hopes the support of their customers sees them through.

"Local support is what will make the difference between the community farms surviving this year to thrive again when conditions are better suited for farming."
It appears to be prize-winning season in the Albuquerque area.

Several residents from Placitas to Los Lunas warn that theyve gotten bogus letters about cash prizes that promise a reward to those who fill out a form and send in money.

The winnings vary widely. A Los Lunas woman said a mailing to her husband, who is deceased, said he was eligible to win $1.7 million. A Placitas mans supposed earnings were much less, at $7,146.

In the Los Lunas case, news of the award came from the Kennedy Report Center, which said it was an independent business that notifies people when they have won something. The Placitas man said his mailing claimed to be from Publishers Clearing House.

In both instances, the notifications and checks looked official, with watermarks and signatures.

Although getting an oversized check in the mail is tempting, throw it out if it asks you to send money upfront  whether its to cover fees or to process your so-called winnings. And dont give out your credit card nunber or other personal information.

Legitimate sweepstakes will never ask you to pay a fee to claim a prize, according to Publishers Clearing House.

The company, which sells magazine subscriptions and other merchandise, is best known for its sweepstakes. But it notifies people of their winnings in only one way, and thats the way you might have seen on TV or online: The prize patrol will come to your door complete with balloons and much enthusiasm, roses, champagne and a gigantic-sized check.

Those convenient, free Wi-fi services might not be worth it in the long run, particulary if you end up losing money to hackers.

A new survey shows that four out of 10 consumers use free Wi-Fi at least once a month. Among those doing so in the past six months, one-third made a purchase with a credit card, 37 percent banked online and more than 70 percent checked email and social media accounts.

Free networks often dont have adequte security protections, according to AARP, and that gives hackers the ability to gain access to credit card and bank account information as the consumer shops or conducts other financial transactions online.

The convenience of free Wi-Fi networks remains a great asset for surfing the internet or checking the news or the latest weather forecast, Frank Abagnale, of the AARP Fraud Watch Network, said in a statement. But consumers should never use unsecured Wi-Fi to log in to social media, engage in credit card transactions or do online banking.

A good rule is to avoid public Wi-Fi for any accounts or websites that require you to use a password. That holds true, even if the Wi-Fi itself needs a password. Thats because even though a password can help limit access to a network, it cant protect you from hackers on the same network who are seeking to view your online activity or gain access to unsecured accounts.

Hacking Wi-Fi these days is not the work of the master criminals seen in the movies, NCC Group technology expert Andrew Becherer told AARP. Tools to break Wi-Fi security are available for free or at very low cost and using them can be as easy as navigating a website.

No matter how convincing the email, it most likely is not the Securities and Exchange Commission trying to reach you.

The SEC is warning that those who have been victims of investment fraud are the targets for a double con. Bogus SEC agents are claiming to help you recover your earlier losses for a fee. The email theyre sending appears to come from the agency, with a copy of the SEC seal and forged signatures of real SEC officials. In another version, the imposters say theres been an SEC action or class-action settlement that means money for you. Theyll help you get it, they say, for a fee.

Dont be fooled, an SEC alert says. The government will never ask you to pay a fee to receive money from a settlement.

Ellen Marks is assistant business editor at the Albuquerque Journal. Contact her at emarks@abqjournal.com.
AT PAGE 1: Francie Healey will discuss her book Eat to Beat Alzheimers at 3 today.

Page 1 is at 5850 Eubank NE, Suite B-41, in the Mountain Run Center. Call 294-2026.

AT BOOKWORKS: Juan Blea will talk about 49 Tips & Insights for Understanding Addiction at 3 today.

Michelle Adam will sign Child of Duende at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16.

When 28-year-old German journalist Ingrid returns to her childhood home of Malaga, Spain, its to cover a remarkable story: On Senor Ramos vineyard, the vines are growing out of control.

Whats more, they appear to be bleeding. Can it possibly be true? Ingrid feels a mysterious connection to the increasingly strange events taking place in her hometown.

Elise Rosenhaupt will talk about Climbing Back: A Familys Journey Through Brain Injury at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18.

After her son, a Harvard sophomore, suffers a potentially devastating brain injury, Rosenhaupt and her family find their orderly world turned upside down. Climbing Back chronicles their extraordinary, transformative journey of realignment and recovery  illuminating mysteries and miracles large and small, laughters restorative power, and the natural worlds vital relationship to healing.

David Thurlo will sign Rob Thy Neighbor at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20.

Charlie Henry and his friends are enjoying a cookout on a relaxing Sunday afternoon. But when a gunshot rings out in the neighborhood, Charlie is abruptly brought back to a world hes all too familiar with.

Bookworks is at 4022 Rio Grande NW. Call 344-8139.

AT TREASURE HOUSE BOOKS & GIFTS: Melody Groves will discuss and sign her latest historical Western novel She Was Sheriff from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20.

Treasure House Books & Gifts is at 2012 South Plaza NW in Old Town. Call 242-7204.
The exploding popularity of craft beers has spurred interest in growing hops, the pale green flower cones that impart the distinctive bitterness and aromas prized by brewers.

Hops grown here in New Mexico are already sought after by home brewers in and out of state, a few local breweries and even some beer makers in Europe. However, brewers and growers say challenges remain before they can be grown on a large scale in this state.

So far, the main growing operation is at the remote Christ in the Desert Benedictine monastery near Abiquiu. Monks there are expecting their sixth harvest of hops in early September. The hops are a distinctive ingredient in their Monks Ales, which are sold through Abbey Brewing to customers around New Mexico, Colorado and Missouri.

They also sell the crop through a company called Holy Hops.

Theyre very much in demand from home brewers in New Mexico and around the country, said Holy Hops general manager Berkeley Merchant, a layman who lives in the monastery.

Merchant said theyve also shipped overseas to craft brewers in Spain, France, Germany and Ireland.

Last year, Victors Home Brew in Albuquerque began carrying Holy Hops among the many hop varieties it sells. Store owner Jens Deichmann said hes sold Holy Hops to local brewers, including Back Alley Draft House, which purchased some for its Ladrons Peak beer.

Taste and aroma

How much hops you use depends on the style of beer youre making and the type of hops, said Deichmann. He ventured that 2 to 3 ounces of hops would be typical for a five-gallon batch of pale ale style beer. IPA (India Pale Ale) style beers, which are currently all the rage, have a higher hop content.

Brewers often use several different types of hops to achieve the desired bitterness or aroma in a particular beer and the properties of individual hops vary with each harvest, just like wine grapes, said Deichmann.

Holy Hops sells its crop in 3-ounce quantities in vacuum-packed bags that must be kept in a freezer. The hops are dried whole leaves that require special handling to avoid plugging up equipment in the brewing process.

Large scale hop producers have machinery to compress their product into pellets that look like livestock feed. Most commercial breweries use hops in this form.

This is the main limitation for all breweries in New Mexico. There is nowhere in New Mexico to get (locally grown hops) pelletized, which is how most of them use them. You have to have a way to use the whole leaf, said Jeff Erway, president of Albuquerques La Cumbre Brewery.

Erway has bought Holy Hops and obtained some from a research project conducted by New Mexico State University near Farmington. He believe his brewery is the only one in the state that has invested in a specialized piece of equipment called a hopback that enables him to brew with whole leaves. He said La Cumbre has mainly used them in its State Fair Cream Ale, which he introduced in 2015 and is brewing again this year.

Cost challenge

The Neomexicanus varieties of hops the monks grow are from stock developed several years ago by Todd Bates, who experimented with breeding wild hops he found growing around Taos. Bates had hopes of farming hops on a commercial scale.

But the startup costs to install the trellis network needed for the climbing vinelike plants  20 to 30 feet tall  are high. Theres also the problem of harvesting the cone-shaped flowers. Without a machine that costs tens of thousands of dollars, it must be done by hand.

Picking hops by hand is laborious. To get a quarter pound takes forever, its like harvesting air, Bates said.

Currently, most commercial brewers get hops from long established growing operations in the Pacific Northwest that boast thousands of acres under cultivation. Bates eventually sold most of his stock to Eric Desmarais of CLS Farms in Moxee, Wash., which sells to well-known craft brewers like Sierra Nevada.

The California-based brewery that began producing beers in 1980 used the Medusa strain of Neomexicanus hops in its Sierra Nevada Harvest Wild Hop IPA released to markets nationwide in late 2014.

Bates also sold some of his hop rhizomes or root stock to the monastery and to RNV Enterprises, a Yakima, Wash., company that sells to home brewers.

Santa Fe Brewing Co. owner Brian Lock bought Neomexicanus rhizomes from RNV in 2014 and started a hop growing operation in Rinconada. So far, hes only had enough for a small batch of lighter beer. Lock hopes to harvest about 50 pounds of hops this year and more as the plants become more mature.

Im doing this because I enjoy it and have a passion for the industry, especially if I can get a native hop variety thats desirable, Lock said. But I dont think I could have it on a commercial basis.

Merchant echoes Locks comments. He said the best yield the monastery has had was about 400 pounds of hops. The monks and guest volunteers do the harvesting by hand.

Weve had inquiries from very large breweries but we cant supply that quantity. Its very much a labor of love and hand work, said Merchant.

Farming niche

NMSU researchers are hoping to develop a farming niche that could some day be a commercially viable source of hops for local brewers.

Kevin Lombard, associate professor of horticulture and superintendent of the NMSU agricultural science center in Farmington iis growing several varieties of Neomexicanus hops in the northwest corner of the state.

Were basically trying to facilitate a new industry in the state, said Lombard.

The hops theyve grown show potential for good yields and interesting qualities for brewers, Lombard said, but having to hand harvest would cut into the bottom line for any farmer. He still hopes to buy a harvesting machine and establish a cooperative style arrangement for hop growers to use it.

Lombard received grant funding two years ago through the state and federal agricultural departments to buy a German-made hop harvesting machine but demand for the equipment is intense and state purchasing contract requirements have so far complicated attempts to secure one of the few available machines.

Until then, hop growing will be small scale and artisanal. Growers wont have enough product for large scale breweries, Lombard said.
Mayor picks Flor as District 5 councilor

RIO RANCHO  Jennifer Flor has been selected by Mayor Gregg Hull to fill the District 5 City Councilor vacancy, the city announced Friday.

Flors appointment requires Governing Body confirmation, which Hull will seek at the bodys Aug. 24 meeting, the city said.

Flor will bring to this position both private and public sector civil engineering experience, firsthand knowledge of Rio Rancho local government, an understanding of the importance of small businesses in the community and the need to foster a business-friendly environment, and a passion for the community to flourish, Hull said in a news release. I believe Flor will be a tremendous asset and addition to the Governing Body, and will represent the citizens of District 5 very well.

If the Governing Body confirms Flors appointment on Aug. 24, she would be sworn in and take office at the end of the meeting.

Flor would fill the District 5 City Councilor vacancy created when Shelby Smith, who was elected in April 2014, resigned his position effective July 31 due to family reasons. Flor would complete a term set to expire in March 2018.

Flor, who was selected from 13 applicants, first moved to Rio Rancho in 2006. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from San Diego State University and is a licensed professional engineer in New Mexico. She has worked locally for Wilson & Company as a civil engineer for approximately 5 years and for the City of Rio Rancho in its Public Works Department as a project engineer from October 2013 to September 2014. Flor is married to a Rio Rancho small-business owner.

If the Governing Body doesnt accept Hulls appointment, the mayor shall appoint another individual within 45 days, subject to Governing Body confirmation.
Donald Trumps supporters complain that the media is fixated on the billionaires wild and crazy campaign, while ignoring or at least downplaying Hillary Clintons gaffes, missteps and outright scandals.

And theyre right. There is a double standard.

Actually, its a multipronged standard.

For some in the mainstream media, good old-fashioned left-wing bias is at work. Every four years, the Republican presidential candidate is treated like some alien warlord wandering in from the badlands beyond the frontier to seize power in our glorious capital city.

One small example: Its a wistful nostalgic exercise in the era of Trump to think back to 2012, when Mitt Romney explained how, after being elected governor of Massachusetts, he worked with womens groups so he could hire more females for his administration.

He said the groups sent binders full of women  i.e., binders full of resumes  for him to review. In other words, Romney did exactly what feminists want politicians to do, but he used the phrase binders full of women and the mainstream media collectively ran around like their hair was on fire.

They should remember that the next time they wonder why so many Trump supporters discount media hysteria about Trump.

But what about the conservative media? Notwithstanding some talk radio and Fox News opinion hosts, and a few Trump-friendly political operatives moonlighting as pundits, most of the conservative press is hostile to Trump.

If youve been reading me over the last year, you know I am part of this group. I am a senior editor at National Review magazine, which has been extremely critical of Trump for the most part (though we have run some dissenters).

Other conservative outlets  The Weekly Standard, Commentary, and the websites The Federalist, HotAir, RedState and The Resurgent  have taken similar approaches.

Objections to Trump from the right cover the waterfront, from his glandular personality and narcissistic character to the threat his populism poses to the conservative movement and to the country.

But virtually every conservative I know  including those openly saying they will vote for her  thinks Clinton is awful. Indeed, a great many of the mainstream reporters I know think shes pretty terrible, too.

As P.J. ORourke, the brilliant libertarian satirist, (quite un-satirically) put it on NPR: I am endorsing Hillary, and all her lies and all her empty promises. Its the second-worst thing that can happen to this country, but shes way behind in second place. Shes wrong about absolutely everything, but shes wrong within normal parameters. He added in an essay for The Daily Beast, Better the devil you know than the Lord of the Flies on his own 757.

Thanks to my fear of spontaneously bursting into flames, I cant follow ORourke all the way to pulling a lever for Hillary Clinton  Ill write-in some third choice  but I think ORourkes analysis offers insight into the media coverage as well.

As has been confirmed for the umpteen-billionth time last week, Clinton is corrupt and deceitful. She and her husband operate as if they are some medieval royal family, above the petty rules and customs that govern the little people. Its why Ive been calling them the Medicis of the Ozarks for so long.

If you dont think they are aloof, entitled graspers and grifters, its probably because you havent been paying attention.

And thats the problem. Their grafting and grifting is so well established, so well known, it never really surprises anyone. Her corruption is priced into politics.

In a normal, healthy political system, the Clintons would be shunned like pimps in an Amish colony. But we dont live there, so the Clintons bore rather than shock.

This is Hillary Clintons greatest advantage. The devil we know is a boring, paper-pushing bureaucrat.

Meanwhile, the one thing no one can deny: Trump is not boring. Its possible to love him or hate him, but no one can be indifferent to him.

When you drive past a part of town that has been blighted and run-down all your life, you dont slow down to look at it. But if an 18-wheeler loaded with bovine manure jackknifes on the highway, sending its cargo in all directions, whether youre horrified or amused, youve just gotta slow down and take a gander.

This rubber-necking magnetism largely explains Trumps primary victories, but it also explains his probable general election defeat.

Enough primary voters loved the spectacle, but general election voters are apt to recoil at such a spectacle in the Oval Office.

Copyright, Tribune Media Services Inc.
For the first time in memory, police officers in Albuquerque are being prosecuted for murder for an on-duty shooting. Earlier police cases were suspected of being whitewashed by prosecutor-controlled grand juries.

To show her seriousness, the prosecutor opted not to present the case to a secret grand jury but to hold a public preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to go to trial. She called it a mini-trial with evidentiary rules and examination of witnesses.

In Santa Fe a former senator is charged with fraud. There, too, prosecutors presented evidence in a preliminary hearing rather than a grand jury.

The judge in the police case threw out first-degree murder but decided there is evidence for trial of second-degree murder. In the politicians case the judge dismissed one count and sent others for trial.

Sounds like a win-win. The evidence was shown in public, the parties examined the witnesses and impartial judges decided the appropriate charges. All good.

But wait  why was this procedure used? What about the poor souls who are pushed through the grand jury pipeline without the benefit of transparency, examination of witnesses or rules of evidence, much less reduction of charges?

The state Constitution requires either a grand jury or preliminary hearing to determine probable cause that a felony has occurred. Beyond that goal, however, the two are dramatically different.

New Mexico grand juries have fewer protections than preliminary hearings. The grand jury is controlled by the prosecutor, not a judge. It is held in secret; neither the accused nor his attorney nor the public can view the evidence. Rules of evidence do not apply, no cross-examination is allowed. Rejection of the prosecutors proposed charges by a no-bill is rare.

Police and politicians are criticized for having a rigged grand jury, or for having a special hearing. But, in truth, these got no special treatment, just a serious hearing.

The problem is that most accused are not given this serious hearing. Many undergo the ham sandwich treatment of a grand jury that not only did not whitewash their case, but was tilted in the opposite direction, simply moving the charge along following the fiction of a fair proceeding.

Nothing is fictional, though, about the damage done by an indictment to ones employment or reputation.

Two Albuquerque murder defendants were recently released from jail. They were indicted by a grand jury a year earlier. A testing of evidence at a preliminary hearing likely would have shown that the wrong guys had been charged.

In Las Cruces, grand jury bribery charges against a district judge were dismissed by agreement but only after massive publicity and hand-wringing about a corrupt judiciary. A proper hearing probably would have saved an entire branch of government from the false narrative of corruption.

Numerous indictments are dismissed or resolved on the eve of trial once the real facts are discovered by the parties, often after a defendant has waited in jail and resources have been spent.

Front loading the system, addressing evidence early, would help. Weak cases can be weeded out and clear cases resolved.

Substance abusers and the mentally ill can be diverted for help. Taxpayers save unnecessary costs of litigation and incarceration. Preliminary hearings help the front end; grand juries not so much.

Our greatest failing in charging choices is permitting an interested prosecutor to decide that some New Mexicans get rights and others do not. The most well-intentioned government prosecutor should not have the discretion to select some New Mexicans for the good procedure  with corresponding rights  and others for less.

Regardless of good faith, the result is inequality.

Every New Mexican should receive the good treatment, not just to help the accused, but to form a fair and effective justice system. Police defendants and politicians are entitled to fair proceedings, but so is everyone.
New Mexico Department of Taxation and Revenue appears to be on a European holiday when it comes to processing tax refunds owed to state taxpayers.

The department held up nearly 74,000 personal income tax refunds this year. One of the sidelined refunds was for a paltry 12 bucks.

Tax and Rev Secretary Demesia Padilla, an appointee of Gov. Susana Martinez, wouldnt talk to the Journal about the problem, although the official explanation from a spokesman was that delays were caused by an attempt to prevent identity theft and fraud. That is a serious concern these days, but questions remain  why were so many returns flagged, why was the delay so long, why was the departments communication with many taxpayers so difficult, and why wasnt it better prepared to handle the problem it created as taxpayers complained of busy phone lines and long waits?

In March, the department warned that refunds would take longer for all taxpayers  six to eight weeks to process instead of the usual two. Refunds for some filers whose identities were not questioned also were delayed. Apparently the state doesnt really think people need this money.

So far Tax and Rev has processed more than 22,000 of the flagged returns without requesting proof of identity. Of the nearly 49,000 other filers who were asked to provide information or documentation, more than 36,000 eventually got their refunds.

More than 14,000 refunds, totaling $9.5 million in claims, were stopped. The department would like to label them as fraudulent, but they apparently included filers who were never notified of the need to provide proof of identity, legitimate filers who couldnt provide documents and those who just gave up on their refunds. Because of high suspicion of fraud, the department didnt even send notices to nearly 3,000 filers.

The massive logjam drew bipartisan criticism from lawmakers, including Rep. Debbie Armstrong, D-Albuquerque, who accused Tax and Rev of targeting elderly filers. Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, who is chairman of the Revenue Stabilization and Tax Policy Committee, says he understands the need to prevent fraud but called the departments process flawed. Sen. Carlos Cisneros, D-Questa, who is vice chairman of the committee, says the process should be streamlined, and the department should show more courtesy to taxpayers.

The department wont reveal its secret process for spotting potential fraudulent returns for fear it will tip off fraudsters, but at the same time giving some specifics should help legitimate taxpayers avoid a mountain of grief.

The entire episode is a stunning combination of incompetence and arrogance. Padilla should speak up. She is in charge, after all.

Meanwhile, legislators could consider conducting hearings to sort out what when wrong and how to prevent a repeat next year.

And the governor should give serious thought as to whether she has the right person running this department.

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.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

FOR THE RECORD: The graphic that accompanied this article in The Sunday Journal about officer-involved shootings contained several inaccuracies. The Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office has ruled that officers wont face criminal charges for shooting Ralph Chavez, Manuel Flores, Robert Garcia Sr. and Adam Padilla  cases that were listed as awaiting a final decision by the district attorney.

More than three dozen officers from the Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office, the U.S. Marshals Service and other smaller agencies who have shot people in Bernalillo County since 2013 are still waiting for a decision about whether they will be charged with a crime or whether their actions were justified.

The backlog includes cases that have led to controversies and lawsuits, such as the fatal shooting of Mary Hawkes by former officer Jeremy Dear.

It also includes cases such as the 2013 incident in which multiple officers shot and killed Christopher Chase during a rampage in which he shot three APD officers and a BCSO deputy, and the nearly fatal shooting of APD officer Lou Golson.

Golsons case illustrates how long an officers status can remain up in the air in even what appear to be clear-cut cases.

Golson, a veteran DWI officer, turned on his lapel camera just as he walked up to a suspected drunken driver and told him to turn off the engine.

The door swung open and Christopher Cook shot Golson four times. Two of the bullets struck Golsons body armor, one hit him in the side and another bullet entered his abdomen and traveled into his leg.

Golson yelled as he fell to the ground and broke his wrist. He returned fire but missed Cook, who ran from the scene.

Cook was arrested several days after the January 2015 shooting, and his case sped through the criminal justice system. He pleaded guilty to shooting Golson and got 20 years in prison.

Golsons case hasnt moved as quickly. Although the shooting was captured on video, prosecutors 20 months later havent said whether Golson was justified in firing his weapon in the line of duty.

Golson is far from alone.

A backlog of nearly 40 pending cases dates back to 2013 where law enforcement officers shot, or shot at, someone and the district attorney still hasnt decided whether an officer will face charges, according to documents from the DAs Office. The office has ruled that 11 shootings by police during the same period were justified, according to the DAs website.

Prosecutors decided that officers acted criminally in one case: the shooting of James Boyd by former Albuquerque officers Keith Sandy and Dominique Perez, who are scheduled to stand trial on murder charges next month.

Big backlog

District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said several factors led to the backlog. There has been a large number of police shootings throughout the county, including by Albuquerque police, who have shot at more than 60 people since 2010.

In addition, she said case management rules implemented by the state Supreme Court in an effort to speed up the system put rigorous deadlines on how criminal cases proceed.

Brandenburg said her office doesnt have the manpower to keep up with the police shooting reviews and other criminal cases that would be threatened with dismissal under the case management rules.

The office has 115 attorneys on staff, but only a handful of senior attorneys who are assigned to each of the police shooting cases.

A spokesman for the office said that several of those attorneys are battling serious illnesses and that one, Chris Lackmann, died this year.

Its an ongoing issue, Brandenburg said. It happened because of the number of officer-involved shootings that we had. And it happened because of the case-management order.

Brandenburg, who has been in office since 2000, is the countys longest-serving district attorney. In that time, the office has changed how police shootings are reviewed.

After years of relying on investigative grand juries to do secret reviews that always cleared the officers of wrongdoing, the DAs Office suspended that practice in 2012 in the face of strong criticism and after the District Court refused to allow any more of them. At that point, Brandenburgs office started doing internal reviews, then announcing its decision.

In announcing the decisions, the DAs Office also makes public the documents and records it used to make the determination, including lapel camera videos and the interviews with the involved officers.

Brandenburg said the process is time consuming, since the attorneys often have to go back to agencies involved in the shootings and request additional reports and investigation.

The process we have now, I think, is one of the best in the country. But it comes at a huge price. It means many, many hours of work and effort, she said.

I just think the process is very time intensive. We decided to make it that way, and we developed a protocol because (officer-involved shootings) were a big deal in Albuquerque, and we wanted to make sure the public had access to all the information.

At the end of the year, Brandenburg will leave the office. Raul Torrez is the Democratic nominee for the position, and he currently doesnt have a Republican challenger.

Torrez couldnt be reached for comment last week, but he previously said in an interview that clearing the backlog of police shooting cases will be a priority for his administration.

He said he plans to have his office review the shootings and make a determination on charges. In the future, he said, he would try to create a system in which special prosecutors outside the office review the cases.

Brandenburg said her office doesnt have the money to hire outside firms to review the police shootings.

People dont understand. They say just farm it out to a special prosecutors, thats the answer,  Brandenburg said. Unless they start allowing the DAs Office to print money, thats not even an option.

Bogs down the system

Shaun Willoughby, president of the Albuquerque police union, said the backlog of cases is stressful on police officers and their families. He said there was an increase in prosecutions of police officers charged with crimes for on-duty instances throughout the country last year, which adds to the stress of having to wait years to get an answer.

Until that letter is written, there will always be this negative air hanging over the heads of every officer, even if they know its a justified shooting, Willoughby said. And some of these (shootings) are very cut and dry.

The long wait to learn about criminal charges has other side effects.

Recently, Dear, one of the many officers who is awaiting a decision for a police shooting, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer almost all the questions that were asked of him during a deposition in a civil case filed in response to his on-duty shooting.

Willoughby said officers are less likely to answer questions during civil proceedings when possible criminal charges are hanging over their heads.

It bogs down the system, he said. From the position of a police officer, everybody is afraid of being the next example in the court of public opinion.

Albuquerque police top officials and the civilian oversight systems for years waited until after the DAs Office made a decision on criminal charges before doing an administrative investigation into the shootings to see if officers violated policies or if policies could be improved.

According to records from the Civilian Police Oversight Agency, 29 Albuquerque police shootings havent gone through the final phase of review at APD, which is when the civilian oversight board reviews the administrative investigation, then makes a recommendation for discipline. The police chief then makes the final decision on whether officers violated a policy and if discipline should be imposed.

Some of Albuquerques most controversial police shootings never went through that process, including the Boyd shooting in 2014.

Edward Harness, the executive director of the Civilian Police Oversight Agency, said that waiting on a decision from the DA on a criminal charge is irrelevant to administrative investigations.

For a criminal charge, the burden of proof is much higher than the burden of whether there was a violation of standard operating procedures, he said.

But Harness said recent changes to the way the reviews happen should expedite the cases.

In June, the ordinance setting the rules for the CPOA were modified so their reviews can happen prior to the DAs making a decision on charges.

In recent months, civilian oversight members in Albuquerque have reviewed the administrative investigations into the shooting of undercover Detective Jacob Grant by his lieutenant, Greg Brachle, and recommended that Brachle be fired. He retired days before the board announced its decision.

The board also last week reviewed and exonerated the officer who shot Alfred Redwine in 2014, a case in which Redwine was fatally shot by officers after he fired two rounds from a handgun into the ground during a standoff with police.

I think it was a big step forward, Harness said of the recent change.

Albuquerque police spokeswoman Celina Espinoza said that, as a requirement of a settlement agreement between the city and Department of Justice, which aims to fix a pattern of excessive force within APD, police created a new system for investigating serious use-of-force cases. Two teams will respond to the scene. One team will investigate the case for possible criminal charges, and the other will look at potential policy violations.

Under the new system, Espinoza said police wont wait until the DA has made a decision on charges before launching the administrative investigation.

Felicia Romero, a spokeswoman for the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office, said in an email that the sheriffs office launches internal affairs investigations into shootings by deputies after the case is submitted to the district attorney, which she said normally takes about three months.

Pending cases

Law enforcement shooting cases pending before DA

2013: 4
Three men emerged from the Nazi death camps in 1945 to become eloquent witnesses for the dead, voices for the silenced, a conscience for a world that was reluctant to confront the deaths of 6 million Jews, 3 million Soviet prisoners of war and a million more Roma, disabled human beings, and political and religious prisoners.

These men have much to tell us in our own time, when evil seems to be everywhere, from a nightclub in Orlando to entire cities in Syria.

Viktor Frankl was a psychiatrist in Vienna when he was shipped to Auschwitz in 1942. Over the next three years, he developed what would become the basis of a new approach to psychotherapy, one that said that human beings choose to live because their lives have meaning and that even a life in a Nazi death camp is meaningful. He wrote several books, but he is best known for Mans Search for Meaning. Frankl died at age 92 in 1987.

Primo Levi was a chemist in Turin, Italy, and survived Auschwitz because the Germans needed a chemist for an artificial rubber factory. He returned to Turin, resumed work as a chemist and wrote several accounts of the camps, including The Periodic Table and If This Is a Man. He committed suicide in 1987. He was 67. Friends said he had already died years earlier, in Auschwitz.

Levis complete works were published in three volumes last year.

The third man, and the most famous in the United States, Elie Wiesel, died last month at age 87. Wiesel was freed from the Buchenwald concentration camp at age 16 and spent his life making sure the world would never forget the evil that human beings can inflict on one another. In his speech accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, Wiesel warned that if we forget the victims, We are guilty, we are accomplices.

The world knew what was happening in the death camps, Wiesel said, and remained silent. We must always take sides, he said. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.

Each man took something different with him when he left the camps.

Frankl discovered the meaning of freedom while imprisoned at Auschwitz. The Nazis could take everything from their victims except the last of the human freedoms: to choose ones attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose ones own way.

The truth is that as the struggle for survival has subsided, the question has emerged: survival for what? Frankl wrote. Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for.

At Auschwitz, he found people living for family they wanted to see again and work they had yet to finish. Frankl himself lived to help other prisoners overcome despair. We had to learn ourselves, and furthermore we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us, he wrote.

Levi never thought of himself as a Jew until he learned that the Nazis saw him as nothing else. He spent much of the rest of his life wrestling with the question, what is a man? What does it mean to be human?

For Levi, the worst part about the camps was not the starvation, disease and abuse by the guards. The worst part was that, to survive, the prisoner had to become as much of an animal as the guard. To survive, the prisoner had to abandon his humanity.

Prisoners had to strangle all dignity and kill all conscience, to enter the arena as a beast against other beasts, Levi wrote. Those who could not enter that arena became non-men who march and labor in silence, the divine spark dead within them, already too empty to suffer. These people were destined for the gas chamber.

Wiesels experience was much like Levis. He reported that he learned to turn an indifferent eye on the suffering of others, including his own father, as he fought to get his share of what little food there was. After liberation, he was sent to France by a Jewish refugee relief organization. He was educated at the Sorbonne, became a journalist and wrote Night, his memoir of the Holocaust.

Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever, he wrote. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Wiesel said that his God was murdered in the camps, for how could God allow the deaths of millions of innocents?

Wiesel said the only reason he could think of for his own survival when so many died was so that he could speak for the dead, and he did, in 60 books and countless speeches and articles.

Evil is as old as humanity. Theologian Mark Scott says that evil is a mystery, not a problem to be solved. Evil lives in a single household and on the unimaginable scale of the Holocaust. Human beings cannot avoid evil. But as Frankl, Levi and Wiesel did, they can transcend it. The alternative is surrender.

UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Winthrop Quigley at 823-3896 or wquigley@abqjournal.com. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

Daniel Garcia had two options after a probation officer learned in January that he was using methamphetamine: He could enter the adolescent drug treatment unit at Turquoise Lodge Hospital, or he could return to jail.

Im just happy that Turquoise accepted me, because I got a second chance at life, pretty much, said Garcia, 18, who today lives in a residential drug treatment program for juveniles and attends an Albuquerque high school.

Garcia was among the last New Mexico youths treated at Turquoise Lodge, which closed its 20-bed adolescent unit this month.

The state Department of Health, which operates the hospital, said the adolescent wing was underutilized, with an average census of five youths in fiscal year 2016, which ended June 30.

Turquoise Lodge will use the space to expand services for adult addicts, for which there is a waiting list.

The closure has angered advocates for teenage addicts, who say that Turquoise Lodge provided the states only inpatient medical detoxification treatment center for youths ages 14 to 18.

Medical help needed

Most people dont withstand the withdrawal and the detox phase; therefore, they go out and relapse, said Jeffrey Holland, executive director of Endorphin Power Co., a nonprofit that provides housing and other services for recovering addicts.

Teenagers in particular are unlikely to stick out the agony of withdrawal without the help of medical detoxification, which can alleviate withdrawal symptoms with a variety of medications, and under medical supervision, Holland said.

Imagine a 15- or 16-year-old kid feeling like hes going to die, he said. With kids, you have to exploit the opportunity at that moment.

Advocates for teenage addicts say the Aug. 7 closure of the hospitals adolescent wing has left them scrambling for medical detoxification services for youths.

The New Mexico Department of Health operates no other inpatient detoxification centers for adolescents. Nor is the agency aware of any other New Mexico facilities that offer services comparable to the now-closed Turquoise Lodge adolescent unit.

We are not aware at this time of any other facilities that offer inpatient detox services in a facility setting like (Turquoise Lodge), said Kenny Vigil, spokesman for the Department of Health.

The Turquoise Lodge adolescent unit played a unique role in that it was intended to help youths through the difficult first days of withdrawal from addictive drugs.

Five days of sobriety

Long-term residential addiction treatment programs for teenagers are not licensed to offer medical detoxification and cant accept addicts until they have achieved at least five days of sobriety, said Jennifer Weiss-Burke, executive director of Serenity Mesa Youth Recovery Center in Albuquerque.

Treatment at Turquoise Lodge was a required first step that allowed Garcia to begin long-term treatment at Serenity Mesa, she said.

Turquoise Lodge provided detox services for eight of the 32 youths who have lived at Serenity Mesa since it opened in May 2015.

The units closure means that teenagers must either detox on their own, which often ends in failure, or pay for private detox services, which typically cost $3,000 to $5,000 for a week, Weiss-Burke said. And those services for adolescents are all out of state.

Medicaid does not pay for inpatient detox treatment, and private insurance coverage is spotty, she said.

Not very many people have that kind of money, especially if you dont have family support, or your family is part of the problem, Weiss-Burke said.

Garcia was among six youths in the adolescent wing when he began his 30-day medical detox treatment Feb. 8. Today, he lives at Serenity Mesa Youth Recovery Center and is enrolled at Robert F. Kennedy High Charter School with plans to graduate in December.

If it closed, there are a lot of kids who wouldnt get what I got, Garcia said just days before Turquoise Lodges scheduled closure last Sunday.

Garcias only other option had been to detox in jail, and thats not the best place to detox, he said.

Alternative for kids

Turquoise Lodge Hospital opened decades ago as a detoxification hospital for adults. The existing 40-bed adult hospital moved to its current location at 5901 Zuni SE in 2007. The state-funded hospital had a 2016 budget of about $5.2 million for both the adult and adolescent wings.

The state opened the adolescent unit in June 2013 to provide access to inpatient services previously unavailable for teenagers in New Mexico, officials said at the time. Gov. Susana Martinez said at a ribbon cutting that month that the program has the potential to be a model for teen drug treatment across the country.

Dr. Miriam Komaromy, a former medical director at Turquoise Lodge, helped persuade lawmakers to fund the adolescent unit. The need for the center was clear, she said.

We have a horrific opioid overdose rate in our state, said Komaromy, who stepped down from the post in 2013, shortly before the adolescent unit opened.

New Mexico has the second-highest overdose death rate in the U.S. West Virginias death rate is higher.

A 2015 survey of high school students found that New Mexico youths report some of the nations highest rates of drug use across a broad range of illegal substances. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey of U.S. high school students in grades 9-12 found that New Mexico students reported the second-highest rates of cocaine and ecstasy use, fifth-highest for methamphetamine and eighth-highest for heroin.

Affluent parents of addicted teens send their kids to Arizona, Minnesota, states that have inpatient programs to help them stabilize, Komaromy said. We wanted to open that unit at Turquoise to have an in-state alternative for kids who are at risk of dying.

Gov. backed closure

Martinez said last month that she supports the Department of Healths decision to close the unit, because too few adolescents used the facility, while services are lacking for adult addicts.

The adolescent population at Turquoise Lodge peaked at an average of 7.9 youths per day in 2014, declining to five per day in 2015, according to figures provided by the Department of Health.

Juveniles often decided a few days into treatment that they did not want to remain at Turquoise Lodge, Vigil said.

Closing this unit was a difficult decision, Vigil said in a written statement. But as weve said before, there is a growing need to treat adults, and this will help us in those efforts and help clear the waiting list.

Wait times range from one to three weeks for adults who want treatment at Turquoise Lodge, Vigil said. The adult unit operates at capacity, and closing the adolescent unit will allow Turquoise Lodge to increase the number of adult beds from 40 to 60, he said.

Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, and others contend that the state didnt do enough to market the adolescent unit.

My impression is that after (state officials) had their press conference, they didnt do a darned thing to make sure it had a wide base of referral sources in the community that would utilize it, Ortiz y Pino said.

Vigil responded that the main referral source for the adolescent unit was the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, which oversees juvenile parole officers across the state.

The adolescent unit at Turquoise Lodge received 198 referrals in fiscal year 2016, Vigil said.

Of those, 121 referrals, or 61 percent, came from CYFD. Another 18 percent were referred by family members or friends, and 11 percent were self-referrals. The remaining 10 percent were made by hospitals, schools and the Behavioral Health Services division of the state Human Services Department.

In some cases, teenagers referred to Turquoise Lodge chose not to seek treatment in the voluntary program, he said.
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
On a trio of current issues:

Thinning an invasive, destructive deer herd, within the village of Aurora, or any small community: Hire professional bowhunters to set up near each of the heavily used tracks (gullies). Hunters should have access to windowed buildings for use as blinds. Hunters should have infrared equipment to be more efficient at night. Place salt licks and fresh hay starting in July, in areas away from nearby habitations. Arrange for harvested meat to be processed and delivered to local food banks. Arrange for harvested hides to be part of the fee paid to the hunters. Those hides have a premium for use as leather goods. Village government and DEC should control the program. Repeat every four years.

Assessing the availability of land open for development within the village: Who knows how much space is available for commercial, residential or tract housing within the village? Who controls it? If there is not a set of firm numbers and descriptions, hire a consultant to do a survey. It won't cost much, and naysayers can complain even more.

If there is a paucity of space, it behooves the village to cooperate with the town to anticipate growth around every access road, on town properties.

Finally, the national elections: No, I do not call them presidential elections, because the massive propaganda assault on our conscious intellects could never have been produced by one individual. The system which has made us so angry is the root cause of the problem: We cannot see a simple answer to correct the debacle.

Suffering from gigantic overload, we suspend our choice of the commander in chief until the last moment, and I predict that the final choice, for many, will be in the last two days before the election. For me, the decision should be based on my opinion of who would be best equipped to handle the painful changes necessary to halt the decline of our system, and then reinvigorate it. We cannot continue with the status quo.
NEW YORK, Aug. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynamic and iconic footwear designer Donald J. Pliner has returned to the industry as the designer for "From the Mountains of Italy" and "From the Beaches of Spain," the Femme and Homme Collections. The collections were presented to media and retailers in August 2016 during FFANY in the stunning new Penthouse Showroom at 14 East 60th Street in New York and will also be showcased at FN PLATFORM in Las Vegas. This marks the first time in over 27 years that the legend finds himself as an independent designer, away from the eponymous label Donald J Pliner he founded in 1989.

"Everything I design revolves around the two most important classes I took in design school  Anatomy and Portraiture. Anatomy for the comfort and Portraiture to keep the eye engaged. This has long been my signature style. It's simply the way I think," says Donald. "Colors and materials come first, then the designs, but most important exceptionally comfortable fashion."

Donald personally designed the two new collections, spending the last month directing and overseeing the creation of every style first hand in Italy and Spain. Each style is meticulously and expertly beaded, embroidered, and embellished by hand onto the lavish uppers of haircalf, white ostrich, silk and mesh elastic prints, crocodile embossed calfskin, nappa and vachetta leathers, black and pearled patents, and washed suedes. All colors and materials within the collections are seamlessly coordinated in a palette of saturated colors, distinctive prints and bold embroidered designs.

Femme collections "From the Mountains of Italy" and "From the Beaches of Spain" include sneakers, smoking slippers, chic slides, footbed sandals, madras wrapped wedges, kitten heels, mules, and stacked platforms.

Homme collections "From the Mountains of Italy" and "From the Beaches of Spain" showcase sneakers, smoking slippers, monk straps, oxfords, Chelsea boots, loafers, drivers, and espadrilles. The vast array of styles across the collections are brimming with comfort features ideal for walking such as extra cushioned insoles, rocker bottoms, and rubber soles. "From jeans to tuxedo dressing."

The quality of detail and the uniqueness of designs in these collections are of a level normally only found in bespoke footwear. The collections offer exceptional craftsmanship and luxury comfort with price ranging from $250 to $475 rsp.

Arguably the most noteworthy name in American footwear design, Donald was literally born into the shoe business in Chicago where his father Leo Pliner owned Pliner's Florsheim Family Shoe Stores and took young Donald on as his apprentice. Donald built on this experience opening his first retail store in Beverly Hills at the age of 23, in 1967 generating nearly $1 million in its first year of business. From there, it was only up and he never looked back.

For more information about designer Donald J. Pliner and "From the Mountains of Italy," "From the Beaches of Spain," Femme and Homme collections, please contact The Bromley Group.

About Designer Donald J. Pliner:

Designer Donald J. Pliner no longer designs for the namesake brand he founded in 1989 - "Donald J Pliner". Donald sold a controlling interest in the company he founded and the Donald J Pliner trademarks to DJP Holdings, LLC in 2011. In 2015, Donald J. Pliner ended his involvement as Creative Director for the brand. "From the Mountains of Italy" and "From the Beaches of Spain" are the first collections he has created independently of the brand Donald J Pliner in nearly 27 years.

Disclaimer:

DESIGNER DONALD J. PLINER IS NO LONGER ASSOCIATED OR AFFILIATED WITH DJP HOLDINGS, LLC, THE OWNER OF THE TRADEMARK 'DONALD J PLINER'.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160814/397900

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160814/397901

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iconic-designer-donald-j-pliner-returns-to-footwear-industry-launching-from-the-mountains-of-italy-and-from-the-beaches-of-spain-the-femme-and-homme-collections-300313170.html

SOURCE Donald J. Pliner
Saudi-led air strikes on a school in a rebel-held province of northern Yemen have killed 10 children and wounded 28 others, Doctors without Borders (MSF) said on Sunday.



We received 10 dead children and 28 wounded, all under the age of 15, who are victims of air strikes on a Koranic school in Haydan, in Saada province, said MSF spokeswoman Malak Shaher, adding the attack took place on Saturday.

Shaher told that MSF had received the children at a field hospital near the school before they were transferred to a public hospital.

The Iran-backed Huthi rebels posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead and bloodied children wrapped in blankets.

Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said warplanes targeted children at the Jomaa bin Fadhel school, in what he described as a heinous crime.

The United Nations children agency, UNICEF, confirmed the attack warning that with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by air strikes, 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, he said.

Saudi Arabia reacted angrily to a decision in June to blacklist the coalition after a UN report found the Arab alliance responsible for 60 per cent of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year.
Asking India to help them in a same way as it did for the creation of Bangladesh, Baloch Republican Party (BRP) founding chief Brahumdagh Bugti on Sunday said if the international community could interfere in Libya and Syria, why not in Balochistan, where people were leaving their own nation out of helplessness.



Grandson of influential Baloch politician the late Akbar Khan Bugti, Brahamdagh told agency: They (Pakistan) call us terrorists. They say we are taking support from India. We are appealing to the international community to help us. They should come and see the situation and monitor everything. If you can interfere in Libya and Syria, why cannot in Balochistan? One cannot imagine all that happens in Pakistan, people are leaving their own nation out of helplessness.

Baloch are resisting because they are being targeted by the Pakistan army. Villages in Balochistan are being bombarded and villagers tortured. Pakistan calls us terrorists, who are getting support from India or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), said Bugti, adding that he urges India to help in the same way as it did for creation of Bangladesh.

Operations (military) are being carried out for the last five to ten years and people are dying. Their aim is to bring Chinese company over there slowly-slowly so that they can work for deep wells. The (Baloch) people are protesting against it and they (Pakistan) want to evacuate people. They take actions wherever there are people, he alleged.

Maintaining that for the last four-five years this is increasing and not decreasing, Bugti said, The operation was started during the time of Musharraf and later the PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) government came to power and it grew faster and now it is even getting faster. It is misinformation that committees are being formed. The situation is becoming tense with every passing year.

My grandfather had said it was a full plan  they (Pakistan) are seeking Chinas help, because they have many technologies, which Pakistan does not have. The Pakistani media showcase some of their works, but this is happening on daily basis since 2010, he added.

Stating that their organisation is so helpless that it cannot work openly, Bugti, Many of our people are still missing. Some of our people go missing every year if they work openly. We are trying to report to the international organisations and NGOs. No media or NGO is allowed in Balochistan. So, we are giving reports on daily basis.
US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters freed the Manbij city in Syria from Islamic State (IS) terrorists as the residents celebrated the liberation from groups two-year rule over the city.



Jubilation broke out in many neighbourhoods after IS terrorists lost control of Manbij to US-backed rebels and the centre of the city was liberated, CNN quoted the Pentagon as saying.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces backed by the US, was battling IS to take control of Manbij  one of the most important cities for the terrorist organisation  in northern Syria since May.

Manbij residents cut off beards, burnt niqabs and smoked cigarettes  things they were not allowed to do during IS rule.

Here they used to execute people and hung their heads here and leave it for three days. They would execute people for anything, using the excuse he did not believe, a man said pointing out to an area described as an ISIS execution site.

Defeating the terrorist group in Manbij was important as it essentially blocks a supply route IS has between its heartland of Raqqa and Turkey.
Indian Navy divers on Sunday recovered two more bodies from Savitri river in Raigad district after a British-era bridge in Mahad collapsed due to floods.



A Tavera SUV was also located inside the river with several bodies found to be stuck inside it.

There is a likelihood of several bodies still trapped in a mangled car inside the river. They will recovered once the car is pulled out of the river, Indian Navy officials said.

Efforts are on to retrieve the vehicle and the bodies, state disaster management cell director Suhas Diwase said, adding the total number of missing persons now stands at 12. A Defence PRO said the extrication of the wreckage will be done jointly by Navy divers and the National Disaster Response Force.

Continuing the day 11 of the search in Savitri river, the Indian Navy divers located one more wreckage, assessed to be a Tavera SUV vehicle number is MH04 GD7837. There is a likelihood of two bodies inside the vehicle. The wreckage was found 300 metres from the damaged bridge, in 4 to 5 meters of water. NDRF and district administration have been informed, a statement issued by the Defence authorities said. Naval divers had yesterday located the wreckage of the second MSRTC bus, which was washed away in the turbulent Savitri River near Mahad after the British-era bridge collapsed on August 2. No bodies were found in the bus.

The bridge was to be dismantled in December this year as part of the Mumbai-Goa Highway expansion project. On Thursday, the wreckage of a Rajapur-Borivali MSRTC bus was retrieved about 170-200 meters from the collapsed bridge site. The Indian Navy team, comprising personnel specialising in diving, is searching for survivors since the morning of August 4, braving high water current and crocodiles in the river.

So far, 26 bodies have been recovered after two state transport buses and some other vehicles fell in the swollen river following the bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa Highway near Mahad, about 170 kms from Mumbai. The state Cabinet, in this particular case, has already reduced the waiting period for granting compensation to the kin of those missing to two months (from seven years as per existing rules).
An Islamic preacher, arrested in Kerala for his alleged links with terror outfit Islamic State (IS), was on Sunday remanded in the custody of Mumbai police.



The accused, Mohammed Hanif, was brought to the city and produced before a court which sent him to police custody till August 20, a senior police official said.

Hanif, who hails from Kambalakkad in Wayanad, was taken into custody at Panur in Kerala on Friday night, police said.

He was alleged to have radicalised 11 of the 21 persons from Kerala who have gone missing and are suspected to have joined the IS, they said. On August 8, police had said of the 21 gone missing, 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.

The father of Ashfaque, one of the missing young men, had recently lodged a complaint against Arshid Qureshi, an employee of controversial preacher Zakir Naiks Islamic Research Foundation, Rizwan Khan, Hanif and another person.

Based on the complaint, Nagpada police had registered an offence under relevant sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967 and section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.

According to police, Ashfaques father alleged that the accused brainwashed his son to join the terror outfit.

Qureshi and Khan had also been earlier arrested by Kerala police.

Police said another accused named in the FIR was still at large and efforts were being made to arrest him.

Investigation of the case is being carried out by the Crime Branch, CID and Mumbai police.

On July 21, Kerala Police and Maharashtra ATS had picked up Qureshi from Navi Mumbai on July 21 for allegedly radicalising youths.

The Kerala police traced Qureshi to Mumbai following a complaint lodged in Kochi by the brother of a young woman, who is suspected to have joined ISIS along with her husband.

In a similar operation, Khan, also allegedly instrumental in recruiting youths for the terror outfit, was apprehended from his residence at Kalyan in neighbouring Thane district on July 22.
Swiss police said there was so far no indication that an attackers knife rampage on a train, which killed one woman and injured five passengers, was an act of terror.

The question of motive remains, police from Switzerlands eastern Saint Gallen region said in a statement, stressing: To date there is no indication this was a terrorist or politically motivated act.

Police spokesman Bruno Metzger told terrorism is not our main theory for afternoons attack and that other motives figured far higher on the list, although he would not say what they were.

A 27-year-old Swiss national used flammable liquid to start a fire on a moving train in eastern Switzerland before stabbing passengers, according to police.

The attack took place at around 2:20 pm (1220 GMT) near Salez station on a train running between Buchs and Sennwald near Switzerlands eastern border with Liechtenstein and Austria.
Terming as absurd Pakistans proposal of sending supplies to Jammu and Kashmir, India strongly retorted that it along with others in the region have already received enough of trademark exports from that country including terrorism and infiltrators.



A communication was apparently delivered to our High Commission in Islamabad on August 12. I can only characterise its contents that propose sending supplies to Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir as absurd, said MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistans trademark exports  international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency, said a communique from the external affairs ministry, citing an apparent Pakistani proposal to send supplies to Jammu and Kashmir.

Prior to this, a Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) caravan led by Talha Saeed, the son of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, had offered to provide relief aid to violence-hit people in Kashmiri, that was also turned down by the Indian government.

Earlier in the day, Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit made provocative statements over Kashmir and said his country will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state.

Basit made the comments during the countrys Independence Day celebrations at its embassy.

In Islamabad, President Mamnoon Hussain, while addressing a gathering at a flag hoisting ceremony, also raised the Kashmir issue, saying the country will continue to support Kashmiris in their bid for the right to self-determination.

Basit said Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India. As far as the relation of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we dedicate this years Independence Day to Kashmirs freedom. We are confident that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be successful, Basit said.

This is amidst the ceasefire violation by the country that is currently taking place in Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan recently suffered a terror attack in Quetta where 17 people were killed.

The ministers and army generals in the country hinted at Indias involvement but ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Every three years, the Presbyterian Church USA holds a massive youth event at Purdue University in Indiana. The Youth Triennium brings together teens from all over the country and the world for a week of worship, fellowship, mission and fun. In July, three Westminster members  Lydia Marteney, Glyn Davenport and Alex Blodgett  attended, traveling by bus with the Cayuga-Syracuse delegation, which included four youth from South Korea who attended as "global partners," staying with local families before and after the event.

The theme of the 2016 Triennium was "GO," each day exploring a different aspect of the word.

Day one began with the story of angels announcing Jesus birth to terrified shepherds, telling them to Go and see, which they did, together, despite their fear. On the second day, they heard the story of the Good Samaritan, ending with Jesus telling his listeners to Go and do likewise, treating all people as their friends and neighbors.

Day three highlighted Psalm 32, I will teach you the way you should go, assuring that failures and disappointments are moments that show where God is leading. On the fourth day, they looked at the Exodus story of Moses leading his people out of Egypt, leaving everything behind and heading into the unknown after pleading with the pharaoh to Let my people go.

On the last day, the Triennium kids looked at the great commission to Go into the world, where Go is a command, not an invitation, sending them back to their friends, families, communities and churches, taking their next steps with God at their side.

Besides hearing powerful preachers and inspiring musicians, the kids engaged in small group discussions and formed bonds with each other. Lydia, a two-time Triennium participant, said, In 2013, I had a wonderful experience and I hoped that this year could live up to those high standards. The first time, I was astonished to see so many youth together for worship. This time, I found amazement in other ways. A huge change happened over the week that I pray will continue in the future. As the week progressed, our delegation became more tight-knit. I connected with so many of the kids from my delegation. We had to pull together tables at meals to accommodate all of us. As the week went on, more and more of us joined together, and we pulled up seats for the Korean partners. I hope that now, we will continue to add seats to the table of the presbytery.

Presbyterians value their tradition as a connected church, finding that together, they can do greater things than they can do alone. For kids like ours, who are used to worshiping in smaller congregations of mostly older adults, the experience of being with 5,000 other teenagers for worship and singing and fellowship is a powerful one.

Glyn, another Triennium two-timer, described it like this: I am frequently asked what Triennium is, and I respond with something along the lines of, 'It is a Presbyterian youth conference, which doesnt do it justice. Triennium is about finding God in both unique and traditional ways and finding ways to spread Gods love to all people. These outlets to God include pop music, dancing, modernized worship services, group and individual prayer, and meeting and getting to know other youth from our presbytery and presbyteries around the world. Triennium is a place for youth to be who they truly are, with no judgment from others, while worshipping God. During both trips, I have made connections with wonderful people. However, after this second trip, I feel as I have a second family. I met amazing youth from my own delegation that I never would have met if it hadnt been for Triennium. I talk to all of them weekly, and a few of them daily. I found God in many ways: the strongest way was in the incredible people I have met. I can already see that the friendships I formed from Triennium will stand the test of time. In all honesty, there are no words that can truly describe Triennium; it is a you had to be there experience. If one can imagine a place filled with 5,000 of ones best friends where one can be who he/she is, then one can begin to understand the Triennium experience.

Triennium has been described as a life-giving, life-changing, faith-moving experience, this year focusing on what happens after the kids return home, finding the Go moments in their lives.
Massive traffic jam was witnessed on the Mumbai-Pune expressway as Mumbaikars get out of the town for enjoying long weekends.



Mumbaikars who had left for weekend destinations like Lonavla, Khandala and other hill stations had to grapple with traffic jam on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. Due to long weekend starting from Saturday onwards many people had made plans to visit hill stations and beaches in the state. However the journey was not smooth for citys residents as there was massive traffic jam on the expressway. Many of them took to social networking sites for expressing their anger. Vehicles were moving at snails pace on the highway due to the presence of large number of vehicles. Rows and rows of vehicles stretched up to 15km between the Khandala ghat section and Khalapur on the Mumbai-Pune lane of the expressway. It was becoming difficult for traffic police to monitor traffic. On the other hand, less traffic was visible on the old Mumbai-Pune highway.

Manish Seth, who was towards Khandala said, We had made our travel plans in advance taking into consideration the long weekend. Even some resorts had offered huge discounts to attract customers. However the massive traffic jams witnessed on the Mumbai-Pune expressway has played spoilsport.

Urvesh Shah a Kandivali resident said, Our vehicle was stuck for three to four hours on the expressway. If knew that traffic jam would occur on this route then I would have travelled by train as we could have covered the entire journey within three to four hours.

Suresh Patil, who was along with group of college classmate said, I think next time I would visit malls or watch movies at multiplex instead of spending so much time as my vehicle has been stuck on the highway. Maybe people should think about using public transportation as presence of cars is blocking the highway

Archit Sen a Malad resident said, More than half of my day has been wasted due to traffic jams. It took more than four hours for my vehicle to cover a distance of 10 to 15 kilometres. This traffic jam is not different from the one witnessed on Mumbai roads where vehicle crawls and people get late to reach their offices daily.

Additional superintendent of police, Pune rural, Rajkumar Shinde said, Despite deputing a huge staff to manage traffic, the situation remained chaotic due to a large number of vehicles, he said. According to the officer, the expressway was normal between Lonavla and Pune.

The scenario was no different on the Mumbai-Nashik highway as traffic jam was witnessed on the Kasara Ghat section. The Pune-Satara highway, used to reach Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani as well as Goa, also saw massive traffic jams thanks to potholes and work in progress sections.
All over India people will celebrate the Independence Day of India on 15th of August 2016. This year in 2016, India will celebrate its 70th Independence Day to pay tribute and remember all the freedom fighters who had contributed a lot and fought for the nations freedom. Everyone knows that our country got freedom from the 300 years of British rule at the stroke of midnight as India moved towards August 15, 1947.

The midnight of August 15, 1947 is one of the most memorable for every Indian on earth, as it is the time, when India gained independence from the stranglehold of the mighty British. The day is a celebration and to realize our freedom. Thousands of our freedom fighters sacrificed their lives and millions of them struggled in order to drive away British rulers and constituted a system of democracy centered around us. How our nation has fared over the last 69 years is something we cannot change but the future is in our hands. Indias Independence Day is a day of great significance for its citizens. This is a special day when we remember the great sacrifices of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Raj Guru, Mahatma Gandhi and other brave freedom fighters for their unforgettable contribution in securing freedom for the nation.

Dont we forget the importance of this day soon after the evening? Arent we attaching too much importance to our individual freedom rather than to the national independence? Why is there little sense of pride in the country about what our parents and grandparents managed to achieve against all odds? The awakening of masses by Gandhi and the activities of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose behind the scenes (of strengthening Indian National Army) which had intensified during 1940s were already a cause of concern for the British.

It was Lord Mountbatten who had personally decided the date of Aug 15 because he had considered that date to be very lucky for his career. During the World War II, it was on Aug 15, 1945 (Japan time zone) that the Japanese Army had surrendered before him (Lord Mountbatten was the commander of the allied forces).

In the midnight of 15 August 1947, India was proclaimed as independent country by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru where he delivered his speech over Tryst with destiny. He said during his speech, Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we will redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again. Today our country is a well established democratic country all over the world. Gandhiji was great leader who taught us about effective way of freedom like ahimsa and sathyagraha methods. He dreamed of an independent India with the non-violence and peace.

It was not so easy for the India to get freedom from the Britishers however; various great people and freedom fighters of the nation accomplished this dream. Let us be grateful to those events responsible for the freedom in India. Indians were treated more badly than slaves by the Britishers just to fulfill their meaningless orders. Let us ensure that we exercise our rights and proudly participate in our democracy so that India heads in the right direction. The celebration of Independence Day is the same throughout the country and this is the occasion when we find whole country celebrating and rejoicing. However, the real celebration is to pay tributes to those patriots who shed their blood for achieving freedom.

Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
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.
August 11, 2016

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is today more concerned with what they define as the gradual annexation of Area C in the West Bank (61% of the territory in which Israel, according to the Oslo Accord, has full civil and security jurisdiction) than with the settlements expansion.

Talking to Israeli Knesset members on July 27, EU Ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen claimed that 70% of Area C land, which makes up 42% of the West Bank, has been designated Israeli land. He said that between 2009 and 2013 only 44 housing permits have been granted to Area C Palestinians.

A senior PLO official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the Palestinian leadership plans to launch a struggle, initially through an international diplomatic campaign, against the Israeli de facto annexation of major parts of the West Bank. Almost half of Palestine is in Israeli hands, and half a million settlers live east of the Green Line. We will use all measures to prevent the annexation of the West Bank. The situation has significantly worsened since Avigdor Liberman is minister of defense, he said.

The European Union is very much aware of this process. A senior European official close to Federica Mogherini, the EU's high commissioner for foreign affairs and security policy, told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Brussels and the main EU capitals are very alarmed by the de facto annexation and are planning to take certain steps to halt this dangerous process. Such a plan should ultimately be negotiated with the parties themselves and also presented to the Quartet.

The official said that the plan would call for developing the Palestinian economy in Area C, in fields such as civilian housing, agricultural projects and tourism near the Dead Sea. The EU will contribute financially to these projects. With time, according to the official, Israel should transfer 20% of Area C to Palestinian civilian jurisdiction (Area B). Israel will also be asked to halt its economic expansion in Area C  namely, the increased presence and development of Israeli factories, agriculture and tourist industries. In the Oslo Accord, Area C is also specifically designated for settlements and Israeli military areas.

The official stated that the current situation, thoroughly analyzed in the Quartet report, is a breach of the Oslo Accord and endangers the two-state solution. The EU at the highest levels is raising the issue with US Secretary of State John Kerry, who apparently shares this concern. The official said, The political stalemate has led to the creation of facts on the ground that predetermine the nature of the permanent status. The EU cannot reconcile with a policy that makes the establishment of a Palestinian state impossible.

A senior Israel Foreign Ministry official disputed this interpretation of the Oslo Accord. He claims that civilian responsibility in Area C allows for Israeli economic presence, and the fact that there is a political stalemate is the fault of the Palestinians who refuse bilateral and unconditional negotiations.

He told Al-Monitor that similar proposals, on a more limited scale, were raised in the past by Kerry, yet these proposals included demanding the PA to stop incitement to violence and to intensify security cooperation. When the Palestinians put an end to all incitement to violence, we are ready to discuss with the EU economic confidence-building measures also in Area C, he said.

This Israeli if is well-known. It serves as a diplomatic alibi, to refrain from progress: If Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recognizes Israel as a Jewish state, we are ready to negotiate a two-state solution, or If the freeze of settlement building is not a precondition for negotiation, we are ready to negotiate all permanent status issues.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows only too well what Abbas cannot deliver; for Netanyahu, diplomacy is a mere blame game.

The issue of Israeli settlements and economic expansion is of critical importance. Another year or two of such Israeli policies and the process of de facto annexation becomes irreversible.

The EU suggestions are useful and should be adopted by the US administration when the diplomatic stage moves to New York in September, with the annual UN General Assembly. In the meantime, the Netanyahu government is actively building a binational state, in which Palestinians have very limited rights.

This is an aberration of the Oslo Accord. Area C was intended as the land reserved for a future Palestinian state, but it has become the land that prevents it.
August 14, 2016

The Yemen bellwether

The war in Yemen continues to take a terrible toll as UN-mediated peace talks remain stalled, and a fragile cessation of hostilities, barely a week old, is already collapsing.

Doctors Without Borders reported Aug. 13 that at least 10 children were killed and more than 20 injured in an airstrike on a school, which the Houthi-led Yemeni faction in the civil war, which is backed by Iran, blamed on the Saudi-led coalition.

Four days earlier, Julien Harneis, the UNICEF representative in Yemen, had said, Children are paying the heaviest price of the conflict in Yemen. UNICEF has verified that more than 1,100 children have been killed and another 1,600 injured since March 2015, although the actual numbers are likely to be much higher, according to Harneis.

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN special envoy for Yemen, on Aug. 12, condemned the cease-fire violations as unacceptable.

Bruce Riedel explains that Saudi Arabia may be reaching a critical decision point in Yemen. The war is costly and Saudi defense expenditures are the third-highest in the world. Escalation is an option, but would be costly, including for the international standing of the kingdom, which has been criticized for its conduct of the war. Riedel reports, Some commentators in the kingdom are suggesting a fallback option for the war. Riyadh would accept a partition of the country, leaving the Houthis in charge of the north indefinitely while a pro-Saudi southern state gets international legitimacy. This south Yemen state would become a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Saudi Arabia would have de facto control of the crucial Bab al-Mandab Strait in such a scenario. It would be a long-term means to contain the Houthi challenge.

Or, as Riedel concludes, the kingdom may be to muddle through, as King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud remains on an extended vacation in Morocco, perhaps tied to health issues. The easiest choice for the kingdom, Riedel writes, is to muddle along and make no decision. The monarchy would refuse any transitional government and emphasize that the war has prevented an Iranian takeover of Yemen. Playing the Iran card keeps up public support for the war and rallies the bulk of the Gulf Cooperation Council behind it. It greatly exaggerates the Iranians' role in Yemen, but that is not the question for the king. He can use an Iranian threat indefinitely, knowing Tehran will engage in enough mischief to justify Saudi and Gulf fears.

Saudi-Iranian relations are in a bad place. Riyadh and Tehran are on opposite sides of the war in Syria, as well as in Yemen. Zahra Alipour reports that a new Iranian film about the stampede in Mina on Sept. 24, 2015, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, when more than 700 Iranians were killed, will likely further exacerbate bad relations. Iranians blame the Saudi government for the stampede.

Last month, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, referred to the two Gulf powers as clear enemies, as Arash Karami reported. Jafaris remarks followed the participation of Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, the former head of Saudi intelligence and ambassador to the United States, at a Paris rally of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), an Iranian opposition group that calls for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also met with MEK leader Maryam Rajavi on July 30, perhaps at the behest of Riyadh and as a sign of deteriorating ties between Iran and Abbas Fatah faction, as Marian Houk reports. Abbas had sent three envoys to Tehran in order to get Iran to back off its support for Hamas. The Palestinian fault tine may be increasingly treacherous as Saudi-Iranian hostilities continue to escalate.

Islamic State video targets Kurds

Mohammad A. Salih reports that a slick new recruitment video by the Islamic State (IS) seeks to enlist Kurds to join their cause.

Salih reports that there are maybe 500 Kurds among the estimated 27,000-30,000 foreign fighters on the side of IS in Iraq and Syria.

The Kurdish militants accuse Iraqi Kurdish leaders Massoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani of collaborating with the West and Israel. Branding current Kurdish leaders as tyrants, IS calls on Kurds to join the organization because, as the representative of monotheism, it will eventually triumph, Salih writes.

The appeal of IS to the Kurds has fallen flat, and may be a sign of the terrorist groups desperation as it continues to lose ground in both Syria and Iraq. Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga and Syrian Kurdish groups, especially the Peoples Protection Units, which is at the core of the US-backed Syrian Defense Forces, have been among the most effective fighters against IS.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the new IS video release is that it is entirely in the Kurmanji dialect, which is spoken by Kurds in Turkey, Syria and parts of Iraqi Kurdistan. This stands in contrast to the group's previous Kurdish-language propaganda videos, which have used mostly, if not entirely, the Sorani dialect, spoken by the majority of Kurds in Iraq and Iran. Kurds still lack one standardized language, and texts produced in Kurdish are either in Kurmanji or Sorani, which are the two main dialects of the Kurdish language, Salih writes.

Lobbying series focuses on North Africa, Gulf, Turkey

Al-Monitor resumes its series this month on how Middle Eastern countries play Washingtons influence game.

Julian Pecquet and Abigail Kukura have sifted through hundreds of lobbying and financial records to bring you the most comprehensive resource available on Middle East lobbying in Washington. Throughout the month of August, well be revealing the who, the why  and the how much  discreetly guiding all aspects of foreign policy, from weapons contracts and foreign aid to trade deals and financial sanctions.

Last week, the series focused on the countries of North Africa. Morocco, which expelled the United Nations mission to the Western Sahara in March, spent $3.7 million in 2015 to press its case for sovereignty over the region, as well as to assist with other economic and defense priorities. Team Morocco includes a former US ambassador to Morocco (lobby shop CEO Edward Gabriel); one former assistant secretary of state (Roger Noriega); and two former members of Congress: Democrat Edolphus Towns of New York and Republican Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida.
August 12, 2016

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  On Aug. 9, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Ramallah announced its official withdrawal of accreditation from Al-Aqsa University in the Gaza Strip. The ministry issued a statement the following day appointing the current chairman of the board of trustees as chairman of the university.

This decision to invalidate new degrees sparked the concern of high school students from Gaza who want to enroll in the university and reflected the deep division that prevails between the Gaza and Ramallah ministries of education.

In August 2015, a crisis broke out at Al-Aqsa University when former chairman, Ali Abu Zuhri, resigned for unknown reasons after occupying his position for only four months. Khawla Shakhsheer, who was the minister of education and higher education in Ramallah at the time, tasked Abdul Salam Abu Zaida with handling the chairmans responsibilities until a new chairman was appointed. Abu Zaida was the most senior serving employee at the university. This decision came in line with Article 17 of Law No. 4 of 2009 on the statute of public universities in Palestine, stating that the oldest serving person at the university shall handle the presidents tasks until a new president is appointed.

The ministry in Gaza did not approve of Abu Zaidas appointment and tasked Mohammed Radwan, who was deputy president of Al-Aqsa University for Information Technology Affairs, to fulfill the chairman position. The Gaza ministry based its decision on the same law. However, according to the Gaza ministry, the law stipulates the appointment of the oldest serving deputy, not the oldest serving employee.

In its Aug. 9 statement, the Education Ministry in Ramallah asserted that the degrees of students currently enrolled at the university will not be accepted unless they are personally signed by the chairman of the universitys board of trustees that the Ramallah ministry appoints. This is knowing that the current statute enforced at Al-Aqsa University only requires the signature of the universitys chairman  or the acting chairman.

In this context, Radwan, the universitys acting chairman appointed by the ministry in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that they will not abide by the media statements issued by the Education Ministry in Ramallah, as the university in Gaza did not receive any official decision from the ministry in Ramallah, which only voiced its stance in the media. This is not acceptable, he stressed.

Radwan said, The students fate cannot be toyed with in the media. It should be handled in official, certified documents, and the ministry should commit to its statements if it wants to implement them at the university.

It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Ramallah does not deal with Radwan as the universitys acting chairman because it did not appoint him. Radwan commented on this, saying that the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Gaza appointed him as per the law.

In a parallel development, the Ministry of Education in Ramallah also announced on July 16 free education for the 2016-17 academic year for students already enrolled at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza. Commenting on the news, Radwan said that the aim behind this decision is to spark political tension to pressure the ministry in Gaza to cave in to the decisions of its counterpart in Ramallah.

He added that Al-Aqsa University issued a statement to the students and reiterated the importance of paying tuition fees. Radwan noted that free university education requires the ministry to handle the operational expenses of the university and apply the decision to all public universities, not just Al-Aqsa. He said that the ministry has not sent any operational expenses to the university since September 2015.

Radwan added that the crisis stems from a political dispute between the ministries in Ramallah and Gaza, which is caused by the division between the Fatah and Hamas movements. He indicated that the ministry in Ramallah has not appointed any employee at the university since 2008, adding that the university has not received any financial credits despite the increase in the number of students and the development of the universitys facilities.

He said, Due to the lack of employment of academics, the number of staff decreased, and the ministry in Gaza moved some of its employees [around 44] to the university after holding tests and interviews. The Ramallah ministry, however, has yet to recognize those employees.

Ziad Thabit, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Gaza, called on students not to waste the opportunity of enrolling in Al-Aqsa University, the only public university in the Gaza Strip, as it is the most affordable and offers the highest number of scholarships, saying the universitys accreditation cannot be withdrawn. As per the Law on Higher Education No. 11 of 1998, removing the accreditation of higher education institutions is prohibited unless the university violates the conditions based on which it was granted its license or if the president decides so.

About the university crisis, Thabit told Al-Monitor that his ministry had agreed with its counterpart in Ramallah in March 2015 on some provisions to end the dispute. These provisions included resuming the payment of salaries of university employees. Their salaries have been frozen since the Palestinian split. Also, as per said provisions, Al-Aqsa Universitys financial and administrative situations would be taken care of.

However, the Ramallah ministry rejected the agreement and the crisis reached its peak in September 2015, when Gazas ministry appointed Radwan as acting chairman, while in parallel, the Ramallah ministry appointed Abu Zaida for the same position.

Thabit considered the Ramallah ministrys statement a way to impede the educational path at the university and tighten the noose on the Gaza Strip. He asserted that the ministry in Ramallah warned employees and members of the board of trustees against cooperating with Radwan.

Thabit noted that the number of new students who registered for the 2016-17 academic year is much less than in previous years, but registration is still open until the start of the academic year, Sept. 3.

Anwar Zakariya, the deputy undersecretary of Higher Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education in Ramallah, told Al-Monitor, The ministrys stubbornness in Gaza has caused the Al-Aqsa University crisis, and they must respond to the ministrys demands in Ramallah. He noted that appointing an acting chairman is illegal as long as the minister of education issued a decision to appoint someone else for the position.

Zakariya warned new students against enrolling in Al-Aqsa University and told them to register in other faculties and universities in the Gaza Strip. He asserted that the education minister in Ramallah has the right to withdraw the accreditation of the university according to Article 17 of Law No. 11 of 1998 that stipulates the cancellation of licenses for educational institutions by a substantiated decision by the minister, in case said institution does not meet the conditions set to get a license.

Zakariya denied that the decision to exempt current students from fees resulted from political tensions. He asserted that the decision was issued in consideration of the economic situation of Gazans, on the one hand, and the Gaza ministrys incompliance with sending the universitys financial allocations to the state treasury.

We will not offer credits for academic programs. If Gaza does not respond to our demands, no solution will materialize, he said.

In light of the political dispute between Fatah and Hamas and with each movement trying to impose its control over Al-Aqsa University, the fate of the students remains unknown for now. The Ministry of Education in Ramallah keeps issuing statements that the ministry in Gaza rejects, as both parties claim to be working according to the law for the sake of students, who find themselves victims of this bickering.
The sound of happy squeals could be heard around Auburn Arena on Saturday after more than1,300 young women garnered a spot in one of Auburn University's sororities as part of the 2016 Bid Day event.



This year, 1,480 women participated in the week-long schedule of events, known as recruitment week, that consists of mandatory meet-ups, parties and more leading up to Bid Day. Overall, Director of Greek Life Jill Moore said 1,303 participants were invited to join a sorority.



"I am proud of the women of Auburn Panhellenic and the hard work they put into making this formal recruitment week a successful one," said Greek Life Director Jill Moore. "We are all excited about our new sorority members. Each one brings something special to our campus and community."





While in previous years Bid Day has attracted spectators ranging from extended family members to fraternity brothers and sorority alumni ,this year Auburn University elected to make access to the event limited as a security measure due to the growing crowds.



The Village dorms, where the sororities are housed, were blocked off by barricades and only sorority members, pledges and personnel with wristbands were given access. In addition, each new member was allowed two guest wristbands for their parents to attend.



"It's a special day," said Ann Gatewood, who drove from North Carolina to watch her daughter participate in Bid Day. "It's a lot of excitement and crying. She is exhausted, but she's met a lot of great people. She's loved this whole week."



Of course, the changes to Bid Day this year didn't stop the excitement for the new members and their sorority sisters. Once the new members received their bids, they were paraded from the arena to their dorms where they were greeted by cheers, hugs, squeals and more.



The first year of membership in a sorority costs $1,900 on average. Members are expected to attend pep rallies, philanthropic events, and regular meetings, as well as meet certain academic standards.



Auburn University has 17 National Panhellenic Conference sororities with more than 250 members each and 53 Greek organizations total. The first sorority at Auburn University was Kappa Delta in 1922 while the first National Pan-Hellenic Council sorority was Delta Sigma Theta in 1974.
MILWAUKEE -- City leaders pleaded for calm after violence erupted for several hours Saturday night on Milwaukee's north side following a man's fatal shooting by police earlier in the day.

The mayor implored parents of anyone at the scene to "get them home right now" after at least four businesses burned and one officer was hurt.



At a news conference just after midnight, Mayor Tom Barrett said the situation appeared to be calming after a riotous scene in which as many as 100 protesters skirmished with police, tossing rocks and other debris, torching a squad car and tossing a brick through the window of another.

Police mounted at least two efforts to push the protesters out of an intersection at the heart of the violence.



The unrest began several hours after a man fleeing police after a traffic stop was shot and killed. Police said the man was armed, but it wasn't clear whether he was pointing the gun or aiming it at officers. Barrett said the man was hit twice, in the chest and arm. Neither his race nor the officer's was immediately released, nor were they identified.



The shooting was being investigated by the state. The officer was wearing a body camera, Barrett said.



At least three people were arrested in an uprising that Barrett said was driven by social media messages instructing people to congregate in the area.



"We have to have calm," Barrett said at the news conference. "There are a lot of really good people who live in this neighborhood."



Milwaukee Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton echoed Barrett's plea for help restoring order.



"We understand the frustration people feel with the police community nationally. ... We have to go through the process of finding justice, but we have to be able to restore order to these neighborhoods," Hamilton said. "Please participate in restoring order to these neighborhoods."

Barrett said the 23-year-old man who died was stopped by police for "suspicious activity." Police said earlier that he was carrying a gun that had been stolen in a March burglary in suburban Waukesha.

"This stop took place because two officers ... saw suspicious activity," Barrett said. "There were 23 rounds in that gun that that officer was staring at. I want to make sure we don't lose any police officers in this community, either."

Police with shields and helmets moved slowly into an intersection after 11 p.m., telling a crowd of about 50 people to disperse. Some threw rocks and other debris at police, who held up their shields. They also threw objects at a business a half-block from the intersection. A nearby traffic light was bent over and bus shelters overturned.

An earlier standoff involved more than 100 people pushing against 20 to 30 officers. Officers got in their cars to leave at one point and some in the crowd started smashing a squad car's windows. Another police car was set on fire.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that one of its reporters was shoved to the ground and punched.

The businesses that burned included a BMO Harris branch, a BP gas station, an O'Reilly Auto Parts store and a beauty supply store. Firefighters held back from the gas station blaze because of gunfire.

Police said the man who was shot had an arrest record. The 24-year-old officer who shot the man has been placed on administrative duty. The officer has been with the Milwaukee department six years, three as an officer.
On Oct. 31, 2013, we shared the story of Porter Heatherly, the 1-year-old boy with a rare genetic disease called gangliosidosis type 1 or GM1.

The inherited disorder, for which there is no cure, progressively destroys the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Life expectancy is about two years.

Porter passed that milestone Sept. 14, 2014, celebrating with a huge Auburn-themed birthday bash complete with Aubie.

Last September, Porter marked another remarkable year, celebrating his 3rd with 200 people and former AU stars Will Herring, Brandon Cox, Ben Leard and Rob Pate.

Because time is so precious, Porter's parents, Sara and Michael Heatherly, high school sweethearts from Cullman who now live in Opelika, use months to celebrate birthdays.

They celebrate Porter's Sept. 14, 2012, birthday every month on the 14th.

They have agreed to give updates on Porter's health on these birthdays.

Today, on Aug. 14, 2016, Porter's 47th-month birthday, Sara shared this update:

Porter has been fighting harder than ever lately.

He's finishing up another round of steroids and antibiotics trying to fight off a cold. The antibiotic puts a strain on his body because it takes several weeks for his digestion to get back to his normal. So his little tummy is very bloated and is causing him some discomfort.

His little feet have been swelling slightly and the doctors believe it is a sign of kidney failure. We are trying to elevate his feet to reduce the swelling, but there isn't much else we can do to help.

We know his body is struggling, but it's always a wake-up call to hear news like this. We also have to be very conscious of keeping him in the same position too long.

We have set the date for Porter's 4th birthday party and fundraiser for the Cure GM1 Foundation for October 1st this year. Our goal is to continue to spread awareness for this disease and to raise more than $35,000, the amount raised last year. Everyone will be invited so keep a close eye out on Porter's Facebook page, Prayers for Porter, for more information. We will start selling tickets very soon.

Thanks again for everyone's continued support and prayers.

God Bless,

Sara

How to Help

Auburn University is pioneering research into GM1 and related diseases. You can help by sending a donation made to the Scott Richey Research Center. Please note on the check "Research for Porter." Send to: Scott Richey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, 1265 H.C. Morgan Drive, Auburn, AL 36849

Also you can help with Porter's medical expenses. Make checks to The Community Foundation of East Alabama, specifying GM1 in the memo line. The Community Foundation of East Alabama, Inc. P.O. Box 165 Opelika, Alabama 36803-0165, info@tcfeastalabama.org (334)-705-5138
A wrong-way crash on Interstate 65 in Hoover this morning left one person dead, four injured and a motorist in custody.

Hoover police responded at 4 a.m. to the wreck on I-65 southbound between Alford Avenue and Montgomery Highway. Hoover police spokesman Lt. Keith Czeskleba said a silver Chevrolet Cruze was driving northbound in the southbound lanes and hit a Honda Accord.

The Honda was then struck by a black Chevrolet Cruze. The driver of the first Cruze got out of his vehicle and fled on the foot, Czeskleba said.

A passenger in the Honda was killed, and a child in the same vehicle was taken to Children's of Alabama with serious injuries. The driver was taken to UAB with minor injuries.

The driver and passenger from the black Chevrolet Cruze were also taken to UAB, both with minor injuries.

The driver of the silver Chevrolet Cruze was taken into custody after officers searching the area found him walking on Alford Avenue. Czeskleba said they are withholding his name pending formal charges.

Authorities also are withholding the victims' names pending notification of relatives.
Laying the groundwork for a local brewpub's plans to expand in downtown Auburn with a microbrewery may be funded, in part, by city taxpayers.

The city submitted a grant application two weeks ago for funding through the state's Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. The $579,500 request would support the structural designs of the microbrewery, a downtown visitor welcoming center and a regional market bordering the Owasco River.

Prison City Pub & Brewery hopes to be an anchor tenant of the riverside market with the microbrewery, which has been touted as a 4,000- to 7,000-square-foot beer manufacturing facility with a tasting room and the potential to create up to 25 full-time jobs.

A local match of $289,750  half of the request  would be required from Auburn if the funding is awarded. With awards expected to be announced in December, the city is committed to pay the match through Auburn's general fund.

The investment does not reflect any further stake in the microbrewery by the city, said City Clerk Chuck Mason. Rather, he said the specifics behind the production facility would likely entail a private development process, with Prison City responsible for the construction costs.

"The bottom line is that they want to be included in the redevelopment of that block and they want to be included in the regional market project," Mason said.

Preliminary plans would see the microbrewery, market and welcoming center located along a section of Loop Road  between Genesee and North streets  that would be closed to traffic. Mason assisted acting Assistant City Manager Jennifer Haines with the grant application.

Haines said the Waterfront Revitalization grant would cover the design of the building's mechanics, identifying the capacity needs and location of the structure. It would not be used for internal design plans for any brewing systems or other interior elements, she said.

The state has supported similar concepts for local breweries. Notably, allocations of state funding were awarded over the last few years to Empire Farmstead Brewery in Cazenovia and Good Nature Brewing Co. in Hamilton.

The microbrewery, along with the welcoming center and riverside market, was considered a component of the city's plans for a $10 million prize through the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative contest.

But after the top prize in the region was awarded to the city of Oswego, Auburn officials turned their focus to other potential funding sources.

The contest results have not impacted Prison City's plans for an Auburn expansion, said Dawn Schulz, who owns the brewery with her husband, Marc. While she feels the $10 million may have expedited the process, Prison City ownership still looks forward to anchoring the riverside market.

The brewery recently received a ringing endorsement for a new production facility from national digital publication Paste Magazine, which ranked one of Prison City's American India pale ales as No. 1 in the country among 246 other contenders.

"Note to local government: GET THESE GUYS A GRANT, STAT," the Paste judges wrote in the magazine's Aug. 8 piece, later adding, "We can't wait until Prison City is producing a much larger amount of beer so we can taste it more often."

Since announcing their intentions to expand, Schulz said she and Marc have received offers from malls and realtors in the areas of Ithaca, Syracuse and Waterloo for a possible location.

Though those spots could fit the structural needs, Prison City remains committed to downtown Auburn  and to the riverside regional market project  because keeping the production facility within walking distance of the State Street brewpub would make a better customer experience, Dawn said.

"It will happen," she said. "I think that the city is going to move forward with it, and I hope that we can help and be a part of it."
Latif has been using plastic to create shelters, reservoirs and mobile toilets. Now, she wants the world to take notice.

Karachi, Pakistan  Nargis Latif lay on her hospital bed dying.

The doctors had given up on her. Her children and husband were at her side, crying. Shouts of shes going, shes going and mummy, dont die filled the room.

Latif had experienced complications during labour and, despite being admitted to a reputable hospital in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, the doctors there couldnt diagnose what was wrong with her, although they suspected it might be blood cancer.

I cant even start to tell you how much pain I was in; it was unbearable, she recalls in vivid detail almost three decades later.

It was at that time that I reached out to God and asked him to either kill me or to save me, [but] not [to] leave me hanging in the middle. I started crying, and it seemed as [if when] the first tear dropped on the floor, my prayers were answered.

Latifs condition gradually started to improve. And she, in turn, started working on the promise she had made to God in the hospital that day  to do something to make the world a better place.

Dedicating my life to it

Burning rubbish is a common sight in Karachi, a city that produces 12,000 tonnes of it a day.

I used to get very mad when garbage was burned, Latif explains, remembering a street sweeper who used to burn it in her neighbourhood.

So, as her condition improved, Latif started to research ways of making use of that rubbish.

After a year of research, she created the Gul Bahao (flow the flowers) project.

With her team of environmentalists, Latif devises ways of using rubbish to create houses, water reservoirs, fodder for livestock and instant compost.

This hasnt been easy, she says. I realised I had to dedicate my whole life to it. Once you commit, you cant back out.

It was also a difficult decision because my father was against it. He told me not to get into this, otherwise, I will be destroyed.

But Latif remained adamant that there was life left in the rubbish that was being disposed of, particularly the plastic.

Gul Bahao started off 22 years ago with an army of more than 70 boys from Uzbekistan, who helped Latif collect plastic, vegetable and fruit peels, and other material from all over Karachi.

In 2004, Latif established a research centre on government-owned land in front of some shack homes. She recalls how trucks and minivans would roll out of it in those early days.

Now, the centre is full of unorganised stacks of plastic  and a chandi ghar, a type of shelter that has been used to house those displaced by the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan as well as family members of patients at the Civil Hospital Mithi in the deprived Tharparkar district of the country.

Latif says that since 2005, more than 150 of these structures have been made and delivered all over Pakistan.

Then there are mobile, foldable toilets that she says can cater to those travelling long distances on buses as well as to villagers who may not have toilet facilities in their homes.

Everything the project creates  from shelters to tables, chairs and toilets  consists of waste plastic inside a thermopore shell. The plastic  virgin, as Latif calls it to differentiate it from other rubbish  is mostly confectionary wrappers that factory owners have rejected due to printing issues. They form bricks that are then tied together to create the finished product. For the pillars of the shelters, the bricks are tied with wooden poles which are fitted into a roughly two-foot deep hole in the ground.

The chairs are sold for 70 rupees ($0.70) while the shelters fetch Gul Bahao around 300-400 rupees ($2.90-$3.80) per square foot.

But, Latif explains, the project is not a commercial venture, but a research one.

We spent over 10 million rupees on this project in 2006 alone. Since then, the expenses have gone down.

Most of the funding has come from Latif herself or from grants the project has received along the way.

Beautiful structures

Sitting inside one of the chandi ghars, there is a constant flow of air from the early morning breeze. The structure seems sturdy, but its hard to tell how well it will withstand the midday summer heat.

You can make beautiful structures using rejected material. Houses, swimming pools, water reservoirs in areas where there are water issues, little dams even, Latif explains. Ill be damned if people dont use this to their advantage. One extreme is a wedding banquet, the other a poor mans hut.

The plastic inside is not a filling, its a technique  You can only make it if you learn how to, she continues, leaning forward and wagging her index finger. If you make such bricks, its bye-bye to pollution, climate change and the melting glaciers.

Because youve stopped burning garbage and plastic. It will stop getting stuck in drains as well as prevent flooding of roads when it rains.

Latif is enthusiastic about her work. She has three workers helping her in the research centre  They will complain to you they dont get paid on time, she says  and a manager.

There is a bed made out of plastic waste on the premises where the helpers can relax. For Latif, there are no fixed working hours. If shes not at the research centre, she is at an exhibition promoting the shelters or at a meeting seeking interest or grants.

But not everyone shares her enthusiasm and the organisation is struggling. The 70-person team she once had is no more. Now there are just seven left. Over the past two decades, Gul Bahao has spent $90,000. Latif doesnt say how much it has made.

Convincing the public that the construction material is clean has been difficult, Latif explains.

People say this is made from garbage, and we dont want to live or sit on garbage. But this is clean material, especially the plastic. Its difficult to remove that thinking and perception, she says.

Finding funding is another problem, and Latif must spend much of her time looking for the money to keep the project going.

Nobody is willing to give us funds because nobody thinks highly of research here. In the past, companies used to give us paper, plastic, oil, cardboard and metal and we used to sell those and fund this project from the money we got.

We never got a lot of cash funds, but mostly [get paid] in kind favours.

An environmentalists dream

The Chandi Ghars are also aimed at the nomads in Pakistans Tharparkar district, which suffers from extreme poverty, a shortage of rainfall and inadequate water supplies.

READ MORE: Tharparkar  Pakistans ongoing catastrophe

Those families, instead of living in mud houses, can benefit from these shelters. Once the water runs out, they can easily pack up and move with their livestock to a place with water and farming facilities. They wont need to construct their mud houses from scratch. This would also reduce infections and diseases that spread because of dirt and mud, Latif explains.

As Latif excitedly prepares for a presentation of Gul Bahaos work, she insists that this technology will revolutionise the world, just like the steam engine and the mobile phone.

Those are big ambitions that have yet to be fulfilled, but Latif is adamant that her ideas can benefit the world  where the annual consumption of plastic has increased from around five million tonnes in the 1950s to nearly 100-million tonnes now  and, in so doing, help her keep the promise she made to God from her hospital bed all those years ago.

Its an environmentalists dream, she says. The world will be clean of pollution and plastic bags because were putting them to good use.
Despite the bleak realities, it is still too early to write a requiem for the Syrian revolution.

As we enter the fourth year of the Syrian crisis, it has become quite common, almost reaching the level of truism, to frame the conflict as a revolution gone awry, hijacked by warlords, jihadists, and foreign infiltrators. The subtext of such a narrative is that the Syrian revolution is dead, having only served as a midwife to a sectarian civil war.

The regime and its supporters have peddled the narrative of an armed insurrection backed by foreign conspirators from day one. In a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, the protestors did become more militarised, armed rebel groups emerged, and foreign jihadists penetrated the country en masse.

Western fears that there were few good guys in such a scenario fuelled political indecision and weak attempts to bring about a solution to the conflict. It may not be ideal, the thinking seems to be, but the Syrian crisis will be solved on the battlefield.

Western indecision, coupled with regional support for continued militarisation, has only strengthened the view that the crisis has always been defined by a civil war.

There is indeed a civil war occurring in Syria. This war is not as simple as the regime-versus-rebels narrative we are often subjected to, but involves a wide array of armed groups that often have competing strategic goals and interests. Syrias four civil wars, and the overlapping and constantly changing international alliances implicated therein, gives further credence to the narrative that the Syrian crisis is a complicated mess of rebel in-fighting and regime resiliency.

This, however, is only part of the story of the Syrian crisis. Despite the humanitarian catastrophe and political setbacks of the last three years, the Syrian revolution remains a reality that is being fought for throughout the country. Beyond the battlefield and beyond the headlines, Syrians are working tirelessly to organise their society and to move the country closer to a post-Baathist future.

Parallel realities

All revolutions have contained elements of civil violence. The Spanish Revolution in 1936 is an obvious example. Like Spain in the 1930s, Syria today is experiencing parallel realities. On the one hand, there is a protracted civil conflict in which regional actors are supporting and militarily sustaining various sides. On the other hand, there has been a political revolution that has attempted to spread new ideas, principles and institutions of social and political organisation throughout the country.

Responsibility for the essential aspects of daily life  prosecuting crimes, issuing death, marriage, and birth certificates, teaching school children, providing electricity and so on  had been long taken up by local councils who face the daunting task of organising society while protecting it from violence.

In the city of Manbij, just east of Aleppo, many residents have been forced into self-reliance since mid-2012 when the regimes forces and state institutions effectively withdrew. Residents immediately began to organise themselves amidst the acceleration of violence and chaos.

Such organisation began on the neighbourhood level and eventually morphed into larger structures of governance and accountability, including the creation of courts and a police force.

Regime withdrawal invited armed groups, ranging from brigades of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to Jabhat al-Nusra and other armed jihadist groups, to enter Manbij as well. Such groups coexist  sometimes peacefully, sometimes not  among each other and the various revolutionary council structures that have been established. Responsibility for the essential aspects of daily life  prosecuting crimes, issuing death, marriage, and birth certificates, teaching school children, providing electricity and so on  had been long taken up by local councils who face the daunting task of organising society while protecting it from violence.

As one revolutionary council member stated in 2012, we are trying to build a new system, even as the old one continues to bomb us.

Elsewhere in the country, institutions of governance are slowly emerging. In Douma, a suburb of Damascus, a local council consisting of 25 members was recently elected underneath the continued besiegement of the area by regime forces. In Aleppo, a civilian administration has emerged to provide security, judicial, and other support services.

This administration has its roots in the popular mobilisations in 2012, suggesting that the mobilisation and organisation capacity of protestors in Aleppo expanded significantly as the conflict has dragged on.

Indeed, the maturation of protestors into local leaders seems to be replicated throughout many parts of Syria where the administration and governance of daily life has been left to ordinary people. Despite the presence of alternative institutions operated by the FSA and other armed rebel groups, the civilian administration of Aleppo and others like it, enjoy a high degree of legitimacy among the population.

This legitimacy derives from their embeddedness in Syrian society and their sustained role in the revolution. Thus, unlike foreign fighters, or even the Syrian National Coalition, viewed by many as being disconnected from Syrian realities on the ground, local organisations have incorporated popular aspirations into their activities that have allowed them to gain substantial support.





Revolutionary shortcomings

Despite the continued presence of revolutionary organisation in Syria, we should resist the temptation to romanticise or idealise these new structures of political participation, such as elections or the formation of civil councils.

These will likely prove to be extremely important shapers of Syrias future. Yet, these processes have not been without their shortcomings and obstacles.

Many local council projects have failed miserably. Indeed, almost every area of Syria has a declared local council but only few of them have demonstrated the ability to organise as in Douma or Manbij. In some areas, there is considerable competition among different groups over who is going to serve as the governing authorities.

Some Syrians living in areas outside of regime control, have to contend with a patchwork of different authorities. In some cases, competition has led to cooperation, such as in Manbij where there is a centralised court, but this is rare. In Aleppo, the civilian administration exists alongside administrations run by better-funded armed groups.

Councils also suffer from a severe shortage of financial resources to pay for services. This has caused many of them to collapse or for Syrians to look elsewhere for their needs. Local councils have proven adept at organising and establishing themselves in areas, but their lack of financial resources to perform basic services like garbage collection meant that other, much better-funded, armed groups could assume responsibility in their place.

Competition from other groups for the loyalty of Syrians and a lack of a sustainable financial base has meant that many popular organisations lack any real monopoly on authority and governance in areas outside of regime control. In a context where regime, Western, and Arab officials insist on viewing the Syrian crisis through the narrow prism of a civil war, it is not surprising that the opportunities for revolutionary organisation have been stunted.

The one strategy that the various regime and rebel supporters seem to agree on is that the solution to the Syrian crisis will be on the battlefield. As time goes on and violence becomes more entrenched, there is the risk that the regimes self-fulfilling prophecy will be fully realised.



The lack of financial resources and the difficulties of sustaining structures of political participation amidst continued violence may ultimately render political, let alone revolutionary, change impossible. In the meantime, it is too early to write a requiem for the Syrian revolution.

Samer N Abboud is an Assistant Professor of International Studies at Arcadia University, Pennsylvania. His current focus is on Syrian capital flight.
Only legitimate, effective and sustainable politics can untangle the country from its multitude of challenges.

Davood Moradian is the director-general of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies.

If war is the continuation of politics by other means, then the four-decade-old Afghan war has become one of the worlds most entrenched political puzzles, involving many actors and dimensions.

The growing political crisis within the Afghan National Unity Government is compounding the ongoing security and economic crises in the country.

According to the agreement that was brokered by the United States Secretary of State John Kerry, the National Unity Government would have to implement a number of electoral and political reforms by September 2016, including organising parliamentary elections and conveying the constitutional Loya Jirga, the grand assembly.

No meaningful step has been taken to honour those promises. Many are anxiously watching how Washington and the Afghan government will handle the looming September deadline.

Former President Hamid Karzai has begun expressing his desire to challenge Washington for the US perceived role in delaying the required reforms.

Moreover, Washington is consumed by its own electoral fever and its reliance over its leverage.

Unfortunately, the underlying causes and possible corrective measures are being overshadowed by Washington and Karzais macho duel, Ashraf Ghanis clever strategy of delay and deception, and Abdullah Abdullahs haplessness.

US doublethink approach

The US military intervention in late 2001 heralded a prompt victory over the Taliban and initiating a promising and inclusive political process. It also enjoyed an unprecedented local and international consensus and legitimacy.

However, soon Iraq proved more attractive to Washington and hence its diversion from the Hindu Kush mountains to the Tigris-Euphrates river.

The domestic dimension of the Afghan conflict is the absence of agreement among the elites on the framework and principles of political power. by

That distraction was further worsened by US doublethink approach to Afghanistan. This Orwellian concept denotes the act of simultaneously accepting two mutually contradictory beliefs as correct, often in distinct social contexts.

This was and continues to be manifested at three mutually reinforcing levels: the US internal decision making, its regional policy and Washingtons approach to the Afghan political scene.

From early 2002 to date, Washington remains undecided as why, how, and for how long it should remain committed to Afghanistan.

There has been an unfinished struggle between the US policy communitys strategic approach to Afghanistan and the White Houses calendar-based impulse.

OPINION: Ethnic polarisation  Afghanistans emerging threat

Regionally, the US remains confused about its regional partners and adversaries. Pakistan was designated as US major non-NATO ally, while the most lethal Afghan terrorist group, the Haqqani network, was described by the US most senior military officer in 2011, Admiral Mike Mullen, as veritable arm of Pakistans military.

Washingtons handling of Afghan political milieu also suffered from a doublethink approach: promising to build a functioning democratic order while working mainly with corrupt actors and empowering ethno-nationalists.

Karzais multiple personalities

Karzai has become a globally-recognised politician and statesman. He sees himself as indispensable to Afghanistans stability and survival, while firmly believing in the political mastery of his fellow Pashtuns.

He neither advocates a suppressive theocratic order nor supports liberal secular dispensation. Such often-contradictory orientations have made him highly skilful and manipulative  a tribal, patriotic and cosmopolitan politician.

Washingtons choices were a key determinant in the rise of Karzai. One can see two versions of him: Karzai I was when he was seen by Washington as malleable, charming and helpful between 2001 and the 2007-2008 period, when Washington not only sidelined his rivals but, more importantly, gave him a winner-takes-all strong presidential system with its institutionalised ethnic hierarchy.

During this period, Karzai was the good guy and the Mujahideen leaders were seen as the bad guys.

Karzai II (2007-2008 and present) was mainly a product of Barack Obamas Afghan policy, which was essentially premised on disengagement from the region. Karzai II became the bad guy, and peace with the Taliban was elevated as US salvation.

OPINION: The end of Pakistans double-games in Afghanistan

Karzais strategy has been essentially a combination of manipulation of rivalling power-brokers, charm-offensive of unthreatening constituencies and brinkmanship with Washington.

His reluctance to confront the Taliban and his role in engineering the 2014 presidential election in favour of Ghani are among his bitter legacies, while he is praised for his inclusive temperament.

Ghanis double- pronged strategy

A former World Bank consultant and anthropologist, Ashraf Ghani shares a number of characteristics with his predecessor, while pursuing different strategies.

He sees himself as a saviour destined and determined to restore the Ghilzai Pashtuns lost political mastery against the Durrani Pashtuns and non-Pashtuns.

Washington must resist the temptation for personalisation of its challenges and strategies. The country does not need a saviour or an indispensable fatherly figure. by

His strategy has been sidelining his electoral rival Abdullah Abdullah, favouring Ghilzai Pashtuns in political life by using the means of patronage and charm-offensive of the West.

In other words, there are two Ghanis: Ghani I, an authoritarian, tribal and divisive figure for the Afghan constituencies; and Ghani II, a reformist, modernising and visionary leader for Western and donor interlocutors.

For the latter, he projects himself as the good guy, while portraying Abdullah and Karzai as the bad guys.

OPINION: Afghan forces should learn from NATOs mistakes

However, he continued to be haunted by the disputed 2014 presidential election. Apart from himself and his core supporters, there is hardly any constituency that considers him a clean winner of the 2014 presidential election.

Even the broker of the recent political agreement, Kerry has been quoted as saying, If fraudulent votes were discounted, the gap closed significantly in Abdullahs favour.

Its the politics, stupid

The domestic dimension of the Afghan conflict is the absence of agreement among the elites on the framework and principles of political power.

There are four broad approaches: Talibans terror campaign, former Mujahideens jihad dividends; ethnic entitlement and democratic politics. The ongoing and growing political crisis in Kabul is mainly waged by the two latter approaches.

Fortunately, there are important assets and opportunities that can help the country weather its turbulent transition from a constant struggle to reasonable stability and peace.

The massive participation of the ordinary people from all ethnic groups in recent elections has shown that the Afghans are striving for democratic governance, unlike their anti-democratic elites.

The Afghan constitution and the political agreement that gave birth to the Afghan National Unity Government provide a clear roadmap for the way forward.

Washington must resist the temptation for personalisation of its challenges and strategies. The country does not need a saviour or an indispensable fatherly figure.

Only legitimate, effective and sustainable politics can untangle the country from its multitude of challenges.

Davood Moradian is the director-general of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies, former chief of programmes in President Hamid Karzais office and chief policy adviser to Afghanistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.




The last 10 days have been a reminder of the breadth and complexity of the active conflicts going on in the country.

James Denselow is a writer on Middle East politics and security issues and a research associate at the Foreign Policy Centre.

Several conflict trends are simultaneously at play in Syria. The first is the retreat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) across the country and the second is the unpredictability of events in and around Aleppo where regular regime gains have seemingly been stunningly reversed.

Both trends reveal the many layers of ongoing fighting. While all fighting has international, regional and local components, there are two central conflicts that are making the weather in the country.

One is between the Syrian regime and its allies against a new, more united opposition coalition where Aleppo has become the jewel in the crown.

Meanwhile a far larger coalition  technically with the United States, Russia and the regime all on the same side  is aligned against a struggling ISIL.

ISIL on the retreat

Next month will mark the second anniversary of US Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIL in Syria.

The US-led coalition had launched more than 14,000 air strikes against ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq during that time, causing an estimated 45,000 casualties for the group  this is according to a Pentagon that has previously avoided getting dragged into doing body counts.

With recruitment routes more regulated, its sources of funding badly mauled and the skies above them buzzing with deadly aircraft, the resolve of the nascent caliphate is under more pressure than ever before.

In Manbij, US-backed Arab and Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters liberated the city from ISIL, sparking scenes of celebration, beard cutting and a shedding of niqabs.

This victory  won despite ISIL resorting to trying to hide behind thousands of human shields  is the latest in a number of successes against the group across Syria and Iraq, as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadis forces have lost over a quarter of their controlled territory over the past 18-months.

It is hard to overestimate the importance of Aleppo for those engaged in fighting over it. It's so important that opposition groups have taken resource and manpower from elsewhere and have demonstrated a rare unity in throwing themselves into relieving the regime siege. by

Eyes now look hungrily towards the ISIL capital Raqqa, whose water supply was recently cut off by Russian bombing.

For Barack Obama in particular, following Donald Trumps accusations that he founded ISIL, it would be a sweet reward if US-backed forces were the ones to take down the black flag from the city.

The Aleppo dimension

Meanwhile, in Aleppo, recent history has been marked by inconsistent deadlock in military terms and consistent death in civilian terms.

Many feared that once the opposition-held east of the city was cut off in July, the scene was set for a long-term siege.

However, such is the strategic and symbolic importance of Syrias largest city that a concerted opposition counterattack was able to punch through regime lines amid intense fighting.

We now see the spectre of a wider siege against the west of the city bringing two million civilians in total into the crosshairs of misery.

It is hard to overestimate the importance of Aleppo for those engaged in fighting over it. Its so important that opposition groups have taken resource and manpower from elsewhere and have demonstrated a rare unity in throwing themselves into relieving the regime siege.

The response from the regime and its allies has been ferocious, and reports of incendiary and chemical weapons have been reported while hospitals, in particular, are taking a serious beating with one hit every 17 hours.

OPINION: Syrias civil war is a post-factual conflict

The backsliding in regime gains around Aleppo has seen greater Russian investment in the conflict, although you wonder if they despair with their unreliable partners loss of the Ramosa artillery base.

Moscow has been forced to deny moving nuclear weapons to Syria but will be converting the Khmeimim base into a permanent site.

The failure of the dialogue

Another aspect of the Syrian conflict that has been highlighted by this apparent decisive phase in Aleppo is the almost complete marginalisation of the United Nations.

The Staffan de Mistura process promised so much, but its targets and deadlines have been rendered meaningless by events on the ground.

While all sides talk a good game about their willingness to engage in dialogue, they all see the potential for getting what they want through military means  which is bad news for the people and buildings that make up Aleppo.

To understand the Syria of today, you have to peer through the thick fog of war and have eyes simultaneously on the different actors and their very different conflicts.

The battle that was in Manbij and the battle that will be in Aleppo are testimony to that perspective.

James Denselow is a writer on Middle East politics and security issues and a research associate at the Foreign Policy Centre.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
AUBURN  Since the summer of 2009, hundreds of people have gathered in downtown Auburn for a special stroll down memory lane, and this year was no different.

On Saturday, the Downtown Auburn BID hosted the seventh annual Founders Day festival in the heart of "History's Hometown."

The city's celebration began at 10 a.m. on Genesee Street where more than 100 classic cars lined the road as part of the Finger Lakes Antique Automobile Association of America's Antique Car Show.

"We always celebrate Auburn's history with William Seward and Harriet Tubman and sound on film, and this just gives us a chance to stretch it out a little bit," FLAACA President Jack Hardy said. "So to celebrate the founders of Auburn, we hold a car show and celebrate the history of the automobile."

While dozens of people displayed their antique cars along Genesee Street, some of the city's oldest cars were parked in front of the Auburn Schine Theater on South Street, including the original 1921 delivery truck for Shaw & Boehler Florists and a 1950's fire truck, one of the first hook and ladders that Auburn ever owned.

According to FLAACA Committee Member Errol Flynn, the car show used to be held at the lake every summer, but Founders Day brought the event downtown and made it something more.

"It was just a car show and it really wasn't blossoming," Flynn said. "We wanted to get everybody involved in Auburn, especially kids and families, so we moved it down here and now it's more than a car show. We have a flea market and food and raffles... so there's really something for everybody."

This year, the proceeds were donated to four local charities: Hospice of the Finger Lakes, the SPCA, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Association and Freedom Recreational Services. And for the first time, Hardy added, there was more than classic Cadillacs and convertibles as the Fire & Iron Motorcycle Club joined the car show over on State Street.

Dubbed the auBURN Bike Fest and Ride, more than 20 firefighters and EMTs took a two-hour ride to raise funds for the Burn Foundation of Central New York.

"A lot of the money goes to awareness, treatment and prevention of burns from fires," Club No. 222's president Sam Giannettino said. "We used to do something similar (down the road), but we were finally able to get up here and make it one big car show."

Regional artists and crafters met at Market Street Park Saturday for the annual Art Flaire fundraiser for Unity House, which serves adults with developmental disabilities, mental illness and those who are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

"We were very happy that Auburn Downtown BID invited us to join them in this great event because even though we serve so many people, so few really know who we are and what we do," Unity House Director of Marketing and Development Kelly Buck said. "So we really wanted to be part of the larger downtown community event."

And further down the road on South Street, residents at Westminster Manor celebrated local seniors with a special talent show, Seniors Got Talent. According to one of the manor's board members, Beverly Miller, the senior living facility wanted to take part in Founders Day by doing "something totally different."

"We were looking for an event that was true to our mission of promoting seniors and we wanted something good for community outreach," she said. "I thought this would be a great opportunity to showcase our local seniors that have a tremendous amount of talent, and it seemed perfectly appropriate to be part of the celebration in town."
Fighting remains so intense that no significant amount of aid has been able to reach eastern Aleppo, aid workers say.

Aleppo, Syria  Last week, rebel groups announced that they had broken the siege of eastern Aleppo imposed by the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Many residents in this rebel-controlled part of the city rejoiced at the news, as the nearly one-month-long siege created drastic price increases and shortages of food and fuel, while leaving hundreds of wounded people trapped.

But since then, the situation on the ground has not immediately improved, residents say. Fighting in the area remains so intense that no significant amount of aid has been able to reach the area, according to locals and aid workers.

READ MORE: No escape from Aleppo for the critically wounded

So far, nothing has really changed, said Salem Sabbagh, a grocer in eastern Aleppo, noting that the limited amount of food that has since entered the city is not enough to feed its more than 300,000 residents.

If we had received a lot of food, youd be able to buy food at not-so-expensive prices, like before the siege, [but prices remain high], he told Al Jazeera.

Mustapha al-Hussein  a grocer in the Maadi district, which was hit by several air strikes this year  agreed that little has improved since rebels broke the government siege.





Some eggs, tomatoes and [cooking] materials like flour and sugar came in, but prices are high, unlike before the siege, Hussein told Al Jazeera, noting he is not optimistic that things will immediately get better. It will take time for food to reach the markets and return to their natural prices.

On August 7, the Syrian Revolution Network tweeted pictures of food deliveries to Aleppo after the siege was broken, saying the goods came from Syrians in Idlib, another rebel-controlled area. But as Sabbagh and Hussein attested, such deliveries have been small in quantity.

Moreover, aid organisations say they have not been able to deliver supplies due to heavy fighting in and around Aleppo.

The fighting is still very intense. Its really impossible to secure safe passage for a convoy, said Evita Mouawad, a humanitarian adviser for the Middle East region with Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

This has MSF concerned, as eastern Aleppo is overdue for a shipment of medical supplies.

Were very worried at the moment. Supplies were supposed to reach them a couple of weeks ago, Mouawad told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: Here is what school is like in Syrias Aleppo

The international development organisation Mercy Corps has cited similar problems.

It continues to be impossible to bring aid into east Aleppo. The volume of assistance thats needed is growing [now that both sides of the city are de facto besieged], Mercy Corps spokesperson Christy Delafield told Al Jazeera. We urgently need a sustained ceasefire and guarantees of unfettered access by all parties to the conflict.

Although it is not facing as dire conditions as the east, western Aleppo is also under siege, after rebel groups cut the government supply line in Ramosa earlier this month.

The United Nations has called for a 48-hour ceasefire to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to Aleppo. Although Russia announced a daily three-hour halt to air strikes on August 11, the UN said it was not long enough.

If a 48-hour ceasefire could be achieved, Mouawad believes that supplies could finally be delivered.

Our supplies are ready, she said. We need to make sure both parties to the conflict respect the passage of the convoy.
Eid al-Adha was expected on September 11 but because the moon was not sighted it will be on September 12.

The Eid al-Adha is Islams holiest festival celebrated annually around the world and an official holiday in Muslim-majority countries.

For Muslims, Eid al-Adha commemorates the day when prophet Abraham was going to sacrifice his son but was instructed by God to offer an animal instead. Eid al-Adha in Arabic literally means festival of the sacrifice.

Eid al-Adha 2016 was expected to begin tomorrow on Sunday, September 11. But on Friday September 2, the supreme court in Saudi Arabia announced that the Muslim festival of Eid will be on Monday, September 12.

The actual dates of Eid are confirmed based on moon sighting. If a new moon was sighted on September 1, then the first day of Eid al-Adha would have been on September 11. But since the moon was not visible, the festival will be celebrated on Monday, September 12.

In the United States and Canada, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Fiqh Council of North America follow the Eid date announced in Saudi Arabia.

Eid on September 12 Afghanistan

Algeria

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Bosnia

Brunei

Canada (ISNA)

Egypt

Gambia

Ghana

Indonesia

Iraq

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Libya

Malaysia

Morocco

Nigeria

Oman

Palestine

Philippines

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Singapore

Somalia

South Africa

South Sudan

Sudan

Syria

Tunisia

Turkey

UAE

Uganda

United Kingdom

United States (ISNA)

Since 2015, schools in New York also close for Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr.

Muslim communities in Europe will also observe Eid on September 12 as per the European Council of Fatwa and Research and the London Central Mosque.

Local calendars

In the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha occurs on the 10th day of the Dhu al-Hijjah lunar month, and is also the third day of the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.

Pakistan and Bangladesh are among several countries which sight the moon locally, and thus have their own lunar calendars.

According to the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee in Pakistan, the first day of the Dhu al-Hijjah lunar month was September 4, whereas it was September 3 according to Saudi Arabias Umm al  Qura calendar .

Hence, Pakistan and Bangladesh will celebrate Eid ul-Azha on Tuesday, September 13. India will also observe Eid on September 13.

Holiday tradition

Traditionally, the festival lasts for four days but public holidays vary from country to country.

As in Eid al-Fitr 2016, Turkey will observe a nine-day public holiday for Eid, also known as Kurban Bayrami or Eid el-Kabir. The holiday break will be from Saturday, September 10 until Sunday, September 18.

With exceptions, most Arab countries will also observe a nine-day public holiday from Friday, September 9 until Saturday, September 17.

In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Civil Service announced a 12-day holiday break, which will include the days of the Hajj pilgrimage.

Eid al-Adha holiday: How many days is it by country? https://t.co/UQuo1K6xgH pic.twitter.com/bOWgX5IMfC  Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 8, 2016

Pakistan will observe a three-day holiday for Eid, also known as Bakr-Id and Qurbani Eid, starting from Monday, September 12 until Wednesday, September 14.

Bangladesh will observe a six-day Eid holiday, from September 9 until September 14.

In the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte declared September 12 a holiday throughout the country in observance of Eidl Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) .

Nigeria and Gambia have also announced a long weekend for Eid, with Monday, September 12 and Tuesday, September 13 a public holiday.
Offensive leads to capture of four villages but ISIL hits back with suicide attacks against Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers.

Iraqi forces and Kurdish forces have recaptured four villages from Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) group near its stronghold of Mosul, reports say.

The offensive started at 5:30am local time from various fronts and so far.

Iraqi forces managed to retake the villages of Tal Hamid, Qarqasha, Abzakh and Qura Takh.

Clashes are still ongoing in a fifth village, Sateeh.

The advance is part of a wider security operation to retake Iraqs second largest city, which has been under the control of ISIL, also known as ISIS, since 2014.

ISIL fighters tried to slow down the offensive with two suicide car bombs near the village of Sateeh, but the Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers leading the offensive blew up the car before they reached them.

OPINION: The US, the Peshmerga and Mosul

ISIL fighters are now burning tyres near their positions in an attempt to cover themselves from US-led coalition aircraft, Kurdish local television reported.

Peshmerga engineering teams are defusing bombs planted by ISIL in the four liberated villages.

The battle for Mosul, ISILs de facto capital in Iraq and the largest city anywhere in its self-proclaimed caliphate, is expected later this year, but plans have not been finalised, officials and diplomats in Baghdad have said.

Army, police and special forces are expected to participate, with air support from a US-led coalition.

Sectarian tensions

Iraqi troops are currently securing villages around Qayyarah, an airbase which is being used to prepare for the final push towards Mosul.

More than 500 US troops will reportedly help Iraqi forces to transform the base into a staging area.

As ISIL is pushed out of places like Ramadi and Fallujah , sectarian tensions in Sunni-majority towns taken by Shia-led forces have resurfaced.





The forces trying to retake Mosul include the Kurdish regional government, fighters loyal to the pro-Sunni former provincial governor and the Shia-led central government.

Iran-backed Shia militias are also believed to be formalising their participation in northern Iraq.

Militias have been accused of torture and executions in recent military operations in Sunni areas and Iraqs government is investigating the alleged abductions of more than a thousand Sunni men who are missing.

This is causing concern among Kurdish fighters who have been fighting ISIL in northern Iraq.

We are afraid that after the liberation there will be a force whose mechanism doesnt go along with the people of Mosul, a force that doesnt have close ties with the people of Mosul, that is from a different sect. Not from the Sunni sect  said Sheikh Lukhman Sharawani, a Kurdish militia commander in Iraq.

We are afraid that they will do to the people of Mosul exactly what they did to the people of Ramadi, and therefore we would like them to keep their distance from Mosul.

Plea by rights monitor

Last month, Human Rights Watch asked Iraqi military commanders to exclude militias from the upcoming battle for Mosul.

Iraqi commanders shouldnt risk exposing Mosul civilians to serious harm from militias with a record of recent abuse, said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director.

A million people are estimated to be in Mosul and the United Nations says the operation towards the city has already displaced a hundred thousand people.

Aid agencies are struggling to provide help to the nearly three and a half million Iraqis already forced from their homes.

As temperatures rise, life in poorly equipped camps becomes even more difficult.
Palestinian Amal al-Sada spent a year in prison after trying to smuggle a SIM card to her jailed brother.

Amal al-Sada, a 28-year-old Palestinian woman from Hebron, had been visiting her jailed older brother for more than a decade before deciding to risk smuggling a SIM card to him  unaware of the price she would pay for the attempt.

After spending eight months under house arrest in the Kseifa area of the Negev desert, Sada was sentenced to 14 months in prison in July 2015, fined around $4,000, and banned from ever visiting her jailed brother again. Her brother, who had been serving a 17-year sentence for allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli settler, was given another three years in prison.

INFOGRAPHIC: How many Palestinians are imprisoned by Israel?

After her sentencing, Sada was placed in solitary confinement for two weeks in Ramle prison, then transferred to HaSharon prison for six months, and finally to Damon prison to serve out the remainder of her sentence. She was released last week, nearly one month early.

Al Jazeera spoke with Sada about her experience in Israels prison system.

Al Jazeera: Can you tell us about your time in solitary confinement?

Amal al-Sada: I was completely isolated. I did not see day or night. It was like being inside a grave.

I spent two weeks without a shower because the bathroom I had was open and directly facing the door of the cell, so that if the female guards were to walk by or look in, they could see me showering. I did not shower for two weeks.

She would swear at me in Hebrew  calling me dirty and telling me to shower. I refused. I didnt even have any other piece of clothing to change into.

The most painful part was when I would ask for water. I would ask for it in the afternoon, and they would bring it to me at 12am at night. I would call and call for them  but they would not give it to me when I asked for it. I have diabetes, and I need water. So I resorted to drinking water from the bathroom tap.

They humiliated us greatly.

It was dark beyond imagination inside - there were a few small openings at the top so that if you stood up, you could barely see the road. by

Al Jazeera: How were you treated inside the prisons?

Sada: They were difficult  very difficult. I faced humiliation, degradation, suppression and harassment.

As a diabetic, I would have to go the clinic three times a day to get my insulin shots, while my hands were cuffed. That was the most degrading thing for me  to have to go to the clinic and back with my hands cuffed. The prison guard would not leave me for one second.

I was exposed to psychological and verbal abuse, especially as I was going and coming from the clinic. They threw derogatory remarks at me  dirty words that should not be said to anyone, and I would never dare to repeat.

The bosta [vehicle with blacked-out windows used for prisoner transfers] in itself is torture for the prisoner.

Al Jazeera: Can you describe your experience in the bosta?

Sada: We would be divided into very tight cells inside the vehicle. There is a metal chair that you sit on, and the cell is so tight that your knees hit the metal door when you sit.

We would be chained from our arms and legs while sitting. It was extremely painful  more torture, to add to all the torture we were already going through.

They would drive vigorously and speed, with no regard for the prisoners. Every time they would swerve right or left, our bodies would bang against the metal cells.

It was dark beyond imagination inside  there were a few small openings at the top so that if you stood up, you could barely see the road.

After locking us up in each individual cell, the guards would come in with all their weapons and their police dogs. It smelled horrible. I was put inside it when I appealed my court sentence, and when I was being transferred from prison to prison.

READ MORE: Meet the youngest Palestinian female prisoner

Al Jazeera: What were the living conditions like inside the prisons?

Sada: In Damon prison, we were 18 women in one room. We shared one bathroom. They built us another bathroom after a long and hard struggle of us asking for it.

The beds were half-a-metre wide, and not long enough. I am tall, too, so I had to sleep in uncomfortable and awkward positions due to the lack of space.

The rooms were not equipped with any kind of heating system. We would heat up water in a pot and pour the water into plastic bottles. We would then place the bottles in socks and hold them while we slept to feel some sort of warmth.





We would also buy blankets from the canteen with our own money.

The food was OK. They would bring fish and meat once a week, schnitzel twice a week, and sometimes they would bring kofta. The food would be cooked, but we would re-cook it because it usually wasnt clean or cooked enough.

Every girl was allowed one piece of fruit a day  they would bring mostly apples and pears.

Al Jazeera: What did you do to pass the time?

Sada: I was the one in charge of the room. I would spend my time making sure the girls had everything they needed, such as food.

I also read a lot and said a lot of prayers. I memorised a lot of the Quran. During the last month, I became an imam for the girls. I would lead the prayers.

During the day, we were allowed out into the prisons courtyard between 8-10am, 1-3pm, and 4-5pm. After that, the doors were closed on us until the next day.

Every three months, we were allowed to exchange the clothes we had and two books, so that we would be able to bring in new ones. We could not keep more than two books at the same time.

Every 15 days, we were allowed one 45-minute family visit.

Al Jazeera: What was the hardest part for you?

Sada: The longing for my family was killing me on the inside. It was extremely difficult when I missed them, not to be able to hear their voices or see them.

Al Jazeera: How has this experience changed you?

Sada: I grew even closer to God. I learned patience, and how to make sound judgements. My personality changed greatly.

Emotionally, everyone around me knows that I am not happy. My state of mind has suffered greatly. Although my family is around me, I still feel as though I am alone. My mind is always elsewhere, and I forget a lot. I have asked my family to bring me a psychiatrist as soon as possible.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Jordanian writer Nahed Hattar has been jailed pending a police investigation of a cartoon he shared on Facebook that has caused outrage among Muslims.

An arrest warrant was issued on Friday for Hattar who turned himself in to authorities on Saturday, his former lawyer said.

After questioning, Hattar was remanded to Ammans Marka prison pending a probe into his alleged crime of causing sectarian strife and racism, according to Jordans official Petra news agency.

Ammans public prosecutor, Judge Abdullah Abul-Ghanam, also charged Hattar with the crime of insulting religion  which prohibits publication of printed material, image or drawing intended to harm religious feelings or creed, Petra said on Sunday.

Hattar, a controversial journalist and writer who is known for his support of Syrias President Bashar al-Assad, posted the cartoon on his Facebook page on Friday.

It is not known who produced the cartoon, titled God of Daesh (the Arabic acronym of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL). The cartoon shows a fighter from ISIL, also known as ISIS, sitting next to two women and asking God to bring him a drink.

Following a strong backlash in Jordan over the cartoon, Hattar said on his Facebook page that he had not intended to cause offence to Muslims but wanted the cartoon to expose how ISIL envision God and heaven.

In a second explanation on Facebook, Hattar said that as a non-believer he respected the believers who did not understand the satire behind the cartoon.

Hattars lawyer, Faisal al-Batayneh, accompanied him for questioning at the magistrates office in Amman, but later withdrew from the case on religious grounds.

Once I found out about the details of the case and about the offensive cartoon, I decided that my conscience and my commitment to the noble Islamic Sharia would not allow me to continue to represent Mr Hattar in this case, he said in a statement on Sunday.

Batayneh said that the while Hattar had acted insensitively and had made a serious error in judgment by sharing the cartoon, the legal case against the writer was weak and should be dropped.

He did not stoke sectarian and religious feelings in a malicious manner, he said.

Insulting religion

This is not the first time Hattar has run into trouble with the law in Jordan.

Batayneh said that he had defended Hattar several times in the past and that the writer had been acquitted on a number of charges, including insulting Jordans king.

Jordanian lawyer Saleh al-Najdawi told Al Jazeera that under the current law, insulting God carries a jail term of between three months to one year.

While Jordans constitution states that Islam is the official religion, the country is secular with strict separation between state and religion, Najdawi said. The constitution is based on the Napoleonic Code of French civil law with several stipulations and amendments based on English common law, he added.

Until several years ago, Jordanian law did not include a penalty for those who insulted God based on the legal reasoning that the divine entity would not require the defence of humans.

Follow Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports
Rally condemns plans to bury in a cemetery for national icons president who was toppled by popular revolt in 1996.

Protests have erupted in Manila over Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes plans to honour the late leader Ferdinand Marcos with a state burial.

About 2,000 people gathered in heavy rain on Sunday to denounce Dutertes plans to move Marcos remains from his northern hometown to the National Heroes Cemetery in the capital, Manila, next month.

Protesters are clarifying that this is not an anti-Duterte protest, said Al Jazeeras Jamela Alindogan, reporting from Manila.





This has nothing to do in general with his administration.

During his campaign, President Duterte promised that he was going to make sure that President Marcos would be buried at the Heroes Cemetery in Manila. Now, hes given a date, September 18.

Here at the rally, they say they are opposing that, because they say Marcos is not a hero.

Marcoss family have kept his preserved body on display after he died in exile in 1989 following a popular revolt three years earlier, demanding that it be buried with full honours in the Heroes Cemetery.

Marcos was elected president in 1965 and declared martial law in 1972, allowing him to rule as a dictator while he, his family and allies enriched themselves through massive corruption and his troops stamped out dissent.

But Duterte, who has styled himself as an anti-corruption crusader, defended Marcos, noting that his father had served in the Marcos cabinet and he himself had even voted for Marcos before.

Rodrigo Dutertes drug war: Do human rights matter?

Duterte has previously said that he won the May 9 elections partly with the support of the Marcos family, who remain influential in their bailiwick in the northern Philippines.

A small protest was also staged by human rights victims outside Dutertes southern hometown of Davao city, where candles and flowers were placed outside the city hall, television reports said.

The protests on Sunday were joined by Marcos-era victims of torture and imprisonment as well as relatives of victims of extrajudicial killings, which historians say claimed thousands of lives.

Protesters shed tears during the three-hour protest and organisers launched a signature campaign to try to reverse Dutertes decision.

Ricardo Jose, a University of the Philippines professor, alleged that to win war medals for bravery, Marcos faked his service record in the anti-Japanese resistance when Japan occupied the country in World War II.

There are World War II heroes buried there who sacrificed their lives  But heres one guy who distorted things in his favour, Jose told AFP at the rally.

Martin Andanar, Dutertes spokesman, said on Sunday that while the leader allowed protests against the burial plan, he remains firm it will be carried out.
Curators of Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth aiming to attract more young visitors with hi-tech host.

Art lovers usually have to rely on headsets or humans to guide them around galleries. But visitors to the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth can now take a tour in the company of a little robot called Aggie.

Like many galleries, it is dealing with a lack of money and falling visitor numbers. So, the curators are taking a less conventional route to attract more visitors.

We thought it would be really fun for family audiences to have something which was almost like a child-like guide, but a robot, who could excite them and also create new worlds around them, Chris Taverns, from the Art Gallery of Western Australia, told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: Japan  company builds robot to help elderly staff

Standing at 60cm tall, Aggie is programmed by Smartbots, a Perth-based company, but it relies on a human guide for voice commands.

It makes sound effects to complement the paintings and plays both contemporary and traditional music during the tour.

The gallery hopes Aggies size and interactive features will bring in younger audiences.

Were constantly looking at new ways of having her engage with families, looking at new behaviours, new activities, for example with the children, in the art class, said Smartbots Anitra Robertson.
At least 64 bodies recovered near Beni town in North Kivu, but local authorities warn death toll could rise.

At least 64 people have been killed in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in an attack carried out by suspected rebels.

Nyonyi Bwanakawa, the mayor of Beni in North Kivu, told Al Jazeera the attack on Saturday night happened in the towns Rwangoma district.

READ MORE: UN peacekeepers in the DRC no longer trusted to protect

DRC troops and local officials recovered 64 bodies, but the number could rise as the search was still going on, Bwanakawa said on Sunday.

Other officials said the death toll was closer to 75.

DRC army spokesman Mak Hazukay also confirmed to the AFP news agency that bodies have been recovered in Rwangoma.

Reports said that the victims were hacked to death.

Reagen Kyaviro, a survivor, told Al Jazeera that the attackers had turned up outside of his house.

The guy in front turned his weapon on me. When I tried to run away from the house, he hit me on the neck with the side of his gun. He took me by my shirt. I was forced to run. By chance, they did not follow me.

The DRC troops blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group known to operate bases inside neighbouring DRC.

Hazukay said that the rebels had bypassed army positions to come and massacre the population in revenge for military operations in the area.

Local residents also told Al Jazeera that they had spotted ADF rebels coming out of the forest on Saturday. There was some confusion, however, as some residents said that some of the men were wearing army uniforms.

The attack happened barely a week after 14 people were killed in another incident near Beni.

ADF troops were also suspected of carrying out that attack, but there was no independent confirmation.





In the past, independent observers have blamed both the ADF rebels and DRC forces for deadly attacks.

On August 4, DRC President Joseph Kabila and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni held talks in Uganda seeking a coordinated military strategy against the ADF rebels.

ADF rebels, who oppose Museveni, have been present in eastern DRC for more than 20 years.

The group has been accused of human rights abuses and is thought to be deeply embroiled in criminal networks funded by kidnappings, smuggling and logging.

The Beni area in particular has seen numerous massacres since October 2014 that have left in total more than 600 civilians dead.
Presidential spokesperson says government will accept force if it can negotiate its size, mandate, weapons and members.

South Sudan appears to have softened its stance on the UN resolution to send extra peacekeepers to quell violence in the country.

The UN Security Council has recently approved the deployment of an additional 4,000-strong peacekeeping force in South Sudan, after recent fighting threatened to send the country back to all-out civil war.

South Sudan has previously rejected the resolution, claiming it seriously undermines its sovereignty.

But the spokesman for South Sudans President Salva Kiir has told Al Jazeera on Sunday that it has not closed the door on a UN protection force.

Ateny Wek Ateny, presidential spokesman, said the government will accept the force, but only if it can negotiate its size, mandate, weapons and the contributing countries.

South Sudan: An ever-deepening cycle of violence

The planned deployment has also been dividing opinion on the ground in South Sudan.

For the 200 000 people living in UN camps it means greater protection. But those living outside the camps fear the troops are coming to take over their country.

The difference in opinion between civilians outside the UN camps and the displaced people inside mirrors the chasm between the UN security councils resolution and the governments rejection of it.

While one side regards the additional troops as a guarantee of peace and security, the other side considers it a violation of the countrys sovereignty.





Despite some reports of failures to protect civilians as per their mandate, for everyone living inside the UN camps, the UNs presence in South Sudan means protection and safety, said Al Jazeeras Hiba Morgan, reporting from the South Sudanese capital Juba.

But South Sudanese people living outside the camps have taken a very different view.

Rejection of the UN resolution is within South Sudans rights as a country but doing so threatens to worsen its relations with the international community at a time when the country is already facing threats of an arms embargo.

The issue will complicate the governments position with the regional and international community, Atem Simon, an editor and analyst from Juba, told Al Jazeera.

If the issue is not solved diplomatically, it will complicate relations and South Sudan will lose the support of regional countries and powerful international players like the US.

Fears of civil war

The fighting in the capital, Juba, last month raised fears of a renewed civil war after an August 2015 peace deal and worsened a humanitarian crisis.

Riek Machar, the rebel leader and former first vice president, fled during the fighting and said he would return only when regional peacekeepers secured the capital.

READ MORE: UN accuses South Sudan troops of committing atrocities

The civil war began in December 2013 when government forces loyal to President Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, battled rebels led by Machar, a Nuer.

Tens of thousands of people were killed in the fighting and more than two million people were displaced.

Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in August 2015 under which Machar was to be first vice president, but fighting has continued.

The resolution demands that South Sudans leaders immediately end the fighting and implement the peace deal.
MORAVIA  It didn't matter that there was some scattered raindrops, or that clouds were rolling by. Zachary Conklin, 8, was ready for his first flight lesson on Sunday, excited to not sit on the sidelines and watch his 12-year-old brother, Nathan, take off into the air without him for another time.

"Last year he was a week shy," said their mother, Jessica. Zachary was just under the age limit for the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program during last year's Owasco Airfield Days in Moravia. The program allows children ages 8 to 17 to fly with a volunteer pilot.

"Eight o'clock this morning, he was like, 'Mom! Is it time? Is it time to go?'" Jessica said, laughing.

Two 1940s Piper Cub planes sat in the airfield, nearly identical. Mark Sanford flew one from Ithaca, parking it next to its counterpart after his approximately 15-minute flight. Waldo Moore, of Trumansburg, owned the other, and the two pilots escorted Zachary and Nathan to their chariots.

Moore looked up the address of the Conklin's so they could plan to fly over their house. After a quick tutorial inside the plane, the engines revved up and the planes rolled to the end of the tarmac. Traveling down the 2,500-foot lane, the planes took off one at a time, little boys with headphones on peeking out the side windows, waved to Jessica and their 3-year-old brother, Thomas.

This weekend was the 10th Owasco Airfield Days, said owner Tom Brelsford. The rain and thunderstorms brought fewer aircraft, but a couple dozen people came out Sunday to enjoy a barbecue lunch and watch a few planes come and go, all part of a fundraiser for the Long Hill Fire Department.

After about 15 minutes, the signature blue and yellow planes appeared over the field, drifting in and out of the clouds. Zachary and Moore landed first, followed shortly after by Nathan and Sanford. Rain started to fall as the brothers walked away from the planes, smiles spread wide across their faces.

"Mom! You were like this big," said Zachary, his thumb and pointer finger pinching together. "The best was when we flew right through the clouds."

Nathan, who has flown at the airfield a couple of times before, said his favorite part is steering the plane.

"It's always my favorite," he said. "The scenery is always great."

Sanford, who was wearing a Hawaiian shirt with airplanes on it, aviator sunglasses and an orange visor, has been working with the Young Eagles program for more than a decade. He said it's a magical way for young people to get involved with flying. He's not worried, either about children taking the reins of his means of transportation.

"We're amazingly well-grounded," Sanford said about the pilots in the Young Eagles program. "It's a real life-changing event. Think about it this way. You're up a few thousand feet. There's really nothing to hit."
River Gash in Kassala state burst its banks flooding entire villages inhabited by farmers and forcing thousands to flee.

Thousands of houses have been destroyed and several villages submerged after flooding triggered by torrential rainfall killed 100 people across Sudan, according to an aid group in the country.

The Sudanese Red Crescent Society reported on Sunday that 25 people died in eastern Sudans Kassala, and around 8,000 houses have been destroyed since heavy rains lashed the state two weeks ago.

Nationwide, at least 100 people were killed, the group said.

Over 122k people est affected by flooding in #Sudan. More: https://t.co/J227hTQFLj pic.twitter.com/5tRGg5KPOu  UN OCHA Sudan (@UNOCHA_Sudan) August 12, 2016

Thousands of people in the impoverished eastern region bordering Eritrea were forced to flee after the river Gash burst its banks, flooding entire villages inhabited by farmers.

Many people were sheltering in makeshift grass huts on hilltops, after floodwaters also cut off the main highway between east Sudan and the capital, Khartoum.

An AFP news agency photographer, who toured two flood-hit villages in the area, said villagers were forced to wade into waist-high water as they looked for food, drinking water and medicines amid a shortage of supplies.

We simply fled

Many people, mostly children, were seen drinking muddy rain water.

We had no time. We simply fled, taking our children when our village was flooded in the night two weeks ago, Taha Mahmoud, chief of Makli village in Kassala, told AFP.

We are eating just one meal a day. Children are falling sick, and doctors are miles away.

Authorities said water levels were also rising on the Blue Nile along the border with Ethiopia after continuous rainfall there.





The Blue Nile flows to Khartoum where it meets the White Nile and they become the Nile which flows into Egypt.

UN aid agencies had previously warned of a flooding danger in Sudan between July and November.

Aside from Kassala, other states affected by the flooding included Sennar, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and North Darfur, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said earlier this week.

Heavy flooding since early June has affected more than 122,000 people and destroyed over 13,000 houses in many parts of the country, according to OCHA.

A downpour in August 2013 was the worst to hit Khartoum in 25 years, and affected tens of thousands of people.

Those floods killed about 50 people, mostly in the capital.
Hundreds of civilians, including women and children, killed in government and rebel attacks across Syria, activists say.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed in both Syrian government and rebel attacks across the wartorn country in recent days, according to local activist groups.

More than 180 civilians have been killed across Syria since Friday, including 22 children and 23 women, the Local Coordination Committees, a grassroots network of activists, said on Sunday.





At least 90 people were killed on Friday, while a further 83 civilian deaths were recorded by Saturday night. Most of them occurred in the Aleppo province.

Even with the deadly standards of this war, these death tolls are staggering, Al Jazeeras Reza Sayah, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkish side of the Syria-Turkey border, said.

Aleppo deaths

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which records daily developments in Syria, also released figures on Sunday detailing the killing of at least 327 civilians, including 76 children and 41 women, in Aleppo over the past 15 days.

More than 100 of the 327 were reportedly killed in bombing by government warplanes, while 126 were killed in attacks by opposition fighters on government-held areas in Aleppo.

In the suburbs of the city, another 94 were killed by Syrian regime bombardments, according to the SOHR.

Zouhir al-Shimale, a local journalist in Aleppo, said the attacks have not stopped since the rebels opened the strategically important Ramosa route a week ago.

The shelling on the city has intensified. The regime has been attacking the citys main roads that people have been using to get around eastern Aleppo, Shimale told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

Yesterday, the regime used cluster bombs, which they have been using extensively recently, to attack a bus station in al-Firdous neighbourhood, whereby more than 50 civilians, including women and children, were attempting to leave the city. Most of them were killed.

Once Syrias largest city, Aleppo has been divided between regime forces in the western part of the city and rebel groups in the east, for four years.

Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad imposed a weeks-long siege on the rebel-held eastern half of the city last month, until opposition forces announced they had broken the siege a week ago.

READ MORE: Syrian opposition says rebels break siege

It was one week ago today, when rebel forces broke through the government siege of Aleppo. These rising death tolls could be an indication of the government fighting back and retaliating, Al Jazeeras Sayah said.

Elsewhere, opposition activists in the rebel-held town of Daraya on the suburbs of Damascus accused the Syrian government of dropping barrel bombs containing napalm  an incendiary weapon made up of both fuel and a gel substance.





According to opposition activists, government forces and helicopters have dropped about 12 [barrel bombs] today and another 24 yesterday, killing one person and injuring others, Sayah said on Sunday.

The use of napalm against civilian targets, and in areas densely populated with civilians, has been prohibited by the United Nations. The chemical is very flammable and difficult to remove from the skin.

Both sides have used chemical weapons, according to rights groups, said Sayah.

Unfortunately no one has been held accountable  which probably has to do with the difficulty of getting access to these areas.

READ MORE: Syrias civil war  suspected chemical attack in Aleppo

Approximately 8,000 Syrian civilians are living in Daraya, which has been under siege by government forces since 2012.

The Syrian conflict, which began with peaceful protests in March 2011 against Assad, has spiralled into a multi-sided civil war.

According to UN estimates, more than 280,000 people have been killed in the conflict so far.
Coalition claims control of city on supply route between Turkish border and Raqqa after two months of heavy fighting.

Celebrations have erupted in the Syrian city of Manbij, with civilians pouring on to the streets and rebel fighters claiming they have liberated all of the city from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

Scenes of jubilation could be seen in many neighbourhoods of the city over the weekend, with men clipping their beards, women lifting their veils and people smoking in public.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed alliance consisting of Arab and Kurdish fighters, said on Sunday that they were in control of all of Manbij, which had been held by ISIL, also known as ISIS, since 2014.

Nasser Haj Mansour, an adviser to the SDF, said that Manbij was under full control, adding that search operations were continuing to try find any remaining ISIL fighters, the Associated press news agency reported.

We are all happy. We cleared the city from Daesh and now people are returning to their homes, Abu Musab, a Manbij resident, told Al Jazeera, using an Arabic acronym for ISIL.

We will show the world that the tide is changing and we will take back all of our country from Daesh.





Manbij, which lies on a supply route between the Turkish border and the de facto ISIL capital Raqqa, fell on Friday after more than two months of heavy fighting and US-led air strikes.

Al Jazeeras Reza Sayah, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkish side of the Syria-Turkey border, said the loss of Manbij was a major setback for ISIL and a major achievement for all the forces battling the group in Syria.

One of the key reasons for the success of the ground forces fighting ISIL in Manbij was the US-led coalitions air support.

In confirming the capture of Manbij, US military officials said that during the operation the coalition launched 680 air strikes destroying more than 680 ISIL fighting positions and 150 ISIL vehicles and heavy weapons.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group that records daily developments in Syria, said the fighting in Manbij claimed more than 1,700 lives, including more than 400 civilians.

Civilians released

On Saturday, ISIL released hundreds of the reported 2,000 civilians they took as human shields while retreating from the northern city.

The Syrian Observatory said hundreds of civilians, including women and children were released after about 500 cars left Manbij on Friday and headed northeast towards Jarablus, a town under ISIL control on the Turkish border.

Among the civilians taken by IS [ISIL] 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, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the observatory.

Separately, air strikes in opposition areas of Aleppo province on Saturday killed at least 51 people, activists and rescue workers told Al Jazeera.

Air strikes by the Russian and Syrian air force continued despite a pledge by Russia to observe a three-hour daily ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid deliveries.

The battle for Aleppo, Syrias second biggest city, has raged on since mid-2012 and is among the fiercest in the multi-front war that has killed nearly 400,000 people, according to an estimate by the UNs chief mediator.





Last week, there were reports of a chlorine attack in the Aleppo neighbourhood of al-Qatarji, although no one was seriously injured.

On the day that alleged attack was reported, at least 33 people, including 18 women and 10 children, were taken to hospital after a chlorine attack in Saraqeb, a town in Idlib province.

Government and opposition forces have both denied using chemical weapons during the war.

Western powers say the government has been responsible for chlorine and other chemical attacks, and the government and Russia have accused rebels of using poison gas.

In neighbouring Idlib, air strikes targeted a market killing several people.

Activists say that in the past few weeks, air strikes have increased in the area, targeting supply routes of armed groups.
Ghina Wadi was transferred from Madaya to a hospital in Damascus after she was shot by suspected pro-government fire.

A 10-year-old Syrian girl, shot in the leg by a sniper in early August, has undergone surgery in Damascus after being evacuated from the besieged town of Madaya following appeals by human rights groups calling for her rescue.

Ghina Wadis UK-based aunt, Fadah Jassem, confirmed to Al Jazeera that Wadi had arrived to al-Mouwasat hospital in Damascus after she and her mother were evacuated on Sunday.

Today, Ghina underwent operation for three hours. She had rods placed in her leg where the bone was too shattered to heal, Fahad Jassem, Wadis aunt, told Al Jazeera on Monday.

She will of course still need intensive physiotherapy and regular check-ups in the next couple of months to make sure her leg heals well, said Jassem, adding that Wadi should be able to walk on both legs again.

Wadi was transferred from Madaya to Damascus by a Syrian Arab Red Crescent team on Sunday, after she spent close to two weeks severely wounded by a suspected pro-government sniper that shot her leg on August 2.

The Syrian government was refusing to let Wadi leave for surgery, according the UK-based rights group Amnesty International.

The group launched an online petition calling for Wadis evacuation earlier this month, calling on the US and Russia to facilitate the rescue of Wadi. Amnesty released a statement on Sunday confirming that the girl and her mother were escorted following international pressure.

This is clearly a very welcome move that could prove to be a lifeline for Ghina, a brave young girl who was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Magdalena Mughrabi-Talhami, the groups deputy Middle East and North Africa programme director, said.

It is appalling that she was left to suffer for days on end before being granted this vital reprieve.

READ MORE: Urgent evacuation needed for Syrian girl shot by sniper

Wadi was shot in her left leg en route to buy medicine for her mother, along with her eight-year-old sister, who also suffered minor wounds.

The bullet in her leg shattered her thigh, causing a complex bone fracture and severing of a nerve, according to Amnesty.

Wadi was taken to a makeshift field hospital in Madaya, where she had access only to sedatives that would ease her pain for up to 15 minutes at a time.

Her eight-year-old sister, Nagem, will also need an operation to remove shrapnel from her arm, according to Jassem.

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 on Saturday, before Wadis evacuation.

Civilians trapped in Madaya have witnessed a severe shortage of medical and aid supplies. The rebel-held town has been under siege by Syrian government forces and Hezbollah fighters loyal to President Bashar al-Assad for more than a year.

READ MORE  Letter from Madaya: Why doesnt any one care?

According to the US-based Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) group, Madayas residents are surrounded by 12,000 landmines and 65 checkpoints manned by snipers, routinely targeting children, women and men.

Between November 2015 and May 2016, five children died from landmine and sniper injuries in Madaya, Elise Baker, a research coordinator at PHR, told Al Jazeera on Saturday.

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.

The towns only field hospital, lacking surgical supplies, anesthetics and antibiotics needed to heal landmine and sniper wounds, is staffed by two dental students and a veterinarian, according to PHR.

The Syrian conflict, which began with peaceful protests in March 2011 against Assad, has spiralled into a multi-sided civil war.

According to UN estimates, more than 280,000 people have been killed in the conflict so far.
Police say they are looking for the mastermind behind last weeks bombings as they arrest a man for arson.

A series of bombing and arson attacks in southern Thailand that killed four people and wounded dozens was orchestrated by a single person, and a man has been arrested in relation to one of the attacks, according to Thai police.

Blasts on Thursday and Friday targeted some of the countrys best-known tourist resorts, just days after Thailand voted to accept a military-backed constitution that paves the way for an election at the end of 2017.

These acts were undertaken by a group in many areas simultaneously, following orders from one individual, Pongsapat Pongcharoen, a deputy national police chief, said on Sunday.

He also revealed that the police have arrested one person in relation to one of the attacks.

READ MORE: Hunt on for Thailand blast suspects

They charged this person with arson, said Al Jazeeras Florence Looi, reporting from Bangkok.

He was picked up from an oil rig on Saturday and its in relation to an arson attack on a supermarket in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Police gave no further details on who they believe was the mastermind behind the attacks and no group has claimed them.

We do know the name of the person who is in custody in relation to the attack, but not the name of the individual who police say masterminded these attacks, our correspondent said.

They have been very thin on details.

Analysts say suspicion would inevitably fall on enemies of the ruling junta aggrieved by the referendum results, or fighters from Muslim-majority provinces in the south of the mostly Buddhist country.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from Hua Hin, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute for Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University, said: 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.

READ MORE: Thailand votes in referendum on contested constitution

Bombs went off on Thursday and Friday in the upmarket 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.

The wave of attacks came as tourists flocked to the beaches at the start of a public holiday. Several attacks used incendiary devices that hit shops and markets in southern Thai provinces.

In Phang Nga, two devices that authorities believe failed to go off were found on Saturday near a market that was torched in an attack early on Friday.





One worked and the other two didnt, Phakaphong Tavipatana, the governor of Phang Nga, told Reuters news agency, adding that police hoped to find fingerprints on the defused devices.

Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Thai prime minister, has instructed the police to be thorough and cautious in their investigation, according to authorities.

Thai police have come under fire in the past over investigations into high-profile cases, including the brutal murders of two British backpackers on a tourist island in 2014.

Sharp denial

Fears that followers of Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, former prime ministers, could be blamed prompted a senior figure in their Puea Thai Party to issue a sharp denial on Saturday.

The anti-government United Front For Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), known as the red shirt group and sympathetic to the Shinawatras, condemned the attacks in a statement on Sunday.

The group also criticised the government and political parties over suggestions that the attacks were undertaken by people who rejected the constitution in the referendum. The UDD said the junta may use the attacks as justification to stay in power longer.

Thaksin Shinawatra: Let Thailand return to democracy

Thailand has been divided for more than a decade 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 Yingluck swept to power in an election in 2011, before being ousted in another coup led by Prayuth in 2014.

At last Sundays referendum voters in Thaksins northeast stronghold voted to reject the constitution, which opponents of the junta said would entrench the militarys power and deepen divisions.

Voters in three mostly Muslim southern provinces, where separatists have been fighting with the military for than a decade, also voted against the new constitution.
Owner of mobile phone used to detonate one of the bombs in recent attacks in Thailand is said to be from Malaysia.

Thai authorities have reportedly asked for help from Malaysia in tracking down the owner of a mobile phone used to detonate one of the explosives in the recent wave of bombings that targeted some of Thailands best-known tourist destinations.

Bernama, Malaysias state news agency, reported on Sunday that the owner of the mobile phone, recovered from one of the blast sites in the popular island of Phuket, was said to be from Malaysia.

The phone was only partly damaged in the explosion, leaving its serial number still visible to investigators, a security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Bernama.

READ MORE: Will Thailands new constitution lead to stability?

According to the Bernama report, the serial number belonged to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), a regulatory body overseeing communications in Malaysia, including phone and online activities.

Thai police have forwarded the phone fragment to Malaysian authorities.

In a statement on Sunday, MCMC said it would work closely with police to help find the suspect.

A wave of explosions hit resort areas in Thailand on Thursday and Friday, killing at least four people and wounding 35 others, including tourists.

Also on Sunday, Thai police said the attack had been orchestrated by a single person, without giving any further details. Authorities said they know who to blame but have yet to reveal a culprit or suspected motive.

Our investigation is progressing. We know who was behind it, Piyapan Pingmuang, the deputy national police spokesman, told AFP news agency, declining to give further details.

Found and defused

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing spree, which hit seven southern provinces.

On Sunday, authorities said they had found and defused more unexploded devices in two bomb-hit areas  the upmarket beach town of Hua Hin and Phuket.

It is likely they were intended to explode at the same time of the previous explosions, said Grisada Boonrach, a Thai interior ministry spokesman.

Other unexploded devices were found on Saturday in Phang Nga province.





At least three men have been arrested or held for questioning following the attacks, police said.

A spokesman for Thailands military government confirmed that multiple people had been questioned but stressed it was too early to identify them as suspects.

Its just asking questions. They will not be treated as suspects unless the questioning procedure is done and any of them are found to have violated laws, said Colonel Winthai Suvaree.

Thailand has been battered by a decade of political unrest, driven by a bitter power struggle between the military-allied elite and forces loyal to the ousted democratically elected government.

Muslim rebels are also waging a long-running armed struggle in Thailands southern tip.

The bombings in top tourist destinations threaten a vital source of income for tropical Thailand.

The sector accounts for at least 10 percent of an economy the military government has struggled to revive.
Medical aid group backs reports of deaths of at least 10 children in attack in Haydan, in northwestern Saada province.

At least 10 children have been killed and about 30 injured in an air strike on a school in the stronghold of Yemens Houthi rebels, according to a medical aid group.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Saturday that the victims were aged between eight and 15 and attended a school in Haydan, a region in Yemens northwestern Saada province.

The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV broadcast what it said was the aftermath of the attack.

A video it released showed children with head, arm and leg wounds with blood-covered faces.

.@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 (@msf_yemen) August 13, 2016

Mohammed Abdel-Salam, a Houthi spokesman, blamed the Arab coalition of bombarding the school.

There was no official comment from the coalition, which has been carrying out an air campaign against rebels in Yemen in support of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi for nearly 15 months.

READ MORE: JIAT disputes claims against Arab coalition in Yemen

The reported attack comes a day after the UN human rights office said 272 civilians have been killed in Yemens conflict in four months alone this year.

Yemen has been torn apart by conflict since 2014, when Houthi rebels, allied with troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, captured large expanses of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

On Saturday, the Yemeni parliament convened for its first session in nearly two years in response to a call from the Houthis.





The meeting was held in the capital Sanaa despite a warning from Hadi, who is staying in Saudi Arabia.

Some 144 politicians of the 301-strong assembly attended the session in a move seen as backing the Houthis and their allies loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Dozens of rebel loyalists, meanwhile, gathered outside the parliament building in a show of support.

The meeting came a week after UN-sponsored peace talks between representatives of the government and rebels ended in Kuwait without a breakthrough.

Yemen has been torn apart by conflict since 2014, when Houthi rebels, allied with Saleh loyalists, captured large swaths of the country, including Sanaa.

A coalition assembled by Saudi Arabia launched an air campaign against the rebels in March 2015. Since then, more than 9,000 people have been killed and 2.8 million driven from their homes.

Across the country, at least 14 million people, more than half the population, are in need of emergency food and life-saving assistance.

The 15-month conflict has also taken a horrifying toll on the countrys youth, with UNICEF warning that an estimated 320,000 children face life-threatening malnutrition.
The case against Assange is as political as it is legal; where does it go from here? Plus, Kenyas election influencers.
           2005     ..        
Letter: Environmentalists are ignoring science when it comes to carbon  (Auburn Citizen, Aug. 5, 2016) represents the common arguments by climate deniers with a series of distortions and lies couched in scientific terms, to try to confuse readers about the reality of climate change. Fortunately polls show a large majority of Americans and climate scientists (97 percent) believe the climate is changing in ways that will be very expensive for businesses and the economy if we don't act now. And it certainly isn't hard to see the drought conditions, or hear about the flooding in South Florida where local businesses and Republican politicians are scrambling to get support for action before their district is more under water.

Conservative and Republican politicians, business and thought leaders are speaking out with solutions such as the Risky Business Project led by Michael Bloomberg, Henry Paulson, former Secretary of the Treasury under President Bush and former Secretary of State George Shultz. The bipartisan report concludes that climate change will cost billions of dollars in damage to coastal property ($507 billion worth of property below sea level by 2100), American agriculture crop losses of up to 50-70 percent and an explosion in energy needs over the next 5 to 20 years unless carbon emissions are decreased now. The longer we wait the more destruction to our economy.

I encourage you to read it and decide for yourself. Our leaders must act, and they need us to encourage them. George Shultz is a respected conservative leader who supports a carbon fee and dividend. He says it is not a tax, because all net revenue is returned to American families. A steadily rising fee is placed on all carbon based fuels that are contributing to climate change. The monies are returned to American families in monthly dividend checks to help cover increases in costs of energy. The program signals to investors that investing in clean energy is good business. In the first 10 years it creates a net 2.1 million jobs and 2.8 million over 20, while increasing GDP by $1.375 trillion.

So contact Rep. Katko and ask him to step up to protect our economy by supporting carbon fee and dividend based on real science.

Sunny Aslam

Jamesville
An Israeli movement known as Im Tirtzu (IMTI) has been instrumental in publicizing the infiltration of Israeli organizations perceived as human rights organizations, but, which, in reality, are actually Foreign Agent organizations bent on destroying Israel.

Im Tirtzu (Hebrew  , lit. 'If you will it') is a phrase coined by Theodor Herzl -- " ,   " or "If you will it, it is no dream." Founded in 2006 by Ronen Shoval, Im Tirtzu is an Israeli "extra-parliamentary movement that works to strengthen and advance the values of Zionism in Israel." A major component of Im Tirtzu's efforts is devoted to "combating the campaign of de-legitimization against the State of Israel and to provide responses to anti-Zionist" declarations. With thirteen branches at universities and colleges throughout Israel, its mission is based on recognizing that it is critical "to strengthen the Zionist and Jewish identity of Israeli students and encourage them to participate in Zionist activities in the Israeli academic sphere."

Like many American universities, Israeli institutions of higher learning are filled with left-leaning professors who display a fierce anti-Zionist bias. In 2010, American-born Israeli journalist, newspaper editor, and writer, Caroline Glick noted that

One of Im Tirtzu's central goals is to engender an atmosphere of academic freedom and intellectual pluralism on university campuses. Over the past generation or so, those campuses, and particularly the humanities and social sciences faculties, have become hotbeds of anti-Zionist activism and intellectual terror. Stories of professorial intimidation of and discrimination against Zionist students are widespread, as are instances of outright indoctrination in the classrooms.

Responding to complaints from students, Im Tirtzu examined the Politics and Government Department faculty at Ben-Gurion University and discovered adjunct lecturers openly promoting calls for international boycotts of Israel. Better known as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, its primary purpose is the elimination of Israel.

In one of their publications, Im Tirtzu explains the concept of "political terrorism" which is defined as "actions that are not actually physically violent, but which are intended to spread terror and fear in certain countries for the achievement of political aims." Consequently, "various political entities in Israel and abroad... carry out political actions with the aim of paralyzing Israel's ability to defend itself." For example, the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat, a Palestinian Foundation located in Ramallah, "supports not only foreign agent organizations, but also Palestinian organizations who work together with the terrorist organization 'The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.'"

IMTI has shown that funding comes from Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands who have made transfers of funds to dozens of Israeli and Palestinian NGOs. Yet these transfers included "organizations with avowed relationships with prominent Arab terrorists, as well as two Israeli NGOs... who focus on de-legitimizing Israel by accusing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of war crimes."

Im Tirtzu (IMTI) maintains that certain Israel and Arab organizations which call themselves human rights organizations "are not objective organizations whose guiding principles are truth and justice. Instead... their political agendas and negative attitudes towards Israel portray false and biased information."

Equally astonishing is that Haneen Zoabi and Jamal Zahalka, members of the Israeli Knesset have participated in "Israeli Apartheid Week" at Oxford University for the last decade. In addition, Ahmed Tibi, Ibrahim Sarsour and Masud Gnaim, all members of the Knesset act as Israel's fifth column undermining the country's ability to defend itself -- thus denying Israel's very right to exist.

Coupled with academics like Ilan Pappe who has taught at Haifa University for 23 years and maintains the patently false charge that Israel engages in ethnic cleansing, many in Israel are demanding transparency and accountability.

In a 2015 in a report titled Foreign Agents Report, IMTI listed the amounts of foreign funding from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain, and the European Union which was used by organizations such as Adalah who actually work "against Israeli security forces [working] to mitigate acts of terror." Another group, Rabbis for Human Rights "receives hundreds of thousands of dollars... while it leads an international campaign presenting Israel as an anti-Semitic state. Then there is Machsom Watch which actively calls for a boycott of Israel while publicly consoling the relatives of those arrested for the vicious murders of the Fogel family which included a three-month-old sleeping baby. Also included is the Coalition of Women for Peace which supports the International Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS) movement.

Another key offender is the New Israel Fund which actively supports B'Tselem and the organization Breaking the Silence despite the fact that these groups accuse Israel of a deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing, implementing apartheid, and of perpetrating war crimes. Moreover, the Director of B'Tselem, refused to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization and avoids condemning Hamas' use of civilians as human shields.

In 2015 Im Tirtzu launched a new website called the NIF (New Israel Fund) Watch. In fact, the site shows quotations from the directors of the NIF and the heads of the organizations it supports calling for IDF soldiers to be put on trial for war crimes, calling for boycotts and sanctions against Israel, taking legal actions in court against the State of Israel, and encouraging international pressure. New Israel Fund supports dozens of Israel-related causes, many of which are openly hostile to the Jewish State.

Im Tirtzu's work has resulted in the Knesset passing a law that "would lead to the ouster of members of the Knesset who declare support for terrorism or racism, penalizes desecration of the Israeli flag, and obliges Non-Governmental Organizations or NGOs to reveal their sources of foreign government funding if such funding accounts for more than half of their revenues."

Im-Tirtzu director-general Matan Peleg has affirmed that the list of organizations proves beyond all doubt that [t]hese are delegitimization organizations... are meant only to slander the State of Israel and reduce its sovereignty, and these activities are funded by foreign governments, so [the NGOs] make money off of the conflict.

Peleg asserts that Israelis have the right and the responsibility to respond through legislation to blatant undemocratic foreign intervention in [their] internal affairs. He finds it very strange that European countries are obsessed with sending millions of euros specifically to propaganda organizations meant to discredit the Jewish state" and maintains that "[t]his phenomenon is reminiscent of dark times in history.

But given the resurgence of global anti-Semitism, is it not predictable?

The conflict that faces Israel, and for that matter the free world, is a "battle between those who sanctify life and those who celebrate death."

The tentacles of hate are deep and the work that this small group at Im Tirtzu does is invaluable as they draw back the curtain on the nefarious deeds that European and American funds help to sponsor.

Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com
As Gold Star parents, Khizr Khan and his wife, Ghazala Khan, were deserving of every respect from Americans for the loss of their son, Captain Humayun Khan (US Army, 1st Infantry Division), killed while on a tour of duty in Iraq in June 2004. But the controversy they ignited by appearing on stage at the 2016 DNC in Philadelphia was entirely of their making. The result should be Americans learning more about Khizr Khan that otherwise would remain unexamined.

Humayun Khan was an American patriot who happened to be a Muslim by birth. There are, and have been, many Muslims who serve in the United States armed forces as proud and dedicated Americans. There has also been countless number of Muslims of various ethnicities at different times and circumstances who bore arms and sacrificed alongside Americans in wars waged for the defense of freedom and democracy. In World War II, for instance, there were over two million Indians and among them many were Muslims who voluntarily joined British Indias armed forces and fought against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in the North African, European and Asian theatres of that immense struggle against fascist totalitarianism. And during the Cold War decades a majority of Muslim countries were allies of the West against the Soviet Union and communism.

At a time in contemporary Muslim history when growing numbers of Muslims, especially those from the greater Middle East and North Africa, are waging an asymmetrical conflict ignited by Islamists (or radical extremist Muslims) against the West, Khizr Khan was presented with a rare opportunity as a Gold Star parent to speak about how gravely misguided, even perverted, are those among Muslims who have declared jihad (holy war) of Islam against the West. His son had made the highest sacrifice any individual can be called upon to make in defense of freedom and individual rights as an American soldier. The sacrifice of his son bestowed upon Khizr Khan the credibility to draw upon the best of both American culture and Muslim tradition in putting to rest the false notion that Islam as a religion calls upon Muslims to make war on the ideals that America represents; and to point out that while the conflict since 9/11 between a segment of the worlds Muslim population and the West is undeniable, yet this is an old conflict periodically renewed between freedom and totalitarianism in which present day Islamists are freedoms most recent enemy.

But Khizr Khan also knew that the opportunity he was given to speak to a vast audience from the DNC stage came with a price tag. He had to know that Hillarys campaign team was using him cynically to denounce Donald Trump as a bigot, and that he was chosen as a Gold Star parent to entrap the Republican nominee in a public furor that might further inflate Trumps negative approval rating in the polls. Khizr Khan had a choice, however, to make between being a shill for the Democratic Party and remaining true to the memory of his soldier son, buried in the Arlington National Cemetery as an American patriot and not as a Democrat or a Republican. Khizr Khan chose to be a shill and in making that choice he should have known he was trading the public respect reserved for Gold Star parents to be above criticism for public scrutiny of his past and present.

Khizr Khan took to the DNC stage and launched his vitriol against Trump after introducing himself and his wife as parents of Capt. Humayun Khan whose portrait graced the screen behind the podium. He said, Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. He then continued histrionically, Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the US Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy.

With these words Khizr Khan waded into the turbulent waters of American politics in the midst of a presidential campaign impugning the character of the Republican nominee. A moment of honest reflection on his part might have cautioned him that his attack on Trumps character would not bear comparison to that of Gold Star parents, such as Patricia Smith, questioning the character and judgment of Hillary for the deaths of the four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012. Mrs. Smith, the mother of Sean Smith killed in Benghazi, has insisted that she was lied to by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the circumstances surrounding the death of her son and that she held the Secretary responsible for failing to order a timely rescue mission that might have saved the four Americans killed by Islamist terrorists.

Indeed, if Khizr Khan had been honest with himself he would know that Trump bore no responsibility for the death of his son. On the contrary, it was Hillary who voted in 2002 for the joint resolution authorizing the use of force against Saddam Husseins Iraq responsible for casualties in the war that followed and among whom was Humayun Khan in 2004. Trump instead, as an outsider in politics, had criticized that policy for which Americans since then have borne the costs for no good end.

But Khizr Khan on the DNC stage turned himself into a fully pledged Democratic Party operative working for Hillarys campaign. In a post published on the CNN webpage after his stage performance in Philadelphia, Khan wrote, Again and again, he [Trump] has said things that are counter to the America we experience every day. He talks about banning Muslims. His supporters talk about religious tests. But if freedom and liberty really mean something, then Trumps fear-mongering has no place in it. Khans animus towards Trump, as we might note, had nothing to do with whether or not the Republican nominee had been respectful of Gold Star parents; instead, as an American Muslim of Pakistani origin, Khan was out to demonize Trump as a bigot, peddling the Democratic Partys talking points for his policy on immigration, illegal migrants, and the call to ban Muslims entering the United States until Americans understand well enough what drives so many of them toward such deep-seated hatred of the West to engage in terrorist violence.

It is an old adage that the sins of the father cannot be held against the son. In analyzing the Khizr Khan episode it may also be said that the father cannot use the sacrifice of the son as a shield for partisan political purposes. Trump pushed back and the predictable furor erupted just as Hillarys campaign team had likely expected by putting Khizr Khan on stage. The mainstream media no longer pretending to be fair and objective in reporting on Trump portrayed him as defaming Gold Star parents. Some leading Republicans, including the Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator John McCain, joined the parade with the Democrats in condemning Trump for unacceptable remarks directed toward Khizr Khan and his wife.

In the furor what got overlooked, or was deliberately obscured by the media, was Khizr Khan was involved in a political stunt, and that Trump and his allies could not be rightfully denied their push back. Khans right to express his political views is protected speech, as is the right of others to respond. Apparently Khan wanted to have it both ways, to express his political views as an American citizen and, as a Gold Star parent, to be shielded from criticisms that might follow. The controversy surrounding Khan and Trump paradoxically illustrates the extent to which political correctness has become restrictive of public discourse in American society and punitive against those who breach its boundaries.

In the politically correct world of the Democratic Party there are protected groups based on identity politics and claims of victimhood  the ethnic minorities, the Black Lives Matter activists, the sex and gender based activists, the social justice warriors, the environmentalists, the third world anti-Semites of all sorts  and among whom increasingly is to be found those Muslims pushing the canard of Islamophobia to silence anyone from questioning the politics of Islamists and the use of Islam to legitimize their jihad. In calling for a ban on Muslims from entering the United States, Trump has become the personification of the Great Satan for most Muslims and, hence, their willingness to volunteer in the role of useful idiots for the Democratic Party and vilify him.

Under normal circumstances or, in other words, where political correctness is contemptuously dismissed as a tool for blackmail and ostracism, Khizr Khans role as a Democratic party operative and not as a Gold Star parent would have been open to media scrutiny. But the mainstream media for all purposes in this election year has become an anti-Trump media and, consequently, since Khizr Khan is a member of the Democratic Partys various protected groups any one questioning his motive or background has to be prepared for branding as a bigot by the media. This is enough of a deterrent for most people, including ironically many Republicans, and it might be assumed that Khizr Khan knew in advance how well he would be protected following his brazen vilification of Trump from the podium of the biggest stage to which he was invited.

But who is Khizr Khan, apart from being a Pakistani-American and a Gold Star parent?

Khan has provided a clue himself in the essay on Islamic law, or Shariah, he published in 1983 in the Houston Journal of International Law. He wrote this essay, as indicated in footnotes, while residing in Saudi Arabia and before immigrating to the United States. He introduced himself to his readers as a co-founder of the Journal of Contemporary Issues in Muslim Law, which presumably (I have not found it available on the internet) is dedicated to elaborating, defending, and promoting Shariah as his Houston Journal article, Juristic Classification of Islamic Law, illustrates. He also expressed in the footnotes, The contribution to this article of S. Ramadans writings is gratefully acknowledged.

We may ask why did Khizr Khan felt obliged to gratefully acknowledge the works of S. Ramadan. In academic writings an acknowledgement of someone as a recognized authority is the manner in which an author might authenticate his own work. Among Muslim writers, especially when the writings are related to Islam and its traditions, an acknowledgment to the works of notable authorities follows the tradition of citing the isnad (the chain or list of authorities) established as the formula in the classical period of Muslim history when reporting and classifying the traditions (hadith) of the Prophet as authentic.

Khizr Khan was dutifully following the isnad tradition in making his acknowledgement. This indicated to readers, especially Muslims since the subject of the essay dealt with the Shariah, his views on the subject were in accordance with those of S. Ramadan. But since Khizr Khan was residing in Saudi Arabia at the time he wrote the essay, the acknowledgement also indicated he was in some manner an associate of S. Ramadan, which then gave him and his writing additional importance that would come from an association with someone of high regard.

S. Ramadan was Said Ramadan, the son-in-law of the Egyptian Hasan al-Banna who founded the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). In the closed circle of the MB aristocracy Said Ramadan (1926-1995) was a prince and heir-apparent to the founder.

Once MB was declared illegal by the military regime in Egypt led by Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser following an assassination attempt on him by MB hirelings in 1954, Said Ramadan and other MB functionaries took refuge in Saudi Arabia. Ramadan later moved to West Germany and eventually settled in Switzerland. Among his circle of friends and followers Ramadan came to be known as the MBs foreign minister. He received funds from Saudi Arabia as he worked to establish an MB presence in Europe, and his activities eventually brought him into contact with the CIA. Ramadan was also one of the original members of the first council of executives of the World Muslim League established and funded by the Saudi kingdom to spread Wahhabism, an extreme fundamentalist theology of Islam that is the official doctrine of Saudi Arabia.

In 1953 Ramadan was part of a Muslim delegation invited to visit the United States, and an arrangement was made for President Eisenhower to meet with the delegates in the White House. It was the era of the Cold War and as it escalated intelligence officials in Washington saw potential in the MB as an anti-communist front organization. Ramadan benefitted from the circumstances of the era, and with assistance from the CIA took control of a mosque in Munich that became one of the main centers of MB activities in Europe. Ian Johnson in A Mosque in Munich: Nazis, the CIA, and the Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West (2010) tells the story of Said Ramadan in great detail; and Paul Berman in The Flight of the Intellectuals (2010) discusses at length the ideology, or theology, of the MB and its intellectual heavyweights, Said Ramadan and his son, Tariq Ramadan, and among others Sayyid Qutb revered by the Islamist terrorists.

Khizr Khans acknowledgement of Said Ramadan in his article on the Shariah was not accidental. It was deliberate and it provided a clue to his ideological leanings. As someone from Punjab, Pakistans heartland, he came of age at a time when the politics of his native country was greatly influenced by the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and torn apart by military dictatorship, war, genocide, and the Islamization of Pakistan initiated by the military dictator General Zia ul Haq.

Said Ramadan visited Pakistan and he had a following among Pakistanis. The Pakistani counterpart to the MB is the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), and Punjab is its citadel. It would be most unlikely that Khizr Khan was not exposed to the ideology of the JI that has been imbibed by the Pakistani ruling class, and is preached in mosques and taught in religious schools across the country. There is no indication that at any time he disavowed this ideology.

There is also no public record of Khizr Khan denouncing Islamists of any stripe in the United States, or elsewhere. This silence on the part of Khizr Khan stands out given the sacrifice of his son as an American patriot and when one of the most horrific terrorist incidents after 9/11 was committed by Major Nidal Hasan, an American Muslim, killing 13 and wounding 32 in a shooting spree in Fort Hood, Texas, in November 2009.

Khizr Khans silence raises a whole lot of questions. As contemporaries, my experience of Pakistan is as vivid as would likely be his. The defining event in our lifetime was the break up of Pakistan in 1971. I lived through the horrors of that year in Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan), survived the genocide and war unleashed by the military dictator General Yahya Khan, and was fortunate to immigrate to Canada. I understand well the Pakistani culture from the inside. It is a culture of denial in which the elite cultivates the art of hypocrisy, and bigotry against religious and ethnic minorities is widespread.

Pakistan is the country that provided safe haven to Osama bin Laden, and has used, misused, and abused its relationship with the United States that Carlotta Gall chronicled in The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-2014 (2014). The bulk of the Pakistani army is recruited from Punjab from where Khizr Khan originates. This was the army that engaged in the massacre of Bengali Muslims and Hindus, the citizenry of its own country, in 1971. Pakistanis have yet to make an official apology for one of the worst crimes against humanity in Bangladesh, former East Pakistan, in the last century.

Khizr Khans silence in publicly disavowing the jihadist ideology of MB and JI, or in denouncing those who have carried out several Islamist terrorist attacks inside the United States, is deserving of scrutiny since he chose to go public in smearing Donald Trump as a bigot, while deriding Trumps policies as a Republican nominee.

Since Khizr Khan voluntarily stepped forward into the public arena as a Democratic Party operative, it has been a dereliction of duty on the part of the media not to probe into his political leanings, his likely associations with Islamist organizations, his connection with Said Ramadan and Saudi funded institutes to propagate Wahhabi jihadist ideology, and the work he does as a lawyer for clients in Pakistan and the Middle East. His status as a Gold Star parent does not exempt him from giving answers to questions that are relevant for the national security interests of the United States.

Salim Mansur teaches at Western University and is author of award winning book, Delectable Lie: a liberal repudiation of multiculturalism.
This week, the Daily Caller News Foundations star reporter Richard Pollock revealed that

Multiple FBI investigations are underway involving potential corruption charges against the Clinton Foundation, according to a former senior law enforcement official. The investigation centers on New York City where the Clinton Foundation has its main offices, according to the former official who has direct knowledge of the activities. Prosecutorial support will come from various U.S. Attorneys offices -- a major departure from other centralized FBI investigations.

Such an investigation is long overdue and the American experiment in representative democracy may well depend on its success. It appears to have been underway for some time as FBI director James Comey earlier declined to comment on whether the investigation into Clintons emails also involved an investigation into the foundation.

Heading up the investigation is U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for New Yorks Southern District, who is known for his aggressive and successful prosecutions.

Weve long been aware that foundation is a slush fund that pays out far more in salaries and expenses to its officers and employees than it does for charitable ends.

But the present focus is on the coordination of the foundation and Hillary as Secretary of State to benefit her friends and contributors.

The story is of interest, however, not just because Hillary is the Democratic presidential nominee. The story of the foundation, so well documented by Charles Ortel over the past year, illustrates the corruption of the political process and the out-of-control operations of massive funds by this tax-exempt foundation.

The Clinton foundation has collected over $2 billion in the 15 years it has been in existence. More than 1,000 of these contributions are reported to come from foreigners and their names and contribution figures are not being disclosed.

Last week [mid-April] we learned "the New York Times examined Bill Clintons relationship with a Canadian mining financier, Frank Giustra, who has donated millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation and sits on its board. Clinton, the story suggests, helped Giustras company secure a lucrative uranium-mining deal in Kazakhstan and in return received 'a flow of cash' to the Clinton Foundation, including previously undisclosed donations from the companys chairman totaling $2.35 million.

Peter Schweitzer, author of Clinton Cash, revealed even more about Giustra and the Foundation:

The same Canadian company, renamed Uranium One, bought uranium concessions in the United States;

The Russian government came calling and sought to buy that Canadian company for a price that would mean big profits for the Canadian investors;

For the Russians to buy that Canadian company, it would require the approval of the Obama administration, including Hillarys State Department, because uranium is a strategically important commodity;

Nine shareholders in Uranium One just happened to provide more than $145 million in donations to the Clinton Foundation in the run-up to State Department approval;

Some of the donations, including those from the Chairman of Uranium One, Ian Teler, were kept secret, even though the Clintons promised to disclose all donations;

Hillarys State Department approved the deal;

The Russian government now owns 20 percent of U.S. uranium assets. In short, here was what you might call a radioactive scandal. It included secret donations, the Russian government, foreign financiers, more than $145 million, and Bill and Hillary Clinton.

It is widely believed that the main reason Hillary did not use the government email system and why she shredded thousands of her email records was to hide the pay-to-play scheme she headed as Secretary of State. This is made clear in the latest revealed Hillary email cache.

Charles Ortel has for some time now been analyzing the publicly available records of the foundation and arguing that it is engaged in massive fraud with many violations of legal, tax and standard accounting procedures:

State, federal, and foreign laws bar public charities from being run for private gain in interstate commerce -- which means, by using the mail, telephones or the internet. The Clinton Foundations complex operations (it is not just one entity but a web of them) do not comply with this requirement. Nor does the Clinton Foundation ever seem to have submitted its financial records to an independent, properly certified audit by a qualified accounting firm. Overall I consider the Clinton Foundation to be a charity fraud network. I base this conclusion on my review of extensive data about its operations including the activities of the Clinton family and their friends in Haiti, a nation that has suffered many disasters, both natural and manmade. What possesses powerful, wealthy, and educated persons to prey on the most desperately poor humans on earth as they posture as "philanthropists? And why has there been no government oversight? Expect an increased flow of detailed disclosures centering upon Exhibits 1 through 40 through this website, and continued reaction to breaking developments via my twitter account (@CharlesOrtel).

Haiti, a Case in Point

On the foundation website, it was announced that:

In 2008, President Bill Clinton issued a call to action to address the pressing challenges Haiti faced in the aftermath of four devastating hurricanes, resulting in the formation of the Haiti Action Network. In response to the January 2010 earthquake, the network intensified their efforts toward long-term development in Haiti by addressing issues such as agriculture, cultural preservation, education, energy, enterprise development, health, and shelter, as well as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) members have made more than 100 Commitments to Action focused on Haiti, which will be valued at $500 million when fully funded and implemented. Now in its eighth year, the Haiti Action Network has a significant focus on creating sustainable jobs and encouraging investment in the country.

Instead of this high-minded sounding claim, the example of Haiti is an exemplar of the total failure of the foundation to use its power and money to help Haitians

The National Reviews Dinesh DSouza detailed the scope of the corruption and the disastrous results of the Clintons Haitian relief project, in which millions of dollars for Haitian relief were funneled from the foundation and the U. S. Treasury ostensibly for Haitian relief but in actuality for their friends who failed to deliver the promised relief projects.

The extent of the corruption of the Clintons and their foundation in the case of Haiti is truly mind-boggling. I urge you to read it all and see why DSouza concludes, The Clintons seem to believe in Haitian reconstruction and Haitian investment as long as these projects match their own private economic interests. They have steered the rebuilding of Haiti in a way that provides maximum benefit to themselves.

Here are just a few examples DSouza details:

With no competitive bidding an outfit owned by Warren Buffets company was awarded money to build hurricane-proof trailers and, instead built such shoddy, unsafe trailers they had to be abandoned.

Without requiring InnoVida, headed by a Clinton donor, to provide the required financial statement, $10 million of U.S. funds were loaned to them to build housing.

The company, however, defaulted on the loan and never built any houses. An investigation revealed that Osorio had diverted company funds to pay for his Miami Beach mansion, his Maserati, and his Colorado ski chalet. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in 2013, and is currently serving a twelve-year prison term on fraud charges related to the loan.

USAID funds were directed to other Clinton cronies to build schools in Haiti. None were built; the funds went to an Earth Day celebration and tree-building activity.

Millions went from the U.S. Treasury funds to provide cell phones to Haitians to another crony who used them to create a lucrative near monopoly on phone service and another grant of $45 million went to him to build a hotel, which employs few Haitians and is largely unoccupied.

And then there is Hillarys brother, Hugh, who profited from a finders fee from a company awarded one of the two gold-mining permits granted by the Haitian government.

Ortel has detailed his findings to various news outlets, and has categorized the foundation as Robin Hood in reverse:

The Clintons are out there holding themselves out as if they are charitable philanthropists, and in reality... I argue they are really Robin Hood in reverse. They are stealing from the poor to reward the rich, and I find that reprehensible behavior. How much money has the Clinton Foundation raised globally? Ortel says its a $100 billion criminal conspiracy and goes on to say, I think it is a disgrace. To put that number into perspective, depending on how you look at the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, that was either $40 billion to $60 billion. This is $100 billion, and maybe more. How much Clinton Foundation money actually makes it to charitable causes? Ortel says, Its impossible to tell from the filings. You are supposed to tell from the filings, and its impossible to tell. One of the biggest expenses in the recent period in the Clinton Foundation is for pharmaceuticals for supposedly fighting HIV Aids. If this were a well-run charity, you would provide a detailed breakdown of what pharmaceuticals by type and at what price. There is none of that disclosure. You dont know if that pharmaceutical number is completely made up or not. You have no way of telling, and the auditors have never done their work. This is why I say this is a text book case study in global charity fraud. It needs to be exposed as such. How did this so-called charity get so far off track? Ortel explains, When you look at any foundation, and the Clinton Foundation in particular, you have to check and see what its authorized tax exempt purposes are. Because this entity raises money from the public continuously... they have to be very specific. Their authorized tax exempt purpose, stated in their application dated 23 December 2007, was just supposed to be Presidential archival research facility in Little Rock. They never have been authorized as far as I can tell from the public filings... they have never been authorized to fight HIV Aids, fight climate change, convene meetings in New York and set up these various initiatives. None of them has been validly authorized, which means they have been raising money with materially false and misleading public filings. They have been doing it using the mail, using the Internet and using telephones, all of which is a federal crime.

This abuse of the charity and Hillarys government position is exactly the sort of thing Peggy Noonan described this week.

She was talking about the detachment of the worlds elites from their countrymen when she wrote about open borders, From what Ive seen of those in power throughout business and politics now, the people of your country are not your countrymen, theyre aliens whose bizarre emotions you must attempt occasionally to anticipate and manage. But she could as well have been talking about how the Clintons manage under the guise of humanitarian concerns to further and further beset those below them on the ladder: The detached, who made the decisions and bore none of the costs, got to be called humanist, compassionate, and hero of human rights.

I do not know where the present FBI investigation into the workings of the Clinton Foundation will lead or even when or if the prosecutors will act (a prior probe into the foundation was quashed earlier this year, according to CNN) but it does seem to me that whether you call this crony capitalism, corporate welfare or fascism, we must fight it or end up like Argentina or even Haiti.
In order to form a more perfect understanding of politics in the Middle East and to provide a prescription for American foreign policy concerning the morass in Syria, it is important to appreciate the complexities raised by the civil war in that country. For the United States, those issues pose the imperatives of limited military action, ideological challenge against Islamist terrorism, and diplomatic initiatives to press for a negotiated settlement of the hostilities.

An uprising, started in March 2011 calling for liberalization of the Syrian regime, was transformed first into a brutal civil war and then into a regional and international conflict, one linked in part to the struggle for hegemony in the Middle East. Most commentators thought the original uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad would succeed. The Obama administration was mistaken in believing that the Sunni Arab states in the Middle East would ally with it in quickly ending the rule of the brutal Assad.

It's not easy to make sense of the warring factions and the unusual and changing relationships among them. The cast includes Alawites, Sunnis, Shias, Christians, Druze, and Kurds. To this national struggle has been added regional and international actors: Iran, the U.S. and its partners, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Turkey, often acting in a negative and unhelpful manner.

In the bitter struggle in Syria, cruelty and inhumane activity are characteristic of both sides. If Assad is a brutal person whose forces have used barrel, cluster, and vacuum bombs, the rebel groups against him have used artillery using gas cylinders. In July 2016, the continuing battles claimed 5,000 lives. Total casualties since 2011 are estimated at about 450,000, while 4.8 million have fled the country and 6.6 million have been displaced.

When the hostilities began, the Alawite Assad regime had about 300,000 fighters, but that number has been substantially reduced, perhaps to little more than 100,000. Among its allies are Hezb'allah, unofficially before 2013 and officially since then. That Lebanese terrorist group lost its head military commander in the fighting. Iran, seeing Assad as a non-Sunni key ally in the region, supplies arms, fuel, and an armed force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. That force is linked with Shia militias recruited from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The surprise in 2015 was the entrance of Russia to support Assad with air strikes, air defense, and a small group of mercenaries organized by a private company named "Wagner" that probably prevented Assad's immediate defeat.

The rebel forces fighting the Assad regime are of different kinds. At first, the most important group appeared to be the supposedly moderate Free Syrian Army, nominally under the Syrian National Coalition that was supported by Arab states and to a lesser degree by the Obama administration. Of more influence have been the Islamist forces involved in the fight against Assad. Among them are Fateh Halab and Jaysh al-Fateh, a coalition of Islamists. Alongside these are Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly until July 2016 Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda affiliate, which, perhaps for tactical and not ideological reasons, has renounced its advocacy of international jihad, and Ahrar al-Sham, the hard-line group linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The immediate concern is the appalling conditions in the city Aleppo, which since 2012 has been divided between government and rebel forces, both of which see it as central to the outcome of the conflict. Aleppo, once the most populous, economically important, and culturally diverse city in Syria, remains embroiled in a vicious battle that has gone on for four years.

What is important here is the silence of the United Nations and the supposedly humanitarian organizations, usually so critical of Israel for any infraction, while more than a quarter of a million people are interned in the east part of the city, where 2 million are without vital supplies and where there is an urgent need for water and electricity. It is shameful that these organizations have been silent in a tragic situation  one that resembles the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted four years, 1992-1996 during the Bosnian War, and the massacre at Srebrenica in 1995.

The Syrian imbroglio, with its national, regional, and international aspects, is not simply a disaster in itself with a power vacuum in what is now the failed state of Syria and also in Iraq. It has also occasioned other problems: the rise of ISIS and Islamist terrorism, the greater role being played by Russia in the area, and the migration problem that now haunts Europe and the U.S.

In his speech at West Point on May 28, 2014, President Barack Obama repeated his principle that the U.S. will use military force when "our core interests demand it." But when issues of global concern do not pose a direct threat to the U.S., the president said, "the threshold for military action must be higher." The U.S., then, should not go it alone.

Nevertheless, the U.S. cannot ignore what happens outside its borders. It should combine a more active military role in Syria with efforts to use all diplomatic means for a settlement, which is essential to solve the bitter conflict. This should involve a limited, not a full U.S. entry into the war, one that prevents the jihadist rebel forces from gaining ground and helps reduce the misery and death of innocent civilians, and well as pressuring Assad and the rebels to come to the negotiating table.

Lessons of the recent past must be learned: the U.S. should not press for regime change, a policy that might be counterproductive in prolonging the war. At this point, it is not clear whether the fragmented state of Syria can be consolidated, but the rival parties must be brought together.

Above all, the U.S. must persuade Russia to form a united front in the effort to reach a negotiated settlement. President Vladimir Putin acted decisively, in September 2015, aiding Assad with bombers and missiles, stopping the rebel advance, while increasing Russia's Mediterranean naval base. Obama was incorrect to argue that the Russian intervention would get stuck in a quagmire and that it wouldn't work.

Russia, perhaps compensating for its humiliation in Afghanistan in 1979, is now a significant presence in the Middle East, taking advantage of the indecisiveness of Obama and his reluctance to get seriously involved there. The next U.S. president has a delicate role to play. That president must limit any further Russian control in the area, while at the same time joining in the essential need to reach a negotiated agreement of the Syrian civil war.
America is gearing up for what is making to be probably the most sensitive and important presidential elections in modern history. Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will most definitely face major national security challenges very unique in nature. One of these is the seemingly insoluble Middle East crisis, with many aspects preplexing experts considering how to find a tangible and acceptable solution for all. As time is running out in this corner of the globe, the region is experiencing a level of anarchy never seen before.

Scenes of innocent people brutally massacred in Syria have become unbearable over the past twelve months, while Western Europe is literally becoming a weekly target of Islamic extremism.

The Middle East, as seen over the past 15 years and counting, has become the leading stage for unprecedented savagery, and this phenomenon is now finding its way to America.

When talking about Islamic extremism, Iran is definitely the No. 1 foreign policy challenge. Theocratic mullahs have been ruling this country for nearly four decades, and Tehran is known for its active and utterly disastrous role in all major regional conflicts, from Iraq to Syria and even Yemen, with a major uptick in recent years. The mullahs sitting on the throne in Tehran are the leading state sponsors of terrorism around the world, along with being the bankrollers of a fanatic brand of Islam that is against all true teachings. The mullahs in Iran sponsor the breeding grounds for new terrorists.

Iran also continues to provoke the free world through such acts of test-launching ballistic missiles, all despite the landmark and historic nuclear deal brokered with the international community. There is no doubt that the nuclear sanctions relief money, reported in the dozens of billions, have been in large portions allocated to Tehrans support for international terrorism. Just recently the U.S. State Department released its annual report on state sponsors of terrorism, specifically saying Iran remained the foremost state sponsor of terrorism in 2015, providing a range of support, including financial, training, and equipment, to grounds around the world -- particularly Hezbollah.

In reality, support for terrorism remains central to the Iranian regimes foreign policy Iran continues to bankroll the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which is playing a key role in propping up the murderous Assad regime in Syria parallel to financing terror groups in Iraq and across the Middle East, said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) in heated rhetoric. Irans rampant support for terrorism is no flailing matter and over the years they have instilled their vicious approach into the minds and hearts of all.

U.S. CENTCOM commander General Lloyd Austin testified in March that Iran remains a significant destabilizing force in the region the activity of their Quds forces... we see malign activity, not only throughout the region, but around the globe as well.

The Iranian people, however, are seeking change, and the reaction seen from the mullahs illustrates how terrified they are of this initiative being very much at hand and gaining momentum. This should act as a message calling for an end to the supine Obama appeasement policy vis-a-vis Tehran. A democratic state in Tehran will most definitely render establishment of peace and stability across the Middle East and beyond. The time has come for all kowtowing before Tehran by the West to be repudiated.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran, acting as the Iranian opposition, flexed its muscles on July 9th in Paris by holding a colossal Free Iran gathering of over 100,000 people from all four corners of the globe. This massive force of popular support was joined by an unprecedented lineup of bipartisan American political, legal, and military figures including Newt Gingrich, alongside hundreds of European and Middle East dignitaries. The participation of Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal was by far the most significant aspect of this rally, as he strongly endorsed the Iranian oppositions call for regime change in Iran and expressed his desire for the Bashar Assad regime to fall.

All eyes will be on the next U.S. president to adopt a bold new approach and declared policy regarding Iran by recognizing and supporting the Iranian peoples demand for an end to the mullahs theocratic rule and democratic change.
The security for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) website was almost non-existent which made it easy for Guccifer 2.0 to hack.

Like Hillary with her reckless use of a personal email server, the DCCC is also guilty of failing to secure their website. The password was shared with many people on a spreadsheet and the site itself did not incorporate the use of an encrypted connection. The password itself was changeme (without the quotes) which is quite obvious.

The website for login was http://dccc.org/wp-admin/ which means the website uses WordPress and the login ID was DCCCPress which is also fairly obvious. The fact that they used http instead of the encrypted https means that the login credentials were sent in the clear. By contrast, Guccifer 2.0 also used a WordPress site but his site uses https, which means that all traffic to the site is encrypted, which is a much higher level of security. (There is a bit of irony here that the hacker and the hacked both used WordPress.)

There are several sensible rules about the use of login IDs and passwords, and one of the most important is to never share them with others. Instead of having a few trusted people with separate login credentials, the DCCC apparently shared a single login ID and several people had access to it. Other rules state that passwords must be robust without any ability of others to guess them. The DCCC failed here also.

There is another point to make. There was likely a lapse of time after Guccifer 2.0 posted the login credentials and before the DCCC changed their passwords. During that interval, several persons with a penchant to hack could have gotten into the site as well. The Chinese come to mind, and if it is true that the Russians are behind the hack, they could have tipped the Chinese off.

The larger issue is the lax culture of security at the DCCC, which the Democratic Congressional leadership apparently condones. This culture likely pervades the Halls of Congress since staffers at the DCCC move freely into jobs with Democratic Congress members and their committees and vice versa. That is where the real harm can occur.
We have documented ISIS atrocities committed against Christians the last few years. But with setbacks on the battlefield, ISIS appears to be adjusting its strategy. A new leader of the ISIS affiliated group Boko Haram says that the focus of its attacks will target Christians. The goal is to provoke a new "Crusade" that would allow Islam to eliminate its enemies.

Daily Beast:

Earlier this month, a man named Abu Musab al-Barnawi announced that he had taken over the infamous Boko Haram organization. And his first message as Boko Harams leader was as clear as it was conciseon his watch, the groups main focus will be killing Christians. According to an interview published earlier this month by the self-proclaimed Islamic State group (ISIS), al-Barnawi threatened to bomb churches and kill Christians, but will no longer attack places used by Muslims. The man described as the new wali, or governor, of ISIS West Africa Province (as Boko Haram wants to be known), said there is a plot by the Western nations to Christianize the region and also claimed that charity organizations are being used to achieve this, according to an interview published in the Islamic State newspaper al-Nabaa and translated by SITE Intelligence Group. "They strongly seek to Christianize the society, he said of these charities. They exploit the condition of those who are displaced under the raging war, providing them with food and shelter and then Christianizing their children." The man who now runs Boko Haram said the group will deal with Christians by "booby-trapping and blowing up every church that we are able to reach, and killing all of those who we find from the citizens of the cross." Not only were al-Barnawis intentions clear, his agenda for Boko Haram also appears to be a clear script written by ISIS, to whom he answers. The new leader will be expected to deliver results that his predecessor, Abubakar Shekau, failed to achieve.

We have seen Boko Haram blow up Christian churches in Nigeria on major holidays like Easter and Christmas. But focusing their strategy on eliminating Christian influences is something new. It promises to endanger the lives of every Christian in the region.

In recent months, Boko Haram has undergone a lot of turmoil with the terrorist organization essentially splitting into two groups; a larger group that wishes to follow the leaders of ISIS and a smaller group that wants to continue to operate mostly independently. According to US officials, this has made Boko Haram more likely to strike at western interests - charities and aid groups that operate in the region, as well as churches and other symbols of Christianity.

The US is assisting the Nigerian military in their war against ISIS, and they are doing better. But they certainly can't protect everyone and that's where this new strategy by Boko Haram will bear fruit.
President Obama's carbon emission regulations are still in court and will be for several years. But that hasn't stopped the president from getting ready to propose new regulations to combat his notion of "climate change" - even if some of them apparently have little to do with global warming.

The Hill:

We know that 2015 surpassed the hottest year on record  and 2016 is on pace to be even hotter, Obama said in his weekly address. Theres still so much more to do. And if we keep pushing, and leading the world in the right direction, theres no doubt that, together, we can leave a better, cleaner, safer future for our children. Obama said he plans on debuting new tools for combating climate change before he leaves office. In the weeks and months ahead, well release a second round of fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles. Well take steps to meet the goal we set with Canada and Mexico to achieve 50 percent clean power across North America by 2025, Obama said. And well continue to protect our lands and waters so that our kids and grandkids can enjoy our most beautiful spaces for generations. Obama added he remains proud of his achievements battling climate change, namely the international Paris agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Weve multiplied wind power threefold. Weve multiplied solar power more than thirtyfold," Obama said. And carbon pollution from our energy sector is at its lowest level in 25 years, even as were continuing to grow our economy. Weve invested in energy efficiency, and were slashing carbon emissions from appliances, homes and businesses  saving families money on their energy bills. Obamas potential successors diverge wildly on the threat climate change poses worldwide.

The president's proposed water rule is little more than a power grab to give EPA jurisdiction over almost all water in the US, including streams and even ditches. It has absolutely nothing to do with climate change.

As for pushing renewables to be 50% of US power production by 2025, this is about as radical a goal as can be envisioned. Current percentage of renewable energy as part of the power grid is less than 14%. In order to reach 50%, hundreds of fossil fuel plants would have to be shut down. And solar power would have to be generated at industrial levels - something that isn't happening in America.

Obama brags about reduced emissions, but it has nothing to do with government. The fracking revolution has made natural gas dirt cheap compared to coal. And since the administration's war on coal has caused a spike in prices, use of the cleaner burning alternative of natural gas has skyrocketed.

This is typical Obama bombast. He is setting impossible to achieve goals while taking credit for things he didn't do.
The hacker known as Guccifer 2.0 has posted several emails from Republican Party officials and staffers on a site associated with Russian cyber-warfare.

The Hill:

Most of the messages coordinate campaign activities, solicit funds, or invite or RSVP to events. The archive is largely the procedural minutia of running campaigns or state parties.

The emails include a wide array of constituent email addresses. Many appear to be responses to mass-emails from concerned party supporters writing in to their delegates. One reply to a Stop Hillary PAC fundraising email targeting Democrats lack of support for the Benghazi commission reads, "Dont the Republicans have a majority in Congress? Isnt John Boehner a Republican? What is the problem that you need my $36 to help you fight back."

The archive appears to be incomplete, with replies to emails that don't appear to be included on their own. That could mean the emails were deleted before being retrieved, or that the leaker or site decided to scrub certain items from the record.

But that there was a leak at all runs counter to a Republican narrative that the DNC is particularly susceptible to data breaches (What is it with Democrats that they can't maintain basic email security? Mike Huckabee asked on Facebook).

Guccifer 2.0 is thought to be a front name for Russian intelligence, and the site has strong circumstantial ties to the Russian group believed to be behind the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

DCLeaks claims to be the work of patriotic American activists but is written in a way that suggests non-native English speakers. Much of the leaks are email archives from critics of Russia.

The site hosts a trove of leaked emails from Gen. Philip Breedlove, who was heavily in favor of fending off Russia during its Ukraine incursion, and George Soros, whose DC Leaks emails were promoted by the site on twitter as Check George Soros's [Open Society Foundation] plans to counter Russian policy and traditional values.

DC Leaks site was initially registered by THCServers, a company that has only been the initial registrar for 14 sites since 2013. Including DC Leaks, three of those sites have been connected to the Russian hackers believed to be behind the DNC hack, including a site identified by the German government.
Grimaldis Pizzeria has brought its specialty coal-fired brick oven and New York-style pizzas to Flagstaff.

The franchise, which originated in New York City and now includes more than 40 locations across Arizona, California, Colorado and more, has set up shop in the Aspen Place complex across from Wildflower Bread Company.

The Flagstaff location opened in May, and general manager Jayson MacDonald, a Northern Arizona University alumnus, says business has been thriving.

The summers been really good for us, and were excited to have some students back [when the fall semester of NAU begins], but its just been growing every day when people get to come in and taste our great food, MacDonald said.

Grimaldis menu is bolstered by create-your-own pizzas, calzones, family-style salads, homemade cheesecakes, and a large selection of wine and beer. Customers can choose from more than 20 different pizza toppings -- including sun-dried tomatoes, meatballs and jalapenos -- or try a specialty pizza like the popular Brooklyn Bridge, which features oven-roasted red peppers, ricotta cheese and Italian sausage. The menu also offers wine-pairing suggestions for these specialty pizzas.

Grimaldis pizzas are cooked in a coal-fired brick oven rather than a wood-fired or regular oven, which gives the crust a signature taste and allows the flavor to bake into the pizza. The oven is visible from the dining area and allows guests to watch the firing process; this accessibility is vital to the Grimaldis experience.

The coal brick oven is essential to us; its the heart of our restaurant, MacDonald said.

Because the chefs at Grimaldis believe the flavor of the pizza dough is influenced by the quality of the water used to make it, each restaurant houses a reverse-osmosis machine that produces high-quality water. This water, similar to what is used in the flagship locations, provides the pizza with an authentic New York flavor.

The crust is not the only aspect of the pizza that receives special treatment  the sauce is made with San Marzano tomatoes, an Italian-grown brand of plum tomatoes known for their sweetness. A low-moisture mozzarella cheese thats suited to melting covers the sauce.

The New York flair of the restaurant is also evident in its design and atmosphere. The sounds of Sinatra greet customers as they walk in, and the walls are paneled with red brick and grayscale pictures of New York City. Red-checkered cloths cover the tables, and wine-bottle lights hang in chandeliers from the ceiling. An outdoor patio provides seating for warmer days.

Grimaldis is featuring Tuesday Tastings through the end of the month, which offer half-priced wine on Tuesdays. The restaurant will also begin a special stoking social hour starting Aug. 15, which will include discounted wine, beer and certain starters.
The election is still weeks away but you wouldnt know it from the various and sundry MSM toadies out-mugging each other on TV crowing that Hillary Clinton has already been elected queen of the universe. After all, the polls prove it. Science, baby, science!

Clumsy moves on the chessboard? Wishful thinking pushed to delusional levels? Smoke-and-mirrors? All of the above?

Suppose for the sake of argument that Hillary Clinton loses the election. Where does she go from there? Frankly, nowhere. She will not run for office again for the simple reason that the party will only be too happy to forget all about the Clintons and would refuse to support Hillary for any elected office, not even town clerk in Yonkers.

No matter what MSM clowns tell you, Clinton is a lipstick-on-a-pig candidate. Any other Democrat (never mind Republican) with such a pathetic resume would never even be considered as the partys standard bearer. Any other Democrat would have been slapped silly by FBI Director Comey and offed to jail in an orange pants suit.

So, were she to lose the election, Hillary Clinton would have to settle for hard cash. The tons of it flowing into the slush fund known as the Clinton Foundation would then be used to support a life style of the rich and famous for the would-be-queen of the universe and her elderly consort nearing decrepitude.

On second thought, maybe not. Who, after all, would be foolish enough to continue kicking in big bucks so Queen Hillary can gallivant around the world, Bubba in tow to sample more nubile assistants? The pay-for-play option, including Bills hefty speaking fees, would vanish five minutes after Trump is declared president.

The Clintons would probably move their slush fund to a bank in the Caymans, close down the Foundation, fire the poor suckers who helped run it, and then retire to a life of leisure in Belize or some such place. The IRS wouldnt bother hassling them down there. Too busy loislernering applications from conservative non-profits.

For a lot of Americans, retiring in Belize would be a very attractive prospect indeed. Its a beautiful country, only a short flight from Miami, a good place to get lost and sink into a life of anonymity at a comparatively cheap price. Bubba could entertain the local talent to his hearts content, until it gave out, that is.

After so many years of hogging the spotlight, anonymity would be the kiss of death for the Clintons. No more sycophantic screeds in the pages the New York Times; no more soft-ball interviews on CNN, MSNBC or 60 Minutes; Obama more than likely would not invite the former White House occupants to the opening of his presidential library.

So, all this dust being kicked up by the MSM amounts to a sort of Potemkin Village, the facade the Soviets developed back in the thirties to deceive outsiders into believing that life in the workers paradise was just grand. It should come as no surprise, of course, to see the Democrat Party borrowing from the Soviet propaganda tool chest.

Will it work? It depends. The Trump campaign should counter by pointing out the obvious, again and again. Clinton is a total phony. There is no there there. Its all smoke and mirrors. Shes being propped up by the machine known as the MSM, now aided and abetted by pollsters spinning their statistical wheels until the right answer is cooked up.

In a few weeks, well have the obligatory debates. The deck will be stacked just as it was against Romney. Trump can avoid being candycrowleyed by going on the offense if any moderator shows the slightest partiality. He should ignore the rules and take charge, even try out his famous line: Megyn Kelly, yer fired!

As to how to handle Clinton, the policy proposals she has made so far  foreign as well as domestic  are absurd. The Donald should borrow a tactic Joe Biden used successfully against Paul Ryan: Laugh out loud at the silly answers Clinton coughs up. Her candidacy is a bad joke and should not be taken seriously.

Oh, and heres my message to Republican cabals directly or indirectly helping Clinton with NeverTrump noise, counting on a better shot in 2020. Youre delusional. Clinton will not be throwing any juicy bones your way. The billets of her administration have already been filled. So, wise up, boys and girls, before its too late.
Two former Republicans are running for the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 1 this year. The district, one of the largest in the country, stretches across the northeastern part of the state, from just north of Tucson to Utah Border, and including Flagstaff, the Rez and White Mountains.

Tom OHalleran of Sedona spent nine years as a Republican in the Arizona legislature before he became an independent and now a Democrat. He touts his experience working on bipartisan issues like passing all-day kindergarten and boosting funding for what was then Child Protective Services. If elected, OHalleran said he will work on incentivizing jobs in rural America, improving veterans medical care and addressing tribal unemployment.

Miguel Olivas of Coolidge, who has never held elected office despite running for Congress two other times, said he has gained an extensive knowledge of the federal government from years working as an aid for five Republican federal legislators and as a nonprofit and business consultant helping secure federal funding and legislation. He emphasized his understanding and work with the federal appropriations process, education policy, trade agreements and agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, compared to OHallerans state-level experience.

I know which congressman will support something and I know which congressman wont, he said.

Healthcare: While expressing general support for the Affordable Care Act, the candidates had differing ideas on how to improve Obamas trademark healthcare initiative. Olivas would like to see more federally qualified health centers like North Country Healthcare that receive some federal dollars and serve the uninsured, the underinsured and low income individuals on a sliding fee scale. OHalleran said he would support allowing consumers to buy insurance plans across state lines and would push for negotiating for better pharmaceutical prices. Both candidates said an analysis is needed to look at why insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield and HealthNet are dropping out of Arizona counties.

I think the alternative that's workable is to take what we have in place, OHalleran said.

Gun control: OHalleran said he doesnt support banning high-capacity magazines or assault rifles, but said hes behind expanded background checks and banning gun sales for people who are on the governments no-fly list.

Olivas said hes not in favor of expanding gun control laws, saying that the government needs to better enforce the laws it has on the books. He does support bolstering federal and state reporting requirements for mental health providers.

Social issues: One of Olivas biggest focuses is the protection of personal freedom when it comes to things like gay and transgender rights, marriage equality and women's reproductive rights.

When it comes to civil rights Im very Libertarian-leaning type of guy, he said.

He did struggle to explain a quote on his 2014 campaign website about the Obama administration being a monstrosity that encroaches on our personal freedoms, saying that it's actually related to the Bush-era USA Patriot Act that approved an expansion of legal surveillance and investigation techniques.

Olivas views stand in contrast to some of OHallerans previous votes on social issues. In 2008, OHalleran voted in support of a resolution proposing a state constitutional amendment to allow only a union of one man and one woman to be recognized as a marriage and to increase penalties for late-term abortions.

Jacob Becklund, a spokesman for OHallerans campaign, said the candidate supports marriage equality and said his views on the issue have evolved over time.

Immigration: Militarization of the border is not the answer to the countrys immigration struggles, Olivas said. Instead, hes advocating for a secure economic zone where the United States, Mexico and border-region tribal nations would work together on green energy-focused economic development projects.

Both he and OHalleran support a path to citizenship. OHalleran supports the Gang of 8 proposal that includes a ramp-up in border patrol and surveillance technology, e-verify for employers and incorporates versions of the DREAM Act. He also supports the Obama Administrations deferred actions for immigrants brought to the country as young children and undocumented parents of legal residents.

Environment: OHalleran criticized the EPAs Clean Power Plan for not giving appropriate consideration to the economics of rural Arizona, but emphasized his work on incorporating climate change considerations into Colorado River planning.

Both candidates support a Grand Canyon National Monument proposal.

Both candidates oppose the concept of transferring federal public lands to the state, with Olivas saying the state would simply sell the land to the highest bidder and OHalleran saying the state already doesnt take appropriate care of lands that it has.

Both said they would pursue a more equitable settlement with the Hopi and Navajo tribes to help resolve decades-long claims to water in the Little Colorado River basin.

Minimum wage: OHalleran said he supports an increase in the minimum wage, but said he believes it should be done on a regional level that takes into account cost of living. Hell vote for the $12 minimum wage proposal in Arizona.

I would love to see (a wage increase) done by private industry but doesn't look like they're going to reinvest in America, he said.

Olivas said he supports an increase in the minimum wage but isnt sure at what level, adding that such an increase doesnt solve the countrys systemic economic problems.

Education: On education, both Olivas and OHalleran want less federal influence in Arizona schools. Olivas said he is against federally mandated testing, especially when thats used to determine teacher pay, and wants to see federal grants better address needs like food insecurities. OHalleran said he opposes any federal influence in dictating student curriculum and would advocate for rolling back regulations that come attached to federal education funding.

Social services: Olivas said the government needs to better guarantee the financial stability of the Social Security trust fund, as much of that money is invested in special U.S. government bonds that depend on the will of future taxpayers to pay off. OHalleran said he doesnt support ideas proposed by some of CD1s Republican challengers that Social Security should be privatized or should shift to a voucher system.
Five candidates are now left in the running for the Republican nomination in Arizonas Congressional District 1 after House Speaker David Gowan announced last week that he is dropping out of the race. The GOP candidates come from a broad range of backgrounds but most hold similar positions on a range of issues, with Ken Bennett standing out for his less hardline stance on some of them.

Three of the candidates  Gary Kiehne, Wendy Rogers and Paul Babeu  have run for Congress at least once before.

Bennett, a former state senator, secretary of state, gubernatorial primary candidate and previously the head of Bennett Oil Company, emphasized his mix of private and public sector experience in making him the best qualified for the job.

Babeu, the Pinal County Sheriff, said its his years in the Army National Guard and law enforcement on the U.S.-Mexico border that set him apart. He has been dogged with criticism however, about a home video showing his support for the use of extreme disciplinary methods at a Massachusetts boarding school where he was headmaster and FBI questions about his offices expenditure of seized criminal money. Babeu shot back, saying that despite his oversight role, he was not named in any allegations in a state investigation of the school and that seized expenditures always receive higher fiduciary approval.

Shawn Redd, the owner of a laundromat in Dilkon on the Navajo Nation, said hes the only candidate who has lived and done business both on and off the reservation and cut his teeth in Navajo politics.

Wendy Rogers, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and owner of a home inspection business, promotes her tough border security stance and focus on better equipping the military, including support of boosting the number of troops sent to foreign conflicts.

Gary Kiehne, a rancher and businessman in the hotel and oil and gas industries, touts the fact that he has never held elected office and wants to put more decision-making power back in the hands of Arizonans.

Keihne did not respond to repeated requests for an interview, so any information in this article is from his website or other news coverage.

Government perspectives: All the candidates support reducing government spending, regulation and taxes as the way to spur economic growth and job creation.

Rogers lauded presidential candidate Donald Trumps economic policy promises, including one to make trade deals that put America first. However, in an interview she wasnt able to answer whether she supports the Trans Pacific Partnership that Trump loudly opposes. Kiehne says the key to job growth lies in repealing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and lowering the nations corporate tax rate.

Bennett said his singular focus is balancing the federal budget, with a plan to cut federal spending by 1 percent, or about $40 billion, and boost the countrys economic growth to 3 percent from 1.2 percent now.

Redd said his goal of trimming the federal budget would include looking at defunding the Environmental Protection Agency. He would also would push for federal spending on a Veterans Affairs hospital and cemetery closer to the Navajo Nation.

Healthcare: All of the candidates oppose the Affordable Care Act but differed in how they would replace it. Redd said he believes the states should have their own healthcare systems and supported sales of insurance plans across state lines. Bennett supports increased access to health savings accounts, disconnecting a persons health insurance from their employment and making sure health care premiums are completely tax deductible.

Babeu and Rogers support Rep. Paul Ryans healthcare plan that would eliminate the regulated exchanges in Obamacare, allow the purchase of policies across state lines and change Medicaid and Medicare spending.

Most of the candidates slammed the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system and Babeu said he would push for overhauling the system entirely. He said he would replace it with small federally run centers that would provide catastrophic care for major injuries, then outsource all other veterans care to private local providers.

Education: Babeu said federal education funding should be transferred to the states in the form of block grants without spending regulations. Kiehne and Babeu oppose Common Core education standards, citing them as examples of federal overreach despite the fact that they were developed by state education chiefs and governors. Kiehne has said he supports vouchers that would allow children to attend private schools on the states dime.

Immigration: Rogers was the only candidate to support Donald Trumps proposal to build a wall, financed by Mexico, across the countrys southern border. She also said she would push for a higher percentage of veterans in congress because of their decision making abilities. Babeu, Bennett and Redd called Trumps wall idea impractical. They also aligned in their disapproval of a special path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Babeu said a double-barrier, 14-foot corrugated fence in high traffic areas plus cameras, infrared sensors and lighting is whats needed.

Bennett said he supports a way to bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and into some sort of legal status that is not an automatic path to citizenship.

There should be mechanisms for people to get squared with the law, he said.

We also need to improve our legal immigration system so it doesnt take years and years and thousands of dollars to do it the right way, he said.

As long as the border is secured, Babeu said he also would support creating some sort of permanent status where undocumented immigrants could obtain work permits and receive permanent status.

Gun control: Redd opposes any expansion of gun regulations. Bennett said he might consider supporting a limit on gun sales to people on no-fly or terrorism watch lists, depending on how people get on those lists. If convinced, he said he could change his mind on the need for expanded background checks which he currently doesnt support.

Instead of expanded gun regulations, Babeu said he would advocate for increased government spending on mental health programs.

Environment: All of the candidates opposed the concept of a Grand Canyon National Monument.

Bennett took less of a hardline stance, however, saying we have to be very careful that if we go through the step of declaring a monument we need to make sure were doing it for the right reasons. He said he hasnt yet seen a convincing argument for the need to establish a monument.

Redd opposes the monument and supports the land swap that is allowing for the Resolution Copper mine near Superior despite strong support of the former and opposition to the latter by native groups, calling those tribal members paid agitators.

Rogers, Babeu, Kiehne and Redd solidly support the transfer of federal public lands to state hands, stating a need to bring control closer to the local level.

Bennett said he also supports the concept of land transfers but said first there has to be an evaluation of whether the state has the capacity and the wherewithal to manage those lands and can do so better than the federal government, Bennett said.

On the topic of forest health, Babeu and Redd emphasized speeding up forest thinning, with Babeu advocating for rolling back the authority and pervasiveness of the Forest Service.

The candidates all expressed some measure of criticism of the Environmental Protection Agency and its Clean Power Plan, saying the agency is overreaching and that the climate change mitigation plan will cost jobs and increase electricity rates. Redd denies that human-caused climate change is occurring.

Kiehne has said he supports more oil and natural gas drilling on federal lands and the outer continental shelf.
Visitors meet scientists and engineers who are neighbors in the community. The scientists give demos and lead activities related to their work in infrared and ultraviolet light.

Exploras Portal to the Public (PoP) Science Activity: Meet local scientists as they offer demos and activities related to their work. Visitors of all ages are invited to meet scientists and engineers who are neighbors in the community. In Explora's Portal to the Public (PoP) programs, visitors participate in materials-rich, engaging activities as they learn about the current research of Albuquerque-area scientists and engineers.

This Session's Topics:

- Explore tools that help us 'see' infrared and ultraviolet light normally invisible to our eyes with Stephen Myers from Infrared LLC.

- Get to the (very small) point: magnify surfaces with lasers and mirrors with Stephen Jett from UNM.

Included with regular Explora admission, and free for Explora members. (Admission prices range from $4-$8)
It is heartening to know that the rise in suicide calls to police in the Flagstaff region has been accompanied by more training in crisis intervention for first responders.

And, as we have reported, the mental health court that aims to divert those with untreated mental illness from the criminal justice system into care and treatment puts Coconino County light years ahead of many other jurisdictions.

But by the time those individuals wind up as the subject of a 911 call, it is sometimes too late to draw them back from the brink, no matter how empathetic and patient the police. A recent case of an armed, suicidal man in Doney Park that resulted in a police shooting came after 80 prior encounters of some kind of with police.

SUICIDE CALLS DOUBLE

Flagstaff police estimate 10 to 20 percent of their calls involve someone in a mental or behavioral health crisis. The Coconino County Sheriffs Department reports suicidal subject calls are up from 126 in 2008 to 287 in 2015. Nationally, suicides are up 24 percent since 1999 and the rate is the highest since 1986.

If murder rates were up that sharply, it would be a national emergency. But mental illness has long been stigmatized, although some attribute a higher rate of suicide calls by loved ones to a willingness to come forward and to trust police before it is too late.

Police in this region are out front of the crisis  an estimated 34 percent have formal crisis intervention training compared with 25 percent nationwide. And all, including civilian staff, have taken an eight-hour Mental Health First Aid class. The training teaches how to recognize basic forms of mental illness, dementia, autism and other developmental delays in a person and de-escalate a confrontation with them.

The police also work with agencies including The Guidance Center, Health Choice Integrated Care and Terros, which all provide information for helping people in a mental health crisis.

DESTABLIZED FAMILIES

The cause cited most commonly for the rise in suicide and mental illness are economic and social changes in the last decade that have destabilized families and led to social isolation. Marriage rates have declined, particularly among less educated Americans, while divorce rates have risen. Unmarried middle-aged men were 3.5 times more likely than married men to die from suicide, and their female counterparts were as much as 2.8 times more likely to kill themselves. The divorce rate has doubled for middle-aged and older adults since the 1990s.

According to one prominent study, disappointed expectations of social and economic well-being among less educated white men from the baby-boom generation may also be playing a role.

Another possible explanation: an economy that has eaten away at the prospects of families on the lower rungs of the income ladder. Studies have shown a higher incidence of mental illness and mood disorders among the poor, especially those unable to afford health care.

OBAMACARE TO THE RESCUE?

Ironically, the surge in suicides and mental illness comes as the Affordable Care Act has added 17 million Americans to the insurance rolls, many of whom were previously uninsurable because of diagnosed psychiatric disorders. One study found that in 2013, the year before Obamacare began, a person with a bipolar diagnosis was unable to obtain private individual health insurance in most states. The same was true for people with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, anorexia, alcoholism, and a variety of other serious mental or behavioral illnesses.

Congress had required parity with basic medical and surgical care in 2008 for large group plans that offer mental health coverage. And Obamacare expanded mandatory coverage of mental illness as basic care to all policies sold through the exchanges and in individual and small group plans.

On paper, that would indicate that mental illness-related encounters with police might soon subside as more people receive treatment. But as the New York Times has reported in an extensive series, access to behavioral health care is still spotty  some medical practices dont take Obamacare policies, and others have long waiting lists for psychiatric patients. Some policies make it difficult to find providers in network who are close to home, and others cover only generic medicines that are not deemed as effective.

PROGRESS HOBBLED

The effect is to hobble the progress toward effective treatment of the clinically depressed and those with other disabling psychiatric disorders, despite the ACA  especially in smaller medical markets like Flagstaff and markets. Some general practitioners are starting to offer behavioral health care, but the challenge is to attract more psychiatrists and psychologists to practice outside big cities and to shore up financially ACA insurers that are struggling with more enrollees with chronic physical and mental ailments. It is a legacy of a system that, after the mental hospitals were emptied, went so many years denying those patients affordable, insured care unless they were destitute.

For now, the police are indeed the line of not only first contact, but sometimes the second and third as they triage with community mental health counselors and intervention agencies. We urge the state and localities to recognize how the violent mentally ill are as much a public health as a public safety issue and provide the resources needed to address it. Our citizens, as well as our police, will be safer and healthier for it.


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All the latest Ashbourne news. Ashbourne is an historic market town in Derbyshire. Situated on the southern edge of the Peak District, it is known as the 'Gateway to Dovedale' and the 'Gateway to the Peak District'. Ashbourne is famous for the annual Royal Shrovetide Football Match, which has been played since at least 1667, although its origins may date back centuries earlier. Ashbourne became a Fairtrade town in March 2005. The popular Tissington Trail, which follows the route of the former Ashbourne to Buxton railway, starts on the edge of town. Keep up to date with the latest news from the town by signing up for our newsletter.
At the Angelus, Pope Francis says there is always need in the Church for the "fire" of the Spirit who "makes us creative and encourages us to set out, to even walk on unexplored or inconvenient roads, offering hope to those we meet" . The invitation to "take five minutes and ask: How is my heart? Is it cold, warm or is able to receive this fire? ". Thanks to the "many priests and religious who, all over the world, are dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel with great love and loyalty, often even at the cost of life." The memory of St. Maximilian Kolbe.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "The Church does not need bureaucrats and diligent officials, but passionate missionaries, devoured by the ardor to bring the consoling words of Jesus and his regenerating grace to all" said Pope Francis - enunciating every word - before the Angelus recited with the pilgrims in St Peter's Square today.

The pontiff had just expressed his "admiration" for "many priests and religious who, all over the world, are dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel with great love and loyalty, often even at the cost of life." This "ardor" is similar to the "fire" of which Jesus speaks in today's Gospel (Lk 12.49 to 53).

"The fire of which Jesus speaks is the fire of the Holy Spirit, the living and and active presence within us from the day of our Baptism. It is a creative force that purifies and renews, it burns all human misery, all selfishness, all sin, transforms us from within, regenerates and makes us capable of loving. Jesus desires that the Holy Spirit may blaze like fire in our hearts, because it is only from the heart that the fire of divine love will flourish and advance the Kingdom of God. If we open ourselves totally to the Holy Spirit, He will gift us the audacity and fervor to proclaim to all Jesus and his consoling message of mercy and salvation, on the open seas".

"In carrying out its mission in the world, the Church needs the help of the Holy Spirit to avoid being deterred by fear and calculation, to avoid becoming used to walking within secure borders. The apostolic courage that the Holy Spirit kindles in us, like a fire, helps us to overcome walls and barriers, makes us creative and encourages us to put ourselves in motion to even walk on unexplored or inconvenient roads, offering hope to those we meet. We are called to become more and more communities of people led and transformed by the Holy Spirit, full of understanding, with a welcoming heart and joyful face. More than ever we need priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful, with the attentive gaze of the Apostle, to be moved and to stand before hardships and poverty, material and spiritual, thus characterizing the process of evangelization and mission the healing rhythm of closeness. It is precisely the fire of the Holy Spirit that leads us to become neighbors to those who suffer. "

Breaking away from the prepared text, he added: "If the Church does not have this fire, it becomes cold or lukewarm, unable to bear life. It would do us good now to take five minutes and ask: How is my heart? Is it cold, is it lukewarm or is able to receive this fire? ".

"Let us ask the Virgin Mary - he concluded - to pray with us and for us, that Our Heavenly Father,pour out upon all believers the Holy Spirit, the divine fire that warms hearts and helps us to be in solidarity with the joys and sufferings of our brothers. May the example of St. Maximilian Kolbe, martyr of charity, whose memorial is today support us in our journey: May he teach us to live the fire of love for God and neighbor".
India should participate in global legal profession says ambassador

As discussions continue about how and when foreign law firms will be permitted to operate in India, the US ambassador to the country has urged the profession to embrace globalization.

Speaking at an event organized by the Jindal Global Law School of O.P. Jindal Global University and Indiana University Maurer School of Law's Center on the Global Legal Profession, Richard R. Verma said that liberalization of Indias legal profession is a key part of the country reaching its global potential.

However, the ambassador acknowledged that the entry of foreign law firms must be sensitive to the domestic legal professions needs. Permitting foreign law firms to work in India does not mean taking away the market share but it is about providing best legal advice to the clients," he said.

Also speaking at the event was the joint secretary of Indias Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Sudhanshu Pandey, who stressed that there is a large advantage to opening up the sector, but that the right governance is essential.

"While there is an imperative need to build better communication, more sound partnerships between foreign and domestic lawyers, and more legitimate governance mechanisms, at no stage do we feel that opening up of this sector will adversely affect anyone in India, rather, it will be another growth story, Mr Pandey said.



Kim Dotcom to appeal over NZ, HK assets

Entrepreneur Kim Dotcom is hoping for a review into a US Federal Court ruling that he cannot keep his multi-million dollar assets in New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Dotcom is fighting extradition to the US following a New Zealand court ruling in December, a hearing is due this month. The American court says that while he is outside the US he is a fugitive and cannot control his assets.

His lawyer, Ira P. Rothken told Reuters that they will petition the US Supreme Court if necessary: This opinion has the effect of eviscerating Kim Dotcom's treaty rights by saying if you lawfully oppose extradition in New Zealand, the U.S. will still call you a fugitive and take all of your assets.

Dotcom is accused of copyright infringement, racketeering and money laundering in the US.



Another Brit law firm considers pay freeze over Brexit concern

London-based international law firm Trowers & Hamlins are considering whether to freeze pay reviews for fee earners due to the continued uncertainty of the impact of the UKs exit from the EU.

Its reported by Roll on Friday that the firm will consider the review at its management meeting next month but although senior partner Jennie Gubbins hopes that reviews will go ahead, there is no guarantee.

If pay is frozen then the firm will be following BLP, Gowling and Addleshaw Goddard in making the move amid Brexit concerns.




Morning



So after our Partner Visa was refused at AAT as "compelling reasons" was basically not accepted, I am searching for other "onshore" visa's that can be applied for. (Forget Partner as person would have to go overseas and re-lodge so that is our worst case option as not enough funds at moment).



My question:



The original substantive visa did NOT HAVE a "no further stay condition".



The Bridging Visa C (came into effect during the 820/801 application allowing work but no travel with period of stay "indefinite"). This expires 31/08/2016.



1. Does this mean that the person has to leave the country by expiry date 31/08/2016 (as noted in the AAT documents and Bridging Visa C condition) if we do not proceed with Fed Court OR

can we apply for another onshore Visa?



This confused me: "There is nothing to suggest that the last substantive visa held by the applicant was cancelled and the Tribunal has made a decision to set aside and substitute the cancellation decision."



2. Can someone apply for Study Visa more than once? The original application was refused as the 'adviser' completed incorrect forms etc.



thank you
While the Boxster Spyder has a flimsy tent of a roof that can only withstand low speeds, the X-Bow is even more "broken" as it has no roof at all. Thanks to the Ariel Atom, that fact seems totally natural. But do you know anybody with a car that has a waterproof starter button? Exactly.Those who are familiar with the work of Austrian company KTM know that their primary business is motorcycles. But a few years ago, they showed interest in making a track car, and we got the X-Bow. "GT" is just the top trim level, but that's not good enough for some folks.Because the KTM X-Bow is also sold by German tuner Wimmer RS in its showrooms, they decided to have a play and see what could be done to improve the performance.The model tested by German magazine auto motor und sport must be brand new because we've never heard of a 420 PS X-Bow before. With that much power and a total weight of only 920 kg, it's no wonder that it makes mincemeat out of Boxster.The Spyder is technically the most competent version of the mid-engined sportscar yet built. With a 375 horsepower 3.8-liter engine borrowed from the 911, it can compete with almost anything, but apparently not a roofless rocket."Oh, but the Porsche will be faster around a track, drag races are pointless," we hear you say. Except the X-Bow GT will pull 2.0 lateral Gs, so it's more like a race car with license plates in that regard.
14 August 2016 10:02 (UTC+04:00)

Chairperson of the Iranian National Standards Organization Nire Purizbakht has hailed the importance of Iranian-Azerbaijani cooperation in the field of standardization. "The Iranian National Standards Organization is ready for cooperation with the State Committee of Azerbaijan for Standardization, Metrology and Patents," she told IRIB TV channel.

She said the first step towards building this cooperation would be establishing technical collaboration, organizing training courses and joint conferences.

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14 August 2016 12:24 (UTC+04:00)

Nationals of Iran and Azerbaijan will be able to use their bank cards in the two countries territories once Iranian banks connect to the national card payments network created by Azerbaijans Central Bank.

Since Iran has not yet connected to any international payment system (Visa or MasterCard), the integration of the two countries card systems can happen only by connecting the Iranian banks to Azerbaijans national network of card payments, MilliKart, Azerbaijani processing center, told Trend Aug. 11.

Speaking about the possibilities for Azerbaijani nationals to use their bank cards in Iran, the processing center said that if Tehran connects to the national network of card payments, this problem will be solved automatically.

Once Iranian banks start operating within the national network of card payments, it will be possible to use Azerbaijani bank cards in Iran, said MilliKart.

During Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis trip to Azerbaijan, a meeting was held between heads of central banks of Iran and Azerbaijan, Valiollah Seif and Elman Rustamov.

The sides also signed a memorandum of understanding after the meeting.

The memorandum envisages the integration of the two countries card systems, or in other words, it will be possible for both countries citizens to use their cards in the two countries territories.

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14 August 2016 11:28 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani military seamen have ranked second to be awarded with special medals at the Caspian Cup 2016 competition as part of the International Army Games.

Azerbaijans officer of patrol and guard ship G-124 Israil Mammadov also won an individual award for skills and professionalism.

Deputy Commander of the Azerbaijani Naval Forces Subhan Bakirov, Commander of the Caspian flotilla of the Russian Federation Sergey Pinchuk and official representatives of the Dagestan Autonomous Republic attended the award ceremony.

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14 August 2016 13:58 (UTC+04:00)

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.

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It has been announced that Donald Trump will address the 11th annual gathering of the Family Research Councils Values Voter Summit, an event that draws thousands of extremist right-wing Christians to the nations capital. Trump is scheduled to speak Friday, September 9  just 59 days before Election Day. This is the first time a Republican nominee for president has addressed the Values Voter Summit since its inception in 2006.

As the 2016 presidential election approaches, there is a growing understanding among voters that the future of our freedoms and our identity as Americans hang in the balance. We are therefore very encouraged that Donald Trump has accepted our invitation to address the Values Voter Summit and make his case directly to conservative activists from across the country. The fact that he is the first Republican nominee to attend since the Summits inception in 2006, demonstrates his understanding of the importance of values voters in the general election and his desire to work with them in addressing the critical issues facing our nation, said FRC hate group President Tony Perkins.

In 1996, while managing the U.S. Senate campaign of Republican Woody Jenkins against Mary Landrieu, Perkins paid $82,500 to use the mailing list of former Ku Klux Klan leader and state Rep. David Duke. The campaign was fined $3,000 for filing false disclosure forms in a bid to hide the payment to Duke. Perkins has stated he did not know about the mailing lists connection to Duke.

In 2001, Perkins gave a speech to the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), a white supremacist group that has described black people as a retrograde species of humanity. Perkins who addressed the group while standing in front of a Confederate flag, claimed not to know the groups ideology at the time, even though it had been widely publicized in Louisiana and the nation.

Other extreme right-wing anti-LGBT speakers confirmed to attend include Senators Tom Cotton, and Tim Scott, along with, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, KY Governor Matt Bevin, and U.S. Reps. Diane Black and Louie Gohmert. Additionally, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, Dr. James Dobson, David & Jason Benham, Kirk Cameron, Star Parker, Lt. Col. Oliver North, Duck Dynastys Al Robertson, Allen West, Dinesh DSouza, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum are among many other speakers to address attendees.

The event will be held from September 9-11 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Summit is co-sponsored by a veritable Whos Who of Anti-LGBT groups including AFA Action, American Values, First Liberty Institute, The D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship, United in Purpose, 2nd Vote, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, and Family Research Council.

***********************

In Tony Perkins His Own Words:

The videos are titled It Gets Better. They are aimed at persuading kids that although theyll face struggles and perhaps bullying for coming out as homosexual (or transgendered or some other perversion), life will get better.  Its disgusting. And its part of a concerted effort to persuade kids that homosexuality is okay and actually to recruit them into that lifestyle.

FRC fundraising letter, August 2011 Those who understand the homosexual community  the activists  theyre very aggressive, theyre  everything they accuse us of they are in triplicate. Theyre intolerant, theyre hateful, vile, theyre spiteful. . To me, that is the height of hatred, to be silent when we know there are individuals that are engaged in activity, behavior, and an agenda that will destroy them and our nation.

 Speaking to the Oak Initiative Summit, April 2011 While activists like to claim that pedophilia is a completely distinct orientation from homosexuality, evidence shows a disproportionate overlap between the two.  It is a homosexual problem.

 FRC website, 2010 The marriage debate is literally about the entire culture: its about the rule of law, its about the country, its about our future, its about redefining the curriculum in our schools, its about driving a wedge between parent and child, its about the loss of religious freedom, its about the inability to be who we are as a people.

 The Janet Mefford Show, May 22, 2014

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Its a rare honor for a fire department to celebrate a centennial birthday. According to spokeswoman Janel Vasallo, the Lakeland Fire Department has earned that distinction.

Lakeland Fire Department celebrated its 100th birthday

Community members invited to attend centennial celebration

Department employs more than 150 firefighters, paramedics at 7 stations

The departments 100th anniversary isnt until August 16, but they invited the community to come celebrate a few days early at the main station.

A hundred years ago, we had horses and a couple of cars, Lakeland Fire Chief Gary Ballard said. Today, we have lots of cars and lots machinery. Lots of technology changes in that 100 years that we live with and enjoy today."

Its all of those changes in equipment that has Michael McDowell intrigued.

Its very cool, very awesome, especially all that Ive been learning, said 10 year-old Michael. Hes contemplating becoming a firefighter or a police officer.

The unveiling of the "Leaping Lena" was one of the main attractions during the celebration. Firefighters rode in 1938 Pirsch Fire Engine to fires from 1938 to the mid-60s. Leaping Lena was deemed inoperable in the seventies.

But the departments mechanics worked on it, and its up and running again.

Retired firefighter Ezra Wilkerson said he recalled riding on the back of it to fires, back in the days when there werent seat belts.

I just wanted to come out and just bring back some of the old memories," said Wilkerson, who was a Lakeland firefighter from 1957 to 1987.

Back then, you had just a little bit of schooling, Wilkerson said. They taught you how to hold a hose and squirt water. Now, you go to sophisticated schools and go to college and everything else to learn how to be a firefighter.

Ballard, who has been with the department for almost 39 years, agreed.

Today, we're much more than a firefighting force, he said. Were an all-hazards department to where we go to medical calls. We still do fire calls, but we also go to traffic crashes and people trapped in machinery.

The department has grown from one fire station employing less than 10 people to seven fire stations, employing more than 150 firefighters and paramedics.
The contractor building a new crude oil tank at Sunoco Logistics is in touch with the families of the seven workers, four of whom suffered critical injuries in a flash fire late Friday, but there is no update on their conditions.

Three of the workers were treated and released from local hospitals. The four who suffered burns in the fire still are at hospitals in Houston, Galveston and Beaumont, a spokesman for Sunoco Logistics said.
RBS could still move its headquarters out of Scotland if there is a Yes vote in a second independence referendum, chief executive Ross McEwan has said.

Mr McEwan said the UK vote to leave the European Union has not changed the bank's position in 2014 that it may have to move out of Scotland in the event of independence.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to explore all options to keep Scotland in the EU, and said a second independence referendum is "highly likely".

Some experts have suggested Scotland's financial services sector could benefit from Scotland's continuing membership of the EU, providing a new gateway to the European single market for British businesses after the rest of the UK leaves.

Mr McEwan said RBS would be "too big for the economy" in an independent Scotland and it may have to register elsewhere, but that the move would not affect the 12,000 people who work for the bank.

He told the BBC: "We'd have to make the same moves I suspect because the Royal Bank of Scotland, being domiciled in Scotland, would just be too big for the economy, even in the shape that we're building.

"That's around the plaque, it's not about where our people are because we have a very big business up here in Scotland.

"I've got 12,000 people who serve both the Scottish people and we also run our retail business from up here along with a lot of our technology.

"Two years ago when we had the Scottish referendum, I made it very clear we'd have the people in the right place, that moving the plaque didn't make any difference to them.

"I think that would be the same. I think for any country, they just need to remain very competitive so businesses like ourselves want to operate in those countries."

Asked what he would say to Ms Sturgeon if she wanted his views on the economic impact of a second independence vote, he replied: "Just take account of uncertainty - that's what you're seeing after Brexit.

"It's uncertainty that slows markets down. Make sure the long game's worth it. But that's going to be up to the people of Scotland."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "As RBS has made clear, the location of their 'brass plaque' will make no difference to jobs in Scotland.

"The uncertainty our economy faces is from Brexit. That's why our immediate priority is to secure our continued place in the single market and maintaining and strengthening our links with our key European markets."

Scottish Labour business manager James Kelly said: "Only the SNP could claim a bank leaving Scotland as some sort of victory.

"This intervention once again makes clear that being part of the UK is good for jobs, business and the economy in Scotland.

"We don't need to risk all that with another referendum on independence. Labour committed in our manifesto to vote against a second independence referendum in the lifetime of this parliament. That position won't change any time soon.

"We have been pleased to give Nicola Sturgeon our full support to negotiate with the UK Government and EU institutions to find the best deal for the people of Scotland.

"Two mandates have to be respected - people voted in overwhelming numbers to maintain our relationship with both the EU and the UK.

"Delivering an outcome that achieves that is critically important."
Michaella McCollum Connolly and Melissa Reid after being detained at the airport in Lima, Peru

Drug smuggler Michaella McCollum has arrived back to Dublin for the first time after being released from prison in Peru earlier this year.

Pictures posted online showed her walking through Dublin airport last night.

It is understood that she arrived into Dublin Airport from a London flight.

The 23-year-old from Dungannon in Co Tyrone 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.

She was released on parole in March this year after serving less than half her six-year, eight-month sentence.

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.

Melissa Reid arrived back to Scotland in June.

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McDonalds at Donegall Place in Belfast city centre where the assault took place

A man in his 30's is in a 'serious condition' in hospital after receiving a head injury during an assault outside a fast food outlet in Belfast city centre.

Police say that he was in an altercation with another man outside McDonald's in Donegall Place in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Detective Sergeant Natalie McNally said: "It was reported that at around 12.35am an altercation took place between two males inside the premises before continuing outside. As a result a man, aged in his 30s, was taken to hospital for treatment to a head injury."

On Monday afternoon police arrested a 19-year-old man in the Belfast area.

He is currently in police custody.
A man in his 30s has been cut across the face in a knife attack, police have said.

Detectives said the serious assault occurred on Alfred Street in south Belfast, close to the junction of Sussex Place, shortly before 2am on Sunday morning.

Police said the injured man suffered a deep cut to his face.

And they issued an appeal for a suspect in the attack who was described as being about 5ft 8in and of stocky build.
Free Derry Corner, which was dramatically covered by a mural on Saturday to mark the citys annual Gasyard Feile

The new murals, designed to chart the social, cultural and industrial heritage of the lower Shankill

Bernadette McAliskey as portrayed in a mural on the side of a house in the Bogside area of Londonderry

Artist Daniela Balmaverde with her mural in the Alliance Parade area of Belfast

Belfast murals. A mural off the Newtownards Road dedicated to 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' author C.S Lewis who was from the area. 2010.

Belfast murals. A football mural on the Albert Bridge Road in east Belfast celebrating Northern Ireland's win over England in 2005.

A Republican mural is seen on the side of a house in the Bogside are of Derry, the scene of the 'Bloody Sunday' shootings. 2005

The UVF in East Belfast have started to paint another controversial mural in the area of masked paramilitaries wielding guns.

Off the wall: The UFF mural is painted over on Sandy Row in south Belfast. It will be replaced by a new mural of King William of Orange Coln Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Loyalist Jackie McDonald (left) and artist Ross Wilson at the launch of a new mural in Sandy Row that has replaced a notorious depiction of a UFF gunman

Actor Vince Vaughn is putting the finishing touches to a long-running documentary  and labour of love  on Belfasts murals.

Vaughn, better known for his movies and comedy than his Irish lineage, became intrigued by the citys murals which he first encountered on a trip with a friend.

The 42-year-old star, who has an Irish grandfather on one side of his family and an Irish grandmother on the other, said he was blown away by the murals emblazoned on walls across Belfast and the stories behind them.

The Wedding Crashers actor knew little about the Troubles.

It was the art that intrigued him.

So, six years ago, Vaughn began work on a documentary which saw him come to Belfast. It will finally be screened later this month.

Once you ask the question, why did they draw this and what does it represent, you learn about something that happened on the Shankill Road 20 years ago or you learn about plastic bullets, Vaughn told the Irish Times.

He talked his big sister Valeri Vaughn  who attended a film school in London and made an acclaimed short film  into an extended trip to Belfast. That inspired Art Of Conflict, a documentary chronicling Belfasts murals, their meanings and their journey following the Troubles.

Much has changed since Vaughn and a team which included editor Dan Lebental, who is well known for his work on the Iron Man movies, first arrived in Belfast to film the documentary.

His interviewees included the late PUP leader David Ervine, who spoke to the film-makers shortly before his death in 2007. They also interviewed Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who now sits in the Dail.

Many murals across the city have also been transformed into more welcoming images which still reflect the communitys heritage and culture.

A huge Ulster Freedom Fighters mural at Sandy Row in south Belfast has been replaced by a gable-wall sized portrait of William of Orange. The move came as part of a project to give loyalist and republican communities in Belfast a new image.

Vaughn said Art Of Conflict was a long-term project. We had so much footage and so many stories. There were so many people to track down. And you also have to structure the film in a way that explains what is happening for someone who knows nothing about this stuff.

The Dodgeball star said the documentary has been well received. Weve been getting a really good response from people, so its great that its getting out there, he said.

"Its [Galway Film Fleadh] the perfect place for us to show it.

Art Of Conflict will screen on Saturday, July 14, as part of the Galway Film Fleadh, which runs from Tuesday, July 10-15
India's cultural gifts to the world include the Kama Sutra and the sexually charged carvings that lure and intrigue tourists at Khajuraho. But the country's reputation today is as a much more conservative, buttoned-up society where couples risk opprobrium even for something as chaste as daring to hold hands in public.

Little surprise then, perhaps, at the roaring success of 21st century India's most recent contribution to the world of eroticism. The country's first online pornographic comic book strip is luring tens of thousands of internet viewers, who are logging on for a daily dose of stimulation and humour courtesy of the buxom Savita Bhabhi.

Savita Bhabhi is a busty and artfully drawn Indian housewife who loves her husband, Ashok Patel, but gets bored during the long days she spends alone at home while he is busy at the office. The full colour cartoons detail her fun-filled adventures with everyone from the door-to-door lingerie salesman ("Can you help me please... The hook is stuck.") to two energetic young men who lose their cricket ball in her garden and a hunky cousin visiting from the US. In every episode, Savita's bountiful charms and washboard-flat abdomen ensure she always snares her target.

But just who are the creators of Savita Bhabhi? The website of the full-colour cartoons, which appear in English and a number of Indian languages, including Marathi, Tamil and Malayalam, says the cartoons are the work of the Indian Porn Empire, which has so far declined attempts by local journalists to find out more about its increasingly popular housewife. It also failed to respond to a series of emailed questions from The Independent.

On the homepage and an online forum in which they interact with Savita's army of fans, the individuals involved use only screen names. "Deshmukh" is the site administrator and the writer of the storylines, based  viewers are informed  on his "hot" real-life companion. In turn, the cartoons are drawn by "Dexta" and "Mad". Given the fantastical nature of the stories and the Lara Croft-like dimensions of the dark-haired, doe-eyed Savita, one has to presume that the creators are men. Either that or resourceful teenagers.

Yet, in addition to the team's refusal to speak, even anonymously, about their creation, there are other curious things about Savita's authors.

Not only do they use plenty of American slang but on the online forum they reveal they do not speak Hindi. At the same time, the cartoon characters and the settings are very Indian. Bhabhi is Hindi for sister-in-law, and in northern India in particular there is a long tradition in popular culture of flirtation between a man and his elder brother's wife. Could it be that the creators are Indians who moved overseas and have now returned to their mother country hoping to cash in with their saucy idea?

"I do think that India was waiting for some mature and contemporary pornography," said Patricia Oberoi, a Delhi-based sociologist and editor of Family, Kinship and Marriage in India. "And this is certainly Indian. It has a very Indian touch. A number of the themes are no doubt universal but the settings are very Indian. And in India there is this tradition of authorised flirtation between a man and his sister-in-law."

The cartoons about Savita and her late-home-from-the-office husband began appearing in March. Since then, largely by word of mouth, the site appears to have attracted up to 30,000 registered users. In true comic strip style, every day a new cartoon is posted by the administrators as the month-long story steadily builds to a climax. The administrators say they are keen to be contacted by viewers with script ideas to contribute, and by people who can translate the cartoons into other regional Indian languages.

Many commentators believe that Savita  who in true Hindu style is drawn complete with a traditional red dot or bindi on her forehead  is more about titillation than hardcore stimulation, and point out the intentionally ironic tone of the cartoons, even if the comments of some of the forum users and the real-life photographs they eagerly post would not merit such a description.

For all its history as a birthplace of some of eroticism's most famous works  the Kama Sutra dates back perhaps 2,000 years and includes chapters not just on sexual positions but also on how to deal with lack of sexual energy, while countless statues and carvings in southern India feature bare-breasted people and even naked Hindu deities  modern India remains a country seemingly ill at ease with sex and relationships.

Gone is the sensuality contained in traditional Indian art, dance and literature, and the enforced conservatism at times seems suffocating. The overwhelming majority of people's marriages are still arranged by their parents  though that may have been the case in centuries past  and a woman is still expected to be a virgin on her wedding night. So-called honour killings, when family members murder a woman who dares to marry outside her caste or tribe, remain common.

Some of those attitudes may be slowly changing, at least in some parts of urbanised, educated India. While mainstream Bollywood films remain remarkably chaste (the majority of actors and actresses refuse even to kiss on screen for fear that it will damage their reputations) Indian audiences are getting used to seeing a lot more flesh than ever before. Indeed, many of the latest music videos are all but indistinguishable from a US rap music production.

Publishing too, is seeing a change, with the growth of so-called Indian chick-lit that could hardly be described as pornography but which is still far more frank and forthcoming than lots of other genres. Last month saw the publication of Almost Single, the first work by Advaita Kala, a confessional-blogger-turned-novelist. Her publishers went out of their way to promote the story of a single young professional woman's experiences in Delhi as decadent and daring.

Urvashi Butalia, a feminist writer and publisher, said comic strips and graphic novels were an increasingly important part of English-language publishing in India. She also believed the success of the Savita Bhabhi project mirrored a shift in parts of Indian society towards a more progressive sensibility. "Bollywood is increasingly focussing on bodies, male and female, and there is an increasing acceptance of sexuality," she said. "Also, Mills and Boon, which is mildly pornographic, is coming to India in a very big way."

But other commentators believe the inspiration to create Savita must, at least in part, be a result of India's continued repressive atmosphere.

Sarnath Banerjee, a graphic novelist who is currently working on a book of stories about sexuality in India, said that writing pornography required a number of different skills. "Writing good pornography, or erotica, needs rigour and an understanding of humanity. You are an anthropologist looking at socio-psychology," he told the news magazine Tehelka, which recently devoted a lengthy feature to Savita.

"You have to be repressed to write good pornography. For me, I was fascinated when I saw these prostitutes in Amsterdam, coming as I did from the usual anal middle class and its protected environment, where sexy was Ms Peters, the geography teacher."
The battle for freedom of expression is never-ending, even in democratic countries like the UK.

Every new year brings another attempt to nibble away at this cherished freedom (which underpins all our other freedoms, because every other law was first thought of and debated, before being written down and put into practice).

There have been numerous threats to media freedoms in the UK.

Some, admittedly, are the unintended consequences of well-meaning actions and laws that simply hadn't been thought through.

Others are more nefarious, intended to curtail free speech itself and also to use journalistic activity as an intelligence-finding tool.

One such attempt is currently ongoing. It is the Investigatory Powers Bill and it is currently passing through parliament.

Significantly, the Bill allows the police and security services to mount surveillance of every step of a journalist's investigation.

It allows digital trails to be used against the reporter and his or her source. This means, effectively, against the public as well.

The upshot is that confidential journalist sources and whistle-blowers, who have been described as the "bedrock of a free, open and democratic society", will be left identifiable. This is despite the fact that special legislation at UK and EU level has been reserved to protect whistle-blowers and journalist sources.

Some of this is already happening. As I've previously reported, the PSNI is believed to use the controversial "snoopers charter" - the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) - to pry on journalistic activity.

They won't confirm it, of course, but it doesn't take a genius to work things out.

Last year, citing "national security", the PSNI refused to answer a Freedom of Information request on whether it used RIPA against journalists.

The proper system, which prevailed for a long time, is that parliament and the law mandated the police and others who were investigating crime to apply to a judge for an order to obtain journalistic material.

The media was allowed into the hearing so it could put its counter-arguments.

Judges, including the possibility of appeal court judges, weighed both the laws and the public interest before making, or declining to make, an order.

This has been whittled away by RIPA, the proposed Investigatory Powers Bill and, I'm sorry to say, in some cases also because of police malpractice.

A particular threat is the Investigatory Powers Bill. A campaign, led by the Press Gazette, is under way to try and get it amended.

Campaigners believe, correctly, that the Bill, as currently formulated, allows the state to:

 covertly open up encrypted media databases of untransmitted, or unpublished, material and journalists' own mobile devices;

 view journalists' communications records (who called who, when and where);

 turn reporters' mobile phones into tools of surveillance.

In the words of Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford: "Sources could be put at risk. Journalists could be put in danger by being seen as proxy agents of the state.

"We are asking that the same protection for journalistic activities, information and sources should apply in the digital world as the physical one and that the Investigatory Powers Bill be amended."

There is more of concern in this odious Bill, which has led a range of legal and civil rights experts to voice concern. Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem MPs have joined the chorus.

If you're concerned, too, please sign the petition via the Press Gazette website.
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Von: Kyle Orton*

The Islamic State is a threat to the entire world, but it is not always a state's primary threat, and for some states ISIS's existence is actually a benefit.

For the regimes of Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin, IS has been a godsend: it allows them to present a binary picture of Syria where the choice is the Assad dictatorship or ISIS. This situation would allow them to rehabilitate Assad internationally.

Both Assad and Putin see their primary enemy in Syria as the mainstream armed opposition (and its supporters) whom they have worked assiduously to crushsometimes in tandem with ISIS.

Russia's intervention last September actually led to an expansion of the Islamic State in areas of Aleppo after Russia bombed rebels out of the way, and Russia has targeted not only U.S.-backed rebels who are fighting Assad but U.S.-backed Syrian forces whose only mission is to fight ISIS.

It is difficult to describe this as anything but Russia acting as ISIS's air force, which makes sense within the framework of Russia's attempt to eliminate all opposition to Assad except IS.

Turkey has different priorities

Turkey has been accused of supporting ISIS. This is false. What keeps the accusation alive outside of conspiracy theory circles is that Ankara had clearly had other priorities inside Syriatwo of them, in fact.

Turkey's primary concern, above the fight against ISIS, was the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and this had led to Ankara even turning a blind eye to the flow of foreign fighters across its border into Syria for some time, allegedly in part to help counterbalance Kurdish state-building efforts in northern Syria.

The PKK is a grave internal security threat to Turkey, as is a PKK-run-statelet on its border that would be a base for infiltration and terrorism.

Kyle Orton

The Turks also (correctly) assess that the Assad regime is a greater threat to regional order than ISIS, which feeds off the chaos and atrocities of the regime.

The ISIS threat has manifested very seriously within Turkey's borders and Turkey understands that ISIS cannot be defeated while the Assad regime remains in place, which has made its removal even more of a priority.

Ankara has at times aspired to a wider regional role, but the security threat in Syria led to mended relations with the Gulf states and Turkey now works more in partnership than competition with them to support the Syrian insurgency, even in the case of groups close to Turkey, like Ahrar al-Sham, that the Saudis and others had shunned previously.

US policy foundered

The Obama administration's attempt to pursue a narrow counter-terrorism policy in Syria, focused only on ISIS, has foundered in large measure because it has tried to adopt a military policy and ignore these political complexities.

ISIS might be the U.S.'s greatest threat in Syria, but that is not the assessment of all other actors, especially when the offered alternative to the caliphate is a government controlled by Iran, the lead state-sponsor of terrorism.

* Kyle Orton is a research fellow at Henry Jackson Society, a British think tank. His expertise are the Middle East and security issues.
NZSA / Auckland Museum Research Grants Now Open for Applications

Two WRITERS RESEARCH grants are now open for applications for writers working on a project that can utilise the considerable facilities and resources of the Auckland Museum Library as part of the manuscripts development. These grants are offered by the Auckland Museum and NZ Society of Authors and can be used for fiction and non-fiction projects.



The NZSA / Auckland Museum Research Grants 2016 grants comprise:

One National Grant of $4,000 supplemented by the option of 4 weeks funded accommodation at the Michael King Writers Centre in Devonport.

One Auckland Regional Grant of $2,500 for writers from the Auckland region.

The Auckland Museum Library provides a reading room and copying facilities for grant recipients as well as guided access to the librarys collections of manuscripts, pictures and publications. Both recipients will receive a one year membership to the Auckland Museum Institute, benefits of which include access to the Members Lounge.

In 2015 the recipient of the National Research Grant was Paolo Rotondo  who used the award to research the interaction of Pakeha and Maori for a theatrical piece with the working title Kororareka.



The Auckland Regional grant winners David Veart and Lorraine Wilson drew on the John Logan Campbell papers held at the Museum library for their joint project with the working title Dear, dear, dear Papa.



The Auckland Museum Library is one of New Zealands major research libraries confirms Michaela ODonovan, Head of Information, Library and Enquiries. The depth of material available is highly valued both in New Zealand and internationally.



The deadline for applications is 5pm, 28 October 2016.



Applicants for both grants need to be members of the NZ Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc). Membership of the NZ Society of Authors is open to all budding and established writers. You can find out more at

www.authors.org.nz

To view the online Auckland Museum Library catalogue:

http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/collections-research/library-info-centres

Application form and terms & conditions

NZSA / Auckland Museum Research Grants
As we once again revisit the "Trickle Down lie" and the "Tax the Rich" it is instructive for those who want more than a few Occupy Democrat Memes for their argument to delve deeper into the facts. Maybe we should spend more time discussing and debating the spending side of the equation rather than the funding side. Are we spending the collected tax money to improve opportunity or just to buy votes? Bobby Tony

Thomas Sowell Quote:

" While there have been all too many lies told in politics, most have some little tiny fraction of truth in them, to make them seem plausible. But the "trickle-down" lie is 100 percent lie.

Let's do something completely unexpected: Let's stop and think. Why would anyone advocate that we "give" something to A in hopes that it would trickle down to B? Why in the world would any sane person not give it to B and cut out the middleman? But all this is moot, because there was no trickle-down theory about giving something to anybody in the first place.

The "trickle-down" theory cannot be found in even the most voluminous scholarly studies of economic theories -- including J.A. Schumpeter's monumental "History of Economic Analysis," more than a thousand pages long and printed in very small type.

It is not just in politics that the non-existent "trickle-down" theory is found. It has been attacked in the New York Times, in the Washington Post and by professors at prestigious American universities -- and even as far away as India. Yet none of those who denounce a "trickle-down" theory can quote anybody who actually advocated it.

The time is long overdue for people to ask themselves why it is necessary for those on the left to make up a lie if what they believe in is true."
Located only a few minutes' drive from Statesville is Fort Dobbs - North Carolina's only frontier fort during the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years War).Although the solid, wooden-block, three-story structure's dimensions and shape allowed as many as 100 soldiers to fire muskets simultaneously, the fort was manned by only about 50 soldiers. The structure has not been standing for more than two centuries; however, archeologists and historians have determined its dimensions and exact location. Fort Dobbs in Iredell County: Above and below.Click tio image to enlarge.As a result, visitors can see the structure's dimensions and imagine its bulk and height, observing its exact location by means of a stringed outline secured by posts.The French and Indian War occurred mostly in what became the northern and midwestern United States. (Parts of the conflict also occurred in Canada). The soon-to-be southern United States saw far fewer engagements (at least on a major scale) and built far fewer forts than their northern colonial counterparts.To protect its western settlers, North Carolina, in particular, established Fort Dobbs.Many scholars argue that the Seven Years War was the first global conflict in modern warfare. Involving and influencing other European nations, to be sure, the conflict pitted France and various Indian tribes against the British, American colonists, and various Indian tribes.For some time, France and Britain had wanted the same land. Not surprisingly, Native American tribes had different degrees of alarm and anticipation regarding French and English encroachment, and accordingly they chose sides in hopes of enhancing their tribal interests.French trappers and traders had operated in the now midwestern states, and American colonists (not all of English origin) had moved westward for economic and other opportunities. France worked to claim the land via a southward path from Canada to its Louisiana claims. Meanwhile, the English and the colonists moved westward from their eastern settlements.Eventually the two European nations' respective longitudinal and latitudinal paths crossed, and conflict ensued. The global conflict lasted - you guessed it! - seven years, from 1756-63.The British and their allies won the conflict. Eventually, the British government, through parliamentary action, demanded that American colonists to reimburse the British government for providing frontier protection.Parliament passed the Proclamation of 1763, an act that limited American expansion by placing control over western settlement in the hands of the British government. Parliament later passed the Sugar Act (1764) and the Stamp Act (1765). After decades of "salutary neglect," many angry American colonists, with an expansionist impulse, put forth arguments proclaiming "No taxation without representation!"Although North Carolina citizens witnessed minimal fighting within the colony's boundaries during the French and Indian War, North Carolina militia fought as far north as New York, and North Carolina was the first colony to respond to Virginia's request for help as English and French interests collided in the Ohio Valley, which Virginia claimed as its territory.Fort Dobbs is named after North Carolina Royal Gov. Arthur Dobbs, who served from 1759-65 and was credited by historians for working to improve North Carolina's economic status and educational system while working to establish the Church of England.The only known conflict to occur at or near Fort Dobbs occurred on Feb. 27, 1760, when approximately 60 Cherokee Inidans failed to take the garrison. According to reports, between 10 and 12 Cherokee were killed or wounded, and two Americans were wounded (one severely).One boy was killed, but that seemed to be because he unintentionally found himself in harm's way. It was not uncommon for settlers occasionally to be near the fort for protection, or for merchants and cooks to sell goods or food to soldiers.During a sweltering day last year in July - when first-come, first-served claims to a shade tree might have been worth as much as owning gold - this historian's imaginings of what the actual Fort Dobbs might have looked like more than two centuries ago ran rampant.
Third-year medical student Caitlin Durr was wearing a white coat in 90-degree heat at noon on Friday, but she still had goosebumps.She was preparing to lead her newest classmates in a pledge of ethics as part of the 17th white coat ceremony at East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine.The annual ceremony, now held at most medical schools since its inception around 25 years ago, bestows medical students with the white coats they will wear throughout their education. Helping to welcome Brody's class of 2020 brought back fond memories of Durr's own ceremony.said Durr, who serves as chair of the medical student council.The 80 students who walked across the stage of the Brody auditorium comprise one of the most competitive classes in the school's 40-year history. Amid 1,020 applicants, each accepted student had to beat out 12 others.As accomplished as these students are, they have a lot to learn, but they'll do it together and learn from faculty who were once in the same place, according to keynote speaker Dr. Danielle Walsh, associate professor in the Department of Surgery.Walsh said.The white coat is a powerful symbol, Walsh continued.The coats were provided by 62 alumni and current and former faculty members, according to Dr. David Collier, president of the Brody School of Medicine Alumni Society. Some left notes to the students who would receive the coats.Collier told the students.The fact that the coats come from alumni makes the ceremony particularly poignant, according to Dr. Elizabeth Baxley, senior associate dean for academic affairs.Incoming Brody student Danae Massengill is closer than most to a Brody alumna. Her mother Susan Massengill graduated from Brody in 1987, specializing in pediatric nephrology.said Danae, who is from Charlotte.After completing her undergraduate degree out of state, Danae knew she wanted to come back to North Carolina and be closer to family.she said.That family environment has always been there, according to Susan.Medicine is a family affair for incoming medical student Austin Flick, though he's the first in his family to attend Brody. His father Conrad Flick went to medical school at Duke, and his mother Anita Flick attended the UNC School of Medicine. His older sister Alyse Flick is a nurse who also went to Chapel Hill. Both sets of his grandparents were also in attendance. Several family members have undergraduate degrees from N.C. State, but they all understood and supported Austin's decision to come to ECU.Conrad said.said Austin's grandmother JoAnne Flick, who has seen her share of medical ceremonies in the family. "He's a very compassionate person. He'll make an excellent student here."said Austin.
Kathy Manos Penn

That's the first line in a Forbes article from a few years back, Want To Be Smart and Successful? Take a Nap, and I couldn't have agreed more, as I was writing this on a Monday morning. I'm usually tired on Mondays and quite often several afternoons a week. That day, though, I had to get up earlier than usual and fight traffic for an hour, so that I could sit in a strange office while a computer technician transferred all the data from my old computer to a new one-a task that took six hours. While he did all that, I had access to my work email, but not much else, and I sat yawning, as I thought of all the work I could have been getting done.I have always needed eight-nine hours of sleep a night, preferably nine, and trust me, I've been teased about that most of my life. I'm sure you know folks who brag about existing on five to six hours a night. I'd be a walking zombie on that amount of sleep. Actually, I'm a zombie when I get only seven. My husband says that my brain with no sleep is much like my brain after a few too many drinks.I felt better about my sleep habits when I read the list of long-term effects of not enough sleep: "loss of long-term memory, emotional instability, psychiatric impairment, reduced cognitive skills and ability to learn, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, vision and hearing problems, compromised immune function and elevated cortisol levels." That's enough to make me want to take a nap right this minute.Several articles I've read speak to the benefits of catch-up sleep. Can You Catch Up on Lost Sleep? According to the article with this title, you can. "'Nobody knows how long the horizon is, probably a few nights, but studies show that recovery sleep in the short term does work,' says Dr. Winter, a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine." He says you can catch up by sleeping in on the weekend, but suggests routine naps may be even better.I sometimes sleep a little later on the weekends, but I find it more and more difficult to sleep in more than 30 minutes or so. Of course, that could have more to do with the dog nudging me to get up than anything else. On the other hand, I have no difficulty taking several naps a week since I've retired. Often, the cat will join me, and the dog will even lie quietly beside the bed for about an hour. If a good night's sleep and a nap here and there can stave off just a few of the ill effects cited, then I should be in good shape.The Inc. article Should Your Employees Take Naps ? cites several studies that support the benefits of napping:In 2010, researchers at the University of California at Berkeley confirmed that napping can improve the brain's ability to retain information, noting that a middle-of-the-day reprievewhile the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in Atlanta concluded in 2007 that a short catnap during the dayEven though I've always gotten at last eight hours of sleep most nights, all too often I had difficulty keeping my eyes open as I sat at my computer in the afternoons. It's at those times that I wished my company endorsed taking afternoon naps like Google, Ben & Jerry's and Proctor & Gamble and other companies. What a marvelous idea.
Siptu has condemned the Government's pensions report as "useless window dressing".

The union's general president Jack O'Connor has said it fails to deal with key aspects of the developing crisis involving retirement and pension provision in Ireland.

He has said the report contributes nothing to resolving the problems of our future and our present.

This report simply repeats what is already well known and lists a few innocuous recommendations that will contribute nothing to resolving the problems confronting the future provision of adequate pensions for retirees, said OConnor.

Unfortunately, it merely amounts to a useless exercise in window dressing. It completely fails to address the plight of older workers approaching mandatory retirement age who have been left high and dry by the abolition of the Transitional Pension without any period of advance notice to allow them to try to accumulate some savings to cushion the resulting financial shortfall.

SIPTU has repeatedly called for an increase in job seekers benefit at 65 as a temporary measure to deal with this problem. Such a provision would cost as little as 5m-a-year to cover those forced to retire at 65 and just 25m for all 65 year olds who are dependent on the Social Welfare system.

There is a major crisis unfolding in the retirement and pensions arena. If it isn't tackled, it will ultimately rank second only to the banking crisis of 2008 in terms of severity and economic implications.

We deserve more from our elected legislators than the kind of hand wringing that is displayed in this useless report.
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A woman and three young girls escaped unhurt after their home was targeted in an arson attack, police have said.

Detectives said attackers poured flammable liquid through the letterbox of the home on Ormeau Embankment in Belfast and set it alight.
Syria's rebel-held Idlib province came under heavy bombardment on Sunday as rebels and pro-government forces battled for control of the nearby city of Aleppo, activists said.

Much of the fighting has been marked by indiscriminate shelling, missile attacks, and aerial bombardment, killing scores of civilians across Idlib and Aleppo. The rebels do not have an air force.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 26 air strikes on Sunday across Idlib, one of the last remaining opposition bastions.

Observatory head Rami Abdurrahman said Russian and government air strikes on the north-western province have intensified since rebels launched a campaign from Idlib to break a government siege of Aleppo's opposition districts on July 31.

The strikes have killed 122 civilians, he said.

Another 327 civilians, including 126 children, have been killed in fighting in Aleppo province, according to the Observatory, which monitors both sides of the conflict and gathers information from a network of activists inside Syria.

The toll includes 126 people killed by rebel shelling of government-held parts of Aleppo city.

Tens of thousands of Syrians displaced from Aleppo have found refuge in Idlib, home to a pre-war population of 1.5 million.

The Local Co-ordination Committees, an activist network, said Russian jets struck the towns of Jisr al-Shaghour and Binnish, while the Observatory reported strikes on the provincial capital, Idlib. It was unclear how the activists identified the planes.

Aleppo, once Syria's largest city and commercial capital, is now the focal point of the civil war and the only major city where the opposition to President Bashar Assad still has a foothold.

The rebel campaign, spearheaded by ultraconservative factions including the al Qaida-linked Jaish Fatah al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front, has drawn manpower from Idlib, some 30 kilometres (19 miles) to the west.

A spokesman for the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham faction confirmed that the rebels were drawing recruits from Idlib.

"The battle for Aleppo concerns all of Syria," said Abu Khaled, who gave only his nom de guerre.

At least 97 rebel fighters from Idlib have died in combat in Aleppo since July 31, according to Mr Abdurrahman.

Aleppo is still home to some two million people, most of whom live in the government-controlled western districts.

On Sunday evening, rebels opened a new front, sending a truck bomb into the western Zahraa neighbourhood, according to the Twitter account of the Islamic Front, one of the factions fighting for the city.

The Observatory reported fighting in the city's western and southern districts.

To the east, a Kurdish-led force known as the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) drove the Islamic State group out of the strategic town of Manbij on Saturday and announced a new campaign against al-Bab, a nearby town held by the extremists.

The US has provided the SDF with air cover and American special forces are advising them on the ground.

Moscow has been waging an air campaign in support of government forces for nearly a year.

Russia's military said six long-range Tu-22M3 bombers that took off from Russian territory carried out strikes on IS near the eastern Syrian city of Deir el-Zour on Sunday. It made no mention of any strikes in Idlib.

VIDEO: Rebels deliver aid to residents in E #Aleppo after breaking siege. Aid coming from #Idlib - @HalabTodayTV pic.twitter.com/KrXwUMqnxE  Conflict News (@Conflicts) August 10, 2016

Elsewhere in Syria, rebels and government forces battled around a major power plant in the central Hama province.

State media reported that rebels inflicted heavy damage to the Zaara generating station, while an opposition media activist in the nearby town of Aqrab said the power plant was not targeted.

Obeida al-Hamawi, of the activist-run Hama Media Centre, said government forces had launched an assault from positions near the plant to retake the village of Zaara, captured by rebels earlier this year.

He said electricity was still being supplied to the area.

The Observatory reported heavy clashes in the area. In the south, rockets set two apartment blocks on fire in a besieged, opposition-held suburb of Damascus.

The local council in Daraya accused the government of using incendiary weapons, and posted videos showing volunteers transporting water tanks on tractors to help firefighters battle the blaze.

The Observatory also reported a government rocket attack on the suburb.

Following an international appeal, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent rescued a 10-year-old girl from the besieged Damascus suburb of Madaya to receive urgent care after activists say she was shot by a pro-government sniper on August 2.

Syrian state media said "terrorists" shot Ghinwa Qweider and then prevented the evacuation.

Amnesty International said the government held up the request for nearly two weeks.
The son of a Russian MP is due to go on trial in the US accused of orchestrating an international scheme that resulted in around 170 million US dollars in fraudulent credit card purchases.

In a federal jury trial that begins this week, prosecutors plan to lay out evidence that they say will prove Roman Seleznev hacked into US businesses, mostly pizza restaurants in Washington state, and stole credit card information.

They claim he made millions by selling that data on underground internet forums.

Seleznev's lawyers plan to argue that prosecutors have failed to adequately connect him with the computer hacks that hit more than 200 businesses over several years.

They have also said the US Secret Service agents who arrested Seleznev mishandled his laptop, which may have compromised some evidence.

Seleznev faces a 40-count indictment that charges him with running a hacking scheme from 2008 until his arrest in the Maldives in July 2014.

Steve Bussing, owner of Red Pepper Pizza in Duvall, north-east of Seattle, said that he and his wife had to spend around 10,000 US dollars installing a new computer system after they learned theirs was compromised by a hacker.

"It was a huge expense" for a small business, he said, adding that the process disrupted their business as they shut down and reinstalled a new security system to protect their customers.

Mr Bussing, along with owners and managers from Mad Pizza, ZPizza, Grand Central Bakery, Village Pizza, and Casa Mia, were included on the prosecutor's witness list and were expected to testify about the effect of the hacking on their companies.

Secret Service agents captured Seleznev as he and his girlfriend arrived at an airport in the Maldives on their way back to Russia.

The agents flew him by private jet to Guam, where he made his first court appearance, and then to Seattle, where he is in federal custody.

Seleznev was indicted on 29 felony charges in 2011, but a month later, he suffered a brain injury in a terrorist bombing in a cafe in Morocco.

He was in a coma for two weeks and underwent a series of operations, according to one of his previous lawyers.

Seleznev bears a sickle-shaped, horizontal scar on the side of his head that is visible when his hair is cut short.

He speaks little English and participates in court hearings with the help of a Russian interpreter.

His father, Valery Seleznev, is a member of the Russian Parliament.

Federal prosecutors have called Roman Seleznev a "leader in the marketplace for stolen credit card numbers", and they said he collected millions of dollars by selling that data to his co-conspirators.

They added 11 new counts to his indictment in October 2014, including wire and bank fraud, hacking and identity theft.

Although his lawyers have argued Seleznev's arrest was a "kidnapping" or an "illegal rendition" that violated international law, US District Judge Richard Jones has barred that argument at trial.

Seleznev used various computer names over the course of his criminal career, prosecutors said in court documents.

Between 2002 and 2009, he operated under the nickname nCuX, which is the transliteration of the Russian word for "psycho", prosecutors said.

He switched to "Track2" in 2009, and in 2013, he went by "2Pac" and others, they said.

Secret Service agents began monitoring nCuX's activities in 2005 and found that in 2007, he started selling stolen credit card data online, prosecutors said.

After the agents told Russian law enforcement officials that they believed nCuX was Seleznev, the person using that name posted that he was going out of business, prosecutors said.

Track2 soon began appearing on the same carding forums used by nCuX.

In 2010, Seattle police Detective David Dunn, a member of the Seattle Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force, investigated an intrusion into the computer systems at Schlotzky's Deli in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

That led him to some of the nicknames that prosecutors say Seleznev used.

Further investigation took Mr Dunn to businesses in western Washington. He found malicious software installed at one of the businesses that was similar to what he found in Idaho.

The investigation identified "numerous forensic artifacts" that linked to Seleznev, court records said.

They traced Track2's Yahoo email accounts, which were also linked to nCuX, the documents said.

The account "contained overwhelming evidence showing that Roman Seleznev was the user of the account", the court records said.

The emails included messages from his wife, Svetlana Selezneva, and messages to Seleznev from the Russian social media site Vkontakte, the documents said.

Jury selection begins on Monday, and the trial is expected to run for more than two weeks.
A man who attacked passengers aboard a train in Switzerland with a knife and burning liquid, killing one and wounding five others, has died of his injuries, police said.

St Gallen state police said the suspect, described only as a 27-year-old Swiss man from a neighbouring state, had been suffering from serious burns.
LONDON: If the US Federal Reserve tends to tighten hard until something breaks, as some investors still believe...
International outrage about Australia's treatment of people held in immigration detention on Nauru and Manus Island is growing, as senior British and New Zealand politicians question the Turnbull government's approach amid revelations of abuse, sexual violence and self-harm.

New Zealand Labour's foreign affairs spokesman David Shearer accused Australia of losing its moral compass over offshore detention, suggesting his country should step in to resettle asylum seekers and refugees.

The comments came as the leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats party Tim Farron called on the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to speak to Australia's high commissioner about immigration policies.

Mr Shearer, a former Labour leader and United Nations humanitarian worker, said Australia's offshore detention regime was abysmal and unsustainable, and said Australian voters were prepared to "push under the carpet" knowledge of conditions on Nauru and Manus Island, in contrast to public condemnation of mistreatment inside the Northern Territory's Don Dale Youth Detention Centre that prompted a royal commission last month.
Labor believes it has support to establish a parliamentary inquiry into allegations of child abuse, sexual assault and human rights breaches in Australia's offshore immigration detention centre on Nauru, after the publication of more than 2000 incident reports last week.

Senior Turnbull government ministers have sought to downplay the reports published by Guardian Australia documenting allegations of abuse, self-harm by asylum seekers and refugees, assaults and poor living standards, as Labor's manager of opposition business in the Senate, Sam Dastyari, said Australians did not want to turn a blind eye to abuse allegations in offshore detention centres.

With Parliament due to resume on August 30, Labor is expected to push for a Senate inquiry to investigate the allegations, including the role of private contractors operating the centre and the government's response to the leaking of the reports.

"This is horrific. These allegations are just disgusting," Senator Dastyari told ABC TV's Insiders.
B-Town Grills Famous Phillies is gearing up to open the first week of September, owner Alan Arthur said recently.

Arthur closed the restaurant inside The Stadium Club in Billings Heights at the beginning of the month and has been moving to 115 N. 29th St., next to Brockels Chocolates.

B-Town will serve classic Philly cheese steak sandwiches, grilled mac n cheese, smoked chicken, beef and burgers.

Arthur said he expects the hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays to capture the busy downtown lunch crowd. Service will be quick and portions large, Arthur added.

Arthur launched the business about two years ago in the Heights. At the same time, he said renting a kitchen was a good way to start out and build his brand, but he had his eye on later establishing his own place.

Arthur plans to hire six to eight employees, mostly full-time.

Out and about

The Magpie Gallery is coming to 2702 Second Ave., a space previously occupied by Gallery Interiors.

Also downtown, Royal Realty has moved into a new location at 2424 First Ave. N.

At 103 N. Broadway, the Catherine Louisa Gallery closed in June.

Mortgage broker honored

A Billings mortgage broker has been named a top professional by a national industry publication.

Angel Davis-Viren, owner/broker of Keystone Mortgage Co., was included in the Mortgage Professional Americas 2016 Young Guns list, which recognizes individuals under the age of 35.

The 42-member list was compiled from nominations nationwide, according to Mortgage Professional America.

Davis-Viren, 35, was also selected to the list in 2014 and began in the mortgage industry 15 years ago as a receptionist.

Mortgage Professional America is published by Key Media, a leading publication for the mortgage and finance industry.

Missoula needs Billings

Organizers of a Missoula business conference are seeking to attract entrepreneurs in Billings and Eastern Montana.

The LBCon, short for Last Best Conference, will be held Aug. 25-26 at the Wilma Theater in Missoula. One of the goals, according to organizers, is to create a better network of entrepreneurs through the Northwest region, stretching from Spokane, Wash., to Billings.

Sponsored by Blackstone LaunchPad at the University of Montana, the conference will feature speakers from large companies including Twitter, Patagonia, HubSpot and Samsung. Breakout sessions are also included.

Tickets are $199 per person through Aug. 19. Session spots may be purchased for $29 per session, and a two-day boot camp on Tuesday and Wednesday is $450.

Visit www.lastbestconference.com for more information.

Labor posters required

U.S. Department of Labor officials announced they are releasing two updated labor law posters that businesses are required to display.

The posters contain information about employee rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Employee Polygraph Protection Act.

The posters are available free at the Billings Job Service office or Montana Department of Labor and Industries offices.

The posters are also available to download online at www.wsd.dli.mt.gov/employers/employment-posters .

Haikus from the valley

Welcome back, traffic

on Grand Avenue. Now watch

development grow.
Scientists, farmers and conservationists have reason to celebrate. Rain has flooded the Macquarie Marshes in north-western NSW, breaking a three year dry spell.

Over the past two months rain has trickled into the Macquarie Marshes bone-dry riverbeds, breathing new life into an ecosystem on life support.

"It was looking pretty grim in May," said Senior Wetlands Conservation Officer Tim Hosking. "There was absolutely no indication of any wet weather".

The 200,000-hectare Macquarie Marshes are officially recognised as a wetland of international importance.
A Tewantin man has won his battle for compensation after a former friend accused him of being a paedophile.

Robert Grattan was awarded about $170,000 in damages after winning his defamation case against Diane Porter in the Maroochydore District Court on August 11.

Judge Robertson ordered the defendant, Diane Porter, to pay about $170,000 in damages after defaming Robert Grattan and describing him as a paedophile. Credit:Fairfax

Mr Grattan and his wife Deborah were close friends with the defendant, her husband Jon and their 13-year-old daughter for about three years, meeting for dinner on an almost weekly basis.

Mr Grattan would also watch movies with the Porters' daughter and he was described as a "surrogate grandparent" to the 13-year-old girl.
The grandfather of slain schoolgirl Jayde Kendall has called for the ability to "name and shame" violent offenders within their own local community.

Speaking to hundreds of supporters who donned purple to march through the country town of Gatton in support of his granddaughter, he said just maybe that would help reduce violence.

Purple-clad supporters march through Gatton in support of Jayde Kendall and her family. Credit:Janice Holstein

The plea, combined with a warning to young people to realise they weren't "bulletproof", went out to a large crowd at the town's Apex Park, where police once searched for the 16-year-old.

But Denis Morrissey wanted his message heard by every community across Australia.
Police are investigating after an armed robbery outside a Brisbane home on Sunday night.

A man was about to get into his car at Jerrold Street in Sherwood after visiting a friend when a white dual cab ute pulled up behind him just before 8pm.

Police say a man was confronted by a gunman in Sherwood on Sunday. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The passenger in the ute was holding what was believed to be a rifle and demanded the man's keys.

The man refused and fled to a nearby unit complex.
More than 80 police and SES officers, including the dive squad, have been searching along Kedron Brook creek at Mitchelton for a teenage girl who went missing on Sunday evening.

A 14-year-old girl reported missing in Brisbane, sparking a search of a creek north-west of the city, was found on Monday afternoon in the south Brisbane suburb of Sherwood.

The teenager, 14, was walking around Brookside Shopping Centre with her stepfather and brother just before 6pm when they "parted ways", Acting Inspector Joseph Zitney said.

Part of the search team on Monday. Credit:Amy Mitchell-Whittington

She was last seen by her stepfather at the intersection of Osborne Road and Northmore Street about 6pm.

When the pair returned home and realised the missing girl had not come home, they raised the alarm with police.

Police said there was no indication the girl was going to meet anyone and she had not taken anything from her home to suggest she had been planning to leave.
That's it for Melbourne Express for today. It is now 12.9 degrees outside.

It has been a horror commute for Frankston line commuters with (not enough) buses replacing trains between Moorabbin and Caulfield with thousands of commuters caught out.

We will be back on deck tomorrow with all the news headlines, weather and transport. Check in then.

Thanks again to Cameron Hart for his lovely photograph of Shell House's sculpture. If you would like to see a picture you have taken in Melbourne Express, email it here.
Jakarta: Indonesians think highly of Australia - but it would seem the feeling isn't mutual.

Almost half of more than 2000 Australians surveyed view Indonesia unfavourably, according to a new report that reveals significant challenges need to be overcome to build a closer relationship between the two countries.

Despite politicians constantly claiming a close friendship, research commissioned by The Australia-Indonesia Centre, based at Monash University, found there were clear differences in the way Indonesians and Australians feel about each other.

Indonesians were overwhelmingly positive, despite some negative perceptions of Aussie tourists in Bali, with 87 per cent of 2103 Indonesians interviewed saying they had a very or somewhat favourable view of Australia.
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.
'Honouring the Buffalo: A Plains Cree Legend'

By Judith Silverthorne

A buffalo skull in a museum leads Grandfather and Grandson on a life-changing discovery. Grandson has no idea why the skull of an animal he has never seen is so revered in their native celebrations. So the two take a drive out of the city until they reach the rolling prairie. This begins "Honouring the Buffalo: A Plains Cree Legend," written by Judith Silverthorne. The book is a High Plains Book Awards finalist in both the childrens category and the art and photography category.

Looking at the wide-open spaces before them, Grandfather begins the tale of the Buffalo:

When the two-leggeds arrived on the Great Plains from the Northern Woodlands, Buffalo recognized they would need much aid. He went to the Creator and offered to help them. The Creator asked how he would do this. Buffalo answered the only way he could  he would give himself to the two-leggeds.

From there, Buffalo told the Creator more than 150 ways he would assist them. The most obvious were his hide for clothing, shelter and boats; his meat for food; his bones for tools and weapons. He added that they could make toys for children, moccasins and gloves for cold weather, and costumes for celebrations. Some of the more unusual items included his tongue for a hairbrush; his gall for yellow paints; his stomach to help cure skin disease; his dung for cooking fires. Because of Buffalos great sacrifice, his skull was to be considered sacred and honored long after he was gone.

When Grandfather finishes the legend, he closes his eyes and begins to sing a thanksgiving song. In the distance, Grandson sees a herd racing toward them. He squeezes Grandfathers hand as he too begins to sing the ancient song. The buffalo move in a thundering roar as the two generations stand and give thanks to the one who sacrificed all.

Although Silverthorne wrote Honouring the Buffalo, this bilingual book is a collaborative effort of several people, including Wisdom Keeper/Medicine Man Ray Lavallee, who shared the legend of the buffalo. The paintings of Mike Keepness capture vivid images of native culture. The side-by-side translation is a great learning tool. It was a little hard to track at times when Buffalo related all the ways the two-leggeds could use him, but that may have been due to the font style. Otherwise, this is a wonderful re-telling of the legend of the Buffalo and a great teaching resource. The back of the book includes pictures of different items made from the buffalo, interesting buffalo facts, and an educational guide for different grade levels. I think a CD with both translations would be a great addition.

Everyone involved in this book has a passion to preserve the culture of the Plains Cree people. What better way to accomplish this than to tell it through the heart of a Grandfather who takes his Grandson on a journey to the past so the future will not be lost?
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.
The North Fork of the Flathead River is one of the worst places to visit in the entire United States.

Dont go there, ever.

Its remote. The dirt roads are bumpy and make dust. The trees are too close together. The place is thick with mosquitoes. Bears live nearby. Thunderstorms appear out of nowhere and dump rain on your tent and campfire. Its also really, really far from almost everywhere.

All of these are good reasons for not going. Yet we saw families and Boy Scouts, old guys and young folks, locals and tourists frolicking in and along the river. Why is this place that nearly falls off the edge of the northwestern Montana border so dang popular?

Acknowledgements

Ill admit there are stunning views of the Livingston Range, looming peaks with cool names like Thunderbird and Vulture that provide a pleasing blue-gray backdrop to the east. And, sure, the crystal-clear waters of the North Fork glide over red, green and yellow stones that appear worthy of display in a fine art gallery.

For anglers, those same waters somehow hide dazzlingly bright cutthroat trout that are greedy feeders. You cant keep them off a hook. Fishing folk spend all of their time releasing the feisty buggers.

Although the river flows fairly placidly, there are occasional rapids that descend into bottomless emerald green pools that provide perfect swimming holes  although the mountain water is teeth-chatteringly cold.

Surely these few benefits cant override the negatives.

Poor publicity

The place isnt even creatively named. The North Fork of the Flathead River is one of three rivers that combine to create  you guessed it  ta-da  the Flathead River. Bet you cant figure out what the other two forks are named? Yep, the Middle and South forks. Oooh!

The North Fork is the longest of the three forks. It measures about 150 miles compared to the South Forks 98 miles and the Middle Forks 92 miles. So why didnt they name it the Bigger Fork, the Immense Fork or how about the Enormous Fork? They need to get someone in marketing involved in the mapping business to spice things up a bit.

Since the river starts in Canada and borders the western edge of Glacier National Park, it does have a certain cachet that other Montana rivers cant rival. Its also one of only four streams in Montana designated a Wild and Scenic River by Congress, which is meant to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations. So the North Fork has that going for it, Ill admit.

Even though it doesnt have much whitewater, American Whitewaters website says, It offers paddlers some of the most spectacular vistas in the Northern Rockies, blue-green water, and the chance to see grizzlies from your boat. We didnt see any grizzlies, but we did see a cow elk and whitetail doe. The doe swam across the river for us before posing on the bank in all of her tawny finery.

Other points

We rafted the upper reach of the North Fork, launching just below the ill-guarded Canadian border. From there it is 58 miles before the North Fork meets the Middle Fork close to Blankenship Bridge.

It was 14 miles from the border boat launch to Ford Access, where we camped for two nights. It was then another 10 river miles from Ford to the Polebridge launch site. Because we car-camped at Ford we avoided the necessity of piling all of our camping gear into the rafts, although it did add car shuttling to the daily duties.

Since the west side of the river is the Flathead National Forest, there were no special permits required to pitch a tent, which is not the case if you want to camp on the Glacier side.

Because the area is so remote, the Polebridge Mercantile is one of the few sources of ice, basic essentials and homemade baked goods. Prices are at a premium; its a convenience tax for there actually being any store located in the middle of whats essentially a vast, isolated chunk of Montana forestland.

Given all of this I suggest once again: Stay away from the North Fork of the Flathead River. I know Im never going back. Not this year, anyway. Maybe next year. But Im not telling anyone about it. Neither should you.
A large cottonwood tree graces the front lawn of Alkali Creek Elementary.

Thirty years ago, when sixth-graders at the Heights school planted the tree, it wasnt much bigger than a twig. In fact, a fence was placed around the sapling to protect it from deer.

Now the flourishing tree provides shade in the summer. And it stands as a memorial to an 11-year-old student who often made his peers laugh, before his life was violently cut short.

On April 18, 1986, Andrew AJ Rodstein, was murdered, along with his parents, David and Monica Rodstein, both 39, by David Dawson. Only AJs sister, Amy, 15 at the time of the killings, survived.

A jury convicted Dawson of the kidnappings and triple homicide in 1987. He was executed in Deer Lodge 10 years ago this month, in August 2006.

On Saturday, eight of those students who graduated from Alkali Creek in 1986 returned to remember their classmate. Now adults in their early 40s, the seven women and one man, together with their families, gathered to reminisce.

They looked up at the tree, which now sprawls 20 to 30 feet in the air. And they looked down at a granite marker beneath it that reads: To the memory of Andrew J. Rodstein from his classmates of 1986.

The group also released 30 colorful balloons into the air, one for every year since AJ's death. Some attached notes of affection to or about their friend.

The gathering was the brainchild of Denise (Hunt) Beach, who now lives in Reed Point.

I just thought we havent come back as a class since 1986 to be with AJ and his mom and dad, Monica and David, Beach said. So we decided that this would be the best thing because its 30 years that he and his parents have been gone.

Beach contacted other classmates on Facebook to organize the event and get the word out.

Not everyone who wanted to was able to attend. But those who did universally agreed that the small-framed, dark-haired youth kept them smiling.

He always had everybody laughing with his jokes or just being silly, Beach said.

Kresta (Koelzer) Craig, of Billings, also remembered AJ with warmth.

He was little, but larger than life, she said. And so dang cute, so adorable.

The group gathered in a circle, where Beach thanked them all for coming. Then Dana Cannon, who lives in Washington state, stepped forward and shared some entries in a journal she wrote that year that she recently unearthed.

AJs name laced the journal because he was her boyfriend in their last year of elementary school. He gave her a charm necklace that year, she said in one post.

In another, she recalled that the two had a little tiff after she didnt greet him one particular day. But, like the others shared, he made her smile.

Then, that April, the Rodsteins were getting ready to move to Atlanta, Ga., with their two children. The couple had packed all their belongings and decided to stay at the Airport Metra Motel in the Heights.

AJ had promised to call Cannon that Friday night, April 18, 1986. But she didn't hear from him.

Instead, Dawson, who rented a room next to the family, forced the family at gunpoint into his room, where he bound them, sedated them and eventually strangled David, Monica and Andrew.

After Cannon found out, she wrote her thoughts.

When I heard that, I felt upset, mad, horrified, angry, Cannon read out loud to the others, emotion in her voice.

When the tree was planted on May 20, she read a poem, titled Remembering that she had written for the ceremony. Cannon read it again on Saturday.

We had our good times,

We had our bad.

No one can live life without being sad,

And to all of us you were very dear.

No matter where we go,

No matter where we stay,

We will always think of you AJ.

I think its so appropriate today, Cannon said.

After the group released the balloons and stood around chatting, Cannon said what happened to the Rodsteins affected the Alkali Creek sixth-graders in profound ways.

We were young, and to have a tragedy like that at that age, it bonds you and it changes you, she said. For us, it really formed lifelong friendships in a way that maybe wouldnt necessarily happen for a group of sixth-graders.

Diedre (Soelter) Mullins, of Billings, said that she stops by the tree every year on April 18 and leaves flowers. Its especially poignant to her because the family died on her birthday.

I think thats the only thing I can do to deal with it every year, Mullins said.

Beach said she hopes the reunion will become a tradition.

I think the main thing is to keep people remembering AJ and Monica and David, she said. And that we havent forgotten about them and we still love them and care about them.

In some ways, Beach said, what happened seems like just yesterday.

And then you come and you look at the tree, or you get together with classmates and talk about it and its like that was 30 years ago. 




This article first appeared on Business Standard on 15.08.2016.

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) major India is moving fast to open an online platform where it might sell products of other companies, along with its own.

The platform might go live next year. It would sell ayuveda-based health care products, along with providing information on ailments and therapy. It might also offer products from other key brands, Sunil Duggal, chief executive officer, Dabur, told Business Standard.

Key players in the FMCG sector, such as Hindustan Unilever (HUL), ITC and Patanjali, currently offer products from some of their own brands through their online stores. None of them, however, offer products from other brands.

ITC and HUL had started with their online portals some time back.

HUL launched humara-shop.com as a pilot project to tap the grocery segment. Under its Hindustan Unilever Network model, the firm put forward Aviance and Lever Ayush range of health and beauty products.

Another FMCG behemoth, ITC, offers a range of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook items through kitchenofindia.com. The firm has a dedicated portal  fmcgstore.itcportal.com  which helps consumers locate physical stores selling its branded goods.

The Patanjali group, too, has an online presence  patanjali-stores.com. It is also planning to add books and media items in the list.

Other players like Marico and Godrej, too, are working on expanding their sales through the online channel. Nestle and Coca-Cola have been readily adapting to growing acceptance of online market places.

While, Nestle reintroduced Maggi noodles last November on Snapdeal, Coca-Cola launched Coke Zero on Amazon in late-2014.

While, a majority of the online sales are expected to come from the existing e-commerce marketplaces, Duggal said specialised products, such as health care items sold over the counter need a dedicated channel. Online marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart and Jabong lists FMCG goods in the grocery, personal and home care items. like the Big Basket and Grofers concentrate on selling daily need items, such as food and vegetables.

is planning a two-pronged strategy - selling its products on all major e-commerce marketplaces and offering specialised products and advisory on its own platform. It currently offers products, advisory and consultancy services in beauty, health and wellness space through four dedicated portals - daburmediclub.com, liveveda.com, mybeautynaturally.com and daburdentalcare.com.

A recent study by CII and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) estimated that the FMCG sector was worth Rs 4,35,000 crore ($65 billion) in India. And, some 150 million consumers would be digitally influenced by 2020.

According Duggal, e-commerce was hugely important for firms such as in next three to five years, it may overtake sales from modern trade channels. Currently, Dabur generates 12 per cent of its Rs 5,750 crore domestic revenue from trade. While, trade will continue to grow at 15-20 per cent per annum, e-commerce growth will be exponential in the coming years. While, the bulk of the business will come from general online platforms, specialised care is required when it comes to health care, he said.

Duggal said, We have tied up with most of the major e-commerce players and all our brands will be available on them. But that relationship has to be strengthened. We are trying to figure out how best we can leverage them.



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Men's grooming start-up Bombay Shaving Company has raised $650,000 in seed funding from 25 angel investors constituting 11 senior partners from McKinsey and eight venture capitalists. The list also boasts of names including Subramanian Ramadorai, an advisor to the Prime Minister, and McKinsey India managing director Noshir Kaka.
Government-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has launched a Rs 100-crore start-up fund on its diamond jubilee year to foster, nurture and incubate new ideas related to the oil & gas sector. The initiative, christened  Start-up, is in line with the government's Startup India initiative.
The Supreme Court's order on Friday lifted the eight-month-old ban, on sale of diesel cars with engines of 2000cc or above in the National Capital Region (NCR), imposed citing environmental concerns. Automobile major Toyota had stated its business was impacted by Rs 1,700 crore. Shekar Viswanathan, vice-chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, talks to T E Narasimhan. Edited excerpts:



How do you see the Supreme Court order?



That we can now sell our cars in the NCR will mean we can focus on customers who have been waiting for these for the past eight months. The significance is also we all know that diesel is not a polluting fuel or as polluting as any other fuel, and not really the cause of pollution in Delhi. This issue still needs to be addressed by the authorities. In some way we feel we are exonerated that the ban has now been removed. Well have to pay one per cent for this purpose. We dont want to pay but we have little choice on the matter.
American motorcycle brand is gearing up to give a tough time to take on the decades-old dominance of Royal Enfield with the launch of its two mid-segment premium bikes this week.

The Florida-based company will be commercially launching its maiden models, the Renegade Commando and Renegade Sports, both in the 300-cc segment, at a price of Rs 1.49 lakh and Rs 1.59 lakh, respectively (ex-showroom Delhi).

"We will begin delivery of 3,000 bikes (Renegade Commando and Renegade Sports) from the third week of August," UM India director Rajeev Mishra told PTI.



Mishra, who also looks after UM's Asia, Middle-East and Africa businesses, did not give a model break-up of 3,000 bookings that the company has received since these bikes were showcased at the auto Expo 2016 in Delhi earlier this year.

UM International, founded by Octavio Villegas Llano entered the bike segment in early 2000, and forayed into the domestic market in 2013.

In September 2014, it tied up with Delhi-based Lohia Auto Industries which has a plant in Uttarakhand to launch UM Lohia two-wheelers.

Since then, they have launched a 50:50 joint venture to manufacture the UM brand of motorcycles at a facility in Kashipur in the Himalayan state.

The US company has invested Rs 100 crore in the plant apart from technology, and can roll out 50,000 bikes now, Mishra said.

"The capacity can be scaled up to 1 lakh units per annum as and when the demand picks up," he added.

UM has already set up 50 dealers across the country, Mishra said, adding that already the bikes are at 37 of these dealers.

Sounding bullish about the market, which is dominated by Royal Enfiled, which has been unable to meet the demand, Mishra said their third model the 300-cc Commando Classic is ready for launch by Diwali and will be priced at Rs 1.79 lakh.

"We will have two more models in this financial year-one in the 200-cc and the other in the 400-cc category," Mishra said.

When asked about localisation of the parts, he said only 30% are imports while the company is working on 100% local sourcing at the earliest.

UM bikes come in 1-cylinder 4-valve engines and can attain a speed of 135 kmph, offering 32 kmpl mileage and are marginally lighter than Enfield bikes with the kerb weight being 172 kg.

Known for crafting quality bikes that not only ride but conquer the road, UM has established itself a leader in bikes that have changed the dynamics of riding in over 30 countries spanning across the continents.

Set up in 2008, Lohia Auto has carved a niche in electric scooters.
Ten 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.

It is part of NDA government's plans for visits by Union ministers to the birth places of 'forgotten heroes' and sites of freedom struggle to honour the bravehearts.

Kanaklata Baruah, 17, was shot dead by the Britishers at Gohpur in Assam's present-day Biswanath district while going to hoist the 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.

Kanaklata was leading her group of unarmed villagers following Mahatma Gandhi's Quit India Movement when she was shot dead at Borangabari near Gohpur.

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.

He died on July 17, 1835 under house arrest in Dhaka.

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.
Curfew was on Sunday extended to several places in Kashmir in view of the separatists' call for a march to the heart of the city even as restrictions on the movement of people were in force in rest of the Valley.

"Curfew remained in force in entire Srinagar district and Anantnag town but was extended to several other places as a precautionary measure in view of the call for march to Lal Chowk by certain elements," a police official said.

He said curfew was imposed in Ganderbal town, Awantipora, Tral, Pampore, Baramulla town, Sopore town, Bandipora town, Kaloosa, Papchan and Ajar areas of the Valley.

"Curfew was also imposed in Wargam area of Beerwah in Budgam district following Saturday's sectarian clashes," he added.

Despite curfew, separatist elements managed to hoist Pakistan flags in many localities across Kashmir to mark the Independence Day of the neighbouring country, he said adding security forces pulled down the flags as soon as they were noticed.

Authorities suspended Internet and mobile services across the Valley on Saturday as part of the security drill ahead of the Independence Day celebrations on Monday.

While broadband services were snapped on Saturday evening, the mobile telephony was suspended late last night, the official said.

"Only BSNL postpaid mobiles are working while broadband services are available only at Lal Chowk, Sonawar and Bemina telephone exchanges," he added.

Normal life remained paralysed for the 37th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8.

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.

As many as 56 persons including two policemen have been killed and several thousand others have been injured in the clashes that began on July 9.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat to pay tribute to Swaminarayan sect's spiritual head Pramukh Swami, whose mortal remains have been kept at a temple in Sarangpur.

Ministers, politicians and devotees made a beeline to the Sarangpur-based Swaminarayan temple, where they paid their respect to the 95-year-old saint.

The mortal remains of the head of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha have been kept at the temple till August 17 to enable devotees and citizens to have a final glimpse of the departed soul.

Modi is scheduled to arrive in Sarangpur, located in adjoining Botad district, in afternoon, said Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel, who along with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani paid their tributes today.

"Our Prime Minister was very close to . Modi will arrive in afternoon to pay tribute to the departed soul," said Patel.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party has announced party's convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would also visit the temple on August 16.

Modi has expressed grief through his tweets over Swami's death. Modi also shared a photo where he is seen taking blessings from the spiritual leader.

Swami, who was ailing for some time, passed away last evening at the Sarangpur temple, where he was undergoing medical treatment.

Thousands of devotees from all over Gujarat as well as other parts of the country are thronging the temple to pay homage to the saint.

Besides Rupani and Patel, Gujarat Revenue Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama along with newly-inducted Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya paid floral tributes to Swami.

Former Finance Minister Saurabh Patel and Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela of Congress were also among those who paid their respects to the popular religious leader, who enjoyed a wide following.

As the flow of devotees is expected to increase in days to come, elaborate arrangements have been made, said Rupani.

"To supervise the arrangements in the wake of huge rush of devotees, we have deployed a senior IAS officer and five IPS officers. We have also instructed District Collector and local police to ensure people do not face any problem during their visit," said Rupani.
Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara will leave for Beijing on Monday on a six-day China visit as a special envoy of Prime Minister Prachanda while dates are being finalised for a similar visit to India by another Nepalese special envoy, the official media reported on Sunday.

Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shankerdas Bairagi said that Mahara, also Minister for Finance, would hold discussions with senior Chinese officials focusing all aspects regarding Nepal-China relations as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping's maiden visit this year during his stay in Beijing.

Special envoy Mahara would hand over an invitation letter to the Chinese government sent by President Bidya Devi Bhandari to Xi, also General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China.

Similarly, Mahara would also hand over an invitation letter to the concerned official sent by Prime Minister Prachanda to Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang to visit .

Creating the environment conducive for the visits of Chinese President and Prime Minister and assuring Chinese side from all aspects is the main objective of DPM Mahara's China visit.

Deputy Prime Minister Mahara will be accompanied by Joint-Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, Jhabindra Prasad Aryal, Nepal's News Agency (RSS) reported.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Bimalendra Nidhi, is leaving for India as a special envoy of Prime Minister Prachanda this very week.

Foreign Secretary Bairagi said, "We have been preparing to hold DPM Nidhi's India visit this week. We have urged Indian officials to make it happen as soon as possible."



He said problem had surfaced as there were public holidays on Sunday and 70th Independence of Day of India on Monday.

Nidhi's visit would focus on strengthening of relations between and India and Indian President's Nepal visit. The special envoy would also hold discussions with high-level officials about President Bhandari's cancelled visit to India.

The government on August 11 had decided to send DPM Mahara and DPM Nidhi to China and India respectively as the special envoys of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.
Montana can use expanded Medicaid to help reduce costs and crowding in our jails and prisons.

States that expanded Medicaid sooner than Montana have reported significant annual cost savings by getting inmates enrolled. According to a November report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, that includes savings of $10.3 million in Ohio, $16.4 million in Kentucky, $19.2 million in Michigan, $10 million in Colorado, $2.1 million in Washington and $2.75 million in Arkansas.

When the 2015 Legislature and Gov. Steve Bullock expanded Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act, they made all Montanans ages 18-64 with income under 138 percent of poverty eligible for coverage as of Jan. 1, 2016. The federal government still doesnt pay Medicaid benefits for jail or prison inmates while they are incarcerated, except for costs of hospital treatment lasting more than 24 hours. So it makes sense to enroll eligible inmates.

Medicaid changes will help Montana in several ways:

The federal government will pay all the Montana Medicaid expansion costs this year and more than 90 percent in future years.

Access to effective treatment through Medicaid, especially for addiction and other mental illnesses, will help get many people out of the system for good.

People released from jail or prison will be able to continue prescriptions and other needed health care while they look for work and housing.

According to Kevan Bryan, Yellowstone County finance director, spending last year on jail inmate health care exceeded $2.1 million. About $1.47 million was for medical and dental care delivered at the jail, which holds around 500 inmates daily. But about $600,000 was spent on prescriptions, hospitalization in Billings or transporting inmates to Montana State Hospital at Warm Springs.

Sheriff Mike Linder said he wants Medicaid enrollment to be part of a new contract he hopes Yellowstone County will soon sign with Corrections Health Care Partners, a national company that provides care to inmates.

Weve talked about everybody who comes into the jail getting signed up for Medicaid, Linder said last week. Being the biggest, fullest jail in the state, we definitely want to do this.

The county and the state corrections department must use Medicaid as a tool to reduce costs and recidivism, which have been identified as a major factor in the growth of the number of people in the state criminal justice system. Much of the increase in arrests in Montana in recent years involves people who violated probation or parole (often by using drugs) rather than committing new crimes. Much of the increase in felony criminal cases is due to drug trafficking and offenders who are themselves addicted to drugs.

Earlier this summer, the Department of Public Health and Human Services issued a summary of health coverage options for justice-involved people in Montana. It states that people on probation, parole or out on bond can receive Medicaid coverage if they meet regular eligibility criteria, such as having annual income of less than $16,394 for a single person. Individuals living in pre-release centers can get Medicaid if they are arent locked up 24 hours a day.

According the foundation, the 4.2 percent of the adult U.S. population who have a recent criminal record account for about 7.2 percent of hospital expenditures and 8.5 percent of emergency department expenses.

Those statistics were reflected on the local level when Billings calculated the public costs incurred because of 73 individuals who were habitually intoxicated on the streets of downtown Billings. Counting arrests, jail, emergency medical services and hospital care, this small group generated several million dollars of expense every year.

The number of serial inebriates has decreased over the past year, thanks to a partnership of Billings treatment professionals and police. Individuals who agree to addiction treatment avoid going to jail, and are encouraged to enroll in Medicaid, which pays for their chemical dependency treatment. As a result, some people are staying sober, getting off the streets and getting jobs.

Early efforts to encourage Medicaid enrollment and preventive care at the Montana Womens Prison in Billings included having community navigators visit the prison to help inmates apply for Medicaid, according to Connie Winner, head of the DOC Clinical Services Division in Helena. The prison also arranged for St. Vincent Healthcares mobile mammography unit to screen 57 inmates. That was the first mammogram ever for some of the inmates.

A lot of people (inmates) dont understand why this is important, Winner said. We are taking the time to explain why its important and helping them fill out the applications.

The Probation and Parole Division has been working with pre-release centers to have community Medicaid navigators meet with inmates, according to DOC spokeswoman Judy Beck. Probation and parole officers are referring offenders to community health centers to meet with navigators for enrollment in Medicaid or other health insurance.

To maximize public benefit, the departments of corrections and health must work together to educate every public and private agency that works with offenders. Montana needs a system that will get every Medicaid eligible individual enrolled. Keeping in mind that most of these individuals havent had insurance, most will need help and motivation to apply.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president today challenged other political parties to debate on the condition of Muslims in the country and the allegations levelled against him.

Addressing party workers here, he claimed since Independence, the condition of Muslims in the country has gone from bad to worse and none of the other political parties, including the Congress, has ever bothered to address the issue.

"SP, BSP, Congress and BJP leaders call me communal and accuse me of giving inflammatory speeches. Do flowers shower from the statements of their leaders?" he asked.

"I challenge all the other parties to debate on the condition of Muslims in the country and the allegations levelled against me," said Owaisi.

The MP from Hyderabad claimed that the contribution of Muslims in India's freedom struggle and that 'maulanas' had issued 'fatwas' against the British were "not mentioned" anywhere by historians.

He also claimed that Muslims in India have trusted "everyone" but got nothing except "backwardness" in return and called leaders from the community representing other political parties such as Azam Khan of the SP, Naseemuddin Siddiqui of the BSP and Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress "Muslim dealers".

Accusing the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh of "spreading casteism", he said "Yadavwaad", instead of "samajwad" (socialism) had taken root in the state.

Taking a jibe at Azam Khan, Owaisi said that the UP minister's buffalo was not stolen but it "ran away" after being "harassed".

He said following Azam's footsteps, a BJP MP has now lodged a complaint alleging that his dog 'Kallu' has been stolen.

"Politics in Uttar Pradesh is now revolving around a buffalo and Kallu," said Owaisi.

In a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently taking a tough stance on hooliganism in the name of cow protection, the AIMIM chief said, "I have told (Union Home Minister) Rajnath Singh that all the so-called cow vigilantes actually belonged to his party.
In his address to the nation on the eve of India's 70th Independence Day, his fifth since assuming office, unequivocally criticised those who take the law into their hands to enforce religion or ideology.
Congress President on Sunday called for a movement to reinvigorate the principles of "compassion, coexistence and inclusive development" as the indelible features of Indian society.

In her message on the eve of 70th Independence Day, she appealed to every citizen to follow the solemn duty of protecting and preserving the values of freedom and equality.

Gandhi said, "Each Indian citizen, as indeed the Congress worker was a freedom fighter and as inheritors of this great legacy today, we must rise to fulfill the responsibility of preserving and fighting for the values that this rich legacy bequeathed us with."



Paying tributes to farmers, labourers, tradesmen, scientists, teachers and thinkers who contributed in the great task of nation building, the Congress chief particularly underlined the selfless service of the armed forces.

She said, "their supreme sacrifice in protecting the integrity of India is extraordinary and worth bowing to."
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, talks to Sanjay Jog during a Mumbai visit for an investors conference on his optimism regarding the coming goods and services tax (GST). Edited excerpts:



How is Madhya Pradesh preparing for implementation of GST?



Our legislature will have a special session on August 22 to pass the Constitutional amendment for GST. The government will protect the interest of investors; theyll continue to get the present benefits. Initially, we might have some revenue loss but in the long term, MP will benefit a lot. Our growth rate will achieve a new high and with the shift, there will be further ease of doing business. At present, investors were thinking twice before making any commitment, due to multiple taxes.
Ramesh Chennithala, an Opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly, has appealed to Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju to take steps to bring down the hiked airfares by various airlines in the Gulf sector.

In a letter to the minister, Chennithala said that the 'huge' increase in air fares should be withdrawn immediately.

During school vacations, various airlines raise the airfare four to five times, thus exploiting the Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) in the Gulf, Chennithala said in the letter.

At a time when many NRKs are facing difficulties due to uncertainty with regard to their jobs, a hike in fares would cause them further hardship, he said.
In the next three years, the Kolkata metropolis is set to join the select league of cities where cooking gas is supplied to the households via pipeline thereby exterminating the need for gas cylinders to be sent to individual households.
In a sign of growing consumer awareness and improvement in the grievance redressal mechanism, the consumer helpline received its highest ever number of plaints - 173,000 - in 2015-16 since its inception in 2005-06. This was 23 per cent more than the previous year's.
The railways ministry is set to float a Cabinet note soon for creating the Railways of India Development Fund, anchored by the World Bank, which would be used for modernisation of rail infrastructure in the country.
Tata Motors might divest part of its stake in its subsidiary Tata Technologies. Addressing shareholders at Tata Motors' 71st annual general meeting, Chairman Cyrus Mistry said that while there were no plans for an initial public offering (IPO) of Tata Technologies, the automaker could look at divestment of its stake in the engineering solutions providing subsidiary.
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will unfurl the National Flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort, tomorrow to celebrate the 70th Independence Day. After unfurling the Tricolour, Shri Narendra Modi will address the nation. .

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On arrival at Lahori Gate of Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by the Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar, Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre and Defence Secretary Shri G Mohan Kumar. .

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The Defence Secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, Lt. General Vijay Singh to the Prime Minister. The GoC Delhi Area will then conduct the Prime Minister to the Saluting Base where a combined Inter-Services and Police Guards will present general salute to the Prime Minister. Thereafter, Shri Narendra Modi will inspect the Guard of Honour. .

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The Guard of Honour contingent for the Prime Minister will consist of one officer and 24 men each from Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police. The Guard of Honour will be positioned directly in front of the National Flag across the moat below the ramparts. .

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This year, Air Force being the Coordinating Service, the Guard of Honour will be commanded by Wing Commander K Srinivasan of the Indian Air Force. The Army Contingent in the Prime Ministers Guard will be commanded by Major Mahesh Singh Bisht, the Navy contingent by Lt Cdr Aashish Pandey, while Flt Lt Shagun Sareen will lead the Air Force contingent and the Delhi Police contingent by ACP Shri Prashant Priya. .

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The Army contingent for Prime Minister's Guard is drawn from the 8th Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry (Siachen). The battalion was raised as the First Battalion Border Scouts by volunteers who took up arms in the aftermath of communal passion and the smouldering embers of partition to check the multitude of Kabailies intruding into Poonch on 18 December 1947. Born in Battle and Purified in Blood, the battalion was re-designated as 08th Jammu & Kashmir Militia on 15 April 1948. .

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In 1971 war, the battalion was outnumbered but never outclassed in valour and fought the defensive battle successfully despite enemys passion for Chhamb. For this the battalion was awarded Battle Honour Laleali and Picquet 707. The Regiment was rechristened Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry on 27 April 1976. .

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During the Siachen tenure in June 1987, the battalion created history by capturing Quaid Post at an altitude of 21,153 feet, the highest battlefield in the world. The post was renamed as Bana Top in honour of Naib Subedar Bana Singh, Param Vir Chakra. The battalion was awarded Chief of the Army Staff Unit Citation in 2001 for its sterling performance in Jammu & Kashmir, Poonch Sector. The Battalion established the United Nations Mission in Sudan 2006 and was conferred with United Nations Unit Citation in the year 2007 for handling the bloodiest of clashes ever in the history of Sudan. .

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The battalion yet again proved its mettle during its 2008 tenure at Kupwara in Jammu & Kashmir when Naib Subedar Chuni Lal, Vir Chakra, Sena Medal, who laid down his life following the highest traditions of Indian Army while fighting terrorists, was bestowed with the highest peacetime gallantry award, Ashok Chakra (Posthumous). With this, the battalion joined the elite group of Bravest of the Brave battalions. Apart from this, the battalion was once again conferred with Chief of the Army Staff Unit Citation in 2009 for its splendid performance on the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir. .

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The Battalion is presently one of the most decorated battalions of the Indian Army with Naib Subedar Chuni Lal, Ashok Chakra (Posthumous), Vir Chakra, Sena Medal as one of the most decorated soldier. Presently, the Battalion is performing the prestigious duty of Ceremonial Army Guard to the President of India. .

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After inspecting the Guard of Honour, the Prime Minister will proceed to the ramparts of the Red Fort where he will be greeted by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar, Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre, Chief of the Army Staff General Dalbir Singh, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba. The GOC Delhi area will conduct the Prime Minister to the dais to unfurl the National Flag. .

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The unfurling of the tri-colour will synchronize with the 21 Gun Salute fired by the valiant gunners of the elite 2281 Field Regiment (Ceremonial). The ceremonial battery will be commanded by Lt. Col Aditya Kumar Devrani, Shaurya Chakra, Sena Medal and the Gun Position Officer will be Sub (Assistant Instructor in Gunnery) Louis Diraviam. .

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The National Flag Guard comprising 32 men and one officer each from Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police will present Rashtriya Salute at the time of unfurling of the National Flag by the Prime Minister. Wing Commander Jayapaul James from Indian Air Force will be in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard. The Naval Contingent for the National Flag Guard will be commanded by Lt Cdr Shrikant C Joshi, the Army contingent by Maj Anuj Kumar Tomar, Air Force contingent by Sqn Ldr Vinayak Godbole and Delhi Police contingent by Additional DCP Shri M Harshvardhan. .

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The Air Force Band will play National Anthem when the National Guard presents Rashtriya Salute while unfurling the National Flag by the Prime Minister. All Service personnel in uniform will stand and salute. The Band will be commanded by JWO Shyamal Kumar Mitra, Musician of No. 2 Air Force Band. .

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Two Air Force Officers, Flt Lt Nishank Awasthi and Flt Lt Abhishek Kashyap will be positioned on either side of the saluting dais for the Prime Minister for ADC duties. Flt Lt Prabhjot Kaur will assist the Prime Minister in unfurling of the National Flag. .

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The Army Contingent for the National Flag Guard is drawn from 11th Battalion of the Jat Regiment. This is a 52 years old battalion with gallant past and dynamic present. The battalion has served in all terrains on our national borders and has grown from strength to strength in all these years. It was raised on 01 April 1964 at Bareilly by Late Major Bhagu Ram Saharan. It has to its credit Chief of the Army Staff Unit Citation awarded for its excellent performance in Counter Intelligence Operations in Tangdhar from 2007 2010. The battalion has also been conferred with GOC-in-C (Northern Command) and GOC-in-C (Western Command) Unit Citation in the year 2006 and 2014 respectively. It has been put on duty in Delhi with effect from 30 May 2016 and has taken over the operation responsibility with great fervour. For the year 2014-15, while deploying in Arunachal Pradesh, it was adjudged the Best Battalion in 71 Infantry Division, which is the 4th Consecutive Best Battalion Award. .

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After unfurling the National Flag, the Prime Minister will address the nation. After the Prime Minister's address, school children and NCC Cadets will sing the National Anthem. .

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Seven hundred boy cadets of the National Cadet Corps drawn from various schools of Delhi Directorate comprising Army, Navy and Air Force wings are participating in the flag hoisting ceremony this year. The cadets will take part in the singing of patriotic songs and the national anthem along with the school children. In total, three thousand five hundred girl students from 42 government schools of eastern, north-eastern, northern and central zones of Directorate of Education, Government of Delhi will sing the National Anthem. They will also sing patriotic songs in different regional languages during the celebrations. On this occasion these school children will display the formation of 70th Independence Day. .

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NAo/DM/RAJ
This is proving to be one of the more challenging years for natural resource industries in Montana. Whether you talk about challenges facing our timber companies, how the situation in Colstrip and coal country will affect families and state coffers or how mining, quarrying, and cement production will continue to be an important contributor to our economy, our natural resource industries face some tough obstacles  some of which are beyond our control.

As co-chairs of the Natural Resources Key Industry Network for Gov. Steve Bullocks Main Street Montana Project, we bring a unique perspective to the discussion with more than 37 years of experience making lumber and producing energy in Montana.

The Main Street Montana Project was launched in 2013 to provide a road map for businesses and state government to grow, strengthen and streamline their relationship. Focused on more tightly braiding the private and public sectors, Bullock recognizes how vital all Montanas industries are for our continued economic growth.

By convening the knowledge and experience of Montana business leaders, this initiative was designed to be a platform for the business community to transparently share our ideas with Bullock. The governor, in turn, has committed state agency time and resources to implementing key industry network recommendations.

Bullock clearly recognizes the challenges our natural resource industries are facing. The Main Street Montana Project has provided a platform to identify problems and solutions to challenges that are within our control based upon recommendations provided by the Natural Resources KIN.

Are we solving the issues for these industries?

Frankly, Montana natural resources sectors are facing a complex, difficult and multi-layered reality. It is naive to think we are going to find all the solutions to our problems with creation of a task force. However, the recommendations from the KIN members to the governor are steps in the right direction. We need to protect jobs and solidify the position of natural resources as a driver for our states economy.

The KIN recommendations ranged from playing a greater advocacy role for increased timber harvests and advanced clean coal technologies to improving the balance on gubernatorial boards and commissions that provide oversight on natural resource related issues and increasing access to foreign markets.

New forest projects

Bullock listened to the recommendations and is making progress to address them. The outcomes of the work already underway on these recommendations tell the story of the Main Street Projects private-public partnership progress.

Utilizing both the 2014 Farm Bill and state funding and resources, Montana now has 15 timber and restoration projects that will produce over 55 million board feet for the timber industry. Under his Forests in Focus initiative, the governor recently announced a second round of projects that will produce 100 million additional board feet. In addition, the state just signed a Good Neighbor Agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. Efforts like these help create opportunities for Montanas timber industry and forest management.

The governor recognizes the importance of global trade to Montana commodities and has expressed his concern to Washington decision-makers about their opposition to permitting coal export terminals in that state.

In partnership with Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, Bullock has led other energy-producing states to promote low-carbon technologies that would allow our power plants to generate energy with fewer CO2 emissions.

Through the Main Street Montana Project, we have seen a commitment to our hard-rock mining workforce with the opening of the Underground Mine Education Facility at Montana Tech. This is one of the few underground facilities for mine education and research located on a college campus.

Balancing state boards

The Natural Resource KIN also identified challenges created by state boards and commissions that provide regulatory oversight to our industries and recommended re-orienting those entities to provide more balance in their consideration of permitting and regulatory concerns. We believe Montana industries do it right and that agencies, boards and commissions should look for ways to support responsible development.

We asked the governor to find more workable solutions to their mandates, exploring ways to support natural resource industries against litigation from environmental extremists and work with us to streamline Montanas major permitting statute, the Montana Environmental Policy Act.

On behalf of the Natural Resources KIN, we thank Bullock for convening the Main Street Montana Project and including our businesses in that discussion. We appreciate the steps taken so far to implement some of those recommendations and trust serious consideration will be given to the full set of recommendations provided by the major natural resource developers in Montana.

For more information, please visit www.mainstreetmontanaproject.com/Resources.
Nation gears up for Independence Day Celebrations

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Prime Minister to address the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort tomorrow

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A proud nation celebrates its 70th Independence Day tomorrow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15th August around 7.30 am on this occasion. Several events have been organized in the run up to the Independence Day while activities have been lined up for the day and subsequently to generate the patriotic fervor among the people. .

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Tiranga Yatra on 9th August from the birth place of the freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad in Madhya Pradesh. The Yatra is aimed at invoking the patriotic fervor among the people from all walks of life holding aloft the Tricolour. The Tiranga Yatras will be held till 23rd August in which 75 ministers will visit 150 places associated with the freedom struggle. Seven women Ministers will visit the countrys borders to tie rakhis on soldiers. .

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A week long Bharat Parv has been organized at the Rajpath Lawns in New Delhi by the Ministry of Culture. Its aim is to generate a patriotic mood, promote the rich cultural diversity of the country and to ensure wider participation of the masses. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurated the Bharat Parv at the Rajpath Lawns on 12th August evening, in the presence of I&B Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Culture & Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma. The event is open to the public and entry is free. The highlights of the event include performances by the Armed Forces Bands, a multi-cuisine food court with 50 stalls, handicrafts mela, 17-themed pavilions and cultural performances from various States, Regional Associations/Sangathans/Cultural & Social Organizations etc. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has put on display a photo exhibition titled Azadi 70 Saal- Yaad Karo Kurbani". .

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Several unique initiatives have been undertaken across the country to make the Independence Day Celebrations as the Peoples festival. A week long Independence Day Film Festival" is going on at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi since 12th August. The Festival of Independence theme song TirangaYatra" has been launched on the same day. For the first time, biography of the composers/writers of patriotic songs like Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chhatterjee, Muhammad Iqbal, Kavi Pradeep, ShakeelBadayuni, Naushad, Pitambar Das and others as well as songs in regional languages like Bharatamataku Jey Jejelu in Telugu by Acharya Atreya (1972), along with the brief anecdotal background are being broadcast before the songs. For the first time a webpage on Independence festival has been launched which has archival photos, videos and audio, social media links, facts and graphics on selected heroes, press releases and features besides PM's speeches. Social media platforms viz. Twitter and Facebook among others are being used extensively to create a buzz around the activities planned by the government. .

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All important monuments in the country are being illuminated in Tricolour. Institutions would be inviting persons of eminence to deliver talks on Independence struggle. School children will be encouraged to visit the birth places/statues/monuments in their towns/cities. Mass recitation of the National Anthem by all students will be undertaken at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, 23rd August in all 15 lakh schools and 40 thousand colleges simultaneously. Sporting events will be held in all schools and colleges. Competitions in essay writing, quiz, debates, painting, drawing and singing of patriotic songs to be conducted, wearing attires similar to those worn by national icons like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose and several other freedom fighters. .

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Colours of Independence a pan India campaign - is on since 9th August to 15th August. It is being organised at 70 cities/towns of national struggle. For the first time, women Ministers to visit borders and tie Rakhi to soldiers on Raksha Bandhan Day i.e, 18th August. Four border points; namely Tenga and Baishaki in Eastern Command, and Baramulla and Kupwara in Northern Command, have been identified by army for the visit by the women Ministers of Union Government. .

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Independence Day is also the time to remember the brave soldiers who laid down their lives for the country. The involvement of people in the festive spirit with patriotic fervor have indeed made the celebrations a Peoples festival. It will go a long way in generating the patriotic mood promoting the rich cultural diversity of the country and ensuring the wider participation of the masses. .

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The Saudi-led coalition today denied targeting a Yemeni school in air strikes that killed 10 children, instead saying it bombed a camp at which Iran-backed rebels train underage soldiers.

Doctors Without Borders, a Paris-based relief agency also known as MSF, said the children were yesterday killed in coalition air raids on a school in Haydan, a town in rebel-held Saada province.

The coalition of Arab states has been battling the Huthi rebels since 2015 when the insurgents seized Sanaa before expanding to other parts of the country.

Ten days ago it acknowledged "shortcomings" in two out of eight cases it has investigated of strikes on civilian targets in Yemen that the UN has condemned.

Coalition spokesman General Ahmed Assiri said the strikes hit a Huthi training camp, killing militia fighters including a leader identified as Yehya Munassar Abu Rabua.

"The site that was bombed... Is a major training camp for militia," he told AFP. "Why would children be at a training camp?"

Yemen's government had confirmed to the coalition that "there is no school in this area," he said.

Assiri said MSF's toll "confirms the Huthis' practice of recruiting and subjecting children to terror."

"They... Use them as scouts, guards, messengers and fighters," Assiri said, noting previous reports from Human Rights Watch on the rebels' use of underage recruits.

"When jets target training camps, they cannot distinguish between ages," he added.

MSF spokeswoman Malak Shaher said those killed in the strikes on "a Koranic school" were all under the age of 15.

The United Nation's children agency, UNICEF, also reported the attack.

It warned that "with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by air strikes, street fighting and landmines has grown sharply."

Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said warplanes "targeted" children at the Jomaa bin Fadhel school, in what he described as a "heinous crime".

The Arab coalition launched its air war against the Huthis on March 26, 2015.

After a three-month pause, it resumed them on Tuesday, less than 72 hours after UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced the collapse of peace talks.

Coalition states have formed a 14-member investigative team which has probed claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme aid trucks.

It found the coalition guilty of "mistakenly" hitting a residential compound after receiving "imprecise" intelligence information and offered compensation to families of the victims.

The team also held the coalition responsible for air strikes on an MSF-run hospital, also in Haydan, but accused the rebels of having used the hospital as a hideout.

The coalition meanwhile announced that Saudi air defences intercepted a Scud missile fired from Yemen towards the kingdom.
today said its shareholders' have approved the company's proposal to raise up to Rs 300 crore through non-convertible debentures (NCDs).

In a regulatory filing, the firm said its shareholders have approved the "issue and allotment of secured/unsecured redeemable NCDs up to Rs 300 crore".

On the rationale behind the fund raise, it said: "In order to meet the financial needs of the company, the company may make an offer of NCDs or invite subscription to NCDs on private placement basis...."

The company posted a 50 per cent jump in standalone net profit at Rs 64.53 crore in the quarter ended on June 30, 2016. The standalone net profit was Rs 43.01 crore in the year-ago quarter.

Total income from operations was Rs 1,187.37 crore in the first quarter of this fiscal, compared to Rs 1,193.64 crore year-ago.

Last month, the firm said that it has secured new orders worth around Rs 1,900 crore.

The company further said that it has bagged a Rs 1,340 crore turnkey project for construction of 225 kv transmission line and substation in the Republic of Senegal.

Second order is for construction of 500 kv transmission line in Afghanistan worth Rs 575 crore, funded by Asian Development Bank.
A total of 110 cadres of different outfits who surrendered in Meghalaya's Garo hills in the past three months were welcomed in a rousing home-coming ceremony at Tura's district auditorium yesterday.

A total of 60 cadres of United A'chik Liberation Army (UALA), which was disbanded in July last were, were also present at the ceremony.

Meghalaya's Garo hills has witnessed bloodbath in the past three years with over 120 people, including security forces, killed in different ambush, operations and terror strikes.

Since December last year, the situation has changed for good with most cadres of the dreaded rebel outfit Garo Liberation Army (GNLA) and UALA coming forward for peace.

Though GNLA is yet to come for talks, but the outfit's strength has been reduced.

The Meghalaya Police is optimistic about its operation 'Hillstorm 3', which has yielded outcome. The cops are hopeful that they would be able to contain insurgency in Garo hills.

The homecoming ceremony sends a positive signal that the region is ready to forgive the insurgents, who had unleashed terror in the past.

Speaking at the homecoming ceremony, noted educationist Dr Milton M. Sangma recollected the violent era of insurgency activities in Garo hills, which has posed several challenges for the society and have jeopardized developed for the last 30 years.

He urged the rebels to abjure violence and come forward to lead a peaceful life for the welfare and development of Garo hills.

"Staying in jungle will not bring about change for Garo hills. I urge the rebels to come forward and aid the government to restore peace and normalcy in the region. Garo hills can't afford to see bloodbath anymore," he said at the homecoming ceremony, which was spearheaded by Garo Hills Peace Forum, a conglomeration of church leaders, NGOs and civil society members.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The local officials on Sunday said that at least 21 Taliban insurgents were killed in a military operation in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province.

In addition, eight other insurgents were also wounded, reports the Tolo News.

According to officials, the operation was conducted by the security forces in Imam Sahib district of the province to clear the insurgents.

Officials added that there were no military or civilian casualties in the operation.

No further details about the operation have been provided.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Asking India to help them in a same way as it did for the creation of Bangladesh, Baloch Republican Party (BRP) founding chief Brahumdagh Bugti on Sunday said if the international community could interfere in Libya and Syria, why not in Balochistan, where people were leaving their own nation out of helplessness.

Grandson of influential Baloch politician the late Akbar Khan Bugti, Brahamdagh told ANI: "They (Pakistan) call us terrorists. They say we are taking support from India. We are appealing to the international community to help us. They should come and see the situation and monitor everything. If you can interfere in Libya and Syria, why cannot in One cannot imagine all that happens in Pakistan, people are leaving their own nation out of helplessness."

"Baloch are resisting because they are being targeted by the Pakistan army. Villages in are being bombarded and villagers tortured. Pakistan calls us terrorists, who are getting support from India or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)," said Bugti, adding that he urges India to help in the same way as it did for creation of Bangladesh.

"Operations (military) are being carried out for the last five to ten years and people are dying. Their aim is to bring Chinese company over there slowly-slowly so that they can work for deep wells. The (Baloch) people are protesting against it and they (Pakistan) want to evacuate people. They take actions wherever there are people," he alleged.

Maintaining that for the last four-five years this is increasing and not decreasing, Bugti said, "The operation was started during the time of Musharaf and later the PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) government came to power and it grew faster and now it is even getting faster. It is misinformation that committees are being formed. The situation is becoming tense with every passing year."

"My grandfather had said it was a full plan - they (Pakistan) are seeking China's help, because they have many technologies, which Pakistan does not have. The Pakistani media showcase some of their works, but this is happening on daily basis since 2010," he added.

Stating that their organisation is so helpless that it cannot work openly, Bugti, "Many of our people are still missing. Some of our people go missing every year if they work openly. We are trying to report to the international organisations and NGOs. No media or NGO is allowed in . So, we are giving reports on daily basis.
Hailing External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj's rebuttal to Pakistan's proposal for a Foreign Secretary-level dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday said Islamabad will have to bear the brunt if it does not eradicate terrorism from its soil.

Naqvi told ANI that Pakistan, which has been supporting terrorist activists, has already been sidelined because of its behaviour.

"And while standing on the margin, it should understand that it cannot save its existence while backing terrorist activities," said Naqvi.

"Now, Islamabad will have to understand that it will have to end all the terrorist activities taking place inside its borders. It is high time that Pakistan should mend it ways, else it will have to bear the brunt," he added.

The External Affairs Minister yesterday said fighting the global scourge of terrorism is a central part of India's diplomatic engagements with Pakistan.

"Among the issues that dominate global concerns today is the threat of terrorism," Swaraj said while releasing a book, "The Modi Doctrine: New Paradigms in India's Foreign Policy" here.

She said India is putting a lot of diplomatic energy on an early conclusion of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

"Equally important, we have made counter-terrorism cooperation a key element in many of our bilateral interactions," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Stating that the country is passing through crisis like militancy and terrorism, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has decided not to celebrate party chief Khaleda Zia's birthday on August 15.

"Many BNP leaders are now in jail while people are passing their days amid threats of militant attack. Under these circumstances, Khaleda Zia's birthday celebration this year will be indecorous," Daily star quoted BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as saying.

Reports suggest that leaders and activists of different fronts and associate bodies of the party have also been asked not to gather in front of her house on this occasion.

Awami League leaders, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, had previously called upon Khaleda to refrain from celebrating her birthday on August 15, as the nation will be morning the day over the brutal killing of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Rahman was the first president of Bangladesh and is regarded as the Father of the Nation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the presence of insurgents, separatist groups and growing rift between tribal people in Meghalaya are posing a serious security challenge, the police and paramilitary forces are facing a tough challenge to deal with the incidents of kidnappings, killings and land mining.

Therefore, the country's elite force, the Security Guard (NSG), has come forward to train the police and paramilitary forces to deal with the insurgent outfits.

Some 40 security personnel of Meghalaya police and Border Security Force (BSF) from Garo hills were given special training by the NSG team.

They were taught technique of defusing bombs and disposing them.

"Let's take the Kokrajhar attack for example. If you have the manpower and the expertise then security forces could retaliate and neutralize militants. In a bomb attack, militants always have the advantage more than the bomb squad, but it is the responsibility of the security forces to try their level best," S.S. Kynjing, DIG Western Range, Meghalaya told ANI.

"You have been taught how to deal with a threat - by cordoning off the area and then estimate and identify what kind of IED is there. This is very important to begin with. Not the actual detonation. Whether it is NSG or any other force in the world, detonation is a very difficult task," Kynjing added.

Detailed information about different types of IEDs and the way these are planted by insurgents was also given out during the training.

The personnel were also trained on standard operational procedures (SOPs) for bomb disposal and IEDs.

In February and March alone, Meghalaya police had detected about 60 IEDs from East Garo Hills, including five IEDs from a school premises.

"If we inculcate this training in our daily lives and career then we can save our lives and everyone else's life. You will have a lot of responsibilities when you go out in the field and you need to remember that it is not only the bomb sqaud's duty to handle an IED. As police officers, we should also know how to handle such situations in case the bomb squad is unable to reach there," said Mukesh Singh, Superintendent of Police, West Garo Hills.

Such trainings are more essential than ever since in the past three years, at least 30 people, including security forces, were killed in IED blasts in Garo hills.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The reports about Daniel Craig starring in television drama 'Purity' disappointed millions of 'Bond' fans worldwide as it triggered rumours that the actor would no longer play the character.

David Nevins, the CEO of US Network Showtime, however, clearing the air confirmed that 'Purity' would not rule him out of playing Bond in any future instalments, reports the Independent.

"It depends when they do the next James Bond movie, but I don't think it precludes him is the answer," said Nevins.

Adding, "[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."

Previous to that, the 41-year-old English actor has starred in four '007' films, the most recent outing being 'Spectre'.

His television series 'Purity' is based on the novel by Jonathan Franzen and tells the tale of a young woman, who was brought up in unusual circumstances in North Carolina.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Billings Chamber of Commerce has announced the promotion of one staff member and the addition of three new staff members.

Daniel Brooks takes on the role of Government Affairs Manager, a position connected to local, state and federal public policy. Brooks has been with the Chamber since 2015 as the Member and Visitor Services Assistant. Prior to his employment at the Billings Chamber, Brooks served in the United States Marine Corps with a total of three deployments to Iraq. He holds a bachelors degree in political science from Montana State University and a masters degree in international affairs from Boston University. Brooks may be contacted by calling 869-3733 or emailing daniel@billingschamber.com.

Michele Flanagan was recently hired as the member and visitor services assistant. Born and raised in Billings, Flanagan attended two years at MSU-Billings. Prior to joining the Billings Chamber, she worked 18 years in the medical field. Flanagan may be reached by emailing michele@billingschamber.com or calling 869-3722.

Brenda Maas recently joined the Visit Southeast Montana team as marketing manager. She brings more than 20 years of communication experience to the position, most recently as managing editor with The Billings Gazettes niche publications department, producing the award-winning Magic Magazine plus Big Sky Bride and other specialty publications. Maas earned her bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire and freelanced in multiple industries, including travel. She will promote tourism for Southeast Montana (one of six tourism regions in the state), lead familiarization tours and oversee the regions collaborative marketing and advertising campaigns. More information is available online at southeastmontana.com and on the organizations Facebook page. Maas may be reached by emailing brenda@southeastmontana.com or calling 294-5270.

Luke Ashmore was recently named the Visit Billings Visitor Information Center assistant. He works closely with the volunteers in the Visitor Information Center to guide visitors to our community. He is a West High graduate, and studies English at MSUB. Ashmore may be reached by calling 869-3737 or emailing vic@visitbillings.com.

Marcell Bruski is completing an internship with the Billings Chamber and Visit Billings. Bruski works closely with the events and the convention services teams. Originally from Ekalaka, she is senior at Rocky Mountain College, pursuing a degree in business administration. Bruski may be reached by calling 245-4111 or emailing intern@billingschamber.com.
Security has been beefed up in Tripura after the Union Home Ministry alerted north-eastern states over possible terror attacks ahead of the Independence Day celebration.

The Home Ministry directed the north-eastern states to maintain strict vigil and thwart any attempt by separatist outfits to create violent situation.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has further tightened vigilance along the India-Bangladesh border to prevent trans-border movement of militants.

Additional troopers have been deployed and day-night patrolling has been intensified to foil trans-border movement.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other paramilitary personnel, accompanied by bomb disposal and dog squads, are continuing search operations at the airport, hotels, bus and railway terminals, markets, important locations and highways.

The Northeast Frontier Railway has also taken up security measures for the safety and security of passengers.

Four northeast states - Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam - share 1,880-km-long border with Bangladesh, while India and Bhutan share a 643-km unfenced border.

Four states of the region - Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh - also share 1,640-km unfenced border with Myanmar.

Arunachal Pradesh also shares a 1,080-km unfenced border with China.

Several separatist outfits are reportedly trying to disturb the 70th Independence Day celebrations, especially in Assam.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Jharkhand Police on Sunday apprehended two people for possessing huge cache of explosives in Dumka district.

Following a tip-off, the 18th battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and police personnel in a joint operation on Saturday evening seized 1000 detonators, 116 gelignite sticks and ammonium nitrate.

Dumka Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar told ANI that the information was received during a security drive conducted in Jitpur village ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

"We were alert. Keeping in mind the Independence Day celebrations, we remained vigil. During the security expedition, we received information about the explosives being kept in a house. We launched a joint operation with SSB in Jitpur village and recovered huge cache of explosives, including 116 jell rods, around 1,000 detonators and ammonium nitrate," he said.

He further said a case has been registered under the Explosives Act, and the accused would be handed over to the Investigative Agency (NIA) for further interrogation.

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Coming down heavily on Pakistan for violating the ceasefire in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir in this morning, defence expert Major General (Retd.) G.D. Bakshi said India should give a befitting reply to the Asian neighbour, which has been doing this drama since long.

Major General (Retd.) Bakshi told ANI this is not the way of celebration of freedom.

"I remember when we used to be in the Line of Control, Pakistan used to do this drama. The Pakistan army is very dramatic. They used to fire at us and used to get befitting replies. I think if Pakistan is daring to fire this time, India should give a befitting reply," he added.

Resonating similar sentiments, defence expert P.K. Sehgal said the ceasefire violations would increase in view of several upcoming events.

"One is the Independence Day, secondly, Pakistan would also continuously exploit the so-called sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir at this point of time. For the last 30-35 days, they have been up against arms. Thirdly, there is G-20 meet taking place, the East-Asia meet taking place, the BRICS meet, the UN General Assembly meeting is taking place in September," he added.

Sehgal asserted Pakistan would try its very best to provoke India more and more with a view to internationalise the situation in J-K.

"Keeping all these international issues in mind, Pakistan will try its very best to provoke India more and more with a view to internationalise situation in J-K, which we will as always fail to do so," he added.

The Indian army responded heavily to the by Pakistan.

According to the latest report, the firing has stopped from either side, but a person has sustained injuries in the attack.

The attack comes hours after a grenade attack on Amarnath Yathra pilgrims in Poonch, where almost 15 people were injured.

There have been 30 ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the Line of Control till July 31 with one casualty from the army side.
Amid increasing tensions with China over the disputed remote southern islands, reports suggest that Japan will develop a new land-to-sea missile in a bid to step up its defence in the disputed region.

Both South Asian countries have been experiencing dispute over the uninhabited islets known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

Japan's move comes in wake of protests by the Foreign Ministry officials over what they called intrusions by Beijing in the territorial and contiguous waters of the rocky islands, reports the Guardian.

Reports suggest that Tokyo plans to deploy the weapon, whose range will cover the disputed island chain.

The deployment is expected by 2023.

The Defence Ministry officials have, however, not confirmed the report so far.

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15-year-old Ludhiana girl Jhanvi Behal, who vowed to hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk, on Sunday received dejection as she was detained at the Srinagar airport.

The cops told the girl that she cannot step outside the airport as Section 144 is imposed in the city.

The girl, who was dressed in a tricolour suit, was later sent back on the same flight from Srinagar.

Jhanvi, who made headlines after challenging JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar to a debate on freedom of speech and expression, had last month said that she would hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on the occasion of Independence Day.

"I had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to allow all his MPs to hoist the flag in their respective constituencies. He accepted my request and I am happy about that. Only a 'best' Prime Minister like him could have done that," Bahal had told ANI.

"I would hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on August 15 because that is a place where the flag was insulted. I challenge all those, including the separatists and the Pakistanis, to stop me if they can," she added.

Jhanvi, a student of DAV Public School, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Ludhiana, is an active member of an NGO Raksha Jyoti Foundation and was honoured on Republic Day for her contribution in many projects including Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

In an open challenge, the 15-year-old challenged the JNUSU president to meet her 'wherever and whenever' for the debate.

"It is very easy to criticise someone while sitting at home. Kanhaiya should concentrate on working like PM Modi," Jhanvi had said.

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Defence expert M.M. Khajuria today said the unprovoked firing from the other side of the border in Poonch sector was a well thought plan of action on Pakistan's part to provoke India and draw the international community's attention that there is an upsurge in Kashmir post the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Khajuria told ANI that Poonch has been an area of conflict for long and has been the target of Pakistan's aggression for long.

"So, this is a well thought plan of action to provoke India and draw the international attention that everything is not right in Kashmir (and) that there is upsurge in Kashmir after elimination of Burhan Wani," Khajuria said.

"This particular attack has come at a time when things are very hot in Kashmir. They have been trying to incite trouble in the entire border belt and also in the Jammu region," he added while stating that the objective of Pakistan was to spread trouble.

The defence expert also called on the security forces to be vigilant so that this mischief does not create any kind of reaction of communal nature.

"The response of Indian forces is effective and commensurate with the kind of mischief that they have done," he added.

Khajuria further said that Pakistan has been trying to do this to impress upon their cadres and supporters in Jammu and Kashmir.

"And all these things happening in almost in a row in Poonch is indicative of the importance of this particular area. And you may recall that this is the area where they had entered and chopped off the head of one of the jawans," he said.

In a major ceasefire violation, the Pakistan Army earlier today resorted to unprovoked firing on the Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Shahpu Kandi area of the border Poonch district.

The firing began at around 3 a.m. However, there have been no reports of any injuries or casualties so far.

Last year, the Indian soldiers decided against the exchange of sweets following the terror attacks by Pakistan in Punjab and Kashmir.

On July 27, 2015, three terrorists launched a massive terror attack in the Punjab town of Dinanagar, killing 10 people.

Two BSF soldiers were killed when two terrorists attacked a BSF convoy in Udhampur on August 5. One terrorist was killed, while the other was captured.

There have been 30 ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the Line of Control till July 31.

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Brushing aside Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's controversial declaration dedicating their nation's Independence Day to the "freedom of Kashmir", the government on Sunday asserted that the former's statement did not matter as India's stand on Kashmir was clear.

When asked to react on Basit's statement, Minister of State in Prime Minister Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh told ANI here that it does not matter what the envoy said as India's policy on Kashmir is clear and consistent.

"India has made it clear that it will not associate with Pakistan on any topics related to Kashmir. The only issue is which we are ready to engage with them is on the matter of PoK," he said.

Earlier today, Islamabad continued to provoke India as Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit said that his nation has dedicated the 70th Independence Day to the "freedom of Kashmir".

Basit said Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India.

"As far as the relation of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we dedicate this year's Independence Day to Kashmir's freedom. We are confident that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be successful," Basit said.

He asserted Pakistan has always given moral support to Jammu and Kashmir's freedom struggle and would continue to do so.

"Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom; sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain," he said.

Basit was reiterating Nawaz Sharif's statement dedicating the day to the "freedom movement" in Kashmir.

"I dedicate this year's 14th August to the freedom of Kashmir," the Express Tribune quoted Sharif as saying.

Pakistan's provocation comes just days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's assertion that there is no power in the world, which can take Jammu and Kashmir away from India.

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Calling Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's remarks on Kashmir as the greatest breach of diplomatic etiquette, the Congress on Sunday urged the Centre to embarrass Islamabad globally as the greatest exporter of terrorism.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said Pakistan declaring a part of this country to be searching for azadi is failure of the Indian Government's foreign policy, adding it is high time that the Centre send our ambassadors and representatives to each country of the world with concrete evidences to show Islamabad as the greatest exporter of terrorism.

"Pakistan will of course have to wait for crore of years, for millennia to even consider to its wish being fulfilled, which they have expressed as the year of Kashmir azadi. But we have to introspect and see how we have failed to get Pakistan isolated globally. We should send our ambassadors and representatives to each country of the world with concrete evidences of tape, videos and documents to show Pakistan as the greatest exporter of terrorism," said Singhvi.

"We need to embarrass them, isolate them and unfortunately I have to say this that this government, the government has been completely failing in this global ostracism effort and in the Indo-Pak bilateral effort. The statement is the greatest breach of diplomatic etiquette but it is also failure of Indian government's foreign policy and Indo-Pak policy," he added.

Singhvi further advised the BJP-led Government at the Centre to stall its interaction with Pakistan until it tenders an apology for making such statements.

"Normally one would not give importance to such comments but when it comes from the Ambassador, the High Commissioner of a nation it has full official flavor and color to it. I think Pakistan is no business to be interacted with unless this official declaration is withdrawn; apologies are offered and on sovereign soil of this country to declare a part of this country to be searching for Azadi, said Singhvi.

"It is also vital that we repeat and reiterate our policy as for the Parliament resolution remains the same that whole of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladhak including PoK is ours," he added.

Basit earlier today said Islamabad has dedicated the 70th Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir.

Basit said Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India.

"As far as the relation of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we dedicate this year's Independence Day to Kashmir's freedom. We are confident that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be successful," Basit said.

He asserted Pakistan has always given moral support to Jammu and Kashmir's freedom struggle and would continue to do so.

"Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom; sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain," he said.

India summoned Basit on August 9th amid growing tension between the two nations over the violence in Kashmir. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar called Basit to his office and lodged a strong protest over the issue as he made a specific reference to LeT terrorist and Pakistan Bahadur Ali, who was captured recently in North Kashmir during an encounter.

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The people in Kokrajhar district of Assam demanded more security after at least 15 people were killed and several others injured in suspected Bodo militant attack last week.

The government has condemned the incident and promised strict action against the perpetrators.

Three militants, who came in a tempo, fired indiscriminately at the people at Balajan Tiniali market in Kokrajhar district of Assam earlier on August 5.

The attack was allegedly carried out by a faction of the Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) led by I. K. Songbijit which is opposed to talks with the government.

A Bodo militant was also killed during a retaliatory attack by the police.

Narrating the horrifying incident, the victims' family members demanded more security.

"There is not much security in the area. Earlier, a checking post was there but it was dismantled. The attack continued for at least an hour and the security forces failed to reach the spot. If they would have arrived 15-30 minutes earlier, then my father's life could have been saved. I want to appeal to the government to place an army camp or police station here," said Raju Chakravarty, son of one of the victims.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited the attack site and said strong action would be taken against the banned NDFB (S) outfit and none would be spared for the killing of innocent people.

"We beg our stern action against those extremists who had committed this particular killing. Nobody will spare, we will jointly fight. Because our government policy is clear, there will be zero tolerance in this terrorism," Sonowal said.

The army and the local police launched a joint operation along the Assam-Bhutan border soon after the attack to nab the key leaders of the NDFB(S) outfit.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has said that the incident was an attempt to create instability in Kokrajhar, which remained peaceful in recent years.

"It is very unfortunate because peace had actually returned to entire Bodoland area in Assam. Kokrajhar being the centre of Bodoland, it was absolutely necessary to ensure that peace prevailed in Kokrajhar also. We were successful but this particular incident is very unfortunate. We have to ascertain who exactly the people behind this attack are. It is very unfortunate that so many people have lost their lives. We will ensure that the victims' family members and the injured are well taken care of," he added.

According to the Assam Police, the NDFB (S) outfit has been recruiting boys aged below 18 to replenish losses it has suffered due to ongoing counter-insurgency operations in Assam.

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Stating that the country's future is in the hands of youth, President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday urged them to work hard to build a new Afghanistan.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Afghan youth parliament in Kabul, Ghani also asked the youth to not let extremists ruin the country, reports the Tolo News.

He was of the opinion that the tally of insurgents is fairly low and therefore they will not be able to beat the people of Afghanistan.

Stating that the government and nation have a strong will to fight insurgents, he said the establishment of the youth parliament, with representation from 34 provinces, shows that youth believes in the Constitution.

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Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party (JKNPP) leader Harsh Dev Singh today said the protest in Balochistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a clear indication that they are sick of the Pakistani rule and have rejected them.

Singh said the protest in Balochistan and other parts of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir should be an eye opener for the supporters of Islamabad in Jammu and Kashmir.

"They must realize that the people leaving in these places, they are also sick of the Pakistani rule and they have rejected Pakistan," Singh told ANI here.

"The human rights that are going on in Pakistan and the violation of their fundamental rights and all these incidents must be an eye opener for these people, who are raking up pro-independence slogans on our side of the borders and definitely they should take cues from their counterpart in Balochistan and Baltistan and other parts of PoK," he added.

Raising 'anti-Pakistan' slogans, the protesters took to the streets in Gilgit town of PoK against human rights abuses and crackdown by the Pakistani security forces.

Over 500 youth, including Gilgit's top political activist Baba Jan, have been taken into custody by the Pakistani security forces.

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President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said the shared vision of India and Korea offers many possibilities for cooperation in the framework of our Special Strategic Partnership.

Extending greetings to his Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye and the people of the country, President Mykherjee said, "We have converging interests in promoting peace, prosperity and development in our respective regions and the world. This shared vision offers many possibilities for cooperation in the framework of our Special Strategic Partnership."

"I extend warm greetings and felicitations to you and to the Government and people of the Republic of Korea on the occasion of your Day," he added.

Korea will celebrate its liberation day from Imperial Japanese colonial rule by the United States and the Soviet Union on Aug 15.

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Eleven terrorists were arrested in Lahore on Saturday following a combing operation by the Pakistan Army, the media reported.

The Inter-Services Public Relations said the operation was launched following an intelligence report about the presence of terrorists in the suburbs of the city, Dawn said.

The operation continued for more than three hours and led to the arrest of 11 members of a sleeper cell of a terrorist organisation, it said. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also seized.

Two of the arrested terrorists were said to belong to Jamaatul Ahrar, a splinter group of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Earlier, the Punjab home department had warned that the TTP's Fazlullah group had sent two suicide attackers to strike at the Wagah border with India near Lahore or the Ganda Singh border in Kasur.

--IANS

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At least 25 militants were killed as Afghan security forces targeted Taliban hideouts in Helmand province, an official statement said on Sunday.

The airstrikes pounded Taliban positions in Garmsir, Chah-e-Anjir and Nahr-e-Saraj district on Saturday night, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Taliban commander Mullah Rahmatullah is also among those killed in the air raids," the statement said.

However, the Taliban outfit in contact with the media, without confirming the airstrikes, claimed that the militants had repulsed government forces offensives in several fronts in Helmand province.

Fierce fighting continues between the Taliban and government forces in Helmand province over the past couple of months as the militant outfit has been attempting to overrun provincial capital Lashkar Gah to destabilise the neighbouring Kandahar, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces.

--IANS

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At least 32 militants were killed in a day after Afghan security forces launched a crackdown against Taliban, a security official said on Saturday.

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

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This Independence Day, actor Chandan Roy Sanyal turns director with a short film entitled "Azaad". But is it enough to make a well-intended patriotic pitch through a film?

If flag-waving nationalism is the flavour you fancy on August 15, "Azaad " does it right for you.

Chandan, a talented actor yet to get his due, directs a film on one of the lesser-known freedom fighters, Aga Khan.

Chandan casts himself as the prodigal grandson returning home to a world he had left behind with a Caucasian girlfriend in tow. As he travels with his girlfriend by a taxi driven by a Sikh cabbie, Chandan gets flashes from his past indicating his affinity to the freedom movement.

This could be Saif Ali Khan's ad for a fabric? You know the one where he returns home to a Rajasthani welcome? Chandan misses the chance to make a poignant statement on a generation that has lost the will to renew the struggle to keep India's spirit of freedom alive.

Instead, the short film (which feels terribly long? and wrong) relies on cliches to make its point on the war that our freedom fighters waged for India.

This is "Rang De Basanti" without the 'rang' (colour) or the glitz.

Attempts to weave Chandan in the present day with past glimpses of his grandfather's anti-colonial adventures are further complicated by flashbacks of little Chandan (yes there's a little boy playing him) bonding with his grandfather who regales the little boy with his anti-Raj adventures.

Wish we could share the child's enthusiasm.

Just about the only bright spot in this tangle on the tricoloured tiranga's true relevance is the ever-dependable Adil Hussain as Chandan's grandfather. He attempts to infuse the inadequate energy of the narration with some amount of brio.

"Azaad" is more a defused bomb than an explosive drama.

There is way too much happening in the 23-minute film and too little emotional heft to support the profusion of events. It all feels like a well-intended mission aborted by inept execution. Woefully inadequate and ineffectual.

--IANS

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A clash erupted between police and demonstrators in Wisconsin state of the US after a police official shot dead an armed man, the media reported on Sunday.

A gas station and a vehicle were set on fire in Milwaukee city of the state when about 100 protesters gathered at a predominately African-American part of the city where two police officers on Saturday pulled over a car with two suspects inside, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to witnesses, gun fires were heard as police officers wearing riot gear tried to disperse the protesters. At least three persons were detained.

A police officer was hit in the head by a brick, the witnesses said.

On Saturday, the police officer shot dead one of the two 23-year-old suspects as they tried to escape. The name of the suspect or the officer remain undisclosed.

The police officer, who shot and who was not hurt, was placed on administrative leave while an investigation into his conduct was launched.

The second suspect was in custody, a police official said.

The man who was killed carried a stolen handgun and has "a lengthy arrest record", which he failed to specify, he said.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, appealing for restraint and calm, acknowledged that the neighbourhood, where the shooting took place, had been affected by violence in the recent past.

"There are a lot of really, really good people who live in this area...and can't stand this violence," Barrett said.

The incident was preceded by several police-involved shootings across the US, in which the use of force by police has been questioned.

In July, two black men were shot dead by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, which sparked angry protests by African Americans across the nation against police brutality and racial discrimination.
Authorities on Sunday imposed curfew and restrictions across Kashmir to prevent separatist programmes to commemorate Pakistan's Independence Day.

The separatists have asked people to offer special prayers for Pakistan on its Independence day that falls on August 14.

Authorities gave instructions to all security forces deployed here to ensure that no Pakistani flag is hoisted anywhere.

Ever since separatist violence in Kashmir in the early 1990s, separatists have been hoisting the Pakistani flag and holding parades.

Broadband internet connections were suspended since Saturday evening. Mobile and internet services were suspended on July 9 and have not been restored till date.

Police said curfew and restrictions will remain in force in all the district headquarters in addition to all major towns.

All separatist senior leaders remained under preventive detention.

So far, 57 people including 55 civilians and two policemen have been killed in the ongoing violence.

Over 3,500 people including security personnel have been injured during the unrest that started on July 9, a day after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

--IANS

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The Greece government fears a new influx of refugees if the European Union (EU)-Turkey agreement on migrants/asylum seekers returning to Turkey fails, a media report said on Sunday.

The Greece Minister of Migration, Yanis Muzalas, insists there was a minimum increase in arrivals since the failed Turkish coup and that at least 100 refugees a day was simply not comparable to the thousands of arrivals earlier in 2016, Efe news reported.

The numbers might not seem dramatic but they were enough to collapse the islands dealing with arrivals, currently there were over 10,000 refugees in reception centres with a maximum capacity of 7,000.

Since last years closure of borders, Greece feels it endured the brunt of the refugee crisis, along with Italy and Germany which granted refuge to over a million people, but fears that the problem was coming straight back to them.

The tactic used by Austria to secure the support of East European countries to close the central and northern European borders was in response to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's open border policy.

The known Turkish democratic shortcomings have been compounded by the purge unleashed after the failed Turkish coup on July 16.

This has only exacerbated the doubts surrounding Turkey's capacity to continue with its EU candidacy agenda, starting with the modification of its antiterrorist law, a condition Turkey must fulfil to obtain its coveted lifting of EU visa requirements for Turkish nationals.

In the past weeks the EU position remained the same: the agreement still holds but with no antiterrorist law reform there will be no liberalisation of visas.

From Turkey, the response was even more menacing as Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government repeats over and over that no EU visa reform would mean no refugee agreement.

In view of the scarce success of the EU nations resettlement programme, only 2,200 refugees were resettled in other countries of the 63,000 originally pledged, Greece had more than enough reason to feel unease.

--IANS

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An Imam and his assistant were shot and killed by a lone gunman on Saturday in broad daylight while they were leaving a mosque in the Queens Borough of New York City.

The shooting occurred around 2 p.m. near the Al-Furqan Masjid Mosque, where the two victims were attending their Saturday afternoon prayers, Xinhua reported.

The victims were wearing traditional Muslim garb and were both shot in the head from close range. The killer approached them from behind, according to the police.

The investigation into the motive behind the attack was underway, police said.

--IANS

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A powerful earthquake that struck the Hebgen Lake area near Yellowstone National Park in 1959 also left a powerful mark on a 7-year-old boy who was asleep in his Idaho Falls home.

Historian and author Larry E. Morris said he didnt wake up. My mom certainly did. I think a jar fell and broke, he said.

The 7.5 magnitude earthquake killed 28 people, including an Idaho Falls family of five who was believed to have been entombed by a massive, quake-triggered landslide that buried a campground and plugged the Madison River about 9 miles downstream from the Hebgen Lake Dam.

The slide took less than a minute and brought down more than 80 million tons of rock into the river, forming what became Earthquake Lake. At the time, the earthquake was the second strongest in the lower 48 states in the 20th century, said the Forest Service, which operates the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center.

It made quite an impression on me from the start, Morris said.

Morris, who lives in Salt Lake City, is the author of a book released in July and titled, The 1959 Yellowstone Earthquake, published by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press.

The book tells the story of the earthquake with a focus on the victims and survivors and those who responded to the emergency.

The book also features a foreword by Lee Whittlesey, Yellowstone National Park historian.

Morris said his parents took him and his siblings to the memorial site on top of the landslide in the early 1960s, before the visitors center was built, heard a Forest Service ranger talk about the earthquake and toured the area.

All those dead trees and Earthquake Lake. And one cabin tilted squeewampus. But that plaque with the names on it and how the folks were buried there made a powerful impression on me, Morris said.

Morris has been captivated by the story ever since and has taken his own family to the site.

It was a natural subject for a book. I find the story so compelling, Morris said.

Morris initially began research for a book in 1990 but got sidetracked by other projects and put the earthquake story aside. But, he said, he always knew hed return to it. A few years ago, Morris resumed his research and finished his book.

I was really thinking of the human interest, both survivors and first responders. Its just one incredible story after another. Its amazing, he said.

One of the first responders was Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Glen Stevens, who was dispatched from his Whitehall home to warn residents in the Madison River Valley of flooding should the Hebgen Dam fail. In the hours after the 11:37 p.m. earthquake, there were conflicting reports about whether the dam had held or failed.

I had a nice phone interview with him. He seemed to remember it quite well, Morris said. Stevens, now deceased, a deputy sheriff and two others drove up the valley, working their way toward the dam.

They were one of the first people to reach Cliff Lake, where a boulder dislodged and killed Edgar H. Stryker and his wife, Ethel M. Stryker, who were camping with Edgars three young sons, Morris said. The boys, who were in a separate tent nearby, were unhurt.

After helping at Cliff Lake, Stevens and his companions drove on toward the Madison River where they encountered the massive landslide. There they helped Irene Bennett and her son, Phil Bennett, who had camped with their family on the downstream side of the slide. Irenes husband, Purley, and their three other children, died in the quake.

Morris also interviewed Carole Painter, who was 16 at the time and the daughter of Myrtle L. Painter, who later died of injuries in a Bozeman hospital.

And Morris interviewed Billings resident Mildred Tootie Greene, a nurse who was camped with her family upstream of the slide. The Greene family survived uninjured, and Greene spent the night and next day aiding others, including Myrtle Painter.

Morris said he spent an afternoon about a year ago with Greene at her Billings home. She was fantastic and sharp as a tack. Shes one of the great heroes. She really stayed cool. I think she probably saved some lives, Morris said.

She had a healthy attitude toward the tragedy, Morris said. Greene has been extremely cooperative with anyone who ever asked about the experience, he said.

Another nurse, Frances Donegan of Ohio, was camped with her husband, Fred, and their children near the dam, Morris said. His book recounts how Donegan rushed to help others who had gathered at what became known as Refuge Point.

Fred Donegan also helped rescue Grover and Lillian Mault, an elderly couple who had clung to a tree for hours as water rose around them.

They deserve a lot of credit, Morris said. The Donegans went back to Ohio and didnt make a lot of noise themselves. They really did a great job and deserve to be remembered, he said.

Morris book features more than 100 photographs from national government archives, from survivors who contributed family photos and Morris own photographs. The front and back cover photographs, he said, came from the Gallatin History Museum in Bozeman.

Morris started his research at the museum. They were really great in helping me, he said.

Morris also credits Joanne Girvin, a Forest Service employee at the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, with keeping the story alive.

The Forest Service opened the center on top of the slide in 1967. More than 50,000 visitors stop annually at the site, the agency said.

Morris dedicated the book to the memory of Ernest Bruffey, the 29th victim of the earthquake. Morris said Bruffey, a Havre resident, had told others of his plan to hike Granite Peak in the Beartooth Mountains between Aug. 16 and 19. Bruffey was never heard from again.

Strong shocks were recorded in the area after the initial quake and there were slides on Granite Peak, Morris said. Searchers never found Bruffeys body and his name was never included on official victim lists, he said. But evidence suggests Bruffey was a victim of the earthquake and deserves to be remembered, he said.

Morris will be coming to Montana for several book signings. He will speak at the Montana Book Festival in Missoula, from Sept. 20 to 25, and will speak at a meeting of the Montana Historical Society in Helena on Sept. 29.

His interest in Montana extends beyond the 1959 earthquake. He authored, The Fate of the Corps: What Became of the Lewis and Clark Explorers after the Expedition, and co-authored, The Mystery of John Colter: The Man Who Discovered Yellowstone.

Morris is an independent writer and historian and has a masters degree in American literature and a bachelors degree in philosophy, both from Brigham Young University.
A common Kashmiri shopkeeper is in a dilemma. To open or not. And if yes, when! In the war of wits between separatists and the government, small business owners are suffering hugely in the deadliest unrest the valley has seen in years.

Separatits leaders, whose writ apparently runs large in the valley these days, have asked the people to go about their routines from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. after observing a dawn-to-dusk pro-freedom shutdown. But the government, struggling to restore some semblance of normalcy in the restive Kashmir, seemingly doesn't want that.

Shops, schools and offices in the valley have remained closed since violence erupted after the July 8 killing of popular rebel commander Burhan Wani. Widespread anti-government demonstrations and clashes between security forces and protesters have so far left at least 56 people dead and thousands injured.

During the weeks of unrest, markets have marginally opened at some places in the evenings when the shutdown was relaxed.

But many shopkeepers allege that the government is not happy with separatists diktat being followed. At many such places when stores are opened, authorities impose restrictions as a pretext for stopping miscreants creating any trouble.

"For example, the separatists had earlier relaxed the shutdown for some hours in the afternoon. But we were not allowed to open and restrictions were enforced," said an owner of a garment store in the upscale Lambert Lane near the main business hub of Lal Chowk here.

Acting Director General of Police S.K. Mishra in a recent news conference assured that the security forces would provide protection to shopkeepers if they open businesses during the "day time".

The police chief's remarks had an understated message. Shopkeepers should start routine activities during the normal day time hours, and not go by the separatist directive.

Various market associations allege that the authorities have asked them not to open businesses in the evenings in areas where curfew and restrictions have been imposed.

A few days ago, shopkeepers in Lal Chowk alleged they caught hold of a "government agent" who was hurling stones when they opened their stores in the evening.

The man was thrashed for "sabotaging the (separatist) protest schedule and relaxation period", said Ali Mohammed, a salesman at a confectionery store near Regal Lane.

"He was not handed over to police because he belonged to them. We strongly advised him against what he was doing," Mohammed told IANS.

The identity of the "agent" could not be verified independently and police denied they had anything to do with the incident.

In this melee, the common Kashmiri is in a quandary. The only respite for him to buy essentials has ironically come in the evenings. But it is also fraught with unseen danger.

"The problem is that in this war between the administration and separatists, it is the common man who suffers," a Srinagar resident, requesting anonymity, told IANS.

"Opening of some markets in the evenings has at least enabled us to buy the essentials of life. If the authorities disallow opening of markets in the evenings also, where does the common man go?"

In the last more than five weeks, traffic on the strategic Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Leh highway has also mostly moved during the night as protesters on all essential road arteries have damaged vehicles and injured commuters during the day.

After losing its grip on the ground situation, the state administration appears to have decided to enforce its writ.

But the real challenge has been to create an atmosphere wherein life would return to normal on its own terms. Disallowing the small breathers the separatists have been providing is unlikely to help usher in normalcy.

(Sheikh Qayoom can be contacted at <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','sheikh.abdul@ians.in');>)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters freed the Manbij city in Syria from Islamic State (IS) terrorists as the residents celebrated the liberation from group's two-year rule over the city.

"Jubilation broke out in many neighbourhoods after IS terrorists lost control of Manbij to US-backed rebels and the centre of the city was liberated," CNN quoted the Pentagon as saying.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces backed by the US, was battling IS to take control of Manbij -- one of the most important cities for the terrorist organisation -- in northern Syria since May.

Manbij residents cut off beards, burnt niqabs and smoked cigarettes -- things they were not allowed to do during IS rule.

"Here they used to execute people and hung their heads here and leave it for three days. They would execute people for anything, using the excuse he did not believe," a man said pointing out to an area described as an ISIS execution site.

Defeating the terrorist group in Manbij was important as it essentially blocks a supply route IS has between its heartland of Raqqa and Turkey.

--IANS

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The Jagdishpur-Haldia Pipeline (JHPL) will be completed by 2019, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Sunday.

In the city for the West Bengal launch of a central scheme aimed at providing LPG connections to below poverty level households, Pradhan also said Piped Natural Gas (PNG) will be available to households within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area in the next couple of years.

"The JHPL has remained a dream for the last several years, but now concrete plans have been made and the project will materialise within the next 2-3 years," Pradhan said.

"The pipeline will go through several important centres in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Bengal and Odisha, benefitting the entire eastern region," he said.

The 2,050-km pipeline from Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal entails an investment of Rs 12,000 crore, of which the Centre's share is 40 per cent and the remaining amount is borne by the country's biggest natural gas transporter GAIL.

Pradhan also said the pipeline will play a major role for fertiliser plants in Gorakhpur, Barauni, Sindri as well as those in Bengal.

Talking about Kolkata, Pradhan assured households within the KMC limits that they will be able to avail PNG in the next "two to three years". Besides, LPG too would be introduced in the city.

"CNG has become the norm in Delhi and Mumbai, it is cheap and a clean fuel. We will be bringing CNG to Kolkata in the next 2-3 years," added Pradhan.

--IANS

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Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit on Sunday said the struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for "right to self determination" was legitimate and it cannot be suppressed.

"Political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be suppressed," Basit said in a speech to mark the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day.

"Nor could anyone belittle or wish away their legitimate struggle and enormous sacrifices," a Pakistan High Commission statement quoted Basit as saying.

He said Pakistan would continue to extend "its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self determination".

He urged the international community to ensure the implementation of the relevant UN resolutions to settle the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

India and Pakistan dispute Jammu and Kashmir's ownership. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of arming, financing and providing sanctuary as well as training to militants fighting Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

--IANS

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A 15-year-old girl from Ludhiana, who had vowed to hoist the Tricolour at Srinagar's historic Lal Chowk, was turned back by security forces from the airport there on Sunday.

Jhanvi Behal, who landed at the Srinagar airport on Sunday with other people supporting her cause, was stopped at the airport itself after which she raised pro- India slogans.

Jhanvi, who was wearing a suit in tricolour for the occasion, said she was "disappointed" that she was not allowed to complete her mission of hoisting the Tricolour at the Lal Chowk in the heart of the Srinagar city.

She was put by the security agencies on the return flight and sent back. She was told that she cannot step outside the airport as curfew was imposed in the Valley.

Jhanvi had earlier challenged Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar to a debate after the anti-India slogans on the JNU campus earlier this year.

At the border of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, Hindu leader Swami Chakrapani was stopped bby security agencies at the Madhopur barrier.

He was leading a group of people, carrying the Tricolour, saying that he will hoist it in Srinagar.

--IANS

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There's a new minority to contend with and, at a little over 33,000, they are fewer in number than the Parsis. But the unbelieving atheists -- counted separately for the first time in Census 2011 -- just cannot agree with the figure.

To be precise, only 33,304 of India's 1.2 billion citizens have declared themselves as atheists in the census -- a minuscule 0.0027 per cent.

In an overtly and fervently religious country, this low figure may not come as a surprise, but atheists are simply not buying it. They accuse the powers that be of everything from "dishonesty" to "unscientific" methodology -- all aimed at "mischievously" skewing the data.

"There are millions of people in India who don't subscribe to any caste or . They call themselves atheists, rationalists or non-religious people," says G. Vijayam, Executive Director of the Atheist Centre in Vijayawada.

"When you say there are only a few thousand atheists, it's a distortion of reality," Vijayam told IANS. "This is mischief done by orthodox people and the Census authorities, and it must be corrected."

As far as Prabir Ghosh of the Science and Rationalists' Association of India is concerned, the very reason for the skewed numbers are these "orthodox people" who dominate those tasked with conducting the census -- the enumerators.

And he speaks from experience. When the enumerator who visited his house failed to ask him his religion, Ghosh questioned him, "What have you written in the column? He replied, 'Why... Hindu. You are a Hindu, aren't you? You have a Hindu surname'."

"I protested and told him to write 'atheist' against my name. He got cut up, and said that it would involve a lot of rewriting. I took the paper from him, and crossed out the word 'Hindu' from the column," Ghosh told IANS.

"In India, the Census is not conducted scientifically or honestly," added Ghosh, who was born in a god-fearing Bengali family but took to rationalism as an adult. He is now General Secretary of his Kolkata-based association.

There are quibbles as well over the numbers at the state level. The Census data, for instance, puts the number of atheists in Tamil Nadu -- a state with a strong rationalist tradition -- at a mere 1,297, a figure that "does not reflect the actual position", according to Suba Veerapandian, General Secretary of the Dravida Iyyakka Tamizhar Peravai.

"Our organisation itself has around 2,000 members. Moreover, we have the Dravida Kazhagam, the mother organisation for all the rationalist movements in Tamil Nadu, having a large membership," said Veerapandian, who was influenced by his father Subbiah, a staunch follower of Periyar.

A good number of active atheists believe the low numbers may be a result of lack of awareness about what can and cannot be said in the Census form.

"Many Indians are not aware that they have an option to say 'no caste' or 'no religion'," says Vijayam, whose father founded the Atheist Centre that has fought many battles on behalf of those who wrote 'nil' in caste and columns of various government forms.

Veerapandian concurs, but adds that it is up to atheists and rationalists to power change -- the matter hardly being a priority for the government. "It should be made known to people, and organisations like ours will have to do that before the 2021 Census."

In fact, many atheists and rationalists want the government to entirely remove the caste and religion columns from not only the Census forms, but all forms.

"We are a secular state and there is no necessity to write caste and religion. When people say we don't have property, you are accepting that. Similarly, accept when they say they don't belong to any caste or religion," says Vijayam.

Are atheists playing it safe by not declaring themselves openly? It is a legitimate question as three prominent rationalists -- Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M.M. Kalburgi -- have been killed in the last two years for challenging obscurantism, allegedly by religious hotheads.

But Ghosh and Veerapandian dismiss the idea. "Why should they try to hide their belief? Even in a Muslim area, Hindus announce their religion, and vice versa. So why should atheists be afraid," Ghosh queried.

Given that there are nearly 2.9 million people who did not tell enumerators their religion -- though they did not declare themselves as atheists -- there may well be many more atheists than the declared number.

In any case, the non-believers are upbeat. Ghosh, for instance, contends 22 per cent of the world population is now atheist, and that the number is growing. He believes the trend will be replicated in India as well.

Adds Vijayam: "Atheism has come to stay. It's a worldwide phenomenon and when opportunity comes they all will come out of religion."

(With inputs from Sirshendu Panth in Kolkata; V. Jagannathan in Chennai and Mohammad Shafeeq in Hyderabad)

--IANS

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About 100 activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on Sunday protested against the anti-India slogans allegedly raised at a human rights event in a college here.

"We demand the arrest of all those who raised slogans against our country and the Indian Army and action against the organisers (Amnesty International India) for holding an anti-national event here," BJP's Parliament member from Mysuru and ABVP leader Pratap Simha told reporters later.

Accusing the police of inaction on Saturday's incident, Simha said they (police) had refused to register an FIR (first information report) even after the activists filed a complaint against the culprts on the event at the United Theological College in the city centre.

"It is shocking that the local police allowed such an event and the state intelligence agency was unaware. The state government should order an inquiry into the event where pro-azaadi and anti-national elements from Kashmir participated," the ABVP leader reiterated.

The ABVP activists, some of whom were present at the event, alleged that a group of Kashmiri youth raised slogans claiming atrocities by the army.

"Such an anti-national event ahead of the Independence Day vitiates the peaceful atmosphere in the city and sends wrong signals to the people about the army," Simha lamented.

The 90-minute event was held to interact with some Kashmiri families who were victims of alleged human rights violations in the strife-torn Valley and hear their struggle for justice.

"For years, these families have been waiting for information from the government about the status of their respective cases (of enforced disappearances, fake encounters and killings) and grant of sanction," Amnesty said in a statement on the event.

Admitting that some persons at the event had raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for 'azaadi' (freedom), Amnesty India programmes director Tara Rao said it was important that the conduct of some should not distract attention from the denial of truth and justice to those who have suffered in Jammu and Kashmir.

"As a matter of policy, Amnesty International India does not take any position in favour of or against demands for self-determination. It, however, considers that the right to freedom of expression under the international human rights law protects the right to peacefully advocate political solutions," Rao said in the statement.

"We have received the complaint and will investigate the charges made in it. We will also look into the compact disc the activists submitted on the event's proceedings," Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) T.R. Suresh told reporters.

--IANS

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Angry protesters took to the streets in Milwaukee city in the US against the killing of an armed man by a police officer, authorities said.

A gas station and a vehicle were set on fire on Saturday night after some 100 protesters gathered near the scene of the shooting and confronted the police for about an hour, Xinhua news agency reported.

The shooting took place when two police officers pulled over a car with two suspects inside.

The suspects then began to run. In a foot chase, one police officer shot and killed the 23-year-old suspect, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The police officer was placed on administrative leave while an investigation into his conduct has been launched. The second suspect, also a 23-year-old man, was currently in custody.

The victim carried a stolen handgun and had "a lengthy arrest record", Milwaukee Police said at a news briefing.

--IANS

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Delhi's Lieutenant Governor on Sunday greeted all citizens of the capital city on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day and urged them to live up to the constitutional ideals.

"We must live up to the ideals laid down in our Constitution," Jung said in his message.

"As we remember and pay homage to all those who sacrificed and laid down their lives and delivered this hard-earned freedom to us, let us renew our pledge to serve the nation with ever greater sincerity, devotion and truth," Jung said.

He exhorted people to set an example of good citizenship and emphasised the need to treat everyone with respect and dignity, irrespective of caste, class, gender, community and religion.

He also urged them to promote amity, tolerance and mutual respect among all sections of society.
Abhimanyu Jain, 65, has been living at Ashiana Utsav, Bhiwadi, a housing project for senior citizens for the past eight years. Jain, who has two daughters, was keen to live independently after he retired as a computer engineer from software services company IBM. What he likes about this retirement community is that even a single person can live comfortably, with dining and medical facilities, lots of activities that keep residents engaged, and chores like maintenance, laundry, bill payment, etc, taken care of.
Ranchers are challenging some of the oldest water rights on Flatwillow Creek in Petroleum County  the oldest dating to 1882  in a Water Court hearing that begins at 9 a.m. Monday in the Musselshell County Courthouse in Roundup.

This is a pretty typical hearing, said Ben Sudduth, who has been appointed Water Master for the hearing that could stretch through the week.

Whats not usual is one of the parties involved, Wilks Ranch Montana LTD. The ranching corporation is owned by billionaire brothers Dan and Farris Wilks of Texas who have purchased thousands of acres of land across the state to become Montanas largest private landowners.

Other water experts have said the case also has the potential to be a landmark ruling since few cases involving an abandonment are ever heard.

Wilks Ranch, along with Petroleum County rancher Daniel Iverson, have challenged water rights claimed by Gene Klamert, owner of the Bullseye Ranch in Winnett and a part-time Billings resident. The objectors are challenging Klamerts claim to five water rights on Flatwillow Creek, a tributary to the Musselshell River that flows east from the Big Snowy Mountains. Along its winding route the creek passes through the Wilkses' NBar Ranch.

Klamert has claimed rights to 34 cfs of water from the creek for irrigation on about 800 acres of land, according to state documents. Objections can be filed against claimed water rights when they are not being used or the amount of acreage irrigated has been expanded, Sudduth explained. In this case the objectors are saying Klamerts water rights claims are inaccurate and that there may be abandonment issues, Sudduth said.

Wilks Ranch will present its case first, followed by Iverson and then Klamerts defense.

So for what may be a week of testimony, Sudduth will oversee a hearing where all three participants will call expert witnesses and present testimony in support of their argument. Once the hearing adjourns it will be up to Sudduth to render an opinion. That could take a month or more.

Sudduths Water Masters report will be given to the Water Judges who will issue an order, possibly early next year. The participants have the option to object to the report and can appeal the Water Judges ruling to the Montana Supreme Court.

Certainly I think there will be a lot of facts and evidence to sift through, Sudduth said.

Under Montana water law having a water right with an early priority date is beneficial since water is allocated on a first in time is first in right basis. The earlier the priority right the better the water right. Water rights in Montana also have value, increasing a propertys worth.

In 1973 Montana embarked on a massive water adjudication process for nearly all water rights. Claims for all existing rights were required to be filed with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation by 1982. Those who missed the filing date received a reprieve in 1993 when the Legislature allowed them to file through 1996, but at a cost of $150.

The Klamert case has been working its way through the water court for a couple of years, Sudduth said.
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) launched an online website, Sachet, to curb Ponzi schemes at an early stage, by sourcing information from individuals. A person can go to the website, www.sachet.rbi.org.in, and share information with the regulator if he thinks a company is illegally collecting money. People can also use the website to get detailed information on companies that are authorised to collect deposits and also complain if they are cheated by unauthorised operators.
The new Unified Payments Interface (UPI) by National Payments Corporation of India is expected to make mobile payments much easier. But, there is an obvious question: What will UPI change? The question becomes all the more important because it also uses the same Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) platform that all existing mobile payment platforms already use.
"Man! What a cat!" exclaimed a 30-something investment banker, unwittingly slipping back into college lingo, such was his excitement after a meeting with T V Somanathan (Tamil Nadu IAS, 1987), joint secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) handling finance and capital markets.
The National Democratic Alliance government is likely to announce a major gubernatorial reshuffle this week. Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah has been in touch with various candidates who are likely to move to Raj Bhavans. P B Acharya is holding additional charge of Assam, Kaptan Singh Solanki is in charge of both Punjab and Haryana and N N Vohra has been governor of Jammu & Kashmir from 2008.
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had summoned Nitin Patel to Delhi a couple of months earlier. The buzz was that Modi was sounding him out for eventual promotion as chief minister of Gujarat, as then incumbent Anandiben Patel had turned 75 and was expected to quit. However, what Nitin Patel got, according to sources, wasn't a pat on the back but a tongue lashing.
Saudi-led air strikes on a school in a rebel-held province of northern Yemen have killed 10 children and wounded 28 others, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Sunday.

"We received 10 dead children and 28 wounded, all under the age of 15, who are victims of air strikes on a Koranic school in Haydan," in Saada province, said MSF spokeswoman Malak Shaher, adding the attack took place on Saturday.

Shaher told AFP that MSF had received the children at a field hospital near the school before they were transferred to a public hospital.

The Iran-backed Huthi rebels posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead and bloodied children wrapped in blankets.

Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said warplanes "targeted" children at the Jomaa bin Fadhel school, in what he described as a "heinous crime".

The United Nation's children agency, UNICEF, confirmed the attack warning that "with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by air strikes, 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 law," it said.

"This includes the obligation to only target combatants and limit harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure."



Saudi Arabia reacted angrily to a decision in June to blacklist the coalition after a UN report found the Arab alliance responsible for 60% of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon had accused Saudi Arabia of threatening to cut off funding to UN aid programmes over the blacklist, a charge denied by Riyadh.

The UN says more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition air campaign began in March last year.
Ten ITBP commandos, who valiantly thwarted terrorist strikes on Indian Consulates in Afghanistan, have been accorded top police gallantry medals on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.

The attacks took place at the Indian Consulates of Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad on January 3 and March 2. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police was tasked to provide security to the Indian Embassy in capital Kabul and the four Consulates, with Heart and Kandahar being the other two.

The Indian facilities in Afghanistan face threats from al-Qaeda and other affiliated terrorist groups.

While ITBP Inspector Subhash Chandra, Head Constable Virendra Singh and Constable Sunil Bisht have been decorated with the country's top President Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG), seven others including Inspector Dinesh Sharma, HC Mohardhwaj and Constables Sandeep Ghosh, Harinandan Gurunani, Satish Kumar, Ravinder Singh and Bhupender Singh have been awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG).

The citation for the men of the mountain-trained force said their "quick reaction with total disregard to their own safety and braving intense hostile gun and rocket fire resulted in elimination and injury to terrorists and compelled other fidayeens to run for shelter in adjacent buildings."



It said the commandos "firmly stood their ground amidst heavy firing of rocket shells and bullets" on both the occasions when these vital Indian assets in Afghanistan came under attack.

It said that during the Jalalabad attack, the ITBP men "exercised exemplary fire discipline and valour by not retaliating with in-discriminatory fire otherwise such action would have invited collateral loss to the arriving Afghan reinforcements."



The 85,000 personnel strong force, raised in the aftermath of the 1962 Chinese conflict, has earlier too received gallantry decorations for its work in Afghanistan including military medals.

The force is primarily tasked to guard the 3,488 km-long Sino-India frontier apart from rendering a variety of internal security duties including conducting anti-Naxal operations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ten ITBP commandos including a non-combatised trooper working as barber, who valiantly thwarted terrorist strikes on Indian Consulates in Afghanistan, have been accorded top police gallantry medals on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.

The attacks took place at the Indian Consulates of Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad on January 3 and March 2.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police was tasked to provide security to the Indian Embassy in capital Kabul and the four Consulates, with Heart and Kandahar being the other two.

The Indian facilities in Afghanistan face threats from al-Qaeda and other affiliated terrorist groups.

While ITBP Inspector Subhash Chandra, Head Constable Virendra Singh and Constable Sunil Bisht have been decorated with the country's top President Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG), seven others including Inspector Dinesh Sharma, HC Mohardhwaj and Constables Sandeep Ghosh, Harinandan Gurunani, Satish Kumar, Ravinder Singh and Bhupender Singh have been awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG).

Satish stands out of the lot as he was deployed with the ITBP unit as a barber but with terrorists mounting heavy gunfire on the Mazar-i-sharif consulate, he grabbed a rifle and made good use of his firing skills imparted as part of basic weapon handling during induction into the border guarding force.

Officials said paramilitary forces recruit staff in various ranks like barber, cobbler, washerman and cook to aid regular combat units and they are trained to pick a weapon and fight only under extreme circumstances.

"Kumar was the lone who was recruited in the non-combatised ranks of the force.

But he fought shoulder-to-shoulder with his buddies," a senior official said.

The citation for the men including Satish said their "quick reaction with total disregard to their own safety and braving intense hostile gun and rocket fire resulted in elimination and injury to terrorists and compelled other fidayeens to run for shelter in adjacent buildings.

It said the commandos "firmly stood their ground amidst heavy firing of rocket shells and bullets" on both the occasions when these vital Indian assets in Afghanistan came under attack.

It said that during the Jalalabad attack, the ITBP men "exercised exemplary fire discipline and valour by not retaliating with in-discriminatory fire otherwise such action would have invited collateral loss to the arriving Afghan reinforcements."



The 85,000 personnel strong ITBP, raised in the aftermath of the 1962 Chinese conflict, has earlier too received gallantry decorations for its work in Afghanistan including military medals.

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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 on 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 about 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's body 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 60 feet 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 25, 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.
Eleven "hardcore terrorists" have been arrested in a combing operation by the army here with a huge cache of arms and ammunition seized from their hideout, on the eve of Pakistan's Independence Day.

The operation was launched yesterday on an intelligence report about the presence of terrorists in the suburbs of Lahore, an official of the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

The operation continued for more than three hours and led to the arrest of 11 members of a sleeper cell of a terrorist organisation. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also seized, the official was quoted as saying by Dawn .

Two of the arrested terrorists belong to Jamaatul Ahrar, a splinter group of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the report said quoting sources.

Earlier, the Punjab home department had issued an alert, warning that Taliban's Fazlullah group had sent two suicide attackers to strike at the Wagah border near Lahore or the Ganda Singh border in Kasur.

The alert advised the authorities to enhance vigilance at the two places and improve security measures to prevent any untoward incident.

According to the spokesman for the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), 96 combing operations were recently conducted in various cities of Punjab, during which 45 suspected terrorists were arrested and booked in 16 FIRs.

Arms, ammunition and explosive material were seized from the possession of 16 suspects. Besides, as many as 3,373 people have also been questioned.

In Lahore, the CTD detained more than 150 suspects during a combing operation in various areas, including Saddar, Iqbal Town, Cantonment and City divisions.

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Two international narcotics traffickers were arrested with smack worth about Rs 1 crore in the street market, police said here today.

Rafat and Nanhe Khan were arrested last night during a routine checking from Katra area with 600 gms smack worth about Rs 1 crore, Superintendent of Police, Rural, Ramesh Bhartiya said.

During interrogation the two told police that they used to smuggle smack from Nepal and used to sell it in Punjab, Haryana and other states.

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Two youths allegedly involved in several cases of snatching in Delhi and neighbouring areas have been arrested here, police said today.

Sachin and Nasruddin were arrested during a police checking at Vikas Marg.

"Two boys on a scooty came towards the police picket at Vikas Marg and turned back in wrong side. On seeing this, the police chased them and caught them," the police said.

"Four mobile phones were seized from their possession," they said in a statement.

Police recovered four more mobile phones and two motorcycles snatched by them and their associates.

Sachin belongs to Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh while Nasruddin is a Delhi resident.

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Emergency crews worked through the night to rescue scores of south Louisiana residents from homes and stranded cars as deadly flooding continued to inundate large swaths of the region today, three days after rain-swollen water levels began rapidly rising.

Mike Steele, spokesman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said there was an overnight spike in flood rescues in the eastern part of Baton Rouge. He said two nursing homes in that area were being evacuated.

Police also were rescuing people from dozens of cars that were stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12, which was closed from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa Parish.

"It never slowed down last night," Steele said today morning. "For the last few hours, there has been just as much activity as at any point."



Steele said the flooding that started Friday has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 homes in Livingston Parish, and hundreds more in other areas, including St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

At least three deaths have been blamed on the flooding.

Steele said the Louisiana Nation Guard alone had rescued more than 3,000 people from floodwaters as of midnight, and that number was bound to continue rising today.

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.

The governor toured flood-ravaged areas by helicopter later yesterday after rivers and creeks burst their banks and warned Louisiana residents it would be too risky to venture out even after the rains start to subside.

In addition to the three confirmed deaths, Edwards said, at least one person is missing.

One of the worries, the governor said, is that as the rain lessens in the next several hours, people will become complacent and feel too at ease in areas 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.

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Five fishermen from the Sundarbans in West Bengal, who went missing following the August 8 cyclonic storm and heavy rains in deep sea, have been found dead while 15 of them were rescued in a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and Bangladeshi Navy.

Another 10 are still missing in the Bay of Bengal operations are on for rescuing them, officials said today.

Five fishermen who were in 'FB (fishing boat) Mahagouri', which is feared to have been capsized in the high sea, were found dead by the Coast Guard while two of them have been rescued, Coast Guard officials said.

"The other boat 'FB Prosenjit' has been located along the international waters and 13 fishermen have been found to be safe," South 24 Parganas District Magistrate P B Salim told PTI.

Two Indian fishing boats had drifted to the Bangladesh side and Indian Coast Guard and the Bangladeshi navy are conducting a joint operation for rescuing them.

On the intervening night between August 7 and August 8 about 200 trawlers from South 24 Parganas had ventured to the high seas and eight of them went missing in the cyclonic storm, Salim said.

"Team from the Coast Guard, district rescue teams and the fishermen associations are running a search and rescue operations and we could find six trawlers to be safe," he said.

The Bangladeshi naval ships and Indian Coast Guard ships along with a Dornier aircraft are doing a joint search and rescue operation constantly.

"Most of the operations are now going on near the International Maritime Boundary Line area," a Coast Guard official said.

One fisherman was rescued and bodies of five others were found floating in the Bay of Bengal this morning about 130 km off Jambudwip in the Sundarbans, West Bengal Fishermen Association chairman Joykrishna Haldar said.

Another six fishermen were rescued by Bangladesh coastal police and handed over to the Association last night near Kendo near the maritime boundary with Bangladesh, he said.

Halder and the Association secretary Bijon Maiti claimed the fishermen were among the 30 who went missing after going out in four trawlers and the Association had launched an independent search using ten trawlers.

The rescued fisherman, who was identified as Nirmal Jana, was found floating in a life jacket, they said adding the five bodies were brought to the hospital here by the Association.

Coast Guard had earlier rescued over 250 fishermen in 18



fishing trawlers in one of the biggest search and rescue operations in the Bay of Bengal.

The fishermen had ventured out to catch Hilsa in the sea on August one.

"We have been saying that four more trawlers with 30 fishermen are still missing. Had the search been conducted by us and Coast Guard together we could have provided timely help," Halder and Maiti said.

Two of the four missing trawlers have been identified as 'FB(fishing boat) Mahagouri' and 'FB Pallabi', he said.

Three of the fishermen whose bodies were found today had gone out to the sea in 'FB Mahagouri'. Another body was identified as that of the 'sareng' (the main fisherman) Haripada Das of 'FB Pallabi'.

All the four hailed from Kakdwip.The person who was rescued was a fisherman in 'FB Mahagouri'.

Sundarbans development minister Manturam Pakhira said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia to the kin of each of the five dead fishermen.

The government, she said, will pay for the treatment of the rescued fishermen.

(Reopens Cal4)



In Dhaka, a Navy spokesman said that Bangladesh overnight launched a massive rescue campaign deploying navy and coast guards look for missing Indian fishermen in the coastlines after an Indian fishing boat sank at the coastlines of the Sundarbans.

"We have joined salvage campaign late yesterday night deploying a patrol aircraft and two navy ships BNS Sangu and BNS SA Amin... The (Bangladesh) coast guard also are with us with three hi-speed boats in the bay for the missing fishermen," the spokesman told
There are 886 private TV channels functioning in the country, while the Information and Broadcasting Ministry cancelled the licences of 149 till July this year, according to official data.

According to I&B Ministry figures as on July 31, the government accorded permission to 1,035 private channels to operate in the country. It also cancelled the permissions granted to run 149 channels.

The number of Permitted Private Satellite TV Channels in India is 886 of which 399 are and current affairs channels, as per official data.

There are 768 TV channels which are permitted for uplink from India and also downlink into India. Of these 377 are channels.

There are 96 TV channels which are permitted to only Downlink into India and are uplinked from aboard. Of these 15 are channels.

Twenty two TV channels in the country are permitted for uplink from India but not allowed to downlink. Of these 7 are news channels.

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At least nine policemen were killed in Taliban attacks on checkpoints in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan, while another two were killed in the east, security officials said on Sunday.

Gen. Noor Habib Gulbahari, police chief of Baghlan, said three police checkpoints in the Baghlan-e-Markazi district were attacked by insurgents on Saturday night.

He also said five insurgents were killed and three wounded in the ensuing gun battles. Fighting was ongoing elsewhere in the region, he added.

In eastern Nuristan province, two police officers were killed and nine were wounded in an attack on a district headquarters in the early hours on Sunday, said Gen. Akramudin Sareh, the provincial police chief.

Sareh said around a dozen insurgents were killed in the battle in Waygul district. "Afghan security forces repelled a huge attack," he said.

He also confirmed that sporadic gun battles are ongoing in the area. Nuristan is a remote, mountainous and largely impassable region bordering Pakistan; its population is known for their green eyes and red hair.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the two attacks, adding that the attackers had seized equipment from the police.

Taliban fighters frequently attack police checkpoints as they are easy targets and present opportunities to seize vehicles, weapons and ammunition.

Authorities want to reduce and consolidate the checkpoints, but local residents frequently say they feel safer with them.

In eastern Paktika province, more than 20 insurgents were killed by an air strike in Khoshamand district on Thursday night, according to Gen. Khalilullah Ziayee, the provincial police chief. He said the insurgent base was targeted by ground forces backed by air strikes.
Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand's hunt for a second victory continued as he played out his seventh draw in eight games in the eighth and penultimate round of Sinquefiled Cup, part of the Grand Chess tour, here today.

A draw with Veselin Topalov leaves Anand still joint second and the Indian will have a tall task on hand to try and force matters with black pieces against Peter Svidler of Russia in the ninth and final round game.

Wesley So of United States continued to lead the tables by playing it out safe against compatriot Fabiano Caruana and took his tally to 5 points to remain a bit ahead of the field.

Armenian Levon Aronian cashed in on his chances against American Hikaru Nakamura to liven things up a bit in the race for title. Aronian won with white pieces against Nakamura who had been sick the previous night and just could not pose any real threats.

In the other two games of the ten-player round robin tournament, top seed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew with Ding Liren of China while Peter Svidler rose to form to beat Anish Giri of Holland.

With just one round to come now, Aronian, Topalov and Anand trail Wesley by a half point and it will be an interesting final round wherein Wesley has to meet Vachier-Lagrave who is tied fourth and in need of a victory to catch up.

In case of a tied scores at the top, tiebreak games of shorter duration will be played to determine the winner.

Anand tried hard but the victory eluded the Indian ace yet again. The enterprising battle arose from Berlin defense wherein Anand had his knight stranded in the corner for a long time but Topalov was saddled with a tripled pawn in the bargain.

Anand's attempt at creating more weaknesses did not work even though his position remained preferable. To Topalov's credit, accurate and active play held the balance for the Bulgarian. There were many interesting pitfalls for both players along the way to a well-fought draw.

As part of the Grand Chess tour, the event carries a total prize pool of USD 300000 out of which USD 75000 is reserved for the winner.

This being the third leg, the final event of the year will be the London Classic in December.

Results round 8: V Anand (Ind, 4.5) drew with Veselin Topalov (Arm, 4); Anish Giri (Ned, 3) lost to Peter Svidler (Rus, 3); Wesley So (Usa, 5) drew with Fabiano Caruana (Usa, 4); Levon Aronian (Arm, 4.5) beat Hikaru Nakamura (Usa, 3.5); Ding Liren (Chn, 4) drew with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra, 4).

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The official Independence Day celebrations in Andhra Pradesh will be held in Anantapuramu town this year.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will unfurl the Tricolour at a state function at Police Training College in Anantapuramu and review the parade, an official release said.

In 2014, months after the state's bifurcation, Independence Day was celebrated in Kurnool, which was once the capital of the erstwhile Andhra state.

Last year, port city Visakhapatnam became the venue, while this year the government chose Anantapuramu for Independence Day celebrations as Vijayawada, the current functional capital of the state, is busy with 'Krishna Pushkaram'.

In a statement here this evening, the Chief Minister extended greetings to everyone on the eve of Independence Day and recalled the services of freedom fighters and nation-builders on the occasion.

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Romanian national Gabriel Marian, arrested in connection with the sensational hi-tech ATM fraud case here, was today taken to various five star hotels, where he had stayed along with his accomplices, for evidence taking, police said.

Yesterday, the accused was taken to the ATM kiosk near here from where he had tampered with the ATM to swindle money.

Police today confirmed that five Romanians were involved in the case and four of them had fled the country, while one had been arrested.

Police also released a CCTV footage of an Indian accomplice of the accused, who is seen withdrawing money from an ATM at Navi Mumbai.

They are also planning to seek Interpol's help to collect details of similar kind of frauds elsewhere.

A court has remanded the 35-year-old Marian to police custody till August 22.

According to the FIR filed by police in court, the accused had illegally managed to "secure" bank data for swindling money from the customers who came to the SBI ATM counter at Althara in the city and then conspired and manufactured fake ATM cards with the data obtained and withdrew money from ATMs in Mumbai.

At least 22 persons have filed complaints before police and bank officials regarding withdrawal of their money from the ATM counter.

As per a preliminary assessment, customers have lost about Rs 2.5 lakh from their accounts.

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Against the backdrop of attacks on Dalits and minorities, President Pranab Mukherjee today said these incidents should be dealt with "firmly", calling the violence against "weaker sections" that militate against the national ethos as "aberrations".

Coming down heavily on forces of intolerance, Mukherjee cautioned against "unmindful pursuit" of a divisive political agenda and polarising debates by groups and individuals, saying they lead to institutional "travesty" and constitutional "subversion".

The President also made it clear that democracy was not just about exercising choice to elect government periodically.

In his address to the nation on the eve of India's 70th Independence Day--his fifth since assuming office, the President asked authorities and Institutions of State Power to adhere to the "Maryada"(dignity) in discharge of their duties as established in this ancient Indian ethos.

"In these four years, I also saw with, some disquiet, forces of divisiveness and intolerance trying to raise their ugly head. Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly," he said.

The President said the collective wisdom of our society and our polity gave him the confidence that such forces will remain marginalised and India's remarkable growth story will continue uninterrupted.

"The great tree of liberty requires constant nourishment through the institutions of democracy. Disruptions, obstructionism and unmindful pursuit of a divisive political agenda by groups and individuals lead to nothing but institutional travesty and Constitutional subversion. Polarising debates only deepen the fault lines in public discourse," he said.

Mukherjee said the Constitution has clearly defined the duties and responsibilities of every organ of the state.

"It has established the ancient Indian ethos of "Maryada" as far as Authorities and Institutions of State power are concerned. The spirit of the Constitution has to be upheld by adherence to this "Maryada" by the functionaries in the discharge of their duties," he said.

The President said India will grow, only when all of India grows.

"The excluded ones have to be included in the development process. The hurt and the alienated have to be brought back into the mainstream," he added.

The President said for all the challenges faced by the



country, he has a great belief in our innate and inherent capacity as an ancient country whose soul and 'jijivisha- the will to live and excel' can never be suppressed.

"Various forces external as well as internal have tried to smother this soul of India over millennia but every time this soul has emerged more powerful and more glorious having neutralised, assimilated and incorporated every challenge that it faced," he said.

Making a plea for promoting scientific temper and questioning unscientific beliefs, the President said, "We must learn to challenge the status quo and refuse to accept inefficiency and slipshod work. In a competitive environment, a sense of immediacy and some impatience is a necessary virtue."



"We often celebrate the achievements of our ancient past but it would be wrong to rest on our laurels. It is much more important to look to the future. It is time to join hands to cooperate, innovate and advance," the President said.

Mukherjee said India's focus in foreign policy will remain on peaceful co-existence and harnessing technology and resources for its economic development.

"Recent initiatives have enhanced energy security, promoted food security, and created international partnerships to take our flagship development programmes forward," he said.

The President said rhere will be no stepping back on our "neighbourhood first policy".

"Close bonds of history, culture, civilisation and geography provide the people of South Asia with an extraordinary opportunity to carve out a common destiny and to march together towards prosperity. This opportunity must be seized without delay," he said.

Expressing concerns over global terror activities and radicalisation in the name of religion, the President said,"these forces apart from killing innocent people in the name of religion also threaten to disturb geopolitical divides, which could prove disastrous for world peace.

"The inhuman, mindless and barbaric modus operandi of such groups have been visible in France, Belgium, United States, Nigeria, Kenya and closer home in Afghanistan and Bangladesh recently," Mukherjee said.

He said these forces now pose a danger to the entire comity of nations and the world will have to fight them unconditionally and in one voice.

The President said when India gained freedom in 1947,



nobody believed that India will survive as a democracy yet, seven decades later, one and a quarter billion Indians with all their diversity have proved those forecasts wrong.

"The strong edifice of democracy built by our founding fathers on the four pillars of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity has withstood several threats from both within and without and has grown from strength to strength," he said.

The President said in the past four years, he has seen with some satisfaction a stable and progressive democracy in full play with peaceful transfer of power from one party to another, from one government to another, and from one generation to another.

"Notwithstanding the different hues of political thought, I have seen the ruling party and the opposition coming together in pursuit of national agenda of development, unity, integrity and security of the nation.

"In the just-concluded session of Parliament, the passage of the Constitution Amendment Bill for the introduction of GST amidst non-partisan and quality parliamentary deliberations is reason enough to celebrate our democratic maturity," he said.

The President said our Constitution is not only a political or legal document but also an emotional, cultural and social contract.

Citing famous speech of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru "tryst with destiny", the President said it is true that in a nation's history, moments come when we step out from the old to the new, when the soul of a nation finds utterance.

"But it is also important to realise that such moments are not strokes of luck that come upon us by surprise. A nation can and must strive to create such a moment."



"We must take destiny in our own hands to build the India of our dreams. Backed by strong political will, we have to create a future which will economically empower six hundred million youth, build a digital India, a start-up India, and a skilled India.

"As we build an India of hundreds of smart cities, towns and villages, we must ensure that they are humane, hi-tech and happy places leading to the creation of a technology-driven but compassionate society," he said.
An internal audit of (PR), beleaguered by cumulative losses of over Rs 28 billion and a number of corruption scandals, has pinpointed misappropriation of funds worth Rs 10 billion in its latest report.

According to the report, 4147.8 acres of railway land in Dera Ghazi Khan sub-division Multan (Punjab province) worth Rs 4,147.8 million is no more in possession of the railways.

"It has been illegally occupied and some part of it sold in connivance with the railways officials," the report alleged, with fingers being pointed towards Railways Minister Khawaja SaadRafique.

The audit report also points to another illegality in PR - irregular expenditure on account of 75 DE Locos project worth Rs 3,497.2 million.

The audit says "unauthorised" reduction of approved scope of work and irregular transfer of material to other projects of railways caused a loss of Rs 1,300 million.

"Loss of revenue worth Rs 37.9 million due to un-authorisation of railway land besides unjustified payment of Rs 10 million on account of TA/DA has been made," the report said.

In another scandal, the management of four trains - Khushhal Khan Khattak (KKK) Express, Bolan Mail, Hazara Express and Fareed Express - have allegedly been given to the favourites of the minister in violation of the rules.

According to the report, the railways has put the 'Public Procurement Rules 2004' on the back burner by amending articles of bid document while entering into an agreement for outsourcing the commercial management of these trains to the "favourite parties".

Saad Rafique, who is on a 20-day holiday trip to Europe, could not be reached for his comments.

PR Chairperson Parveen Agha denied Rafique's involvement in the corruption scandals.

"The PR is trying to improve the state of affairs and will fix the responsibility on the officials involved in corruption," she said.

is in deep financial mess and its losses have surpassed Rs 28 billion.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has promised, during his election speeches, to turn around both Pakistan Airlines (PIA) and the PR.

However, no visible improvement has been witnessed in both organisations so far.

PIA is facing an accumulative loss of over Rs 300 billion while PR is still lagging behind to meet its deficit.
A 55-year old Bangladeshi-American Imam at a mosque here and his assistant have been shot dead from point blank range by a lone gunman in broad daylight amid growing concerns across America over rising Islamophobic rhetoric.

Police said Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, 64, were walking home after midday prayers at Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque yesterday when they were approached from behind by a male with medium complexion who was dressed in a dark polo shirt and shorts.

According to witnesses and video surveillance, immediately after the victims were shot, the same male was seen fleeing from the scene with a gun in his hand. Both victims were dressed in Islamic attire at the time of the shooting. The lone gunman still remains at large.

Responding to multiple emergency calls, police found Akonjee and Uddin with gunshot wounds to the head. They were both taken to a local hospital, where Akonjee died as a result of his injuries. Uddin was also in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries.

Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said that currently a motive has not been determined and "there's nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith."



He said the police is conducting an extensive "canvass of the area for video and additional witnesses".

No arrests have been made so far and the investigation is ongoing, Sautner said.

The New York chapter of Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organisation Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it has reported an unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide since Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump's "bigoted call for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States."



The group called for the perpetrators of the killings to be immediately brought to justice.

"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."



Scores of worshipers from the mosque gathered within hours at the murder scene to denounce the cold-blooded ambush as a hate crime.

"That's not what America is about," said local resident Khairul Islam. "We blame Donald Trump for this. Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia."



Akonjee, a father of three, was a respected religious leader who had arrived in Queens from Bangladesh less than two years ago.

Shahin Chowdhury, a worshipper at the mosque, said members of the community had felt animosity lately and he had advised fellow community members to be careful walking around, especially when in traditional clothing.

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: Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, Chief Minister VNarayanasamy, ministers and legislators will take part the 55th De Jure Transfer Day of Puducherry celebrations at a border village on August 16.

Sources in the Directorate of Information and Publicity Directorate sources told PTI that they would participate in the celebration at the border village of Kizhoor and felicitate the freedom fighters of Puducherry that day.

Kizhoor was the venue for the referendum in October 1954 andthe overwhelming verdict favoured liberation of Puducherry and its constituent regions from French regime, paving the way for the merger of Puducherrywith Indian Union.

The de facto merger took place in 1954 and this was followed by de jure transfer of power on August 16, 1962.

Puducherry Freedom Fighters Movement President D Sivaradjou told PTI a detailed letter had been written to the Home Ministry seeking the Centre's directives to government to hold the function on Aug 16 to highlight the significance of the day.

August 16 is a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act in the Union Territory of Puducherry.

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Taking serious note of the death of a BJP supporter during a clash between party workers and police in Narhi area, the Uttar Pradesh government has suspended the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police for alleged dereliction of duty.

"Ballia District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar and SP M K Jha were suspended by the government late yesterday night," an official spokesman said in Lucknow.

The trouble started after five cows were recovered from a vehicle on Friday during a routine checking, following which an FIR was registered against BJP worker Chandrama Yadav and another person.

Thereafter, BJP MLA Upendra Tiwari and his supporters, including Yadav, staged a dharna in front of Narahi police station to protest the registration of the FIR, police said.

Efforts were made to pacify the MLA and his supporters but they did not relent and when police tried to evict them, they indulged in stone pelting.

The police then lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the irate crowd.

District BJP chief Vinod Dubey alleged that police used batons and opened fire at the party workers, leading to the death of BJP worker Vinod Rai (38) and injury to 50 others.

Besides the BJP MLA, an FIR has been registered against 43 named persons and 300-400 unnamed persons in the incident, the spokesman said.

An FIR was also registered against Ballia ADM Bache Lal Maurya, and 11 policemen including Narahi station officer Rajesh on complaint of BJP worker Gopal Rai's, he said.

Sub Inspector at Nahari police station Rajesh Yadav was earlier put under suspension, he said.

Heavy police force has been deployed to bring the situation under control and a magisterial inquiry ordered into the incident.
Britain may remain a member of the European Union (EU) until 2019, a year longer than previously estimated, a media report today said.

Prime Minister Theresa May has been expected to enact Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty in January 2017, setting in motion the formal two years of negotiations before Brexit.

However, she may be forced to delay it because her new Brexit and international trade departments will not be ready, the Sunday Times quoted sources as saying.

French and German elections are also being cited as a cause for delay.

Britain might not invoke Article 50 until France has voted next May or until after the German poll in September.

A UK cabinet minister has also reportedly confirmed to the Sunday Times that there were "some challenges" in the French and German electoral timetables.

David Davis, secretary for Exiting the European Union, and Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, had indicated after May appointed them that they expected Britain to leave at the start of 2019.

However, their new government departments are being set up from scratch and the situation is reportedly "chaotic".

Another senior government insider told the newspaper there was uncertainty about preparatory talks with EU leaders, in which Britain would try to reach understandings on key issues before triggering Article 50.

"The prime minister has been clear that a top priority for this government is to deliver the decision of the British people to leave the EU and to make a success of Brexit. The PM has set out the government's position on Article 50 and has established a new department dedicated to taking forward the negotiations," said a Downing Street spokesperson.

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The budget session of the Puducherry assembly will begin on August 24.

A release from the Secretary to the Assembly A.Vincent Rayar said today that the session will begin at 9.30 a.M.

Sources close to the Speaker V.Vaithilingam told PTI that the session has been reconvened by the Speaker and will begin with the customary address by Lt Governor.

This is the first budget session of the Congress ministry led by V Narayanasamy which assumed charge on June 6 with the support of DMK from the outside.

A full-fledged budget could not be presented by the previous AINRC ministry headed by N.Rangasamy as the code of conduct in connection with the May 16 assembly polls was in force.

The then government adopted Vote on Account (Appropriation) Bill earmarking Rs 3,550 crore to the government to meet its routine expenditure during the first six months (April to September) of fiscal 2016-2017.

The party wise strength of elected members in the 30-member Assembly--Congress (15 including Speaker), DMK (two) AINRC (eight) AIADMK (four) and Independent (one). Narayanasamy is a non-member and is set to face an election to become a member.

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A notorious burglar has been arrested in connection with three thefts in the posh Pandara Road area in Lutyens Delhi, with the help of CCTV footage, police said today.

Three burglaries were reported from Pandara Road area in July in which valuables including jewelleries and silver wares were stolen, said Jatin Narwal, DCP (New Delhi).

In one burglary the accused had not only stolen jewelleries and valuables but also the taken away DVR of CCTV camera installed at the residence of a police officer which he had targeted.

During investigation cops were hard pressed for clues and luckily they spotted the accused in a CCTV footage several hundred meters away from one of the burgled house unfurling his handkerchief in a distinctive style.

The accused Manish, 24, was later arrested as he was caught earlier in burglary case of Sarojini Nagar area, said the officer.

During interrogation, Manish gave the name of his associates Neeraj and Dinesh who executed burglaries while he waited with escape vehicle.

Two silver tumblers stolen by the accused were recovered from him. Efforts are on to nab his associates, added the officer.

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China has asked the Tibetan Buddhist monks to resist influence of "foreign forces" to ensure stability in Tibet.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the national advisory body Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee has called on religious figures in Tibet to resist the influence of "foreign forces", to ensure stability in the autonomous region, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Yu, the official in-charge of China's minorities, however has not specified the identity of the foreign forces.

He made the remarks while visiting Qamdo, Tibet, in the last two days where he visited businesses, hospitals and lamaseries.

China terms the Dalai Lama as a separatist and blames the unrest in the Himalayan region on him and his followers.

VisitingGalden Jampaling Monastery, Yu urged religious figures in Tibet to carry forward their patriotic traditions and guide their followers in the region to safeguard national and ethnic unity.

He called on local authorities to defend the religious freedom of all ethnic groups. He also said officials should protect monasteries and ensure a normal religious life for adherents.

Work shouldsupport "representative personages of Tibetan Buddhism to interpret religious doctrines in line with socialist core values, and help Tibetan Buddhism better adapt to socialist society," he said.

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The Saudi-led coalition today denied targeting a Yemeni school in air strikes that killed 10 children, instead saying it bombed a camp at which Iran-backed rebels train underage soldiers.

Doctors Without Borders, a Paris-based relief agency also known as MSF, said the children were killed yesterday in coalition raids on a school in Haydan, a town in rebel-held Saada province.

The coalition of Arab states has been battling the Huthi rebels since 2015 after the insurgents seized Sanaa before expanding to other parts of the country.

Ten days ago it acknowledged "shortcomings" in two out of eight cases it has investigated of strikes on civilian targets in Yemen that the UN has condemned.

Coalition spokesman General Ahmed Assiri said the strikes hit a Huthi training camp, killing militia fighters including a leader identified as Yehya Munassar Abu Rabua.

"The site that was bombed... Is a major training camp for militia," he told AFP. "Why would children be at a training camp?"



Yemen's government had confirmed to the coalition that "there is no school in this area", he said.

Assiri said MSF's toll "confirms the Huthis' practice of recruiting and subjecting children to terror".

"They... Use them as scouts, guards, messengers and fighters," he said, noting previous reports from Human Rights Watch on the rebels' use of underage recruits.

"When jets target training camps, they cannot distinguish between ages," Assiri said.

MSF spokeswoman Malak Shaher said those killed in the strikes on "a Koranic school" were all under 15.

She called on "all parties to take the measures necessary to protect civilians".

But Assiri criticised the organisation for overlooking the issue of child soldiers.

"We would have hoped MSF would take measures to stop the recruitment of children to fight in wars instead of crying over them in the media," he said.

The United Nation's children agency, UNICEF, also reported the attack.

It warned that "with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by air strikes, street fighting and landmines has grown sharply".

The rebels posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead children wrapped in blankets.

Assiri sent AFP pictures of Huthi children carrying rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said warplanes "targeted" children at the Jomaa bin Fadhel school, in what he called a "heinous crime".

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Senior Congress MP Mullappally Ramachandran today asked the Centre to refer to CBI the murder case of T P Chandrasekharan, saying it is a fit case for a probe by the central investigation agency.

His statement comes two days after an IUML activist was hacked to death in Nadapuram area in his Lok Sabha constituency Vadakara, allegedly by CPI(M) workers.

Ramachandran today shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the Centre's decision not to have the Chandrasekharan case investigated by CBI was "received with anguish and despair" by people of north Kerala. A similar letter was also sent to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Referring to the Centre's communication that the murder of Chandrashekaran in 2012 was not a fit case for CBI probe, he said "All political parties and right thinking people were fervently hoping to put an end to political violence and murders that had been going on for decades."



He said people were looking forward to a positive response as BJP also has been campaigning for referring the case to CBI for further investigation into the political conspiracy behind the murder.

"If an inquiry had been conducted by an agency like CBI people by and large strongly believe that the real conspirators behind this murder would have been exposed.

"I still believe that some prominent political leaders are involved in the conspiracy. They have been allowed to go scot-free as the conspiracy angle of the case has not been thoroughly investigated. I repeat that the Chandrashekaran murder case is a fit case for CBI to probe," he said.

Eleven persons, three of them local CPI(M) functionaries, were sentenced to life in the murder case by a special court in Kozhikode. Eight of them were members of the gang that allegedly hacked to death Marxist rebel Chandrasekharan while three others were CPI(M) activists who were found to have plotted the murder. However, there have been demands from various quarters for a CBI probe into the case.

Ramachandran said only 80 days have lapsed since the CPI(M)-led LDF government assumed charge and "during this short span of time, 60 murders have taken place. This is a sad and unprecedented record. Two political murders have occurred within 25 days in my constituency".

He also referred to Singh's visit to north Kerala to assess the volatile political situation there and urged Modi to refer the case to CBI.

"Such a step would definitely make way for putting an end to the series of political murders that are taking place in the north Malabar region of Kerala," he said.

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Accusing Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit of repeatedly scuttling the peace process between India and Pakistan, the state BJP today demanded that the Union government declare the diplomat a 'persona non-grata'.

"The Government of India must declare Abdul Basit a persona non-grata and expel him immediately," party spokesman, Brig (retd) Anil Gupta said here.

The BJP leader said Basit's controversial statements on Kashmir and his act of dedicating Pakistan's Independence Day today "to the independence of Kashmir" are blatant breaches of diplomatic protocol.

"Basit has on earlier occasions also crossed the 'Red Line', which was ignored by the government. Yet he continues to misuse his diplomatic immunity by meddling in India's internal affairs," Gupta said.

He said the Pakistani diplomat has "thrown to wind all the diplomatic niceties and was behaving like a spokesperson of the Pakistani 'deep state' attempting to provoke the Indian government and such a person has no locus-standi to stay on the Indian soil."



"Basit was responsible for scuttling the commencement of the likely peace process when he insisted on consultations with Kashmiri separatist leaders despite India's objection just prior to the scheduled meeting of foreign secretaries of the two countries," Gupta said.

He said Basit has not only been interacting with the separatists but also issuing provocative statements.

"It is surprising that Pakistan is not seeing the writing on wall in its country which is heading towards disintegration with freedom movements having peaked in PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan and continues to dream of taking away Kashmir," he said.

Earlier in the day, Basit said Pakistan was dedicating its Independence Day today to Kashmir's "freedom" and will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state.

He made the comments at an event at the Pakistan High Commission to celebrate his country's Independence Day.

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Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday expressed dismay at West Bengal Chief Minister giving a miss to the launch of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) here.

"I am dismayed at the absence of at the launch of PMUY, a programme which is meant for the poor," Pradhan said.

"I had personally sent an invitation to the Chief Minister through my officials. Ministers Jyotipriyo Mullick and Sovandeb Chatterjee were also invited. But none have come," he said.

The Union minister said he was like "Banerjee's younger brother. We are, may be, from different political parties. But politics should not come in the way of development."



"We went ahead with the programme on our own," he said.
Five Indian fishermen died and 20 are still reported missing after their fishing boats which had drifted away into Bangladeshi waters during a cyclonic storm capsized in the rough seas, officials said today,



According to the Indian Coast Guard, which is conducting search and rescue operations jointly with the Bangladesh Coast Guard, fishing boat 'Mahagauri' with 17 crew members had drifted across the international maritime boundary line (IMBL) and capsized.

One crew of the capsized boat Anup Das was rescued by a Bangladeshi fishing boat and handed over to an Indian fishing boat near the IMBL.

Five bodies were found from near the capsized boat which has been found south of Heron Point in Bangladeshi waters, officials said.

The boat is in upside down position and is being towed to the nearest landing point where it will be turned to check for any more bodies trapped within.

In the meantime, another fisherman Nirmal Jana has been rescued while ten fishermen of the boat are still untraceable.

Another fishing boat 'Prosenjit', also feared to have been capsized in the rough seas, is still missing. It is estimated that there might be around ten fishermen in it, officials said.

Inspector General K R Nautiyal, Coast Guard Commander (north east) said, "each life at sea is precious to us and our assets will comb the area for survivors".

South 24 Parganas District Magistrate P B Salim told PTI that on the intervening night between August 7 and August 8 about 200 trawlers from the district had ventured to the high seas and eight of them went missing in the cyclonic storm.

Later on six of them were found to be safe.

"A joint search and rescue mission is being undertaken by Indian Coast Guard and Bangladeshi Coast Guard within Bangladeshi waters. BNS Amin and BNS Sangu are the two Bangladeshi ships that have joined the operation. Indian coast guard ship Sarojini Naidu is in the area and is being joined by Coast Guard Ship Rajkiran shortly," Coast Guard officials said.

Joint aerial surveillance by Indian coast guard Dornier aircrafts and maritime patrol aircrafts of Bangladeshi coast guard is in progress.

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Five youths from Punjab drowned while taking bath in a swollen rivulet near Dehra in Kangra district this morning while two others were rescued.

The pilgrims, hailing from Rihan Kalan in Hoshiarpur, were returning after paying obeisance at Jawalamukhi temple. They went deep into Nakaid Khud for taking bath, ignoring the warning board, and were swept away by the gushing waters, SP, Kangra, Sanjeev Gandhi said.

Two of the seven pilgrims, including 14-year-old Arash Deep, were rescued by the locals while the bodies of five were fished out with help of local people and sent for post mortem to Dehra hospital.

The local people asked the pilgrimsnot to venture into the water but they ignored the warning. A local fisherman Sunil Kumar and others saved two of the drowning pilgrims, police said.

The victims were identified as Jaswinder Singh (18),Dheeraj Saini( 19), Makhan (31),Jagdeep (20) and Deepak Saini (20), all residents of Rihan Kalan.

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: Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and Welfare Minister M Kandasamy were among those who paid homage at the statue of the former Chief Minister Edouard Goubert on his 37th death anniversary today.

Members of Puducherry Freedom Fighters Movement, headed by D Sivaradjou also paid floral tributes at the statue in the vicinity of Bharathi park here.

Goubert was also Mayor of Puducherry Municipal council and a veteran freedom fighter.

He was chiefly responsible for establishing JIPMER a premier medical college in Central sector here in the post merger days.

Goubert had a close rapport with the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

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With incumbent operators engaging in a slugfest with Reliance Jio, the Department of Telecom (DoT) has asked the regulator Trai to formulate clear guidelines for network testing with specific parameters.

"The DoT has written to Trai for setting clear rules around mobile network testing," an official source said, adding the department had sent a communication to the regulator even before industry players approached it against Reliance Jio.

However, sources at the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) denied to have received any communication from the DoT.

The telecom sector, known for fierce infighting among sectoral players, is confronted with a fresh battle brewing between the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (RJIL) and incumbent players Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, among others.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on August 8 wrote to Telecom Secretary J S Deepak against RJIL alleging that the company is using scale and processes and gaming policy under the garb of network testing.

RJIL on the other hand countered allegations by saying that incumbent telecom operators are trying to scuttle its test by not providing adequate interconnectivity in violation of present rules and deterring its launch.

COAI has alleged that under the garb of test, RJIL is bypassing regulation features like interconnect usage charge, poaching customers of other telecom operators through MNP etc.

The DoT has asked Trai to define scale, the duration of testing, address telecom network interconnection issue and matters pertaining to subscriber addition.

While the DoT issues licences for telecom services, the regulator's job includes monitoring and compliance of licence conditions by service providers, the source said.

"All the issue raised by telcos like testing of network, interconnection, mobile number portability falls under the ambit of Trai. Therefore, the DoT has asked to frame clear norms to keep away dispute in the sector," the source said.

RJIL, formerly Infotel Broadbad, won spectrum for 4G services in 2010 but is yet to start commercially.

During test, the company is providing 90 days unlimited calling and 4G data use on its network for free. It claims to have 1.5 million subscribers during test phase. The company has set target to achieve 100 million subscribers within a year of commercially rolling out service.

After RJIL, major incumbent operators started slashing data tariff and offering extra data for their existing customers. Last week, Airtel also announced a scheme offering 5 GB extra data for users using post paid or DTH connections.

COAI has also levelled allegation on Trai for being biased and working in interest of new entrants including RJIL.

It has also took the matter to Prime Minister's office.

However, Trai Chairman R S Sharma has rubbished the charges and said the regulator will continue "to perform functions assigned in the Trai Act, with regard to consumer protection, quality of service, encouraging competition, fair play and growth of industry".

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An employee of a Gulf-based company was arrested in connection with the case of duping a company in the city where he worked earlier to the tune of Rs One crore, police today said.

He was produced before the Second Judicial First Class Magistrate Court here and remanded to judicial custody till August 16.

Police said the accused Adil Sheikh, belonging to Kadri here, was working for Primacy Industries Limited in the city before he went to Dubai in 2009 to join Fab World General Trading owned by one Parvez Ahmed from Mumbai.

They said Adil later got in touch with Primacy Industries authorities in 2013 and said his company in Dubai could supply high quality paraffin wax. Following this, Primacy ordered for supply of 125 tonnes of wax, paying Rs 1.08 crore.

However, officials of Primacy were shocked when the consignment arrived as it contained only chalk powder. Realising that they had been deceived, the company filed a complaint with the Panambur police station. The two fled for Dubai in 2014 without meeting the conditions in the anticipatory bail granted to them, police said.

When Adil Sheikh came from Dubai on August 8 to Mumbai, policemen arrested him at the airport and informed Panambur police. Policemen went to Mumbai and brought him to the city and produced him before court. Efforts were on to trace Parvez, second accused in the case, police said.

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A 15-year-old girl from Ludhiana, who publicly vowed to hoist the national flag at the historic Lal Chowk here and had dared the separatists to stop her, was today turned back by authorities from Srinagar International Airport.

Jhanvi Behal accompanied by 30 others arrived at the airport but all of them were sent back, a police official said, without assigning any reason for the step.

Behal had grabbed the headlines earlier this year by challenging JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar to a debate on nationalism.

The police official said while six persons including Behal had come in a flight from Chandigarh, 25 others had arrived here in another flight from Delhi.

"All of them were sent back by the same flight in which they came," the official said.

After the outbreak of violent protests in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, Behal gave an online statement expressing her intention to unfurl the natinal flag at Lal Chowk.

"I would hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on August 15 because that is a place where the national flag was insulted.

"I challenge all those, including the separatists and the Pakistanis, to stop me if they can," she had said on July 23.

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Climate change is making the life of the soldiers posted in the world's highest and arduous battlefield - Siachen Glacier - not just tough but also dangerous, as temperature rises and the snow melts faster.

Siachen, which has the dubious distinction of having seen more soldiers dying due to extreme weather (temperatures at times drop below -50 degree celcius) than the enemy bullet, is feeling the heat of global warming.

The death of 10 soldiers earlier this year in an avalanche in the critical Sonam post, located close to the Line of Control with Pakistan, was due to global warming.

"The entire incident (at Sonam) was because of climate change only. Because, we generally don't have ice avalanches. Avalanches are generally snow avalanches.

"What happened in Sonam was that a hanging glacier, which was stuck to the ice wall had fallen off. That was just because in the last 15 or 20 days (prior to the accident), the temperature had been rising," Lt Col S Sengupta, Commandant of the Siachen Battle School told PTI.

Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, who was rescued after being buried 30 feet below snow for six days at the Sonam Post, located at about 19,600 feet, could not be saved.

Sengupta said that climate change actually makes the glacier break, due to which a lot of crevasses, one of the deadliest enemies of the soldier in Siachen, keep coming up.

"It (rising temperature) is making life tough," he said. The Army has now taken some precautionary measures and even moved some of the posts a little.

Keeping ice avalanches in mind, the Army is buying special radars that can detect humans buried under ice, unlike the earlier ones which could detect only through the snow.

The Army is also equipping its men with Avalanche Buoyance Systems - air bags that can be triggered remotely - which prevent burial in an avalanche by providing extra buoyancy.

The effect of the climate change is such that the snout of the Siachen Glacier has actually receded back by about 800 metres in the last one decade or so.

Over 41 soldiers have lost their lives on the Siachen



Glacier since 2013, even though not a single shot has been fired since the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in 2003.

At least 1,013 Indian soldiers have lost their lives in Siachen since 1984.

The studies carried out by ISRO, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIGH) Dehradun and other institutions have revealed that majority of the glaciers in India are retreating (melting) at varying rates from 5-20 metre per year.

The situation is such that at this time of the year, more than the pristine white snow, what you find more is black snow (often called moraine).

The river Nubra, which flows through the Base Camp, is actually black in colour rather than blue it was once.

"Global warming is definitely having its side effects on the glacier but things are different during summers. During the winters, the pristine white snow will be back and the waters will again become blue," a senior officer said.

Explaining the impact of climate change in Siachen, officers said that over a decade ago, rains were never seen here. However, the area now witnesses light drizzle in between over the past few years.

"Earlier one could not see any greenery over 12,000 feet. Now one can even see some green at even 15,000 feet which shows how temperatures have risen over the years," another officer said.
The University of Mary is looking for businesses to take part in the 15th annual Community Fair. Registration is open for businesses until Aug. 26.

The event enables local businesses to market their services and products to more than 500 new and returning students. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 8 in the McDowell Activity Center, located on the university's campus.

Businesses are asked to respect the University of Mary's mission by not marketing alcohol, tobacco or credit card products and services.

For more information, call 701-355-8050.
A copy of the first Harry Potter novel "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", carrying a typo, is expected to fetch between USD 19,460 to USD 25,940 at an auction.

The book, one of the 500 copies from the rare first edition of the book, contains an error on page 53 where a list a school supplies that Potter must purchase before attending Hogwarts magic school repeats the '1 wand', reported the Week.

The error was corrected in subsequent prints of JK Rowling's 1997 novel but some copies are still in circulation.

This particular copy is described as being in "exceptionally fine condition" and has been put on the auction block by Bonhams. The book will go on sale on November 9.

"As the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has a special place in the affections of the millions of readers across the world and the proof reading error about the wand in the first edition has, of course, become a treasured piece of Harry Potter arcana," said Bonhams head of books and manuscripts Matthew Haley.

The story of boy wizard is on a revival again after nine years in the literary world following the release of the script for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child", a London stage play co-written by Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany and billed as the eighth Potter story.

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A hawk-eye vigil is being kept across Delhi as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from 17th century Red Fort on the 70th Independence Day while tight security today remained in force in violence-hit Kashmir Valley as a precautionary measure.

Thousands of security personnel have been deployed in and around the historic Mughal fort which will see the presence of senior ministers, top bureaucrats and foreign dignitaries, besides a large audience to hear the Prime Minister.

A multi-layer security has also been thrown around Rajpath where a seven-day-long cultural festival 'Bharat Parv' is underway. The step has been taken as people have been flocking to the area to witness the illumination of North Block, South Block and other government buildings after sunset in the run up to August 15.

Strict security measures were in force in curfew-bound Srinagar ahead of the Independence Day celebrations with large contingents of paramilitary and police personnnel being deployed across the city.

Bakhshi Stadium -- the main venue of the Independence Day function in Jammu and Kashmir -- has been turned into a virtual fortress.

"All the roads leading to Bakhshi Stadium have been sealed and heavy deployment of security forces carried out en route to ensure peaceful celebrations tomorrow," a police official said.

He said there were no inputs about the possibility of militant attacks to disrupt the celebrations but the security grid is not taking any chances.

"The usual security drill is being followed but some extra measures have been put in place to ensure no mob violence takes place around the venues in Srinagar or elsewhere in the Valley," the official said.

Due to the ongoing unrest -- that began on July 9 following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, mobile telephony and internet services have already been snapped in the Valley.

In the past, the mobile phone and mobile internet services used to be disabled for few hours during Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations as a precautionary measure to prevent militants from using these devices to trigger explosions.

Curfew was extended to several places in Kashmir in view



of the separatists' call for a march to the heart of Srinagar even as restrictions on the movement of people remained in rest of the Valley.

Despite curfew, separatists elements managed to hoist Pakistan flags in many localities across Kashmir to mark the Independence Day of the neighbouring country, the official said, adding security forces pulled down the flags as soon as they were noticed.

56 people, including two policemen, have been killed and several thousand others have been injured in the clashes in the Valley that began on July 9.

In Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in the country, particularly in J-K, on the eve of Independence Day.

The top brass of the security establishment briefed him on the prevailing situation in the country and the steps taken to foil any attempt by terrorists and other elements to disturb peace, official sources said.

Army and NSG officials have set up a special communication and command centre to keep a close watch on the proceedings at Red Fort.

Special measures are being taken to meet "on-the-spot situations" such as the Prime Minister choosing to meet people at the venue as he has done earlier, officials said.

CCTV cameras have been installed along the route to be taken by the PM's cavalcade from 7 RCR to Red Fort, besides 200 CCTVs and two high-mast, high-resolution cameras at the fort premises.

Security has also been beefed up and police patrolling intensified in North East, Punjab, especially the border districts, Haryana and other parts of the country in the view of the celebrations with bomb disposal squads being deployed at the main function venues.
Observing that people should not rush to courts to file cases in profusion under the garb of public interest, the Bombay High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 25000 on a woman for filing a "frivolous" public interest litigation which espouses private interests.

A division bench of justices V M Kanade and M S Sonak dismissed a PIL filed by Ujwala Patil, who claims to be the President of Mumbai Division of Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti, challenging a scheme of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority. She alleged that the scheme was approved without there being consent of over 70 per cent of the slum dwellers.

The bench noted that prima facie it was not a genuine PIL as it was filed soon after several writ petitions and applications of the slum dwellers against the scheme were rejected by the high court.

"People must not rush to courts to file cases in profusion under the attractive name of public interest. They must inspire confidence in courts and amongst the public. Time has come to weed out the petitions, which though titled as public interest litigations are in essence something else," the court said citing several judgements of the Supreme Court.

"It is shocking to note that the courts are flooded with large number of so-called public interest litigations. The parameters of public interest litigation have been indicated in large number of cases, yet, unmindful to the real intentions, objectives, courts are entertaining such petitions and wasting valuable judicial time, which could be otherwise utilised for disposal of genuine cases," the bench said.

The court noted that courts have to filter out such frivolous petitions and dismiss them with costs so that the "message goes in the right direction that petitions filed with oblique motive do not have an approval of the court."



The bench directed Patil to deposit within four weeks Rs 25,000 with the high court registry, which shall then transfer the amount to the Tata Cancer Research Centre.

Senior counsel Praveen Samdani, appearing for the developer of the project, told the court that construction was at the fag end and some of the slum dwellers have been alloted houses in the building.

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Delhi High Court has restrained two ex-employees of budget carrier from disclosing confidential information about it to any of its competitors or any other third party on the plea of the airline which had sought to stop them from joining any of its rivals.

Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued the direction to Saptarshi Bose and Santosh Kumar Singh, who were General Manager and Deputy GM of Revenue Management respectively, but said the damages of Rs 2 crore claimed from them by the airline was in excess.

The court also made it clear that "the said injunction will not come in the way of the defendant in each case (Bose and Singh) taking up employment with any competitor airline".

The court issued summons to them and also sought their response on SpiceJet's civil suits against them by the next date of hearing before the Joint Registrar on September 27.

In its suits, has sought directions from the court restraining the two former employees from taking up employment with any third party, including a competitor airline, without serving the notice period to it.

Apart from that it has also sought to stop them from revealing any confidential information of the airline to any competitor, from approaching any of its clients or customers, and from acting as its agent or representative.

had also sought recovery of damages of Rs two crore from each of the two ex-employees.

The court, however, said, "It appears that the damages cannot be in excess of the notice period and can be limited thereto and the claim for damages of Rs 2 crores is in excess."
A 55-year old Bangladeshi-American Imam at a mosque here and his associate have been shot and killed from point blank range by an unidentified gunman in broad daylight amid growing concerns across the country over rising Islamophobic rhetoric.

Police said Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, 64, were walking home from afternoon prayers yesterday when they were approached from behind by a male with medium complexion who was dressed in a dark polo shirt and shorts.

According to witnesses and video surveillance, immediately after the victims were shot, the same male was seen fleeing from the scene with a gun in his hand. Both victims were dressed in Islamic attire at the time of the shooting. The lone gunman still remains at large.

Responding to multiple emergency calls, police found Akonjee and Uddin with gunshot wounds to the head. They were both taken to a local hospital, where Akonjee died as a result of his injuries. Uddin was also in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries.

Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said that currently a motive has not been determined and "there's nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith."



He said the police is conducting an extensive "canvass of the area for video and additional witnesses".

No arrests have been made so far and the investigation is ongoing, Sautner said.

The New York Chapter of Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organisation Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it has reported an unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide since Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump's "bigoted call for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States."



The group called for the perpetrators of the killings to be immediately brought to justice.

"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."



Akonjee, a father of three, was a respected religious leader who had arrived in Queens from Bangladesh less than two years ago.

Sarah Sayeed, a member of Mayor Bill de Blasio's staff, was quoted by Fox as saying that she understands the fear the community is facing "because I feel it myself. I understand the anger. But it's very important to mount a thorough investigation."



Shahin Chowdhury, a worshipper at the mosque, said members of the community had felt animosity lately and he had advised fellow community members to be careful walking around, especially when in traditional clothing.

Another individual 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. It's a great misery. It's a great loss to the community and it's a great loss to the society," he was quoted as saying.

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"Emmerdale" star Jenna Coleman says she could not reject her part in "Victoria" because of the show's interesting script.

The 30-year-old actress, who will play the role of royal queen in the show, said it was an absolute gift for her that brought something new in her life, reported Hello! magazine.

"The more I read the script, the more it unfolded in front of me and it was impossible to turn down.

"I would be crazy to turn it down, it's a gift, an absolute gift to try and bring this to life," she said.

Coleman even revealed she thought of not accepting any series for a while after doing adventure drama "Doctor Who".

"Funnily when I left 'Doctor Who', the first thing I said was, 'I don't want to do another series for a while'.

"And then Daisy Goodwin (the writer) and Damien Timmer (managing director) took me out for lunch and so, it changed. It's been such an adventure. I've loved it."



While describing her role in the show she said, "It's been quite a revelation, from beginning to end. I think she's quite surprising and I'm surprised in how little I knew when I first started. A lot of people instinctively said, 'You can't play Victoria. She's stern and old and wore black for the rest of her life.'



"And actually I don't think people are quite aware of how vivid she is, what a lust for life she has. Considering the way in which she was brought up and the role in which she was born to do, none of that seemed to squash that spirit in her and I find that fascinating," the actress said.

"Victoria" also stars Daniela Holtz and Ferdinand Kingsley. It will air from August 28 on ITV.

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Taking exception to Plain-clothed police personnel entering Jamia Millia Islamia premises without permission, the university authorities have written to the Delhi Police demanding suitable action against them.

In a separate appeal to the students, the Dean of Students' Welfare, Tasneem Meenai informed them that no "raid" was conducted in the Hall of Residence for Boys by police or Intelligence Bureau yesterday.

"DCP South East has been requested to take suitable action against the defaulting police personnel. I appeal the students to maintain calm on campus and believe we should work constructively to protect the image of the university," she said.

Chief Proctor Mehtab Alam, in his letter to the DCP South East, urged him to identify the police personnel involved in the incident and take suitable action against them.

He said that police staff should be advised to follow the instructions of the Chief Proctor on the university campus.

Scores of Jamia Millia Islamia students yesterday 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.

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Kerala Congress(M) led by former Kerala finance minister K M Mani, which severed its ties with the Congress-led UDF last week, today said the party is strong enough to stand alone in state politics.

Stepping up his attack against Congress leaders, Mani told a state committee meeting of the party here that "those who oppose us (in the Congress) joined hands with our enemies and hatched conspiracy to defame us...To humiliate us."



In an apparent bid to contain differences within KC-M, Mani said the party's decision to withdraw its support to the Congress-led UDF coalition of which it was a part for more than three decades, was welcomed by all in the party.

"We are not going to join any political alliance. We will stand alone in state politics and prove our strength. We are strong enough to stand alone in the state politics," Mani said and asked party leaders if they were scared of the decision.

He said the Kerala Congress made progress and proved that it could exist in state politics by standing alone in the 1965, 1967 and 1970 elections to the state Assembly.

Earlier, the party's mouthpiece 'prathichaya' launched a scathing attack against senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, alleging he tried to split the KC(M) soon after Mani quit as finance minister from UDF government following bar bribery allegations against him.

The fresh developments come a week after KC(M) announced after a two-day meeting at Charalkunnu in Pathanamthita district that the party MLAs would sit as a separate bloc in the state Assembly.

The party would be "equidistant" from Opposition UDF, ruling CPIM-led LDF and BJP-led NDA, Mani had said. It has six MLAs in the present assembly.

Relations between KC-M and Congress over the bar bribery scam sharpened recently after Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala attended the betrothal ceremony of the daughter of controversial hotelier Biju Ramesh with the son of Congress leader and former minister Adoor Prakash.

Ramesh, working president of the Kerala State Bar Hotel Owners Association, had levelled bribery charges against Mani which finally led to his resignation in November last.

KC(M) has maintained that a "conspiracy" was behind the scam.

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: Kerala Governor Justice P Sathasivam today urged people to renew their commitment to uphold the highest standards of democratic tradition while celebrating the 70th Independence Day of the country. Wishing people on the eve of independence day, he also requested them to gratefully honour the sacrifice of many known and unsung patriots who laid down their lives in the historic struggle for the country's freedom. "Today, it is not just freedom that we celebrate, but the rare inner strength and unity of a people that enabled our country to emerge as one of the fastest developing nations in the world," the Governor said in his message. While taking great pride in the country's scientific, social, technological and economic advances, people also should lend active support to the inclusive welfare policies of the Central and State Governments, implemented with the noble aim of empowering the weaker sections, he said. "Such empowerment and social justice bring the essence of true freedom to every citizen, thus strengthening our nation further," the governor added.

Meanwhile, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in his message, urged people to make the Independence Day celebration as an occasion to realise constitutional values like democracy, secularism and socialism.

He also cautioned against the "imperialist and communal" forces who try to destroy the unity of India and togetherness of people from and outside the country. "This (independence day) is an occasion when we should be cautious against these efforts. Let us take pledge that not only Keralites but the whole Indians would work for our country," Vijayan said.

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Grant aids art group

The North Dakota Art Gallery Association was awarded a $7,690 Institutional Support grant by the North Dakota Council on the Arts.

The grant will enable NDAGA to foster the publics appreciation and understanding of the arts, organize a support network for rural and urban art communities, provide common services for organizations engaged in cultural activities and sponsor cultural performances and fine arts exhibits.

NDAGA provides professional training while coordinating exhibitions, information and services for gallery and museum personnel.

Extension honorees

Several North Dakota State University Extension Service agents and specialists were honored for their work at the recent National Association of County Agricultural Agents' annual meeting and professional development conference in Little Rock, Ark.

Those receiving recognition included:

Karl Hoppe, area Extension livestock systems specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center, received the Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes the recipient for long-term (more than 10 years) Extension work;

Sheldon Gerhardt, the agriculture and natural resources agent in Logan County, received the Achievement Award, recognizing outstanding educational efforts by a person with less than 10 years with the Extension Service;

Crystal Schaunaman, the agriculture and natural resources agent in McIntosh County, was a national finalist for the Search for Excellence Award in the farm and ranch financial management area. She also received state and regional awards to advance to the national level;

Greg Endres, area Extension cropping systems specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center, was a regional finalist for a poster presentation in the applied research category. He won at the state level to advance to the regional competition; and

Rick Schmidt, the agriculture and natural resources agent in Oliver County, was the state winner and received the Excellence in 4-H Programming Award.

Leker in 4-H work

Lindsey Leker joined the North Dakota State University Extension Service's Center for 4-H Youth Development as an Extension specialist in the science area.

She will serve as the lead specialist for the center's 4-H science programming for youth ages 5 to 18 and the role science plays in their lives, including career development. She also will be the lead specialist for parts of the 4-H camping program. Most of the camp programming takes place at the North Dakota 4-H Camp near Washburn.

Leker's experience with organized camping includes having served as a Girl Scout camp director and Fargo Park District event program coordinator, which included working on camping opportunities. She also has a personal interest in nature, camping, science and teaching related to these areas.

Pageant scheduled

The Bismarck-Mandan Scholarship Pageant will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 9 at Simle Middle School, 1215 N. 19th St. in Bismarck. This is an official preliminary competition to the Miss North Dakota and Miss America pageants.

The event will feature Miss and Teen divisions competing for a chance to participate in the Miss North Dakota state pageant in June 2017, as well as a Princess program for younger girls. Competition consists of private interview, talent, lifestyle and fitness, evening gown and onstage question.

Miss contestants are typically ages 17-24, teens are ages 13-17 and princesses are ages 5-12; however, contestants should review the specific eligibility requirements online at www.bismanscholarship.org/ under Becoming a Contestant.

The registration deadline to be in the Bismarck-Mandan pageant is Oct. 3. For more information, visit the website or email bismanscholarship@gmail.com.
Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha today hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for advising the SHOs to resign from their job or strictly implement prohibition in the state, saying he should also "quit".

Addressing the newly elected panchayat representatives at a function organised by Kushwaha Rajnaitik Chetna Manch, Kumar had yesterday suggested police officers to quit their jobs if they are unable to enforce prohibition strictly in the state.

Reacting to this comment, Kushwaha said, "If SHOs can be asked to quit their job in event of their failure to enforce prohibition, then Nitish Kumar should also quit."



The Union Minister of State for HRD and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) leader, said the party's membership drive is in the last stage and office-bearers would be selected from panchayat level to state and national level.

Informing that the schedule for the party's internal election has already been announced, he said RLSP's state unit chief would be elected on September 18, while the election of national president would be held on September 25.

On some party leaders led by disgruntled MP Arun Kumar organising a meeting in Patna on August 17, Kushwaha said this is not an official party programme.

He also welcomed former Lok Janshakti Party's state unit general secretary Anil Singh along with his supporters to the party fold.

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Kuwait's Interior Ministry said today its coast guard detained 10 Iranian "infiltrators" trying to sneak into the country illegally.

An Iranian official, however, described them as fishermen whose detention was not related to any border violations.

One of the Iranian men was wounded after refusing coast guard orders to surrender, the ministry said in a statement published by the state-run Kuwait Agency.

The Interior Ministry released a photo on its website showing nine of the men on their knees with their hands clasped behind their backs.

The arrests are likely to draw more accusations by Arab Gulf countries of Iranian interference in their affairs.

The largely Sunni bloc of oil-rich nations has consistently accused Shiite-led Iran of meddling in regional affairs, primarily in Bahrain and Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been bombing Iranian-allied rebels for more than a year.

Iran's semi-official Fars agency quoted Ali Hajatpour, deputy chief of Bushehr province's coast guard in southern Iran, as saying some Iranian fisherman were detained in Kuwait because of a "quarrel."



He was quoted yesterday saying the dispute happened on Kuwaiti soil and that "their detention was not related to a border violation".

The incident could further strain ties between Kuwait and Iran.

An appeals court in Kuwait recently upheld the death sentence for a Shiite citizen on charges of communicating with Iran and the Lebanese militant Shiite group Hezbollah to commit "hostile actions" against the country.

The case also includes an Iranian national tried in absentia and sentenced to death.

Kuwait has also staunchly aligned itself with Saudi Arabia in the kingdom's diplomatic spat with Iran.

Kuwait recalled its ambassador to Tehran in January after a mob there ransacked the Saudi Embassy in protest against the execution of a prominent Saudi Shiite cleric.

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Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today greeted the people on the eve of Independence Day and urged them to work for the growth of the nation.

"Let us pledge to strengthen the foundations of mutual understanding and resolve to work with deep dedication in our mission to make India a great nation," Rosaiah said.

"On the joyous occasion of our nation's Independence, I convey my heartiest greetings and best wishes to all the citizens. Our nation is a tripod of secularism. It is a fusion of diverse tradition," he said.

Jayalalithaa said, "all of us should work untiredly for the growth of our motherland," adding such initiative should be carried out with a spirit of unity as Indians rooting out differences like caste, creed, religion and language.

"Independence Day is a golden day to reminisce the sacrifices of our freedom fighters," she said, adding that the independence won by our freedom fighters should be nurtured.

Jayalalithaa said her regime is implementing several schemes for the benefit of freedom fighters and their heirs.

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When the Indo-Bangla border in Assam is sealed completely by next year an exception could, however, be made for elephants to pass through with the help of jumbo-sized gates.

According to officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the project could see light of the day in the coming months as the Bangladesh government is expected to send a positive response soon.

"Talks are in advanced stages with Bangladesh. We are waiting for their approval which we hope will come soon. Once we get a green signal from them work will begin," Project Elephant director R K Srivastava told PTI from Delhi.

As part of the plan, forest department teams from Assam, Meghalaya and Bangladesh will sit together and identify places along the international border which are used by the jumbos to cross over to the other side.

Mammoth sized gates will then be constructed along such routes which have been part of elephant corridors for hundreds of years but have now become fragmented due to increasing human settlements leading to man-elephant conflicts.

"The gates will be manned by security forces guarding the border. The task of the forest department personnel will be to keep track of the movement of elephants and inform the guards to open the gates for herds to cross the border safely," Srivastava said.

Amidst concern over infiltration of migrants from Bangladesh, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had recently issued instructions to seal the 284-km-long border between Assam and Bangladesh by June 2017.

Officials said a surveillance mechanism would also be put in place to keep tabs on suspicious movements through the corridors meant for the pachyderms.

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Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi's inbox was flooded with over 200 e-mails from curious and expectant parents a day after Rajya Sabha revised the from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.

Women at various stages of pregnancy, expectant fathers and adoptive mothers were among those who wrote to the minister to find out if they will be benefit from the passage of the Bill passed by the Upper House last week.

Maternity Benefit Amendment Bill 2016 was passed in Rajya Sabha on the penultimate day of the Monsoon Session. The following day, the last day of the session, the Bill was not scheduled listed in the Lok Sabha's order paper.

Maneka Gandhi expressed her dismay and told PTI, "To our utter disappointment and much irritation the Bill did not come into Lok Sabha. So, now we will have to wait for Winter Session."



Meanwhile, parents started writing to the minister inquiring about the bill and voicing their concerns.

A mother wrote to Maneka, "I am 8 months pregnant and I need to avail from 5th September, 2016. When I asked my company for benefit, my company management replied that the bill has not been passed. I was also told that even if it is passed it will be implemented from March 2017."



Another e-mail read, "As my wife is about to deliver a baby I am curious to know when will this Bill be implemented."



A mother of two daughters wrote to the minister expressing her gratitude on behalf of "future mothers".

She wrote, "I may not be able to avail the benefits but I am happy for future mothers."



The amended bill allows adoptive and surrogate mothers to avail 12 weeks' maternity leave. However, an adoptive mother wrote in to say that it was not sufficient.

In her letter she wrote, "Just wanted to bring to your notice the need for leave for women who adopt children. It's almost impossible to adopt a baby within three months. We all know that when a child is adopted we need time to bond. Could you please review this ma'am."



Maneka Gandhi wrote back, "I had said that the adoption leave should be as much as the normal birth leave. Unfortunately, the Bill is not in my ministry and the minister did not agree."



Apart from extending maternity leave, the amendment also makes it mandatory for an establishment with more than 50 workers to provide for a creche.
Simmering anger over the fatal shooting of a man by police erupted in violence on Milwaukee's predominantly black north side, with protesters skirmishing with officers over several hours and setting fire to at least four businesses in an outburst the mayor says was fed by social media.

The uprising that broke out yesterday evening didn't subside until after midnight, after Mayor Tom Barrett and other city leaders appeared at a conference to plead for calm. Police said three people were arrested, and one officer was hurt by a brick thrown into a squad car.

The triggering event came yesterday afternoon, when a man fleeing police after a traffic stop was shot and killed.

Police said the man was armed, but it wasn't clear whether he was pointing the gun or aiming it at officers.

Barrett said the man was hit twice, in the chest and arm. Neither his race nor the officer's was immediately released, nor were they identified.

The protesters were largely black, and Alderman Khalif Rainey -- who represents the district -- said early this morning that the city's black residents are "tired of living under this oppression."



"This entire community has sat back and witnessed how Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has become the worst place to live for African-Americans in the entire country," Rainey said at the end of a conference at which Barrett pleaded for calm.

"Now this is a warning cry. Where do we go from here? Where do we go as a community from here?



The state is investigating the shooting. The officer was wearing a body camera, Barrett said.

The mayor said the uprising was driven by social media messages instructing people to congregate in the area.

"We have to have calm," Barrett said at the conference. "There are a lot of really good people who live in this neighborhood."



Milwaukee Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton echoed Barrett's plea for help restoring order.

"We understand the frustration people feel with the police community nationally. ... We have to go through the process of finding justice, but we have to be able to restore order to these neighborhoods," Hamilton said. "Please participate in restoring order to these neighborhoods."



Barrett said the 23-year-old man who died was stopped by police for "suspicious activity." Police said earlier that he was carrying a gun that had been stolen in a March burglary in suburban Waukesha.

"This stop took place because two officers ... Saw suspicious activity," the mayor said. "There were 23 rounds in that gun that that officer was staring at. I want to make sure we don't lose any police officers in this community, either.

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Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government as the most transparent one, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today said agreements are made first and ministers as a formality are asked to inaugurate projects.

"There have been no decisions taken by ministers where there would be conflict of interest. Infact, agreements are signed between the parties first and we (ministers) are then requested to inaugurate projects as a formality. The Prime Minister has ensured that the government lives up to his 'mantra' of a transparent government," Prabhu said.

The union minister was addressing a gathering here during the signing of an MoU for the construction of a railway line between Chiplun (Konkan) and Karad (western Maharashtra).

The project encompasses a 103-km railway line at a cost of Rs 3195.60 crore.

Referring to the burden on Mumbai's transport system, Prabhu said the Centre and the Maharashtra government are working out a strategy to decrease the congestion.

"Railways, metro rails, elevated corridors will be used in a systematic way to reduce the burden on the existing transport system," he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, also present at the gathering, said the Railways under Prabhu's guidance is working out on a single ticketing system, where commuters would be able to use their smart-phones to book tickets for any mode of transport.

"We also plan to integrate private taxis into this system. This project, aimed to integrate Mumbai is at an advanced stage and will ensure a comfortable commuting experience to Mumbaikars," he said.

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The Centre would have to tread cautiously in taking legal action against Islamic preacher Zakir Naik for his alleged hate speeches and involvement in unlawful activities considering his mass appeal and possible fallout in poll-bound states, political analysts say.

According to Professor of Political Science at Maharashtra College Shahid M Z, Naik has a mass appeal among the minority community and with several states going to polls in the upcoming months, the BJP-led government may not want to be seen as "anti-Muslim".

"Several States are going to polls next year with Uttar Pradesh, which has a sizable Muslim population, being the most crucial of them.

"If the Centre indeed takes action against Naik at this juncture, they may lose credibility with the minority community, which I do not think they can afford," said Shahid.

The NDA government would have to tread cautiously over the issue, especially after it faced widespread criticism for violence against Dalits by cows vigilantes.

"If Dalits plus Muslims turn against the government at this juncture, heavy losses are in store for the ruling party," he said.

Mumbai Police last week submitted a report on Naik, in which they indicted the 50-year-old NRI televangelist for provocative speeches and alleged involvement in unlawful activities with possible terror links through his organisation Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said if required, efforts would be made to extradite Naik, who is currently abroad.

Vivek Bhavsar, a senior journalist said, the biggest difficulty the government would face is to ensure evidences compiled against Naik stand in a court of law.

"There does not seem to be damning evidences against Naik as far as his speeches are concerned. Based merely on this ground, it will be difficult to successfully prosecute him as he may prove his innocence during a trial," he said.

"The report has made observations about him (Naik) making (critical) comments on other religion and belittling them - an action that would cause disharmony in society. The report also has details of countries that have banned him or his organisations," he has said.

The police findings would be forwarded to Union Home Ministry for suitable action, the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, has said.

Fadnavis has said his government is examining the report



which has several aspects that fall in domain of the Centre.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police have said Naik had received foreign funding of Rs 60 crore which was subsequently transferred in the bank accounts of his family members.

Police also stated the physician-turned-preacher had floated four shell companies in which his kin are directors.

The police were asked to probe Naik's speeches after reports emerged his preachings inspired some of the terrorists who attacked a prominent Dhaka bakery on July 1.

His Mumbai-based foundation IRF's monetary transactions were also covered under the probe.

Naik had a lengthy interaction with Indian media via Skype from Saudi Arabia on July 15 during which he rubbished the charge his sermons had inspired terror activities, including the Dhaka attack.

IRF has said all charges against Naik were baseless.
Nepal's new Prime Minister Prachanda today expanded his cabinet by inducting five more ministers taking its strength to 14.

The newly-appointed ministers include Janardan Sharma, Minister for Energy, Hitraj Pandey, Minister for Local Development, Ram Karki, Minister for Information and Communication, Dhaniram Poudyal, Minister without portfolio and Ajaya Shanker Nayak, Minister for Law and Justice.

The new ministers, all from the CPN-Maoist Centre, took oath of office and secrecy from President Vidya Bhandari at a function at Rastrapati Bhawan.

This is the third time that the cabinet has been expanded With this the strength of the cabinet has reached 14.

Four ministers of state were also appointed by the prime minister.

In total the number of cabinet ministers and ministers of state has reached 18.

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The man most responsible for bringing television to North Dakota was earlier thought of as the "radio king of the Upper Midwest." At one time, John Boler oversaw the operations of nearly 100 radio stations. He also helped bring educational television, now called public television, to the state.

John William Boler was born on a farm southeast of Rochester, Minn., to Patrick and Katherine (Fitzgerald) Boler. He graduated from Rochester High School in 1927 and became a clerk and bookkeeping assistant for the Kahler Corp. in Rochester, a company that operated a group of hotels in association with Mayo Clinic.

After working as a desk clerk at Mayo in 1930 and 1931, Boler took a job as a radio advertising salesman with the Minnesota Broadcasting Company of Minneapolis. In the latter 1930s, he began purchasing and establishing radio stations. In 1939, Boler purchased KVOX in Moorhead, and, in 1940, he bought KRMC in Jamestown. By the early 1940s, he had five stations in Minnesota, five in North Dakota and one in South Dakota, and they were all affiliated with the Mutual Radio Network. Boler's network was called the North Central Broadcasting System.

To go along with NCBS, Boler formed the Mississippi Valley Network in March of 1945. The MVN was a group of 79 stations, primarily in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa. Since Boler controlled 51 percent of the shares in MVN, he was obligated to come up with $160,000. However, by August 1946, he was short $17,000, and 20 of the stations took him to court.

Boler was forced to put stations KVOX and KRMC in escrow and resign as president of MVN. He was given until November to pay off his debt or come up with a repayment plan that was acceptable to all of the MVN stations. His plan was to pay the debt at 8 percent interest each three months for the next three years, but his offer was turned down and, MVN and NCBS filed for bankruptcy on Dec. 7.

Determined to succeed at establishing a viable network in the upper Great Plains, Boler established the Great Northern Broadcasting System in January of 1947. The GNBS consisted of 15 stations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Montana.

It soon became apparent to Boler that having his stations spread out over a vast area was difficult to manage, so he dissolved GNBS and, in 1949, established the North Dakota Broadcasting Company, moving his headquarters from Minneapolis to Fargo. Boler started his North Dakota network by establishing radio station KCJB in Minot in 1950.

By the early 1950s, Boler knew that television would soon sweep the country, and he was determined to be at the forefront of it in North Dakota. In 1953, he was granted a permit by the Federal Communications Commission to build the first television station in North Dakota in Minot. On April 4, 1953, Easter Sunday, KCJB-TV (now KXMC) went on the air.

Boler's second television station was KXJB-TV, Valley City-Fargo, which debuted on Aug. 12, 1954. In 1955, KXMB-TV in Bismarck became his third television station, and, in 1957, he added KXAB-TV in Aberdeen, S.D., as his fourth station. In October 1958, Boler purchased KFGO radio in Fargo.

In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, Boler divested himself of most of his stock in radio and television stations. He had a new challenge  reducing the operating costs for the rural television stations. Most of the television stations required a costly cable system to obtain the live feed from their home network, which was especially expensive for rural stations. In 1958, Boler pioneered the construction of privately owned television microwave relay systems, linking Minneapolis to the stations in North Dakota.

Boler next concentrated on educational television in North Dakota. In 1959, North Central Educational Television, the forerunner to Prairie Public, was incorporated. In July 1962, Boler issued a proposal to bring educational television to the state. He envisioned setting up four stations that operated out of Fargo and Grand Forks, Dickinson, Minot and Bismarck, along with a satellite station in Williston. He believed that with an investment of $2 million in facilities, the educational network could be established. Half of the money would come from the federal government and the other half would come from private industrial sources.

Using Boler's plan as a template, North Dakota ended up making the KFME station in Fargo the flagship station, along with eight satellite stations covering all of North Dakota, plus portions of Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota and Canada. On Jan. 19, 1964, KFME signed on the air, and North Dakota's first educational television station was launched.

John Boler died on Jan. 12, 1994.
A new low-cost biochip-based blood test that can identify people at a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease in just three hours has been developed.

A new study showed that the test, which allows multiple tests to be run on one blood sample, was as accurate as existing molecular tests that analyse DNA.

"This is the first time that we have used this biochip technology to test for an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease," said Emma C Harte, a research scientist at Randox Laboratories in the UK.

"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," said Harte.

This test detects the presence of a protein in the blood produced by a specific variation of the apolipoprotein gene (ApoE4), which is associated with increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

The apolipoprotein gene is inherited from each parent and when a patient inherits the ApoE4 variant from one parent they have a three times greater risk of developing Alzheimer's, whereas a patient who inherits ApoE4 from both parents is eight-to-12 times more likely to develop the disease.

To verify the accuracy of the biochip test, 384 samples were analysed and results compared to those from a standard molecular diagnostic test.

Researchers from Randox Laboratories along with those at the Medical University of Vienna found that results from the two tests were in 100 per cent agreement.

As biochip tests allow clinicians to quickly run multiple tests on one sample of blood, this new test is also faster and more affordable than the standard DNA test, producing results in only three hours.

This enables doctors to predict the risk of an individual developing Alzheimer's disease.

"Pairing this test with medical and family history for risk of Alzheimer's disease has the real potential to advance personalised medicine," said Harte.

"This fast, accurate testing will allow doctors and patients to make more informed choices earlier to potentially slow the possible progress of Alzheimer's," she said.

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Scotland Yard today said it had set up a new multi-million-pound cyber unit to monitor online hate crimes.

A team of volunteers will search out material they deem inappropriate on social networks and report it to the new Metropolitan Police unit. The allegations will then be investigated and culprits prosecuted.

"The Metropolitan police service is committed to working with our partners, including the mayor, to tackle all types of hate crime including offences committed online," a spokesperson for the Met police said.

"By establishing this unit, we are sending a strong message to those who use online forums to spread hate that their actions will not be tolerated. The Metropolitan Police service continues to have a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of hate crime.

"The Met encourages all victims of hate crime to report any incident to the police and will make every effort to hold offenders to account and bring them to justice," he added.

The unit will cost the Met Police1.7 million pounds to create and will be staffed by five detectives.

The UK Home Office is also said to be investing 452,756 pounds into a linked Online Hate Crime Hub, which is due to run for two years.

London mayor Sadiq Khan's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) said a consultation on crime reduction had identified the increasing role online hate played in targeting individuals and communities.

The consultation found social media provided hate-crime perpetrators with a veil of anonymity, making it harder to bring them to justice and potentially affecting a larger number of people.

The new initiative comes after the June 23 referendum in favour of Brexit saw a 42 per cent rise in reports of hate crimes in the wake of the EU referendum.

Social media companies like Facebook and Twitter will be asked to help fund a "community" element of the project, drafting in volunteers "skilled in the use of social media" to root out online abuse.

However, civil liberty groups have expressed concerns over the new unit.

Andrew Allison, of the Freedom Association libertarian group said, "There's a risk of online vigilantism, where people who are offended by the least thing will have a licence to report it to the police".

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The officers of National Investigating Agency are learning Urdu, Arabic and Persian to counter the growing influence of terrorist organizations like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in the eastern region.

The necessity to have the basic knowledge of Arabic, Urdu and Persian was first realised after the Khagragh Blast incident in West Bengal's Birbhum district in 2014. The NIA, which was handed over the responsibility to investigate the incident, faced problems when they stumbled upon large amount of literature in Persian, Urdu and Arabic language.

"After Khagragh blast in 2014 a large number of pamphlets and literature were recovered which were in Urdu and Arabic language. At that time we faced a lot of problems as our officers working at the ground level hardly had any knowledge of these languages.

"We had to look for experts to understand what was written on these materials. It was then realized that the officers need to have at least an elementary knowledge about these languages," a senior NIA official who was part of Khagarh blast investigation told PTI.

"Our officers and investigators know English, Hindi and their own mother tongue. But the knowledge of an extra language would give us a edge in our counter-terrorism measures," a NIA official said.

Then NIA SP posted in Kolkata, Vikram Khalate, wrote to Calcutta University requesting them to make arrangements for language training classes for officers in Urdu, Arabic and Persian as the agency at times was finding it difficult to find translators.

"Earlier this year NIA got in touch with our university and requested us to provide us with professors. From the month of May this year their language training has started," Calcutta University, PRO-VC (Academic) Swagata Sen told PTI.

(REOPENS DEL12)



According to the Head of the Department of Arabic and Persian Language, Calcutta University, M Ishrat Ali Molla, who is heading the training program of the officers said once a week a language training session is taking place at the NIA Campus.

"This training will continue for one year and if they want it can be further extended. In these few months we have completed the basic training of identification of letters and Arabic syntax. Now the training of construction of sentence has started. We have a team of three professors who are imparting this training," Molla said.

According to NIA and state police sources, unemployed youths are being roped in by handlers of terror groups like ISIS and JMB to expand their networks in border districts of West Bengal.

"Apart from literature, social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp are also being used to attract youth. Most of the time the messages and the text are in Urdu or Arabic apart from Bengali. So language training will help us in many ways," an official said.

According to officials, the handlers communicate with their leaders mostly based either in Syria, Iraq or Bangladesh through the social media like Facebook and also via WhatsApp and other messengers.

The recent arrest of 25-year-old Mohammed Musiruddin has exposed the presence of the terror group in the state, particularly in the districts bordering Bangladesh, including Burdwan.

Burdwan district entered the terror map in October 2014 when two suspected JMB terrorists were killed while making improvised explosive devices at a rented house at Khagragarh.

In fact, NIA in its supplementary chargesheet in connection with the Khagragarh blast had claimed that JMB had been recruiting youths from the border districts of West Bengal. The JMB wants to established Sharia rule by overthrowing the democratically-elected government in Bangladesh, the NIA had stated in its charge sheet.
Nine people were killed in a fire at a rented house in south China today.

Over 90 fire fighters with 18 fire engines took part in the operations to douse the fire at the house in Dalang Township, Dongguan City of Guangdong Province.

Two people suffering from serious injuries were being treated, while three others escaped the fire unscathed, state- run Xinhua agency reported.

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Swiss police said today there was so far no indication that an attacker's knife rampage on a train, which killed one woman and injured five passengers, was an act of terror.

"The question of motive remains," police from Switzerland's eastern Saint Gallen region said in a statement, stressing: "To date there is no indication this was a terrorist or politically motivated act."



Police spokesman Bruno Metzger told AFP "terrorism is not our main theory" for yesterday afternoon's attack and that "other motives" figured far higher on the list, although he would not say what they were.

A 27-year-old Swiss national used flammable liquid to start a fire on a moving train in eastern Switzerland before stabbing passengers, according to police.

The attack took place at around 2:20 pm (1220 GMT) near Salez station on a train running between Buchs and Sennwald near Switzerland's eastern border with Liechtenstein and Austria.

Police said the attack had been caught on video, allowing them to determine that the man had acted alone.

The victims included two men aged 17 and 50, three women aged 17, 34 and 43 and a six-year-old girl. Dozens of people were on the train at the time of the attack, police said.

Regional police in Switzerland's eastern canton of Saint Gallen said a 34-year-old woman who had been in critical condition since the attack had died of her injuries today morning.

Metzger said the attacker, who is not of immigrant origin and does not have a criminal record, remained in critical condition.

A person who had been on the platform at Salez station was also hurt after rushing in to pull out the attacker -- who was on fire -- out of the train, police said.

"His intervention probably prevented worst," police spokesman Hanspeter Kruesi told the Blick daily, suggesting that more passengers might have been injured.

Metzger said police for the time being would not provide more details on the identities or nationalities of the victims.

Late yesterday, police had searched the home of the suspected attacker, who lives in a canton neighbouring Saint Gallen.

"The results are part of a criminal proceeding and are therefore not public," the police statement said.

Some 90 rescue workers had taken part in yesterday's operation, including police, firefighters, ambulances and three rescue helicopters, police said.

Saint Gallen prosecutors, who have opened a criminal investigation into the attack, have secured the affected carriage, which is being scrutinised by forensics teams.

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The 92-year-old practice of presenting a separate Rail Budget is set to come to an end from the next fiscal, with the Finance Ministry accepting Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's proposal to merge it with the General Budget.

According to railways, the Finance Ministry has now constituted a five-member committee comprising senior officials of the Ministry and the national transporter to work out the modalities for the merger. The committee has been asked to submit its report by August 31.

"I had written to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for merger of the Rail Budget with General Budget. This will be in the Railway's interest and also in the nation's interest. We are working out the modalities," Prabhu told PTI.

The public sector behemoth has to bear an additional burden of about Rs 40,000 crore on account of implementation of the 7th Pay Commission awards, besides an annual outgo of Rs 32,000 crore on subsidies.

Besides, the delay in completion of projects resulted in cost overrun of Rs 1.07 lakh crore and huge throw-forward of Rs 1.86 lakh crore in respect of 442 ongoing rail projects.

If the merger happens, Indian Railway will get rid of the annual dividend it has to pay for gross budgetary support from the government every year.

According to a senior Railway official, the move to discard the age-old practice of a separate Rail Budget is part of the Modi government's reform agenda.

With the merger, the issue of raising passenger fares, an unpopular decision, will be the Finance Minister's call.

Prabhu had also told Rajya Sabha on August 9 that he has asked the Finance Minister to merge the Railway Budget with General Budget in the long-term interest of national transporter as well as the country's economy.

All-India Railwaymen's Federation General Secretary Gopal Mishra said Railway Ministry's autonomy will be lost in the merger. "But we have to see in what form the merger will happen," he said.

The merger move is significant as it is expected to have political implications.

It has been seen that almost every Railway Minister, particularly in coalition governments, has addressed his constituencies by doling out favours by way of new trains and projects.

The keenly sought after Railway Ministry is likely to lose much of its sheen if merger happens.
Havildar Hangpan Dada, who sacrificed his life while valiantly fighting and killing three terrorists after they infiltrated from PoK, and Pathankot bravehearts Lt Col Niranjan and Corporal Gurusevak Singh are among the 82 defence and paramilitary personnel for whom President Pranab Mukherjee today approved gallantry awards.

Navy sailor Veer Singh, who retrieved under difficult circumstances two bodies from the Dornier aircraft of the force that had crashed last year off Goa, has also been chosen for the gallantry award Nao Sena Medal along with Lt Commander Vikash Kumar Narwal.

Squadron Leader Abhishek Singh Tanwar and Squadron Leader Bhavesh Kumar Dubey have been selected for Vayu Sena Medal.

Indian Coast Guard's Commandant Radhakrishna Rajesh Nambiraj and Kuldeep Pradhan Yantrik will receive Tatrakshak Medal.

The gallantry awards approved by the President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, include one Ashok Chakra, 14 Shaurya Chakras, 63 Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Nao Sena Medals and two Vayu Sena Medals.

The Army got one Ashok Chakra (Posthumous), 11 Shaurya Chakras (including 6 posthumous) and 63 Sena Medal, including 12 posthumous.

Havildar Hangpan Dada, a former commando and fondly called Dada (big brother) by his colleagues and friends, was awarded Ashoka Chakra, the highest award to an Army man during peace-time operations.

On May 26 this year, Havildar Hangpan Dada, having shot three terrorists, took a burst from the fourth. When terrorists managed to break contact with Army stops at Naugam Sector in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, he along with his section was tasked to chase and trap fleeing terrorists, his citation read.

Displaying ingenuity and understanding of ground, the ex-commando moved with incredible speed in the inhospitable snow-bound high altitude terrain.

This move blocked the escape route of the terrorists and in the ensuing firefight, when his section was pinned down by heavy and accurate fire, he moved to a flank and closed in with the terrorists sheltered in rocks and boulders, resulting in saving lives of his comrades, his citation read.

Dada displayed exemplary courage and presence of mind and



killed two terrorists at close quarters. In the exchange of fire, he was grievously injured. Undeterred, the NCO went after the remaining terrorists. In the process, he came face to face with the third terrorist whom he killed in hand-to-hand combat before making the supreme sacrifice.

Born in Village Borduria, District Tirap, Arunanchal Pradesh on October 2, 1979, Dada was recruited to the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment on October 28 1997.

On January 24, 2008 he was side stepped to the 4th Battalion of the Assam Regiment where he served till the last.

The gallant soldier is survived by his wife Chasen Lowang Dada, an employee of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and their two children aged 7 and 11 years.

From leading a patrol to leading a church service at the post, Dada always led from the front. During testing times, when threat of militants would loom large on his patrol, negotiating steep slopes in sub-zero temperatures with 20-feet-deep snow, Dada would silently slip into the role of scout and lead the entire patrol safely back to the base, the Army said.

He had that unique ability to raise his platoon's spirits when the chips were down. He feared God and was the voice of wisdom amongst his folks. His Sunday sermons were heavily subscribed and he was an epitome of the humane soldier that insurgency environments require.

Pathankot bravehearts Lt Col Niranjan and Corporal Singh, who gave up their life countering terrorists from Pakistan who had attacked the IAF base, were also recognised for their bravery with gallantry awards.

Lt Col Niranjan, a member of the NSG's Bomb Disposal Squad, was killed while he was defusing a grenade at the scene of the terror attack.

Corporal Singh was the first to challenge the terrorists at the Pathankot airbase and was killed in action.

The President has also awarded 28 Mention-in-Despatches to Army and para military personnel for their significant contributions in different military operations which include five for 'Operation Meghdoot', 22 for 'Operation Rakshak' and one for 'Operation Rhino'.
A police team from Malda with the help of Kolkata Police Special Task Force arrested a most wanted criminal from a guest house in the Jadavpur area of the city.

Infamous criminal Bakul Shiekh from Malda, who was hiding at a guest house within the Purba Jadavpur Police Station limits, was arrested by the Malda Police team during a joint raid along with the Kolkata Police's STF late last night, a senior officer of district police said today.

Bakul, who had alleged links to the ruling Trinamool Congress party, was accused in the murder of a 14-year-old youth along with several other cases including 20 other murder cases, kidnapping and Arms Act, the officer said adding, Shiekh would be taken to Malda on transit remand.

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NSG dog 'Rocket', which burnt his paws while scouring for terrorists in a burning billet during the Pathankot IAF base attack, has been awarded the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) commendation for courage and obedience to command on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.

The two-and-a-half-year-old specially trained Belgian Malinois is a soldier of the elite commando forces' K9 (canine) unit, based at the National Security Guard garisson in Manesar.

The NSG headquarters had recommended the infantry patrol dog for an award for displaying "raw courage and dedication to duty" in the face of extreme threat and danger.

'Rocket' had walked into a burning airmen billet on the direction of his handler and brought back a pouch that indicated the presence of militants inside.

The assault dog, which is on deputation to the country's federal counter-terror force from Army, burnt his paws but that did not deter it from following the directions of its handler.

'Rocket' is one of the most trusted four-legged troopers of the K-9 (canine) squad, which is deployed with commandos during counter-terror and counter-hijack operations.

Commanding Officer of the NSG's bomb disposal squad Lt Col Niranjan E Kumar, who was killed while defusing a grenade at the scene of the terror attack, has been decorated posthumously with a 'Shaurya Chakra'.

Heavily armed terrorists had entered the strategic forward air force base on the intervening night of January 1-2 this year.

NSG had named the operation 'Dhangu Suraksha' borrowing the first name from the village where the air base is located and the second from its motto--'Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha' (Best security everywhere).

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For the hapless victims of sea-erosion in Kendrapara district it is a cruel joke with the revenue administration serving notice to them for collecting cess against the land already gobbled by smashing sea waves and registering cases against those land-losers.

The sea-erosion-hit villagers are now burdened with litigation costs with the administration slapping cases under Orissa Public Demand Recovery (OPDR) Act for non-payment of cess arrears, villagers claimed.

Though the sea has eaten up land territory in the villages, land revenue records in Gupti revenue circle in Rajnagar tehsil are yet to be redrawn.

In Satabhaya gram panchayat, the worst-hit by sea erosion, the sea has gobbled up 4,300 acres of land (private and government), land settlement was last conducted for Satabhaya gram panchayat in 1989.

Since then no fresh survey has been done to measure the land still intact. Nearly 2,100 acre of government land and 300 acre private owned land remains intact unharmed by seawaves.

"We are bound by revenue law. Local administration cannot waive off land cess even though we are aware that the sea has dispossessed people of their ancestral land. Waiving off tax needs sanction from the state government", Tehsildar Rajnagar Tehsil, Khirod Kumar Behera, said.

"It's quite unrealistic asking the local dwellers to pay cess. However, we are duty-bound to serve notices to the 'default' landowners. Cases under Orissa Public Demand Recovery (OPDR) act have also been registered against cess defaulters", officials said.

"Serving notices and instating OPDR provisions is a legal formality. We are sensitive towards people's plight. We are yet to initiate coercive action", the Tehsildar said.

Revenue Inspector, Gupti Revenue Circle, Rashmi Ranjan Mallik said, "At periodic intervals, the revenue circle is serving notices for recovery of land-cess arrears from land-owners. A section of people are in fact paying cess though they have lost their plots to the advancing sea."



"I lost my agriculture land to sea in 1999. However I am being asked to pay cess by government agencies. It's a cruel joke upon the people", said a native of Satabhaya village, Sudarshan Rout.

The sea has been menacingly crawling towards human habitation in this part of the state. Hamlets, places of human habitation and agriculture land are now under sea's lap while the local revenue records are yet to make map alteration on the changing topography of the far-flung pockets like Satabhaya, Gobindapur, Rabindrapalli, and Kanhupur.

"To provide relief to the people from land cess burden, we are sending a proposal to the Revenue Divisional Commission (central) and Member, Board of Revenue for cess remission. The district administration is devoid of power to waive off cess according to land revenue law.

The local Tehsildar has been directed to comply a comprehensive report to expedite the cess-remission," an official said.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has made it clear that his government's move to set up an office to find about 65,000 people reported missing during the civil war was not aimed at targeting the security forces but for the redressal of those affected by the strife.

"Those who claim that this Office on Missing Persons (OMP) would betray the security forces, I would like to tell them that I am ready to meet them and argue our case," Sirisena told a television channel yesterday.

He denied that the move was aimed at targeting government troops.

"We only want to give redress to those who have been affected not to punish anyone," he said.

Sirisena said the original form of the OMP bill was changed with many amendments by the government at the last stage before bringing it in parliament and there was nothing to fear about it.

The function of the office is to establish whether a missing person is dead or alive and, if they are dead, discover when, how and where they died.

While the Tamil rights groups have welcomed the move, the Sinhala nationalist majority groups stay opposed.

They said the move will extract revenge from security forces for needing the LTTE's militancy which killed thousands of civilians and soldiers.

The Joint Opposition backing the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa created a rumpus in parliament when the bill was introduced last Thursday. They said the bill had not been legally adopted.

Amidst opposition protests Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said the bill had been approved without a vote.He said the opposition did not take his offer to debate and go for a vote if needed.

The draft bill to establish an OMP was passed with amendments in Parliament without a vote on August 11.

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Battery maker plans to invest over Rs 1,000 crore in the next three years to expand business and to create a network of around 200 warehouses across the country.

Okaya, which is aiming to be the largest tubular batteries company by the year 2020, is expanding its production capacity besides product portfolio.

"We are very optimistic over our strategic expansion in the next couple of years. We have estimated to invest over 1,000 crore in the next three years by 2019," Director Rajesh Gupta told PTI.



He further said: "The fund will be invested in building a strong network of more than 200 warehouses pan-India, besides it will be invested in our business expansion in manufacturing batteries for e-rickshaws and manufacturing of solar batteries".

Okaya Power, which is aiming to be a Rs 5,000-crore company by 2020-21 is focussing on inverters, automotives, e-rickshaws, solar applications and SMF battery segment.

" from Rs 1,000-crore sales today is going to be a Rs 5,000-crore battery company by FY 2020-21. We are going to double sales to Rs 2,000 crore by FY17-18," Gupta said.

Elaborating the plan, he said Okaya's shares in electrical vehicle battery (EVB) market and SMF battery market share will increase. Besides, sales from digital and modern trade would also go up along with B2B sales.

At present, the company gets around 80% revenue from tubular batteries, which is used by inverters and solar power and rest 20% from SMF batteries and automotive batteries.

"The ratio would be changed from next year as we have installed a unit at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh which has a capacity to produce up to 2 million sealed maintenance-free batteries which would serve many sectors as hotels, OEMs, banks, restaurants etc," he added.

Moreover, the company would also focus on automotive batteries.

"By next year ratio would change and SMF, automotive and e-rickshaw would contribute around 40%," Gupta added.

By financial year 2020, the company sees Rs 1,500 crore sales from automotive segment, Rs 2,500 from tubular batteries, which would be a mix of inverter and solar batteries and rest Rs 1,000 crore from sealed maintenance free SMF VRLA batteries.

Besides, the company would also focus on export markets and expects 10% of its revenue in next four years to come from foreign markets.

The company is exporting products to neighbouring SAARC countries and African markets, he added.
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) today said it has set up a Rs 100-crore startup fund to nurture new ideas related to the sector.

"The initiative, christened as 'ONGC Startup', is in line with the Government of India's 'Start-up India' initiative," the company said in a statement.

As part of this initiative, ONGC will provide the entire support chain for startups including seed capital, hand-holding, mentoring market linkage and follow-ups.

"The aim of 'ONGC Startup' is to increase the contribution of fresh implementable ideas in the oil and gas sector. ONGC is setting up a dedicated website to take this initiative forward," it said.

ONGC Chairman and Managing Director Dinesh K Sarraf said that this initiative will promote entrepreneurship among the young Indians by creating an ecosystem that is conducive for growth of startups in the oil and gas sector, which has a huge potential for technology-enabled ideas.

The oil and gas sector, he said, is contributing enormously to the growth of economy. Currently, the sector faces various critical challenges and new ideas are required to mitigate those challenges.

To encourage its own employees innovate, ONGC also awarded its three young officers - Rajendra Bhambhu, Deepak Naik and Prajesh Chopra, for their innovative ideas.

Bhambhu and Naik developed an innovative safety device for rigs that facilitates setting up of emergency brake to augment safety mechanism on drilling rigs.

Chopra innovated a unique Dual SIM Cellular Router System that provides data connectivity at work-over rigs. This system curtails the hassle of frequent dismantling and reinstallation during rig transportation, thus saving time and money.

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Pakistan's DGMO today called his Indian counterpart and protested over alleged firing across the Line of Control.

The Pakistan army said that the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called his Indian counterpart in the afternoon after the Indian army resorted to "unprovoked firing" after midnight in Nezapir sector. The firing continued till the morning.

The army claimed that India targeted the civilian population and military posts. There was no report of any casualty.

The alleged firing incident coincided with Pakistan celebrating its 70th Independence Day.

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Pakistan today said it was dedicating its Independence Day to Kashmir's "freedom" and vowed to extend diplomatic, political and moral support to its people, provoking strong remonstrance from India, which contended the "only outstanding issue" was to liberate parts of the state under "illegal occupation of Islamabad".

Rebuffing Pakistan's proposal of sending supplies to the restive state, India also said it along with other coutnries in the region have already received enough of "trademark exports" from that country, including terrorism and infiltrators.

As several cities and towns in the Valley remained under curfew, Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit sought to fish in the troubled waters when he told a gathering that,"As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we are dedicating this year's Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir. And we firmly believe that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir will not go in vain.

"The ongoing unrest should be ended. Pakistan will continue to extend its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self determination," Basit told a function at the Pakistan High Commission organised to celebrate his country's Independence day.

Basit said no matter "how much" force is used, the political aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be suppressed, and that the "freedom movement" will reach its logical conclusion.

Basit's comments came on a day when Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

With ties between the two countries under severe strain, both the government and BJP reacted strongly to Basit's remarks, with Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office Jitendra Singh contending that the "only outstanding issue is how to liberate parts of J&K which is under illegal occupation of Islamabad."



Singh said, "Our stand is very clear in the context of J&K issue. If at all there is any outstanding issue with Pakistan it is how to liberate the part of J&K which remains under illegal occupation of Islamabad after 60-65 years of Indpendence and make it a part of J&K and part of the Indian Union.

"Whatever goes on in Islamabad and on behalf of Pakistani authorities is a reflection of confusion and frustration they suffer from," he said.

BJP attributed the Pakistani envoy's "provocative" remarks on Kashmir to its "frustration" after Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted it over atrocities against people in PoK and Balochistan.

"Pakistan is speaking out of frustration after Modi showed it the mirror over the atrocities being carried out by its army against people in Pak-occupied-Kashmir and Balochistan.

"India is exposing Pakistan at international level and has made it clear that talks will be now about the repression of people in PoK and how they can get rid of this," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

India also reacted sharply to a note verbale from



Pakistan's Foreign Ministry on Friday proposing to send supplies to Jammu and Kashmir. External Affairs Ministry "completely and categorically" rejected the communication from Pakistan.

"A communication was apparently delivered to our High Commission in Islamabad on August 12. I can only characterise its contents that propose sending supplies to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir as absurd," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

"India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistan's trademark exports -- international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency," he said.

In Islamabad, President Mamnoon Hussain, while addressing a gathering at a flag hoisting ceremony, also raised the Kashmir issue, saying the country will continue to support Kashmiris in their bid for the right to self-determination.

India and Pakistan have been engaged in a war of words over Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statements on the situation in Kashmir which has been witnessing unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Wani was hailed as a martyr by Pakistan, which has also tried to internationalise the Kashmir issue while India has been maintaining that Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the Valley at the root of the turbulence.

In his speech, Basit also sought to internationalise the Kashmir issue, saying nobody can "belittle" or wish away the "legitimate struggle" of the Kashmiri people and it was incumbent upon the international community to ensure implementation of the relevant UN resolutions to settle the dispute.
Pakistan has decided to play a "good host" and avoid a repetition of the tense atmosphere that prevailed during Home Minister Rajnath Singh's recent visit by according a "warm welcome" to Finance Minister at the SAARC ministerial conference later this month.

Jaitley is likely to attend the SAARC Finance Ministers' Conference to be hosted in Islamabad on August 25 and 26 and there are chances of "gracious handshakes" between Pakistan finance minister Ishaq Dar and his Indian counterpart, finance ministry officials said.

The government has finalised arrangements for the upcoming SAARC meet, a finance ministry statement said, adding that Dar chaired a meeting to review arrangements for the conference.

Pakistan would play the role of a "good host" and try to keep the overall ambiance positive, the statement added.

The ministerial conference comes in the shadow of home minister Singh's visit to Islamabad earlier this month where barbs were exchanged between Singh and Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who only had a tense and uneasy handshake during the SAARC meeting.

The duo exchanged repartee over issues of terrorism and violence in Kashmir.

"The hostilities were at peak during the Home Ministers' Conference and Dar does not wish a repetition," finance ministry officials were quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

They further said that all regional countries except Bangladesh have confirmed participation of their finance ministers.

"Bangladesh has so far only confirmed the participation of its deputy finance minister. Dar will personally call his Bangladeshi counterpart and urge him to attend the conference," they added.

However, the Ministry of Finance did not comment on whether a bilateral meeting would be held between the finance ministers of India and Pakistan.

The meetings are taking place ahead of the SAARC Summit to be held in November in Islamabad wherein Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to participate.

"All SAARC countries have a lot of potential to develop together utilising each other's potentials and energies. The cooperation is necessary in promoting the welfare and improving the quality of life of the people of the region," said Dar.

"The upcoming conference is an important event in this regard," he added.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation. Its member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Despite reports from Pakistan that he would be accorded a "warm welcome" if he participates in the SAARC ministerial conference in Islamabad later this month, sources said tonight that it was not yet clear whether Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would be attending.

Given the current hostile atmosphere in Indo-Pak bilateral ties, the sources in New Delhi said it was far from certain whether Jaitley would travel to Islamabad for the meeting to be hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad on August 25 and 26.

"Who would represent India and at what level was yet to be decided?," the sources said.

Pakistan's Finance Ministry said that Pakistan will play a "good host" and avoid a repetition of the tense atmosphere that prevailed during Home Minister Rajnath Singh's recent visit and accord a "warm welcome" to Jaitley.

The ministry officials said there are chances of "gracious handshakes" between Pakistan finance minister Ishaq Dar and his Indian counterpart if Jaitley decides to attend the ministerial conference.

The government has finalised arrangements for the upcoming SAARC meet, a Pakistan finance ministry statement said, adding that Dar chaired a meeting to review arrangements for the conference.

Pakistan would play the role of a "good host" and try to keep the overall ambience positive, the statement added.

The ministerial conference comes in the shadow of Singh's visit to Islamabad earlier this month where barbs were exchanged between Singh and Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who only had a tense and uneasy handshake during the SAARC meeting.

The duo also traded repartees over issues of terrorism and violence in Kashmir.

"The hostilities were at peak during the Home Ministers' Conference and Dar does not wish a repetition," finance ministry officials were quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

They further said that all regional countries except Bangladesh have confirmed participation of their finance ministers.

"Bangladesh has so far only confirmed the participation of its deputy finance minister. Dar will personally call his Bangladeshi counterpart and urge him to attend the conference," they added.

However, the Ministry of Finance did not comment on whether a bilateral meeting would be held between the finance ministers of India and Pakistan.

The meetings are taking place ahead of the SAARC Summit to be held in November in Islamabad.

"All SAARC countries have a lot of potential to develop together utilising each other's potentials and energies. The cooperation is necessary in promoting the welfare and improving the quality of life of the people of the region," said Dar.

"The upcoming conference is an important event in this regard," he added.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation. Its member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lt Col Niranjan E K, head of NSG's bomb disposal unit who was killed while sanitising a terrorist's body during the Pathankot air base terror attack in January, has been honoured with the Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry medal of the country, on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.

Niranjan, an officer of the Army's Corps of Engineer, was part of the special NSG commandos unit that was rushed to the IAF base in Punjab after four terrorists entered the high-security military facility on the intervening night of January 1-2.

NSG had said it lost the experienced and brilliant counter-IED officer to a deadly booby trap as the terrorists had used an "innovative technique" whose antidote was not included in the Standard Operating Procedure of the 'black cat' commandos force.

Niranjan's lungs got punctured due to the impact of the blast of a grenade that was kept in the pocket of a slain terrorist and the officer died before being taken to hospital.

NSG Director General R C Tayal, had maintained that Niranjan, an experienced and highly trained Commanding Officer of the Bomb Disposal and Detection Unit, had followed all laid down SOPs while sanitising the bodies of the four terrorists, killed in the attack on IAF base on January 3.

Niranjan was probably the only officer who had a wide-range of experience in conducting back-to-back anti-sabotage and sanitisation checks on live bombs, including defusing IEDs found in Patna and Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Bangalore and Burdwan in West Bengal.

The DG had said a grenade that took the FBI-trained officer's life was concealed very "cleverly" by the terrorists.

The brave officer had sanitised two bodies and was working on the third when the fatal blast claimed his life.

The claimed the lives of seven security personnel while four terrorists were killed by NSG and other security personnel.

While the NSG has maintained six terrorists were involved in the attack, including two in the airmen billet which they brought down using heavy explosives, according to the NIA, it so far has proof of presence of only four militants whose bodies were later recovered.
The Supreme Court has awarded a compensation ranging from Rs one lakh to Rs two lakh to three members of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party who were beaten up by state police during a demonstration in 2007.

A bench of justices A K Sikri and R K Agrawal awarded a compensation of Rs two lakh to Anita Thakur, a general secretary of the party, and Rs one lakh each to JKNPP's secretary and a senior journalist, who was also its member, saying their fundamental rights had been violated due to the "police excess".

The bench noted in its judgement that initially it was the protestors who had taken law into their hands during the protest which began peacefully but turned violent.

"On the other hand, even the police personnel continued the use of force beyond limits after they had controlled the mob. In the process, they continued their lathi charge. They continued to beat up all the three petitioners even after overpowering them. They had virtually apprehended these petitioners making them immobile," it said.

"However, their attack on these petitioners continued even thereafter when it was not at all needed. As far as injuries suffered by these petitioners are concerned, such a situation could clearly be avoided. It is apparent that to that extent, respondents misused their power. To that extent, fundamental right of the petitioners, due to police excess, has been violated," the bench said.

The three petitioners had told the apex court that they had planned to take out a peaceful protest march up to Delhi for ventilating their grievances and, when they reached near Katra, they were assaulted by Jammu and Kashmir Police on August 7, 2007.

According to the petitioners, the march up to Delhi was for highlighting the grievances of Jammu migrants, who were forced to leave their homes between 1996 and 1999 due to the terrorist attacks.

They said they reached Katra to speak with the authorities concerned regarding the plight of the migrants and had a discussion with the officials about the peaceful march.

The petitioners alleged that after the march resumed, around 500 policemen blocked the bridge, which migrants were about to cross, and attacked them with 'lathis' and lobbed teargas shells.

They said when they approached the police and asked them to stop the attack, they were beaten up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
About 30 civilians have been killed in a massacre in an area of eastern Democratic Republic of that has been shaken by violence since 2014, the army said on Sunday.

Suspected rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a partly Islamist armed group of Ugandan origin, killed "about 30 people" in the town of Beni on Saturday night, army spokesman Mak Hazukay told AFP. "We have just found their bodies."



The victims were found in the Rwangoma neighbourhood on the outskirts of Beni, Hazukay said, adding that "The search for the bodies continues."



Hazukay said the ADF rebels had "bypassed" army positions "to come and massacre the population in revenge" for military operations in the area.

Gilbert Kambale, a local civil society leader, said 35 bodies had been brought to Beni's hospital morgue.

Beni lies in North Kivu, a province that has seen a long spate of attacks that the government and United Nations blame on the ADF.

The Beni area in particular has seen numerous massacres since October 2014 that have in total left more than 600 civilians dead.

The ADF, opposed to Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, have been present in eastern DRC for more than 20 years.

The group has been accused of copious human rights abuses and is thought to be deeply embroiled in criminal networks funded by kidnappings, smuggling and logging.

Dozens of armed groups are active in North Kivu, where government troops have also been accused of preying on the civilian population.

The Rwangoma neighbourhood where the latest massacre took place lies on the edge of the Virunga national park, used as a hideout for armed groups.

The killings came three days after DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila visited the region, promising to do everything in his power to bring peace and security.

"It's worrying because the president of the republic came here and then we were massacred," Kambale said, adding that the attack took place between 7.00 PM and 11.00 PM on Saturday.
At the close of the special session of the Legislature, the leadership announced that it would be making reforms in the January session to prevent a repeat of the recent fiscal crisis caused by a plunge in oil and farm commodity prices.

Facing a $310 million gap, the Legislature ordered across-the-board reductions in most state agencies, raided every available reserve fund, and robbed the Bank of North Dakota. This came on top of a $1 billion cut in February.

No consideration was given to asking taxpayers to give back the cuts they got from the oil rush. After all, property and income tax reductions amounted to more than the $300 million shortfall.

House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, announced that he will propose that the Legislature hire its own revenue-forecasting firm so that legislators can be more involved in the budget process.

To prepare an executive budget, the governor needs revenue projections. So if the Legislature also engages a revenue-forecasting firm, will we pay for two forecasting outfits doing the same work?

If the present forecasters, Moodys Analytics, are making predictions on the best information available, what would a second batch of consultants use for forecasts, a Ouija board?

The vagaries of the stock markets, federal funding, commodity prices and world economics cannot be projected for two-year periods as now required by a state that insists on biennial legislative sessions. The problem is not rooted in the revenue projections but in the inflexible legislative system.

For 40 years, the Legislature has had the authority to spend 80 days throughout the biennium with flexible scheduling. But it has stubbornly clung to a format that may have worked well in 1920 but is hardly adequate for 2016.

Up to this point, the Legislature has been able to compensate for the lack of flexibility by inserting all sorts of triggers in appropriation bills and delegating interim decisions to a budget committee.

The fast-moving fiscal crisis that caught the Legislature with its pants down discredits the idea that we can run a state the way our grandfathers did. We are now in the 21st century. Its time we joined it.

One reason we havent moved to a more flexible, more responsive legislative system is that change would be inconvenient for a few legislators who couldnt fit change into their personal schedules.

I can just imagine the party caucus in which the idea of flexibility is being considered. Veteran Senator Charley gets up and says: If you change to a flexible schedule, I just cant serve anymore because  because  because .

A friend then rises to support him. Gosh, we cant do that to Charley. End of discussion, killed by North Dakota nice even when it is wrong.

A second reason we dont change is that we dont really want a problem-solving legislative system. By limiting the Legislature to one short biennial session, we can stick to maintenance of the status quo. This was demonstrated by the manner in which the special session was handled  no discussion or solutions allowed.

After 40 years of stalling off real reform, it is obvious that legislators have come to believe that the legislative institution is their property to be used for their convenience. It is the peoples institution but it will not be changed to serve the people effectively until the people themselves take charge.

Unfortunately, such a change would benefit everybody in general but nobody in particular. Consequently, no one is motivated to invest the time or money to take legislative reform to the people.

In that respect, North Dakota is in the same quandary as the Native Americans who want better tribal governments but are stonewalled by those in charge.
To curb possible diversion of ponzi proceeds, a Parliamentary panel has asked the government to streamline the regulatory regime for multi state cooperative societies and also come out with a legislation for chit funds.

Multi State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) come under the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Ministry while chit funds are regulated by state governments.

"The regulatory regime in respect of MSCS should be streamlined and tightened, so that they do not become an instrument of diverting and shielding illegal funds from ponzi schemes...Necessary steps in this direction should be taken up urgently," the panel has said.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has also called for strong time-bound action against all such societies where complaints have been received.

In its submissions to the panel, Corporate Affairs Ministry said there have been complaints that certain companies against whom market regulator Sebi has passed orders for "financial bungling in collective investment schemes" have transferred their funds by forming MSCS.

"The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare has stated that it is in agreement with the suggestion of the committee that the regulatory regime in respect of MSCSs should be streamlined to protect the interest of the small investors/ members of these societies," Corporate Affairs Ministry told the panel.

Meanwhile, the committee has asked the government to bring in necessary legislation in the chit fund sector during the Winter Session of Parliament.

In recent times, there have been rising instances of people getting duped by illegal money pooling activities in the garb of chit funds and collective investment schemes.

The government is also in the process of bringing a central legislation that would plug regulatory loopholes in order to curb ponzi activities.

Observing that even now several cases of unauthorised collection of money and deposits are being reported, the committee said agencies concerned should work with "greater cohesion and coordination" to ensure concrete results at the ground level.

The committee is of the view that central law on unauthorised deposits and related matters "to be expedited so that a comprehensive Bill can be introduced in Parliament at least during the Winter Session later this year".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad today asked students from Jammu and Kashmir to concentrate on studies and not get involved in politics, a day after a panel discussion here over the Kashmir issue witnessed heated exchanges.

"All these boys, whether they are Kashmiri Pandits or Muslim boys or they are boys from Jammu, they have come here to study. So my appeal to them is that when they are outside their state they should be very friendly," Azad said.

"First complete your studies - that should be their priority," he told reporters when asked about the incident.

Claiming that the atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir is not congenial for education, Azad said: "I would request our children who are studying here, whichever religion they may belong to, I would appeal to both the sections that first of all they should complete their studies."



"Kashmir has been spoiled by too much politics, let the students not spoil their career, if they have to make their career," he added.

A panel discussion yesterday had turned chaotic as some "pro-freedom" Kashmiris, most of them youngsters and students, entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing the Indian Army. Pro-Kashmir Independence slogans were raised at the event organised by Amnesty International India at United Theological College here.

Azad said "violence in Kashmir is a matter of great concern" not only for people of Jammu Kashmir but for the entire country which is why we have had discussion on the issue during the recent Parliament session."



Meanwhile, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activists today staged a protest in front of the United Theological College calling yesterday's event "anti-national". They demanded action against organisers and those involved in raising of slogans.

BJP's Mysuru MP and party's youth wing president Pratap Simha, who participated in the protest, alleged the organisers had set a stage for anti-national activities and demanded police to take action against the college.

He said permission should not be given for events organised by Amnesty International hereafter.

Condemning the reported comments against the Indian Army at the event, BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa sought strict action against those responsible.

Some Kashmiri pandits, who also took part in the protest, said they will soon meet the city police chief on the issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vedanta Resources has named London-based arbitrator James Spigelman to represent its case in international arbitration involving tax demand of more than Rs 20,495 crore on its unit, Cairn India.

The government has named Donald McRae, a member of the UN International Law Commission, to defend itself in the arbitration initiated by the London-listed Vedanta under the India-UK Bilateral Investment Protection Treaty, sources said.

The Singapore-based senior counsel and chartered arbitrator Michael Hawng will be the chairman and neutral judge of the three-member arbitration panel. In April 2014, Cairn India was slapped with a tax demand of Rs 20,495 crore for failing to deduct withholding tax on alleged capital gains made by its erstwhile parent company, Cairn Energy, in 2006-07 when it reorganised its India operations.

The tax notice on Cairn India came three months after the income-tax department issued a Rs 10,247-crore tax notice on Cairn Energy in January 2014 using a retrospective tax legislation. In February this year, the department issued a final assessment order seeking Rs 29,047 crore in tax from Cairn Energy, including Rs 18,800 crore in interest.

While Cairn India had moved the Delhi High Court against the tax demand in April last year, Vedanta sought resolution of the dispute under the bilateral investment protection treaty, the sources added.

Both Cairn India and Vedanta are contesting the tax demand.

Cairn Energy, too, has initiated a separate arbitration against the tax demand, and the three-member arbitration panel headed by Geneva-based arbitrator Laurent Levy held its first procedural hearing in Paris a few weeks ago, the sources said.

The British firm has challenged the tax notice by seeking international arbitration under the UK-India Investment Treaty.

It named former Bulgarian minister Stanimir Alexandrov as its arbitrator in the tax dispute while India appointed Singapore-based lawyer J Christopher Thomas as its arbitrator.

The tax department alleges that Cairn Energy made a capital gain of Rs 24,503.50 crore in 2006 when it transferred shares of Indian assets in a subsidiary set up in Jersey to the newly-incorporated Cairn India.

It listed Cairn India on the stock exchanges through an initial public offering (IPO) thereafter. Through the IPO, it raised Rs 8,616 crore and then in 2011 went on to sell a majority stake in Cairn India to mining giant Vedanta Group for USD 8.67 billion.

Cairn Energy still holds 9.8 per cent in Cairn India which has been barred by the I-T Department from selling.
Thai police hunting the culprits behind a wave of deadly blasts that rocked tourist destinations and killed four said they "know who was behind" the attacks.

Police said two men have been held for questioning over the blasts in Hua Hin  a resort town struck by four bombs  with a third questioned over a suspected arson attack in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

Officers, who have ruled out terrorism, said the investigation was preliminary and refused to identify the detained as suspects, or offer a possible motive.

Some analysts suggest the blasts are most likely connected to a simmering insurgency in Thailand's southern tip, pitting Muslim rebels against the state, but police have said foreign or local terrorist groups were not behind the attacks and have instead labelled them act of "local sabotage".

"Our investigation is progressing. We know who was behind it," deputy police spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang told AFP, declining to provide further details.

No one has claimed responsibility for at least 11 small explosives and series of suspected arson attacks that ripped across core tourist hubs Thursday night and Friday morning, killing four locals and wounding dozens, including European tourists.

has also been wracked by a bitter power struggle between a military-allied elite and populist forces loyal to the ousted government.

The recent blasts, many of them detonated by mobile phones, came as an affront to a junta that prides itself on bringing a measure of stability to since its 2014 power grab.

The attacks also came only days after the junta won a referendum vote on a new charter it drafted.

The document, which critics said would make less democratic, was approved by voters living in the bomb-hit provinces.

The only regions to reject it were the north and northeast  strongholds of the ousted government  and the three insurgent-torn provinces in the deep south.

The southern conflict zone  the only Muslim-majority area in Buddhist Thailand  sees regular bombings and shootings, but the violence seldom leaks outside the three provinces bordering Malaysia.

The insurgency has killed more than 6,500 in the past decade but rarely makes news and falls on the sidelines of Thailand's core political crisis.
Jamaica's Elaine Thompson stormed to victory in the women's 100m here to end the Olympic reign of compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Thompson, 24, got off to a flying start and quickly surged to the front to cross in 10.71sec, punching the air and embracing training partner Fraser-Pryce at the finish.

Tori Bowie of the United States took silver with 10.83sec while Fraser-Pryce claimed bronze in 10.86.

"When I crossed the line and glanced across to see I was clear (I) didn't quite know how to celebrate," a jubilant Thompson said.

"There is a big screen back home in my community in Jamaica. I can't imagine what is happening there right now."



The win ended 29-year-old Fraser-Pryce's hopes of a hat-trick of 100m titles after her gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

Instead it was Thompson who confirmed herself as the next star of Jamaican women's sprinting with an imperious display at the Olympic Stadium.

"What I'm most happy about is that the 100m title is staying in Jamaica," said Fraser-Pryce, who took to the track with her hair dyed in Jamaica's national colours.

"I'm on the podium with my training partner. I'm proud of Jamaica - just look at my hair," Fraser-Pryce said.

Exploding out of the blocks, Thompson quickly edged clear of the field and the powerfully built runner never looked like relinquishing her grip on the contest.

Marie-Josee Ta Lou finished just outside the medals in fourth while flying Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers, widely seen as a strong favourite for the 200m, was fifth in 10.90sec.

Two other women -- Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago and the USA's English Gardner -- also dipped under 11 seconds with times of 10.92sec and 10.94 respectively.

It was the first time in track and field history that seven women have gone under 11 seconds in a single race.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three BSF jawans, including two posthumously, have been accorded police medal for gallantry on the eve of the 70th Independence Day for effectively countering ceasefire violations along the Indo-Pak border and mounting heavy retaliation that led to silencing of enemy's guns.

While constable Devendra Singh made the supreme sacrifice when he was deployed on his border post in Jammu's Samba sector on January 5 last year, constable Ram Gawaria did so when he and his BSF patrol party were on zero line in the same area on December 31 in 2014.

Seeing Gawaria and his party in trouble, constable Arun Kumar went full throttle and fired from his Medium Machine Gun silencing the opposite Pakistani border post that led to the rescue of the trapped patrol party.

Singh, his citation said, took position amid heavy mortar shelling and fired back on Pakistan posts without caring for his personal safety.

"Due to his effective retaliation, Pak Post was forced to stop firing but adjoining Pak post started firing and targeting BSF locations. Constable Singh who was on camp guard duty kept on alerting/guiding other post personnel and engaging the Pak Ranger with firing.

"Soon after, a mortar bomb landed in vicinity of the camp guard morcha of BSF post where Singh has taken position and because of this he sustained a fatal splinter injury on his head but not before silencing the Rangers guns. Both Gawaria and Kumar too displayed conspicuous bravery in the face of ceasefire violations which had gained menacing proportions last year which led to the straining of ties between the two neighbours.

"Despite grievous bullet injuries Gawaria stood his ground and fired till he breathed his last, exhibiting highest degree of chivalry and courage under heavy odds.

"Owing to his timely action and retaliation, lives of other members of patrol party could be saved," the citation read.

Kumar, who is now a hero of his unit and is called 'giant slayer', displayed "exemplary courage, determination and professionalism" which resulted in killing of a Pakistani Ranger as well as in evacuation of the trapped patrol party of Gawaria and others from the danger zone along the International Border.

The country's largest border guarding force was accorded seven more police medals for gallantry with constable Ali Abbas getting it posthumously for effectively combating militants in Tripura in 2014.

The other men and officers of this 2.5 lakh personnel strong force got the medals for their dare devilry in anti-Naxal operations.

BSF was raised in 1965 and is tasked with guarding the two sensitive Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security agencies and police today went into tizzy after two calls of unclaimed bags lying in sensitive North Avenue area and New Delhi railway station were received, which were however found to be hoax.

The call about a bag lying unclaimed at the gate of RML Hospital, close to Rashtrapati Bhawan, in North Avenue area was received at 3 PM, police said.

Various agencies and police reached the spot along with a bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs but the bag was found to contain no explosive, said a senior police officer.

The call saying a blue colour bag lying unclaimed on platform number 16 of New Delhi railway station was received at 4.45 PM. But no explosive was found in it, he said.

A hawk-eye vigil is being kept across Delhi as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from 17th century Red Fort on the 70th Independence Day.

Thousands of security personnel have been deployed in and around the historic Mughal fort which will see the presence of senior ministers, top bureaucrats and foreign dignitaries, besides a large audience to hear the Prime Minister.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Armed Forces personnel from across the United Kingdom have celebrated the Indian festival of Raksha Bandhan.

The event was held at the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in London on Friday.

Speaking at the event, Minister of state in Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the House of Lords, Earl Howe said the festival's "potent symbol" resonated to all servicemen of all kinds of faith.

"The tying of Rakhi to symbolise bonds of mutual protection is a potent symbol for all here today and one that resonates beyond the Hindu religion to all servicemen and women, whatever their beliefs," he said.

The tying of Rakhi, which falls on August 18 this year, harks back to ancient tradition from at least 6th Century BC when Sachi, wife of Lord Indra (King of Heaven) tied a sacred protective amulet to his wrist before he went into battle with evil King Bali, whom he ultimately defeated.

"The festival holds particular significance for the armed forces as it celebrates and emphasises their duty in protecting their society," a press release by the UK MoD said.

General Gordon Messenger, the UK's Vice Chief of Defence Staff, said many values like courage, commitment, discipline, respect, integrity and loyal "as illustrated in many Hindu epics and scriptures, perfectly reflect the values of the armed forces".

"The resonance between the Hindu community and service personnel over the messages championed by the Raksha Bandhan festival is very clear," said Messenger.

The event was also "to celebrate the contribution of Hindus to the defence of the UK", the press release further said.

"There are currently around 2,500 Hindus serving in the armed forces and they continue the proud tradition of their predecessors in serving their country, upholding the values that we all hold dear," said Armed Forces Hindu Network Champion, Rear Admiral Graeme Mackay.

"They are as much part of the future of the armed forces, if not more so, as they are of our past," he added.

During World War I, 750,000 Hindus were deployed overseas in the British Indian Army, earning eight Victoria Crosses (VCs) and during World War II over 1.25 million Hindus fought in the British Indian Army, including in Europe, Africa and Asia, earning 18 VCs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
British Minister for International Development Priti Patel today called on Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here and offered a whopping five lakh pounds assistance and expertise to the state, primarily for the proposed smart cities.

A delegation led by Patel, including British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith, met Chouhan at his official residence and offered five lakh pounds assistance from the Department for International Development of United Kingdom, responsible for administering overseas aid, besides technical expertise to the state primarily for smart cities, a senior state government official said.

As per the official, Chouhan requested the British Minister for International Development that he will be overwhelmed if UK partners the Madhya Pradesh's Global Investors' Summit (GIS) in October, to which she readily agreed.

The Chief Minister thanked Patel for her gesture, the official said.

In reciprocation, the British Minister invited Chouhan to address a business seminar in UK - that was gladly accepted by the Chief Minister, he said.

Patel held talks with Chouhan for business opportunities in Madhya Pradesh, especially in food processing industry and areas open for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), he added.

Patel also lauded the socio-economic rapid changes and development taking place in Madhya Pradesh, the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Open access charges on purchase of solar power in are likely to reduce as the state government is focusing on removing hurdles for consumers, an official said.

"The new solar policy of the government is focusing on the open access hurdle and trying to make the charges more affordable, at least for solar power, to encourage private investments in this form of renewable energy," Renewable Energy Development Authority's governing body member, Sujan Pandit told PTI.



Open access technically allows an industrial consumer to buy power from any utility or power exchange in the country but it has to pay a charge to the state government to do so. In West Bengal, the rate is so high that open access is not used by consumers.

Pandit said the solar power policy will lay the foundation for electricity regulator to lower or abolish the charge.

State government was trying to set up solar parks with capacity of 10 MW by encouraging private sector. The Centre will also offer viability gap funding for such projects.

The Centre has given a target of 4500 MW of solar power capacity for West Bengal as part of the solar mission by 2022.

The state government was also trying to broad-base the users of rooftop solar generation and in this regard the new policy was planning to reduce the minimum solar panel capacity from 5KW to either 1 KW or 2 KW size for net metering.

Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid.

Pandit further said that initially the plan is to rollout in Kolkata, Salt lake and adjoining areas where infrastructure is stable, before spreading it across the state.

"There is possibility of grid problem in rural areas for injecting power into the grid for net metering and so to begin with we propose to start from city," he said.

State Power Minister Sobhondeb Chatterjee has said that the draft policy is ready and after consultation the government will unveil the policy.
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's right-wing opponents just kept delegitimizing him as a traitor and a Nazi for wanting to make peace with the Palestinians and give back part of the Land of Israel. Of course, all is fair in politics, right? And they had God on their side, right? They werent actually telling anyone to assassinate Rabin. That would be horrible.

But there are always people down the line who dont hear the caveats. They just hear the big message: The man is illegitimate, the man is a threat to the nation, the man is the equivalent of a Nazi war criminal. Well, you know what we do with people like that, dont you? We kill them.

And thats what the Jewish extremist Yigal Amir did to Rabin. Why not? He thought he had permission from a whole segment of Israels political class.

In September, I wrote a column warning that Donald Trumps language toward immigrants could end up inciting just this kind of violence. I never in my wildest dreams, though, thought hed actually suggest that Hillary Clinton was so intent on taking away the Second Amendment right to be bear arms that maybe Second Amendment enthusiasts could do something to stop her. Exactly what? Oh, Trump left that hanging.

Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment, Trump said at a rally in Wilmington, N.C., on Tuesday. By the way, and if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I dont know.

Of course Trumps handlers immediately denied that he was suggesting that gun owners do anything harmful toward Clinton. Trump, they insisted, was just referring to the power of unification. You know those Second Amendment people, they just love to get on buses and vote together.

But that is not what he said. What he said was ambiguous  slightly menacing, but with just enough plausible deniability that, of course, he was not suggesting an assassination. Again, its just like the Rabin story. When I wrote about this issue back in the fall it was to urge readers to see the movie Rabin: The Last Day, by the Israeli director Amos Gitai.

As The Times Isabel Kershner reported from Israel when the film was released, it is unambiguous about the forces it holds responsible  the extremist rabbis and militant settlers who branded Rabin a traitor, the right-wing politicians who rode the wave of toxic incitement against Rabin as they campaigned against the Oslo accords, and the security services who failed to heed the warnings that the incitement could get out of hand.

Mr. Rabin is almost invisible in the first two hours of the film, she reported. Benjamin Netanyahu, the opposition leader at the time, is shown in now-infamous historical footage addressing a feverish right-wing rally from a balcony in Jerusalems Zion Square, as protesters below shouted for the death of Rabin  the traitor  and held up photomontage posters of him dressed in an SS uniform.

Netanyahu, now prime minister, insisted he never saw the posters or heard the curses.

I am sure that is what Trumps supporters will say, too. But Trump knows what he is doing, and it is so dangerous in todays world. In the last year we have seen a spate of lone-wolf acts of terrorism in America and Europe by men and women living on the fringes of society, some with petty criminal records, often with psychological problems, often described as loners, and almost always deeply immersed in fringe jihadist social networks that heat them up. They hear the signal in the noise. They hear the inspiration and the permission to do Gods work. They are not cooled by unfinished sentences.
New research in Britain has claimed there is very little difference in the way male and female brains function, overturning the notion of 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' as propagated by the 1990's psychology bestseller.

Professor Gina Rippon, a cognitive neuroscientist at Aston University in Birmingham, has found no real evidence to show that women's and men's brains are wired differently.

"The latest evidence shows that we are all part of a spectrum, so dividing us into binary categories gives misleading results. I will be discussing new evidence that our brains and behaviour are mosaics of different characteristics and there is no such thing as a male or female brain," she told 'The Sunday Times' in reference to her findings, which she will be presenting at the British Science Festival in Swansea next month.

'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' by American writer John Gray had popularised the idea that each gender's supposedly different behaviour was linked to physical and hormonal differences in their brains.

The book, which is due to be made into a film starring Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon, even argued that housework benefited women by boosting their hormones.

"Men and women not only communicate differently, they think, feel, perceive, react, respond, love, need, and appreciate differently," the book claimed.

But Rippon argues such studies are "neurotrash" riddled with flaws and reflecting the bias of researchers.

"Sex differences in the brain have been extensively researched, widely reported and enthusiastically believed but modern brain-scanning techniques show there are few real differences - and the interpretations are borne more from prejudice than science," she said.

Some studies in the past have suggested that men have a higher ratio of grey matter, the tissues that process data, while women have relatively more white matter, the fibres that link different brain areas.

But Rippon believes that any differences found by researchers could equally be caused by the different expectations imposed on men and women.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yemeni pro-government troops, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, today seized two large towns east of the port city of Aden from al-Qaida, officials said.

Maj. Gen. Ahmed Seif told The Associated Press that troops entered Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, and Jaar as al-Qaida militants fled into the mountains under heavy fire and airstrikes that killed more than 40 militants and destroyed several of their vehicles.

He said three soldiers were killed and two wounded. He spoke from the town of al-Husson, north of Jaar.

Military officials had earlier said that government forces entered the small town of al-Kawd after brief clashes.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

Residents of al-Kawd said army trucks with loudspeakers urged them to stay inside until the town is fully liberated.

Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, the residents said two civilians were killed and four others wounded when a warplane bombed a car carrying explosives.

Al-Qaida seized both Zinjibar and Jaar last year, exploiting the chaos of Yemen's civil war, which pits an array of pro-government forces against Shiite Houthi rebels.

The militants agreed to withdraw from the towns in May but maintained a presence in the area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Private sector lender plans to raise $1 billion (about Rs 6,885 crore) through QIP in the next 7 months for which it has started engagement with large investors across geographies.

"The QIP process should be over in the next 6-7 months and we are actively meeting large investors across geographies," MD Rana Kapoor told PTI.

The QIP would be fairly diversified which would include even domestic investors, he said.

The bank is getting good response from the investors on the backdrop of robust first quarter, he said, adding this momentum will be sustained going forward.

reported a 32.8 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 731.8 crore during the first quarter ended June 30, as compared to Rs 551.20 crore in the year-ago period.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved Yes Bank's proposal in May this year to increase foreign investment limit to 74 per cent, entailing FDI inflows of USD 1 billion.

The bank got the approval to raise the limit without any sub-limits for investment by way of issue of non-equity shares and/or other permissible instruments to eligible non-resident investors.

The mode of instruments includes qualified institutions placement (QIP) of equity shares and/or issue of ADRs/GDRs and/or QFIs/FPIs under the portfolio investment scheme (PIS) by acquisition of permissible securities on stock exchange.

The bank claimed that it has become the first bank in India to receive such an approval for a fully fungible composite foreign investment limit of 74 per cent.

The hike in overseas shareholding was notified by the Cabinet in 2015 in order to remove sub-ceilings for multiple investor categories of FII, FDI and FPI.

Meanwhile, Yes Bank's weightage in the MSCI Global Standard Indexes has been increased to 1.7 per cent from 0.46 per cent effective August 31, as per MSCI's quarterly index review.

This increase has come on the back of RBI notifying increase in Yes Bank's Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) or Registered Foreign Portfolio Investors (RFPIs) limit to 74 per cent on June 10.
Britains exit from the European Union could be delayed until at least late 2019 because the government was too chaotic to start the two-year process early next year, the Sunday Times reported, citing sources it said were briefed by ministers.

Britain voted to leave the EU on June 23, but views differ over when it should invoke Article 50, which sets the clock ticking on a two-year deadline to leave the bloc, with some senior politicians calling for a quick departure. Prime Minister Theresa May, who campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU and leads a cabinet of ministers from either side of the debate, has said she will not trigger Brexit talks this year as Britain needs time to prepare.

But British government ministers have warned senior figures in the City of London, Londons financial district, that Article 50 was unlikely to be triggered early in 2017 because the situation in government was chaotic, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday.

Ministers are now thinking the [Article 50] trigger could be delayed until autumn 2017, one source, who had spoken to two senior ministers, told the newspaper.

They dont have the infrastructure for the people they need to hire. They say they dont even know the right questions to ask when they finally begin bargaining with Europe.



Asked about the reported delay to triggering Article 50, a Number 10 spokeswoman said: The Prime Minister has been clear that a top priority for this government is to deliver the decision of the British people to leave the EU and make a success of Brexit.



The PM has set out the governments position on Article 50 and has established a new department dedicated to taking forward the negotiations, she said.

European leaders have taken a firm line on the speed of Britains exit, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying that while it was understandable that Britain would need a few months to figure out its strategy, nobody wants a long period of limbo.

But behind the scenes, there has been a growing realisation in Europes capitals that the two-year window for negotiating Brexit is far too short.

Britain created two new government departments to handle Brexit and international trade, led by David Davis and Liam Fox, two prominent Leave campaigners in the referendum.

Davis has recruited less than half of the 250 staff he needs for the Brexit department, the Sunday Times said, while Fox has fewer than 100 of the 1,000 trade negotiators he is seeking.

Elections in France in May, and Germany in September, could also push back the timing of Brexit.

Any delay to the process, however, is likely to draw criticism from the pro-leave side of Mays Conservative party, with senior members such as John Redwood calling for a quick departure from the bloc.

There was an early sign of tension between the pro-Brexit members of Mays cabinet in a report that Fox had clashed with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson over the remit of his new department.

Fox said economic diplomacy -- policies concerning trade and Britains economic ties -- should be transferred to his department, according to a letter quoted in the Sunday Telegraph. Johnson had firmly rejected the Foxs demands, the newspaper said.

The spokeswoman said the government did not comment on leaked documents.
The Tour of Utah, which had its start in Logan in 2015, began in Park City this year. As Logans downtown manager, Gary Saxton was in charge of most of the details when the race came through Cache Valley last year. He says this years tour has brought back some exciting memories.

Although it rained all day in Logan, Saxton says for him and for many other people it was one of the most exciting days in Logans history. Now he says there is a chance the tour will be coming back.

Im a fan of the Tour of Utah and was able to go to some of the stages this year and speak to the Larry H. Miller Group as well as the race director, says Saxton. I would say they are very excited about the possibility of bringing the Tour of Utah back to Logan in 2017.

Im sure theyll be in contact with Logan City, discussing what they see as some options.

Saxton says he plans to do all he can to make that happen.
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WEDNESDAY

Orientation set for small businesses

A small business orientation is from 4-6 p.m. at the Center for Economic Development, 3209 S. Staples St., CED 146. The seminar will provide new business owners information to start a business. Topics include small business loans and financing requirements, business plan, licensing, contracting and permit information and resources. Free. Information: www.seminarscc.com.

Learn proper use of drones for business

Learn the use of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems, also known as drones, their operations, capabilities, restrictions and safety. The free seminar will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Del Mar College Center for Economic Development, 3209 S. Staples St., CED 106. Reservations needed by Tuesday. Information: www.seminarscc.com.

Lunch and learn seminar for women

SCORE, SBA and PTAC will host a free lunch and learn workshop for women-owned small businesses from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees will hear about the WOSB Portal  Certify. SBA. GOV and how to certify a business as a WOSB and EDWOSB. The workshop will be at the Del Mar College Center for Economic Development, 3209 S. Staples St., CED 117. Information: www.seminarscc.com.

THURSDAY

Seminar focuses on agricultural skills

A technical assistance opportunities for agricultural producers will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Del Mar College Center for Economic Development, 3209 S. Staples St., CED 106. Free. Information and registration: www.seminarscc.com.

Facebook for small businesses seminar

The SBA will offer Facebook for Small Businesses Part II from 11 a.m. to noon at the Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce, 130 West Goodnight Avenue. Information: 361-758-2750 and 361-879-0017 ext. 301 or elizabeth.soliz@sba.gov.

SBA hosts social event on Hootsuite

SBA will present Simply Social by Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, an introduction to Hootsuite for small businesses. The seminar is from 1:15-2:15 p.m. at the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, 319 Broadway St. Rockport. Free. Information: 361-879-0017 ext. 301 or elizabeth.soliz@sba.gov.

Compiled by Natalia Contreras
BURT  Trish Schneider carries the weight of 150 cows on her young shoulders and they feel mighty heavy in a year of poor hay.

Schneider, 25, is the sole operator of a cow-calf operation on family land southwest of Burt, a fading but picturesque hamlet in eastern Hettinger County. Shes strong, cheerful and hardworking, but none of those worthy attributes can scrape this years hay into bigger piles or make her animals less hungry when winter rolls around.

Like many livestock producers, shes looking for hay ground and finding some on nearby Conservation Reserve Program acres that are set aside from crop production for erosion control and wildlife habitat.

Its an odd crop out west this year: Grains are rolling in fairly strong, the corn is standing lush and tall, but the hay grasses and alfalfa were heavily damaged in a dry spring.

Hettinger County has the second-most CRP acreage of all 53 counties in North Dakota and a strong number of landowners enrolled in the program are opening it up for hay.

Margie Herner, director of the county Farm Service Agency, said her office has released 260 contracts for haying amounting to about 50,000 acres, close to half of all enrolled acres. She estimates about half the hay is going to livestock producers from out of the area  Belfield and beyond  where the hay crops are struggling, or to local producers, such as Schneider.

Theres a lot of pressure for hay and a lot of contracts that need management anyway, Herner said.

In Schneiders case, a nearby neighbor had some CRP that was available under his contract conditions and gave her a call. The set-aside land has to be managed with some disking or harrowing every five to six years, or owners can mow it for hay every three years.

She was more than glad to take him up on the offer.

Im trying to make as much hay as I can, said Schneider, who is out baling until after midnight, a one-woman fencing, corral-building, feeding and hay-making machine getting a helping hand up from friends and family. If it werent for them, Id be in trouble.

Ill be looking for more. Im really hoping to get 1,200 bales, she said as she did the math in her head and hopes her carryover hay and the hay acreage she can cut here and there and on her own place will add up to enough.

If not, shell sell cows this fall.

Good deal for all

On the other side of the equation are landowners such as Ben and Nadra Auch, of rural Mott, who own a couple of quarters in Bowman County. They were due to manage their CRP with hay or disking and were happy to find a livestock producer in Bowman County willing to cut hay on their ground.

It was a good coincidence since it saved the Auchs the time and the expense of doing the management themselves.

The Auchs arent charging the producer anything, though its customary for the landowner to charge the 25 percent deduct he gets in his annual CRP payment for taking the hay off. The contracts normally pay from $38 to $40 an acre, so the hay-taking cuts that payment back by about $10 an acre.

It would have been time out of our pocket, and they are really short of hay down there, Auch said.

Bowman and Slope counties were recently released for emergency CRP haying, which exempts the 25 percent deduction if landowners provide the hay to an in-county livestock producer. Auch said they missed that opportunity by a few weeks.

Our deal was in place before the emergency declaration come out. Were just giving him the hay. The qualitys not bad, but then its so dry down there in Bowman County, she said.

Dry hay, fire threat

Jim Honeyman, a livestock producer on the Enchanted Highway country north of Regent, said other counties in the district are also releasing sizable numbers of hay contracts this year.

Its higher than normal because its not normally this dry. On my own hay acres, the yield is down about 50 percent. Ranchers are looking for anything they can get, said Honeyman, the district director for the Farm Service Agency, overseeing 13 counties in the southwest region.

He also cuts on neighbors set-aside acres and can count on three to four bales an acre, normally.

This year, itll be two to an acre, fair to poor, he said.

Some landowners worry about releasing CRP for hay when its so dry because of the fire danger, according to Honeyman.

Back at the Farm Service office in Mott, Herner digs out her cell phone, where she captured pictures of a hay cutter engulfed in flames on the familys CRP. A Belfield rancher was cutting hay northeast of Mott with a John Deere demo model and sparked a flame in the dry grass. The machine was a total loss and about 14 acres burned to a black crisp.

The operator was fine, but the Aug. 5 incident does underscore the need for hay-makers to equip themselves with fire extinguishers.

Herner said rain that came through Hettinger County Tuesday night will help with the fire danger and could spark some additional interest in CRP hay, which could improve with this late-season shot of moisture.

A few could still straggle in, but its getting late and it is so dry, she said.

Wildlife prime goal

The federally managed conservation program has a lot of rules and one of those is that haying cant start until Aug. 2 and has to be completed by Aug. 31, though the bales can be loaded out late into the fall.

Thats admittedly a fairly short and late window  for prime hay anyway but Herner said its important to remember the intention of the CRP.

Its not a haying program. It really is intended to benefit wildlife, she said.

Anyone who needs a list of landowners with available CRP should contact the local county extension agent, who keeps track of whos looking for hay and whos got it.
Q: I have been working from home as a computer programmer for over 15 years now and recently I accepted a job as a senior programmer, which will put me on location at client sites. I'm worried that since I haven't had to use face to face communication skills in a business setting in many years I might be rusty and out of place. As a senior representative of my company, I believe these communication skills should be one of my strengths and not a weakness. What are some things I can do or practice so that I'm more natural and professional during face-to-face communication?

A: Improving your interpersonal skills is something that cannot happen overnight. The only way to improve is to practice and actually do it. Many of the skills may take time for you to adopt, however there are also some quick little techniques that can start to make things easier almost immediately.

Stay professional. Remember no matter whom you're talking to make sure you are at your best. The way you act reflects on your character. Learn to deal with situations in an appropriate way.

Establish credibility. Be sincere. If you are truthful and up front with people it will go a long way to gaining other's respect and trust.

Understand others' point of view. Remember to reflect on what others tell you, and even if you disagree, take the time to learn and understand where they are coming from.

Learn about others. Take time to talk with employees or clients. Conversations do not need to be work related, rather simple conversations that help you learn about the person and build rapport.

Be confident. Keep eye contact and your body relaxed. Be sure to speak clearly and at a moderate pace.

Wes Atwood is president of Dale Carnegie Training of South Texas, which includes Corpus Christi, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley. For more tips, visit corpuschristi.dalecarnegie.com.
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By Elizabeth Riggle, Special to the Caller-Times

Since 2003, every day at La Playa Mexican Cafe is a fiesta.

Located near the corner of Rodd Field Road and South Padre Island Drive, this restaurant uses the highest quality, fresh ingredients to prepare outstanding Baja-style seafood dishes, tasty Mexican entrees and icy cold margaritas.

La Playa Mexican Cafe is welcoming and fun.

This is the place for celebrations. Enjoy happy hour pricing on margaritas from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, belt out a song on karaoke Thursday and Sunday or savor the lunch express menu on Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Each Monday in August from 4 to 10 p.m., La Playa Mexican Cafe is hosting Military Monday.

In appreciation for active and retired veterans, La Playa is honoring them with a complimentary meal from its military menu. Choices include fried fish and shrimp, carne guisada and enchiladas. Selections not on the military menu will be 50 percent off. Some restrictions apply; ask your server for details.

In a rush during lunch hour? Try the new express lunch menu. Choose from taco salad, the enchiladas verdes or the La Playa lunch combo: One cheese enchilada and one beef crispy taco served with rice and beans.

La Playa Mexican Cafe offers a full bar with flavored margaritas, zesty bloody Marys, sweet pina coladas, imported and domestic beers and wines.

La Playa has a big menu, and the portions are generous. Customer favorites include the fried stuffed avocado, the shrimp amarrados and the fajaitas tarascas which is well tenderized, top choice, outside skirt meat topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions, poblano peppers and cilantro in a creamy poblano sauce.

Seafood selections are abundant. Relish the San Lucas snapper or the sweet and spicy campechana de mariscos: Boiled and peeled shrimp, scallops and crabmeat tossed in a homemade cocktail sauce with pico de gallo and avocado slices.

Traditional Mexican dishes include the tamale dinner, chalupas and La Playa burrito: Large flour tortilla stuffed with ground beef and refried beans with cheese topped with chili gravy and cheese.
SHARE Torin Halsey/Times Record News Jacob Gonzalez talks to a Caller-Times reporter from the Allred prison unit in Wichita Falls, where he is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole.

By Krista M. Torralva of the Caller-Times

Jacob Gonzalez's feelings of being rejected and ignored for two decades were catalysts that helped drive him to kill three women, a family counselor concluded.

Family Counseling Service educator Markell Rowe, who received a detailed briefing of Gonzalez's background, hand-written notes, juvenile and other court records, believes his upbringing played a big role in shaping him into a violent abuser who committed murder.

As a toddler, Gonzalez was abandoned by his parents. He also was sexually abused by a family member and emotionally neglected for years, according to Gonzalez, relatives and public records. Those issues of untreated abuse and neglect would have heavily influenced his demise, Rowe said.

Gonzalez's girlfriend, Vivianna Amaya, broke up with him two days before her murder. In May 2011, Gonzalez got in a car with Amaya and shot her, her aunt and her aunt's friend underneath Crosstown Expressway near the Agnes Street exit in Corpus Christi.

Gonzalez's history of rejection is common in the backgrounds of domestic violence abusers. They also share other traits such as denying responsibility for their actions, drug and alcohol use and abuse they endured or witnessed in their childhood.

"Emotionally, he needed to protect himself from another feeling of rejection and that's where the chaos is," Rowe said. "Think of it as a tornado and it just builds and builds and builds until it's totally destructive."

DRIVEN BY ANGER

Though Rowe had no involvement with the case and hasn't met Gonzalez she noted his actions show he never got help to deal with anger and rejection.

One of the most critical stages for brain development is within a child's first year, said Rowe, who has studied and attended conferences on psychology and brain development. During the first year, a child needs a nurturing caregiver, Rowe said.

But developing the logic side of the brain takes time and bonding that usually starts with parents. It was a luxury Gonzalez didn't have.

"If this baby, Jacob, never experienced trust ... his brain is not developed in a healthy, normal way," Rowe said.

Not addressing the issues materialized into violence the older he became.

When he stabbed the mother of his son in 2009, his actions were likely driven by unresolved anger from childhood. When they argued in her car because she didn't want to get back together with him and he said she wasn't letting him see their son, Jacob used a pocketknife to stab her. She used her hands to block the blows and he started stabbing the console and dashboard instead, records show.

"Because anger is so much a part of who he is by now ... All that adrenaline has to come out," Rowe said of the stabbing.

But at some point logic kicked in and he stopped stabbing her.

"He knew to stop because he certainly could have killed her with a knife. Instead, he takes it out on the console," Rowe noted.

A PATTERN OF VIOLENCE

Logic didn't win out when he fatally shot the three women in the head.

"You compound that anger. You compound that feeling of rejection. He couldn't," Rowe said.

Gonzalez's childhood reflects the background of at least half the men who go through a treatment program for abusers at the Women's Shelter of South Texas. Half the men who are either court-ordered or otherwise referred to the Batterers Intervention and Prevention Program admit to being abused or neglected as children, coordinator Carolina Balli-Kolpack said. Many witnessed their parents hit one another.

For many of the participants she's evaluated, their anger stems from sexual or other physical abuse they suffered. In many others, alcohol and drugs are a factor.

"Some of them carry issues they have not resolved," Balli-Kolpack said. "And who is the closest person to unleash that rage on? Their partner."

But, as Balli-Kolpack pointed out, not all abusers were abused, and not all those abused become abusers. And certainly, no history of abuse excuses killing, she said.

The 24-36 weeks long program works to hold offenders accountable and equip them with skills to change their behavior and have healthy relationships.

Denial, minimizing their actions and blaming the victim are also characteristic of many abusers, Balli-Kolpack said. To be accepted into the program, men must admit to their actions.

"Can they change? Yes, but they have to want to. They have to be open to the process," Balli-Kolpack said.

Twitter: @CallerKMT
Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times Ted Olivarez, an emergency room nurse at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial, said nurses likely see people come into emergency rooms every day who are victims of domestic violence. They give them resources and offer any other help they can, but he still said he feels like it isn't enough.

SHARE Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times Ted Olivarez, an emergency room nurse at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial, said nurses likely see people come into emergency rooms every day who are victims of domestic violence. They give them resources and offer any other help they can, but he still said he feels like it isn't enough.

By Rachel Denny Clow of the Caller-Times

Ted Olivarez has seen the damage caused by domestic violence.

And while his job as a registered nurse in the emergency room at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial helps victims of domestic violence heal physically, he often questions whether it is enough.

In the past four years he's worked in the emergency room, the cycle has gone on. As victims come in, some will report abuse and others will not. Sometimes nurses will suspect it is domestic violence. Stories don't match injuries, or they are patients they have seen again and again and the stories never change.

"We get a sense of it (domestic violence), but then it isn't vocalized," Olivarez said. "There's times that it's been where they want to say something but something keeps holding them back or they'll come up with a story that doesn't relate to what the injuries are. That's where it gets frustrating."

Patients receive information about resources and phone numbers, including to the Women's Shelter of South Texas. In every case, they are asked if they have a safe place to stay. If the answer is no, transportation can be arranged to the shelter.

Olivarez acknowledges there are no easy answers to curbing the violence.

"It's a matter of offering the resources but then it's having the support system to do it and that's the hard part is finding that solution for that gray area that we can't seem to get out of," Olivarez said. "And that's the main thing. Trying to find a solution, and I don't know that there is one that's easy."

Twitter: @CallerClow
When is hurricane season? Here's what you need to know in South Texas
COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES Nueces Bay Boulevard between Interstate 37 and Leopard Street is a Corpus Christi patchwork of old and new asphalt. The boulevard is a battleground in the city's efforts to improve some of its poorest roads.

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Two clever ideas for restoring Corpus Christi's worn-out streets emerged at the City Council's most recent meeting. Both were proposed as alternatives to the council's plan to let voters consider a property tax increase exclusively for residential street reconstruction, which still is on the table.

The more elaborate of the two alternatives is to add a fee, probably $6 a month, to residential utility bills. Charging a fee isn't the elaborate part. Councilwoman Colleen McIntyre started with a simple, transparent proposal for a $5 residential street reconstruction fee  separate from the $5.63 monthly street maintenance fee we already pay.

Unfortunately, there were legal obstacles. If we could explain them, we'd be making no less than $200 an hour for the explanation. So now, instead of a residential street reconstruction fee, on the advice of city legal staff, the council will consider what will be called a solid waste fee but that still would be used only for residential street reconstruction. The justification  loophole would be a better word  is that the garbage trucks that collect solid waste wear out the streets.

The reason to charge $6 instead of $5 is that McIntyre would have applied the fee to every residence, business and industry that pays a utility fee, but as a solid waste fee it can be charged only to city solid waste customers, which exempts businesses and industries that contract with third parties for their solid waste collection.

The other new street-funding idea sounds enticingly like getting something for nothing. Councilman Chad Magill, who proposed it, didn't describe it that way. He said only that it wouldn't cost any more in property tax than we already pay. That's true  as long as the city doesn't cross a bond debt threshold. Magill wants to use $16.1 million in bond funding for residential streets. The city could commit to as much as $65 million in bonds for its various projects without having to raise the property tax to cover it. The city is considering a $20.3 million bond program. It plus Magill's proposal would add up to $36.4 million, comfortably under the limit  for now.

We commend McIntyre, Magill and the legal staff for initiative and ingenuity. But these plans remind us of the lady who swallowed a bird to catch the spider she swallowed to catch the fly she swallowed.

The city's main trust-in-government issue is the poor condition of its streets. It has been the No. 1 issue for the past six years. In those six years council members searched for creative ways to make the expense painless, or to charge us in ways we won't notice  like scapegoating the bus system and raiding its sales tax revenue, which comes from our purchases.

Raising the property tax is reliable but painful. A monthly fee is another form of pain, which is why we commend McIntyre's initial idea for its honesty. It's only drawback  not necessarily a deal-killer  is that it's regressive.

But, pay a solid waste fee and  wink-wink-nudge-nudge  we'll use it to fix the streets? What happens when the city needs new garbage trucks?

The bond plan is another shell game. City residents have figured out by now that making real progress on the street problem will cost more than they've been paying.

There are political and legal obstacles to every commonsense solution to the street problem. Raising the property tax too high puts it at risk of a rollback petition. A local-option gasoline tax, the fairest, most direct solution because it puts the burden on street users, requires intervention by the Legislature.

We've said this before: We the People are the funding mechanism.

We are not elusive. We pay taxes and fees. Decide how much. If it's not that simple, make it that simple.
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Recent attacks by a presidential candidate targeted a grieving American Muslim Gold Star mother, Ghazala Khan, who is still trying to overcome the loss of her son, U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan  a Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient. Those attacks are also affecting American Muslim children.

Whenever candidates or commentators talk about Islam or Muslims, they should think about the effects of their words on the lives of American Muslim children across our nation. Anti-Muslim hate speech is dangerous because of the hate crimes it can incite and its harmful message, especially to American Muslim girls. It can shatter their hopes for a better future, of a life fulfilled and of the American dream.

To the millions of American Muslim girls growing up across our country, I say as a strong, independent, hijab-wearing and law-school-educated American Muslim woman attorney: You have the right to grow up with the same hopes and dreams as any young person. You can be an American and a practicing Muslim.

I am a proud American and a proud practicing Muslim. I am a U.S. citizen and a registered voter. I was born in Lawrence, Kan., and grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. My parents encouraged me to be an ambassador of my faith. They taught me to be humble and grateful for God's blessings, no matter the hardships in life.

American Muslims share our country's strong family values and are dedicated to raising and educating their children.

I love my family. My parents worked hard to provide for my sister, brother and me. They taught us to be productive citizens and proud Americans. I work hard to make my parents proud.

My parents taught me Prophet Muhammad's teaching that Muslims, both women and men, should pursue higher education. Inspired by this Islamic teaching, my mother holds three master's degrees  mathematics, education and counseling  and I worked hard to get into the South Texas College of Law and now work as an attorney. I volunteer at Seattle Children's Hospital and serve on the board of Lawyers Helping Hungry Children. My sister is a medical student and graduated as valedictorian of her high school class.

American Muslims believe in the freedom of all U.S. citizens to live and worship in their own way.

A Gallup Poll found that American Muslim women are the second most highly educated religious group of women in the U.S. and are just as likely as American Muslim men to have a college degree or pursue higher education.

American Muslims believe in the freedom of all U.S. citizens to live and worship in their own way. American Muslims uphold the Constitution and U.S. laws and share the same American values and freedoms that we all cherish, knowing that we are all in this together. Thousands of American Muslims serve in our nation's military, and several have made the ultimate sacrifice. Hundreds of thousands of American Muslims are volunteers, law-enforcement officials, public-school teachers, firefighters, nurses and business owners building our economy. There are about 50,000 American Muslim doctors saving lives every day.

Never before in our nation's history have reported anti-Muslim hate crimes been as high as in 2015. Throughout 2015, the Council on American-Islamic Relations' offices nationwide received, on average, at least one to two daily reports of anti-Muslim hate attacks. While no federal agency collects data on discrimination targeting children based on religion, about 80 percent of American Muslim youths, according to surveys, have been targets, often in front of school administrators.

Hate speech leads to hate crimes. When hate speech and conspiracy theories against a minority are constantly spread publicly and go unchallenged, they foster an atmosphere that leads to hate crimes.

In times like now, everyday Americans and fair-minded leaders have a duty to affirm the American value of religious freedom and to publicly tell stories of the lives and contributions of American Muslims. It will remind millions of American Muslim children that they have the right to grow up with the same hopes and dreams as any young American.
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Bob White

Proud Republican

Where are the Republicans? Have they all gone into eternal hibernation? I have a bumper sticker that declares "Texan by birth  Republican by choice" I am not afraid to admit that my choice is always red not blue. When there were 17 candidates seeking the Republican nomination for president everyone cheered when Donald Trump took after Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio or Chris Christie or Ted Cruz, but now when he attacks the Democratic nominee only the Democrats have anything to say. This election is one for the ages. At age 79 I have never seen anything like it before and doubt I will live long enough to see it again. That said, everyone in the United States should have an opinion and they should speak up, not hide in dark corners. Anyone who does not realize what is at stake on Nov. 8 must be completely cut off from information. In the past eight years the United States has changed and it will continue to change so it is incumbent on everyone to be informed and let your voices be heard. Either Donald Trump or "Hil-lie-ry" Clinton will be our next president. I don't want someone else speaking and voting for me, nor should you!
FARGO -- Concerns about the deadly dangers of heroin, fentanyl and other opioids have consumed public consciousness in North Dakota this year. But another highly addictive drug has quietly become more and more prevalent.

State records show that methamphetamine use has steadily and significantly increased over the past five years among people seeking addiction treatment at North Dakotas regional human service centers.

The percentage of adults reporting meth as one of their drugs of choice more than doubled, from 17 percent in 2011 to 39 percent in 2015, outpacing the rise in reported opioid use, the records show. At the same time, the percentage of adolescents who said meth was a drug of choice rose from 1 percent to 7 percent.

Through June 2016, reported meth use has climbed even further, with 47 percent for adults and 10 percent for youth, according to the records.

Whats to blame for this jump in meth use isnt clear. Law enforcement and public health officials have no concrete explanations. But several factors may be at play, such as a drop in the price of meth and continued availability of the drug.

North Dakota officials have made concerted efforts to warn the public about the perils of alcohol and prescription opioids, and officials are starting to sound the alarm about heroin and fentanyl.

But right now, there isnt a campaign aimed at meth. Despite this fact, state officials say the meth problem is not being ignored.

Pam Sagness, director of the state Behavioral Health Division, said most of her divisions efforts to prevent substance abuse apply to all drugs, including meth.

Sagness said the best form of prevention is not a mass-messaging campaign (think Just Say No!), rather its targeting people at risk for abusing drugs and intervening before they do so.

Effective prevention isnt saying what substance it is and then telling people not to do it, she said. Effective prevention is changing the environment around youth and around young adults to make it less appealing to use substances in general.

More data sought

When people come to one of the states eight human service centers for treatment, they are asked about the drugs they use most, and more often than not they report using multiple substances, said State Hospital Superintendent Rosalie Etherington, who oversees the centers.

For the past five years, alcohol has been the most commonly reported drug used by adults treated at the centers, but its declined from 81 percent in 2011 to 66 percent in 2015. Marijuana has held steady in second place at about 50 percent.

Meth and opioids have remained in third and fourth place, respectively, with their percentages both climbing. While reported meth use has more than doubled, reported opioid use has only gone from 14 percent in 2011 to 19 percent in 2015.

Judging by national drug-use surveys, meth use appears stable in the U.S. as a whole, but national treatment data indicates it may be increasing, according to a 2015 Drug Enforcement Administration report. The number of meth-related treatment admissions was 6.5 percent higher in 2012 than in 2011, but its still below the 2005 level, following a seven-year decline, the report said.

Etherington said shes been presenting data to the North Dakota Legislature to advocate for more prevention and treatment resources in general. But she said theres been no discussion of allocating such resources to specifically target meth use.

Etherington acknowledges that the state could be doing a better job getting the word out about the increase in meth use. She says part of the challenge in identifying and communicating the problem is a lack of data.

She said human service center data is a good indicator of drug use in the state, but it doesnt include patient data from private treatment providers. State officials dont have access to private patient data, even though it would help them spot drug trends sooner, Etherington said.

If we identified those trends earlier, we could target those trends earlier and prevent some of the increase, she said.

A patients right to privacy is often cited as a roadblock to sharing medical data, but she says there are ways to scrub data so that patient information is removed.

During the last legislative session, there was talk of creating a data-sharing system, but a plan of action was not formed. I would argue that other states have done it, and it surely should be accomplished here, too, she said.

Boom and bust

At the New Freedom Center in Bismarck, James Knopik regularly sees the physical effects of long-term meth use among his patients. People look a lot older than their ages. Teeth are missing often, said Knopik, the centers clinical director.

The trends in drug use reported at human service centers, including the rise in meth use, are very similar to what hes observed at the New Freedom Center, a private treatment facility, he said.

Knopik said he doesnt know why more people with histories of meth use are seeking treatment. But he suspects the reduced availability of prescription drugs has led more people to use street drugs like meth and heroin.

Kenneth Solek of the DEA said most meth in North Dakota is made outside the U.S. and is distributed by domestic dealers. If you traced it back, a good majority of it would be associated with a Mexican organization at some point, said Solek, assistant special agent in charge of the Minneapolis-St. Paul district office that oversees North Dakota.

There was a time when meth production was common in North Dakota, but thats changed since laws were enacted to regulate meth precursors like pseudoephedrine. Were not seeing a lot of local manufacture anymore, said Lt. Shannon Ruziska of the Fargo Police Department. Twenty years ago, we had a lot of the meth labs in town.

In western North Dakota, the demand for meth at the height of the oil boom pushed the price to $3,300 an ounce, Rob Fontenot, an agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation and a member of the Southwest Narcotics Task Force, said earlier this summer.

But now that the boom has subsided the price has dropped to $800 an ounce, and the drug is still readily available, Fontenot said.

In Fargo, Ruziska said the street-level price of meth varies widely depending on the seller and the purity of the drug. He said the price here has remained stable in the past few years, usually falling somewhere in the lower end of a range from $800 to $2,000 per ounce.

The social cost

Sagness said theres limited funding for substance-abuse prevention so her division must set priorities.

We have to look at our resources and say, OK, where is the larger social cost? We know in North Dakota right now we can attribute significant loss of life to alcohol and to opioids, she said.

From 2006 to 2010, the state had an annual average of 179 deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fatal opioid overdoses in the state increased from 20 deaths in 2013 to 43 deaths in 2014, according to the CDC.

The CDC doesn't track meth overdoses, but its fair to say North Dakota has not had a spate of deaths directly attributable to meth. However, Sagness acknowledged that meth gouges holes in the social fabric by wreaking havoc in the lives of addicts and potentially leading them to commit crimes to feed their habit.

In the Fargo area this year, F-M Ambulance says its on pace to respond to 88 calls involving the use of naloxone, an antidote to opioid overdoses  up from 40 calls in 2011. The metro area has also experienced at least a dozen deaths from opioid overdoses.

Our community has never seen overdose deaths and overdoses in that number, Ruziska said. That drives a very strong public feeling.

The opioid issue has garnered a potent response from parents, educators, public health professionals and law enforcement officials thats led to a series of public meetings.

Ruziska said hed like to see the same sort of community response to meth.
Stefanovic has been candid about the psychological impact of reporting at the coalface of many horrific events, including in the war zones of Gaza and Syria and the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake in 2010. He narrowly missed being shot in Libya. He consulted a psychologist who didn't label his feelings of anxiety as post-traumatic stress but did urge him to take a step back.
North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger said last week its too early to say what forms of identification will be accepted for voting in Novembers election, but a plan is being developed after a federal judge recently ruled against the states new voter ID laws.

On Aug. 1, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Hovland issued a preliminary injunction requested by seven members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa who sued Jaeger in January, arguing the voter ID laws passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2013 and 2015 were unconstitutional and disenfranchised tribal members.

Jaeger, a Republican, said the process of reverting back to the pre-2013 law is not as easy as the judge may have made it sound in his ruling. He said he wasnt able to say yet which IDs will be accepted at the polls come November.

However, the state will comply with Hovlands order, Jaeger said.

There are many unanswered questions and laws that were changed beginning in 2013 that are outside of the specific section of law that the judge cited in his ruling, Jaeger said in an email. They all impact our ability to conduct the election in 2016 using pre-2013 laws.

Jaeger said his office has met with Republican Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and is in the process of developing a plan, which he hopes will be completed by Friday.

We have a lot of work to do to make sure what we will be doing is the best and right way under the circumstances while maintaining the high standards of election administration, Jaeger said, pointing to a recent Pew Charitable Trusts study that found North Dakota was the top state for election administration in the 2014 cycle, the fourth straight time the state has earned the top spot.

We must have a uniform ID process for all voters whether they vote at the polls or by mail or absentee, and that is challenging because of the many law changes that have been made, Jaeger added.

Fail-safe

In an effort to prevent voter fraud, the North Dakota Legislature passed laws that required voters bring an acceptable form of ID showing their current address and birth date to the polls. The law that passed in 2013 eliminated fail-safe provisions that allowed a poll clerk to vouch for a voters eligibility and allowed a voter to sign an affidavit swearing, under penalty of perjury, that he or she was eligible to vote in a particular precinct.

Hovlands order prevents the state from implementing the current voter ID laws without some kind of fail-safe provision.

Kylie Oversen, chairwoman of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, said she expects voters will be able to use affidavits again if they dont have the proper identification.

Regardless of the plan that Secretary Jaeger is coming up with, we fully expect that the state of North Dakota will comply with the federal judges ruling, she said.

North Dakota was among several states to have its voter ID laws blocked in recent weeks.

Response

Meanwhile, Stenehjem is defending his offices legal defense of North Dakotas voter ID laws.

The longtime attorney general was criticized in a piece posted online Monday by the National Review, a conservative publication. In it, author and former member of the Federal Election Commission Hans A. von Spakovsky pointed to sections of Hovlands ruling that indicated North Dakota didnt dispute or challenge certain claims from the plaintiffs.

In other words, the state of North Dakota did not bother to put up an actual defense in this lawsuit, von Spakovsky wrote. He also suggested Stenehjem was too busy running for governor to defend the voter ID laws.

In a letter to the editor of the National Review dated Wednesday and provided by Stenehjems office, the attorney general said the author chose to ignore that North Dakotas case is unique and as a result, started with a different legal strategy, pointing to the North Dakotas status as the only state without voter registration.

Unlike other states, North Dakota sought a clarification of the laws before arguing about facts, Stenehjem wrote. Because there was no law that required fail-safe mechanisms such as affidavits or provisional ballots, North Dakota wanted the judge to clarify that this is a brand-new legal requirement before arguing about how and when it should apply.

Stenehjem called the preliminary injunction only the first battle in a long struggle.
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When crop prices went sky high, Hurdsfield farmer Chad Weckerly wanted to add drain tile to aid in ridding his fields of excess water and make them more productive. That required consulting with the Natural Resource Conservation Service to make sure he wasnt going to be changing a wetland.

Five years later, hes still going through the process.

The NRCS in North Dakota and other states with substantial wetland areas have struggled to keep up with wetland determination requests. Though the North Dakota office has used new techniques to shrink its backlog, people involved in the process say more improvement is needed.

Since the passage of the 1985 Farm Bill, producers who want to use certain U.S. Department of Agriculture programs have been prohibited from draining wetlands. The NRCS, a division of the USDA, has to determine what makes up a wetland and how producers can farm in those areas.

The high prices of 2011-12 came around the same time as advancements in subsurface tile drainage technology, leading to a significant increase in requests for wetland determinations, said Jenny Heglund, assistant state conservationist for compliance at the North Dakota office of the NRCS. In addition, a wet cycle for the past 20 years has made some formerly dry land into possible wetlands. The North Dakota backlog of determinations reached nearly 4,000 in 2012.

Weckerlys case was among those. At one point, the NRCS determined there were 118 wetlands on a 640-acre section he farms. Many of those supposed wetlands were so small you cant park the tractor on them, he said. Other spots were dry much of the year. He would like to see a minimum-size definition for wetlands.

The North Dakota Farm Bureau, of which Weckerly is a director, supports legislation proposed by Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., South Dakota Rep. Kristi Noem and Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson that they say would enact permanent reforms that make the determination process more efficient, accountable and transparent.

Darryl Lies, president of the Farm Bureau, said many producers shouldnt have to wait years to find out what they can do on their land.

Thats unacceptable, he said.

Tackling a problem

The NRCS doesnt like it, either. Bogged down under the weight of the determinations, the North Dakota staff started looking at new methods to handle the process.

We put together a dedicated team of conservation professionals in order to basically focus only on developing wetland determinations for agriculture purposes, said Heglund. They now use imagery, elevation data, soil information and other resources from their offices to make preliminary technical determinations.

If producers dont agree with that or want to provide more information, then NRCS staff members make farm visits. They also do farm visits for reports of unauthorized wetland drainage.

Weckerly said he has had Heglund visit his farm to review the preliminary technical determination, and he found that process helpful. He was able to show Heglund that many of the 118 wetlands on his section were little more than puddles.

The NRCS also has been looking at alternatives to the process. It has ramped up assistance to producers who wish to manipulate wetlands by creating a new wetland elsewhere, Heglund said.

The backlog has gone from nearly 4,000 to more than 700. Heglund said 500 to 800 requests come in annually, so it might take a few years to get to the bottom of the backlog. The new process also has cleared up some misunderstandings and has allowed producers to assist in providing photographs and information about drainage that aid in the process, she said.

Theyll do whatever they can to give information up front to help make a determination that makes sense, Heglund said.

Legislation looming

Weckerly wants to see producers have more influence in the process, as well as more certainty. The proposed legislation would put a 60-day deadline on the NRCS to make determinations, as well as streamline the appeal process and improve transparency.

If the legislation were to be passed, Heglund said meeting a 60-day deadline would take more staff, additional offsite tools and refined methodology. But once the backlog is cleared up, she hopes the process moves faster than it has in recent years.

Our thought process is it should take three to four months once a person has a request, she said.

Three or four months would be a definite improvement over the current situation, Lies said. He believes the real issue is that the NRCS needs to be accountable to the farmers whose livelihood depends on what they can do on their land.

Farmers get all sorts of guidelines of what they can and cant do on their land, but yet the agencies that are responsible for giving them the determinations so they know what they can and cant do dont seem to have expectations of performance," he said.

Heglund explained the NRCS doesn't want to push out determinations so fast that they lose contact with producers, who often need to understand how to stay in compliance in order to maintain USDA benefits.

Weckerly says he is glad he began the process. He wants more certainty about where wetlands are on his property so he knows not only where he can use drain tile but also where he can use chemicals that cant be used within given distances of wetlands. But he advises farmers to be ready to advocate for themselves.

Heglund didnt want to comment on the proposed legislation, but she said Cramers office has done its research and has been in contact with the NRCS about the issue. She said her office is committed to trying new ways to clear the backlog.
Birmingham City Hall

The Birmingham City Hall is shown in Birmingham, Ala., Monday, August 5, 2013. The 12-story building was completed in 1950. (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

David Sher is Co-Founder of AmSher Compassionate Collections and past Chairman of Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, ONB, and CAP.

Let's turn Birmingham around. Click here to sign up for our newsletter. There's power in numbers. (Opt out at any time)

Okay, we were embarrassed again...

...actually twice within two weeks by the same publication.

But I keep having this unsettling thought.

What if we live in one of the most livable cities in America, but these preposterous loony rankings convince us and people elsewhere that we're a bunch of losers?

WalletHub recently published "2016's Best-Run Cities in America."

Birmingham ranked 128th out of 150 cities.

The Birmingham Business Journal quickly followed with the headline, "Birmingham receives low ranking for city management."

Then YellowHammer piled on, "Birmingham ranked one of the worst-run cities in America."

Tweets and retweets spread the bad news everywhere.

But the ranking is baloney.

First of all, the study shows nothing about how well the City of Birmingham is managed. Financial stability was measured, but Birmingham's finances remain in good order. The other measures have nothing to do with governance.

WalletHub says it "examined each city's performance on six key indicators, including financial stability, education, health, safety, economy as well as infrastructure and pollution."

As usual, the city of Birmingham was ranked without its wealthier suburbs against cities like Louisville, Kentucky which has a county-city government. (Louisville combined its county and city government in 2003)

Louisville, which includes all of Jefferson County Kentucky, ranked 26th and Birmingham,which includes less than 1/3 of Jefferson County Alabama, ranked 128th.

Making matters worse, a week earlier, WalletHub, rated Birmingham the 3rd most stressful city in America--based on high divorce and crime rate, percentage of adults in fair/poor health or who had been diagnosed with depression, suicide rates, average weekly work hours and unemployment rates. WalletHub again measured Birmingham without its suburbs like Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills with cities with much broader boundaries.

If you were a business or an individual looking to move to a new town, would you select Birmingham with its low rankings or would you pick a higher rated city?

And do you really think Birmingham is the 3rd most stressful city in the U.S.?

That's nonsense.

Birmingham is likely one of the least stressful cities in America.

Newcomers always comment on our comfortable way of life and our hospitality.

But it certainly may be stressful for people who live in the urban areas of Birmingham, but WalletHub ranked Birmingham 3rd in stress and Chicago 33rd.

As of the end of July there had been 2,120 people shot and wounded and 414 homicides in Chicago-compared to 59 homicides in Birmingham. Do you really think urban Chicago is less stressful than urban Birmingham?

I love Birmingham. And I'm sure you do too.

Don't believe for a minute the nonsense published by website and media people who've never visited here and have never experienced our beauty and generosity.

Also read:
Electra Meccanica continue to promote their small, three-wheeler, zero-emission Solo by taking it out at the raceway for the first time, to stretch its legs and have its systems checked.



With the companys CEO Jerry Kroll behind the wheel, who showed his optimism when it came to lap times, the prototype met the asphalt at Mission Raceway in British Columbia, over the weekend.

All systems were nominal, and we have a solid baseline of performance. I was driving at 70% the whole time. As a comparison, the only other cars out there were race prepped Fast and Furious type cars with slick tires, doing between 1:25 and 1:33 by our clocks, so SOLO is at the fast side of showroom cars already, Kroll said.

Tipping the scales at 992 lbs (450 kg) and using a synchronous electric motor with 82 HP and 140 lb-ft (190 Nm) of torque, fed by an 8.64 kWh lithium-ion battery, the Electra Meccanica Solo is less than a month away from its public launch, scheduled for September 9.

Inspired probably by Teslas success, Mr. Kroll remains enthusiastic when it comes to those who might be interested in spending $19,888 CAD ($15,253 USD) on the Solo and says that their online order system is going to explode during our launch.

VIDEO
Dramatic footage has emerged of the moment locals saved a Chicago man from imminent death after he crashed his Lamborghini Huracan.



The shocking images show a small group of rescuers pulling the man from the destroyed matte black Huracan and carrying him to safety just seconds before the car bursts into flames.

Details surrounding the crash are still somewhat murky but according to NBC Chicago, the Italian supercar was hit from the side and speared into a light pole from side on. This split the Huracan in two, leaving the rear-end and engine on the side walk and the passenger cell of the car in the middle of the street.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing but witnesses say that the driver was conscious when he was extracted from the car and was immediately rushed to hospital. His condition is unknown.

This isnt the first time weve seen a Lamborghini split in two like this. Almost three years ago, an Aventador was cut in half after slamming into a tree.

Images via MozzamTweets and Greg Albrecht

VIDEO

Lamborghini Huracan in Chicago blew up after crash!

My uncle is one of the people who pulled out the driver! pic.twitter.com/VEWEL4a4Ku Butter Chicken (@MozzamTweets) August 14, 2016

PHOTO GALLERY
The 500k is one of the rarest and most exquisite automobiles ever built by Mercedes-Benz, with examples often fetching more than $1,000,000 at auctions. This one, though, is even more special.



Built between 1934 and 1936, the Mercedes 500K carried the type W29 model designation. The K in its name highlighted its factory-installed and driver-activated Roots Kompressor (German for supercharger) that squeezed up to 180 hp from the vehicles straight-eight engine. Enough to take the ~2,700 kg (6,000 lb) model to a top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph).

Three different chassis and eight body styles were available for customers, with 342 units manufactured. However, only 29 examples of the 500K Special Roadster were built, and this particular model  with a rather controversial history  is one of them.

The car was tailored for German industrialist Hans Prym, but it disappeared in 1945, while he was serving a prison sentence handed to him by the Allies. Pryms estate was used as a base for U.S. troops serving under General Maurice Rose at the beginning of the march into Germany, and the car mysteriously vanished during that time.

Its believed that the American troops stole it, especially as it turned out in the USA almost a quarter of a century later. It was sold in 2011 for approximately $3.7 million to Dutch car enthusiast Frans van Haren, but in another twist of events, the car was seized by the German authorities when van Haren brought it to the Techno Classica car show in Essen, on account that the 500k Special Roadster belonged to the family of its first owner.

The Telegraph reports that in 2012, a court in Hamburg ruled that the US troops had no right to take the classic car and ordered that it should be returned to Pryms heirs.

Now, the vehicle is once again offered for sale by Bonhams, under the rightful owners, and its expected to fetch between 5 million and 7 million ($5.5 million  $7.7 million) Talk about making a quick buck.

PHOTO GALLERY
Jaguar Land Rovers plan to take over the Silverstone circuit appear to have reached an impasse  and the stumbling block was reportedly placed by a rival automaker.



This automaker, according to the report from British newspapers The Telegraph, is Porsche. Although the German manufacturer has not put in a counter-offer, it operates one of its driving experience programs at the track. A clause in its contract precludes the track from being used by another automaker, so Porsche is understandably unwilling to relinquish that condition.

The home of Formula Ones British Grand Prix, among numerous other events, is owned by the British Racing Drivers Club. But while the facility turns a profit, the BRDC lacks the capital to invest in the tracks improvement.

JLR, in response, submitted a bid valued at 33m to take over control of the circuit and its adjoining facilities. The Indian-owned, UK-based automaker reportedly planned to similarly use the track for customer experiences, while also relocating its headquarters to the facility and building a hotel and museum on site.

Ginetta owner Lawrence Tomlinson has reportedly put in a bid of his own that may be favored by some BRDC members, particularly if the JLR offer falls through. It remains to be seen, however, whether Porsche would raise the same objection. Ginetta is primarily a racing car constructor and race organizer, but has been known to offer road cars from time to time  albeit on a much smaller scale than either Porsche or Jaguar Land Rover.

PHOTOS
In the beginning, there was the Peoples Car. The Kubelwagen soon followed, as the Second World War started, and brought with it a genuine combat machine.



The Kubelwagen was designed (by Ferdinand Porsche, at the request of Third Reich army officials) to be an inexpensive, Beetle-based light-weight military transport vehicle, that could be operated reliably both on- and off-road, in even the most extreme conditions.

So, forget about beach buggies and rotary engine-powered Things; this is the ultimate derivative of the cheap and cheerful KdF-Wagen. It looks like you can find anything for sale on eBay nowadays, even a dummy tank used by the Germans in WW2.

Up for grabs for $20,000, you can get your hands on this Kubelwagen Porsche Type 82/3 which was purchased from the National Military History Center. Its current owner cant vouch for its authenticity  albeit the museums owner said it was a genuine Type 82/3  but the vehicle is undoubtedly a real 1940 Kubelwagen Type 82.

The Kubelwagen Type 82/3, also known as the Panzerattrape, was constructed (as its name implies) to function as a tank decoy in order to deceive the enemy. The mock-up armored vehicle was flanked by simple metallic structures that mimicked a tanks track, but the machine gun fitted turret was real.

According to the seller, this particular unit comes with an engine and transmission, but neither of them are original or work, for that matter. Fortunately, (for the WW2 enthusiasts) over 21 million Beetles were built, so getting an air cooled engine and a transmission isnt that hard.

PHOTO GALLERY
A rainbow could be seen circling the sun high above Kelowna Saturday morning, mirroring the rainbow flags waved by hundreds of people below in City Park.

The Okanagan Pride Rally and March left Stuart Park at 11 a.m., and finished off in City Park by 11:30.

Kelowna-Lake Country MP Stephen Fuhr led the march through the park, waving a rainbow-coloured Canadian flag, and shouting chants.

"We are one!" the crowd yelled.

Hundreds of people followed, all in support of Pride in the Okanagan.

I was really really honoured to be asked to do this, Fuhr said afterwards. The political leadership that's coming out to Pride is awesome, and I think it helps to advance issues that the LGBTQ community, and others, are important to them, so it's a great day.

Fuhr was far from the only politician out at the rally. Leaders from all levels of government and all political affiliations attended, including B.C. Premier Christy Clark, MLA Steve Thompson, MP Dan Albas, and Mayor Colin Basran.

City Park was overflowing with colours and costumes, and plenty of hugs, as the young and old came out to celebrate diversity and inclusion.

For Anne Nielsen, who manned the First United Church booth at the rally, the day was an emotional one.

My dad is gay, and he struggled trying to find some place that would accept him, so the United Church is one of the few places he's accepted so it's important to me, Nielsen said. I know that when he comes to visit, I can take him there, and there's no problems.

The celebration continues in City Park until 4 p.m., with Devon Coyote and DJ Romo entertaining the crowd under the hot, rainbow-tinged, sun.
Photo: The Canadian Press

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 non-profit conservation group behind the project.

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 centre 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 travelling 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."
Photo: Contributed

Reports of gunshots inside a busy North Carolina mall caused chaos Saturday afternoon as shoppers ran screaming for the doors or sheltered in stores while dozens of officers arrived on the scene, witnesses said.

Raleigh police said they responded to reports that shots were fired inside Crabtree Valley Mall around 2:30 p.m. They found no one wounded and added that they hadn't arrested any suspects by late afternoon.

The mall in an affluent area of Raleigh was put on lockdown while helicopters buzzed overhead and numerous law enforcement vehicles swarmed the shopping area.

Video posted on social media sites 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.

Witnesses described seeing or hearing gunshots, followed by pandemonium.

The owner of a clothing store called Casanova said he saw a shooting unfold after an argument in the mall's food court.

Antonio Richardson told The Associated Press 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. He says he saw one of them pull out a gun and begin shooting.

"Just two guys fussing. One pulled out a gun, started capping. People started running," said Richardson, who added he didn't hear what the men were arguing about. "I'm used to seeing people fussing all the time in the food court. People in the food court talk loud anyway. I thought it was a fight, really."

As he was running away, he said he heard about four shots. He added that there may have been more gunshots, but "I didn't stick around to count."

John Riggleman and Kristin Warring said in an interview that they were heading to a video game store when they heard shots coming from the food court. They quickly ran into the store with dozens of others. Police told them they could leave the store at about 3 p.m.

Riggleman said they were inside the video game store for about a half-hour. When they finally were allowed to leave, they passed about 10 officers or SWAT team members moving the other way with guns drawn.

"They had guns up, kind of covering us as we were running out. And then there were more back toward the exit kind of telling people where to go," Riggleman said.

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.

Zoe Hanks, 12, was at a hairdresser inside the mall, having the hair around her shoulders lightened, when word of an emergency came. She left with chemicals still in her hair and a towel around her neck. She said she knew it was time to go when "all the people were running."
Photo: Contributed

The leader of a New York City mosque and an associate have been fatally shot in a brazen daylight attack.

Police say 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and his 64-year-old associate were shot in the back of the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday.

Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner says Akonjee was killed. The other man was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Sautner says no motive has been determined.

But a man who worships at the mosque is blaming the shooting on anti-Muslim rhetoric from some political figures.

Millat Uddin says the shooting "could be a net result of the politics that is going on."

The mosque serves a community of Bangladeshi immigrants.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A University of Toronto student detained in connection with a terrorist attack in Bangladesh will reportedly remain in custody for at least another week.

A number of media outlets have reported that a Dhaka court granted a request by authorities on Saturday to hold Tahmid Hashib Khan, 22, for up to six more days.

Khan was arrested earlier this month but hasn't been charged in last month's attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant in Dhaka that left 20 hostages dead.

Bangladesh English-language newspaper The Daily Star reported on its website that police told the court that investigators need more time to question Khan and a 47-year-old British national who has also been detained.

Khan is a permanent resident of Canada who is studying global health at the University of Toronto.

His friends and family say he travelled to Dhaka to visit family and has done nothing wrong.

The attack that began on July 1 ended the following morning after Bangladeshi security forces stormed the restaurant, killing five armed gunmen and rescuing 13 surviving hostages.
Photo: The Canadian Press Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus greets Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally on Friday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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.

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 travelling 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."
Photo: The Canadian Press The train stands near the station after a man attacked other passengers aboard the train at Salez, Switzerland, on Saturday. (Gian Ehrenzeller / Keystone via AP)

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 canton (state) say the incident happened at 2:20 local time (1220 GMT) 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 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.

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 100,000 Swiss francs ($103,000) in damage.

In July, a 17-year-old refugee from Afghanistan armed with an axe 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.
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 9 a.m.

Emergency crews worked through the night to rescue scores of south Louisiana residents from homes and stranded cars as deadly flooding continued to inundate large swaths of the region Sunday, three days after rain-swollen water levels began rapidly rising.

From the air homes in southwest Louisiana looked more like little islands surrounded by flooded fields. Farmland was covered, streets descended into impassable pools of water, shopping centres were inundated with only roofs of cars peeking above the water.

From the ground it was just as catastrophic. Drivers tried to navigate treacherous roads where the water lapped at the side or covered the asphalt in a running stream. Abandoned cars were pushed to the side of the road, lawn furniture and children's toys floating through the waters.

And in many places, the water was still rising.

Mike Steele, spokesman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said there was an overnight spike in flood rescues in the eastern part of Baton Rouge. Two nursing homes were being evacuated.

Police were rescuing people from cars stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12, which was closed from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa Parish.

One of those motorists was Alex Cobb of Baton Rouge, who has been stuck since around 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

Reached by telephone Sunday, she said she was on her way to a bridal shower she was supposed to host Saturday when flooding closed off the highway.

She said she had food intended for the bridal shower and a produce truck about a 1/4 mile up the road shared its stock with drivers.

"They opened up their truck and started giving out fruits and vegetables to people," she said.

Cobb said some of the people stranded were actually fleeing flooding in their homes when they got caught on the freeway. Nearby her were a pregnant woman and an 80-year-old woman.

"People are surprisingly upbeat. I don't know how long that is going to last because it's getting kind of hot," she said. "We just want water."

Steele said the flooding that started Friday has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 homes in Livingston Parish, and hundreds more in other areas, including St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

"It never slowed down last night," Steele said Sunday morning. "For the last few hours, there has been just as much activity as at any point."

At least three deaths have been blamed on the flooding. One person is missing.

Louisiana Nation Guard alone had rescued more than 3,000 people as of midnight, and that number was bound to rise Sunday, Steele said.

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.

The governor toured flood-ravaged areas by helicopter Saturday and warned Louisiana residents it would be too risky to venture out even after the rains start to subside.

One of the worries, the governor said, is that as the rain lessens people will become complacent and feel too at ease in areas 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.

In one dramatic rescue Saturday, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car almost completely underwater, according to video by WAFB. The woman, who's 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 OK.

In Baker, just north of Baton Rouge, residents were rescued by boats or waded through waist-deep, 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 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."

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.

Forecasters expected a turn to the north Sunday by the system, warning 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.

As floodwaters swallowed Lyn Gibson's two-story home in Louisiana's Tangipahoa Parish, 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 and was eventually rescued by National Guard soldiers on a boat.

"I just kept picking and hitting and prying until I could get a hole big enough," the slightly built, 115-pound woman said.

Photo: The Canadian Press - The Canadian Press

ORIGINAL: 5 a.m.

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."

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 centres 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."
Photo: Contributed

A ticket purchased in British Columbia claimed Saturday night's $21 million Lotto 649 jackpot.

The guaranteed $1 million prize was won by a ticket sold in the Prairies.

The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Aug. 17 will be $5 million.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The Canadian government has begun a wide-ranging exercise to plan for the potential effects of the American election, including the possibility of a President Donald Trump threatening to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The government is mapping out a complex array of outcomes for various results including a Democratic presidency, a Republican presidency and either a Congress where both parties split power, or one dominates.

The process involves the embassy in Washington, Canada's dozen consulates in the U.S., numerous federal departments, and it is being centrally co-ordinated by the ministers on the cabinet committee for Canada-U.S. relations.

"If I tried to show you an organizational chart it would take up an entire wall," Canada's ambassador to the U.S., David MacNaughton, said during an interview in his office overlooking Capitol Hill.

"It's a big enough job that there's lots of work for everybody to do."

There are two broad components to this quadrennial exercise in planning for the transfer in power of Canada's next-door neighbour, and behemoth of a trading partner. The first is researching the issues and players.

The second is outreach  building contacts with campaigns, congressional power-brokers, state governments, industry, and labour groups. Amid a surge of protectionist sentiment, the government is seeking allies.

In trips to Colorado, Massachusetts and California, MacNaughton is spreading the word about the nine million U.S. jobs he says rely on trade with Canada. He cites agriculture as an example, with that industry's $25 billion a year in exports to Canada.

He's also listing the implications of different election results for important files.

Some issues will be deeply affected  the ones where U.S. parties disagree. Climate change is an obvious example. A Trump win might end some joint climate projects; on the other hand, it could spell a new start for the Keystone XL pipeline which he favours. Other issues aren't partisan. For instance, the election is less likely to affect pilot projects to reform border-crossing.

"We have to be well-prepared for any eventuality," MacNaughton said.

"And we have to be realistic about what the opportunities are and what the problems are going to be."

Looming over everything is the continental trade deal.

Both presidential candidates favour revising NAFTA. Only one, however, has explicitly threatened to rip it up if he doesn't get what he wants: "A total renegotiation," Trump said last week. "And if we don't get a better deal, we will walk away."

The government is considering the potential results of:

NAFTA being renegotiated. MacNaughton avoided being pinned down on Canada's willingness to talk. No document is eternal, and improvements are always possible, he said, but added: "Is a renegotiation a renegotiation? Because if a renegotiation is a real renegotiation, (that) means it's give and take on both sides."

NAFTA being cancelled. It's unclear if the original 1987 Canada-U.S. free-trade agreement would snap back into place. MacNaughton said he's attempted to get that question answered five times  and received five different answers.

"Trust me  I've asked," the ambassador said. "It is a complicated piece of machinery... If Mr. Trump wins I'm sure there will be more than one legal expert opining on that."

NAFTA being a non-issue. It wouldn't be the first time NAFTA got discussed during an election, then ignored. That's one reason the government is reluctant to make any drastic noises during the campaign.

"Let's wait until after the election and see how much of the rhetoric is rhetoric and how much is serious," MacNaughton said.

"In the meantime, we have to prepare for any eventuality and do our homework."

A Toronto trade lawyer agreed that cancelling NAFTA would be confusing. He cited different ways it might end up in court: "This election and Brexit are keeping trade lawyers on our toes," Mark Warner said.

NAFTA is now part of web of trade and tariff rules that would be difficult to disentangle, he said. Warner said the U.S. president could certainly withdraw from it, therefore ending its dispute-settlement panels.

But he said it's unclear what would happen to ongoing cases  like the Keystone XL suit against the U.S. government.

Tariffs are another story. Warner said it would be up to Congress to reintroduce them, with no guarantee they'd pass. On top of that, he said, some product tariffs could not be restored because they were eliminated in other international agreements that followed NAFTA.

Finally, there's that question that vexed MacNaughton: Could the original 1987 Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement just be re-introduced? It's not an issue most Americans are aware of, or care about, and it hasn't been raised in this campaign by Trump or anyone else.

Canada lists the old agreement as suspended, not terminated. It's unclear what the U.S. position is, Warner said. Ultimately, he said, the president would make the call  "and that could also easily be the subject of litigation."
Photo: The Canadian Press

As a Sept. 1 rollout date looms for a plan to equip 100 Boston police officers with body cameras, not a single officer has volunteered, prompting Boston's police commissioner to warn he may have to force officers to wear them.

When a deal was announced with the city's largest police union to use cameras in a pilot program, civil rights advocates praised the plan as a step toward greater accountability amid a national outcry over police killings of black men in other cities.

But with just a few weeks left before the program is supposed to begin, Police Commissioner William Evans acknowledged: "It's been a hard sell."

Police officials said last month that they had reached an agreement with the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association to equip 100 volunteers  about 5 per cent of the department's force  with body cameras for the six-month program. Officers who agree to wear a camera will receive a $500 bonus if they complete the program.

Union President Patrick Rose and Vice-President Michael Leary did not return several emails and phone messages seeking comment on the lack of volunteers.

Police in Boston and other cities have expressed concerns that cameras could inhibit interaction with people in crime-infested neighbourhoods, particularly informants or witnesses who may be reluctant to talk to police if they worry the video could be seen by criminals who could retaliate against them.

They also say the costs of the cameras and video storage could divert money from other resources, including weapons and protective gear. Police union leaders in other states have also said they fear cameras will be used by police administrators to discipline officers for minor infractions.

Evans initially said he doesn't think body cameras are necessary in Boston, where, he said, officers have built strong relationships through community policing.

"I think we've shown what kind of a class act department we are, but we are going to give them a try and see if the results are positive," Evans said in an interview with Boston Herald Radio in April.

Activists in Boston have called for police body cameras for two years, since the shooting of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black man, in Ferguson, Missouri, by a white police officer. A string of other police shootings since then have sparked protests around the country.

Matthew Segal, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said he hopes Boston officers will volunteer to wear the cameras.

"I hope it doesn't come to a police department being forced to wear body cameras against its will," Segal said. "Ideally, body cameras should be a tool for building trust between civilians and police officers. What we're worried about now in Boston is that doesn't seem to be happening."

Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson, a supporter of police body cameras, praised Boston police for quickly showing community leaders surveillance video of police-involved shootings, including the June 2015 killing of a man who allegedly waved a military knife at police and the March 2015 shooting of a suspect after he shot an officer in the face.

"Those relationships take a long time to build and a very short time to lose," Jackson said. "This is a component to ensuring that we are able to sustain those relationships."

The volunteer aspect of the pilot program has drawn criticism from advocates who say only officers with good records are likely to sign up.

"Really what we wanted to see was, would the presence of the camera change the behaviour of a problem officer? Will that change how they talk to people? Will that change how the civilians they're interacting with interact with them?" said Segun Idowu, co-organizer of the Boston Police Camera Action Team.

Boston police spokesman Lt. Michael McCarthy said the goal of the pilot program is to determine whether cameras can be a useful tool and should be assigned to officers throughout the department.

"We have officers who may be hesitant to be the first to volunteer for such a high-profile program," McCarthy said. "It is a pilot program  nothing's permanent yet  and we would hope that officers would be encouraged to come and volunteer."

Police in some other states have also shown reluctance to wear body cameras. In Connecticut, only 12 of the more than 100 law enforcement agencies in the state have shown interest in a new state program that encourages them to begin using body cameras. Some Connecticut state troopers are already using cameras, as well as police in Newtown, Hamden, Watertown and several other towns.
Photo: Getty Images

When 14-year-old Jillian speaks of her generation's widespread practice of sending naked selfies to others, she describes both its inherent dangers  and what for some is an irresistible allure.

The dark-haired girl in a ball cap, meeting with friends at a Bridgewater youth centre, says she doesn't send "nudes" herself, but adds that some girls see it as a sign of self confidence in their bodies  and a normal part of a close relationship.

When the image is passed along without permission for others to ogle, however, it crosses the line of what's acceptable and "it's difficult to trust again," she says.

"I think it's a good thing that they're bringing the cops into this," she says.

On Wednesday, six local teenaged boys are scheduled to appear in Bridgewater youth court, in one of the country's early tests of a new law designed to combat illegal sharing of images.

Images of more than 20 teenaged girls were circulated after allegedly being shared without consent in a Dropbox account.

Two 18-year-olds and four 15-year-olds whose identities are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act have been charged with both distributing intimate images without consent and possession and distribution of child pornography, following a year-long investigation.

Police Chief John Collyer says it's an important test of the new section 162(1) criminal code provision on intimate images, which allows prosecutions for sharing a wider range of images, including breasts, than traditional child porn laws.

That law was brought in amidst the searing memories in Nova Scotia of the death of Rehtaeh Parsons.

The 17-year-old attempted suicide and was taken off life support after a digital photo of what her family says was a sexual assault was circulated among students at her school in Cole Harbour, N.S.

"From a policing perspective, we needed some legislation," said Collyer in an interview. "Whether it's hit the right balance or not in terms of severity, and keeping in mind we're dealing with young people ... time will tell."

Since the case broke, terms like sexting and "revenge porn" have become coffee-shop topics in this commercial and industrial centre bisected by the tranquil LaHave River.

The teens at the youth centre describe harsh consequences when smart phone images circulate  and then erupt in high school taunts and cruelty.

"People shout out opinions of how they look ... They say, 'What a slut!'  or they start to criticize their bodies," said Bailey, a 14-year-old who asked not to have her family name used.

Michael Langille, 18, recalls how he sat outside a friend's room after images of the boy's body were passed around.

"I would hear cries," said Langille. "I would sit outside his door just waiting. He was exposed to people he didn't want to be exposed to."

Some experts on teen sexting view the Bridgewater case with concern, saying that solutions other than the heavy hand of the law may be preferable.

McGill University education professor Shaheen Shariff studied the "digitally empowered" generation of kids in a 2013 project that used surveys and focus groups involving 1,088 tweens and teens in two Canadian and two U.S. cities.

Shariff estimates that over half of participants confirmed receiving or sending intimate images, adding that the figures on the prevalence of sexting will vary among studies.

She also said only about half of participants agreed that a girl who sends a boy a sexually explicit photo has the "right to object" to his sharing the photo with others without permission.

"I don't believe that the child porn law ... and Bill C-13 laws that the Harper government brought in are as effective with the kids," she said in an interview.

"We need to work with them, dialogue with them ... on why this kind of total disregard of the privacy of people ... is just not appropriate."

The Montreal university's "Defining the line" project calls for training in schools, police forces and courts to deepen adult knowledge of the central medium of communication among youth.

The young people at the Bridgewater centre agree that more dialogue is needed among young people themselves in classrooms, at home and elsewhere, but don't rule out the need for police involvement when unwanted sharing occurs.

Bailey and Langille described their sense of unease when friends had either shown them a photo of someone else or offered to show them, without permission.

In addition, the pressure to provide the images can also become intense, says Bailey.

"Compliments lead to demands," she said. "He was being discreet and then he suddenly said, 'Just send me nudes.'"

Claire, a former student at Bridgewater High School, says it can create corrosive and widespread distrust among students.

She argues the focus needs to shift from the moralistic condemnation of girls who are sexting  consensually sharing images  to those who choose to misuse the images.

If boys gather and hoard photos as "a show of masculinity," that's the misbehaviour that should be the focus, rather than young women exposing their bodies and sending images to intimate friends, she said.

"I don't think it's an issue of whether you should think twice or not ... You shouldn't have to worry about that," she says during a telephone interview.

Bridgewater Mayor David Walker, a teacher for over two decades before becoming a municipal politician, says the reality is that police and schools in towns across Canada are struggling to find ways to deal with cases where teens are deemed to have crossed a line.

"I've heard arguments, 'Nail them as hard as you can,' and I've heard other arguments, 'No, you've got to work with them.' Maybe it's somewhere in between,'" he said during an interview.

"On the 17th (Wednesday), it becomes very, very real when this gets to court."
Photo: Google Maps

Authorities say a police officer in a small, central Georgia city has been shot and killed by a suspect who remains on the loose.

Georgia Bureau of Investigations spokesman Scott Dutton says 31-year-old Eastman Patrol Officer Tim Smith was fatally shot about 9:30 p.m. Saturday in a residential area of the city located about 60 miles southeast of Macon.

GBI special agent Scott Whitley says Smith was responding to a suspicious person call when he encountered the suspect, exited his patrol car and was shot. The suspect fled the scene.

Whitley says an unidentified suspect is being sought and an investigation is ongoing.

Smith was not wearing a body camera.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The daylight slaying of a mosque leader and his associate set off fear and anguish Sunday among Bangladeshi Muslims in a New York City neighbourhood, with some saying the killings appear to be an anti-Muslim hate crime. But police said there is no evidence so far to support that.

Police hunted for the gunman who killed Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens as they left afternoon prayers Saturday in their traditional religious attire. Both men were shot in the head.

"This was a hate crime. One hundred per cent, there's no doubt about it," said Monir Chowdhury, who worshipped daily with the two men.

He said he had moved to the community because of its large Bangladeshi immigrant population, but in recent months has been harassed by people shouting anti-Muslim epithets. In one incident, a man called him "Osama" as he walked to the mosque with his 3-year-old son. With the killer still on the loose, Chowdhury decided it would be best to drive to prayer services.

"A lot of neighbours said, 'Hey, don't take your kid with you,'" he said. "People, they just hate us."

Police released a sketch early Sunday of a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses. Police said witnesses described the shooter as a man with a medium complexion.

Investigators said they have not established a motive in the attack. On Saturday, Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said there was "nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith." Akonjee was carrying about $1,000 in cash that was not taken during the shooting, police said.

On Sunday, neighbours in the Ozone Park section were skeptical of what police had found so far.

Chowdhury said he has felt the mood in the neighbourhood change drastically in the last few months and accused Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump of spreading anti-Muslim rhetoric.

"This neighbourhood is getting crazy because of this election and Trump. He hates Muslims," he said. "I love this neighbourhood and now I'm scared."

Trump's campaign said in a statement that it was "highly irresponsible" to blame a political candidate for the violent attacks.

Mashuk Uddin just couldn't believe it was true, shaking as he heard the news that his brother, Thara, a devout Muslim, had been gunned down.

Naima Akonjee, 28, one of the imam's seven children, said she rushed to her parents' home after the shooting. She said her father was a caring man who would call her just to check up on whether she had eaten properly.

Police said they were reviewing surveillance video showing the victims being approached from behind by a man in a dark polo shirt and shorts who shot them and then fled south on 79th Street with the gun still in his hand.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A busy North Carolina shopping mall reopened for business Sunday as police continued investigating reports of gunfire that sent shoppers running in fear or left them hiding inside stores a day earlier.

Police said they haven't confirmed what really happened but say there were no reports of people being wounded or of shell casings found inside the Crabtree Valley Mall.

Pandemonium erupted Saturday afternoon and after several shoppers said they heard what sounded like gunfire.

While some people reported seeing a gun, "no one has reported that we had a gun fired, so we are looking at all possibilities," Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown told reporters.

Video posted on social media sites 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. Witnesses described chaos after reports of shots.

Eight people ranging in age from 10 to 70 were transported to hospitals for treatment of injuries suffered as they rushed to leave the mall, the police chief said. None of those injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

The mall reopened at noon on Sunday and was to be open until 7 p.m., said a woman who answered the phone mall office but would not provide her name.

The mall said on its website that people who left personal items at the mall during the confusion on Saturday could pick them up beginning Sunday.

The shopping complex in an affluent area of Raleigh was put on lockdown while helicopters buzzed overhead and numerous law enforcement vehicles swarmed the shopping area. 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.

Raleigh police said they initially responded at 2:30 p.m. to reports that shots had been fired.

John Riggleman and Kristin Warring said in an interview that they were heading to a video game store when they heard shots coming from the food court. They quickly ran into the store with dozens of others. Police told them they could leave the store at about 3 p.m.

Riggleman said they were inside the video game store for about a half-hour. When they finally were allowed to leave, they passed about 10 officers or SWAT team members moving the other way with guns drawn.

"They had guns up, kind of covering us as we were running out. And then there were more back toward the exit kind of telling people where to go," Riggleman said.

Another person said he saw an argument between two men in the food court that led to about four shots being fired. Antonio Richardson told The Associated Press that he saw two men who appeared to be in their early 20s arguing and that one of them began shooting.

In the late afternoon heat, scores of people gathered outside the mall, waiting for news of what happened, police permission to retrieve their cars, or to collect other belongings left behind during their rush for the doors.

Zoe Hanks, 12, was at a hairdresser inside the mall, having the hair around her shoulders lightened, when word of an emergency came. She left with chemicals still in her hair and a towel around her neck. She said she knew it was time to go when "all the people were running."
Photo: The Canadian Press

In high-water vehicles, boats and helicopters, emergency crews worked Sunday to rescue scores of south Louisiana residents from deadly flooding as the governor warned that it was "not over."

From the air, homes in southwest Louisiana looked more like little islands surrounded by flooded fields. Farmland was covered, streets descended into impassable pools of water, shopping centres were inundated with only roofs of cars peeking above the water.

From the ground it was just as catastrophic. Drivers tried to navigate treacherous roads where the water lapped at the side or covered the asphalt in a running stream. Abandoned cars were pushed to the side of the road, lawn furniture and children's toys floating through the waters.

And in many places, the water was still rising.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far. Edwards says the storm has "subsided in its intensity" but he called on people to refrain from going out to "sightsee" even as the weather gets better.

"This is a serious event. It is ongoing. It is not over," said the governor, emphasizing that in some areas water is still rising.

He said the fatalities have not risen from the three dead reported on Saturday. One person is unaccounted for in St. Helena Parish.

Mike Steele, spokesman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said there was an overnight spike in flood rescues in the eastern part of Baton Rouge. Two nursing homes were being evacuated.

Police were rescuing people from cars stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12, which was closed from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa Parish.
Photo: chicagotribune.com

The son of a Chicago police officer is the latest victim of the city's gun violence.

Police say 19-year-old Arshell Dennis was shot in the chest early Sunday and pronounced dead. A 20-year-old man also was shot and hospitalized in serious condition. Both were on a porch outside a home.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says the deceased's father, Arshell "Chico" Dennis, worked patrol with Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

The younger Arshell was set to begin his junior year at New York's St. John's University and to return to school Sunday. Johnson says he was a "good kid" with "a promising future as a journalist."

Guglielmi says police haven't ruled out anything, but a leading theory is the shooting is a mistaken identity case. Neither victim had criminal records or gang affiliations.
About 600 people converged at a West Kelowna winery on Sunday to celebrate local food and drink.

FarmFolk CityFolk's Feast of Fields brought local chefs, brewers and winemakers together to flaunt their goods at the Off The Grid Organic Winery.

FarmFolk CityFolk executive director Nicholas Scapillati said the event is put on to raise funds for sustainable farming.

"FarmFolk CityFolk holds Feast of Fields as a way to fundraise to support sustainable agriculture and local food," he said. "So every dollar raised today goes back into the Okanagan to help small-scale farmers."

The event has been going for 23 years, with locations in Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island as well as the Okanagan.

"Through all these events, we have chefs and farmers, local vintners and brewers coming together to showcase the best of the Okanagan," Scapillati said.

"Guests get to walk around the farm, tasting and drinking and listening to music and learning all about local food in the Okanagan."

He said there were nearly 60 vendors, with about half food and half drink.

"They're all paired with one another, so as you go around a tent, you taste something and a the local vintner is paired so the tasting tastes just perfect," he said.

Scapillati said most Feast of Fields events sell out, with 400 tickets for each event, making about 600 people when including chefs and vintners and others working with vendors.
Photo: Contributed

RCMP have issued a Canada-wide warrant for a violent offender who walked away from a First Nation pow wow.

Darrell Moosomin, 54, had been serving prison time at the Pe Sakastew Federal Prison in Hobbema for convictions dating back to 1995 when he was granted permission to attend the Samson Pow-Wow escorted by an elder, when he was able to walk away.

According to police, Moosomin was serving an indeterminate sentence for several violent offences including aggravated assault, forcible confinement and uttering threats.

Moosomin was declared a dangerous offender in December 2008.

Moosomin has no known family or friends in the area and is originally from Saskatchewan (Mosquito Lake).

Moosomins intended destination is unknown.

People are advised not to approach Moosomin and to call police immediately if he is spotted.

He is described as 54-year-old First Nations male, speaks with a lisp, 5'9, 217 pounds, tattoo of No. 11 on his right hand and a Playboy bunny on his upper back. He also has a slash scar on his throat.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of this person is urged to contact Maskwacis RCMP at 780-585-4600 or call 911. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or by internet at tipsubmit.com.
Photo: Contributed - CTV Larry Amero outside the Delta Grand one year ago

A year ago today (Tuesday), Kelowna was rocked by gang violence.

Now the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) is conducting a forensic examination of the Delta Grand Hotel, where the notorious Bacon brother was shot to death.

Jonathan Bacon, the reputed head of the Red Scorpions along with full patch Hells Angels member Larry Amero, Independent Soldier James Raich, and two women were leaving the Grand in a Porsche SUV when men wearing balclavas opened fire on the vehicle.

Bacon died in hospital while Amero was seriously wounded and Raich fled the scene with minor injuries. One of the women, 22-year-old Leah Hadden-Watts, the niece of the Haney Hells Angel Chapter president, was shot in the neck and paralyzed.

CFSEU Spokesperson Sgt. Bill Whalen says they are making progress on the file and are currently mid-way through the investigation.

When questioned about suspects, Whalen replied, "There are always suspects in a homicide." He claims there are no charges being laid at this time.

Kelowna CFSEU is heading the investigation with heavy assistance from the Vancouver unit.
On July 9, U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to representatives at the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland on a number of relevant topics including Brexit and globalization.

He said, Im not sure its accurate to say that I am a huge booster of globalization. What is accurate to say is that I believe the process of globalization is here to stay.

He remarked that the main drivers of a globalized, integrated world are advances in technology, the mobility of capital and the growing global supply chain.

Earlier, on June 24, he spoke at the 7th Annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) at Stanford University, praising multicultural youth whose desire for innovation is creating the jobs of the 21st century and is helping lift up entire populations.

He emphasized how entrepreneurship is the key to embracing the benefits that come with globalization, saying, And part of our job is to make sure that we put more tools, more resources into the hands of these folks who are changing the world and making sure that all of you know each other, so that you can share best practices and ideas and spread the word.

To this end, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office at the Department of Commerce launched its online Global Entrepreneurship Portal to provide U.S. innovators and businesses the knowledge, tools, and guards necessary to protect their technologies and navigate intellectual property regimes in foreign countries as they scale their businesses across borders and markets.

In a Whitehouse.gov press release, the Department of Commerce said that the Global Entrepreneurship Portal will arm innovators, from solo inventors to Fortune 500 companies, with tools to facilitate exports and empower global expansions.

Benefits to be gained by global integration are widely acknowledged and include access to foreign markets, free trade, bigger competition between companies that lowers prices for consumers, new job creation and the flow of technology and capital into poor countries.

However, Obama warned that it should be done responsibly or we risk increased inequality, people being left behind and reaching a situation where workers have less leverage while capital has more.

He proposes that a careful economic plan for transition will ensure wages are high enough and that social healthcare and pensions are taken care of for all. If this isnt done, he warns, there will be a backlash towards globalization.

To read more, please see: Read President Obamas Remarks on Brexit and Globalization and FACT SHEET: Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
By Rebecca Shabad CBS News August 12, 2016, 10:03 AM

Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is helping his running mate reach out to Asian-American voters, a critical voting bloc in key swing states that could help decide November's election.

An aide to Hillary Clinton's campaign told The Hill newspaper that Kaine is helping with outreach to Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) as the general election race intensifies.

"This campaign understands that turning out the AAPI vote is critical, and that's why we will continue to engage AAPI voters in key states such as Virginia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania," the aide told the newspaper, according to the report.

"Sen. Kaine will continue to travel across the country to amplify Hillary's record for the AAPI community," the aide said. "The campaign will continue to conduct outreach in Asian languages, deploy a robust network of AAPI and South Asian surrogates, and continue to active our vast 'AAPI for Hillary' volunteer groups, including South Asians for Hillary."

The report said that before he was even selected as Clinton's running mate, he dined with an elite group of South Asian liberals at a private home on Capitol Hill to discuss how important their community will be on Election Day.

Now, Kaine is helping a super PAC for the voting bloc to register new Asian voters and encourage turnout.

Five percent of Virginia's electorate, the report points out, is made up of the AAPI community.

A CBS News poll released last weekend found that Clinton leads Donald Trump in Virginia by double digits -- 49 percent to 37 percent. In Nevada, it's a much closer race with 41 percent of the state's voters backing Trump and 43 percent supporting Clinton.
Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) applauded the 2016 Presidential Election Forum presented by APIAVote and Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada, for addressing over 3,000 attendees, 40 organizations, and watch parties livestreaming the event in 20 states, according to APIAVote.

"Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders will vote in record numbers in November," Christopher Kang, national director of National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), told NBC News. "We will be the swing vote in swing states  we could very well determine the presidency and the future of our country  and this historic gathering will be the campaigns' chance to hear our priorities and to tell us how their rhetoric, policies, and values address those concerns."

Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) chairperson, spoke at the forum about the importance of AAPI voters in the upcoming presidential election, particularly in swing states such as Nevada and Virginia, where AAPI voters could be the margin of victory.

"Just two weeks ago, our community reached a significant milestone when  for the first time in our nation's history  we in CAPAC were given the opportunity to speak on stage during the Democratic National Convention," said Chu in a statement. "And now we are at another historic first as Presidential campaigns make their case directly to Asian American voters. In the past, AAPIs did not have a voice in this democracy, and because of that, we became victims to policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act and imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII. But today, AAPIs are the fastest growing ethnic demographic in the country and today's forum demonstrates the growing political impact of the AAPI vote."

<img class="img-responsive img_inline" src="http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2016_32/1666276/588949256_0409e73442b03649eba2285323d14c76.nbcnews-fp-360-360.jpg" alt="Image: Third Party Presidential Candidates Gary Johnson And Jilll Stein Take Part In Forum At The Asian American Journalists Association Conf" title="Image: Third Party Presidential Candidates Gary Johnson And Jilll Stein Take Part In Forum At The Asian American Journalists Association Conf" itemprop="image"/> Former U.S. President Bill Clinton speaks on behalf of his wife and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during a 2016 Presidential Election Forum, hosted by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace August 12, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The forum provided an opportunity for presidential candidates or their representatives to speak to Asian voters directly. Alex Wong / Getty Images

Attendees used social media and the hashtag #PowerUp to note the importance of having four presidential campaigns address the AAPI community  former President Bill Clinton represented Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Utah's Attorney General Sean Reyes represented Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Libertarian presidential nominee former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, and Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein.

Recurring themes discussed by speakers included the diversity of the AAPI community and the importance of AAPIs registering and getting out to vote. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) spoke about how AAPIs "have come from marginalized to the margin of victory." Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) reminded AAPIs that "democracy is not a spectator sport. We have to go for the gold medal."

Honda also pointed out that the AAPI electorate has the power to swing elections. "We have six swing states," he said. "We have 85 congressional districts that are 10 percent AAPIs in their districts, 31 swing congressional districts that can make a difference, and every day, every day, 7,000 17 year olds are turning 18."

Attendees paid close attention to how the presidential nominees and their representatives addressed the AAPI community and its concerns.

MSNBC's Richard Lui interviewed Johnson, the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party.

President Bill Clinton spoke on behalf of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, discussing inclusion, economic plans, immigration reform, and education. Clinton said, "The metaphor for this election will be walls or bridges. Are we stronger together or apart?"

"President Bill Clinton's remarks at the 2016 Presidential Election Forum reminded us why the AAPI community is standing behind Hillary Clinton this November," Jason Tengco, the AAPI outreach director for the Clinton campaign, told NBC News. "She's had a career-long record of fighting for the issues that AAPIs care about  from helping small businesses thrive, to pushing for comprehensive immigration reform, improving and expanding access to healthcare, and gun violence prevention. Secretary Clinton is committed breaking down barriers for AAPIs, improving their everyday lives, and ensuring that the AAPI community is represented throughout her administration once elected."

Reyes, Utah's attorney general, spoke on behalf of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Reyes spoke about his own personal experiences growing up and tried to clarify Trump's recent comments about Filipinos. He closed with a rap.

"Utah AG Sean Reyes is a great representative of the common sense, conservative values that AAPI communities share with the GOP," Jason Chung, Republican National Committee national director APA Initiatives, told NBC News. "He made a compelling case why AAPI voters should elect Donald J. Trump and Governor Mike Pence and deliver real change in Washington and move our country forward."

Gregory A. Cendana, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliancem AFL-CIO (APALA), told NBC News that Reyes' attempts to reach out to the AAPI community missed the mark. "Attorney General Sean Reyes' attempt to backtrack Trump's insensitive and uninformed comments about Filipinos is a sad reflection that the Trump campaign doesn't understand the political landscape of the Philippines and the larger issues of mass criminalization at hand in the U.S.," Cendana said. "Reyes' reiteration that undocumented immigrants are not welcome too easily dismisses the hard work [of] millions of families and their children who are already contributing to the U.S. economy every day."

Groups also gathered in 20 states across the country for "watch parties" of the event, according to APIAVote.

"Today, 22 of us are gathered in our conference room watching this historic town hall," Lloyd Y. Asato, Asian Pacific Community in Action executive director in Phoenix, Arizona, told NBC News. "It is a group that represents the diversity of our community (Democrat, Independent, and Republican) but we all are coming together to raise our visibility and build power. I am very proud of my community and our willingness to put partisan politics aside to educate, register, and turn out the vote."
Law and Order, set up by our founders for democracy - all equal under law - everyone follows the same law. Trump doesn't want to follow the same law, but make his own law: 1) Say what he wants. 2) Doesn't publish his tax return. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~ Editors note: The opinions in this article are the authors, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft.

On Friday, Donald Trump tried to walk back his claim that President Obama "is the founder of ISIS" in the most Trump way possible.

He simply blamed the media for taking him so "seriously." "THEY DONT GET SARCASM?" he tweeted of CNNs coverage:  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016 What makes Trumps new excuse so absurd  and so unnerving  is what it says about how hed fare as president. People all around the world tend to take what the president of the United States says very seriously. Which is why presidents dont usually make a habit of communicating through sarcasm or by saying things and then claiming they werent serious.

Presidents dont go out and constantly "joke" about invading countries, or about their economic policies, or about their political opponents being terrorists. They tend to put thought into what they say, because the risk of being misunderstood is too high. The fact that CNN (and others) will take what you say seriously is the whole point.

The media had every reason to take Trumps ISIS comments seriously

This whole flap started on Wednesday when Trump called Obama the "founder of ISIS." ("Hillary Clinton is the co-founder," he said.)

Conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt asked Trump if thats what he really meant in an interview on Thursday. Trump stood his ground: Like many conservatives, he believes Obama and Clintons policies in Iraq allowed ISIS to expand, and to him thats the same thing as Obama and Clinton "founding" ISIS.

Its pretty clear that Trump wasnt joking. In fact, he seemed keen to insist that "founder" was the correct word here.

Set aside the fact that Trump is wrong on the merits here  the rise of ISIS involved a multitude of factors that Obama and Clinton were largely not a part of. Set aside the fact that Trump is stretching the definition of "founder" here. The key point is that this was not sarcasm. Trump was trying to make a point here, and now hes upset that the media has taken that point "so seriously."

What it means for a president to be "joking"

Any successful presidential candidate usually needs two key traits, argues David Greenberg, a historian at Rutgers University: spontaneity and discipline. But each needs to be deployed at the right time.

Trump has the spontaneity: His shoot-from-the-hip bluntness is one reason hes so popular with voters. "There is this kind of long tradition in our politics, especially in the last 30 or 40 years, of valuing candidates who are spontaneous and unfiltered," says Greenberg. "Because there is so much spin and crafted talk in politics that we get frustrated with it, we naturally respond to people that seem more candid."

But any good presidential candidate also needs discipline  in part because the presidency requires it, particularly around delicate subjects like diplomacy or managing the financial system, where one stray remark can cause a crisis. And Trump utterly lacks discipline. He puts himself in the headlines with inflammatory remarks almost daily  and cant seem to help himself.

"He enjoys making provocative statements, and because he is not a seasoned politician he doesnt know when it will misfire," says Greenberg.

Trump takes this lack of discipline one step further with another key habit: He never apologizes. His campaign usually just tries to flatly deny that he said anything or stretch the meanings of words so far they lose all semblance of what was obviously said, or else Trump just claims he was joking.

"Thats a very dangerous quality for someone who wants to become president," my colleague Zack Beauchamp writes. "A poorly phrased statement by the most powerful person in the world doesnt just help amplify bad ideas  it can actively cause an international crisis."



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CNBC Law and Order, founders democracy - all equal under law - follow the same law. Trump doesn't want to follow the same law, but make his own law:

1) Say what he wants.

2) Doesn't publish his tax return.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editors note: The opinions in this article are the authors, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft.

On Friday, Donald Trump tried to walk back his claim that President Obama "is the founder of ISIS" in the most Trump way possible.

He simply blamed the media for taking him so "seriously." "THEY DONT GET SARCASM?" he tweeted of CNNs coverage:

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016



 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016

What makes Trumps new excuse so absurd  and so unnerving  is what it says about how hed fare as president. People all around the world tend to take what the president of the United States says very seriously. Which is why presidents dont usually make a habit of communicating through sarcasm or by saying things and then claiming they werent serious.

Presidents dont go out and constantly "joke" about invading countries, or about their economic policies, or about their political opponents being terrorists. They tend to put thought into what they say, because the risk of being misunderstood is too high. The fact that CNN (and others) will take what you say seriously is the whole point.

The media had every reason to take Trumps ISIS comments seriously

This whole flap started on Wednesday when Trump called Obama the "founder of ISIS." ("Hillary Clinton is the co-founder," he said.)

Conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt asked Trump if thats what he really meant in an interview on Thursday. Trump stood his ground: Like many conservatives, he believes Obama and Clintons policies in Iraq allowed ISIS to expand, and to him thats the same thing as Obama and Clinton "founding" ISIS.



Its pretty clear that Trump wasnt joking. In fact, he seemed keen to insist that "founder" was the correct word here.

Set aside the fact that Trump is wrong on the merits here  the rise of ISIS involved a multitude of factors that Obama and Clinton were largely not a part of. Set aside the fact that Trump is stretching the definition of "founder" here. The key point is that this was not sarcasm. Trump was trying to make a point here, and now hes upset that the media has taken that point "so seriously."

What it means for a president to be "joking"

Any successful presidential candidate usually needs two key traits, argues David Greenberg, a historian at Rutgers University: spontaneity and discipline. But each needs to be deployed at the right time.

Trump has the spontaneity: His shoot-from-the-hip bluntness is one reason hes so popular with voters. "There is this kind of long tradition in our politics, especially in the last 30 or 40 years, of valuing candidates who are spontaneous and unfiltered," says Greenberg. "Because there is so much spin and crafted talk in politics that we get frustrated with it, we naturally respond to people that seem more candid."

But any good presidential candidate also needs discipline  in part because the presidency requires it, particularly around delicate subjects like diplomacy or managing the financial system, where one stray remark can cause a crisis. And Trump utterly lacks discipline. He puts himself in the headlines with inflammatory remarks almost daily  and cant seem to help himself.

"He enjoys making provocative statements, and because he is not a seasoned politician he doesnt know when it will misfire," says Greenberg.

Trump takes this lack of discipline one step further with another key habit: He never apologizes. His campaign usually just tries to flatly deny that he said anything or stretch the meanings of words so far they lose all semblance of what was obviously said, or else Trump just claims he was joking.

"Thats a very dangerous quality for someone who wants to become president," my colleague Zack Beauchamp writes. "A poorly phrased statement by the most powerful person in the world doesnt just help amplify bad ideas  it can actively cause an international crisis."
Tennessee Senator Mark Green, MD will be the guest speaker at the Chattanooga Tea Partys meeting on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. As the vice chair of Commerce in the Tennessee Senate, Senator Green helps lead in reducing government and getting it out of the way of businesses in our state. Given his achievements, Senator Green is being encouraged to run for governor in 2018, said officials.

As a former Army Special Operations flight surgeon, he was involved in numerous covert operations in Iraq. But his most memorable mission was the capture of Saddam Hussein. Dr. Green interviewed Saddam for six hours on the night of his capture and was subsequently selected as the Army Aviation Association flight surgeon of the year.

The meeting will be held at the Century Club Banquet Hall, 3221 Harrison Pike (off Access Road, just south of the Highway 153-Amnicola Highway intersection, next to Indian Motorcycles).

Participants are asked to bring a non-perishable canned good item for the local Chattanooga Area Food Bank.

Please RSVP at Chattanooga Tea Partys Facebook page (link at ChattanoogaTeaParty.com). Donations will be accepted at the event to help defray costs.








Genres : Fantasy, TV

Starring : Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parrilla, Jamie Dornan, Josh Dallas, Jennifer Morrison, Jared S. Gilmore

Plot Synopsis

Emma Swan gets the surprise of her life when Henry, the son she gave up 10 years ago, arrives on her doorstep. Returning the boy to his adoptive mother becomes complicated when Henry reveals a stunning theory to Emma. Everyone in Storybrooke, Maine is a fairytale character under a curse, and Emma - as the long lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming - is the one who can save them all. The story unfolds; interweaving scenes of the drama in the sleepy New England town and the the inhabitants' past lives in the world of fairy tales. The timeless battle of good vs evil is ready to begin again.
When Nate Parker's "The Birth of a Nation" premiered at Sundance in January, scoring a $17.5 million sale from Fox Searchlight -- the biggest in the festival's history -- its director-writer-star was heralded as promising new voice in film.

But a rape trial from his past now threatens to cast a shadow over the release of the movie and its Oscar campaign. In 1999, as a student and wrestler at Penn State University, Parker and his roommate Jean Celestin -- who went on to co-write the story for "The Birth of a Nation"-- were charged with raping a 20-year-old female student in their apartment after a night of drinking.

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In a two-hour interview with Variety on Wednesday, Parker was asked to address the circumstances behind the trial.

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"Seventeen years ago, I experienced a very painful moment in my life," Parker told Variety. "It resulted in it being litigated. I was cleared of it. That's that. Seventeen years later, I'm a filmmaker. I have a family. I have five beautiful daughters. I have a lovely wife. I get it. The reality is" -- he took a long silence -- "I can't relive 17 years ago. All I can do is be the best man I can be now."

At the time, Parker admitted he had sex but claimed it was consensual. The woman said that she was unconscious, and did not consent to having sex with Parker or Celestin. She also claimed that she was stalked and harassed by Parker and Celestin after she reported the incident to the police.

Parker was suspended from the wrestling team, and later transferred to a different college in Oklahoma. In a 2001 trial, he was acquitted, based on testimony that he had previously had consensual sexual relations with his accuser. But his roommate was found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison. Celestin appealed the verdict, and a second trial in 2005 was thrown out due to the victim not wanting to testify again. (She sued the university and was awarded a $17,500 settlement out of court.)

The case has now resurfaced, because of the attention around "The Birth of a Nation." Celestin is credited with co-writing the story about the 1831 slave revolt led by Nat Turner, which speaks to current racial tensions in America (as well as within the Academy after two consecutive years of #OscarsSoWhite). But the details that have emerged from Parker's past could end up deflecting the conversation in another direction.

The specifics of the trial are likely to be re-investigated and scrutinized as Parker enters into the spotlight, and begins doing months of press. "My life will be examined and put under the microscope in ways that it never has," Parker said, pointing to individuals on Twitter who criticized him for having a white wife. "There are numerous things that are surfacing," he said. "But I've always been an open book. I'm an advocate of justice. I'm an older man. I've matured a lot. I've had many obstacles in my life. I grew up very poor. My father passed away. There are so many things that happened. At the same time, I am the man that I am. I am open to the scrutiny. I will never hide anything from my past."

Parker, who brought his 6-year-old daughter to the Variety interview, declined to speak about the specifics of the case. "Look at it through the context of 17 years," he said. "It was a very painful for everyone who went through it. What I learned through 17 years of growth and having children and having a wife and building a family is that we have to fight for what's right. We have to lead in love."

On the day after his interview with Variety, Parker arranged to speak with Deadline for a story about the case. In an email, Celestin told the site: "This was something that I experienced as a college student 17 years ago and was fully exonerated of," he said. "I have since moved on and been focusing on my family and writing career."

Fox Searchlight issued a statement: "Fox Searchlight is aware of the incident that occurred while Nate Parker was at Penn State. We also know that he was found innocent and cleared of all charges. We stand behind Nate and are proud to help bring this important and powerful story to the screen."







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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 126 Woody introduces the gang to a homemade spork toy with self-esteem issues in "Toy Story 4." Read the review. (Pixar / AP)
Shemar Moore poses for photographs on the red carpet during the Much Music Video Awards in Toronto in June. (Associated Press)

An actor who had two brief appearances on CBS' "Criminal Minds" has pleaded no contest to charges that he stole more than $60,000 from one of the show's former headliners, actor Shemar Moore.

As part of a plea bargain reached Wednesday morning in San Fernando, actor Keith Tisdell, 42, agreed to repay Moore, 46, the sum of $61,084.

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Prosecutors charged that Tisdell took the money after he befriended Moore in 2013, when they appeared in the same Season 8 episode. Tisdell was playing a character named Rodney Harrison, who had appeared on the show once before in Season 2, according to his IMDB page.

"In bringing that story to life, we became friends.  We went into business together," Moore told Judge Hayden Zacky ahead of Tisdell's sentencing.

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In his private life, Moore, who played FBI Special Agent Derek Morgan for 11 seasons, started a charity to help battle multiple sclerosis, a disease from which his mother suffered. The charity is called Baby Girl LLC, named after one of Moore's signature phrases on the show, he told the court.

Tisdell was involved with the organization. Records show he was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement in January but ultimately admitted to grand theft.

The theft had gone undiscovered for some time, Moore told the judge. During their friendship, Moore said he bought Tisdell $10,000 rims for his car, funded shared overseas vacations and gave him up to $20,000 to help with expenses. When an audit revealed cash from the organization was missing, Moore confronted Tisdell, who denied stealing the money, the actor said in court.

"In my mind, he wasn't man enough to look me in the eye and fess up," Moore told the judge.

As he spoke, Tisdell occasionally shook his head in disagreement.

"I've done a lot for him because he had me, my friends fooled," Moore continued. "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."

After the sentencing, Tisdell's attorney gave Moore $5,000 worth of money orders; his client has to repay about $56,000, or he could end up in jail. If Tisdell pays back the money and stays out of legal trouble for the next three years, the conviction may be expunged from his record, the judge said.

Joseph.serna@latimes.com

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"My Children!"

Watching a film about horrific war-time atrocities is never an easy experience. It's difficult to look at these events with a critical, earnest, and yet artistic eye and not question authenticity or motive. You want to trust that the filmmakers and writers aren't simply exploiting an event for monetary gain and are in fact, doing their best to recreate events and bring them to light for a mass audience. Peter Yates' 1985 film 'Eleni' traverses the real events surrounding the 1948 civil war that erupted in Greece and how thirty years later, one man is trying to uncover the truth of events that lead to the murder of his mother. The juxtaposition of time periods and the film's focus on real life characters elevates what could have been an otherwise depressing slog through pain and suffering and keeps the film feeling alive and hopeful.

Nicholas Gage (John Malkovich) is a successful reporter for the New York Times. As 1979 is coming up, it marks 30 years since the end of the civil war in Greece. This milestone isn't just a number on the calendar, it marks when the commanders and soldiers who lead the communist uprising who also committed any number of atrocities can come home because the statute of limitations will run out for such crimes under Greek law. When Nicholas was a child, he and his siblings had to flee Greece to America to escape the horrors while their mother Eleni (Kate Nelligan) was forced to stay behind as a prisoner of a sadistic general known as Katis (Oliver Cotton). After accepting a job as bureau chief in Greece under the guise of reporting the events surrounding the soldiers' return, Nicholas embarks on an emotionally painful journey to uncover the truth of what happened to his mother. As he finds pieces of the puzzle, Nick learns that Katis is alive and well and that the old man is willing to grant an interview.

Based on the book by real-life reporter Nicholas Gage, 'Eleni' works on several levels. On one hand, the film is a document of wartime atrocities where families are displaced and children are forced into service as soldiers for a cause they don't believe in. On the other hand, the film is a gripping investigative procedural. Because the film takes place during two time periods, it's essentially told through the eyes of a mother and her grown son. As John Malkovich's Nicholas uncovers one piece of the story, the film segues to tell things through the eyes of Kate Nelligan's Eleni. At first, it may seem to be a meandering way to tell a story, but what this breaking in timeline continuity does is set the groundwork for a thrilling and intense final scene. It's in the final moments where everything comes together and your patience through some pretty horrendous, gut-wrenching scenes pays off. When Nicholas sits down in front of an elderly Katis knowing full well who the man is and what he's done, you're on the edge of your seat because you know Nicholas is capable and willing to do anything he puts his mind to.

Working from a screenplay by Steve Tesich, Peter Yates is in excellent form with 'Eleni' as he manages to craft a thoughtful and personal, character-driven film against the backdrop of a terrible tragedy. There is a sense of reality and urgency in each little vignette that is revealed through Nicholas' investigations. While we see this man try and learn more about his mother's murder at the risk of losing his family, we see how in the face of horror a woman fought to save her children by risking her own life. It's powerful material that never dips too heavily into cheesy soap opera melodrama. Nor does the film focus too intensely on the conditions Eleni spent her last days. The film certainly does not shy away from what happened, but it doesn't settle on images or events so gratuitously so that it cheapens the effect. It shows just enough to convey the horror and treats the material, the characters, and their real life counterparts with an amount of genuine respect.

I never knew much about the civil war in Greece. It wasn't a topic that made my social studies books in grade school except in passing as a moment of a communist uprising. On top of being an excellent example of filmmaking and character exposition and story structure, 'Eleni' proved to be a very engrossing and educational film. I left my viewing of this film wanting to learn more about what happened. In particular the circumstances of how people who committed crimes against civilians could somehow escape persecution simply because a certain number of years passed. Thankfully there is a lot of valid information online so that the curious can learn more about these events. I wouldn't say that 'Eleni' is an entertaining film, that doesn't feel like an appropriate way to describe it. It is an intense and effective film that plays to the conventions expected from a procedural thriller and a war-time drama without simply being a piece of frivolous entertainment. It's a film that is tough to watch without feeling exhausted by it and yet provides an equal sense of hope and humanity. All I can say to close this review is that I strongly suggest people give the film a look and experience it for themselves.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'Eleni' arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber through their Studio Classics line. Pressed onto a Region A BD25 disc, the disc is housed in a standard Blu-ray case and opens directly to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options.
Chicago police investigate a shooting in the 12300 block of South Perry Avenue where a 6-year-old girl was shot and wounded late on Aug. 14, 2016. (Alexandra Chachkevitch / Chicago Tribune)

Two men were killed and at least 14 other people, including a 6-year-old girl, have been wounded in shootings since late Sunday morning on the West and South sides, police said.

A 6-year-old girl was wounded in a shooting about 9:10 p.m. in the West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side, police said.

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The girl was coming out of a vehicle with an adult in front of her home in the 12300 block of South Perry Avenue when she heard shots and felt pain. The girl was hit in the right arm, and she was driven to Roseland Community Hospital. She was later transferred to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, and she was listed in good condition, said Officer Ron Gaines, a Chicago police spokesman.

Late Sunday, police officers cordoned off a small section of a sidewalk and the street on Perry in front a home with yellow crime tape in the middle of the block. At least one shell casing lay in the street near the sidewalk.

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Detectives knocked on the doors of nearby houses and talked to neighbors, trying to piece together what happened.

No one was immediately in custody.

Sunday morning, someone shot and wounded a 35-year-old pregnant woman during a domestic incident about 10:45 a.m. in the 1600 block of South Springfield Avenue in the city's Lawndale neighborhood, said Officer Michelle Tannehill, a police spokeswoman.

Tannehill was not sure how many months pregnant the woman was at the time of the shooting or if the baby has been delivered.

The woman was shot in the chest, and she was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition, police said.

There was nobody in custody in the shooting.

About 4 a.m. Monday, a 33-year-old man died after being critically hurt in a shooting in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side, police said. The man was discovered unresponsive on the street with a gunshot wound to the head near 50 N. Kilbourn Ave., according to police.

The man, identified as Chavaris D. Guider of 1700 block of North Parkside Avenue, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he initially listed in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead at at 10:31 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office and police.

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Another fatal shooting happened about 9 a.m. Sunday in the 6600 block of South Wabash Avenue in the Park Manor neighborhood, police said. A man was found on the ground outside and was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.

In other shootings:

About 4:55 a.m. Monday, a 20-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood, police said. The man was in the 1600 block of West 18th Street when he was shot in the armpit. Police said the man was being uncooperative and was refusing to say what happened exactly. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition stabilized, police said.

About 1:35 a.m., a 16-year-old boy was grazed during a shooting in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side, police said.

The boy was in the 4900 block of West Hubbard Street when he suffered a graze wound to the leg. He declined medical attention at the scene, and police said he was being uncooperative. No other information was available about the shooting.

About 1:05 a.m., an 18-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side, police said. The man was walking north in the 300 block of North Central Avenue when he heard shots and felt pain. He was shot in the leg, and he managed to get to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where his condition stabilized, police said.

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About 12:15 a.m., a 29-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in the West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side, police said. The man was walking to his vehicle in the 12000 block of South Parnell Avenue when two male attackers fired shots and fled. He was shot in the foot and was taken in fair condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center, police said.

About 12:05 a.m., a 38-year-old man was critically hurt during a shooting in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side, police said. The man was sitting on a porch in the 2100 block of West 70th Place when two men approached him. The three started arguing then the two men took out weapons and exchanged gunfire with the 38-year-old, police said. The man was shot in the neck and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

About 11:50 p.m. Sunday, a 39-year-old man was shot during "a parking dispute" in the 4100 block of West Grenshaw Street in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, police said. The man was involved in the argument when an attacker fired shots at his vehicle and at him, striking him in the leg. The man declined medical attention, and police said he was being uncooperative.

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About 9:25 p.m., an 18-year-old man was seriously wounded in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side, police said. The man was in the 5100 block of South Calumet Avenue when he was shot in the shoulder. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition, police said.

About 9:10 p.m., the 29-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side, police said. The man was standing on a corner in the 4800 block of West Potomac Avenue when a dark-colored vehicle drove past and someone inside it fired shots, hitting him in the leg, Gaines said. The man was taken to West Suburban Medical Center, where his condition stabilized, Gaines said.

Around 9 p.m., a 21-year-old woman was wounded in a shooting in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, police said. The woman was in the 2400 block of West Congress Parkway when she was shot in the arm. She was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was listed in good condition, Gaines said.

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About 8:45 p.m., a 22-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side, Gaines said. The man was in the 400 block of East 111th Street when he was shot in the arm. He managed to get to Roseland Community Hospital, where his condition stabilized. Police said the man is being uncooperative.

About 4:40 p.m., a 22-year-old man was walking through the Brainerd Park on the Far South Side when someone shot him, Gaines said. The man was walking in the 1200 block of West 92nd Street when someone in an unknown vehicle drove by and fired shots. The man was hit in the abdomen, and he was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital, where his condition stabilized, Gaines said.

About 2:05 p.m., a 36-year-old man was shot in the leg on the Far South Side. It happened in the 0-100 block of East 100th Street in the city's Rosemoor neighborhood. He was taken to a hospital but further information was not available, Tannehill said.

No further details were available.
Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Sacred Heart University on Aug. 13, 2016, in Fairfield, Conn. (Evan Vucci / AP)

WASHINGTON  Donald Trump's presidential campaign is taking even sharper aim at one of its biggest foes - the news media.

In recent days, Trump and his campaign have slammed the media harder than ever. The candidate labeled reporters the "lowest form of humanity" in Pennsylvania on Friday and claimed that the media is piling on him and doing the bidding of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

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Trump tweeted Sunday:

"If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%"

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The barbs come after a week in which Trump asserted that President Barack Obama is the "founder" of the Islamic State militant group, a false claim he intensified and then backed away from by deeming it sarcasm. He also appeared to encourage gun owners to take action if Clinton is elected and appointed judges who favor gun control.

Trump also saw his poll numbers drop - a Washington Post-ABC News poll released last Sunday showed that Clinton has widened her lead to eight points over Trump nationally. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll released Friday shows that Clinton has opened a wide lead over Trump in the battleground states of Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia. Trump also trails Clinton in Florida, according to the poll.

"I'm not running against crooked Hillary Clinton," Trump said in Fairfield, Connecticut, on Saturday night. "I'm running against the crooked media."

Trump's campaign has recently started emailing stories and screen shots of websites overlaid with the words "media bias offender" in large red letters.

In an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" that aired Sunday, Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort claimed the media, and interviewer Jake Tapper, deliberately didn't cover a speech Trump made on economic policy last week and instead focused on attacking and undermining him. Manafort said that only local media covered Trump's rallies in swing states the past week and that the media didn't report on newly released emails that provided additional evidence that Clinton Foundation donors got access at the State Department. Clinton also made an economic policy speech in Michigan last week.

"The media chose to take her, Clinton - the Clinton campaign narrative - and go on attack on Donald Trump," Manafort said. "Donald Trump in the course of this week was very substantive."

Tapper said Manafort's claims that CNN did not cover Trump's economic speech or the release of the new Clinton emails are patently false.

"These things, just because you say them, they're not - they're not true," Tapper said.

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Tapper pointed out that it wasn't just the news media that questioned Trump's claims about gun owners and Clinton, but also fellow Republicans and Trump supporters. Manafort chided him for covering that story for days and spending only one day on Trump's economic policy speech.

"Mr. Trump bears no responsibility for his campaign being off-message?" Tapper asked.

Manafort said Trump's point about the Second Amendment is that people who support gun rights should be concerned about Clinton's candidacy.

"It was not meant at all to be a threat," Manafort said.

Trump and Manafort took particular aim at the New York Times on Saturday and Sunday. The paper reported that Trump's advisers are resigned to the fact that the candidate cannot stick to plans to change and to stop provoking others and that Trump's mood in private is "sullen and erratic." The paper also reported that Trump agonizes over his relationship with the media.

He tweeted Sunday:

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"The failing @nytimes talks about anonymous sources and meetings that never happened. Their reporting is fiction. The media protects Hillary!"

"The failing @nytimes, which never spoke to me, keeps saying that I am saying to advisers that I will change. False, I am who I am-never said"

Manafort and campaign spokesman Jason Miller pushed back against reports that the campaign is in disarray.

"The campaign is moving to get forward and is very strong," Manafort said, claiming that it has raised $132 million in two months and is organized in all 50 states.

Trump has barred a number of publications, including The Washington Post, from attending his rallies. At Saturday's rally in Connecticut, he threatened to add the New York Times to the list. Speaking on CNN's "Reliable Sources" on Sunday morning, Miller was asked about Trump's threat to revoke the credentials of the Times.

"We'll see," Miller said. He said the bans are in place because the campaign has to "stand up and defend ourselves" from biased reporting.

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Miller said Trump's rallies are open to members of the public who stand in line, including members of the media who are banned. That is not always the case; in June, a Trump campaign staffer and private security removed a Politico reporter who entered the rally with the general public. Last month, a Washington Post reporter was barred from entering an event featuring Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, in Wisconsin. The Post reporter was patted down by police.

When asked by host Brian Stelter whether the campaign plans to lift the ban on media outlets, Miller said, "We want to see honest and unbiased reporting."

Miller sounded a different note on the issue than Pence, who has said in the past that he would talk to the Trump campaign about lifting the ban on certain publications because he believes in a free press. On "Fox News Sunday," Pence was asked whether he has gotten Trump to change his mind about barring certain media outlets.

"We'll keep our private conversations private, but that's an ongoing discussion in the campaign, and I'll - I do believe in the public's right to know, whether it's about these latest allegations about Hillary Clinton or otherwise, and we'll continue that - we'll continue to advance that principle," Pence said.

Trump tweeted Sunday that his rallies aren't covered correctly by the media:

"My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm."

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A number of people at Trump's rally on Saturday night, held in a stifling gymnasium on a college campus, walked over to the press pen and yelled at reporters. The same thing has happened in recent days at other rallies.
In the summer of 1982, three middle-school boys joined forces to do a shot-for-shot remake of their favorite movie, Steven Spielberg's 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.' They all saw the movie separately the year prior, and the three boys weren't friends yet, but their love of the now dearly beloved action adventure classic is what ultimately brought them together, along with a passion to celebrate its impact on their lives. What they didn't anticipate was the amount time, work, and planning that goes into a big budget studio movie, turning what was initially meant as a summer project into an 7-year journey where each summer, holiday break and weekly allowance was dedicated to accomplishing this amatuer production. And like a real production, the kids shot scenes out of sequence over the course of those years, so they appear at different ages throughout the finished product, making it all the more humorous while attesting to their dedication. The end result, however, is a faithful adaptation of the Spielberg-Lucas collaboration that's as shockingly entertaining as the very film it celebrates and imitates.

Aside from its amatuer failings and laughably limited resources  much of it was shot in one of the kid's mother's basement, in their backyards and throughout their hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi  the one arguable drawback is that the kids didn't finish their version of their favorite movie of all time. Due to expense and the obvious dangers, they never shot one final sequence, the one with Jones in a fistfight while a Nazi plane rolls in circles. 'Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made' is the story not only about the making of that movie, but also about them reuniting after 25 years to finally make their dreams come true after a Kickstarter campaign raised the necessary funds for completing the missing scene. The folks behind the documentary, Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen, are budding filmmakers themselves, so they treat their subject matter with a kind of admiration and a recognizable sense of understanding. This 106-minute look at a shoestring passion project is not meant for audiences to point and laugh at or be witness to the failure of these now grown men.

Rather, this is a making-of documentary that holds in awe the men's level of dedication and their unabashed adoration of cinema. It's an inspiring and surprisingly touching look at how movies affect our lives, capturing our imagination in such a way as to become a big part of our childhood while also serving as a source of escapism. Eric Zala is the movie's storyboard artist and director, igniting in him to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. And making this movie helped him through his parent's divorce, which sadly seems like a common theme for many of the boys involved. Serving as cinematographer, editor and special effects artist, Jayson Lamb is the most eccentric personality of the bunch, and the production allowed him to explore his imagination and quirky creativity  the only person with the right idea for turning the final airplane sequence a reality without the danger. Arguably, the most obsessed with the original 'Raiders' is Chris Strompolos, who played Indy in the adaptation. He's an enthusiastic and humbly upbeat guy with the most tragically moving backstory of all, which I won't spoil here. But he provides the emotional core of the documentary and serves as its recurring central theme.

As movie lovers, we express that love of cinema in a variety of ways, from the casual viewer with a small cluster of features deemed important favorites to the ardently devoted collector of memorabilia and an imposing collection of films on various home video formats. Some pursue impassioned careers in the industry while others are content with simply talking and writing cinema, like yours truly. And so, while we all fall somewhere within those ranges, the one thing uniting us is that love and when thinking on our childhoods, no matter how varied and different, certain movies have latched themselves to many of those memories. 'Raiders!' perfectly captures that love affair in a way that few documentaries have done before, by following a group of people who don't feel as though they missed out on their childhood. Instead, they filmed it. Their passion speaks to the film geeks and cinephiles in all of us, which is proven by the faithful adaptation being accidentally discovered decades later by Eli Roth and shown at Harry Knowles' Butt-Numb-a-Thon film festival where it was met with cheering applause by like-minded folks. It's a story as equally interesting and inspiring as the making of the greatest fan film ever made.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

Drafthouse Films brings 'Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made' to Blu-ray as a two-disc combo pack with a code for a digital copy and a 16-page booklet with reprints of the original storyboard artwork. The Region Free, BD50 disc sits comfortably atop a DVD9 copy on the same panel, and both are housed in a clear keepcase with reversible cover art. At startup, viewers are taken straight to a menu screen with full-motion clips and music playing in the background.
There are very few genres that I like more than a good, bloody revenge flick. Now if you add gritty western in the mix, you're really hitting my sweet spot. So why was I so bored, waiting for conflict in The Duel? A revenge western should be right up my alley. Yet time and time again with this film, I found myself puzzled about the lack of tension it built for itself.



One thing that I love about Westerns is their old time code of honor. However, there are absolutely no characters that possess those characteristics at all. We start off with the ever so bland Liam Hemsworth as Texas Ranger, David Kingston. David takes after his father, who was a Texas Ranger killed in a duel to the death with the ruthless religious extremist, Abraham Brant (Woody Harrelson). All grown up, David is finally given the chance to investigate a series of local disappearances that Brant is suspected of being responsible for. Now, together with his wife Marisol (Alice Braga), David must pretend to be a new part of Brants community to investigate the disappearances, and maybe get his revenge? I say maybe because you get absolutely zero anger towards Brant from Hemsworth. He just broods around and pretends to be a Sheriff in Brands community. Hemsworth is truly awful here and it is ruinous to this film. This character is bland as hell, and I had no idea what was going on in his head at any point in time, which is extremely frustrating because it takes forever for Hemsworth to actually show that he wants revenge for his fathers death.



Woody Harrelsons portrayal of Abraham Brant isn't that much better due to Harrelsons acting, or lack thereof. I haven't seen a movie where Harrelson isn't just playing himself in quite some time. Unfortunately, he is the typical hick character with a southern twang that he is in 90% of his rolls. His character, Abraham Brant, is a religious extremist that has formed his own community of loyal followers, and for some reason has gone so far as to make them think he is some kind of messiah. Even though details like how he accomplished this or why people are foolish enough to believe him are extremely nebulous, what is clear is the fact that it actually worked, and now everyone in the town is under his lock and key. At one point in time, we literally see a supporting character in the film get put under what seems to be a religious spell by him, and as far as that supporting character is concerned, it worked. If you think that is laying it on too thick, Harrelson is chewing the scenery here like he chews his tobacky. Don't get me wrong, it's better than Liam beef cake Hemsworth is doing, but it is way too over the top for a more subdued film.



This plot should be simple, yet character motivations continue to be a problem throughout. With Brant acting like an obvious creep and a psychopath, I would think that a Texas Ranger would act quicker to stop him, especially considering the fact that Brant killed his father. But nope, not David, he instead takes his time and settles into the community as their sheriff first. Why? What's there to investigate? He's a crazed madman in a town where disappearances have been happening. Either get your revenge, slap your handcuffs on him and take him in, or move on with your life, so I can do the same. It is maddening how long it takes for David to get to the point where he is out to kill Brant. By the time it finally came it was too little, too late and I was already done with this film.



To me, this movie screams that they didn't know where to go with this movie. They want to have a big, brooding revenge western, but they also want to prolong their conflict until the final scene of the film. They want to make this a plot where the scruffy protagonist infiltrates the villains organization, a la Gangs of New York. But throughout that superior film you understood the whole time why DiCaprio waited so long to make his move, and throughout that film you know exactly what his end game is. Unfortunately, at the beginning of this film you never get a sense of the type of revenge that David wants, or if he actually wants revenge at all. From its vague plotting, to its bad casting of a veteran actor who has seemingly lost his way, to an actor who has clearly not found his way yet, The Duel is a sure misfire.



The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats



Lionsgate brings The Duel to Blu-ray with the usual soft cover that slips off to reveal a hard cover case. Once opened, the Blu-Ray is to the right, and an Ultraviolet code to the left. Once you pop in your Blu-ray Disc, there are a series of skippable theatrical trailers, which then lead to a kind of lazy still image main menu that you can then select the movie from.
Over the years, there have been a number of great films that deal with people in the mathematics arena. From 'Proof' and 'Pi' to 'Good Will Hunting' and 'A Beautiful Mind', we have grown to love this niche genre of films that deal with some deep characters involved in the mathematics. Some of these films have gone on to win Oscars and other awards, and rightfully so. There's just something that hypnotizes the mind when you see someone on screen quickly writing a massive formula on a chalkboard in order to solve some insane equation that will change the world. It's a satisfying experience in the theater and after viewing the movie, as it could inspire great things in creativity.

Matthew Brown's film, 'The Man Who Knew Infinity', based on the book of the same name by Robert Kanigel, tells the true story of the mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan, played here by Dev Patel ('Slumdog Millionaire', 'The Newsroom', 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'). Matthew Brown does a good job of telling his story, despite the predictability and unwillingness to take a step in a fresh direction that the films of this caliber did before it. There isn't anything new in the film that you haven't seen before, whether it be story or filmmaking wise, which just makes for a decent movie that you'd only see once. That being said, the performances by Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons as real life Cambridge Mathematician G.H. Hardy completely sell this film on its realism and entertainment value.

The life of Ramanujan started in the latter half of the 1800s, where he was a poor boy, living in India. His talent was that he understood math, and not just basic mathematics, but complex equations. He taught himself everything and even sometimes didn't understand why the equation worked, but always knew the solution. During World War I, Ramanujan sent his work over to Cambridge, which met the liking of G.H. Hardy, where the two became friends after a while and worked on mathematics, which ultimately led Ramanujan to become one of the most brilliant math minds in history. This story of these brilliant minds coming together to solve math equations is only a slice of the story.

The real meat and potatoes of this story is how Ramanujan had to deal with a ton of prejudice, due to his religion and skin color when he arrived in Cambridge and after. This film tackles those unfortunate subjects nicely, but again, it isn't anything you haven't seen before. Every aspect of the film is decent, but is never particularly memorable, even in the more emotional moments. Again, Patel and Irons's performance drive this movie and keep you interested in their characters and the story at hand. I just wish there was a little more than the usual tropes delivered here in this math genre of film.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'The Man Who Knew Infinity' comes with a 25GB Blu-ray Disc from Paramount that is Region A Locked. There is no insert or digital download code for the film. The disc is housed in an eco-friendly, hard, blue plastic case.
Genres : Drama

Starring : Jamie Chung, Bryan Greenberg, Richard Ng, Emily Ting

Director : Emily Ting

Plot Synopsis



In this sparkling romance, Ruby (Jamie Chung, "Big Hero 6"), a Chinese-American toy designer from L.A., visits Hong Kong for the first time on business. Finding herself stranded, she meets Josh (Bryan Greenberg, "Friends with Benefits") an American expat who shows her the city. Meandering through nighttime streets pulsing with energy and possibility, they fall into a winding and carefree conversation, buoyed by an undeniable attraction. Just as things start to look promising romantically for the pair, the night is stopped short by a surprising revelation. A year later, Josh and Ruby run into each other on the ferry from Hong Kong to Kowloon. Ruby is now living in Hong Kong full time. Josh, partially influenced by Ruby's advice a year prior, has quit his finance job to write full time. After finding out that they're both with someone else now, they make amends and end up spending all night hanging out in Kowloon - from bargaining at the Temple Street Market to an impromptu visit to the bird fortune teller. By the time Josh and Ruby get to an underground music club, they can no longer hide their feelings for each other. But when the opportunity presents itself at the end of the night, will either of them dare to make the next move and betray the person they're involved with? As effervescent as a perfect first date, this charming walk-and-talk romance takes full advantage of the chemistry of its leads, the playfulness of their exchanges, and the magical landscape that is Hong Kong at night.
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About Censored News Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell. Since 2006, Censored News has received more than 20 million pageviews. As a collective of writers, photographers and broadcasters, we publish news of Indigenous Peoples and human rights. Contact publisher Brenda Norrell: brendanorrell@gmail.com

From the publisher Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 40 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the mainstream media for 14 years. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com

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China's second orbiting space lab Tiangong 2. [File photo]

China's Shenzhou 11 spaceship, set to take two astronauts into space, was delivered to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Saturday.

General assembly and testing will begin at the center ahead of its launch scheduled for mid-October, said a statement by China's manned space engineering office.

The spaceship will transport personnel and supplies to China's second orbiting space lab Tiangong 2, which is to be launched in mid-September.

The astronauts selected for the mission are both male and have been taking intense training, the statement said.

Tiangong 2, which will allow two astronauts to live in space for up to 30 days, was delivered to the center in early July and the carrier rockets arrived last week.
News / National

by Harmony Agere

Some mobile phone SIM card traders in Harare are selling lines without registering purchasers, fuelling telecommunications violations and criminality.Though all three cellular service providers - Econet, NetOne and Telecel - have remained mum on the matter, the SIM cards are activated on purchase, suggesting they are recognised on their networks. Last week, The Sunday Mail bought Econet and NetOne SIM cards from a dealer at Fourth Street Bus Terminus in Harare despite not going through the requisite registration process.It is unclear how the vendors secure the lines, though one account has it that they buy them in bulk from cellular service operators. The Postal and Telecommunications Authority of Zimbabwe has previously instructed operators to disconnect unregistered lines.National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said, "Potraz are the ones who can provide detailed data on who is doing what and who is breaking which rules. But as police, we will investigate any report made about people who violate regulations by using unregistered lines."We also urge service providers to adhere to their prescribed regulations so that we reduce crime. People should use registered lines because if you are a law-abiding citizen, there should not be anything for you to fear."NetOne and Telecel had not responded to our inquiries by late Friday. Econet Wireless executive assistant to the group CEO Mr Lovemore Nyatsine said: "All lines that are used on our network are registered before they are activated. There are no unregistered SIM cards on our networks."We can't comment on whether unregistered lines are being used to commit crime as this is for the police to comment (on), if indeed it is taking place. On our part, we abide by the statutory period to disconnect any line that has not been regularised in terms of the regulations, and this is done as a matter of routine."Econet has a KYC process that is implemented with input from key regulators Potraz and the Registrar of Births. This process is carried out on a daily basis and any lines that are in non-compliant state for more than seven days, a period stated by the regulator, Potraz, are terminated."In a written response to The Sunday Mail, Potraz said it would crack the whip on the three networks if they failed to monitor the activities of their customers. "We will simply tighten screws on the service providers for not constantly monitoring their clients. They should time and again check if their clients are putting their services to good use or not."When they realise that there are some irregularities, they should engage that individual or report to police. As the regulator, we will crack the whip on them to make sure that the public is not endangered by criminals using Econet, Telecel and NetOne lines."In 2015, Nigeria's former finance minister Olu Falae was kidnapped by criminals who used unregistered MTN lines to entrap him and demand ransom. MTN was later fined US$5,2 billion for failing to disconnect unregistered lines, leading to the resignation of CEO Mr Sifiso Dabengwa.In 2012, Kenya's Telco faced several penalties after its unregistered lines where used to commit crimes.
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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.
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.
 Flash

Americans are far less positive today about what Barack Obama's presidency means for the advancement of blacks in the U.S. than they were shortly after his election eight years ago, found a Gallup poll Thursday.

Currently, 32 percent of respondents say Obama's presidency is one of the most important advances for blacks in the past 100 years, a sharp drop from 71 percent immediately after he was elected and 58 percent nine months into his first term.

The poll comes at a time when racial tensions have soured due to a number of recent high profile killings of black men by white police officers, and the murder of eight white police officers by two black gunmen in the states of Louisiana and Texas in July.

Americans had high hopes for what the first black president could accomplish, particularly on matters of race. But now, Americans believe black-white relations are much worse now than earlier in his presidency, Gallup said.

The public may not necessarily fault Obama for those problems, as roughly half have consistently approved of how he has handled race relations throughout his time in office. But it is clear that the optimism Americans initially had for a black president's ability to improve race relations and the situation for blacks has long since faded, Gallup said.

The decline in perceived significance of Obama's election and presidency is evident among both blacks and whites, though blacks remain more positive overall.

In October 2009, 71 percent of blacks considered Obama's election as one of the most important advances for blacks. But today, that number has plummeted to 51 percent. Among whites, the percentage has declined from 56 percent to 27 percent, Gallup found.

These results are based on Gallup's 2016 Minority Rights and Relations poll, conducted June 7-July 1, just before a renewed round of deadly racial incidents between police and black men in early July.

Whites, by more than a 2-to-1 margin, now say race relations are worse rather than better. Blacks are more charitable in their evaluation of the effect of Obama's presidency on U.S. race relations, but they are divided on whether things are better or worse. Both blacks' and whites' opinions are more pessimistic than they were in October 2009, nine months into Obama's presidency, Gallup found.

During Obama's presidential campaign in 2008, there were questions about how his racial background might affect the policies Obama pursued as president. One such question was how a black president could balance a desire to aid the black community with the need to pursue policies designed to help Americans of all races and ethnicities, Gallup noted.

From the time Obama was campaigning in 2008 until now, only between 21 percent and 26 percent of Americans have been concerned that his policies would go, or have gone, too far to help blacks, Gallup said.

Initially, far fewer were concerned that his policies would not go far enough, but that has changed. Now, 33 percent say his policies haven't gone far enough, up from 8 percent immediately after his election and 18 percent during his first year in office, Gallup said.

Blacks have never expressed much concern that Obama's policies would go too far in aiding the black community.

However, blacks' opinions have shifted from viewing Obama's policies to help blacks as "about right" to "not going far enough."

Currently, 52 percent of blacks say his policies have not gone far enough, up from 20 percent during the 2008 campaign and 32 percent his first year in office, Gallup found.
 Flash

Thai security forces have asked for Malaysia's help to look into the owner of a phone that may be used in one of several bombings that struck Thailand over Thursday and Friday, Bernama news agency reported on Sunday.

The investigation is linked to Malaysia because investigators found part of the mobile phone, which was used to detonate one of the bombs in Phuket, showed visible serial number of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

Bernama quoted a Malaysian security source as saying that Thai investigators have asked Malaysia's help to identify the origin of the headphone.

Mobile phones were used to detonate home-made bombs in a series of blasts that hit several places in Thailand, including Phuket and Hua Hin. Four people were killed in the blasts while more than 30 were injured.

According to the source, tracing the phone is not easy since the device may have changed hands several times.

The connection underscores the importance and necessity of cooperation between Southeast Asian countries in intelligence gathering and sharing, though no terrorism connections have been found in Thailand bombings.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said last week that intelligence sharing between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore helped foiled a planned rocket attack on Singapore's Marina Bay, though the details were not revealed.
 Flash

Independence Day being celebrated at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing on 14th August 2016. Flag hoisitng and speech by Ambassador Masood Khalid.[Photo/China.org.cn]

Pakistan's national flag was flown at full mast in a flag-hoisting ceremony celebrating the country's 70th Independence Day of 14th August 1947, at the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing, this morning.

The event was marked by patriotic fervor where the valiant founding fathers of the nation were remembered, and homage was paid to the martyrs of the nation who had given the ultimate sacrifice in the struggle to win and secure independence from subjugation.

The event began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. The Pakistani national flag was raised by Ambassador Masood Khalid to the sound of the national anthem.

The messages of President and Prime Minister of Pakistan were also read out by the Ambassador. The Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his message urged [the nation] to remember "all those martyrs. They belong to every segment of the state. They are in every political party. They are in every field of life. They are in every sect. They are in every religion. They are all Pakistanis. They are individuals of one nation. We are paying tributes to all these martyrs. We are presenting salute to their souls..." Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also dedicated this year's 14th August to the freedom of Kashmir.

The President in his message said: "We need to initiate the process of correction individually and then from homes and communities to derive more benefits and to ensure that the democratic values take roots at the state, governmental and administrative levels to pave the way for real and meaningful change."

Ambassador Masood Khalid while addressing the Pakistani community congratulated them on the auspicious occasion and said " today when Independence Day is celebrated and cherished we realize and take pride in being citizens of an independent country. We are the champions of our own destiny and harbinger of a bright future. Our ties with China have grown from strength to strength. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor heralds prosperity for our future.Lets pledge that we will fulfill the promise of a better future for the forthcoming generations."

National songs were sung at the Embassy's school. The Ambassador also mingled with the community at the luncheon for the day.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Eight opposition political parties have thrown their full support behind the growing social media activism saying the hashtag movements are not committing any crime.The hashtag movements led by the popular #ThisFlag have caused panic within government circles forcing authorities to tighten a grip on social media by working on introducing tough cyber laws.Below is a statement by the parties :POLITICAL PARTIES IN SUPPORT OF PEACEFUL PROTESTSOver the past month, different groups of citizens have participated in protests against the hardships the people of Zimbabwe have endured, and continue to endure, as a result of the incompetence of the ZANU-PF regime.On 1st July 2016, informal cross border traders staged a peaceful protest in Beit Bridge, against the ban on imports.In response to calls by  #ThisFlag ,  #Tajamika /Sijikile,  #ThisGown , #BeatthePot , Occupy Africa Unity Square Movement ( OAUS), Street Vendors and religious leaders, the people of Zimbabwe: peacefully stayed away on 6th July 2016 in major cities and towns; demonstrated peacefully in Bulawayo, against food insecurity and poverty, on 16th July 2016; and, demonstrated peacefully for jobs, and against the proposed Bond Notes, on 3rd August 2016, in central Harare.Thousands thronged the Harare Magistrates' Court on the day Pastor Evan Mawarire was on trial, and more than a hundred lawyers voluntarily offered to defend him.For months now, since 2015, Zimbabweans in the UK mount a vigil outside the embassy in London, every Saturday. And recently, in Australia, Canada and South Africa, peaceful protests have been staged at the country's missions there.On behalf of the political parties we lead, we the undersigned, strongly and unreservedly give our full support to the HashTag movements and all other citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights to peaceful protests.However, we note with dismay, the hostile and heavy handed response of the Mugabe regime to these peaceful citizen protests.During all the events mentioned above, the Police brutally attacked peaceful protesters. In Epworth, Mabvuku, Ruwa and Tafara on 1st July 2016, even people in their homes were assaulted. Many of the protesters have been arrested and detained without charge, or have been falsely charged, only to be acquitted by the courts.The farce around the arrest and trial of Pastor Evan Mawarire bear the hallmarks of political persecution, and legal incompetence of unparalleled proportions.President Mugabe, military commanders and some ministers have issued threats against citizens using social media to mobilise protesters. It is NOT illegal to communicate through social media, and it is NOT illegal to organise peaceful protests.Since their Harare Communique, expressing unhappiness with Mugabe's leadership, and withdrawing their support for him, leaders of war veterans have joined the long list of citizens who are victimised and pilloried for daring to think and see differently from Mugabe and ZANU-PF.We also extend our support for, and solidarity with these war veterans, and urge them not to be cowered by the vain threats of the regime and its apologists.The HashTag movements are not committing any crime. The war veterans' leaders have not committed treason, nor any lesser crime for that matter.The struggler for liberation was waged by millions of Zimbabweans throughout the country, with the liberation movement as the vanguard. Robert Mugabe, Father Zimbabwe and many other national leaders at that time of struggle, were at pains to explain that the struggle was not to replace a white minority clique with a black one. Yet, that is exactly what we have now, a repressive, corrupt and incompetent black minority clique.The people are demanding freedom from fear, freedom from hunger, freedom from joblessness and poverty. More specifically, the people are demanding the 2.2 million jobs that they were promised in 2013. The people are saying NO to corruption, NO to bond notes, NO to SI 64 of 2016, banning imports. The people want the US$15 bn diamond money to be brought back, to be used for national development. The people are demanding an end to the interference with, and victimisation of democratically elected local authorities. The people want a national, professional civil service and security services, serving all Zimbabweans.The people are also demanding electoral reforms, and to be assured that the next time they vote, their vote will count.We call on the leaders of the security services not to deny the people their freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly; all freedoms fully guaranteed by the Constitution of Zimbabwe. We say to these security sector leaders, you too stand to gain from the freedoms the people are fighting for, just like the Rhodesian forces benefited from national liberation and independence.Sure as the sun will shine, so also will change come to Zimbabwe.We stand in support of, and solidarity with the people, in all they are demanding. We demand the same, and we say to the people we are with you, tiripamwe, simunye.Gilbert Dzikiti, PRESIDENT - DAREWelshman Ncube, PRESIDENT - MDCMorgan Tsvangirai, PRESIDENT - MDC-TSimba Makoni, PRESIDENT - M.K.DTendai Biti, PRESIDENT - PDPElton Mangoma, PRESIDENT - RDZDumiso Dabengwa, PRESIDENT - ZAPUFarai Mbira, PRESIDENT - ZUNDE-M
Tianjin port has seen some ups and downs since rocked by a series of explosions in August last year, according to official figures.

Total car imports fell 37.5 percent to 245,000 in August year-on-year, the Tianjin Inspection and Quarantine Bureau said.

The bureau claimed in an analysis that there were a number of reasons for the decline and although it could be partly due to the blasts, the main reason was the global economic slowdown.

However, foreign wines bucked the trend.

Wine imports rose by 42.5 percent to 70.4 million liters from the end of August last year to the beginning of August this year.

Feng Jian from Xinhengyongda Supply Chain Management said: "We did hit some bumps for three to four months after the blasts, because our clients were concerned about the warehouse situation. However, the total sale of our wine import business steadily grew about 20 percent compared to the same time last year."

Her company is registered in Tianjin Dongjiang Port in 2011 and located in Haitian Logistics Yuan about 11 kilometers away from the site. It mainly serves as importer of wine and milk powder and lost few dozens of cargos in the blasts.

She said: "The rise was fueled by an increase in demand since the prices of imported wine became more acceptable to the citizens."

"There has been an increase in safety awareness," she added. "We have upgraded all the safety equipment in the warehouse and we carry out regular exercises in case of emergency."

It's been a year since the port city of Tianjin was ripped by chemical blasts that left 165 people dead, 8 missing and 798 injured, with 14 of them still under recovery.

Tianjin's mayor Huang Xingguo visited Tianjin's port area on Thursday, according to a local newspaper.

He addressed the importance of safety and gave instructions for the transition and innovation of Tianjin Binhai New Area, the economic engine of the city.
Tong Dawei and his wife Guan Yue endorses the campaign. [Photo by Chen Mengwei/chinadaily.com.cn]

Philanthropists are calling for more social support in China to better help high school students in poverty.

On Sunday, the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation started its second annual campaign at Peking University to encourage more people donate money to help poor high school students stay in school.

The foundation connects more students through an established virtual classes program throughout 832 poor counties and areas. Not only does this provide students with money, but also gives them a community to share life stories and support each other.

The program was established in September 2007. By the end of 2015, it has organized 401 virtual classes in 165 counties reaching 25 provinces in China, helping 45,995 students in total, with 72.05 million yuan raised.

Celebrities Tong Dawei and his wife Guan Yue along with government officials from the State Council's office for poverty alleviation and the ministry of education and international company representatives were on-hand to endorse the campaign.

Yan Zhitao, assistant secretary general at the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, said the foundation has made its way to help the poor more in accordance with the central government's latest guidance, specifically leaning towards high school students from poor families whose financial difficulties have been officially recognized by local counties' governments.

At the end of the ceremony, a group of entrepreneurs offered to give financial supports to 2,200 students. Each student receives around 2,000 yuan per year.

Zhang En, vice director of the corporate social responsibility center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that helping the poor via education will enable children living in poverty gain knowledge, change their fate and bring better life to their family. Zhang said he believed that this is the most effective and direct way of helping the poor.
Conservation organizations have called on the Chinese government to introduce a total ban on the ivory trade in China in the next one or two years, with no expiration date nor financial compensation for those who would lose business.

Xu Yang, a wildlife trade specialist at the World Wildlife Fund in China, said on Friday that the majority of Chinese consumers would stop buying ivory products if the legal trade channel was shut down.

"It would also leave no room for speculators to operate if the ban on the ivory trade in China were permanent," added Xu.

During President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States in September, the two countries made a joint commitment to take "significant and timely steps" to halt the domestic commercial trade of ivory. In June, the Obama administration announced a near-total ban on the interstate trading of ivory while China promised to publish a timetable by the end of the year to halt its domestic commercial trade in ivory

The WWF and TRAFFIC, an NGO that monitors the global wildlife trade, are compiling a feasibility report on banning the ivory trade in China in the hope that it can become a technical reference document for the Chinese government.

Zhou Fei, head of the China program at TRAFFIC, said the African elephant population had dropped from 3 to 5 million, to only 500,000 in recent years. "If we don't do anything, African elephants will be functionally extinct in the following two decades," Zhou said.

Xu from WWF China said when talking about global issues such as elephant protection, there are more divergences than convergences, and it was great progress for China and the US to abandon political bias and make the commitment on African elephant protection.

"And we have noticed that both the price of and demand for ivory products are reduced. The government's attitude has sent out a strong message to the market," said Xu.

"More countries and regions will now follow China and the United States and finally contribute to the recovery of the elephant population."

At present, the trade and manufacture of ivory products is legal in China. In 2008, China got approval from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the body that regulates the international wildlife trade, to buy about 62 metric tons of ivory in a one-time sale from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Every year, about 5 tons of that ivory is released into the market.

However, a survey conducted by WWF China showed that more than 50 percent of consumers don't know how to distinguish legal and illegal ivory products.

"Putting more ivory into the legal supply chain creates a smoke screen for the illicit trade in ivory. Despite the fact that every legal ivory-carved product has an identity card, many consumers don't know about and ask for the card. These identity cards could then be used for illegal ivory products," said Xu.

"Besides, China has a growing middle-class who would like to purchase ivory as a symbol of social status. The limited amount of ivory put into the legal market could not satisfy this demand."
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.
Smoke billows from the site of an explosion in Tianjin, August 13, 2015. [Photo/CFP]

Whether a government timely responds to public sentiments about an event has a bearing on its credibility. A timely and honest response may avert a public crisis, while doing the opposite may provoke one.

That explains why the State Council released a document on Friday that requires governments at all levels to timely respond to public concerns about events such as serious accidents or natural disasters. It states news conferences should be held no later than in 24 hours after an event takes place.

It is indeed necessary for the government, local governments in particular, to do a better job in this respect.

In the "good old days" for the government, when there was almost no social media and government-run media were the only channels for information, it was quite possible to cover up events which might give rise to public anger. But nowadays, with the popularity of social media, it is impossible to keep a lid on things in this way.

However, some local government officials still find it difficult not to give in to their natural inclination to try and hush up any bad news.

In the belief that no news is good news, they still consider the best way to keep the government's credibility and reputation intact is simply to try and keep people in the dark.

For example, when reports began to emerge at the end of last year that students in a middle school in Changzhou in East China's Jiangsu province were showing symptoms of serious illnesses that their parents claimed was the result of the school being built on contaminated soil, the local government did not offer any response until April when the central government organized an investigation into the event.

It is untenable and sometimes dangerous for a government to believe that as long as it prevents the official news organizations from reporting about an event that people won't know about it.

The longer a government keeps silent about an event, the more credence rumors and conspiracy theories will gain, further damaging the credibility and reputation of the government and officials concerned.

The challenges governments face in dealing with people's concerns about something that has happened have never been so tough and demanding.

Nevertheless, the State Council document tells officials that the best way to respond to public concerns is to make a clean breast of things from the start.
Opinion / Columnist

The government's plans to introduce bond notes in October this year has been under much criticism and attack from the general public but it is also wise to analyse the other positive side of this policy in order to fully explore and understand the policy maker's intention. The $200 million bond notes will be backed by a loan facility from the African Export-Import Bank and will be launched at par value with the United States dollar.According to the Governor, the bond notes will only work as an export incentive and exporters will start redeeming their 5% incentive that accrued starting May 2016 upon the bond notes launch in October. The central bank Governor, Dr John P. Mangudya also said the bond notes will be added in the multicurrency basket that is mainly dominated by 95% US dollar.The RBZ boss said it is well' to launch the bond notes despite the resistance that the authorities has faced from economic agents. The success of this policy depends much on the Central Bank Independence, which is the freedom of the policy maker from direct political or governmental influence in the conduct of policy. The monetary authorities should stick to their promise of printing only $200 million bond notes and nothing more unless if there arise a good economic reason to increase the amount.It is understood that the US$6 billion Zimbabwean economy cannot be diffused by a mere $200 million bond but the major fear of economic agents is on whether the monetary authorities will be able to resist the political pressure to print more, especially ahead of the 2018 elections.The initial motive of the monetary authorities to launch bond notes in order for them to act as an export incentive scheme makes a lot of sense. Whenever a company exports goods outside the country and bring foreign currency into the country, the company will be given a voucher of 5% the value of the goods exported that it will redeem in the form of bond notes. This incentive will encourage and attract more firms to employ more resources and be geared on producing more for exportation.This will increase the amount of foreign currency inflow in Zimbabwe and this can act as a permanent solution to the liquidity crisis that is currently looming in our country. This export incentive scheme is being complemented well by the recently gazetted Statutory Instrument 64, 2016 that is meant to limit the importation of commodities that are deemed to be capable of being produced locally. This will go a mile stone in helping to revive our local industries that have been facing too much competition from foreign produced goods.Zimbabwe is the only country in Africa that is using the United States dollar as a trading currency and not as reserve currency. Due to the poor economic situation in Zimbabwe including low production levels, many countries had viewed our country as a fishing pond' for the much needed US dollar through bringing imports. Countries like China has been understood to have been dumping commodities here in Zimbabwe like when a wheelbarrow was reported to have been landed here at a cost price of US$2.98. These actions are not health for the economy and it was wise for the government to craft policies that protect our local industries and policies that reduce money flight.In United States, it is illegal for an individual to be seen with more than US$10 000 cash as this is deemed to be money laundering but in Zimbabwe individuals were being allowed to withdrawal any amount without limit until recently when the central bank boss had to put limits on withdrawals and the amount of cash that individuals and companies should take outside the country. In support of this, the monetary authorities have launched the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFSI) that is meant to promote the use of plastic money.The government has in the past years tried to subsidies production, especially in the agricultural sector by giving farmers inputs. Even recently, the Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is the chairperson of the Food Security Committee has launched Command Agriculture Scheme in which the government is going to identify 400 000 hectares of land in the country's ten provinces and empower the farmers through giving them farming implements like machinery or equipment, seed and fertiliser. Although this is a good policy that is meant at increasing food security in the nation through subsiding agriculture, but I strongly feel that incentivising production might yield more fruits than subsidising. However it should be understood that these two policies can complement each other as those farmers who were incapacitated to produce more due to lack of farming inputs can now strive to produce more for exports so as to get the export incentive. This will reduce importation of maize from outside and boost exports hence reduce income outflow.Boosting exports through the export incentive scheme would mean more income inflow into the country. Income from exports is a form of income injection into the economy. This income will be received by households which will mean an increase in their purchasing power. This will cause the internal demand of goods and services to increase, firms will respond by employing more factors of production and then boost output of goods and services. National income will increase through the multiplier effect.When firms are expanding their production scale, they will demand more labour in order to produce more goods and services. More people will be employed hence reduce the current unemployment rate of 89%. Workers employed will receive more income which they will use to buy more goods and services produced. This will create a virtuous circle of growth. In other words, this export incentive scheme can be seen as a triggering mechanism to kick start economic growth.Although export incentive scheme through bond notes and agricultural subsidies can be viewed as forms of trade barriers as they give Zimbabwean exporting firms a competitive advantage over other firms in the international markets, but it should be understood that the policy isn't peculiar to Zimbabwean situation alone as our trading partner, South Africa is understood to be giving higher export incentive of up to 15% especially to certain selected products like fridges. Being optimistic about this policy will help us to achieve our ultimate goal. All economic agents should join hands in upholding and promoting the success of the policy.Zimbabwe is losing a lot of gold due to traders smuggling it into South Africa where the exporters are understood to be given export incentive. Our export incentive scheme will lure traders to follow the formal way of trading gold, hence increase our gold output and the income received from selling the precious mineral. Increasing income inflow will solve the liquidity crisis and will bring the much needed US$ into the country.The monetary authorities are advising the nation not to be sceptical about the bond notes issues as it will help, together with other policies put in place, to boost production and economic growth. Although economic agents have suffered a lot during the Dr. Gideon Gono era and are still being haunted by those memories, it should be made clear and understood that this regime is now a different one and economic agents should plough their confidence on the current governor in order to fully harvest the fruits of the purported policy. If the bond coins have once worked, then it is wise to use that same confidence in upholding and promoting the success of the bond notes.Blessing Machiva is an economist and he writes in his own personal capacity. Criticisms and comments can be forwarded to machiva.blessing@gmail.com or WhatsApp number +263 773 836 435.
Opinion / Columnist

Democracy is a contested and a perplexing notion yet it is a daily manual for political systems since time immemorial. The contribution of nationalist icons to modern Africa suggests that democracy is not just about the art of managing political systems and challenging their pitfalls. Rather, democracy is a way of life and this is my point of departure. If democracy is indeed a way of life, we must appreciate that different societies have different traditions and cultures that shape their ways of life. Out of necessity therefore, Africa's history, culture and beliefs should shape its way of life. It is in this milieu that Zimbabwe must negotiate and appreciate a form of democracy that most suits its context. Zimbabwe is not compulsory mandated to meet standards of Western liberal democracy because of its own history and epistemic logic. Instead we should invest time modelling democracy in a fashion that builds on our realities in a manner that largely proclaims the very essence of being Zimbabwean.Making democracy work requires informed and active citizens who understand how to voice their interests, act collectively and hold public officials accountable. Citizens must understand the basis of citizenship, politics and government, and they need knowledge to make good policy choices and understand the proper use of authority. Voters also need the desire to exercise their rights and the political space to do so without unreasonable resistance or harassment of authorities or others who assume a neutral position. However, this is more theoretical than it is practical in a context, where opposition political proponents have a self-arrogated benchmark of perceiving themselves as the ultimate definition of democracy in Zimbabwe.An utterance of "peaceful protests" is not enough to guarantee the safety of other citizens who do not want to participate in such political mantras. I am left with no choice but to continue penning about politics even if there are other pressing national issues. In Zimbabwe everyone has become a politician, whether by circumstance, accident, inheritance or hunger, we all are now politicians. I do not need a degree in political science to identify one; in any case most of our politicians have not studied POLAD.Perhaps let me share my conversation with Sabelo Gatsheni-Ndlovu (2009) (a prolific Zimbabwean academic from Gwanda). From the interaction we had, he mentioned that there are three recent developments in Zimbabwe and South Africa which evoke the need to rethink African nationalism and the current stage of the African national project. African nationalism bore post-independence governance and politics, including opposition parties. Gatsheni said the first was the promulgation and unrolling of the Third Chimurenga in Zimbabwe from 1997 onwards together with its agenda of reclaiming land from the white commercial farmers (settlers/aliens) giving it back to the "Black Zimbabweans"  natives (a Black Zimbabwean includes those in opposition too) as part of the fulfilment of the objectives of the liberation struggle. The second was the launch of the Native Club in South Africa in 2006 as the "third pillar" of the democratic transformation agenda with a specific focus on issues of national identity, knowledge production, revival of African cultures and critique of neo-liberal ideology.The third was the explosion of xenophobia in South Africa at the beginning of 2008 that left more than 60 people dead and many others homeless  where he refers to his comrade Mbembe 2008's writings. These developments compel one to rethink the direction of the national project in post-colonial Africa and the changing deployments and articulations of nationalism not only as a state ideology but also as a popular imaginary open to manipulation by both the elites and the poor in times of crisis. This discussion explored the dynamic of how post-colonial state entitlement by any black African (Zimbabwean) has created a self-suited democracy definition, particularly the bigotry displayed by opposition politicians and their supporters.Hypocrites and bigotsAs I am writing I am following some WhatsApp group chats where emergent opinion leaders are labelling people who don't think like them "sell outs". I am reminded of Joseph Chakawa's (Midlands State University's History lecturer) theme of liberation struggle 'sell outs'. He talks about how residents who had personal vendettas would label each other sell outs causing gory troubles and internment of innocent civilians. Some even died because they were successful, success was allied with being a sell out. The most mirthful thing with this throbbing period is how hard drudgery and devotion resulted in your death or incarceration. Anyway that is not what I want to talk about. Back to the new "sell out". It has come to light that anyone who does not think like opposition is Zanu-PF and is paid for thinking in that particular fashion.Humanity has jettisoned any possibility of independent thinking and decided to Zanunise such thinking. I am dazed by opposition thought aptitudes that pronounce tolerance of thought miscellany, impartial appreciation and autonomy of expression. Academic credibility is almost totally artisanal in Zimbabwe since opposition apologists now possess the barometer of academicism. For one to be called accredited an academic, they have to inscribe anti-establishment material lest they be called Zanu-PF stooges or bootlickers. This is exactly what artisanal thinking is. When you begin to denounce thoughts based on party lines or thinking differently from you, you are worse than the one you are alleging to be intolerant. This was the case of Sam Moyo an outstanding agrarian scholar whose academic excellence was ludicrously attached to Zanu-PF by contemporary scholars because he saw prosperity in the Agro economy and policies of the government. It has become unthought-of of to share the same thoughts with Zanu-PF.Disturbingly, it is the same people who deny that they are being paid or their political gods are being paid by western countries to stage regime change in Zimbabwe. I swear you would be smothered if you tell them that Evan Mawarire is being paid, but they have the nerve to claim that anyone who shares the same thoughts with Zanu-PF, however independently, is being paid by the party or is a bootlicker. Reverse logic must tell you this: if you denounce that one can think independently you are also classifying yourself under the same banner of being a dependant thinker. If you conclude that a thinker is being paid to think in a particular way, then you are also being paid to think in a particular way. Does that mean for us to have a thought we should be paid? Political opinion does not need a financial incentive, this is what is killing the society, when we think that way we cripple the very essence of thinking, ideas are free and can be shared freely. Society should embrace the independent thinker and stop attaching every thought to being partisan. This is how it reversely implicates you: I am a thinker  I am paid to think that way  therefore I do not have a mind of my own. You are a thinker  for you to think that way you are paid  therefore you do not have a mind of your own. Whenever you think of calling someone a bootlicker because they do not think like you; remember that you are a bootlicker too because you think like your political gods.Few young scholars are brave enough to display their thoughts against opposition politics for fear of being labelled bootlickers or Zanu apologists. I implore you today, speak out do not think legitimacy of thought lies in opposition thought wobbles, they do not own ideas, infact they operate on borrowed mindsets #borrowedmindsetsmustfall . Tedious Ncube (Political Science 2nd year student) has been a beacon of displaying his independent thoughts in a formidable manner that I find him being a rare breed of emerging "thinking" youths in Zimbabwe's political practitioners. He says in Zimbabwe, opposition has monopolised democracy to itself because they seem not to agree with democratic principles when they are at the advantage of the ruling party.His extensive thought is that in the protest culture, there has been a lot of hypocrisy and use of citizens for political gain by many political actors which encompasses de-identification of those who do not support social movements, anyone who thinks like Zanu-PF is a Zanu card holding member, exorcism of nationalist ideas in young people (as if it's a demon to be nationalistic) and illegitimacy of any thought whether academic or not if it's not anti-establishment. It is not too late to introspect and revisit our opinions on how we appropriate tolerance as a nation and to be ideological hypocrites, we now sound like there is something wrong with being Zanu and everything is absolutely awesome with being opposition. Perhaps there is need to account for Tsvangirai's 16 years as the only president not voted by MDC supporters through constitutional means within his party, hence the multiple factional divides in MDC to this date. If that is democracy according to opposition then call me whatever you want.Micheal Mhlanga is a research and strategic communication specialist and is currently serving Leaders for Africa Network (LAN) as the Programmes and Public Liaison Officer. He also administrates multiple youth public dialogue forums in Zimbabwe including the annual Reading Pan Africanism Symposium (REPS) and Back to Pan Africanism Conference. Feedback can be sent to michealmhlanga@abakhokheli.org
(Photo : Getty Images) The men who would be kings of the world: Putin and Xi

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Chinese president Xi Jinping has called on Russia to join China in forming a "New World Order" dominated by both countries that he expects to realize in the next 10 years.



In a vitriolic speech delivered at the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party this July, Xi urged Russia and its president Vladimir Putin to join China in a military alliance that will render NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) "powerless" and "put an end to the imperialist desires of the West."



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This China-Russia alliance is intended to put more pressure on the United States, China's main antagonist in the South China Sea, by stretching its military forces even thinner with more naval deployments to Europe.



But more important for China, a military alliance with Russia along the lines of NATO will mean Russia will be obligated to fight alongside China should a war break out in Asia against the U.S.



"The world is on the verge of radical change," said Xi to his communist comrades. "We see how the European Union is gradually collapsing, as is the US economy -- it is all over for the new world order."



"So, it will never again be as it was before. In 10 years we will have a new world order in which the key will be the union of China and Russia," said Xi.



Putin has so far not publicly responded to the offer of a military alliance. Putin, however, has long been in favor of a broader military and economic relationship with China. He described both nation's existing cooperation as an "all-embracing and strategic partnership."



Xi's speech was described as incendiary by the West.



Xi's bitter comments came as China faces mounting military challenges and international censure stemming from its obstinate refusal to accept the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. This court ruled on July 12 that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights within the "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea.



Xi is also facing a dangerous leadership challenge within the Communist Party of China from powerful factions allied with former Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin. Xi is purging leaders in the communist party and the People's Liberation Army allied with Hu and Jiang as he strives to transform China into a one-man dictatorship under his rule in the mold of Mao Zedong.



Analysts viewed Xi's bellicose statements against the West as an attempt to bolster his flagging credentials in the wake of the humiliating South China Sea verdict by the arbitration court. Xi is widely seen as the architect of Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.



Beijing is calling on citizens to be vigilant against anti-government agitators who may be agents of the West.



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TagsXi Jinping, china, Russia, New World Order, Vladimir Putin
(Photo : Getty Images) Japan has urged its nationals in China to be careful in the wake of rising tensions between the two nations

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Japan issued a travel advisory on Friday, urging its citizens in China (including those planning to travel to the mainland) to be careful and to pay extra attention to their safety in the wake of upcoming divisive anniversaries as well as the increasing tension between Tokyo and Beijing over territorial disputes in the East China Sea.



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In its travel notice, the Japanese embassy in China cited the upcoming 71st anniversary of the end of World War II on August 15 as well as two other critical dates in September marking important events in the history of Japan and China.



In the past weeks, the embassy said several Japanese nationals had been harassed in Beijing, although not in the magnitude as the violent 2012 China anti-Japanese protests.



Anti-Japanese demonstrations



The 2012 anti-Japanese demonstrations in China initially started as a peaceful expression of Chinese sentiments against Japan over the escalating dispute between the two countries regarding the Diaoyu Islands (known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan) in the East China Sea.



The demonstrations, held across China, turned violent as activists started tearing up Japanese flags, smashing Japanese-made cars, vandalizing Japanese stores selling goods, and hurling rocks at Japanese restaurants.



Many Chinese people are known to hold anti-Japanese sentiments, believing that Japan has never really owned up to its brutal invasion and occupation of China during World War II.



Sovereignty issue



Anti-Japanese feelings surfaces in China every now-and-then; especially when key events in the history of the two countries are observed.



Another source of the Chinese sentiments against Japan is the issue of sovereignty over islands in the East China Sea which are controlled by Japan but are being claimed by China.



Last week, Japan lodged a diplomatic protest at the Chinese embassy after 230 Chinese fishing vessels and seven Coast Guard ships entered Japanese waters and sailed near Japan-controlled islands.



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Tagstravel advisory, World War II, 2012 China anti-Japanese protests, Senkaku Islands, East China Sea, china
(Photo : Getty Images) China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

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India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday conveyed India's disappointment over several issues to her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, including China's recent snub on its attempt to blacklist Masood Azhar and Beijing's impeding New Delhi's attempt to secure Nuclear Supplier's Group (NSG) membership.



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The contentious issues were raised during a three-hour meeting between two foreign ministers in New Delhi. According to sources, China remains unmoved on both issues. Wang reportedly reiterated China's stance that India must sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to be a member of the NSG. On Masood Azhar issue, Wang reportedly requested that New Delhi sorts out the issue with Pakistan.



Swaraj also conveyed India's concerns about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that is being constructed in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK).



Sources claim that the Masood Azhar and NSG issues were not on Wang's agenda when he met Swaraj. He was more focused on seeking India's support for the upcoming G20 Summit and BRIC Summit.



China is requesting that India does not help the US-led bloc to raise the South China Sea issue at te upcoming G20 summit, people familiar with the matter said. China is on a back foot after an international tribunal court dismissed the country's territorial claims in the South China Sea.



China and India to Set up New Dialogue Mechanisms



After the meeting, both ministers agreed to set up two new dialogue mechanisms to chalk out their differences on key issues.



The first mechanism would be dialogue between India's Joint Secretary (Disarmament) Amandeep Gill and Wang Qun, China's chief nuclear negotiator on the NPT issue. The second dialogue mechanism would be between Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Zhang Yesui on bilateral relations.



Earlier in the day, China's foreign minister met India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting lasted for only 15 to 20 minutes.



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TagsIndia, china, Masood Azhar and NSG issues, India NSG membership
(Photo : IMI) Lynx launching system loaded with EXTRA (module on the left) and LAR-160 light artillery rockets. (Bottom) Map of the Spratlys showing Vietnamese and Chinese held features.

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Vietnam has deployed its truck-mounted "EXTRA" guided rockets that can obliterate nearby Chinese military bases to features it holds on the disputed Spratly Islands .



EXTRA, which stands for "Extended Range Artillery," is made by Israel Military Industries Ltd (IMI). A large missile, EXTRA can deliver its 120 kg fragmentation warhead downrange to 150 kilometers with a circular error probability (CEP) of just 10 meters.



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This accuracy is more than suitable for bombarding land targets such as aircraft hangars or surface-to-air missile batteries the likes of which are deployed by China on Mischief Reef, Woody Island and Fiery Cross Reef.



Vietnam occupies or controls six islands, seventeen reefs and three banks. As can be expected, it didn't specify on which features these missiles are located.



Vietnam already has batteries of this rocket with the coastal artillery units of the People's Army of Vietnam but these weapons defend the Vietnamese mainland. The positioning of EXTRA mobile batteries on Vietnamese controlled features on the Spratlys seems to be the first time this has occurred.



Media reports from Hanoi revealed the EXTRA mobile launchers are now defending five Vietnamese bases in the Spratlys. The unconfirmed reports also said the launchers will become fully operational within this month. Hanoi, however, asserts reports of mobile launchers being deployed to its Spratlys' islands are inaccurate.



IMI described its EXTRA as a precise, cost-effective, tactical-range artillery rocket. It said the weapon's standard vehicle is the Lynx Advanced Artillery Rockets & Autonomous Launching System, a truck-mounted missile launcher system operational since 1983.



Besides EXTRA, Lynx can also fire other artillery rockets and tactical missiles such as the Russian BM-21 Grad, a truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher; IMI's LAR-160, a light artillery rocket and the Delilah-GL cruise missile also made by IMI with a range of 250 km.



There are media reports IMI has also sold the Lynx and EXTRA to the Philippines for deployment to Palawan Island across from the Spratlys but no confirmation of this has been made.



China is currently building hangars hardened against bomb attacks for its military aircraft at Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs in the South China Sea as can be seen in new satellite photos made public by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), an American think tank based in Washington D.C.



These reefs are part of the Spratly Islands China continues to illegally occupy in violation of a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on July 12 that concluded China has no legal basis to claim historic rights within its unfounded "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea. China seized these reefs from the Philippines.



The photos from CSIS show the construction of what seems to be hardened aircraft hangars at the three reefs. An analysis by CSIS says the hangars on all three islets have room for "any fighter-jet in the People's Liberation Army Air Force."



The photos also show a larger type of hangar on the islets that can accommodate either the Xian H-6 strategic bomber; the H-6U aerial tanker (a modified H-6); the Shaanxi KJ200 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft and the Shaanxi Y-8 medium-range transport.



China claims the hangars are for civilian aircraft use but CSIS says its satellite photos strongly suggest otherwise. CSIS said the smallest hangars are 60 to 70 feet wide, more than enough to accommodate China's largest jet fighters. All the hangars show signs of structural strengthening that might make them harder to destroy.



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TagsVietnam, Extra, Extended Range Artillery, spratly islands, Israel Military Industries
(Photo : Getty Images ) China and Sri Lanka have signed a new agreement for the construction of a port city in Colombo.

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China and Sri Lanka have agreed to replace a controversial agreement for the construction of a new port city in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo.



On Friday, both countries signed a modified version of the 2014 deal with new terms and conditions. The new agreement, signed between China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and Sri Lanka's Ministries of Megapolis and Western Development, will not give any freehold land to the Chinese company.



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Under the new deal, the Sri Lankan government will grant land to the company for a lease period of over 99 years. The previous agreement, signed during the tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had a provision granting freehold land to the company. The modified deal also re-named the entire project from Colombo Port City to Colombo International Financial City.



"The positive changes made to the original agreement of the Colombo Port City which was signed in 2014 was a reflection of CHECs willingness at all times to work closely with the Sri Lankan government to ensure that the project has mutual long-term benefits to the investor and the country," CHEC's chief Tang Qiad Liang said in Colombo, Xinhua reported.



A Sri Lankan government spokesperson admitted there was intense pressure from India for changes to the 2014 deal.



"India had a big concern about giving freehold land to China near the Colombo harbor. We have amended the agreement," spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne said. "There will be no freehold land but it will be on a 99-year lease."



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Tagschina, Sri Lanka, India, Colombo, Colombo Port
Opinion / Columnist

Going down the liberation struggle memory lane always triggers emotions. I find going down liberation struggle memory lane, lonely, sorrowful, sad and even sometimes amusing. When those who participated in the liberation struggle 24/7 meet they go down that memory lane. Why do they do that only when they are among themselves? This is because only themselves can make sense of the life they lived.Being a 24/7 participant in the liberation struggle one had to strongly believe that he or she was going to defeat the white racist regime in Rhodesia. One had to surrender his/her life to the struggle. What I cherish most on Heroes Day is going down memory lane of our days in the armed struggle. On this day we re-live our days in the liberation war. Our conversations are usually not orderly, different groups ( by training groups, operational areas, battles, departments operations and groupings) desperately trying to dominate the stage. One feels the spirit of competition despite the 36 years since the end of the war. This is our day, we deserve it.The Rhodesian whites we were fighting to liberate Zimbabwe had been racially ruling our people for nearly 100 years. No country had gained independence in black Africa through the armed struggle before 1975. In the early 1970s it was like waiting to die because it seemed very few people believed in armed liberation. Therefore political conviction was important. Sacrifice, belief that one had to give up his/her life for others was the catch word for all fighters.The armed struggle brought together young men and women from different walks of life. All these people indiscriminately had to live one common life of a freedom fighter. These people were now separated from their parents, husbands, wives, children and particularly their societies. Free in the sense that all of us are subject to judgment by the above. We live to be appreciated by these people or to impress them unless if we decide to live as rebels. If one fails to live as per expectations of the above mentioned, one risks being labelled an outcast. This threat of "outcast" helps us to strive to be good children, parents, wives, husbands and citizens. Religion also plays a vital role in shaping individuals in society.Sudden removal of these checks and balances in one's life creates a social vacuum. The good thing about social laws and rules is that they are given in small doses over a long period. In the armed struggle there was not enough time. They were given once and failure to observe and adhere to them could result in death.During the armed struggle one could not rely on learning from one's mistakes. In society a mistake is given a second chance, in the armed struggle a mistake gave one's enemies an opportunity to kill you. In Rhodesia people lived as Christians, children, fathers, mothers, rich, poor and so forth. In the struggle everyone was a comrade. In the armed struggle people lived with the threat of death every second, every minute, every hour and everyday. I think the tension affected people's behaviours in different ways. I recall I was once interviewed by Sunday News senior reporter Robin Nyembezi Muchetu about war trauma.I tried to relate to her how it felt to live through the armed struggle. I wish the question was put this way "How did you live through the armed struggle and remained insane?" That I don't know and do not think any freedom fighter knows. Sanity struggled to survive in an environment where a comrade, a few metres away is blown into unrecognisable body parts, one cannot give decent burial and even mourn. After that one is asked to attack the enemy an attack which may cause more deaths on one's side. I recall once the Rhodesians attacked our base along the Zambezi River, near Kariba on the Zambian side and we lost 13 comrades.After the burial which the commander Cephas Cele and I as members of the High Command attended, the commander (Alfred Nikita Mangena) ordered the commander of the region, Richard Mataure to mourn the fallen comrades attacking Rhodesian forces three times over. The funny or craziness of it was that the Rhodesian attack was a revenge of the attack by the region's (BL-1) forces that had left bodies of their dead soldiers floating on the river Zambezi. What a vicious cycle. The Rhodesians had shot the dead comrades on the foreheads to instill fear on survivors.The Sunday News journalist told me that when she interviewed Ronney Patel, a colleague from the struggle, the man broke down several times when he narrated how JZ was killed. Ronney was in the same building with JZ when he was blown up by a parcel bomb. The incident bloodied his clothes. He also had to ferry the injured to the hospital despite the shock. I'm sure he has been carrying the horrible memory ever since.Despite the barbaric act by the Rhodesians, our forces were not allowed to revenge in kind. I know comrades who got in serious trouble for a slight act of misconduct. A few guerrillas dreaded being sent back to Zambia from operations in Rhodesia, fearing that maybe it was a trick to send them for punishment, especially when they know that they once misbehaved. There was no compromise on discipline.Coming back to the question of how it felt to live through the war of liberation, maybe let me pose my own questions. How does it feel for one to live like every minute is their last? How is one supposed to feel after burying his/her comrades in multiple body parts? How is one supposed to feel when one lives on 10 grains of maize a day? How is one supposed to feel when his political leaders are blown up by parcel bombs? How is one supposed to feel when there is a possibility that among those he considers to be his comrades there might be an enemy agent? How is one supposed to feel when one sleeps in the bush 24/7 for years?How is one supposed to feel when one cannot grieve for one's fallen comrades? Believe me, those who were not given an opportunity to grieve continue to grieve silently every day. How is one supposed to feel on our independence day when some of his comrades lie in unmarked graves scattered around Zimbabwe, when their children, kith and kin do not know where their remains lie? This is a burden all those who participated in the war face. They express their emotions in very different ways, most of which are not incomprehensive to those who did not experience what they went through. After all what is a feeling after having been denied a feeling for years?Some of the comrades I remember on our Heroes Day are:1. Mulefu Dube (Grustha): He was my platoon commander and Judo partner at training at Morogoro. We met in Maputo in 1976 and parted at Xai Xai also in Mozambique. He was killed in combat in Lupane in 1978.2. Lenon Khumalo (Bhubhudla): We trained together in Tanzania. We were deployed together in Mozambique during the Zipa era. We were flown from Lusaka to Maputo where we posed as Rhodesian truck drivers. Through that cover we met a number of unsuspecting Rhodesians. We parted at Barrage on the Limpopo. He died in the Matopo area in combat in 1977.3. Aaron Gumede (Detonator): We trained together in Morogoro. Although he was born in 1924 he was unbelievably fit. He had a short fuse hence the name Detonator. Gumede died in Zimbabwe between 1984/85.4. Tshabalala (Gumure Ndevu): I trained with him in Tanzania and USSR. He died 1977 in battle defending the logistics stores along the Zambezi River.5. Raimond: He was captured on his way from Botswana to Zambia by the Rhodesian intelligence who then took him around many African townships then in order to capture more Zipra forces who were passing through Bulawayo. Near Msitheli School in Mpopoma where there is a bus stop he came across a Zipra comrade who was on his way to Botswana and he pretended not to recognise him. Raimond later escaped and returned to Zambia. He met the comrade he had sat with at Msitheli bus stop. The other comrade was shocked when told that Raimond was under Rhodesian intelligence escort. I do not know what happened to Raimond.6. Mbambo Mdolomba (Maguswini): I trained and operated with Maguswini. What a man. He came from Nkayi. Magutshwa and him were good hunters. They were our source of meat in Tanzania. He died at the same time with Ngwenya who was from Ratanyana in Kezi at Matesti in Hwange District in 1974.7. Roger Ncube (Matshimini): This is the guerilla who taught me the ropes. He was very bold and treated the war like a picnic. One time I was tasked from Lusaka to go and pick him up as our intelligence had reported that the Rhodesians were intending to attack our bases along the Zambezi in Chief Mukuni's area east of Victoria Falls. I travelled to Livingstone to pick him up so that we could go and warn those bases along the Zambezi. He was the regional commander. We took a bus from Livingstone to Victoria Falls, the last bus which dropped us around 6pm. We started moving along the Zambezi and arrived at the first base around 12pm. Fortunately, we found the base abandoned. We had to walk back and arrived at Livingstone around 7am. I would stray as I was sleep walking and when I asked him why he was letting me stray he said he thought I would have found a short cut. He even gave me more tasks that following morning despite the fatigue. He died of malaria in Nuanesti in 1996 and was buried at his rural home in Kezi.8 James Sakupwanya: I trained with him in Morogoro. After training he was appointed regional commander. He was an ex-detainee. He came from Zvishavane/Shurugwi area. He was very strict. He was hunted by the Rhodesians, killed and burnt into ashes at the front in Zambia.Retired Brigadier-General Abel Mazinyane is a former member of the Zipra high command.
(Photo : TASS) Russia's Yu-74 ultra-maneuverable Hypersonic Glide Vehicle .

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Russia claims its Yu-74, a hypersonic glider that can be equipped with a thermonuclear warhead, is ready for action now. The new ICBM intended to carry it won't be ready until 2020 at the earliest, however.



Russian media says this ultra-maneuverable Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) can bridge the 2,500 kilometer air distance from Moscow to London in 13 minutes and can penetrate NATO's missile defense system. The Yu-74 is also capable of penetrating the U.S. THAAD missile defense system.



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Its ability to pierce western defenses is due mostly to its speed. The Yu-74 tears through the air at Mach 10 (12,400 km/h).



Once released into orbit, the Yu-74 zooms back to Earth towards its target and assisted by gravity attains hypersonic speed. A Yu-74 glider can be equipped with a nuclear warhead, electronic warfare systems or false target simulators.



This hypersonic nuclear warhead will serve as the payload of Russia's new RS-28 Sarmat (or Sarmatian) SS-X-30 intercontinental ballistic missile. Russian sources claim this ICBM can carry up to 24 Yu-74s but western sources say a Sarmat's payload can consist of 10 heavy warheads or 15 lighter ones, or a combination of warheads.



In 2014, Russian military sources announced the Sarmat is expected to become operational this year and ready for deployment by 2020. The Sarmat might arm Russia's entire fixed land-based nuclear arsenal by 2021, replacing the R-36 ICBM that has been the backbone of Russia's nuclear forces since 1974.



Russia has made hypersonic weapons a defense priority, especially with the opening of NATO's first defensive missile shield in Romania. When completed, NATO's missile defense system will extend from Greenland in the far north of Europe to the Azores Islands in the south. Another missile defense system will become operational in Poland by 2018.



In response, Moscow last month revealed plans to reactivate one of its old Dnepr missile bases near the Black Sea. The base will be equipped to intercept ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles out to a range of 3,200 kilometers.



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TagsYu-74, Russia, hypersonic glide vehicle, RS-28 Sarmat
(Photo : Getty Images.) Top sources suggest that China will refrain from any reclamation work on the Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea ahead of the G20 Summit.

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China will refrain from conducting reclamation work on the Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea ahead of a G20 Summit that will be held in Hangzhou next month, the South China Morning Post reported.



"Since the G20 will be held in Hangzhou next month, and regional peace will be the main topic among leaders of the great powers, China will refrain from reclamation plan," said the source, on the condition of anonymity.



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The decision comes after Philippine's special envoy Fidel Ramos wrapped up an ice-breaking meeting with Chinese official on Friday. After the meeting, Manila said that it wants to restart the peace process to avoid any further tension over the maritime dispute.



However, sources claim that China may start reclamation work on the Scarborough Shoal after the G20 Summit. China may initiate the construction activities well before the U.S. election on November 8.



Tensions have escalated in the South China Sea region recently after the Permanent Court of Arbitration dismissed China's claims in the disputed maritime territory. China has dispatched several security and fishing vessels near the Shoal, according to Washington Free Beacon.



Last month, reports emerged Chinese coast guard had shooed away several Filipino fishermen before spraying water cannons on them. The fishermen were quoted saying that they have been fishing in the area for many years and never expected to be chased.



Scarborough Shoal is claimed by China, Philippines, and Taiwan. China has seized the Shoal after a tense standoff with the Philippines' Coast Guard.



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Tagschina, Scarborough Shoal, G20 Summit 2016, Philippines And China, South China Sea Dispute
A U.S. drone strike killed an Islamic State branch leader in Afghanistan on July 26, the Pentagon reported on August 12.

"U.S. 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," the Pentagon said in a press release.

Hafiz Saeed Khan was killed in a joint Afghan-US operation in Achin district of Afghanistan's Nangharhar province, the Pentagon said.

Several others of Khan's commanders were also killed, according to the Afghan officials.

"At least 23 Dai'sh commanders, including the commander of Khurasan faction Hafiz Saeed, were killed in foreign troops' drone strikes and their bodies are still there," commander of the 201 Selab Corps Major General Mohammad Zaman Wazir told Tolo News.

There have been reports of the leader being killed in the past, which later proved to be false. He was assumed killed in two separate instances in January and July of 2015. Unlike this time, the reports were not confirmed by the United States.

"Khan was known to directly participate in attacks against U.S. and coalition forces," Deputy Press Secretary of Pentagon, Gordon Trowbridge, said in a statement, "and the actions of his network terrorized Afghans, especially in Nangarhar."

ISIS Afghanistan trains, equips, and disseminates fighters in the Nangarhar province, and the terrorist activity in the area rose since summer of 2015, according to the Pentagon. The militants are given training in Nangarhar, from where fighters are supplied to other areas of Afghanistan.

Khan was a prominent leader in Pakistani Taliban but joined ISIS in October 2014, along with a group of five other senior commanders. ISIS released a video message on January 9, 2015, where the Pakistani group was seen alleging support to ISIS.

He was responsible for suicide attacks in Jalalabad city in Nangarhar province, which killed over 30 people in April 18, 2015.

The United States Department of Treasury sanctioned Saeed in September 2015, along with 15 other IS commanders.

"Khan, as leader of ISIL-K, plays a central role in expanding ISIL's operations in the region, commanding militants and coordinating the delivery of supplies and munitions, the travel of associates, and other arrangements. In mid-2015, Khan appointed ISIL representatives in Kunar Province and Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan and approved funding for the establishment of a training camp for ISIL fighters in western Afghanistan. ISIL militants under Khan's command had taken control of several districts in Nangarhar Province in mid-2015," the state department report said.
Chinese authorities convicted four rights activists on charges of state subversion, who were detained last year as part of a nationwide crackdown on lawyers and activists.

House church leaders Hu Shigen and Gou Hongguo, human rights advocate Zhai Yanmin, and human rights lawyer Zhou Shifeng were put on trial at Tianjin Intermediate People's Court.

China had taken about 300 lawyers and activists in custody for questioning or detainment since July 2015.

Hu, 61-year-old church elder was sentenced to about seven years of imprisonment, while 55-year-old Gou was given a three-year suspended sentence, according to China Aid.

Zhai received a three-year suspension sentence while Zhou was sentenced to seven years in prison.

The Chinese state media Xinhua said that Hu was "engaged in state power subversion since the 1990s."

"Hu masterminded, spreading subversive ideas and plans and training agents such as Gou; Zhou ran the law firm as a front to carry out subversive activities with Hu and others; and Zhai, the "enforcer," who was instructed by Hu to organize paid petitioners for illegal protests, according to the statements," the agency stated.

"Not a single person defended themselves - they all pleaded guilty to the prosecution's charges, and they actively named other partners and conspirators. And in their final statements, all used the nicest terms to thank the prosecutor, the collegiate panel, the party, and said that they would never appeal," said a joint statement signed by human rights lawyers from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The Chinese state media elaborated the concept of 'color revolution,' citing a legislator from Tianjin Municipal People's Congress, who said that "in essence a malign political attempt by some Western countries or interest groups to instigate domestic conflicts and collude with the country's insurgent forces to intervene in its domestic affairs, cause chaos, subvert state power and sway international political landscape and then reap benefits."

The U.S. State Department condemned the rulings by Chinese court, saying that these were "vague and apparently politically motivated."

"It's troubling that Chinese authorities denied these defendants access to their chosen counsel and family members as well," State Department spokesperson Mark Turner said. "We urge China to release all the lawyers and activists who were detained on 9 July 2015, and remove restrictions on their freedom of movement and professional activities."

The European Union also urged the Chinese government to drop the charges against the activists.

"The EU calls for the immediate release of those who have just been sentenced and the reinstatement of their right to practice their profession. All charges still pending against the other lawyers and human rights defenders detained since July 2015 should be dropped. China should allow trial observation by foreign diplomats," the EU said in a statement.
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.
home US Donald Trump vows to bring power back to Evangelicals by repealing Johnson Amendment

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump doubled down on his promise to back Evangelicals and to empower them by bringing their political voice back.

Trump talked largely about the Johnson Amendment when he attended this week's two-day event "Rediscovering God in America Renewal Project" at the Hyatt Regency on International Drive in Orlando, Florida.

The amendment, named after its chief proponent and then-senator Lyndon Johnson in 1954, prohibits religious groups and charitable organizations from making political endorsements at the risk of losing their tax-exempt privilege.

Trump realized how the legislation held back influential Evangelical leaders from going all out in endorsing him as the next U.S. president. The real estate business mogul also blamed the legislation for the church's diminished attendance and Christianity's downward trend.

"We'll get it out," vowed Trump to a gathering of evangelical pastors. "We'll be able to terminate the Johnson Amendment. And you'll have great power to do good things and religion will start going instead of this way (downward motion)."

The 70-year-old billionaire also promised to repeal the law and bring back the voice of the evangelicals and religious leaders in his nomination acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention held in Cleveland, Ohio last month.

"They have so much to contribute to our politics, yet our laws prevent you from speaking your minds from your own pulpits," said Trump, after thanking the support of the evangelical community.

He added, "I am going to work very hard to repeal that language and protect free speech for all Americans."

Trump said he only became aware of the Amendment after his first meeting with religious leaders months ago. He said the pastors supported him but turned mute on expressing their public support, which baffled the businessman.

"There was like silence in the room," recounted Trump. "Silence. I said 'What is this? What's going on? Why is there silence?'"

Although Trump also vowed to back the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community during the National Convention, gay rights activists also gathered outside the Hyatt Regency to protest the conference as a form of bigotry against LGBT people.
Opinion / Interviews

The Sunday Mail Editor Mabasa Sasa and Reporter Tinashe Farawo spoke to Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, General Constantino Guveya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga about he joined the liberation struggle as a teenager and rose to become a general.Gen Chiwenga gives an overview of the challenges of rebellion, his last conversation with Gen Tongogara; and then speaks his mind on rogue war veterans and power-hungry politicians. The following is a transcript of what the ZDF Commander had to say.***Gen C ChiwengaMy joining the struggle was because of my grandfather. He was a nationalist of his own kind and I don't think even the late Rekayi Tangwena equalled him. In 1930 he addressed an all-white meeting at what was then called Market Square to say, "You whites you didn't bring any soil. Did you bring any soil in your hands and sprinkle it around and create Zimbabwe? This is our land."And from 1930 right up to the time when he died in 1965, my grandfather was in and out of prison.Because of the background of our family, we had guns we called gidi remutsindirwa, which we got from the Portuguese through trading with the Portuguese during the Mutapa Empire.My great-grandfather, Matangira, had five wives. The fifth wife was a Portuguese. The family history says a lot of gold and ivory, we don't know the quantum, was given as lobola for her. When the King of Portugal heard that the people in birthday suits had married a white, the Portuguese governor, who was then in Tete, was told "take our daughter back".When the Portuguese came, they said they had come to see their new son-in-law.There was a big feast for two weeks, seven days beer was brewed, a lot of cattle were slaughtered. The Portuguese had their strong liquor, which was mixed with the seven days, and everyone went to sleep.By the time they woke up the following morning around 11, the Portuguese were nowhere to be found. Our soldiers ran to the royal hut where the youngest queen was supposed to be, but she was not there.They sent a messenger to our allies to say "as a friend, can you send a blocking force, the Portuguese have taken the king's wife". Makombe did not co-operate. Guveya was given an army to follow up the Portuguese and Guveya was killed at Villa Guveya, which is now Katandika in Mozambique. The rifle he used was taken by the whites after the Battle of Chinhoyi in 1966.It was taken from my mother when people said this woman was keeping automatic rifles. It was an antique and they took it. I have tried until now to track it but I think it is already out of Zimbabwe. When my great-grandfather Chiwenga died, my grandfather was about 15 or 16 and he could not be made chief because he was underage.So they took his uncle and they married his uncle to his mother, but with the condition that my uncle will never get into the house of my grandmother. Later they said to my grandfather take the chieftainship, but he could not be chief because the whites wanted him to wear the modern red gowns and he refused.That's when he started fighting the whites.When nationalist politics started in 1956 he was in the ANC, then the National Democratic Party and then he was arrested as a member of Zapu. When (Zapu) split he remained in Zapu together with the late Vice-Presidents Joshua Nkomo and Joseph Msika.They were the first ones to be sent to Gonakudzingwa. He was only released from Gonakudzingwa 1965 because he was now aged. He was the oldest prisoner at that time.He was released in February 1965 and he died on the 11th of October 1965.The day before he died, he called for me and told me: "What I wanted to achieve I could not achieve, but you are going to do it. Iwe ndiwe Nyikadzino. Ndiwe Nyikadzino, zita randakakupa uchiberekwa, you are going to fulfill this destiny."But I could not understand because at that time I was still very young. I was only nine-years-old.Journey to LusakaI continued with my school but when I was doing Form Three something told me that I needed to go to war. I told some of my friends, including Johannes Bopoto, that we needed to go to the war.He asked how are we going to go, and I said we will go via Botswana. Later he said he could not join me because there were only two boys in his family thus he could not go to war.The late Shaya, the one who was Secretary to the President's Office, he later on followed me.We were in the same class with Air Marshall Perrance Shiri, Retired Colonel Richard Guchu and Ernest Mandizvidza; and we decided to leave.At that time we were also lucky in that the Irish Republican Army was fighting the British. So when we left the mission, the Irish missionaries did not report to the government; they only reported when we had arrived in Lusaka that there were missing children at the school.So we left in 1973.This was the time Percy Sledge came to Zimbabwe. We left saying we wanted to go and see Percy Sledge, but when I got to Harare, Salisbury then, I visited my father and in my heart I said goodbye to him.I visited my aunt, my father had two sisters and I visited one of them. We also visited Ernest's mother.We visited Big Boy's uncle, Big Boy Chikerema is actually Shiri's name.His uncle asked us what had brought us to Harare and we said we were part of the school science team touring the country.His uncle gave us some money. We still had our school fees because we had not paid. That is the money that we used for transport.We got to Bulawayo around one o'clock in the afternoon and we didn't know which way to go.We asked what about the train to Plumtree and were told that it had already gone. We asked about the buses and again these had already gone.So what were we to do?We had a map, you know the Rhodesian map, and we saw Tijorotijoro, it was not yet Tsholotsho. It was near the border and we would cross into Botswana from there.What we failed was to understand how to read it properly and we walked towards present day Entumbane and it was all bush, there was no life there.We met a strange man. He asked us where we were going. We said we were going to Tsholotsho. He said, "I think you are going to join the war." He said no that's not the route, dzokerai kwamabva uko.We made an about turn and when we looked back, we could not see the man.So we hired a taxi and we got to Plumtree.When we got to Plumtree there were many soldiers and police but because our uniform for Mount St Mary's, where we had been with my colleagues, was the same in every respect with that for Tegwane. So we told them we were going to Tegwane Mission. Because we were young, nobody suspected us.We got our bread and our beef and we walked all night and passed where we have now 1.3 Battalion. That camp was being occupied by the South African Police.We had been told there is a river and when we crossed Ramokgwebana River. But because it was dry we did not know we had crossed it and we kept walking for many more hours.We started wondering why we were still in Rhodesia.We were tired and we slept in the bush. I remember the Air Marshall almost had his eye plucked out by a vulture whilst we were sleeping. The vulture thought were dead, this is meat.I don't know why I woke up but I did and we chased off the vultures.That area has lot of our Zimbabwean people, who with the Apostles (of a religious sect) were trying to go to Jerusalem. We were taken to the head and we were there for three weeks, herding goats and cattle.The opposition leader who was in Francistown was very supportive of Zimbabweans going to war. He is now late. There was only one truck per week which would go to Francistown and we went there after three weeks. This opposition leader took us to prison because it was the only safe place. We had our own "VIP" room.We had to be largely treated like any other prisoner so that the Rhodesians would not suspect, and we stayed there for I think two weeks until we got a plane to go to Zambia.At that time we had met the now late Dick Chikara, Kamusoko. He was from Seke and chief representative of Zanu there.We flew to Lusaka and crossed over Rhodesia. We only relaxed when we crossed Kariba and the pilot told us we were now in Zambia; it was a small plane  I think it had about six passengers  and it was my first flight.Determined to fightWhen we got to Lusaka, there was a big fight.The late Mangena said these are my men, the late Zvinavashe said the same because there was always a fight for new recruits between Zapu and Zanu. Zvinavashe won the day.Then we were driven to what then became known as Freedom Camp, which was subsequently occupied by Zipra after we moved to Mozambique, but at that time the camp was occupied by Frelimo.The first combatant we met there was Colonel Khumalo. He's here in Harare now; he had just come from the front and was wounded.We were sent to Chimbichimbi camp and did our initial training.We then moved to go to Tanzania towards the end of 1973 and got to Mgagao and that's where I trained.I trained in Military Engineering and in Tactics and Strategy for guerilla warfare. I also got trained as a medic. At that time we were called doctors because there were no doctors or nurses who would join the war. I had so many portfolios.When I left Rhodesia, I was doing Form Three so on arriving at Mgagao, they wanted to put me in a juvenile group which was called vatoto.I told them that's not what I had come for but they insisted I was too young and I answered that I was old enough. I was turning 17 and I said I had come for military training.Dzinashe Machingura, who was then the political commissar, understood and said, let him proceed.After my training I was selected to be an instructor and then appointed a member of the General Staff in 1974. I was also teaching Military Engineering, and Strategy and Tactics. Being a medic, we opened Chindunduma School and joined Nyamanda  I can't really recall his first name, but he was working at Parliament at one point.We had our classes passing twice a year: if someone was in Sub-A in June, they would go to Sub-B for the rest of the year and they were writing the Tanzanian examinations and doing very well. That is why we have Chindunduma now in Shamva.Sentenced to deathDetente then caught up with us.Initially we had the Nhari-Badza rebellion. One of our colleagues was part of the group that quelled rebellion. Colonel Richard Huchu, myself and Air Marshall Perrance Shiri remained as instructors at Mgagao. Ndabaningi had been released from prison, it was in 1975, and he came to Mgagao. I was his most senior aide de camp. There was the late Pedzisa, there was Colonel Nelson Tamwa but now he's Colonel Dzinzi, I think he's now retired. The three of us looked after Ndabaningi.We discovered what kind of tribalist he was when he asked, "Gara zviya unobva kupi?" We had been advised by the others to be careful of him.I lied to him that ndinobva kwaNyanyadzi shefu, and he said: "Very good, very good, very good"He was also complaining why Badza had been killed after the rebellion asking, "How can people kill Badza who comes only 5km from my home?"I briefed Dzinashe, who was the political commissar, and James Nyikadzinashe, who was in security, that what Ndabaningi was saying was wrong.That's the genesis of the Mgagao Declaration. Dzinashe said I shouldn't go around telling people what Ndabaningi was saying, and I said, "No, no, no. I'm not saying anything, but it's dangerous if it gets to the other comrades. Hainake. Macomrades kunze uku varikuimba, Zimbabwe inemisodzi nyarara kuchema, hondo yedu yasvika."I asked so what do we do?Zvikanzi, no watadza. And they said ngaaendeswe pa firing squad and I was sentenced to death. I was supposed to die on the 18th of March.So when I commemorate the 18th of March it's for two reasons.(I think you have been to my office: I have a picture of Chitepo and another picture of Tongogara because those two mean a lot to me.) Around 9 or 10, the Voice of South Africa  I think it was Alexander Stewart  announced the death of Chairman Chitepo and that is the day I was supposed to be executed.James Nyikadzino, Gordon Mlambo, Parker Chipoyera and Gwauya, who was Zanu's representative in Dar es Salaam, went to Lusaka to represent us at the Chairman's funeral.The only person  even though we differed apanduka  who came back and said sorry to me over my death sentence was Dzinashe; he said munhu uyu (Ndabaningi Sithole) akashata zvikuru!That's when we did the Mgagao document and my signature is there.It was one thing after another from there. Dare reChimurenga, most of whose members were in prison, approved the Mgagao Declaration and also Zipa was formed.When Zipa was being formed we were at what we used to call our officers mess at Mugaggao.Robson Manyika was arrested and sent to prison in Lusaka then we remained with General Rex Nhongo. We said when Tongo comes back you will give him his post.To Dzino Machingura we said, when Mayor Urimbo comes back, you will give him his post; James Nyikadzino, when Chiguhwe comes back you will give him his post; Parker, when Manyika comes back you will give him his post back.So we were clear and we divided amongst ourselves those who had to go to Mozambique and those who were remaining in Tanzania, and then joining together with Zipra to form Zipa. I went to Morogoro.Zipa didn't work and Zipra went back to Zambia.I went back to Mgagao in 1976 with the late General Chimombe; the rest moved to Mozambique.We moved to Mozambique in late 1976 at the time of Geneva Conference to join the rest of the team there.Confronting rebellionWe met in Beira with General Zvinavashe and General Tongo as the Vashandi Rebellion began and we discussed what we should do. These were youngsters who had been misled to say "how can a soldier become a worker?"I said we should go to Chimoio.We went there and for three days I was sleeping under General Zvinavashe's bed during the day. At night I would visit all the camps to investigate quietly and I found that it was not worth executing the rebels.I, General Chimombe and the late General Chitekedza  who are national heroes  deployed 1 000 guerillas, a peace-keeping force from Mgagao.People still speak a lot of nonsense about this and some of us are not happy about it.Many people went to Mozambique because Frelimo had attained independence and the border was wide open from Pafuri to Kanyemba. Some of them just went because the borders were open, others not knowing where they were going, with only enthusiasm that they were going to Mozambique.So all those people who went there, others were recruited by the internal organs of the party inside Zimbabwe, but others went there because Mozambique was free.None of them had ever been to the front except Saul Sadza, who went to the front and died. The rest were here, so what is it?So eventually Vashandi was suppressed.I was the director of training and director of commissariat and I selected the cadres I could work with.They sold out the second time; I dealt with them personally only one rebel leader agreed to be rehabilitated. I was then appointed, after the death of Chimukute, the provincial commissar for Manicaland province, which also covered Mashonaland East and three-quarters of Masvingo up to Mhondoro. My commander was Commisioner of Prisons Paradzai Zimondi.I was in the front for most of the operations that were carried out in the war.In 1978 I was appointed deputy political commissar and I move from Manicaland because there were problems in Tete, which covered Mash Central, part of Mash East and a large part of Mash West.What ceasefire?By Lancaster I was in Gaza and when preparations for the talks started I was in the rear. Lancaster opened with the attack on Mapayi on September 5 to 10, you can get images of that from Webster Shamu.We had to push everybody to the front.It was in December when Tongo said I should meet him in Maputo and he told me the unthinkable.I go to Maputo around 2am on December 4, 1979, and he said I want us to talk together with Rex  but we shall never meet again.That was the last time we talked with Tongo, when he asked me to take our forces to Marondera.I don't know what was going in his mind. But he knew very well that he was not going to see Zimbabwe. (Long pause)We discussed, for an hour, a lot of things. I only told Mai Tongo about this conversation when we launched the Tongogora Foundation.So I drove to Chimoio. I found my force ready, 500 men and women. Now I was a real general. (Laughs) On the 9th I crossed the border into Zimbabwe.The day Lancaster was signed I was shot. I had three bits of shrapnel in the chest and three bullets, and I went flat.The wife of Colonel Masebeka saved me. I will not forget what she did to save my life. From 21-28 December I was in a comma.When I woke up there was a ceasefire, you could see helicopters flying with white flags. We were now in Hwedza, the place I was born. I could hardly walk and the guys kept trying to explain to me that the fighting was over.They then kept quiet for a while before breaking the news that Tongogara is no more. It was difficult to accept. (Long pause)I still had that agreement with Tongo that I must go to Marondera.So all the way to Marondera we were hitting the whites until we arrived at Mushandirapamwe. That when I saw Solomon.And he said, sekuru, because he was my nephew, we are looking for you, you are wanted in Harare, everyone is waiting for you, including Tungamirai.He said there is now ceasefire and you keep on killing the whites. And I said whites must die. Because there was a ceasefire they were not cautious and I told my people, "Hit them, don't stop."So the Rhodesians sent an assistant commissioner of police with a B-car. I was not sure what was going on.We drove to Harare with me sitting behind him, my gun pointed at his head in case they were trying something funny and the boy was sweating all the way. (Laughs)We arrived in Mt Pleasant where the ceasefire headquarters were located and that's when the liberation struggle ended for me. But I had wounds. I still had fresh wounds. They wanted to operate on me.The person who saved me was the late General Muchemwa who oversaw my treatment. Only two years ago, I underwent an operation to remove some shrapnel. But I still have a shrapnel and a bullet in my body which they cannot remove.Those ones I will probably die with. Maybe advances in medicine will come.After 1980At Independence, you know my story, I went to Matabeleland, 5 Brigade, then Mozambique, DRC, Somalia, Angola where we had deployed General Sibanda; first we had deployed General Nyambuya.So that is my story in short. You need maybe a week for me to include all the details. I am happy that some of the people I went with, the likes of Air Marshall Shiri and Colonel Huchi, are still with us.Unfortunately we lost Enest Mandizvidza in 1974. His body is probably in a mass grave.We don't agree with that programme of reburials, culturally.If you know that this is a mass grave, protect it like we have done in Mozambique. Make a shrine. If you know the names of people that are there, etch them.We should never take somebody's bones from the ground. What if you take the wrong body? Never take the bones of the dead out the grave. Is it Satanism? Why do you want to disturb the dead?It's not our culture. It's nothingThe ZDF TodayWe remain resolute in defence of the Constitution, national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interest for social and economic growth.Section 212 of the Constitution is very clear. It says our function is to protect Zimbabwe, its people, its national interest and its territorial integrity.That is why history is very important. It grounds us, tells us why we are who we are today and where we are going.The colonialists came pretending that they had brought civilisation and we had no civilisation.Who built Great Zimbabwe? Did we go and borrow architects in Europe? Where did we get that kind of architecture?Did we not have our own religion? After all, where was the Bible written? There is a story of Jesus who was in Egypt. Joseph was told take Jesus to Egypt. The Arabs only came 400 years after the death of Jesus Christ, so who was in Africa? Wasn't it us?So why are we so shy about our history? It is that history that we are going to protect; that history and protection of Zimbabwe and its independence, the sovereignty of Zimbabwe, the territorial integrity and the national interests of Zimbabwe, and upholding the Constitution of Zimbabwe.Which country will move forward without knowing its history? We have our friends, the Chinese. They are where they are because of their Founding Father, Chairman Mao.Look at the Russians, even if the current leadership is not communist, they respect their Founding Father, Lenin.Isu muno tina VaMugabe vedu, ndoovatakabva nawo. He is the Founding Father of this country and it shall remain so.That's why our war cry is very clear: "Nyika yedu yeZimbabwe, ndimo matakazvarirwa, vana mai nababa ndiwo mavari. Tinoda Zimbabwe neupfumi hwayo," and we are prepared to lay our lives down again for this country.Asymmetric warWe are facing severe asymmetric warfare; that's what is coming through social media, churches. And some of them are now more revolutionary than Zanla and Zipra at the height of the liberation war.Why would people want to worry about unnecessary things? People should concentrate on the development of the country. Humambo haubvutwe, hunobva kudenga handiti?We have been watching and people should not make the mistake of crossing the Rubicon. The issue of shutting the country's borders is nonsense, it is absolute nonsense. Vanhu ngavaende kudzimba vanodya sadza ravo vakazvigarira. Shutting the borders to please who?Do you think God is going to create another Zimbabwe? This is the only Zimbabwe which was created by God and therefore we must protect it.Let's speak with one voice and pull in one direction; that's what we should do.Remember that the issue of the land reform has not disappeared and it will never disappear from the minds of the yesteryear colonialists. Why should we sheepishly listen to people who want us to destroy our own country? Are they destroying theirs? Whose democracy are we trying to follow? Are we not democratic enough?Allegations that the ZDF is politically biased are absolute nonsense. We fought for this country, that's why we are talking about the history of this country. We went to the struggle and brought Independence and today you cannot say I must shut my mind and completely forget where I came from.That's what our Constitution says. Everyone contributed to writing the Constitution and it says we (the ZDF) shall uphold the Constitution. We are apolitical to the extent that we leave you to do what you like but the moment you threaten the sovereignty of the country, then you threaten that very Constitution.Please don't expect us to sit and watch. We are there to protect the people and that's what we are saying and will do.War vets "communique"I deliberately talk of rebellions from Chikerema, Shamuyarira, we had rebellions from Badza Nhari, Vashandi I and Vashandi II. On the Zipra and Zanla sides, we had our own renegades.When a clique or infiltrators comes in, do you move around saying everyone has rebelled? War veterans start from the President himself down to the last cadre.Let me make it very clear; we have the War Veterans Act and there is a War Veterans' Association Act under registration as a PVO (private voluntary organisation), which is governed as a non-governmental organisation.It was supposed to be like an organisation where people work together to improve livelihoods, not what we are seeing. They are not the leaders of the war veterans, they are the leaders of a war veterans association.And when you look at them, is there a member of the General Staff or High Command in there amongst the leaders?Tinenge tichiti vana ngavakure but kana vanhu vakazoita misguided . . . When somebody has an erroneous idea they should get sanctioned because you would have done wrong. And this is why we are saying we will leave no stone unturned (in finding out who authored the communique attributed to war veterans).If it is the fifth columnists outside the organisation, they too will face the full wrath of the law. It's simple.Nyika iyi wakaiona iripo, uchaisiya iripo. We can't allow people to destroy the country under our watch. How can we let people this beautiful country which was created for us by God be destroyed?Ukaona vanhu vachimhanya vachiridza mabhero kuita fanike kunge hameno . . . ko inga vamwe vacho vari pamberi kuridza mabhero vakaitiza hondo yacho wani. We will end up exposing them if they continue doing that.But that's not the point: we must pull together and not try to be clever and being a hero mumhepo. Don't build castles in the air  it doesn't work.If we have one rogue war veteran it doesn't mean everyone is a rogue.SuccessionistsKana wada kutonga enda kuvanhu. We are a democratic country. We are commemorating Heroes Day; that is blood that was shed and it's time to reflect. Ropa iroro harina kurasikira mahara.Those people died for you and me. Some of us survived the war not because we were the best kana kuti tanga takangwara. No. We survived so that we can bear witness to how this country was liberated.So if you are a survivor, don't think that you are cleverer than the comrade who is in an unmarked grave. Many of those who did not make it to Zimbabwe were the real fighters and some of the celebrated cowards who only saw the border when going into Mozambique and coming back at Independence and never during combat, ndivo vakuzviisa pamberi manje.This nonsense of someone who was at a refugee camp or was a cleaner moving around telling people that he or she fought in the struggle is just that  nonsense. Wakarwa hondo kupi?Vanhu ngavapute mbanje dzavo zvakanaka, hazvirambidzwi. Kana ririshave rekumusha kwenyu it's ok, putayi ikoko  don't disturb us because we have lost thousands of innocent sons and daughters.And please don't move around muchifukunyura vanhu and you start thinking that you are war veterans. What kind of nonsense is that? Vamwe takasvika kuvaona muno vachipfeka manapukeni yet now they claim they are more revolutionary than the real comrades. Ndochii ichocho? It must stop. Hazviitwe.We were reading mapepa paakatanga kuti "when you want to destroy Zanu-PF you need to do it from within". Vaitiudza kuti kuchazoita vamwe vechidiki vanofanirwa kutonga. Hazvina kunyorwa here? Munoti tanga tisingazvioni? Hazvisizvo here zvirikuitika?Ngatidye sadza zvakanaka.
Former addict shares how a personal relationship with God freed her from childhood of sexual and spiritual abuse

When things get rough, some people turn to prayer, while some go astray and rely on drugs. Anneshia Freeman was one of those people who lost their way but eventually found their way back to God.

Life has been difficult for Freeman ever since she was a young girl. She had an absentee father and a mother with paranoid schizophrenia. Her faith was introduced in a wrong way by her mother who was suffering from a mental disorder.

"I had a personal relationship with God, but it was distorted. I had asked God to come into my heart when I was seven or eight. I told my mom and I was so happy, but she was a religious fanatic. She operated out of a legalistic concept of God. It was a conditional relationship, and I had to be perfect. By the time I became an adolescent, I was like, 'Why even try?'" Freeman recalled, as quoted by The Christian Broadcasting Network.

When she went to high school, Freeman's life further went wayward. She discovered drugs and alcohol and basically abandoned her education. Upon graduation, things continued to go downhill.

"I was living in Chicago when my addiction kicked into high gear. I had been smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol, and occasionally snorting cocaine. I stopped paying bills. All of my money started going towards cocaine," she recalled.

For 12 years, she lived on the streets, where she became a victim of sexual abuse. One day, when the pain felt already intolerable, she decided to commit suicide in a bus station. What happened next, however, changed her life forever.

"I had a made-up mind, and I was timing my leap into the street. A gentleman walked up behind me and stopped and said, 'Don't you dare give up.' I believe that man was an angel. I don't know if he was or if he was just somebody used right then in that point, because I was getting ready to leave here," Freeman recalled

"I was like, wow! You mean, there's a God out there that cared whether or not a prostitute and crack addict is getting ready to take her life and He would speak to me through somebody who didn't know me and didn't know what I was about to do?" she continued.

Ever since that incident, Freeman turned her life around. She has now completed three degrees, regularly goes to Church, and continues to grow in faith in God.
Moral leadership needed to bridge racial divide in U.S., Catholic bishop says

At a time when the racial divide in America has caused so much pain and suffering in the world, what can be done to move towards more unity?

Bishop Edward Braxton of Belleville in Illinois said moral leadership is needed in the United States now more than ever to bridge the gap among races.

"In a time of the breakdown of a sense of togetherness among people, there is an acute need for a new authenticity," Bishop Braxton said, as quoted by The Catholic News Agency.

He said it is very important for American leaders now to promote the values of openness and compassion to others.

"When individuals bring the openness, understanding, humility, and compassion to their positions of leadership, the potential for establishing or re-establishing community is significantly increased," Braxton said.

Braxton's statements on the racial divide came in time for the second anniversary of the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, where police officer Darren Wilson shot dead an unarmed African-American teenager, Michael Brown. The incident triggered general unrest in the city, and popularised the "Black Lives Matter" movement.

The bishop pointed out that after the Ferguson shooting incident, street violence fueled by the racial divide seemed to have become a common sight in the U.S.

"The heartbreaking images of blood stained scenes of death, grieving relatives, multiple funerals, overwhelmed civic leaders, and prayers for healing and reconciliation have become commonplace," Braxton lamented.

"It is a grief that cannot be spoken and a pain that does not end," he continued.

The Roman Catholic official added that the "Black Lives Matter" and the "All Lives Matter" movements need not be viewed as incompatible with each other.

"Must it be either one mantra or the other? Can it not be both?" Braxton asked.

"We all know that the work of police officers is very difficult and very dangerous. They leave their homes each day not knowing if they will return unharmed. They deserve our respect and gratitude. Their lives matter," he added.
Muslim children embrace Christ  only to be beaten up and cast out as 'infidels' by their own families

In this African country, even children who turn to Jesus Christ are punished as severely as adults, with their parents as the culprits.

In the latest of such incidents, eight children from a village in Uganda were beaten up by their Muslim families and kicked out of their homes as "infidels" after they embraced Jesus. Moreover, the pastor who showed them the way to Christ was threatened with death by the angry Muslim extremists, the Morning Star News reports.

The childrenwhose ages range from 9 to 16 years oldconverted to Christianity after meeting with Pastor Brian Mukisa from the Power Gates Church.

Gushing with joy at their newly discovered love for Jesus, the children innocently told their parents about their conversiononly to be shocked by their parents' vehement reaction. Their parents beat them up severely and forbid them from attending worship services.

Not content yet, the parents and other members of their families trooped to the Power Gates church and set it on fire, with one of the arsonists even threatening to kill Pastor Mukisa.

The pastor was forced to relocate his congregation to a temporary house about 6 miles away from the site of the original church.

"Your church activities will not be tolerated in this area," the attackers told Pastor Mukisa, adding that "if you do not leave our village, then we shall soon come for your life."

Pastor Mukisa said many of the children are still recovering from injuries they sustained from their parents' beatings. They are now taking refuge at the relocated church.

"The parents have totally disowned them as infidels," the pastor told Morning Star News. "They need prayers to come to terms with the separation from parents for choosing Christ."

In another recent incident of Christian persecution, a male high school student suffered serious head injury after the father of a Muslim girl that he led to Christ attacked him with a sharp metal object, according to Morning Star News.

In June, a Muslim father reportedly tied his 9-year-old son to a tree and set it ablaze because he had converted to Christianity and refused to fast during Ramadan.

In March, a young Christian convert was beaten up by his father and uncle who also torched his house.

"I could not deny Christ when my father asked me whether I had joined Christianity," the Christian convert named Nsera told Morning Star News. "With a lot of joy I answered him affirmatively, with a yes. My uncle, who had a walking stick, hit me on my back, and my father tried to get hold of my shirt, but I managed to escape with a tattered shirt and a bleeding back."
Pro-lifers in U.S. plead with mothers not to abort unborn babies afflicted with Zika virus

Is the Zika virus that has prompted a worldwide health emergency and confirmed to have caused birth defects among babies enough justification to start killing the unborn? Pro-life individuals do not think so.

Advocates for protecting the lives of the unborn are strongly opposing moves to allow abortion in areas in the United States, such as Miami in Florida, which have already been affected by the Zika virus.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio is one of the leading voices against killing babies who might be at risk of contracting birth diseases due to the Zika virus.

"I understand a lot of people disagree with my view  but I believe that all human life is worthy of protection of our laws. And when you present it in the context of Zika or any prenatal condition, it's a difficult question and a hard one," Rubio said, as quoted by The Catholic News Agency.

"But if I'm going to err, I'm going to err on the side of life," he added.

Rubio further said that he understands the difficulties that a baby born with microcephalya condition linked to the Zika virusmay face as he or she grows up, but these are not enough reason to deprive them of a chance to live.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life political advocacy group, agreed with Rubio's anti-abortion stance, saying that the Zika virus infection "should not be used as a springboard for a search-and-destroy mission against disabled babies."

"Adults, children, and unborn children who are victims all deserve the same standard of care. Killing the patient is not medical treatment and we cannot make advances in medicine if we destroy patients before we find treatments for them," Dannenfelser told CNA.

"The United States strives to be a beacon for disability rights. To advocate abortion in cases of Zika and other prenatal diagnoses is a major step backwards for the rights of Americans with disabilities and a distraction from the urgent need to develop a vaccine or method to eliminate mosquitoes carrying the virus," she added.
Emergency crews in Louisiana worked through Saturday night to rescue thousands of residents in the southern part of the state from their cars and homes overwhelmed with flood waters.

At least three people were killed in the deadly flooding that state officials are calling "historic."
Friday [August 11, 2006]s U.N. Security Council resolution on Lebanon is an important step forward that will help bring an end to the violence. The resolution calls for a robust international force to deploy to the southern part of the country to help Lebanons legitimate armed forces restore the sovereignty of its democratic government over all Lebanese territory. As well, the resolution is intended to stop Hezbollah from acting as a state within the state. Were now working with our international partners to turn the words of this resolution into action

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..Commentary Magazine..12 August '16..This Sunday marks the ten-year anniversary of the end of the 34-day Israel-Hezbollah War in Lebanon. The war began when Hezbollah crossed into Israeli territory from southern Lebanon, killed three soldiers, injured two others, and kidnapped two more. While Lebanon professed its innocence, it had made a conscience choice to allow Hezbollah to assert its primacy along its southern border following Israelis UN-certified withdrawal in May 2000. Israels war aims were to eradicate Hezbollah missile stockpiles and Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. While the Israeli military succeeded in knocking out many Hezbollah stockpiles, the Iranian-backed Shiite militia managed to launch hundreds of missiles and rockets, striking as far south as Haifa and killing several dozen Israelis.A chorus of international officials called for Israel to cease its attacks at once. French President Jacques Chirac condemned Israels actions as completely disproportionate, and Russian President Vladimir Putin called Israels use of full-scale force unacceptable. Even U.S. officials chimed in. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned , It is extremely important that Israel exercse restraint in its acts of self-defense. Hillary Clinton, then a New York senator, doubled down on the call for an immediate ceasefire and demanded the United States and Israel resolve the situation diplomatically. Weve had five and a half years of a failed experiment in tough talk absent diplomacy and engagement, she said . I think its time to go back to what works, and what has historically worked and what can work again.By diplomacy, European officials, Clinton, and eventually the Bush administration meant the problem should be punted back to the United Nations. There was some irony in this, especially since Hezbollah had armed and launched its attack under the watch of UNIFIL, the UN monitoring agency in southern Lebanon. Still, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan promised a bigger, better (and more expensive) UN monitoring force to keep the peace if only hostilities would stop. It is urgent that the international community acts to make a difference on the ground, he said , The force will be larger, the way I see it, much larger than the 2000-man force we have there. British Prime Minister also endorsed an international force. The only way we are going to have a cessation of violence is if we have an international force deployed into that area, he explained Ultimately, Israel caved to international pressure for a ceasefire short of fulfilling its goals to uproot completely Hezbollah. Speaking upon the conclusion of the war and the unanimous passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, President George W. Bush spoke about the achievement of the ceasefire and the work ahead:Alas, all the promises of diplomats and the United Nations fell short as soon as the smoke cleared. Hezbollah began the 2006 conflict with between 10,000-12,000 rockets, as well as short-and-medium-range missiles acquired as UN observers looked the other way. Today, with the more robust forced implemented after the ceasefire, Hezbollah has perhaps 150,000 missiles some of which can strike all of Israel. Far from being disarmed as the ceasefire demanded, Hezbollah now is an even more formidable force, having become battle-hardened fighting on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. The question regional analysts is now not whether Israel and Hezbollah will again fight, but when. The only guarantee is that when that battle occurs, it will be far bloodier than had diplomats allowed Israel to finish the job.Are there lessons from the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict? Yes. First, the United Nations does not bring peace but only delays war. Its promises are empty. UN observers and peacekeepers are often less interested in keeping peace than in feeding at the international trough and sending remittances back home. To place trust in the United Nations or the attention span of European diplomats and even the State Department is foolish. Diplomacy empowers terrorists, it does not defeat them. Nor does it do any favors for peace. Only accountabilitysometimes delivered by force of armscan convince locals to turn groups like Hezbollah into pariahs and convince countries like Lebanon and Iran that not only benefits but also costs will accompany their choices.
Five police officers were taken to the hospital after being exposed to a man allegedly smoking formaldehyde in his Rosenberg apartment, authorities said.

The area fire department received a call around 2:30 p.m. from a woman concerned that she had a carbon monoxide leak in her residence, said Rosenberg Police Department Lt. William Henry.

Firefighters arrived to the residence and discovered there was no leak, but smelled another chemical substance in the apartment. Believing it may be related to narcotics, firefighter called in the police department, Henry said.

Officers interviewed the woman's husband, who they discovered had been smoking formaldehyde, Henry said. Drug users generally dip cigarettes into a substance containing the chemical to induce a hallucinogenic effect or prolonged highs, he said.

The man, whose identity was not released, resisted arrest. During the struggle, the man began to sweat profusely, emitting the chemical smell, exposing the officers to the substance.

As a precaution, three police officers and two probationary officers on the scene were taken to an area hospital for a check-up. All have been examined and are doing well, Henry said.

Charges are pending against the suspect at this time.

No further information was immediately available.
A man was shot multiple times by carjackers who led police on a brief chase by car and foot, Houston police said.

Northwest patrol officers responded at 12:30 a.m. to reports of a shooting at 1700 Gessner near Timberwood. They learned a man had been shot at least two times and taken to Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center by private vehicle, said Lt. Larry Crowson with the Houston Police Department.
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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BROOK PARK, Ohio -- If popular Cleveland broadcaster and day tripper Neil Zurcher proved anything during his Aug. 11 talk in Brook Park, it's that he still has some gas left in the tank.

The gifted storyteller with the iconic voice, best known for the One Tank Trips program, carried listeners inside the Brook Park library on a humorous journey along his 54-year career in journalism. Zurcher, 80, read passages from his newest book, "The Best of One Tank Trips," and also shared funny stories of working with weatherman Dick Goddard and news anchor Robin Swoboda.

He remembered making personal appearances that involved an altercation between an English sheepdog and a Great Dane as well as unsuccessfully facing down a phobia with a 6-foot boa constrictor wrapped around his neck.

"This is what you have to do to sell books," Zurcher said, laughing. "I think everybody has a book inside."

Neil Zurcher speaks to the Brook Park library audience just prior to reading passages from his new book, "The Best of One Tank Trips."

He plans to retire from Cleveland's Fox8 at the end of the month. No more will viewers be newly captivated by places like Pollywogg Holler or the Accountants Hall of Fame, the last Mail Pouch Tobacco barn painter or the Niagara-on-the-Lake jet boats. His iconic 1959 Nash Metropolitan convertible now sits in the Canton Classic Car Museum.

Audience members reminisced right along with Zurcher and asked many questions about particular episodes, including the legendary one about Whispering Winds nudist camp.

"The lady who greeted us said we'd have to leave our clothes at the front desk," Zurcher recalled. "I kept my white necktie on."

He regrets that the name One Tank Trips was never trademarked back in 1980 because he said there are more than 200 stations nationwide that now have one tank trips as part of their programming. Zurcher also wished he had been one of the first riders on Cedar Point's Valravn roller coaster. His last official One Tank Trip takes place at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk later this month, where he will race his Chrysler PT Cruiser.

"It was just supposed to be a one-week-long series, but it turned into an adventure that has stretched over almost four decades of my life," Zurcher said, concluding his talk with a quote from poet Robert Frost. "Two roads diverge from a wood, and I took the one less traveled. And that has made all the difference."
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 Thursday by a police officer while she was in handcuffs said Saturday that she spit on officers but disputed officers' accounts that she hit them.

Ciara Perez-Rodriguez, 21, said she threw a Pepsi bottle at police officers arresting friends and family members during an arrest sweep in her neighborhood, on West 80th Street near Detroit Avenue.

A bystander's cellphone video quickly garnered widespread attention. Perez-Rodriguez is charged with fourth-degree felony assault on a police officer. An arrest affidavit says she spit on several officers and kicked them.

"I'm a little pissed off but I'm okay," Perez-Rodriguez said after being released Saturday from the city jail after posting bond in the case. "I was not violent or anything. I spit on them but I wasn't violent or anything."

Cleveland Patrolmen's Association President Steve Loomis said the officer, who officials have not identified, did not punch Perez-Rodriguez. Loomis said the officer used his hand to prevent Perez-Rodriguez from spitting on more officers.

"Their video clearly shows a defensive open hand to prevent her from spitting in someone's face AGAIN," Loomis said in a text message.

Perez-Rodriguez said she was unsure if she was hit with a closed fist or open hand.

She said on Thursday she went to a nearby Family Dollar to put in a job application. Someone called and told her that police were arresting people she knew in the neighborhood.

Perez-Rodriguez went to the area and saw police arresting a 15-year-old boy.

"I got mad, and I threw the Pepsi at the cop car," Perez-Rodriguez said. "But I didn't hit anybody. So they come and hit me and grabbed my hair. I got bruises, my mouth was bleeding."

Perez-Rodriguez declined to speak more about the incident.

Perez-Rodriguez's 14-year-old cousin Andrew Perez said Perez-Rodriguez 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 an 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.

The incident hit on two topics covered by the U.S. Justice Department's 2014 investigation into the Cleveland Police Department: the injuring of citizens already in handcuffs and the treatment of citizens with mental illnesses.

Perez-Rodriguez's father, Louis Perez, said his daughter suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

The Cleveland Police Monitoring Team wrote in its first report released in June that Cleveland police were making "tremendous progress" in the revamping of the department's use of force policy. That police is expected to be put before a federal judge for review this month.

The city in September reached a memorandum of understanding with the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County that aims to improve how police care for people with mental illness.

The step was similar to those recommended in the federal consent decree. The consent decree also mandated training for police officers to receive training when dealing with citizens that suffer from mental illness.

Cleveland police and city officials did not respond to questions except to say the incident is under investigation. They also did not respond to inquiries to see if the incident was captured on police body cameras.

Loomis said Perez-Rodriguez was standing in a crowd when she threw the bottle at officers who were conducting their investigation into violent crimes in the neighborhood.

"This young woman was spitting at and fighting with any cop she could," Loomis said.

Loomis said four supervisors were at the scene of the incident and that all had filled out proper paperwork for their use of force. The officers who were spit on also filled out injury forms, Loomis said.

"There will be a thorough investigation done not based alone on a poor-quality, two-dimensional cell phone video played at full speed by cleveland.com, but based on an actual investigation of fact," Loomis said. "A rush to judgment is irresponsible at best."
cleveland police tape 2

Cleveland police are searching for a 24-year-old man charged in connection with a July 30 fatal shooting.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man is accused of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend's brother, prompting a SWAT team to surround the home in the Union-Miles Park neighborhood later in the night.

Antonio Taylor Jr., 24, is charged with aggravated murder in the Thursday shooting death of Jacquez Lawson. Taylor is not in police custody and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

The incident happened about 11 p.m. Thursday at Taylor's home in the 11000 block of Miles Avenue, near East 111th Street.

Witnesses told police that a fight broke out at the home between Lawson, Taylor and several others. Taylor pulled out a gun during the fight, shot Lawson and ran, police said.

Officers found Lawson lying in the street with a gunshot wound. He was conscious and responding to officers at the time. Officers provided medical treatment until an ambulance arrived.

Lawson was taken MetroHealth Medical Center, where he died.

Someone later in the night reported that Taylor returned to the home, prompting the Cleveland SWAT team to surround the house. Officers searched the home and left after Taylor was not found inside the home, police said.

Taylor's criminal history includes three felony convictions. He was sentenced to one year on probation in 2015 for possessing a gun as a felon.

He was sentenced to seven months in prison in 2013 for two separate drug dealing convictions. In one of the cases, Taylor was convicted of dealing drugs with Aaron Taylor, 23. It is unknown if the two are related.

Aaron Taylor is charged with aggravated murder in the July 30 fatal shooting of Kevin Scott, 21, of Euclid.

Aaron Taylor and another man, Devon Jones, also 21, are charged in the case. A Cuyahoga County grand jury is reviewing their cases. Both are being held in the county jail on $5 million bonds.

Aaron Taylor, Jones and Scott were together in a car. All three got out in the 700 block of East 156th Street, according to police.

Shots were fired and Scott collapsed in the street. Police found Scott dead with gunshot wounds to the back and stomach. Taylor collapsed in nearby bushes with gunshot wounds to his left leg and arm.

Jones picked up Taylor and carried him to the car, according to police reports. The men drove to University Hospitals, where they were arrested.
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Guest columnist Ken Prendergast, executive director of All Aboard Ohio, urges leaders to form a multi-county task force to help resolve the region's transit problems.

(Ginger Christ/Plain Dealer/file photo)

Ken Prendergast is executive director of All Aboard Ohio.

Guest columnist Ken Prendergast is executive director of the statewide passenger rail and public transportation advocacy association All Aboard Ohio. Prendergast has been a transportation and urban development advocate for 30 years.

Greater Cleveland ranks highly in several nationwide rankings - but not the ones that cause civic pride. Instead, they reveal an isolated, underutilized labor force that restrains economic growth as jobs sprawl farther away from existing communities and pay wages that make it difficult to afford a car.

Consider: Greater Cleveland (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties) ranks ninth among the 100 largest metro areas in the number of poor people living in communities with high concentrations of poverty, according to the Brookings Institution. Poor people have a better chance at upward mobility if they live in economically diverse neighborhoods or enjoy easy access to communities with opportunities.

Due to a lack of transportation alternatives, Greater Clevelanders spend more of their household budget on transportation (30 percent) than for housing (24 percent), the Center for Neighborhood Technology says. Lower-income families spend a larger share of their budget on transportation than higher-income households.

Average annual ownership and operating costs exceed $9,000 per vehicle in Greater Cleveland, according to AAA. At 30 percent of a household budget, it means a typical worker must earn $30,000 per year to afford a car. Per capita income in Cuyahoga County is $27,892, Census data shows.

Due to job sprawl, only one out of four jobs in Greater Cleveland are accessible within a 90-minute transit trip each way. Greater Cleveland ranks among the worst in that category due to our region's job sprawl, according to the Cleveland Federal Reserve.

Two recent reports ("Searching for a Better Ride" by the Ohio Public Interest Research Group; and the "State of Ohio's Transit Needs Study" by the Ohio Department of Transportation) revealed that, after graduation, college students highly value (86 percent) living in a community where they can get around without driving. Greater Cleveland needs to be competitive with other metro areas that are investing billions of dollars in transportation alternatives.

Yet the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has fewer resources at a time when it should be expanding. RTA no longer gets federal and state operating funds and capital improvement funds are declining. RTA has a $600 million backlog of state-of-good-repair needs and more than $2 billion in planned expansions it can't afford.

As jobs and population sprawl into neighboring counties, RTA loses $68 million per year in county-based sales taxes, according to the global transportation planning firm AECOM. RTA will lose another $18 million per year in sales tax revenues starting next year after making more than $7 million in service cuts and fare increases this year.

To become a vibrant region again, Northeast Ohio must mobilize its labor force to reach distant jobs and incentivize economic development near the existing transit system. To achieve these goals, I urge our region's leaders to create a multi-county task force to gather data and ideas, then recommend a service delivery and funding plan to sustain transit for decades to come. Only then can our region's economy achieve rankings of which we can be proud.

Readers are invited to submit Opinion page essays on topics of regional or general interest. Send your 500-word essay for consideration to Linda Kinsey at lkinsey@cleveland.com. Essays must also include a brief bio and headshot of the writer. Essays rebutting today's topics are also welcome.
Donald Trump

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Sacred Heart University on Aug. 13, 2016, in Fairfield, Connecticut.

(Evan Vucci, Associated Press)

Trump says he's running against the "crooked media:" Despite Hillary Clinton winning the Democratic presidential nomination, Donald Trump said Saturday that his true opponent is the media, reports The Hill. "I'm not running against Crooked Hillary, I'm running against the crooked media," Trump said at a rally in Fairfield, Connecticut. "That's what I'm running against. I'm not running against Crooked Hillary."

Trump specifically criticized The New York Times after a report came out which said the campaign's "effort to save Mr. Trump from himself has plainly failed." Campaign chairman Paul Manafort said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union the report is "not correct."

Sessions says Trump campaign "is not over:" Top Trump foreign policy adviser Sen. Jeff Sessions also criticized the media Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "You've had this whole morning talking about nothing but negative on the Trump campaign," he said. "This is the kind of thing that does build on itself, and has, I think, made mountains out of molehills."

Pence to release tax returns: As critics call for Trump to release his tax documents, vice presidential candidate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Saturday on WABC radio that he will release his tax returns soon, according to NBC News. "When my tax returns are released, it's going to be a quick read," he said. "The Pences have not become wealthy as a result of 16 years in public service."

Kaine predicts Trump's tax returns: Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine said at a campaign rally Saturday that Trump is trying to hide a "stingy" history of charitable giving, reports the Washington Post. "We pay taxes to support the military," Kaine said. "If you haven't been supporting the military during your entire life, don't tell me you'll suddenly start if you get to be commander-in-chief. I don't believe that for a minute."

McMullin says it's not his fault if Trump loses: Evan McMullin, the independent presidential candidate who recently entered the race, said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" that his campaign won't affect Trump's chances of winning because "it's so likely that Donald Trump will lose" anyway. "He's not a credible candidate," the former CIA operative said of Trump. "My entrance into the race doesn't affect that."

Former Bush cabinet member backs Clinton, criticizes Trump: Carlos Gutierrez, former secretary of commerce under President George W. Bush, is joining other Republicans who are supporting Clinton rather than the Republican presidential nominee, reports Politico. "I would have preferred Jeb Bush, but I think Hillary is a great choice. I am afraid of what Donald Trump would do to this country," Gutierrez said on CNN's "State of the Union."

The debate over probing the Clinton Foundation: FBI and Department of Justice officials met several months ago and agreed to discuss opening a public corruption case into the Clinton Foundation, a U.S. official told CNN. At the time, the FBI had received notification from a bank of suspicious activity from a foreigner who donated to the Clinton Foundation. In a hearing last month on Capitol Hill, FBI Director James Comey declined to say whether the Clinton Foundation was under investigation.

Newly released emails are raising questions about the Department of State's relationship with the Clinton Foundation. The Clinton campaign issued a statement, saying, "It was crystal clear to all involved that this had nothing to do with her official duties."

Congress might get to see the FBI's notes from Clinton's interview: Members of Congress will soon receive notes from Clinton's interview with the FBI regarding her private email server, according to sources who told CNN. The FBI does not have a complete transcript of the interview, during which Clinton was not under oath, but several GOP lawmakers requested their notes after Comey's testimony.

Trump spokeswoman says Afghanistan was "Obama's War:" Trump campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson is facing criticism after saying Saturday the United States' military effort in Afghanistan "was Obama's war," reports CNN. Her comment came after she was asked about Trump's recent assertion that President Obama is the "founder of ISIS," which Trump has since said was a sarcastic remark, "but not that sarcastic."

"Barack Obama went into Afghanistan, creating another problem," Pierson said. When asked to clarify, she said, "That was Obama's war, yes." The fight in Afghanistan was initiated during George W. Bush's presidency in 2001, more than seven years before Obama became president.

Darrell Vickers, AKA "Jaw Drop Man:" Trump's controversial "Second Amendment people" statement surprised many people, including Darrell Vickers, who was seen at the rally behind the Republican nominee with an open mouth after his comments, reports CNN. "Well, I was thinking exactly what I said to my neighbor, Connie, and that was, 'I can't believe he said it, the media will have a field day with this one,'" Vickers, who will still vote Republican in November, told CNN. "I was absolutely taken aghast."
Ohio Supreme Court building

More Ohio voters ought to pay attention to the state Supreme Court as these young Ohioans are doing during a tour of the Ohio Supreme Court building.

(The Plain Dealer, File, 2004)

Here's what's supposed to be the capstone argument of Donald Trump's ever-shrinking cult: "It's the Supreme Court, stupid."

That is, if Hillary Clinton became president, she'd appoint lizard people or space monsters to the nation's highest court. In contrast, Trump, given his familiarity with laws on bankruptcy and divorce, would surely pick more wisely. Experience is a great teacher.



As to Ohio judges, voters are presidents. Ohioans get to pick their judges. That's why utilities, insurance companies, defense lawyers in death-penalty cases -- and General Assembly members who love safe districts -- pay close attention to Ohio judgeships.

But not enough rank-and-file Ohioans do, despite what's at stake for them, especially in what amount to their courts of last resort: the state Supreme Court and district Courts of Appeals.



The Supreme Court is composed of a chief justice (currently Maureen O'Connor, a Republican) and six associate justices (currently five Republicans and one Democrat). There are 12 appellate court districts. Three cover one county each -- the 8th District (Cuyahoga), the 10th District (Franklin) and the 1st District (Hamilton). The other appellate court districts cover groups of counties.

In 2012, when Ohioans re-elected Barack Obama president, 70.5 percent of the state's registered voters turned out to vote. But turnout in 2012's three Ohio Supreme Court contests ranged from 50 percent to 52 percent.

And in 2014, when Ohioans re-elected Republican John Kasich governor, statewide turnout was 40.6 percent. (Granted, that was abnormally low thanks to the non-campaign of Kasich's Democratic challenger, Ed FitzGerald.) Meanwhile, in 2014's Ohio Supreme Court contests, turnout was roughly 33 percent. That is, there was a big voter drop-off.

Ohio's judicial ballot makes it tough to figure out when a court candidate is close to a voter's philosophy -- the polite word for biases. That's because the names of judgeship candidates don't also list their party affiliations on Ohio's general election ballot.

O'Connor, a Greater Clevelander, is unopposed for re-election. Two other Supreme Court seats are in play this year; voters will decide those contests in November.

In one matchup, Court of Appeals Judge Patrick Fischer, a Cincinnati Republican, is vying with Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John P. O'Donnell, a Democrat, for a seat held by retiring Republican Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger of Toledo. (In 2014, O'Donnell unsuccessfully challenged Justice Judith French, a Columbus Republican.)

In the other contest, Court of Appeals Judge Patrick DeWine, a Cincinnati Republican, is facing Court of Appeals Judge Cynthia Rice, a Democrat from Trumbull County, for a seat held by retiring Republican Justice Paul Pfeifer of Bucyrus. Pat DeWine is a son of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

People who evidently live in Fantasyland sometimes argue that a judge's political party affiliation makes no difference in his or her thinking while on the bench. If that's true, why do both the Ohio Democratic and Ohio Republican parties, business lobbies and labor unions all endorse judicial candidates? Hint: It's not true.

Thousands of lives and millions of dollars are at stake in Ohio's courthouses. All the "interested parties" (a great Statehouse euphemism for "lobbyists") know that, as do, for example, those Ohioans vexed by what they think is crummy state funding for public education.

If anyone wonders what ended up happening with the celebrated DeRolph school funding lawsuit, the Ohio Supreme Court essentially told the General Assembly, "You deal with it." Then the high court walked away -- the same thing too many Ohio voters do in judicial elections.

Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens.

To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-999-4689
More than 80 percent of working Americans over age 50 say they plan to work after retirement, according to a 2013 survey by The Associated Pres s-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research . Whether that's out of necessity  the average 65-year-old couple retiring this year is likely to spend $245,000 on medical care not covered by Medicare over the course of their Golden Years  or simply to stay active, working in retirement has become the new norm.

Adrian Weinbrecht | Getty Images

Yet making extra money during retirement doesn't mean toiling away at a mundane job. There are plenty of cool ways to earn some additional cash and boost your savings. These days, retirees are seeking adventure in their encore careers, securing work at national parks, on cruises, Alaskan whale-watching tours and ski resorts, to name a few. "Retirees are still young and active and want to do things," said Kari Quaas, staffing center specialist at CoolWorks.com, a job board that connects adventurous job seekers with employers all over the world. "The jobs they are choosing are far more adventurous and interesting than simply working at the local grocer to pay the bills," she said.

Although workers usually get minimum wages or a little more for entry-level jobs, employers sometimes provide other perks, such as low-cost or free housing ranging from private rooms to dormitories to hookups for RVs. Among the job offerings on the CoolWorks site right now: a bartender at an Arizona dude ranch, a front desk clerk at a resort hotel and spa in Texas and a manager in the guest services department at the Smithsonian National Zoo.

Something different and new

When CoolWorks was founded in 1995 by Bill Berg, the former director of business operations for Yellowstone Park Service Stations, he initially thought the site would serve mainly as a vehicle for college students looking for thrilling seasonal work. What he didn't expect was the huge response from the over-50 crowd. "Most people who are older and retired still have to work," said Zac Alexander, a former human resources recruiter for ski resorts in Colorado and New Mexico. His best employees, he said, were retirees. "They are extremely reliable. They work from the start date to the end date and commit to that. They will clean bathrooms; they will flip burgers; they will park cars. They will do whatever it takes and make it work. They don't care. It's not like a 22-year-old who expects to be the president of the company in two years," he said. Two years ago Alexander, 54, left his job on the icy slopes and joined the lifestyle of the older and bolder folks, opting for a seasonal opportunity in a warmer climate. He eventually landed a job at a ranch in Moab, Utah, in its human resources department. "It's perfect," he said. "Cold weather wasn't working for me anymore. A seasonal mind-set is all about freedom."

The retirement of my grandparents' generation  is not the baby boomer generation's idea of retirement. Retirement is getting out there, seeing what you didn't get to see when you were 25 years old and having a life. Zac Alexander

Although he's happy where he is, Alexander says he continues to look for other exciting prospects. "My next adventure is to get rid of all my things, move into an RV and work at a national park," he said.

"The retirement of my grandparents' generation  where once their pension and Social Security checks start coming, they sit and watch television and go to the post office every day and that's it  is not the baby boomer generation's idea of retirement. Retirement is getting out there, seeing what you didn't get to see when you were 25 years old, and having a life," Alexander said. Companies are now focusing their recruiting efforts on this older demographic, particularly for project assignments, because as a group, retirees exhibit less turnover, less absenteeism, are punctual, have more experience, are more productive and have superior customer-service skills.

7 ways older workers can win at the job interview

1. Interview with an employer that isn't at the top of your list. Do a practice run by interviewing for a job that is located a long way from home or one for which you may be overqualified. 2. Research the employer before your interview. See who their customers are, learn more about their products or services and examine the company culture. Look through your social media accounts to see if you are connected to someone who may work there. Then contact them to ask questions about the company culture. 3. Have your resume updated by an expert. The standards and formatting have most likely changed quite a bit since the last time you updated your resume. Find out what will make yours stand out. 4. Consider starting on a project basis. Tell the employer you are willing to start working as a consultant or on a project basis. This often gives you a leg up on younger workers who are often unable to accept these kinds of employment positions  and it can often lead to full-time work. 5. Volunteer with a charity or nonprofit. Although in most cases there is little or no monetary compensation, it often leads to employment down the road with an employer seeking that particular experience or who appreciates your work ethic. 6. Assess your situation today versus years ago. Ask yourself, Who am I now? What do I want? What are my values? Do I need to make a difference or make big bucks? What are my core strengths? 7. Plan your interview, and be prepared to present yourself. Provide concrete examples of your role and accomplishments before you retired. Practice explaining them with a friend or family member. Source: Art Koff, founder of RetiredBrains

Cool jobs right at home

While exotic locales are a big draw, some people just don't have the luxury of picking up and leaving for six months, whether it be due to a working spouse, the grandkids, or the simple fact that some retirees enjoy where they live. Take Art Koff, founder of RetiredBrains. Now in his 80s, he launched his company in 2003 after a 50-year career in advertising. "When I was planning to retire, I was already looking for what I was going to do next," he said. "There was no site other than AARP that offered information to boomers, retirees and people planning their retirement, so I started RetiredBrains.com." While RetiredBrains features everything from senior-living resources to tips on Medicare, insurance and health care, Koff found that retirees are most interested in the site's job postings. "Many are interested in working on a temporary, part-time, project-based or seasonal basis. Others are looking for legitimate ways to earn money working from or out of their homes or perhaps starting a small-business enterprise," Koff said. Many retirees are looking to draw on their occupational skill set and become consultants.

And then there are others who follow a passion vastly different from their occupational roots.

Take Laura Cammarano, 59, who recently retired from her job as a senior engineer at Skyworks Solutions in Woburn, Massachusetts. Almost immediately, she sold her full-time residence in the suburbs of Boston and is now a ski instructor in Vermont in the winter  a job that is more fun than lucrative  and lives in Eastham, Massachusetts, in the summer, on the shores of Cape Cod.

In her "spare" time, she flips houses. And she does nearly all of the renovations herself, from framing and installing Sheetrock to tiling and painting.



Recently retired, former software engineer Laura Cammarano is supporting her income by investing in homes in need of repair, renovating them herself and selling them a few months later. CNBC

"I had done several projects on my own home over the years," she said, "and I enjoy doing it." To keep her income flowing, she plans to flip one or two houses a year in the Cape Cod area.


People walk pass next to the crime scene in Ozone Park after where Mosque leader Maulama Akonjee and friend Thara Uddin were killed in the Queens borough of New York City, August 13, 2016.

A Muslim cleric and an associate were fatally shot by a lone gunman on Saturday while walking together following afternoon prayers at a mosque in the New York City borough of Queens, authorities said.

The gunman approached the men from behind and shot both in the head at close range at about 1:50 p.m. EDT on a blistering hot afternoon in the Ozone Park neighborhood, police said in a statement, adding that no arrests had been made.

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. Even so, police were not ruling out any possibility, she added.

The victims, identified as Imam Maulama 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, hospital spokesman Andrew Rubin said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group known by the acronym CAIR, said Uddin was an associate of the imam.

"These were two very beloved people," Afaf Nasher, executive director of the New York chapter of CAIR, told Reuters. "These were community leaders.

"There is a deep sense of mourning and an overwhelming cry for justice to be served," Nasher said. "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."

The organization held a news conference on Saturday evening in front of the mosque, the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid, where the two men had prayed.

"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," Nasher said. ""You can't go up to a person and shoot them in the head and not be motivated by hatred."
Embroidered images of United States-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen (L) and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) are displayed in a shop in the Gaziantep market on January 17, 2014 in Gaziantep, near the Turkish-Syrian border.

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.
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.
Riots Erupt In Racially Divided Milwaukee After Police Shooting

By Emma G. Gallegos in News on Aug 14, 2016 6:45PM



A protest that erupted in the wake of a police shooting took a violent turn in Milwaukee last night as residents in the city plagued by long-simmering racial strife faced off with police, setting fire to a gas station and local businesses.

The shooting that set off protests happened shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Police officials said that two officers stopped two suspects in a car, and the pair took off running. During the chase, a 6-year veteran of the Milwaukee police fatally shot a 23-year-old man once in the chest and once in the arm. Officials say the man was armed with a handgun, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The 24-year-old officer was wearing a body camera that was turned on during the incident and has been put on desk duty while an investigation takes place. So far neither the man shot nor the officer who shot him have been identified. Few other details have been released about the circumstances of the shooting.

During last night's protest in Sherman Park, three were arrested and one officer was injured by a thrown brick, according to the Associated Press. During one standoff, a crowd of about 100 pushed back against officers who retreated to their cars. One car was set on fire and another's windows were smashed in. Around 11 p.m., protesters faced off with police in riot gear calling for the crowd to disperse. They threw bricks and debris at police who deflected it with their shields. A traffic light was bent, and a bus shelter was overturned.

A BP gas station, the scene of an earlier confrontation with police this summer, was torched, the Journal-Sentinel reported. A bank branch, beauty supply store and O'Reilly Auto Parts store were also burned. No injuries were reported in the fires, though firefighters had to hang back because of gunfire. Video from the scene shows the burning gas station, around which protesters yelled "black power:"

VIDEO: Rioters chanting "black power" as gas station burns in #milwaukee pic.twitter.com/wQJ45WOocm  Tim Pool (@Timcast) August 14, 2016

Calm had been restored by the early morning hours, and this morning community members joined clean-up efforts.

The protests have cast a spotlight on Milwaukee's racial strife, segregation and deep anger against police. About 40 percent of the city's population is black and heavily concentrated on the city's north side, where yesterday's shooting and protests both took place. The city is routinely called one of the worst places in the country for black people to live. More than half of black men have served time by the time they reach middle age, and the school-to-prison pipeline starts early: suspension rates for black K-12 students are higher there than anywhere in the country.

Here's an interview straight from the scene last night:

this is the brother of the man that was killed in #milwaukee by the police last night pic.twitter.com/TNBjRQbQvb  Sarah Nyberg (@srhbutts) August 14, 2016

Khalif Rainey, an alderman who represents Sherman Park, warned that the area had become a "powder keg" and that black Milwaukeeans' frustrations could boil over into the rest of the city. He told the Journal-Sentinel that last night was a "warning cry."

Do we continue - continue with the inequities, the injustice, the unemployment, the under-education, that creates these byproducts that we see this evening? The black people of Milwaukee are tired. Theyre tired of living under this oppression. This is their existence. This is their life. This is the life of their children. Now what has happened tonight may have not been right; Im not justifying that. But no one can deny the fact that theres problems, racial problems, here in Milwaukee, Wis., that have to be closely, not examined, but rectified. Rectify this immediately. Because if you dont, this vision of downtown, all of that, youre one day away. Youre one day away.

Update: Wisconsin governor Scott Walker has released a statement on the shooting, saying that he is declaring a state of emergency and activating the National Guard:
August 13, 2016; Auction caller Hunter Newbill announces bids as he spots them during the Auction at Graceland, which focused on Elvis Presley's film career this year. Items included movie posters, contracts, clothing and other memorabilia. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

By Bob Mehr of The Commercial Appeal

Bidding was fast and furious, and collectibles associated with the King commanded ransoms befitting royalty during Saturday's Elvis Presley auction at Graceland.

Coming in the midst of the annual Elvis Week festivities, the event saw nearly 200 different items go under the hammer, and generate some $730,000 in sales overall. It was the fifth sale since Graceland Auctions and its related Elvis authentication service were launched in 2014.

The items were offered by third-party collectors from around the world, as bidding took place online, on the phone and live at the Graceland Archive Studio.

The most significant and hotly contested item during the auction was a "Birth Record" from Presley's delivering physician, which also detailed the birth of his twin brother Jesse (who was stillborn). The historical document was won, after a fierce volley of bids, by Elvis Presley Enterprises, represented by archivist Angie Marchese for $87,500. The piece is expected to be put on display as part of Graceland's museum exhibits.

Among the other pricey pieces to move were a pair of red and white western-style pants that Presley donned in his first starring film role, "Loving You." The bidding on the trousers more than doubled the pre-auction estimate, selling for $42,000. Other articles of clothing, like a shirt, pants and gold belt ensemble sold for $37,500.

Pieces of jewelry owned or created for Elvis once again proved to be among the most desirable and expensive items. A Black Star Sapphire Ring, worn by Presley and later gifted to his bodyguard Al Strada, netted $35,000, far exceeding the $10,000-$15,000 pre-auction estimate. In addition, a 1911 Indian Head Gold two-and-a-half-dollar coin and diamond ring worn by Presley and given to tour promoter Tom Hulett pushed well past the $20,000-$25,000 pre-auction estimate, selling for $40,000.

The mix of items included everything from ticket stubs and signed contracts, to used razors, old guitar cases and even Elvis' pool balls and table chalk.

Elvis auctions will resume in the fall. The next sale is planned for Oct. 29 during the three-day opening celebration for the new hotel, The Guest House at Graceland, and will be followed by the regularly scheduled January auction during Presley's annual birthday festivities.
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By Michael Collins of The Commercial Appeal

WASHINGTON  Satish Mehra tried to log into his Social Security account, but he was locked out.

To access his information, Mehra needed an authentication code required under a new security measure put in place at the beginning of August. When seniors or other recipients tried to log into their online account, the Social Security Administration offered to text the code to their cellphone. Once they entered that code into the agency's website, access to their user accounts was restored.

The problem: Mehra doesn't use text messaging. So his Social Security account was off limits.

"Why should I be forced to use texting for Social Security when I don't use texting for anything else?" said Mehra, 69, a business professor at the University of Memphis.

Other Tennesseans found themselves in the same predicament. Members of the state's congressional delegation said they've received complaints from seniors who wanted to access their "my Social Security" account, but couldn't.

"While we can all agree cybersecurity is important, it is unacceptable for any new or current Social Security recipient to be prevented from easily accessing their account because they do not have a cellphone," said Rep. Phil Roe, R-Johnson City.

Facing a backlash, the Social Security Administration apologized Saturday for any inconvenience the new security policy had caused and said it was making the text-message code optional.

Current account holders will once again be able to access their secure account using only their username and password. "We highly recommend the extra security text message option," the agency said in a statement, "but it will not be required."

The agency said it is developing an alternative authentication option in addition to text messaging that it will implement within the next six months.

"We strive to balance security and customer service options  a large part of our stewardship responsibility is to keep data secure  and we want to ensure that our online services are both easy to use and secure," the statement said.

The Social Security system has always had "a robust verification and authentication process, and it remains safe and secure," the agency said.

The Social Security Administration said it had put the new authentication measure in place to comply with an executive order requiring federal agencies to boost security for their online services. Many banks and other financial institutions have similar security measures in place.

The new login procedure didn't keep recipients from receiving their monthly benefits. But it did keep some from going online to change a mailing address or designate a different bank to receive direct deposits.

The policy impacted not only those who don't text message, but also people who live in rural areas with limited cellphone service, said Rep. Diane Black, R-Gallatin.

"As a representative of a predominantly rural district with a large senior population, this is an issue of concern," said Black, who represents the 6th Congressional District in Middle Tennessee.

Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Knoxville, said the policy should be optional because "it in effect reduces the amount of many beneficiaries' Social Security incomes by forcing them to pay for cellphone and data plans."

While the safety and security of Social Security recipients is of utmost importance, "the Social Security Administration should provide a secure way for all recipients to access their online accounts regardless of their socioeconomic status or geographic location," said Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis.

Mehra agrees.

Several of his neighbors also have been locked out of their accounts, he said.
SHARE Barney Sellers/The Commercial Appeal files August 15, 1953  Beverly Nelms of Bethel Grove playground was getting ready for the girls' championship softball battle in the Playground Festival at Overton Park.

Aug. 14

25 years ago: 1991

A Wisconsin legislator with an ear for Elvis music and a slicked-back hairdo like the Hillbilly Cat's believes  no, guarantees  the king will soon be immortalized on a U.S. postage stamp. William D. Lorge, a 30-year-old Republican state representative from rural Bear Creek, has joined legions of Elvis fans who have alternately asked, demanded and begged the Postal Service to commemorate the fallen king of rock and roll. Pat Geiger, a 71-year-old great grandmother from Vermont who has spearheaded the Elvis stamp drive for eight years, is generally recognized as the matron of the movement.

50 years ago: 1966

Hazel, the Overton Park Zoo's 3-year-old African elephant, yesterday got her revenge on Connie, the Zoo's 9-year-old Asiatic elephant. When Hazel arrived here June 13, 4,500-pound Connie greeted the 1,000-pound newcomer with a mighty whack of her powerful trunk. Yesterday at noon Connie tried again. Hazel ducked, and Connie lost her balance and tumbled into the 10-foot moat surrounding the elephant yard. "She let out one blood curdling trumpet, but the fall didn't seem to bother her and she just started exploring the pit," said James Reece, 25, of Millington. Several attendants were assigned to keep children from climbing over the low fence around the moat wall, while others built a ramp for Connie to walk out.

75 years ago: 1941

Rose Kriger, star of the recent MOAT production of "The Fortune Teller," will sing for members of the Shrine Luncheon Club when Nathan Badanis is feted as the honored member at Friday's weekly meeting at the DeVoy.

100 years ago: 1916

Prescott Memorial Church is the name selected by members of the Normal Baptist Church at Normal Station for a $20,000 or $25,000 edifice to be erected on a lot donated by Dan Prescott. Rev. J.W. Dickens of the Second Baptist Church at Jackson, Tenn., will accept the call to the pastorate.

125 years ago: 1891

The work entitled "In Darkest Russia" has met with a very good sale. The book is devoted to an expose of the wrongs from which Jews in Russia suffer and gives long lists of the fresh persecutions.
SHARE thememoryhole.org/Associated Press files In this undated photo made by the U.S. Department of Defense and obtained in April 2004, flag-draped coffins of U.S. war casualties are lined up inside a plane in Dover, Del. U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan will soon enter its 16th year.

By Andrew J. Bacevich, Los Angeles Times

Although hardly news, it bears repeating that the Afghanistan War stands as the longest in all of U.S. history. By election day, it will have entered its 16th year. Our next president will surely inherit the war there, just as Barack Obama inherited it from George W. Bush. Here is a situation where the phrase "endless war" is not hyperbole; it accurately describes reality.

Given this depressing fact, one might think that those aspiring to the office of commander in chief would have something to say about how they intend to win or at least curtail that conflict, or perhaps why the U.S. should persist in such a costly endeavor. But in their lengthy convention speeches, neither Donald Trump (who spoke for 75 minutes) nor Hillary Clinton (who spoke for 66) found the time to even mention Afghanistan.

Their silence hints at what we can expect in the weeks between now and November: a campaign in which the opposing candidates will vigorously impugn each other's qualifications for high office while dodging any serious examination of core national security issues. Of bellicose posturing and the insipid recitation of platitudes, there will be plenty. Of critical analysis probing the recent failures and disappointments resulting from U.S. military interventions, expect very little.

For a long time now, Americans have displayed a tendency to sanitize, marginalize or altogether forget wars that resist incorporation into the preferred triumphal narrative of U.S. history. Afghanistan falls into the category of the best forgotten.

Yet however inconvenient, Afghanistan demands attention. For here the United States first set out to test the proposition that has formed the cornerstone of our national security policy since 9/11: That the deft application of U.S. military power can not only eliminate those threatening to do us harm, but also install in their place a stable political order conducive to liberal values.

In Afghanistan, the U.S. and its allies have failed on both counts, despite considerable sacrifice and expenditures exceeding $1 trillion. Notwithstanding many years of Western tutoring, the Afghan government, currently dependent upon international donors for 70 percent of its operating revenue, has shown little capacity to stand on its own. Efforts to root out pervasive corruption have gone nowhere.

Opium production flourishes, with Afghanistan persistently supplying 90 percent of the world's heroin. Though no longer at the helm in Kabul, the Taliban persists and by some estimates is gaining strength. Hardly less troubling, the Islamic State has established a local Afghan franchise.

The operation once grandly known as Enduring Freedom now goes by the bland name Resolute Support, the restyling itself a de facto admission of expectations ratcheted downward. The mission objective is now, in essence, simply to hang on.

Taken in total, the present-day situation in Afghanistan represents a policy failure of staggering dimensions, matched in recent years only by the equally abysmal results achieved by U.S. efforts in Iraq, site of another long war that shows no signs of ending any time soon.

Political calculation may provide Trump and Clinton with a continuing rationale to avoid subjecting the Afghanistan War to close scrutiny.

Because Trump's candidacy is fundamentally idiosyncratic, divining the reasons for his silence is necessarily a speculative exercise. One real possibility is that he is oblivious to the events that have occurred in Afghanistan since U.S. forces began arriving in the fall of 2001 and so has nothing to say. Another is that there are other issues  Libya being a prime example  that he can more readily hang around Clinton's neck.

As for Clinton, she may be reluctant to remind voters that it was during her husband's presidency that Islamist militants in Afghanistan first laid the basis for the 9/11 conspiracy. In that sense, the less said about that country the better. Then there is this additional factor: Clinton has gone out of her way to emphasize her cordial relations with senior military leaders, no doubt hoping thereby to bury a residual impression of the Democrats as an anti-military party. For her to focus critical attention on Afghanistan will necessarily call into question the performance of senior officers who commanded U.S. and NATO troops there and came home without getting the job done. As the prominent role allotted to one of those commanders at the Democratic convention suggests, Clinton appears less interested in holding generals accountable than in securing their endorsement.

If the candidates don't turn to Afghanistan on the stump, we may hope  indeed, should insist  that the upcoming presidential debates oblige Trump and Clinton to address questions like these: What specific lessons do you take away from this longest of American wars? Please explain how you will apply those lessons once in office. As for Afghanistan itself, where do we go from here?

To evade such questions would be an abdication of responsibility.

Andrew J. Bacevich is the author most recently of "America's War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History."
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More small companies are turning to the National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ), China's start-up board, for fund-raising.

During the past week, 396 companies debuted on the NEEQ, up from 231 seen a week ago and bringing NEEQ-listed companies to 8,542.

Three companies recorded transactions worth of more than 100 million yuan (around US$15 million). Donghai Securities, a small brokerage firm headquartered in the eastern city of Changzhou in Jiangsu Province, became the biggest winner with shares worth 1.1 billion yuan traded.

Total turnover climbed 6.26 percent week on week to 3.32 billion yuan from Aug. 8 to 12. However, the benchmark NEEQ Component Index declined 1.16 percent to 1,148.42.

The NEEQ was launched in Beijing in late 2012 and is also known as the "new third board" that supplements the main Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses.

The Chinese government is promoting a multi-level capital market to satisfy growing financial demands from both large and small companies.
Associated Press photos Which presidential candidate tells the biggest whoppers? Columnists say that voters who value honesty need to differentiate between Hillary Clinton, who twists the truth, and Donald Trump who tells outright falsehoods with no factual basis at all.

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By Daniel Drezner, Special to the Washington Post

The latest polls from CBS/New York Times and ABC/Washington Post show Hillary Clinton with a secure lead, but they also show that voters believe her to be roughly as honest as reality-show veteran Donald Trump. This has clearly nettled close observers of this presidential race. Last weekend, two prominent columnists attempted to outline the relationship between the major party nominees and the truth.

Aug. 7, the New York Times' Nick Kristof argued that when comparing Trump and Clinton as liars, Trump wins and it's not close:

"The idea that they are even in the same league is preposterous. If deception were a sport, Trump would be the Olympic gold medalist; Clinton would be an honorable mention at her local Y. . . .

"One metric comes from independent fact-checking websites. As of Friday, PolitiFact had found 27 percent of Clinton's statements that it had looked into were mostly false or worse, compared with 70 percent of Trump's. It said 2 percent of Clinton's statements it had reviewed were egregious 'pants on fire' lies, compared with 19 percent of Trump's. So Trump has nine times the share of flat-out lies as Clinton. 

"If Clinton declares that she didn't chop down a cherry tree, that might mean that she actually used a chain saw to cut it down. Or that she ordered an aide to chop it down. As for Trump, he will insist, 'I absolutely did not chop down that cherry tree,' even as he clutches the ax with which he chopped it down moments earlier on Facebook Live."

Two days earlier, however, the Washington Post's Fareed Zakaria offered a different interpretation of Trump's relationship with the truth:

"Harry Frankfurt, an eminent moral philosopher and former professor at Princeton, wrote a brilliant essay in 1986 called 'On Bull----.' (Frankfurt himself wrote about Trump in this vein, as have Jeet Heer and Eldar Sarajlic.) In the essay, Frankfurt distinguishes crucially between lies and B.S.: "Telling a lie is an act with a sharp focus. It is designed to insert a particular falsehood at a specific point. . . . In order to invent a lie at all, (the teller of a lie) must think he knows what is true.

"But someone engaging in B.S., Frankfurt says, 'is neither on the side of the true nor on the side of the false. His eye is not on the facts at all . . . except insofar as they may be pertinent to his interest in getting away with what he says.' Frankfurt writes that the B.S.-er's 'focus is panoramic rather than particular' and that he has 'more spacious opportunities for improvisation, color, and imaginative play. This is less a matter of craft than of art. Hence the familiar notion of the 'bull---- artist.'

"This has been Trump's mode all his life. He boasts  and boasts and boasts  about his business, his buildings, his books, his wives. Much of it is a concoction of hyperbole and falsehoods. And when he's found out, he's like that guy we have all met at a bar who makes wild claims but when confronted with the truth, quickly responds, 'I knew that!' "

As a huge fan of Harry Frankfurt's brilliant opus, I have to side with Zakaria here. Indeed, Trump, his ghostwriters and his supporters would agree. Consider that even Trump's own acolytes have to hem and haw when it comes to the campaign's policy proposals.

Tony Schwartz, Trump's ghostwriter for Trump's "The Art of the Deal," told the New Yorker's Jane Mayer that Trump's carelessness with the truth caused him to write about Trump's penchant for exaggeration in the book:

"Schwartz says of Trump, 'He lied strategically. He had a complete lack of conscience about it.' Since most people are 'constrained by the truth,' Trump's indifference to it 'gave him a strange advantage.'. . ..

"When Schwartz began writing 'The Art of the Deal,' he realized that he needed to put an acceptable face on Trump's loose relationship with the truth. So he concocted an artful euphemism. Writing in Trump's voice, he explained to the reader, 'People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular. I call it truthful hyperbole. It's an innocent form of exaggeration  and it's a very effective form of promotion.' Schwartz now disavows the passage. 'Deceit,' he told me, is never 'innocent.' He added, "'Truthful hyperbole' is a contradiction in terms. It's a way of saying, 'It's a lie, but who cares?' " Trump, he said, loved the phrase.

Donald Trump does not intend to evade the truth. He simply does not care whether what he says is the truth.

When Trump met with editorial boards during the primaries, he intimated that he focuses on his anti-immigration position in speeches because that's what drives his crowds crazy.

As Gail Collins wrote after Trump met with the New York Times editorial board in January:

"The most optimistic analysis of Trump as a presidential candidate is that he just doesn't believe in positions, except the ones you adopt for strategic purposes when you're making a deal. So you obviously can't explain how you're going to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants, because it's going to be the first bid in some future monster negotiation session."

Trump fits Frankfurt's definition of a B.S. artist to a T. And, it should be noted, this also means that he occasionally tells the truth by accident. But the notion put forward by his supporters that Trump is daring to speak hard truths is laughable, since Trump has no clue what is true and what isn't.

Frankfurt's distinction between B.S. and lying also helps get at how we should think of Clinton and her seeming inability to completely put her email scandal to rest. The fact-checking sites show that compared to all of the other candidates this cycle, Clinton has been the most truthful. But Clinton hasn't been completely honest. Indeed, PolitiFact gave Clinton a "pants on fire" rating in her Fox News Sunday interview with Chris Wallace that, in an ordinary campaign week, would have caused her all sorts of agita.

Fundamentally truthful politicians will try to avoid outright lies by parsing their words as carefully as possible. Bill Clinton was a fundamentally truthful politician who nonetheless lied at times. He was such a good politician, however, that he could sell his lies with conviction.

Hillary Clinton might be a good leader, but she is not a great politician. When she lies, doesn't look good doing it. In contrast to Trump, she's painfully aware of her relationship with the truth.

Zakaria is right and Kristof is wrong about Trump. Between Clinton and Trump, Clinton is the bigger and badder liar  but that's because Clinton cares enough about the truth to know a lie when she tells one.

Trump is a mediocre B.S. artist on a stage that is way too big for his meager abilities.

Daniel Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
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Striking while the iron is hot may be a good business strategy, but it's a no-no for high-ranking government officials who want to move quickly into new careers as lobbyists, while their influence is still strong.

Mark Cate, the former chief of staff to Gov. Bill Haslam, insists he wasn't lobbying in a series of telephone conversations with the governor and an official with the state Department of Education immediately after he left the governor's office on July 31, 2015.

There is no reason to doubt him.

But the cozy relationship revealed by the urgent and frequent conversations make efforts to close the "revolving door" in state government  the rapid transfer of legislators and high-ranking executive branch types into lobbying careers  look rather futile.

An investigation by The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville revealed 70 text messages in the months after Cate left Haslam's administration between Cate and Steven Smith, who served as deputy commissioner for policy and external affairs at the Tennessee Department of Education until Haslam recently hired him as a senior adviser.

The texts refer to a number of phone calls and at least one conversation between Cate and the governor in which legislative matters were discussed, including a misguided effort by some legislators to codify school policies regarding the use of bathrooms by transgender students.

Cate defends his input as that of a private citizen expressing his views on important policy issues, stressing the fact that he had no clients who had engaged him or his firm to lobby on the legislation under discussion and broke no laws.

There is little doubt that Cate was acting within the boundaries of state law.

Two years of emails and text messages between Cate and top state officials from six departments illustrate an extraordinary degree of influence on state government, however, both during his time as chief of staff and as the principal for his new company, Stones River Group  a level of access that few private citizens could even imagine.

As House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada explained the phenomenon, noting that Cate is still friends with many in the administration, "It's human nature to want to help your friends. I don't care if it's government, business, the church. You just want to help your friends."

Which is exactly what many of the rules regarding ethical behavior are meant to address.

It has been quite a while since state government took a step back and examined the need for reform on the question of ethics.

The Comprehensive Governmental Ethics Reform Act of 2006, which created dozens of new rules dealing with such issues as lobbying, campaign finance and public disclosure, was the culmination of a process that began the year before when FBI agents arrested five current and former state legislators on bribery or extortion charges.

The arrests prompted Gov. Phil Bredesen to appoint a citizens task force, co-chaired by Memphis lawyer and former state attorney general Mike Cody, to make recommendations to the General Assembly. The legislation was drafted by a bipartisan House-Senate committee.

Fortunately, the state has managed to avoid the kind of ethical crisis it faced a decade ago, but there is always a need to make sure current rules are safeguarding the public's right to fair and equal treatment on public policy issues.

An update may be in order.
SHARE Sen. Lamar Alexander

By Lamar Alexander, Special to Viewpoint

The U.S. does many things well, but one thing we do better than any other nation is innovation through basic research. In fact, it's hard to think of an important technological advancement since World War II that has not involved at least some form of government-sponsored research.

To solve our energy and climate challenges, the federal government should double funding for basic energy research, and the way to pay for it is by ending the wasteful Big Wind subsidy on Jan. 1, 2017.

I've spent much of this year working on legislation to drive biomedical research. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, testified that in 10 years researchers in the U.S. may be rebuilding hearts from adult stem cells, giving patients artificial organs, and there may be a vaccine for HIV/AIDS.

Just as remarkable are the opportunities available in clean energy research  lowering the cost of energy, cleaning the air, improving health, reducing poverty and helping address climate change.

The biggest problem we have with increasing basic energy research is finding a way to pay for it, so I introduced legislation to help solve that problem.

By ending the 24-year-old wind production tax credit at the end of this year instead of at the end of 2019, Congress could use the $8.1 billion saved to increase the funding for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. This would support the same kind of basic energy research that drove our natural gas boom and could jump-start the next generation of energy innovation.

Let's not continue to give away this money to wind developers  who move forward with wind energy projects often over the objections of communities, towns and homeowners that don't want their farmland and mountains littered with massive 45-story turbines.

I'm not the only one who says we should focus on research instead of incentives for mature energy technology.

Political scientist Bjorn Lomborg wrote in The Wall Street Journal last month that "instead of rhetoric and ever-larger subsidies of today's inefficient green technologies, those who want to combat climate change should focus on dramatically boosting innovation to drive down the cost of future green energy."

Lomborg wrote the U.S. should support energy research the way Bill Gates does through the Breakthrough Energy Coalition  which has committed $7 billion of private funding toward research into clean energy.

And Gates has said to me that the government should double its $5 billion investment in basic energy research to boost clean energy innovation.

Such research could help develop small modular reactors, which would allow inherently safe nuclear power to be produced with less capital investment and less resulting nuclear waste in more places. After all, nuclear power provides 60 percent of our country's carbon-free electricity, and it is available 92 percent of the time. Wind, on the other hand, produces 15 percent of our country's carbon-free electricity  and the wind only blows 35 percent of the time.

And basic energy research could also help develop an economical way to capture and use carbon, make solar power cost-competitive, and help advance supercomputing  which is essential to solving the most complex scientific problems and maintaining our country's competitiveness and national security.

In 2014, Congress voted to spend another $6 billion to extend the wasteful wind subsidy for one year. That amount is more than the U.S. spends in an entire year on the Office of Science at the Department of Energy. Let's not make that mistake again.

Basic energy research is one of the most important things the country can do to help unleash our free-enterprise system to provide the clean, cheap, reliable energy we need to power our 21st-century economy, create good jobs, and keep America competitive in a global economy.

Lamar Alexander represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.
People rush to the site of a suicide bombing to help victims in Peshawar, Pakistan.

The China-Pakistan economic Corridor (CPEC) is a massive economic project aimed at linking north-western China with the Gwadar deep seaport on the mouth of the Arabian Sea in the south of Pakistan. The project was announced in early 2015 when President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan. China is planning to invest about 46 billion dollars in several projects of infrastructure development and power generation collectively termed as the CPEC.

It is an example of win-win cooperation as both China and Pakistan would be beneficiaries. China will get an alternative route to approach the sea, which is also the shortest and will save both money and time to import oil from the Middle East and export finished products to the Gulf, Africa and Europe.

Pakistan has already declared it as a game-changer for the country. It will help to develop some of the most impoverished regions of Pakistan through modern road and rail links, create massive job opportunities and address the perennial power shortages. It brings investment into the country when no other nation is ready to pump money into Pakistan due to security reasons.

The CPEC is too good for Pakistan. That is why it also faces opposition from some quarters and countries. India, from the start, objected to the route of the CPEC which passes through the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). The mountainous and picturesque region is part of Kashmir which is disputed between Pakistan and India. The two countries have fought at least two major wars over Kashmir since their independence from Britain in 1947.

Indian objects to Chinese investment in the G-B under the pretext that it is disputed territory. But it is mentioned nowhere that a disputed region cannot be developed through foreign investment. The final status of Kashmir should be decided by people of Kashmir through fair plebiscite, according to UN resolutions. However, pending any decision about the plebiscite, there should be no bar on the economic progress and well-being of the people of Kashmir, including in the G-B region.

The Indian opposition is primarily due to several running problems with rival Pakistan. But India may not be the only country against the CPEC, as other nations might see it as strategic gain for China which is emerging power of the world. Once the CPEC is operational, China will have an additional route to the sea, in the case of any conflict, for international trade in addition to the one passing through the Strait of Malacca, which is an important trading passage in the world.

The CPEC is also an important part of the "Belt and Road" initiative which once completed would immensely increase China's global importance and outreach.

An important portion of the route of the CPEC passes through the southwestern province of Balochistan, of which Gwadar is a part. The security situation in the province has not been ideal for many years. Various militants, sectarian and separatist armed outfits are active and create senseless violence.

In one such incident on Monday, a suicide bomber targeted a gathering of lawyers in the provincial capital Quetta and killed more than 70 people, mostly law professionals. It was the worst attack in Pakistan since the East bombing in March which killed more than 70 people in the eastern city of Lahore. The attack has once again spotlighted the threat to the CPEC.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and powerful army chief Raheel Sharif separately termed that the Quetta attack was an effort to harm the economic corridor. "There is no doubt in my mind that enemies of Pakistan are after the CPEC," the prime minister said at a security meeting soon after the terrorist incident. The chief minister of the province, Sanaullah Zehri, directly accused India when he told the media after visiting a hospital to see the victim of the blast that India's Research and Analyst Wing (RAW) was behind the attack.

There is growing concern in Pakistan that the strategic and economic importance of the corridor makes it vulnerable to the regional and international conspiracies. The opponents want to sabotage the project in order to harm the interests of both China and Pakistan. Without going into the details about any real or imaginary "conspiracies" against the CPEC, it is evident that the brittle law and order in Pakistan would be a huge hurdle for any foreign investment of sizeable portion.

Pakistan and China should cooperate closely to address the security threat to this vital economic initiative. The project should be open for other nations to join if they want to invest. It would be better to use it for greater regional connectivity and development. Once more stakeholders join it, we would have more beneficiaries and defenders of the CPEC.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
 Flash

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.
 Flash

Scientists and farmers in Britain were Saturday given post-Brexit funding guarantees in a new move by Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond.

Treasury officials in London said it would end uncertainty over the future of key projects following the referendum decision by Britain to leave the European Union (EU).

It will also mean British universities bidding for EU funding before the departure from Europe would have that money underwritten by the government.

Funding would also continue for farmers who currently receive subsidies and other payments under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) worth nearly 4 billion U.S.dollars a year.

Hammond's Treasury Department said the move will give the farming sector, British businesses and universities certainty over future funding. He said they should continue to bid for competitive EU funds while Britain remains a member of the EU.

The measure, they say, will support economic development, with assurances set out by the Treasury including agri-environment schemes signed before the chancellor's upcoming Autumn Statement. These will be fully funded, even when the projects continue beyond Britain's departure from the EU.

Hammond said Saturday: "We recognize 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.

"We are guaranteeing that projects that have already been signed or that are going to be signed over the coming months, even if the payment of those funds runs on beyond the time we leave the EU, will be guaranteed by the British government."

The official added,"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."

The government guarantee will extend to British institutions bidding for a share of the EU's 90 billion U.S.dollar Horizon 2020 program which funds research and innovation.

The Treasury is also looking at whether it will guarantee funding for specific structural and investment fund projects signed after the Autumn Statement.

Andrea Leadsom, secretary of state for environment,food and rural affairs, said: "This is excellent news for our farmers. It means farmers are assured of current levels of funding until 2020. Any agri-environment schemes agreed before the Autumn Statement will be fully funded -- even when these projects continue beyond the UK's departure from the EU."

"Food and farming are central to our national identity and together they are a bedrock of our economy, generating over 100 billion pounds a year (130 billion U.S.dollars) and employing one in eight people."

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: "The government's commitment to our world-leading science and research base remains steadfast."

"By underwriting the significant Horizon 2020 grants we are showing the extent of our commitment, standing squarely behind our researchers and scientists as they continue working with their European partners to develop new technologies, discover life-saving medicines and pioneer every day innovations that will benefit all hard-working Britons," he said.

The National Farmers' Union welcomed the Treasury's announcement describing it as positive for farming.
Privacy is dead, has been a mantra, for different reasons, for generations. In the cybersecurity community, it has been conventional wisdom for at least a decade. But Edward Snowden and Andrew bunnie Huang apparently think they can revive it a bit, at least if you own an iPhone 6.

Their goal, they say in a white paper titled, Against the Law  Countering Lawful Abuses of Digital Surveillance, is to create an add-on hardware component that will protect front-line journalists in repressive regimes where governments have demonstrated the capability to track people through their smartphones even if the devices are set to Airplane Mode.

Indeed, on iPhones with iOS 8.2 and later, GPS remains active in Airplane Mode.

They did not address in their paper whether that kind of privacy could also be irresistibly attractive to terrorists and other criminals.

Snowden, the famous (or infamous) former NSA contractor who leaked a trove of classified documents proving, among other things, that the U.S. government was conducting surveillance on its own citizens, is much better known to the masses than Huang. But in hacking circles, it is Huang who has both a bigger name and more credibility to deliver such a device.

One good journalist, in the right place at the right time, can change history.

Edward Snowden, director, Freedom of the Press Foundation

So it was Snowden, now director of the Freedom of the Press Foundation and still a fugitive from U.S. justice living in Russia, who presented the political rationale for their proposal on livestream video last month to the "Forbidden Research" conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Media Lab  an invitation only event, although archived video is available.

And it was Huang, in person, who presented the technical elements of the prototype they hope to build within the next year.

It would not surprise anyone to hear that Snowden believes that just because something is legal doesnt make it right or moral. He noted in his talk that everything from slavery to segregation, discrimination, torture, indefinite detention and extra-judicial killings have been conducted, under frameworks that said they were lawful as long as you abide by the regulations.

The question is, can you trust the gatekeeper  can you trust the UI (user interface)?

Andrew bunnie Huang, hacker and author

He said the same is true of, lawful abuse of digital surveillance, which he said is now turning the tools of journalists trade against them. He said that since January 2005, more than 1,070 journalists or media workers have been killed or gone missing. The bulk of those deaths, he said, were not war-zone combat casualties but outright murder.

One of the more recent was Marie Colvin, a reporter for the Sunday Times in Britain, who was killed in Syria in 2012 by government artillery fire on the apartment building being used as a makeshift media center in the city of Homs.

She had reported just hours earlier that government claims that they were not shelling civilian targets were false. Her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Syrian government last month.

According to Snowden, Her family has evidence that the radio frequency (RF) communications she used to file her reports were intercepted by the Syrian army. They used direction-finding capabilities to track and locate this illegal, unlawful media center  unlawful because of a government news blackout.

Any useful technology will have applications that are both good and evil.

Dan Cornell, CTO and principal at the Denim Group

Another much more recent example of the risk is Nour Al-Ameer, a former vice president of the Syrian National Council and now a refugee activist, who received what looked like a legitimate email with a PowerPoint attachment purporting to contain details of Assad Crimes.

She didnt open it, and turned it over to Citizen Lab, which determined it contained spyware with a remote access Trojan called Droidjack that would allow a remote attacker to control her mobile device  to turn on the microphone and camera, remove files, read encrypted messages, and send spoofed instant messages and emails. Obviously, if her phone had been compromised, she and her family would have been in mortal danger.

So the goal of the hardware Snowden and Huang hope to develop, he said, would let the smartphones owner know if the device, starts breaking the rules and broadcasting any kind of locational information through RF.

As Huang put it, the question is, can you trust the gatekeeper  can you trust the UI (user interface)?

This will not be a simple add on, however. It is complicated enough that the two decided to build it for just a single phone  the iPhone 6  since that model is, what we understand to be the current preferences and tastes of reporters, although Huang said in his presentation that once the module is a reality, it should be extendable to other makes and models of phones.

As he explained and the paper illustrates, the installation of what they are calling an introspection engine will require a skilled technician to open the device and go through the SIM card port to attach sensors at multiple points, to monitor anything that might emit RFs  the cellular modem, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. Their plan is to disable entirely near-field communication (NFC), which is used for Apple Pay, since they dont think front-line journalists will be doing that kind of shopping.

The two say they plan for the module to be open-source (You dont have to trust us.), user-inspectable, field verifiable and to operate independently of the phones operating system or CPU, which could be compromised. Huang added that they want the module to be essentially invisible to the operating system and not to have a signature that could be detected, since governments would then be likely to target those using it.

The stakes are high  very high  Snowden said, because, one good journalist, in the right place at the right time, can change history, including possibly changing the outcome of an election or of a war. That makes them a target, he said.

But, of course, every tool for the good guys could be attractive to bad guys as well. If terrorists or other criminals got access to such a module, they could go dark more effectively as well.

The Department of Homeland Security had nothing to say on the matter. Spokeswoman Marsha Catron said, we wouldnt comment on pending matters.

But privacy experts note that any technology can be used for good or bad purposes. It is dangerous to impugn the ethics of a project like this, said Dan Cornell, CTO and principal at the Denim Group. Pretty much any useful technology will have applications that are both good and evil. Google Maps provides tremendous benefits but could also be used by terrorists to help plan attacks.

Parker Higgins, director of copyright activism at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), has a similar view. It's possible for bad actors to use infrastructure, but that doesn't stop us from building it, he said.

Higgins added that he doubts that a module like this would be widely used by criminals or terrorists. While the perception may be that they are highly sophisticated, he said, in practice, those groups tend not to be very advanced in their communications technology.

Still the effort by Snowden and Huang to monitor a phones RF emissions raises the question of why the makers of the phones dont deliver what they essentially promise  that if the phone is in Airplane Mode, it is not broadcasting location data.

Cornell said putting public pressure on phone manufacturers to give users more control over whether their device is communicating, is a more interesting approach. He likened it to how relatively easy it is to block the camera on a laptop with a piece of tape, but not so easy to block the microphone from being turned on without the users knowledge.

A better approach for laptops would be to have a hardware off switch for privacy impacting sensors like the microphone and camera that would physically break the connection and make it impossible for the sensor to operate, he said.

If this approach were applied to smartphones, then the various antennas on the phones could have similar physical controls made available.

He added that if such controls were built in, it would be more likely to work than, some sort of aftermarket-modified phone with a voided warranty.

Cornell said it is also important for users to recognize that the proposed module, even if it works as intended, doesnt provide protection. It provides awareness.

RELATED VIDEO:
White hat hackers see companies at their worst. It is, after all, their job to expose weaknesses. Network World Editor in Chief John Dix recently chatted with penetration testing expert Josh Berry, Senior Technology Manager at Accudata Systems, an IT consulting and integration firm based in Houston, to learn more about the attack techniques he encounters and what he advises clients do to fight back.

Josh Berry, Senior Technology Manager, Accudata Systems

Lets start with a thumbnail description of your companys white hat team.

Most of us do a little bit of everything, but it involves anything from internal and external vulnerability assessment to network penetration tests, web application tests, penetration tests for mobile applications, wireless testing and social engineering as well. We also have a compliance side of the practice that handles more PCI-DSS, HIPAA, those kinds of things.

Background-wise, we typically all have a CISSP, the de facto standard security certification, and then on the penetration testing side, Im an OSCP, which is Offensive Security Certified Professional, which is fairly well regarded for our particular niche. They give you access to a lab and you have to penetrate so many systems within 24 hours and then write a report.

Who typically hires you folks?

We are typically engaged by the IT department, whether its information security or another group. A large percentage of our assessments are driven by compliance needs to validate security controls for, say, the credit card industry, data security standard or HIPAA or something else like that. They understand the purpose and goals and there isnt a lot of explanation needed.

Do you also get brought in after a breach?

That can happen. Say a customer has had a breach and have taken steps to add more security layers and additional controls. Once those are installed, a lot of times theyll engage an organization like Accudata to perform testing to validate what theyve put in place.

We had a banking customer, for example, engage us to perform a mobile application assessment before they made it available to customers. We went about testing it and found a flaw where an attacker, had they pushed out this application prior to having it tested, would have been able to transfer money from anyones bank or credit card to their own bank or credit card, and they could have done that for every customer in the environment if they wanted to. We see that a lot, where testing is performed before a system goes live, so we can help find an issue before an attacker has the opportunity to.

What size organizations typically hire you?

It really depends on the companys compliance requirements. If they accept credit cards as payment for any product or service, its a requirement, regardless of their size. But most of our customers are in the mid to large size.

Do you ever approach an engagement on a stealth basis, or are you always out front with it?

That really depends on the maturity of the organization. There are a lot of things you can get out of penetration tests. For those with less mature security processes, theyre really just looking to find vulnerabilities someone can use to access their systems or data. But for a more mature organization, they might also want to test their ability to detect and respond. In those cases its usually more stealth, where we are trying to be slower and quiet and not intentionally set off any alarms.

Weve been banging on security for a long time. When you do this for a large organization, are things more or less buttoned up and are you increasingly looking for smaller holes?

Most organizations external perimeter is pretty buttoned up. But once you make it inside its still pretty weak. Its a pretty quick operation to go from social engineering to exploit somebodys workstation, to pivoting in the environment and escalate all the way to an administrator where you can access anything.

But the perimeter is more secure, applications are being developed more securely, developers are more knowledgeable about different types of classes of attacks and how to use tools to prevent those. Most organizations still struggle to patch clients, which can be attacked using phishing or other social engineering techniques. They struggle to patch third-party applications throughout the environment. So we still see vulnerabilities we can use to get in, and once were inside we can escalate access through third-party applications.

Another very common way we get in is finding a system or application or device that has a default or a weak password. Large organizations tend to miss a system here or there and forget to change that one default admin account password.

Given the environments that you test, would you agree with the idea put forward by some that most organizations have already been breached, that they already have malware inside?

Yes. If they havent been breached, its just because they have stayed off the radar and there are better targets, or they dont have anything of enough value for an attacker to take the time to bypass their defenses. Through social engineering, every organization is susceptible to being attacked and having a significant compromise.

The growing trend is to get better at detecting and responding, to have the mindset that, At some point were going to be breached or we probably have been, so lets get better at identifying the indicators of compromise and shut those down before it becomes a problem. Thats something were providing more and more of versus just finding this and that vulnerability.

Is social engineering the most common type of attack these days?

Yes. In the wild, the most common attacks would be social engineering, typically involving some sort of email phishing campaign where the attacker sends an email that looks like its from a legitimate organization, or maybe from the company itself, and gets a user to click on a link. That link either asks them to type in their user name and password or opens up a document or something else that exploits the workstation, and then the attacker goes from there. Thats what is typically used in ransomware attacks. The human element tends to be one of the hardest things to secure.

We do social engineering testing as well. For example, we had another banking customer and we had 100 users in scope for a phishing attack. We planned out the scenario, set up the website and crafted the email and sent it out to the 100 users, and then we started tracking who was clicking on it, who is logging in. We quickly got over 100 users. Not everyone clicked, but some of the employees thought what we were proposing was great and forwarded it to others. We actually had something like a 150% percent success rate. That just shows you.

Come on, 150%?

The percentage rate for clicking on the original email was probably closer to 50%. On most engagements we see 25%-30% actually log in so we can capture credentials, and maybe 20% go through the entire process. Still, in a large organization thats a really high percentage of users.

Thats amazing. What do you recommend to combat that? Theres this discussion about whether security training works, but what do you folks advocate?

We certainly advocate providing additional training and what indicators to look, but there is only so much you can do to train your employees. Their jobs arent security. Their jobs are in accounting or whatnot, so they cant be an expert in security. So we also try to give some practical things that can help either prevent or detect these types of attacks.

For example, in our tests we often send an email that appears to come from another employee in the company. One of our consultants has had a lot of success with an email that pretends to provide a link to a spreadsheet with everyones salary. Thats always good click bait. So we recommend they train employees about what an email from accounting is going to look like. And train them that, if they get an email from accounting, it is never going to contain a link. You tell them to access the accounting page directly.

Also, a majority of mail servers wont allow us to send an email that comes from their own domain, so usually what we do is change it slightly. If its company.com we change it to company1.com. So we tell customers to train employees to look at the domain of the company.

What are corporations most worried about losing?

Right now I think most organizations are most concerned about ransomware because it can be fairly devastating. If a couple users of important shares get infected and everything within those shares gets encrypted and you have a poor backup program, that can have a huge impact on the business.

You would think that most companies would have adequate backup plans so this wouldnt be much of an issue.

Weve seen a little bit of everything with backup plans. A lot of organizations have a decent backup strategy in place, but its still a big headache and really slows the business down if you have large amounts of files and shares that get encrypted, and now you have to go restore all these things and test and make sure the restore went well, etc. It definitely slows business operations down tremendously. I dont know that weve had any customers pay a ransom, but Im aware of organizations that have, some with success and some that pay and still get nothing out of it.

RELATED VIDEO:



This story, "How well does social engineering work? One test returned 150%" was originally published by Network World .
The artists statement Barbara Griffiths has prepared for the nine or 10 paintings she has in a group show at the University of Connecticut Stamford Art Gallery will incl ude these words:

As I approach the end of a lifetime dedicated to art, a problem arises; what will become of my accumulated paintings?  In this pre-death exhibition, the usual optimistic gallery labels (Portrait, $5,000) are accompanied by post-death instructions, which indicate the works true value and fate.

What?! Are the paintings, mostly portraits of individuals viewers are unlikely to recognize, meant to be a public last will and testament? Is Griffiths signaling that she is dying?

To answer too directly, if there are direct answers to be had, would rob the exhibit (through Sept. 15) of its provoking power. So let it be said only that Griffiths, who is 68 and a longtime Silvermine Arts Guild member, appeared happy and healthy during a recent interview at her rented apartment on Henry Street in Lower Manhattan. In fact, her second granddaughter had been born less than 24 hours before and the childs father, her son Tom, was resting in a spare bedroom. The arrival of new life, however, hints at the inspiration for Griffiths pre-death exhibit. It arose from the ordinary decision she and her husband made three years ago to downsize, to leave Connecticut after 21 years to be near children and grandchildren in New York.

When we left a nice big house in New Canaan and moved to a tiny little apartment hard choices were made and a dumpster was hired, Griffiths says. It was like being dead. Imagining someone else going through my things, checking stuff out, except I had to do it myself.

But the possessions Griffiths had to decide to keep or to let go included more than furniture and kitchenware, the usual accumulations of a lifetime. Asked if she threw out paintings, too, she can only nod yes. How many? I cant even say the word, she says. It was a dumpster, a large dumpster.

To Griffiths, the experience and the new paintings that came from it were about more than confronting ones own mortality. It demanded a confrontation with the life one has lived.

These are the questions raised, she wrote in her artists statement, how should we attach value to our art, our lives and ourselves? And what is our legacy to future generations?

Though she might reject the label, Griffiths is an intellectual artist, a sharp-eyed observer of the human comedy. Im having a conversation with people. I have all these ideas I want to talk about, she says. Im thinking while Im painting.

A solo show she had at the Silvermine gallery in 2004, New Canaan Observed: a Field Study, was a mock anthropological study of suburbia. A 2011 exhibit, How My Kitchen Sees Me, at the New Canaan Library explored identity. She also invested years in illustrating and paraphrasing 100 Bible stories, mostly from the Old Testament, that portray intolerance or violence. She began the project after the 9/11 terrorist attack. Her husband, Jeremy, was there. He worked at the World Trade Center, she says. I thought he was dead for a half a day. We couldnt get in touch.

Griffiths intended her Bible Stories to reveal the darker side of religion and hoped to publish them as a collection. Instead, they are appearing serially in the humor section of Skeptic magazines British edition.

She is English by birth, with a self-deprecating temperament. Her middle-class parents sent her at age 7 to a Catholic boarding school, one she says was extremely unpleasant and helps explain her interest in and antipathy to religion. She studied art at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art in London and soon achieved what most would consider fantastic success.

Her first exhibition at the Lasson Gallery in the West End sold out and got rave reviews in London newspapers. But Griffiths insists she has only deep shame about what one critic called her impeccable surrealistic drawings.

The whole thing was a bit disconcerting, she says. You realize it was all puffery. I think it was Ted Hughes who said, All reviews are bad for you, especially good ones. I got a bit depressed. I didnt know what to do with it, and then I got pregnant and thought that was the most amazing thing that could happen.

She came to Connecticut, to New Canaan, following her husband to his post as CFO of Thompson Professional Publishing in Stamford. At Silvermine, she became part of a group called Counterpoint. Comprised of six artists, including Griffiths, it is their collective work being shown at the UConn gallery. Griffiths has such mixed feelings about the portraits in the show (they are of family members she deliberately misidentifies) that she priced them at $5,000 hoping they would not sell, even as she wishes for approval, for a lasting legacy.

I think wanting to be celebrated after your death is nonsense, she says. Wanting to be celebrated at all is nonsense. In Counterpoint, we say its the pleasure you get from doing (art) that matters, so Ill go along with that.

Even now I have to decide: Do I go on being a painter, and how much time do I spend with my grandchildren? Its a balance. People are more important than paintings.

Joel Lang is an award-winning Connecticut journalist.
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
ANSONIA  It was a good and bad week for Mayor David Cassetti.

The bad came Tuesday night, when a split in the Republican-controlled Board of Aldermen rejected his two candidates to fill a vacancy. The mayor vetoed their choices, and the whole matter could now be headed to court.

But late Wednesday the mayor was told Standard & Poors increased the citys bond rating from AA- to AA. Thats a step higher than the states AA- bond rating.

To read more, click here or below.
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.
Check it out: Fun things to do this weekend in Lake County
One mans 11-year quest has come to a successful end. On Aug. 5, a sign explaining the significance of the old Knapp Stout Mill site was installed on Junction trail near where it joins with Meadow Hill Drive. The sign also describes other entities at the site including the old Parker Pen Company, the Holland Piano Company, the Wisconsin Milling Company, the Submerged Electric Motor Company as well as the Tainter Gate, a device invented in Menomonie and now used in dams around the world.

My first notes on this project are dated in 2005, said Dan Riordan, who coordinated the project. It has been a long haul, with a lot of ups and downs. I am delighted to have the sign up, explaining the wonderful history of this site.

Citys first industrial park

The Knapp Stout company began in 1846 at the confluence of Wilson Creek and the Red Cedar River. Eventually four men owned the company  William Wilson, John Holly Knapp, Andrew Tainter, and Henry L. Stout. The sign details the contributions they made to Menomonie over the years. For instance, the Mabel Tainter Building and the Wilson Place Museum were built by these men. Henry Stouts son, James, founded what is now the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

By 1873, the company was the greatest lumber company in the world, producing over 5.7 million feet of lumber, employing thousands of people. The company closed in 1901 and the other entities mentioned on the sign sprang up on the site.

It was actually Menomonies first industrial park, Riordan said.

Was anything left off the sign?

Well, yes, said Riordan. We concentrated on Knapp Stout and businesses since they closed in 1901. I suppose the most significant thing we left off was that Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, the man who found Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River, visited the site in 1831.

Although Riordan worked on the sign over the years, he acknowledged help from many sources.

Don Steffen, on the board of the [Dunn County] Historical Society, spent countless hours designing and revising the sign. Randy Eide, [Menomonies] director of public works, graciously supplied the crew to erect the sign. Neighbors and others contributed to the cost of the sign.

In addition to Riordan and his wife, Mary, contributors include Steffen, WESTconsin Realty, and neighbors Chuck and Peggy Klos, Mike and Sally Schendel, Eric and Erika Sutherland, Dave and Betty Verdon, and Bob and Jan Willow. The Dunn County Historical Society took care of actually ordering the sign, which was manufactured by Envirosigns, Ltd. of Wooster, Ohio.

I hope more signs can be placed all around the city, especially in our historic downtown, said Riordan. We have so much history to be proud of.
Michael Foster (pictured) gave Labour 400,000 at the last Election

Saturday of last week in my home town of Camborne, the Corbyn Circus rolled into town. A crowd of 2,000 disciples came from all over Cornwall to cheer and clap and worship. One after another, Momentum speakers praised Jeremy and spoke of the hope he gave them, the socialism he would bring to Britain.

Then the mood got much darker, with each speaker declaiming their personal persecution by unnamed sources and to round it off, all but one named me as the villain who via the courts had tried to rob them of their right to have Jeremy Corbyn as the Leader of the Labour Party.

From where I stood in that evangelical crowd, I saw what we have all witnessed across Britain for a year.

A brand of politics alien to this country, defined and delivered by a divisive, aggressive holier-than-thou cadre of hard-Left socialists with no real policies to speak of, no defined social and economic objectives, just a call for the committed to take this journey with them down the Yellow Brick Road.

In the midst of this, something is rotten. You are either with them, or you are labelled as being against them and so excluded, briefed against, often threatened and intimidated.

If you are like me, a Jewish donor to Labour, you are smeared as a Blairite conspirator, plotting to falsely use the accusation of anti-Semitism to damage the Left.

It matters not whether you are Angela Eagle with a brick through a window, Stella Creasy with a mob outside her constituency office, or Labour general secretary Iain McNicol with a letter threatening court action unless he secured victory for Corbyn at an NEC vote.

Corbyn and his leadership team have no respect for others and worse, no respect for the rule of law.

They clearly have no moral compass, and in Corbyn they have a leader who wants to abolish the House of Lords yet is happy to confer and defend the granting of a peerage on Shami Chakrabarti, whose detailed report into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party was anything but independent.

Mr Foster said Corbyns (pictured) team was an aggressive, holier-than-thou cadre of committed hard-Left socialists who excluded, briefed against, often threatened and intimidated opponents

We are asked to accept wave after wave of inappropriate, democratically damaging and wrongful actions by the Corbynistas as the new way by which politics will be conducted.

It is why I, as a lifelong Labour supporter, funder and former parliamentary candidate, last month took Jeremy Corbyn to court to have the law decide whether the leader of the party could self-nominate for leader.

To me, respect for the rule of law is fundamental to a democracy. Once political parties believe they are above the law it ends with all opposition silenced, whether it is my grandparents in Dachau, or the Left in Erdogans Turkey rounded up and held uncharged in prison.

The courts decided that the rules as they stand allowed it. This decision advantaged Corbyn and his Sturm Abteilung (stormtroopers), but on Friday afternoon the Appeal Court handed down a big decision for British democracy.

It disallowed the attempt by arriviste followers of Corbyn to flood the Labour electoral college. This caused the mask of reasonableness of the Corbynista leadership to slip even further.

Suddenly the most holy of holies, the NEC, was labelled a shoddy organisation capable of using a grubby little device. Cross this lot and you are straight into the firing line.

Corbyn no longer has a clear path in his bid to destroy the Labour Party as we have known it in Government and in Opposition for the past 70 years.

Rather than start a party of the Left, he wishes to steal for the Left the respectable cloak of the Labour Party brand.

Adolf Hitler and his SA troops, known as 'Brown shirts', in Munich, November 9, 1935

For these schoolboy, idealistic revolutionaries, perpetual opposition is the weak and acceptable substitute for perpetual revolution. Let these people win Corbyn this election and Labour as a political force in this country will be heading for terminal decline.

The Labour Party secretariat  knowing that Corbyn spells disaster for an effective and legitimate Opposition in Britain  have taken a stance against the bullying by men such as Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Unite leader Len McCluskey.

They were rewarded for their bravery by a victory secured with the backing of the High Court. We must reward that by backing Owen Smith against Corbyn and end the civil war bought to Labours door by the bullies and arm-twisters of the hard-Left.

Smith now has a real chance of winning this contest. He is supported by the vast majority of his parliamentary colleagues.

The Corbynistas know Smith will win the union affiliate vote because what matters to working union members (ie, not union leaders) is economic competence and no one has ever heard Corbyn speak about the economy in terms of output and productivity.

Corbyn, as with many economically illiterate people of the extreme Left, looks at the economy only as a means to gather revenue to redistribute, not as a way to rid us of poverty, to grow wages and increase employment.

Smith will most likely win the 25 sign-up vote too; as many right-minded middle class and working class people, are tired of the Corbyn rhetoric that has bought almost nothing in the past ten months for the people Labour is meant to serve.

They have realised that effective opposition to a Conservative Governments austerity programme will never be made to work by the divisive and blinkered extremes of a Corbyn-led cadre of second-rate minds.

Those who do not share their view of the world are dismissed as neo-liberals or worse as Blairite elitists hell-bent on protecting capitalisms vested interest.

If MPs declare their opposition to Corbyn, bully boy McCluskey threatens to target them with deselection.

Oppose them as a Jewish donor and the riposte from Seumas Milne, Corbyns mouthpiece, is that you are part of a Blairite, Right-wing conspiracy (the ancient racist rhetoric is that Jews dont act alone, the malevolent Jew always conspires) to destabilise the democratically and legitimately elected leader.

The Corbynista dream of government is our nightmare.

Britain is not a land of extreme politics. From the Reform Acts of 1832, 1868 and 1884 and even the Attlee Government of 1945, Britains people have always rejected extremism.

It is why sensible Labour members will vote now for a strong opposition, and for Smith in order to preserve constitutional democracy in this country and consign to a footnote in history the socialist revolution led by the good burghers of Islington, The Guardian and other extreme political recidivists.
Here's why the quarrel about grammar schools never ends: it is not really about schools, but about what sort of country this should be.

Grammar schools stood for adult authority, for discipline, for tradition, for hard work first and reward afterwards, and for self-improvement.

They also tended to assume that boys and girls were different, and so educated them apart from each other. I like these things, but many dont.

Here's why the quarrel about grammar schools never ends: it is not really about schools, but about what sort of country this should be (file photo)

Old-fashioned Labour saw the point of this. They realised that it helped the poor become better-off and to have better lives and more power. They created a peaceful revolution that changed Britain for the better. Labour councils used to build new grammar schools and be proud of them.

But the modern liberal Left dont like any of these ideas. They would rather teach children how to have sex than teach them to believe in God.

Especially they dont think parents or teachers should have any authority over the young. The State should be trusted to tell them what to think. They should look to the State for any improvement in their lives.

They dont like the idea that there are fixed things that you just have to learn  which is why the teaching of languages and sciences is shrivelling in our schools.

The people who smashed up more than a thousand of the best state secondary schools in the world didnt do it to make education better. They knew it would make it worse for bright children.

In one case, that of Sir Graham Savage, they openly admitted this. They did it to make the country more democratic, more like the USA. They have made it like the worst bits, but very unlike the best bits.

How odd it is to recall that in my childhood there was a thing called the brain drain, which meant British scientists being lured away to the USA because they werent educating enough of them.

And in those days a set of English A-levels was said to be equal to an American university degree. It isnt so now. The enemies of grammars really should stop lying about the subject to get their way.

They moan about those who dont get into grammars. But what about the huge numbers who cant get into good comprehensives, and are dumped in vast bog-standard comps which are, in reality, worse than the old secondary moderns.

Of course selection for any school has losers as well as winners. But we have selection in our supposedly comprehensive schools. It is mainly done through the secret privileges (fake religious belief, close knowledge of feeder schools etc) exercised by sharp-elbowed, well-off parents. How is this better than selection by ability?

A 2010 survey by the Sutton Trust found that comprehensive schools in England are highly socially segregated. In fact, the countrys leading comprehensives are more socially exclusive than the remaining grammar schools.

The countrys leading comprehensives are more socially exclusive than the remaining grammar schools (file photo)

Both the 164 (then remaining) grammars and the 164 most socially selective comprehensives drew pupils from areas where about 20 per cent of children were from poor homes.

But the supposed comprehensives were more socially selective, taking only 9.2 per cent of their pupils from poor homes, while the grammars took 13.5 per cent. Whos democratic now?

In fact, most of the remaining grammars are so besieged by middle-class commuters hiring tutors that their entry figures are utterly distorted. If we still had a national grammar system they would be far fairer than the top comprehensives are.

I wish I thought Theresa May really wanted to restore grammars. This has been successfully done in the former East Germany.

But I fear that this is just a token move to try to hold on the support of the many voters who want to see this change. Even so, it is a good deal better than nothing, and a sign that this dreadful national error may one day be reversed.

A MODEST VICTORY FOR DECENCY Picture, Egypts veiled Doaa Elghobashy competes in the Olympic beach volleyball Islams real challenge to Western society is not terrorism. With a bit of resolve and common sense we can always defeat this filthy thing, and most Muslims would (in my view) be as happy as us if we did. No, the challenge comes from Islams near-total monopoly on things we used to value quite a bit and then totally gave up  female modesty being one of them. And yes, I know that plenty of other things, much more controversial, come with the package. Pictures of Egypts veiled and covered Doaa Elghobashy, right, competing against bikini-clad Western opponents in the Olympic beach volleyball, are very thought-provoking. You dont have to go more than 100 years back to find Western women who would have had much more in common  in attitudes and dress  with Ms Elghobashy than they did with her near-naked rivals. I often wonder if our society will sicken and tire of its seemingly endless relaxation of rules. Such things have happened before. If it does, the Muslim religion may be very well-positioned to lead the counter-revolution. I dont want this to happen. I just think it might. Advertisement

Of course judges should not swear in court, especially at defendants. Justice is not emotional revenge, but a cold, rational process where we all try to keep our feelings out of it.

Judges hold the keys to the prisons. They can change a convicted persons life utterly. To wield such power, they have to be cool and self-controlled.

In fact the person Judge Patricia Lynch swore at is pathetic, fat and lonely  a dismal life probably made worse by taking State-approved antidepressant drugs, the failed panacea of our age. Stupid four-letter words are all that is left to such people.

Her Majestys judges shouldnt stoop to such sad things. Only two kinds of people use this language in public. The powerful, who employ it to bully, and the inadequate, who have no other way of expressing themselves.

Shouldnt we have a formal ceremony, with parchment documents, trumpets and heralds, to declare that the war on drugs is over?

Then at least Sir Richard Branson would stop claiming tediously and inaccurately that we groan under a cruel regime of prohibition.

If we had a formal ceremony to declare the war on drugs over, at least then Sir Richard Branson would stop claiming tediously that we groan under a cruel regime of prohibition

If the Government still seriously disapproves of illegal drugs, explain this: EU enthusiast and hereditary Labour politician Will Straw (son of Jack) has been awarded a CBE, a heavyweight mid-ranking honour one down from a knighthood, aged 36, despite being caught (aged 17) trying to sell cannabis to a newspaper reporter. Indeed, for many people this event is the most memorable thing about him.

He went on to boast that he had carried on smoking the drug for the next nine years.

There was a bit of a fuss about the award  but it wasnt about the illegal drugs.
Unhappy couples should work together to repair their relationship

Too much conflict is another reason men walk away

The saying goes 'happy wife, happy life,' but there are a number of reasons why unhappy men are choosing to file for divorce.

Sydney marriage counsellor Clinton Power from Clinton Power + Associates said feeling under-appreciated, problems being buried, betrayal or growing apart are all reasons why men choose to walk away.

Here Mr Power shares the top five reasons men leave their marriages, and what you should do if your marriage is on the brink.

Unhappy husband: Marriage counsellor Clinton Power says 'it's important both the husband and wife worked together to satisfy the needs and feelings of each other'

'It's important that both the husband and wife worked together to satisfy the needs and feelings of each other,' Mr Power said.

Too much conflict in a marriage is one of the most common reasons men walk away from failing relationships.

'When couples are caught in cycles of criticism and defensiveness, this erodes their ability to feel safe, secure, and loved,' he said.

Betrayal: Men who have been cheated on or have lost their connection with their wife can feel disempowered, frustrated, depressed or hopeless

Just as detrimental to relationships are people Mr Power described as 'conflict-avoiders' who might appear happy but still file for divorce.

'They bury issues and avoid straight-talk with each other. Men that leave these marriages have often been silently fuming inside for many years,' he said.

Loss of intimacy and connection is another huge contributor to why men leave marriages.

Mr Power said when that intimate connection fades or stops completely men can be left feeling disempowered, frustrated, depressed or hopeless.

Nothing in common: 'When couples grow apart and are not willing to address the reasons for growing apart this can certainly lead to divorce,' Mr Power said

Similarly sexual betrayal can be a huge hit to a man's confidence and self-esteem and make him doubt everything once shared in the marriage.

'Couples can heal from sexual betrayal, but it can take a lot of work and requires the healing of a lot of pain,' Mr Power said.

Another reason men walk away from their marriage is because they feel under-appreciated by their wife.

'When men feel under-appreciated for long periods of time they can start to look outside the relationship to get these needs met,' Mr Power said.

'This can lead to emotional or sexual affairs which can lead to a man leaving a marriage.'

Infidelity: Emotional or sexual affairs wcan lead to a man leaving a marriage, according to Mr Power

Over time couples can grow apart, and if this disconnect is not addressed, it can lead to divorce.

Mr power said couples who think their marriage is on the brink should seek the help of a professional marriage counsellor.

'When you invest so many years in a marriage with someone you love, it's worth doing everything you can to help save the relationship before you get a divorce,' he said.
Harry James (Jim) Ramsdell, 86, passed away July 27, 2016, in Eau Claire.

He was born Dec. 20, 1929, to Harry Dwight and Hazel Estelle (Cutting) Ramsdell in Spooner, Wis.

Jim graduated from Spooner High School in 1947, and he obtained degrees in education from the Winona State College and the Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire. Jim had fond memories of his college years when he played the trumpet for local dance bands, and he valued the life-long friendships he developed with musicians in the area.

Jim enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1951, and he was selected to attend the Navy School of Music in Washington, D.C. His first assignment was aboard the USS St. Paul. On Nov. 29, 1952, he married Claran Rademacher and the couple lived in Hawaii. He was transferred to the CINCPACFLT Band at Pearl Harbor, and experienced a special tour performing on hospital ships and military posts in Korea, and throughout the Pacific. In addition to his military duties, Jim formed a dance band, The Blue Notes, which played at service clubs on the island of Oahu.

Following his discharge, Jim taught music in Cochrane, Wis., before moving to Magnolia, Minn., where he was the high school principal. He spent the next 32 years as a public school superintendent in the communities of Hammond, Weyauwega, New London, and Chippewa Falls, where he retired in 1990. Throughout his career, Jim was dedicated to his work with children, staff, families and communities, and he treasured the relationships and memories that were created during his years in education.

After retirement, Jim worked for Wiley Law and Spectrum Industries in Chippewa Falls, and he continued to play for various dance and Dixieland groups in the area. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the American Legion, the Lions Club, and the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators. Jim was passionate about his family, his career, and his friendships. He was a creative and caring man and his sense of humor and the stories he would share about his life will be missed.

Jim is survived by his wife, Claran; two sons, Bruce (Carol) of Winona, Minn., and Paul (Greta) of Roosevelt, Texas; one daughter, Susan (John) Ayres of Eau Claire; and four grandchildren, Eric Bluemn of Worcester, Mass., Garett Bluemn of Singapore, Darby and Delaney Ramsdell of Roosevelt.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and sisters, Shirley Anne, Jane and Florence.

The family would like to thank the friends, neighbors, health professionals and their church family who provided support and friendship to Jim and his family during his illness. Their kindness will always be remembered.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 18, at the First Presbyterian Church, 2112 Rudolph Road, Eau Claire. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Pastor Kathryn Reid Walker will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a remembrance to the Celebration Fund at the First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire; or the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District Foundation Scholarship Fund, PO Box 981, Chippewa Falls, Wis., 54729.

Cremation Society of Wisconsin, Altoona, is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.cremationsociety-wi.com.
They are essential to create a sense of order and maintain discipline, but sometimes school rules just go too far.

Ask.Reddit users have shared their school's most ridiculous rules that are almost impossible to believe, let alone enforce.

From slapping a ban on having best friends to hitting students with a $70 swearing fee, people have shared the dumbest rules their school enforced.

Scroll down for video

Bizarre rules: Reddit users shared the dumbest rules their school enforced like banning students from having 'best friends' because it excluded other students

One Reddit user said at their school they were not allowed to say bullet points when writing lists and instead had to substitute it for 'nuggets'.

Another school tried to ban the use of the word 'boring'.

'The teachers wanted to make school seem fine by introducing ludicrous rule that make basic conversation a bit trickier,' they Reddit user said by way of explanation.

Gang sign? Teachers at one school banned students from giving each other high fives because they thought it was a gang sign

Banned! Some schools banned the word bullet substituting it for nugget when making a list

And if you thought that was bizarre, one Reddit user said his school banned high fives because teachers thought it was a gang sign.

'[In] 8th grade they took away all of [the] balls at recess because we would throw them at each other. So we got bored and started to give exaggerated high fives to each other. Teachers thought it was a 'gang sign' and outlawed high fives,' he said.

We got bored and started to give exaggerated high fives to each other. Teachers thought it was a 'gang sign' and outlawed high fives.

Iprobablywontknow said his school enforced a $70 fine every time a student swore.

'So we all started swearing and it got to the point where it was a ridiculous amount of money that they could never rationally expect anyone to pay,' they said.

'Rule was gone in two months.'

Kaleynicolee said that if they wanted to wear a hat at her school, you had to pay $2.

Pay up: One person said they had to pay $2 every time they wanted to wear a hat

'Not just $2 for the entire school year, $2 any day you wanted to wear a hat,' she said.

Another said when the end of lunch bell rang students had to freeze in whatever position they were in for five minutes.

'The apparent reason behind this was to calm the children down before classes started. This applied to everyone in the school, including students in grade 12,' they said.

Over the top! One school said that students shoes had to be at least 70 per cent white

Hodenkrieg wrote that their strict school banned card games like Pokemon and Digimon because it promoted 'evolution'.

Reddit user carylll said the shoes they wore to school had to be 70 per cent white.

'So much manpower wasted to enforce this baseless rule,' he wrote.

Another said that her friend's school was run by a principal that had very strict stance on friendship groups.

She said that students were not allowed to have 'best friends' because they excluded other students and clubs with less than four to eight member were disbanded.

'Because if the numbers are that low, it means they're excluding other kids and not letting them in. Never mind that some areas of interest only appeal to a limited audience,' she said.
Many say working with friends and family is a risky business.

But despite this, many pals have been able to master the business partner/best friend balance and transform their dreams into successful companies.

Here, FEMAIL looks at some of the most successful bestie duos from Australia who have worked together to launch successful businesses and manage to keep their relationships separate.

Can it work? Many pals have been able to master the business partner/best friend balance and transform their dreams into successful companies

HOW TWO LIVE

Australian sisters Jess and Stef Dadon launched their popular blog How Two Live as a diary in 2012, when Stef moved to Paris.

But their bold, colourful aesthetic soon captured the attention of thousands and they are now the founders of their own shoe line, TWOOBS.

'We're sisters and have always been super close, and we used to dream of one day opening a store together,' Jess told Daily Mail Australia.

'In 2012 we started How Two Live, where we shared our bright and quirky outfits with each other in an open online diary, as we were living on opposite sides of the world.

Sibling success: Australian sisters Jess and Stef Dadon launched their popular blog How Two Live as a diary in 2012, when Stef moved to Paris

Big time: 'We're sisters and have always been super close, and we used to dream of one day opening a store together,' Jess said

'We quickly grew a strong international following, and we found ourselves working with major brands like ASOS, The Zoe Report and Maybelline. We've used HTL as a platform to launch other ventures, and recently published our first book #HowTwoLive.'

The pair say the best part about working together is that work never feels like a 'job.'

'Even though there are small things we may disagree on, we're always on the same page when it comes to the overall vision and bigger picture,' Jess said.

'We're able to increase efficiency by being completely open and honest with one another. Friendship is so important to our business that we have named each of the TWOOBS styles after fans who are best friends.'

Vibrant: Their bold, colourful aesthetic soon captured the attention of thousands and they are now the founders of their own shoe line, TWOOBS

Balance: 'Even though there are small things we may disagree on, we're always on the same page when it comes to the overall vision and bigger picture,' Jess said

FRANK BODY

Best friends Bree Johnson and Jess Hatzis started Frank Body, a popular coffee-based skincare range and scrub, after starting their blog Willow & Blake together.

'Jess and I met while working the same part time job at Uni. We bonded over words and wine. We all lived together, worked together and wrote together,' Bree told Daily Mail Australia.

'We each had our own blog and we had this dream to combine them into a super blog, this led to us starting Willow & Blake. Which originally began as an online magazine; a place for us to house our writing.

'It then developed into a content agency. After building brands for other people we decided we wanted to build our own brand which led us to starting Frank Body with Alex Boffa and Steve Rowley.'

Frank Body: Best friends Bree Johnson and Jess Hatzis started Frank Body, a popular coffee-based skincare range and scrub, after starting their blog Willow & Blake together

Popular: 'Jess and I met while working the same part time job at Uni. We bonded over words and wine. We all lived together, worked together and wrote together,' Bree said

The pair agree that the main challenge of working together is remembering that their friendship comes before their business partner relationship.

'Its easy to slip into conversations about work. A casual catch up can quickly become a business meeting,' Bree said.

'Difficult conversations become more difficult when friendships are involved and its impossible to separate emotion from business and that can lead to emotionally driven decisions.

'The best thing is having someone who understands everything youre going through. Who is there to share the highs, the lows and the crazies. You have someone that will believe in the business when you start to doubt it  and someone to drink champagne with.'

Dreams to reality: 'We each had our own blog and we had this dream to combine them into a super blog, this led to us starting Willow & Blake,' she said

Honest: 'Difficult conversations become more difficult when friendships are involved and its impossible to separate emotion from business and that can lead to emotionally driven decisions,' she said

THE DAILY EDITED

Former lawyers and best friends Alyce Tran and Tania Liu are the founders of leather accessory line The Daily Edited, which has since grown to be endorsed by hundreds of celebrities the world over.

'We met whilst working as lawyers at Allens. Working long hours gave us the chance to bond over everything including our love for fashion,' Alyce told Daily Mail Australia.

'We decided to launch a side project to keep life interesting outside of law, so launched our TDE accessory range in August 2014, which has evolved into its current format, embracing the notion of personal style.'

TDE: Former lawyers and best friends Alyce Tran and Tania Liu are the founders of accessory line TDE, which has since grown to be endorsed by hundreds of celebrities the world over

Working hard: 'We met whilst working as lawyers at Allens. Working long hours gave us the chance to bond over everything including our love for fashion,' Alyce said

The pair say working together can be a challenge at times.

'Things can get emotional if you feel like your friend is letting you down, that being said we're friends for a reason, we obviously get along and have similar aesthetics, ambitions and we understand and can be honest with each other,' she said.

'Like any colleagues who work together you have your tough days, but the positive response we get about our brand from loyal followers helps keep us passionate about our brand and friendship.'

Mature: 'Like any colleagues who work together you have your tough days, but the positive response we get about our brand from loyal followers helps keep us passionate,' she said

THE GOODNIGHT CO

Danielle Knight and Shea Morrison are the founders of The Goodnight Co, a line of luxurious silk pillow cases, sleep masks and sleep tees.

'Shea and I met in high school. We have grown together through the past two decades though many milestones like finishing high school, university, travelling, corporate careers, to getting married, having babies and growing the business,' Danielle told Daily Mail Australia.

'Our love of sleep and the importance in receiving the best out of a good nights rest established our brand The Goodnight co in early 2015.'

Best buds: Danielle Knight and Shea Morrison are the founders of The Goodnight Co, a line of luxurious silk pillow cases, sleep masks and sleep tees

Inspired: 'Our love of sleep and the importance in receiving the best out of a good nights rest established our brand The Goodnight co in early 2015,' Danielle said

Danielle said starting a business with Shea has been challenging yet rewarding.

'Starting our business with young families certainly made it an interesting and challenging landscape. But it also solidified why we created The Goodnight Co,' she said.

'Shea and I bring to the business varying professional backgrounds, but that's what makes it work so well. There are certainly challenges, but having the foundation of our strong friendship has helped us immensely during this journey.

'We each bring our experience and skills which balance well in developing and growing the company.'

Perfect set up: 'Starting our business with young families certainly made it an interesting and challenging landscape. But it also solidified why we created The Goodnight Co,' she said

OPEN AGENT

Open Agent, is an Australian-based team of coders, marketing analytics experts, and customer service pros that help people improve their understanding of real estate.

It was founded by Marta Higuera and Zoe Pointon who met in 2005 when they were working together.

'Working together has brought us closer together, but I dont think it would be for everyone,' the pair told Daily Mail Australia.

Serious: Open Agent, is an Australian-based team of coders, marketing analytics experts, and customer service pros that help people improve their understanding of real estate

'You need to be able to have rational conversations, recognise eachothers strengths and weaknesses, and you need to have a lot of patience.

'We treat it like our second marriage. Once you are in a business partnership, you need to be fully committed and it is for life.

'If we were to do another start up, we'd want to do it together. We couldn't do it without each other!'

'We treat it like our second marriage': It was founded by Marta Higuera and Zoe Pointon who met in 2005 when they were working together

PR GROUP

PR company the PR Group was started by twin sisters Melissa and Caroline Shawyer after doing the same commerce degree at university.

'On graduation we both went our separate, but similar ways. I pursued a marketing career in financial services, while Caroline worked in the music industry and with technology businesses around the world,' Melissa told Daily Mail Australia.

'However, at the back of our minds was the idea that someday we would run a business together. Eight years ago this dream became a reality when we started The PR Group.'

A long way: PR company the PR Group was started by twin sisters Melissa and Caroline Shawyer after doing the same commerce degree at university

Worth it: The pair also find that the hardest part of working together is avoiding work-related conversations outside of the office

The pair also find that the hardest part of working together is avoiding work-related conversations outside of the office.

'We need to be mindful to create boundaries so that the work conversation is left at the door, especially during family catch ups,' Melissa said.

'However the benefits far outweigh the challenges. We are both 100 percent aligned to our vision and trust each other to make the right decisions to deliver to that.
When Nicole Pollard took to the runway in a yellow gown by Toni Maticevki, she caught the eye of Australia's fashion pack.

The 22-year-old model was scouted by retail giant Myer after her grand appearance on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week, and will lend her face to their upcoming campaign.

Sydney Confidential reported on Sunday the leggy brunette would star alongside Jennifer Hawkins in Myer's Spring 2016 campaign.

Making a name for herself: Australian model Nicole Pollard is the face of Myer's upcoming Spring 2016 campaign after catching their eye in a yellow Toni Maticevski gown

Famous faces: The 22-year-old will star in the campaign alongside the store's ambassador Jennifer Hawkins

The campaign is a major coup for the Australian model who is currently living in New York.

'I don't get to work as much as I'd like to in Australia so it's nice to go back and put your face out there and support Australian fashion,' Nicole said.

As well as walking in Australian fashion Week, Nicole has starred in campaigns for Dior, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Armani Exchange.

Following in her footsteps: If given the change, Nicole said she would be 'honoured' to be an ambassador for the brand alongside Jennifer Hawkins (pictured)

While Nicole will feature in Myer's upcoming campaign, she is not an ambassador for the brand.

But that's not to say she would not jump at the opportunity to join Jennifer Hawkins as the brand's ambassador if it were to arise.

'It's a very big thing; I'd be very honoured if I got the chance to,' she said.

Model muse: Nicole has taken the runway for coveted fashion houses Dolce and Gabbana and Oscar de la Renta

Cover girl: She featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar Australia's March 2013 edition

Nicole's work has seen her land the cover of Harper's Bazaar Australia's March 2013 edition.

She has walked for a number of Australian labels including Zimmerman, as well as the coveted fashion houses Dolce and Gabbana and Oscar de la Renta.
Justi Underwood Bates has turned her wedding dress in to 17 'Angel Gowns' for babies who pass away too soon.

But as beautiful as the gowns are, she hopes they will never be needed.

Ms Underwood Bates, from Kentucky in the US, told Daily Mail she made the decision to reuse her wedding dress after it spent years hanging in the back of her wardrobe.

Justi Underwood Bates had her wedding dress turned in to 17 Angel Gowns for babies who die too soon

'It meant too much to me to just let it hang there and be forgotten about for the next few decades so I sent it off to be made into angel gowns and to have a purpose,' she said.

Ms Underwood Bates shared a photo of the tiny gowns on Facebook, where it has since been shared more than 232,000 times.

She said she is thankful for the exposure the photo received.

'It meant too much to me to just let it hang there and be forgotten about for the next few decades so I sent it off to be made into angel gowns,' Mr Underwood Bates (pictured) said

'I'm so thankful it has because now the word is out that a wedding dress can do more than take up closet space,' she said.

'It can be a small help for family in a tragic situation.'

Ms Underwood Bates, who is expecting twins, said the angel gowns would be donated to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Vanderbilt in Nashville.

'As beautiful as they are I pray they are never needed,' she said.

The photo of the angel gowns has been shared more than 232,000 times on Facebook

The photo of the angel gowns was shared by the Facebook page Love What Matters where many people commented they would like to do the same with their wedding dress.

'I had a sister who was still born, this is a beautiful thing to do,' one person wrote.

'I almost didn't make it either. I am in tears reading this.
Jane Edmands, headmistress of Burton Pidsea Primary School near Hull, was accused of common assault after leading a boy, three, from cloakroom to classroom

Miss Sharples, she was called. She already seemed as old as a fossil by the time I met her, wore tweed skirts and stout brown shoes, and had a crinkly face, like a walnut. She always, always smelled of Woodbines. The fag I mean, not the flower. She taught history without any idea that she would become part of ours.

For Miss Sharples was the stern one we still remember. Not a terrifying Miss Trunchbull who roasted childrens backsides with a belt or birch, but a teacher whose natural authority, as understood by her, and her pupils  and by extension our parents  was complete.

I was reflecting on this because the authority of another teacher respected by generations of pupils has taken a clattering in court this past week.

Jane Edmands, headmistress of Burton Pidsea Primary School near Hull, was accused of common assault after leading a weeping three-year-old boy who wanted to stay with his mother from cloakroom to classroom.

Hands up class, whos ever done the Be firm, dont fuss routine on a howling child to get them to do something they dont want to do, but have to. Right. All of you. Me too. Since for ever.

Here the mother said the head grabbed her sons wrist and dragged him away, his feet almost off the floor, making him cry hysterically. She called the council which, given that it was a safeguarding issue, called in the police. They prosecuted, her barrister tells me, without taking any pre-charge advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.

It was left to Hull magistrates last Wednesday to clear Mrs Edmands of using excessive force.

They took less than 30 minutes after hearing inconsistent and uncertain evidence against her, with the mother admitting she hadnt actually seen Mrs Edmands manhandle her son  shed assumed it had happened because his jumper was tugged up. Not so much a legal case as trial by partisan parenting opinion, then.

Although she has been cleared, Mrs Edmands remains suspended and will do until East Riding of Yorkshire Council concludes the professional standards inquiry it had no choice but to launch.

No 30-year career tarnished like this can ever be buffed to its previous polish. All the joyous little things which are the calendar of the school year  the assemblies, egg-and-spoon races and nativity plays  will now always come second to the day she was wrongly accused of common assault on a small child. She will never escape the ignominy.

If we vest authority in teachers, then we must respect them, writes Sarah Oliver (file image)

Stop just for a second and imagine you were her, a woman believed to have hurt a three-year-old so badly the police had to be called. Now imagine that you were a teacher  and that helping schoolchildren be the best that they can be was your vocation, your livelihood, your pleasure and your pride.

All mums are enthusiastic advocates for their children, Mother Nature sees to that. But if we vest authority in teachers, then we must respect them. Yes, there are some bad ones but they are mostly a beloved species for a reason, which is that many of them are good and some are wonderful.

On the other side of the classroom door, we mums can be myopic in comparison. I am not the first to say that our understanding of boundaries and discipline and the stuff that just has to be done to ensure you grow up properly (like dealing with very normal separation anxiety) has been bent out of shape by the need to have children who like us, rather than respect us.

Thats how when someone in authority tells a screaming three-year-old, actually Im the one in charge here, they can find themselves accused of common assault. Love and kindness and time are the cornerstones of raising children but you cant just nourish, you have to rule too. Both at home and in class.

The age of the dunces cap is long gone. Lets offer one anyway to the mum who has done so much damage to Mrs Edmands, and by extension, the wider teaching profession.

Her wailing three-year-old would have dried his eyes and been building the Millennium Falcon out of an egg carton and foil with his chums before shed even got back out into the playground.

Still, youre never too old to learn, eh?

Showing off: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau, the young and handsome Canadian PM, has joined Vladimir Putin in the very small club of world leaders who look good topless. We know this because hes been snapped minus his shirt twice in the past fortnight. I cant work out if this makes him cool and relevant or too slimy even for politics, but clearly there can be no informed decision until Ive seen him in a pair of shorts. Hes going to have to do something to upstage Prince William when he takes the family to Canada next month, so hopefully we wont have long to wait.

Carol's fab tips as I count down to 50

Carol Vorderman, the new ambassador for a website aimed at fiftysomething women, looks sublime as she tells us this is the age when we can achieve all our outstanding ambitions. As I head for my own 50th, I only have one, which is to be able to play ZZ Tops La Grange on my drums. Im just praying that  cut from a different, less glamorous cloth to Vorders  I dont start growing a ZZ Top beard as well.

Friends visited last week bringing their new labrador pup Piper, who came with a rucksack of dog baby bits. The most fabulous had been sent by some furry godparents in America: a roll of poo bags from dumpsfortrump.org with The Donalds face on the front. Currently $9 for three rolls. Gets my vote.
Paula O'Neill, 25, suffered weight gain and bloating after she was prescribed steroids

A FORMER Miss Scotland finalist has revealed how prescription steroids for a chronic digestive condition transformed her model looks.

Paula O'Neill enjoyed a glamorous career as a model and competed for the Miss Scotland title until she was struck down with the crippling symptoms of ulcerative colitis.

After spending nine days in hospital, she was prescribed steroids to reduce her severe symptoms, but they have caused weight gain and a host of other side effects which have transformed her appearance.

But O'Neill said the side-effects are the least of her worries, as she just wants to be well again.

The 25-year-old from Dundee said: 'People who know me didn't know what to think.

'I'm sure some of them thought: 'Paula's really let herself go'.'

Five years ago she took her place in the beauty pageant's finale in Glasgow and things could not have looked better.

The former Emirates cabin crew worker had just landed a place to train as a nurse in Dundee when she became ill.

At intermittent points over two years, O'Neill suffered with stomach cramps, vomiting, cold sweats, and weight loss.

'At one point I lost a stone in just four weeks,' she said.

'I was so ill my weight plummeted from 8st 9lb to 7st 9lb.

'I couldn't eat. The most I could manage sometimes was an ice pole or some jelly.

'I was going to the toilet 30 to 40 times a day and the stomach pains were unbearable. I was so frail and ill.

 Slide me  Before and after: Paula O'Neill enjoyed a glamorous career as a model, but after suffering from ulcerative colitis, she was prescribed steroids, which caused weight gain and bloating

'This had been going on for two years. No one knew what was wrong with me.'

She added: 'I was always told it was irritable bowel syndrome and I shouldn't eat spicy food or have fizzy drinks. I was so ill.'

After visiting her doctor again, O'Neill was referred to Ninewells Hospital for a colonoscopy, a procedure through which a small camera is inserted into the colon, and she remained in hospital for nine days.

She was given steroids intravenously, before doctors put her onto a drug called Infliximab.

'Within a day, we knew this was working for me,' she recalls.

But she had to continue the steroids and gradually reduce the dose from 40mg to 5mg, which caused changes to her appearance.

Miss O'Neill said: 'They have side effects such as 'moon face', 'camel back' and 'apple belly' but that's the least of my worries. I just wanted to be well again.

'My face was all bloated and I do have a hump of retained fluid between my shoulder blades.

'Everything puffs up but that will go when I stop the steroids.

'I feel ulcerative colitis -inflammatory bowel disease - is such a taboo subject. It's like an invisible illness and some people just think you're lazy or being over-dramatic.'

Over two years, Paula suffered stomach cramps, vomiting, cold sweats, and weight loss

'When I've got my hair done and my make-up, I don't look as though I have a chronic lifelong illness where day-to-day tasks, journeys or outings take a lot of preparation.'

There is no known cause, and no known cure for the debilitating disease which affects around 146,000 people in the UK, but in most cases it can be kept under control with treatment.

Miss O'Neill said it can easily 'take over a sufferer's life'.

'They don't know what causes it and although it can be treated with medication, finding something that works for you can be a bit hit-or-miss.

'Hopefully I'm now much better and should be able to control this with an IV drip every eight weeks at hospital for at least a year.

'It seems to have taken over my life. I've been off work now for 14 weeks and I've been in and out of hospital.

'After my weight went down to 7st 9lb, I was put on steroids and it shot up to 9st 9lb.'

Throughout her fight, the model has felt indebted to the NHS.

'The drugs I've been given cost thousands of pounds in other countries,' she added. 'And the care and attention I've had from the medical staff at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee has been fantastic.'

With her symptoms now coming under control, O'Neill is looking to go on holiday for the first time in months.

'Next week, I'm going off to Ibiza and for the first time in my life I'm having to think about wearing a swimsuit,' she said.

'I've never given that a second thought before, as I've always been a slim girl, a size six or maybe an eight.

'I just want to get better and live my life as normal. Thankfully, that might happen now.'

WHAT IS ULCERATIVE COLITIS? It is estimated that around 1 in every 420 people in the UK are living with colitis Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition, where the colon and rectum become inflamed. The colon is the large intestine (bowel), and the rectum is the end of the bowel where stools are stored. Small ulcers can develop on the colon's lining, and can bleed and produce pus. The main symptoms of ulcerative colitis include recurring diarrhoea, which may contain blood, mucus or pus, abdominal (tummy) pain and the need to empty bowels frequently. Sufferers may also experience fatigue (extreme tiredness), loss of appetite and weight loss. The severity of the symptoms varies, depending on how much of the rectum and colon is inflamed and how severe the inflammation is. For some people, the condition has a significant impact on their everyday lives. During a flare-up, some people with ulcerative colitis also experience symptoms elsewhere in their body. For example, some people develop painful and swollen joints (arthritis), mouth ulcers, areas of painful, red and swollen skin, irritated and red eyes. In severe cases, additional symptoms may include shortness of breath, a fast or irregular heartbeat, a high temperature (fever), blood in the stools becoming more obvious. In most people, no specific trigger for flare-ups is identified, although a gut infection can occasionally be the cause. Stress is also thought to be a potential factor. Ulcerative colitis is thought to be an autoimmune condition. This means the immune system  the body's defence against infection  goes wrong and attacks healthy tissue. The most popular theory is that the immune system mistakes harmless bacteria inside the colon for a threat and attacks the tissues of the colon, causing it to become inflamed. Exactly what causes the immune system to behave in this way is unclear. Most experts think it's a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It's estimated that around 1 in every 420 people living in the UK has ulcerative colitis; this amounts to around 146,000 people. The condition can develop at any age, but is most often diagnosed in people from 15 to 25 years old. It's more common in white people of European descent (especially those descended from Ashkenazi Jewish communities) and black people. The condition is rarer in people from Asian backgrounds (although the reasons for this are unclear). Both men and women seem to be equally affected by ulcerative colitis. www.nhs.uk Advertisement
The Complete RCA and Columbia Album Collection

Emil Gilels Sony Out August 19

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Emil Gilels, one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, was born 100 years ago this October. Deutsche Grammophon has already issued a box containing his last recordings, and now Sony has produced this one, featuring some of his earliest, recorded during his visits to the US in the Fifties and Sixties.

This box, handily priced at 25 or less, contains two recordings of Gilels party piece, Tchaikovskys first piano concerto.

The earliest, from Chicago, was set down during his first, sensational US tour in 1955 and is, for me, among the finest performances on CD of this hugely popular work. The second, an early digital recording, comes from New York in 1979.

A truly deserved box-set of the week. Emil Gilels's playing had the savage beauty of a lion leaping upon a gazelle

There are also remarkable performances of Brahms second concerto, from Gilels second US tour in 1958, a beautifully turned Chopin first from 1964, and an enticing range of solo piano pieces from Schubert, Shostakovich, Bach and Liszt.

The Tchaikovsky performances bring back memories of one of the most extraordinary concerts I ever attended in London, 45 years ago. Gilels played the Tchaikovsky with a power and brilliance I found totally overwhelming. He was stocky and red-haired, and looked a bit like a lion. And his playing that night had all the savage beauty of a lion leaping upon a gazelle.

Later on, Gilels disavowed some of this showy virtuosity, and towards the end of his life  he died in 1985, three days before his 69th birthday  he said: Earlier I loved virtuoso things. Later I came to understand that music is related to poetry and painting  and to that big word, philosophy.

His DG recordings, majoring on an almost complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle, emphasised the depth of his later interpretations, and how much we lost by his unexpectedly premature death.

However, I unashamedly love the earlier Gilels that you find here. And, by the way, theres no shortage of poetry and depth, as well as all that extraordinary prestidigitation. Theres poetry in abundance in the Chopin concerto, plenty of depth in the two Schubert sonatas, and an imperious account, from Carnegie Hall in 1960, of Bachs Fifth French Suite.

Better Angels

Emily Pailthorpe Champs Hill Records out now

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This fascinating CD is a tribute both to the skills of the oboist Emily Pailthorpe and to the commitment of David and Mary Bowerman in producing some marvellous recordings on their Champs Hill Records label.

This album majors on Richard Blackfords newly composed oboe concerto, The Better Angels Of Our Nature. But the Blackford piece isnt the real reason for buying it. That is provided by four intriguing pieces of tonal 20th-century music either for oboe and accompaniment or a small instrumental ensemble.

Janaceks Mladi is a fascinating piece for six wind instruments, and considering how warmly lyrical it is and how fashionable Janacek is in operatic circles, its surprising its not better known.

Little gems, quirkiness a delicious opportunity for musical discovery await in Better Angels, headed by the brilliant Emily Pailthorpe

The same is probably true of Richard Strausss late oboe concerto, a little gem that, once again, many people familiar with Strausss symphonic poems and some of his better known operas might not know. It receives a fine performance here.

The real highlights on this recording are two pieces by Sam Barber. His Summer Music is perhaps not as lyrical as his finest work but quirky and well worth exploring.

And for me the jewel in the crown is his Canzonetta, the slow movement of a projected oboe concerto that the composers alcoholism and depression meant he was unable to finish before his death.
Young Chekhov

Olivier Stage, National Theatre Until September 3

Platonov 2hrs 40mins

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Ivanov 2hrs 30mins

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The Seagull 2hrs 30mins

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You can approach the Chichester production Young Chekhov in different ways.

You can go for the Chekhov-athon and see in one day at the National the three plays that David Hare has reshaped, and witness director Jonathan Kents superbly staged and often enthralling attempt, with the same company of actors, to chart the evolution of a dramatic genius  from his unruly farce to melodrama to exquisite realism.

Or you might find one enough, in which case make it the seldom-staged Platonov, or the much more familiar The Seagull.

Dont see only the middle play, Ivanov, Chekhovs bash at writing a rustic Hamlet. Kents revival feels like a parody of Chekhov: it begins at such a high pitch, with too many characters playing grotesques, so that they have nowhere to go emotionally and therefore nowhere to take the audience.

Don't see only the middle play, Ivanov. Kents revival feels like a parody of Chekhov: it begins at such a high pitch that the characters have nowhere to go emotionally

Ivanov (Geoffrey Streatfeild, who is too shouty) sees himself as a Hamlet figure, consumed by self-loathing, self-pity and guilt because his wife, Anna (Nina Sosanya), is dying of TB and he has run out of money and of sympathy. Indeed, his love has turned to hate, revealed in the most shockingly racist outburst.

But this play includes a lightbulb moment when lovely young Sasha (doe-eyed Olivia Vinall, in danger of doing too much acting) asks Ivanov if a painting she considers rather good is done from life. Yes, he says, from life. Its a reminder of what Chekhov was struggling to achieve as a playwright: to paint from life and so capture and celebrate its true, messy texture, the ecstasy of falling in love, the agony of unreciprocated love, and of failing to be the person one might have been.

Listen to Chekhovs characters and they are all thinking aloud, with their only subject themselves. And yet, in spite of their appalling egocentricity, they demand our compassion. Such is Chekhovs triumph.

The same themes recur in all the plays: the descent of the feckless landowners, out of money and out of time; the ascent of the middle classes, entrepreneurs unashamedly bulldozing their way up and up; the idealism and talent of youth destroyed by talentless old cynics. Shots of vodka start as a celebration and quickly become an anaesthetic. And theres the inevitable final gunshot.

Hamlet unfailingly crops up, as do schoolmasters and doctors (Chekhov was a doctor), all too aware of the universes casual injustice and brutal indifference. As a character in Platonov puts it, everything is a matter of chance: Charm, intelligence, good looks

The day you were born it was a la carte. On my birthday, they handed out superstition and asthma.

James McArdles Platonov has charm, intelligence and good looks in spades but he brings a peculiarly raffish Scottish exuberance to the part

This married schoolmaster is the local Don Juan, clever enough to know that life gives us one chance to behave well and yet cant resist the women who consistently throw themselves at him, especially the very merry widow Anna Petrovna, a charming, complex, mesmerising Nina Sosanya.

Smoke me like a cigarette and throw me away, says another. Nothing stops me, but nothing moves me either, says Platonov, almost garnering our sympathy. Chekhovs characters are always wanting to feel more, then regretting that they feel too much.

In spite of having condensed seven hours of material into less than three, Hares Platonov still feels a tad long and chaotic, but nevertheless bristles with aphorisms, none better than Chekhovs cynical observation that Crooks die in the forest but prosper in the drawing room.

Olivia Vinall plays Nina in The Seagull, the most accomplished of the plays, which is also the most rewarding and contains the most perfectly pitched performance of the day

The Seagull, here the most accomplished of the plays, is also the most rewarding and contains the most perfectly pitched performance of the day in Adrian Lukiss gentle, wise Dr Dorn. Tom Pyes marvellously atmospheric and infinitely versatile planked stage  the same for all three plays  acquires a lake, on which the aspiring playwright Konstantin (an excellent Joshua James) mounts an experimental play.

As his monstrous, egomaniac actress mother Arkadina, Anna Chancellor is in giddily glorious, glamorous form, exposing her own streak of neediness while remaining blind to the vulnerabilities of others. Though she teeters on the edge of overacting  the only recurring flaw in what is otherwise a thrilling theatrical adventure.

Yerma

Young Vic, London Until September 24 1hr 49mins

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The title of Federico Garcia Lorcas play, Yerma, is Spanish for barren. A harsh word, seldom heard, until recently, when Theresa May became the prospective Prime Minister and her rival, Andrea Leadsom (Dickens might have coined that name), raised the issue of motherhood.

Or not. Mrs May, said Leadsom, possibly has nieces, nephews, you know, lots of people. But I have children.

In this paper, Mrs May revealed the heartbreak she and her husband Philip experienced when they discovered they couldnt have children.

A shattering Billie Piper begins the play with an extraordinarily physical bouncy confidence, all springy, lithe limbs and overflowing toothy smiles

Of course we were both affected by it. But you accept the hand that life deals you. Sometimes things you wish had happened dont, or there are things you wish youd been able to do but cant.

Calm, dignified words which rang in my ears throughout cult Australian adaptor-director Simon Stones stunning, searing new take on the Spaniards play.

Superbly staged behind protective glass panels  and with dates and chapter headings appearing on a screen (four months later)  it becomes a laboratory experiment measuring, over several years, the devastating way in which physical barrenness can become a spiritual emptiness.

Her's mother (Maureen Beattie, above with Piper) admits to having been a reluctant parent. I could have done without it, she says

Lorcas Yerma is a peasant woman in Spain in the Thirties whose failure to conceive  her raison detre  makes her murderous.

Stones present-day woman (Billie Piper as a character simply labelled Her) cheerfully announces early on that I am not my reproductive system.

A successful London journalist, she and her boyfriend John (Brendan Cowell) have bought a house with plenty of room for babies.

She is 33. Theyre ready. So they crack open the Veuve Clicquot and stamp on her Pills.

And nothing happens. Meanwhile, her sister (Charlotte Randle) gets pregnant by accident and doesnt enjoy her baby.

Her mother (Maureen Beattie) admits to having been a reluctant parent. I could have done without it, she says.

Her goes through a dozen rounds of hormonally and financially punishing IVF, obsessively charting every humiliation, every hateful, furious feeling towards her fertile sister, tactless mother and bewildered partner, in a confessional blog. It turns out that this poor woman is indeed her reproductive system.

A shattering Piper begins the play with an extraordinarily physical bouncy confidence, all springy, lithe limbs and overflowing toothy smiles and, little by little, she is eaten up by a raw and ravenous, self-immolating grief, and she implodes before our eyes.

This is unmissable, for the brilliant performances, the astonishing set-changes and the music, which makes Hers journey into a requiem for all that has died within her. But brace yourself.

All Or Nothing

The Vaults, London Until August 27 2hrs 40mins

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There is no shortage of musicals about pop bands Jersey Boys and Sunny Afternoon (on tour from Aug 19)  and now we have this lively summation of The Small Faces, the Sixties Mod quartet who had such hits as Itchycoo Park, Lazy Sunday and the title track.

These shows tend to trace the same story arc: struggle (The Vaults evoke sweaty beginnings), success, corrupt management, big egos, artistic differences and the inevitable split.

Entertainingly written by ex-EastEnders actress Carol Harrison, the drama is driven largely by frontman Steve Marriott, who, unhappy at being moulded into a pop moppet (Sha-La- La-La-Lee) and the bands foray into psychedelia over his beloved R&B, descends into self-destructive mode.

Tim Edwards (second in from the right) is a small guy with a big voice and bags of passion which is needed to match the show's pacey pop energy

In Tony McHales pacy production the tale is broken up by comedic nods to the era: Juke Box Jury, Top Of The Pops (from which the band was banned) and there are some droll celeb cameos from Daniel Beales, while Joseph Peters is a hoot as cool Jimmy Winston.

The show is, rightly, rough around the edges, and full of energy thanks to the terrific band and Tim Edwards as the stroppy Marriott  a small guy with a big voice and bags of passion.

Crazy For You

Watermill Theatre, Newbury Until September 17 2hrs 30mins

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This makeover of George and Ira Gershwins 1930 show Girl Crazy cheekily cherry-picked their greatest hits and threaded them on a, frankly, ridiculous plot. But when the numbers are as cherishable as I Got Rhythm and Embraceable You and its all delivered with such charm and gusto in Paul Harts production, who, as the song goes, could ask for anything more? Tom Chambers plays Bobby, a New York banker crazy about showbiz who is sent out to Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a local theatre. There he brings in some showgirls from New York to high-kick some rhythm into the slack hillbillies. Oh, and he falls madly love with gutsy cowgirl Polly.
Labyrinths: Emma Jung, Her Marriage To Carl And The Early Years of Psychoanalysis Catrine Clay

William Collins, 20

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When John Freeman went to Switzerland to interview the revered psychoanalyst Carl Jung for his Face To Face TV series in 1959, he took along a girlfriend. At dinner, the 85-year-old Jung sat next to her. I doubt if his hand was off her knee for the whole period, recalled Freeman.

If Jung was all hands, he was also a handful. As a child, he suffered from what would now be called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, performing all sorts of secret rituals. For instance, he kept a painted mannikin in a pencil case hidden in the attic; while at school he would write it secret messages on little scrolls.

The loopy dreams and compulsions he experienced as a child  visions of God defecating on the dome of a cathedral and of a 12ft phallus standing on a throne  were later to fuel his philosophy, with its bizarre mish-mash of dreams and symbols.

A foul tempered bully from a family of religious nutcases who cheated on his wife and had a penchant for Nazis. One of the legendary psychiatrist's patients? No, the shrink himself...

Carl Jung sprang from a family of religious nutcases hooked on the paranormal. His grandmother always sat by his pastor grandfather while he was writing his sermons, so as to prevent ghosts from passing behind his back. Jung never fully turned his back on this mumbo-jumbo, preferring to incorporate it into his work. Most of his family made little distinction between talking to the living and talking to the dead. Small wonder then that when he worked in a mental asylum, his colleagues often confused him with an inmate.

What was he like to live with? He was married to the same woman for 53 years, and Catrine Clay has pursued the interesting idea of tracking their marriage through all its numerous ups and downs.

Carl Jung was not only poor but in debt when he first met Emma, who was the daughter of one of Switzerlands wealthiest industrialists. He may or may not have married his wife for her money, writes the kindly Clay. Either way, Emmas money clearly came as a relief: his first action on gaining control of her bank account was to clear all his debts.

He always said that his own character was divided in two. What he called Personality Number 1 was extrovert, optimistic and genial. Personality Number 2, on the other hand, was introvert, pessimistic and bad-tempered. Catrine Clay is happy to go along with his simplistic self-analysis, regularly referring to him as split Carl or the other Carl. But its surely hard to think of anyone whose character isnt a mixture of opposites. In fact, his most outstanding characteristic may well have been his talent for self-mythologising.

Clay describes the young Carl as strikingly good-looking in a Teutonic sort of way, but there is something slightly comical about photographs of him as a young man, as though Dick Emery or Benny Hill were having a stab at acting in a serious role. One half expects him to step out of his soul-searching pose, pout his lips and say: Ooh, you are awful  but I like you!

Whatever occurred between the doctor and his patient, the gossip spread, and Emma Jung was soon threatening her bullish husband with divorce

But beneath his bluster and bossiness  his nickname at school was The Steamroller  Emma detected genius. After initial reluctance, she agreed to become the wife of the up-and-coming young doctor at the asylum for the insane.

Carl was always more interested in women than in men, and many of his female patients had their heads turned by him. In some cases literally so: a 19-year-old girl called Sabina Spielrein couldnt stop rotating her head, sticking out her tongue and laughing hysterically. She also stole knives and ladders, believed that she travelled back and forth to Mars every evening, and fantasised about being beaten on her bottom in front of a large audience. Alarm bells!, as Tim Vine would say, but Carl found insanity no barrier to attraction, perhaps even a spur. Nor was Sabina backwards in coming forwards. As Carl put it in his clinical notes, the patient had the misfortune to fall in love with me.

How far did they go? Carl protested in a letter to Sabinas mother that I have always told your daughter a sexual relationship was out of the question. Catrine Clay politely suggests that reading between the lines it sounds as though Jung went much further with the relationship than was proper. Other biographers have been in no doubt.

Whatever occurred between the doctor and his patient, the gossip spread, and Emma Jung was soon threatening her bullish husband with divorce. Sabina may have been the first, but she was far from the last: Emmas threats to leave him were to become a regular part of their marriage.

Next came another patient, Antonia Wolff, or Aunt Toni, as the Jung children were obliged to call her. Other writers are certain that the pair of them were at it like rabbits, but, once again, Catrine Clay errs on the side of caution. Whether it was a full sexual relationship remains a moot point, she suggests. One biographer, Ronald Hayman, writes of how, early on in their relationship, Jung had an attack of cramp while out swimming and made a vow that if he survived he would become her lover. The prerequisite of a good marriage, it seems to me, is the licence to be unfaithful, thought Jung.

For years, Aunt Toni stayed with the Jungs in a menage a trois from which poor Mrs Jung was largely excluded. Aunt Toni kept popping up at their front door for almost 40 years before finally dying in 1953, aged 65. The Jung grandchildren now remember her as grim and haughty, a bird-like woman who smoked like a chimney. One of them remembers his mother  Carls daughter  saying: A normal person would never love such a woman like Toni Wolff.

Of course, it goes without saying that Jung was not normal. Normal people do not have the power to change the way human beings think about themselves. But, unlike his mentor-cum-rival Sigmund Freud, who was always dignified, Jung was fundamentally uncouth. In a blind rage, he would shout at staff, reducing them to tears. Among his fellow psychoanalysts, he always needed to dominate, bullying any opponents into submission, often with a stream of invective. And out shopping, he was no better: at a bakery, he demonstrated his dislike of a cheese and onion tart by flicking it on to the ceiling.

He was also a terrible loser. Emma would have to let him win at billiards, just to avoid a tantrum. He regularly cheated at badminton, quietly nudging the shuttlecock across the white line in order to win a point. And his table manners also left a lot to be desired. The way he used to sip his soup or soft boiled eggs was simply disgusting, recalls a grandchild, one of the most disgusting things you could see in your life.

Emma, on the other hand, was personable, sensible, highly intelligent and quite remarkably tolerant. Unfortunately, this makes her less interesting to read about, and possibly to write about. I can never compete with Carl.

In order to emphasise this I usually have to talk extra stupidly when in company, she once confessed to Sigmund Freud. Much of her life was spent clearing up after Carl, but she still managed to forge a career of her own, becoming a successful analyst in her own right.

Catrine Clays last work was an excellent biography of Bert Trautmann, the German prisoner- of-war who went on to play for Manchester City. This one is as different as can be, but  unusual in a work on psychoanalysis  it is written with the same simplicity, chronicling an often foggy tale with great clarity.

I wonder, though, whether she is sometimes too soft on Carl Jung. Concentrating on his marital to-ing and fro-ing, she skips lightly over his anti-semitism, ignoring his chilling comments from the mid-Thirties. The SS men are being transformed into a caste of knights ruling 60 million natives, he wrote approvingly. There is no more ideal form of government than a decent form of oligarchy  call it aristocracy if you prefer. He also spoke of parasitic elements in the Jewish psychology, and suggested that they should wear different clothes.
Sebastian Faulks, author of this months book choice, is appearing at the Henley Literary Festival in October at a special YOU Reading Group event.

He will be discussing his latest bestseller Where My Heart Used to Beat  hailed as a masterpiece  and answering questions from our audience.

We aim to make it just like one of your own book group get-togethers, but bigger and with the author himself! Plus, there will be a glass of prosecco for everyone on arrival from festival sponsor Laithwaites Wine.

Join Sebastian and a host of literary greats in Henley-on-Thames

The one-hour session, chaired by YOU books editor Kate Figes, will be on the afternoon of Saturday 1 October and promises to provide a unique insight into the novel. Theres plenty of time between now and Sebastians festival appearance, so order the book and get reading! After the event, Sebastian will be signing copies of his books, a selection of which will be on sale at the venue.

The Henley Literary Festival, supported by The Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail, takes place from 26 September-2 October in the riverside town of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. For full programme details, visit henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk.

WHERE MY HEART USED TO BEAT

The story

It is 1980 and Robert Hendricks receives an unexpected letter from Alexander Pereira, an elderly French neurologist, asking him to make contact. Dr Pereira claims to have served in the First World War with Roberts father, who died just before the conflict ended when Robert was two.

Somewhat reluctantly, he travels to the remote island off the South of France where Dr Pereira lives with the promise of learning about the father he never knew. But, over a series of visits, it is Roberts own moving life story which gradually emerges, and with it that of a 20th-century scarred by carnage. Now in his mid-60s, we learn of his solitary childhood, his liberating university days, his brutalising combat role in the Second World War and his pioneering work afterwards as a psychiatrist.

Most heartbreaking is his consuming love affair with a beautiful Italian Red Cross worker, Luisa, in the summer of 1944. His experiences leave him with a jaundiced view of the world and relationships. But there are secrets which he has yet to discover and a reconciliation which may finally bring him peace of mind.

The taster

I think it must have been on this day that I first kissed her. I was anxious, as I did so, about how it might alter the balance between us; that she might from then on think of me not as a man in whom shed found something of herself miraculously distilled, but as a venal soldier like the rest It was life, it was heavenly. I was lost, I was found.

HOW TO BOOK To book for our live YOU Reading Group event, go to henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk or call the box office on 01491 575948. Tickets cost 15, which includes a glass of prosecco. The event begins at 3pm on Saturday 1 October in Henleys historic Kenton Theatre in the town centre, which is just a short walk from the train station. Advertisement

The author

Sebastian Faulks is one of the UKs most acclaimed writers. His books include Birdsong and Charlotte Gray, which was made into a film starring Cate Blanchett. He reveals why Where My Heart Used to Beat is a watershed novel for him in an exclusive piece for youreadinggroup.co.uk, where you will also find suggested topics for your own book club discussion.

Buy the book  and save 25 per cent
Donald Trump plans to return to La Crosse this 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 earlier this month 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 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 last 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 last week 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 this month.
When their severely autistic son Toby was excluded from school aged seven for behavioural problems, Vikky Turner and her husband Neil didnt know how to help him. Then the family was thrown a lifeline in the form of Sox, a specially trained assistance dog...

Toby, 11, with his assistance dog Sox

When you hold your baby in your arms, its as if you look deep into the future. No matter what, no matter how they turn out, you know this child is going to grow up, move out, get a job and be an adult. Now, with this autism diagnosis, all that certainty just vanished. I had no idea what Tobys future held for him. Would he be able to live on his own? Have a career? I was so sad for him but there was another emotion, too  guilt.

I couldnt help but think of all the times we had battled with him to eat his meals, when Id sent him on time outs for unacceptable behaviour, how Id told him he had to try harder. I had thought he was simply a challenging child and that I needed to be the one to win our battles, because if I hadnt he would have been in charge and you cant let children rule the world.

On his first day with us, Sox had a little shadow. Toby followed him all the time

But there had been other worrying signs. When he was just four years old and I was driving with all four children in the car, he said thoughtfully, Mummy I made eye contact with him in the rear-view mirror. Yes, Tobes?

Mummy, if I wasnt alive, youd be so much happier. Perhaps if I jumped off a cliff

The other kids went quiet.

Toby, I said slowly, deliberately, trying to use words he would understand. If you died, Id be heartbroken for the rest of my life.

Oh, Im sorry, was all he said. My little boy was four years old and talking about killing himself.

One day, during Tobys first term in reception, I got a call from the school to come in and help him. Hed had another meltdown, one so big that the teacher had to clear all of the children out of the classroom because it wasnt safe to leave a single one in the same room as my son. He had kicked and screamed and thrown things. When I got there, Toby was sitting in the corner, hunched with his face turned away from me. He was almost growling. It took some time to calm him down.

The meltdowns just kept on coming and there seemed to be no way of stopping them. Toby hit and bit other children. He was always being told off. And then, one day just before Christmas, I was surprised to see a big bite mark on his arm when he rolled up his sleeve. It was swollen and red. My hackles rose immediately in his defence, thinking someone had hurt him. What happened there?

Toby glanced down at his arm, where a circle of teeth marks rose clearly from the surface of his skin. I was really cross with myself, he said. I felt I needed punishing.

Toby giving Sox a kiss

From then on, I was always on the lookout for injuries. And there they were, again and again. No matter what Neil or I said to Toby, he would still hurt himself when he felt hed done something wrong. He might come home with a bump on his head where hed walloped himself with something hard, or a scratch, a bite or a bruise.

There were complaints from other parents about our son. It was understandable, really; if I was worried about a childs behaviour in my other children Ollie, Joe or Laurens class, I probably would have said something, too. But what was hard was that no one ever said it to my face. These were parents I was once friendly with. If they had talked to me, I would have been able to explain about autism and Aspergers. Often the problems in the classroom were caused by Toby, but the teachers also said that he would get the blame for things even when he wasnt in school. It had got to the point where he was the naughty boy  and nothing we could do would change that.

On 12 December 2011, when Toby was seven, the school called and asked me to come in to see the headteacher. It was oddly formal. Mrs Turner, Im afraid hes gone too far this time, he said. Tobys latest meltdown had culminated with him scratching a computer screen with a pencil. Then he uttered the words Id been dreading ever since Toby had started school: Were going to have to exclude your son.

* * * * * *

Toby aged nine with his mother Vikky, and Sox wearing his new jacket last year

One day, I was watching TV in a rare moment of quiet and a feature came on about hearing dogs for the deaf. The newscaster went on to say that assistance dogs can help a multitude of people  including children with autism. I got up from the sofa with more energy than Id had in months, searched on the computer and found Dogs for the Disabled (now Dogs for Good).

An autism assistance dog gives the parent and child real independence and provides a safer environment for the child so they feel more secure That was the problem with Toby. He didnt feel safe. I couldnt stop thinking about how settled hed become sitting next to a lizard on a visit to Longleat Safari Park. Could an animal companion be the secret key?

The dog wears a special harness which connects it to both parent and child and acts on instructions from the parent, while the child is encouraged to walk alongside the dog. This offers greater independence to both child and parent, ensuring the child is safe and unable to bolt if they become stressed or anxious. As I read on, I felt an unfamiliar sensation spreading inside me. I realised it was hope. I put my name on the waiting list.

The thought of an assistance dog was like a helium balloon  it bounced along beside me day by day, lifting my spirits, enabling me to tackle Tobys issues with a renewed vigour. Working with a fabulous woman called Lorna, a special-needs teacher, we slowly reintroduced Toby to school on a part-time basis. He would go in the morning and I would teach him work supplied by the school in the afternoons.

But even with Lornas expert help, it was an uphill battle. Toby had meltdowns several times a day. A report from that period describes him hitting walls, throwing things, kicking off his shoes, destroying property, refusing to work, disrupting classes, hitting out at people, running from classrooms and the school building, and even trying to climb out of the school by scaling the fence. All of us could see that his emotional outbursts were escalating and we had to give formal consent to the school that they could restrain Toby if his behaviour was unsafe.

Sometimes Toby spent mornings with me and afternoons at school. The gate normally opens dead on 3pm, but time and again it didnt open. The other parents and I would be lined up waiting, thinking Its Toby and it always was. Id head to the reception class and several staff would be guarding the doors. Inside, Toby would be pacing and ranting. I was devastated that he was causing such disruption, but, equally, witnessing his distress was heartbreaking. I just wanted to nurture this feral animal and make him feel better. But nothing ever did.

His anxiety got worse and worse. More and more frequently he would shout in a pained voice, I want to kill myself. He hit himself over and over with a wooden saucepan he had found somewhere. It wasnt the schools fault, but you could see that school was destroying him.

Tobys bad behaviour spilled over into our weekends, too. We never made plans to do anything as it was so difficult taking him anywhere, so we were usually all cooped up inside. We had incidents of Toby hitting his sister, or him accidentally hurting his brother and then feeling so guilty that he threatened to kill himself, and he once tried to jump out of his bedroom window. He was out of control.

The stress and tension was starting to make him very unwell. He was waking every night and sleepwalking. He said almost every day that he felt poorly, and would often be physically sick. Perhaps as a consequence, he refused food and the weight started to drop off him. He looked pale and sickly with dark circles under his lovely green eyes.

Toby and Sox with Tobys dad and brothers Ollie (front) and Joe in 2014

With every disaster that unfolded, I had more reason than ever to keep emailing the dog charity. Month after month I sent a message reminding them that we were still interested, only to receive a reply saying that their list was still closed. I was so tired. And then one day the phone rang: Its Kelly from Dogs for the Disabled. Would it be OK if I came for a home visit to discuss your application for a dog?

I couldnt say yes fast enough.

* * * * * *

So this dog, said Kelly, is about one and a half years old, he went to puppy socialisers for the first year of his life and hes recently started kennel training. Hes very assertive and confident, which makes him perfect for autism training, but hes very big. Are you happy for me to bring him?

How big can a dog be? I thought.

Sox was enormous, a labrador retriever cross, but there must have been some Irish wolfhound in there. You could tell he was young as he came bouncing into the lounge, his nose sniffing away as he took in all the new scents of this unfamiliar home.

I had rarely, if ever, seen Toby so excited. He started talking very quickly about how lovely the dog was, running his hands all over his inky fur, talking 19 to the dozen. The dog stood there very calmly, not at all perturbed by the exhilaration he had created in the entire family.

Why dont you give him a treat? said Kelly. She gave all the children some treats and told them they could ask the dog to sit, stay and lie down. Sit. Good boy! Toby gave him a cuddle and a treat. Lie down, he said next. The dog stretched out his long front legs and plonked his whole body weight on the floor. Good boy; another treat was dished out. It was so lovely to see him interact with another being in this way.

Sox was looking at Toby. It was as if there was this bubble around the pair of them, a different feeling now that they were together. A relaxed calmness came over them both. But then I realised it wasnt a bubble; it wasnt a wall that came up and shielded them, cutting Toby off from the world like the audiobooks and headphones he needed to calm him whenever we went out. Toby and Sox were both in this room with me, sharing this special moment. Toby was smiling and chattering. He was calm and relaxed. It is going to work, I thought. I felt like crying, but it was too happy a moment for tears. It really is going to work

On his first day with us, Sox had a little shadow. Toby followed him all the time. Normally Toby spent hours in his bedroom on his own, but now he spent more time downstairs, which meant he felt part of the family. The moment Sox arrived, Toby no longer needed his hood, his headphones or his audiobooks when we went out. The focus was now on the dog and what we were doing; we werent focusing on Toby and how he was going to deal with things. His whole mood lifted. The biggest change, though, was in his talking  he never, ever shut up.

Toby enjoying a family day out with siblings Joe (left), Ollie and Lauren last summer

Previously when Id dropped Ollie off at school Toby would come with us and he wouldnt talk to anybody. In fact, hed be so wrapped up in his own world that I would steer him to Ollies classroom door and then back to the car. Even though it was only a 15-minute walk, we always drove because Toby couldnt cope with the chaos of outside. Now, with Sox as our escort, we decided that we would walk.

I remember clearly the first morning we walked to school. Toby got Soxs harness sorted and stood solidly by his side. He chatted to Sox, his brother and me all the way there. Not only that, as we turned for home, we heard a voice behind us. It was Katie, another mother at the school. Even through Tobys terrible times, Katie had always said hello to us in spite of the fact that Toby always blanked her. How are we doing, Toby Turner? she asked.

He looked up at her and said, Im doing very well, thank you, now that I have my dog. Do you know my dog? This is Sox. He is 70cm tall and over one metre long. He weighs 37.9 kilos This was the boy whod never had conversations with people, ever. He had never acknowledged Katies existence. Now she was pupil, audience and rapt listener.

Toby isnt cured. He still has tricky days. But whenever hes having a difficult time or a meltdown at school, he knows exactly what he needs to make him feel better. On those days I see him lying next to Sox with his thumb in his mouth, just stroking his ear, and I see that its the best therapy for him. Its no longer the end of the world when a day goes wrong. Tomorrow is a new day.

This is an edited extract from Toby and Sox by Vikky and Neil Turner, which will be published by Ebury Press on 25 August, price 6.99. To pre-order a copy for 5.59 until 28 August, visit you-bookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640; p&p is free on orders over 15.
As complicated as skincare can be, sometimes its the simple things that count. The vogue for oxygen-related beauty is a case in point. Oxygen is said to have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects on skin and stimulate healing.

No wonder Miranda Kerr (above) reportedly loves Intraceuticals Oxygen Treatments (from 135 at Londons Lazeo Clinic, Notting Hill, 020 7221 2248), in which low-pressure oxygen is blasted on to skin, helping a hyaluronic acid and antioxidant serum penetrate deeper to plump, smooth and refine.

Back at home, Peter Thomas Roth Brightening Bubbling Mask (30.50, beautybay.com) transforms from a blue gel into a white foam as it releases oxygen on to the skin, maximising its anti-ageing benefits.

Caught in transit? Bliss Triple Oxygen Radiance Restoring Mist (29, marksandspencer.com) is a cooling, compact way to up your O2 levels on the go this summer.

Julie de Libran, artistic director of French fashion label Sonia Rykiel, has lent Lancome her characteristically eccentric touch to collaborate on a limited-edition beauty collection.

Seven eyeshadows and two liners in plums and pinks make up La Palette de Sonia in Parisian Spirit (42), while grey-blue hues appear in its cosmetic cousin Saint-Germain (42, both harrods.com, from 31 August). Both come in a jazzy case  snap them up before they sell out.

Arms, legs, cuticles and even brows will love Mary Temperleys gorgeous Make Skincare Body Tone Pink Grapefruit Body Oil (23, makeskincare.co.uk). Inspired by her childhood breakfasts, which she ate with a sprinkle of brown sugar, it smooths, tones and scents skin in the most delicious of ways.

According to experts, so strong is the connection between our stomachs and minds that the gut acts as our second brain. So top up on psychobiotics, the next-generation probiotics which contain carefully selected microbes and bacteria to help reduce anxiety, elevate mood and heal the gut. Try Mega Probiotic-ND (19 for 60 capsules, victoriahealth.com).
The Bulanshahr rape victims blamed Azam Khan for making outrageous remarks relating to the incident

A minor girl and her mother, victims of the recent Bulandshahr gang-rape case on Saturday moved to Supreme Court seeking an FIR against controversial Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan.

They blamed Khan for making outrageous remarks relating to the incident.

In their petition, the victims also demanded that the court monitor a CBI probe into the case, further alleging that the police officials were helping the accused.

She demanded registration of FIRs against the errant police officials too.

Khan triggered a row recently with his alleged remark suggesting that the incident 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. For votes, people can stoop to any level. There can be a Muzaffarnagar, a Shamli and Kairanawhy not this? For power, politicians can murder people, trigger riots, kill innocent people, so the truth has to be found out, reports had quoted Azam Khan as saying.

Other demands include the transfer of this case to New Delhi, a court-monitored probe, security and rehabilitation of the young girl.

The mother-daughter duo said they feared that they will not get justice in Uttar Pradesh.

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.

The Court also passed the order a day after the state government submitted a status report on the investigation into the incident in a sealed cover.
The Supreme Court has called for strict implementation of the ban on trucks and trailers with iron rods or pipes dangerously protruding out, and strict action against those trucks that are illegally parked in the middle of roads.

The court has taken note of the fact that gross negligence has claimed nearly 40,000 lives across the country in the past two years.

Pointing out that thousands of motorists were getting killed every year, a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) to file an affidavit within two weeks stating the guidelines and rules it plans to bring out to prevent such accidents.

Save Life Foundation - NGO working for improving road safety and emergency care, said that last year 9, 858 people died across the country in 30,266 road accidents

The court also asked for inclusion of penal provisions for violators saying examine these aspects. Cannot these people be made liable?

Quoting MORTH reports extensively in the court, PIL petitioners Save Life Foundation (SLF), an NGO working for improving road safety and emergency care, said that last year 9, 858 people died across the country in 30,266 road accidents after ramming into trucks carrying protruding rods or pipes while 4,124 people lost their lives in 13,292 mishaps involving collision with stationary trucks.

SLF had filed the petition three years ago.

The NGO said that protruding overloads, mainly iron rods, claimed 30,307 lives and injured more than 1 lakh people in 99,384 accidents in last two years alone.

Stationary trucks on road killed 8,780 people and injured 30,166 during the same period in a total 29,882 accidents involving these haphazardly parked vehicles.

Protruding rods caused 787 deaths in Delhi in the last ten years, with 15 killed last year, whereas huge trailers or lorries parked in the middle of the road killed 944 people in Delhi in the last one decade.

he road transport ministry has removed the provision in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) that allowed protrusions up to one metre.

Since the ban was not being strictly implemented and there was no penal provision in place, the deaths continued unabated.

Such protrusions are causing severe harm to motorists and other road users. Keeping in mind Indian road and traffic conditions, provisions that permitted trucks to imperil the lives of thousands of motorists should be removed, the NGO said in its petition.

There are also no specific penal provisions either in the Motor Vehicles Act for such cases.
The shocked commotions over the end of Irom Chanu Sharmilas nearly 16-year-long hunger strike odyssey has again transformed dramatically in texture and tone.

Her story has become a grand symphony where the music suddenly changes from one movement to another after steadily climbing to a climactic crescendo.

On July 26, during one of her routine court appearances, Sharmila announced to the media she would be ending her fast, and as a change of strategy in the anti-AFSPA campaign, she would be moving towards politics.

Not welcomed anywhere after her release, Sharmila is now back in the JN Hospital special jail cell

She also said she is considering marriage.

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, AFSPA, is a draconian law introduced in Assam (when Nagaland was still part of Assam) and parts of Manipur in 1958 to fight the Naga insurgency.

It is applicable to all other Northeast states including Kashmir since 1990.

The AFSPA gives the Army and other central forces sweeping powers, including use of force to the extent of causing death or destroying shelters merely on suspicion they are used by insurgents.

It also gives legal impunity to soldiers against prosecution for their actions.

Many of her supporters reacted adversely to her decision to end the fast and to go ahead fighting AFSPA as a politician

On August 9, when Sharmila was produced before the court again, she faced a large noisy crowd of reporters from all over India, and before them she went ahead and symbolically broke her fast with a taste of honey scooped on her finger.

I want to end the hunger strike today and want to be freed as there would be no reason for my detention, she said, adding: I feel extremely isolated. I will continue to fight for my cause, but in a different way.

It was a poignant moment for her and a number of her close supporters.

No longer legitimate to charge and arrest her on attempt to commit suicide, the session judge who heard her case, released her on a PR (personal recognizance) bond of Rs 10,000.

However, a number of unpleasant surprises awaited the Iron Lady.

In a state of shock, many of Sharmila's supporters reacted adversely to her decision.

And Sharmila, by whose name many of them once swore, ended up at the end of the day being boycotted by many of them, even her own family.

Her mother Sakhi Devi refused to meet Sharmila.

My mother doesnt want her to return home without fulfilling the promise she made 16 years ago, said Singhajit Singh, Sharmilas eldest brother in an interview.

The unfolding drama was surreal. Somebody who only a few days ago, even in her lonely confinement in the special jail ward at the JN Hospital, could call anywhere and everywhere in this town her home, on that fateful afternoon had nowhere she could seek sanctuary.

Sharmila ia back in her JN Hospital special jail cell while she adapts to solid food under the supervision of health professionals

Not welcomed anywhere after her release, she is now back in the JN Hospital special jail cell, though not only because she had nowhere else to go, but also to adapt to solid food under the supervision of health professionals.

Four days since that eventful day, passions are cooling and there are signs her former supporters are ready for reconciliation.

If Sharmilas sudden decision was startling initially for everybody, understandably it would have been painfully so for her supporters.

It broke a long and familiar equilibrium. Thankfully now, it does appear all are preparing for another equilibrium under the changed circumstance.

An organisation formed to support the Save Sharmila Campaign, met with Sharmila on August 11, and they amicably agreed to part ways.

Sharmila can go ahead fighting the AFSPA as a politician, and they would continue as they have always been - as agitationists.

It is unlikely all her supporters disapproved her ending her fast and resorting to a different strategy.

Likewise, it is equally unlikely that any of her supporters would be unwilling to forgive her, had communication channels between them not been so strained.

Part of this lapse in communication probably had to do with her being a prisoner, and therefore not easily accessible.

There was once a time when meeting her was strictly restricted except with the permission of the chief secretary of the state.

In a state of shock, many of Sharmila's supporters have reacted adversely to her decision

Things were not as bureaucratic at the time of her ending her fast, but nonetheless, not simple.

The seeming breach in relationship, thankfully momentarily, had also a lot to do with, if I may put it so, pride and prejudice.

Pride on the part of Sharmila and prejudice on the part of her followers.

Sharmilas pride made her to take her momentous decision, taking none of her family or supporters into confidence.

Icon: Indian women look at a wall painting of Manipur's 'Iron Lady', Irom Chanu Sharmila

This is not about seeking permission, but of placing trust in fellow travelers.

Imagine a wife finding out her husbands decision to change career from the newspaper.

The hurts caused by such undermining of relationships, is only to be expected and understandable.

If Sharmila had been a little more considerate of the feelings of her supporters, things may have been different.

On the other side, her supporters and family were not altogether free of prejudices, especially when it came to her taking an NRI lover.

Sharmila symbolically broke her fast with a taste of honey scooped onto her finger

They impulsively jumped to the conclusion that the man had the vested interest of sabotaging the movement of which Sharmila was the flag bearer.

While they are free not to be happy with the association, they ought to have left the final decision on the relationship to Sharmila.

On August 23, when Sharmila is scheduled to appear before the court again, probably for the final time in this case, things will be clear as to where the equilibrium settles.
At a public level, the Modi government has articulated a desire to deal with the Jammu & Kashmir issue within the parameters outlined by Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Insaniyat, jamhuriyat, Kashmiriyat.

But in reality the government is working along quite distinct lines from those taken by past governments.

The outline of the Modi strategy rests firmly on the belief that without Pakistan there would be no problem in Jammu & Kashmir.

Modi's strategy in Jammu & Kashmir rests firmly on the belief that without Pakistan there would be no problem in Jammu & Kashmir.(Pictured: A masked Kashmiri holds up the Pakistani flag during a protest in Srinagar, J&K)

So, the governments focus will be on Pakistans misdeeds.

Terrorist actions will get a tough response. The government will seek to isolate Pakistan across the world as an irresponsible state sponsor of terrorism.

Confusion

There were some confusing moments during Modi's recent speech about the need to talk about all its four parts - Jammu, Kashmir Valley, Ladakh, and POK.

Just why this should be done, considering there are no real problems in Jammu and Ladakh is not clear.

If the PM is signalling the need to focus on regaining POK, then he should say so - it is a perfectly legitimate aim.

The government will seek to isolate Pakistan across the world as an irresponsible state sponsor of terrorism. (Pictured: An Indian policeman throws stones at Kashmiri protesters).

It would give India a huge geo-political leverage, although I am not sure whether the BJP would be happy to see the proportion of Muslim voters rise sharply in the state and the country.

At some level, it seems the issue is of Kashmir - the real estate - in opposition to Kashmir - the place - where millions of people live, the majority of them Muslims.

Holding on to the real estate is fine but when it comes to the people, especially the ones who are agitating, there is less clarity.

The PM is unhappy, as he noted in his speech that - children are not able to study, apple produce is not able to reach to the mandis, shopkeepers are not getting their daily income and government offices are not able to implement works of public interest.

One dimensional: Modi's strategy in Jammu & Kashmir rests firmly on the belief that Pakistan is the sole reason for J&K's problems

But who are the agitators? Are they dupes of the Pakistanis? Overground workers of the jihadi organisations? Or, to use the favourite phrase of our politicians, misguided youth?

We dont know how they will be dealt with, because we dont know how the government classifies them.

Sure, as a senior security official told Mail Today on Tuesday - there will be restraint in dealing with citizens, though terrorists will not be spared.

The problem is that neither the PM, nor the security official, gave any indication as to whether those involved in the current agitation fell in the citizen or terrorist bracket - and herein lies the real problem.

Complexity

Once again, the PM spoke of the Vajpayee path. But that path was much more complex than the one we are seeing unfold under Modi and Doval.

Pakistan-origin violence was far more intense in the Vajpayee years, yet he reached out to Islamabad and succeeded in obtaining a ceasefire on the LoC in 2003.

This had a huge impact in reducing the casualties of service personnel and civilians in the border zone and took away a crucial cover under which the militants infiltrated from Pakistan.

Importantly it enabled India to build a border fence which has curtailed the movements of men and weaponry.

Another key effort of the Vajpayee government was to seek a ceasefire with the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Kashmiri protesters throw stones towards Indian government forces

The government took the bold step of declaring a ceasefire to facilitate the process in 2000.

Just why and how this was sabotaged is another story, suffice to say, the opponents of the efforts do not live only on the other side of the LoC.

All this enabled the first genuinely fair elections to the J&K Assembly in 2002.

What we have today is a one dimensional policy of focusing on Pakistan as the sole cause of the problems in Jammu & Kashmir.

So, the government seems determined to take the war to the Pakistani camp.

Whether or not it can succeed is another matter.

The Modi government plans to isolate Pakistan across the world as an irresponsible state sponsor of terrorism. (Pictured: Masked Kashmiri protesters throw stones at police).

Few results

The thinly-veiled anti-Pakistan edge of the Modi governments global anti-terrorist campaign has yielded few results in the past two years.

Far from being isolated, Pakistan has succeeded in rebuilding its American ties, strengthened its Chinese ties, and established a new bridge to Russia.

Since Modi is the Prime Minister of India and the head our government, he is fully entitled to take a new approach to a chronic problem.

A caveat that emerges from his approach is whether the government have thought through the end game in relation to Pakistan and J&K - or are they merely retailing slogans under the guise of policy.
Mining giant BHP Billiton is expected to reveal a record loss of 5billion in its annual results on Tuesday.

The FTSE 100 firm has suffered amid a collapse in commodity prices over recent months.

A slowdown in demand from China has left a glut of supply in oil, copper and coal.

Disaster: A dam in Brazil burst at a BHP mining waste site in November last year, unleashing a deluge of toxic mud that smothered a village killing 19 people

BHP has also faced the fallout from a disaster at a dam in Brazil which killed 19 in November last year.

It has put aside around 1billion for the incident, which left 700 homeless and cut off water supplies to tens of thousands.

In its half-year results BHP said it had made a loss of around 4billion in the six months to December 31, despite the cost cutting efforts of boss Andrew Mackenzie.

It said the period of weaker prices and higher volatility is likely to be prolonged.

BHP is not the only miner under pressure. Rival Rio Tinto has also indicated that oversupply of commodities will remain an issue.

Anglo American is said to be under pressure to break-up its business and separate out its South African operations.
Marks & Spencer has been lined up as one of the early customers of the first cotton mill to open in more than 30 years.

English Fine Cottons said strong demand for luxury goods with the Made in Britain stamp will help it reverse the decline in the British textile industry.

The firm is to operate from two neighbouring cotton mills in the former North West heartland of the industry.

Noemi Lenoir, Twiggy, Laura Bailey and Erin O'Connor wearing M&S cotton shirts

Operating from Dukinfield, a small town east of Manchester, English Fine Cottons will be the sole cotton spinner in the UK  a far cry from the industrys 1800 peak when the UK boasted 95 per cent of the worlds spindles.

The firm has restored Tower Mill, a cotton mill in the town which was built in 1853, in a 5.8million project which is likely to create up to 120 jobs.

Its parent company is Manchester-based technical fibres business Culimeta-Saveguard.
Donald Trump told a protester to 'go home to mom' after being disrupted at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

'Here's another one,' the Republican presidential nominee told the crowd in Erie after the demonstrator shouted 'Black lives matter'.

'Go home to mom!' he added. 'And your mother is voting for Trump. She's voting for Trump - it's true, it's true.;

Earlier in the event, other protesters held up signs reading 'TAX FORMS' - criticizing Trump for not releasing his tax returns - and loudly booed at Trump Supporters as they were removed from the rally.

Donald Trump kicked the protester to 'go home to mom' after the demonstrator spoke out at his Erie, Pennsylvania, rally on Friday

Trump steered clear of mentioning his personal taxes Friday, despite Hillary Clinton's campaign releasing the Democratic presidential nominee's tax returns in an attempt to pressure Trump to disclose his own.

Meanwhile, a spokesman pointed to Hillary 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.

Earlier in the event, other protesters held up signs reading 'TAX FORMS' while shouting at Trump

Police officers removed a protester holding a 'Stop the Hate' sign at the Erie, Pennsylvania, rally

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.

A Quinnipiac poll released on Tuesday said Clinton leads Trump among likely voters with 52 per cent to his 42.

Protesters shouted at Trump and booed his supporters as they were escorted out of the event

Trump's comments reinforce his earlier remarks from last week in Ohio, where he declared that he is 'afraid the election is going to be rigged.'

He speculated that people without proper identification 'are going to vote 10 times' during an interview on Fox News Channel's 'The O'Reilly Factor.'

At a rally, he claimed he fears the general election 'is going to be rigged' without offering any immediate evidence.

'You don't have to have voter ID to now go in and vote and it's a little bit scary,' Trump said on Fox News.
In 1942, Pfc. George Traver had already enlisted in the Marines when he received a pocket knife sent to him by his mother who was back home in Chatham, New York.

Little did he know how significant a role that knife would play over 70 years later in identifying his remains, which were found in a mass grave on the South Pacific island of Tarawa.

The dramatic discovery was made in May of last year by History Flight, a Florida-based organization dedicated to locating the remains of Americas fallen soldiers from previous wars.

When we got the report back from the recovery team one of the artifacts that they found on him was a knife, Travers nephew who shares his namesake told WNYT television, an Albany-area station.

Pfc. George Traver was awarded the Purple Heart for valor displayed on the battle field while serving as a US Marine in the Pacific theater

And the description of it was a three-inch or a four-inch knife blade, bone case covering and a Boy Scout emblem on it. So it was almost like he carried something that meant something to him so much and mentioned about being home.

Thanks to the knife and the use of dental records, Travers family is preparing a second funeral, only this time it will have a chance to bury what remains of their heroic uncle.

This is for all the other families that have lost their men and stuff, said George Traver. And I think if my uncle was here he'd say the same thing.

Travers remains are due to be flown in to Albany International Airport on August 26.

Traver's mother (seen above) sent her nervous son a care package shortly after he enlisted in the US Marine Corps - a package which included a knife that would help confirm his remains

As a Marine, Travers tour of duty included combat in Guadalcanal, where he was wounded in the field. As a result, he earned a Purple Heart, which he later sent to his girlfriend back home.

Traver posthumously earned a second Purple Heart after he was killed as part of the first wave of Marines on Betio Island in Tarawa. He died on November 20, 1943.

It took several days and heavy casualties  nearly 1,000 US servicemen killed and over 2,000 wounded  for American forces to dislodge the Japanese from their foothold on the island.

Pfc Traver, who was wounded during battle in the campaign at Guadalcanal, was twice awarded the Purple Heart, which he sent to his girlfriend back home as a memento of love

An expedition led by History Flight, an organization dedicated to locating the remains of Americans killed in action, discovered a belt buckle (seen here) worn by Pfc. Traver

A memorial tombstone was erected in Traver's honor in a cemetery in his hometown of Chatham, New York, shortly after news of his death

American forces paid a hefty toll in securing Tarawa and overcoming stiff defenses from Japanese troops. Nearly 1,000 soldiers were killed and over 2,000 were wounded

For the Traver family, the exciting news provides closure to a decades-long saga.

His mother lived to be 90-years-old and right up until her dying day she was hoping to hear something about George and get him back, relative Al Wheeler told WNYT. She tried and tried. Never happened.
HILLSBORO  There is no lack of quaintness at the Joshua Sanford Field Airport.

Those who land at the city-owned airstrip are asked to sign in on a faded yellow legal pad protected by Plexiglas in a self-serve kiosk constructed by Ian Collins, an Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 83. The plaque doesnt say in what year Collins built the structure.

The 3,600-foot-long and 50-foot-wide paved, lighted runway hasnt been resurfaced in nearly 20 years and is sprouting weeds. There is no terminal, maintenance shed or a place to buy fuel  just two hangars that over the last few years have housed only a few aircraft.

And while the number of regular users at the airport can be counted on two hands, its not uncommon for those that do land to walk across the street for rings of bologna, two-pound rolls of butter and chunks of Muenster, Swiss and Colby at Janet Helgersons Cheese Store & More. This is where a sign above the three-door cheese cooler states We ID Limburger Cheese Customers!

Everything I get is as local as possible, said Helgerson, who has worked at the store for 37 years and bought the place in 2003. The economy is tough. So goes the farmer, so goes everything else in town. And with all the small farms closing down, everyone has to go someplace else to work.

But there are mixed feelings in this Vernon County city of about 1,400 people about a project at the Land OLakes butter factory that is bringing economic development to the community, located 23 miles northwest of Reedsburg.

The plant, purchased earlier this year by Land OLakes, makes quarter-pound, one-pound and 55-pound blocks of butter along with vats of butter oil used by commercial bakers and candy makers. But the facility is located at the southwest end of the airports runway, and an addition will create a safety hazard for airplanes. That has forced the city to close the little-used airport in exchange for jobs and tax base.

The 20,000-square-foot addition to the 28,000-square-foot butter plant will include a refrigerated warehouse, new employee entrance, locker and changing rooms, a break area and conference space. The project is part of $15 million worth of improvements planned for the facility through the end of 2018 that could also see the companys Hillsboro workforce grow beyond its existing 30 employees, the company said in an email.

We worked closely with the city to identify the best option to meet the needs of our growing business while helping to ensure the safety of our employees, company spokeswoman Rebecca Lentz wrote. This option was the one that met those needs.

In January, the Hillsboro City Council approved a memorandum of understanding and a development agreement with Land OLakes. The city then floated a plan to close part of the runway and make it a restricted-use facility, but the hangar owners, Henry Peterson and Bill Lesnjak, threatened to sue the city, saying it would affect their operations. They dropped their case when Land OLakes paid Peterson $60,000 and Lesnjak $29,000 for their hangars that are in a flood plain thanks to the nearby West Branch of the Baraboo River.

The state Bureau of Aeronautics urged the city to prevent any incompatible land uses but had concerns about adding new structures and moving the runway protection zone. The Federal Aviation Administration also studied the issue and told the city that a hazard designation could only be removed if the 40-foot-tall Land OLakes addition was only 6 feet tall.

So, after months of debate and haggling, the city informed the state late last month that it was closing the airport. Bulldozers were at work last week moving earth for construction at Land OLakes, but mowing has stopped alongside the runway and takeoffs and landings will be prohibited by this fall.

Was it an easy decision? No, said Adam Sonntag, Hillsboros city administrator. This has been six months of trying whatever we could in working with the state (Bureau of Aeronautics) and working with the FAA to come to some sort of reasonable solution. It was frustrating. These things have existed next to each other for the last 30 years and all of a sudden they cant because somebody wants to add to it? It doesnt make any sense to us.

Its unclear what will become of the airport property, which is along a bike trail. The flood zone eliminates the potential for development, although Sonntag said it could be used as parkland, a test track or for other uses that require minimal facilities.

Wisconsin is home to eight commercial airports, including Dane County Regional Airport in Madison and General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, but 90 airports are considered general use. They support activities like personal and business travel, charter services, tourism, sky diving, medical aircraft, flight training and agricultural spraying, according to the state Department of Transportation. That count does not include scores of private airstrips around the state, most of which are rural grass strips.

The airport in Hillsboro began as a pea gravel strip, has been both private and public over the years and was used by the Kickapoo Oil Co. founded in 1959 by Raymond Knower. Kickapoo, which grew to more than 60 stations before it sold to Kwik Trip in 1988, is credited with having the first self-serve gas pumps east of the Mississippi after it convinced the state legislature to change the law that required gas to be pumped by service station attendants.

The airport was taken over by the city in the 1980s and in 1993 was named after Joshua Sanford, a Native American World War II fighter pilot. He was twice wounded but highly decorated for his flying exploits that included 102 combat missions. He was also officially credited with downing eight enemy planes and was shot down or ditched his own plane 12 times.

Sanford, who was born near Friendship and graduated from Viroqua High School before attending UW-Madison, lived in Hillsboro after the war from 1948 to 1956 before moving to Reedsburg. Sanford died in 1962 from complications of war injuries. He was just 43 and is buried at Mount Vernon Cemetery on Hillsboros southwest side.

I am deeply saddened that proposed construction by your company is going to be at the expense of our local airport, Patti Bruha wrote in an open letter dated July 11 to Land OLakes and sent to the FAA, city, state and Ho Chunk Nation plus to media, including the Wisconsin State Journal.

Bruha, 66, was born and raised in Hillsboro, has a pharmacy degree from UW-Madison and is training to get her pilots license. When she was in high school, she took an aviation course as did many of her classmates. Now shell have to go elsewhere to train.

We want the tax base from Land OLakes. We want the jobs, the city needs that, she said. But I think the city needs the airport, too. Cant we just co-exist together?

Peterson, who served as the airports manager and owns L.G. Nuzum Lumber Co., a firm founded by his grandfather in 1902, said he has moved his two Cessna airplanes to Reedsburg. The change will make flying less convenient for him, while the closure of the airport will take away part of the citys character.

I know jobs are important. Im a small businessman, Peterson said as we walked the runway. Theres always traffic in and out of here. How lucky is a small town like Hillsboro to have an airport? Look at all the other communities that dont have an airport.
Don't mess with this mama bear - even if you're a waterfall.

A popular mother bear whose antics with her cubs are live streamed on from Alaska was caught on camera getting grizzly about saving her cubs after they took a tumble down a raging waterfall.

Mama is known as Grazer to her internet fans, reports the Washington Post.

The footage was captured on Bearcam, a live cam set up by Katmai National Park and explore.org, a philanthropic organization with over 100 cams streaming across the world, around the clock. The sweet family moment was first captured by explore.org users who take snapshots.

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Oh no! Mama bear Grazer watches not one but two of her cubs go over Brooks Falls, she starts to get nervous

Why, you little... She runs through the water to the side of the falls so she can get down to where her cubs floated

Come here, kids! Grazer dives into the water and gallops over to where her cubs are being dragged by the river

As the first furry cub takes an unexpected ride down the falls, mama bear's jaw starts trembling as she realizes her baby might be in trouble as he washes away.

But then her attention is diverted when she sees cub number two come riding down the waves and also get sent over the falls.

Now she galvanizes into action and runs to the side of the river, where she can safely move down the falls.

She gets them safely to shore and then goes back for the third cub, who is also tumbling over the falls

Bears gather in large groups at Brooks Falls in Alaska, where they feed on plentiful sockeye salmon - as many as 25 bears at a time can be seen near the falls in peak feeding season

She dashes into the water and gallops towards her floating babies.

As the pair wash up on the shore, she spots cub number three coming over the falls.

She heads back into the roiling waters and makes her way over to the cub, who floats downstream right to his mother, who grabs him with her mouth for a happy and safe reunion.
As cunning Army officer Blackadder, Rowan Atkinson did everything he could to dodge the blood and bullets of the First World War trenches.

But the actors son has no such fears about the perils of life in the military  as he prepares to take up a place at the Royal Military Academy.

Ben Atkinson, 22, was told last week that he had been accepted at Sandhurst, the prestigious officers training school, where both Prince William and Prince Harry earned their military spurs.

Ben Atkinson, 22, was told last week that he had been accepted at Sandhurst, the prestigious officers training school

There are no hints that Ben has any inclination towards following his father into acting, however, although snaps posted of him on Facebook show that there may be a trace of one or two Blackadder characters in his make-up.

One picture could be a modern-day version of Baldrick, Blackadders hapless sidekick through the ages, as action man Ben, in uniform and with rifle at the ready, appears to taking a nap after an exercise. Another could be lusty Lord Flashheart, as dashing, tuxedo-clad Ben poses alongside two young women who appear to be very pleased to meet him.

Sharing the news on Facebook, Ben showed that he has inherited some of his fathers sense of humour by posting: Dunno what this letter is but apparently The Royal Military Academy want me to come and attend them. Sounds like fun.

Dad Rowan as Blackadder with sidekick Baldrick played by Tony Robinson

Exeter University graduate Ben will have had to complete rigorous physical and mental tests to impress the Army Officer Selection Board and is expected to begin his 44-week training course next year.

Last year, Rowan, 61  said to be worth 100 million thanks to success in Blackadder and the Mr Bean franchise  divorced Bens mother Sunetra after 24 years of marriage.
A woman who believes crowdfunding campaigns have become the 'new obituary' and is fed up with the number of 'creepy' people launching pages for complete strangers has launched a website to police GoFundMe.

On June 13, the body of 18-year-old Aaron Pajich was found in a shallow grave beneath a concrete slab at a property south of Perth and within hours, Lian Trip Kerton, who was a stranger to the family, launched a GoFundMe page to cover the funeral costs.

After the page raised over $15,000, Aaron's father Keith Sweetman was forced to upload the funeral receipt to social media when donors started demanding their money back.

Adrienne Gonzalez, from Richmond, Virginia, launched GoFraudMe in April and said she cannot understand why people rush to launch pages for complete strangers after reading about local tragedies.

'In a lot of these cases the body isn't even cold,' Ms Gonzalaz told Daily Mail Australia.

On June 13, the body of 18-year-old Aaron Pajich (pictured) was found in a shallow grave beneath a concrete slab at a property south of Perth and within hours, Lian Trip Kerton, who was a stranger to the family, launched a GoFundMe page to cover the funeral costs

After the page raised over $15,000, Aaron's father Keith Sweetman was forced to upload the funeral receipt to social media when donors started demanding their money back

'I find it to be tasteless, but I realise it's becoming more accepted with more and more people doing it'.

Although Mr Sweetman was thankful to Ms Kerton for raising the funds, he was devastated donors began questioning his spending motives.

Some questioned why he had purchased a new suit with the money and others wondered why he had not donated a portion to help victims of crime, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

'Can we please grieve,' Mr Sweetman wrote alongside a photo of the funeral receipt in July.

Ms Gonzalez said she believes those who choose to donate to a worthy cause 'no longer have control over it'.

She likened the crowd-sourcing campaign to giving money to a homeless person on the street.

'For example if you give a homeless man a dollar and he goes into a liquor store and buys alcohol, you cannot say anything as you no longer have control,' she said.

'If you want control don't give them money'.

Although Mr Sweetman was thankful to Ms Kerton for raising the funds, he was devastated donors began questioning his motives

Adrienne Gonzalez (pictured), from Richmond, Virginia, launched GoFraudMe in April and said she cannot understand why people rush to launch pages for complete strangers

Ms Gonzalez said the only person who should be able to withdraw donations from campaigns following a tragedy are the names on the death certificate

After Gold Coast teenager Breyton Horomona, 15, died from a sudden allergic reaction to calamari in July, there was an outpouring of grief from strangers

Over $35,000 was raised, which covered the funeral and a three-day wake. The remainder of the funds went to his surviving siblings

After Gold Coast teenager Breyton Horomona, 15, died from a sudden allergic reaction to calamari in July, there was an outpouring of grief from strangers.

Over $35,000 was raised, which covered the funeral and a three-day wake. The remainder of the funds went to his surviving siblings.

Ms Gonzalez launched GoFraudMe after realising a campaign on the GoFundMe website was fraudulent.

A 'zombie' cat in Florida named Bart shot to fame after climbing out of a shallow grave he was buried in by his owner who believed he died in a car accident.

A campaign was launched by a stranger to raise money for Bart's 'medical fees,' but Ms Gonzalez notified the site, claiming the page was fraudulent.

She said her and 20 others presented evidence of fraud, but GoFundMe refused to cancel the campaign and it is still on the website to this day.

Ms Gonzalez launched GoFraudMe after realising a campaign on the GoFundMe website was fraudulent

Ms Gonzalez said she believes while the number of fake campaigns is minuscule, there is no way to police every page (pictured is Gold Coast teenager Breyton Horomona)

GoFundMe spokesperson Bobby Whithorne told Daily Mail Australia less than one tenth of one percent of campaigns on the site are fraudulent.

'We deploy proprietary fraud prevention technical tools and have multiple processes to verify the identity of campaign organisers,' he said.

'We also have a dedicated team that works around the clock to monitor fraudulent behavior.

'It's important to note that if a campaign is flagged as fraudulent by a user, the funds cannot be withdrawn until the issue is resolved.'

Ms Gonzalez said she believes while the number of fake campaigns is minuscule, there is no way to police every page as a new campaign is launched every 18 seconds.

She believes the only person who should be able to withdraw donations from campaigns following a tragedy are the names on the death certificate.

Ms Gonzalez said this would ensure the grieving families receive the funds instead of the strangers who launch the page.

Ms Gonzalez launched GoFraudMe after realising the campaign for 'zombie cat' (pictured) on the GoFundMe website was fraudulent
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 has been detected in the Coral Sea off the Queensland city of Gladstone.

The quake hit at 1.31am (AEST) on Sunday and Bundaberg residents quickly reacted to the tremor on social media.

'It was like a small wave went under the house,' Gladstone resident Michael Bruce wrote on Facebook.

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An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 has been detected in the Coral Sea off the Queensland city of Gladstone

It said the quake was reported as being felt near Bundaberg in Queensland

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre alert showed the earthquake struck 312km north of the Sunshine Coast at 1.31am.

The centre said in a statement it had determined there was no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland or islands following the quake.

It said the quake was reported as being felt near Bundaberg.

But two Gold Coast residents also claimed to have felt the earthquake, Brisbane Times reported.

'People have not felt much, so I think it had a fairly weak impact,' Geoscience Australia Duty Seismologist Marco Maldoni told the Brisbane Times.

The quake hit at 1.31am (AEST) on Sunday as Bundaberg residents reacted to the tremors on social media
Senior Labour MP Frank Field was branded irresponsible last night after claiming it was fine for radicalised British adults to join Islamic State in Syria  because if they were killed, it would boost Britains security.

The former Minister declared he was worried not one iota about British extremists going to fight in Syria.

Mr Field said: I think we should have no worries about letting them go because the chances are some of them will get killed and that increases the security of this country.

Senior Labour MP Frank Field was branded irresponsible after claiming it was fine for radicalised British adults to join Islamic State in Syria  because if they were killed, it would boost Britains security

If people want to practise their evil, better go and practise it with the mates whove actually taught them about this evil than inflict it on my constituent or anybody else.

But last night, Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke condemned Mr Fields remarks, claiming the Government was right to seek to stop British jihadis from getting to Syria.

He said: Not only is this irresponsible, its ill-thought-out.

Its not looking at the long-term consequences  even if British jihadis in Syria dont come back here to carry out terrorism acts, they can act as a recruiter of more people from this country to go out there.

Speaking on BBC Radio, Birkenhead MP Mr Field made clear he was not talking about the case of Kadiza Sultana, the 17-year-old British schoolgirl who ran away to join IS last year and is now understood to have died in an air strike in Syria.

Her case was horrendous, said Mr Field, stressing the Government should draw a clear distinction for children, and saying it had a duty to protect young people and should focus most effort there.

The former Minister declared he was worried not one iota about British extremists going to fight in Syria. Rahul Amin, a British citizen, was killed in a RAF drone attack

But it was a different matter when it came to adults. If adults want to go over there and get killed, fine, he said, although he made clear it was important to know if any British jihadis were returning to this country.

Environment Minister Therese Coffey criticised his approach: I am somewhat surprised by your assertion to just allow people to go abroad and they might get killed.

Last night, Mr Field stood by his remarks about adult Britons travelling to fight for extremists in Syria.

He said: I am relaxed about letting them go but I am unbelievably tough about letting them back in again.
Michael Foster (pictured) gave Labour 400,000 at the last Election but he has strongly criticised the party's leader Jeremy Corbyn in an article published below

The battle for the future of the Labour Party intensified last night as a Jewish donor likened Jeremy Corbyns inner circle to the Nazis.

Michael Foster, who gave Labour 400,000 at the last Election, described the team around the leader as his Sturmabteilung  the full name for the Nazi regimes SA, or stormtroopers.

Mr Foster said Mr Corbyns team was an aggressive, holier-than-thou cadre of committed hard-Left socialists who excluded, briefed against, often threatened and intimidated opponents.

The Brownshirts were key to the Fuhrers rise to power, defending venues where he gave speeches and disrupting opponents meetings.

Mr Fosters remarks, in an article for todays Mail on Sunday, follow a series of allegations of violent and anti-Semitic incidents in Labour.

They also come after Court of Appeal judges boosted the chances of leadership challenger Owen Smith by ruling on Friday that 130,000 members who recently joined the party  most of whom are thought to back Mr Corbyn  could not vote in the contest.

However, Mr Corbyn is still expected to win the leadership election next month and party donors fear his victory would lead to a damaging split.

Many of his 230 MPs are considering whether to break away from his leadership. Earlier this summer, more than 170 Labour MPs backed a no-confidence motion in their leader.

The threat is being taken so seriously within Mr Corbyns team that aides have discussed with Commons Speaker John Bercows office whether he could remain as official Leader of the Opposition if the rebels become the second largest group in the House after the Conservative Party.

Sources close to Mr Corbyn insisted the Speakers guidance was that rebels would have to register a new party with the Electoral Commission before they could be considered the official Opposition.

A source said: Bercow has said that to form the Opposition, they would have to show themselves to be a party  not just a rival bloc.

Mr Foster said Corbyns (pictured) team was an aggressive, holier-than-thou cadre of committed hard-Left socialists who excluded, briefed against, often threatened and intimidated opponents

Labour MPs last night predicted party rising star Dan Jarvis would eventually challenge for the leadership  pointing to his war chest of donations from backers.

The latest MPs register of interests reveals that Mr Jarvis, a former paratrooper, has so far this year received more than 80,000 in donations  with 35,000 in the last month alone. Separately, John Mills, who is Labours largest single donor, today warns that a split would hand Theresa May a thumping Commons majority.

Most Corbynistas accept that a Corbyn-led party would inevitably be trounced at the next General Election. Experts suggest that Theresa May would be on course to win a majority of at least 100, he told The Mail on Sunday.

But if Labour fragmented into a socialist party supported by many Labour activists and a social democratic party representing the vast majority of Labour MPs, the left-of-centre vote would split and Mrs May could end up with an even greater majority, say 150. A spokesman for Mr Bercow said that the Speakers position on the issue had not changed since he told MPs in June that Labour currently constituted the official Opposition.

'Why I despise Jeremy Corbyn and his Nazi stormtroopers'

by MICHAEL FOSTER, Labour Party donor and a former parliamentary candidate

Saturday of last week in my home town of Camborne, the Corbyn Circus rolled into town. A crowd of 2,000 disciples came from all over Cornwall to cheer and clap and worship. One after another, Momentum speakers praised Jeremy and spoke of the hope he gave them, the socialism he would bring to Britain.

Then the mood got much darker, with each speaker declaiming their personal persecution by unnamed sources and to round it off, all but one named me as the villain who via the courts had tried to rob them of their right to have Jeremy Corbyn as the Leader of the Labour Party.

From where I stood in that evangelical crowd, I saw what we have all witnessed across Britain for a year.

A brand of politics alien to this country, defined and delivered by a divisive, aggressive holier-than-thou cadre of hard-Left socialists with no real policies to speak of, no defined social and economic objectives, just a call for the committed to take this journey with them down the Yellow Brick Road.

Adolf Hitler and his SA troops, known as 'Brown shirts', in Munich, November 9, 1935

In the midst of this, something is rotten. You are either with them, or you are labelled as being against them and so excluded, briefed against, often threatened and intimidated.

If you are like me, a Jewish donor to Labour, you are smeared as a Blairite conspirator, plotting to falsely use the accusation of anti-Semitism to damage the Left.

It matters not whether you are Angela Eagle with a brick through a window, Stella Creasy with a mob outside her constituency office, or Labour general secretary Iain McNicol with a letter threatening court action unless he secured victory for Corbyn at an NEC vote.

Corbyn and his leadership team have no respect for others and worse, no respect for the rule of law.

They clearly have no moral compass, and in Corbyn they have a leader who wants to abolish the House of Lords yet is happy to confer and defend the granting of a peerage on Shami Chakrabarti, whose detailed report into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party was anything but independent.

We are asked to accept wave after wave of inappropriate, democratically damaging and wrongful actions by the Corbynistas as the new way by which politics will be conducted.

It is why I, as a lifelong Labour supporter, funder and former parliamentary candidate, last month took Jeremy Corbyn to court to have the law decide whether the leader of the party could self-nominate for leader.

Jeremy Corbyn supporters hold placards ahead of a debate with Owen Smith last week

To me, respect for the rule of law is fundamental to a democracy. Once political parties believe they are above the law it ends with all opposition silenced, whether it is my grandparents in Dachau, or the Left in Erdogans Turkey rounded up and held uncharged in prison.

The courts decided that the rules as they stand allowed it. This decision advantaged Corbyn and his Sturm Abteilung (stormtroopers), but on Friday afternoon the Appeal Court handed down a big decision for British democracy.

It disallowed the attempt by arriviste followers of Corbyn to flood the Labour electoral college. This caused the mask of reasonableness of the Corbynista leadership to slip even further.

Suddenly the most holy of holies, the NEC, was labelled a shoddy organisation capable of using a grubby little device. Cross this lot and you are straight into the firing line.

Mr Foster says Corbyn has no respect for others or the rules

Corbyn no longer has a clear path in his bid to destroy the Labour Party as we have known it in Government and in Opposition for the past 70 years.

Rather than start a party of the Left, he wishes to steal for the Left the respectable cloak of the Labour Party brand.

For these schoolboy, idealistic revolutionaries, perpetual opposition is the weak and acceptable substitute for perpetual revolution. Let these people win Corbyn this election and Labour as a political force in this country will be heading for terminal decline.

The Labour Party secretariat  knowing that Corbyn spells disaster for an effective and legitimate Opposition in Britain  have taken a stance against the bullying by men such as Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Unite leader Len McCluskey.

They were rewarded for their bravery by a victory secured with the backing of the High Court. We must reward that by backing Owen Smith against Corbyn and end the civil war bought to Labours door by the bullies and arm-twisters of the hard-Left.

Smith now has a real chance of winning this contest. He is supported by the vast majority of his parliamentary colleagues.

The Corbynistas know Smith will win the union affiliate vote because what matters to working union members (ie, not union leaders) is economic competence and no one has ever heard Corbyn speak about the economy in terms of output and productivity.

Corbyn, as with many economically illiterate people of the extreme Left, looks at the economy only as a means to gather revenue to redistribute, not as a way to rid us of poverty, to grow wages and increase employment.

The Labour leader is one of many economically illiterate people of the extreme Left, he says

Smith will most likely win the 25 sign-up vote too; as many right-minded middle class and working class people, are tired of the Corbyn rhetoric that has bought almost nothing in the past ten months for the people Labour is meant to serve.

They have realised that effective opposition to a Conservative Governments austerity programme will never be made to work by the divisive and blinkered extremes of a Corbyn-led cadre of second-rate minds.

Those who do not share their view of the world are dismissed as neo-liberals or worse as Blairite elitists hell-bent on protecting capitalisms vested interest.

If MPs declare their opposition to Corbyn, bully boy McCluskey threatens to target them with deselection.

Oppose them as a Jewish donor and the riposte from Seumas Milne, Corbyns mouthpiece, is that you are part of a Blairite, Right-wing conspiracy (the ancient racist rhetoric is that Jews dont act alone, the malevolent Jew always conspires) to destabilise the democratically and legitimately elected leader.

The Corbynista dream of government is our nightmare.

Britain is not a land of extreme politics. From the Reform Acts of 1832, 1868 and 1884 and even the Attlee Government of 1945, Britains people have always rejected extremism.
Vicious feuding at the top of UKIP has been laid bare by leaked emails revealing the scale of the civil war that has engulfed the party following Nigel Farages resignation as leader.

In one exchange seen by The Mail on Sunday, UKIPs main bankroller Arron Banks describes senior party figure Neil Hamilton as a corrupt old Tory  prompting Hamiltons formidable wife Christine to accuse the tycoon of being vulgar and grossly defamatory.

Another leaked message from a member of the partys ruling body appears to reveal a plot to eject the partys sole MP, Douglas Carswell.

Farages resignation following the Brexit vote has triggered a bitter power struggle within UKIP.

Leaked emails have revealed the full scale of the UKIP civil war, with senior party figure Neil Hamilton, left with wife Christine, branded a 'corrupt old Tory' and MP Douglas Carswell, right, appearing to face a plot to eject him

The chaos has led his allies to conclude that the party needs a radical overhaul, either by sacking the governing National Executive Committee or even dissolving UKIP altogether and starting a new party.

The panic was compounded yesterday when it was revealed that one of Farages closest aides is facing years in a US jail after allegedly being caught in an FBI sting.

George Cottrell, 22, who had just started working in Farages private office, was arrested and led away in handcuffs as he and the former UKIP leader arrived in Chicago last month.

Cottrell is now in custody awaiting trial on 21 charges including attempted extortion, money laundering and fraud.

One email exchange seen by this newspaper, a pro-Farage member of the NEC appears to reveal the existence of a plot to eject Mr Carswell, who has been embroiled in a long-running feud with Farage and his allies in the party.

The message, sent to Nathan Gill, a fellow Farage supporter, states: I am compiling the case against Carswell already. We should have the votes.

'The latest I heard is that he has called a branch meeting in Clacton [Carswells constituency in Essex] and expects to be reselected in spring next year.

'He has a Tory crony as chairman to make sure it happens lets hope he is toast by then.

UKIP'S CIVIL WAR THAT INCENDIARY EMAIL... Aaron Bank, the tycoon who has bankrolled UKIP and pro-Brexit campaigns to the tune of 6m Hi Nathan. Corrupt old Tories never change... I'm sure he [Hamilton] will be caught doing something naughty with expenses if his wife doesn't get there first! THE FARAGE CONNECTION I spoke to Nigel [Farage] as I know you are both working together on this and suggested it might be better that you gave up being an MEP...then I will have a clear run to get rid of Hamilton. Nigel said he would think about it. The message by top UKIP figure to Gill reveals plot to oust Hamilton... NEXT UP: KILL CARSWELL! I'm compiling the case against Carswell already... [he] expects to be reselected in spring - let's hope he is toast by then ...and also to topple Douglas Carswell, the party's only MP Advertisement

The message goes on to suggest a plot is also under way to remove Mr Hamilton, an opponent of Mr Farage, with the NEC member saying: I spoke to Nigel as I know you both are working together on this and suggested that it might be better that you gave up being an MEP then I will have a clear run to get rid of Hamilton. Nigel said he would think about it.

The message was sent five days before Mr Farage resigned as party leader on July 4.

In another email to Gill, Banks complains about former Tory MP Neil Hamilton, who toppled Gill in May as leader of UKIPs group in the Welsh Assembly.

The move meant that Hamiltons salary rose by 20,000 to 84,000.

Banks wrote in the July 23 message: Corrupt old Tories never change  its a disgrace that someone like Hamilton is even involved in the party.

'I wouldnt let him get under your skin, Im sure he will be caught doing something naughty with expenses, if his wife doesnt get there first!

Mr Hamilton was embroiled in a cash-for-questions scandal in 1994 while he was a Tory MP, and his wife campaigned alongside him when he lost his Tatton seat to former BBC journalist Martin Bell in 1997.

Bankss message was passed on to Mrs Hamilton, who hit back by claiming that his remarks were grossly defamatory.

She wrote: I would not normally bother to respond to vulgar abuse but, as you involve me and have copied it to others, I have no choice.

'I take grave exception to your crystal-clear innuendo that I would make false expenses claims an apology would not come amiss.

Banks, who has funded UKIP and pro-Brexit campaign groups to the tune of more than 6 million, replied: I think your reputation and that of Neils is clearly understood.

The leaked email was sent by Arron Banks, left, to Nathan Gill, right, the party's former Welsh Assembly leader before he was replaced by Hamilton

'His ability stretched to losing the fourth safest Tory seat in the country with a 48 per cent swing to a journalist! Enjoy the trough while you can

In another email seen by this newspaper, Gill told Hamilton that it was a disgrace that he lived in England while sitting in the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff.

Farages favoured successor, Steven Woolfe, was blocked from standing by the NEC last week on the grounds that the paperwork for his bid was submitted 17 minutes late. The current leadership favourite is UKIP MEP Diane James.

A source close to Farage said: The partys NEC as currently constituted manages to be both over-powerful and completely incompetent.
Donald Trump's spokeswoman erroneously blamed President Obama for invading Afghanistan, when he was a mere State Senator when the war started in 2001.

In a discussion about the rise of ISIS and Trump's contention that Obama was the 'founder' of ISIS, CNN moderator Victor Blackwell told Trump the spokesperson Katrina Pierson: 'This is not something that started during the Obama administration... He [Trump] says he was being sarcastic but 'not that sarcastic' about something that happened in 2004.'

The Afghanistan invasion happened in 2001, after the September 11 attacks, when Obama was a State Senator in Illinois and George W. Bush was president. Blackwell says that ISIS formed in 2004 - before Obama was even close to being president.

CNN host Victor Blackwell becomes increasingly confused as Katrina Pierson appears to blame the Afghanistan War on Obama - who was a State Senator when the US invaded

'It was Obama's war' Pierson says, doubling down on her theory, despite clearly conflicting dates

Pierson (above with Trump) voted for Obama in 2008 but soon changed her tune and became a staunch Tea Party activist, according to Wikipedia

Katrina Pierson already took heat when she blamed Khizr Khan's son's death on Obama, who wasn't in office in 2004 when he was killed

Pierson replies: 'If you want to go way back, we can look at the troop surge, in 2007, Al Qaeda was essentially in ashes.' She then goes on to blame Obama and Hillary Clinton for 'pulling out early' and 'announcing their plans and ignoring intelligence' which she then says is the reason ISIS is 'now a global issue.'

'I'm sorry, Barack Obama in 2004?' the moderator asks, going back to the date he had originally mentioned.

'No, I said afterwards,' Pierson responds, appearing to forget the date she brought up. She returns to her talking points.

'After the surge, when Al Qaeda was in ashes... entering Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton... remember, we weren't even in Afghanistan by this time,' she says, to increasingly baffled looks of Blackwell. 'Barack Obama went into Afghanistan creating another problem,' she says.

'Obviously, I was being sarcastic... but not that sarcastic, to be honest with you' Trump said of accusing Obama of 'founding' ISIS

By this time, the moderator appears thoroughly flummoxed. 'So you're saying Barack Obama took the country into Afghanistan post-2009, is that what you're saying?' he asks, incredulous.

When Pierson tries to ignore the dates and goes back to blanket criticism of policy, he interrupts, 'But you just said we weren't in Afghanistan.'

After a long pause, Pierson says, 'That was Obama's war, yes.'

Huffington Post political reporter Sean Stein says Pierson probably mistook Obama's announced surge in 2009 - the plan was to push in 30,000 troops quickly and then have them out within a year - for an invasion.

Previously, Pierson blamed Obama for the death of Capt. Humayun Khan in 2004 - again, when Obama was not president. Capt. Khan's father had roundly criticized Trump at the Democratic National Convention.
Norman Lamb, who was coalition health minister in 2012-15

Coalition health minister from 2012-2015, Norman Lamb, gives his view on the state of the NHS.

Hospitals overflowing, with patients abandoned in corridors. Accident and Emergency rooms threatened with overnight closure. And it just keeps getting worse. It is clear the NHS is in a crisis that threatens its very existence.

No doubt youve experienced it yourself  an agonising wait for much-needed surgery, a cancelled operation, or even the infuriating engaged tone when you call a GP.

As MP for North Norfolk, the complaints I hear are constant. I know just how desperate the situation is  as a former Health Minister, Ive seen the books.

And the unpalatable truth is that the NHS is at breaking point. Thats why today I set out my plan for an NHS and care tax. This would be the cornerstone of a new Beveridge settlement for the NHS and care, guaranteeing the sort of health and care service the sixth largest economy in the world should be capable of delivering.

It may sound radical but if we are to preserve our much-loved NHS and ensure people get the best possible care, urgent action is needed. I dont come to this lightly, but when you look at the figures, as I have, it is the only solution that adds up.

As MP for North Norfolk, the complaints I hear are constant. I know just how desperate the situation is and as a former Health Minister, Ive seen the books (file pic)

The tax Im proposing would come straight out of your pay packet but, rather than disappearing into the black hole of Government finances, it would go directly towards funding our cherished health service.

I know it is easy for people to be misled. In 2002, when Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, raised National Insurance by 1p in the pound to bridge the funding gap in the NHS, the extra raised was not all spent on health.

Thats the attraction of a dedicated fund. You know where your money is going. We are way behind most European countries.

We spend about eight per cent of our gross domestic product on health, while Germany and France spend more than 11. That means those with significant medical needs abroad are getting better care than here, and I cant tolerate that.

Of course, its easy to forget that the sheer reach of the health service is also a positive story. When that great Liberal, William Beveridge, proposed the NHS in the 1940s, the country was a very different place. Now, people survive diseases that in the past would have proved fatal. People live much longer.

We spend about eight per cent of our gross domestic product on health, while Germany and France spend more than 11 (file pic)

But those extra years are not always lived in good health. Over ten years, we have seen a 50 per cent rise in the number of people living with three or more chronic conditions.

Yet, in the face of these growing pressures, Government plans will lead to the percentage of national income spent on health and care reducing. That doesnt make sense.

It is widely accepted that there will be a 30 billion shortfall by 2020.

The Government said it would find 8.4 billion towards that total but, last month, the Health Select Committee concluded that the real increase offered by the Government was more like 4.5 billion  massively short of the amount needed. They described the challenge facing the health service as colossal.

William Beveridge, proposed the NHS in the 1940s

Were living on borrowed time, with services often maintained only thanks to staff who go the extra mile and work overtime at the end of long shifts  up to 18 hours in Norfolk.

In two years, we have seen a fourfold increase in the number of patients waiting more than two hours outside A&E when theyre handed over by the ambulance service.

This means ambulance crews cant be released for their next job. These can be life-and-death situations.

Just the other day I spoke to a senior ambulance leader who said delays are leading to patients dying. At least 100 GP surgeries have applied to stop accepting patients because of a shortage of doctors.

Last week, the crisis-hit Grantham and District Hospital in Lincolnshire said it may be forced to reduce A&E opening hours and inspectors warned of serious safety concerns at the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in Greater Manchester, one of the largest in England.

Meanwhile, my constituents tell me of a 15-year-old girl with a severe eating disorder rushed to hospital two months after being told her BMI wasnt low enough to qualify for treatment, and an elderly woman suffering dementia stuck in a hospital bed with nowhere to go.

This year I received a heart-rending letter from an autistic boy aged nine who told me he felt very depressed. His family had been told the wait for a diagnosis would be over two years.

Ive also seen the problem first-hand. When our son Archie was a teenager, we were told he would have to wait six months to receive treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder.

Like any parents, we did whatever we could to help our son and decided to pay for private care, realising that for many this simply wouldnt be an option. I cant begin to justify a situation where you get treatment if you can pay for it but if you cant, you are just left waiting.

So when I talk about the NHS heading for a crash, its thanks to an accumulation of unacceptable stories of patients ignored and unnecessary deaths. I believe we must do better.

Last week, the crisis-hit Grantham and District Hospital in Lincolnshire said it may be forced to reduce A&E opening hours

We need to look at how we fund good preventive care as well as acute services because, in the long run, prevention is cheaper than cure and better for the patient. There must also be equality in how mental and physical health matters are treated.

So lets recognise that health and care are unique in the extent to which costs keep rising  and lets take it away from general taxation.

Yes, its revolutionary. Yes, its controversial. But the weight of evidence has convinced me more that this must be the next step to saving our NHS. As a nation, we will simply have to spend a bit more.

An NHS tax of 1p in the pound would be a big stride towards meeting the current shortfall, although we will be undertaking more analysis in the coming months.

Some may say hard-pressed families pay enough tax already. But we all have a stake in making sure the NHS is there when we need it. I feel as strongly as anyone about the failure of the system to use money effectively.
Undergraduates are being offered hundreds of pounds to refer friends to their university in a cynical ploy to boost income from tuition fees.

The marketing strategy is already commonly used to boost the sales of cable television, mobile phones and even grocery deliveries.

Now students are being offered deals worth up to 700 to recruit friends to degree courses.

The University of Bolton, pictured, is one of the institutions offering 150 in gift vouchers to students who successfully refer their friends for places

But critics say the schemes are part of a money mad culture in which highly rewarded vice-chancellors are resorting to ever more extreme tactics to boost revenues from 9,000-a-year tuition fees.

The news comes just days before hundreds of thousands of teenagers receive their A-level results.

Typical of those offering the scheme is Bolton University, which says on its website: For every friend you refer that is accepted on to a full-time undergraduate degree we will reward you and your friend with gift vouchers worth 150 each!

Even more generous is Northumbria, whose scheme for international students promises the student who recommended a friend 200, while the new recruit gets 500.

At least 11 other universities or business schools across the UK are advertising similar tactics, with rewards of up to 500.

Northumbria University, pictured, offers international students 200 for recruiting friends, with the new students getting 500

Former government adviser Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said they were proof of how low universities will stoop to lure teenagers, many of whom will end up wasting three years and building up large debts for little gain. This is a cynical and self-interested racket.

Defending its stance, Bolton University said educational opportunities should not be confined to an elite.
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A four-year-old girl is recovering from what could have been a tragedy on Friday night when she was momentarily snatched up by a mountain lion during a camping trip with her family in Idaho.

The incident occurred near Green Canyon Hot Springs, which lies just east of the town of Rexburg.

The girl, named Kelsi, was with her mother, siblings, and cousins as they were eating dinner when they saw a mountain lion nearby. The lion ran off and no one gave it a second thought.

Shortly afterward, the mother put the four-year-old girl into a tent for a nap and then took her six-year-old sibling into the woods to go to the bathroom.

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A four-year-old girl survived an attack by a mountain lion on Friday near Rexburg, Idaho and was left with bite marks (pictured)

Kelsi (pictured after the attack)was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. She suffered scratches and bite marks on her arm and stomach

The family was camping near Green Canyon Hot Springs when the mountain lion grabbed Kelsi (pictured is the site of the attack)

The incident occurred near Green Canyon Hot Springs, which lies just east of the town of Rexburg, Idaho. State officials say mountain lion sightings are rare

As the mother accompanied her child to the woods, the family was startled to hear the four-year-old scream.

'She got out of the tent because she couldn't find her shoe', the girl's grandfather, Jim Sevy, told East Idaho News. 'That's when the mountain lion grabbed her and started carrying her away'.

At this point, the mother went after the cougar, which released the girl and ran away.

The mountain lion weighed 93 pounds and Kelsi 36 pounds, according to a blog post written by her grandmother.

The animal 'dropped Kelsi, turned her over and pounced on her with both paws,' the grandmother wrote.

It let go once it realized Kelsi's family was coming for her, according to her account.

Kelsi was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. She suffered scratches and bite marks on her arm and stomach.

'She is getting rabies shots and injections in her puncture wounds', Sevy told East Idaho News. 'She should be okay'.

'Her great-grandpa gave her a priesthood blessing and told her she will have stories to tell', he said.

The little girl has now earned the nickname Puma Princess. Her grandmother came up with it as a way to brighten the mood as Kelsi recovers from her injuries.

'When I saw Kelsi I wanted to hold her, but she was so sore, she had bite marks on her torso, legs and down to her little sweet feet,' Kelsi's grandmother wrote in her blog post.

'I kept kissing her with gratitude and love, finally she said, "Grandma, quit kissing me."'

'When lions do attack, records indicate that small children are often the targets', said Gregg Losinski, a representative of the Idaho Fish and Game Department (file picture)

Idaho authorities used hound dogs to track down the cat after midnight on Friday. The cougar was then promptly euthanized.

A park official interviewed by the East Idaho News said that it was rare to spot a cougar, let alone experience an attack by one.

'When lions do attack, records indicate that small children are often the targets', said Gregg Losinski, a representative of the Idaho Fish and Game Department. 'This family showed how vigilance and quick thinking can help avert a tragedy'.

Sevy knows just how close his family came to a horrific outcome.
A teenage boy has revealed how a Viagra addiction he developed age 13 has ruined his childhood.

The boy, now 15, tried the impotency drugs after being told by his friends he would be 'bad in bed' with his new girlfriend when he lost his virginity.

He soon got hooked and eventually began taking up to six pills a night at teenage sex parties, only owning up to his problem when he found he could get an erection anymore without Viagra.

His parents, of Lancashire, were unaware of his behaviour and believed he was out at friends' houses playing computer games  when he was actually stealing hundreds of pounds from them to fund his habit.

A teenage boy from Lancashire became Britain's youngest Viagra addict aged just 13 (file picture)

The boy, who began watching pornography on his smartphone aged 12, told the Sunday Mirror: 'I feel I have no childhood now. It is ruined.

'Most people think Viagra's for middle-aged men, but you can easily get it in schools now. Parents and kids really need to know what's going on. I wish I had never tried it.'

He is now undergoing therapy as doctors warn his case is not uncommon among young teenagers who are taking the drug 'recreationally' and becoming 'dependent' on underage sex.

Steve Pope, who is treating the child, told the Mirror: 'Schoolboys think it's just a bit of harmless fun. But the initial buzz from the chemical combined with the feeling of invincibility makes it hugely psychologically addictive.'

Experts say the drugs do not have the same stigma as illegal substances and so are becoming more widespread.

The boy revealed he was put onto the drug in summer 2014 after making older friends who teased him about wanting to have sex with his girlfriend, and claimed 'a third' of children his age had tried it.

The boy was offered the pill by his friends and eventually started taking six pills a night at teenage sex parties

He added he 'wanted to be like' the men in pornography clips he watched and so took a pill when he was given it by his friends, without telling his girlfriend.

After having sex, he told her about the Viagra and said she welcomed it and asked him where he could get more.

But when returning to his friends he was quoted a price of 4.50 per pill, prompting him to steal cash from his parents.

He said he felt 'disgusted by himself' because he felt he had 'no choice' not to take the drug.

The teen revealed the full extent of his actions to his parents last November after becoming concerned about the effects of the drug.

He was subsequently diagnosed with compulsive sexual behaviour and is now in bi-weekly psychotherapy sessions in Blackpool, stating he will regret the addiction 'more and more' as he grows older.

Viagra was originally developed to help angina sufferers, and patients found it boosted their sex lives. It is still top of the pile in the number of prescriptions issued to patients.

It does not directly give a man an erection but works by boosting the natural mechanism that leads to an erection.

When a man is sexually aroused, certain tissues in his penis relax. This allows large amounts of blood to flow in, thus producing an erection. Viagra helps by elevating the levels of the chemical that causes the tissues to relax.

It achieved a success rate of 60-80 per cent, depending on the dosage, in trials.

But it doesn't always work first time, and at least one rival claims a better success rate.

There have been well documented side-effects, including visual problems such as an increased sensitivity to light, blurred vision or an inability to tell the difference between blue and green.

Men who are already taking medicines that contain nitrates, such as nitro-glycerine for heart conditions, are strongly advised not to use Viagra because the combination can lower blood pressure too much.

While Viagra costs up to 6 a tablet, fake tablets can be bought for as little as 1.
A ram-raid gang ploughed into five businesses during a two-night burglary mission in Melbourne's south-east.

The gang drove a ute through the glass doors of Karingal Hub Shopping Centre in the middle of the night after removing bollards to clear the entrance.

The ute then sped towards a jewellery store where they stole as much as they could before escaping, 7News reported.

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The gang drove a ute through the glass doors of Karingal Hub Shopping Centre in Melbourne's south east

The ute then sped towards a jewellery store where they stole as much as they could before driving out

The ram raid began on Monday morning at a Pearcedale petrol station, before moving onto another service station in Somerville and a newsagency in Baxter.

Using a Suzuki Swift and a small truck, the group targeted a jewellery store in Frankston where they stole $70,000 worth of gold and silver.

Other stolen items included a safe, scratchies, cigarettes and a cash donation tin.

CCTV footage captured the gang members removing bollards to clear the entrance of the shopping centre in the middle of the night

Detectives have described the offenders as being of Caucasian and African descent, after one member mistakenly revealed his face while stealing petrol in Narre Warren.

Police told 7News the act was extremely risky and could have caused serious harm to employees.

'Driving through a shopping centre, even at night, there are staff and cleaners and bakers still going through so it puts public safety at risk,' Detective Senior Constable David Burgoyne told 7News.
The man was arrested and is expected to be charged with

them to use

by up to 300 teenagers

A female officer was injured as police were forced to shut down an out-of-control 16th birthday party.

An 18-year-old man was arrested and is expected to be charged with assault after he allegedly fought with officers at the underage party attended by up to 300 teenagers in Melbourne's east about 10.30pm on Saturday.

As police arrived the party was shut down and the crowd started to disperse.

An 18-year-old man (pictured) was arrested and is expected to be charged with assault after he allegedly fought with officers at an underage party

As police arrived the party was shut down and the crowd started to disperse

Police spoke to an 18-year-old Croydon Hills man who began to push people at the event.

A struggle ensued and the man started to fight officers, forcing them to use capsicum spray.

'Police were called to a party at a hall at the intersection of Station Street and Scoresby Road in Bayswater around 10.30pm last night,' a police spokeswoman said.

'Police had cause to speak to an 18-year-old Croydon Hills man who started to push members.

'OC foam was used and the man arrested.'

The 18-year-old is expected to be charged with assault, resisting police and being drunk in a public place.
A woman who nearly drowned in Louisiana floodwater was saved when men on a boat came to her rescue at the perfect time.

A dramatic video shows a woman shouting for help as her convertible submerges into the deep, brown water.

'Oh my God, I'm drowning,' the woman can be heard saying. When the video begins, her car is about two-thirds submerged.

Three men drive their boat up to her car, but are unsuccessful when they try to break her vehicle's window.

A dramatic video shows a woman shouting for help as her convertible submerges into the deep water of the Louisiana floods

The car is about two-thirds submerged when the men approached and tried to help

The three men first tried to break the rear window, but were unsuccessful in the first rescue attempt

The car continues to sink and boat passenger David Phung jumps out of the boat on to her car

He is able to cut into the roof of the convertible's fabric roof and free the woman from drowning

Phung is then able to pull the woman out of her vehicle and starts to pull her toward safety

The car continues to sink and boat passenger David Phung jumps out of the boat on to her car, where he starts to tear at the convertible's fabric roof.

Phung is then able to pull 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.

Louisiana Gov John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, calling the floods 'unprecedented' and 'historic'. At least three people have died thus far in the floods.

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.

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.

But before heading for the boat, the woman pleads with Phung to get her dog from her vehicle

After several seconds, Phung takes a deep breath, goes underwater to find the dog

Several seconds later, Phung emerges from the water with the woman's small dog

Following the scary incident, the three then swim to safety and are believed to be OK

Earlier in the day, Edwards said that more than 1,000 people had been rescued, and the number only increased as the day went on.

Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said that 2,000 people in his parish alone had been rescued and some were still awaiting help.

'We haven't been rescuing people. We've been rescuing subdivisions,' he said. 'It has not stopped at all today.'

Beginning Friday, six to ten 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.

This aerial image shows flooded areas in Denhamp Springs, Louisiana, on Saturday

Beginning Friday, six to ten inches of rain fell on parts of Louisiana and several more inches of rain fell on Saturday

Residents wade through flood water at Tiger Manor Apartments by the North Gates of Louisiana State University

Volunteers pull a boat with a woman and young child as they evacuate from their homes on Saturday in Baton Rouge

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 one-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.

Tammie Wise holds her dog Mikey, after Jeffrey Lesage, right, boated them to safety in Central, Louisiana

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

In this aerial photo a boat motors between flooded homes after heavy rains in Hammond, Louisiana

Jeff Robinson lowers a ladder from a Louisiana National Guard truck as his wife wades through flood waters from the Natalbany River near their home in Baptist

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.'

Jeremy and Chelsea LeMieux paddle a pirogue through floodwaters in Carencro, Louisiana

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing due to heavy rains

Rescue workers make their way through flooded areas along the Tangipahoa River looking for stranded people

In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge had as much as 11 inches while one weather observer reported more than 17 inches in Livingston
A smartphone app developer claims that his data suggests Donald Trump could win the 2016 presidential election, despite a majority of opinion polls pointing at rival Hillary Clinton as the winner.

Ric Militi, co-founder of San Diego-based Crazy Raccoons, claims data from his app, Zip Question and Answer, points to Trump as the clear winner.

His app poses poll-based questions and reveals the responses to its on-average 100,000 daily users.

Ric Militi claims data from his app, Zip Question and Answer, points to Donald Trump as the clear winner come November's presidential election

Militi's app poses poll-based questions and reveals the responses to its on-average 100,000 daily users

'Based on stats we see, he looks strong,' Militi told USA Today. 'I go with Trump, based on what we see.'

Militi is the co-founder of San Diego-based Crazy Raccoons

According to RealClearPolitics average of opinion polls, which are performed by calling people and answering online questionnaires, Clinton is ahead at 47.8 percent, with Trump only having 41.0 per cent of voter support.

But Zip's results are different because they focus on the 'conversation' instead of just the polls.

'We're not a poll. We're a conversation, and 100% anonymous,' Militi told USA Today. 'People feel comfortable answering questions without fear of being bullied or being called a racist. People can express themselves safely, and you get a pure answer.'

Militi and his app co-founder Alanna Markey launched Zip in February

According to RealClearPolitics average of opinion polls, Clinton is ahead at 47.8 percent, with Trump only having 41.0 per cent of voter support

QUESTIONS ASKED ON ZIP QUESTION AND ANSWER APP New polls suggest Trump is getting crushed by Clinton. Do they reflect how you are going to vote? Sixty-four per cent of users said they'd vote for Trump while 36 per cent said they'd vote for Clinton. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Clinton leading Trump 42 per cent to 36 per cent . California, who you voting for? Trump got 55 per cent while 45 per cent of users said Clinton. The latest Public Polity Institute of California poll shows Clinton has a 16-point lead over Trump, 46 per cent to 30 per cent. What do you honestly think Trump meant by saying 'The 2nd amendment people' can do something about Hillary? Sixty-three percent of people said that Trump meant 'vote against her' while 37 per cent of users said 'assassinate her'. Advertisement

The app tells customers that it 'resolves debates and sparks conversations' and suggests that people use it to 'settle bets, win arguments, find a pick-up line and earn bragging rights'.

Questions range from asking people their opinion on presidential candidates to how people think outside factors are affecting the election.

Users can pose and answer questions and see results from a cross-section of demographics and geography instantly.

Militi says that though it appears the majority of users are Trump supporters, he has seen a cross-section of age, gender and geography.
Baroness Scotland has become embroiled in a second honours scandal as it emerged that a man who referred to her as one of his dear friends obtained a knighthood from a small island nation in the Caribbean which he has promised donations.

The Commonwealth Secretary General is facing further embarrassment over her links to Anthony Bailey.

The Mail on Sunday has previously revealed allegations that Bailey used promises of donations and unofficial honours to obtain a knighthood in Antigua.

Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Scotland (right) is facing further embarrassment over her links to Anthony Bailey (left)

The former Labour Party donor has also been told by Buckingham Palace and the Foreign Office that he should not call himself Sir in the UK.

Now a second knighthood he was granted by Grenada is being investigated, amid accusations that it violated the countrys laws.

Under the Grenadian Honours Act, only two people can receive knighthoods each year, but Bailey managed to obtain four for himself and his allies in one day.

Concerns have been raised over allegations that donations from a Catholic Order Bailey helped run directly resulted in the knighthoods  which an opposition politician said could have violated the Act.

Bailey, who runs the UK arm of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George, travelled throughout the Caribbean collecting honours in a handful of countries where the Order has promised donations.

He made 21 visits for the Order to the Caribbean, with Baroness Scotland accompanying Bailey on some of them as part of an official delegation.

In several of these countries, Bailey swapped medals and decorations with leading politicians, Grenada being one of them.

British citizens with foreign knighthoods are not allowed to use their titles in the UK.

Yesterday Baroness Scotland insisted she was not involved in any decisions about honours

But now an official request by Bailey to be allowed to do so has prompted scrutiny by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Bailey has previously prompted concern from the FCO, Buckingham Palace and the College of Arms after calling himself Sir Anthony.

And this summer, The Mail on Sunday revealed he has continued to use the title, with it even being displayed on his Royal Ascot badge.

Vincent Roberts, of Grenadas opposition party, told The Mail on Sunday there were calls for an immediate review of the knighthoods, adding: We are very concerned about this.

Yesterday Baroness Scotland insisted she was not involved in any decisions about honours.
Australia's military suicide rate has been slammed as a 'national shame' by former Chief of Army Peter Leahy, as it is revealed 41 military personnel and veterans have taken their own lives this year alone.

That number is equal to the number of Australians killed during the 13-year war in Afghanistan.

Grieving families of those lost say they might still be alive today if they had received adequate support from the Australian Defence Force and the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), the Sunday Herald Sun investigative report says.

A report shows the number of Australians killed during the 13-year war in Afghanistan is equal to the amount of soldiers and veterans who committed suicide this year alone

The report says a high number of Australian soldiers come home in need of psychological help but are unable to find support

It says a high number of Australian soldiers return from war zones depressed, anxious and in despair but unable to find help.

Families who lost loved ones have spoken out in the report to highlight the plight of military men and women at risk.

Almost all of those lost had been deployed to overseas operations, including Iraq, East Timor, Afghanistan or served on navy ships on border patrol.

The report says the families' concerns are backed by former Chief of Army Peter Leahy, who said the government needed to step up and own the problem.

'The number of suicides and the incidence of despair, depression and broken lives among our veteran community is a national shame,' the retired lieutenant-general said.

The investigation found that families are forced to look after sick and suicidal veterans with no offer of help or training from the defence force, and charity groups are also having to fill the welfare void.

Former Chief of Army Peter Leahy has slammed the Government, claiming the statistic is our 'national shame'

It also found the DVA-administered system set up to help injured veterans after they leave service is too complicated, legalistic and slow, with some veterans waiting four years or more to receive entitlements.

DVA spokeswoman Stephanie Hodson said the DVA, Defence and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare were conducting research to establish robust figures of suicide prevalence in the serving and ex-serving communities.

'We will do anything we can to prevent any suicide that we possibly can,' Dr Hodson said.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or MensLine Australia on 1300 78 99 78.
Fidel Castro thanked Cubans for their well-wishes on his 90th birthday and criticized President Barack Obama in a lengthy letter published in state media.

He appeared but did not speak at a gala in his honor broadcast on state television.

'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 organizations,' he wrote about his birthday on Saturday.

'Modern medical techniques have allowed me to scrutinize the universe,' wrote Castro, who stepped down as Cuba's president ten years ago after suffering a severe gastrointestinal illness.

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Cuba's former President Fidel Castro attends a gala for his 90th birthday at the 'Karl Marx' theater in Havana, Cuba on Saturday

Fidel Castro greets a little girl with pink glasses during a ceremony for his 90th birthday

Just after 6pm, he could be seen in footage on state television slowly approaching his seat at Havana's Karl Marx theater, clad in a white Puma tracksuit top and green shirt.

He sat in what appeared to be a specially equipped wheelchair and watched a musical tribute by a children's theater company, accompanied by footage of highlights from his decades in power.

He sat alongside his younger brother, President Raul Castro, and President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, along with Cuba's highest-ranking military and civilian officials.

In his letter, 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.

He touched on his father's death shortly before his own victory in overthrowing US-backed strongman Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

Castro, center right, attends a gala for his 90th birthday accompanied by his brother and current President Raul, center left, and Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, right

Castro (left), Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (center) and Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores (right) clap as they attend a ceremony for Fidel Castro's 90th birthday

Castro appears fascinated at his birthday's entertainment as he sits in the center of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (third from left) and Cuban President Raul Castro (left)

Castro returns at the end to criticize 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.

A week after the trip, Castro wrote a sternly worded letter admonishing Obama to read up on Cuban history, and declaring that 'we don't need the empire to give us anything.'

In Saturday's letter, he criticizes Obama for not apologizing to the Japanese people during a May trip to Hiroshima, describing Obama's speech there as 'lacking stature.'

A Cuban flag hangs across a street in Havana for the low key celebration of Castro's birthday - there are no massive rallies or parades planned, no publicly announced visits from global dignitaries

Posters with the portrait of Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro, Cuban President Raul Castro, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hang in a butcher shop in Havana

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.

Along with the Saturday evening gala, government ministries have held small musical performances and photo exhibitions that pay tribute to the former head of state.

Castro last appeared in public in April, closing the twice-a-decade congress of the Communist Party with a call for Cuba to stick to its socialist ideals amid ongoing normalization with the US.

A poster of Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro is seen on a wall in Havana during his 90th birthday celebration

A poster of Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro is seen fixed on the counter of a state rationing store or bodega as people do their shopping in central Havana

Street art created around the Cuban national flag and the commander in chief military cap of Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro is seen in Havana

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 subsidized oil that Cuba has depended on the South American country for more than a decade.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Cubans are migrating 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 longtime enemy, resume on August 31.

A poster with the image of the Cuban leader Fidel Castro is reflected on a mirror, right, as a TV shows the Rio Olympic Games at a house in Havana
Two refugees on Manus Island who were attacked by locals wielding an iron bar have been pictured with deep gashes and blood dripping down their arms.

The Afghan refugees were set upon by several men as they walked from the beach to the bus stop in the main city of Lorengau on Wednesday around 5pm.

The refugees, who were verbally abused, robbed and beaten, were taken to a local police station and CPR was performed on one of the men after he collapsed on the station floor.

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A refugee on Manus Island collapsed on the floor of a police station after he was attacked by several locals wielding an iron bar

The Afghan refugees were set upon by several men as they walked from the beach to the bus stop in Manus's main city Lorengau on Wednesday around 5pm

'They were surrounded by a group of seven locals who shouted abuse at them, demanded their clothes and shoes, and beat them up, and the attack ended when another local intervened to save them,' Human Rights Law Centre spokesman Daniel Webb said.

Shocking photos show the men walking to the station bloodied and in shock. One of the men held his arm up to stem the blood gushing down his wrist.

Bystanders helped to carry one of the men out of the police station and to hospital after he passed out from his injuries.

Both men were later returned to the detention centre, the Guardian reported.

The refugees, who were verbally abused, robbed and beaten, were walked to local police by a concerned passerby and one of the men collapsed (pictured)

One of the men held his arm up to stem the blood gushing down his wrist

Bystanders helped to carry one of the men out of the police station and to hospital after he passed out from his injuries

Both men were returned to the detention centre after being treated in hospital

Police believe there may have been a third refugee with the men as they walked from the beach, but he reportedly ran and hid in bushes during the attack.

'These guys have been on Manus for three years. They have seen their friend beaten to death in front of them,' Mr Webb said.

'One refugee has been shot. Another has had his throat slashed. They've been bashed by guards. They've been attacked by locals. They are genuinely fearful'.

Police believe there may have been a third refugee with the men as they walked from the beach, but he reportedly ran and hid in bushes during the attack
Spike in activity has prompted NSW police to set up operation Condor

Violence has seen more than a dozen

Gangs are on the hunt for new recruits throughout Western Sydney as a 10-year turf war escalates.

The conflict between rival Middle Eastern gangs DLASTHR (The Last Hour) and The True Kings has resulted in more than a dozen shootings in Sydney's southwest since the beginning of the year.

The violence peaked last month with two separate shooting attacks on suburban houses linked to the gangs.

Detectives a arrest members of DLASTHR, a violent Assyrian gang, on May 8

Gangs are on the hunt for new recruits throughout Western Sydney as a 10-year drug turf battle escalates- pictured is a DLASTHR gang member tattoo

Recent tensions i n the lethal turf war have prompted NSW Police to set up Operation Condor.

The strategy will be similar to operation Spartan- an aggressive method used to target bikie gang violence and shootings throughout Sydney in 2012.

THE BLOODY HISTORY OF DLASTHR AND THE TRUE KINGS Western Sydney's most violent street gang was founded in 2004 when members of the Assyrian Kings used initials in their name to form a new group. The gang now has at least 10 full-time members. These members are tattooed with an unmistakable DLASTHR tattoo. DLASTHR has been under close watch since the mid 2000's and police intelligence puts the gang behind the supply of cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine in the greater Fairfield area. Advertisement

Despite the resources spent on ending the feud, police believe the release of some men jailed in a 2014 DLASTHR crackdown has seen an increase in violence, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

'Unfortunately for some of these people jail is the only place for them because they are career criminals that will continue to commit offences and we have to continue to target them,' NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli said.

Police also suspect gang activity is still influenced by figureheads in jail.

The latest recruitment drive has seen young family members targeted to join the gangs.

DLASTHR has been under close watch since the mid 2000s and police intelligence puts the gang behind the supply of cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine in the greater Fairfield area.

It is understood gang members are now extorting or bashing small time local drug dealers in an attempt to recruit them, or run them off the turf, Fairfax reported.

Police intelligence puts DLASTHR (gang member tattoos pictured) behind the supply of cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine in the Fairfield area
An investigation has opened and city is checking safety of other trees

Victim is now listed in critical condition at a local hospital

City officials said the branch fell on top of her from a height of 50 feet

The 36-year-old woman was strolling through Washington Square park

A woman strolling through San Franciscos Washington Square park on Friday with her children sustained life-threatening injuries when a large tree branch collapsed onto her head.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the branch, which city officials estimated weighs about 100 pounds, fell from a height of about 50 feet onto the woman, who was with her five- and six-year-old children.

Paramedics rushed to the scene and evacuate the woman, 36, to a hospital, where she is listed in critical condition.

A view of Washington Square park, where a woman suffered life-threatening injuries on Friday from a tree branch that fell on her head as she was accompanying her two children

The citys Department of Public Works sent tree experts to determine the reason for the branchs collapse.
Animals will be shot, trapped or subjected to fertility control measures

Government scheme will see 6000 brumbies become 600 in 20 years

Thousands of Australia's famous 'Snowy River' brumbies could be culled under a controversial government plan to cut the wild horse population by 90 per cent.

Herds of the animals run wild in the alpine area of the Snowy Mountains in southeast Australia, but experts fear a rise in the population threatens native wildlife.

The brumbies have been a stunning feature of the mountains since the 1930s, but almost 5,000 of the area's 6,000 horses will be killed under the new plan.

Thousands of Australia's famous 'Snowy River' brumbies could be culled under a controversial government plan to cut the wild horse population

Herds of the animals run wild in the alpine area of the Snowy Mountains in southeast Australia

If the cull goes forward, half of the brumby population would disappear within the next decade.

The wild horses were given international acclaim through Australian bush poet Banjo Patterson, who wrote the 19th-century poem The Man From Snowy River. It was made into a feature film starring Kirk Douglas in 1982.

The controversial plan comes in a bid to save the Kosciuszko National Park after a steep rise in the population began to threaten the land and wildlife.

The animals will be shot, trapped, or subjected to fertility control measures.

Culling is set to continue over the next two decades until the population has dwindled to 600, and these horses will be kept within three low-impact areas within the alpine park.

The details of the proposal have been released in the Kosciuszko Draft Wild Horse Management Plan 2016 which was placed on public exhibition in April.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) says horses are damaging to the natural structures of the national park, such as riverbeds, streams, natural bogs, wetlands and soil structure, as they trample the ground when they feed or look for water.

Experts fear a rise in the wild horse population in Australia threatens native wildlife

The brumbies have been a stunning feature of the mountains since the 1930s, but almost 5,000 of the area's 6,000 horses will be killed under the new plan

If the cull goes forward, half of the brumby population would disappear within the next decade

The population of the brumby is estimated to be increasing by 20 per cent every year, which has prompted the government to consider more radical measures of population control.

The horses have spilled over into endangered wetland, and their hard hooves are damaging the delicate ecosystem, which could lead to the loss of some native animals.

Small native mammals, reptiles and amphibians are potentially affected by the habitat impacts. These include the broad-toothed rat, the alpine water skink, and the alpine tree frog.

The NPWS also outlined how wild horses such as brumbies can foul waterways, creating a risk to domestic and industrial water supplies.

The horses pose a potential biosecurity risk and can spread cryptosporidium- an infection of the bowel carried by a parasite - and diseases such as equine influenza, African horse sickness and tick fever, which can have a devastating impact on local farmers.

The controversial plan comes in a bid to save the Kosciuszko National Park after a steep rise in the population began to threaten the land and wildlife

The horses pose a potential biosecurity risk and can spread cryptosporidium- an infection of the bowel carried by a parasite

The brumby arrived in Australia on the First Fleet. Only seven survived the harrowing journey. The horses are now found all through the nation - except in Tasmania.

THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT BRUMBIES Brumbies have been in Australia for as long as white Australians. Seven of the horses survived the harrowing journey 'down under' on the First Fleet in 1788.

Environmental experts estimate the population of the wild horse now stands between 400,000 and 1 million.

Australia is home to the largest population of wild horses in the world. They are everywhere except for Tasmania.

The brumby has strong roots in Australian folklore - a favourite of Banjo Patterson, the horse was mentioned most famously in 'The Man from Snowy River', and also in 'Brumby's Run'.

Brumbies take their name from James Brumby, an early settler, who set his horses free from his NSW property when he left for Tasmania in 1804. Source: savethebrumby.org Advertisement

Efforts to re-home brumbies that are not killed have been included in the long-awaited plan, though take-up rates on similar schemes have been low, and the majority of horses end up slaughtered.

NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman told the Daily Telegraph that wild horses would always be part of the cultural heritage of the Snowy Mountains, but the numbers were unsustainable with the fragile alpine and sub-alpine environment being damaged.

'Wild horse management is an emotive and complex issue. There are diverse opinions in the community. It is clear, however, that the broader community values the unique environmental values of Kosciuszko National Park and looks to NPWS to protect these values,' he said.

The plan said the horses occupied 48 per cent of the park, with 26 car crashes involving brumbies since 2003.

The details of the proposal have been released in the Kosciuszko Draft Wild Horse Management Plan 2016 which was placed on public exhibition in April

Brumbies have been in Australia for as long as white Australians. Seven of the horses survived the harrowing journey 'down under' on the First Fleet in 1788
Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has slammed the ABC over the Four Corners report on Don Dale Correctional Centre, claiming the broadcaster used public money to push their own political views and reported stories selectively.

Speaking at the Country Liberal Party's campaign launch on Sunday, 13 days before the Northern Territory election on August 27, Mr Kennett joined Chief Minister Adam Giles in condemning ABC's Four Corners program on Darwin's Don Dale youth detention centre as 'unbalanced' and aiming to do political damage.

'I am not a great supporter of the ABC ... I like good news, I like responsible, I like balanced commentary, but what I saw the other day was not balanced, it was timed to deliver as much damage (as possible) to a good government going into an election,' Mr Kennett told a gathering of about 150 people in Darwin.

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Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett (pictured) accused the ABC of using taxpayer funds to inflict political damage and questioned the timing of the release of the Don Dale report

Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles (pictured) earlier said the report into the Don Dale youth detention centre was biased

The footage broadcast was mostly old, he said, and was 'out and out an appalling attack' on those working in the prison system.

'At times I get the feeling that the ABC uses our money to set us all up, to put together stories they've worked on for years, where they've interviewed people for hours and they only deliver part of the story for their own reasons,' Mr Kennett said.

His comments echo those of Mr Giles and his deputy Peter Styles earlier in the week, in which they questioned the timing of the report.

Mr Giles said the story also sowed racial discord in the NT and was in itself racist.

The ABC has denied the allegations.

Mr Kennett also took a swipe at the NT News for being 'so down on this government for so long when it's actually been governing'.

The report revealed the traumatic abuse young inmates had suffered in the juvenile prison, including one inmate, Dylan Voller (pictured) who was left hooded and strapped to a chair for hours

He admitted that the scandal-plagued first-term CLP government had not been perfect.

'But when you get the opportunity to get behind and support a government that has delivered for the future, you have to ask yourself in real terms, what is more important? Is it more important to be perfect ... or is it better to actually have the courage to deliver?'

He praised the government for having a good record of delivery and for improving the standing of the NT economy, and said Mr Giles, whose leadership style has been called 'arrogant', should wear the title as a 'badge of honour'.

'The days of political leadership that puts popularity first have cost this country dearly,' Mr Kennett said.
Downing Street last night ordered ministers to get on with implementing Brexit, insisting it was full steam ahead for getting us out of the EU by early 2019.

Prime Minister Theresa May also slapped down Liam Fox  one of three Cabinet members in charge of the UKs exit from the bloc  for playing games rather than focusing on the job.

The comments came after City sources claimed ministers had told them that Britain could remain in the EU until late 2019  almost a year longer than expected.

Prime Minister Theresa May (pictured) was expected to invoke article 50 in January next year

Insiders said that two new departments overseeing negotiations would not be ready in time, and that the process of setting them up was chaotic. Next years French and German elections were also given as a reason for delay.

Not implementing Brexit swiftly would cause major tensions between No 10 and Tory backbench Eurosceptics.

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage has also warned that failure to deliver on Junes EU referendum and curb immigration could lead to mass demonstrations on the streets.

But Downing Street dismissed the reports, saying it was full steam ahead for Brexit.

The Government is set to trigger Article 50  which starts the formal process for quitting the Brussels club  at the beginning of 2017. This would mean leaving the EU in early 2019 after two years of negotiations.

A Downing Street source said: Everyone has a view on Article 50 and timetables. The Prime Minister has set up departments to implement Brexit and they need to get their ducks in a row  but we are looking at early next year.

Brexit secretary David Davis (pictured) has recruited less than half of the staff he needs to run the department

That is what the Prime Minister has told leaders of other EU countries. There is no indication that it is going to go further than that. We know that Brexit means Brexit and that we have to get on with it. It is full steam ahead.

Mrs May also interrupted her summer holiday in Switzerland to deliver a sharp rebuke to Dr Fox, the International Trade Secretary, after he launched a power grab against Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

In a leaked letter, sent to Mr Johnson and copied to Mrs May, Dr Fox effectively demanded that the Foreign Office be broken up and some of its responsibilities passed to his new department.

Dr Fox claimed that British trade with other countries would not flourish if responsibility for future policy remained with the Foreign Office.

He said that Mr Johnson should instead focus on diplomacy and security, including overseeing MI6 and GCHQ.

International trade secretary Liam Fox suggested - along with Mr Davis - that they expected the UK would leave the EU at the start of 2019

His demands have been rejected by Mr Johnson and No 10, which has told him to stop playing games when there is so much work to be done on Brexit.

A Downing Street source said the Prime Minister was distinctly unimpressed with letters like that, adding: There is so much to do  with everyones diary chock full from first thing until late in the evening  that there is no time for game-playing.

Whitehall officials have been anticipating tension between the so-called three Brexiteers  Dr Fox, Mr Johnson and the Secretary for Exiting the EU, David Davis. The trio have been told to share use of Chevening, traditionally the country home of the Foreign Secretary.

Yesterday, it was also reported that Mrs May is facing an autumn ambush from Eurosceptic Tories, who fear that the UK is heading for Brexit Lite. They plan to launch at least two cross-party groups to pressure the Prime Minister into announcing a strict timetable for leaving.

Nigel Farage, the former leader of Ukip, has warned a delay to Brexit could spark protests

Ministers were said to be trying to head off the protests by considering an early draft Brexit Bill, which would formally repeal the countrys EU membership. It would only be implemented once final terms had been agreed.

At the weekend, Chancellor Philip Hammond announced that billions of pounds of EU funding for farmers, scientists and other projects will be replaced by the Treasury after Brexit.

In a move which could cost up to 6billion a year, the Treasury will guarantee to back EU-funded schemes signed before this years Autumn Statement.

n The boss of Dixons Carphone has revealed that the group had its best weekend in two years after Junes EU referendum.
Drug mule Michaella McCollum has returned home following three years in South America after reportedly doing a deal with Peruvian authorities.

The 23-year-old drug smuggler from Co. Tyrone arrived in Dublin Airport on Saturday night on a flight from London Gatwick after departing from Peru on Friday.

McCollum, originally from Dungannon, was arrested in Lima Airport in August 2013 along with Scottish woman Melissa Reid, with 1.75 million worth of cocaine.

Michaella McCollum is seen outside her home in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, after arriving back into Dublin Airport on a flight from London Gatwick after departing from Peru on Friday

Peru Two drugs mule Michaella McCollum arrives back in Ireland after touching down in Dublin (pictured leaving the airport), five months after being released from prison in Lima

The pair  who were dubbed the Peru Two  were each sentenced to six years and eight months in jail after admitting to trying to smuggle cocaine out of Peru.

McCollum was released on parole last March after serving less than half of her sentence but was required to stay in Peru.

She has since been carrying out voluntary work under the leadership of Fr Sean Walsh of the Columban Fathers Mission in Peru.

A now-blonde McCollum was pictured on Saturday at Dublin Airport wearing a black top and jeans with a khaki sleeveless jacket and carrying two large black suitcases.

She refused to speak to the waiting media on touching down.

It is believed that a deal has been done with Peruvian authorities in recent weeks that enables McCollum to complete the remainder of her sentence in Ireland.

Terms of her deportation are unclear but it is expected she will have to see out the terms of her parole. It has also been suggested that McCollum may continue her voluntary work with the Columban Fathers Mission which has headquarters in Navan, Co. Meath.

The Mission was unable to confirm such reports yesterday.

Beaming for the camera the drugs mule posted selfies on Instagram yesterday, as she prepared for take-off on board a flight destined for London

She also said a special goodbye to her flatmate Jackie, who she met while serving time in prison

Before leaving Peru, McCollum said her goodbyes to the friends she made in Peru, bidding a special farewell to flatmate and best friend Jackie who served time in the notorious Ancon Dos prison with Michaella for similar drug charges.

After accompanying Michaella  who now appears to be more religious  to the airport, Jackie posted a farewell collage of pictures taken during their time together, and wrote: I will miss u baby gurl. The secret and the magic was God. Amen. Everything was possible to Him wen u believe in him.

In June 2013, McCollum travelled to Balearic island Ibiza to work as a dancer in a bar for that summer.

On July 31, Reid flew to South America while McCollum followed a day later. On August 6, McCollum was reported missing to the Police Service of Northern Ireland by her family, the same day as her arrest.

The pair were found in possession of 11kg of cocaine hidden inside food packets in their luggage as they prepared to board a flight from Lima to Madrid. They initially protested their innocence and McCollum lied about being held captive for several days before being flown to Peru.

In December 2013 the pair were jailed for six years and eight months after finally admitting to trying to smuggle the cocaine out of Peru.

The former dancer, from Dungannon, was arrested at Lima airport in August 2013 along with Scot Melissa Reid as they tried to smuggle 1.5million worth of cocaine in food bags from Peru to Spain

The pair - nicknamed the 'Peru Two' - were jailed for six years and eight months after admitting the offence

In an interview with RTe after her release, McCollum described the decision to carry the drugs for money as a moment of madness.

I made a decision in a moment of madness but Im not a bad person, she said, speaking from Peru. I want to demonstrate that Im a good person and to do something good. Obviously I regret the harm that Ive done and so much suffering that Ive caused to my family and to myself. Obviously in the time here I thought if the drugs had have got back what would have happened?

I probably would have had a lot of blood on my hands. I potentially could have filled Europe full of a lot of drugs. I could have potentially killed a lot of people, not directly but I could have caused a lot of harm to people.

After being released on parole in March, McCollum gave an interview to Irish broadcaster RTE, where she acknowledged the potentially devastating consequences if she had successfully smuggled the drugs back to Europe

When McCollum was released from jail in Peru in March, her infamous 'hair donut' do had been replaced with long blonde locks

In the interview McCollum sported a totally new look in comparison to when she was arrested in 2013, with her brunette bun hairstyle replaced with sleek dyed blonde locks.

The guilt is something I have to live with for the rest of my life, she added. I try not to think about it because it makes me hate myself to be capable of causing that much pain and suffering.

Reid returned to her native Scotland in June where she will serve the rest of her sentence on parole.

Reid arrived back to her home in Lenzie, near Glasgow in June after being expelled from the South American country under an early release scheme for deporting first-time drug offenders

The 22-year-old from Lenzie, Dunbartonshire, said following her release: I knew what I was doing.

I made a conscious decision to do it and no-one forced me. I never worried about being caught. I never really thought about what I was doing, she said.

I think I wanted to be this big person that Im not.
He essentially demanded that the foreign office should be broken up

Liam Fox and Boris Johnson are locked in a battle over the foreign policy

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and former London Mayor Boris Johnson are locked in a battle over who controls the country's foreign policy, a leaked letter reveals.

Dr Fox sent the blunt message - which he copied to Prime Minister Theresa May - to Mr Johnson at the end of last month and questioned the Foreign Office's ability to boost the UK's economic ties with other countries.

His letter to Mr Johnson - who was made Foreign Secretary last month - hinted that British trade would not 'flourish' if the department was responsible for future policy and he essentially demanded that it should be broken up.

The leaked letter, seen by The Telegraph, is the first sign of tension between the new Prime Minister's Eurosceptic Cabinet ministers.

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International Trade Secretary Liam Fox (pictured) wrote a letter to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson which has been leaked

Dr Fox and Boris Johnson (pictured) are locked in a bitter battle over who controls Britain's foreign policy

Dr Fox, 54, told Mr Johnson, 52, that under 'rational restructuring' his new department should be handed control over economic diplomacy.

The former Defence Secretary also highlighted that the country's account deficit has reached record levels.

Whitehall sources have claimed Mrs May, 59, was 'unimpressed' and Mr Johnson is understood to have rejected Dr Fox's demands, the newspaper reports.

Meanwhile, sources also said the message was an 'insult' and added it went down 'like a lead balloon'.

Dr Fox wrote: 'In my first few weeks as Secretary of State for International Trade it has become clear to me that existing cross-Whitehall structures have meant that HM Government has not taken the holistic approach it might have on trade and investment agendas.

'For British trade to flourish there are clear requirements on us: to build the trade framework in markets through trade policy, to establish the conditions for trade and investment through foreign diplomacy, and to reap the harvest of those efforts.

'If we are to have a rational restructuring I think there is a reasonable proposition to transfer the Economic Diplomacy function from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office into the Department for International Trade.

Whitehall sources have claimed Prime Minister Theresa May (pictured) was 'unimpressed' with the letter

In July, Mrs May appointed Mr Johnson as Foreign Secretary, Dr Fox as International Trade Secretary and made David Davis (pictured) the Brexit Secretary

'I strongly believe this will be the only chance we get to materially change the approach we take to trade and investment and, as such, would urge you to consider this proposition favourably. If we fail to take this opportunity to restructure now I feel we will have a suboptimal structure for the future.'

In July, Mrs May surprisingly appointed Mr Johnson as Foreign Secretary and created two new Cabinet positions to focus on Brexit and international trade.

David Davis, a former Europe minister, was given the role of Brexit Secretary, while Dr Fox was handed the international trade job.

Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, added: 'Theresa May has given us three ministers for Brexit, but no Brexit plan.

'Ministers in Brexit Towers have only been sharing Chevening for a month and already Liam Fox is squabbling with Boris Johnson over international trade.

'David Davis, meanwhile, is sulking over the location of his office. They will be fighting over who has the best bedroom next.

'Meanwhile, they still haven't told us if they want to remain in the Single Market, or what will happen to EU-funded science projects after 2020, or where the extra 350m a week they promised for the NHS is hiding.

'No wonder Brexit is being delayed.

'It is frightening that Britain is now being represented around the world by three Basil Fawltys.'

A government spokesman said: 'We don't comment on leaked documents.

'Alongside other departments, the FCO are seconding a small number of staff with relevant expertise to the new Department for International Trade.
accused him of being 'off his chops' on 'dangerous drugs'

Two police officers who accused a man of being on drugs outside a hardware store are under investigation for detaining him.

ABC journalist Josh Bavas, who said he simply had a cold, filmed the moment he was stopped by police in the car park in front of a Bunnings store in Oxley, in Brisbane's southwest, on Saturday.

Senior Queensland police are reviewing the behaviour of two officers who swore at Mr Bavas while accusing him of being 'off his chops' on drugs.

'Mate, the fact that you've got pinpoint eyes and you're looking directly into the sun and they're not dilating due to the sunlight, I believe you to be under the influence of a dangerous drug,' one officer said.

'For the moment I'm going to detain you for the purposes of a search.'

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Senior Constable Richard Power (pictured) accused a Queensland man of being on drugs

Josh Bavas was detained by police who suspected he was under the influence of drugs

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said they were 'aware' of the footage after Mr Bavas shared it on social media.

'In keeping with our commitment to high standards of behaviour, transparency and accountability, senior officers have reviewed the footage and are examining the behaviour of the police involved,' the spokesman said in a statement.

'The man was not in possession of dangerous drugs and was released without further action taken.'

Since posting the clip, Mr Bavas, who has deleted the footage from his Twitter page, has described the exchange as a 'strange misunderstanding'.

'For the record, it's all water under the bridge. Police have a job to do. Won't be following this any further,' he wrote on Saturday night.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Queensland Police for comment.

Mr Bavas took to social media to express his frustration at being accused of being on drugs

'Oh f*** mate if we hadn't hung on to you mate you'd have flown off into outer space,' the second officer (pictured) said

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has weighed in on the incident after watching the footage, saying she was 'a bit concerned'.

'I watched it and I was a bit concerned,' Ms Palaszczuk said on Sunday.

'I want to pay tribute to all of our police men and women out there that are serving our community.

'However, when you are serving our community you also need to respect the community as well.'

Mr Bavas was not in possession of any drugs and was released without any further action

Mr Bavas (pictured) said the only thing unusual about his condition was that he had a cold

ABC news director Gaven Morris took to twitter to address those concerned about Mr Bavas

The investigation comes after Mr Bavas protested against the move when the officer, who gave his name as Senior Constable Richard Power, said he wanted to detain him.

'You're going to detain me?,' Mr Bavas interrupted. 'Yes for the purpose of a search,' the constable replied.

Constable Power turned to his fellow colleague, saying: 'He's off his chops on something,' in which Mr Bavas denied.

The second police officer responded: 'Oh f***ing mate, if we hadn't hung on to you mate you'd float off into f***ing outer space.'
A refugee charity has claimed that children as young as seven have been sexually assaulted at official European migrant camps in Greece.

The official camps were created to deal with the EU migrant crisis after more than one million refugees travelled to the continent last year after fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria.

The accommodation was also set up to replace unofficial makeshift camps in Idomeni, on the Greek border with Macedonia, which had been the scene of clashes between migrants and authorities.

Some of the children who live in the official EU migrant camp in Thessaloniki in Greece, home to 1,400 Syrians

Some of the women and children at the camp have said that they too afraid to leave their tents at night

However, now it has emerged that in one camp in a former toilet roll factory on the outskirts of Thessaloniki, aid charities say that women and children are too afraid to visit the toilet block late at night.

The Observer reports that one volunteer at the camp, which holds 1,400 Syrians, that young girls at the camp are being groomed by male gangs and at least one youngster has been attacked.

The volunteer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the newspaper: 'The parents are still in disbelief over what happened. A man from one of the mafia groups asked their seven-year-old daughter into their tent to play games on his phone and then zipped up the tent.

'She came back with marks on her arms and neck. Later the girl described how she was sexually abused. It has scarred a seven-year-old child for life.'

Meanwhile Anna Chiara Nava from Medecins Sans Frontieres added: 'Its really hard for the unaccompanied minors  16- and 17-years-olds  to survive. Its the survival of the fittest in there.

The camp in the former toilet roll factory. Volunteer have alleged that children as young as seven have been sexually assaulted there

'In the evening and night its impossible to find them [children] because they are hiding in the tents. The women are afraid. They complain that during the night and evening they cannot go to the toilet alone. They have all heard of reports of others being attacked.'

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said it had raised its concerns with the Greek authorities.

However, it is not the first time that women and children in refugee camps in Greece have complained that they feel unsafe.

In June, Afghan journalist Shirin who fled her home country after being shot at by the Taliban, said conditions at her migrant camp in Lesbos was just as bad as her old life as she constantly fears sexual harassment and violence.

More than a fifth of refugees and asylum-seeker arrivals in Greece have been women and well over a third have been children

And according to Amnesty International, Shirin is just one of many women living in Greek migrant camps who have revealed they fear sex attacks against them or their children.

More than a fifth of refugees and asylum-seeker arrivals in Greece have been women and well over a third have been children.

They cant leave until they get appointments with asylum-seeker services in Athens, a process that can be painfully long, meaning stays in the Kara Tepe camp in Lesbos, where Shirin lives can be lengthy.
A knife-wielding man who threw roof tiles at police has been arrested after a four-hour stand-off.

Mark Devine armed himself with a carving knife before barricading himself on the roof of his parents house in the Sydney beachside suburb of Coogee at 8pm on Saturday night, 7News reports.

The 41-year-old made a number of threats and threw roof tiles at officers before surrendering himself to police after the four hour siege.

Mark Devine pictured with the cleaver he armed himself with before barricading himself on the roof of his parents house in Coogee on Saturday night

It was a dramatic sight when police arrived at the property after receiving reports of a domestic dispute.

An alleged argument had escalated to the point that Mr Devine decided to climb onto the roof with a carving knife.

Police negotiators and paramedics were called to the scene as tactical police armed with assault rifles surrounded the house.

During the stand-off, Mr Devine threw roof tiles at officers and made threats, at one point he even removed his t-shirt and tied it around his head.

Eventually after four hours, Mr Devine surrendered to police and he was escorted to the Prince of Wales Hospital for a mental health assessment.

He was later released back into police custody and charged with a number of offences including three counts of throwing a missile at a police officer.

During the stand-off, Mr Devine threw roof tiles at officers and made threats, at one point he even removed his t-shirt and tied it around his head

After four hours on the roof, Mr Devine surrendered to police and he was escorted to the Prince of Wales Hospital for a mental health assessment

Police negotiators and paramedics were called to the scene as tactical police armed with assault rifles surrounded the house

He was refused bail to appear at Waverley Local Court on Monday.

Neighbours told 7News that this isnt the first time police have been called the Coogee home.
home Entertainment Michael Schumacher health news update 2016: Recovery continues to be slow

Fans of German racing driver Michael Schumacher have long been waiting for updates regarding his health since his ski accident back in 2013. But until now, there is still no news of the seven-time Formula One World Champion recovering completely.

According to a report, Schumacher is still recovering. Unfortunately, his progress is painstakingly slow. In fact, as revealed by Schumacher's manager, Sabine Kehm, the two-time Laureus World Sportsman of the Year awardee is becoming worse with each passing day.

The only good news that has reached fans so far is that Schumacher is reacting to what is happening around him. Ex-Ferrari chairwoman Luca Cordero di Montezelmo previously said that she is pleased to know that Schumacher is reacting despite the very difficult situation that he is in.

However, as detailed in another report, he is immobile and is restricted to a wheelchair. He is also said to have lost a lot of weight, including the time when he was still in coma wherein he lost a quarter of his bodyweight.

As of now, it is said that the only means of communication that the racing champion can do is through crying quietly whenever he hears the voices of his wife, Corrina Betsch, and children, Gina Marie and Mick, who are also going through a difficult time especially in the financial aspect.

Reports say that the Schumacher bunch are struggling with their finances due to the cost of medications and therapies that the racer needs on a daily basis. Some sources even say that the family is now selling the Formula One legend's treasured possessions such as his Mercedes E55 AMC car which is a 20-year old vintage car.

Reports also stated that the family sold their vacation house and family jet just to earn money for the needs of Schumacher. None of the reports are confirmed, though, since the family chose to keep things private.
A five-year-old girl was left screaming and wrestling doctors who were operating on her after she was given medication to treat high-blood pressure instead of anaesthetic.

Doctors from Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, Western Australia, reportedly told the girls family that the medical mix-up was because of similar packaging and the medications being stored close together.

The young girls foster mother has spoken out about the incident after a 60-year-old man died earlier this month as a result of a suspected 'clinical incident' from the same hospital.

A five-year-old girl (stock) was left screaming and wrestling doctors at a Perth Hospital, after being given medication to treat high-blood pressure instead of anaesthetic while getting stitches

Theyd been trying to stitch and shed started screaming and wrestling off the table, she told Perth Now.

The girl, who went to hospital to have a leg gash stitched up, was injected several times with a dose of magnesium sulphate  commonly used to treat high blood pressure or asthma.

If used incorrectly, magnesium sulphate can cause abnormally low blood pressure and impact breathing.

The girls foster mother, who did not wish to be named, told Perth Now: They kept putting more and more of the magnesium sulphate into her.

They said she cant feel it, she cant feel it, but I said, shes screaming!

The incident occurred in February after the girl fell into a branch in a bush while playing at home and was taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Doctors from Fiona Stanley Hospital (stock) in Perth, Western Australia, reportedly told the girls family that the medical mix-up was because of similar packaging and the medications being stored close together

She was kept overnight for observation after the agonising accident and recovered without any ill effects.

Dr Robyn Lawrence, Chief Executive, of South Metropolitan Health Service told Daily Mail Australia that although they cannot comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality that the matter has been reviewed.

She said: All hospitals, including Fiona Stanley Hospital, are absolutely committed to preventing clinical incidents including medication incidents, and to learn from such clinical incidents by taking steps necessary to avoid re-occurrence.

Australian Medical Association WA president Andrew Miller told Perth Now that drug manufacturers needed to make labels clearer.

The girl, who went to hospital (stock) to have a leg gash stitched up, was injected several times with a dose of magnesium sulphate  commonly used to treat high blood pressure or asthma

He also added that the Government needed to ensure hospitals were adequately staffed.

Meanwhile last week a 60-year-old man died from a confirmed clinical incident that occurred at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

The man is currently with the coroner and an internal review of the incident has started.

Dr Paul Mark, Associate Executive Director for Fiona Stanley Hospital told Daily Mail Australia that he would like to extend his condolences to the patients family.

And added: We continue to support the clinical team involved.
Oscar Pistorius has been placed on a round-the-clock suicide watch after sustaining injuries to his wrists which saw him rushed to hospital, it emerged today.

The convicted murderer, who battles depression and is described as broken', is under close observation on the hospital wing at his high security jail in South Africa the wake of the suspicious wounds - which he denied was a suicide bid.

City Press newspaper claimed today that Pistorius has also lodged a complaint against prison nursing staff whom he claims are trying to murder him with toxic medicine.

Oscar Pistorius has been put on suicide watch following mysterious wrist injuries that landed him in hospital earlier this month, according to South African media.

The 29 year-old former runner is now refusing to take any pills apart from those administered by his personal doctor, jail sources told City Press.

Inside sources also told the newspaper that razor blades were found in the disgraced athlete's cell last Saturday afternoon, and that his wrist injuries, described as 'severe', were self-inflicted.

Prison authorities have launched a probe into the incident.

'Our internal investigation is at an advanced stage,' said Correctional Services spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo.

The 29-year-old double-amputee, who is being held at the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria, had told officials he sustained the injuries falling off his bed.

But according to the newspaper, the injury occurred soon after he had an altercation with prison officials over medication prescribed by state doctors.

Pistorius initially escaped a murder conviction for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, pictured, through a locked bathroom door three years ago

The Paralympian had refused to take the medication, saying it was 'toxic' and demanded to be given medication prescribed by his private doctor.

He alleged that the prison official wanted to kill him and demanded to be transferred to another jail.

Warders also raided his cell and found a pair a scissors, prescription drugs and 'toxic pills'.

A source close to the Paralympian told MailOnline: It is a fact that Oscar is deeply suspicious about the competence of the medical staff on the hospital wing and he does not feel he can take any chances with medication that will affect his brain function.

'He has complained many times about the way in which his medication is prescribed and allocated by the prison and that is why he has insisted on having his own doctor in charge of prescribing and supplying his medication - being cautious is the wisest thing to do.

'The consequences for mistakes are too great and he wont risk that for his own mental health.

Pistorius was taken to hospital at around midday on Saturday  just as the Olympics in Rio got underway.

The runners court proceedings heard in length about his battle against profound depression and trauma, since he shot Reeva dead in 2013.

Pistorius is now reliant on a complicated medicine regime to maintain his mental health.

There have been a string of reports about demands made by Pistorius to authorities at Kgosi Mampuru jail, since he was first incarcerated in 2014.

These included a new bed, special bathing facilities and direct personal access to gym equipment.

Fresh reports about his safety fears are not unique. Pistorius was previously offered the privilege of preparing his own food after he voiced concern over being poisoned.

However, his family has rubbished reports that the 'Blade Runner' who made history by being the first disabled person to compete with able-bodied athletes in the 2012 London Olympics had tried to kill himself.

The disgraced athlete teetering across the courtroom on his stumps to demonstrate his physical vulnerability during his trial in June

MailOnline has learned from jail contacts that the runner has told his supervisor that he lost his balance on his stumps after slipping on water from a leaking toilet in his cell.

Pistorius claims he had taken a sleeping pill and went to bed as normal, but got up in the night to use the toilet in his cell.

'He claims he slipped in some leaked water, lost his balance and fell against a drawer, cutting his lower forearm, and also hit his head.

'His injuries were inspected by a nurse on the hospital wing and it was decided that he should go to hospital and be checked out. The worry was mainly for the impact to his head, the source told MailOnline.

Pistorius initially escaped a murder conviction for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door three years ago.

Prosecutors have said they would push for a longer sentence for Pistorius, saying six years was 'shockingly lenient'

He testified that he killed Steenkamp by mistake, thinking there was an intruder hiding in the bathroom. Prosecutors said he shot her intentionally after an argument.

However, an appeal by prosecutors saw his manslaughter conviction upgraded to murder, and in July he was sentenced to a six-year jail term.

This was despite the disgraced athlete teetering across the courtroom on his stumps to demonstrate his physical vulnerability.
BBC Olympics host Helen Skelton is said to be distressed after topless photos surfaced of her sunbathing when she was 17.

The images were taken from a video made of her while she was on holiday in France in 2001.

The television presenter was unaware she was being filmed at the time, sunbathing in just a pair of shorts.

The 33-year-old mother of one, who has become the star of the BBC's Rio coverage, is said to be upset that the photos were published in a Sunday newspaper without her permission.

The clip has also reportedly been published on a number of porn sites.

Leaked video footage reportedly shows Helen Skelton sunbathing topless aged 17. Pictured, the presenter watches Olympics swimming events with Rebecca Adlington yesterday

Upset: Skelton is said to be distressed over the publication of topless photos of her

A source close to the presenter said its' 'distressing' and she is doing all she can to get the clip removed.

'Helen was in France on holiday aged 17 when this footage was taken,' said the source.

'She obviously had no idea it was going to end up being circulated on the internet.

'It's pretty distressing for her as it is a million miles away from her public image now and the image she wants to present to the public.

'It's also very disappointing that people are trying to make money from topless pictures of a 17-year-old girl.

'She will be looking at her options and trying to see if she can get these removed somehow.

'But at the moment, she's just going to concentrate on her Olympic job and enjoy her time out in Rio.'

Outrage: The footage has been shared dozens of times, prompting criticism on Twitter

Twitter has reacted with fury to the story with people outraged at publications of the pictures.

One Twitter user wrote: '#HelenSkelton sunbathe topless... So what? Is it a crime to have a pair of breasts? #everydaysexism'.

Another wrote: 'Apparently Helen Skelton has taken her top off on holiday. Possibly of minor interest to people who haven't seen breasts before.'

It comes as the former Blue Peter presenter has 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.

Rising star: Skelton has been the big draw of the BBC's Olympics coverage

Outfits: The former Blue Peter presenter's racy outfits have been almost as hotly discussed as the action in the pool

Her outfit was a surprising change of image for Ms Skelton, who had been known primarily as a wholesome presenter of children's programme and the family-friendly Countryfile.

The broadcaster will return to TV in more familiar attire tonight - wrapped from head to toe in sturdy outdoor clothing for a bracing hike across the Pennine Way in the Peak District.

She is joined by Prince Edward for an episode of the show being broadcast this evening to mark the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Star: But the presenter is said to be distressed at the emerge of the pictures of her sunbathing on holiday in France from 2001
Comes just days after he welcomed his fifth child with wife Jools

' he has been 'dragged into the mess'

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has blasted executives who have left his six Australian restaurants with a mountain of debt.

The sudden collapse of the Keystone Group in June, which runs Oliver's 'Jamie's Italian' restaurants in Australia, has left the celebrity chef fuming.

The company, which manages two of Oliver's restaurants in Sydney, and one each in Canberra, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, reportedly owes $34 million in unsecured debt.

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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has blasted executives of a failed hospitality company which has left his six Australian restaurants with $34million in unsecured debt

The company which Jamie's Italian in Brisbane, pictured, and his other five chains across Australia, owes $34million

The sudden collapse of the Keystone Group in June, which runs the Australian franchise of Oliver's restaurants, has left the celebrity chef fuming

Oliver demanded Keystone executives fly do London to explain themselves

Oliver demanded answers from executives from the failed hospitality group and told them to fly to London for what was described as an 'extremely heated sit-down', The Daily Telegraph reported.

'Jamie demanded some answers and made it clear that he was not at all happy with the fact that his name has been dragged down into a mess,' a source close to Oliver said, according to the publication.

'He resents the idea that his restaurants, which he sees as the only profitable businesses that Keystone operated, are being touted as being the subject of a fire sale.'

'He gets final say over who takes over the operation of the business and wanted to make it clear he was extremely unhappy with the way the matter has been handled.'

Social media users a full of complements about the food that the embattled chain provides

Two of Oliver's 'Jamie's Italian' restaurants in Sydney, and one each in Canberra, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, reportedly owe a mountain of debt

Jools Oliver and her chef husband Jamie arrive for the European premiere of 'Eddie The Eagle' at Odeon Leicester Square in London

The TV chef is reportedly 'furious' he has been 'dragged into the mess' of the failed Australian hospitality company

The revelation comes just days after the TV chef, 41, and his wife Jools welcomed their fifth child, who is yet to be named.

He posted a snap of the sleeping baby swaddled in a blanket on his Facebook page.

'And then this just happened guys!! It's a baby boy!! Everyone in the Oliver family is very surprised and beyond happy,' he wrote.

'He arrived safely. Mum, @joolsoliver was really really amazing, unbelievably composed, natural birth and my two eldest girls got to come in at the very end as the baby was born which was amazing to witness. Very, very emotional.'

Oliver told fans: '8lbs (that's 16 packs of butter for you bakers out there). Anyway we're all hitting the hay. It's been a long day. Big love ... bless a little baby boy Woop Woop!'

Oliver is fuming about the collapse of the company which runs his Australian restaurants. Pictured, Jamie's Italian in Sydney

The revelation comes just days after the TV chef, 41, and his wife Jools welcomed their fifth child (pictured)
A British teenager has told of how she was forced at gunpoint in Pakistan to marry her cousin before being raped everyday for three years.

Tabassan Khan, who has been given a new name to protect her identity was 15 and living with her aunt in Doncaster when she was told she was going on a summer holiday to Pakistan.

Her father was already in prison for murdering her mother when she was just 12 and went to live with the relative with her three brothers.

A British teenager has told of how she was forced at gunpoint in Pakistan to marry her cousin before being raped everyday for three years (stock pictured posed by a model)

However, when she was arrived she was forced at gunpoint to marry her cousin, who was six year older and held captive by him for three years.

Ms Khan later discovered that the marriage had been arranged so her cousin could claim a visa to come to Britain.

She then fought though the Pakistani court to be granted a divorce and in 2008 returned to the UK.

Now she is working with schools to to tackle the issue of forced marriages with the organisation Its My Right: No Forced Marriages.

The now 26-year-old told the Sunday Express: 'I thought I was going to Pakistan on holiday. I was excited. Then two months passed and it was time to start the school year. I asked my uncle when I should go back and he just kept saying, Stay a bit longer for weeks. After four months, he came up to my room with a gun and told me I had to marry my cousin.

'I kept refusing, but he told me that if I didnt do it he would kill my brothers. I was terrified but felt I had no choice. On my wedding night my cousin raped me. I thought my cousins were family. It felt so wrong. He raped me every night for three years. I felt I was a sex worker, stuck in that room. I was ashamed.'

Tabassan is also calling on the British government to do more to protect girls who are sent abroad to be forced into marriage.

She added: 'In Muslim culture the girl is supposed to do as she is told. The backward people from villages in Pakistan think they can do what they want with us. Our lives mean nothing. We are just a way to get a visa. They will do anything to get someone over here. If theyve family abroad, they gain respect.'

Last year alone the Forced Marriage Unit, gave advice or support in 1,220 cases of forced marriage, the equivalent to three a day (stock picture posed by a model)

Now a joint operation called the Forced Marriage Unit has been set up by the Foreign Office and Home Office.

Last year alone it gave advice or support in 1,220 cases of forced marriage, the equivalent to three a day.

Figures show that 44 per cent of cases dealt with last year by the FMU related to Pakistan.

In a statement, the unit said: ''It is important to note that information on forced marriage has become more widely available, and advice on forced marriage is also provided by charities and non-governmental organisations as well as the FMU.

'Since it was established in 2005, the FMU has worked with a range of organisations and professionals to increase their ability to support victims and potential victims.
She looks like any other girl who loves dress-ups and painting her nails.

But 12-year-old Emma Hayes started her life as a boy named Ronan.

And the young transgender schoolgirl is set to undergo a life-changing hormone blocking treatment to become a woman.

The transition comes after her mother Meagan found her then-son attempting to cut off his penis with a knife at the tender age of four.

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Australian schoolgirl Emma Hayes, 12, (right) started her life as a boy named Ronan (left)

'I found her in the room just with a knife and pants down, and she tried to cut off her own penis,' Mrs Hayes told Karl Stefanovic on 60 Minutes.

'[She] wanted to cut it off. She just didn't want it there. She didn't think it belonged there. She only ended up with a little scratch.'

The Australian schoolgirl was diagnosed at the age of eight with gender dysphoria - a condition where people don't identify with their biological sex.

Emma, who now identifies as a girl, believed she was born in the wrong body - and at a very young age, she decided to make the transition from male to female.

She will begin taking a 'puberty blocker' - a drug to stop her natural hormone progression - and prevent her going through puberty as a boy.

Her parents Meagan and David have shown their support on their daughter's transition

Emma opened up on her transition from male to female with Channel 9's Karl Stefanovic

And her parents have shown their support by letting their daughter enrol in school as a girl and taking her shopping for make-up and clothes as she adapted to her new identity.

'I think we did [make the right decision]. I couldn't see a future for Emma if we had of forced her to be Ronan, I don't think she would be here,' her father David said.

For her 18th birthday, Emma has already told her mother that she wants to go on a trip to Bangkok so she could get breast implants.
Nigel Farage, pictured, described George Osborne as a 'departing weasel'

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage has described ex-Chancellor George Osborne as a 'departing weasel' who he hopes 'never ever appears in public again'.

The 52 year old was sporting a new look in the form of a bushy moustache as he went out canvassing for his party for the last time on Friday.

His new appearance has attracted ridicule and people have compared his facial hair to the likes of Ron Burgundy from the cult film, Anchorman and Spanish waiter Manuel from the BBC comedy Fawlty Towers.

But Mr Farage described the interest in his moustache as being 'hilarious' and added that it might be because 'no one has anything else to talk about'.

He told the Sunday Times that his new look 'is a very good dummy run for Movember' - an annual charity event involving the growing of moustaches.

And Mr Farage - who is hoping to launch a media career in the United States like fellow Britons Piers Morgan and James Corden - was quick to offer his sympathy to the former Prime Minister David Cameron.

The MEP said that on he always 'felt a bit sorry for him' and added that he only wanted to say something nice about Mr Cameron after the EU referendum result.

But his opinion of Mr Cameron's friend and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr Osborne is drastically different as he described him as a 'that departing weasel'.

He told the newspaper: 'I'd have dragged him out by the scruff of the neck. I thought his behaviour was despicable.

'Pasty-faced b*****d. I'm please to see the back of him. I hope he never ever appears in public again.'

He also added that Bank of England governor Mark Carney 'has got to go' after he was accused of bias by supporters of Brexit.

Mr Farage hinted that he may return as Ukip leader if Brexit is not delivered, adding: 'If Brexit wasn't delivered, then I would have to think seriously about plunging back in. But I hope I don't have to.'

It comes as ministers warned that Britain could remain in the EU until the end of 2019 as the decision to begin key negotiations to exit might be delayed because Prime Minister Theresa May's new departments might not be ready in time.

The former Ukip leader (pictured) met voters in Newington, near Ramsgate, Kent, during his last day of campaigning for the party
It's believed she was walking home from the party after an

A grandmother was allegedly struck and killed by her best friend's daughter in a suspected hit-and-run.

Tracey-lee Kemp, 45, was found dead beside the Midland Highway north of Bendigo, Victoria at about 3am on Sunday, killed as she was walking home from a 21st birthday party at a local pub.

Taylor Hocking, 19, has been charged with multiple offences including dangerous driving causing death, having socialised with Ms Kemp just hours before the tragedy,7 News reports.

Tracey-lee Kemp, 45, pictured left, with Taylor Hocking, 19, who has been charged over the grandmother's death in a suspected hit-and-run

Ms Kemp was found dead beside the Midland Highway north of Bendigo, Victoria at 3am on Sunday

The body of Ms Kemp lay on the side of the road for a couple of hours according to Detective Senior Sergeant Brad McArthur

Ms Kemp and four others had been driven to the birthday party by Ms Hocking.

The 45-year-old left the Huntly Hotel venue at around midnight after an argument reportedly took place, walking along the road when she was suddenly struck.

The body of Ms Kemp lay on the side of the road for a couple of hours according to Detective Senior Sergeant Brad McArthur.

'It's our belief she might have actually been on the phone to her boyfriend at the time she was struck,' he said.

Ms Kemp's boyfriend Slav confirmed the information to 7 News, saying he was on his way to pick her up and had been speaking to her on the phone when the call ended abruptly.

Slav says he heard no screams or sounds of a crash, unknowingly driving by her as she lay on the side of the road.

Ms Kemp was found at around 3am by an employee of the Huntly Hotel, where the 21st was held just hours before, the Herald Sun reports.

The worker had spotted her handbag and ran to a nearby house for help.

'We didn't know if she was alive or dead at the time but he was doing CPR on her until the police arrived,' local Cass Adams told 7 News.

Ms Kemp (pictured) and four others had been driven to the birthday party by Ms Hocking

The 45-year-old left the Huntly Hotel (pictured) at around midnight after an argument reportedly took place

An hour after emergency crews attempted to save Ms Kemp's life, police were called to a incident five minutes away in Epsom where a car had driven into a tree

Detectives believed the same car was involved in the incident that took Ms Kemp's life

Emergency crews treated Ms Kemp at the scene but couldn't save her life.

An hour later police were called to a incident five minutes away in Epsom where a car had driven into a tree, but by the time they arrived the driver had fled.

Detectives believed the same car was involved in the incident that took Ms Kemp's life.

Ms Hocking was arrested on Sunday morning and was charged with dangerous driving causing death and other traffic-related offences.
George Low, 22, from Dartford in Kent, was was knifed in the neck along with his friend, just hours before he was due to fly home from Ayia Napa

A former bar manager known as 'Gorgeous George' has been stabbed to death in a late night street attack in the resort of Ayia Napa on the last day of his holiday.

George Low, 22, from Dartford in Kent, was was knifed in the neck along with his friend, just hours before he was due to fly home.

He died after the attack severed his carotoid artery, after being ambushed by two men in the party town.

The former Ayia Napa nightclub manager had worked at the resort for two seasons but had returned to the UK to work as an estate agent and was visiting friends at the time of his death.

His mother Helen Low, 47, received a phone call from George's friend in the early hours of this morning and couldn't believe her beloved son had been killed.

Speaking from the family home in Dartford, Mrs Low said: 'He was due to be coming home today it was his last night when he got stabbed and he was there for a week.

'He was there with his friend who was also stabbed four times in the back.

'We got a phone call this morning at about 3.30am and it was from George's friend telling us what had happened.

'We did not believe it at first and I didn't think it could be him, I still don't believe it even though I now know it's true.

'We are going out there and we're leaving as soon as possible.

'The embassy is closed tomorrow because it's a bank holiday for them, so we're arriving on Tuesday and somebody will meet us from the airport.

'George absolutely lived life to the full and he got on with everybody. He was very, very popular.

'He was an estate agent and he loved his job and meeting people.'He had a nickname 'Gorgeous George, the one and only' we used to call him.

George Low, 22, from Dartford in Kent is believed to have been on the last day of his holiday in Cyprus when he was knifed along with his friend

'He was not a fighter he just wanted to enjoy life.'

His friend was knifed in the back but is expected to make a full recovery.

Police in Cyprus are now believed to be scouring CCTV in an investigation to track down two men suspected to be involved in the bloodbath stabbing.

George leaves behind his father Martyn, 55, two brothers, Wesley, 23, and Oliver, 11, and two sisters, Laura, 19 and Millie, 17.

He had moved back to his home in Dartford, where he lived with his family while he saved for a deposit for a house and worked at local Acorn Estate Agents.

Mrs Low said: 'He had great times travelling in Ayia Napa and he was saving to get a deposit for a house.

'He went to Ayia Napa with one friend and he had spent two seasons there as a nightclub manager before so he knew lots of people.

Today, friends have been tribute to Mr Low, who worked at a London estate agency and had been visiting Cyprus, where he had previously had a job

'Everyone loved him, he had a lot of respect.

'Laura is in Gran Canaria at the moment and we were terrified that she would find out when it went viral.

'We had to try and get in touch with her and she is distraught.

'The Foreign Office are being very good and they are waiting on a report back from the police about what happened.

'They are scouring CCTV to try and find George's two attackers.

'He went there for a week in June for his birthday with some friends too.

George's mother Helen Low, 47, received a phone call from George's friend in the early hours of this morning and couldn't believe her beloved son had been killed

'We were all so proud of him and he was our world.'

According to the Cyprus Mail, Mr Low and his friend had been walking along Grigori Afxentiou Street when the ambush happened and the two attackers ran off.

The victims were then taken by private ambulance to hospital in Paralimni, where doctors confirmed one of them had died.

The second victim is still in hospital receiving treatment.

Police are now attempting to trace the foreign national attackers, who are described as young with one being chubby and short and wearing jeans and a white shirt.

The second was described also as short with black hair and was shirtless.

Today, friends have also been tribute to Mr Low online.

Jason Woods, who is believed to have spent time with Mr Low in Ayia Napa this week, writing on Facebook: 'Words can't describe what you meant to me. I was lucky to have you as a brother and I am truly heartbroken by this tragedy!!'

Lewis Taylor said: 'I can't believe this. George Low you was a legend and always had a smile on your face and never wanted any trouble.

'I hope they catch the scum who did this. I will miss you buddy.

'It also makes me feel so lucky to have got home safe after being attacked with a knife in Napa a couple of years ago.

The former Ayia Napa nightclub manager had worked at the resort for two seasons but had returned to the UK to work as an estate agent. Pictured is the Sqaure in Ayia Napa

'This world is a scary place.'

Another friend Ashley James Hayes said: 'Genuinely can't believe this, was having a laugh and a joke with him a few hours before.

'Rest in peace bro, will be truly missed.'

Famagusta District Assistant Police Chief Georgios Economou said the two Britons, both 22 years old, were attacked while they were walking down a busy street by two knife-wielding men shortly after getting into a shoving match with one of them.

He said there was no suspicion that the attack was terror-related.

The police chief added that according to witness accounts, the two assailants also appeared to be foreign nationals.
A man who carried out a stabbing and arson attack on a Swiss train has died along with one of his victims who was doused in a flammable liquid.

Swiss police confirmed that the man, 27 and the woman, 34 succumbed to their injuries after the incident in a train carriage in the eastern canton of Saint Gallen yesterday.

The attack came as the man set a train carriage on fire and stabbed at passengers, including a six-year-old child, leaving four people in hospital.

Police say the suspect, who has now died after setting himself on fire, was a 27-year-old Swiss national who was not of immigrant origin and did 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 woman who died had received a large portion of the flammable liquid over her, leading to speculation she might have been the main target of the attack.

But police spokesman Bruno Metzger said he could not confirm that, and another police spokesman Hanspeter Kruesi told AFP late Saturday it did not appear that the attack was directed at a single person.

He said it remained unclear if the attacker knew any of the victims.

The attack happened near Salez-Sennwald Train Station on the line between Buchs and Sennwald at around 2.20pm near the border with Liechtenstein and Austria.

The victims, who in addition to the 34-year-old woman included two men aged 17 and 50, two women aged 17 and 43 and a six-year-old girl, suffered burns and stab wounds.

One of the women and the child were in serious condition, police said, adding dozens of people were on the train at the time of the attack.

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

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'.

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.'

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.

Reports in Switzerland have suggested that the attack was 'not terror-related'

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.

Saint Gallen prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the attack.
"...king of the hate left..."--

"As my friend Capper -- the best Wisconsin blogger ever -- says, there will be more. There's always more." - karoli

"...the psychiatrically attuned Capper..."--

"This is really great of you! I'm so proud to know someone like you"--

"Capper, a reasonable (and maybe even likeable) Lefty..."--

"capper, the Sidney Freedman of the hate left..."--

"I love capper because, well, what's not to love. But I also hate capper for alerting me to nonsense like this."---

"Capper, you really have a knack for this kind of writing. Really."--

"Crap. I agree with capper. Can Armageddon be far behind?"--

"capper is right. OMG, did I actually say that?"--
A Syrian woman has celebrated the liberation of her town from ISIS militants by tearing off her burqas and burning it.

The U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday they had seized full control of the town of Manbij near the Turkish border after the departure of the last of the extremists, who had been using civilians as human shields.

It prompted a huge outpouring of emotion among the local residents in the city, who lit cigarettes, with some men even cutting off their beards, which was banned under the rule of the terror group.

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A young girl, who appeared wearing a burqa after the town of Manbij was liberated from ISIS control

She was pictured grabbing the burqa and pulling it off her head so she could reveal her face

And one young girl was pictured grabbing the black burqa she was wearing and pulling it from her head to reveal her face, an act which would have seen her severely punished under ISIS.

Meanwhile another group of youngsters can been dancing around a burqa that has been discarded on the ground and left to burn.

The celebrations came as thousands of people displaced by the fighting with ISIS returned to Manbij after driving out the terror group.

The little girl reveals her face after celebrating the liberation of her town in Syria from ISIS forces

The celebrations came as thousands of people displaced by the fighting with ISIS returned to Manbij after driving out the terror group, who insisted all females had to wear the burqa

Other females were seen throwing their burqas to the floor and setting them alight to celebrate

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.

'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 said, 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.

Another man is seen smiling as he has his beard cut, with facial hair reportedly enforced by Islamic State leaders

Mothers were spotted smiling and in tears as they were moved to safety by the SDF

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from Manbij by the Syrian Democratic Forces after the Arab-Kurdish army drove ISIS away from the area

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.

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.
One man said they blame 'Donald Trump for creating Islamophobia'

at the scene believe it was a 'hate crime'

Police have released a sketch of the man suspected of killing an imam and his assistant while they walked home in broad daylight from a mosque.

Police say witnesses described the shooter of 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin as a man with a medium complexion, last seen wearing a dark shirt and blue shorts.

The sketch, which was released early on Sunday, depicts a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses.

Authorities say the shooter approached them from behind as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens shortly before 2 p.m.

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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

Police have released a sketch of the man suspected of killings, who witnesses described as a man with a medium complexion, dark-hair, a beard and glasses

Saturday. Police say video surveillance showed the suspect then fled south on 79th Street with the gun still in his hand.

Police say they haven't determined a motive, and that there's no indication the men were targeted because of their faith. But members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque worry it could be a hate crime.

The victims were approached them from behind as they 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.

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 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

'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.

The community mourned the loss their beloved religious leaders on into the night during the rally

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.

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

Uddin had also been shot in the chest.

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

'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 the two men 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.'

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

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.'

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.

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
A 19-year-old girl from Britain has drowned off the coast of Thailand while on holiday.

The girl is believed to be a university student and drowned while swimming off the island of Ko Chang.

The identity of the girl has not yet been released.

A 19-year-old girl from Britain has drowned off the coast of Thailand while while swimming off the island of Ko Chang (File photo)

The girl, whose identity has not yet been released, is believed to be a university student

The Foreign Office has confirmed it is supporting the girl's family.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are supporting the family of a British National who sadly died in Thailand on 14 August.'

Yesterday a German tourist drowned off the coast of the same island after going out to sea to bring his two sons back to shore amid strong waves.

Christoph Ralf Sigloch, 55, entered into the water off Khlong Phrao beach.

Ko Chang, also known as Elephant Island because of its elephant shaped headland, is Thailand's second largest island after Phuket.

The island is approximately 429 square kilometres in size.

More to follow.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are supporting the family of a British National who sadly died in Thailand on 14 August'
A man who creates child-like sex dolls for paedophiles has called himself an 'artist' as custom officials crackdown on shipments being imported into Australia.

Up to 18 consignments of life-size dolls - that are sold by Japanese company Trottla - have been seized by the border force officials since 2013.

The anatomically-correct rubber dolls sent from overseas have been destroyed or used for pending further investigation, a Department of Immigration and Border Protect spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

Custom officials are cracking down on child-like sex dolls being imported into Australia

The dolls, which resemble children as young as five, are sold to paedophiles globally

The sexualised dolls, which resemble children as young as five, are sold via the Japanese website to paedophiles across the globe.

Trottla founder Shin Takagi, a self-confessed paedophile, has defended his range of dolls, telling Fairfax Media: 'I am an artist'.

A Department of Immigration and Border Protection spokesperson said owning a child-like dolls are considered child exploitation material.

'Seized goods, once forfeited, can be destroyed by the Australian Border Force. The destruction of seized goods may be postponed while investigations and/or prosecution activities relating to the importation are progressed,' the spokesperson said.

'Under the Customs Act 1901, the penalties for intentionally importing objectionable goods include a fine of up to $450,000, imprisonment for 10 years, or both.

'The Australian Border Force works closely with the AFP and state police agencies to target and seize this objectionable material at the border, and bring before the courts those that seek to possess or are in possession of a child sex doll.

An Australian Federal Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the AFP 'does not condone any form of child exploitation, or activity of any kind reinforcing the sexualisation of children'.

Up to 18 consignments of life-size dolls have been seized by the border force officials

More than 60,000 people signed a petition this year to ban the sale of the child-like dolls

Earlier this year, Mr Takagi claimed the dolls act as a substitute to satisfy the needs of paedophiles so they don't commit crime against real children.

'I am helping people express their desires, legally and ethically. It's not worth living if you have to live with repressed desire,' he told the Atlantic.

More than 60,000 Australians signed a petition this year to ban the sale and import of 'these sickening aids for paedophiles'.

The dolls that appear on the Japanese website are dressed in lace or leather lingerie, sometimes completely naked.

Many of the imitation girls are sprawled out on a bed or laid in other provocative positions, often with child-like props like a school uniform and backpack.
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A Georgia woman who was told the likelihood of her walking again was so low the percentage was 'too small to put a number on' has walked down the aisle at her dream wedding.

Jaquie Goncher, 25, became paralyzed from the neck down at age 17 after an accident in a swimming pool that left her floating face down in the water, believing she'd die.

Doctors told her mother they were hesitant to even put a percentage on the chances of Goncher walking again.

Jaquie Goncher (pictured), 25, became paralyzed from the neck down at age 17 after an accident in a swimming pool and doctors said she would likely never walk again

After she got engaged to fiance Andy Goncher, 35, she began working with physical therapists in order to walk down the aisle

Goncher (pictured center with fiance Andy) also wanted to be strong enough to dance her first dance with Andy at her wedding

Through hard work she had regained the ability to stand for short periods but knew it would take a lot of work and effort to be able to walk again

The Marietta, Georgia,-born woman began working with physical therapists and working out in a gym in order to prepare for her big day

Goncher, from Marietta, went from being an active teen who played softball to being wheelchair-bound.

However, the then-teen refused to be stuck in a chair and after meeting her now-husband, 35-year-old Andy Goncher, she was determined to not only walk down the aisle at their wedding but to also dance.

She had worked hard to regain her ability to stand but Goncher's low blood pressure made it impossible for her to be on her feet for more than 30 minutes, according to ABC News.

After working with physical therapists, spending hours in the gym on a treadmill and exercising her core for strength



Goncher focused on working on her core strength to carry herself and also practiced walking on a treadmill for her wedding

Goncher said she was frustrated by how challenging simple work outs were to her. 'It was more than physically hard because I was an athleteI knew how I should be working out and to do it halfway was emotional,' Goncher said

On the day of her wedding, many guests did not know that Goncher had been preparing and training to walk down the aisle

'It was more than physically hard because I was an athleteI knew how I should be working out and to do it halfway was emotional,' Goncher told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Along with walking down the aisle, Goncher wanted her wedding painted by Maggie Smith Kuhn but couldn't afford the live portrait artist.

Goncher's mother called the painter and hired her to capture the wedding.

When Goncher's big day finally arrived few people know she would be walking down the aisle.

Along with walking down the aisle, Goncher wanted her wedding shot by painter Maggie Smith Kuhn but couldn't afford the live portrait artist

On the day of her wedding, Goncher surprised her guests by walking down the aisle to meet her groom, but Goncher's mother had a surprise for her

Goncher's mother secretly hired Kuhn, a living portrait artist, to paint her daughter's wedding and only told her on the day

As Goncher danced with her husband, Kuhn painted the moment in water colors (pictured). The painting was Goncher's mother's wedding gift to her

'I was so nervous. Those entire moments leading up to it, I thought I was going to throw up,' she said.

Finally, she made her way down the aisle to her husband.

'It was like a movie. Everyone was shocked in the best way,' Kuhn said.

Later, Goncher's mother revealed to her that she had hired Kuhn for the wedding, causing Goncher to hide her face in her cream wedding dress and weep.

'It was like a movie. Everyone was shocked in the best way,' Kuhn said. When Goncher's mother revealed to her that she had hired Kuhn for the wedding, Goncher hid her face in her cream wedding dress and weep

But the biggest surprise came when friends and family of Goncher saw her standing and walking for the first time in years

'It was the one thing I really wanted,' she said.

As Goncher danced with her husband, Kuhn painted the moment in water colors.

The painting and the photos by Love Stories by Halie & Alec of the wedding have since gone viral featuring prominently on their Instagram feed, Love Stories by Halie & Alec.

'After the wedding, we sat there and were like 'I can't believe we danced the entire wedding'  it felt normal.

'A lot of the times I'm in the wheelchair, so I can't interact with people I felt normal for once.'

'I just felt blessed. I've been walking through journey of healing for eight years I had to put my faith in God  it reminded me of how far I have come,' Goncher said.

The painting and the photos of Goncher's wedding to now-husband Andy (pictured, left) have since gone viral on Reddit

'After the wedding, we sat there and were like 'I can't believe we danced the entire wedding'  it felt normal,' Goncher said

Goncher added: 'A lot of the times I'm in the wheelchair, so I can't interact with people I felt normal for once. I just felt blessed'
Walker then interviewed her live on-air as her rowdy hen party cheered

her on the engagement

He pecked her on both cheeks c

BBC Four's Olympic coverage got a little more boisterous than usual on Saturday, when a Brazilian bride-to-be gate-crashed presenter Dan Walker live on-air.

A rowdy hen party interrupted the reporter while he was presenting the late-night show in Rio over the weekend.

More than a dozen lively women staggered past singing, and Walker duly pointed them out to the camera-crew.

Live on-air: BBC presenter Dan Walker kisses a bride who gate-crashes his late-night show

The sports reporter bravely decides to interview the bride-to-be on her hen party in Rio

He then made the brave decision to invite the bride over, and interviewed her on-air.

'This could be interesting' he remarked as the woman stumbled her way past security.

She then proudly revealed she is due to be married in September, while her party of revellers chanted 'Maria, Maria, Maria'.

On the Copacabana beach Walker let the bride have her moment, and even pecked her on both cheeks to wish her well with the wedding.

The woman proudly reveals she is due to be married in September, while her party of revellers chanted 'Maria, Maria, Maria'

The cohort of hens begin chanting the name of the TV station egging their friend on

Soon enough Maria started making declarations of love to her fiance.

And unaware of what station she was on, the bride asked where she was.

When Walker told her it was the BBC she jolted back in shock, before rubbing two fingers together to suggest he must therefore be very wealthy.

When Walker tells her he works for the the BBC the bride rubs two fingers together to suggest he must be wealthy

BBC presenter Dan Walker fronts coverage of many sporting events including the FA Cup

Her cohort then comically began chanting 'BBC! BBC! BBC!' much to the amusement of Walker and the crew.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has revealed he is supporting the strikes on Southern Rail and Eurostar - despite the walkout causing travel chaos for hundreds of thousands of commuters.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at Southern Rail walked out in the morning of Monday, August 8 after talks aimed at resolving a dispute over the role of conductors collapsed.

As a result its services were severely disrupted and the train firm announced it would introduce an emergency timetable and run just 60 per cent of its services across London and the South East.

Meanwhile, Eurostar workers planned to strike for seven days in August in a dispute over their work-life balance.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured)

And asked whether he backs the strikes on the two companise, Mr Corbyn replied: 'Yes, because I understand why they are doing it.'

His comments were made during an extensive interview with the Observer and it comes after Southern Rail ran just half of its services on Thursday.

He also added that he believed that Southern had 'not fulfilled its obligations' and referred to its passengers on the Brighton line as being 'unbelievably angry' about the situation.

Mr Corbyn's latest comments could frustrate voters living in the south who have been affected by the strikes.

The 67 year old - who is going up against Owen Smith in the party leadership race - also added he was being 'out-lefted' by Conservative MPs who want Southern Rail to be handed over to the publicly-owned Direct Rail.

Commuters protested in London's Victoria Station against the cancellations on Southern Rail

He added: 'I am getting out-lefted by Tory MPs all down the line who want to take back the franchise, take the keys from Southern and give it over to Direct Rail.'

Earlier this month and speaking at a leadership campaign rally in Brighton, Mr Corbyn demanded that the Government renationalise the Southern Rail franchise to ease the suffering of thousands of commuters.

He publicly condemned the private firm's continued profits at a time it faces a battle with staff and unions.
Chef Steve Drake will leave his award-winning restaurant as part of his divorce

An award-winning restaurant praised for 'cuisine of great finesse' could lose it's coveted Michelin star, as part of the fallout of divorce proceedings between the couple who run the popular venue.

Chef Steve Drake has agreed to hand over ownership of Drake's, in Ripley, Surrey, to his wife of 16 years, Serina, as part of their settlement.

Meanwhile, the 43-year-old chef will take full control of the couple's other business, The Anchor, also located in Ripley.

As a result, Drake's will no longer be run by a Michelin star winner and will have to undergo inspection to retain its prestigious status.

Drake told The Sunday Telegraph: 'My heart and soul are here, it's where I won my first star and it's been very difficult to give it up.

'But while we both wanted to hold on to the restaurant, I came to realise that the best way to move forward was for Serina to keep the business as an asset.'

Drake began his career working in a cafe making bacon sandwiches. After culinary school, he worked under Keith Stanley At The Ritz London Hotel, aged just 17.

He also trained under Marco Pierre White and worked as head chef at Drake's on the Pond, in Abinger Hammer, Surrey, which gained a Michelin star in 2003.

A year later, Drake and his wife, who have a nine-year-old daughter, opened their restaurant in Ripley.

Mrs Drake said: 'We don't know whether we'll be awarded the star again or whether we'll have it taken away, but the chef who is taking over from Steve has worked for us for over there years and is very well equipped to take over the reins.'

The restuarant co-founded by Drake in 2004, will be handed to his wife of 16 years, Serina

Housed within a red-brick Georgian building, Drake's has also been awarded for a 3 AA Rosette and boasts a number of signature dishes, including lamb saddle with slow cooked belly, thyme and braised chicory and halibut served in a rich oyster cream with sea purslane, radish and sea water sauce.

News of the chef's impending departure is said to have resulted in the restaurant being fully booked for the next fortnight.

A statement about his departure was published on the restaurants website, saying: As a result of Steve and Serinas divorce, Steve Drake will cease to be the chef proprietor of Drakes restaurant at the end of August 2016, when a new head chef will be appointed.

Serina Drake will remain in ownership of Drakes, and Steve Drake will leave to pursue other ventures, including continuing with his involvement in The Anchor pub restaurant.

Mr and Mrs Drake said it would be business as usual at both venues. Mr Drake said of the rise in bookings: Now they know Im going I guess everyone wants to eat here, before I leave.

It is not known if the chef will be cooking at The Anchor or working behind the scenes, but he is expected to open a new restaurant elsewhere.

Drake's, in Ripley, Surrey, was awarded a Michelin star for providing 'cuisine of great finesse'
With a swanky mansion, a personal butler and an iconic pink convertible, she was once the glamorous blonde who brought a touch of class to British TV screens.

But the original Lady Penelope of Thunderbirds fame now appears to have let herself go - after turning up dusty and dishevelled 30 years in a wardrobe.

The rare two-foot tall puppet, which was used in the original TV series in the 1960s, has spent the last three decades collecting dust at a property in Hertfordshire.

But, when the homeowner recently died, his family was tasked with clearing out his belongings and discovered the rare puppet which was stored away in the 1980s.

It is now expected to fetch up to 20,000 when it is auctioned off next weekend.

The rare Lady Penelope puppet (left) that featured in the 1960s Thunderbirds TV show (right) is set to fetch 20,000 at auction after being found in a wardrobe after 30 years

When the homeowner recently died, his family was tasked with clearing out his belongings and stumbled upon the rare puppet that featured in the original series of the iconic TV show

Christina Trevanion, a regular antiques valuer on BBC daytime favourite Bargain Hunt, has consulted with experts - including the iconic show's original puppeteers - and confirmed the puppet is authentic and was used between 1964 and 1968.

She said: 'It is remarkable that this has been lying in a wardrobe for so long.

'These puppets were thought of as part of the trade at the time, and it just wasn't known then what treasures they would go on to become.

'There have been many replicas made of the original figures, and so it was important to establish its authenticity before offering Lady Penelope on the open market.

The two-foot tall prop has been collecting dust in the back of a wardrobe in Hertfordshire for the last three decades but is now expected to fetch 20,000 at an auction in Shropshire

'We have had four of the world's leading authorities on supermarionation authenticate the figure, including some of the original puppet operators and puppet makers on the Thunderbirds series.'

The family of the puppet's late owner wish to remain anonymous.

The auction comes five months after Sylvia Anderson, who voiced Lady Penelope, died aged 88.

Very few of the original puppets are understood to have survived, but Gerry Anderson, who created Thunderbirds and died in 2013, kept the original Parker model. This went on to be sold for 38,000 in 2001.

The auction comes five months after Sylvia Anderson (left), who voiced Lady Penelope, died aged 88. The old puppet (right) will be auctioned off on August 20 for an estimated 20,000

Christina Trevanion, a regular antiques valuer on BBC daytime favourite Bargain Hunt, confirmed the piece is authentic and was used on Thunderbirds between 1964 and 1968

These photographs show the Lady Penelope puppet being used in Thunderbirds in the 1960s

The science fiction fantasy adventure telling the story of a daring rescue squad was filmed in Slough and first aired in October 1965.

The programme attracted an audience of 100 million people across 66 countries at its height.
The number of British-bound migrants in the notorious Jungle camp in Calais has doubled to 9,000 in the past six months and now become a 'major health and security risk', police have revealed.

The surge in numbers comes after French officials warned this week that increasing numbers of jihadi terrorists could be hiding among the refugees at the sprawling site near the ferry port.

The squalid camp is also rife with disease, violence and prostitution and had a become a 'no-go zone' for police who are frequently attacked with iron bars and rocks when they try to enter.

The number of British-bound migrants in the notorious Jungle camp in Calais has doubled to 9,000 in the past six months

A French police spokesman says that the camp is at breaking point after the migrant population there increased to 9,000

A police spokesman told the French media: 'It's truly mind boggling what's going on there. The place is at breaking point and it's worse than ever.

'It's impossible to know if, for example, a jihadist from Belgium is hiding in there. This camp is a blind spot for national security in the middle of the state of emergency.'

Calais police union spokesman Denis Hurth added: 'With the heightened terrorist risk in all of France's towns and cities, we only have around 1,000 officers here to tackle the most gigantic public order threats here.'

The surge in numbers comes after French officials warned this week that increasing numbers of jihadi terrorists could be hiding among the refugees at the sprawling site near the ferry port, pictured

The squalid camp is also rife with disease, violence and prostitution and had a become a 'no-go zone' for police who are frequently attacked with iron bars and rocks when they try to enter

And Pascal Brice, head of France's Office for the Protection of Refugees, added: 'Identifying high-risk individuals has now become an absolute priority for us. It is imperative we root them out.'

Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart has blamed Britain's 'black market economy' and 'cushy benefits system' for thousands of migrants in her town.

She said last year: 'Calais is a hostage to the British. The UK border should be moved from Calais to the English side of the Channel because we're not here to do their jobs.'
President George W. Bush's commerce secretary Carlos Gutierrez explained in more detail Sunday why he's switching teams this cycle and voting for Democrat Hillary Clinton.

'I made the switch away from Trump, it was that week of Judge Curiel, 'my African-American.' That for me did it. That's it,' Gutierrez said Sunday morning on CNN's 'State of the Union.' 'I don't want to go back to a country where if a child has a Spanish last name that the president, the leader of the country, is giving kids a license to bully them.'

Pointing to two separate incidents that occurred the same week, Gutierrez was referencing Trump's suggestion that Indiana-born U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel would be biased against him in the Trump University case because of the candidate's plans to build a border wall with Mexico.

Curiel's parents had immigrated from Mexico.

Additionally, Trump pointed to a black audience member in California and said, 'Oh, look at my African-American over here. Look at him. Are you the greatest?'

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Former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez is among a growing number of Republicans who say they're not supporting their party's nominee

Carlos Gutierrez (left) said he thought Hillary Clinton would make a 'darn good president,' though told Jake Tapper (right) he's still have preferred Jeb Bush

Beyond these two moments, which occurred in early June, Gutierrez took offense to Trump's mocking of a handicapped reporter and suggesting prisoners of wars weren't heroes, something Trump insinuated when he attacked Sen. John McCain, who was a POW in Vietnam.

'I don't want to live in a society that I think Donald Trump will create,' Gutierrez said.

He said when choosing between the two candidates he looked at the 'totality of the picture.'

'I had one resume for Donald Trump, I had one resume for Hillary Clinton and I have chosen this resume,' he explained. 'I think this person, Hillary Clinton, is the best for the country. I'm not thinking about [it as] a Republican, I'm thinking about it as a U.S. citizen. i think at some point you have to put party aside and say, "what's best for the country?'"

Host Jake Tapper asked Gutierrez if he had informed the Bush family.

Gutierrez had worked for George W. Bush, but also supported his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, in the GOP primary.

Jake Tapper (right) wanted to get a sense from Carlos Gutierrez how CEOs and other business leaders were feeling about Donald Trunp's nomination

Trump expertly attacked Jeb Bush as 'low energy' early on in the presidential campaign and the third Bush to run for the White House's message never gained traction.

Gutierrez said he had sent out emails to the Bushes, but hadn't hear a peep, cuing Tapper to note that it's strange that no one  except Jeb Bush who told NBC News he wasn't voting  from the clan had said publicly who they were supporting.

'I think that's on option is to not vote. And that's an option I had, but I think that's letting ourselves off the hook,' Gutierrez said, alluding to Jeb Bush's decision.

'And I actually think that Hillary Clinton has the experience, she's been around, she knows how the system works,' he continued. 'I think she'd make a darn good president.'

'I would have preferred Jeb Bush,' the longtime Republican added.

He then again called Clinton a 'great choice.'

'I am afraid of what Donald Trump would do to this country,' Gutierrez said.

Pointing to the economy as an example, Gutierrez said he loved Trump's plan to cut taxes  'I'm a Republican,' he laughed  but he worried that the businessman's protectionist policies coupled with tax cuts would be 'a disaster.'

As someone who has traversed the business world as well as government, Tapper pointed to Gutierrez and called him 'part of the global elite,' asking the former cabinet secretary how other CEO-types, who usually vote Republican, were feeling about Trump's nomination.

'Most of them are totally disgusted,' Gutierrez said. 'By the Trump nomination. They don't know what to do.'

Gutierrez referenced some of the historic bad blood between the Clintons and the Republicans noting that there's a reluctance to support Hillary Clinton.

'But they are not going to vote for Donald Trump and I think that will be a big problem for the Trump campaign,' he said.

'If Trump wins I think it's a tactical victory for him and a strategic loss for the GOP,' he continued.
Abuse and self-harm rife among asylum seekers at Nauru, report shows

Comes after allegations of widespread abuse at Nauru detention centre

Disturbing images show her self-inflicted wounds on arms and legs

Young Iranian asylum seeker says she was

A young woman detained at Nauru detention centre bears the scars of horrific self-inflicted wounds after she was allegedly sexually abused by a security guard and assaulted by police.

The Iranian asylum seeker, known as Jazmine, has begged authorities to evacuate her to Australia amid allegations she was raped and assaulted while in detention, SBS reported.

Jazmine says that her complaints fell on deaf ears after she was allegedly sexually abused by an employee of Wilson Security at the detention centre.

An Iranian woman (pictured) detained at Nauru detention centre bears the scars of self-inflicted wounds after she was allegedly sexually abused by a security guard and assaulted by police

Jazmine says that her complaints fell on deaf ears after she was allegedly sexually abused by an employee of Wilson Security at the Nauru detention centre (pictured)

Jazmine said a group of Nauruan police attacked her inside the detention centre as horrified refugees looked on at the detention centre (pictured)

'I [tried to make a] complaint for [an] investigation by police and I talk to an officer, but they say [no],' she told the public broadcaster.

On another occasion, Jazmine said a group of Nauruan police attacked her inside the detention centre as horrified refugees looked on.

'They just attacked me and pushed me; I screamed and everyone in the camp was watching me and crying. It was terrible,' she said, according to SBS.

She told her lawyer, Sydney-based George Newhouse, that she has been raped, and experts believe she is at extreme risk of suicide.

Prof Louise Newman, a former member of the Immigration Health Advisory Group, told Guardian Australia she speaks to women 'on a nightly basis' who have been raped at Nauru.

Desperate refugees detained at Nauru plead for help amid revelations of widespread abuse at the detention centre

Image of the accommodation buildings at Nauru immigration detention centre in Nauru

2,000 reports include seven of sexual assault of children, 59 of assault on children, 30 of self-harm involving children and 169 of children threatening to self-harm (pictured: child at Nauru)

She said there was an 'alarming' and 'systemic' lack of processes.

Revelations of Jazmine's alleged abuse comes after more than 2,000 incident reports leaked from the centre revealed allegations of widespread mistreatment.

Guards have slapped children in the face, according to the incident reports, and a guard allegedly threatened to kill a boy once he was released into the Nauruan community.

Self-harm is rife among the asylum seekers at Nauru, the leaked reports show.

The Australian Labor Party has flagged the idea of a parliamentary inquiry while the Greens want to go a step further with a royal commission.

But the federal government insists neither measure is necessary because it is satisfied with the immigration department looking into the claims.

An asylum seeker shows an injury which Amnesty International says was sustained in an attack by a Nauruan local

Revelations of Jazmine's alleged abuse comes after more than 2,000 incident reports leaked from the centre revealed widespread allegations of mistreatment. Above, a child holds a sign at Nauru

Self-harm is rife among the asylum seekers at Nauru (pictured), leaked reports show

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said many of the claims were historical in nature and had previously been investigated.

'There are very strict processes and procedures ... to deal with any allegations of abuse and appropriate action is always taken,' he told Sky News on Sunday.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten slammed the government's approach as arrogant.

'We (need) to get to the bottom of what is really going on,' he told Sky News.

The opposition needs the votes of the nine Greens plus four crossbench senators to establish the inquiry and already looks like it will have enough support.

'I don't trust the government with this kind of stuff, all they do is shove things under the carpet,' Tasmanian independent senator Jacqui Lambie told AAP, adding she was interested in participating.

A child holds a sign at the detention centre at the remote Pacific island nation of Nauru
Kristen Parker, 27, a McLennan county assistant DA was arrested Saturday morning on charges of DWI suspicion

An assistant district attorney in Texas who prosecutes driving while intoxicated cases has been arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated.

Kristen Parker, 27, a McLennan county assistant DA was arrested Saturday morning on charges of DWI suspicion, the Waco Tribune reported.

Parker was arrested by a Baylor University police officer before being booked in the McLennan County Jail just before 4.45am.

She was released after posting bail of $1,000.

The assistant DA graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2010 and got a degree in law from Baylor Law School in 2014.

She has been responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor DWI cases since she joined the McLennan County District Attorneys Office last year.

It is unclear if any disciplinary action has been taken against Parker or if she is still employed by the McLennan County District Attorneys Office.
Children suffering from extremely severe seizures could find hope with a major surgical procedure that removes or disconnects half of their brain.

Toddler Gary Mulhall from the NSW Central Coast, suffered a massive 200 seizures a day until he had the right side of his brain removed.

The three-year-old was unlikely to survive past two without an anatomical hemispherectomy because he suffered from drug-resistant epilepsy.

Toddler Gary Mulhall (pictured) from the NSW Central Coast, suffered a massive 200 seizures a day until he had the right side of his brain cut out

'He is a true fighter, and lives life with a smile. I'm not ashamed to say I look up to my own son,' Mr Mulhall said

Gary's mother Kathryn Singleton, 35, said they had no choice but to take the surgery.

'If we didn't do it he'd be a complete vegetable, never walk, never talk, not even recognise his mum and that's if he even survived past the age of two. Without the surgery he wasn't expected to, Ms Singleton told Daily Telegraph.

'For us it wasn't a choice, for a lot of the other families it's a choice for a better quality of life, but [for us] it was "either do this or you will lose your son".'

Ms Singleton and Gary's father Matthew Mulhall blog about their little boy's journey on Facebook.

Gary had the right side of his brain cut out in a anatomical hemispherectomy (before, left, and after, right)

Gary is still learning to walk without assistance and has some vision impairment in his left eye, but very rarely has seizures

The Facebook page described the 'very long surgery' as having a 'fairly high risk of Gary not pulling through', but said it was riskier for them to wait.

Gary is still learning to walk without assistance and has some vision impairment in his left eye, but very rarely has seizures.

'He is still on medication but his biggest issues are just around his physical coordination and strength, and his expressive speech,' Mr Mulhall told Daily Mail Australia.

'He is a very good non-verbal communicator though.

'He is a true fighter, and lives life with a smile. I'm not ashamed to say I look up to my own son.'

Mr Mulhall told Daily Mail Australia the main reason he is where he is today is because of Dr Sachin Gupta, an 'amazing man' who cared for Gary.

Gary first began having seizures when he was just eight-days-old due to his condition - focal cortical dysplasia at a cellular level.

Three-year-old Gary from the NSW Central Coast is pictured recovering after his surgery

Mr Mulhall told Daily Mail Australia the main reason he is where he is today is because of Dr Sachin Gupta, an 'amazing man' who cared for Gary (pictured after surgery)

It meant his brain was structurally fine, but that the cells in his brain didn't line up properly, the Gorgeous Gary Facebook page describes.

Gary is not the only child to undergo the surgery.

Daniella Gargaro, 13, hasn't had a seizure since she had the left side of her brain disconnected in April this year.

The teenager from Barooga in NSW's south was born with cerebral palsy and was suffering daily with medicine-resistant seizures that lasted for hours before the procedure.

'The surgery was a big decision but it was the only option to let her have as normal a life as she can have,' her mother Rebecca Gargaro, 38, told Daily Telegraph.

Mr Mulhall said Gary (pictured together) is a 'very good non-verbal communicator'

'If we didn't do it he'd be a complete vegetable, never walk, never talk, not even recognise his mum and that's if he even survived past the age of two,' Gary's mother Ms Singleton said (the family pictured together, Gary's sister Abby pictured far right)

Before the surgery at the Melbourne Children's Hospital, Daniella's health had been declining over the course of two years.

However, less than an hour after she woke up from the surgery Ms Gargaro said she saw a massive improvement to her health, with only a slight drop in her memory capacity.

The surgery can take up to 10 hours and risks include major blood loss, infection and stroke. The disconnection or removal procedure can also trigger paralysis and loss of vision on half of the body.

The blood supply remains when the hemisphere of the brain disconnected but is unable to cause seizures.

A hemispherectomy is usually only performed in extreme cases after medication or other surgeries have failed to correct the seizures.

Gary has been suffering seizures since he was just eight-days-old
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A blistering heat wave has killed at least two and triggered dangerous heat warnings across the Northeast as temperatures soar into the 100s.

At least two deaths in Philadelphia have been blamed on the extreme weather as forecasters warned that the recent spell of hot, humid weather is expected to continue.

The National Weather Service have now issued excessive heat alerts through to early next week for Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and the Baltimore-Washington D.C. area.

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A blistering heat wave has triggered dangerous heat warnings across the Northeast as temperatures soar into the 100s, triggering a lighting storm in New York

Stunning fingers of light reached down from the clouds over Manhattan on Saturday, captured perfectly here

Philly residents try and cool off their dog with water from a controlled fire hydrant in South Philadelphia where an excessive heat warning is in effect until Sunday night

Authorities have issued dangerous heat warnings as temperatures soar into the 100s across the Northeast (pictured a man makes the best of the weather by sunbathing on the boardwalk at Coney Island Beach, New York)

Visitors from Korea shielded themselves from the sun early in the morning as they toured the Capitol in Washington, on Friday when temperatures hit the upper 90s

A man offers a water bottle to those stuck in the heat outside of Union Station on Friday in Washington, D.C. where temperatures hit the 100s yesterday

A man takes a gulp of water while sheltering himself from the sun outside of Union Station on August 12 as an excessive heat warning is issued across the city

Visitors to a Washington park attempt to keep cool as the temperature reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday

On Saturday, Washington, D.C. hit highs of 114 degrees - the first time the city has passed the 100-degree point since July 2012.

Meanwhile New Yorkers suffered through highs of 110 degrees during that same day.

The blistering heat was made worse for some after more than 4,000 people in New York City and Westchester County lost power, according to Con Edison.

The heat is putting a strain on the power supply as the entire city blasts their air con, while in other areas the overhead wires overheated and sparked out, CBS reported.

In East Flatbush, Brooklyn, a melted power line next to a gas station came down.

Residents without power or air conditioning flocked to local grocery stores, bars, restaurants and even city buses - anywhere to cool down.

'There's no AC for me,' said John Leger. 'I fry like a chicken inside a stove.'

The city's public pools are staying open longer in the heat while the 500 cooling centers are open through Monday evening.

The sweltering weather and humidity also ignited a spectacular lightning storm which lit up the city sky, AOL.com reports.

ignited a spectacular lightning storm which lit up the city sky, AOL.com reports.The sweltering weather and humidity

Amateur photographers were quick to get out their cell phones to capture the startling flashes of light blazing in the night sky.

'I don't think I could duplicate this again if I tried!' wrote Janelle on Instagram, who managed to press the shutter just as a bolt of lightning lit up the Manhattan Bridge.

'What a show tonight!' wrote Nancy Herman, who immortalized a trail of lightning in the deep purple sky over Rockaway Beach, Queens.

An excessive heat warning has been issued for New York City through Sunday evening. Temperatures will drop a little on Monday but will remain in the low 90s at the start of next week.

A woman sunbathed near the shoreline at Coney Island Beach, August 12, where the heat index temperatures is expected to reach over 105 degrees today

On Saturday, Washington, D.C. hit highs of 114 degrees - the first time the city has passed the 100-degree point since July 2012 (pictured are visitors to the capital shading themselves from the sun on Friday)

Visitors from Korea shield themselves from the early morning sun as they tour the Capitol in Washington, Friday

It's so hot that experts have warned that the city's cockroaches have the perfect conditions to fly.

Bell Environmental Services entomologist Ken Schumann told DNAinfo: 'In hot steam tunnels, something with the temperature and the humidity encourages them to fly.

'When it's warm and steamy that seems to be what they like.'

The Northeast heat wave is predicted to continue until Monday where Washington D.C. and Philadelphia are expected to reach highs of the mid-90s.

The National Weather Service have issued an excessive heat warning for the metro Philadelphia area where two people have died due to the hot weather. The warning is in place through Sunday, where the heat index is predicted to reach 110 degrees in the afternoon.

A 67-year-old woman with diabetes died of congestive heart failure, while an 82-year-old woman suffering from heart disease died from hypercholesterolemia.

City officials said the deaths were related to the heat wave.

Baltimore and Washington D.C. are also under an excessive heat warning as both are predicted to see temperatures above the 100-degree mark.

Excessive heat warnings have been issued across the Northeast this weekend as temperatures continue to soar

Philadelphia is expected to swelter in temperatures of 104 degrees today as a heat wave continues across the Northeast

Temperatures are expected to cool off going into next week but many areas can still expect to hit the mi to late 90s on Monday

And both areas will continue to see those high temperatures through the week into Tuesday.

Boston will hit a heat index high of more than 100 degrees today but again is expected to cool off as it moves into next week.

The National Weather Service issue a n excessive heat warning when the combination of heat and humidity is expected to make it feel like it is 105 degrees or greater.

The agency warn that the elderly or those with chronic health problems or mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable.

'Use air conditioning to stay cool at home or go to a place that has air conditioning,' they advise. 'Check on vulnerable friends, family members and neighbors.

The warning also advises anyone working outside to take regular breaks in shaded or air conditioned places.

People should also beware of leaving pets or children in vehicles as they can rapidly become dangerously hot in these conditions.

'What a show tonight!' wrote this amateur photographer who snapped a pic of the spectacular light show from Mother Nature

The clouds seem lit within in this photo shared on Twitter by a photographer who caught the lightning show from across the East River

The clouds look like puffy supernatural hands here as they are backlit by a fireball of lightning over the rooftops

The Empire State Building seemed eerily lit within as it flushed bright white in the lightning-filled sky

'Dramatic lightning display over Manhattan for the past hour!' enthused this Instagrammer who caught a pinkish glow in the lightning show
Pope Francis has been making sure Rome's homeless do not miss out on a summer holiday by treating them to trips to the beach followed by dinner in a pizzeria.

Around 100 disadvantaged people have taken advantage of the Pontiff's generosity so far, with Francis himself sometimes on hand serving the pizza.

The seaside outings have been revealed by the Pope's almsgiver, Polish Monsignor Konrad Krajewski, who explained he drives a van of 10 people daily on the 20 mile trip to Passo Oscuro.

Pope Francis has been making sure Rome's homeless do not miss out on a summer holiday by treating them to trips to the beach followed by dinner in a pizzeria

There, he explains that the homeless can enjoy a dip in the sea or sunbathe, with the Vatican supplying swimsuits and beach towels.

Then on the way home from the outing, the clergyman says he stops off at a pizzeria, to make sure the homeless have a good meal before they return to Rome.

Monsignor Krajewski told Italian newspaper La Stampa: 'We are a sui generis [unusual] group since those who live on the street have very dark faces because of the sun, but bodies as white as milk.

'We always conclude the trip in a pizzeria, as do many people who are on vacation at this time. We certainly are not saving the world with some of these initiatives, we are not solving the problems of the homeless in Rome, but at least we are restoring to them a little dignity.

The seaside outings have been revealed by the Pope's almsgiver, Polish Monsignor Konrad Krajewski, pictured, who explained he drives a van of 10 people daily on the 20 mile trip to Passo Oscuro

It is not the first time Pope Francis has been known to help out the homeless living around the Vatican. He is pictured greeting and handing out gifts to migrants in Italy last week

'I was very impressed to see how they behave in these situations. They know how to get along together, and when we are at the table, if one is talking and telling a story, everyone else is listening quietly. Even some of them, who are usually more agitated, cheer up.'

Meanwhile Monsignor Krajewski also told Italian state radio, the afternoon outings reflect homeless people's 'desire for normality'.

However, it is not the first time Pope Francis has been known to help out the homeless living around the Vatican.

With many deprived people living near the church headquarters in Rome, showers and barbers have been set up on the edge of St Peter's Square for their use, at the orders of the Pontiff.

And while aided by the Swiss Guard, the almsgiver also distributes hot meals to homeless people at Italian train stations.

The Pope browses through drawings made by a group of young Syrian refugees. With many deprived people living near the church headquarters in Rome, showers and barbers have been set up on the edge of St Peter's Square for their use, at the orders of the Pontiff

And just days ago, Pope Francis surprised 20 former prostitutes by knocking on their door in Rome and popping in for a chat.

The Argentinian Pope, who has repeatedly described the human trafficking behind much prostitution as 'a crime against humanity', sat down with the group, including four women from Albania, seven from Nigeria and six from Romania.
While maintaining his position against same-sex marriage, Sen. Marco Rubio used a speech before a group of Christians to speak of the perils of intolerance toward the gay community.

'Do not judge, or you will be judged,' Rubio said, quoting the Bible, as he spoke before a group of pastors in Orlando Friday at an event entitled 'Rediscovering God in America Renewal Project,' which was sponsored by the Florida Renewal Project, a group with the reputation of being anti-gay.

'Abandoning judgment and loving our LGBT neighbors is not a betrayal of what the Bible teaches, it is a fulfillment of it,' Rubio advised.

Rubio's speech marked two months to the day since 49 were killed in a mass shooting at Orlando's Pulse nightclub in which the gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, specifically targeted lesbians and gays.

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Sen. Marco Rubio, seen here on Capitol Hill, spoke before a Christian audience Friday and suggested the community needed to be more tolerant toward gays and lesbians

Sen. Marco Rubio changed his mind and decided to run for re-election in the Senate in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, where 49 were gunned down

Rubio, a conservative Republican, was one of the first GOP politicians to acknowledge the hate crime aspect of the Orlando attack, as well as labeling it radical Islamic terror.

Many of his Republican political peers chose to mostly focus on the latter.

Friday's speech also showed a softening of anti-gay rhetoric coming from the senator, who reversed course and decided to run for re-election, changing his mind in the aftermath of the Orlando shooting.

He'll compete in Florida's Republican primary on August 30.

Courting the Christian conservatives in his state, Rubio's talk Friday began with reaffirming his belief that marriage is between one man and one woman.

'It is now undeniable that there is a growing number of Americans who seek to expand that definition to include the union of two people of the same sex,' Rubio acknowledged, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

'I continue to support the traditional definition of marriage,' he said.

In this belief, Rubio said, he didn't 'seek to discriminate against anyone,' but 'believe[d] the union of a man and a woman is a strong relationship with an extraordinary record of success in raising children and strong and successful people.'

Again playing to his audience, Rubio called out those attacking Christians for holding onto their values, defending 'the right of Americans to no be forced to violate the teachings of their faith in this matter.'

'This intolerance in the name of tolerance is hypocrisy,' he said.

Then, he pivoted.

'I must also speak to you about the rhetoric and actions of some of us who believe in traditional marriage too,' he said.

'As we engage in the civic life of our country we are called to two important tasks: Yes, to stand for what our faith teaches, but also, to love people,' Rubio continued.

In order to do this, Rubio explained, 'you have to listen to them, you have to understand their perspective, their hopes and their dreams and their fears and their pain.'

Rubio pointed to the historical realities of being gay in America, from government workers being outed and losing their jobs, to members of the LGBT community being denied service at bars and restaurants.

'There are those in that community and in same-sex relationships whose love for one another is real, and who feel angry and humiliated that the law did not recognize their relationship as a marriage,' Rubio said.

'To love our neighbors we must recognize that many have experienced sometimes, severe condemnation and judgment from some Christians,' Rubio continued. '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.'

'To love our neighbors we must abandon a spirit of judgment,' Rubio said.

Scooting back over to a message easier for the crowd to digest, Rubio noted how some people would still 'call you a bigot and a hater,' for maintaining the conservative Christian belief that marriage is between a man and a woman.

'And yet we must still love our neighbor,' Rubio said. 'Because these voices do not speak for the entire LGBT community.'

The Florida senator also pushed the Christians in the audience to make overtures to the LGBT community, especially in light of the horrific Orlando attack.

'Sadly, many of them had come to believe because of what they heard in the press, because of what they read, because of what somebody told them, that Christianity had no place for them,' Rubio said.

'And 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.'

Rubio is expected to handily win his GOP Senate primary at the end of the month, having been 52 points up at last polling, which was taken at the end of June.

From there he'll likely go up against Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy, who's fallen behind the Republican incumbent by six points, according to a new Marist poll conducted for NBC News and the Wall Street Journal.

Rubio has benefited from keeping his distance from his party's presidential nominee, Donald Trump, who he's technically endorsed, but also spoken out against when the billionaire has made political gaffes.
The two exchanged pleasantries but Salazar stopped replying

A woman claims she matched with Olympic swimmer Joseph Schooling on Tinder - and is beating herself up for not replying to his last message.

Sabryna Salazar, 20, of Austin, Texas, shared a screen grab in the early hours of Saturday, showing a previous exchange on the dating app.

Schooling, 21, of Singapore, won the gold medal at the men's 100-meter butterfly event just a few hours before on Friday, leaving silver to Michael Phelps.

The screen grabs shared by Salazar show she had a conversation between April 7 and April 8 this year with a man going by Joseph, whose profile picture shows Schooling at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

Sabryna Salazar (pictured left and right), 20, of Austin, Texas, claims she matched on Tinder with Olympic swimmer Joseph Schooling back in April

A screen grab shared by Salazar in the early hours of Saturday (pictured) shows a previous exchange on the dating app between her and a man identified as Joseph, 21

Salazar stopped replying to the other user's messages, thus ending the conversation - a move she later regretted as shown in this tweet

The DailyMail.com has reached out to Schooling for comment.

In the screen grabs shared by Salazar, the man identified as Joseph appears to be 21, like Schooling, and to be enrolled at the University Of Texas at Austin.

Schooling has swum for the Longhorns, the university's swimming team.

The user identified as Joseph began the conversation on April 7, writing: 'Hey! How's it going beautiful?'

Salazar replied: 'It's going well! How about you?' She included an emoji with hearts in lieu of eyes.

The other user wrote on April 8: 'Good thabks! Watcha up to [sic]'.

Schooling (pictured left with his gold medal and right with Michael Phelps) set an Olympic record on Friday, finishing the 100-meter butterfly event in 50.39 seconds

But the conversation ended here as Salazar stopped replying. Salazar, a full-time Psychology student at the University of Texas at Austin, later called the move her 'greatest failure' on Twitter.

'I was watching Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly race and then Joseph won. I noticed the name sounded familiar and the announcers kept saying he was a Longhorn so I looked back through my Tinder matches and found out it was him,' Salazar told the DailyMail.com.

'Honestly, I just thought it was hilarious that we had matched at one point. It's pretty crazy to think you've had an interaction with an Olympic gold medal winner.'

Her tweet, which contains the screen grabs of the Tinder exchange, has been retweeted more than 33,000 times and has gathered more than 69,800 likes.

Schooling set an Olympic record on Friday, finishing the 100-meter butterfly event in 50.39 seconds.

Schooling grew up admiring Phelps and met him in 2008, when Schooling himself was just a young boy.

He posed next to Phelps as the US team trained in Singapore ahead of the 2008 Olympics.

Meanwhile, Schooling's girlfriend, Casey Shomaker, paid homage to Schooling on Facebook Saturday. Both have been pictured together on social media over the past year.

She shared a picture of him on the podium and wrote in the caption: 'And thus the kid has become the king.'

Phelps however had to share the podium with two other swimmers on Friday night. He won silver in a three-way tie with Hungarian athlete Laszlo Cseh and South Africa's Chad le Clos.

Growing up, Schooling admired Phelps and met him in 2008, when Schooling himself was just a young boy. He previously shared this photo of their meeting
Police released footage and mug shot of Escobar asking public for help

Pablo Escobar, 22, of Queens, allegedly stole a gold necklace off a four-year-old girl in Astoria on Friday (pictured in July 22 mugshot)

A man who shares his name with the infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is wanted by New York City police.

Pablo Escobar, 22, of Queens, allegedly stole a gold necklace off a four-year-old girl in Astoria on Friday, according to NBC 4.

The girl was standing in the Won Won Laundromat at 7.15pm on Friday when the suspect approached the child.

Security footage shows a man, believed to be Escobar, walking past the laundromat before turning and walking back to the doorway.

He appears to speak to someone inside the laundromat and then crouches down as it talking to a child.

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Security footage (pictured) shows a man, believed to be Escobar, speaking to someone inside the laundromat

He then crouches down as it talking to a child and reaches inside the door, removing something shiny - the necklace - from the child

Then, the suspect appears to reach in to the doorway, which obscures the child he's talking to, and something shiny appears in his hand.

Seconds later he walks away.

Witnesses said the man is Escobar, who is five-foot-six and 160 pounds.

He has long brown hair and brown eyes.

Police released Escobar's most recent mug shot from July 22 when he was arrested for internet fraud.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
He ordered police to carry out summary executions and urged citizens to kill drug users and dealers

It is the latest in spate of killings of after President Rodrigo Duterte waged a brutal war on drugs

Pictures have emerged of a man lying bloodied and motionless on the streets after drug operation

Suspected drug dealer killed after fighting back and resisting arrest in Philippine capital Manila

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A suspected drug dealer was killed after resisting arrest in the Philippines as the country continues its bloody war on narcotics.

Pictures have emerged of a man lying bloodied and motionless on the streets of Manila after he reportedly fought back during a drug bust operation. It is thought he died at the scene.

It is the latest in a spate of killings of suspected drug dealers in the Philippines after President Rodrigo Duterte warned of widespread bloodshed as part of the government's war on drugs.

Graphic images have emerged of a suspected drug dealer lying dead in the streets of Philippine capital Manila after he resisted arrest - as the country continues its bloody war on narcotics

Pictures have emerged of a man lying bloodied and motionless on the streets of Manila after he reportedly fought back during a drug bust operation

According to media reports, nearly a thousand people have been killed since President Duterte won a landslide election victory in May, largely on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of criminals.

'These sons of w****s are destroying our children. I warn you, don't go into that, even if you're a policeman, because I will really kill you,' the president told an audience during a speech in Manila.

He vowed on one occasion during the election campaign that 100,000 people would die, and so many bodies would be dumped in Manila Bay that the fish there would grow fat from feeding on them, according to the South China Morning Post.

Mr Duterte made it clear he would pardon police if they were charged with human rights violations for carrying out his merciless orders.

Nearly a thousand people have been killed since President Duterte won a landslide election victory in May and he pledged to kill drug dealers and users

Mr Duterte said he would pardon police if they were charged with human rights violations for carrying out his orders

The bloodshed has begun to inflame diplomatic tensions, with the US embassy warning the Duterte government military aid allotted to the Philippines was tied to adherence to the rule of law, due process and respect for human rights.

'We are concerned by reports regarding extrajudicial killings of individuals suspected to have been involved in drug activity in the Philippines,' the embassy said.

'We strongly urge the Philippines to ensure its law enforcement efforts are consistent with its human rights obligations,' the embassy added.

A Philippine foreign department statement said that Manila was focused on the eradication of drugs in society.

A young alleged drug dealer pictured in July with his hands and feet bound and his head wrapped in tape besides a road

Two women cry in grief after armed assailants in a motorcycle shot their loved one in a main thoroughfare on July 23, in Manila

'Nevertheless, while pursuing this objective, the Philippine government is committed to the rule of law, and the protection of human rights for all.

'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.'

Philippine police said they had killed 550 drug suspects while arresting nearly 8,000 others since the May election.

But ABS-CBN, the country's largest broadcaster, said more than 400 other people have been killed since then by shadowy assassins who leave cardboard signs beside their victims accusing them of narcotics crimes.

Police said that while it was investigating these other killings, no suspects had been arrested.

One of the nation's top human rights lawyers, Jose Manuel Diokno, warned that Duterte had 'spawned a nuclear explosion of violence that is spiralling out of control and creating a nation without judges'.

A crime scene shows where an alleged drug dealer was killed last month. Philippine police said they had killed 550 drug suspects while arresting nearly 8,000 others since the May election
COLUMBUS  Chance Hager always has an ear for corn and soybean producers who want to suggest ways agricultural technology from IntelliFarms can grow profit margins from the field to the storage bin.

We always listen to the voices of our customers, said Hager, who is hosting the Archie, Missouri-based agricultural technology companys first educational workshop for local grain producers Tuesday at its new office at 2031 23rd St.

Tuesdays workshop from noon-4 p.m. features information on field and grain bin management using precision-based tech tools that help farmers make informed decisions. From 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at the new company satellite office, the public is invited for an open house.

The Columbus office is the companys first satellite location in Nebraska.

Hager said the local office will be the site for monthly workshops for local producers to grow their knowledge of the best farm-management practices in use today and voice their ideas for making things a little easier at the farm.

We want to get the word out, said Hager, noting that there will be some equipment displays set up at the workshops to give producers a hands-on feel for the technology. The territory sales representative roams a region that includes Illinois and Indiana, and now Nebraska.

We really try to make the technology as user-friendly as possible because we know farmers are very busy people. Our cables and controls are easy to operate, Hager said. If you can send an email, you can operate our equipment.

IntelliFarms has become the go-to ag tech company for grain bin storage management during its decade of existence.

The companys bin management system, which measures in-grain moisture and temperature for data used to automate fans and heaters, is installed on farms around the region.

Weve got a pretty good size footprint in the Columbus area already, Hager said. Grain bin management is No. 1.

The system features internet-based software that allows for the management of multiple bins at multiple sites and will alert producers to sudden problems that arise via text message or email. Cabling sensors allow for monitoring grain over time, which generates efficiency and energy savings in moving grain in and out.

Hager said Columbus-area farmers, where a lot of the best corn and soybeans in Nebraska are grown, know the value of good bin management.

Studies have shown that grain losses average about 6 percent a year in an unmonitored bin and can rise to around 20 percent during a bad year, Hager said.
A tobacco giant has made the decision to reduce the amount of cigarettes per pack rather than hiking the price, as another tax rise looms.

British American Tobacco brand, Dunhill, will be reduced to 23 per pack from next month but the wholesale price will remain the same as the pre-tax Dunhill 25 pack.

A British American Tobacco Australian spokesperson told The Herald Sun that the introduction is in response to feedback directly from their consumers.

Tobacco giants Dunhill have made the decision to reduce the amount of cigarettes (stock) per pack from 25 to 23 rather than hiking the price with another tax rise around the corner

Dunhill smokers told us that instead of paying a higher price after the next tax hike in September, theyd prefer to have slightly fewer sticks and have the price stay the same.

The product remains the same with all Dunhill 25s variants transitioning to this pack size by the end of the year.

A 12.5 per cent federal tobacco excise increase plus indexation will start from September 1 which will see smokers coughing up at least $1.30 to $3.35 more tax per pack, depending on its size.

At the moment smokers pay a total of 53.7 cents per cigarette ranging from $10.57 for a pack of 20 to $26.85 for a pack of 50.

British American Tobacco Australian said that the introduction is in response to consumer (stock) feedback on the new 12.5 per cent tax which will start September 1

The exorbitant prices are hoped to discourage smokers and bring down smoking rates across Australia, reported The Herald Sun.

But cigarette makers have warned the steep excise may fuel people to engage more with the illegal tobacco black market.

These downsizes will join a long list of shrinking packs including Freddo Frogs, laundry liquid, deodorants and potato chips such as Pringles.
The family of a 13-year-old boy who hanged himself after being mercilessly bullied claim his school did nothing to stop the torment.

Daniel Fitzpatrick committed suicide in the attic of his Staten Island, New York, on Thursday night.

His sister then found his lifeless body alongside a note the teenager penned that documented the abuse he suffered at Holy Angels Catholic Academy in Brooklyn.

His devastated mother and father believe the school called on child services instead of trying to stop the bullying.

As the harassment continued, Daniel felt he couldn't turn to his teachers as he couldn't trust them.

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

Welfare officers from the Administration for Childrens Services conducted an investigation into the family back in November 2015, but they ultimately turned up nothing.

When the parents met with Principal Rosemarie McGoldrick, they were told that the bullying was just a phase and would pass

His mom Maureen told the New York Post: 'Danny told us they [administrators] were asking questions: 'Do Mom and Dad drink? Do they feed you? Do they have clothes in the house?'

'Next thing you know, 7:30 at night, I have an ACS officer at my door, and my son told him, "I just want a friend."'

They revealed that in the spring, four or five boys ganged up on him in the playground and had a fight. It left him with a broken finger.

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.

'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 don't 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 don't 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.

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,' his mom told the New York Daily News.

'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 12:00pm on Sunday, it had received more than $65,000 in donations.
Period dramas Poldark and Victoria will battle it out for the Sunday night ratings crown - but TV bosses will end up the real winner.

The first eight episodes of Victoria, an ITV drama starring former Doctor Who actress Jenna Coleman, is set to air at 9pm on Sunday, August, 28.

Poldark, featuring Aidan Turner, will return to screens for 10-weeks the following Sunday - meaning the two dramas will be broadcast at the same time on seven consecutive weekends.

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Period dramas Poldark and Victoria will battle it out for the Sunday night ratings crown

The move has already proven unpopular with fans who have expressed anger over having to choose between the two shows on social media.

However, bosses at Mammoth, the production company behind both of the shows will be rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of a ratings war.

Mammoth has produced a long list of successful dramas including Parade's End which starred Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall.

ITV is also set to benefit from the ratings rivalry, having bought a 25 per cent stake in the firm when it started in 2007 and buying a further 75 per cent last year.

However, some have complained that TV bosses have made the business decision at the expense of viewers.

One fan wrote on Twitter: Poldark against Victoria on Sunday nights is not fair to historical fans. Thinking of the viewers yet again.

Another wrote: Why? I would like to see both, but Poldark will win out on the night as I hate adverts.

Both BBC and ITV have invested heavily into each series - with ITV going so far as to brand Victoria the new Downton Abbey.

Victoria, an ITV drama starring former Doctor Who actress Jenna Coleman (pictured), is set to air at 9pm on Sunday, August, 28

Poldark, featuring Aidan Turner (pictured), will return for 10-weeks on September 4

The production company behind broth dramas, Mammoth Screen, downplayed the nature of the televisual battle when asked at a Victoria preview screening last week. Co-founder Damien Timmer said: Its a bit difficult to discuss, but I dont think that viewers look at television that way.

As well as sharing a production company, both show leads, Turner, 33 and Miss Coleman, 30, have seen their stardom rise in recent years.

Prior to Poldark, Irish actor Turner was best known for his role as Kili in the three-part fantasy film The Hobbit. His role as Ross Poldark in the hit BBC drama, propelled him to heartthrob status and the actor is now rumoured to replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.

Miss Coleman, by comparison, is best known for her role as Clara Oswald, companion to Matt Smith - and later Peter Capaldis - Doctor Who.

Victoria will focus on the monarch's years as a young woman and will star Rufus Sewell, 48, as play Lord Melbourne, the then prime minister

It may prove difficult for Victoria to contend with Poldark which attracted nine million viewers last year

Victoria will see the upcoming actress portray the monarch as she courts and marries Prince Albert, played by Tom Hughes, 30.

Rufus Sewell, 48, will play Lord Melbourne, the prime minister whose close relationship with the young queen provided a popular source of gossip.

Nevertheless, it may prove difficult for the newcomer to compete against ratings giant Poldark, which attracted 9 million viewers last year - largely following Turners shirtless scenes.
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More than 30,000 Muslims have joined together in the Hampshire countryside, raising the Union Flag and forming a human chain as they re-affirmed their rejection of violence and extremism.

The Worldwide Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community led the thousands in a vow of peace and obedience at Hadeeqatul Mahdi (Oakland Farm), Alton, today, the final day of the three-day convention.

In the 50th year of the event, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad spoke to delegates during the Pledge of Allegiance ceremony, reaffirming their loyalty to their country of residence.

More than 30,000 Muslims gathered today at Oakland Farm in Alton, Hampshire, to pray and participate in a Pledge of Allegiance ceremony, reaffirming their loyalty to their country of residence

There was little room to move at the farm as delegates squashed in to participate in the services over the weekend

A little boy finds his place among the thousands of delegates during a prayer at the convention today

Delegates at the Muslim convention joined each other in prayer, kneeling side by side in a moment of reflection

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community has 129 branches across the UK and has opened the Baitul Futuh mosque in south London, the largest in western Europe

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community has led a peaceful revival of Islam from the time it was founded in India in 1889.

However, the community was not established in the UK until 1913.

The organisation built London's first mosque, The London Mosque, in Putney, in 1926.

It now has 129 branches across Britain and has opened a number of mosques, including the Baitul Futuh mosque in south London, the largest in western Europe.

Speaking ahead of the convention last week, His Holiness said: 'The only thing the terrorists are achieving is to completely violate the teachings of the Holy Quran and of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

'Let it be clear that they are not practising Islam, rather it seems as though they have invented their own hate-filled and poisonous religion.'

Attendees heard from the Worldwide Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who spoke to delegates during the Pledge of Allegiance ceremony, reaffirming their loyalty to their country of residence

Attendees joined together, reaffirming peace and rejecting extremism while forming a human chain with their arms

In the event's 50th year, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad spoke during the Pledge of Allegiance ceremony

In one of a number of sessions over the three days, attendees reaffirmed their loyalty to their country of residence

His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the world spiritual leader of Ahmadiyya Muslims, spoke at the event in Hampshire. Here he is picture at event in Berlin, Germany, in 2008

Today's session in Hampshire was the final day of the three-day event. Organisers said more than 30,000 people attended

Members participate in prayer at the Hampshire farm yesterday. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community has been leading a peaceful revival of Islam from the time it was founded in India in 1889

Delegates join in prayer yesterday, placing their hands on each other's backs during a session

The gathering in Hampshire was a peaceful event, promising a message of love and peace for attendees who numbered in the tens of thousands over the weekend

The address last week was broadcast live globally on satellite TV.

It was delivered at Britain's biggest mosque in Morden, Surrey.
Dispute only came to an end when her friend wrested it

This is the shocking moment that a woman brandished a gun during a road rage incident in Florida.

Surveillance footage from a Gainesville gas station shows a black pickup truck and a silver sedan pulling up before passengers from both vehicles got into an argument.

The dispute quickly escalated until a woman, who has not yet been identified, got out the truck wielding a gun.

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This is the shocking moment that a woman brandished a gun during a road rage incident in Florida

The brunette approached the car and appeared to yell at the driver, waving the gun in the air as she spoke.

Another woman attempted to pull her away from the car but the confrontation only ended when her male friend intervened and wrestled the gun away from her.

It is not yet clear what sparked the road rage incident which took place earlier this week.

Police later identified her friend as Jacob Sylvester who was the driver of the pick up, Inside Edition reports.

He was arrested and charged with assault and battery but has so far refused to identify his friend.

Surveillance footage from a Gainesville gas station shows a black pickup truck and a silver sedan pulling up before passengers from both vehicles got into an argument

The dispute quickly escalated until a woman, who has not yet been identified, got out the truck wielding a gun

Another woman attempts to pull her away from the car but the confrontation only ends when her male friend intervenes

Police are still hunting the gun toting woman.

The incident is the latest in a series of frightening road rage clashes across the country.

On Wednesday, SUV driver Robert Lewis was caught on camera lashing out at a male cyclist in Corona Del Mar, California.

The 66-year-old demanded: 'What are you gonna do? Put it on tape? Surfer against a q****?'

The cyclist had been using a 'sharrow', a share lane on the Pacific Coast Highway, CBS Los Angeles reported.

The TV station explained that cars and SUVs can drive in the lane if there are no bikes around - otherwise it's meant for the cyclists.

Her friend, later identified her friend as Jacob Sylvester who was the driver of the pick up, wrested the gun off the woman

Sylvester, who was arrested and charged with assault and battery, returned the gun to the pick up

The SUV allegedly brushed the cyclist's elbow, the report said.

In the road rage video, Lewis said: 'I could smack you so f***** good. If there wasn't any witnesses, you know what I'd do to you? I'd pull Trump on ya.'

After the cyclist asked Lewis for his name, Lewis replied: 'My name is your worst enemy, m***********.'

Newport Beach police wrote on Facebook that they are investigating.

A road rage incident that took place this week in Corona Del Mar, California, was captured on video.

SUV driver Robert Lewis lashed out at a male cyclist on Wednesday. Footage of the incident was posted to YouTube.

Another road rage incident took place this week in Corona Del Mar, California

SUV driver Robert Lewis was caught on camera lashing out at a male cyclist in Corona Del Mar, California and later gave the cyclist the finger

The 66-year-old demanded: 'What are you gonna do? Put it on tape? Surfer against a q****?'

Newport Beach police wrote on Facebook that they are investigating.

In Canada, a driver filmed another motorist smashing in his car windows with a baton.

The attacker, who identified himself as Dennis Tissington, threatened Damien Dallyn, saying 'Y ou're going to be in the f****** hospital if you don't get out of here!'
A former professional BMX rider from Rhode Island has set a record for the longest power-assisted bicycle back flip.

Kevin 'K-Rob' Robinson set the record Saturday at Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, the Providence Journal reported.

Robinson, 44, towed by another ride on an all-terrain vehicle, jumped 84 feet from one ramp to another. He needed to jump 64 feet to set the record.

A record judge from the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that Robinson, from Barrington, Rhode Island, was successful and presented him with a plaque.

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Kevin 'K-Rob' Robinson (pictured during his stunt), 44, set the record for the longest back flip on a power-assisted bike Saturday at Kennedy Plaza in Providence, Rhode Island

Robinson (pictured on Saturday), towed by another ride on an all-terrain vehicle, jumped 84 feet from one ramp to another. He needed to jump 64 feet to set the record

The crowd watched as a countdown to his performance began at 5:30 pm.

Among the viewers was Kevin Jr, his young son, who said before the jump he hoped his dad would 'make it'.

Robinson had one first unsuccessful attempt, during which he lost control of his bike, the Providence Journal wrote.

He hit the ground and rolled on the concrete as paramedics came to assist him.

But Robinson got back on his bike and within minutes gave the jump another try, this time completing the stunt.

'Will someone break this someday? Maybe, but today is my day,' Robinson said afterwards. He dedicated his feat to 'the great state of Rhode Island'.

A record judge from the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that Robinson, from Barrington, Rhode Island, was successful and presented him with a plaque (pictured)

Robinson (pictured in a previous shot) had one first unsuccessful attempt, during which he lost control of his bike
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Thousands of people flocked to London for one of the most colourful events of the calendar year.

The annual festival saw a celebration of Hindu culture take over west Ealing, culminating in a chariot procession through the London borough.

It is one of the biggest events of the year in the area with around 10,000 thought to have attended from all over Europe.

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Hindu devotees roll along the road in west Ealing, London, as an act of sacrifice during the Thaipusam Festival, pictured

Women wearing traditional dress carried pots of milk on their head to show their devotion during the Hindu event, pictured

The annual festival culminated in a chariot procession, pictured, through the streets of the London borough

Organised by the Shri Kanagathurkkai Amman Temple, the festival commemorates the legend of the Hindu god of war, Murugan, and his defeat of the demon Soorapadam using a 'divine spear' known as a vel.

Those taking part in the festival offer up a sign of devotion to Murugan, whether it be as simple as carrying a pot of milk on their heads, or piercing their skin with vels.

Other devotees rolled their bodies along the road surface as their act of devotion despite only wearing a short robe around their waist.

Musicians played traditional Hindu instruments alongside the procession, pictured, which took over much of west Ealing

The event honours the Hindu god Murugan's victory over the demon Soorapadam using a 'divine spear' known as a vel

It is thought more than 10,000 people attended the event, pictured, coming to London from across Europe

Wearing traditional dress, scores of women marched through the streets carrying pots on their heads while musicians played alongside them.

But it was the brightly-decorated chariots, propped up by members of the community, that were the biggest draw.

Bric-a-brac stalls and ethnic food stands were also run alongside the festival to raise funds for the temple's projects.

Men also wore vel spear-themed piercings, left, during the procession, right, which was organised by the Shri Kanagathurkkai Amman Temple in Ealing
But reputation was tarnished after he was caught smoking crack in 1990

The elder Barry served two terms as mayor and on Columbia Council

Barry was the son of late D.C. mayor Marion Barry Snr. who died in 2014

His shocked family say the 36-year-old died of a drugs overdose

Marion Christopher Barry - son of the late D.C. mayor - has died after a drug overdose, according to his family.

The only son of the former mayor, who shares his name, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead early Saturday morning.

No official cause of death has been announced but family members told NBC News 4 he took a fatal overdose.

Marion Christopher Barry (left) - son of the late D.C. mayor of the same name (right) has died after a drug overdose, according to his family

The only son of the former mayor (pictured together in March 2014) who shares his name, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead early Saturday morning

Cora Masters Barry, wife of the former mayor, issued a statement on Sunday.

'Christopher's sudden death has been devastating news to me. My heart is broken. I am in shock. The news of his death is beyond comprehension.

'I would like to thank everyone for their concern and support. I would also like to send my condolences to Mrs. Polly Lee Harris, Christopher's grandmother, for the loss of her only grandchild.'

Barry had struggled with drug use and ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 8 Council seat in 2015 after his father, former Mayor Marion Barry, died.

The 36-year-old hoped to follow in his father's political footsteps and had attempted to run for a D.C. Ward 8 council seat.

No official cause of death has been announced but family members of Barry say he died of a drugs overdose

Sadly, he was also reported to have shared his father's addiction issues.

Marion Barry Snr. served as mayor of Washington, D.C, from 1979 to 1991 and again, between 1995 and 1999.

He also served on the Council of the District of Columbia for three terms, one as an at-large member and two serving Ward 8.

In 1977, he was famously shot by radical Hanafi Muslims during the siege of the District Building, now the John A. Wilson Building.

But his years as a civil rights leader and prominent politician were tarnished after he was caught smoking crack in a downtown Washington hotel room with a young woman.

Marion Barry Snr. served as mayor of Washington, D.C, from 1979 to 1991 and again, between 1995 and 1999 (pictured in an undated photograph)

In 1977, he was famously shot by radical Hanafi Muslims during the siege of the District Building, now the John A. Wilson Building.

But his years as a civil rights leader and prominent politician were tarnished after he was caught smoking crack in a downtown Washington hotel room with a young woman (pictured in June, 2014)

He was busted by FBI agents in 1990, reportedly telling them she 'set me up.'

Barry that didn't stop him from returning to politics and he went onto serve another term as mayor in the mid-1990s.

He passed away in 2014 at the age of 78.

His son also had a number of clashes with the law.

He was arrested in 2005 on a misdemeanor assault charge for resisting arrest, and faced drug-related charges, including PCP and marijuana possession, in 2011, 2013 and 2014.
The horrifying moment an Imam and his assistant were executed in broad daylight as they left a mosque has been captured on video.

Surveillance footage alleges to show a gunman approaching 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin in the street in Queens, New York, and gunning them down.

The suspect, wearing a dark shirt and blue shorts, then runs off and leaves two men dying in in the middle of the street. The video has yet to be independently verified.

Police found them bleeding in the street and took them to a hospital where they were pronounced dead.

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Surveillance footage has captured the moment an Imam was shot and killed in Queens, New York, while walking home from a mosque with his assistant

Imam, Maulama Akonjee (left), was shot dead in broad daylight as he and his assistant Thara Uddin (right), left a mosque in Queens

The brazen shooting has been branded a hate crime by people in the community who are demanding justice.

Reports suggest the Imam had $1,000 in cash on him, but it was not stolen.

The shooter is still on the run and has not been identified.

Police have released a sketch of the man suspected of carrying out the shooting.

The sketch, which was released early on Sunday, depicts a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses.

Authorities say the shooter approached them from behind as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens shortly before 2 p.m.

Police have released a sketch of the man suspected of killings, who witnesses described as a man with a medium complexion, dark-hair, a beard and glasses

On the grainy video, you can see the gunman approaching the pair before they fall to the ground. The suspect then fled and is still on the run

Police say video surveillance showed the suspect then fled south on 79th Street with the gun still in his hand.

Police say they haven't determined a motive, and that there's no indication the men were targeted because of their faith.

But members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque worry it could be a hate crime.

The victims were approached them from behind as they 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.

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 Muslim men gathered at the scene insisting it was a hate crime, saying the two men were specifically targeted.

'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.

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

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.

Uddin had also been shot in the chest.

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'.

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

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

'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 the two men 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.

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

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.'

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.

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
Members of Congress will receive notes from Hillary Clinton's interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, CNN is reporting.

Clinton spoke to the FBI on July 2, just three days before the bureau's director James Comey announced that he would recommend the former secretary of state not be charged with a crime in the private email server case.

Comey did, however, label Clinton's homebrew email setup 'extremely careless.'

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke to the FBI for three hours in early July. Now Members of Congress will be privy to the notes from that conversation

On July 5, FBI Director James Comey said publicly that he wouldn't be recommending charges against Hillary Clinton over her private emails, but labeled her 'extremely careless'

His July 5 announcement  which led to the Department of Justice officially dropping the case  also resulted in Comey having to testify before Congress, which he did two days later.

There, he was asked about Clinton's interview with the FBI.

Comey divulged that the three-hour interview hadn't taken place under oath and thus no official transcript would be available.

Notes from the interview, however, existed and Republicans have been trying to get their hands on those for the past month.

CNN noted that the Obama Administration has been debating how to release the documents since Clinton is now officially the Democratic nominee for the White House.

Republicans have harped on the email scandal for over a year now and it's done some damage to her reputation as she pursues the presidency.

Two days later, FBI Director James Comey testified before Congress and shared that the FBI hadn't spoken to Hillary Clinton under oath

In a Bloomberg Politics poll that dropped last week, respondents found Clinton's email scandal to be the most worrisome part of her candidacy.

Fifty-eight percent said they were bothered by Clinton setting up a private email server as secretary of state, a bigger percentage than those who said they were troubled by her handling of the Benghazi terror attack in 2012, in which four Americans were killed.

For months Clinton claimed that she never sent or received classified information on the private server, but Comey's congressional testimony countered that.

'Secretary Clinton said there was nothing marked classified on her emails, either sent or received. Was that true?' asked Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy at the Capitol Hill hearing.

'That's not true,' Comey had replied.

'Secretary Clinton said, "I did not email any classified maerial to anyone on my email. There is no classified material." Was that true?' Gowdy continued.

'There was classified material emailed,' Comey answered.

Twice now Clinton has gotten herself in political trouble for sticking to her original script.

In a Fox News interview with the network's Chris Wallace, Clinton told the 'Fox News Sunday' host that Comey 'said my answers were truthful' when she talked to the FBI.

'And what I've said is consistent with what I have told the American people,' she added.

At another point she told reporters during a brief Q&A that she might have 'short-circuited' when answering questions about the emails.

The notes will give new insight on what she actually said to the FBI to explain why she decided to set up a secret server instead of using a government-run email account.
Father and ex-husband of a British woman 'strangled in an honor killing' arrested in Pakistan

Father and ex-husband of a British woman 'strangled in an honor killing' arrested in Pakistan

Second husband, Mukhtar Kazam, said she was murdered for 'dishonor'













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.

+7 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.

+7 +7 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.

+7 +7 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.

+7 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

+7 Mukhtar Kazam, the husband of late British woman Samia Shahid, claims his wife was murdered for bringing 'dishonour' on her family
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A fourth body was recovered from the rubble after an explosion and fire at an apartment complex in Maryland.

Two young children and six adults remain missing after the blast and at least 34 were injured in the incident shortly before midnight on Wednesday.

Authorities would not confirm which of the eight missing people had been found but firefighters continued to comb through the rubble to search for the other four residents.

Fire crews are still investigating the cause of the explosion.

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A fourth body was recovered from the rubble after an explosion and fire at an apartment complex in Maryland (pictured are two of the missing residents, three-year-old Fernando Josue Hernandez Orellana (left) Deibi 'David' Samir Lainez Morales, 8, (right)

Two young children and six adults remain missing after the blast and at least 34 were injured in the incident shortly before midnight on Wednesday (left is Augusto Jimenez Sr., 62 and right is Maria Auxiliadorai Castellon-Martinez, 53)

Authorities would not confirm which of the eight missing people had been found but firefighters continued to comb through the rubble to search for the other four residents (left is Saeda Ibrahim, 41 and right is Aseged Mekonen, 34;)

Saul Paniagua, 64, is among the eight people who are still missing after the blast at the Maryland apartments

Residents at the apartment complex in a Maryland suburb of Washington where at least four people have died after a massive explosion say they 'smelled gas' in the days leading up to the deadly blast

A firefighter carries equipment past what is left of a part of an apartment complex smoldering in ruins after an explosion

The explosion late Wednesday night sent debris hundreds of feet, and people more than a mile away reported the blast was strong enough to shake their homes. Two bodies were recovered Thursday and another one was found Friday.

The extent of the damage the building suffered has slowed the recovery process, officials say. The county's acting fire chief, David Steckel, told reporters Sunday that the building is unstable and 55 firefighters are working on the scene.

'We would like to do this more quickly. We just simply can't. It's too dangerous,' Steckel said.

The eight missing, who were all believed to have been in one of the apartment buildings during the blast, are identified as three-year-old Fernando Josue Hernandez Orellana, Deibi 'David' Samir Lainez Morales, 8, Saeda Ibrahim, 41; Augusto Jimenez Sr., 62; Maria Auxiliadorai Castellon-Martinez, 53; Aseged Mekonen, 34; Oscar Armando Ochoa,55 and Saul Paniagua, 65.

Authorities are urging anyone with information on the whereabouts of those missing to contact law enforcement.

In the wake of the explosion in Silver Spring,Maryland, shocked locals have hit out at authorities for ignoring their calls about alleged 'gas leaks' near the building.

'I've been smelling gas for weeks. I called 911, they came and told us it smelled like incense,' Adrian Boya told the NBC Washington. 'That's pretty sad. It's like they didn't take us seriously.'

Kevin Lewis, a reporter with ABC7, said at 3am the building was still burning thanks to a 'very stubborn gas fed blaze'.

The massive damage done to the four-story apartment building in Silver Spring is seen on Thursday afternoon

The remains of an apartment inside the building in Maryland where there was a blast on Wednesday night can be seen

Debris is seen on the ground near the apartment building that was rocked by an explosion shortly before midnight on Wednesday

There were also reports residents alerted the company, Washington Gas, to a potential leak in July, however that could not be confirmed on Thursday.

Washington Gas spokesman Jim Monroe would not say whether the company had received calls about smells or leaks at the building before the explosion and fire.

'We are supporting the investigation,' Monroe told the Washington Post.

'Information will be shared publicly at the appropriate time.'

Fire Chief Scott Goldstein also said there were no reports of gas smells before the blast.

Montgomery County Police Assistant Chief Russ Hamill announced the two deaths in a media conference on Thursday.

A man watches as fire fighters look through the debris of a four-story building that was destroyed in an explosion

Concerned locals are pictured standing outside the apartment block where there was a explosion and fire on Wednesday night and Thursday morning

Firefighters spray water on what is left of a part of an apartment complex after the explosion on Wednesday night

Wendy Loayes, a young girl who lives in the damaged building, told NBC Washington she escaped when a stranger picked her up and carried her out

Much of the four-storey apartment block appears to have collapsed during the blaze

Locals heard a loud 'boom' and some felt their house shake during the explosion

The explosion was also declared a 'mass casualty incident', and Assistant Chief Hamill added the building is still in an 'extremely dangerous condition'.

Emergency services were called to the apartment complex after firefighters stationed about a mile away from the Flower Branch Apartments reportedly felt the explosion.

It is believed 28 units have been impacted and almost 100 people were forced to leave their homes after being woken up by the blast.

Large chunks of the apartment building were destroyed in the explosion and fire on Wednesday night in Maryland

People who lived in the building say they had been able to smell gas in the area over recent weeks prior to the blast

Fire fighters look through the debris of a four-story building that was destroyed in an explosion that has killed at least two people

Residents look at what is left of the apartment building after a massive explosion rocked it on Wednesday shortly before midnight

Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said those inside the building desperately tried to escape the fire.

'People were dropping children and jumping out of other windows,' he said, according to the Washington Post.

'Everybody was getting out of the building as rapidly as possible.'

Chief Goldstein went on to say a K-9 team searching through the rubble had a 'hit' shortly before 6:30am, which could mean at least one person is trapped underneath the debris.

A man points to what is left of a part of an apartment complex smoldering in ruin after an explosion destroyed the building

Emergency crews were still at the scene of the explosion on Thursday morning as the search continued for as many as seven people who were unaccounted for

Gabriel Mendoza, 37, (second from left) watches with others of what is left of the apartment complex where he and his family lived

The huge fire is seen burning at the apartment building in the early hours of Thursday morning

Locals said they heard a loud 'boom' and some felt their house shake during the explosion at the Flower Branch Apartments on Piney Branch Road.

Pictures from the scene show a blaze tearing through the residential building and debris from the explosion thrown more than 50 yards to a parking lot across the street.

Other images showed a door that had been blown off its hinges and flung from the apartment complex, while a series of pictures from WTOP showed the damage in the day-light on Thursday.

Dramatic footage also captured the moment two residents - a man and a woman - smashed through a window and climbed out to firefighters on a ladder.

A massive hole is seen in the middle of the apartment building where there was a fire and an explosion on Wednesday night

Firefighters at the scene of an apartment complex explosion in Montgomery County, where at least seven people are still missing

A man is treated in the street outside the apartment complex as other locals are seen gathered in the street

The two people clung to the ladder after getting out of the building, before climbing down to safety with the help of fire crews.

People could also be heard shouting in the video.

Investigators are currently unaware whether the explosion or the fire took place first.

Resident Mariama Turay told ABC7 'it sounded like an earthquake'. 'I grabbed my ID and I came out and I opened the door and then I saw this fire blazing right in front of me,' she said.

A woman climbs from the building to firefighters on a ladder as a man is seen standing inside the burning apartment complex

Fire crews worked quickly to rescue people from the burning building (left), before being seen helping two people down a ladder (right)

Firefighters and residents are pictured together outside of the apartment complex where the explosion took place on Wednesday night

Wendy Loayes, a young girl who lives in the building, told NBC Washington she escaped when a stranger picked her up and carried her out.

'The fire was next to me. I was so scared,' she said, before adding she was walking down the building's stairs with her mother when someone grabbed her and got her out of danger.

Eleven patients had been treated at the nearby Holy Cross Hospital and released by 7am.

The injuries, along with fractures and burns, also included respiratory issues.

The damage to the building is seen during daylight (left), as a firefighter sleeps in the street (right) after hours battling the blaze

A photo of the apartment complex shows what it looked like prior to the explosion shortly before midnight on Wednesday

A metal apartment door was blown off the building and landed across the street after flying across a parking lot

The department said it took about one hour and 45 minutes to get the fire under control, which happened after the building's gas supply was shut off.

Capt. Oscar Garcia tells The Associated Press the three firefighters injured are believed to have injuries that are not life-threatening.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Battalion Chief Dee Howard Richards confirmed there had been a structure collapse in parts of a four level apartment building.

'Continuing to extinguish hot spots and account for occupants,' she said.

Rubble and wreckage can be seen covering the lawn in front of the apartment block

Around 100 firefighters were called to the scene just after midnight

Th explosion shattered a window at a beauty school across the road when debris hit it
A 21-year-old man was arrested Sunday for allegedly stabbing his own father during a morning church service in Kentucky.

Ethan A Buckley has been charged with assault after witnesses said the scene at Hillvue Heights Baptist Church in Bowling Green was bloody and chaotic, WBKO reported.

Buckley's father was taken to Bowling Green Medical Center, but his condition is unclear. His name has not been released.

In a strange twist, Buckley was reportedly punched in the face at work and wrote a Facebook post on Saturday that read: 'What's the world coming to where a man can't even go to work and feel safe!'

Ethan A Buckley (left and right) was arrested for allegedly stabbing his own father during a morning church service in Bowling Green, Kentucky on Sunday

Witnesses said the scene at Hillvue Heights Baptist Church was bloody and chaotic. Buckley's father was taken to Bowling Green Medical Center, but his condition is unclear

In a strange twist, Buckley was reportedly punched in the face at work and wrote a Facebook post on Saturday denouncing violence

Fellow church-goers said Buckley and his father filled out first-time visitor cards before the sermon started, WBKO reported.

Near the end of the service at 10.47am, Buckley allegedly stabbed his father before an associate pastor tackled him, the local news channel reported.

The father was taken to the hospital in an ambulance, but his condition is unknown.

No one else was injured in what police are calling an 'isolated incident'.

Buckley has been charged with assault, first degree domestic violence, and held in Warren County Regional Jail.

While witnesses said the father and son claimed to be visiting from Arkansas, a car towed from the parking lot had Davidson County, Tennessee plates.

Buckley listed on Facebook that he moved to Bowling Green on June 3, and in a post just yesterday, he wrote: 'Some crazy a**hole assaulted me at work!

'What's the world coming to where a man can't even go to work and feel safe! Snap out of this sh** people if we don't work together then nothing changes. '

While witnesses said the father and son claimed to be visiting from Arkansas and filled out first-time visitor cards

Buckley (pictured) listed on Facebook that he moved to Bowling Green on June 3 and a car towed from the parking lot had Davidson County, Tennessee plates.

Ironically, witness Ashlyn Rice expressed similar sentiments after the church service.

Rice said: 'I'm still really shaken up. Church is the one place you think that you'd be safe. Now I don't even know what to think.'

She was standing at the back of the crowded church during the 9.30am service when she heard a commotion break out toward the front while a guest pastor was speaking at the end of the service.

Rice told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that she didn't see the assault, but she heard another man's voice before she followed a few people who ran for the door.

WBKO's reporter Whitney Davis wrote on Twitter: 'Chris Allen says he saw the scene unfold from the balcony, and yelled "Knife!" as loud as he could to alert people.'

A man embraces a woman as she arrives on scene to talk to Bowling Green Police, Sunday

Ashlyn Rice said: 'I'm still really shaken up. Church is the one place you think that you'd be safe. Now I don't even know what to think.' Pictured, church members after the stabbing

Rice, a Bowling Green resident who will be a freshman at nearby Western Kentucky University this fall, said she isn't sure whether she'll return to the church for services soon.

'It might take a while for me to feel comfortable going back, especially that church,' she said. 'Eventually, yes.'

The church's 11am service was canceled. A message left with the church wasn't immediately returned.
Princess Eugenie is moving into Kensington Palace, it emerged yesterday, leaving the taxpayer-funded apartment she has been sharing with her newly single sister.

As the latest in a string of young royals to take up residence in the historic grounds in West London, she will count the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry as neighbours.

She currently lives in a four-bedroom apartment in St Jamess Palace with Princess Beatrice, but will move into three-bedroom Ivy Cottage in Kensington Palaces grounds early next year.

Princess Eugenie is moving into Kensington Palace, it emerged yesterday, leaving the taxpayer-funded apartment she has been sharing with her newly single sister

Sources close to Eugenie, who has a full-time job as an associate director at contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth, said it was time for her to get a place of her own and she would be paying market rent.

A comparable three-bedroom mews house in walking distance of Hyde Park would cost 3,500 a week  the equivalent of 182,000 a year. It is not clear how much Eugenie will be expected to pay.

The news came as her mother the Duchess of York firmly denied reports the blissfully happy princess plans to get engaged to long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank by the end of the year and marry in 2017. Her spokesman said: This is absolutely not true.

A source close to the family  who are currently holidaying with the Queen at Balmoral, her Scottish estate  added: They are all together at the moment and are utterly bemused as to why anyone has suggested this.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the claims made in the Sunday Express newspaper.

Eugenie and Jack have been dating for six years after being introduced by friends in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, where the Yorks have a 13million property.

As the latest in a string of young royals to take up residence in the historic grounds in West London, she will count the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry as neighbours

It was eight years ago that her sister Beatrice moved in to the St Jamess Palace apartment, when she was a student at Goldsmiths College in London.

Palace aides spent more than 250,000 of taxpayers money bringing it up to scratch for her, claiming it was more cost effective given the increased cost of security that living in student digs would entail.

This included a new fitted kitchen and bathroom, along with timber flooring in the two main reception rooms. The entire apartment was also redecorated.

No one was able to confirm whether public money would be spent on Eugenies cottage in Kensington Palace. The matter is still under discussion, but it is likely that she will take over the property in the next few months, a source said.

The Clock Tower on Cleveland Row, which leads into St James's Palace

What can be said with all certainty is that Jack will not be moving in with her and nor are they planning to get married. He is a lovely young man and there is little doubt that they will settle down together some day.

But Eugenie is only 26 and although Jack is three years older he isnt at a stage yet where he is able to support her. He will do, one day, just not now.

Jack, a former barman, is now manager of royal and celebrity hotspot Mahiki.

Great swathes of Kensington Palace were turned into offices following the death of its most famous resident Princess Diana in 1997.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent used to live in a grace-and-favour home given to them by the Queen following their marriage, which cost them just 69 a week to rent.

Following a public outcry and calls by MPs, they now pay what has been described as full market rent, rumoured to be 120,000 a year.

But there has been something of a resurgence of late for the palace, started by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who moved into quaint Nottingham Cottage following their 2011 wedding.
Phil Shiner, who ran PIL, may now face charges following an investigation

A legal firm that spent a decade hounding British troops is to shut down.

After being stripped of public money Public Interest Lawyers will close at the end of this month.

Hundreds of service personnel will now escape being dragged into a taxpayer-funded witch-hunt.

Nearly 200 compensation claims made by suspected Iraqi insurgents will be thrown out and more than 1,000 potential claims scrapped. Phil Shiner, who ran PIL, may now face charges because the National Crime Agency is investigating the law firm.

The development is a victory for the Daily Mail, which has exposed the tactics of the ambulance-chasing solicitors. These include using touts to drum up business in Iraq in breach of legal rules.

The collapse of PIL emerged in a document it submitted to the High Court at the start of this month. It asked judges to make an order that it had ceased to act for 187 Iraqi claimants due to its permanent closure.

In a subsequent letter seen by the Mail, PIL told its clients it was closing on August 31 and would no longer act on their behalf. The 187 cases will not now come before the courts  and neither will another 1,100 compensation claims the legal firm planned to lodge.

A British soldier escapes his Warrior armoured vehicle after it was petrol-bombed in Basra during the Iraq War (file photo)

The development is a victory for the Daily Mail, which has exposed the tactics of the ambulance-chasing solicitors (file photo)

PIL will also not submit any more cases to the Iraq Historic Allegations Team, saving hundreds of soldiers from being tormented by heavy-handed detectives.

For years the firm has been dragging military veterans through the courts with often false claims that they murdered and tortured Iraqis. It has pocketed millions of pounds in legal aid.

Soldiers, many suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, have faced as many as five investigations over single incidents.

Sergeant Jeremy Edgar, who was dragged before the 31million Al-Sweady inquiry into alleged abuses in Iraq, which exonerated British troops, said: Phil Shiner has fallen on his sword.

How many servicemen and women have suffered due to the stress and misery that he has caused? This is ten years too late but it is fantastic news.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: This is the right outcome for our armed forces, who show bravery and dedication in difficult circumstances.

Hundreds of service personnel will now escape being dragged into a taxpayer-funded witch-hunt (file photo)

TAXPAYERS HIT FOR 22MILLION IRAQ COMPENSATION Public Interest Lawyers has been behind a number of costly cases and inquiries, including: - Two public inquiries costing 55.9million have featured PIL. In the first it represented the family of Baha Mousa, a hotel receptionist who died in British custody in Iraq in 2003. The inquiry found wrongdoing by UK soldiers. The second, Al-Sweady war crimes inquiry exonerated British troops and said claims made by PILs clients were deliberate and calculated lies. - PIL has won High Court compensation payouts from the Ministry of Defence for ill-treatment by British troops totalling 21.77million. Earlier this year PIL was criticised by the judge presiding over a civil claim for wasting taxpayers money and the MoDs time. - PIL handed at least 1,150 cases alleging criminality by British troops to the Iraq Historic Allegations Team, with hundreds of soldiers hounded as a result. Scores of cases were thrown out at the first stage for lacking evidence or being duplicates, although most are ongoing. - Some failed IHAT cases have been passed to Iraq Fatality Investigations, an inquest-style inquiry. Soldiers have again been dragged through the courts to testify in 200,000 cases. - PIL has passed over 1,200 claims of wrongdoing by troops to the International Criminal Court. No action has yet been taken. Advertisement

For too long, weve seen our legal system abused to impugn them falsely. We are now seeing progress and we will be announcing further measures to stamp out this practice.

In a statement the Government said it had been concerned about the volume of the claims and that they could damage the ability of the armed forces to operate effectively.

PILs decision to fold came after officials announced they would end the firms access to legal aid earlier this month following David Camerons pledge to end the witch-hunt.

The Legal Aid Agency turned off the tap of public cash following a review of PILs practices and an investigation by the solicitors watchdog, which referred the firm to a tribunal.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the result was the 'right outcome'

Allegations against PIL centre around two main issues, the first being its role in the Al-Sweady inquiry, which looked at allegations of murder and torture by British forces.

The inquiry comprehensively exonerated UK troops and branded the claims made by clients of PIL and another law firm as deliberate and calculated lies.

Investigations also revealed that taxpayers money handed to PIL was used to fund an agent called Mazin Younis, who drummed up business for the firm in Iraq.

Sgt Edgar, 39, who served with the Princess of Waless Royal Regiment in Iraq, said: It made me feel sick that I then had to give evidence, it cost me my marriage, job.

This closure is a warning for those others that are currently pursuing spurious and knowingly false claims against loyal British servicemen and veterans. They have attempted to tarnish not only Britains armed services but the UK as a nation.

Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded troops in Afghanistan, welcomed the demise of PIL. He said: They have hounded British soldiers for personal gain and political agenda for many years.

They have effectively acted as agents of our enemies in trying to undermine the security of this country.

The Mail has revealed how PIL handed investigators at IHAT more than 1,100 cases of alleged wrongdoing, leading to hundreds of soldiers being quizzed.

They have hounded British soldiers for personal gain Colonel Richard Kemp

The 145-strong IHAT team has taken on 1,668 cases. But out of 176 claims already examined, only one has had a result: a 3,000 fine and referral for disciplinary action.

Earlier this year Mr Shiner was charged by his professional body, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which referred him to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

He could be struck off, but he has won the right to have the next stage of his disciplinary case heard behind closed doors. The public is not allowed to know the charges against him.

The Mail is fighting Mr Shiners secrecy bid.

The accusations are understood to centre on his role in the Al-Sweady inquiry.

Tory MP Johnny Mercer, who led a Commons defence committee inquiry into the witch-hunt, said he was not sorry to see a firm built on the back of finance from prosecuting soldiers close.

PIL and Mr Shiner did not respond to requests for comment last night.

Cleared twice but they kept chasing me: Decorated soldier has been left too unwell to speak after suffering years of torment from lawyers

Richard Catterall, 46, was dragged through three investigations for shooting dead an Iraqi

A decorated soldier suffered years of torment as he was relentlessly hounded by Public Interest Lawyers for an incident 13 years ago.

Richard Catterall, 46, was dragged through three investigations for shooting dead an Iraqi, only to be cleared each time simply for doing his duty.

Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, the father of two repeatedly begged to be left alone to the point that investigators feared he would take his own life.

The former sergeant has never properly recovered, and is too unwell to speak after he waived his anonymity and revealed his harrowing ordeal to the Daily Mail earlier this year.

But after learning that PIL would close, his 22-year-old daughter Demi, speaking on his behalf, said last night: This is incredible news. The awareness the Daily Mail raised on this matter has clearly had a huge impact.

Many, many soldiers will no longer suffer for doing their job. Nobody should go through what it put not only on my dad but the whole family. It was horrendous.

Mr Catterall killed a suspected insurgent he believed was carrying an AK-47 and was about to shoot his comrades in Basra in 2003.

Two inquiries cleared him of unlawfully killing Muhammad Salim, but then he faced a further investigation when the mans family tried to get compensation through PIL.

Many, many soldiers will no longer suffer for doing their job Richard Catterall's daughter, Demi

During the case, it emerged that Mr Salims grieving wife had been persuaded by an agent called Abu Jamal to make the claim in the weeks after her husbands death.

Her testimony was the strongest proof yet that PIL had used an agent who had cold-called potential clients.

It was also revealed that he could be quizzed by the International Criminal Court after PIL passed it a file of over 1,200 cases of alleged wrongdoing. Then in the conclusion of the case, it emerged PIL had relied on a document that was doctored to make it look like the British military was to blame.

In a scathing attack on PIL, the chairman of the third investigation said that if the document had come to light sooner and Mr Salims family had been given balanced and measured legal advice, the case may never have been pursued.

Publishing his report, Sir George Newman, inspector of the Iraq Fatality Investigations, said any reasonable trained soldier would have believed his life to be in danger in the circumstances.

He added: S011 [Mr Catterall] was entitled to act in self-defence, and I have concluded that sufficient circumstances did exist to justify the belief on his part that he was in danger.
Nearly 45 years later new details of America's bloodiest prison rebellion have been revealed in a historian's new book.

The book, Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy, written by Heather Ann Thompson reveals names of troopers and Attica prison guards who investigators believed fatally shot hostages and many unarmed inmates.

Thompson also writes that authorities knew hostages would die, and details Gov Nelson Rockefeller's secret efforts afterward to establish an acceptable narrative of what happened.

Rockefeller ordered the retaking of the maximum-security prison in western New York on September 13, 1971.

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In her new book, historian, Heather Ann Thompson, details a new account of the Attica prison riot of 1971. The book names troopers and Attica prison guards who investigators believed fatally shot hostages and many unarmed inmates

In her book called, Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy, Thompson writes that authorities knew hostages would die. Police officers and guardsmen (pictured) in 1971 following the aftermath of the prison riots

Her book also details Gov Nelson Rockefeller's secret efforts afterward to establish an acceptable narrative of what happened. When state police and guards stormed the facility after negotiations stalled, they fatally shot 29 inmates and 10 hostages

The 1,300 inmates who rioted over conditions four days earlier and controlled part of the prison had clubs, knives and makeshift weapons and threatened to kill hostages.

When state police and guards stormed the facility after negotiations stalled, they fatally shot 29 inmates and 10 hostages.

Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy is scheduled for release later this month

'They knew they were going to kill the hostages,' Thompson told The Associated Press on Friday.

Details from the book were first published Saturday by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Thompson's book quotes officials who were involved, acknowledging that in advance.

Authorities also never gave the inmates ultimatums, deciding not to tell them they were coming with guns blazing if they didn't surrender, she said.

The University of Michigan historian cites from public archives and court documents, some never before public, in Blood in the Water, which is scheduled for release later this month.

She found a large cache in an Erie County court storage area a decade ago, no longer available, while getting repeatedly thwarted by state officials.

They denied formal records requests on the ground that grand jury records are not public, though there are many other documents in the files, she said.

'This is hugely controversial even today,' Thompson said. 'There's no statute of limitations on murder. And there's no statute of limitations on the possibility of filing civil rights cases.'

A particular document contains notes from a series of meetings held in the pool house of Rockefeller's mansion in the weeks afterward that were attended by the governor, his top aides, the assistant state attorney general in charge of the investigation and the state police and prison officials in charge of retaking the prison.

'These potential indictees were now at the home of the governor of New York working with the head of the Attica investigation to get a formal narrative of what happened at Attica secured,' Thompson wrote.

The 1,300 inmates who rioted over conditions four days earlier and controlled part of the prison had clubs, knives and makeshift weapons and threatened to kill hostages. Debris in the yard of the prison following the riots

A particular document contains notes from a series of meetings held in the pool house of Rockefeller's mansion in the weeks afterward that were attended by top officials 'working with the head of the Attica investigation to get a formal narrative of what happened'

Among the topics discussed was one trooper who had shot with his own .357 magnum at close range at an inmate whose skull was riddled with bullets. According to an internal police memo, he was asked to resign four days later and told he wouldn't then be prosecuted

'Also there to help do this were other members of the State Police who had firsthand knowledge of exactly what had gone down.'

Among the topics discussed was one particular trooper who had shot with his own .357 magnum at close range at an inmate whose skull was riddled with bullets, Thompson wrote.

According to an internal police memo, he was asked to resign four days later, told he wouldn't then be prosecuted.

One hostage was killed by a .44 Magnum rifle, eventually recovered from a prison guard, she wrote.

'Numerous documents from the Attica investigation indicated that everyone knew exactly who had killed John Monteleone  everyone but John Monteleone's family.'

Seven correctional officers were killed during the riot.

Seven correctional officers were killed during the riot: William E Quinn, Sergeant Edward T Cunningham, John J D'Arcangelo, Jr, Richard J Lewis, Carl W Valone, Ronald D Werner and Harrison W Whalen.

Another four civilian employees were also killed including Monteleone, Elmer G Hardie, Herbert W Jones, Jr and Elon F Werner.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman recently sought public disclosure of long hidden records of one Attica investigation, prompted by families of the slain hostages, resulting in the release last year of 46 pages.

They included accounts from two National Guardsmen and a doctor who said they saw injured inmates beaten with clubs and others with wounds indicating they'd been tortured as troopers and guards retook control.

Seven correctional officers were killed during the riot: William E Quinn (right), Ronald D Werner (left) and Harrison W Whalen (center)

Other correctional officers killed were Richard J Lewis (right) and Carl W Valone (left)

Sergeant Edward T Cunningham (left) and John J D'Arcangelo, Jr (right) were also killed

Ex-prosecutor Malcolm Bell, who joined the criminal investigation in 1973, wrote an earlier book describing how he spent the next year building grand jury cases toward indicting a half-dozen state troopers for murder or manslaughter, 60 or 70 for reckless endangerment, and several ranking officers for what he believed was a cover-up.

He was taken off the case. One trooper was later indicted for reckless endangerment.

Bell didn't name shooters in his book and said Thompson shouldn't have published the names.

Her sources included investigators' documents and statements given by troopers themselves.

'What's important about those memos is they were works in progress,' Bell said. 'I think she has a good book there that has this small but serious flaw, serious in terms of those people involved.'

Thompson said it's important to note that she does not anywhere call anyone a murderer, which would require a court ruling, very unlikely 45 years later, though it was clear authorities believed troopers fired recklessly and criminally.

She felt obliged as a historian to keep names in, she said.

Fourteen troopers and six correction officers were identified by investigators as shooters in the book.

A total of 43 people died in the five-day prison riot.

Thompson said it's important to note that she does not anywhere call anyone a murderer, which would require a court ruling, though it was clear authorities believed troopers fired recklessly and criminally. Attica prison pictured in 2007
Hes the man who came within a hair of changing the course of American history, but now John Hinckley could pass for just any somewhat overweight man heading towards his golden years.

Looking at the chubby face, double chins and unhealthy pallor, its hard to think this is the man who gunned down Ronald Reagan all because he wanted to impress actress Jodie Foster.

Now free after spending the past 35 years under some form of confinement, Hinckley is attempting to build some sort of future for himself and play down the notoriety that is part of his life.

Daily Mail Online caught up with the would-be assassin at his mothers comfortable home in Williamsburg, Virginia.

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Hungry?: John Hinckley Jr. is pictured above holding a drink along with a bag of sandwiches from Subway on his first day out and about after being released from a hospital

Freedom: Hinckley spent the past 35 years under some form of confinement at the hospital

Family man: He was driving his Mother, Jo Ann Hinckley and she stayed sat in the car whilst he went to get his lunch during his visit to Subway

Normal?: He is now attempting to build some sort of future for himself and play down the notoriety that is part of his life

Driving a silver Toyota Avalon, Hinckley, now 61, took his 90-year-old mother Jo Ann to a nearby Subway restaurant to pick up a sandwich and soda on Sunday.

He could be just anyone. There is nothing about him to suggest that here is someone with a place in the history books, said one person who saw him at the sandwich shop.

But Hinckley, whose late father was a wealthy oil company executive, is just that.

On March 30, 1981 shortly before 2.30 in the afternoon, he fired off six shots at Reagan as the president left the Hilton Hotel in Washington after addressing an AFL-CIO conference. Reagan had been in the White House for just 69 days.

One of the bullets ricocheted off Reagans limo and hit the new president in the chest, puncturing his lung and causing massive internal bleeding.

If the bullet had traveled just an inch further it would hit his heart and almost certainly have killed him.

Hinckley was released from St. Elizabeths psychiatric hospital on August 5 after spending over 30 years there

John Hinckley Jr (above) tastes freedom as he goes to a Subway on his first day after being released from Hospital in his hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia

Prior to walking in, Hinckley appeared to be clutching a Subway coupon while out in Williamsburg

Secret Service whisked him to George Washington University Hospital, and Reagan insisted on walking in.

But as he started coughing up blood, his knees buckled and, in a state of severe shock, the president collapsed on the hospital floor.

Reagan lost nearly half of his blood by the time surgery was over and was close to death, but was saved by the speed with which he received treatment.

Despite being 70-years-old he quickly recovered and was back in the Oval Office less than a month later.

White House Press Officer James Brady was also hit and was paralyzed. When Brady died in 2014, his death was ruled a homicide.

Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, who had spread-eagled himself over Reagan to protect him, was also injured as was Police Officer Thomas Delahunty.

On March 31, 1981, Hinckley (above) opened fire on President Ronald Reagan outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington DC

The president was hit under the arm and the bullet missed his heart by an inch. Above he is pictured being rushed into his limo after being shot by Hinckley

Hinckley was desperate to impress Foster after seeing her in the 1976 movie Taxi Driver.

He had moved to New Haven, Connecticut while the actress was at Yale and enrolled in writing classes to be near her, and pushed notes under her dorm door.

John Hinkcley is pictured above in his arrest mug shot photo from 1981

When she failed to reciprocate, he decided on a grand gesture, either commit suicide in front of her, hijack a plane, or kill the president.

He decided on the latter and started to see how he could get close enough to Jimmy Carter to carry out his deadly attack.

He trailed the Democrat across country, getting arrested on firearms charges in Nashville, but he never got the chance to act.

By the time he had a plan, Carter was out of the White House and Republican Reagan was in.

Shortly before he shot the president, he sent Foster a note.

It read: Over the past seven months I've left you dozens of poems, letters and love messages in the faint hope that you could develop an interest in me.

Although we talked on the phone a couple of times I never had the nerve to simply approach you and introduce myself.... The reason I'm going ahead with this attempt now is because I cannot wait any longer to impress you.  John Hinckley Jr.

During the shooting, Hinkley (above) also wounded police officer Thomas Delahanty, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and critically wounded Press Secretary James Brady. All of the shooting victims survived, but Brady's 2014 death was later ruled a homicide

Prior to her son's release, Jo Ann Hinckley (above) went grocery shopping at her local Harris Teeter grocery store in Williamsburg, Virginia

The elderly woman pushed the cart full of her groceries to her silver Toyota and loaded them in. Last year, a judge allowed Hinckley to spend 17 days a month at his mother's home away from the mental hospital

Hinckley pleaded insanity at his trial and the jury accepted his plea. Instead of federal prison he was sent to St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Within five years he asked to be allowed home visits, but a search of his room found he had been corresponding with serial killer Ted Bundy and had tried to find an address for Charles Manson  who was the inspiration for two women who had tried to kill Gerald Ford when he was president.

Even when he was finally allowed home visits in 2000, he got himself into trouble, smuggling articles about Foster back into the hospital.

Over the years, the visits home became longer and more frequent and in 2011, government psychiatrists ruled Hinckley had recovered to such an extent that he no longer posed a threat.

He was finally released from St. Elizabeths on August 5 and became a free man.

The only conditions of his release are that he has no contact with any member of the Reagan family or with Jodie Foster.
Mr Shiner is to close his law firm, Public Interest Lawyers

He presents himself as the victim of a great Establishment plot: the plucky outsider and committed socialist from humble beginnings pummelled by Tory toffs and military top brass for having the audacity to shine his virtuous light on the murkier workings of the British state.

So, as Phil Shiner now shuts the door on his discredited Birmingham legal practice, he will, no doubt, repeat his claims of a personal vendetta against him by the Government and its agents.

But for many serving and retired members of the Armed Forces, the news that Mr Shiner and his law firm, Public Interest Lawyers, are shutting up shop is a cause for celebration.

Having spent years and many millions of pounds (courtesy of the taxpayer) pursuing British troops for thousands of alleged crimes in Iraq and elsewhere on the flimsiest of evidence, the one-time darling of the human rights industry has found that the tables have turned.

And he has clearly found the whole experience so disagreeable that he has decided to quit, ahead of a series of inquiries into the conduct of his firm.

It is a story of arrogance and hubris, one that raises several awkward questions for a legal establishment which, until recently, was only too keen to lionise this so-called champion of the oppressed.

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Mr Shiners detractors call him an ambulance-chaser, a term of abuse in judicial circles (file photo)

But if Mr Shiner hopes that locking the office door will make the beastly Establishment take its vendetta elsewhere, he is likely to be disappointed.

This company has caused huge anguish to members of the Armed Forces and I am pleased it is closing down, says Colonel Bob Stewart, Tory MP for Beckenham.

But if its just a tactic to avoid further action against them, it wont work. They should be chased and prosecuted  as they have chased others  if they have done things that are illegal. And they have certainly done things that are morally disputable.

Mr Shiners detractors call him an ambulance-chaser, a term of abuse in judicial circles and one which he deeply resents. Yet, though Mr Shiner and his colleagues have chased countless ambulances  not to mention British Army jeeps, tanks and armoured personnel carriers  we are not talking about your average run-of-the-mill, compensation-chasing, no win-no fee legal pondlife.

This is a man who has risen to the top of the Establishment he professes to despise, complete with an entry in Whos Who (its Professor Philip Shiner, by the way).

Perhaps the final straw for his firm was this months announcement from the Legal Aid Agency that PIL has been banned from further public funding for its cases (file photo)

Let us picture the scene in November 2007. The senior echelons of the legal world are gathered in their finery in the City of London for the Law Society Awards. Armoury House, the Georgian home of the Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest regiment in the British Army, has been hired for the black tie dinner.

All eyes are on the top trophy, the Solicitor of the Year Award for the greatest positive impact on the public perception or reputation of the profession. And the winner is  Phil Shiner.

The Law Societys citation commends his tenacious and courageous commitment to the rights of those for whom access to justice would otherwise be denied, in particular bereaved Iraqi families whose relatives had been killed in incidents in which British soldiers had been implicated.

Afterwards, Mr Shiner piously explains that this was not so much work as a personal crusade, inspired by his own Christian beliefs.

Mr Shiner and his firm, PIL, rose to prominence after they won more than 2million in compensation for the family of an Iraqi hotel receptionist (file photo)

His decision to take the Ministry of Defence to task, he says, was part of an absolute fundamental commitment to challenging abuse of power in any way that I can think of.

He goes on: Its not just the abuse of power that led us into war but the massive abuses of power that had been taking place up to and beyond the occupation.

There have been many similar baubles over the years. Garlanded with the 2004 Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award by the pressure group Liberty, Mr Shiner would go on to be appointed professor in practice law by Middlesex University.

He has received honorary accolades from the universities of Warwick, Kent and the London School of Economics and sits as a vice-president of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers.

By any definition of the metropolitan liberal elite, Professor Shiner is right up there at the top table. Which is why his fall is all the more spectacular.

Educated at what he calls a tough Coventry comprehensive and Birmingham University, the twice-married father of five has had an impressive journey to the top of his trade.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has backed the closing of the firm

Yet his has been a reputation forged by the trashing of others, notably those of members of the Armed Forces.

There was clear evidence that some British troops had been guilty of serious misconduct during and after the invasion of Iraq.

Mr Shiner and his firm, PIL, rose to prominence after they won more than 2million in compensation for the family of an Iraqi hotel receptionist, Baha Mousa, who died while in the custody of British soldiers in 2003. A subsequent public inquiry into the affair in 2011 described it as an appalling episode of serious gratuitous violence. Spurred on by their success, Mr Shiner and his colleagues pushed for an inquiry into further alleged human rights abuses, following a bitter battle between British forces and Iraqi insurgents in 2004.

At the root of the claim was that innocent Iraqi farmers had been murdered by British soldiers. But one year into the 31million case, known as the al-Sweady inquiry, the Iraqi families dropped their claims.

In December 2014, the judge leading the investigation found that the witnesses represented by PIL and another firm, Leigh Day, had not just been exaggerating but telling systematic lies.

In the words of Sir Thayne Forbes, the allegations were wholly without foundation and entirely the product of deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility. It transpired that Mr Shiner and his firm had been paying an agent to round up potential victims and witnesses and had already trousered 3million from the Ministry of Defence for their part in the proceedings.

The MoD, in turn, reported Mr Shiner and his firm to the SRA, the solicitors watchdog, egged on by the prime minister himself.

More than 300 soldiers have now received letters warning them that they may face interrogation over instances of alleged abuse (file photo)

After an 18-month investigation, the SRA would refer the case to a disciplinary tribunal because of serious allegations of professional misconduct. Yet it now emerges that Mr Shiner is fighting to have that upcoming tribunal held behind closed doors, apparently on grounds of ill health.

Public Interest Lawyers, it would seem, do not believe that the public interest extends to themselves. The Daily Mail is contesting the application. For whatever the state of Mr Shiners own medical condition, there are hundreds of British service personnel whose own health has been adversely affected by accusations based on the most dubious evidence, if not downright lies.

More than 300 have now received letters warning them that they may face interrogation over instances of alleged abuse in 1,500 cases, many of them instigated by Mr Shiner and his firm.

Colonel Stewart says he knows of several ex-soldiers suffering extreme stress as a result and is adamant that Mr Shiner should not be treated any differently.

The idea that he and his firm were using an agent to go out and find complaints against our Armed Forces fills me with horror, he says. Last year, Mr Shiner insisted that he was simply the target of a vendetta by a Government furious at the extent of the abuses which he had unearthed.

Several serving and former soldiers are considering taking their own legal action against Mr Shiner (file photo)

Perhaps the final straw for his firm was this months announcement from the Legal Aid Agency that PIL has been banned from further public funding for its cases.

On top of that, several serving and former soldiers are considering taking their own legal action against Mr Shiner.

One serving officer has told the Daily Telegraph that he is planning to leave the Army after members of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team interviewed him for two days over a 13-year-old abuse allegation and then turned up on the doorstep of a former girlfriend to ask her if he had ever been abusive in their relationship.

We veterans would like to sue Shiner. He has a lot to answer for. Lives have been destroyed while he has gained personally from these allegations, the officer added.

Solicitors acting for other groups of servicemen have said that they are considering legal action, depending on the result of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

Mr Shiner has not responded to questions from the Daily Mail.
Fight came days after ban on the swimsuits was upheld by Cannes judge

Local teens came to tourist's aid after bathers objected to photograph

Clash broke out after tourist took picture of woman near village of Sisco

Hatchets and harpoons were thrown in a beach brawl that broke out after a tourist was seen taking pictures of women wearing burkinis in Corsica.

The fracas between a group described as North African Muslim families and local youths broke out a day after a ban on the head-to-toe swimsuits was upheld by a judge in Cannes.

A tourist was seen taking pictures of women wearing the full-body swimwear on a creek near the village of Sisco on the French island.

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Hatchets and harpoons were thrown in a beach brawl that broke out after a tourist was seen taking pictures of women wearing burkinis on this beach in Corsica

When the bathers objected, a group of local teenagers are said to have come to the photographers defence.

Local reports said that the group of North African men armed themselves and took on the young Corsicans. One man was hit by a spear-like weapon and a pregnant women was taken to hospital with injuries.

Tension between local communities in France and Muslims of North African origin has grown since 85 people were massacred by a lorry driver in a jihadi-linked terror attack in Nice on July 14.

France has already introduced a controversial countrywide burka ban which outlaws women from wearing full-face veils in public.

The new beach rules in Cannes will see women caught wearing full-body, head covering burkinis facing a 38 (32) fine if they refuse to change or leave the beach.

The unrest in Corsica, which lasted several hours, escalated when the teenagers parents rushed from their village to the beach where two of them were then injured with harpoons. In retaliation, villagers then set fire to cars belonging to the bathers, it is claimed.

Pictured, angry crowds protest on the streets of Bastia after the violent incident in Sisco

Pictured, protesters clash with riot police as locals vent their anger over the burkini row

According to French newspaper Le Monde, one man was injured twice by a harpoon after his son was beaten up. Stones and bottles were also thrown.

Two fathers from the bathing party were reportedly injured. In total, three cars were burned and five people had to be taken to hospital.

Riot police were called to the scene on Saturday and the French interior minister later called for calm.

Local mayor Ange-Pierre Vivoni said: It happened because a tourist was taking photos and the Maghrebins [North Africans] didnt want to have their photos taken. It was quite a trivial matter to begin with.

Women will not be allowed to wear the swimsuits on the beaches of Cannes ( pictured, the glamorous French resort)

Cannes officials say they are banning the burkini because it is a 'symbol' of Islamist extremism (pictured, a file photo of a woman wearing the swimwear)

Yesterday, a crowd of around 500 people held a protest in Bastia, the capital of Upper Corsica, gathering outside a housing estate where some of those involved in Saturdays brawl are said to live. Riot police were called to hold them back.

Thierry Migoule, head of municipal services for Cannes, defended the burkini ban.

He said: We are not talking about banning the wearing of religious symbols on the beach, but ostentatious clothing which refers to an allegiance to terrorist movements which are at war with us.

Im simply banning a uniform that is the symbol of Islamist extremism.
Olympic gold medallist Kim Brennan shared a heart warming moment with her husband during a live cross from Rio after her training schedule had kept the pair apart for over three months.

The Australian rower said she felt 'like a stunned mullet' when her husband, Beijing Olympic double sculls gold medallist Scott Brennan, surprised her from Canberra during an interview on Monday morning.

The 31-year-old single sculls world champion blushed as Brennan said how proud he was of his wife after her phenomenal performance at Rio's Lagoa Stadium on Sunday, and how amazing she looked after 'only thirty minutes of sleep'.

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Olympic gold medallist Kim Brennan shared a heart warming moment with her husband, Scott, during a live cross from Rio after her training schedule kept them apart for months

The 31-year-old single sculls world champion blushed as Brennan explained just how proud he was of his partner after her phenomenal performance at Rio's Lagoa Stadium on Sunday

'I am incredibly proud of you and you're an amazing woman and the thing is, everybody is saying that.

The whole country is saying it, probably the whole world as well, but there is a reason I married you and I love you very much,' he said during the Seven Network's coverage of the 2016 Olympics.

'Thank you. That's so sweet. I can't wait to come home,' she responded.

Brennan told Sunrise she had no idea the doctor was going to surprise her and opened up about how understanding he had been about her training schedule, which had kept them apart for three and a half months.

The rowing champion said she could not wait to get home and spend some quality time with her husband (right), whose win with David Crawshaw (left) in Beijing was the last Olympic gold for Australia in rowing

She won gold in the single sculls after bouncing back from a shock loss in the heats

Brennan beat silver medallist Genevra Stone (left) of the USA and bronze medallist Duan Jingli (right) of China for the gold

'I am so cross at him because he didn't tell me... he was at work, he said he was going to put a tube in someone and I said I'm off to do an interview.

'Then five minutes later there he is in his scrubs looking smug and I thought myself, bastard!'

The rowing champion said she could not wait to get home and spend some quality time with her husband, whose win in Beijing was the last Olympic gold for Australia in rowing.

'He is incredibly sweet, I am so lucky to have someone who supports me so well and is so driven in what he does.

'I think it is one of those things that, being an elite sports person is a wonderful opportunity, but I think we often forget about the impact on the people around you.

'I was just about to bawl my eyes out,' Brennan said after the heart-warming interview

Brennan said it had been difficult as her husband had been stuck working in Canberra while she was training for the Games

'I have been away for 3 and a half months and he has been stuck working at home and it can be tough.

'I am looking forward to getting home and being able to be a better wife and spend more time with him and cooks meals and just be a good support,' she said on Monday morning.

Sunrise hosts Samantha Armytage and David Koch got caught up in the romantic moment and commented on how much the couple had achieved between them.

'Isn't that sweet? He is a doctor and an Olympian and romantic!' Armytage said.

'He is a doctor, you are a lawyer, you are certainly a power couple. You put a smile on the face of all of Australia on the weekend, congratulations again!' Koch added.
After wrapping up another Springwatch series, it was time to put on my ruby-red slippers and follow the yellow brick road to Oz.

I waved goodbye to stoats and sparrowhawks in Suffolk before setting off with the Tin Man and my little scarecrow to say hello to koalas and kangaroos.

My partner Nick is very Afro-centric when it comes to wildlife, so Ive made it my mission to introduce him to the wilds of the world.

Hes never seen a koala, kangaroo or wombat, let alone heard of a pademelon (smaller than a wallaby) or a potaroo (a nocturnal rat kangaroo), and neither had my 11-year-old son Ollie.

Michaela Strachan meets a cute koala with her partner Nick and 11-year-old son Ollie

Strachan gets close to a Maori wrasse while scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef

We flew to Cairns for the start of our three-week holiday, and our first adventure was a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef.

The conditions on the day were challenging  it was cold and windy and visibility wasnt great.

However, this was the Barrier Reef, one of the wonders of the world, and Ollie found everything fascinating, especially the fact that clownfish are all born males  the dominant male only turns female when the female of the group dies.

We were staying first at the Kewarra Beach Resort, just north of Cairns, and I woke up one morning to the sound of bats.

I followed the racket and found the roost of thousands of spectacled flying foxes, or fruit bats.

With binoculars, camera and mozzie spray to hand, I enjoyed their chitter-chatter, squabbling and fidgeting for about an hour.

I was totally mesmerised.

Later, we went on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over the Barron Gorge National Park.

Striped sweetlips are among the colourful marine life spotted on the Great Barrier Reef

A wallaby named Apple is known to hop through the lobby at Thala Beach Nature Reserve

It is very touristy but fabulous nonetheless, and an amazing way to view the worlds oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest.

Our itinerary was busy, and after our stay at Kewarra we moved on to the Thala Beach Nature Reserve, about ten miles from Four Mile Beach.

Like Kewarra, the comfortable rooms were set within a rainforest.

We kept fit at both resorts: by doing yoga at Kewarra and simply by walking to breakfast at Thala  its built on a very steep hill.

After the bad weather of our previous visit, we decided to head back to the Great Barrier Reef, travelling from Port Douglas.

The marina had a relaxed holiday feel and the weather was perfect this time  it was sunny and calm, which of course made all the difference.

I saw lots of bright white coral on my second dive, signs of coral bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures.

The white looked like snow, which was quite bizarre.

But there was plenty of gorgeous colourful coral too and so many fish, and it was a privilege to be in this incredible underwater environment.

We all had an amazing day.

From Thala we moved on to the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa, which has 15 beautiful treehouse-style rooms set along a river with a view of the forest.

You immediately feel all the stresses of life disappear.

We loved the place. I had a fantastic massage during our stay which was a real pampering treat.

During their three-week trip Strachan and her family encountered pademelons

The family had a relaxing morning at Jabiru after being woken by a laughing kookaburra

On our way to the Lodge, we had stopped at Mossman Gorge and did the gorge walk  a two-hour amble through the rainforest, with an Aboriginal guide telling us stories and giving information about the site. It was fascinating.

We also went on a sunset cruise from Daintree with the resorts boatman and enjoyed spotting crocodiles, kingfishers and my favourite  the well camouflaged Papuan frogmouth (a nocturnal bird related to a nightjar).

And a separate full-day tour took us to the remote headland and wildlife reserve Cape Tribulation, Daintree rainforest, a great ice-cream factory, and a lunch stop where we hand-fed wallabies.

But the highlight of the trip was definitely Jungle Surfing  zip-wiring is surely the best way to experience one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world.

After the delights of Daintree, we moved inland where we stayed at Jabiru Safari Lodge on the Mareeba Wetlands.

It was totally different from anywhere wed stayed so far.

The place had a real safari feel thanks to the bush tents. I loved the Aussie safari vibe. Its set in open savannah woodland and grassland and feels more like the Outback.

The next morning I set the alarm for 4.30am to go on a hot-air balloon ride.

The excitement of the early morning, the inflating of the balloon, the sunrise flight  I find it all so romantic.

Once we had returned to Earth, we went in search of a wild platypus and with patience saw two in the river at Peterson Creek. I was so chuffed.

They are such extraordinary creatures, and we were lucky to spot them as theyre nocturnal.

We later drove to the Nerada tea plantation where we were told they had resident tree kangaroos.

Again, after a lot of looking, we spotted them.

That was another big tick considering they are now restricted to a small area of Australia.

The trip included a stop at a centre where Aboriginal artists such as Simon Badari paint

The family spotted crocodiles and other wildlife on a sunset cruise from Daintree

We later drove on to the Tolga bat hospital near Cairns, a place Id filmed at 15 years ago for the Really Wild Show.

Staff rehabilitate lots of species but mainly fruit bats, and we loved seeing them close up.

We had a relaxing final morning at Jabiru before we left  although we were woken early by a laughing kookaburra.

I loved Jabiru  the peace, the dinner on the balcony overlooking the lagoon, the hospitality and knowledge of our hosts, Greg and Margaret, and the charming picnic breakfasts in our tent.

After the end of the Cairns leg of our holiday, we flew to Darwin in the Northern Territory, known as the Top End.

We picked up a car and headed to Wildman Wilderness Lodge in the Mary River Wetlands area.

This was a gorgeous lodge with large, comfortable, family tent-style accommodation or air-conditioned, pod-like rooms.

Later in the day we did a wetland cruise on the Home Billabong and saw crocs and plenty of birdlife, followed by a sunset drive to the wetlands to see thousands of whistling ducks and magpie geese.

It was a visual and auditory spectacle.

We also went on an air boat wetlands cruise and saw so many birds. We loved every cruise, but this one was magical. Ours was the only boat on the wetlands.

Our guide, a young lad called Josh, was full of enthusiasm and we loved skimming across the surface of the water.

After our boat trip we headed off to the Kakadu National Park, famed for its cultural significance, history, wildlife and internationally important wetlands, which we enjoyed on another cruise.

Once again our guide was fantastic, pointing out more species of birds and some crocodiles.

At Anbinik Kakadu Resort, the cabin suites were comfortable with great outdoor showers. The resort also caters for caravans and campers and had plenty of charm.

After a good sleep, we set off for the vast wilderness of Arnhem Land, filled with gorges, waterfalls and rocky outcrops.

Our guide Richard was so knowledgeable, and we learnt a lot about Aboriginal culture, rock art and history.

We really enjoyed our visit to the Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre too, where Aboriginal artists such as Simon Badari paint. It was brilliant to watch them work.

The final stop on our itinerary was Nitmiluk Gorge. We stayed at Cicada Lodge and spent the morning canoeing.

The scenery is stunning, with dramatic rock cliffs, and it was an easy paddle. An added bonus was the enormous fruit bat colony in the car park!

I would have loved to stay and watch them wake up at sunset, but our trip had come to an end and we were bound for Darwin Airport, ready for the long trip home.

We all felt as if wed followed the yellow brick road and had experienced the wonderful wildlife of Oz.

Unlike Dorothy, we werent ready to tap our ruby-red slippers together and fly home  we couldve easily stayed for another couple of weeks.




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.
The thought of visiting a theme park on a busy national holiday is enough to turn most parents into a quivering wreck.

So I feared the worst when I headed across the North Sea with my five-year-old daughter to the Netherlands for a bank holiday Monday trip to the popular Efteling attraction.

But my luck was certainly in that day  unknown to me, the UK and the Netherlands do not share the same bank holiday dates, so Claudie and I had the park to ourselves.

The candy house from Hansel and Gretel (left). Claudie, 5, poses with a princess (right)

Efteling is one of the worlds oldest theme parks and a place I had wanted to visit for a long time.

It seemed different from the new breed of mega parks with their ever-faster rollercoasters, and instead harks back to a gentler age.

It was rumoured to have inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland  although that is now largely relegated to myth.

Efteling opened in 1952 and was entertaining families long before Mickey and Co  and it has maintained its popularity ever since.

Unlike Disney, Efteling, just to the north of Tilburg, is low-key, something that begins with actually finding that the park is located in a dense forest.

We had travelled first to Brussels by Eurostar before a quick connecting service dropped us outside the front gate.

From 2017, Eurostars new direct Amsterdam service means you could easily mix a city break with a day trip to the park.

We checked in at the Efteling Hotel, which felt slightly old-fashioned.

Faster thrills include the Python rollercoaster (pictured) and new 60mph Baron 1898 ride

Claudie, however, loved the sweet touches in our room  a quill, a board-game table, and a picture of a mouse peeking out from the skirting board.

I was won over, too, when breakfast the next morning turned out to include miniature doughnuts and a bilingual Sleeping Beauty, who entertained Claudie while I sipped strong coffee.

Once inside Efteling, it all felt like a stroll through a beautiful park that just happens to have a rollercoaster in the middle.

First-time visitors should start with the pagoda, a chinoiserie folly that rises above the canopy to show you the whole park.

At ground level Claudie drew up her ride wishlist and commandeered one of the free trolleys for me to pull her in, as piped music floated over the boating lake.

We hit the 1950s miniature train, pedalling engines through the mock Dutch countryside, followed by the mini-waltzer and a toy car circuit.

We then toured the enchanted elf worlds on the Droomvlucht  the dreamflight ride  through a land of castles and fairy tales.

There are faster thrills too, including the new 60mph Baron 1898 ride and the Python rollercoaster.

By early afternoon it was time to stop and admire the parks luxuriant tulips and leafy boughs, themselves a fairytale of red squirrels and bird boxes.

In the oldest area, the Marerijk, the forest frames a trail of classic tales such as Rapunzel, Pinocchio and Rumpelstiltskin reconstructed from the nostalgic drawings of illustrator Anton Pieck.

You wont recognise all the characters: Mother Holle and Langnek are definitely aimed at the local crowds.

But theres something soothing about their quirkiness.

This lack of pressure also applies to merchandise  I only saw one toy store, and food kiosks sell chips with mayonnaise, rather than drinks in movie tie-in cups.

As Claudie and I sat in the sunshine, we giggled at an animatronic gnome. It was a simple pleasure. But at that moment the world was magical.
For most of us, getting through an airport is not a particularly pleasant experience, especially during peak travel periods.

But there are a number of ways to reduce the stress and hassle.

Meet-and-greet parking

Much less faff than parking the car yourself and taking a shuttle bus between the car park and terminal is meet-and-greet (or valet) parking.

There are a number of services holidaymakers can use to reduce the stress and hassle

Just drive to a drop-off zone or short-stay car park, and hand over your keys to an employee who takes the vehicle away.

On your return to Britain, the car is waiting for you at the terminal.

Id advise sticking to airports own official meet-and-greet services, or an operator covered by the police-assessed Park Mark scheme (parkmark.co.uk).

Worth it? Yes, if travelling with lots of luggage and/or young children.

For a fortnights parking in mid-August for Gatwicks South Terminal, the airports website quoted me 12 less to use its Valet Parking South service compared with the on-site long-stay car park.

Stay in a budget hotel to save on sleep and avoid an early-morning drive to the airport

Stay at an airport hotel

With an early flight, staying in an airport hotel the night before you fly can make your departure much more civilised.

Ideally, stay in a hotel connected to, or a short walk from, the airport terminal.

Worth it? A one-night stay can be pretty cheap, particularly if you stick to the budget chains.

For example, Premier Inn (premierinn.com) has rooms this month at its well-run Gatwick Airport hotel near the North Terminal from 60 for a family of four.

You can often find keenly priced packages combining a nights stay and parking too.

With Holiday Extras (holidayextras.co.uk) it was only 15 more to add a weeks parking rather than just book a one-night stay at Stansteds Radisson Blu in August.

Check in ahead

Print your boarding card or get it sent to your smartphone. You can do this up to 30 days in advance with easyJet.

Worth it? Yes. It can save you money with a few airlines (airport check-in costs 45 with Ryanair, and from 12 with Jet2.com)  and time.

I had to queue for 45 minutes recently at Prague to be issued with a boarding card for a BA flight.

Travel light

Even if youve checked in online youll still need to queue at the bag-drop area if youre putting luggage in the hold.

By taking hand luggage only, you can also save up to an hour waiting for your bags to appear on the carousel at your destination.

Worth it? As well as saving time, youll avoid the steep charges imposed by many airlines for checking in bags.

Speed through security

Some airports let you use the fast-track lane through security for a fee. At Stansted it costs 5.

Worth it? Only if its looking like youll miss your flight: prices are per person so quickly mount up.

Lounge around

Most major airports have calm and comfortable executive lounges that anyone can access  for a fee.

Worth it? Up to three hours in a UK airport lounge costs between 17 and 35 a head if pre-booked through loungepass.com or holidayextras.co.uk.

The fee usually covers unlimited drinks and snacks, newspapers and wi-fi  bought in the main departure lounge, these might cost between 10 and 15.

Executive lounges come into their own if youre delayed.
British Airways customers have been left fuming after the carrier stopped serving a second meal on some flights - replacing it with snacks such as mini chocolate bars.

Passengers on certain medium- and long-haul routes, including London-New York, no longer get a sandwich or a similar meal shortly before landing - meaning they may be forced to bring their own food on board to stave off hunger later in the flight.

It's one of a number of noticeable cutbacks implemented by the Heathrow-based airline this summer in attempt to trim costs.

Passengers on certain long-haul routes with BA are no longer receiving a second meal

Travellers in all classes will still get a main meal earlier in flights, but the second meal has been axed.

A passenger who paid 500 to travel from Heathrow to New York's JFK Airport called the cutback an 'insult' after paying so much to fly in premium economy (World Traveller Plus) on the seven-hour flight.

The traveller told the Sun: 'It was a joke. I paid 500 for a World Traveller Plus seat and the breakfast was OK but to then get just a fun-size chocolate bar six hours later is outrageous.

'The cabin attendant who served me was clearly embarrassed and when I asked for another she said she wasn't supposed to but handed another one over as she could see I was hungry.'

A passenger who flew to New York said it was an 'insult' after being given a chocolate bar

A flight attendant told the Sun: 'It's actually quite embarrassing for us and quite rightly passengers are outraged.'

A British Airways spokesman told MailOnline Travel the changes apply to economy class (World Traveller) on flights under eight-and-a-half hours and premium economy on flights under seven hours.

On those flights, flight attendants will pass through with baskets full of snacks, the spokesman said.

He added: 'We offer customers on all of our transatlantic flights a three-course meal, bar service and snacks and on our longer transatlantic flights, including to the west coast, customers are offered an extra meal during the flight.

'We regularly review our catering to ensure we are investing where it matters most to our customers.'

The changes were reported by the UK-based travel blog Head for Points in June.

It claimed there would be changes to in-flight meals in every cabin - from first class all the way down to economy.

Amuse bouche was to be removed from the meal service in first class, while business class (Club World) would see a move away from expensive fresh items to even more ambient items, such as chocolate bars, the blog reported.

The blog also said newspapers will no longer be offered to passengers at the airport gate on short-haul flights to London starting from 1 September.
Concerns have been raised about immigration controls at London's Heathrow Airport after it was claimed security checks have been scaled back to shorten passenger queues.

Border Force agents no longer have to use facial-recognition technology on all travellers who are rejected by self-service biometric ePassport gates at Europe's busiest airport, the Sunday Times reported.

Managers have told staff to use their discretion on whether to do a facial scan on passengers whose chipped passports are not accepted at unmanned barriers, it was claimed.

The Home Office rejected any suggestion that security has been compromised or that officers have been told not to use facial-recognition technology.

Around 170 ePassport gates are in use at 18 UK airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick

The Sunday Times quoted leaked documents and a whistleblower, who said the technology was introduced in the UK in 2010 after passengers were able to enter the country with forged documents.

When the technology was introduced staff were initially instructed to use face-recognition scans on all passengers rejected by the gates but they have now been told to 'revert to officer discretion'.

The whistleblower suggested Border Force wants to shorten queues, especially at peak times during the holidays, so foreign visitors aren't put off from paying to join the Registered Traveller Service.

The service is open to regular adult travellers from just under 10 countries, including Australia, Canada and the US, and it allows them to use ePassport gates and avoid the 'all other passports' queue at a cost of 70 for the first year and 50 for every year after that.

'It's just unbelievable the stuff that's going on,' the whistleblower told the Sunday Times. 'We have idiots in charge. They are not really bothered about who is coming in and coming out.'

A whistleblower claimed the decision was made to shorten queues, especially at peak times

A Home Office spokeswoman told MailOnline Travel: 'It is absolutely untrue to suggest that border security has been compromised or that officers have been told not to use facial-recognition technology.

'It remains available to Border Force officers when assuring themselves of a passengers identity.

'We use a range of advanced technology systems to check 100 per cent of people arriving in the UK. These systems ensure we keep our citizens safe and our country secure at all times.

'EPassport gates use facial recognition technology to provide identity and security checks in a matter of seconds. This same facial-matching technology is being piloted separately for Border Force officers to use as appropriate when checking passengers - including those who are rejected by the ePassport gates.'

Lucy Moreton, general secretary of the ISU union, which represents Border Force staff, said she has not seen the document but has no reason to believe it does not exist.

She said: 'The issue for us is the pressure that's being placed on staff to be quicker with their checks rather than being thorough.'

She said it's fine to leave it to the officer's discretion on whether to use the full range of technology, but staff must not be rushed when they are checking passengers.

Around 170 ePassport gates are in use at 18 UK airports, including Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted.

Heathrow is by far the busiest UK airport with ePassport gates - handling almost 75 million passengers - both arrivals and departures - last year.

The automated gates use facial-recognition technology to check a traveller's identity against the photo in a passport that contains a security chip.

If a passenger is rejected at a gate they must go and see a Border Force agent, who can use a second facial scan as an additional check.
This is one summer vacation she does not want to end.

For Cindy Crawford, a getaway with her husband and two kids at a lake lodge in the Canadian wilderness is clearly pure bliss.

And on Saturday, the 50-year-old model was taking it all in - and sharing it with her social media followers.

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'Nothing better:' Cindy Crawford shared a peace-filled glimpse into her family holiday in Canada on Saturday as she lay out in the sun by a lake in a bright turquoise bikini

The mother-of-two posted a bikini shot to her Instagram of her laying out in the sun, which she captioned: 'Nothing better.'

She wore a bright turquoise halter bikini, adorned with gold-plated bands, while her highlighted brown hair fell naturally off the ledge of her seat.

Cindy donned a pair of brown sunglasses that read Casamigos on the side, the name of her family's tequila brand that they created with actor George Clooney.

It is also the name of the twin vacation homes that Cindy and husband Rande Gerber share with George Clooney in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Good looking family: The family of four have been spending their summer in Lake Muskoka in Ontario, Canda. Cindy shared this photo on Friday with the caption: 'Great summer with these guys!'

'House of Friends:' Husband Rande Gerber and Cindy sported their family tequila brand, Casamigos,' on their boat cruise - which is a company they share with actor George Clooney

Both Cindy and her husband own a lake house on a seven-acre property in Lake Muskoka. The supermodel has been sharing plenty of glimpses into her family's vacation in the Canadian province of Ontario

Ever since the Crawford-Gerber clan first flew up to the lake after Independence Day, they've been joined by more members of the family, and even their celebrity friends including Lisa Rinna's family - the star of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

The whole clan! The model mom was joined by her extended family, as cousins, siblings, and grand-kids reunited in Canada

While the brunette beauty has been relaxing on her holiday getaway, she's been leaving a strong impression with budding models of today.

Kendall Jenner, who recently graced the cover of Vogue's September issue, revealed to the magazine on Thursday about her admiration with Cindy.

'This is a careerI want this to last for a long time,' Kendall said. 'Not that I wont venture out and do other things, but I want this to be like a Cindy Crawford thing: I want it to last until I am her age.'

She added: 'Thats why I love her so much and why I look up to her: Her life now is something that I want my life to be like.'
She has been enjoying an island vacation with Tyga and her pals in honour of her 19th birthday.

And Kylie Jenner and crew returned to Van Nuys, California on Saturday, following their visit to Turks and Caicos this past week.

Despite having an outstanding arrest warrant hanging over his head, Kylie's rapper beau reportedly avoided jail by paying off a substantial amount of his debt.

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Home! Kylie Jenner returned to Van Nuys, California from Turks and Caicos on Saturday following her 19th birthday celebration

According to TMZ Tyga avoided arrest upon his return from Turks and Caicos by paying off over half of his outstanding fine.

Initialy U.S. Customs was reportedly notified to detain him when he came back to the U.S. and he was subject to arrest for being a no-show at the court hearing over a $480,000 judgement his former landlord got for back-rent and damage to the Malibu home Tyga had rented.

However the news-site now report that Tyga 'cut a cashier's check on Thursday, resulting in the case being settled for something less than the full amount'.

A source told TMZ that the Rack City rapper paid 'more than half of the $480k'.

Flight fashion: The pretty brunette stayed comfortable in an orange, oversize hoodie, paired with black leggings

Upon returning to her Hidden Hills home, Keeping Up With the Kardashian star Kylie was greeted with a wide range of gifts, including a cake made to look like her favorite dish Top Ramen.

The pretty brunette stayed comfortable in an orange, oversize hoodie, paired with black leggings.

Kylie, who was make-up free for her return flight, wore her raven-coloured tresses parted down the middle and styled in french braids.

Boyfriend Tyga, 26, trailed behind his teenage girlfriend as the two exited the plane.

Their exit: Boyfriend Tyga, 26, trailed behind his teenage girlfriend

Easy updo: Kylie, who was make-up free for her return flight, wore her raven-coloured tresses parted down the middle and styled in french braids

Unusual present? When the couple returned to Kylie's home, the reality star was greeted with an array of gifts, including a Top Ramen cake

When the couple returned to Kylie's home, the reality star was greeted with an array of gifts, including a Top Ramen cake.

'I need to know right now who made this for me. This is the coolest thing I've ever seen,' said the lip kit owner.

The creative, tasty treat was most likely a reference to her Ramen noodle recipe, which caused a frenzy online after she shared it on Snapchat last week.

The reason: The creative, tasty treat was most likely a reference to her Ramen noodle recipe, which caused a frenzy online after she shared it on Snapchat last week

'Gifts': But Kylie's unusual cake was not the only present she received

Expensive: The teen was presented with a handbag and three pairs of shades from Versace

Happy family: Older brother Rob and fiance Blac Chyna also sent the star their well-wishes

But Kylie's unusual cake was not the only gift she received.

The teen was presented with a designer handbag and three pairs of shades from Versace.

Older brother Rob and fiance Blac Chyna also sent the star their well-wishes.

'Kylie! I am so proud of who you are becoming and the things you are accomplishing and you are only 19!!! I love you more than you know! Love, Rob & Chyna,' he wrote.

The young social media celeb even gifted herself a few items, including a Chanel backpack and Fendi key chains.

Her purchase: The young social media celeb even gifted herself a few items, including a Chanel backpack
She's been labelled the next Nigella Lawson due to her stunning looks, brains and prowess in the kitchen.

But British celebrity chef Rachel Khoo has revealed in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, she would never have reached global foodie stardom if it weren't for an Australian 'sliding doors' moment.

The 35-year-old revealed she was on the verge of moving Down Under seven years ago, when an email about a cookbook deal landed in her inbox, changed her plans and ended up launching her career.

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The taste of success: British celebrity chef Rachel Khoo revealed, in an interview published on Sunday, how a proposed move to Australia seven years ago almost altered her career

'I loved the idea of it [moving to Australia for a few years] and it was coming to the end of summer in the UK, so I figured I would,' Rachel shared with the publication.

'But before I did, I thought I'd email a publisher about this idea for a cookbook and it happened.

'Then it took over, everything went nuts, and my Australia plans fell away,' the television star of Malaysian and Austrian descent continued.

Fate: An email about a cookbook deal prior to moving Down Under took over and her 'Australia plans fell away'

Despite not making the permanent move to Australia seven years ago, things appear to have worked out - with the successful chef now spending months at a time in Sydney while filming two TV spots.

The svelte star enjoyed a guest judge role earlier this year on hit reality TV cooking series My Kitchen Rules.

Continuing her success on screen, the brunette beauty will next appear in the highly anticipated MKR spin-off, Zumbo's Just Desserts.

Rachel will co-host the new Channel Seven series alongside renowned patissier Adriano Zumbo.

Familiar face: Despite not making the permanent move to Australia seven years ago, things appear to have worked out - with the successful chef now spending months at a time in Sydney while filming two TV spots, including My Kitchen Rules (pictured)

Bright future: Continuing her success, the brunette beauty will next appear on our screens in the highly anticipated MKR spin-off, Zumbo's Just Desserts, alongside renowned patissier Adriano Zumbo

Back in January, the network released a casting call, encouraging Australians to apply for the new reality cooking show.

'Contestants will have to show off their cooking skills as they work against the clock, to impress the judges and deliver amazing dishes.

'We're looking for home-cooks who are passionate about baking and desserts,' the statement read.

The author of cookbook The Little Paris Kitchen, released an official statement in April about her involvement in the upcoming series.

Pressure: A casting call for the series asked for contestants that were capable of delivering 'amazing dishes' under pressure to impress judges, including dessert king Adriano Zumbo

'I'm super excited and looking forward to focusing on what got me into food. Plus I absolutely love desserts,' she enthused.

Rachel is keen to work alongside Adriano, having previously studied French Patisserie in Paris.

'I've admired his work for many years. He's got an amazing talent for making not only stunning looking desserts but also desserts that taste as good as they look,' she said.

Adriano, 34, is renowned for his signature macaroons as well as the daunting croquembouche tower he has previously challenged MasterChef Australia contestants to master.

Just Desserts will air straight after the Rio Olympics, kicking off on August 22.
She might be Hollywood royalty and an Oscar-winner with a permanent spot on the A-list, but Reese Witherspoon's still a Southern girl at heart.

The Legally Blonde star, 40, proved as much with a tote bag that read, 'What would Dolly do?' - a homage to country legend Dolly Parton that Reese put out as part of her fashion line Draper James - as she took son Tennessee to lunch in West Hollywood Saturday.

The Nashville native, who is married to Hollywood agent Jim Toth, wore a summery straw hat that kept the pounding sun rays out of her face; sunglasses, a white top and a skirt with violet floral patterns, and blue sandal heels.

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Southern charm: Reese Witherspoon carried herself with grace Saturday in West Hollywood, where she took her son Tennessee, aged three years, out to lunch

Adorable Tennessee, who celebrates his fourth birthday next month, wore a black shirt, striped shorts and brought along a furry brown backpack with his name embroidered on it.

Reese has two other children - Ava, 16, and Deacon, 12 - from her first marriage to her Cruel Intentions co-star Ryan Phillippe.

The tote she held with the Dolly Parton reference is formally called the Dolly Vanderbilt Tote, and sells for $165 on her Draper James website.

Fashion icon: The actress was cool and confident in a floppy straw hat, white shirt and floral skirt along with blue strapped wedge sandals

Summer fun: The mother-of-three spoke with her youngest child, who turns four next month

Other Southern phrases the Wild star has put on the trendy totes include 'Cool it y'all,' 'Hello sugar' and 'Gone shoppin.''

The line also features shirts, bags, scarves and other items emblazoned with the regional phrases - which the Walk the Line star said is just the point.

Accessorize: The multitasking mom carried her son's brown furry personalized backpack, as well as a tote from her own line, Draper James

True to her roots: No slave to the ever-changing styles of Hollywood, Reese sticks with a classic Southern Belle look that complements her natural beauty

'I started this company to honor my Southern heritage and in particular my grandparents who were, and still are, the greatest influences in my life' and 'taught me everything I know about gracious Southern living,' Reese said in a statement on the Draper James website.

She said that returning to the South as an adult inspired her to create the line 'to recapture and celebrate all that I love and remember about my grandparents and the South.

The This Means War beauty added that her brand's 'goal is to bring contemporary, yet timeless Southern style to your wardrobe and your home, no matter where you live.'

Two-of-a-kind: Reese earlier this year wished legendary country crooner Dolly Parton a happy 70th birthday, accompanied by this photo of the two
It was revealed earlier in the year that contestants of The Bachelor could face a court hearing if they were seen in public with fellow hopefuls during the airing of the show.

But now it seems a handful of the beauties from the show have turned a blind eye to their contract agreements.

According to Confidential, the reality TV stars have broken away from the terms and conditions of the forms after realising 'Warner Bros is unlikely to take any public legal measures to sanction them'.

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Breach? The Bachelor contestants have been seen spending time together as the show has been airing, despite their contract allegedly forbidding them to do so

It is believed contestants of the show are contracted to Network Ten and the production company for up to three months, following their appearance on the series.

A spokesperson from Network Ten told News Corp on Saturday the contracts with those on the show are confidential.

The reports come after Bachie girls, Sasha Zhuravlyova, Georgia Tripos, Tolyna Baan and Rachael, attended Lux Nightclub in Melbourne together last weekend.

Not worried: The reality TV stars appear to have broken away from the terms and conditions in their paperwork after reportedly realising 'Warner Bros is unlikely to take any public legal measures to sanction them'

Following their first public outing, they attended the Fashion Aid charity event together, as well as a private dinner with fellow contestant Keira Maguire.

According to reports, Network Ten have decided to turn a blind eye to their breach as the females rally around Keira to show moral support after her cult childhood past was revealed to the public.

According to an article published by the Daily Telegraph earlier in the year, Warner Bros. had created a new contract for the Bachelorette's to sign, which states they won't be seen together once the cameras stop rolling.

Turning away: According to reports, Network Ten have turned a blind eye to their breach as the females rally around Keira to show support after her cult childhood past was revealed

This comes following the antics of last year's contestants, who went on holidays and partied together after their stint on the show, sharing their adventures on social media.

It also gave viewers an idea as to who may have won because she was rarely seen socialising with the other girls.

Apparently the new contract stipulates that if they 'breach this clause they will be taken to court.'

Crack down: Earlier in the year, Warner Bros. created a new contract for the Bachelorette's to sign, which states they won't be seen together once the cameras stop rolling

Former Bachelorette, Sam Frost, also explained earlier in the year's that the latest season 'had a massive crackdown' with the terms and conditions of each participant's contracts.

'The reason why they have had a massive crackdown on the contracts is because in Sam Wood's season all the girls were very spiteful when they didn't win and it was a mess to try and shut them up,' Sam said on her 104.1FM breakfast radio show.

'The girls would plot together, I'm not going to name names but I think you guys can do the maths, and start selling stories and giving information to outlets.'
This is the moment Amber Heard recorded her husband Johnny Depp smashing up their kitchen in a violent of rage.

The actress, 30, has since denied leaking the video - seemingly taken on her phone without Depp's, 53, knowledge - to news website TMZ.

The domestic incident between the married couple - who are currently locked in an ugly divorce battle - is said to have occurred 'months' before May 21, 2016 when Depp is accused of giving his wife a black eye by throwing an iPhone at her head.

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'You got this going!': Johnny Depp unleashed his fury after he realized he was being recorded by Amber Heard in a video obtained by TMZ (pictured)

TMZ originally obtained video they claim shows the 53-year-old actor turning violent after being asked by Heard if he had drunk the entire volume of the wine bottle that morning.

At one point, he is accused of saying to her, 'You want to see crazy, I'll show you something crazy' as he's seen smashing up their home.

Sources close to Depp have claimed that the footage has been 'heavily edited' and in some parts, Amber can even be seen to smile.

The video begins as Oscar-nominated actor Depp slams kitchen cabinets, nearly ripping them from the hinges.

'Mother f***er! Mother f***er!' he yells while repeatedly kicking the countertops.

He paces back and forth while Heard asks the actor numerous times 'What happened?'

Under surveillance: Amber seemed to catch the whole episode, which shows Depp searching inside and smashing cupboards

Over coffee: Amber can be seen in the corner (left) holding coffee in her hands as she watches him pacing up and down

'Crazy': They are discussing what happened that morning when she asks him if he's drunk a whole bottle of wine

Destructive: The Hollywood actor was on a war path in his home and goes to pour another full glass

Off camera, Depp can be heard mumbling, 'Nothing.'

She tells him: 'I just woke up and you were so sweet, and nice. We were not even fighting this morning. All I did was say sorry.'

After they argued about events that went on in the morning, the Edward Scissorhands star begins to pour the remainder of a large bottle of wine.

He says: 'You want to see crazy, I'll show you something crazy. Oh you're crazy. Oh you're crazy.'

Messy battle: Amber (pictured here with Johnny in January) has already accused her husband of domestic violence, in a separate incident that is said to have taken place in May

'Have you drunk this whole thing this morning?' she asks, before he notices the blonde beauty recording the incident and the scuffle breaks out.

'Oh, you got this thing going? You got this going!' Depp is seen shouting before he lunges for the 30-year-old actress' phone.

After that, Johnny appears to try and take Amber's phone off her as she insists, 'I just started it!'.

Secret recording: As he comes close, Amber tries to hide the phone camera with her coffee cup

Disguised: He says to her: 'You want to see crazy, I'll show you something crazy'

Since the video went online on Saturday morning, actress Amber has issued a statement to the same website clarifying her position regarding the controversial footage.

She reveals that she underestimated the emotional impact divorce proceedings against the Hollywood star would have on her.

With the full statement yet to be issued, the website claim shes also keen to settle matters with Depp as quickly as possible.

Turning violent? When he sees the recording device, it is claimed that he subsequently turns violent

A separate incident: The incident is said to have taken place 'months before' May, when she has accused him of throwing an iPhone at her

Keeping her head down the actress brushed off questions about her acrimonious divorce from Depp as she made her way towards a waiting car

Heard maintained her silence as she arrived at LAX airport in Los Angeles on Friday ahead of her deposition where she exhibited painful-looking bruises along the length of her forearm.

The latest video was reportedly taken before the May 21 incident when Heard claimed that Depp assaulted her and bruised her face.

The couple married in February 2015 before Heard filed for divorce on May 23, 2016.

'Mother f***er!': Depp (pictured July 11) can be heard screaming off camera as he kicks the kitchen countertops repeatedly and slams cabinets in the video

Postponed: Heard arrived at LAX airport on Friday from London after her deposition was reportedly rescheduled

Sores: As she strode through the airport, she sported head-to-toe black, with a fluffy jumper pushed up to her elbows, causing the exposure of her forearms

Amber did not show for her deposition on Friday morning in her domestic violence and divorce case with Depp.

According to TMZ, Heard was in violation of a court order to testify under oath in Los Angeles, where she was due to appear.

A source told the site: 'Amber is still ensconced in London, even though she's been ordered to appear for her deposition in her domestic violence/divorce case Friday at 10 AM.'

An update on the news site on Friday afternoon claimed that Amber was blaming an uncited 'emergency' and 'to no fault of her own' was therefore unable to rearrange her flight.

Painful looking: While her wrists were partially obscured by heavy silver bangles, it was evident her arms were littered with concerning red sores along the length of her arm

Former flames: The couple married in February 2015 before Heard filed for divorce on May 23, 2016 (pictured February 15)

A spokesperson for Amber refused to comment further on the claims.

Amber's lawyers, Samantha Spector and Joseph Koenig, are now accusing Johnny's lawyers of 'wag[ing] a malicious war... in an effort to intimidate and discourage Amber from telling the truth.'

They plan to ask a judge to push Amber's deposition to Saturday.

Nevertheless, Depp's lawyers have reportedly already asked the judge to stop her testifying in the trial next week since she 'refused' to do so last weekend.
She usually spends her mornings behind the desk on the Today Show panel.

But Sylvia Jeffreys swapped the studio for Sydney city on Sunday as the 30-year-old ran in the annual City2Surf.

However, as the fun run ambassador warmed up for the race, she spotted her co-star, Natalia Cooper doing interviews nearby and popped over for a quick cross to fiance Pete Stefanovic, who was co-hosting Weekend Today in the Channel Nine studios.

Can you have a bottle of wine ready for me when I get home please? she pleaded just before the segment ended.

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'Have a bottle of wine ready for me': Sylvia Jeffreys chatted to Channel Nine reporter Natalia Cooper (left) ahead of taking on the City2Surf on Sunday, with a special request for her fiance Pete Stefanovic (left) who was back in the Weekend Today studios

Proud as punch, Pete grinned as he watched his girl on the monitor talk about her preparation for the gruelling 14km run while suffering from a bad cold.

'I'm feeling better - I'm dosed up on Sudafed. Ready to go,' Sylvia quipped enthusiastically.

Pete, chimed in with some words of encouragement, telling his future wife: Good luck, go get them!

The TV personality is competing in the charity run with her brother Andrew Jeffreys and his wife Akina Ota, who she was pictured with at the event on social media.

'Go get them!' Pete chimed in with some words of encouragement for his future wife

'Cheering from the sidelines!' Natalia gave her colleague some encouragement of her own, posting a seflie of the pair smiling among a crowd of runners warming up

Besides personal satisfaction, they had some extra motivation to finish the race in good time - they needed to be back home by 10.45am to take over from babysitters looking after Andrew and Akina's two young children.

We're not in it to race to win but make sure we're home in time for the baby-sitters, that's a goal, Sylvia said after Pete asked how her brother was going.

The blonde beauty also explained the intricacies of the course, which runs from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach, and the importance of leaving something in the tank for the finish.

It's a challenge all the way to the end. The trick is conserving some energy for the downhill slide at the end where all the spectators are, she told Natalia with a giggle.

Family fun run: The TV personality was competing in the charity run with her brother Andrew (centre) and his wife Akina Ota (right)

You want to be looking full of big bouncy strides to the end running past them, she added.

Natalia gave her colleague some encouragement of her own, posting a seflie to Instagram of the pair smiling among a crowd of runners warming up.

'This absolute top chick @sylviajeffreys is about to run the #City2Surf. I'll be cheering her on from the sidelines! Work is my excuse,' Natalia captioned the photo.

Pete and Sylvia got engaged last month during a romantic holiday to Europe and moved into a new house together in Sydneys eastern suburbs soon after returning.
He may have been just 3'8", but his death has cast an enormous shadow.

Mark Hamill and George Lucas have led the tributes to their beloved Star Wars colleague and R2-D2 alter ego who died on Saturday, aged 81.

'Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination,' Hamill - who played his flying partner Luke Skywalker - tweeted. 'He WAS the droid I was looking for!'

RIP: Ewan McGregor and George Lucas led the tributes to their beloved Star Wars colleague Kenny Baker who died on Saturday, aged 81 (pictured at Revenge Of The Sith premiere in London, 2005)

Star Wars creator George Lucas penned a touching eulogy on StarWars.com.

Kenny Baker was a real gentleman as well as an incredible trooper who always worked hard under difficult circumstances,' he wrote.

'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.'

Besides his eternal companion C-3PO, the little astromech droid is the only character to have appeared in all seven Star Wars films - indeed the saga is understood to be told from the droids' viewpoint.

Partners: 'Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination,' Hamill tweeted. 'He WAS the droid I was looking for!'

Buddies: The astromech droid served Luke Skywalker loyally throughout the original trilogy

Baker is also one of the only actors to have been involved in all seven, serving as 'R2 Consultant' on the most recent The Force Awakens.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said: 'We're all saddened to learn of Kenny's passing. There is no 'Star Wars' without R2-D2, and Kenny defined who R2-D2 was and is. He will be greatly missed.'

Ewan McGregor, who played the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the second trilogy, tweeted: 'So sorry to hear about this. It was lovely working with Kenny.'

The Force is strong with this one: David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original trilogy, posted a heartwarming picture of his 6'5" self holding the diminutive actor aloft while they played bowling

"Don't seem to remember ever owning a droid: Ewan McGregor, who played the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the second trilogy, tweeted: 'So sorry to hear about this. It was lovely working with Kenny.'

David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original trilogy, posted a heartwarming picture of his 6'5" self holding the diminutive actor aloft while they played bowling.

'Very sorry to hear about Kenny. He was a great personal friend that I thoroughly enjoyed working with. #KennyBaker,' he wrote.

Warwick Davis who played Wicket while baker played fellow Ewok Paploo, wrote: '#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'

Ewok and Wookie: The 7'2" Peter Mayhew - who played Chewbacca - was two inches shy of being twice Kenny's height

Lagacy: Warwick Davis who played Wicket while baker played fellow Ewok Paploo added his voice, as did Lord Of The Rings star Dominic Monaghan

Dozens of stars outside the Star Wars universe also tweeted their condolence, such as director Kevin Smith.

'Rest in Peace @starwars legend #KennyBaker - whose name I learned at age 7 because he brought #R2D2 to life. Feels like losing family...' while actor Rahul Kohli added: 'You brought life to one of my favourite characters, thank you Kenny Baker. Rest in peace.'

KT Tunstall tweeted: 'Go well Kenny Baker, thankyou for the endless joy' and Josh Gad wrote: '#KennyBaker is gone. #RIPR2D2 You will live on in this galaxy for years to come!'

Heart and soul: Baker is also one of the only actors to have been involved in all seven, serving as 'R2 Consultant' on the most recent The Force Awakens (pictured with Lucas at London premiere in December)

Legend: Dozens of stars outside the Star Wars universe also tweeted their condolence, such as director Kevin Smith and comedian Josh Gad

Guillermo del Toro also paid tribute, writing: 'A great one- And, like Napoleon, his stature was measured not from head-to-ground but head-to-sky. A brilliant man.'

'Lord of the Rings' star Dominic Monaghan tweeted: 'You left your legendary marks #KennyBaker #rip to a lovely gent and a fantastic legacy. @starwars.'

Filmmaker Edgar Wright wrote on his Twitter account: 'RIP R2D2. Farewell Fidget, Time Bandit. Goodbye Mister Kenny Baker.'
Last month he played it coy when asked about his possible relationship with Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas.

And while he has remained silent on the issue, Nick Cannon again raised eyebrows when he was spotted cuddling up to the former TLC songstress at a DJ gig in the Bahamas.

The 35-year-old America's Got Talent host looked to be having a ball with his supposed new lady.

New rumour time? Nick Cannon again raised eyebrows when he showed up for a DJ gig in the Bahamas with former TLC songstress Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas by his side

Before taking his position behind the turntables, Nick and Chilli were pictured together, with Nick beaming as he put his arm around Rozonda, 45.

For his onstage appearance, Nick chose a super casual look composed of a black tank top, dark jeans and black Converse sneakers.

He added a little flair with some long necklaces and a very wide, black headband.

Rozonda also kept things laid back for the event, opting for a white t-shirt with newspaper print pattern and some simple blue jeans.

Keeping it simple: For his onstage appearance, Nick chose a super casual look composed of a black tank top, dark jeans and black Converse sneakers

She scraped her raven locks back and up into a sensible bun.

After the photo op, Nick got to work churning out the tunes for the tropical shindig.

While there haven't been any new developments in their supposed relationship the pair were reportedly spotted kissing at WDKX's Summerfest Concert in Rochester in July.

Nick went on to be evasive when he was interviewed by E! News about his supposed current connection to Rozonda.

Showtime: After the photo op, Nick got to work churning out the tunes for the tropical shindig

'Why do you have to ask that,' he quipped, before gushing that Chilli is 'amazing.'

'She's an outstanding person,' he continued, but then clammed up again, claiming 'you've gotta ask her what's going on.'

He then went on to remind viewers that he's not quite comfortable with the celebrity dating scene yet, as he only divorced his wife of six years Mariah Carey, 46, back in April.

Nothing certain: Last month he played it coy when asked about his possible relationship with Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas (Nick pictured on August 2)
He has won the hearts of thousands across the nation with his mouth-watering, sugar-filled desserts.

Now, the king of sweets, Adriano Zumbo, has admitted he has struggled to find the 'right woman' due to his popular 'status'.

Speaking to Sunday Life, the 34-year-old eligible bachelor explained he has become 'good at judging' whether females want to be around him or the fame.

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Tough loving: Dessert king, Adriano Zumbo, has admitted he has struggled to find the 'right woman' due to his popular 'status'

'I've become good at judging whether a girl wants to be around you just because she's after your status or because you're popular,' the pastry chef said.

He went on to explain he was engaged during his early 20's and despite it going 'pear shaped' he would love to settle down with someone in the future.

'I've never been worried about being alone and there is no pressure to get married, although I would love to do it one day with the right girl,' Adriano said.

Near future: The 34-year-old went on to explain he was engaged during his early 20's and despite it going 'pear shaped' he would love to settle down with someone in the future

'I need a strong woman who can handle the attention I get and not get upset if I cuddle a stranger for a social photo.'

But as the quest to find love continues for the reality TV star, he revealed he used to be quiet the romantic sending 'love letters' to his first ever girlfriend in grade four.

He later added in the interview that he also shared his first kiss during his school years after playing a game of spin the bottle at a party.

Success: Adriano is set to return to Australian television screens with his new Channel Seven reality cooking series, Zumbo's Just Desserts

Adriano is set to return to Australian television screens with his new Channel Seven reality cooking series, Zumbo's Just Desserts.

He told Daily Mail Australia: 'Contestants will have to show off their cooking skills as they work against the clock, to impress the judges and deliver amazing dishes,' read the casting call.

'We're looking for home-cooks who are passionate about baking and desserts.'

Zumbo's Just Desserts premieres on Channel Seven on August 22.
When visiting Miami Beach, she made sure to take a dip in the ocean.

And Katie Cassidy soaked up the Florida heat on Friday, clad in a set of reversible swimwear.

The Arrow star made sure her look was perfectly styled, even adding accessories to her ensemble.

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Work vacation! Katie Cassidy, 29, soaked up the Florida heat on Friday, clad in a set of reversible swimwear

Katie's hair was of course, dripping wet following her quick swim.

The 29-year-old kept her eyes shielded from the sun in a pair of mirrored shades.

She added a collection of rings, a watch and a bracelet to complete her beach ensemble.

It's all in the details: The Arrow star made sure her look was perfectly styled, even adding accessories to her ensemble

Protection: The actress kept her eyes shielded from the sun in a pair of mirrored shades

Although she was enjoying a vacation, it was certainly a business trip for the star as well.

Katie joined forces with Macy's for part of their annual back-to-school events.

The gorgeous blonde made an appearance at the Dadeland Mall.

From blonde to brunette: Katie's hair was of course, dripping wet following her quick swim

Pretty jewellery: She added a collection of rings, a watch and a bracelet to complete her beach ensemble

Work trip: Katie joined forces with Macy's for part of their annual back-to-school events

For the event, the first 200 fans that purchased $35 worth of beauty products would earn a wristband to meet and pose for a picture with Katy, as well as receive a present.

Katy, who's character was killed off Arrow's recent season, will live on.

The actress will appear on all of the CW's DC Comics' shows, just as John Barrowman and Wentworth Miller have as well.

She'll also return to Arrow's season premiere in a flashback-like sequence, according Stephen Amell, in an interview with TV Line.

A great opportunity: For the event, the first 200 fans that purchased $35 worth of beauty products would earn a wristband to meet and pose for a picture with Katy, as well as receive a present
He's set to reappear on Offspring in the next episode, as essentially his character Dr Patrick Reid's ghost.

But while Matt Le Nevez has no doubt forged quite a name for himself on the Channel Ten program, the 37-year-old actor has no regrets about leaving the show to play Detective Brian Dutch in Showcase drama The Kettering Incident.

'I love Patrick and I love Offspring,' he told The Daily Telegraph's TV Insider, before adding: 'but the opportunity to shake some of that and play something like this in a very different show was very exciting for me and at this stage of my career, I think its great'.

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Different role: Former Offspring star Matt Le Nevez doesn't regret leaving the show after playing iconic character Dr Patrick Reid

The genetically blessed actor stars in mystery drama The Kettering Incident alongside award-winning actress Elizabeth Debicki.

It's certainly quite the change from his role as the charismatic Dr Patrick Reid, the love interest of Asher Keddie's character Nina Proudman on Offspring.

Fans were left devastated when Patrick tragically died at the end of season four, after being hit by a car.

Offspring character: Matt's character Dr Patrick Reid was the lover and baby daddy of Asher Keddie's character Nina Proudman until he died at the end of season four

Serious: The genetically blessed actor stars in mystery drama The Kettering Incident alongside award-winning actress Elizabeth Debicki

And while the sixth season has shown Nina doing her best to move on, she was reminded of her late partner during the most recent episode when his ex-wife Jodie arrived on the scene.

A new promotional clip shows Matt make an onscreen return as essentially Patrick's ghost, while Nina contemplates accepting Jodie's offer of Patrick's frozen sperm to have another baby.

'Patrick had some of his sperm frozen,' Jodie, played by Freya Stafford, told Nina during Wednesday night's episode.

He's back: Matt is seen in a promotional clip for the next Offspring episode, indicating Patrick returns to the show

'I thought it was only fair I offered it to you so you can have another child.'

In the promotional clip, Nina watches Patrick play with their daughter Zoe, and nieces and nephews.

'I have to decide,' she tells him, to which he responds, 'Life could be so much more fun'.

What could have been: In the promotional clip, Nina watches Patrick play with their daughter Zoe, and nieces and nephews

Dilemma: The most recent episode of the Channel Ten drama, Patrick's ex-wife Jodie returned and offered Patrick's frozen sperm if she wished to have another baby

Fans of the show last saw Jodie back in season four, when she made a brief appearance to meet her ex Patrick at St Francis Hospital.

Patrick and Jodie split after the birth of their stillborn child, and when Patrick later moved to Melbourne, the anaesthetist found love with obstetrician Nina.

No doubt the preview has sparked quite a reaction from viewers on social media.

Many fans have struggled to accept Patrick's absence from the show, while Nina has raised daughter Zoe primarily on her own.

Memorable face: No doubt one of the most popular characters on the show over the years has been Dr Patrick Reid, played by Matt

Disbelief: Many fans have struggled to accept Patrick's absence from the show, while Nina has raised daughter Zoe primarily on her own

'WHAT THE SWEET S***? YOU CANT BRING PATRICK BACK AGAIN! MY BROKEN HEART HAS ONLY JUST HEALED! WHY DO YOU WANT TO HURT ME? @OffspringTV (sic),' former Big Brother star Tully Smyth tweeted after seeing the promo.

Another fan wrote on Twitter: 'Tissue sales are going to sky rocket in the next two weeks when "Ghost Patrick" returns to our screens #Offspring (sic)'.

Since Patrick's tragic death, she has found love with Leo Taylor played by Patrick Brammall.

More recently, she has been linked to Dan Wyllie's character Dr Angus Freeman, though it looks like she will be getting closer to newcomer Alexander England's character Harry Crewe, the new Crisis and Culture Manager at St Francis Hospital.

Alarm bells: Nina sensed something wasn't quite right at the end of season four when she found Patrick on the side of the road after being hit by a car - he passed away in hospital shortly after

Family: The on-screen couple were expecting a gorgeous baby girl at the time of Patrick's death, with Nina seen imaging her late love's presence in this hospital scene after giving birth to Zoe
They say you should never look better than the bride.But Kim Kardashian didn't adhere to the rule as she pulled out all the stops even enlisting her glam squad to help her get ready for a friend's wedding on Saturday.

The 35-year-old reality TV star looked stunningly sexy as she took to Snapchat showing off her plunging Vintage Donna Karan dress for all of her social media followers to see.

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More beautiful than the bride? Kim Kardashian West pulled out all the stops enlisting in her glam squad to help her get ready for a friend's wedding on Saturday

Kim looked glamorous and mostly ready to go as she filmed her social media story.

The brunette beauty addressed her following as she said she was getting the 'finishing touches' from her celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton.

As she touched her slim midsection Kim described her designer dress, which featured a plunging neckline and a low cut back revealing major sideboob.

The mom-of-two put her svelte curves on display in the beautiful velvet chocolate gown which hugged her fit figure all the way to the floor.

Sexy details! She teamed the sultry look with a cross choker necklace which wrapped around her neck and sat high on her tan decolletage

Svelte selfie! The mom-of-two put her curves on display in a beautiful velvet chocolate gown -vintage Donna Karan - which hugged her fit figure and revealed major sideboob

She teamed the sexy look with a cross choker necklace which wrapped around her neck and sat high on her tan decolletage.

Kim appeared right at home as she filmed her glam session while tilting her cell phone to achieve different angles and vantage points to help show off her entire look.

At one point she stood in front of her lit up make-up mirror which showcased her lithe profile and chic tresses as she exclaimed, 'look at this ponytail.'

Getting glam: The brunette beauty addressed her Snapchat following as she said she was getting the 'finishing touches' from her celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton

Chic tresses! Kim's lengthy locks were styled into a sleek low ponytail - and wrapped with a velvet ribbon to match her dress - grazing the small of her trim back

Kim's lengthy locks were styled into a sleek low ponytail - and wrapped with a velvet ribbon to match her dress - grazing the small of her trim back.

In the image it was also hard not to notice the abundant supply of beauty products which were littered across the counter top.

Kim also noted that her make-up was done by 'Ariel' who appeared a few times during her snap story.

Bronzed goddess! Kim continued to share snaps from the backseat of a car as she headed to the ceremony adding the golden butterfly halo filter to her flawless look

The beautiful bronzed make-up look included Kim's usual thick lashes, a smokey eye, bronzed cheek bones, and a nude glossy pout.

Kim continued to share snaps from the backseat of a car adding the golden butterfly halo filter to her flawless look.

The stunning star said, 'I just want to say Pax I love you and I'm so happy for you guys.'

Backyard nuptials: As the night continued, so did Kim's snaps, even sharing a look as the happy couple walked down the aisle during the casual California ceremony

Selfie time! Even the Rabbi officiating the wedding stopped mid ceremony to get a close up with the brides

As the night continued, so did Kim's snaps, even sharing a look as the happy couple walked down the aisle during the backyard California ceremony.

Kim's story concluded with both brides being lifted into the air on chairs as they happily enjoyed the traditional Jewish ritual.

During the reception Kim was flanked by the brides as they made silly faces in a photo booth.

Mrs. West captioned the cute shot: 'Congrats to Erin & Stacy!!'

Kim appeared to be flying solo for the evening as her husband, Kanye West, didn't make an appearance in any of her social media posts.

Mazel Tov! Kim's story concluded with both brides being lifted into the air on chairs as they happily enjoyed the traditional Jewish ritual
After starring in musical hit Glee for six seasons, it's fair to reason that she has an appreciation for the art of song.

So it's no surprise that Lea Michele decided to attend Adele's concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The 29-year-old Scream Queens actress looked chic in a low cut black bodysuit paired with some high-waist leather pants.

Ladies night! Lea Michele decided to attend Adele's concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday

High heels sporting bead details completed the head-turning look.

She accessorized with a medium sized black leather purse, which she wore over her right shoulder, and some classic wayfarer-style shades.

Her long brunette locks were parted in the middle but otherwise left to cascade down past her shoulders.

Some nude lipstick and light blush ensured the beauty's visage was flawless for her night out.

Monotone: The 29-year-old Scream Queens actress looked chic in a low cut black bodysuit paired with some high-waist leather pants

Leaving it loose: Her long brunette locks were parted in the middle but otherwise left to cascade down past her shoulders

Of course Lea wasn't the only music fan to attend the highly anticipated event.

Bruno Mars, 30, and his model girlfriend Jessica Caban, 34, were also on hand to enjoy the festivities.

Bruno kept his outfit quite low-key, opting for a black button down with an intricate white pattern, black trousers and a white ball cap.

Stars were out: Bruno Mars, 30, and his model girlfriend Jessica Caban, 34, were also on hand to enjoy the festivities

Nothing fancy: Bruno kept his outfit quite low-key, opting for a black button down with an intricate white pattern, black trousers and a white ball cap

He also donned some geometric-frame sunglasses and a pair of black Nike trainers.

Girlfriend Jessica made a bit more of an impression thanks to her cheetah print jacket and thigh-high leather boots.

She also wore a white t-shirt with a rip in the hem and some black leggings.

While she carried her phone in her hand, she kept the rest of her belongings in a small, black alligator skin purse.
Shes been posing up a storm in a series of leggy photoshoots in Bondi this week.

And on Saturday, Ashley Hart stayed in the beachside Sydney suburb as she soaked up the winter sun while flaunting her pert posterior in skintight leather leggings.

The Australian model radiated sunshine as she strolled along the streets with a spring in her step, sporting her trademark glowing grin and cute dimples.

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Glowing: Ashley Hart she soaked up the winter sun in Bondi on Saturday

She teamed the curve-hugging pants with a well-fitting khaki jumper and black converse trainers while a bulky green jacket slung over her other shoulder.

The 28-year-old let her shoulder-length golden locks spill out of a white cowboy hat and hid her pretty face behind a pair of designer sunglasses.

She treated herself to an iced herbal tonic from the Orchard St cafe steps from Bondi Beach and decided to sit outside in the sun on a carpet-covered large wooden table.

Hard to miss: The 28-year-old flaunted her pert posterior in skintight leather leggings

Style star: She teamed the curve-hugging pants with a well-fitting khaki jumper and black converse trainers

Keeping it chic: The blonde beauty let her shoulder-length golden locks spill out of a white cowboy hat

Though the jet-black leggings covered her famously yoga-toned legs, they were tight enough to give onlookers a good look at her taut derriere as she bent over to rifle through her leather handbag.

But Ashley gave passers-by a little more than they bargained for when flashed her nether regions while awkwardly shuffling backwards as she tried to get comfortable.

After she eventually found a comfortable position while leaning against a wall, the face of Just Jeans cut a relaxed figure as she reclined across the table.

Out and about: She treated herself to an iced herbal tonic from the Orchard St cafe steps from Bondi Beach

Slender: The jet-black leggings covered her famously yoga-toned legs

Fitted: But they were tight enough to give onlookers a good look at her taut derriere as she bent over to rifle through her leather handbag

The weekend officially just started, she wrote to her 70,000 Instagram followers next to a snap of her enjoyed her chilled beverage.

She added to the hashtags offWork, InHeaven, healthy, sunshine and weekend.

After applying some eye drops, Ashley lay down on the table, using her bag as a pillow for some well-deserved rest.

Just chilling: Ashley decided to sit outside and enjoy the sunny day

Kicking back: The model relaxed as she enjoyed her day off in the beachside suburb

Cheeky: She gave passers-by a little more than they bargained for when flashed her nether regions while awkwardly shuffling backwards as she tried to get comfortable

Relaxed: After she eventually found a comfortable position leaning against a wall, the face of Just Jeans cut a relaxed figure as she reclined across the table

The blonde beauty had plenty to smile about as she celebrated her 28th birthday a week ago with close friends Renee Bargh and Stephanie McIntosh.

Taking to Instagram to document the moment, the blonde beauty flashed her toned thighs as she posed alongside her fellow Aussies in a short black dress

'I love love love you @reneebargh @stephiemcintosh_ #surpriseBDayDinner.'

Soaking it all up: After applying some eye drops, Ashley lay down on the table, using her bag as a pillow for some well-deserved rest
David Gest reportedly died after suffering a stroke.

The popular entertainer - who passed away in April this year, aged 62 - died of a stroke, according to US attorney Edward Bearman, who has been dealing with his estate.

Edward told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: 'I've been told David died from a stroke.'

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A stroke? David, 62, was found dead in a five-star hotel in London on April 12 and reportedly died of a stroke, according to US attorney Edward Bearman, who has been dealing with his estate

David was found dead in his hotel room on April 12, with police saying his death was being treated as 'non suspicious'.

According to The Sun Scotland Yard confirmed there would be no investigation into Gests death in his room at Londons Four Seasons Hotel.

A subsequent post-mortem said David died of 'natural causes'.

Gary Veazey, the executor of David's will, has confirmed the reason for his passing, saying: 'He died of a stroke.'

Natural death: Police confirmed his death was 'non suspicious' and will not be probed, while his funeral took place in the capital last month, his friends and family decided to scatter his ashes in York - where the US star had planned to move to

MailOnline have gone to his spokesperson for comment.

In May, David's bodyguard, Imad Handi, claimed to have heard the star suffer a fatal heart attack during their last phone conversation - four days before his body was found.

Imad - who was friends with David for 16 years - said he received a silent phone call, which he believes was the entertainer trying to ask for urgent help, in the days before his body was found.

He explained: 'I answered the phone and was like, 'Hello, hello, hello?', and I heard something smash on the floor.

Close friends: In May, David's bodyguard, Imad Handi, claimed to have heard the star suffer a fatal heart attack during their last phone conversation - four days before his body was found

'Part of me froze and then the phone went dead. Knowing David and his OCD I thought, 'He's dropped something on the floor, he's going to hang up and clean it up. He'll call me back'. Unfortunately he didn't call me back.

'I did try and call that evening and on Saturday and there was no answer. I believe he passed away on the Friday.'

The ashes of David were scattered in a small ceremony in York.

Tourist attraction Clifford's Tower was closed for a day to allow the service to take place in private, with 20 close friends and family members in attendance, including David's sister Barbara Gerber, who gave a reading.

Final resting place: The ashes of David Gest were scattered in a private ceremony in York. Tourist attraction Clifford's Tower was closed for a day to allow the service to take place

The small ceremony comes after a funeral was held for the US star on April 29 at Golders Green crematorium in London, which was attended by a large number of his UK celebrity friends.

According to friends he was planning to move to York in the weeks before his death, a city he previously said he'd like to die in.

After a pastor led a short service on the turret, the ashes were tipped to the grass below as guests released white doves and balloons from the tourist attraction which overlooks the flat to which David had moved all his possessions the weekend before he died.

Imad explained: 'He said that in his estate if he passed away he just wanted somewhere nice in York. We decided it was a peaceful place.'

A spokesman for English Heritage, custodians of the tower, added: 'We were approached by David Gest's family who asked if they could scatter his ashes from the top of Clifford's Tower in a small, private memorial.

'As he was an adopted son of York, we thought it an appropriate thing to do for his family.'

The Celebrity Big Brother star previously said of York: 'I've lived in New York, Beverly Hills, I still have property in Hawaii, I lived in Claridge's for two years. But here it's so special.

'When you have the Minster, all other churches fade by comparison. It has an elite beauty and the people are so special. I think I'd like to die here.'

With the scattering of his ashes, it had been revealed that David's request for his favourite sandwich shop to be his resting place was the star's final joke.

Small service: After a pastor led a short service on the turret, the ashes were tipped to the grass below as guests released white doves and balloons from the tourist attraction

During his frequent visits to York, Gest had been a regular at York Hog Roast, now called the York Roast Company, where he liked to eat standing up at the counter at the smaller of the two shops in Stonegate.

Twelve days before his death, he said in a BBC interview that he wanted his ashes scattered outside the shop.

Thinking that was what he would have wanted, David's pal and York Roast boss Wayne Chadwick had been waiting to receive the remains.

Following the funeral at Golders Green, hog roast boss Mr Chadwick planned to install the ashes in a disused part of the shop with a fireplace where the scattering could take place rather than out in the street.

Home city: Clifford's Tower overlooks the flat to which David had moved all his possessions the weekend before he died

But Mr Chadwick said he had not been told about the ceremony and had assumed the scattering would take place at the shop.

'On the other hand, David always was a bit of a joker. It was an interview he gave on the BBC which started all this off so I don't know exactly what was in the will,' he said.

'I had been asking what was going to happen but was told the decision was going to be taken by the estate.

'I am a bit disappointed. But we don't have any rights over what was to happen to the ashes and if his inner circle wanted to scatter them without any publicity I can understand that.

'There were practical difficulties in disposing of the ashes in a land-locked shop so from a respect point of view I wanted to leave the final decision to David's friends and family.'
He has turned to a life of crime after being placed on the sex offenders register.

And EastEnders' Jay Brown (played by Jamie Borthwick) will find a whole new world of troubles when his adopted father's partner Honey Mitchell (played by Emma Barton) discovers his stash of drugs.

In shocking scenes, the stunned mother-of-two is seen bewildered as she discovers a small sachet containing white powder, which is part of Jay's store from his drugs to sell - although he has been sampling his own product.

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Shocking: EastEnders' Jay Brown (played by Jamie Borthwick) will find a whole new world of troubles when his adopted father's partner Honey Mitchell (played by Emma Barton) discovers his stash of drugs

Viewers have seen Jay descend into a downward spiral after his relationship with Linzi Bragg, an underage school girl, was exposed.

The dramatic storyline led to his arrest and sentence to undertake 150 hours unpaid work and placement on the sex offenders register for five years.

After he struggles to find forgiveness or work, Jay turned to Roxy Mitchell to find work as a drug dealer, yet winds up taking more drugs than those he sold.

Discovery: In shocking scenes, the stunned mother-of-two is seen bewildered as she discovers a small sachet containing white powder, which is part of Jay's store from his drugs to sell - although he has been sampling his own product

Saddened: Viewers have seen Jay descend into a downward spiral after his relationship with Linzi Bragg, an underage school girl, was exposed

Ben Mitchell (played by Harry Reid) previously confronted Jay about his habit, begging him to quit the life-threatening substance, while his adoptive father Billy (played by Perry Fenwick) has also urged him to kick the habit.

While the advice appears to have fallen on deaf ears, Honey's discovery could lead to a whole other world of troubles for Jay as she will undoubtedly rage over the proximity of her children to the drugs.

Actor Jamie recently spoke out about his series of dramatic storylines, particularly his shocking relationship with Linzi and subsequent arrest.

Troubles ahead: Ben Mitchell (played by Harry Reid) previously confronted Jay about his habit, begging him to quit the life-threatening substance, while his adoptive father Billy (played by Perry Fenwick) has also urged him to kick the habit

When asked if the scenes were difficult to shoot, he candidly stated: 'Not really, I have to say.

'Everyone has approached me... When they're saying about it, they're kind of saying it in a bit of a negative: "Oh, it must have been hard, I don't like that".'

The harrowing scenes will air on BBC1 on 22 August.
With starring roles in Suicide Squad, Wolf of Wall Street and The Legend of Tarzan, Margot Robbie has Hollywood well and truly under her spell.

And now a new generation of up-and-coming Australian soap stars are trying to emulate the success of the ex-Neighbours actress.

Olympia Valance, Mavournee Hazel and Lilly Van Der Meer - all of whom are causing a stir on Neighbours, are trying to follow in their role model's footsteps.

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Role model: Neighbours star Olympia Valance (left) is trying to emulate the success of Margot Robbie (right)

Lilly, who plays Xanthe Canning on the show, has even been touted as the new Margot thanks, in part, to her upbringing in the same Gold Coast neighbourhood.

The 16-year-old has previously told the Courier Mail how she has been spurred on by the blonde beauty's success.

'I love watching all her films, and it's so encouraging to see how well she has done,' she said.

Rising star: Lilly Van Der Meer (pictured) has also expressed an interest in moving to LA

Sister act: Olympia (left), whose is blessed with the same incredible looks as her older sister Holly Candy (nee Valance), is also making waves on the popular soap

'I love where I am right now. Neighbours is so amazing and I always wanted to be a part of a show like this.'

Olympia, whose is blessed with the same incredible looks as her older sister Holly Candy (nee Valance), is also making waves on the popular soap.

The brunette beauty has already been scouted by the same Hollywood agents that look after Chris and Liam Hemsworth.

She has not ruled out a move to Tinseltown and all eyes will be on the 23-year-old when her contract runs out early next year.

Making waves: Olympia has already been scouted by the same Hollywood agents that look after Chris and Liam Hemsworth

Popular: With starring roles in Suicide Squad (pictured), Wolf of Wall Street and The Legend of Tarzan, Margot Robbie has Hollywood well and truly under her spell

Olympia, who plays Paige Smith on the show, has previously told Sydney Morning Herald how she would 'love' to try something different and star in a movie.

'LA might be down the line,' she said.

Mavournee has also spoken about how she strives to match Margot's work ethic on the Neighbours set.

She told news.com.au: 'Margot's work ethic (on Neighbours) was impeccable. She always arrived on set knowing her lines.

'Being where Margot has been I'm trying to replicate that.'
She's the outspoken reality star who's never afraid to voice her opinion.

But on Friday, the posts on Laurina Fleure's various social media accounts took an extreme turn, even by the unfiltered star's standards.

It turns out that the 32-year-old was hacked, according to Mamamia, leaving The Bachelor babe with no choice but to delete all of her tweets.

Security breach! Laurina Fleure's social media accounts were hacked by a cyber troll

After clearing her account, the brunette beauty wrote: 'My Instagram and Twitter was just hacked, please ignore until I can take back my accounts, thanks.'

The mystery hacker wrote a string of shocking messages across Laurina's social media platforms, including 'This meth is driving me crazy!'

Since placing third on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! earlier this year, Laurina has kept a relatively low profile.

Cleaning house: The 32-year-old was forced to delete all her tweets, before sending out a solitary tweet to inform her followers of what had taken place

For the most part, she's kept away from the red carpet, instead choosing to spend time with her businessman beau, Lewis Romano.

In June, the pair jetted off to Italy for a romantic European vacation.

Before that, Laurina was in China to examine stock for her online clothing store, Pialia Boutique.

'This meth is driving me crazy!' The mystery hacker shared several shocking messages to the reality TV star's various social media accounts

Earlier this month, she made her long-awaited return to the small screen by starring in an episode of Family Feud All Stars.

The bombshell beauty teamed up with her I'm a Celebrity co-stars to compete against The Real Housewives of Melbourne to raise money for charity.

Despite trying her best, the star ultimately lost out to the Housewives, with Janet Roach taking home a well-deserved $30,000 for her own charity, The Roach Foundation.
She has always been known to make a flirty fashion statement.

And Paris Hilton made no exceptions as she turned out for a DJ-ing gig in Ibiza on Saturday before partying the night away at a foam party later in the evening.

The 35-year-old hotel heiress went for a garish display as she slipped into a skin-tight white mini dress adorned with images of Emoji icons while also rocking a playful cat-ear headband.

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Glamorous: Paris Hilton turned out for a DJ-ing gig in Ibiza on Saturday before partying the night away at a foam party later in the evening

Paris, who soared to fame as a party-loving socialite, has forged a career as a successful international DJ, with Ibiza being one of her favoured spots, where she is hosting a residency at the famed Amnesia nightclub throughout summer.

As she arrived at the party, the blonde beauty showed off her phenomenal figure in the tight white dress which was emblazoned with images of the colourful emoticons, popular in texting.

Ensuring she kept the entire look uber-playful and super-glamorous, she sported pink glittery heels which boosted her famously statuesque height.

Adding to the sexy look was a cat-ear headband which saw pointed ears adorned with multi-coloured flowers to further enhance the bold ensemble.

Sexy stuff: The 35-year-old hotel heiress went for a garish display as she slipped into a skin-tight white mini dress adorned with images of Emoji icons while also rocking a playful cat-ear headband

Stunner: Paris, who soared to fame as a party-loving socialite, has forged a career as a successful international DJ, with Ibiza being one of her favoured spots, where she is hosting a residency at the famed Amnesia nightclub throughout summer

Her blonde tresses were worn in bouncy waves cascading over her shoulder and perfectly coiffed to add to her polished look while her make-up was flawlessly applied.

She partially shielded her flawlessly made-up face with a pair of round sunglasses which coordinated flawlessly with her over-sized diamond stud earrings.

Never one to be understated, Paris turned up in a car adorned with her own image - ensuring she made maximum impact upon arrival.

Sexy: As she arrived at the party, the blonde beauty showed off her phenomenal figure in the tight white dress which was emblazoned with images of the colourful emoticons, popular in texting

Chic: Her blonde tresses were worn in bouncy waves cascading over her shoulder and perfectly coiffed to add to her polished look while her make-up was flawlessly applied

Paris, who has been DJing to packed crowds every Saturday night at Amnesia during the island's party season, will perform her last set behind the decks on September 3, 2016.

Earlier this month, it emerged that the heiress was planning to launch a chain of luxury hotels branded in her name, starting in Dubai, New York and Las Vegas.

Inspiration for the project is said to have come from her existing involvement in designing a series of beach clubs in the Philippines.

Whey! Paris, who has been DJing to packed crowds every Saturday night at Amnesia during the island's party season, will perform her last set behind the decks on September 3, 2016

Snap happy: Earlier this month, it emerged that the heiress was planning to launch a chain of luxury hotels branded in her name, starting in Dubai, New York and Las Vegas

Paris jetted to Ibiza at the start of the summer following her split from Austrian businessman Thomas Gross in April.

She started dating the 40-year-old after meeting at the Cannes Film Festival last May, and was rumoured to have relocated to Europe to be closer to him.

However, Life & Style magazine cited 'work schedules and long distance' for the breakdown of their relationship, insisting that the pair have remained friends.
He sent his fans into an absolute frenzy when he posted a photo of his freshly-cut luscious locks in a pile on the floor on Saturday, as he announced he'd had a haircut.

But now 5 Seconds Of Summer drummer Ashton Irwin is enjoying the more familiar feeling of praise, as he shared the first photo of his new do - much to the pleasure of his adoring fans.

After an overwhelmingly negative response after announcing he'd had a chop, his followers seem to have changed their tune.

'Oh, that really does suit you': Fans of 5SOS's Ashton Irwin have gushed over the 22-year-old's new do after going into meltdown when he announced he'd had a chop hours before

The 22-year-old shared two photos later on Saturday, flaunting his new do.

One was a black and white snap in which his shorter tresses were wet and tousled, and the other showed the Australian musician sitting in a hotel room holding his drumsticks.

The two posts have drawn thousands of likes and comments from his 4.8 million followers, many of which are gushing over the handsome musician.

'I wanna touch it omg': His adoring fans have clearly decided they're still in love with his look, gushing over the handsome musician once again

One follower simply commented: 'So cute, I die', while another wrote: 'I'm so in love with you that it effects my everyday life'.

And another seemed to acknowledge the negative reaction from earlier in the day, writing: 'Oh, that really does suit you' next to a crying with laughter emoji face.

And one eager fan couldn't contain their excitement, commenting: 'I wanna touch it omg'.

'I wasn't ready for this': Many of Ashton's fans appeared distressed at the turn of events, commenting on this photo in shock and disappointment earlier on Saturday

The comments could not be more different to the reaction garnered earlier in the day.

One fan had commented: 'Ash you can't do that to me.. Please grow it back.. I'm crying rn (right now).'

Meanwhile, another wrote: 'I wasn't ready for this' in uppercase for dramatic emphasis.

And hundreds of others shared their dismay by writing several variations of 'noooooo', 'what' and 'oh my god.'

The star excitedly told his followers: 'I have short hair for the first time since I was approximately 8 years old'.

Making the chop! He seemed to pull a move similar to that of Harry Styles - cutting off his long locks, much to his fans dismay

Similarly, One Direction's Harry Styles sent his fans into a frenzy when he chopped off his signature tousled locks in May.

He shortened 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 celebrated their success from humble beginnings with a new tattoo laced with symbolism.

A change: The 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

The drummer revealed the meaning behind the black bird with its wings outstretched 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.

'It represents bravery': Ashton recently revealed the meaning behind his new black condor tattoo on the back of his neck

No stranger to tattoos, Ashton took to Instagram to share a photo of his latest mark, accompanied by lyrics from the movie High School Musical.

'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.

Can't please them all! The talented drummer has sported a variety of haircuts since finding fame, however his fans have come to love his longer locks

Another one: Ashton also has a love heart design tattoo on his left wrist

In the black and white image, Ashton wore a black singlet and the back of his neck was visible as he sat in a chair while a tattoo artist got to work.

The wings of the bird are outstretched and almost cover the width of his neck.

Ashton also has a tattoo on his 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
They've been putting on a united front since his release from prison in May.

And Samantha Harris looked delighted to be soaking up the sunshine with her fiance Luke Hunt as they snapped a beach selfie on Sunday.

The 26-year-old model appeared to be wearing a black bikini as she cuddled up to her shirtless beau in the lovely picture.

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Soaking it up: Samantha Harris looked delighted to be spending a day at the beach with her fiance Luke Hunt who was released from jail in May as they snapped a selfie on Sunday

The Indigenous model took to Instagram to post the image and captioned the shot: 'Beautiful day at the beach'.

Luke wrapped his tattooed arm around the brunette beauty as they both flashed a smile to the camera while standing on a rocky shoreline.

Samantha has been posting plenty of smitten snaps with her beau and things appear to be going well for them.

Birthday date! In July she celebrated turning 26 and in one happy snap posed alongside her handsome beau before enjoying some refreshing cocktails and a single pizza

Spoilt: The Australian model added another image of herself holding onto a large bouquet of white roses, while looking glamorous in a chic white top and a grey skirt

Earlier in the month, the fit duo posed with coconuts as they celebrated completing The Barnardos Beach Bolt on Coogee beach.

In July, Samantha celebrated turning 26 and in one happy snap posed alongside her handsome beau before enjoying some refreshing cocktails and a single pizza.

She also added another image of herself holding onto a large bouquet of white roses, while looking glamorous in a chic white top and a grey skirt.

Her birthday this year marks the first time in two years that she has celebrated with her soon-to-be husband Luke Hunt.

Back on track: Her birthday this year marks the first time in two years that she has celebrated with her soon-to-be husband Luke Hunt

Tough times: He was released from prison in May after serving two years behind bars

He was released from prison in May after serving two years behind bars.

In 2014, he was sentenced to four years in prison over the death of Kenneth Lay, 78, in a car accident in 2012.

Luke pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, which caused the death of Kenneth Lay after it was revealed that he was driving at 95km/h in a 60km/h zone.

The couple confirmed last month that the wedding is still on months after his release.
She's the new stylish 'it' girl of Hollywood, who was whisked off on a date by Justin Bieber last month.

And it is not difficult to see why Nicola Peltz caught the pop sensation's eye, as she flaunted her sensationally leggy frame at the elite Just Jared Summer Bash on Saturday.

The actress, 21, looked stunning in some dressed-down denim shorts as she headed home with friends from the annual star-studded pool party in Beverly Hills, California.

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Casual chic: Nicola Peltz, 21, looked stunning in a dressed-down shorts and crop top ensemble as she left the Just Jared Summer Party in Beverly Hills on Saturday

The Transformers star flaunted her seemingly endless pins for all to see in a pair of very short vintage-style denim shorts.

The trendy cut-offs, following a high-waisted style, cinched in at her waist to show off her enviably slender figure.

Nicola paired the shorts with an equally casual crisp white cropped tee, making for an effortlessly stylish and cool look.

Adding a hint of glamour, the New York born star paired the outfit with some camel suede stilettos, with cut out sides and a pointed toe.

Check those pins! The youthful Transformers star flaunted her seemingly endless legs for all to see in a pair of very short vintage-style denim shorts

Hint of glamour: Nicola paired the shorts with an equally casual crisp white cropped tee and some camel suede stilettos, making for an effortlessly stylish and cool look

She accessorised only with a tiny matching brown suede bag, maintaining the dressed down vibe of the outfit.

While her clothing remained laid back, the New York-born blonde retained her usual glamour in her makeup and hair.

Nicola, who made her acting breakthrough in the 2010 blockbuster The Last Airbender, opted for a sultry smoky eye and showed off a clear, glowing complexion.

Leaving her blonde hair hanging naturally around her shoulders, the actress looked completely relaxed and care-free as she left the party with her friends.

The look proves the star can nail both casual and glitzy looks, more often seen dressed up to the nines in sexier ensembles on the red carpet.

Stunner: Nicola opted for a sultry smoky eye and showed off a clear, glowing complexion, retaining her usual red-carpet glamour in her cosmetics

Nicola hit headlines last month, when she was spotted on a dinner date with Justin Bieber, 22, at Mastro's Steakhouse in California.

Little is known about the pair's relationship, but they both attended the Saint Laurent event at the Hollywood Palladium back in February.

Nicola is best known for her work playing the daughter of Mark Wahlberg's character in the 2014 action flick Transformers: Age Of Extinction.

She also starred in the A&E mystery drama Bates Motel alongside Freddie Highmore.

The actress is next set to star in is sci-drama Our House, alongside Thomas Mann, whose character loses his parents in a car crash, forcing him to leave MIT to work on an experiment and care for his siblings.
Roxy Jacenko hit back at 60 Minutes presenter Allison Langdon after the reporter questioned whether there may be 'cynicism' over her breast cancer battle.

The defiant mother-of-two snapped at the reporter to 'change your friends' in a preview for the fiery interview, which is due to air next Sunday.

Her outburst came after Allison told Roxy some 'normal' people may have questioned the timing of her cancer battle - just weeks after her husband Oliver Curtis was jailed.

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Defiant: PR queen Roxy Jacenko hit back at 60 Minutes presenter Allison Langdon after the journalist suggested there was 'cynicism' over her breast cancer diagnosis

'Well they're not normal Alison, change your friends,' Roxy said.

'You've got too much time on your hands if you say that. I don't really give a f*** what they think on my timing.

'They can say that, the reality is, it's not something that I ever thought I would face.'

Fiery: Roxy snapped at 60 Minutes presenter Allison Langdon (pictured) to 'change your friends'

The founder of Sweaty Betty PR, 36, insisted she did not think she had an image problem.

Last month she revealed that she had discovered a lump in her breast - three weeks after Curtis was sentenced to two years in jail for insider trading.

Roxy has since confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that she will undergo radiation therapy.

In the 60 Minutes clip, Roxy was seen being pushed through a ward on a hospital bed before the camera panned to an operating theatre.

Heated exchange: Her outburst came after Allison told Roxy many 'normal' people questioned the timing of her cancer battle

Battle: In the 60 Minutes clip, Roxy was seen being pushed through a ward on a hospital bed

She also opened up about how her investment banker husband's jail-term has left her as a single mother.

Despite her turbulent past few months, Roxy said she is determined to keep life as normal as possible for her five-year-old daughter Pixie and two-year-old Hunter.

'It is what it is. I'm unfortunately the person who has got the cancer, my husband is in jail and I'm now a single mother,' she told the program.

'I can't believe I'm even in this position. I don't want to let down the children.

Treatment: She revealed the news of her breast cancer diagnosis last month and has since confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that she will undergo radiation therapy

Challenge: She also opened up about how her investment banker husband Oliver Curtis' jail-term for insider-trading has left her as a single mother

'There is me and only me. So if got an obligation to all of those people to keep running, in heels.'

Roxy also discussed her husband's conviction and two-year jail sentence.

When asked what Curtis had told her about what happened, she replied: 'We don't discuss it.

'He's got no reason to lie to me.'

Jailed: Curtis, 31, is serving a two year sentence in Parklea Prison alongside the likes of Brothers 4 Life gang members

Curtis, 31, is serving a two year sentence in Parklea Prison alongside the likes of Brothers 4 Life gang members.

Roxy is not thought to have been paid for the story, according to reports.

She is currently enjoying a luxury getaway in Hong Kong with her two children.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting that Roxy took advantage of the timing of her breast cancer announcement.

PR maven: The founder of Sweaty Betty PR, 36, insisted she did not think she had an image problem
They have been enjoying a sun-soaked trip to the Caribbean to celebrate Kylie Jenner's birthday.

However it appears it is time for their idyllic holiday to come to an end, as Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin and Bella Hadid were spotted heading home on Sunday.

The model pals looked a little blue as they packed their bikinis away, opting for casual, comfy clothing instead to board their private jet back to LAX.

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Home time: Kendall Jenner, 20, Hailey Baldwin and Bella Hadid, both 19, headed home from their idyllic Caribbean break celebrating Kylie Jenner's birthday on Sunday

Kendall, 20, still managed to show off her incredible model figure, enhancing her washboard stomach and lengthy pins in some high-waisted black leggings with mesh panels and a plain white crop top.

She shielded her face from the sunshine with a stylish black cap and carried with her a large, glamorous red holdall.

She boarded the plane alongside Gigi Hadid's model sister Bella, 19, who dressed herself a more colourful candy pink tracksuit, with the hoody tied around her waist.

In a bid to catch the last rays of Caribbean sunshine, the brunette model revealed her shoulders in a black bardot-style top, showing off the golden tan picked up on the girly getaway.

Comfort over style: All three girls opted for tracksuit style clothing and trainers as they boarded their private jet back to LAX

Both the girls opted for co-ordinating all black and white trainers, opting for comfort instead of glamour for their long journey.

Meanwhile Hailey covered herself in an oversized burgundy hoody as she headed for the flight home, armed with her phone and a bottle of water.

Despite dressing down in the sporty tracksuit jacket, the 19-year-old model did not fail to keep the look trendy with some funky hot pink high-top trainers.

Model material: Kendall still managed to show off her incredible figure, enhancing her washboard stomach and lengthy pins with some high-waisted black leggings

Flying high: Meanwhile the birthday girl herself Kylie seemingly flew home in a different private jet with a selection of other pals, including troublesome beau Tyga

Home sweet home: Kendall was spotted arriving at Van Nuys Airport in LA on Sunday

The model pals have been well-documenting their holiday to Turks and Caicos on their social media pages, as they celebrate the youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan Kylie turning 19.

Yet, despite the trip being in celebration of her birthday, Kylie herself was nowhere to be seen, having boarded a different plane the same day with beau Tyga and some other friends according to her Instagram.

The idyllic trip saw more than one reason to celebrate however, with Kendall revealing her new Vogue cover while away.

The model was presented with a cake bearing the a picture of the cover image to by her friends to celebrate the huge achievement while on the trip.

Touch down: The group was covered up in hoodies as they descended the steps

That was fun: The group seemed happy and perhaps a little tired after their long journey home

It takes the cake! To celebrate landing the coveted Vogue cover Kendall Jenner indulged in a cake emblazoned with her greatest triumph on Thursday

Her pal Bella Hadid shared an image of the moment Kendall was presented with the cake, writing on Snapchat: 'Congrats Kenny we love u'.

On Thursday, the magazine and the Keeping Up With The Kardashians celebrity simultaneously revealed on social media that she had not only made her cover debut, she had done so on its September issue.

Unable to contain her excitement, Kendall took to Instagram to celebrate while in the Bahamas for her sister Kylie's birthday.

The 20-year-old model was presented with a confection bearing the Vogue cover image by her friends while in the Caribbean, celebrating her sister Kylie's 19th birthday

The model said on Instagram: 'In a room with a bunch of people I love, looking at this cover made me cry. I F**KING DID IT. SEPTEMBER VOGUE. 'This is the coolest thing ever! can't thank you enough Anna, for giving me the honor.'

Wearing a matador-inspired couture ensemble from Gucci which featured just a jacket and pants, her hair falling over one side of her face and her mouth slightly open, Kendall pulled a classic Vogue pose on the cover.

Shot by the magazine's dream team, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, the cover is all about Kendall.

Fashion's biggest star: Kendall is the September issue of Vogue's cover girl, it was revealed Thursday

Vogue declares that it is 'Generation K' and bills the issue as 'Kendall Jenner: The face that launched a billion likes.'

While her big sister Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were the first in the family to be on the cover of US Vogue back in 2014, the couple were on the April issue not the coveted September issue.

September has long been held as the premiere release of any magazine as it the biggest and celebrates the trends for the following year.

Speaking on her app, Kendall said the cover was a dream come true: 'I'm so honored and excited about this huge career milestone.

'Thank you to everyone who was a part of this - including my family and friends for always supporting me, and, of course, my fans who have been with me through everything. I couldn't have done it without your support. I love you all! '

The star also revealed she went through a sudden style change: 'One day, we shot at the craziest house in Beverly Hills with a lake in the backyard. They asked me to cut my hair and, of course, I agreed!'

Fashion queen: Shot by the magazine's dream team, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, the spread was a mixture of sleek pictures as well as more dramatic yet whimsical images like this one

Behind the scenes: Kendall's hair was cut mid-shoot by famed stylist Garren - so of course she said yes to the chop

For the issue's cover story, Kendall sat down with writer Jonathan Van Meter to discuss how she became the breakout model of her generation.

But it was Kim who explained to Vogue how her little sister went from reality star to one of the biggest models in the fashion industry.

Kim said the the article: 'She had her eyes focused on exactly what she wanted to do and she made it happen.'

Adding more likes: The 20-year-old took to Snapchat to tell fans of her big news on Thursday

She's got them licked! Kendall used the dog filter and yelled: 'Go check my Instagram.... because I'm on the cover of September Vogue and I cant wait I'm so excited'

Proud pal: The star was in bed with bestie and fellow model Hailey Baldwin who was also for excited for Kendall's big debut

That not only included becoming a legitimate model but also avoiding being famous for being famous - like her older sisters.

Kendall said: 'Obviously, my success came after my sisters' - I got to see all of their mistakes and watch out for them.'

Kendall had time to think about where she wanted to go, as the model says she spent a lot of time at home alone playing video games.

'I remember crying in my bedroom about the fact that Kylie had so many friends and I didn't.'

Kendall and Kylie are now, of course, each other's best friends supporting each other as they grew up famous.

The model told the magazine that she and her 19-year-old sister pride themselves of not being those 'crazy' Jenner sisters.

Secret loner: The 20-year-old revealed she often sat in her room playing video games and cried that sister Kylie (pictured Wednesday in the Bahamas) had more friends than her

'You would expect that from us': The model told the magazine that she and her 19-year-old sister pride themselves of not being those 'crazy' Jenner sisters

'If I'm being honest, my little sister and I have every right to go crazy. You would expect that from us. But neither of us has the desire to do that.

'I think it says a lot about the way we were raised. Not even just by my parents, but my Kardashian sisters and what they've taught us. My parents did something right, and thank god.'

Speaking of her father, Caitlin Jenner, the star confessed when Cait decided to transition from Bruce she was upset as her dad had made her feel it was alright to be a Tomboy and now Cait is as glamorous as her Kardashian half-sisters.

During the interview, Kendall slips a few times calling Caitlyn 'he' instead of 'she'.

'It's super ironic to think about now, but it's something I can thank my dad for: how much of a tomboy I was.

'That's why I think the whole thing - her transition -was really hard for me, because I was like, ''But you taught me everything tomboy!''

'I knew it was going to have its rough phase but it's all super normal now.'

'I get emotional': Speaking of her father, Caitlin Jenner, the star confessed when Cait decided to transition from Bruce she was upset as her dad had made her feel it was alright to be a Tomboy and now Cait is as glamorous as her Kardashian half-sisters (pictured February)

Moving on: The catwalk star said she has moved past her sadness as, 'You have to get past it, you've got a new person to love'. Cait is seen here Tuesday

'She knew': While Kris has often said she was unaware that her husband, then Bruce Jenner, was transgender, Kendall said her mom was aware from their third date that he liked to dress as a woman

The model also revealed that her mum knew that her father at the very least dressed as a woman.

'My mom knew. She knew since their third date.'

Kendall confessed since her father came out as trans she has struggled with the notion of gender.

'I want to be careful about how I say this because I don't want it to come off wrong, because I've never said this out loud, but I have recently . . . even when I say ''him'' or ''her'' about someone who is clearly a guy or clearly a girl - even with my mom - I second-guess it now because of my dad.'

But Cait has helped them all grow as a family, Kendall said.

'We're very accepting of people and of being different and being who you are. We're not judgmental. But obviously it's strange having your dad, who was so male, completely reverse. It is definitely a gnarly experience.'

Likes her private life: Besides being a loner and being jealous of Kylie's ability to make friends, Kendall also revealed she always felt a little different to Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian (seen here February)

The 20-year-old said she loves to escape the attention whenever she can as the world's glare can get on top of her.

'And the second that I feel it getting the better of me, I have to go chill myself out- go take a bath or something to, like, disconnect from it. It keeps you real and sane and humble.'

However being part of the Kardashian world and being judged all the time is tough, she said, has made her and her sisters stronger.

Came at a cost: Big sister Kim (pictured last month) told Vogue that the fact Kendall grew up on a reality show has been a hindrance rather than a help, 'Coming from a reality show, people look down on that - a lot of people in the fashion industry don't respect that world'

'This is going to be embarrassing': Kendall also feared she would not be taken seriously but now she sits next to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Vogue's creative director Grace Coddington (pictured September) in the front row of shows - if she isn't walking in it

'People say a lot of what they think, and it's not always positive. And we never say anything.

'One of the best lessons I ever learned from my sisters is not to take everything so seriously. Just leave it alone - it will pass in a week. That's how I grew up.

'My sisters are so f**king strong, and they taught me and my little sister to just toughen up and not let it affect us. You know what's real.'

The star: Kendall was on the cover of a special edition that was given to New York and Los Angeles subscribers that was sent out with the April edition

Where she came from and who her sisters were, of course, almost cost her that dream and say many in the industry be critical of Kendall's rise to model stardom.

Sister Kim said Kendall was definitely looked down on: 'I think being a Kardashian worked against her. Coming from a reality show, people look down on that - a lot of people in the fashion industry don't respect that world.'

Kendall also feared she would not be taken seriously: 'Two years ago, when I first started this, I thought: This is going to be so embarrassing. No one is going to accept me, and it's going to be a complete failure. '

One for the first to book her in a major show was Marc Jacobs and the designer said it had nothing to do with her being a Kardashian.

'We wanted to book her on her merit as a model not because she's a Kardashian. Every bit of her success is a testament to her hard work and her passion,' he told Vogue.'

But the success has also seen the model's loner status return: 'I don't think that people understand how lonely it can be.

'All you're doing is traveling the world by yourself to do a job and then go back to your hotel by yourself. It's a different life than you imagined.'

'Her life now is something that I want my life to be like': Kendall wants to be the next Cindy Crawford and make this her career for life, just as the supermodel (seen here May) has done

On merit: One for the first to book her in a major show was Marc Jacobs (pictured 2014) and the designer said it had nothing to do with her being a Kardashian

That said, Kendall wants to be the next Cindy Crawford and make this her career for life.

'This is a career - I want this to last for a long time. Not that I won't venture out and do other things, but I want this to be like a Cindy Crawford thing: I want it to last until I am her age.

'That's why I love her so much and why I look up to her: Her life now is something that I want my life to be like.'
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Lindsay Lohan's former fiance Egor Tarabasov has been seen living it up on a yacht in St Tropez with a blonde companion - just weeks after he was pictured embroiled in a bitter row with the actress.

The billionaire Russian looked worlds away from his troubles as he stripped down to his swimwear to enjoy a dip in the cooling waters while he was surrounded by a group of female pals.

The handsome playboy was previously pictured in a terrifying fight with Lindsay, 30, as they battled for the possession of a phone during a sun-soaked getaway to Mykonos, Greece.

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Having a dip: Lindsay Lohan's former fiance Egor Tarabasov has been seen living it up on a yacht in St Tropez with a female companion - just weeks after he was pictured embroiled in a bitter row with the actress

Egor looked totally carefree as he larked around on the yacht in a pair of bright red swimming trunks while showing off his buff body. His tanned physique was undoubtedly the result of his many sun-drenched getaways.

While the handsome hunk undoubtedly has a body to be proud of, his blonde companion opted for a black one-piece with cut-out sections.

She and Egor threw themselves into their aquatic fun as she peeled on a snorkel while he opted to merely dip his feet in before fully immersing himself in the waters later on.

Another pal was seen sporting a blood orange swimming costume with a derriere-enhancing high rise hip detailing.

Dipping in: The billionaire Russian looked worlds away from his troubles as he stripped down to his swimwear to enjoy a dip in the cooling waters while he was surrounded his pals

Moving on? While the handsome hunk undoubtedly has a body to be proud of, his blonde companion wore a fashion forward black swimsuit

Bold: While Egor was rocking out on his boat, Lindsay was also soaking up the sun as she took to Instagram to share a sexy snap with her 4.8million Instagram followers

Fun in the sun! Egor had a towel to hand as his blonde pal looked out to sea

Getting his tan on: Egor showed off a deep tan as he spoke to a crew member

Later in the day, he slipped into a casual look off the deck as he remained in his red shorts while pulling on a crew neck cornflower blue T-shirt while rocking red boat shoes to complement his seaside look.

While Egor was rocking out on his boat, Lindsay was also soaking up the sun as she took to Instagram to share a sexy snap with her 4.8million Instagram followers. Her defiant snap appeared to prove her enjoyment away from her ex.

Images emerged late last month of a violent beach fight with Lindsay. In her only interview since another terrifying episode two weeks ago, this time in London, Lohan admitted that the relationship she had hoped would bring marriage and children is violent, unstable and at an end  for the moment at least.

Water good time! The blonde friend and Egor threw themselves into their aquatic fun as she peeled on a snorkel while he opted to merely dip his feet in before fully immersing himself in the waters later on

Buff beach bodies: Egor and his pal were showing off their bodies with pride as they lived it up

Taking the plunge! After a tanning session, he was then ready to brave the waters while wearing professional-looking goggles

Sun-shining: Egor was seen wearing a hat emblazoned 'Make Mykonos great again' - a thinly-veiled reminder of his fracas with Lindsay which happened on the Greek island

Cooling off: He hosed himself down after the salty dip as the group enjoyed the life of luxury aboard the boat

Stylish: The mystery blonde wore a black cut-out swimsuit showing off her long lean physique

Time for a snorkel? Egor's pal put on a mask before jumping into the ocean

She told the Mail On Sunday: 'I realise now you can't stay in a relationship just for love. No woman can be hit and stay with that person if that person isn't prepared to say sorry.'

Last month Lindsay also sparked speculation she is expecting a baby after tweeting a photo of herself with a fake baby bump from her 2009 film Labour Pains, writing: 'I am pregnant.'

However best friend Hofit Golan - with whom she is currently holidayuing in Sardinia - went on record last week to insist the former child star is not pregnant.

'Its unfortunate that other people in her life, Im not going to name names, are confirming shes pregnant, which shes not.' she told Us Weekly.

Champagne lifestyle: Following their snorkel Egor and his pal rejoined his pals who were enjoying a sip of the bubbly

Tan lines: Both Egor and his pal showed off impressive tan lines

Keeping hydrated: The heir sipped on a drink of his choice

Drying off: Egor rubbed his face with a towel as his pal watched the fun in the water

Jumping in! The blonde took a plunge in the deep blue ocean

Baywatch: Egor modelled the lifeguard look as he lounged on the ship
He's the original Bachelor and fitness fanatic founder of The Robards Method.

And Tim Robards was offering a different kind of workout advice as he headed to the outdoor gym on Bondi Beach on Saturday with a young boy.

The 33-year-old appeared delighted to be enlightening the little lad with his tips for performing a chin-up and showed him how to do it.

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Getting in some fatherly practice? Tim Robards was offering a different kind of workout advice at the outdoor gym on Bondi Beach on Saturday with a young boy

Tim showed off his incredibly muscular arms in a tight blue tank top paired with white shorts shorts.

The former reality television star shielded his eyes behind a pair of dark shades and gripped on to the metal bar while chatting with his workout pal.

He appeared very happy to be helping out his little friend with his fitness as he showed off a more doting side to his personality.

Show us your guns! The 33-year-old appeared delighted to be enlightening the little lad with his tips for performing a chin-up and they both appeared to flex their muscles

Getting into it: The pair swung about on the versatile outdoor equipment and the chiropractor looked delighted to be sharing his fitness knowledge

The pair swung about on the versatile outdoor equipment and the chiropractor looked delighted to be sharing his fitness knowledge.

He flexed his bulging biceps as he showed off his strength holding his weight in the chin-up position.

Tim has only recently returned to full strength training after an injury in which he tore his biceps muscle off the bone in April saw him sidelined for 16 weeks post surgery and during his recovery.

Sun's out guns out: He flexed his bulging biceps as he showed off his strength holding his weight in the chin-up position

Back to it: Tim has only recently returned to full strength training after an injury in which he tore his biceps muscle off the bone in April and appeared to be right at home working out

Earlier this month, his girlfriend Anna Heinrich was forced to address the growing speculation around her non-engagement to the fitness buff.

Speaking to Today Extra, Anna said: 'I think because we've been together so long and ever since we have been together, every single day somebody has said that.

'So I really think that I'm used to it right now. I kind of get it. We went on a show and it was love related. I get why people are interested,' she told hosts David Campbell and Sonia Kruger during the show.

Despite the daily pressure, Anna admitted that she and Tim are very much in love and said: 'We are still together and we are still going strong.'

Doting display: The former reality television star shielded his eyes behind a pair of dark shades and while chatting with his workout pal showed him how to do the fitness moves
She is currently enjoying a lavish getaway in Hong Kong with her two children.

And Roxy Jacenko really kicked up her heels during a night out with her daughter Pixie, sharing a fun snap of the pair to Instagram on Sunday.

The PR maven and her daughter were dressed to the nines in party frocks and appeared to be heading out for a night at luxury hotel, The Upper House.

Girls' night! Roxy Jacenko and four-year-old daughter Pixie Curtis enjoyed an evening out together in their party frocks

Roxy, 36, cut a typically stylish figure in a sweet red dress by label Current Elliott, which was cinched at the waist - highlighting her trim figure, before falling to her knees.

The mother-of-two's toned pins were also on display, and she appeared to be boasting a bronzed glow - no doubt something she has been working on while in the Hong Kong sun.

She completed her effortlessly-chic ensemble with a pair of gladiator-style sandals and one of her many Hermes bags.

Out and about: Pixie was sporting a cute dress, not dissimilar to her mother's, which featured a checkered black and white design as well as a red love heart print

And she jokingly captioned the photo: 'Sisters do Hong Kong' with a crying with laughter emoji face.

Meanwhile, her daughter Pixie, who was holding her mother's hand and smiling widely, was clearly thrilled to be heading out.

The four-year-old was sporting a cute dress, not dissimilar to her mother's, which featured a checkered black and white design as well as a red love heart print.

Her ginger locks were pulled back into a neat ponytail and she was sporting a bright red bow from her collection, Pixie's Bows.

Getaway: Roxy and her two children, Pixie and Hunter, flew business class to Hong Kong

The tiny tot also shared a snap with her 110,000 Instagram followers.

The photo showed Pixie posing sweetly for the camera, showing off her dress, and included the caption: 'When in Honkers, drinks at the #upperhouse are a MUST!'

Roxy is currently enjoying a short break with her two children - Pixie, and her son Hunter, two, before returning to Sydney for radiation therapy following her shock breast cancer diagnosis.

Checking out: They are enjoying a short break before Roxy returns to Sydney for radiation therapy following her shock breast cancer diagnosis

She underwent surgery in Melbournes Freemasons Epworth hospital in early August.

It also marks the family's first overseas trip since Roxy's husband Oliver Curtis was sentenced to jail for conspiracy to commit insider trading in June.

And on Friday, Roxy shared various snaps to social media ahead of her and her clan boarding their flight.

Fun with mum! The trio were seen kicking back at the luxurious Four Season's Hotel in Hong Kong

Relaxing: Hours earlier, Roxy shared a photo of herself reclining on a sun lounger beside Hunter, captioned: 'So much talking I've got a headache'

She then uploaded a photo of the three posing together beside a swimming pool at the Four Seasons Hotel.

The stunning horizon of skyscrapers and expansive water views offered an idyllic backdrop for the cheery trio, who appear to have been staying in the swanky hotel for the past few days.

Roxy simply captioned the snap with an emoji of a smiling face wearing sunglasses.

Hours earlier, Roxy shared a photo of herself reclining on a sun lounger next to Hunter, captioned with: 'So much talking I've got a headache.'
He's the reality TV star best known for being Australia's first Bachelor.

But on Saturday, Tim Robards looked more like Thor or He-Man as he flaunted his astonishingly muscular physique during a very public workout session at an outdoor gym in Sydney's Bondi.

The bulging 33-year-old went shirtless, confidently flexing his impressive muscles for every man, woman, and child in Sydney to see.

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Putting on a show! Tim Robards flaunted his ripped physique for everybody to see during a public workout session in Sydney's Bondi on Saturday

While girlfriend Anna Heinrich was nowhere to be found, Tim did enjoy the company of a handsome male acquaintance.

The former DNA magazine model shared a photo of himself and his male friend hanging from the chin-up bars at the outdoor gym - which he referenced with multiple puns in the photo's caption.

''Hangin' out with one of our #TRMmembers and legend @jezza4all who has been hanging (oh there I go again) out to get to the iconic Bondi Bars...,' wrote the witty wordsmith.

Hangin' out! The 33-year-old did some work on a bar to ensure that his muscles would be as big and bulging as humanly possible

Baby's got back! Tim turned his back to onlookers to talk to a muscular male friend

Mo muscles mo problems! Tim flaunted his ripped muscles while girlfriend Anna Heinrich was nowhere to be see

Shh! The Bachelor star appeared to grunt as he struggled to hold himself up

He continued: '... and meet some of the other legends who love taking their training out of the gym into this beautiful weather!'

The skilled chiropractor finished: 'Great session before #city2surf tomorrow! Who's running?'

The next day, Tim was spotted running in Sydney's popular City2Surf event.

Bro time! With Anna away, Tim decided to spend time with a handsome male friend instead

Smooth operator: Shirtless Tim strutted his stuff along the sidewalk as he observed his surroundings

'You can do it!' The former DNA magazine model appeared to give himself a pep talk so he'd be motivated to complete the strenuous workout

After finishing the grueling run, the reality star went out for a drink with good buddy Jeremy and Instagram fitness queen El Drew.

'Best thing about going thru the pain of #city2surf is the gain when u get to smash a beer with your friends at the end...,' wrote Tim.

Although he enjoyed time with his friends, girlfriend Anna was noticeably absent.

'Great session before #city2surf tomorrow! Who's running?' Mr. Muscles was preparing for Sydney's City to Surf event

Confident: The famous fitness guru looked stoic as the sun illuminated his chiseled pecs

All smiles! Despite missing girlfriend Anna, Tim was beaming with happiness as he worked out with a mixture of friends and fans

According to her Instagram page, the blonde beauty opted for dinner and drinks with her girlfriends instead of 'hanging' with Tim.

The part-time criminal lawyer was recently forced to address the growing speculation around her non-engagement to Tim.

Speaking to Today Extra, Anna said: 'I think because we've been together so long and ever since we have been together, every single day somebody has said that.

Run Tim, run! On Sunday, Tim participated in the City2Surf run

'So I really think that I'm used to it right now. I kind of get it. We went on a show and it was love related. I get why people are interested,' she told hosts David Campbell and Sonia Kruger on Tuesday morning.

Despite the daily pressure, Anna admitted that she and Tim are very much in love.

'We are still together and we are still going strong,' she told viewers. 'For us, it's just about getting to know each other.

'Especially at the beginning, you come out of a show like that and everything is like a fairyland... I think taking time is more important.'

Drink up! Tim enjoyed a beer with friends while Anna opted for drinks and dinner with her girlfriends instead
She's never been one to mince her words.

And Sharon Osbourne has revealed she believes Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw were unfit to be 'X Factor' judges.

The 63-year-old star is returning to the talent show this year and took aim at two of the judges from 2015, arguing they did not have what it takes to be a success on the programme.

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Harsh: Sharon Osbourne has revealed she believes Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw were unfit to be 'X Factor' judges

Speaking to The Sun she said: 'If I was a contestant and there was a young girl or guy on the panel, who's had success but not long success because they are so young, and they were telling me what I should and shouldn't do, I would tell them what to do.

'I would. I think when you are advising people on their career, it always comes better from people who have had experience through age and who have had a long career themselves.

'Unfit': The 63-year-old star is returning to the talent show this year and took aim at two of the judges from 2015, arguing they did not have what it takes to be a success on the programme

Old panel: 'I think when you are advising people on their career, it always comes better from people who have had experience through age and who have had a long career themselves'

'If somebody has just happened, and they are two years into their career, then they can't tell someone what to do, or what they feel they should do.

Sharon will feature alongside Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh on the programme this year, and she explained how the current incumbents differ from the previous judging panel.

Explaining that they all have 'decades' in the business, the mother-of-three is satisfied with the line-up.

Returning: Sharon will feature alongside Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh on the programme this year

Rita hasn't had an easy time of it lately, with Louis blasting the America's Next Top Model judge last week 'for turning last year's X Factor into a fashion show and knowing nothing about talent'.

The 63-year-old music mogul lashed out at the songstress, 25, after the 2015 show was met with tepid reviews leading to a total upheaval of the panel.

His comments come shortly after Rita's fellow former judge and best pal Nick Grimshaw joked that her 'nonsense comments' were the reason the duo left the show.
Blake Lively has spoken about how she hopes her two-year-old daughter James will never see her fighting for her life in shark attack film, The Shallows.

The Hollywood star is clearly trying to take a more careful approach after the toddler caught a glimpse of her father Ryan Reynolds' 'sex montages' and violent scenes in Deadpool.

She said she thought James would be 'traumatised' if she watched her in her latest survival horror thriller film.

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Intense: Blake Lively has spoken about how she hopes her two-year-old daughter James will never see her fighting for her life in shark attack film, The Shallows

'I hope that she never sees this movie,' she said in an interview with Smallzys Surgery on Nova 96.9, which is due to be aired on Monday night.

'I would be so traumatised if I saw my parents fighting for their life for an hour and a half, that would be pretty devastating, so most of my movies I hope she'll see.'

She confirmed that the toddler had seen Ryan's R-rated superhero comedy after it flashed on 'every screen' on a plane.

Glowing: The American actress is currently pregnant with her second baby, pictured last month

Awkward: She confirmed that the toddler had seen Ryan Reynolds' R-rated superhero comedy Deadpool, pictured is the actor with his baby

Blake, who is currently pregnant with her second baby, said she urged the youngster to 'please close your eyes' during the graphic scenes.

'She has seen Deadpool, that's the joys of being on an airplane these days is that people are watching Deadpool and you know she gets to see her daddy's every limb in his body broken,' the American actress said.

'And you know sex montages for the whole entire holiday season, I mean all of it was very enjoyable to watch I was just like 'please close your eyes'.'

Blake also spoke about filming the shark attack movie - which has been described as Jaws meets 127 Hours, on Lord Howe Island, off the coast of NSW.

Graphic: The Hollywood star is clearly trying to take a more careful approach after the toddler caught a glimpse of the 'sex montages' in Deadpool

Power couple: She said she thought James would be 'traumatised' if she watched her in her latest survival horror thriller film

She described the island as a 'slice of heaven' and a 'true paradise'.

The Gossip Girl star snapped back into shape for the action film which started shooting just eight months after she gave birth to her first child.

In her radio interview she also revealed how Movie World on the Gold Coast was opened early for her one day before work so she could ride the roller-coasters with no lines.
She's a model known for her revealing outfits.

But Chloe Goodman almost exposed far more than she bargained for on Saturday night, thanks to a minor wardrobe malfunction.

The reality star, 23, narrowly avoided flashing her modesty for all to see when the front hem of her pink satin frock whipped up in the wind, as she headed for a night out in London.

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Satin fever: Chloe Goodman, 23, narrowly avoided flashing her modesty when the front hem of her pink satin frock whipped up in the wind, as she headed out in London on Saturday

The thigh-skimming malfunction saw the dress narrowly graze her bikini line, threatening to display her underwear for all to see.

Yet, putting her best foot forward, Chloe stylishly avoided the situation as she strutted down the street in the otherwise classy ensemble.

The dress was in the style of a lingerie robe, made of shining pink satin and featuring a tie round the waist and defined collar.

Although the dress featured long sleeves and a reasonably modest neckline, the outfit was of very short length, allowing her to show off her slender legs as she headed out for the evening.

Pink lady: Although the dress featured long sleeves and a reasonably modest neckline, the outfit was of very short length, allowing her to show off her slender legs

Scraping her hair back into a severe up-do, Chloe displayed her defined features for all to see, her face contoured and highlighted to perfection.

With her statement brows and plump pout in place, the reality star looked fierce as she headed out on the town.

She completed the simple look with some classic white heeled sandals, to emphasise her golden tan, likely picked up from her recent trip to Thailand filming the new series of Ex On The Beach.

She will be causing havoc on the sand alongside Geordie Shore star Gaz Beadle, Jemma Lucy and current Celebrity Big Brother star Stephen Bear.

Saucy style: Chloe is known for her racy outfits, having stepped out in an exposing blue lace dress last week, and is preparing to strip to her bikini for new series of Ex On The Beach

Yet despite the idyllic location, Chloe admitted recently that her enjoyment on the show was limited, as she was waiting for some life-threatening medical results while filming.

Chloe had a biopsy on two moles on her back, which were thought to be cancerous.

However she was given the all clear late last month, announcing to Twitter: 'I've got the all clear now but I have to be really careful from now on as I still have the skin cancer cells.'

Chloe's new TV role marks her third appearance on a reality show, being most well known for her debut on last year's Celebrity Big Brother.

Unfortunately her time in the famed Borehamwood mansion was fraught with drama, being the victim of a groping incident from fellow housemate Jeremy Jackson.

In the infamous scenes from the 2015 series, Chloe was seen running out of the bathroom in tears after heading in to comfort the worse-for-wear Baywatch star.

She later alleged he had pulled back her robe to indecently expose her.

Looking back: Chloe appeared on This Morning last week to discuss the infamous groping incident of CBB 2015 that she was victim of, admitting that it really 'affected' her

Reflecting on the incident, the star explained on This Morning last week in light of the new CBB series: 'It affected me because I was really comfortable, you're in a show that you've got security, you've got producers, you know you think nothing can touch me in here.'

After being removed from the house, Jeremy - who has struggled with drug addiction - made a public apology to Chloe and was seen socialising with her sister Lauryn.

Chloe also admitted during an interview with Celebrity Big Brother's Bit On The Side a day later that she was not comfortable with contestant Grant Bovey's affection for Geordie Shore star Marnie Simpson.

I find it really uncomfortable I know what Marnies like and shes really pleasant to everyone, unless shes off her face, and I feel like he should leave it.

'Like, how many times has she kissed Lewis (Bloor) in front of him now and hes still sort of in the shadows waiting for his time to pounce. Weird.

Series 5 of MTV's Ex On The Beach will begin on August 16.
Her gorgeous looks and fantastic figure mean she turns heads wherever she goes.

But Karrueche Tran still dressed to impress on Saturday evening for a night out on the town in New York City.

The 28-year-old actress wore a knee-length, spaghetti strap dress that showed off her extremely toned calves.

True beauty: Karrueche Tran, 28, was nothing short of a vision as she stepped out on Saturday evening in NYC for a night out on the town

Karrueche styled her raven-coloured locks in curls which cascaded down her back, and flashed a bright smile as she held hands with a pal.

The Bay star highlighted her natural beauty with glowing make-up and bold brows.

Karrueche first jetted to fame when she began dating ex Chris Brown.

Prior to their relationship, the starlet was already working in the industry, both as a personal and stylist's assistant.

Gym rat: The actress wore a knee-length, spaghetti strap dress that showed off her extremely toned calves

In an interview with Kode magazine, the actress discussed those who believe her current status derived from Chris.

'I have nothing to say to anyone who has anything negative to say,' she responded.

The Kaepop cosmetics owner, who has over five million followers on Instagram, has received her fair share of criticism on social media.

Rise: Karrueche first jetted to fame when she began dating ex Chris Brown. She is pictured in NYC on Wednesday

The star, who has visited Nigerian orphanages for charity, also described her 'love/hate relationship' with sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.

'I have a love/ hate relationship with social media,' she said. 'I love it because it's built a platform for many people and many businesses. It's a new day and age in society,' she began, before describing its downfalls.

'However there is a dark side which is negative and hateful. I think it's awesome to have social media as a platform to progress and build. Of course using it in the most positive and genuine way,' she concluded.
Sasha Zhuralyova was an instant sensation on the first episode of The Bachelor after nibbling on her rose during the coveted rose ceremony.

And after being eliminated from the show, the TV star spoke to Nova 100's Chrissie, Sam & Browny about her short stint and fellow contestant Keira Maguire on Friday.

The Russian beauty gushed about the Lara Bingle lookalike after being asked if she really was like 'Cruella De Vil' and said: 'I absolutely love the chick.'

Friendship: Rose eating Russian Sasha Zhuralyova appeared on Nova 100's Chrissie, Sam & Browny on Friday after her elimination from The Bachelor and spoke about Keira Maguire

The 31-year-old continued: 'Shes crazy, shes outgoing, shes very loud but at the same times shes a great chick, I absolutely love her.'

Chrissie then asked about Keira, who's was raised in a polygamous cult, after the secret made headlines last week.

Sasha said: 'I really feel for her that we do all have the past and I feel for her now that this all came out unexpectedly but you know we've got to move on,

'Shes a great person and we can't judge her by her past we've got to judge her by her present. Shes a good person to me now and always has been,' Sasha concluded.

Honest: The Russian beauty gushed about Keira after being asked if she really was like 'Cruella De Vil' and said: 'I absolutely love the chick.' Pictured with contestant Rachael (L)

Support: Sasha added 'I really feel for her that we do all have the past and I feel for her now that this all came out unexpectedly' after Keira's cult upbringing was brought to light

Keira was quickly labelled the 'villain' of the series due to her jealousy and frequent clashes with other contestants.

The Sydney account manager has upset several girls on The Bachelor with her outspoken opinions and arrogant manner.

Meanwhile, last week it was revealed that she grew up in a cult in Victoria which was controlled by self-styled messiah Laishkochav - who had 64 children with nine wives.

Sassy personality: Keira was quickly labelled the 'villain' of the series due to her jealousy, frequent clashes with other contestants and arrogant manner

Dark past: Last week it was revealed tha Keira grew up in a cult in Victoria which was controlled by self-styled messiah Laishkochav - who had 64 children with nine wives

But her mother, Michelle, fled the group with her six children in 1993 when Keira was just five-years-old.

During an interview with The Project, she said she was forced to confront her past - after Woman's Day published a story about how her cult leader father has sexually abused four young girls.

The outspoken star said she always knew she was 'different', but was too scared to open up about her past.
She is undoubtedly bitterly disappointed to miss a family trip.

Yet Peter Andre's pregnant wife Emily MacDonagh used her time wisely as she threw herself into assisting the family's big move into their new 5million mansion, formerly owned by Tom Cruise, earlier in the week.

As the 26-year-old junior doctor oversaw the big move, Peter headed out on holiday to Orlando, Florida with his children by Katie Price - Princess, nine, and son Junior, 11.

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Bumpy road: Peter Andre's pregnant wife Emily MacDonagh used her time wisely as she threw herself into assisting the family's big move into their new 5million mansion, formerly owned by Tom Cruise, earlier in the week

Come fly with me... As the 26-year-old junior doctor oversaw the big move, Peter headed out on holiday to Orlando, Florida with his children by Katie Price - Princess, nine, and son Junior, 11

Peter forked out nearly 5 million on Tom Cruise's old mansion in East Grinstead, West Sussex, where he is believed to have splashed the cash on the property, which the Hollywood actor only paid 3 million for back in 2006.

Emily is expecting their second child, as they are already parents to two-year-old daughter Amelia, while Peter shares Princess and Junior with ex-wife Katie.

Emily was seen mucking into the move as she went low-key in a head-to-toe grey ensemble which flashed just a hint of her burgeoning baby bump, yet she undoubtedly lamented her family's absence.

Earlier this month, Peter revealed why Emily was forced to stay at home. Writing in his column for New! magazine, he sorrowfully explained the situation.

Stoic: Emily is expecting their second child, as they are already parents to two-year-old daughter Amelia, while Peter shares Princess and Junior with ex-wife Katie

Better safe! Emily was seen mucking into the move as she went low-key in a head-to-toe grey ensemble which flashed just a hint of her burgeoning baby bump, yet she undoubtedly lamented her family's absence

He wrote: 'Unfortunately, Emily couldn't come with us because CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) issued a travel warning advising pregnant women not to travel to Florida as the Zika virus is actively circulating there.'

Despite missing the trip, she was no doubt pleased to get a head start on the move as various belongings were seen being toted in and out of the property as they family prepare for both their new family and new home.

With her ombre tresses scraped into a high bun and her naturally clear skin on show for all to see, Emily looked simply sensational.

Heading away: Earlier this month, Peter revealed why Emily was forced to stay at home. Writing in his column for New! magazine, he sorrowfully explained the situation

Comfortable: Emily looked stunning despite wearing just a low-key look

Sofa, so good! Despite missing the trip, she was no doubt pleased to get a head start on the move as various belongings were seen being toted in and out of the property as they family prepare for both their new family and new home

Swanky: The mansion boasts a swimming pool, home cinema, gym and private guesthouse

Despite her minimal look, she wore a dazzling pendant while also showing off her eye-watering engagement ring given to her by Peter before their 2015 wedding.

Pete meanwhile was seen putting on a colourful display as he headed to the airport with his beloved tots.

The whole gang gathered at the check-in desk, clearly overjoyed to be headed on their holidays, while all opting for comfortable ensembles before hopping on their long-haul flight to the states.

Off we go! Pete meanwhile was seen putting on a colourful display as he headed to the airport with his beloved tots

Jetting away: The whole gang gathered at the check-in desk, clearly overjoyed to be headed on their holidays, while all opting for comfortable ensembles before hopping on their long-haul flight to the states

A waiting game: The group patiently waited for the fun to begin on their big trip

Assistance: Some kind-hearted members of staff helped with the trolley while chatting to the group

Smiley: While the whole gang were headed to Florida, the new house awaits at home, with all the luxuries imaginable for a family of six

While the whole gang were headed to Florida, the new house awaits at home, with all the luxuries imaginable for a family of six.

The lavish property is set in 4.2 acres of grounds and has its very own two-bedroom guest house called the Pavilion.

There is plenty to keep the children occupied and the hunky pop star will be able to keep his famous muscles honed in the comfort of his own home with a pool, gym and cinema all within the grounds.

Hometime: The lavish property is set in 4.2 acres of grounds and has its very own two-bedroom guest house called the Pavilion

Coming back: The hunk revealed he's in talks to bring his old reality show Peter Andre: My Life back, which would help foot the bill for the impressive abode

Superstar: Proving themselves to be every inch the celebrity offspring

Bring it all back: He previously said: 'I'm thinking about bringing my show back. It would be nice to do one or two more series. I'm in talks for that at the moment'

The hunk revealed he's in talks to bring his old reality show Peter Andre: My Life back, which would help foot the bill for the impressive abode.

He previously said: 'I'm thinking about bringing my show back. It would be nice to do one or two more series. I'm in talks for that at the moment.

'We did 10 series in the end but I said after the fifth series if we ever do 10 we'll call it a day because at one point the ratings will drop. The ratings at the end were actually the highest we had.'

Comeback: He said: 'We did 10 series in the end but I said after the fifth series if we ever do 10 we'll call it a day because at one point the ratings will drop. The ratings at the end were actually the highest we had'
It's one of TV's most iconic medical dramas and has created some of the small screen's best loved characters.

So it's only fitting that one of Casualty's biggest personas should return to mark the show's 30th anniversary this week.

Actor Ian Bleasdale - who played paramedic Josh Griffiths for 18 years - will reunite with former co-stars Derek Thompson (Charlie Fairhead) and Cathy Shipton (Lisa 'Duffy' Duffin) in a forthcoming episode of the drama as it celebrates three decades on primetime television.

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Return: Actor Ian Bleasdale will return to Casualty as it celebrates three decades on prime time television

Three's a crowd: Duffy, Charlie and Josh join forces once again in Too Old For The Shift

The episode, called Too Old For The Shift, sees Josh attend a surprise party for senior staff nurse Charlie - who throws the bash to honour his career working for the NHS.

But, in typical Casualty style, tragedy soon strikes and the trio find themselves in a maelstrom of panic.

According to the BBC, the episode - which airs on Saturday - will include scenes that will hit 'the very heart of the hospital' as key characters will be put in peril, bosses said.

The extended storyline will also see a crossover with sister show Holby City.

Holbys cardiothoracic consultant Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel), chief executive Henrik Hanssen (Guy Henry) and Adrian Fletch Fletcher (Alex Walkinshaw) will play key parts, too.

Iconic: Bleasdale - who played paramedic Josh Griffiths for 18 years - quit the show in 2007

Drama: In typical Casualty style, tragedy soon strikes and the trio find themselves in a maelstrom of panic

According to the BBC, the episode - which airs on Saturday - will include scenes that will hit 'the very heart of the hospital' as key characters will be put in peril, bosses said

Discussing his return, Ian said fans often confuse him for his character.

He told the Sunday People : 'I dread those calls you sometimes get. You know, Is there a doctor or a nurse or anyone with medical training?

'People look at me and expect me to respond. Maybe they should just add, Is there an actor who has played any medical roles? Im just an actor playing a role.

'I watch professionals and learn how to make it look right but I really dont know what I am doing. That really is a skill only trained professionals have.'

Old fave: One of Casualty's most popular characters is Lisa Duffy, played by Cathy Shipton

Best of both worlds: The extended storyline will also crossover with sister show Holby City

The episode also includes another special guest cast member, former EastEnders star Pam St Clement, who takes up the role of Sally.

Oliver Kent, executive Producer, told the Radio Times: 'Im delighted that weve announced that Pam St Clement is making an extra special guest appearance as Sally Hodge in the Casualty 30th anniversary feature-length film.
She spends much of her time looking perfectly composed.

But Queen Maxima of the Netherlands was able to relax as she enjoyed the eighth day of Rio's Olympic Games on Sunday.

The Argentinian-born royal, 45, was pictured alongside husband King Willem-Alexander at the Men's 100m medley relay final in the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.

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Good times: Queen Maxima of the Netherlands was able to relax as she enjoyed the eighth day of Rio's Olympic Games on Sunday - alongside husband King Willem-Alexander

Cutting casual figures, the couple appeared to be having a fabulous time as they were pictured laughing together.

Maxima looked the picture of relaxed elegance in her choice of attire, which consisted of a strapless summer dress.

White, purple and grey, the floor-length number helped display her impressive figure and was kept simple with a beaded necklace.

Lapping it up! The Argentinian-born royal, 45, was pictured at the Men's 100m medley relay final in the Olympic Aquatics Stadium

A royally good time! Cutting casual figures, the couple appeared to be having a fabulous time as they were pictured laughing together

Wearing her hair in a centre-parting, she added a touch of glamour thanks to a pair of impressive diamond earrings.

Cosying-up to her husband as she watched the event unfold, she could be seen laughing and joking while keeping pals at home updated via her smart phone.

Meanwhile, King Willem appeared equally buoyant as he too enjoyed the festivities.

Looking good: Wearing her hair in a centre-parting, she added a touch of glamour thanks to a pair of impressive diamond earrings

Cosying-up to her husband as she watched the event unfold, she could be seen laughing and joking while keeping pals at home updated via her smart phone

The latest sighting of the pair comes just weeks after a Dutchman was sentenced to 30 days in jail for insulting King Willem-Alexander.

The 44-year-old, whose name has not been released, posted a message on Facebook in April 2015 branding the king a murderer, rapist, 'oppressor' and thief.

In a written verdict under a rarely enforced 19th century law, judge Sylvia Taalman said he had 'damaged the dignity of the king' and that his behaviour 'is not acceptable in our society'.

Drama: The latest sighting of the pair comes just weeks after a Dutchman was sentenced to 30 days in jail for insulting King Willem-Alexander




She recently quarrelled rather publicly with her fiance in London.

So by Saturday in California, Courteney Cox was likely in a mood to forget.

The 52-year-old was spotted enjoying an afternoon with a friend at the Malibu Country Mart, to which she wore a casually stylish outfit that emphasised her still toned physique.

Weekend relaxation: On Saturday, Courtney Cox enjoyed a day out at the Malibu County Mart with a friend

Braving horizontal stripes on her black and white T-shirt, the Friends actress stopped by Malibu Eye Center Optometry after joining her pal at a Coffee Bean.

A pair of bronze lens sunglasses was framed by her jet black hair, which had reverted to waves despite her having straightened it at a salon on Tuesday.

The Cougar Town star slung a black handbag with an unusually long strap over her shoulder, folding up the hem of her skinny jeans above a pair of white trainers.

This spring, the ex-Mrs David Arquette rekindled her engagement to Johnny McDaid.

Home again: She and her pal met up at Coffee Bean before the Friends actress went to the Malibu Eye Center Optometry

Introduced by their mutual friend Ed Sheeran, they'd begun dating in 2013 and he popped the question in 2014 before their temporary split last December.

This time round, a source told Life & Style they had travelled to London to arrange an autumn ceremony with a wedding planner. Potential venues reputedly included Castle Leslie, the site of Paul McCartney's ill-advised union with Heather Mills.

But during their trip, the pair seemed to have stumbled onto a difference of opinion as they dined alfresco in Notting Hill.

Ready for the plunge: The ex-Mrs David Arquette is engaged to Snow Patrol musician Johnny McDaid, having rekindled their relationship in the spring after breaking up in December

Sitting over multiple courses and a glass of wine outside Granger and Co, Cox was spotted gesturing vigorously, appearing to upbraid the Snow Patrol musician.

Though the Derry native looked as though he was holding his tongue for much of the conversation, his bride-to-be seemed openly exasperated, at one point burying her face in her hands.

In May, the 40-year-old and the mother of one had strode the red carpet together at the BMI Pop Awards. When E! floated the subject of their reunion, he said, 'Just look at us. I love her. I've always loved her.'

Out in the open: The couple were spotted appearing to have a row as they dined alfresco in London
She often likes to make a splash, metaphorically speaking.

But Lindsay Lohan was literally creating waves when she dive-bombed from a private yacht in Sardinia on Sunday afternoon.

The Hollywood actress, 30, could be seen crashing into the sea as she partied with pals - while her ex, Egor Tarabasov, enjoyed the company of a mystery blonde in St.Tropez.

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Splash! Lindsay Lohan was literally creating waves when she dive-bombed from a private yacht in Sardinia on Sunday afternoon

Wearing a floral one-piece swimsuit with her hair tied back, New York-born Lindsay throws caution tot he wind as she launches herself into the air.

The clip shows the Freaky Friday actress leap from the deck of the vessel, before crashing into the water below.

Seemingly inspired by the activity at the Rio Olympics, she captioned the clip with: 'Free fall (I probably shouldn't of gone into a seated position for the fall) lol'.

Naturally, the short video was watched more than 300,000 times in the space of just 24 hours and generated plenty of comments.

There she goes! The actress, 30, could be seen crashing into the sea as she partied with pals - while her ex, Egor Tarabasov, enjoyed the company of a mystery blonde in St.Tropez

Making an entrance: The clip shows the Freaky Friday actress leap from the deck of the vessel, before crashing into the water below

Seemingly inspired by the activity at the Rio Olympics, she captioned the clip with: 'Free fall (I probably shouldn't of gone into a seated position for the fall) lol'.

One viewer responded 'Belly flop for da boyz', while another added 'great job lilo..and you look beautiful...I don't know if I could do that.'

A few minutes after she uploaded the footage to Instagram, Lindsay was quick to re-assert her more glamorous persona with a fashion snap.

Posing up a storm in a Hermes dress, she appeared to be on fine form after all the drama in recent weeks.

That's more like it! A few minutes after she uploaded the footage to Instagram, Lindsay was quick to re-assert her more glamorous persona with a fashion snap

Helping hand: A man helps Lindsay after she resurfaces following her ungraceful attempt

Naturally, the short video was watched more than 300,000 times in the space of just 24 hours and generated plenty of comments

One person who's unlikely to be vexed by the latest social media activity is former fiance Egor, who has been seen living it up on a yacht in St Tropez with a blonde companion - just weeks after he was pictured embroiled in a bitter row with the actress.

The billionaire Russian looked worlds away from his troubles as he stripped down to his swimwear to enjoy a dip in the cooling waters while he was surrounded by a group of female pals.

The handsome playboy was previously pictured in a terrifying fight with Lindsay, 30, as they battled for the possession of a phone during a sun-soaked getaway to Mykonos, Greece.

Ex-files : Linday's ex, Egor, looked worlds away from his troubles as he stripped down to his swimwear to enjoy a dip in the cooling waters while he was surrounded his pals
He became a dad again at 69 after announcing the birth of his twin daughters earlier this year.

But it appears sleepless nights are taking their toll on Ronnie Wood who looked exhausted after taking his wife and newborn out for a summer stroll in London.

The father-of-six, whose third wife Sally Humphreys, 38, gave birth to twins Gracie Jane and Alice Rose in June, appeared tired as he rested one of his daughters on his lap.

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All rocked out? Despite his youthful vigour, that he displays to the world on stage, it looked as though Ronnie Wood was feeling a little jaded during an outing with his family

The Rolling Stone showed off his fatherly side and wore a patterned grey shirt and navy blue jeans - topping off the look with a pair of bright red trainers.

Wood and his wife stepped out with their daughters in style, pushing matching red and black push chairs complete with black and white spotted shawls.

The mother-of-two, who married the Rolling Stones' guitarist in 2012, looked to be enjoying a conversation with a male friend for much of the walk.

She looked simple in all black but jazzed up her outfit with a pair of statement turquoise sunglasses.

The loved-up couple, who married in December 2012, appeared to be basking in the joys of parenthood and even stopped to chat to another child in a buggy passing by.

Family time? Heading out in London with his 38-year-old wife, their twin girls and a mystery male friend, the rocker, 69, was left holding one of the babies as he enjoyed a quick breather

Some fresh conversation? Sally, who married the Rolling Stones' guitarist in 2012, looked to be enjoying a conversation with a mystery man for much of the walk

Wood is no stranger to fatherhood and shares six children with three different women.

During his first marriage to former model Krissy Findlay, who died in 2005, he fathered his son Jesse, now 39 and married to DJ Fearne Cotton.

He fathered his first daughter Leah, 37, and second son, Tyrone, 32, with former model Jo Wood, 64, and also adopted her son from a previous marriage, Jamie, 41.

Chic mummy: Sally, who gave birth to Alice Rose and Gracie Jane at the end of May, looked in fine form, and cut a suitably stylish figure in a black sundress and suede ankle boots

A sprightly look: The former Faces axe-man rocked his usual youthful look, and sported a pale paisley shirt and white tee combo

Mother's little helper: He rounded his look off with navy skinny jeans and a pair of red high-top trainers

Sporting his jet black locks in their usual disheveled manner, Ronnie certainly cut a youthful figure.

However, it appeared that the rigours of looking after two newborns might be catching up with the rocker, as he seemed weary when he took a seat outside a cafe.

Rocking and cradling one of his young daughters, Ronnie seemed a little less effervescent than usual.

Feeling sleepy? It appeared that the rigours of looking after two newborns might be catching up with the rocker, as he seemed weary when he took a seat outside a cafe

Why so serious? Rocking and cradling one of his young daughters, Ronnie seemed a little less effervescent than usual

Doting mother: Sally cradled the couple's other baby girl

However, it wasn't long before he'd regained some of his trademark energy, as he entertained his friend's child and whizzed the little boy around in his buggy after pulling some funny faces.

Though Ronnie's tiredness might be explained by a few nighttime duties with his tiny twins the night before.

Speaking to Hello! magazine in June he revealed he'd been doing his best to share the burdens of parenthood with Sally, saying:

Back on his feet: It wasn't long before he'd regained some of his trademark energy

Full of fun: He entertained his friend's child and whizzed the little boy around in his buggy after pulling some funny faces

Im the burper, walker, nappy changer and Im still trying to work out when I can get to sleep in between all that.

I have played the guitar to them and when I get round to it I will do some drawings. At the moment Im just soaking up every moment we have.'

The twins are Ronnie's fifth and sixth children, but the first for him and Sally, who is 31 years his junior.

He already has son Jesse Wood, with his first wife and former model, Krissy Wood, daughter Leah and son Tyrone from his second marriage, to Jo, and Jamie, Jo Woods son from a previous marriage, whom Wood adopted.
The spat between Fast 8 stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is still smoldering on as cast choose sides.

But at least one actor appears to be trying to pour oil on troubled waters.

Scott Eastwood, who plays a new character in the high-octane franchise, posted a 20-second video clip on Instagram on Saturday thanking everyone as production came to a close in steamy Atlanta, Georgia.

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'That's a wrap!' On Saturday Scott Eastwood posted an Instagram short thanking all his Fast 8 co-stars and crew for 'the most amazing time' he had filming in Atlanta, Georgia

'That is a wrap!!!!' the 30-year-old captioned the clip as he pulled various members of the crew into view.

'I had the most amazing time filming #F8. Everybody was amazing!!! Our crew is the hardest working guys in the Business. If it wasn't for them we would be nothing,' he gushed.

He also gave a shoutout to the franchise's late star Paul Walker who died in a fiery car crash in 2013 aged 40. saying: 'Paul, you were with us everyday. Thanks for the good energy. See you all on the next one.'

But Scott didn't seen so happy earlier in the day as he posted another vid taken in a car high on a trestle being filmed against a blue screen.

Shout out : The 30-year-old didn't mention the reported spat between co-stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

'Last day on set,' he captioned it, 'and were back at it again. Cliff not cool... He turned off my AC. #hotlanta #F8'

Cliff Lanning is first assistant director on the movie and in the clip he can be seen saying, 'You know what happens to bad actors? They get their air conditioning turned off.'

The F8 cast is reportedly split between Dwayne and Vin after production sources told TMZ that the Rock had been 'upset with Vin's work ethic for a long time.'

The muscleman apparently pushed his set start times back to 10am as 'he didn't like' the earlier 7am start.

So demanding: However, Clint Eastwood's son didn't seem quite so happy earlier in the day when Cliff Lanning, first assistant director, turned off the AC in his car for 'bad acting'

No grudges: Scott pulled Cliff into his Instagram video and thanked him

On Thursday Tyrese Gibson, 37, took to Instagram to share a photo of himself with 49-year-old Vin with a lengthy caption voicing his support for him.

Ludacris also appeared to back Vin as he posted a photo, minus The Rock, showing several of the castmembers with the xXx star in the middle on his Instagram as a Throwback Thursday snap.#

Listed as a producer on the film, which co-stars Charlize Theron, Michelle Rodriguez and Jason Statham, Vin has allegedly let the title go to his head, with sources telling TMZ he would 'goad people, including The Rock, by criticising their acting.'

Fast 8 is due to be released next April 14.
Imam, assistant gunned down near New York mosque

A gunman shot and killed a New York imam and his assistant near their mosque in the borough of Queens during a brazen attack in broad daylight Saturday.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his assistant, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, were shot just before 2 pm (1800 GMT) in the Ozone Park neighborhood, police said.

The attack reportedly took place after the two, dressed in traditional Muslim garb, left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque following Saturday afternoon prayers.

Community members pray outside the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque in Ozone Park after imam Maulama Akonjee and his assistant Thara Uddin were killed in the Queens borough of New York City, on August 13, 2016 Kena Betancur (AFP)

The motive is unknown and no arrests have been made, the authorities said.

"There is nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," police told journalists.

However, Muslim community representatives pointed to growing Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment fueled by a series of deadly attacks in the United States and abroad as well as hostile statements by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, including his proposal for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country.

The suspected gunman approached the two men from behind at the corner of Liberty Avenue and 79th Street. Witnesses then saw him fleeing the scene with a gun, police said, adding that surveillance video appeared to show a man wearing shorts and a dark polo shirt.

A sketch of the suspect released early Sunday showed a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses. Police said witnesses described him as having a medium complexion.

Police said that Akonjee was carrying more than $1,000, but that the attacker did not take the money.

Both victims were taken to nearby Jamaica Hospital with gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead there.

The suspect was still at large Sunday morning and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

- Hate crime? -

The working-class area where the victims were killed, on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, is home to many Muslim families from Bangladesh.

"The NYPD is looking at all angles of this crime, including the hate crime (angle)," Sarah Sayeed of the New York mayor's office said.

However, Muslim community representatives condemned what they see as a toxic climate of hatred.

"Please, read my lips. This is a hate crime, no matter which way you look at it," Kobir Chowdhury, who heads the nearby Masjid Al-Aman mosque in Brooklyn, said.

"It's hate against humanity, it's hate against Muslims, these are Islamophobes who are causing these kind of troubles."

Hundreds of local residents rallied near the crime scene chanting, "We want justice!"

During a vigil outside the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque, the faithful prayed, heads bent and palms facing the sky.

"Imagine your father gunned down for no reason, and then let that feeling, let that motivate you to come out of your silence," Afaf Nasher, director of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said at a tense news conference in front of the mosque.

"When we stay silent we allow crimes to continue to occur," she said.

"So every single one of us shares in this responsibility. And let's not forget the victims who are essential to all of this."

- Strong solidarity -

Imam Akonjee had moved to the United States from Bangladesh two years ago, US media reported.

"He would not hurt a fly," his nephew Rahi Majid, told the New York Daily News. "You would watch him come down the street and watch the peace he brings."

US Representative Nydia Velazquez tweeted that she was "horrified" by the shooting.

"All NYers must stand united in condemning acts like these," she said.

The neighborhood's city council representative Eric Ulrich tweeted that he stood "in strong solidarity with all Muslim New Yorkers tonight as we mourn the killings."

"When a religious leader is killed in broad daylight on the streets of Queens, we must come together as a community and demand justice!" he wrote.

Last year, hate crimes against Muslims and mosques across the country tripled following extremist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, the New York Times reported.

A NYPD officer leaves the crime scene at Ozone Park where imam Maulama Akonjee and his assistant Thara Uddin were killed in the Queens borough of New York City, on August 13, 2016 Kena Betancur (AFP)

Community members pray outside the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque at Ozone Park after imam Maulama Akonjee and his assistant Thara Uddin were killed in the Queens borough of New York City, on August 13, 2016 Kena Betancur (AFP)
Serena, Svitolina may be headed for Cincinnati showdown

Serena Williams will work to put the heartbreak of early Rio Olympic exits in singles and doubles behind her as she heads the women's field at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.

The tournament will be the last major test prior to the start of the US Open on August 29, but falls directly after the Summer Games.

Williams, who has won her last 10 matches at the venue after claiming the last two titles, will have to be on her guard.

Serena Williams accepted a Cincinnati Masters wild card from organisers just two days after losing in singles at the Rio Olympics Luis Acosta (AFP/File)

Her first opponent could be Elina Svitolina, who sent her crashing out of the Olympic tournament. Svitolina needs to beat world No. 60 Christina McHale in her opening match.

The 34-year-old is being chased in the rankings by German world number two Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion and Wimbledon finalist.

Should Williams lose before the quarter-finals with Kerber claiming the title, then the longtime number one from the US would find herself second in the world for the first time since February 2013.

Williams accepted a Cincinnati wild card from organisers just two days after losing in singles in Brazil and may use Cincinnati as a test for an apparent shoulder problem. All 16 women's seeds receive byes into the second round.

Romanian Simona Halep, last year's losing finalist to Williams, takes the third seeding ahead of Spain's Garbine Muguruza and fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

Freshly crowned Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig faces Louisa Chirico of the US in her first round match. Puig upset Kerber on Saturday in Rio to become the first Puerto Rican athlete to win a gold medal.

Swiss world number 16 Belinda Bencic will play for the first time since Wimbledon, taking the 13th seeding after an injury recovery which cause her to miss Rio.

- Bronze winner withdraws -

Czech Petra Kvitova, who was seeded 11th, also pulled out of the women's draw after claiming the bronze medal in Rio.

The men's field is missing Novak Djokovic as the Serb, who lost in the Rio first round to Juan Martin del Potro, delays his return to the courts until the US Open. Djokovic withdrew from Cincinnati with a wrist injury.

Roger Federer, who has won three of the last four Cincinnati tournaments, will not play after ending his season because of a knee injury.

The top seed will be Andy Murray, who owns 2008 and 2001 titles at the summer hardcourt venue.

The Scot was not expected to start before Wednesday in the second round after making the trip from Brazil to the US midwest.

Rafael Nadal is seeded third after putting his left wrist to a test at the Rio Games by starting in all three events.

Hard-serving Canadian Milos Raonic, seeded fourth, will come back refreshed after skipping Rio and not playing since his loss to Gael Monfils in the Toronto quarter-finals.

Japan's Kei Nishikori takes the fifth seeding, ahead of Tomas Berdych and number seven Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.

Austrian eighth seed Dominic Thiem will return after an injury pause which kept him from playing as top seed at the new ATP event in Mexico.

Elina Svitolina needs to beat world No. 60 Christina McHale in her Cincinnati Masters opening match Luis Acosta (AFP/File)
Thai police find unexploded devices in search for bombers

Thai police discovered unexploded bombs in three top tourist destinations over the weekend as they searched for clues to a wave of blasts that rocked resort areas and killed four last week.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing spree, which hit seven southern provinces on Thursday and Friday and left dozens wounded, including European tourists.

Police said they know who to blame but have yet to reveal a culprit or suspected motive.

A Thai soldier with a sniffer dog walks near Erawan Shrine, a popular tourist destination that was the site of a bomb attack almost one year ago in Bangkok on August 12, 2016 Lilian Suwanrumpha (AFP)

They have ruled out international terrorist groups, calling the attacks an act of "local sabotage".

"Our investigation is progressing. We know who was behind it," deputy national police spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang told AFP, declining to give further details.

Unexploded devices were found and defused Sunday in two bomb-hit areas -- the upscale beach town of Hua Hin and the popular island of Phuket, according to the interior ministry permanent secretary.

"It is likely they were intended to explode at the same time of the previous explosions," said Grisada Boonrach.

Police said other unexploded devices were found Saturday in Phang Nga province, which had been struck by bomb blasts and a suspected arson attack the day before.

One man has been arrested over a separate case of arson in Nakhon Si Thammarat province and two men have been held for questioning over the Hua Hin bombings, police said.

A junta spokesman confirmed that multiple people have been questioned but stressed it was too early to identify them as suspects.

"It's just asking questions. They will not be treated as suspects unless the questioning procedure is done and any of them are found to have violated laws," said Colonel Winthai Suvaree.

Some analysts suggest the assault was the work of Muslim rebels waging a long-running insurgency in Thailand's southern tip, but Thai officials have rejected that theory.

If the rebels are to blame, it would mark an unprecedented escalation of a 12-year revolt so far confined largely to the border region.

The blasts are seen as an affront to a military government that prides itself on having brought some stability to Thailand since its 2014 coup.

The kingdom has been battered by a decade of political unrest, driven by a bitter power struggle between the military-allied elite and populist forces loyal to the ousted democratically elected government.

But the violence has not matched the coordinated nature of the latest bombings or targeted tourist towns.

The attacks came only days after the junta won a referendum vote on a controversial new charter it drafted.

The document, which critics say will make Thailand less democratic, was approved by 61 percent of voters but rejected in the north and northeast -- strongholds of the ousted government -- and in the three insurgency-torn southern provinces.

- Stalled talks -

The shadowy southern rebellion has left more than 6,500 people dead since it erupted in 2004.

But the violence rarely makes international headlines or affects Thais outside the conflict zone, a Muslim-majority region annexed more than a century ago.

Analysts say the rebels are frustrated over stalled negotiations with the military government.

"It looks like the work of (the insurgents), judging from their kind of arms... it was not aimed to create mass casualties, so that's very similar to the far south," Don Pathan, a security analyst and expert on the insurgency, said of last week's bombings.

But he said the junta would be loath to admit a major expansion of the conflict, since it would signal a significant "policy failure in the south".

A leader of the "Red Shirts" -- the grassroots movement supportive of the ousted government and hostile to the junta -- expressed concern Sunday his network would be fingered for the attacks.

"We have been made victims for things we did not do several times before," Jatuporn Prompan said in a video posted on Facebook.

The Red Shirts, who hail chiefly from the poor and rural northeast, are fiercely loyal to the powerful Shinawatra family, whose repeated election victories have been undone by two coups and a series of judicial rulings in the past decade.

Their political network has come under heavy surveillance by the military since the 2014 coup.

The bombings in top tourist destinations threaten a vital source of income for tropical Thailand.

The sector accounts for at least 10 percent of an economy the military government has struggled to revive.

Blasts in Thailand

Police tape cordons off burned buildings at the site of a small bomb blast and arson attack on a market in Takua Pa, Phang Nga province, on August 12, 2016 Jerome Taylor (AFP/File)

A labourer inspects the damage done to the glass windows of a Starbucks branch next to the site of a bomb attack in Hua Hin Lillian Suwanrumpha (AFP/File)
Strife-torn Libya struggles to ramp up oil exports

Jihadist attacks and political struggles are thwarting attempts by Libya's unity government to revive an oil industry seen as vital for the economy of the impoverished North African country.

Five years since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi, Libya's rival governments and militias are in a bitter struggle for control of crude exports.

The political turmoil, coupled with Islamic State (IS) group attacks on oil facilities, has brought shipments to a near-standstill.

Marsa al-Hariga oil terminal in eastern Libya Abdullah Doma (AFP/File)

Despite having Africa's largest oil reserves, estimated at around 48 billion barrels, Libya has only managed to export a few tankers of crude in recent months.

On August 1, the Tripoli-based National Oil Company (NOC) announced that it was preparing to restart regular exports of crude.

But analysts doubt Libyan oil will be gushing back to world markets just yet.

"Opening the ports allows the NOC to start to undertake repairs, but that will still take time," said Scott Modell, an analyst at energy consultancy Rapidan Group.

"One announcement about potentially opening ports that are not fully functional is not going to turn around the overall trajectory of the political process," he added.

Since 2010, the country's production has plummeted from 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to just 300,000 bpd.

Libya now has the smallest production of any member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The 2014 collapse in oil prices was a further blow. Industry sources say Libya's exports this year will earn it just a tenth of the estimated $45-50 billion (40-45 billion euros) it took in 2010.

That is a disaster in a country where the government depends on oil exports for nearly all of its revenue.

- Struggle for control -

Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) faces major obstacles as it tries to revive the sector.

For a start, the NOC is split into two rival branches -- one loyal to the GNA and the other based in Benghazi and loyal to a rival government.

Meanwhile, all of the country's export terminals in Libya's eastern "oil crescent" are controlled by the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG), a militia set up to protect them.

They include the two key export terminals of Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra, 650 kilometres (400 miles) east of the capital, which are together capable of handling 700,000 bpd.

But they were shut down in January after storage tanks were set on fire during attacks by IS.

The jihadists have taken advantage of the turmoil to establish a presence in Libya, but now appear close to losing their stronghold in Sirte which lies between Tripoli and the oil crescent.

PFG leader Ibrahim al-Jadhran also regularly defies both of Libya's rival governments.

"The blockage costs Libya $30 million (27 million euros) a day," Mustafa Sanalla, chairman of the Tripoli-based branch of the NOC which supports the unity government, said in April.

At the end of July, the GNA announced that it had reached an agreement with Jadhran to re-open the Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra export terminals.

The NOC said the unity government had agreed to pay salaries to the oil installation guards and provide them with schools and hospitals.

- East-west rivalry -

That agreement underlined the bitter struggle between the GNA and a rival administration based in Libya's far east that refuses to recognise the unity government.

It controls much of the east through part of the Libyan army led by general Khalifa Haftar, and runs a rival NOC out of Benghazi.

After the GNA's agreement with Jadhran, Haftar's forces told AFP they would bomb tankers approaching the Libyan coast without the Benghazi NOC's permission.

It also moved troops towards the Zueitina terminal, another major facility on the oil crescent.

But the Petroleum Facilities Guard said it was prepared to fight.

"We will not let them control the ports," said spokesman Ali al-Hassi.

The standoff appears to have stalled an agreement, announced on July 3, to unify the rival NOCs.

Germany, Spain, the United States, France, Italy and Britain have called for all the country's oil installations to be immediately handed over to the GNA.

A Libyan oil industry veteran, who did not want to be named, said the country could only restore oil exports if there was "a strong unified government and a single military force".

"As long as there are still ongoing political and power struggles... the resumption of full oil production and exports can never be achieved."

Libya's oil and gas facilities - (AFP Graphic)
Marcos 'hero' burial plan sparks Philippines protests

Protests took place Sunday in Manila over Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's plans to honour the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos with a state burial.

About 2,000 people gathered in heavy rain to denounce Duterte's plans to move Marcos' remains from his northern hometown to the National Heroes' Cemetery in the capital, Manila, next month.

"We would be the laughing stock of the entire planet," Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of four members of parliament to attend the Manila rally, told AFP.

Protesters denounce plans to move late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' remains to Manila's National Heroes' Cemetery Ted Aljibe (AFP)

She called Marcos an "unrepentant enemy of our heroes".

Marcos's family have kept his preserved body on display after he died in exile in 1989 following a popular revolt three years earlier, demanding that it be buried with full honours in the Heroes' Cemetery.

Marcos was elected president in 1965 and declared martial law in 1972, allowing him to rule as a dictator while he, his family and allies enriched themselves through massive corruption and his troops brutally stamped out dissent.

But Duterte, who has styled himself as an anti-corruption crusader, defended Marcos, noting that his father had served in the Marcos cabinet and he himself had even voted for Marcos before.

Duterte has previously said that he won the May 9 elections partly with the support of the Marcos family who remain influential in their bailiwick in the northern Philippines.

A small protest was also staged by human rights victims outside Duterte's southern hometown of Davao city, where candles and flowers were placed outside the city hall, television reports said.

The protests Sunday were joined by Marcos-era victims of torture and imprisonment as well as relatives of victims of extrajudicial killings, which historians say claimed thousands of lives.

Protesters shed tears during the three-hour protest and organisers launched a signature campaign to try to reverse Duterte's decision.

"I was jailed when I was young. It's so hard to imagine that he will be buried in the Heroes' Cemetery," former Marcos prisoner Danny Tang told AFP.

University of the Philippines Professor Ricardo Jose alleged that in order to win war medals for bravery, Marcos faked his service record in the anti-Japanese resistance when Japan occupied the country in World War II.

"There are World War II heroes buried there who sacrificed their lives.... But here's one guy who distorted things in his favour," Jose told AFP at the rally.

Duterte spokesman Martin Andanar told reporters Sunday that while the leader allowed protests against the burial plan, he "remains firm" it will be carried out.

Protesters hold masks of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and anti-Marcos banners during a demonstration in Manila Ted Aljibe (AFP)

Then-Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, pictured in 1985, died in exile in 1989 Romeo Gacad (AFP/File)
Palestinian wedding season can hit the wallet hard

For Palestinians, summer is wedding season -- time for brides and grooms to celebrate. But for guests, who are expected to help cover the costs, it can mean financial misery.

The tradition of "naqout" encourages those invited to donate cash to help pay for the often lavish feasts.

They pick up an envelope, fill it with cash, usually sign it and place it in a box strategically placed at the entrance.

Palestinian brothers Fayez (L) and Fares Msallem parade on a street in the village of Salem, east of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, on their wedding day Jaafar Ashtiyeh (AFP)

Technically the donations are voluntary, but hosts take a dim view of those failing to meet expectations.

Some Palestinians see the tradition as a way to share the costs of important community events. But others say the social pressure to contribute pushes them into dire financial straights.

Murad Shriteh, 46, from near the West Bank city of Ramallah, said he feels swamped after being invited to more than one wedding a week.

He spent $400, nearly half his monthly salary, in just two weeks of weddings, he told AFP at a wedding party in the West Bank town of Birzeit.

"I have already received several invitations for the rest of August, but I think I will refuse a few," he said.

The West Bank sees more than 25,000 weddings a year, according to Palestinian statistics.

Social pressures and tradition mean that most are extravagant celebrations, with much of the community invited.

They tend to involve mountains of food, live music and a photographer. The most lavish celebrations even offer each guest a traditional Palestinian scarf or a rosary.

A wedding can cost up to $30,000, while even a poor family may shell out $10,000.

- Sharing the burden -

That's a major in expense in the West Bank, where more than a quarter of people live under the poverty line after nearly 50 years of Israeli occupation.

The costs come out of the pockets of the family -- traditionally the father of the bride. Naqout is a way of sharing the burden.

Khaled Abdallah, 50, recently celebrated his son's marriage in a village near Ramallah in the West Bank.

He splashed out $10,000 on the big day, but recouped the entire amount in donations. For him it was payback for decades of paying for other peoples weddings.

"The naqout endures because it is a part of solidarity," he said.

Some see their donations as investments, expecting similar sums in return when one of their family marries.

"It is a form of social security," said Majdi al-Malki, a professor of social sciences at the Birzeit University near Ramallah. "It is presented as a gift, but it is actually a practical and useful way to share the costs of marriage."

He said the tradition is a legacy of ancient Palestinian tribal society.

At some weddings, donations are even exposed for all to see: the cash is triumphantly hung around the neck of the groom in the midst of the guests.

"It's a way to show pride, to show off the size of the donations" and to thank donors, Malki said.

But it doesn't always work like that. One father who recently paid for a wedding said some guests had left empty, unmarked envelopes.

"Thanks to video recordings, I could work out who they were," he told AFP, speaking anonymously.

"When their relatives get married, I won't forget it."

Palestinian women decorate a groom with a necklace made of banknotes which were donated by guests during a traditional wedding ceremony in the village of Salem, east of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus Jaafar Ashtiyeh (AFP)
Five dead, tens of thousands flee Philippine floods

Five people have been killed in the Philippines and tens of thousands have fled from floods caused by days of unrelenting rain, rescuers said Sunday.

Civil defence officials warned residents of Manila and nearby provinces to expect more heavy seasonal rain over the coming days as more than 24,000 people sought refuge in schools and government buildings.

"We are expecting more low-lying areas to experience flooding," National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokeswoman Romina Marasigan told AFP.

Residents wade through a flooded street in San Mateo, Rizal province on August 13 Noel Celis (AFP)

"Those who are already in evacuation centres should stay there until the weather improves," she added.

Those evacuated include nearly 9,000 Manila residents displaced by flooding from the Marikina River on Saturday.

The council said three Manila slum residents were crushed to death Saturday by walls that collapsed in the floods.

A man drowned crossing a swift-flowing river on the central island of Panay on Wednesday, it said, while the authorities retrieved a body from a Manila canal on Friday -- the cause of death is under investigation.

A fisherman went missing at sea off the central island of Marinduque on Monday, while a man was injured by falling rocks at a highway east of Manila on Friday, it said.

In all, more than 70,000 people have had their houses swamped by floodwaters, the council said, though the majority of residents have remained at home.

The western section of the Philippines has been swamped by heavy rain over the past week, forcing the cancellation of some domestic commercial flights and the suspension of classes.
Coalition denies targeting Yemen school as 10 children killed

The Saudi-led coalition Sunday denied targeting a Yemeni school in air strikes that killed 10 children, instead saying it bombed a camp at which Iran-backed rebels train underage soldiers.

Doctors Without Borders, a Paris-based relief agency also known as MSF, said the children were killed Saturday in coalition raids on a school in Haydan, a town in rebel-held Saada province.

The coalition of Arab states has been battling the Huthi rebels since 2015 after the insurgents seized Sanaa before expanding to other parts of the country.

Yemeni children walk amid the rubble of a house in Yemen's Huthi rebel-held capital Sanaa on August 11, 2016, after it was reportedly hit by a Saudi-led coalition air strike Mohammed Huwais (AFP/File)

Ten days ago it acknowledged "shortcomings" in two out of eight cases it has investigated of strikes on civilian targets in Yemen that the UN has condemned.

Coalition spokesman General Ahmed Assiri said the strikes hit a Huthi training camp, killing militia fighters including a leader identified as Yehya Munassar Abu Rabua.

"The site that was bombed... is a major training camp for militia," he told AFP. "Why would children be at a training camp?"

Yemen's government had confirmed to the coalition that "there is no school in this area", he said.

Assiri said MSF's toll "confirms the Huthis' practice of recruiting and subjecting children to terror".

"They... use them as scouts, guards, messengers and fighters," he said, noting previous reports from Human Rights Watch on the rebels' use of underage recruits.

"When jets target training camps, they cannot distinguish between ages," Assiri said.

- 'Recruitment of children' -

MSF spokeswoman Malak Shaher said those killed in the strikes on "a Koranic school" were all under 15.

She called on "all parties to take the measures necessary to protect civilians".

But Assiri criticised the organisation for overlooking the issue of child soldiers.

"We would have hoped MSF would take measures to stop the recruitment of children to fight in wars instead of crying over them in the media," he said.

The United Nation's children agency, UNICEF, also reported the attack.

It warned that "with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by air strikes, street fighting and landmines has grown sharply".

The rebels posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead children wrapped in blankets.

Assiri sent AFP pictures of Huthi children carrying rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said warplanes "targeted" children at the Jomaa bin Fadhel school, in what he called a "heinous crime".

The Arab coalition launched air strikes against the rebels on March 26, 2015.

After a three-month pause, it resumed raids on Tuesday, less than 72 hours after UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced the collapse of peace talks.

Raids struck a food factory in the rebel-controlled capital, killing 14 people, medics said.

The factory is near a military equipment maintenance centre targeted by the coalition.

- UN concern -

The UN had voiced concern about the increased fighting over the past week, warning that more than 80 percent of Yemenis need aid.

"UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to respect and abide by their obligations under international law," it said, including "to only target combatants and limit harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure".

Saudi Arabia reacted angrily to a decision in June to blacklist the coalition after a UN report found the alliance responsible for 60 percent of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon had accused Saudi Arabia of threatening to cut off funding to UN aid programmes over the blacklist, a charge denied by Riyadh.

A 14-member investigative team formed by the coalition has probed claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme aid trucks.

It found the coalition guilty of "mistakenly" hitting a residential compound and an MSF-run hospital, but accused the rebels of having used the hospital -- also in Haydan -- as a hideout.

The UN says more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since last March.

The coalition, meanwhile, said Saudi air defences Saturday intercepted a Scud missile fired from Yemen.

And the Saudi civil defence said six foreign workers at a water-bottling plant in Najran -- three Indians, two Bangladeshis and a Nepali -- were wounded when a factory was hit in a rebel bombardment from across the border.

Around 100 Saudi soldiers and civilians have been killed inside the kingdom's borders since last March.

The coalition has also been backing government forces fighting Sunni jihadists who have exploited the conflict to gain ground in southern Yemen.

On Sunday, government forces entered the southern city of Zinjibar as they launched an offensive to recapture the wider province of Abyan from the jihadists.

Relief agency Doctors Without Borders said 10 children were killed in a Saudi-led air strike in Yemen

Armed Yemeni tribesmen loyal to the Shiite Huthi rebels gather in the capital Sanaa to mobilize more fighters in June 2016 Mohammed Huwais (AFP/File)

Smoke rises behind buildings on August 9, 2016 following a reported airstrike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sanaa Mohammed Huwais (AFP/File)
Nineteen killed in clashes in central DRCongo

Nineteen people have been killed in clashes between police and militia in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said.

The dead included the leader of the militia group, Kamwina Nsapu, the governor of Kasai-Central province, Alex Kande, told public television late on Saturday.

He said Nsapu was among eight militia members killed in the fighting in the town of Tshimbulu on Friday. Eleven policemen also died, Kande said.

A Congolese policeman is seen standing guard in a village Eduardo Soteras (AFP/File)

In recent weeks Nsapu has resolved to "rid Kasai-Central of the security forces, who have carried out all kinds of harassment against the population," the UN-backed Radio Okapi said, quoting local sources.

Kande said four other policemen were missing and about 40 militia members were captured including 17 children aged between five and 12.

Police also seized weapons and ammunition.
Pistorius put on suicide watch, newspaper reports

Jailed murderer Oscar Pistorius has been put on suicide watch following mysterious wrist injuries that landed him in hospital earlier this month, media reported on Sunday.

Prison officials told City Press newspaper that the athlete who is serving a six- year sentence for murdering his girlfriend was under 24-hour monitoring, with increased cell visits by warders.

Some inside sources told the paper that razor blades were found in the disgraced athlete's cell last Saturday afternoon, and that his wrist injuries, described as "severe", were self-inflicted.

Oscar Pistorius is jailed for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, fatally shot through a locked bathroom door three years ago Marco Longari (POOL/AFP/File)

Prison authorities have launched a probe into the incident.

"Our internal investigation is at an advanced stage," said Correctional Services spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo.

The 29-year-old double-amputee, who is being held at the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria, had told prison officials he sustained the injuries falling off his bed.

According to the newspaper, the injury occurred soon after he had an altercation with prison officials over medication prescribed by state doctors. The Paralympian had refused to take the medication, saying it was "toxic" and demanded to be given medication prescribed by his private doctor.

He alleged that the prison official wanted to kill him and demanded to be transferred to another jail.

Warders also raided his cell and found a pair a scissors, prescription drugs and "toxic pills".

Pistorius's family has rubbished reports that the "Blade Runner" who made history by being the first disabled person to compete with able-bodied athletes in the 2012 London Olympics had tried to kill himself.

Pistorius initially escaped a murder conviction for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door three years ago.

An appeal by prosecutors saw his manslaughter conviction upgraded to murder, and in July he was sentenced to a six-year jail term.

But prosecutors have said they would push for a longer sentence, saying six years was "shockingly lenient".

Pistorius initially escaped a murder conviction for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door three years ago
Russia says destroys IS arms stores around Syria's Deir Ezzor

Six long-range bombers from Russia on Sunday destroyed Islamic State group weapon stores around the jihadist stronghold of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, the defence ministry in Moscow said.

The ministry said in a statement that the Russian Tupolev bombers carried out raids to the southwest, east and northeast of the city, wiping out two command posts, six arms depots, IS vehicles and "a large number of fighters".

IS controls large parts of Deir Ezzor city and most of oil-rich Deir Ezzor province in the east of the country, and has battled Syrian regime forces for control of a key military airbase there.

Russia has been flying a bombing campaign in support of long-time ally Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad since September

Russia has been flying a bombing campaign in support of long-time ally President Bashar Al-Assad since September that has helped shore up the strongman's crumbling forces.

IS militants were on Friday forced out of the city of Manbij near the Turkish border by a US-backed Arab-Kurdish alliance in a blow the Pentagon said showed the extremists were "on the ropes".
Jews expelled from Jerusalem site on mourning day

Hundreds of Jews visited Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Tisha B'av, a religious day of mourning, with several expelled for praying, a right restricted to Muslims, police said on Sunday.

They said around 400 entered the site in occupied east Jerusalem throughout the day to commemorate the destruction of two ancient temples there.

Police expelled 10 Jews from the compound for trying to pray there and arrested another two.

Israeli security forces stand guard as Orthodox Jewish men visit the al-Aqsa mosque compound on Tisha B'Av, commemorating the destruction of ancient Jerusalem temples some 2,000 years ago, on August 14, 2016, in Jerusalem's Old City Ahmad Gharabli (AFP)

Security at the controversial site had been boosted with hundreds of extra officers ahead of the event, which began on Saturday night.

Tens of thousands of Jews also prayed at the adjacent Western Wall during the day.

Advocates for prayer rights for Jews at the esplanade, the holiest site in Judaism and referred to as the Temple Mount, have called on Jews to visit the sensitive area.

It is Islam's third holiest site.

An AFP journalist saw several groups of around 30 Jews visiting the site in the morning and the afternoon, many escorted by police.

Muslims entering through different gates showed their identity cards to the police, who retained them for some visitors until the end of their visit.

Honenu, an advocacy group that provides legal aid to extremist Jews, said three were held for citing verses from prayer, and another for tearing his shirt, a sign of mourning in Judaism.

Jews are allowed to visit the compound but not pray there, and the site has been the scene of regular incidents when Jews try to ignore the rule and Muslims intervene to stop them.

Police said Muslims had gathered around two Jews being expelled by police and began yelling at them.

Police pushed them away and three Muslims were lightly injured in the scuffle.

Jerusalem has been at the heart of a wave of violence since October in which 219 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have died, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.

While the number of attacks has declined in recent weeks, Palestinian fears of Israeli intentions to undermine Muslim control of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound were a key factor in the violence erupting 10 months ago.

Palestinians argue that Israel is seeking to change the status quo at the compound, a claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly denied.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed the territory in a move never recognised by the international community.

A general view shows the Al-Aqsa compound with the Dome of the Rock (C) and the Al-Aqsa mosque (L) in Jerusalem's Old City on August 14, 2016 Ahmad Gharabli (AFP)
Libya forces press assault on last IS positions in Sirte

Libyan pro-government forces pressed an advance against the Islamic State group in the coastal city of Sirte on Sunday as they battled jihadists holed up in waterfront residential areas.

In May, forces loyal to the unity government began an offensive to retake the Mediterranean city and home town of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, which IS seized in June last year.

The offensive came amid growing concern that jihadists would use Sirte, where they had set up centres to train militants, as a springboard for attacks on European shores hundreds of kilometres (miles) away.

Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord break up a wall as they fight Islamic State jihadists holed up in a residential district of Sirte on August 14, 2016 Mahmud Turkia (AFP)

One June 9, pro-government forces entered Sirte and more than two months later pushed the jihadists from key positions including their headquarters at the Ouagadougou conference centre, a sprawling compound near the city centre.

AFP correspondents who toured the city on Saturday said loyalist forces were pressing their advance, buoyed by US air strikes earlier this month that targeted IS holdouts in the city.

The forces fired machineguns mounted on pick-up trucks and light weapons at IS targets in the distance as they tried to advance towards an area known as "residential district three" facing the Mediterranean, the correspondents said.

On Sunday, the spokesman for the forces, General Mohamad Ghassri, told AFP that both residential districts near the waterfront were "currently battle zones".

Pro-government forces "have entered district number two" which could fall under their control later Sunday, he said.

"IS has only control over one sector, residential district one in the heart of downtown Sirte," he said.

"From a military point of view, the battle (for Sirte) is over," he said, adding that "victory" would be announced soon.

Earlier the forces loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord said in a statement that their fighters had seized buildings on the outskirts of district two and were chasing the jihadists.

- Eyes on Rome -

Mustafa al-Faqih, one of the commanders of the loyalist forces, told AFP that the jihadists fled after their headquarters fell on Wednesday.

The "enemy forces collapsed" in the face of the loyalist advance, he said.

"We will advance on... areas where the enemy is still deployed in the coming days, God willing."

The taking of the Ouagadougou centre, where Kadhafi once hosted Arab and African summits as well as European leaders, was the first in a string of blistering losses sustained by the jihadists this week.

A statement by the loyalist forces on Saturday said they had seized a radio station near the centre which the jihadists used to broadcast propaganda, describing its capture as "important".

They also drove jihadists out of the university of Sirte which they had used as a key defensive position, they said.

On Sunday, pro-government fighters could be seen removing jihadist graffiti from the walls of the Ouagadougou centre.

"The caliphate will endure and expand," read one slogan at the centre's main entrance, before it was removed.

A trail of destruction has hit the once grandiose centre, with windows shattered, ceilings caved in and bullet strikes on its walls.

Outside, a group of pro-government fighters flashed victory signs and pointed to a banner left behind by the jihadists that read: "We are fighting in Libya but our eyes are on Rome."

Libya's former colonial power Italy lies a mere 300 kilometres (less than 200 miles) across the Mediterranean from Sirte.

On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi faced criticism at home for reportedly sending special forces to Libya to help the anti-IS fight without approval from parliament.

Renzi's centre-left government has refused to confirm or deny reports that dozens of special forces have been deployed to help with de-mining and training pro-GNA forces.

More than 300 pro-government fighters have been killed and 1,800 wounded since May in the battle for Sirte, medics have said.

The jihadists have not revealed their losses.

Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord fire towards Islamic State fighters' positions in Sirte on August 14, 2016 Mahmud Turkia (AFP)

Libya forces press assault on IS in Sirte

Backed by US air strikes, pro-government forces seized control of the Ouagadougou conference centre used by jihadists as a base Mahmud Turkia (AFP/File)
Trump lashes out at 'crooked media'

Donald Trump, clearly angered by news reports that he has grown depressed and sullen over his fading presidential prospects, has issued some of his sharpest attacks on the media.

"I am not running against Crooked Hillary Clinton," the Republican presidential candidate said in a speech late Saturday in Fairfield, Connecticut. "I'm running against the crooked media."

Trump seemed particularly upset with a New York Times article that quotes unnamed associates of his as saying that in private "his mood is often sullen and erratic." Republicans close to his campaign were quoted as saying he was "exhausted, frustrated and still bewildered" by the political process.

Donald Trump has complained for months about media coverage and stripped a long list of news organizations of their credentials Molly Riley (AFP/File)

The real estate tycoon returned to his message on Sunday, tweeting: "My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm."

Later, amid a flurry of further tweets on the subject, he added: "It is not 'freedom of the press' when newspapers and others are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false!"

Trump has complained for months about media coverage. He has stripped a long list of news organizations -- including the New York Times, BuzzFeed, Politico and The Washington Post -- of their credentials, and vowed that as president he would make it easier to sue news outlets.

"Trump is right that most of the media want him to lose," wrote The Wall Street Journal editorial board Sunday, noting that is "true of every Republican presidential nominee. The difference is that Mr Trump has made it so easy for the media and his opponents."

The national news outlet recommended the Republican party "write off the nominee as hopeless" if Trump fails to act more presidential by Labor Day, in which case it said Trump should "turn the nomination over to Mike Pence," the Republican candidate's running mate.

Despite Trump's complaints media monitors say he has received more extensive coverage than any candidate in years.

- Degree of desperation -

A prominent American journalist, James Fallows of The Atlantic magazine, suggested Trump's very criticism reflected a degree of desperation, tweeting on Sunday: "I've seen winning campaigns and losing ones. 100% Iron Law: campaign saying 'our problem is the media' is campaign on way down."

But Paul Manafort, the Trump campaign chairman, pushed back against that notion during an appearance Sunday on CNN, saying, "The campaign is moving forward and very strong. We raised over $132 million in the last two months."

He noted that Trump had visited key battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida repeatedly and was "starting to get traction in those states."

However, recent polls have shown Trump's numbers sagging badly in those battleground states, notably hurt by his critical comments about the Muslim parents of a fallen US soldier, and what some saw as his suggestion that "Second Amendment people" -- gun lovers -- take their dislike for Clinton into their own hands.

Manafort repeated the Trump claim that his Second Amendment remark was meant purely as an exhortation to vote.

But even one of Trump's top advisers, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, conceded Sunday that the candidate needed to communicate "more effectively."

"He's got to wrestle in his own heart, how does he communicate who he is, what he believes, the change he thinks he can bring to America," he said on ABC.

"He does need to communicate -- and I think he can -- more effectively."

The CNN interviewer also asked Manafort about mounting pressure on Trump to release his tax returns after Clinton released hers on Friday.

The channel broadcast video of Trump urging Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate in 2012, to release his returns at the time, saying, "If you didn't see the tax returns, you would think there is almost, like, something wrong."

Manafort repeated Trump's explanation that he is under audit by the Internal Revenue Service.

"When that's completed, he'll release the returns," Manafort said, adding that Clinton's returns showed income coming from "people who benefited from her State Department term as well," referring to her time as secretary of State.

"I haven't seen stories on that yet."

Supporters of Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump wait to hear him speak on August 13, 2016 in Fairfield, Connecticut John Moore (Getty/AFP/File)
US-backed Syria forces say next IS target is Al-Bab

US-backed Syrian forces said Sunday they have established a military council to push Islamic State group fighters out of their northern bastion of Al-Bab after ousting the jihadists from Manbij.

"We announce... the creation of the Al-Bab Military Council" tasked with driving IS from the town in Aleppo province, said the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters in a statement, two days after driving the last jihadists from Manbij.

The last remaining IS fighters abandoned the city of Manbij near the Turkish border on Friday after a rout that the Pentagon said showed the extremists were "on the ropes".

A Syrian woman shelters in a damaged building as civil defence workers sift through debris looking for survivors following reported air strikes on July 14, 2016 in Aleppo's rebel-held neighbourhood of Tariq al-Bab Thaer Mohammed (AFP/File)

The retreat from the city which IS captured in 2014 was the jihadists' worst defeat yet at the hands of the SDF alliance backed by US air power.

Al-Bab is around 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of Manbij, and also in the battleground province of Aleppo.

In Sunday's statement, the SDF said "we promise to our people that we will strike to liberate Al-Bab@" and the region around it.

They also called on the US-led coalition that has been battling IS in Syria and neighbouring Iraq "to back us in our struggle to liberate our land and our brothers from the Daesh terrorists".

The battle for Manbij -- a key supply route for the jihadists between the Turkish border and their self-declared capital in Raqa -- lasted more than two months.
As presidential campaign seasons come and go, the name of Thomas Eagleton becomes less familiar in instant political recall. His day on the national political stage was relatively brief, but it provided an outsized drama in the disastrous 1972 campaign of Democratic nominee George McGovern.

That was the year in which Democratic stalwarts such as Hubert Humphrey, Ted Kennedy, Ed Muskie and Walter Mondale fled to the hills to avoid being named McGoverns running mate at the partys national convention. It was the year in which Richard Nixon, Vietnam war and Spiro Agnew aside, could not be denied a second term.

Out of desperation and historically low poll standings, McGovern and his advisers turned to Eagleton of Missouri, elected to the U.S. Senate in 1968 and a former lieutenant governor and attorney general. But those responsible for vetting that choice had missed a few salient items which were to result in what political analyst Bob Shrum said was one of the great train wrecks of all time.

It was revealed shortly after his selection that Eagleton had suffered several bouts of depression the previous decade and had been subjected to electroshock therapy. The egregious vetting error went national. Then, after McGovern claimed he was behind Eagleton 1,000 percent  medical experts advised McGovern and the Democratic National Committee, that a recurrence of the Missouri senators depression, should he become president, could endanger national security.

In little more than two weeks after his selection, Eagleton was off the ticket and Sargent Shriver, an in-law of the Kennedy family, was chosen as McGoverns running mate. The 1972 Democratic ticket lost to Nixon in a landslide, winning only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.

Eagleton won two more Senate races, serving with distinction until 1986. He died in March of 2007, at the age of 77.

But it was the DNC, not McGovern, calling the shots in the Eagleton affair. Fast forward to 2016, and you have the dilemma now faced by the Republican National Committee: a nominee who almost daily offends not only his political opponents, but whose insulting rhetoric, blatant disregard for facts and outright demagoguery sends GOP stalwarts rehearsing duck-and-cover drills.

The harsh realities of the Republicans Trump predicament are daunting in the extreme. The old saw that You made your own bed, now lie in it, is more than appropriate in the GOPs current plight. But theres the truism that if one is not satisfied with the making of the bed, it can be made again.

The alternatives are rational, but not particularly attractive. For all the instantly manufactured apologies and futile attempts to explain away their candidates outrageous conduct, the shadow of an electoral defeat of massive proportions is around every corner.

The two-party system and compromises reached therein are essential to the success of modern democracy. Amid the campaign chaos of the Republicans own making, the chance still exists to grasp some small smattering of honor despite their nominees relentless drive to push the party into irreparable ruin.

That literally means shoving the current presidential nominee out the door kicking and screaming, and choosing a viable replacement while there is still time. It almost certainly wont bode well for November, but some smattering of honor will have been saved.
30,000 rescued from deadly Louisiana floodwaters

As many as 30,000 people have been rescued following unprecedented floods in the southern US state of Louisiana, including a 78-year-old woman who spent a night stranded in a tree, police said late Monday.

Residents awoke Tuesday to find their homes and businesses still surrounded by muddy water, without clear answers about when the epic flooding that has killed at least seven is expected to recede.

Thousands were hunkering down in shelters after waterways in the southern part of the US state overflowed their banks following more than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain between Thursday and Saturday.

A car is seen partially submerged in flood waters on August 15, 2016 in Denham Springs, Louisiana Brendan Smialowski (AFP)

"Our state is currently experiencing a historic flooding event that is breaking every record," Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said in a statement late Monday.

"This event is ongoing, it is not over," he said. "We do not know when the floodwaters will recede, and they will continue to rise in some areas."

Police said the Louisiana National Guard would assist evacuees in the massive shelters, which included a film studio complex in the state capital Baton Rouge and an entertainment center in the city's downtown area.

Water covered roads, homes and commercial areas. Floodwaters even reached the rooflines of some homes in the worst-hit areas.

Seven people were confirmed dead, Louisiana State Police Superintendent Colonel Mike Edmonson said, noting the toll could rise in coming days.

"Once the water recedes, all these homes that are completely covered with water, we got to go to every single one of those and go inside of them and check for anybody who might be in those areas," he told CNN.

Some 40,000 homes and business were reported to be without power.

- Disaster areas -

The White House declared four parishes -- equivalent to counties in other states -- major disaster areas.

"I fully expect that more parishes will be added to the declaration on a rolling basis," Edwards said.

Floodwaters appeared to be receding in some areas, but were flowing into others. The National Weather Service (NWS) continued to issue flood warnings in effect through early Tuesday, saying water in many areas would not recede at least for another day.

The Amite River, the source of flooding for many areas, had risen 14 feet (4.3 meters) above flood level in one reading, besting a previous record set during flooding in April 1983, the NWS said.

The agency forecast the river would not fall below flood level until Wednesday morning.

In some areas, clean-up work was already beginning, with members of the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge dumping water-damaged pews on a growing pile of debris outside.

Inside, a young boy rode his bicycle around the now-empty church.

- Offers of aid -

The White House declaration makes emergency federal funding available to support rescue crews and recovery efforts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Monday began asking those affected by the floods to apply for assistance, and officials said 11,000 people had already registered early in the day.

The American Red Cross called the flooding the worst since Superstorm Sandy hit coastal areas in New York and New Jersey in 2012.

Many parishes in Louisiana were collecting donations for flood victims, including food, water, blankets, school uniforms, bedding and hygiene products.

Louisiana was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and authorities learned from that disaster that many people are reluctant to leave their homes without their pets, even when conditions are life-threatening.

Several shelters in the Baton Rouge area were accepting evacuees with four legs.

Four-year-old Mariah McDowell, who was supposed to start preschool last Friday, was perched on the edge of a cot in a shelter, wearing rubber rain boots and cradling her turtle Zeus, The Advocate newspaper of Baton Rouge reported.

Mariah and her family were set up next to another group that came with their five cats.

- Dramatic rescues -

The Louisiana National Guard reported that its soldiers rescued nearly 500 people and 61 pets by boat, helicopter and high-water (high-clearance) vehicles in the 24 hours between Friday and Saturday.

"We've literally had hundreds of people who've brought boats in and have wanted to help," Edmonson said.

The volunteer rescuers have been dubbed the "Cajun Navy".

The NWS said other areas of the United States faced threats of flash floods this week -- from the Texas coast all the way up to the Ohio River Valley.

The storms threatening Texas are part of the same system that deluged Louisiana, although it is now less potent, said NWS meteorologist Gavin Phillips.

Louisiana flooding John SAEKI (AFP)

More than 30,000 people have been evacuated following catastrophic floods in Louisiana that left at least seven dead

Tracy Thornton walks to his house through a flooded neighborhood August 15, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Brendan Smialowski (AFP)

US Coast Guard personel evacuate people from a floodwaters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Giles (US Coast Guard/AFP/File)

A boy rides his bike inside the flood-damaged Life Tabernacle Church on August 15, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Brendan Smialowski (AFP)
Third gymnastics gold for Biles as Whitlock outshines Uchimura in Rio

US gymnastics dynamo Simone Biles remained on course for a record haul of five women's titles in Rio on Sunday but Britain's Max Whitlock outshone Japan's Kohei Uchimura with his double gold.

Biles became the first American woman to win the Olympic vault title and the first to win three gold at the same Games after her team and all-around successes.

The 19-year-old Texan can claim two more on the beam and floor, which would see her become the most titled woman in Olympic gymnastics history.

L-R: Russia's Maria Paseka, US gymnast Simone Biles and Switzerland's Giulia Steingruber celebrate after the women's vault event in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016 Ben Stansall (AFP)

But she had to share the limelight in the Rio Olympic Arena as Whitlock outshone Uchimura, who had been looking to add to his team and all-around gold, but finished fifth on the floor.

Whitlock's floor gold was a first for Britain in Olympic gymnastics. But he came back an hour later to add a second in the pommel horse.

"It's just an incredible feeling," said the 23-year-old, who had been favourite in the pommel horse as the reigning world champion.

"I couldn't really take it in on floor. I had my job to do on pommel horse. I had to get back to the training gym and refocus."

'King Kohei' was clearly off form as he hopped off the mat early in his routine.

A dejected Uchimura left his chair to watch as Whitlock stole the show, and was told to return to his place by an official.

Uchimura succeeded in his bid to win the team gold with Japan and defended his all-around title. He leaves Rio on a low point but with his eyes focussed on Tokyo 2020.

There were wild celebrations as Brazilian duo Diego Hypolito and Arthur Mariano won silver and bronze on the floor.

"For me this is a gold," said an emotional Hypolito, a two-time world champion who fell in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

"Winning a medal today was the most important thing in my life," the 30-year-old added.

Two-time world floor champion Kenzo Shirai of Japan dropped to fourth after an error-strewn performance.

"This felt very different to when I was doing the team event," said Shirai.

"Then I felt that we were pushing each other's backs, propelling each other along. This one I felt like I was very much alone."

Whitlock led a British 1-2 on pommel horse ahead of Louis Smith with Alexander Naddour giving the US men their first Games medal with bronze.

It was Whitlock's fifth Olympic medal and third in Rio after also winning bronze in the team event.

-- First Russian gold --

Propelled by her lightening fast run Biles led the way on both her vaults including the difficult 'Amanar' despite a slight hop back on the landing.

She scored a combined 15.966 -- 15.900 and 16.033 -- to take gold ahead of world champion Maria Paseka of Russia (15.253).

"It's something I wanted so badly, so I just tried to keep a good mind going into vault," said Biles, who has three world medals but never gold on the apparatus.

"It means a lot to me."

The only apparatus final that Biles has failed to qualify for was uneven bars where Russia's Aliya Mustafina successfully reigning supreme defending her title ahead of American world champion Madison Kocian.

"Now I can say that uneven bars are my best apparatus," said Mustafina, after taking her seventh Olympic medal and second in gold.

It was the first gymnastics gold in Rio for Russia who were only cleared to compete the day before the Olympics got underway amid the fallout of accusations of state-run doping against their country.

Max Whitlock competes in the men's floor event in Rio Toshifumi Kitamura (AFP)

L-R: Britain's Louis Smith, Britain's Max Whitlock and US gymnast Alexander Naddour celebrate on the podium of the men's pommel horse event final in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016 Ben Stansall (AFP)
Sudan floods kill 100, destroy villages: officials

Thousands of houses have been destroyed and several villages submerged after flooding triggered by torrential rainfall killed 100 people across Sudan, officials and an AFP photographer said on Sunday.

Thousands of people in the impoverished eastern state of Kasala bordering Eritrea fled their homes after the river Gash burst its banks, flooding entire villages inhabited by farmers.

Many people were sheltering in makeshift grass huts on hilltops, after floodwaters also cut off the main highway between east Sudan and the capital Khartoum.

A Sudanese man looks at the river Gash that burst its banks flooding the village of Makli on August 14, 2016, destroying thousands of houses and submerging several villages Ashraf Shazly (AFP)

Villagers braved waist-high water as they looked for food, drinking water and medicines amid a shortage of supplies, the AFP photographer said as he toured two flood-hit villages near the provincial capital Kasala.

Many people, mostly children, were seen drinking muddy rain water.

"We had no time. We simply fled, taking our children when our village was flooded in the night two weeks ago," said Taha Mahmoud, chief of Makli village in Kasala.

"We lost all our food, belongings and livestock. We're living in miserable conditions in makeshift huts that won't withstand heavy rains."

"We are eating just one meal a day. Children are falling sick, and doctors are miles away."

Twenty-five people died in Kasala itself and around 8,000 houses have been destroyed since heavy rains lashed the state two weeks ago, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society said on Sunday.

At least 100 people were killed nationwide, it said.

- 'Everything has been destroyed' -

There was a similar scene in another Kasala village, Al-Mahmoudab, where all 250 houses and the local school were destroyed. Only the mosque was left standing.

Villagers were setting up a makeshift school under a tent so children could continue their lessons.

"We managed to rescue our children, but everything has been destroyed. We lost our entire stock of food, especially sorghum," said Saeedna Mussa, the imam of Al-Mahmoudab, of a staple food in Sudan.

Hundreds of people and vehicles were stranded on both sides of the highway that has been cut off, a local government official told AFP.

"Heavy rains have cut off the highway linking east Sudan with the capital. People on both sides are stranded," he said.

Authorities said water levels were also rising on the Blue Nile along the border with Ethiopia after continuous rainfall there.

The Blue Nile flows to Khartoum where it meets the White Nile and they become the Nile which flows into Egypt.

United Nations aid agencies had warned of the flood danger in Sudan between July and November.

The most affected states are Kassala, Sennar, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and North Darfur, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday.

It said heavy flooding since early June has affected more than 122,000 people and destroyed over 13,000 houses in many parts of the country.

A downpour in August 2013 was the worst to hit Khartoum in 25 years, and affected tens of thousands of people, the UN said.

Those floods killed about 50 people, mostly in the capital.

A Sudanese man returns to his destroyed house and looks for his food stock and other belongings in the village of Makli, that was flooded after the river Gash burst its banks on August 14, 2016, in the impoverished eastern state of Kasala Ashraf Shazly (AFP)

A Sudanese man returns to his destroyed house and looks for his food stock and other belongings in the village of Makli that was flooded after the river Gash burst its banks on August 14, 2016 AShraf Shazly (AFP)
Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders escape jail on protest charges

Three leaders of Hong Kong's "Umbrella Revolution" avoided jail Monday over 2014 pro-democracy protests as a court said political tension would not sway its judgement, in a city divided by Beijing's tightening grip.

The young campaigners -- Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and Alex Chow -- were charged for a protest in September 2014 which saw students climb over a fence into Hong Kong's government complex, known as Civic Square.

They were calling for fully free leadership elections for the semi-autonomous city and their arrests at the time sparked wider rallies.

Leaders of Hong Kong's 'Umbrella Revolution' (from L) Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow chant slogans upon their arrival to the Eastern Court, on August 15, 2016 Anthony Wallace (AFP)

Those exploded two days later when police fired tear gas on the crowds, triggering mass demonstrations that brought parts of Hong Kong to a standstill for more than two months.

The umbrellas that protesters used to defend themselves from pepper spray and tear gas gave the movement its name.

Tensions have remained high since the rallies ended without concessions from Beijing on political reform, splitting society into those who want to fight for greater autonomy and those who think there is little to gain.

Magistrate June Cheung said it would be unfair if she were influenced by the current political atmosphere into handing down a "deterrent sentence".

"The court believes the case is different from an ordinary criminal case. I accept they were genuinely expressing their views," she said in sentencing the men at Eastern Magistrates' Court.

Cheung added the three had no prior convictions, were concerned about social issues and passionate about politics.

Wong, 19, and Chow, 25, had been charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly at Civic Square, while Law, 23, was charged with inciting others to take part.

They were facing possible two-year jail terms.

Wong and Law were given community service.

Chow received a three-week sentence, suspended for a year -- he could not complete community service because he would be studying in the UK. He will not serve jail time unless he offends in the coming year.

The defendants praised Cheung for her leniency.

"The court has taken the view that the Umbrella Movement and entering Civic Square was not for personal gain but public good," Wong said.

Law added it showed the three had been acting for "justice, benefits of society and people's civil liberties".

"She sent a message that such rights should be respected," Law said of the magistrate.

- 'Violation of rights' -

However, Human Rights Watch Monday slammed the authorities for pursuing the case, saying it was a "violation of their rights to peaceful expression and assembly".

Their convictions last month were also blasted by rights group Amnesty International, which described the case as a "chilling warning" to activists.

Wong and Law have been in and out of court hearings for the past year after being charged with offences linked to various protest actions.

Both were acquitted in June over a separate anti-China rally in the summer of 2014.

Since the failure of the Umbrella Movement to achieve political reform, an increasing number of young activists are calling for a break from the mainland -- a message that has infuriated Beijing.

Wong and Law have recently set up a new political party, Demosisto, campaigning for self-determination for Hong Kong. Law will run for lawmaker in upcoming elections.

Hong Kong was returned to China by Britain in 1997 with its freedoms guaranteed for 50 years.

But there are growing concerns Beijing is no longer adhering to the agreement as it is accused of interference in a wide range of areas, from politics to media and education.

However, Hong Kong-based political commentator Joseph Cheng said he believed the court system still had integrity.

"The independence of the judiciary is the final line of defence that city residents have counted upon while many have gradually lost their confidence in the administration," he told AFP.

Political activist Ken Tsang (C) addresses the media outside the Kowloon city court in Hong Kong on May 26, 2016, after he was found guilty of assaulting and resisting police officers during the 2014 pro-democracy protests Isaac Lawrence (AFP/File)
UN peacekeepers arrest 10 'ex-rebels' in C. Africa

The UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic said on Sunday it arrested 10 heavily armed men, who a minister identified as former rebels.

Two of the men, Abdoulaye Hissene and Haroun Gaye, were warlords from the majority-Muslim Seleka rebellion, whose ouster in 2013 of longtime president Francois Bozize triggered a brutal sectarian war, according to Security Minister Jean-Serge Bokassa.

"Members of the MINUSCA force stopped a convoy of some 35 heavily armed men travelling in seven vehicles" on Saturday near the centre of the country, the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA said in a statement.

The United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic said it has arrested 10 heavily armed men, including two former warlords from the majority-Muslim Seleka rebellion Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

"Of these 35 individuals, several were wanted under arrest warrants," it added.

"The convoy left Bangui late on August 12, 2016, and exchanged fire with the national security forces at several checkpoints along the way. These incidents left several people dead and injured," MINUSCA said.

A UN peacekeeping source told AFP all the casualties were rebels.

"MINUSCA's ground forces were backed by air cover. When a helicopter circled overhead, the members of the convoy fled into the surrounding forest, pursued by MINUSCA forces. MINUSCA captured and detained 10 men," the statement said, without identifying the detainees.

The other 25 managed to flee, though the MINUSCA source said the peacekeepers were working to track them down.

Abdoulaye Hissene, a former rebel "general", was arrested in March, but he escaped after fellow fighters stormed the centre where he was being held in Bangui.

Haroun Gaye, who was added to the UN sanctions list in December last year, heads a radical ex-Seleka faction.

The Seleka rebellion's takeover in 2013 plunged the poor nation into chaos, as its majority Muslim fighters went to war with the mainly Christian anti-Balaka (machete) militia.

Thousands of people were killed and hundreds of thousands more were forced to flee their homes.
The Latest: 1 dead from lightning, 4 hurt in separate strike

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (AP)  The Latest on lightning strikes with injuries in New York state (all times local):

4 p.m.

New York State Police say four people have been injured in a lightning strike in the resort town of Lake George.

Emergency personnel put an unidentified victim possibly injured in a lightning strike onto a stretcher in Mansion Square Park in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. A city official says five people have been sent to hospitals with serious injuries after a powerful thunderstorm hit a Poughkeepsie park. (Alex Wagner/The Journal via AP)

The lightning strike Saturday happened the day after five people were struck by lightning in Poughkeepsie (puh-KIHP'-see). One of the Poughkeepsie victims died early Saturday. The 50-year-old man's name was not immediately released. The other four victims were hospitalized.

The Poughkeepsie victims were at Mansion Square Park when a fast-moving thunderstorm hit around 4 p.m. Friday.

Few details were available about the Lake George lightning strike.

Lake George is at the base of the Adirondack Mountains about 60 miles north of Albany.

____

10 a.m.

A man has died after being hit by a lightning strike that also injured four other people gathered around a park bench in New York's Hudson Valley.

The 50-year-old man died around 1 a.m. Saturday at Vassar Brothers Medical Center. That's according to Tim Massie, a senior vice president at hospital operator Health Quest.

The victims were at Mansion Square Park in Poughkeepsie (puh-KIHP'-see) when a fast-moving thunderstorm hit around 4 p.m. Friday. Emergency responders found three people unresponsive, two others conscious but injured and some belongings on fire.

Massie says two 46-year-old men remain in intensive care at the Vassar hospital with burns and internal injuries.

Police said two other, less gravely injured adults were taken to another hospital, which has declined to comment on their conditions.
Imam, friend fatally shot after leaving NYC mosque

NEW YORK (AP)  The leader of a New York City mosque and a friend were fatally shot in a brazen daylight attack as they left afternoon prayers Saturday.

Police said Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and 64-year-old Thara Uddin were shot in the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens shortly before 2 p.m. Both men were later pronounced dead.

Police said no motive had been established and there was no reason to believe the men were shot because they were Muslim. No suspects were in custody late Saturday.

This undated photo provided by Abdul Chowdhury, Imam Maulama Akonjee is shown. Akonjee and another man died in a fatal shooting Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Queens borough of New York after prayers. Police say that motive has yet to be determined. (Abdul Chowdhury via AP)

"There's nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," said Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner of the New York Police Department.

Sautner 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.

The imam's daughter, Naima Akonjee, said her father and Uddin were close friends who always walked together to the mosque from their homes on the same street.

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 Saturday night and chanted "We want justice!"

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, held a news conference near the shooting scene, where Kobir Chowdhury, a leader at another local mosque, said, "Read my lips: This is a hate crime" directed at Islam. "We are peace-loving."

Naima Akonjee said her father didn't "have any problems with anyone."

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."

Members of the community had felt animosity lately, with people cursing while passing the mosque, said worshipper Shahin Chowdhury. He said he had advised people 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."

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.

Neighbors also described 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.

______

This story has been corrected to say that police are now identifying the second victim as Thara Uddin, not Tharam Uddin.

People gather for a demonstration Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, near a crime scene after the leader of a New York City mosque and an associate were fatally shot in a brazen daylight attack as they left afternoon prayers. Police said 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and his 64-year-old associate, Tharam Uddin, were shot in the back of the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens shortly. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

People gather for a demonstration Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in the Queens borough of New York, near a crime scene after the leader of a New York City mosque and an associate were fatally shot as they left afternoon prayers. Police said 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and his 64-year-old associate, Tharam Uddin, were shot as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Sandals mark the crime scene, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, not far from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, New York, where the leader of a New York City mosque has been fatally shot and an associate has been wounded in a brazen daylight attack. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

New York City police secure the scene where two men were shot as they left prayers at a mosque in the Queens borough of New York, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Police identified the victims as Imam Maulama Akonjee, the 55-year-old leader of the mosque, who died at the hospital, and a 64-year-old man. (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz)

Sandals lay on a street corner at the crime scene, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, not far from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, New York, where the leader of a New York City mosque has been fatally shot and an associate has been wounded in a brazen daylight attack. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
'Maybe he should be in Ohio' said a concerned supporter about his flagging poll numbers in key states

He bashed Hillary Clinton's private email server and even brought up Monica Lewinsky, saying he was 'so glad they kept the dress'

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump made an unusual foray Saturday night into deep-blue Connecticut, pledging to make 'a big play' for the Democratic stronghold.

Connecticut has not voted for a Republican in a presidential election since 1988, when it went for George H.W. Bush, but Trump was undeterred.

'I'm making a big play for Connecticut. Normally the party wouldn't make a play,' Trump told the crowd in a sweltering Fairfield gym. 'I love Connecticut. I have lived in Connecticut. I have so many friends in Connecticut.'

Scroll down for video

'I love Connecticut' Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Sacred Heart University on Saturday

Trump's sojourn into Connecticut raised eyebrows among many Republicans nervous about his slipping poll numbers in a series of key swing states and battlegrounds - and even some usual GOP turf.

The wealthy southern coast of Connecticut, made up of tony New York City suburbs, has long been fertile fundraising ground and Trump held an event nearby before the rally.

'I'm so glad they kept the dress' Trump said of Bill Clinton's infidelity with an intern while in the White House

But it is rare for a Republican to campaign in the Nutmeg State, though many Trump supporters in attendance in Fairfield were glad he did.

'You never know unless you try. People want change, even in Connecticut,' said Ray Ramaglia, 57, of Trumbull.

Others questioned the use of the candidate's resources.

'I am glad he is here because it's great to see him, but maybe he should be in Ohio,' said Francisco Limbos, 56, of Kent.

Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listen as he speaks during a campaign rally at Sacred Heart University

Protesters did not go unseen, with one holding up a Dump Trump sign at his event in deep blue Connecticut

Trump has repeatedly suggested that he will compete in traditionally Democratic states, vowing to commit time and energy to places like California and his home state of New York.

However, his efforts before the Connecticut rally have been minimal: He made one appearance in Maine, cancelled a rally in upstate New York and has largely restricted his campaigning to traditional battleground states like Ohio, Florida and Virginia.

But his team has yet to rule out making a push into normally blue states like Oregon and Washington, as well as battlegrounds that have gone Democratic in recent cycles like Pennsylvania and Michigan.

On Saturday, he railed against Connecticut's high taxes and made fun of Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy's name - 'Dan? Daniel? Danny?' the celebrity businessman asked - but he spent far more of his energy going after other targets.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Tim Kaine talks with Sasha Hurwitz during a campaign stop at the Bridge Cafe in Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday

He bashed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as well as her husband's infidelity, even saying that he was 'so glad they kept the dress' that belonged to Monica Lewinsky and was presented as evidence of her affair with former President Bill Clinton.

Trump, a frequent media critic, also repeatedly denounced the press, prompting the crowd to jeer the reporters at the rally more than a dozen times.

He saved much of his vitriol for The New York Times and said 'maybe we'll start thinking about taking their press credentials away.'

Trump has banned several media outlets from covering his events, including The Washington Post, Buzzfeed and The Huffington Post.

Trump's running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, suggested Saturday he may release his tax returns before the election in November, a move that would put him at odds with Trump, who has refused to make public any information about the taxes he and his companies have paid.

Earlier in the day Pence had not responded to reporters' questions about his tax returns. But he wasn't definitive in an interview with WABC in New York and the campaign didn't return calls requesting more information.

'I believe we're completing those forms right now, as is appropriate under federal law, and we'll be filing that,' Pence told WABC when asked about financial disclosure. 'But I promise you, when my forms are filed and when my tax returns are released, it's going to be a quick read.'

In a campaign appearance Saturday at St. Anselm's College in Manchester, New Hampshire, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine urged supporters not to let favorable polling and positive punditry make them complacent when it comes to voting for the Democratic ticket.
Tens of thousands march in Peru against gender violence

LIMA, Peru (AP)  More than 50,000 people marched in Peru's capital and eight other cities on Saturday to protest violence against woman and what they say is the indifference of the judicial system.

Officials said the size of the protest against gender violence was unprecedented in Peru and followed several recent high-profile cases in which male perpetrators were given what women's groups said were too-lenient sentences. The march in Lima ended at the palace of justice.

"Today, the 13th of August, is a historic day for this country because it represents a breaking point and the start of a new culture to eradicate the marginalization that women have been suffering, especially with violence," said Victor Ticona, president of Peru's judicial system.

Thousands of people march against domestic violence in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Almost a hundred women are killed every year in domestic violence cases according to local authorities. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Ticona said that a commission of judges would receive representatives of the protesters.

Newly inaugurated President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski took part in the march along with first lady Nancy Lange.

"What we don't want in Peru is violence against anyone, but especially against women and children," he said.

Earlier in the day, Kuczynski said his government is "going to ask for facilities for women to denounce violence because abuse flourishes in an environment where complaints cannot be made and the blows are absorbed in silence  and this is not how it should be."

Peru's march follows similar protests against gender violence in other Latin American countries, including Argentina and Brazil, held under the slogan #NiUnaMenos  #NotOneLess.

A girl takes part in a march against domestic violence in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Almost a hundred women are killed every year in domestic violence cases according to local authorities. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Women chant slogans against the justice system during a march against domestic violence in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Almost a hundred women are killed every year in domestic violence cases according to local authorities. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

A performer representing a woman attacked by a man stands next to a protester holding a banner that reads in Spanish "No more violence," during a march against domestic violence in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Almost a hundred women are killed every year in domestic violence cases according to local authorities. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Women look at protesters during marching against domestic violence in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. According to local authorities almost a hundred women are killed every year in domestic violence cases in Peru. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

A strett cleaner poses for a picture during a march against domestic violence in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. According to local authorities almost a hundred women are killed every year in domestic violence cases in Peru. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

A police woman stands guard wearing a sticker with a phrase that reads in English "Not one less" during a march against domestic violence in Lima, Peru, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. According to local authorities almost a hundred women are killed every year in domestic violence cases in Peru. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
The Latest: Incumbent US Sen. Schatz wins Hawaii primary

HONOLULU (AP)  The Latest on Hawaii's Senate primary race. (all times local):

8:30 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz says his win in the Hawaii primary is a validation of all the hard work he has done on behalf of the state, and he looks forward to continuing a robust campaign into the general election.

US Senator Brian Schatz waves to drivers as he campaigns for reelection, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Honolulu. The incumbent Senator seeks his first full term as he was appointed to replace the late Sen. Daniel Inouye in 2012 and won a special election in 2014 to serve out the remainder of the term. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

If he wins the election in November, Schatz says he will continue to focus on combatting global warming by making the United States a global leader on clean energy.

"My priority continues to be working on bringing home federal resources for the state of Hawaii and making a meaningful difference on climate change," Schatz told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Saturday. "It's the challenge of our generation, it's an area where American leadership is essential and we've made a lot of progress over the last two years."

___

7:50 p.m.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz has won Hawaii's Democratic primary.

Schatz faced four Democrats in the race but was largely expected to advance to the general election. Four Republicans also campaigned for the nomination.

Schatz is seeking his first full term after taking an unlikely road to the Senate.

When Sen. Daniel Inouye (ih-NOH'-way) died, it was left to then-Gov. Neil Abercrombie to fill the seat. Inouye's dying wish was to have U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa take the spot, but Abercrombie instead chose Schatz, his lieutenant governor.

Two years later, Hanabusa challenged Schatz but lost in a special election to fill the last two years of Inouye's term.

___

5:30 p.m.

Voters in Honolulu are hitting their polling places Saturday to cast their ballots for races including the U.S. Senate race. Incumbent Sen. Brian Schatz is seeking his first full term in the race.

Joao Santos, 53, a Democrat who has lived in Honolulu for 23 years, was voting at Kawananakoa Middle School and said he has known Schatz for a number of years and feels his re-election is certain. He sees infrastructure and homelessness as major local issues that need to be addressed.

"They are critical issues for our economy," said Santos, an insurance agent. "Our number one industry, tourism, homelessness is having a big effect on that."

Maile Chow, 39, a Democrat who also lives in Honolulu and voted at Kawananakoa Middle School, said that she, too, likes Schatz for the Senate.

"I like his young, youthful approach to things and want to see what he can continue to do in the future," she said.

___

8:30 p.m. Friday

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz is seeking his first full term in the Senate after being appointed in 2012, and he starts that journey in Saturday's primary.

Hawaii's former governor chose Schatz to fill the seat that became vacant with the death of Sen. Daniel Inouye (ih-NOH'-way). And in 2014, Schatz was elected to fill out the remainder of Inouye's unexpired term.

Schatz faces four Democrats in the primary and is widely expected to advance to the general election. Four Republicans also are campaigning for the nomination.

Schatz serves on the Appropriations, Commerce Science and Transportation and Indian Affairs committees. He also serves on the Select Committee on Ethics.

He has introduced legislation on reducing the effects of climate change and promoting clean energy.

Voters arrive at a polling station held at Kawananakoa Middle School for the primary Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Honolulu. Hawaii voters will head to the polls Saturday to decide who will get their party nominations and advance to the general election in congressional and local races. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
Sri Lanka and China sign tripartite agreement to construct Financial City Centre in Colombo

Published: August 13, 2016

Sri Lanka and China have signed a tripartite agreement to proceed with the construction of a Financial City Centre in Colombo.

The agreement was signed between Sri Lankas Urban Development Authority, Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development and China Harbour Engineering Company.

Key Facts

The Colombo International Financial City project aims to transform Sri Lanka into an international financial hub in the Indian Ocean region (IOR).

It will be the centre of the maritime city which be one of the key phenomenon that will decide the future development of Sri Lanka.

The project will include central parks and beaches for the public and is expected to create thousands of jobs in the island country.

The $1.4 billion Port City project initially started construction in September 2014. But it was suspended in March 2015 due to environmental concerns.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2016

Topics: China-Sri Lanka  International

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Incumbent US Sen. Brian Schatz wins Hawaii primary

HONOLULU (AP)  Fresh off a primary election, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said he wants to make clean energy the same priority in Washington as it is in his native Hawaii.

"It's the challenge of our generation," Schatz told The Associated Press following an easy victory in Hawaii's Democratic primary on Saturday. "It's an area where American leadership is essential and we've made a lot of progress over the last two years."

Schatz was part of a delegation of 10 Democratic U.S. senators that went to Paris to show their support for the 2015 climate talks and to stress the urgency of the issue.

US Senator Brian Schatz waves to drivers as he campaigns for reelection, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Honolulu. The incumbent Senator seeks his first full term as he was appointed to replace the late Sen. Daniel Inouye in 2012 and won a special election in 2014 to serve out the remainder of the term. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

Some Republican lawmakers are skeptical of whether global warming is real or whether proposed remedies would work.

While in Washington Schatz has introduced legislation on reducing the use of fossil fuels and Hawaii leads the nation in its initiatives to become completely energy independent by 2045.

Schatz advanced to meet Republican John Carroll in the November general election, defeating four challengers in his bid for his first full term in office.

Schatz says his win in the Hawaii primary validates all the hard work he has done on behalf of the state, and he looks forward to continuing a robust campaign into the general election.

If he wins the election in November, Schatz says he will continue to focus on combatting global warming by making the United States a global leader on clean energy.

Schatz had an unlikely road to the Senate. When Hawaii's beloved Sen. Daniel Inouye died in December 2012, it was left to then-Gov. Neil Abercrombie to fill the seat. Inouye's dying wish was to have then-U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa fill the seat, but Abercrombie instead chose Schatz, his lieutenant governor.

Two years later, Hanabusa challenged Schatz but lost in a special election to fill the last two years of Inouye's unexpired term.

Other Democratic candidates in Saturday's race included Makani Christensen, Tutz Honeychurch, Artuto Reyes and Miles Shiratori. The Republican candidates included Carroll, Karla Gottschalk, Eddie Pirkowski and John Roco.

Attempts to reach Carroll weren't immediately successful.

Joao Santos, 53, a Democrat who has lived in Honolulu for 23 years, voted at Kawananakoa Middle School on Saturday and said he has known Schatz for a number of years and feels his re-election is certain. Santos sees infrastructure and homelessness as major local issues that need to be addressed.

"They are critical issues for our economy," said Santos, an insurance agent. "Our number one industry, tourism, homelessness is having a big effect on that."

Maile Chow, 39, a Democrat who also lives in Honolulu and voted at Kawananakoa Middle School, said that she, too, likes Schatz for the Senate.

"I like his young, youthful approach to things and want to see what he can continue to do in the future," she said.

Schatz serves on the Appropriations; Commerce, Science and Transportation; and Indian Affairs committees. He also serves on the Select Committee on Ethics.

Schatz, who was raised in Hawaii, was a member of the state House from 1998 to 2006. He is married and has two children.

Supporters greet U.S. Senator Brian Schatz as he enters his campaign headquarters, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Honolulu. The Incumbent senator won his Democratic primary race Saturday, defeating four challengers in his bid for his first full term in office. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

Voters arrive at a polling station held at Kawananakoa Middle School for the primary Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Honolulu. Hawaii voters will head to the polls Saturday to decide who will get their party nominations and advance to the general election in congressional and local races. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

FILE - In this March 8, 2016 file photo, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, heads to a closed-door policy meeting with fellow Democrats at the Capitol in Washington. Little drama is expected in Hawaii's primary election on Saturday, Aug. 13, as incumbent Sen. Brian Schatz seeks his first full term in the Senate after being appointed in 2012 to fill the seat that became vacant with the death of Sen. Daniel Inouye, and was then elected to the seat in 2014. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz speaks to supporters at his campaign headquarters, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Honolulu. The Incumbent senator won his Democratic primary race Saturday, defeating four challengers in his bid for his first full term in office. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, left, his wife Linda and their daughter Mia, 9, greet supporters at his campaign headquarters, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Honolulu. The Incumbent senator won his Democratic primary race Saturday, defeating four challengers in his bid for his first full term in office. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
Hundreds protest hero burial for Philippine dictator Marcos

MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Hundreds of Filipinos rallied in stormy weather Sunday against President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to allow dictator Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in a heroes' cemetery, but Duterte remained firm in his stance despite growing opposition.

About 1,500 protesters carrying a large streamer that read "Marcos not a hero" braved the rain, wind and mud at Manila's seaside Rizal Park to call on Duterte to reconsider his decision. They launched a signature campaign to try to stop the burial, tentatively set for next month.

Loretta Ann Rosales, who formerly headed the government's Commission on Human Rights, said she was tortured and molested along with thousands of other detained left-wing activists under Marcos during a dark era that clearly shows why the brutal leader does not deserve to be accorded any state honors.

Protesters gather at Rizal Park during a rally to oppose the burial of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery in Manila, Philippines, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. It was the biggest gathering so far since President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the burial of Marcos with full military honors and with the opposition announcing its plan to file a petition with the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

"Is that not enough evidence? ... Is Marcos a hero?" Rosales asked, with the crowd yelling back: "No!"

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who was among the protesters, said she has filed a Senate resolution opposing a hero's burial for Marcos, adding that Duterte should not commit "this atrocious mistake" of bestowing honors to the dictator.

"Marcos went down in history as an unrepentant enemy of our heroes," Hontiveros said. "To honor the man a hero and bury his remains in a place reserved for the brave and martyred is an inimitable political abomination."

Burying a dictator accused of massive rights violations and plunder at the heroes' cemetery has long been an emotional and divisive issue in the Philippines, where Marcos was ousted by a "people power" revolt in 1986. He was flown to Hawaii, where he lived with his wife and children in exile until he died in 1989.

His remains were later returned to his northern Philippine hometown and displayed in a glass coffin. His wife, Imelda, and two of their three children gradually regained political influence after being elected to public office.

Duterte, who was sworn in as president in June, argues that Marcos is qualified to be buried at the military-run cemetery as a former soldier and president. He has disclosed that he once voted for Marcos and that his late father, a politician, served in Marcos's Cabinet.

Duterte's communications secretary, Martin Andanar, said Sunday that the president's position "remains firm," arguing that military rules allow Marcos to be buried at the hollowed cemetery as a former president and soldier.

A group of former political detainees and rights victims under Marcos called Selda said in a statement that it plans to ask the Supreme Court to stop what it calls a "grave injustice" to thousands of human rights victims.

Communist guerrillas, who are set to restart peace talks with Duterte's government this month, condemned his move for its "extreme insensitivity."

"Duterte is virtually deleting Marcos' bloody record as a military despot and the fascist violence, human rights violations, corruption and economic hardships he made the Filipino people suffer through 14 years of dictatorship," the rebels said in a statement.

Protesters flash the thumbs down signa during a rally at Rizal Park to oppose the burial of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the "Libingan ng mga Bayani" or Heroes' Cemetery, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, in Manila, Philippines. It was the biggest gathering so far since President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the burial of Marcos with full military honors and with the opposition announcing its plan to file a petition with the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Protesters flash thumbs down signs during a rally at Rizal Park to oppose the burial of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, in Manila, Philippines. It was the biggest gathering so far since President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the burial of Marcos with full military honors and with the opposition announcing its plan to file a petition with the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Protesters display placards as they gather for a rally at Rizal Park to oppose the burial of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, in Manila, Philippines. It was the biggest gathering so far since President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the burial of Marcos with full military honors and with the opposition announcing its plan to file a petition with the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Protesters display placards as they gather for a rally at Rizal Park to oppose the burial of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, in Manila, Philippines. It was the biggest gathering so far since President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the burial of Marcos with full military honors and with the opposition announcing its plan to file a petition with the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
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This is the terrifying moment that stranded Louisiana residents are lifted hundreds of feet into the air by a US Coast Guard helicopter in just 30 seconds, as their home is consumed by flood waters.

The video, recorded Saturday by the crew of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, was taken during a statewide emergency that saw rescue crews taking to boats and helicopters to rescue thousands of the state's residents.

But even as it was reported that waters were receding in some parts of the state, Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards warned on Sunday that other areas were still at risk of flooding, adding: 'It is not over.'

Scroll down for video

This is the terrifying moment that stranded Louisiana residents are lifted hundreds of feet into the air by a US Coast Guard helicopter in just 30 seconds, as their home is consumed by flood waters

Video, recorded Saturday by the crew of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, shows rescue crews using a helicopter to rescue thousands of the state's residents, lifting them hundreds of feet in the air to safety

The Army National Guard drive through Robert, Louisiana, on US Route 190 on Saturday. Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards said more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana had been rescued from homes and vehicles

Army National Guard vehicles travel through floodwaters, Sunday on LA-442, west of Tickfaw, as rescue operations continued. Bel Edwards warned Louisiana residents not to 'sightsee' as the danger was 'not over' yet

A horse walks through receding floodwater west of Tickfaw, off of LA-442, Sunday. Waters in much of the states were lowering, although some areas continued to rise

A boat and an SUV are seen abandoned at a road west of Tickfaw on LA-442, Sunday. Flooding left thousands trapped in their homes and vehicles until rescuers could arrive. However, only three people have been confirmed dead

Governor Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far.

He said the storm has 'subsided in its intensity' but he called on people to refrain from going out to 'sightsee' even as the weather gets better.

'This is a serious event. It is ongoing. It is not over,' he warned.

However, he said the fatalities have not risen from the three dead reported on Saturday. One person is unaccounted for in St Helena Parish.

Having evacuated their homes, residents drive on US Route 190 in Hammond, where flood waters inundated homes after heavy rains in the region, on Saturday. Edwards called the floods 'unprecedented' and 'historic'

A boat motors between flooded homes in Hammond on Saturday

Residents evacuate with food in ice chests on Providence Boulevard in Hammond on Saturday

Mike Steele, spokesman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said there had been an overnight spike in flood rescues in the eastern part of Baton Rouge, with tw o nursing homes being evacuated.

Police were also rescuing people from cars stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12, which was closed from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa Parish.

One of those motorists was Alex Cobb of Baton Rouge, who has been stuck since around 11am Saturday.

Reached by telephone Sunday, she said she was on her way to a bridal shower she was supposed to host Saturday when flooding closed off the highway.

She said she had food intended for the bridal shower and a produce truck about a quarter-mile up the road shared its stock with drivers.

'They opened up their truck and started giving out fruits and vegetables to people,' she said.

In this aerial photo over Robert on Saturday, stranded people wait on the flooded US Route 190. Some in the state were caught out on roads while fleeing their homes

Army National Guard soldiers check on people fleeing the area around Hammond Eastside Elementary Magnet School in Hammond, Saturday

Cattle huddle together in floodwater Saturday after heavy rains inundated Hammond

Lafayette firefighters bring people rescued from flood waters to the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette on Saturday

Cobb said some of the people stranded were actually fleeing flooding in their homes when they got caught on the freeway.

Nearby her were a pregnant woman and an 80-year-old woman.

'People are surprisingly upbeat. I don't know how long that is going to last because it's getting kind of hot,' she said. 'We just want water.'

Steele said the flooding that started Friday has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 homes in Livingston Parish, and hundreds more in other areas, including St Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

'It never slowed down last night,' Steele said Sunday morning. 'For the last few hours there has been just as much activity as at any point.'

Hammond Eastside Elementary Magnet School and Hammond High Magnet School lie utterly flooded by the heavy rains Saturday

A resident wades through flood water at Tiger Manor Apartments by the North Gates of Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge Saturday. The city experienced rainfall of up to 11 inches in a 24-hour period

Areas of North Baton Rouge lie flooded on Saturday

Leanne Stockstill, center, is boated out of the Geo-Jes subdivision off Central Thruway and Frenchtown Road, Saturday. At the motor is Van Guarino, and seated foreground are helpers John Firmin, left, and Mark Mancuso

Governor Edwards declared a state of emergency Saturday, 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.

In one dramatic rescue Saturday, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car almost completely underwater, according to video by WAFB.

The woman, who's 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 OK.

School buses at the flooded Hammond High Magnet School in Hammond on Saturday

Tammie Wise holds her dog Mikey after Jeffrey Lesage, right, boated them to safety in Central on Saturday

An entire neighborhood lies flooded in Hammond, off of LA-1064

Residents use a raft to evacuate as others walk out of their neighborhood in Baton Rouge on Saturday

As of Sunday morning, some 5,050 people were staying in parish and Red Cross shelters, said Department of Children & Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters.

The governor said even more people were staying in private shelters like churches.

Walters said the Red Cross is also looking for volunteers.

In Baker, just north of Baton Rouge, residents were rescued by boats or waded through waist-deep, water to reach dry ground.

Residents push an inflatable mattress through flood water at Tiger Manor Apartments by the North Gates of LSU, Saturday

A Lafayette firefighter brings guests' luggage to the street while evacuating them from the Fairfield Inn in Lafayette on Saturday

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.'

'Snakes were everywhere,' she said. 'The whole time I was just praying for God to make sure me and my family were OK.'

Blandyn LeBlanc, left, helps friend Logan Green bring Green's dogs off a boat. LeBlanc had picked them up at Green's flooded house in Central on Saturday

Vehicles pass a submerged car in a ditch on Highway 30 near Brightside on Saturday

Beginning Friday, six-to-ten 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.

Forecasters expected a turn to the north Sunday by the system, warning portions of central and northern Louisiana could see heavy rain into next week.

Mississippi governor Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency for several counties in his state as it also battled the heavy rainfall.

As floodwaters swallowed Lyn Gibson's two-story home in Louisiana's Tangipahoa Parish, she hacked away on a hole near the roof, desperately trying to get to safety.

The slightly built, 115-pound woman used a saw, a screwdriver and her feet, knocking her way through wood, vinyl and sheet rock and was eventually rescued by National Guard soldiers on a boat.

'I just kept picking and hitting and prying until I could get a hole big enough,' she said.
Mall reopens as police probe reports of weekend gunfire

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  A busy North Carolina shopping mall reopened for business Sunday as police continued investigating reports of gunfire that sent shoppers running in fear or left them hiding inside stores a day earlier.

Police said they haven't confirmed what really happened but say there were no reports of people being wounded or of shell casings found inside the Crabtree Valley Mall.

Pandemonium erupted Saturday afternoon and after several shoppers said they heard what sounded like gunfire.

People rush from one of the exits of Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, N.C. Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Reports of gunshots inside the busy North Carolina mall caused chaos Saturday afternoon as shoppers ran screaming for the doors or sheltered in stores while dozens of officers arrived on the scene, witnesses said. (Harry Lynch/The News & Observer via AP)

While some people reported seeing a gun, "no one has reported that we had a gun fired, so we are looking at all possibilities," Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown told reporters.

Video posted on social media sites 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. Witnesses described chaos after reports of shots.

Eight people ranging in age from 10 to 70 were transported to hospitals for treatment of injuries suffered as they rushed to leave the mall, the police chief said. None of those injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

The mall reopened at noon on Sunday and was to be open until 7 p.m., said a woman who answered the phone mall office but would not provide her name.

The mall said on its website that people who left personal items at the mall during the confusion on Saturday could pick them up beginning Sunday.

The shopping complex in an affluent area of Raleigh was put on lockdown while helicopters buzzed overhead and numerous law enforcement vehicles swarmed the shopping area. 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.

Raleigh police said they initially responded at 2:30 p.m. to reports that shots had been fired.

John Riggleman and Kristin Warring said in an interview that they were heading to a video game store when they heard shots coming from the food court. They quickly ran into the store with dozens of others. Police told them they could leave the store at about 3 p.m.

Riggleman said they were inside the video game store for about a half-hour. When they finally were allowed to leave, they passed about 10 officers or SWAT team members moving the other way with guns drawn.

"They had guns up, kind of covering us as we were running out. And then there were more back toward the exit kind of telling people where to go," Riggleman said.

Another person said he saw an argument between two men in the food court that led to about four shots being fired. Antonio Richardson told The Associated Press that he saw two men who appeared to be in their early 20s arguing and that one of them began shooting.

In the late afternoon heat, scores of people gathered outside the mall, waiting for news of what happened, police permission to retrieve their cars, or to collect other belongings left behind during their rush for the doors.

Zoe Hanks, 12, was at a hairdresser inside the mall, having the hair around her shoulders lightened, when word of an emergency came. She left with chemicals still in her hair and a towel around her neck. She said she knew it was time to go when "all the people were running."

___

Associated Press writer Allen G. Breed contributed to this report.

In this image made from a video provided by Lauren Baker, people rush to one of the exits of Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, N.C. Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Reports of gunshots inside the busy North Carolina mall caused chaos Saturday afternoon as shoppers ran screaming for the doors or sheltered in stores while dozens of officers arrived on the scene, witnesses said. (Lauren Baker via AP)

In this image made from a video provided by Lauren Baker, people rush to one of the exits of Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, N.C. Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Reports of gunshots inside the busy North Carolina mall caused chaos Saturday afternoon as shoppers ran screaming for the doors or sheltered in stores while dozens of officers arrived on the scene, witnesses said. (Lauren Baker via AP)
One person shot in Milwaukee during 2nd night of skirmishes

MILWAUKEE (AP)  Police said one person was shot at a Milwaukee protest on Sunday and officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve the injured victim and rush the person to a hospital, as tense skirmishes erupted for a second night following the police shooting of a black man.

Some two dozen officers in riot gear confronted about 150 people who blocked an intersection near where the black man was fatally shot Saturday afternoon, and more arrived. Police moved in to try to disperse the crowd and warned of arrests after protesters threw bottles and rocks at police.

Local television showed a small group of protesters running through the streets, picking up orange construction barriers and hurling them out of the way. Police tweeted three locations where they said shots were fired. There were no other reports of injuries at Sunday's protests and no widespread destruction of property.

This undated photo provided by the Milwaukee County Sheriff shows Sylville K. Smith. Smith, whose killing by police touched off rioting in Milwaukee, was shot by a black officer after turning toward him with a gun in his hand, the police chief said Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, as Wisconsin's governor put the National Guard on standby against any further violence on the city's mostly black north side. (Milwaukee County Sheriff via AP)

Earlier in the day, police Chief Edward Flynn said the man whose death touched off Saturday night's rioting was shot after he turned toward an officer with a gun in his hand.

Flynn cautioned that the shooting was still under investigation and authorities were awaiting autopsy results, but that based on the silent video from the unidentified officer's body camera, he "certainly appeared to be within lawful bounds."

At the same news conference, Mayor Tom Barrett said a still image pulled from the footage clearly showed a gun in 23-year-old Sylville K. Smith's hand as he fled a traffic stop Saturday.

"I want our community to know that," Barrett said. But he also called for understanding for Smith's family.

"A young man lost his life yesterday afternoon," the mayor said. "And no matter what the circumstances are, his family has to be hurting."

Flynn declined to identify the officer who shot Smith but said he is black. The police chief said he wasn't sure what prompted the stop but described Smith's car as "behaving suspiciously." The officer involved was 24 years old and has been on the force for three years, according to the department.

After watching the officer's body camera footage, Flynn said the entire episode took about 25 seconds, from the start of the traffic stop until shots were fired. He said Smith ran "a few dozen feet" and turned toward the officer while holding a gun.

"It was in his hand. He was raising up with it," the chief said. He said the officer had told Smith to drop the gun and he did not do so. It was unclear how many rounds the officer fired. Smith was hit in the chest and arm, Flynn said.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker put Wisconsin's National Guard on standby, and 125 Guard members reported to local armories to prepare for further instructions. Milwaukee police tweeted late Sunday that the National Guard had not been deployed.

Six businesses were burned in the unrest earlier in the weekend and 17 people people were arrested, Flynn said. Four officers were hurt from flying concrete and glass, although all of them had been released from hospital.

Milwaukee Alderman Khalif Rainey, who represents the neighborhood that erupted, said the city's black residents are "tired of living under this oppression."

"Now this is a warning cry. Where do we go from here? Where do we go as a community from here?" he asked.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke said Smith had been arrested 13 times. Online court records showed a range of charges against Smith, many of them misdemeanors.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Smith was also charged in a shooting and was later charged with pressuring the victim to withdraw testimony that identified Smith as the gunman. The charges were dropped because the victim recanted the identification and failed to appear in court, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern told the newspaper.

Smith's sister told The Associated Press that the family wants prosecutors to charge the officer who shot him.

Kimberly Neal, 24, spoke as supporters surrounded her at the vigil as she held a bouquet of blue balloons.

She asked people for donations for his burial.

Asked about the violence, Neal said: "People stuck together and they are trying to stand up," for their rights.

The anger at Milwaukee police is not new and comes as tension between black communities and law enforcement has ramped up across the nation, resulting in protests and the recent ambush killings of eight officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dallas.

Nearly 40 percent of Milwaukee's 600,000 residents are black, and they are heavily concentrated on the north side.

Milwaukee was beset by protests and calls for police reform after an officer shot and killed Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill black man, in 2014.

In December, the U.S. Justice Department announced it would work with Milwaukee police on changes.

Critics said the police department should have been subjected to a full Justice Department investigation like the one done in Ferguson, Missouri, after the killing of black 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014 touched off violence there.

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Associated Press writers Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee and Kyle Potter in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

A car burns as a crowd of more than 100 people gathers following the fatal shooting of a man in Milwaukee, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that officers got in their cars to leave at one point, and some in the crowd started smashing a squad car's window, and another vehicle, pictured, was set on fire. The gathering occurred in the neighborhood where a Milwaukee officer shot and killed a man police say was armed hours earlier during a foot chase. (Calvin Mattheis/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)

People gather at the place where Milwaukee police shot and killed Sylville Smith in Milwaukee, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Police in Milwaukee say a black man whose killing by police Saturday touched off arson and rock-throwing was shot by a black officer after turning toward him with a gun in his hand. Wisconsin's governor, meanwhile, has put the National Guard on standby in case of more violence Sunday night. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Family members of Sylville Smith gather where he was shot and killed by Milwaukee Police in Milwaukee, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. The black man whose killing by police touched off rioting in Milwaukee was shot by a black officer after turning toward him with a gun in his hand, the police chief said Sunday, as Wisconsin's governor put the National Guard on standby against any further violence on the city's mostly black north side. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Family members of Sylville Smith gather where he was shot and killed by Milwaukee police in Milwaukee, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Police in Milwaukee say a black man whose killing by police touched off arson and rock-throwing was shot by a black officer after turning toward him with a gun in his hand. Wisconsin's governor, meanwhile, has put the National Guard on standby in case of more violence Sunday night. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Family members of Sylville Smith gather where he was shot and killed by Milwaukee police in Milwaukee, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Police in Milwaukee say a black man whose killing by police Saturday touched off arson and rock-throwing was shot by a black officer after turning toward him with a gun in his hand. Wisconsin's governor, meanwhile, has put the National Guard on standby in case of more violence Sunday night. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Jordan instability fears as growth slows, unemployment rises

DHIBAN, Jordan (AP)  Sabri Mashaaleh feels misled and angry: The 29-year-old studied counseling expecting to find a civil service job, in line with what used to be a typical life path for college-educated Jordanians.

Four years later, he's still unemployed.

His last hopes were crushed earlier this summer when troops tore down the tent in his small, remote hometown of Dhiban where he and other jobless young men had staged daily sit-ins for two months, demanding employment.

In this July 18, 2016 photo, Sabri Mashaaleh, 29, stands in the center of the small, remote farming town of Dhiban, Jordan, where he and other unemployed young men had pitched a protest tent over the summer, staging daily protests and demanding jobs before troops dispersed them by force. Rising unemployment, particularly among the young, has become Jordan's No. 1 problem, raising fears of radicalization in the pro-Western kingdom amid a deepening economic slump. (AP Photo/Karin Laub)

With protests silenced, Mashaaleh sees a dark future for Dhiban.

"Dhiban has become a fertile environment for radical thoughts, and it's a fertile environment for drug problems, and a fertile environment for criminals," said Mashaaleh, speaking at the roundabout where the tent once stood.

The Dhiban unrest highlights what the Jordanian government now says is its biggest challenge rising unemployment, particularly among the young, fueled by an economic slump and spillover from conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Youth unemployment is endemic in the troubled Middle East, where a demographic "youth bulge" has increased the number of jobseekers, including college graduates, while economies have stalled amid spreading violence.

Even though Jordan's unemployment problem is not unique, some say the pro-Western monarchy warrants special attention because of its strategic importance. The country is part of the U.S.-led military coalition against Islamic State extremists who control parts of Syria and Iraq and have attracted thousands of followers in Jordan.

Any destabilization of Jordan, possibly triggered by economic problems, would alarm the kingdom's allies.

The government needs to take urgent action, said economist Omar Razzaz, who chairs a national team of experts trying to devise a new employment strategy. "We cannot afford to have the unemployment problem turn into a radicalization problem," he said. "That's the time bomb we are facing."

Economic growth in Jordan dropped from 3.1 percent in 2014 to 2.4 percent last year and 2.3 percent in the first quarter of 2016, according to the World Bank. Continued fighting in Syria and Iraq forced the closure of Jordan's main overland trade routes in 2015 and also harmed tourism and construction.

Unemployment rose from 13 percent last year to 14.7 percent in 2016. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, 35 percent have no jobs, said Lea Hakim, the World Bank's country economist for Jordan. "The economy has not been generating enough jobs, not quantity and not quality jobs, for its population," she said.

The influx of Syrian refugees since 2011 has further expanded the labor force. Jordan hosts some 660,000 registered refugees, though a recent census counted twice as many Syrians in Jordan, out of a total population of 9.5 million.

In the first years of the Syria crisis, Jordan barred refugees from working legally to protect its labor force. Instead, tens of thousands of Syrians worked informally in construction, farming and retail  sectors until then dominated by migrant workers from Africa and Asia because the jobs paid too little to attract Jordanians.

Earlier this year, Jordan changed course.

It struck a deal with donors to try to turn the refugee crisis into a development opportunity for Jordan and to deter Syrians from migrating to Europe by improving their lives in the region.

The kingdom agreed to issue work permits to tens of thousands of Syrians. In exchange, Europe eased trade restrictions to encourage investment in Jordan, while donors, including the World Bank, promised concessional financing and grants for development and labor-intensive projects in the country.

Ferid Belhaj, the World Bank's regional director, said he expects this tradeoff to generate growth and jobs in three or four years. "The crisis is a huge challenge, but it can turn into an opportunity," he told The Associated Press.

Razzaz, the economist, said that in the meantime, the government should launch an ambitious public works program, including employing large numbers of Jordanians to care for children and the elderly.

"We should ... start this program before we see protests," said Razzaz, who also heads the Jordan Strategy Forum think tank. The government and donor countries have funded pilot programs that fall short of needs, he said.

Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury described lowering unemployment as the government's top priority. This includes a $35 million fund to encourage young Jordanians to set up small businesses.

Jordanians need to understand that the public sector can no longer be the main employer, Fakhoury said. Opportunities are available outside the civil service, "but it requires also a change of mindset," he said.

In Dhiban, a town of 25,000 about 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the capital of Amman, many feel marginalized.

Two dozen protesters, including Mashaaleh, were initially detained when troops backed by armored vehicles dismantled the protest tent in June, but all have been released. Mashaaleh said the protests were peaceful, though the Interior Ministry said three officers were wounded when shots were fired at them during a clash in Dhiban.

The town's mayor, Fhaid al-Rawahneh, 61, said that "we don't want to fight with the security."

He said the government must do more to bring factories to the region. An attempt to attract a pre-fab home construction company to Dhiban with the promise of free land became entangled in red tape, he said.

Young people in Dhiban have few options. Those who can mostly sign up for police or military work in Amman, and the high transportation costs take a big cut from their meager wages.

Al-Rawahneh said only one of his four college-educated children has a job.

"There is unemployment in every family," he said. "Our only demand is to find jobs."
The Latest: Bangladesh minister condemns NYC imam slaying

NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on the shooting of the leader of a New York City mosque and a friend (all times local):

5 p.m.

An official with the government in Bangladesh is condemning the fatal shooting of a mosque leader and his friend in New York City.

This undated sketch provided by the New York City Police Department on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, shows a suspect believed to have shot the leader of a mosque and a friend in New York. Police in New York City are searching for the man who fatally shot the leader of a mosque and a friend as they left afternoon prayers, setting off fear and anguish among the community's Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants. Police said no motive had been established for the killing of Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and 64-year-old Thara Uddin Saturday afternoon near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque. (New York Police Department via AP)

In a tweet, the country's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Shahriar Alam, called the shooting a "cowardly act on peace-loving people."

The U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, Marcia Bernicat, also condemned the Saturday shooting, saying Imam Maulama Akonjee "stood for peace."

Worshippers on Sunday remembered the 55-year-old Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin at a mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens.

Police have not released a possible motive.

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4:15 p.m.

Dozens of people have gathered at a New York City mosque for a prayer service for its leader and his friend who were fatally shot as they left a service a day earlier.

The Sunday afternoon service was held at Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood.

Worshippers remembered 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin, remarking on their devotion to their families and faith.

Gousuddin Khan says he's scared to walk around his neighborhood. He says there need to more police officers patrolling the neighborhood. Several police officers were stationed outside the mosque Sunday afternoon.

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12:10 p.m.

Family and neighbors of an imam and his associate who were gunned down near a New York City mosque are still grappling for answers.

Neighbors gathered where the two men lived, just blocks from where they were killed in a Queens neighborhood as police continued searching Sunday for the suspect.

Authorities said the shooter approached Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin from behind as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque Saturday afternoon.

Mashuk Uddin says his brother came to the U.S. from Bangladesh five years ago. He said he was devoted to his family and his religion.

Neighbor Monir Chowdhury worshipped with the men. He says he has felt an anti-Muslim sentiment growing in the neighborhood and believes the attack was a hate crime.

Police have not released a possible motive.

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9:45 a.m.

The Anti-Defamation League is expressing solidarity with New York City's Muslim community in the wake of the fatal shootings of the leader of a mosque and a friend as they left afternoon prayers in Queens.

The organization says that while the motive for the crime is still unknown, nothing can justify the killing of two men walking from their place of worship.

It is urging the NYPD to investigate the shootings as a possible bias crime.

The ADL fights anti-Semitism around the world through programs and services.

Police were searching Sunday for the suspect who killed 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin. The shooter approached them from behind as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday.

Police have not announced a motive.

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5:30 a.m.

New York City police have released a sketch of the suspect they say fatally shot the leader of a mosque and a friend as they left afternoon prayers.

Police say witnesses described the shooter of 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin as a man with a medium complexion, last seen wearing a dark shirt and blue shorts. Police released a sketch early Sunday of a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses.

Authorities say the shooter approached them from behind as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday. Police say video surveillance showed the suspect then fled south on 79th Street with the gun still in his hand.

Police say they haven't determined a motive, and that there's no indication the men were targeted because of their faith. But members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque worry it could be a hate crime.

More than 100 people attended a rally Saturday night.

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1 a.m.

New York City police are searching for the man who fatally shot the leader of a mosque and a friend as they left afternoon prayers.

Police say 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin were fatally shot by someone who approached them from behind as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday.

Police say they haven't determined a motive, and that there's no indication the men were targeted because of their faith, but members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque worry it could be a hate crime. More than 100 people attended a rally Saturday night.

Naima Akonjee, the imam's daughter, says her father didn't have "any problems with anyone."

This undated photo provided by Abdul Chowdhury, Imam Maulama Akonjee is shown. Akonjee and another man died in a fatal shooting Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Queens borough of New York after prayers. Police say that motive has yet to be determined. (Abdul Chowdhury via AP)

Sandals mark the crime scene, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, not far from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, New York, where the leader of a New York City mosque has been fatally shot and an associate has been wounded in a brazen daylight attack. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Sandals lay on a street corner at the crime scene, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, not far from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, New York, where the leader of a New York City mosque has been fatally shot and an associate has been wounded in a brazen daylight attack. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Sandals lay on a street corner at the crime scene, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, not far from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, New York, where the leader of a New York City mosque has been fatally shot and an associate has been wounded in a brazen daylight attack. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

People gather for a demonstration Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in the Queens borough of New York, near a crime scene after the leader of a New York City mosque and an associate were fatally shot as they left afternoon prayers. Police said 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and his 64-year-old associate, Tharam Uddin, were shot as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

People gather for a demonstration Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, near a crime scene after an imam and his friend were fatally shot while walking home from a mosque. Police said 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and his 64-year-old associate, Tharam Uddin, were shot in the back of the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Kuwait arrests 10 Iranians accused of breaching border

KUWAIT CITY (AP)  Kuwait said Sunday its coast guard detained 10 Iranian "infiltrators," but an Iranian official described them as fishermen and denied they were detained for violating the border.

One of the Iranian men was wounded after refusing coast guard orders to surrender, Kuwait's Interior Ministry said in a statement published by the state-run Kuwait News Agency. The ministry released a photo on its website showing nine of the men on their knees with their hands behind their backs.

Sunni-led Gulf countries have long accused Shiite Iran of meddling in regional affairs, primarily in Bahrain and Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been bombing Iranian-allied rebels for more than a year.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency quoted Ali Hajatpour, deputy chief of Bushehr province's coast guard in southern Iran, as saying Iranian fisherman were detained in Kuwait because of a "quarrel." He was quoted Saturday as saying the dispute happened on Kuwaiti soil and that "their detention was not related to a border violation."

Iran's ambassador to Kuwait, Alireza Enayati, told Iranian state television on Sunday the embassy is trying to clarify the fate of the detainees and determine their identities. "We hope to settle the case quickly" through mutual cooperation, he said.

An appeals court in Kuwait recently upheld the death sentence for a Shiite citizen on charges of communicating with Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to commit "hostile actions" against the country. The case also includes an Iranian national tried in absentia and sentenced to death.

Kuwait recalled its ambassador to Tehran in January after a mob there ransacked the Saudi Embassy in protest against the kingdom's execution of a prominent Saudi Shiite cleric.

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Swiss train attack suspect, female victim die of wounds

BERLIN (AP)  The man who attacked passengers on a crowded Swiss train with a knife and burning liquid died of his wounds Sunday, as did one of his victims, a 34-year-old woman, Swiss police said. Three others remain hospitalized with serious wounds.

Police are still searching for a motive but said there's no indication the suspect, identified only as a 27-year-old Swiss man from a neighboring region, had ties to extremist groups.

A 43-year-old woman, a 6-year-old girl and 17-year-old girl remained hospitalized Sunday with serious injuries, one in critical condition, St. Gallen canton (state) police spokesman Hans-Peter Kruesi told The Associated Press. A 17-year-old youth and 50-year-old man wounded in the attack have been treated and released, he said.

In this Aug. 13, 2016 picture a man cleans the platform as the train stands at the station following an attack onboard, in Salez, Switzerland. A 34-year-old woman died Sunday from wounds suffered after a man attacked her and four others with a knife and a burning liquid aboard a crowded train in Switzerland. Police are still searching for a motive but said there's no indication the suspect, identified only as a 27-year-old Swiss man from a neighboring region, had ties to extremist groups. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)

Kruesi said all the victims lived in the St. Gallen canton.

Swiss police searched the suspect's home after the Saturday afternoon attack on the train as it neared the station in Salez, close to the Liechtenstein border. Kruesi would not comment on what evidence was seized at the home, but said "so far there are no indications this was a terrorist or politically motivated crime."

Police were not able to question the suspect before he died, Kruesi said, adding that the man had no criminal record and was not previously known to police.

According to a video of the attack evaluated by police, the assailant acted alone, attacking passengers on the train between Buchs and Sennwald with a knife and then burning liquid, which is now being analyzed by a police forensics team.

The train driver was being credited with quick thinking, continuing into the Salez station before stopping, a move that allowed police and rescue crews to get on board easier.

Five passengers on the train were wounded in the attack and a sixth person on the train platform, the 50-year-old man, was wounded as he pulled the burning suspect off the train, police said. The 50-year-old was treated for smoke inhalation and burns, Kruesi said.

The Swiss train attack again illustrates how difficult it is for authorities to protect the continent's labyrinthine transport system, particularly against individuals wielding unsophisticated weapons.

Last month in neighboring Germany, a 17-year-old refugee from Afghanistan used an ax and a knife to wound four tourists on a train, and stabbed a woman as he fled. The attacker was shot and killed by police. All his victims survived.

In May at a train station in the German state of Bavaria, a 27-year-old German man who had been in psychiatric care stabbed commuters, killing one and wounding three others before being apprehended by police.

Last year, a heavily armed gunman opened fire on a high-speed Amsterdam to Paris train but was overpowered by two young American servicemen and their companion.

The train stands at 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)

The train station is deserted at Salez - Sennwald following an attack aboard a train when 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)

Emergency services attend the scene at Salez - Sennwald train station after a man attacked other passengers aboard a 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)

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)

The train in which a man attacked other passengers stands at the station in 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 as well as himself. (Gian Ehrenzeller / Keystone via AP)
Boko Haram: Some abducted Chibok girls killed in air strikes

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP)  The mother of one of the Chibok girls kidnapped more than two years ago by Nigeria's Islamic extremists on Sunday saw the first proof her daughter is alive  a video of her begging Nigeria's government to exchange detained militants for the girls' freedom.

Chibok community leader Pogu Bitrus told The Associated Press the video was being watched at the weekly rally of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign at Unity Fountain in Abuja, the capital.

Some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have been killed by Nigerian military air strikes, according to a new video from Boko Haram, which shows one kidnap victim pleading for authorities to bow to the extremists' demands that they release detained militants in return for the girls.

This undated image taken from video distributed Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, shows an alleged Boko Haram soldier standing in front of a group of girls alleged to be some of the 276 abducted Chibok schoolgirls held since April 2014, in an unknown location. The video posted on Twitter appears to come from the Boko Haram islamic extremists making threats about the safety of the captive girls if the government battles against the group. (Militant video/Site Institute via AP) AP CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

It's not clear how many schoolgirls have died among the 218 who remain missing.

The video posted Sunday on Twitter shows a young woman, covered in a hijab with just her face showing, who was one of the students abducted from a remote school in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014. She claims that some of her kidnapped classmates died in aerial bombardments by the Nigerian Air Force. She also said that 40 have been "married" to fighters.

The video shows a militant warning in the Hausa language that if President Muhammadu Buhari's government battles Boko Haram with firepower, the girls won't be seen again.

"Presently, some of the girls are crippled, some are terribly sick and some of them, as I had said, died during bombardment by the Nigerian military," the fighter says, appearing before a group of more than 40 young women in hijabs, some holding babies.

"If our members in detention are not freed, let the government and parents of the Chibok girls know that they will never find these girls again," he said.

The video, cited by the SITE Intelligence Group, was posted by Ahmad Salkida, a Nigerian journalist known to have good contacts in Boko Haram. Salkida says he was given the video by associates of Abubakar Shekau, who is in a leadership battle with a lieutenant named by the Islamic State group as the new leader of what it calls its West Africa Province.

The mass abduction brought Boko Haram to the world's attention and even got the participation of U.S. first lady Michelle Obama in the #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign, promising her husband would do all in his power to help liberate them.

The government came under increased pressure from parents and Bring Back Our Girls campaigners after the May escape of one young woman, a proof of life that they said should encourage the military and government to redouble rescue efforts. The escapee said some of the girls had died but scores remained in captivity under heavy guard.

Sunday's video is another proof of life.

"The girl in the video spoke in the Chibok language and identified her mother by name. Her mother has now seen the video and identified her daughter," Chibok leader Pogu Bitrus told the AP.

The young woman in the video, probably speaking under duress, begs for help.

"Oh you, my people and our parents, you just have to please come to our rescue: We are suffering here, the aircraft have come to bombard us and killed many of us. Some are wounded. Every day we are in pains and suffering, so are our babies ... No one cares for us.

"Please go and beg the government of Nigeria to release the members of our abductors so that they too can free us to let us come home."

The video goes on to show bodies from an alleged air raid, including that of a girl whose eyes flicker open briefly.

Nigeria's Air Force has reported near-daily bombardments of Boko Haram camps and the military of increased ground assaults in which they have freed thousands of captives, though none of the Chibok girls.

Boko Haram has been forced out of most towns and has turned to assaulting remote villages and using suicide bombers to attack soft targets such as mosques and marketplaces.

More than 20,000 people have been killed in the 7-year-old Islamic uprising that has spread from Nigeria to neighboring countries and driven 2.2 million people from their homes.

Aid workers say there is a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in newly freed but still dangerous areas where half a million people are starving and babies dying daily. There has also been a resurgence of polio in areas that had been under Boko Haram's control.

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Faul reported from Lagos. Associated Press photographer Sunday Alamba contributed to this report from Lagos, Nigeria

"Bring Back Our Girls" co-founder Obiageli Ezekwesili, left, console Esther Yakubu, mother of one of the kidnapped school girls, after she saw her daughter in a video release by Boko haram during a briefing in Abuja, Nigeria. Sunday Aug. 14, 2016 . The mother of one of the Chibok girls kidnapped more than two years ago by Nigeria's Islamic extremists on Sunday saw the first proof her daughter is alive  a video of her begging Nigeria's government to exchange detained militants for the girls' freedom. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)

FILE - This Monday May 12, 2014 file image taken from video by Nigeria's Boko Haram terrorist network, shows the alleged missing girls abducted from the northeastern town of Chibok. A video that appears to be from Boko Haram says some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have been killed in Nigerian air strikes and shows one of the alleged victims pleading for authorities to release detained militants so the girls can be freed. The video posted Sunday Aug.14, 2016 on Twitter shows a veiled girl identified as one of the 276 students abducted from a remote school in northeast Nigeria in April 2014, saying some classmates died in aerial bombardments and 40 have been "married" to Islamic extremist fighters . (AP Photo/File)

Esther Yakubu, mother of one of the kidnapped school girls, reacts after she saw her daughter in a video release by Boko Haram during a briefing in Abuja, Nigeria. Sunday Aug. 14, 2016 . The mother of one of the Chibok girls kidnapped more than two years ago by Nigeria's Islamic extremists on Sunday saw the first proof her daughter is alive  a video of her begging Nigeria's government to exchange detained militants for the girls' freedom. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)

Esther Yakubu, centre, mother of one of the kidnapped school girls, cries out after she saw her daughter in a video release by Boko Haram during a briefing in Abuja, Nigeria. Sunday Aug. 14, 2016 . The mother of one of the Chibok girls kidnapped more than two years ago by Nigeria's Islamic extremists on Sunday saw the first proof her daughter is alive  a video of her begging Nigeria's government to exchange detained militants for the girls' freedom. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)

Esther Yakubu, left, mother of one of the kidnapped school girls, watches a video released by Boko Haram during a briefing in Abuja, Nigeria. Sunday Aug. 14, 2016 . The mother of one of the Chibok girls kidnapped more than two years ago by Nigeria's Islamic extremists on Sunday saw the first proof her daughter is alive  a video of her begging Nigeria's government to exchange detained militants for the girls' freedom. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)
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Pope treats Rome's homeless to swim at beach, then a pizza

VATICAN CITY (AP)  Pope Francis this summer is treating dozens of Rome's homeless to a day at the beach and dinner in a pizzeria on the way back.

The pontiff's almsgiver, Polish monsignor Konrad Krajewski, told the La Stampa daily he drives a van with 10 people to a beach near Rome for a dip in the sea, sunbathing and then pizza. The Vatican supplies the swimsuits and beach towels.

Krajewski told Italian state radio Sunday the afternoon outings reflect the homeless' "desire for normality" in their lives.

Pope Francis smiles as he browses through drawings at the Vatican, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. Pope Francis has had lunch with a group of Syrian refugees who were brought to Italy from the Greek island of Lesbos thanks to the popes intercession. The Vatican said Thursday that the pope brought toys and other gifts for the children, who, in turn, gave him a selection of their drawings. Both the adults and children had the chance to speak with the pontiff about the beginning of their live in Italy, the Vatican said. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)

Many of them live near Vatican City, where, at Francis' direction, showers and barbers have been set up on the edge of St. Peter's Square for their use.
Great Lakes no help for a struggling Trump on road to 270

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  The numbers are stark for Donald Trump. Down in Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina.

Hillary Clinton is starting to spend a little money in Georgia and Arizona, states that any Republican running for president ought to be able to count on.

The road to 270 electoral votes  the threshold to clinch the presidency  increasingly looks to be a series of uphill climbs and dead ends for Trump in the usual collection of most competitive states.

In this Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes a tour of McLanahan Corporation headquarters, a company that manufactures mineral and agricultural equipment in Hollidaysburg, Pa. On a Road to 270 that increasingly looks to be uphill climbs and dead ends for Trump in the nations usual collection of battleground states, the Republican presidential nominee needs a place to reset his Electoral College map. His stops this past week in Michigan and Pennsylvania suggest hes looking at the industrial heartland states on the Great Lakes, a part of the country where hes said he can compete with the Democratic nominee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The GOP nominee needs a place to reset the electoral map, and stops this past week in Michigan and Pennsylvania suggest he's looking at the industrial heartland states on the Great Lakes. It's a part of the country where he has said he can compete with Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump will find the going there no easier than anywhere else.

"Trump has to start making some moves," said Stephan Thompson, a senior adviser to Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis. "We need to see a positive week out of him to create a positive trajectory. You're not seeing that anywhere, whether it's in Wisconsin, Ohio or elsewhere."

With three months to go until the Nov. 8 vote, the map for Trump is foreboding.

Early voting will not begin until next month, giving people ample opportunity to change their minds. But Clinton has a clear advantage in national and state preference polls at a critical moment in the campaign  after the conventions and as voters start paying serious attention to the race.

If Clinton claims states such as Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina, where recent polls suggest she has a significant lead, Trump would need to win most of the states bordering one of the Great Lakes to have any chance at reaching 270.

That's provided he wins in Florida. A loss there, and he'll need to sweep all but Illinois and New York, states firmly in Clinton's column.

Right now, Trump doesn't have a lead in any of the states where he will need to win and where recent polling exists, and in several states, he's significantly behind Clinton.

Trump in running against history, too.

While Ohio has tipped back and forth in recent decades, a Republican presidential nominee has not carried Wisconsin since 1984, and Pennsylvania or Michigan since 1988. It was in Michigan where Trump delivered his indictment this past week of trade measures enacted under recent Democratic presidents, especially the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"Every policy that has failed this city and so many others is a policy supported by Hillary Clinton," Trump told the Detroit Economic Club. "Trade deals like NAFTA, signed by her husband, that have shipped your jobs to Mexico and other countries."

Clinton is quietly banking that voters once angry about NAFTA have accepted it or have retired since the pact was enacted two decades ago. She opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an Asian trade agreement she backed as secretary of state, but said at her own Michigan event this past week that "the answer is not to rant and rave and cut ourselves off from the world."

Paul Maslin, a Democratic pollster in Wisconsin, said, "People have moved beyond trade, and fixing some old problem. They actually look for and respond more to future plans."

Trump angered suburban Milwaukee's Republicans in April when he sharply criticized Walker before losing the presidential primary. Last month, Trump toyed with not endorsing House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., before the state's Aug. 9 primary, when Ryan walloped a little-known challenger.

"In Wisconsin, Trump's negatives are deeper and fresher," said Republican pollster Ed Goeas. An independent poll released this past week by Marquette University found Trump down 15 percentage points among likely voters in the state.

Though Clinton's team isn't advertising on television in either Michigan or Wisconsin, she is hardly ignoring the states. The campaign has staff in both, and Clinton's running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, was in Milwaukee this month.

Clinton followed Trump to Michigan this past week, making a stop in the Detroit area that was more tactically precise than the billionaire's speech to the city's well-heeled business leaders. She spoke in Warren, the heart of working-class Macomb County, northeast of Detroit, at a former auto parts manufacturing plant now being used to make military aircraft equipment.

"The door is closing fast," said Michigan Democratic strategist Amy Chapman, President Barack Obama's senior Michigan adviser in his 2008 and 2012 campaigns. "If the numbers look like this in a month, I'll feel better."

Trump was playing to a wider industrial audience during his economic address in Detroit, promoting "American steel" and "energy mined from American sources"  obvious signals to nearby Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Winning there will require motivating an overwhelming number of white, working-class voters in places such as western and central Pennsylvania and southeastern Ohio. And overcoming his current gap with Clinton. While polls show Clinton with an edge in Ohio, they peg her with an outright lead in Pennsylvania.

Ray Zaborney, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based GOP campaign operative who advises most of the state's Republican legislative candidates, said Trump is doing the right things in Pennsylvania, adding staff and making smart travel decisions. Still, he said, Trump "has got to find his groove and stay on his message."

"It's on his shoulders to turn it in the right direction," Zaborney said.

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AP Polling Editor Emily Swanson contributed to this report.

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Follow Thomas Beaumont on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/tombeaumont

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This story has been corrected to reflect that the Michigan county where Clinton spoke is Macomb, not McComb.
Former refugees look to Election Day with a sense of duty

NEW YORK (AP)  The path to the voting booth hasn't been easy for Hatoumata Tounkara, but the former West African refugee says she couldn't have picked a better election to cast her first ballot.

As a newly naturalized American citizen, she's one of thousands of former refugees and asylum-seekers who will be voting in a U.S. election for the first time this November.

"This election is very special to me," Tounkara said. "This can show my daughter that she can become anything she wants in her life, because back home, women just cook and take care of the men."

Hatoumata Tounakara, who came to the U.S. as a refugee from Mali, waves a tiny American flag as she prepares to receive her naturalization certificate after being sworn in as U.S. citizen by Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, left, during a naturalization ceremony on World Refugee Day in Central Park, on June 20, 2016, in New York. Tounkara said she is excited about voting in the November general election and has already made up her mind on which presidential candidate she supports. Thousands of former refugees and asylum seekers will vote in a U.S. election for the first time this November. Many have witnessed the consequences of autocratic rule and civil strife. Theyve spent years navigating the bureaucratic gauntlet needed to get to the U.S. and, eventually, to become a citizen. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

At 23, Tounkara fled her home in Mali after rejecting an arranged marriage. She made her way to the United States via Gambia in 2008. It took two years for the U.S. to grant her asylum, and then she waited six more for a chance to take the citizenship test.

The road to citizenship is full of challenges for those fleeing oppression and war back home. Many have witnessed the consequences of autocratic rule and civil strife. They've spent years navigating the bureaucracy to get to the U.S. and, eventually, to become a citizen. There are those who believe they hold a personal stake in this election, with immigration becoming a central issue.

As a Muslim, Tounkara says she is put off by some of Donald Trump's rhetoric and will vote for Hillary Clinton. But voting against Trump isn't what is motivating her to vote, said Tounkara, now 31.

"If you don't vote, nobody will hear your voice," she said.

The U.S. government doesn't keep statistics on how many of the over 700,000 immigrants naturalized each year are former refugees or how many of those new citizens register to vote.

Over the past decade, about 150,000 refugees or asylum-seekers on average were granted lawful permanent resident status per year. About 60 percent of all green cardholders eventually become citizens, according to the Pew Research Center.

While most eligible refugees are excited and eager to participate in democracy, there are many hurdles to active involvement, said Ramla Sahid, executive director of the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, a San Diego nonprofit group that promotes civic engagement.

Endless paperwork, fees reaching almost $2,000, in-person interviews, fingerprinting, a written 100-question civics test, an English test, and lots of waiting. And still, there are no guarantees. Green cardholders must live in the U.S. for five years before they can become a citizen.

Bandana Rai, 57, who fled Nepal during a 10-year civil war that ended in 2006, said her appreciation of the vote is enhanced by what she went through to become a citizen.

"You have to really want it," Rai said.

Arbey Hamadi, who was born in a camp for Somalian refugees in Kenya, became a U.S. citizen automatically as a teenager when her parents were naturalized in 2012. She is excited to participate in her first election this fall at age 20  partly because her opposition to Trump, who has proposed a temporary ban on foreign Muslims from entering the U.S.

"As a Muslim, I think we have to stand shoulder to shoulder so that we can amplify our voices and stand against hate," she said.

In areas where there are large concentrations of refugees, they are learning that they can serve as a legitimate political force.

In Minneapolis this past week, Ilhan Omar, a former refugee from Somalia, defeated another Somali refugee, Mohamud Noor, as well as 44-year-incumbent for the Democratic nomination for a seat in the state Legislature.

She is now poised to become the nation's first Somali-American state lawmaker.

Noor, who was naturalized in 2005, said in Somalia there were no elections.

"When you come to a place that you really want to be in, you cherish those democratic ideals that you get to participate in by being a citizen," he said.

Hatoumata Tounkara, a Muslim refugee who came to the U.S. from Mali, holds up her naturalization certificate to spectators after becoming an American citizen during a naturalization ceremony on World Refugee Day in Central Park on June 20, 2016, in New York. Tounkara said she is looking forward to voting in the upcoming U.S. presidential election and has already decided which candidate she supports. Thousands of former refugees and asylum seekers will vote in a U.S. election for the first time this November. Many have witnessed the consequences of autocratic rule and civil strife. Theyve spent years navigating the bureaucratic gauntlet needed to get to the U.S. and, eventually, to become a citizen. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Hatoumata Tounkara, a refugee from Mali, smiles as she holds her citizenship papers after being sworn in as an American citizen during a U.S. naturalization ceremony for 19 refugees and asylum seekers from a dozen different countries on World Refugee Day in Central Park on June 20, 2016, in New York. Tounkara plans to vote for president in the November general election. Thousands of former refugees and asylum seekers will vote in a U.S. election for the first time this November. Many have witnessed the consequences of autocratic rule and civil strife. Theyve spent years navigating the bureaucratic gauntlet needed to get to the U.S. and, eventually, to become a citizen. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Hatoumata Tounkara, center, walks to a neighborhood park with her daughter Fatoumata Dembele, 11, left, husband Abdoulaye Dembele and their infant son Mohamed, in a stroller, in the Bronx near where they live on June 21, 2016, in New York. Tounkara, a Muslim who plans to vote in the upcoming November presidential election, has already decided which candidate she supports. She said she is excited to vote for the first time as a U.S. citizen. Thousands of former refugees and asylum seekers will vote in a U.S. election for the first time this November. Many have witnessed the consequences of autocratic rule and civil strife. Theyve spent years navigating the bureaucratic gauntlet needed to get to the U.S. and, eventually, to become a citizen. AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Puerto Ricans flocking to mainland could sway swing states

PHILADELPHIA (AP)  Residents of Puerto Rico can't vote in presidential elections. But with the island's economy in shambles, many are fleeing to the U.S. mainland, potentially shifting demographic norms in some of the most closely contested states.

The impact of Puerto Rican migrants on the election hinges on how successful voting advocates are in getting them to the polls, with many focused more on finding jobs, homes and schools.

Together, Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio  three pivotal states in the fall  absorbed more than 22,500 Puerto Rican migrants in 2013 alone. Many more Puerto Ricans already living on the mainland have relocated to these states from traditional hubs such as New York.

Rev. and Puerto Rican community organization director Roberto Luis Lugo poses at his desk on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, in Philadelphia. With Puerto Rico's economy in shambles, many are fleeing to the mainland U.S., potentially shifting demographics in some of the country's most critical battleground states. (AP Photo/Dake Kang)

Recent polls suggest that for now, Democrat Hillary Clinton leads in Pennsylvania and has the edge in Ohio, while Clinton and Republican Donald Trump are in a close race in Florida.

"Think about what happened in 2000" with the presidential recount in Florida, said Sandra Suarez, a professor of political science at Philadelphia's Temple University. "The difference was a few hundred votes."

Puerto Ricans living on the island can only vote in presidential primaries. As U.S. citizens, they are immediately eligible to vote in national elections upon residency and registration on the mainland. Even if only one-quarter of eligible recent Puerto Rican migrants vote in Pennsylvania and Florida, that could be enough to tilt a close race.

Dozens of new grassroots organizations have emerged in recent years to encourage Puerto Ricans to vote, said Justin Velez-Hagan, founder of the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce.

The Rev. Roberto Luis Lugo of Philadelphia, who has been organizing activists to get Puerto Ricans to vote, said it doesn't really matter for whom they vote, as long as they exercise their right as citizens. "If they vote, we can make a big difference in whatever election we have."

Puerto Rico's economy has been on the decline since the 1990s, when tax incentives for U.S. companies to operate in Puerto Rico were repealed. Stagnation turned into a free-fall in the 2007 housing market crash. The island has failed to bounce back ever since, with unemployment topping 12 percent earlier this year more than double the national average.

New York has been a traditional hub for Puerto Rican migrants, but they are increasingly settling elsewhere, due mainly to New York's high cost of living. Puerto Ricans typically have a high turnout at home; voter participation often exceeds 70 percent. Organizers have in the past faced hurdles encouraging Puerto Ricans on the mainland to get to the polls.

Jonathan Lewis, a recent migrant to Philadelphia, left his hometown of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, in search of opportunity when his biomedical science degree would only land him a job at McDonald's. His girlfriend, a student at New York University at the time, invited him to the mainland. It was an easy decision, and he quickly found a job at FedEx.

But voting wasn't a priority for Lewis until he encountered an organizer on the street who registered him within minutes.

"People will always be more concerned about finding a job," Lewis said. "Once they already have a job, they will start probably having interest in some other things like voting, getting registered, that kind of thing."

In the 2014 elections, only about one-quarter of eligible Puerto Ricans on the mainland voted, whereas nationally, voter turnout reached about 42 percent that year, and 27 percent among Latinos as a whole, according to the Pew Center.

High turnout would likely favor Clinton. Polls show she leads by large margins among Latinos nationally, though those samples are not large enough to give a breakdown of her performance among Puerto Ricans specifically.

Clinton won Puerto Rico during the primaries and has made prominent campaign hires to appeal to Latino voters. The Trump campaign has been less successful at reaching out to Latino voters and lost Puerto Rico to Florida's Cuban-American Sen. Marco Rubio in a landslide during the primaries.

Reverend and Puerto Rican community organization director Robertoluis Lugo Morciglio talks with his colleagues in his office on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, In Philadelphia. With Puerto Rico's economy in shambles, many are fleeing to the mainland U.S., potentially shifting demographics in some of the country's most critical battleground states. (AP Photo/Dake Kang)
The Latest: Divers find body in flooded vehicle

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  The Latest on flooding in the Deep South (all times local):

10:15 p.m.

Officials say they have recovered the body of a woman from inside a flooded vehicle.

Members of the Louisiana Army National Guard load 3-month-old baby Ember Blount onto a truck as they rescue people from rising floodwater near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, says witnesses say the woman was seen last night attempting to turn around in high water when her vehicle was swept away.

The woman's name will be released following family notification.

That would appear to raise the death toll from the widespread flooding to five people but officials could not be immediately reached to confirm the numbers.

Heavy rains have swollen rivers and caused widespread flooding across southern Louisiana.

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9:45 p.m.

Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 10,000 people are in shelters and more than 20,000 people have been rescued across south Louisiana because of widespread flooding.

The governor says the Baton Rouge River Center, a major events location in the capital city's downtown, will be opened Sunday as a shelter to handle the large numbers of evacuees.

Edwards said President Barack Obama called him and said that "the people of south Louisiana are in his thoughts and prayers and the federal government will be a solid partner."

The federal government has already declared a major disaster in four parishes following widespread flooding.

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7:25 p.m.

The Louisiana governor says the federal government has declared a major disaster in the state following widespread flooding.

Gov. John Bel Edwards says in the Sunday statement that the initial federal declaration is for four parishes.

Those parishes are Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston.

Additional parishes may join the list as further damage assessments are made.

Torrential rains have caused widespread flooding in parts of southern Louisiana.

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7:05 p.m.

A spokesman says that approximately 18,000 people have been rescued so far from rising floodwaters.

Maj. Doug Cain of the Louisiana State Police said Sunday that so far 18,000 people have been rescued from East Baton Rouge and Livingston Parishes.

High-water vehicles, boats and helicopters have been rescuing people and bringing them to safer areas.

Rain-swollen rivers and creeks have burst their banks, causing widespread havoc across parts of southern Louisiana.

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5 p.m.

The head of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency says 56 people remain in a shelter because their homes are flooded.

Executive director Lee Smithson says he expects them to be able to return to the Wilkinson County community of Crosby on Monday to check out and begin mucking out their homes. Crosby is about 15 miles from the Mississippi River and about 60 miles from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Smithson says the shelter 15 miles away in Natchez could remain open a week or more.

He says extensive damage assessments will begin Monday morning.

He says a swift water rescue team from Gulfport is in Louisiana to help with rescues, and two Mississippi National Guard helicopter crews were about to leave in their Chinook aircraft Sunday.

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3:30 p.m.

A National Weather Service meteorologist says the low pressure system that drenched south Louisiana has moved into Texas.

But Gavin Phillips says there's still danger of fresh floods, as swollen rivers drain toward the Gulf of Mexico.

He says most of the rivers have crested, but several are still rising. Phillips says the biggest danger is in East Baton Rouge Parish and the triangle created by Interstates 55, 10 and 12, including Livingston and Ascension parishes.

He said there could be flooding later in the week when the water arrives in St. James Parish, directly south of Ascension.

Phillips says there's still a chance of thunderstorms all week, but that's normal in the summer.

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3:05 p.m.

Rescuers are taking out hundreds of pets as they go door-to-door searching for people.

Lt. Davis Madere from the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, says the first priority is always rescuing humans.

But he says he and his teams have rescued at least 100 pets since they started working Friday.

He says they've rescued cats, dogs, birds  even a gerbil.

Madere says rescuers have encountered lots of snakes while out on the water but no alligators.

He said their teams also have to be on the alert for other dangers such as submerged vehicles or fences and power lines a lot closer than they would normally be because the water is so high.

2:30 p.m.

Floods are keeping the train they call The City of New Orleans from the southern end of its north-south route between Chicago and New Orleans.

Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae (ver-NAY) Graham says buses have been carrying passengers between Jackson, Mississippi, and New Orleans since Saturday.

She says the Canadian National Railway owns the tracks in question and will decide when they can reopen.

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2:20 p.m.

Busloads of people who were rescued from floodwaters in Baton Rouge are arriving at a sprawling movie studio complex being transformed into a makeshift shelter.

Robert and Gwen Arceneaux endured a sleepless night after noticing floodwaters creeping into their home in a neighborhood about two miles from the Amite River that had never seen water before.

They fled out the backdoor and eventually waded through waist deep water to get to a National Guard truck.

Their most pressing concern was the medication needed for Robert, who has stage 4 lung cancer.

Hundreds of people were gathered at Celtic Media Centre. Some were seeking shelter, others looking for relatives and some were dropping off supplies. Bus after bus continued to drop off evacuees.

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2 p.m.

AT&T Wireless says that severe weather in Louisiana has damaged its equipment and halted service for some customers in the Baton Rouge area.

The company said that one of its switching centers that carries network traffic in the area was flooded, and it is working to restore service as quickly as possible.

AT&T did not have an exact measure of how many people were affected.

The company said it has technicians and other resources staged for additional restoration work as soon as damaged areas are safe to access. The trouble in Louisiana is unrelated to the outage that some customers in the Midwest experienced on Saturday.

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1 p.m.

The Salvation Army in Louisiana is evacuating people from a temporary shelter and their headquarters after floodwaters got into the building in Baton Rouge.

Captain Brett Meredith says the headquarters on Sunday now hold 6 to 7 feet of water. About 120 people had to be evacuated from there.

Meredith says about 60 people had to be moved from a temporary flood shelter at one of its buildings.

He says there's no water yet in that facility, where mostly homeless people were sheltering from the floods. But flooded streets mean people can't get in or out so they had to be evacuated by high-water trucks.

He says those rescued from headquarters included people in the drug and alcohol treatment program, homeless people, and on-site staffers.

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12:35 p.m.

The Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge is evacuating some critically ill patients due to the widespread flooding in the area.

In a statement Sunday, the hospital says about 20 critically ill patients have been transferred from their O'Neal campus facility to other Ochsner facilities. An additional 20 will be transferred shortly as a precautionary measure.

The medical center says they are assessing the impact of the weather and flooding, are monitoring the water levels and in contact with local and state officials.

Floodwaters have swamped parts of the state after drenching rain earlier in the week.

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12:15 p.m.

Louisiana's governor says cellphone service outages are affecting rescuers' ability to communicate with residents asking for help  and with each other.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that it "does present a problem."

The governor says an AT&T switching facility in the area had been knocked out by floodwaters.

In a statement the company says they are working to restore affected wireless service as quickly as possible. AT&T says they have technicians and resources ready and as soon as it's safe in affected areas, they will get to work.

The company is recommending customers text before calling and use wi-fi where it's available.

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11:45 a.m.

Family members and residents are trying to rescue people affected by floodwaters that have swamped parts of the state.

Wayne Muse has been trying to reach or contact his 86-year-old mother since Saturday night, when she told him by phone that she had two inches of water inside her apartment at a Denham Springs retirement home.

He ran into a police roadblock on Sunday morning in east Baton Rouge, where rapidly rising water is flooding neighborhoods near the juncture of the swollen Amite and Comite rivers.

Baton Rouge resident Jeffrey Yglesias came out to help with his 22-foot boat. He said he has Stage 4 cancer but he felt like he had to help.

Yglesias said he was seeing flooding in places that had never flooded before.

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11:25 a.m.

A government official says that 5,050 people are currently staying in shelters due to the widespread flooding that has struck the state.

The Department of Children & Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters said Sunday that the people have been staying at government and Red Cross shelters.

Gov. John Bel Edwards also said that more people are staying in private shelters like churches.

Walters said the Red Cross is also looking for volunteers.

Wide swathes of the state have been hit by historic levels of flooding.

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11:05 a.m.

Louisiana's governor says at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far due to widespread flooding in the state.

Gov. John Bel Edwards emphasized Sunday that the rain-caused flooding was "not over."

He says the fatalities have not risen from the three dead reported on Saturday. One person is unaccounted for in St. Helena Parish.

Edwards says the storm has "subsided in its intensity" but he is encouraging people to not go out and "sightsee" even as the weather gets better.

The governor says water is continuing to rise in some areas even though the sunshine is out.

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9:20 a.m.

In southwest Louisiana, the Mermentau (MER-men-tow) River is expected to rise 3 feet or more above the levees in Lake Arthur, a city of about 2,700. Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff Ivy Woods is advising residents to pack up and get out before Tuesday.

He says that during the area's last major flood, in 2013, the river was 8 feet high and at the top of the levee. He says the current prediction is for a crest Monday evening or night at 11 to 12 feet.

Woods says that by midmorning Sunday, about 10 people had called and asked for a ride out because of high water in the streets.

KPLC-TV reports (KPLC http://bit.ly/2bqMZLg) that the mayor of Welsh advised people in low-lying areas along Lacassine (lak-uh-SEEN) Bayou to evacuate.

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9 a.m.

Widespread flooding in Louisiana has stranded motorists for nearly a day on Interstate 12.

Alex Cobb of Baton Rouge says she has been stuck since around 11 a.m. Saturday.

Reached by telephone Sunday, she said she was on her way to a bridal shower she was supposed to be hosting on Saturday when flooding closed off the highway.

She said she had food from the bridal shower that she was able to eat and a produce truck about a  mile up the road opened its doors and shared its stock with the stranded motorists.

Cobb said some of the people stranded on the highway were actually fleeing flooding in their homes when they got caught on the freeway.

The mood is surprisingly upbeat but she emphasized that people "want water."

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8 a.m.

Emergency crews worked through the night to rescue scores of Louisiana residents from homes and stranded cars as floodwaters continued to inundate large swaths of the Baton Rouge region.

Mike Steele of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said Sunday morning that there was an overnight spike in flood rescues in eastern Baton Rouge. He said two nursing homes in that area were being evacuated.

Police also were rescuing people from dozens of cars that were stranded on Interstate 12, which was closed from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa Parish.

Steele says the flooding that started Friday has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 homes in Livingston Parish and hundreds more in St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

At least three deaths have been blamed on the flooding.

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1:49 a.m.

Emergency crews plucked motorists from stranded cars in high water along a stretch of south Louisiana interstate, pulled others from inundated homes and braced for more arduous work Sunday after conducting at least 2,000 rescues.

Pounding rains swamped parts of southeast Louisiana so that whole subdivisions appeared isolated by floodwaters, which are blamed for at least three deaths.

Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, calling the floods "historic." He and his family were even forced to leave the Governor's Mansion when chest-high water filled the basement. He later toured flood-ravaged areas by helicopter and warned Louisiana residents it would be too risky to venture out even once the rains begin to subside.

Members of the Louisiana Army National Guard rescue people from rising floodwater near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Floodwaters reach the front steps of a home near Holden, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Motorists on Highway 190 drive through deep water through Holden, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Residents drive through a flooded area near Tickfaw, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

A sign tells motorists to slow down to avoid pushing water into homes near Holden, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

An abandoned vehicle is surrounded by water on Highway 190 near Holden, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Residents emerge from their homes, west of Tickfaw, La., off of LA-442, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, as rescue operations continue after heavy rains inundated the region. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

A boat and vehicle are seen abandoned at a road west of Tickfaw, La., on LA-442, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, as rescue operations continue after heavy rains inundated the region. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

A horse walks through receding floodwater west of Tickfaw, La., off of LA-442, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, as rescue operations continue after heavy rains inundated the region. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

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)

Residents line up on Providence Boulevard in Hammond, La., where flood waters inundated their homes after heavy rains in the region Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Army National Guard vehicles travel through floodwaters, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, on LA-442, west of Tickfaw, La., as rescue operations continue after heavy rains inundated the region. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

In this aerial photo over Hammond, La., cattle can bee seen huddled together in flood water after heavy rains inundated the region, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (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)

People arrive to be evacuated by members of the Louisiana Army National Guard near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundating the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 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)

Danielle Blount kisses her 3-month-old baby Ember as she feeds her while they wait to be evacuated by members of the Louisiana Army National Guard near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundating the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Members of the Louisiana Army National Guard rescue people from rising floodwater near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Danielle Blount carries her 3-month-old baby Ember to a truck from the Louisiana Army National Guard as they evacuate the area near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Sgt. Brad Stone of the Louisiana Army National Guard gives safety instructions to people loaded on a truck after they were stranded by rising floodwater near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)
The Latest: Trump's foreign policy to focus on destroying IS

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on Campaign 2016 (all times EDT):

10:20 p.m.

Republican Donald Trump will declare an end to nation building if elected president, replacing it with what aides described as "foreign policy realism" focused on destroying the Islamic State group and other terrorist organizations.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waves as she finishes a speech on the economy after touring Futuramic Tool & Engineering, in Warren, Mich., Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The Republican presidential nominee will deliver a speech in Ohio Monday laying out his vision.

He'll argue the country needs to work with anyone that shares that mission, regardless of other disagreements.

Trump is also expected to propose a new immigration policy under which the U.S. would stop issuing visas in cases where adequate screenings can't be performed.

And he's expected to propose creating a new, ideological test for admission to the country that would assess a candidate's stances on issues like religious freedom.

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5 p.m.

Vice President Joe Biden will declare Donald Trump the most uninformed presidential nominee in history when he campaigns with Hillary Clinton on Monday.

That's when Biden is set to hold his first campaign rally for Clinton. They'll be in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Biden's office says he'll argue that Trump is less prepared on national security than any previous nominee. He'll also say that Trump's erratic rhetoric and "bluster" will make Pennsylvanians and all Americans less safe.

Biden's office says he'll praise Clinton as offering solutions for the middle class on jobs and education. He'll also cast Clinton as key to building on the Obama administration's legacy.

The vice president also plans to say Trump is clueless on the needs of working families.

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3 p.m.

Hillary Clinton's campaign is launching a new effort to tap into the political power of young, undocumented immigrants.

She's hoping to capitalize on Donald Trump's promises to deport them.

Clinton's national voter registration program is being launched on the four year anniversary of President Barack Obama's 2012 executive order that temporarily shielded some young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

Organizers will remind voters that a Trump presidency would end that program, according to the campaign. It's already at risk after a deadlocked Supreme Court decision in June.

The 730,000 young people known as DREAMERs are prohibited from voting but they've helped mobilize many Latinos who can.

The program is part of an effort by Clinton to woo the record 27.3 million Latinos eligible to vote in 2016.

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9:40 a.m.

Donald Trump's campaign is on a tear against the media just as his GOP backers are urging him  again  to focus his attacks on his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, on Sunday blamed news organizations for the GOP nominee's difficult week, saying the press focused on a pair of Trump comments for days rather than doing more stories about the economic plan Trump announced.

Dominating news last week were Trump's remark that Second Amendment backers could "do something" if Hillary Clinton is elected president and appoints liberal judges. He also insisted on a plain falsehood, that President Barack Obama "founded" the Islamic State group, multiple times.

Trump went on a Twitter rant against the press, complaining that the "disgusting" media is not showing the crowd size of his rallies and is putting "false meaning into the words I say." He also called a New York Times story Sunday about his struggling campaign "fiction."

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9:20 a.m.

Donald Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, says the Republican presidential candidate will offer "real specifics" this week on how make the country safer.

Pence declined to preview Trump's plan in an interview on "Fox News Sunday," saying only that Trump will offer a "change of direction" in counterterrorism policies.

Trump has called President Barack Obama the "founder" of the Islamic State group. Pence says Trump was trying to make the point that Obama is to blame for the group's rise in power.

Pence also brushed off a recent letter from the nation's top national security experts, all Republicans, who say Trump can't be trusted as president. He said he understands that "people in the establishment" may have "anxiety about the clear-eyed leadership" Trump will bring.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Sacred Heart University, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Fairfield, Conn. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Afghan officials: IS expands presence in restive south

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP)  The Islamic State group, which has been building a presence in Afghanistan for more than a year, has established a recruitment and training camp in a restive southern province bordering Pakistan, Afghan officials said.

Last year, hundreds of insurgents fled to Afghanistan from neighboring Pakistan, where the military launched a campaign to clear militants from the lawless tribal regions in the country's north. Among them were members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, who joined forces with local Taliban fighters to attack northern Afghan cities such as Kunduz, which was briefly overrun in September.

The Pakistani military campaign also caused around 400 families loyal to the Islamic State group to flee to Afghanistan, Afghan authorities said. The families, many of them Arabs and Chechens, settled in the southern province of Zabul, in the district of Khak-e-Afghan, a former Taliban stronghold with a history of militant violence that has made it a no-go area for Afghan security forces.

FILE - in this Monday, Aug. 1, 2016 photo, Afghan police pose for a photograph with an Islamic State flag after an operation in the Kot district of Jalalabad province east of Kabul, Afghanistan. The Islamic State group, which has been building a presence in Afghanistan for more than a year, has established a recruitment and training camp in a restive southern province bordering Pakistan. (AP Photo/Melad Hamedi, file)

The long-term intentions of the IS loyalists in Khak-e-Afghan were initially unclear. Locals said they kept to themselves but appeared wealthy, purchasing expensive properties and never bargaining down prices in the bazaar.

Now officials say the IS operatives have established a headquarters in the district, and are actively recruiting and training locals to join the group as gunmen.

"They have a lot of money. People here are very poor, and that makes them very easy targets for these foreigners," said Atta Mohammad Haqbayan, the director of Zabul's provincial council. He said that he asked central authorities in Kabul for help to drive the IS operatives out of the province "but no one is listening to us."

In late July, the Afghan military launched an offensive against IS in the east of the country, backed by U.S. forces and air strikes.

This week, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that the leader of IS in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed, was killed some weeks ago in an American drone strike in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

U.S. military officials have said that there are between 1,500 and 3,000 IS-linked militants in the eastern region, most of them former operatives for the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban groups. They have direct links with the leadership of IS in Iraq and Syria, and for some months earlier this year held control over a number of districts near the Pakistan border.

The commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, U.S. Gen. John Nicholson, has said that dozens of IS commanders and hundreds of fighters have been killed since the Afghan military declared its offensive in late July. He said many insurgents were now fleeing to the south of the country. It was unclear if they were escaping to Zabul.

Afghan officials in Zabul say their requests for military action against IS in the south have gone unanswered. U.S. officials insist there is no substantial evidence to suggest that the Islamic State group is active in Zabul.

IS drew attention to its presence in Zabul last November, when the militants kidnapped and killed seven people from the ethnic Hazara group as fierce fighting raged between IS and local Taliban militants. The killing sparked widespread anger among the Hazara community, a Shiite Muslim group that has long faced discrimination, who organized a mass march to the presidential palace in Kabul.

Zabul's provincial police chief, Mirwais Noorzai, said the IS operatives in Khak-e-Afghan are well-equipped with satellite communications technology. They have set up camps for training new recruits, he said.

Haqbayan, the provincial council director, said local authorities "have proof they are linked with and are in constant contact with Daesh in Iraq and that they receive funding from them." He used an Arabic acronym to refer to the Islamic State group.

"They directly communicate with Daesh leaders and they are now spending a lot of money on building up the group," Haqbayan told The Associated Press. "It's time to take control of the situation and get rid of them. But if the government doesn't pay attention to them, then they will start fighting. And once they start fighting it could prove very difficult for our forces to defeat them."

The spokesman for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, said no evidence had been seen by U.S. military intelligence to support the reports of an Islamic State presence in Zabul, despite the accounts of Afghan officials.

Using the name the group goes by in Afghanistan, IS-Khorasan  a reference to a broad region of Central Asia that once included parts of Afghanistan  Cleveland told AP: "We believe IS-K is still primarily in two districts of southern Nangarhar, with a very small presence in Kunar province" on the eastern border.

IS had said that it aims to overrun the region formerly known as Khorasan, starting from a base in Nangarhar and then moving north toward Central Asia.

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O'Donnell reported from Kabul, Afghanistan. Associated Press writer Tim Sullivan in Delhi contributed to this story.
Excerpts from farmers' almanacs celebrating wit and wisdom

Two longtime American almanacs full of wit, wisdom and weather are celebrating milestones. The Old Farmer's Almanac from New Hampshire is marking its 225th anniversary and the Farmer's Almanac in Maine is ringing in its 200th. Here are some excerpts from the early days, with some spellings modernized for today's readers:

"As to my judgment of the weather, I need say but little; for you will in one year's time, without any assistance of mine, very easily discover how near I have come to the truth." -- Robert B. Thomas, in his preface to the first edition of "The (Old) Farmer's Almanac in 1793.

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"To cure a pimpled Face, and sweeten the Blood:

Take jena, one ounce; put it in a small stone pot, and pour a quart or more of boiling water on it; then put as many prunes as you can get in, cover it with paper and set it in the oven with household bread; and take of this every day, one, two, three or more of the prunes and liquor, according as it operates; continue this for at least half a year." -- The (Old) Farmer's Almanac, 1793.

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"Economics: How to save expense in clothing. Purchase that which is at once decent, and the most durable; and wear your garment despite the frequent changes of fashion till it becomes too defaced to appear decent, then turn it and wear it thenceforth as long as it protects the body. A blue coat is as warm after fashion requires a green one as it ever was." -- Farmer's Almanac, 1848.

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Volunteers lacking for Boston police body camera program

BOSTON (AP)  As a Sept. 1 rollout date looms for a plan to equip 100 Boston police officers with body cameras, not a single officer has volunteered, prompting Boston's police commissioner to warn he may have to force officers to wear them.

When a deal was announced with the city's largest police union to use cameras in a pilot program, civil rights advocates praised the plan as a step toward greater accountability amid a national outcry over police killings of black men in other cities.

But with just a few weeks left before the program is supposed to begin, Police Commissioner William Evans acknowledged: "It's been a hard sell."

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 2014 file photo a Los Angeles Police officer wears an on-body camera during a demonstration in Los Angeles. An agreement with Boston's largest police union to have 100 officers wear body cameras was praised as a step toward greater accountability. But with the Sept. 1, 2016, rollout date for the pilot program approaching, not a single officer had volunteered to wear one. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Police officials said last month that they had reached an agreement with the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association to equip 100 volunteers  about 5 percent of the department's force  with body cameras for the six-month program. Officers who agree to wear a camera will receive a $500 bonus if they complete the program.

Union President Patrick Rose and Vice President Michael Leary did not return several emails and phone messages seeking comment on the lack of volunteers.

Police in Boston and other cities have expressed concerns that cameras could inhibit interaction with people in crime-infested neighborhoods, particularly informants or witnesses who may be reluctant to talk to police if they worry the video could be seen by criminals who could retaliate against them.

They also say the costs of the cameras and video storage could divert money from other resources, including weapons and protective gear. Police union leaders in other states have also said they fear cameras will be used by police administrators to discipline officers for minor infractions.

Evans initially said he doesn't think body cameras are necessary in Boston, where, he said, officers have built strong relationships through community policing.

"I think we've shown what kind of a class act department we are, but we are going to give them a try and see if the results are positive," Evans said in an interview with Boston Herald Radio in April.

Activists in Boston have called for police body cameras for two years, since the shooting of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black man, in Ferguson, Missouri, by a white police officer. A string of other police shootings since then have sparked protests around the country.

Matthew Segal, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said he hopes Boston officers will volunteer to wear the cameras.

"I hope it doesn't come to a police department being forced to wear body cameras against its will," Segal said. "Ideally, body cameras should be a tool for building trust between civilians and police officers. What we're worried about now in Boston is that doesn't seem to be happening."

Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson, a supporter of police body cameras, praised Boston police for quickly showing community leaders surveillance video of police-involved shootings, including the June 2015 killing of a man who allegedly waved a military knife at police and the March 2015 shooting of a suspect after he shot an officer in the face.

"Those relationships take a long time to build and a very short time to lose," Jackson said. "This is a component to ensuring that we are able to sustain those relationships."

The volunteer aspect of the pilot program has drawn criticism from advocates who say only officers with good records are likely to sign up.

"Really what we wanted to see was, would the presence of the camera change the behavior of a problem officer? Will that change how they talk to people? Will that change how the civilians they're interacting with interact with them?" said Segun Idowu, co-organizer of the Boston Police Camera Action Team.

Boston police spokesman Lt. Michael McCarthy said the goal of the pilot program is to determine whether cameras can be a useful tool and should be assigned to officers throughout the department.

"We have officers who may be hesitant to be the first to volunteer for such a high-profile program," McCarthy said. "It is a pilot program  nothing's permanent yet  and we would hope that officers would be encouraged to come and volunteer."
Missouri man charged with shooting at vehicles, wounding 6

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP)  A southwest Missouri man is charged in two counties after shootings that wounded six people and two dogs in what police believe were random attacks.

Tom S. Mourning II, 26, of Joplin, was charged Saturday in Jasper and Newton counties with multiple counts of armed criminal action, first-degree felony assault and unlawful use of a weapon. He was being held Sunday in lieu of $1 million bond in Jasper County and $300,000 bond in Newton County.

The incident began just after 5 a.m. Saturday when Mourning's father called police to report shots had been fired in the duplex where he and his son lived.

Officers caught up with Mourning around 5:10 a.m. and were preparing to stop him 14 blocks from his home when he pulled up behind an Immanuel Lutheran Church van at an intersection and started shooting, police said.

The van was on its way to St. Louis for a meeting about the church's comfort dog ministry, the Joplin Globe (http://bit.ly/2bfMciv ) reported.

The driver of the van, Kenneth Eby, was shot in the lung and was in critical condition Saturday night at an area hospital. Joplin police spokesman Capt. Bob Higginbotham said Sunday he would have been notified if Eby's condition had gotten worse, but he hadn't.

One woman in the van was shot in the arm, a boy suffered a graze wound, and a woman was hit by shrapnel, police said. Two comfort dogs in the van also were hit but are expected to survive.

After that shooting, Mourning drove into portions of Joplin that are in Newton County and stopped at an intersection where he fired multiple shots at a pickup truck waiting to make a left turn from oncoming traffic, police said.

The driver of the pickup was struck with two bullets and his wife was hit by shrapnel, police said. Deborah Pugh initially thought her husband, Donal Pugh, would be released from the hospital Sunday, but doctors found one of his arteries was nearly 100 percent blocked and were putting in a stent that could keep him hospitalized for a few more days, a Freeman Hospital spokeswoman said.

Officers continued pursuing Mourning, who made a U-turn and eventually slowed his vehicle and gave himself up at 5:22 a.m., police said.

No motive for the shootings has been determined, and there seems to be no relation between the suspect and the victims, police said.

"It will always be a form of speculation as to the motive when someone hits random targets," Higginbotham said.

Mourning "has had history" with Joplin police, Higginbotham said. A mugshot of Mourning that police released on Saturday was an older one for a drunken driving arrest, he said.

A handgun and rifle were recovered Saturday from Mourning's car, police said. Higginbotham said police don't know yet if Mourning is licensed to carry or if the guns were registered to him.

Mourning is being held on $1 million bond in Jasper County, of which $750,000 would have to be in surety and $250,000 would have to be in cash. The charges in Newton County resulted in a $300,000 cash-only bond.
They can see clearer now at troubled Olympic aquatics venue

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Goodbye green. It's back to clear water in the pool at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center, allowing synchronized swimmers to see underwater on the first day of Olympic competition.

Officials completed pumping nearly 1 million gallons of clean water into the pool used for synchro with little time to spare before Sunday's free routine preliminary began. They had raced to drain green-tinged water out of the pool overnight at a venue that has embarrassed local organizers.

The massive undertaking was necessary to ensure clear water for both judges and competitors, who spend much of their time underwater during synchronized swimming.

China's Huang Xuechen and Sun Wenyan compete during the synchronized swimming duet free routine preliminary round in the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

"At last, this is real water," Natalia Ishchenko of Russia said through a translator. "The visibility is good, not ideal, but compared to before, at least the water is a normal temperature."

The water problems had limited the swimmers to just one practice session in the pool when the water was unusually cold.

Ishchenko's partner, Svetlana Romashina, said the pool was only half-full when the swimmers arrived to prepare.

The clear water appeared slightly cloudy under sunny skies on a day when temperatures reached 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius) after a recent string of cool and cloudy weather.

"It was a lot better than it was the other day," American swimmer Anita Alvarez said. "Switching the water helped a lot. The temperature was little bit better for us and it's a little bit clearer underwater, which also helped."

Before the water polo competition moved to the Olympic Aquatic Stadium as previously planned, athletes had complained their eyes were burning from chlorine in the pool.

"I didn't notice chlorine too bad," Alvarez said. "Chlorine-wise, this was pretty good on our eyes. We were ready for anything."

The Russians topped the standings after the duet free routine preliminary. Ishchenko and Romashina, with three Olympic gold medals each, led with 98.066 points. Russia has won the duet and team titles at every games since 2000 in Sydney.

Huang Xuechen and Sun Wenyan of China were second at 96.066. Yukiko Inui and Risako Mitsui of Japan were third at 94.400.

The U.S. duet of Alvarez and Mariya Koroleva was ninth. Scores from the preliminaries don't carry over to the duet tech competition on Monday. The duet free final is Tuesday.

Later Sunday, the venue's diving pool hosted the women's 3-meter springboard final.

The green water in that pool wasn't changed. It turned a dark green shade last Tuesday and the larger pool at Maria Lenk began to turn the same color the following day.

"It doesn't make too much difference if the water is blue or green, but I was a little bit worried about some sanitary conditions," said bronze medalist Tania Cagnotto of Italy. "I hope we will be all OK and I hope they can fix it soon."

Synchronized swimming duet teams practice their routine in the pool at the Lenk Aquatic Center during a training session the morning after the pool went through a change in water, on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Olympic officials gave up on cleaning the green-tinged water in one of the pools at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center. Instead, they began draining it Saturday and planned to transfer nearly 1 million gallons of clear water from a nearby practice pool in time for the start of synchronized swimming. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Russia's Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina compete during the synchronized swimming duet free routine preliminary round in the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

United States' Anita Alvarez and Mariya Koroleva compete during the synchronized swimming duets free routine preliminary round in the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Japan's Yukiko Inui and Risako Mitsui compete during the synchronized swimming duet free routine preliminary round in the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Honduras says gang rivalry behind shooting deaths of 8 men

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP)  Killers wielding assault rifles shot eight men to death on the outskirts of the capital before dawn Sunday, Honduran authorities said, blaming a territorial dispute between rival street gangs.

Officials said the victims men were gathered in front of a local business when the gunmen arrived in a sport utility vehicle. The killers demanded to see the men's identification, then opened fire, authorities said.

The national forensics service said the victims ranged in age from 18 to 27.

The Security Secretariat said in a statement Sunday night that the shooting resulted from a dispute between gangs over territory. It said two of the dead were gang members, though it did not identify them or the gang.
Campriani caps strong week for Italy with 3-position gold

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Niccolo Campriani fired his last shot, shook his head and smiled. No reason to look at the score. The Italian's long Olympics were over and he knew he had already secured another medal.

Winning gold was an added bonus.

Campriani became the only shooter to win two gold medals at the Rio de Janeiro Games, overcoming Sergey Kamensky of Russia on the final shot Sunday to repeat as men's 3-position rifle champion.

Niccolo Campriani of Italy shows off his gold medal during the victory ceremony for the men's 50-meter rifle 3 positions finals at the Olympic Shooting Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Alexis Raynaud of France earned bronze in the final shooting event in Rio.

"My heart just gave up," Campriani said. "I was so tired from such a long week."

He was already an accomplished shooter heading into Rio after capturing gold in 3-position and silver in air rifle at the 2012 London Games.

Campriani firmed up his position as one of the best rifle shooters of his generation with a strong performance in Brazil.

He opened the Rio Games with a gold medal in air rifle and made the finals of prone rifle, finishing seventh.

Worn down from competing in three events, Campriani squeaked out of 3-position qualifying, needing two shots deep in the 10-ring just to earn the final spot in the eight-man finals.

Once in the finals, Campriani led after the kneeling and standing positions, but Kamensky overtook him in the standing portion to lead heading into the elimination rounds. The pair traded spots at the top until Kamensky took a 0.6 lead into the final shot.

Campriani hit an average 9.2 on his final shot, sending a groan across the hall. Kamensky heard the crowd, but wasn't sure if it meant Campriani had hit a good shot or bad.

The 28-year-old Russian tried to put the crowd reaction out of his mind, but let nerves get the best of him and shot 8.3 to lose by 0.3 to Campriani.

"You're nervous and this is the high point of your emotions and it's really hard to find points with your emotions (churning)," said Kamensky, who earlier missed a shot at bronze in prone rifle by 0.3 points. "It's really hard with the pressure and I was unlucky."

Campriani's gold capped a strong Olympics for the Italian shooting team.

The Italians won four gold medals  skeet shooters Gabriele Rossetti and Diana Bacosi were the others  and three silver medals to match China for most during the nine days of shooting. Shooters have accounted for seven of Italy's 19 medals, including all but two golds.

Campriani is only 28 and at the peak of his shooting game, but is not a lock to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Games. He may just set aside his rifle and take up another pursuit.

"I know I'm good at this, but maybe there is something else I am good at," said Campriani, who graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in industrial engineering. "Life is long and there are so many things I can do."

Fedor Vlasov of Russia shoots during the men's 50-meter rifle 3 positions finals at the Olympic Shooting Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Sergey Kamenskiy of Russia shoots during the men's 50-meter rifle 3 positions finals at the Olympic Shooting Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Rising floodwater leaves thousands homeless in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Robert and Gwen Arceneaux endured a sleepless night Sunday after noticing floodwater creeping into their home  in a neighborhood that had never seen water before.

They gathered up their dogs and a few bags of belongings and fled out the back door, eventually wading through waist-deep water to a passing National Guard truck  joining the more than 20,000 people rescued from their homes in a still-growing tragedy across southern Louisiana.

Now safe at a movie studio-lot-turned-shelter their worries weren't over, as they tried to get medication for Robert, who suffers from lung cancer.

People arrive to be evacuated by members of the Louisiana Army National Guard near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundating the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

"We need to get somewhere safer," Gwen said, as her dogs panted heavily under the hot sun.

Across southern Louisiana Sunday, residents scrambled to get to safety as rivers and creeks burst their banks, swollen from days of heavy rain that in some areas came close to two feet over a 48-hour period.

In high-water vehicles, boats and helicopters, emergency crews hurried to rescue scores of south Louisiana residents as the governor warned that it was not over. More than 10,000 people are in shelters and the Baton Rouge River Center  usually reserved for major events  was sheltering evacuees.

From the air homes in southwest Louisiana looked more like little islands surrounded by flooded fields. Farmland was covered, streets descended into impassable pools of water, shopping centers were inundated with only roofs of cars peeking above the water.

From the ground it was just as catastrophic.

Drivers tried to navigate treacherous roads where the water lapped at the side or covered the asphalt in a running stream. Abandoned cars were pushed to the side of the road, lawn furniture and children's toys floating through the waters.

The low pressure system that wreaked such havoc moved into Texas, but the National Weather Service warned that there's still danger of fresh floods, as swollen rivers drain toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Most of the rivers have crested, but several are still rising.

The federal government declared a major disaster in the state, specifically in the parishes of Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston. Edwards said President Barack Obama called him and said that "the people of south Louisiana are in his thoughts and prayers and the federal government will be a solid partner."

Edwards called on people to refrain from going out to "sightsee" even as the weather gets better.

Four people have been reported dead, said Devin George, the state registrar for vital records, earlier Sunday. Later Sunday, a woman's body was recovered by divers from inside a flooded vehicle in East Baton Rouge Parish, appearing to raise the death toll to five.

Witnesses said the woman was seen Saturday night attempting to turn around in high water when her vehicle was swept away, said Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.

Authorities worked throughout Sunday to rescue people from cars stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12 until the governor said on Twitter late in the day that everyone had been rescued.

One of those stranded motorists was Alex Cobb of Baton Rouge, who spent Saturday night on the interstate before being rescued by a National Guard truck.

She was on her way to a bridal shower she was supposed to host Saturday when flooding closed off the highway.

She ate food intended for the bridal shower and a produce truck about a  mile up the road shared its stock with drivers  giving out fruits and vegetables to people.

Hundreds of people were gathered at Celtic Media Centre in Baton Rouge, some coming in by bus and others by helicopter.

Matthew and Rachel Fitzpatrick, from Brandon, Mississippi, hopped off one of the choppers with her grandparents. The couple had been visiting family in Baton Rouge when the flooding started. They found temporary refuge at Hebron Baptist Church but became trapped by floodwaters Saturday night.

Helicopters started picking people up and flying them to safety Sunday.

Matthew, 29, said between 250 and 300 people were still at the church as of late afternoon Sunday. Water was creeping up to the back of the sanctuary, and they didn't have any food or water there.

"Everybody is just tired and nervous and wanting to see what kind of damage they have to their home," Rachel said.

Gov. Edwards declared a state of emergency Saturday, 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.

In one dramatic rescue Saturday, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car almost completely underwater, according to video by WAFB. The woman, who's 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.

As of Sunday morning, some 5,050 people were staying in parish and Red Cross shelters, said Department of Children & Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters. Even more people were staying in private shelters like churches.

Other effects from the flooding:

 A hospital in Baton Rouge  Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge's O'Neal campus  has evacuated about 40 patients and is expected to evacuate another 10-15.

 Severe weather damaged AT&T Wireless's equipment and halted service for some customers in the Baton Rouge area.

 Amtrak is busing customers from Jackson, Mississippi to New Orleans instead of using the train.

 Rescuers have taken out hundreds of pets as they go door-to-door searching for people. Lt. Davis Madere from the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries said he and his teams have rescued at least 100 pets since they started working Friday.

 The head of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency says 56 people remain in a shelter because their homes are flooded.

Around Baton Rouge, worried family members tried to locate relatives. Wayne Muse, 68, ran into a police roadblock on Sunday morning in east Baton Rouge, where rapidly rising water is flooding neighborhoods near the juncture of the swollen Amite and Comite rivers.

Muse said he has been trying in vain to reach or contact his 86-year-old mother since Saturday night, when she told him by phone that she had two inches of water inside her retirement home apartment.

"She said they were going to evacuate them but no one could get to them," Muse said.

___

Becherer reported from Walker. Rebecca Santana and Janet McConnaughey contributed from New Orleans.

Danielle Blount carries her 3-month-old baby Ember to a truck from the Louisiana Army National Guard as they evacuate the area near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Members of the Louisiana Army National Guard rescue people from rising floodwater near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Kevin Richmond, left, and Barbara Manuel and her two children Elliott, 8, center, and Emily, 5, right, are rescued by members of the Louisiana Army National Guard from rising floodwater near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Members of the Louisiana Army National Guard unload people at a rally point after they were rescued from rising floodwater near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Emergency responders and medics prepare a patient for an air evacuation after he was rescued from rising floodwater near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Sgt. Brad Stone of the Louisiana Army National Guard gives safety instructions to people loaded on a truck after they were stranded by rising floodwater near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Sgt. Brad Stone of the Louisiana Army National Guard helps load people stranded by rising floodwater onto a truck near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

People arrive an area, to be evacuated by members of the Louisiana Army National Guard near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Floodwaters reach the front steps of a home near Holden, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)
Police: Police ID Kentucky man who stabbed father at church

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP)  The Latest on a church stabbing in Kentucky (all times local):

2:30 p.m.

Police have released the name of a Bowling Green man accused of stabbing his father at a church service.

Bowling Green police said in a news release that 21-year-old Ethan A. Buckley has been charged with assault. Buckley is lodged in the Warren County Regional Jail.

The statement says the stabbing occurred during a service at Hillvue Heights Baptist Church. Buckley's father was taken to Bowling Green Medical Center, where his condition wasn't immediately known. The father's name wasn't released.

Police say no other injuries were reported and additional details on the stabbing were unavailable.

___

1:50 p.m.

Police say a man allegedly stabbed his father during a church service in Kentucky.

Bowling Green police tell local media outlets that the assailant was subdued by congregation members and security workers and taken into custody following the stabbing Sunday at Hillvue Heights Baptist Church. The victim was taken to a hospital where his condition wasn't immediately known.

Their names weren't released. Messages left by The Associated Press with Bowling Green police and with the church weren't immediately returned.

Witness Ashlyn Rice was standing at the back of the crowded church when she heard a commotion toward the front. She says it happened near the end of the 9:30 a.m. service. She saw people run for the door and followed them.

Bowling Green is about 70 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee.

___

12:20 p.m.

Media reports say authorities in Kentucky have responded to reports of a stabbing at a church in Bowling Green.

Reports say at least one victim was taken to a hospital following the stabbing during a Sunday service at Hillvue Heights Baptist Church.
Housing companies fined for illegally evicting military

SAN DIEGO (AP)  Two housing companies have been fined for illegally evicting military service members and their families from rental homes in Southern California.

In a settlement with the Department of Justice, Lincoln Military Property Management and San Diego Family Housing agreed to pay $260,000 in penalties and fines covering four improper evictions that took place between 2008 and 2013, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Sunday (http://bit.ly/2bfMndK ).

The companies also agreed to pay $252,000 in fines and fees under a settlement with California authorities.

The settlements covered 17 troops in San Diego County and one in nearby Orange County who were evicted for not paying rent.

State and federal laws ban eviction when active-duty military can't appear in court because of their duties, such as a deployment, and don't have a lawyer.

In a joint statement, the companies said they have taken actions to address the problem. Lincoln Military said it manages 36,000 military homes across the country while San Diego Family Housing is a partnership between Lincoln and the Defense Department.

Brittany Marks, who lives in one of Lincoln's housing communities, said the eviction was insulting to military families.

"If they don't know the laws protecting troops or decided to ignore them, that's beyond forgiveness," Marks told the newspaper.

___
England forfeit top-ranked ambitions as Pakistan secure drawn series

England surrendered their world-beating pretensions to Pakistan in a 10-wicket defeat well inside four days at The Oval.

Much of the talk before this final Test of a fluctuating Investec series was about England's chances of moving to the top of the International Cricket Council rankings this summer.

Instead, Yasir Shah (five for 71) helped to bowl them out for 253 in their second innings - despite the defiance of Jonny Bairstow (81) - and Pakistan duly wiped out the minor arrears of 40.

Wahab Riaz's double strike helped Pakistan secure a 2-2 series draw at The Ova

The series is therefore drawn 2-2, and it is Pakistan who may be set to go top the world for the first time in their history.

That status is dependent on the outcome of other ongoing Test series, but nonetheless gives Misbah-ul-Haq's tourists extra reason to celebrate their national Independence Day.

England paid the price for conceding a first-innings deficit of 214 - thanks largely to back-to-form Younus Khan's 218 and a century too from Asad Shafiq.

They had little hope resuming on 88 for four, needing another 126 to make Pakistan bat again.

But prolific Bairstow kept England's hopes marginally alive in a morning session which contained just the two wickets at the other end.

Bairstow's third successive half-century took his Test tally for the calendar year ever nearer to 1,000 runs - he was eventually to finish eight short and therefore must wait until Bangladesh in October at the earliest to reach a very notable landmark.

His successive 50 stands with Gary Ballance and Moeen Ali briefly revived suggestions that this match was not yet a done deal.

Bairstow was determined to delay Pakistan as long as possible, but was proactive too with five fours in his 72-ball 50.

England got through the first 45 minutes without losing a wicket - and early spells from Yasir, Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz - before Sohail Khan struck almost immediately.

Ballance pushed out on the back foot at one that just held its line for caught-behind, from only Sohail's fourth delivery.

But Moeen, whose first-innings 108 followed his twin half-centuries in England's win at Edgbaston last week, rejoined what has been a fruitful alliance with Bairstow of late.

The sixth-wicket pair were out to augment the 245 runs they added together in their two previous attempts - and by the time Moeen fell just before lunch, they had taken that aggregate above 300.

They registered two contrasting 'sixes' in three balls, Bairstow's scampered two off Amir bringing an increment of four overthrows from wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed and then Moeen up the wicket to hit Yasir over long-on into the pavilion.

However the runs came, on a pitch still favouring the batsmen, England and their supporters were grateful.

But Moeen's dismissal, caught-behind on the back-foot defence to Yasir by a juggling Sarfraz, was another hammer blow they could ill afford.

Then came Chris Woakes' run-out soon after lunch, setting off for a faulty single on Bairstow's call and short of getting back when the bowler Wahab's throw on the turn from short mid-on was a direct hit.

Bairstow was perhaps still dwelling on that when he poked Wahab for a simple catch to cover from the very next ball - one which ended all the conjecture about an extended fightback.

England nosed ahead on sufferance.

Stuart Broad's dismissal to a reverse-sweep into the hands of slip presented Yasir with his five-wicket haul.

Then there was a maiden wicket for debutant Iftikhar Ahmed, with his part-time off-spin, to end a last stand of 32 between numbers 10 and 11 when James Anderson was lbw sweeping.

Pakistan needed 13.1 overs to do the necessary, without loss either side of tea, during which Steven Finn pulled up with a hamstring strain which will be scanned on Monday.
British man dies from stab wound in Cypriot resort

A British man has been stabbed to death in the holiday resort of Ayia Napa in Cyprus.

The 22-year-old, believed to be George Low, died from a stab wound to the neck in the party town.

Another Briton was wounded during the pre-dawn knife attack, said police in Cyprus.

A Briton was stabbed to death in Cyprus

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are providing support to the family of a British national who sadly died in Cyprus on 14th August and will remain in contact with the local authorities who are investigating."

The two Britons, both 22, were attacked while they were walking down a busy street, said Famagusta district assistant police chief Georgios Economou.

The other man suffered four stab wounds to his back which are not life-threatening.

There is no suspicion that the attack was terrorism-related.

Tributes have been paid on social media, with Jason Woods writing on Facebook: "Words can't describe what you meant to me. I was lucky to have you as a brother and I am truly heartbroken by this tragedy!! Just looking back at the first time we met and I was lucky enough to meet one of the best guys in my life."

He added: "Love you so much. RIP George Low."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic up and running with a debut goal for Manchester United

Zlatan Ibrahimovic toasted his Premier League debut with a well-taken goal as Manchester United eased home 3-1 at Bournemouth.

Here, Press Association Sport examines the 34-year-old Swedish striker's English league bow.

WORK RATE

Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his Premier League debut with a goal

Ibrahimovic improved markedly after half-time, warming to his focal-point task as the tie wore on. The 34-year-old put his body on the line attempting to sneak between two defenders for a first-half header though, proving his commitment to his latest cause. Typically however he picked his moment to raise his own level to deliver the goods, and as so often in the past, the tactic paid full dividend.

LINK PLAY

United's quiet first half coincided with Ibrahimovic failing to dominate, but after the interval the Swedish hitman quickly found his stride. A powerful and deliberate flick set up Wayne Rooney for what should have been a straightforward goal. And just moments later Ibrahimovic held up play before sending Rooney through on goal for a second time. Once again Rooney was unable to deliver, playing for a penalty that never came by attempting to draw the tackle instead of firing off a shot.

FINISHING

Ibrahimovic's new team-mates conjured precious few chances for the powerful striker, but the man himself forced a first-rate save from Boruc from a fine free-kick. And just moments later the talismanic forward angled a 20-yard drive into the bottom right corner of Boruc's net.

VERDICT
Delta cancels hundreds more flights, expects normal operations soon

By Jeffrey Dastin

Aug 10 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc on Wednesday canceled more than 300 flights and upended thousands of travelers' plans for the third day in a row after a power outage hit its computer systems, though it forecast a return to normal operations later this afternoon.

Delta, the No. 2 U.S. airline by passenger traffic, said systems that allow customer service agents to process check-ins and dispatch aircraft are now functioning normally. Most of Wednesday's delays and cancellations are the result of flight crews being displaced or running up against maximum allowed work hours, it said.

As of 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT), Delta said it had canceled 311 flights on the day, adding to the more than 1,600 cancellations since Monday. Another 2,540 flights departed on Wednesday, with 70 percent of them within 30 minutes of their scheduled times, the airline said.

"We're in the final hours of bouncing back from the disruption," Bill Lentsch, Delta's senior vice president for airport customer service and airline operations, said in an online posting.

The travel havoc at one of the world's largest carriers has brought into focus the vulnerability of airlines' technology infrastructure. Experts say mergers - and sometimes insufficient investment in back-end technology - have left airlines with a hodgepodge of systems.

What is more, a drive by companies to automate operations, from mobile boarding passes to check-in kiosks, means the impact of any single glitch will multiply.

Delta said problems arose when critical systems did not switch over to a backup source following a power surge and outage on Monday.

The airline is still investigating the cause, Chief Executive Ed Bastian said in an online video post, adding that the company has invested "hundreds of millions of dollars" in infrastructure upgrades and backup systems.

"I'm sorry we let you down. We'll do everything that we can to make certain this does not happen again," Bastian said in the video.

"There have been no indications of a hack," Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter added in an emailed statement.

Shares were down 1.3 percent at $36.47 in late afternoon trading.

PASSENGERS FRUSTRATED

Frustrated fliers like Camille Davies-Mandel of Maplewood, New Jersey still faced multihour waits at airport lines on Wednesday.

"I have two kids with me, looking forward to getting to their cousins so they can seek out (characters) in Pokemon Go," she said in a telephone interview after waiting three hours to check in at Newark Liberty International Airport. She was unable to download a boarding pass online and missed her flight.

Davies-Mandel said she appreciated Delta's outreach on social media and messages from management, but she added "when you get on the phone and you deal with their customer service, that's a whole different experience," noting two calls took her four and a half hours.

Delta said it contacted some of its most frequent fliers who would be stuck in the disruption and offered them seats on its Delta Private Jets subsidiary to finish their journey.

Analysts expect passenger refunds, overtime hours for workers and other costs will reduce Delta's profit this quarter. Daniel McKenzie, an analyst with the Buckingham Research Group, said in a research note that earnings per share may be 5 percent to 10 percent lower, or 10 to 15 cents per share below his prior estimate.

"Delta still remains the best operation in the industry by a wide margin," McKenzie said, noting that the airline had canceled far fewer flights than rivals in recent years.

Other carriers have also suffered from technology issues.
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Valeant under criminal investigation over Philidor ties -WSJ

By Greg Roumeliotis and Alexandria Sage

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc over whether it hid from insurers its relationship with a specialty pharmacy that helped boost its drug sales, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Lawyers at the U.S. Attorney's Manhattan office are trying to gauge whether concealing those ties may have amounted to defrauding insurers, the Journal report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters later on Wednesday that investigators have been looking into what disclosures Valeant and the pharmacy, Philidor Rx Services, made to insurance companies about their relationship.

U.S.-listed shares of Valeant , which is headquartered in Canada, slid 12.5 percent to $23.90 in extended trading. The troubled company has seen its market value fall by some 90 percent in the last year as its drug pricing and other business practices prompted investigations by multiple U.S. government agencies and by Congress.

It first came under scrutiny from New York prosecutors last October over its drug pricing and distribution. Media also reported at the time that it used Philidor to overcome insurer rejections to reimbursing its medications, with Philidor resubmitting claims to insurers until they were approved.

Valeant said in a statement on Wednesday that it was continuing to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York regarding the investigation that was disclosed last October. The company did not provide further details on the subject of the probe.

"Valeant takes these matters seriously and intends to uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct as we move forward with our mission to improve people's lives with our healthcare products," the company said.

The investigation by U.S. prosecutors could lead to criminal charges against former Philidor executives and Valeant as a company, the Journal report said, citing one person familiar with the matter. (http://on.wsj.com/2aMvQwS)

Officials at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan and representatives for Philidor, which closed its operations, were not immediately available for comment on the Journal report.

SURPRISE DISCLOSURE

The October revelation of Valeant's ties to Philidor took investors by surprise. Following media reports of a relationship between the two, the drugmaker disclosed at the time that Philidor accounted for nearly 6 percent of its revenue and that it had an option to acquire the pharmacy, an unusual relationship in the pharmaceutical industry.

Reuters and other media outlets reported on how Philidor helped secure insurer reimbursement for Valeant drugs. In some circumstances, the pharmacy would resubmit claims using the billing identification numbers of other affiliated pharmacies until an insurer approved payment, according to former employees.

A small group of Valeant employees were deeply involved in directing Philidor's daily operations, raising questions about how much the drugmaker's executives knew of its practices, Reuters reported at the time.

At least one payer, the pharmacy benefits manager OptumRx owned by UnitedHealth Group, became aware of what appeared to be irregular billing practices and sought to shut out Philidor from its network. After Valeant's ties to Philidor became public, other payers cut off the pharmacy and it subsequently closed.

Valeant has taken a series of steps to restore investor trust, including cutting off ties with Philidor last October, conducting an internal review of that relationship, replacing Chief Executive Michael Pearson, overhauling its board of directors and appointing new leaders to run its main businesses.

Billionaire investor William Ackman, whose Pershing Square Capital Management is Valeant's largest shareholder, has taken a board seat to influence efforts to clean up the business. New management, led by CEO Joseph Papa, has sought to move beyond the questions over its Philidor ties. Ackman declined to comment.
Kurdish forces in fresh push to close in on IS-held Mosul

By Saif Hameed

WARDAK, Iraq, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Kurdish Peshmerga forces backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes launched a fresh attack on Islamic State militants in northern Iraq in the early hours of Sunday, as part of a plan to close in on their de facto capital Mosul, a Kurdish official said.

The offensive began after heavy shelling and several airstrikes, a Reuters correspondent reported from Wardak, 30 km (19 miles) south-east of Mosul, where some of the Peshmerga forces are deployed. Clouds of black smoke could be seen at a distance, possibly tires or other items set on fire by the militants to obstruct the planes' visibility.

The Iraqi army and the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdish self-rule region are gradually taking up positions around Mosul, 400 km (248 miles) north of Baghdad, from whose Grand Mosque in 2014 Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate spanning regions of Iraq and Syria.

Mosul is the largest urban center under the militants' control, with a pre-war population of nearly 2 million.

Its fall would mark their effective defeat in Iraq, according to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who has said he aims to retake the city this year.

The operation that started Sunday is part of the "shaping operations" to prepare for an offensive on the city itself, said a Kurdish official who declined to be identified.
Clashes flare southwest of South Sudan's capital

By Denis Dumo

JUBA, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Fighting erupted in South Sudan late on Saturday southwest of the capital between forces loyal to the president and the opposition, an opposition spokesman said, after fierce fighting last month in Juba raised fears of a slide back into civil war.

Witnesses reported heavy gunfire in the region around Yei, which lies on a road linking the capital Juba with neighbouring Uganda. There was no immediate comment from the government side.

Following the July fighting, the U.N. Security Council authorised the deployment of a 4,000-strong protection force to support the existing 12,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission.

Opposition spokesman James Gatdet blamed government forces for sparking clashes around Yei. "Our forces have managed to close Juba-Yei road. Our forces destroyed government's convoy that attacked our forces in the area," he said.

Each side regularly blames the other for any fighting.

Political differences between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar first erupted into conflict in late 2013. They signed a peace deal in August 2015, but sporadic fighting has continued.

Machar had recently returned to Juba to take up his position as deputy again when the July clashes flared. Machar then withdrew with his forces from the capital.

Kiir's spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said after Friday's vote for extra U.N. troops that the government would not accept the new force, describing it as a U.N. bid to take over South Sudan.

The United Nations had threatened an arms embargo if the government did not cooperate.

It was not immediately clear if fighting around Yei had continued into Sunday morning. Residents in Juba said mobile phone communications to the area had been broken.

Regional states have backed sending extra troops to South Sudan in a bid to quell the conflict and prevent any further spillover. More than two million South Sudanese have been displaced by more than two years of conflict, and many fled to nearby states.

Kiir's cabinet is expected to meet later on Sunday.
2-Police try to disperse Milwaukee crowds after one person shot during protests

By Brendan O'Brien

MILWAUKEE, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Tensions rose again on Sunday night with one person shot in the Milwaukee neighborhood where the fatal shooting of a suspect by a police officer touched off rioting and arson the previous night and prompted Wisconsin's governor to activate the National Guard.

After small groups of demonstrators gathered earlier in peaceful vigils, Milwaukee police said late Sunday night they began attempting to disperse crowds after shots were fired and objects were thrown by some protesters.

Police said they rescued one shooting victim, who was rushed to hospital. It was not known whether the person was a protester, officer, or bystander.

About 20 police in riot gear faced a group of more than 100 protesters in the tense standoff.

Police violence against African-Americans has set off intermittent, sometimes violent protests in the past two years, igniting a national debate over race and policing in the United States and giving rise to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker took the precautionary step in case more violence broke out over the death of Sylville K. Smith, 23, who was shot while trying to flee from an officer who had stopped his car on Saturday.

Aiming to reassure the community that the police acted properly, Chief Edward Flynn said on Sunday he had viewed video from the officer's body camera and it showed Smith had turned toward him with a gun in his hand after a traffic stop.

The Sherman Park neighborhood, where a heated confrontation between residents and officers clad in riot gear turned violent overnight, was peaceful as the sun set.

About 200 people lit candles and gathered around the spot where Smith was shot. A few police officers looked on as faith and community leaders implored protesters to restrain their anger.

"We are not ignorant and stupid people," a pastor told the crowd, echoing a feeling among many of the city's African-Americans that they are systematically mistreated. "Every single person needs to be looked upon as human beings and not like savages and animals."

The previous night, gunshots were fired, six businesses were destroyed by fire and police cars damaged before calm was restored in the area, which has a reputation for poverty and crime. Seventeen people were arrested, and four police officers were treated for injuries.

At a news conference with Mayor Tom Barrett, Flynn said the officer who fired the fatal shot was black and media reports also identified Smith as black.

He said a silent video of the incident appeared to show the officer acting within lawful bounds in shooting Smith. He said the officer stopped Smith's vehicle because he was behaving suspiciously and then had to chase him several dozen feet on foot into an enclosed space between two houses.

He said the moment when the officer fired his weapon could not be determined because the audio was delayed.

"I'm looking at a silent movie that doesn't necessarily tell me everything that will come out in a thorough investigation," Flynn said. "You know the fog of war. You know first reports are frequently wrong or slightly off.

"I know what I saw. Based on what I saw, didn't hear, don't know what the autopsy results are going to be, he certainly appeared to be within lawful bounds," Flynn said of the officer.

The mayor told the news conference that Smith did not drop the gun as ordered before he was shot.

Smith had a lengthy arrest record, Barrett said, and officials said earlier he was carrying a stolen handgun loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition when stopped for unspecified "suspicious activity."

On Sunday evening, several of Smith's sisters addressed the crowd, saying their brother "did not deserve" to be shot.

"My brother was no felon," said one of them, Kimberly Neal, 24, as she wept. "My brother was running for his life. He was shot in his back."

Walker announced the National Guard activation after a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, who met Walker and Wisconsin National Guard Adjutant General Donald Dunbar. But Barrett said any decision to deploy the troops would come from the police chief.

VIOLENCE AND UNREST

The National Guard, which is under the dual control of the federal and state governments, was deployed in Ferguson in August 2014 after several nights of rioting over the police killing of an unarmed black man.

This summer has brought deadly ambushes of police. Five officers were slain by a sniper in Dallas last month as they provided security at an otherwise peaceful protest of police killings. Three officers were killed by a gunman in Baton Rouge less than two weeks later.
Australia launch strong reply after Chandimal ton

COLOMBO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh scored unbeaten half-centuries to launch a strong response from Australia after Dinesh Chandimal's patient hundred pushed Sri Lanka's first-innings total to 355 on the second day of the third and final test on Sunday.

Chandimal (132) continued Sri Lanka's superb fightback with his seventh test century after they were reduced to 26 for five on the first morning with the hosts' innings finally coming to an end just before the tea break.

Australia, who face the very real prospect of losing their top test ranking and suffering a 3-0 series sweep, lost David Warner (11) early to Dhananjaya de Silva but Smith (61) and Marsh (64) then added 120 for the unbroken second wicket.

At stumps, the touring side reached 141 for one wicket, trailing Sri Lanka by 214 runs.

Earlier, Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc picked up the last two wickets to fall, including the one of Chandimal, to complete his seventh career five-wicket haul and take his series tally to 22.

After resuming on 214-5, De Silva (129) and Chandimal put paid to Australia's hopes of quick wickets by extending their sixth-wicket stand to 211 before the overnight centurion became off-spinner Nathan Lyon's third victim.

Shaun Marsh, who had dropped De Silva on Saturday after the batsman had completed his maiden hundred, managed to hold on to the catch at forward short leg this time.

Dilruwan Perera (16) was the only other batsman to fall in the first session, giving left-arm spinner Jon Holland his first wicket of the innings as the batsman lofted a drive to Lyon at long on as he looked to up the tempo.

Chandimal, 26, was mostly watchful and concentrated hard during his knock but broke free to move into the 80s when he reverse swept Lyon for a superb six over the deep point boundary.

He turned Lyon for a single to square leg to complete his hundred off 281 balls, celebrating with a loud yell as he leapt in the air. He was dropped by Australia captain Steven Smith off the very next delivery.

Chandimal and Rangana Herath added 73 runs for the eighth wicket, deepening the frustration for Australia.

The partnership ended with Herath retiring hurt after suffering a body blow against paceman Josh Hazlewood.
Egypt reconsiders grain mega project amid scandal investigation

CAIRO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Blumberg Grain said its mega project to store Egyptian grains was back in play, with the government to announce a final decision in two weeks, after earlier indications that plans had been shelved and the company might exit the country entirely.

The decision comes as Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, remains 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.

If Egypt's local wheat procurement numbers were misrepresented, it may have to spend more on foreign wheat purchases to meet local demand - even as the country faces a dollar shortage that has sapped its ability to import.

The grain logistics company has said the tracking and monitoring capabilities of its high-tech storage systems would crack down on the type of fraud seen in this year's local procurement, which involves private silos sharply overestimating their wheat stocks to boost government payments.

Blumberg Grain completed the first phase of the project earlier this year, delivering 93 systems to process and monitor about a quarter of the country's crop. But a series of bureaucratic hurdles prevented the sites from coming online in time for the procurement now under investigation.

Egypt's supply minister said last month that the second phase, which includes an additional 300 storage systems, had been rejected by the state's Holding Company for Silos and Storage.

Blumberg Grain nonetheless said it is now optimistic about the project moving forward following a meeting with the prime minister and despite the pending resolution of "modest issues that stand in the way", Blumberg Grain's CEO for the Middle East and Africa, David Blumberg, told Reuters this weekend.

"Given the high impact of this project, and the Sisi administration's emphasis on combating corruption, the need to increase hard currency, and help farmers, we are confident that the Egyptian government will do everything in its power to ensure the rapid development of the entire shouna (storage site) network," Blumberg said.

The company said however that if the second phase is not signed, it would halt plans to establish Egypt as its regional export hub and for a $250 million investment allocation for projects that include a manufacturing plant in East Port Said.

The plant would be the first located in Egypt's much-touted Suez Canal Economic Zone, on which the government has pinned hopes of building a re-export hub that will draw badly needed hard currency but which has so far struggled to secure foreign investors.

A parliamentary fact-finding committee investigating the wheat procurement scandal is expected to deliver its final report to the head of parliament on Sunday, committee member Yasser Omar told Reuters.

Among the report's recommendations is that all private storage areas include monitoring capabilities similar to those of the Blumberg sites in order to prevent a repeat of this year's fraud, Omar added.
Some shell companies sidestep new UK transparency rules

By Tom Bergin

LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Some UK shell companies under offshore control may be skirting new rules which were designed to clamp down on corruption and tax evasion by forcing businesses to reveal their true owners, a Reuters analysis of corporate filings shows.

British government officials have heralded the rules, which came into effect last month, as a world-leading transparency move to tackle crime and urged other nations to follow suit.

Under the new system, statements which UK companies file when they are set up and on each anniversary of that date showing changes in shareholders or directors are supposed to include details of "Persons with significant control (PSC)".

For most companies this is straightforward. But some owners use nominees or shell companies, which can have legitimate purposes but also can mask international crime, governments and international bodies like the World Bank say.

Of 300 offshore shell companies identified by Reuters, 22 would typically have been required to have published the beneficial ownership information by now because their reporting dates fell in the weeks since July 1, when the rules came into force.

All but one of them has not done so. The ways they have avoided the rules lay bare, for the first time, several loopholes in the new regulation.

Twelve filed their annual ownership statement before the new rules came into effect on July 1, although their anniversaries fell after that date. They could thus apply the old rules which did not require them to declare beneficial owners.

Others filed late or stated they did not have any beneficial owners.

Shell companies can have legal aims such as easing access to international markets or servicing clients in many countries and none of the actions by the companies necessarily signal improper dealings.

Robert Palmer, policy advisor at advocacy group Global Witness, said the filings showed people might be able to hide behind shell companies despite the new system.

"One of the biggest flaws with the UK set up is that it is based on self-reporting and Companies House (which runs the UK Corporate register) has limited resources to go after people who fail to provide information or provide incorrect information," he said.

Asked to comment on the ways in which companies appeared to be sidestepping the rules, Daniel Munden, Chief Press Officer for the government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which oversees the process, said implementing the new system would take time.

"These changes will ensure that companies are more transparent about who actually owns them," he said. "We have always been clear that the Companies House public register will be built up over time and completed by June 2017."

"WE NEED TO KNOW"

The World Bank said in a 2011 report that UK corporate vehicles "feature prominently" in a database of international corruption cases its anti-corruption arm had compiled.

Two years later, former Prime Minister David Cameron unveiled the planned new rules, aimed at making Britain the first major financial centre to insist beneficial owners are declared. The United States is now considering a similar step.

"We need to know who really owns and controls our companies. Not just who owns them legally, but who really benefits financially from their existence," Cameron said at the time.

The UK firms Reuters identified were either UK- registered companies or Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) whose directors were foreign-based individuals representing many companies or whose members were companies registered at legal offices in low tax jurisdictions such as Vanuatu or the Seychelles.

None had any obvious operations in the UK.

Two of the companies identified - Peaking Investments LLP and Global Cluster International LLP - had been formed since July 1. They did not list any controlling parties.

Both said in filings: "The company knows or has reasonable cause to believe that there is no registrable person or registrable relevant legal entity in relation to the company." They did not respond to requests for comment.

Asked about their statements, Joanne Johnstone, a spokeswoman for Companies House, said:

"It is entirely possible for companies not to have a PSC (person of significant control), For example, 4 shareholders with 25 percent of the shares each, and 25 percent of the voting rights, none of them is a PSC."

"It is perfectly legitimate for a company to have no beneficial owners and we do not verify such statements when they are submitted to us."

If a complaint was referred to Companies House, it could refer the complaint on to the BEIS, she said.

FLAWS

Of the 20 older shell companies, only one had published the required details as of Wednesday.

The annual statements or details of persons of significant control of seven of the companies have not yet been published.

Companies officially have 14 days after their anniversaries to present their ownership statements, but corporate filings at Companies House show they often file later.

Johnstone said late filing incurs an automatic civil fine and both late filing and filing of inaccurate statements are criminal offences. However, no one has been prosecuted under the relevant sections of the Companies Act 2006.

"Persistent breaches in delivering documents to the registrar also places the directors at risk of disqualification as a director," she said.

Twelve opted to file their statements before their due date and the June 30 cutoff. They had previously filed between July and October.

None of the 22 companies have websites or publish office addresses or telephone contacts in their filings. Directors, members or agents listed as providing mail forwarding services either did not respond to requests for comment or declined comment.

George Turner, a campaigner with the Tax Justice Network, said that while the practice of companies filing their annual ownership statement early was legal, it was unusual and that those companies should be investigated.

"This should be a red flag that the authorities should pursue," he said.

Other experts dismissed the concerns.

Lawfirm Shoosmiths advised clients filing early would simply be a way "to postpone dealing with a new and unfamiliar CS01 form" - a reference to the statement of beneficial owner.

EARLY FILING

Reuters was unable to trace any details of the activities of most of the companies which filed early or late.

An exception was Australia-based Ian Taylor, listed as a director for one of the firms, Gallow & McKenzie Ltd, whose registered address is a mailbox rental company in central London.

It was among those which filed early. Reuters was unable to establish why it had done so.

In 2009, Taylor's company helped incorporate SP Trading Ltd., a New Zealand registered company which chartered a plane that was impounded at Bangkok airport.

Thai authorities said they found weapons on board being sent to Iran from North Korea, whose arms exports were banned by United Nations sanctions.

Formation agents rarely have any idea as to the activities of the companies they create and Taylor denied any knowledge of or responsibility for the actions of SP Trading in a statement to media at the time confirming that he had helped set it up.

The beneficial owners of SP Trading were not sanctioned by any government and neither was Taylor in relation to his company formation activities.

Taylor did not respond to requests for comment by email and telephone. On his website Taylor says he conducts due diligence on clients and that "only those with sincere business interests will be accepted as clients".

The one entity which identified a person of significant control among the 22 companies Reuters examined, was an LLP of two companies registered at a company formation bureau in the former British colony of Belize in Central America.

It listed a 27-year old Russian national based in a town 300 km (186 miles) south of Moscow as the sole "person with significant control".

Reuters was unable to find any contact details for the shareholder or the partnership. The Belizean formation agent did not respond to requests for comment.
Kurdish forces launch fresh thrust to retake Mosul from Islamic State

By Saif Hameed

WARDAK, Iraq, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Kurdish Peshmerga forces launched a fresh attack on Islamic State (IS) forces early on Sunday as part of a campaign to capture Mosul, the militants' de facto capital in Iraq, Kurdish officials said.

The advance began after heavy shelling and air strikes by a United States-led coalition against IS forces, a Reuters correspondent reported from Wardak, 30 km (19 miles) southeast of Mosul. The militants fought back, firing mortars at the advancing troops and detonating at least two car bombs.

A Peshmerga commander said a dozen villages had been taken from the ultra-hardline Sunni militants as Kurdish forces headed towards Gwer, the target of the operation, 40 km (25 miles) southeast of Mosul.

Repairing a bridge that the militants destroyed in Gwer would allow the Peshmerga to open a new front around Mosul. The bridge crosses the Grand Zab river that flows into the Tigris.

IS said in a statement on its Amaq news service that two car bombs driven by suicide fighters were detonated in one of the villages to block advancing Kurdish forces, causing casualties among the Peshmerga.

Authorities in autonomous Kurdistan gave no toll for the fighting, other than confirming the death of a Kurdish TV cameraman and the injury of another journalist.

Clouds of black smoke rose from the scene of fighting and dozens of civilians fled in the direction of Peshmerga lines, brandishing white flags.

The Iraqi army and the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdish self-rule region are gradually taking up positions around Mosul, 400 km (250 miles) north of the capital Baghdad.

It was from Mosul's Grand Mosque in 2014 that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a "caliphate" spanning regions of Iraq and Syria.

BIGGEST CITY IN ISLAMIC STATE HANDS

Mosul is the largest urban centre under the militants' control, and had a pre-war population of nearly 2 million.

Its fall would mark the effective defeat of Islamic State in Iraq, according to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who has said he aims to retake the city this year.

The Iraqi army is trying to close in from the south. In July it captured the Qayyara airfield, 60 km (35 miles) south of Mosul, which is to serve as the main staging post for the anticipated offensive.

The Peshmerga operation on Sunday was "one of many shaping operations that will also increase pressure on ISIL in and around Mosul," said an official from the Kurdistan Regional Security Council, using another acronym to refer to IS.

"Noose tightening around #ISIL terrorists: #Peshmerga advancing east of #Mosul, #ISF shoring up south near #Qayyara," tweeted Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the coalition fighting the militant group.

Preparations for the offensive on Mosul are "approaching the final phase," McGurk told reporters during a visit to Baghdad on Thursday. He said the planning included considerations for humanitarian aid to uprooted civilians.

Once the fighting intensifies around Mosul, up to one million people could be driven from their homes in northern Iraq, posing "a massive humanitarian problem", the International Committee of the Red Cross forecast last month.
Turkey summons Austria charge d'affaires over 'indecent' report

ISTANBUL, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Turkey summoned Austria's charge d'affaires in Ankara late on Saturday over what it said was "indecent report" about Turkey on a news ticker at Vienna airport, a foreign ministry official said.

"Turkey allows sex with children under the age of 15," read a headline on an electronic news ticker at the airport, images circulated on social media showed.

"Our disturbance and reaction over this display which tarnishes Turkey's image and deliberately misinforms the public have been strongly conveyed to the charge d'affaires," the ministry official said, adding that the headline was removed following the ministry's intervention.

Turkey's constitutional court last month ruled in favour of removing a provision in the penal code which identifies all sexual acts against children under the age of 15 as "sexual abuse" following an application made by a local court.

Tensions between Turkey and Europe have risen following Ankara's crackdown in the wake of last month's failed coup in Turkey.

Turkish authorities have detained, sacked or suspended tens of thousands of people over their alleged links with Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric whom the government blames for orchestrating the coup attempt.

Last week Turkey's foreign minister called Austria the "capital of radical racism" after Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern suggested ending EU accession talks with Turkey which have made minimal progress since they began in 2005.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and many Turks accuse the West of focusing more on the rights of the coup plotters and their supporters than on the coup itself, in which more than 240 people were killed after rogue soldiers bombed parliament and seized bridges with tanks and helicopters.

Halting Turkey's EU accession process could scupper a landmark migration deal between Brussels and Ankara designed to stop illegal migration to Europe via Turkey in return for financial aid, the promise of visa-free travel to much of the bloc and accelerated talks on membership.

Turkey has lived up to its side of the deal with Brussels but visa-free access has been subject to delays due to a dispute over Turkish anti-terrorism legislation, which some in Europe see as too broad, and to its post-coup crackdown.
Suspected rebels kill at least 36 in eastern Congo

KINSHASA, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Suspected rebels killed at least 36 civilians in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the provincial governor said on Sunday, marking the deadliest massacre in the conflict-ravaged region this year.

The assailants hacked to death 22 men and 14 women late on Saturday in their homes and fields on the outskirts of the local commercial hub of Beni, Julien Paluku said in a statement.

The population of Beni "has once again been hit by terrorist acts of diverse origins whose objective is to sabotage the efforts at peace undertaken over the last two years," he said.

Local activists say more than 500 civilians have been killed near Beni since October 2014, most in overnight raids by rebels carried out with machetes and hatchets.

Local army spokesman Mak Hazukay told Reuters that the attack was staged in the early evening by rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist militia that has operated in eastern Congo since the 1990s.

The ADF, a secretive organization of only a few hundred fighters, did not comment.

Hazukay said the raid was in reprisal for army operations against the ADF, which the government says is responsible for nearly all the attacks near Beni over the last year.

However, a United Nations panel of experts and independent analysts says that other armed groups, including some Congolese soldiers, have been involved in attacks on civilians.

It appeared to be the deadliest attack in the area since an assault blamed on the ADF in November 2014 killed some 80 people.

"The goal of the attack is to incite the population to rise up against us," Hazukay said.

Omar Kavota, the executive director at the Centre of Study for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights that documents violence in North Kivu, said he had received reports of as many as 50 dead.

Eastern Congo is plagued by dozens of armed groups that prey on locals and exploit mineral reserves. Millions died there between 1996 and 2003 as a regional conflict caused hunger and disease.

Analysts say insufficient intelligence, coordination and resources have rendered the Congolese army and the country's U.N. peacekeeping force ineffective against the small ADF force, raising tensions in the region.

On Sunday, dozens took to the streets in Beni, erecting barricades in protest against the army's inability to deal with the attacks, witnesses said.
Yemeni army kicks out al Qaeda from eastern Yemeni city- residents

ADEN, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Yemeni government forces backed by Arab coalition aircraft and gunboats drove al Qaeda militants out of the city of Zinjibar in eastern Yemen on Sunday, residents said.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has exploited a 16-month-old civil war between the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Iran-allied Houthis to capture a 600-km (370-mile) stretch of Arabian Sea coastline in eastern Yemen.

Hadi's troops and forces from the Saudi-led Arab coalition drove out AQAP - widely considered the most dangerous branch of the global militant group - from the Hadramout provincial capital of Mukalla in April.

The militants have since repeatedly withdrawn from and returned to Zinjibar and Jaar, the capital of Abyan and the province's second largest city.

Residents and military sources said hundreds of government troops battled their way into Zinjibar, where some 100,000 people live, and captured the local government headquarters from retreating al Qaeda militants.

Residents reported there were some clashes with retreating militants but gave no figures on casualties.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies intervened in the civil war in Yemen in March last year after the Houthis advanced on his headquarters in the southern port city of Aden and forced him to flee to Riyadh.

The war has killed more than 6,500 people, displaced more than 2.5 million and caused a humanitarian catastrophe in one of the world's poorest countries.

Coalition bombing had mostly focused on the Houthis and troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, but began turning their attention to AQAP earlier this year when forces funded and trained by the United Arab Emirates launched a surprise attack to win Mukalla.
U.S. police officer killed in Georgia responding to emergency call

Aug 14 (Reuters) - A police officer was fatally shot while responding to a call about a suspicious person near an intersection in southern Georgia, police said on Sunday.

Patrol Officer Tim Smith, 31, was called to a neighborhood in Eastman Georgia, a small city about 130 miles (210 km) south of Atlanta, at about 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

Smith arrived at the area and encountered an individual, the statement said. "Officer Smith exited his patrol car to investigate and was shot by the individual," it said.

Smith returned gunfire, but the suspect fled the scene.

The officer was transported to a local hospital, where he died.
Islamic State faces uphill 'branding war' in Afghanistan, Pakistan

By Kay Johnson and Mehreen Zahra-Malik

ISLAMABAD, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. drone strike that killed Islamic State's commander for Afghanistan and Pakistan was the latest blow to the Middle East-led movement's ambitions to expand into a region where the long-established Taliban remain the dominant Islamist force.

Islamic State has enticed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of jihadist fighters in Afghanistan and Pakistan to switch loyalty and has held a small swathe of territory in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, where leader Hafiz Saeed Khan was killed on July 26 by a U.S. drone, Washington confirmed late Friday.

But outside that pocket of territory, security officials and analysts say that Islamic State remains - for now - more of a "brand name" than a cohesive militant force in much of the region.

"Groups around the world want to jump on that bandwagon and cash in on their popularity and the fear they command," said a Pakistani police official based in Islamabad, on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to media.

Anxiety over Islamic State - also known as ISIS or "Daesh" - in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been building since the al Qaeda breakaway movement seized portions of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014 and began promoting itself worldwide.

Those fears had gain fresh impetus in the last month after IS's self-declared "Khorasan province" in Afghanistan and Pakistan claimed two especially deadly bombings that each killed more than 70 people - one in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the latest in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta last week.

Yet Pakistani officials and independent analysts have raised doubt on the IS claims, especially for the Quetta bombing - saying the more credible claim for the suicide attack at a hospital was by a Pakistani Taliban offshoot, Jamaat-ur-Ahrar.

"ISIS is increasingly on the defensive as it struggles to defend its shrinking caliphate in Iraq and Syria, so it has a strong incentive to show it's still relevant by taking credit for something it didn't do," said Michael Kugelman, South Asia analyst for the Woodrow Wilson Center, a U.S.-based think tank.

SHIFTING LOYALTIES?

Two years ago, Islamic State was the world's hot new name in the eyes of jihadists bent on using violence to destroy secular institutions and impose their harsh interpretation of Islam.

Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, in fact, at one point swore allegiance to Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014 during a spat with the Pakistani Taliban leadership.

Several months later, however, JA had switched back to the Taliban banner, and when it claimed responsibility for the Aug. 8 suicide bombing in Quetta it used its full name "Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ur-Ahrar".

Islamic State has made it clear that it is committed to developing its "Khorasan province", declared in January 2015.

When the central IS leadership claimed responsibility for the Quetta bombing it issued statements in Arabic, English and Urdu, the latter language native mostly to Pakistan.

"Khorasan" has special significance in Islamic State's ideology because it refers both to a historic region encompassing much of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and also a prophecy of a Muslim army emerging from the same region to conquer all of the Middle East, including Jerusalem.

History and prophecies aside, the attraction of South Asia for Islamic State is obvious enough, due to the many opportunities to recruit existing, well-armed fighters and bomb makers.

With literally dozens of loosely allied Islamist groups operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the region is ripe for a ready-made switch of allegiances.

GLOBAL JIHADIST "MARKET"

But the fledgling IS movement in both Pakistan and Afghanistan faces challenges.

Various Taliban factions and their al Qaeda allies - who vehemently oppose al-Baghdadi's claim to lead a nascent global caliphate - still control vast, overlapping networks of finance from opium, kidnappings and taxes on areas under their sway.

"It would be too big a price to pay for any Pakistani group to join a group that the Afghan Taliban have outright rejected," said the Pakistani police official.

Aside from their seizure of several districts of Nangarhar from the Taliban, the newly declared Islamic State loyalists have taken no other major territory in Afghanistan.

Both the Taliban and Islamic State have also been pummelled by U.S. drone strikes and Afghan security forces offensives in Nangarhar - including the one that killed Khan.

The United States said last week an estimated 300 IS fighters had been killed in July.

The death of the local leader is not a fatal blow to Islamic State's still-limited operational capabilities in the region, but it does represent a dent to its "brand" in a region rife with options for waging jihad.

Wilson Center's Kugelman described the difference between the appeal of the Islamic State name in Afghanistan and Pakistan compared with other parts of the world.

"In Europe, disaffected and disgruntled local Islamists won't find many enticing options at home. This prompts them to make the trip to the Middle East to join ISIS," Kugelman said.
Bangladesh officials to meet Fed, U.S. investigators over heist -sources

By Krishna N. Das

Aug 14 (Reuters) - A team from Bangladesh will meet officials of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice this week in New York in connection with the cyber theft of $81 million from the South Asian country's central bank in February, sources said.

Two people close to the Bangladesh central bank said the goal of the meetings starting on Tuesday would be to discuss what led to the heist, carried out by unidentified hackers, and how such events can be prevented in future.

A New York Fed official told Reuters the aim would be "to understand what happened, what remediation steps have been taken by Bangladesh Bank to meet its contractual obligations, and to begin a path to normalize operations."

In one of the largest cyber heists ever, hackers penetrated Bangladesh Bank's systems and sent the New York branch of the U.S. central bank dozens of payment requests from an account it maintained for Bangladesh. They sought nearly $1 billion, and $81 million was paid out and lost.

The New York Fed in June wrote to the Philippines' central bank, prodding it to help Bangladesh Bank recover the money that was transferred to beneficiary accounts at the Manila-based Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) before most of that was laundered through casinos there.

Bangladesh Bank officials believe the nudge from the New York Fed was one of the reasons the Philippines central bank last week slapped a record fine of 1 billion pesos ($21 million) on RCBC in connection with the heist, and that it was important to sustain the pressure. Bangladesh Bank holds RCBC accountable for letting most of the money out despite stop-payments requests from Dhaka.

But Maria Celia Estavillo, RCBC's legal and regulatory affairs head, told Reuters her bank should not be held accountable for the loss and that they were "victims too".

"The theft took place in Bangladesh and the money is not with RCBC," she said in an interview last Tuesday. "They know where the money went. They should pursue them. We believe that people who received the funds should return the funds."

Bangladesh Bank hopes the meetings in New York will prompt the Philippines to work towards retrieving the money, said the sources with direct knowledge of the meetings. Bangladesh's central bank already has said it had a commitment from Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte that the money would be returned.

The meetings with the FBI and Justice Department will help to identify the hackers, who remain at large more than six months after the heists, said one of the sources.

The New York Fed declined to comment. Bangladesh Bank spokesman Subhankar Saha could not immediately be reached for comment. The FBI and Justice Department, both of which are investigating, did not immediately respond to calls.

Bangladesh police have been working with FBI officials but this would be a rare meeting between Bangladesh Bank officials and the U.S. agency.
I see you General Gagandeep Bakshi. I see you on news channels as you shriek and shake your fists at fellow panellists who dare to question the Indian Army.

You always wear the scowl of someone who has tasted sour milk. You really like to yell, don't you General Bakshi? After all, why make sense when it is easier to shout over everyone like a demented headmaster?

I see your vague rage and how it makes your face break out into spasms. At times, you look like the MDH man (if he had too much MDMA).

I have seen you on the Newshour as you cry yourself hoarse over the Indian flag. I see you being mollycoddled by Arnab Goswami because you make for the ideal pawn in his elaborate game of patriotic chess.

Watching you debate is the equivalent of watching a bull run amok in a china shop.

It's rather hilarious to see you frothing at the mouth as you speak to people who are not on the same page as you.

In a country like America, someone like you would probably be given psychiatric help for PTSD but since we are in India, you are allowed to represent the Indian Army on multiple platforms and share your jingoism with all who care to tune in.

Recently, you were invited to give a speech at IIT Madras.

It's the kind of hallowed space where one would be glad to share their opinions with bright minds that will be illuminating the country's future.

But because you are General Gagandeep Bakshi, you thought it would be a good time to instruct these students that "in our generation, we split Pakistan into two. Your generation should split it into four. Only then we can live in peace!"

Nice going.

For your next trick you should go to a kindergarten school and instruct the children to break Pakistan into eight parts in 2029 if they want to live in peace.

If any of these useless civilian children protest that Pakistani people are humans too, then please feel free to scream into their little faces and remind them that: "YOU FIVE-YEAR-OLD PEACENIKS HAVEN'T SEEN THE FACES OF DEAD SOLDIERS LYING IN THE MUD OF KARGIL!" and "ONLY SOLDIERS DESERVE TO LIVE IN INDIA BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY OPTION BUT TO DIE FOR THE COUNTRY!"

In this speech, you also said Indian independence wasn't earned through civil disobedience but through the bravery of the Indian Army.

Never mind that one of the functions of the Indian Army under the British was to maintain internal security in the country in support of the police.

This blind adherence to their master resulted in Indian soldiers killing their fellow countrymen in several unfortunate events such as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The Indian Army at the time only helped prolong British rule, but maybe you get your historical accuracy from Ashutosh Gowariker.

According to you, India got independence only in 2014 after Narendra Modi came to power.

This statement lays bare the extent of your affiliation to Hindutva.

Sometime ago, I came across a speech of yours at an event that seemed to be organised by Baba Ramdev and his ilk.

I saw you wax lyrical about the Mahabharata and Dronacharya and India's military victories to an absolutely Hindu crowd who couldn't applaud enough.

Your disdain of non-Hindus is palpable even on news channels where you berate any fellow panellist who happens to be a Muslim.

In your belligerent imagination, every Muslim is a terrorist who wants to destroy the sovereignty of India and every Hindu who questions the government is a "fashionista liberal" or "Leftist separatist" or "arm-chair intellectual".

In yet another speech (you really do get around), you openly admit to violating the Geneva Convention by "blasting the daylights" out of an enemy insurgent who had raised the white flag in surrender.

Again, your audience laughed heartily at this gross confession.

Something this grave can get one court-martialled in western countries but no one takes this as seriously in India, as if it were the ramblings of a senile uncle who claims to have totally killed that Bengal tiger once in the Sunderbans with his bare hands.

The whole thing is uncomfortable to watch if one has a moral compass.

It's like hearing one's friend talk about eve-teasing a helpless girl or admitting to beating an animal.

A true solider, even while following orders and serving his country, needs to remember the international code of war and rules of engagement.

General Bakshi you must understand that while the Indian soldier must be applauded for his sacrifice, he cannot take the law into his hands.

The Army is not beyond reproach even if despotic laws like AFSPA make us think otherwise.

The human rights violations by soldiers in Kashmir and the North-East need to be curtailed not celebrated.

Also, the soldier who blindly follows orders (like the Indians under the British or the Nazis under Hitler) without considering the implications of his actions is not a soldier, but a henchman.

One of the central stratagems of the military-industrial complex is the instilling of a sense of unflinching patriotism.

During the Nuremberg Trials, Hermann Goering (a leading member of the Nazi Party) explained how this can be achieved when he said: "It is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them that they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."

The way you denounce Indian pacifists is eerily similar to what Goering warned against.

You need to stop evoking the Indian soldier's sacrifice to win every debate.

The Army is an exciting career choice that pays great dividends to the soldier so we need to stop romanticising his "sacrifice" as if he were a helpless lamb sent to slaughter.

Of course, there can never be adequate compensation for serving one's country but your exploitation of this sacrifice insults the intelligence of the soldier.

It is unhealthy to go into service with a saviour complex because when this complex is not suitably rewarded (and it can never be), one sees oneself as a victim of the system.

When a student of IIT-M, Abhinav Surya, sent a letter to the director in protest of what he saw as a hate speech, you were quick to denounce him as a Leftist liberal who simply wants his letter to go viral.

You accuse people of encouraging separatism when people like you separate and pigeonhole people into categories as per your convenience.

It is unfortunate that a learned, experienced man such as yourself is reduced to dismissing all criticism as having a vested interest.

Using this logic, one can never call out someone on their misdeeds because it can be seen as a publicity stunt or an attempt to go viral.

It really is pathetic that this is the state of our country where one is doomed if one speaks and doomed if one stays silent.

I respect the Indian Army because I have several friends who come from a military background and I can see first-hand the sacrifice it takes to serve the country.

However, none of these families supports the jingoism that people like you propagate.

Unless he is a jarhead, a soldier fights for the country, not for the government.

He fights for all Indians - whether Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Dalit.

He fights to uphold the Constitution and the democratic principles contained within.

This Independence Day, Indians would do well to remember that people like you don't speak for every Indian soldier.
Let credit be given where it is due.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah has cracked the whip on errant Bangalore.

Make no mistake, it wouldn't have been an easy decision, given the vice-like grip the real estate lobby has on the city's political ecosystem, not to discount the influence of the information technology (IT), biotechnology (BT) and hospitality sector.

In India's Independence Day month, Bangalore seems determined to gain independence from corruption and malpractices by vested groups, government and even citizens.

It is an exercise to reclaim the city and save it.

Siddaramaiah has held the Bangalore city portfolio, ever since his trusted aide KJ George had to quit in ignominy, after DSP MK Ganapathy named him as one of the persons who was making life difficult for him.

The DSP committed suicide and George had no option but to put in his papers once the FIR included his name.

The chief minister has now gone for the jugular, trying to save and revive Bangalore which, by way of unregulated growth, is in the ICU.

After Bangalore was flooded on July 29, Siddaramaiah has given a free hand to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the municipal body of the city, to retrieve storm water drains, some 2,000 of them.

The majority of them, located along a length of 857 km, have been encroached upon, which means rainwater has no way to reach the lakes and tanks, and ends up flooding different parts of India's Silicon Valley.

CM Siddaramaiah has held the Bangalore city portfolio ever since his trusted aide KJ George had to quit in ignominy.

This has meant upsetting the citizens who have built their homes with BBMP permission and are angry that the same civic body is telling them it is unauthorised now.

On that day in Bangalore, when it rained 250 mm of rain, the highest in five decades, some 600 homes went under water.

So now when it is a question of ensuring against a Chennai-like situation in Bangalore, everything is fair in love and legally authorised demolitions.

The High Court of Karnataka has backed the government's efforts to restore Bangalore to its days of glory.

That has meant 1,923 constructions will be history. Of that list, 800-odd have already been reduced to rubble.

Now as some storm water drains that were buried under concrete are resurfacing, the government is gloating over its Operation Saving Bangalore.

The chief minister's office tweeted a photograph with the caption: "Storm water drains being rediscovered in Namma Bengaluru."

The next big test for Siddaramaiah will be to go after the big land sharks who have gobbled up lake beds in Bangalore.

From a city of 261 lakes, Bangalore today has only 68, with both government and the private sector equally to blame for encroachments.

The Karnataka Assembly-appointed KB Koliwad committee on tank encroachment in Bangalore reported this year that 11,595 organisations and people had encroached upon 10,472 acres of lake and tank beds.

An Indian Institute of Science study in 2016 found that 98 per cent of the city's lakes are encroached upon and 90 per cent polluted by sewage, with the foaming Bellandur lake a representative image of a city that needs an urgent fix.

That the BBMP means business is evident from the manner in which it has begun to hit the big fish where it hurts.

Charged with targeting only middle class localities, the BBMP went after commercial property tax defaulters by shaming them in full media glare.

JW Marriott hotel, which reportedly defaulted on payment of Rs 5.59 crore as property tax, was embarrassed when BBMP officials took away the hotel furniture kept in the lobby.

They relented only after the amount was cleared.

Storm water drains buried under concrete are resurfacing in the city.

IT major Intel was another firm that had defaulted on payment of property tax to the tune of Rs 34 crore.

The BBMP reached the gates of the tech giant with garbage trucks and threatened to dump it inside their premises.

They left only after securing a written undertaking that half the amount will be paid by the end of August.

The BBMP did not spare itself either. On Thursday, it brought down a few of its own offices which were built 25 years ago on a storm water drain in Srinagar area of Bangalore.

It has taken action against 20 BBMP officials, both serving and retired, who had given permissions for these encroachments.

Taking on the builder lobby, three developers have been penalised.

The drive against middle class citizens of Bangalore was the easy part.

Pressure on Siddaramaiah will begin if and when he directs his bulldozers towards the lake beds, which are now home to many glitzy shopping malls and other high-rise commercial and residential complexes.

The chief minister has the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal's backing, which had fined big real estate groups for constructions on the lake bed.
CHICAGO  Forget Fluffy and Fido. Bessie the cow just might make a healthier pet.

That idea stems from new research in two farming-based religious communities that shun modern ways but have dramatically different childhood asthma rates. The goal was to find an explanation for why asthma is so uncommon among Amish communities, where children run barefoot in dairy barns and farm fields, but much higher in the other group.

Blood samples, house dust and mice experiments revealed some tantalizing clues, suggesting something in the dust was protecting the Amish children.

The study was published in Thursdays New England Journal of Medicine. It involved 60 school-aged children  30 each from an Amish community in Middlebury, Indiana, and from a Hutterite colony near Mitchell, South Dakota. Amish and Hutterites both originated in Europe, share old-style Protestant beliefs and lifestyles and have similar genetic ancestry.

But Hutterites live on large highly industrialized communal farms, use modern agricultural machinery, and children are more isolated from livestock. By contrast, the Amish have family-run farms, they use horse-drawn plows, their barns often are located near their homes and their children have daily exposure to farm animals, the researchers explained.

Asthma is a lung disease involving narrowed airways and episodes of wheezing, coughing and breathing difficulties. Its cause is unknown but scientists believe genes and the environment play a role. Having a family history of allergy or asthma increases the risk, and pollution, dust and pet dander are among triggers in susceptible people.

No Amish children and six Hutterites had asthma. Other studies have found rates of about 5 percent in Amish school-aged children versus up to about 20 percent in Hutterites and 10 percent for U.S. kids. Reasons for the higher Hutterite rate arent known but exhaust from farm machinery is an unlikely explanation because they typically dont come in close contact with it, said study co-author Carole Ober, a University of Chicago geneticist.

Blood tests confirmed both groups of children had similar genetic profiles. But Amish children had far more white blood cells called neutrophils  important in fighting infections. Plus, these cells looked younger in Amish kids, suggesting their immune systems were constantly stimulated by exposure to germs to produce more.

Other blood cells called monocytes were found in similar numbers in both groups. Previous studies suggest these cells are hyperactive in allergy-prone children but the cells showed signs of being less responsive to allergy triggers in the Amish kids, said co-author Anne Sperling, a University of Chicago immunologist.

This was a phenomenal difference, she said. We were blown away.

She said the second gee-whiz moment came after researchers collected Amish and Hutterite house dust and tested it on special mice sensitized to develop asthma symptoms. Hutterite dust triggered breathing troubles and inflamed airways in the mice; Amish dust did not.

What exactly is in Amish house dust that might protect children is not known and more research is planned to find out, but the study authors theorized it could be microbes including bacteria from dairy cows.

We could just say put a cow in everyones house and no one would have asthma anymore but, of course, thats not easy, Ober said with a chuckle.

But if protective germs can be identified, it might someday be possible to create an asthma blocker for all children, she said.

A journal editorial said the study bolsters evidence that exposure to germs from traditional farming may protect against asthma. The results also support the so-called hygiene hypothesis, which theorizes that relatively germ-free homes of modern society make infants more vulnerable to allergies and asthma.

Dr. Talal Chatila, an allergy expert at Boston Childrens Hospital who wrote the editorial, said the study doesnt answer when and how often exposure to farm dust might be needed to protect children and if it needs to begin before birth.

Ober noted that research has shown that infants whose families have dogs are less likely to develop asthma and allergies but that acquiring a dog later on doesnt make a difference.
Public hanging in Kazeroon Iran, on August 11, 2016

Two prisoners were hanged at Rajai Shahr Prison on Wednesday August 10, while another two prisoners were hanged in public in two different Iranian cities on Tuesday August 11.





Iran Human Rights (AUG 11 2016): On Thursday August 11, two prisoners were hanged in public, one in the city of Ravansar (Kermanshah province, western Iran) and one in the city of Kazeroon (Fars province, south central Iran).





On Wednesday August 10, at least two prisoners were reportedly executed at Karaj's Rajai Shahr Prison (west of Tehran) on murder charges.





On Monday August 8, Iran Human Rights had reported on the transfer of at least four prisoners at Rajai Shahr Prison to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions.





The execution sentences of two of these prisoners were reportedly carried out on Wednesday. Sources say the names of the two prisoners are: Fariborz Jalali and Gholamreza Arabderazi.





The execution sentences of the two other two prisoners, identified as Shokr Ali Ahi and Majid Shirafkan, were stopped by the complainants on their case files.





The state-run news site Jame Jam reports on the public execution of the prisoner in Kermanshah.





The prisoner, who is not udentified in the report, was reportedly hanged for the murder of Salim Ghanbari, former prosecutor of Ravansar. "The people of Ravansar had organized an online campaign calling for a boycott of this public execution to urge citizens not to attend. This is why not many people attended," a confirmed source tells Iran Human Rights.





The state-run news agency Mehr reports on the public execution of the prisoner in Fars.





According to the report, the prisoner, identified as Abbas Tahmasebi, had previous murder convictions in his case file, but he was arrested and sentenced to death for "purchasing and selling of 100 grams of heroin, purchasing and selling 39 grams of crystal meth, and trafficking and possessing 40 grams of heroin".





Iran Human Rights has uploaded a video of Mr. Tahmasebi's execution.









Public hanging in Ravansar, Ira, on August 11, 2016









Public hanging in Kazeroon, Iran, on August 11, 2016





























Source: Iran Human Rights, August 11, 2016





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Just another reason Obama should be in jail. He has skewed the legal and government definition of a manufacturer by a multitude of 1000.Unabated Obama continues his crusade to destroy America.To all of you people that voted for Obama: how can you look at your fellow citizens knowing that you have aided and abetted in destroying your country?
According to central government rules, the debt ratio to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) should not cross the 25 percent mark, but it has currently.

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh state is going to face a precarious financial situation in the near future and is at risk of falling into a debt trap.

The AP Finance department has prepared a report on the states finances and debt forecast up to 2021-22. According to its projections, if the present trend continues, the state will be spending its money defraying debts, which will leave only small funds for capital expenditure.

According to central government rules, the debt ratio to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) should not cross the 25 percent mark, but it has currently. In the current fiscal, the debt ratio is 28.59 per cent against the 25 percent limit and the Finance department has projected that this ratio will cross 30 percent by FY2021-22. The current total debts  Rs 17,9,140 crore  will turn into Rs 30,2,957 crore by FY 2021-22. In the current financial year, the state governments borrowing limit is Rs 18,796 crore.
Sonam Kapoor is flying high after winning the best actress award at the Indian Film Festival Melbourne (IFFM), for her effortless portrayal of a fearless air hostess, in Neerja.

The movie, which was a biopic on Neerja Bhanot released earlier this year, and has been gaining Sonam accolades and fans alike for her performance. In her thanksgiving speech, the actress shared her strong views on gender issues and woman empowerment. Now, Sonam has also been invited for a special lunch with the Governor of Victoria in Australia, Linda Dessau, at the government house. Linda also happens to be the first woman to hold this office.

The actress had flown to Australia recently, especially for IFFM, an annual awards gala that celebrates Indian cinema and honours performers. Neerja happened to be screened at the massive gathering, where Sonam was called as a special guest. As the guest of honour, Sonam also judged a dance competition at the festival.
Its been a long, involuntary lay-off for Kamal Haasan, who had a nasty fall last month. The accident has put him under the radar for almost three months!

Says the house-bound actor, My foot is healing. The pain is considerably reduced. So yes, I am better and back at home. I will be receiving visitors from Monday. As doctors were worried about that infection after surgery, I had a curfew. Now the stitches are off I can meet friends.

The shooting for his new comedy Sabaash Naidu remains suspended as of now  and Kamal is noticeably aggrieved about the fact; workaholic that he is.

I wont be returning to shoot Sabaash Naidu any time soon. Now I am walking with support, but I need to lose the crutches soon, and later walk without an obvious limp. I guess I will need two months to recover fully, Kamal reveals.

It can now be revealed that the accident which broke the actors leg could have been fatal. I fell a good 18 feet from my favourite corner of my office, which I had been using to brood and ruminate for many years. The floor simply collapsed under me, and just caved in! he reminisces.

It was so silly  like Mr. Bachchan burning his hand severely with a firecracker during Diwal. After surviving myasthenia gravis (a neuro-muscular disease) and a near-fatal injury during the shooting of Coolie, Mr Bachchan was incapacitated by a cracker (in 1983) that left him with a hand injury for months, Kamal muses.

But, the Thoongavanam actor considers himself lucky  It could have been much worse. After the fall, I was bleeding profusely. I could have bled to death. Luckily for me there was someone else in the office with me at the time that it happened.
The music launch of Jr NTRs much-awaited film, Janata Garage, was held on Friday. The event took place with much fanfare and saw a large crowd gathering. At the event, the actor revealed that his failures have taught him the meaning of life. I made my debut with Ninnu Choodalani and at that time, I didnt know anything. At a very young age, I experienced success with films like Simhadri. But soon after, I had a streak of failures which left me disappointed. Finally, writer Vakkantham Vamsi came up with the story for Temper, which Puri Jagannadh offered to direct. Temper turned out to be a hit and with that, I began to see a small ray of hope. After that, Nannaku Prematho did well too, and now, I feel that Janata Garage is the movie that will take me closer to my goal, he said, adding confidently that the upcoming film will be a blockbuster.

Talking about the bond that he shares with the director, Jr NTR said, Koratala Siva and I are very good friends. He narrated the story to me two years ago, but I was busy doing other films that were not so successful. He is one of the best writers and directors who can visualise an elaborate story within a short span of time. He continued, I should also thank him for giving me the opportunity to act alongside Mohanlal, one of the best actors that the country has seen. Its an honour to be working with the great actor.

The actor also took to the stage to request fans to refrain from wasting milk on cut outs of the actor. I have seen a few videos where fans are performing Paalabhishekam, but I am completely against it. Instead of wasting it, please give that milk to those in need, he said, adding that he did not want any animals to be harmed by his fans either, when his film releases.
They have been very effective in detecting landmines in Africa (Photo: AFP)

They have proven their worth in detecting landmines but Africa's giant pouched rats have a lesser-known but equally critical vocation - saving lives by speeding up tuberculosis detection.

It's all in the nose, says the Belgian non-governmental organisation APOPO. Its founders, in 1997, saw potential for these abundant rodents with a sense of smell as keen as a dog's but dismissed as pesty vermin -- or a potential meal.

"The biggest obstacle has been the negative perception that people have of the rat," said APOPO director Christophe Cox, whose NGO has been based in Morogoro in Tanzania's eastern highlands since 2000.

Yet 83,000 landmines have been neutralised in Africa and Asia thanks to the rodents, APOPO says, saving countless lives where explosives still maim and kill up to 20,000 people -- many of them children -- each year.

Eyebrows were also raised when the group -- whose acronym stands for Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development -- branched out in 2007 to use rats for TB detection, under contracts with local authorities.

'Quite efficient'

"When I first heard about this technique I was a bit shocked, but it proved to be quite efficient, in fact more efficient than the microscopy we use," said Daniel Magesa, a doctor at Pasada Upendano Clinic in the capital Dar es Salaam which now sends APOPO's Morogoro base some 200 human sputum samples every month.

Africa accounts for most of the million-plus people who die of TB each year and untreated carriers can infect dozens of others, making speedy detection essential.

"The problem is the concentration of the TB in the samples we have. It is sometimes not concentrated enough for us to see it through the type of microscopy we use, even though it is very modern," Dr. Magesa said.

"With the lack of resources, qualifications and time, hospitals in the region only detect about 50 percent of TB cases," said APOPO director Cox, a figure confirmed by Dr. Magesa.

Today, more than 29 hospitals in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro send the Morogoro lab sputum samples. Another dozen clinics in the Mozambique capital Maputo send samples to an APOPO center opened in that country in 2013. The NGO says it has detected 10,000 missed TB cases, identified by workers like Oprah and Violet, whiskers bristling as they move along a row of test tubes.

"The big advantage is how quick the rats are. They can go through 100 samples in about 20 minutes, and this is what a lab technician will take four days to do," said Cox.

During TB detection, rats are presented with a mix of negative and positive samples, the latter decontaminated for safety "but the smell remains", said training director Haruni Ramadhan.

When a rat identifies a "true" positive, it is rewarded with a banana-peanut butter mixture. "We can only reward the rat if we are certain it is right," Ramadhan said. The negatives are not necessarily suspicious but become "suspect", and subjected to further testing, if the rat reacts.

"Thanks to the rats, we have increased (TB case) detection rates by 40 percent" in the participating clinics, said Cox -- citing the same figure given by Dr. Magesa. APOPO now employs 222 rats -- 108 for demining and 42 TB detectors.

'A lot faster'

The others are breeders or still in training, like Jon Stewart and Stephen Hawking -- year-old twins named for the US television star and the British scientist -- who are hard at work, poking their noses in soil studded with deactivated mines.

"In these boxes we have buried land mines, so the rats have to pass and sniff and whenever they find the smell of TNT ... he has to scratch strongly," said chief trainer Jared Mkumba. If they get it right, the instructor snaps a clicker, a signal that the rat can claim its reward, a bit of the banana-peanut butter concoction.

After six to nine months' training, the "HeroRATs", as APOPO calls them, are sent to Mozambique, Angola and more recently Cambodia to comb former battle zones -- but this is no suicide mission.

At one to 1.5 kilogrammes (2.2 to 3.3 pounds), the rats are big enough to attach to a long, thin leash as they scan areas but light enough not to set off mines, which are cleared by human cohorts.

Another plus is the African pouched rat's "long" lifespan, six to eight years, its affinity for repetitive tasks and its small size, which makes it easy to house, transport and feed.

"This is a lot faster than traditional methods, because rats only detect mines while metal detectors will beep for every single piece of scrap," said Mkumba.

But they will never entirely replace other methods, he said. "Rats are more efficient when on large minefields where mines are spread, but they are useless when there are lots of mines, for minebelts for example, because we know where they are."

The World Health Organization has not, so far, endorsed this TB testing but APOPO, funded mainly by donations, won't stop there. Buoyed by its success, future ideas include trying out rats in detecting cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Stop-motion animator /sculptor/ contemporary art conservator /professional foreigner  that is how Joey Foster Ellis describes himself on his official website.

However, once you get to interact with him, you find out that this is only a small part of what he actually does. The 31-year-old, who grew up in a city called Auburn in Upstate New York, is currently in India to work on an interesting stop-motion animation project.

DC managed to get in touch with Joey, who is currently in Chennai. He spoke to us at length on various topics ranging from his career to his opinion on the Indian art scene, his efforts to raise environmental awareness, and more.

I have many names such as Joey, Zhou-Yi, or Yousef, and within each one lies an identity that I developed in that culture. I see my story as how a young man raised in Upstate New York can be influenced by, and influence, a culture other than his own, starts Joey on a thoughtful note. Having plied his trade in many countries, predominantly in Asia, he knows what it means to be an alien. At first, let me explain what the job of a foreigner actually is  to me, as an American living abroad since 2005, I constantly question the acts of the cultural misunderstanding we so readily commit; whether they are the preconceived gaps between East and West or the by-product of learning about your own culture by participating within another. That dialogue, and the transitional pull, provides new insight into our own history.

Prod him on the inspiration behind his work, and Joey shares an interesting tale on how it all began. I enrolled in a progressive boarding school in Vermont at the age of 15 to become a chef, but spent most of my days in the ceramics studio. So I ended up making what you eat off of, rather than what you eat  I became a potter! he says, adding, I then attended the central academy of fine arts in China and became the first American to graduate from the university. I became fluent in Chinese and wrote my thesis in Mandarin. After spending years in China, I left it all to go study at the University College Londons campus in Doha, Qatar. I later studied conservation science, a complete opposite to my art

studies.

One of Joeys most recognised works is his underwater sculpture designed to create environmental awareness. The ocean is cool, and that's just that. This is the reason I decided to make it my canvas for sculpture and try to protect it for our next generation of moon explorers and dinosaur addicts. I have been doing environmental stuff for a long time. Greenpeace and the United Nations have been some of my most avid supporters, and I couldnt thank them enough.

In the past, I made 100 life-sized ice children in a piece about climate change . Later, I went on to make a ten-metre-long Great Climate Wall using 6,000 photos sent in from around the world for the Tianjin Climate Change talks. If I can help the environment through art, then I do it, he opines.

Joey is excited about his current India-Nepal project, a stop-motion animation music video. This will be both India and Nepals first full feature stop-motion music video created with homegrown talent in collaboration with an American animator. Pretty Child, the new electronic song by the Mumbai/Marseille-based Gujarati artist Kagalwala, is about raising your children against the conditioning of society. The lyrics is about a conversation between father and child  about a certain commitment to a rejection of nostalgia and submission to an aspiration of living life fully, he says. Sharing with us the details of the project, he reveals, The materials I work with such as play doh, finger paint, toys and kinetic sand directly relate to the ideas that this song puts forth about striving for individuality and authenticity within childhood. It consists of over nine thousand photographs storyboarded into an anecdote about bringing the essence of a Darwinian Peter Pan ideology into our modern adult lives. The crowd-funded project is expected to be ready by the end of October.

When asked his opinion about the art scene in India, Joey heaps praise on the talent in our country. Many years ago, I actually tried to move to India by applying to be a studio assistant for contemporary artist Subodh Gupta. I loved his use of objects, similar to my own and thought if I could get the job then Id give up anything and move. But, I didnt get it! I love fashion writer Varun Rana, who works for Harpers Bazaar India. If I had to pick an artists work from the art scene I would pick the photographer Aparna Jayakumar  her work captures the world in the most beautiful and real ways. I am also obsessed with Rajasthani Mewar paintings, he says.

On a concluding note, Joey hopes that he will stay for a longer duration in India this time. I havent lived in a place in 11 years where one of the official languages is English. In India it is, and I feel I can interact with people on a much more intimate level and therefore the country draws me in quicker. My stays here always get better as I expand my network of friends. Ive been here 10 times within a five-year period. Each time, the stay is longer than the previous one. Slowly it is becoming my home, he says and signs off.
A communal fight which forced people to hide in their homes to be saved from being slaughtered  shook Firoze in his childhood. The turbulent background from which he came from made him realise the importance of communal harmony and that motivated Firoze Poothiri, an engineer and lecturer from Kerala, to quit his job and set on a three-month long self-sponsored bike trip from Kerala to Nepal crossing 14 states and international borders to spread the message of communal harmony.

Firoze also made it a point to visit religious places in every state he crossed. Whenever I come across religious places, I make it a point to visit them. I have been to temples, dargahs and churches. I talk to the authorities over there about my mission to spread communal harmony through a bike ride and they have appreciated my effort, says Firoze.

Every day he drives 300 km as he doesnt want to strain himself. Earlier, my plan was to drive to Russia crossing China, but I didnt get the required permits. I have always had a passion for riding bikes and I am doing it since six years. Two years ago, I went on a trip from Kerala to Gujarat, he recalls as he pit stopped in Hyderabad on Saturday. Firoze started from Kerala, headed to Kashmir, crossing several states and then reached Nepal, while his return journey was via Hyderabad to Kanyakumari.

The journey had many challenges. I was stuck at the Nepal-China border for six days due to a landslide and also at Srinagar due to a curfew. From my hotel, I could see people pelting stones at each other and shouting slogans, he adds.

What I found very disturbing is that, you can carry the Indian flag on your bike while you are travelling in Nepal but when I did that in Jammu and Kashmir, locals there stopped me from moving around with the flag. That incident reinstated my mission to spread harmony. In my own country, I cant move around with the flag; there is so much hatred, he says.

While touring Nepal, he had the opportunity to stay with a wonderful family. They were so warm; they treated me like their own. It proves that human ties are beyond religion. I also did bungee jumping in Nepal-China border, which is the third highest natural bungee jumping facility in the world and successfully rode to Khardung La, he recalls.
Walking around the main city (Osaka) in the night, with all its beautiful lights was a lovely experience. They have really nice boulevards. I love the culture of the place  everybody there is so disciplined. I loved how polite and helpful everyone was. The way they preserve their environment is something we can learn from.

Visiting the temples where they sell a specialty called melon bread is another must-do. The bread had this strange, but amazing taste. It was unlike anything Ive tried before. Also, they have a lot of Buddhist temples here which are very serene.

Watching the shows put up by the Geishas was a fascinating experience. Not everybody gets to watch it, we were privileged to witness that. It was really intriguing to see their lifestyle  they are taught from the age of six to live and be different. It was amazing to see how different their lives are from ours.

I got to try varieties of Japanese cuisine, and one among them was mochi its a weird sweet made out of gluten and rice. Id really recommend this to those who visit the country.

Another must-do is visiting the Emperors Palace and learning about Japans culture and history. This particular place is known for its sakura (cherry blossom) trees and when we visited the place, it was cherry blossom season and the entire place was filled with pink blossoms. It was really gorgeous. Also, the emperors palace is now converted into a museum, so it was a learning experience too. We even took pictures wearing the traditional warrior outfit. The view from the top is breathtaking  you can see the entire valley and city from there.

 as told to Ikyatha Yerasala
ALAPPUZHA: After witnessing Kathakali performances in four cities for the first time early this month, the Egyptian media have lauded the aesthetic beauty of Keralas quintessential drama-dance. Kathakali artiste Kottakkal Rajumohan and his nine-member troupe enthralled the audience in Bibliotheca Alexandrina on August 1, Port Said on August 3, Ismailia on August 4 and culminating in Cairo on August 6. The Kathakali tour was part of the 14th Summer Festival organised by Bibliotheca Alexandrine.

In the last decade, the Egyptian audience has seen much from India, but not Kathakali, says the Al-Ahram weekly broadsheet from the stable of the 141-year-old Al-Ahram, Egypt's largest circulated daily. The performance included two stories adapted from the epic Srimad Bhagavata: Poothanamoksham (an episode from the major Hindu deity Krishnas childhood), Santha-nagopalam (a Brahmins wife tragically gives birth to nine stillborn babies). Since the 1950s, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) had been promoting Indian culture in Egyptian soil, playing an important role in the dynamism spearheaded by the Embassy of India and the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC).

This also provided an opportunity for the culturally savvy people of Egypt to know and explore more about India, it says in the report titled India's Kathakali dance-drama unfolds colours of Kerala in Egypt. Rajumohans Egyptian tour had three actors, three percussion players, two musicians and one makeup artist. Kathakali was the only event from India chosen by Bibliotheca Alexandrina International Summer Festival besides Santoor, slated for September.
For Oregon's Ron Wyden, it's a point of pride that he was the first U.S. senator elected in a vote-by-mail election.

It's a privilege he would like to extend to politicians across the nation.

That's why Oregon's senior U.S. senator once again is trying to get Congress to pass a bill requiring states to provide registered voters the opportunity to vote by mail.

Wyden has been pushing this particular rock uphill for nearly a decade now: In 2007, he introduced a measure creating a three-year grant program to help interested states adopt vote-by-mail elections.

It's fair to say, however, that states haven't exactly been stampeding to adopt mail elections: Although 22 states have adopted provisions allowing at least some elections to be held by mail, just three hold all their elections that way. (Oregon was the first to do so, in 2000; since then, Washington and Colorado have followed suit.)

But Wyden thinks the time may be right for the idea to catch on nationally, especially as other states struggle with their election processes. It's not just the growth of voter ID laws, he said: Some voters in Arizona recently had to wait in line five hours to vote. New York officials are investigating why 126,000 people were dropped from voting rolls. Rhode Island has slashed the number of polling places by two-thirds.

"It should not be bureaucratic water torture for Americans to vote," he said in an interview last week.

But he worried that might be the case for millions of Americans in the coming election season: "Based on everything I've seen, it looks like another fall with a battlefield littered with problems."

While that's bad news, it could help to give Wyden's bill a boost in Congress: "I think particularly if the fall is going to show once again how hard it is for people to vote, we'll have a chance," he said.

By contrast, Oregon's experiment in mail elections has been successful now for nearly two decades: It's more convenient for people, Wyden said. It's been remarkably free of scandal or fraud. Ballots arrive in the mail weeks before the election, allowing people time to research candidates and issues, an increasingly important task considering the complexity of ballot measures. (Although, certainly, some of us still wait until the last few moments to drop off our ballots.)

"We have 20 years of solid evidence that people like it," Wyden said. "It's convenient. You don't have to take a day off of work to vote." And he said vote-by-mail elections are particularly useful for working-class families, students, young people and people of color.

The proof is in the numbers: Oregon consistently ranks among the nation's leaders in both election turnout and voter registration. (The new bill also includes a provision for states to adopt a registration process in which citizens who provide identifying information to their state motor vehicle authority automatically are registered to vote. It's similar to the motor-voter registration process that has added thousands of voters to the rolls in Oregon.)

In fact, the only drawback to voting by mail that I can see is that you miss the little buzz of electricity that surrounds polling places on Election Day; on the other hand, that buzz gets old in a hurry if you're stranded in a line for hours at the polling place. I also miss the little "I Voted" sticker that election workers handed you as you left the polling place. A perfect system would figure out a way to include such a sticker in your mailed ballot.

But that might be the last wrinkle we have to iron out in Oregon's vote-by-mail process. Maybe this is the year when voters throughout the nation start to learn what Oregonians already know: Voting by mail is a no-brainer. (mm)
They were looking for money to buy alcohol when they decided to waylay Vinays vehicle in an ambush. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: Five individuals, who robbed a trader of Rs 55,000, were arrested by Cyberabad police on Saturday. According to cops, victim Manchala Vinay is a native of Warangal.

Its believed the five accused, M. Nagaraju, 20, G. Sai, 34, M. Chanti, 25, P. Sai Kiran, 21, and Dappu Anand, 27  all friends  were drunk even before the crime. They were looking for money to buy alcohol when they decided to waylay Vinays vehicle in an ambush. They also beat the victim.
Kochi: In a major haul the Kochi City police on Saturday seized smuggled cigars and foreign cigarettes from Thevara worth Rs 40 lakh. The police seized the goods from a godown in Mattummal Junction near Thevara in the wee hours of Saturday. Police arrested Ayoob of Kuttiyadi, Kozhikode, who rented out the go-down. Shadow Police wing of the city police conducted a surprise ride at the godown after a tip off.

Pursuant to the arrest Kochi city police commissioner M.P. Dinesh has ordered a detailed probe into the illicit import of tobacco products. We will take effective steps to curb the illicit sale of tobacco products in the city, he said. The police seized cigar and cigarettes made in Germany, Scotland, France and other countries. Apart from tobacco products the cops also found cigar pipes, rolling papers and other related products.

In a press release police stated that the tobacco products in the price range of Rs 50 to Rs 4,000 were seized. Police suspect that a group is behind the import of tobacco products and they are focused on selling these goods to students and foreigners. Police found that none of the packets carried the statutory warning. The packets also contained flavoured cigarettes and liquid nicotine products.
The police official said while six persons including Behal had come in a flight from Chandigarh, 25 others had arrived in Srinagar in another flight from Delhi. (Photo: Facebook)

Srinagar: A 15-year-old girl from Ludhiana,who publicly vowed to hoist the national flag at the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar and had dared the separatists to stop her, was on Sunday turned back by authorities from Srinagar International Airport.

Jhanvi Behal accompanied by 30 others arrived at the airport but all of them were sent back, a police official said, without assigning any reason for the step.

Behal had grabbed the headlines earlier this year by challenging JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar to a debate on nationalism.

Read: 15-year-old challenges Kanhaiya, demands debate on freedom of speech

The police official said while six persons including Behal had come in a flight from Chandigarh, 25 others had arrived in Srinagar in another flight from Delhi.

"All of them were sent back by the same flight in which they came," the official said.

After the outbreak of violent protests in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, Behal gave an online statement expressing her intention to unfurl the natinal flag at Lal Chowk.

"I would hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on August 15 because that is a place where the national flag was insulted.

"I challenge all those, including the separatists and the Pakistanis, to stop me if they can," she had said on July 23.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has directed Advocate-General K. Ramakrishna Reddy to submit a report on the various constitutionalities involved in the proposed increase of reservations for STs and Muslims to 12 per cent.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has directed Advocate-General K. Ramakrishna Reddy to submit a report on the various constitutionalities involved in the proposed increase of reservations for STs and Muslims to 12 per cent. Based on this, the government would proceed with a legislation. Speaking to this newspaper on Saturday, Mr Ramakrishna Reddy said he would submit his opinion after going through various issues involved. Sources said there are several complications involved. Overall, there were three main points experts said could work to disrupt Mr Raos big plan.

1. The Supreme Court had ruled in the Indira Sawhney case in 1992 that reservations should not exceed 50 per cent. The court has subsequently struck down several orders increasing reservations beyond the limit.

2. The Supreme Court is re-examining the 69 per cent reservations in Tamil Nadu, that was subsequently listed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, through the 76th Amendment.

3. Article 31(B) gives a special right for inclusion of state Acts in the Ninth Schedule, giving them protection from legal review, but a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court has decided that it can review any law passed through this Article.

But there were other provisions on which the state government could argue its case.

A. There are certain provisions in the Constitu-tion that allow proportional reservations to SCs and STs based on their population.

B. Telangana state could justify the increased quotas by stating that the new state comprised 10 districts that were earlier ruled by the Nizam and there is considerable Mu-slim population in more than half of the districts.

C. After bifurcation, the existing six per cent reservation is not commensurate with the percentage of reservation. It is said the state government can go ahead with two separate legislations which could be referred to Parliament through the President for inclusion in Ninth Schedule.

But sources said that the state government cannot go ahead with issuing an executive order providing reservations directly; instead, it should adopt legislation in the first instance and refer it to Parliament for approval. The sources added that there was an abnormal rise in the Tamil Nadu quota over the Supreme Court-mandated limit. Reservations total to more than 50 per cent in a few other states. Given this, it would be better to confine the total reservations in Telangana state to 60 per cent. Under the current proposal, the 12 per cent reservations each for STs and Muslims would take the quota to 64 per cent. Sources said it was not possible to implement the proposed hike in reservations without getting into legal complications.
A BJP worker had died during clashes with the police in Narhi. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

Lucknow: Taking serious note of the death of a BJP supporter during a clash between party workers and police in Narhi area, the Uttar Pradesh government has suspended the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police for alleged dereliction of duty.

"Ballia District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar and SP M. K. Jha were suspended by the government late on Saturday night," an official spokesman said.

The trouble started after five cows were recovered from a vehicle on Friday during a routine checking, following which an FIR was registered against BJP worker Chandrama Yadav and another person.

Thereafter, BJP MLA Upendra Tiwari and his supporters, including Yadav, staged a dharna in front of Narhi police station to protest the registration of the FIR, police said.

Efforts were made to pacify the MLA and his supporters but they did not relent and when police tried to evict them, they indulged in stone pelting.

The police then lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the irate crowd.

District BJP chief Vinod Dubey alleged that police used batons and opened fire at the party workers, leading to the death of BJP worker Vinod Rai (38) and injury to 50 others.

Besides the BJP MLA, an FIR has been registered against 43 named persons and 300-400 unnamed persons in the incident, the spokesman said.

An FIR was also registered against Ballia ADM Bache Lal Maurya, and 11 policemen including Narhi station officer Rajesh on complaint of BJP worker Gopal Rai's, he said.

Sub Inspector at Narhi police station Rajesh Yadav was earlier put under suspension, he said.

Heavy police force has been deployed to bring the situation under control and a magisterial inquiry ordered into the incident.
Accusing Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit of repeatedly scuttling the peace process between India and Pakistan, the state BJP on Sunday demanded that the Union government declare the diplomat a 'persona non-grata'. (Photo: AFP)

Jammu: Accusing Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit of repeatedly scuttling the peace process between India and Pakistan, the state BJP on Sunday demanded that the Union government declare the diplomat a 'persona non-grata'.

"The Government of India must declare Abdul Basit a persona non-grata and expel him immediately," party spokesman, Brig (retd) Anil Gupta said here. The BJP leader said Basit's controversial statements on Kashmir and his act of dedicating Pakistan's Independence Day on Sunday "to the independence of Kashmir" are blatant breaches of diplomatic protocol.

"Basit has on earlier occasions also crossed the 'Red Line', which was ignored by the government. Yet he continues to misuse his diplomatic immunity by meddling in India's internal affairs," Gupta said.

He said the Pakistani diplomat has "thrown to wind all the diplomatic niceties and was behaving like a spokesperson of the Pakistani 'deep state' attempting to provoke the Indian government and such a person has no locus-standi to stay on the Indian soil."

"Basit was responsible for scuttling the commencement of the likely peace process when he insisted on consultations with Kashmiri separatist leaders despite India's objection just prior to the scheduled meeting of foreign secretaries of the two countries," Gupta said.

He said Basit has not only been interacting with the separatists but also issuing provocative statements.

"It is surprising that Pakistan is not seeing the writing on wall in its country which is heading towards disintegration with freedom movements having peaked in PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan and continues to dream of taking away Kashmir," he said.

Earlier in the day, Basit said Pakistan was dedicating its Independence Day today to Kashmir's "freedom" and will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state.

He made the comments at an event at the Pakistan High Commission to celebrate his country's Independence Day.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday greeted the people on the eve of Independence Day and urged them to work for the growth of the nation.

"Let us pledge to strengthen the foundations of mutual understanding and resolve to work with deep dedication in our mission to make India a great nation," Rosaiah said.

"On the joyous occasion of our nation's Independence, I convey my heartiest greetings and best wishes to all the citizens. Our nation is a tripod of secularism. It is a fusion of diverse tradition," he said.

Jayalalithaa said, "all of us should work untiredly for the growth of our motherland," adding such initiative should be carried out with a spirit of unity as Indians rooting out differences like caste, creed, religion and language.

"Independence Day is a golden day to reminisce the sacrifices of our freedom fighters," she said, adding that the independence won by our freedom fighters should be nurtured.

Jayalalithaa said her regime is implementing several schemes for the benefit of freedom fighters and their heirs.
Bengaluru: ABVP members protested in front of United Theological College in JC Nagar on Saturday night after some activists, taking part in a programme earlier in the evening, had allegedly shouted slogans demanding freedom for Kashmir from India.

The event  Broken Families  at the college, organised by the Amnesty International (AI), was stopped midway. AI had invited some families from Kashmir to highlight the plight of the people in the trouble-torn state. The event was organised between 5 pm and 7.30 pm and was attended by nearly 350 people. The police were also present. A few participants shouted slogans against the Indian Army. We will not allow this to happen in Bengaluru. We want the city police to answer who allowed the organisation to hold this event," said ABVP activist Tanmayi.

Hundreds of ABVP activists started gathering in front of the college from 11 pm. They also filed a police complaint.
Haneef is being grilled over allegations of conducting lectures for promoting religious extremism and radicalising youth in his state to join ISIS. (Photo: AP/ Representational Image)

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police Crime Branch and the Kerala Police have carried out a joint operation to nab Muhammad Haneef, a cleric who radicalised at least 12 of the 21 youth from Kerala who allegedly joined Islamic State (IS).

Haneef was taken into custody on Saturday after being picked up from Peringathur in Kerala, said reports. He was brought to the city and produced before a court which sent him to police custody till August 20.

Haneef, who is from Kambalakkad in Wayanad district, is being grilled over allegations of conducting lectures for promoting religious extremism and radicalising youth in his state to join terror outfits such as the IS. The Mumbai Police had earlier named Haneef as an accused and the arrest is an action based on that input.

Read: ISIS recruiter reveals 40 people attended terror group's classes in Kerala

The father of Ashfaque Ahmed, one of the 21 missing Kerala youth, had filed a complaint accusing four people of radicalising his son to join ISIS. Pursuant to this, the Mumbai Police registered a case on August 6 against the four men - Arshi Qureshi, guest relationship manager with controversial televangelist Dr Zakir Naiks Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Rizwan Khan, a volunteer with Al-Birr Foundation, Abdullah Rashid, a local imam, and Haneef - under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the IPC.

Qureshi and Khan had already been arrested by the Kerala Police in July, in response to a similar complaint filed by the brother of one Merin alias Mariyam, who is among the 21 youths who fled the country, said reports. Police said another accused named in the FIR was still at large and efforts were being made to arrest him.

"Haneef is an important link to unearth the IS network operating in India.We have leads that Haneef had radicalised 12 of the 21 youths," a senior official privy to the developments in the case was quoted as saying.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor P Sathasivam on Sunday urged people to renew their commitment to uphold the highest standards of democratic tradition while celebrating the 70th Independence Day of the country.

Greeting people on the eve of Independence Day, he also requested them to gratefully honour the sacrifice of many known and unsung patriots who laid down their lives in the historic struggle for the country's freedom.

"Today, it is not just freedom that we celebrate, but the rare inner strength and unity of people that enabled our country to emerge as one of the fastest developing nations in the world," the Governor said in his message.

While taking pride in the country's scientific, social, technological and economic advances, people also should lend active support to the inclusive welfare policies of the Centre and state governments, implemented with the noble aim of empowering the weaker sections, he said.

"Such empowerment and social justice bring the essence of true freedom to every citizen, thus strengthening our nation further," the governor added.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in his message, urged people to make the Independence Day celebration as an occasion to realise constitutional values like democracy, secularism and socialism.

He also cautioned against the "imperialist and communal" forces who try to destroy the unity of India and togetherness of people from and outside the country.

"This (independence day) is an occasion when we should be cautious against these efforts. Let us take pledge that not only Keralites but the whole Indians would work for our country," Vijayan said.
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The wreckage was found 300 metres from the damaged bridge, in 4 to 5 meters of water. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: On the 11th day of search operations, Navy divers on Sunday found the wreckage of an SUV, with two bodies feared to be trapped inside, in Savitri river near Mahad in Raigad district where a British-era bridge had collapsed on August 2.

Efforts are on to retrieve the vehicle and the bodies, state disaster management cell director Suhas Diwase said, adding the total number of missing persons now stands at 12. A Defence PRO said the extrication of the wreckage will be done jointly by Navy divers and the National Disaster Response Force.

"Continuing the day 11 of the search in Savitri river, the Indian Navy divers located one more wreckage, assessed to be a Tavera SUV vehicle number is MH04 GD7837. There is a likelihood of two bodies inside the vehicle.

The wreckage was found 300 metres from the damaged bridge, in 4 to 5 meters of water. NDRF and district administration have been informed," a statement issued here by the Defence authorities said.

Naval divers had on Saturday located the wreckage of the second MSRTC bus, which was washed away in the turbulent Savitri river near Mahad after the British-era bridge collapsed on August 2. No bodies were found in the bus. The bridge was to be dismantled in December this year as part of the Mumbai-Goa Highway expansion project.

On Thursday, the wreckage of a Rajapur-Borivali MSRTC bus was retrieved about 170-200 meters from the collapsed bridge site.

The Indian Navy team, comprising personnel specialising in diving, is searching for survivors since the morning of August 4, braving high water current and crocodiles in the river.

So far, 26 bodies have been recovered after two state transport buses and some other vehicles fell in the swollen river following the bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa Highway near Mahad, about 170 kms from here.

The state Cabinet, in this particular case, has already reduced the waiting period for granting compensation to the kin of those missing 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 Patil had earlier 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 the deceased in other vehicles involved in the tragedy.
Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on Monday to pay tribute to Swaminarayan sect's spiritual head Pramukh Swami, whose mortal remains have been kept at a temple in Sarangpur near Ahmedabad.

Ministers, politicians and devotees on Sunday made a beeline to the Sarangpur-based Swaminarayan temple, where they paid their respect to the 95-year-old saint.

The mortal remains of the head of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha have been kept at the temple till August 17 to enable devotees and citizens to have a final glimpse of the departed soul.

Modi is scheduled to arrive in Sarangpur, located in adjoining Botad district, in afternoon, said Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel, who along with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani paid their tributes on Sunday.

"Our Prime Minister was very close to Pramukh Swami. Modi will arrive in afternoon to pay tribute to the departed soul," said Patel.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party has announced party's national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would also visit the temple on August 16.

Modi has expressed grief through his tweets over Swami's death. Modi also shared a photo where he is seen taking blessings from the spiritual leader.

Swami, who was ailing for some time, passed away last evening at the Sarangpur temple, where he was undergoing medical treatment.

Thousands of devotees from all over Gujarat as well as other parts of the country are thronging the temple to pay homage to the saint.

Besides Rupani and Patel, Gujarat Revenue Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama along with newly-inducted Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya paid floral tributes to Swami.

Former Finance Minister Saurabh Patel and Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela of Congress were also among those who paid their respects to the popular religious leader, who enjoyed a wide following.

As the flow of devotees is expected to increase in days to come, elaborate arrangements have been made, said Rupani.

"To supervise the arrangements in the wake of huge rush of devotees, we have deployed a senior IAS officer and five IPS officers. We have also instructed District Collector and local police to ensure people do not face any problem during their visit," said Rupani.
New Delhi: The government on Sunday strongly reacted to Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's remark on Kashmir's "freedom", saying the "only outstanding issue is how to liberate part of J&K which is under illegal occupation of Islamabad."

MoS in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said, "Our stand is very clear in the context of J&K issue. If at all there is any outstanding issue with Pakistan it is how to liberate the part of J&K which remains under illegal occupation of Islamabad after 60-65 years of Independence and make it a part of J&K and part of the Indian Union.

"Whatever goes on in Islamabad and on behalf of Pakistani authorities is a reflection of confusion and frustration they suffer from," he said.

Earlier in the day, while participating in Pakistan's Independence Day celebrations at its High Commission in Delhi Basit said, "Pakistan will continue to extend its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self determination."

He went on to say, "As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we are dedicating this year's Indepedence Day to the freedom of Kashmir. And we firmly believe that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir will not go in vain."
Jammu: After a lull of over four months, the ceasefire on the Line of Control was violated again with Pakistan Army firing at two places and shelling mortars in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Indian troops retaliated to the firing which was still going on when last reports came in.

"The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir," Defence Spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said here.

Read: Pak violates ceasefire in Poonch, displays camaraderie at Wagah border

He said the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy mortar, small arm and automatic weapon fire in Poonch sector since 3 am.

"Our troops are responding appropriately and no casualties or damage to our troops was reported till the report last came in. The firing was still going on" the spokesman added.

Sunday's ceasefire violation comes after over four months as the last such incident took place on April 10, this year in Poonch sector.

Earlier Pakistan had violated ceasefire on September 18, 2015 in Balakote sector of Poonch district.

Last year, 16 civilians were killed and 71 others injured in 405 incidents of cross-border firing by Pakistan, the officer said.

While 253 incidents of ceasefire violations took place along the International Border (IB), 152 incidents were reported along the LoC, he said.

Around 8,000 people were temporarily affected due to the ceasefire violations and had to be shifted to safer locations.
Ahead of Independence Day celebrations, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers on Sunday exchanged sweets on the Wagah Border displaying camaraderie.

However, the impact of this decade-old tradition seemed to fall flat, as Pakistan opened unprovoked fire on Indian posts on Monday morning.

Last year, Indian soldiers decided against the exchange of sweets following the terror attacks by Pakistan in Punjab and Kashmir.

On July 27 2015, three terrorists launched a massive terror attack in the Punjab town of Dinanagar, killing 10 people.

Two BSF soldiers were killed when two terrorists attacked a BSF convoy in Udhampur on August 5. One terrorist was killed, while the other was captured.

Meanwhile, Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day stoked a controversy saying that Pakistan will continue to extend support for the Kashmiris right to self determination.

"Is saal ki Jashn-e-Azadi hum Kashmir ki Azadi ke naam karte hain," he said in an address at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

However, he asserted that Pakistan has always made efforts to 'improve' its relationship with India.

Basit's statement comes after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said, "there is no power in the world that can take Jammu and Kashmir away from us."

Pakistan Army on Sunday resorted to unprovoked firing on the Indian posts along the Line of Control in Shahpu Kandi area of the border Poonch district in a major ceasefire violation.

The firing began around 3 am in the morning and so far there have been no reports of any injuries or casualties.

There have been 30 ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the Line of Control till July 31 with one casualty from the army side.
New Delhi: In provocative remarks, Pakistan on Sunday said it is dedicating its Independence Day to Kashmir's "freedom" and will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state.

The comments by Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit came during the country's Independence Day celebrations at its embassy here.

Read: Pakistan marks Independence Day; President raises Kashmir issue

India had on Saturday virtually turned down Pakistan's offer for a dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir seeking an end to Pak-supported cross-border terrorism.

Basit's comments came on a day when Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

"As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we are dedicating this year's Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir. And we firmly believe that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir will not go in vain.

"The ongoing unrest should be ended. Pakistan will continue to extend its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self determination," Basit said.

Basit said that no matter "how much" force is used, the political aspiration of people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be suppressed, and that the "freedom movement" will reach its logical conclusion.

In his address, Basit said Pakistan has always strived for better ties with India on the basis of sovereign equality and peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes.

However, he said no one can "belittle" or wish away the "legitimate struggle" of the Kashmiri people and it was incumbent upon the international community to ensure implementation of the relevant UN resolutions to settle the dispute.

"Today our nation faces several challenges, but no power can cause any damage to Pakistan. People who want to trouble Pakistan, they should know that our people, be it Muslim, Hindu or Sikh, we are together and will not hesitate to make any sacrifice for Pakistan's well-being," he said.

India has 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 had said.
New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday reviewed the security situation in the country, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, on the eve of Independence day.

Top brass of the security establishment briefed him on the prevailing situation in the country and the steps taken to foil any attempt by terrorists and other elements to disturb peace, official sources said.

The meeting specially reviewed the security scenario in Kashmir Valley, which has been witnessing unrest after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani.

Read: Delhi: Man dies on way to hospital as I-Day preparations delay traffic

There were intelligence inputs earlier that militants might try to attack security forces in the run up to the Independence Day in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.

Situation in the national capital was also reviewed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the country on Monday from the ramparts of the Red Fort, where a galaxy of leaders, top civil, defence, police officials, school children and civilians will be present.

Those who attended the meeting includes National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, chiefs of intelligence agencies besides others.
Amaravati: Deputy CM and minister for home affairs N. China Rajappa said that the opposition parties are misleading the public of the state by levelling false allegations against the Telugu Desam government about Krishna Pushkaralu and new capital Amaravati establishment.

He, along with minister for agriculture P. Pulla Rao, went to Seethanagaram ghat on Saturday night and interacted with the devotees.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rajappa said that devotees largely increased on the second day of the Krishna Pushkaralu. He said that CM N. Chandrababu Naidu directed to aloow the buses till Pushkar ghats. So the buses are being allowed to all Pushkar ghats. He alleged that opposition parties are defaming the TD government by misleading the public with false allegations in the Pushkar management. He claimed that the government is successfully providing all the amenities to the public during Pushkaralu.

Responding about the presence of bacteria in the Krishna river waters, Mr Rajappa said that the government is conducting water tests frequently in the supervision of IAS officials but the opposition parties creating fear among the public.
Mumbai: Following Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basits provocative statement on Kashmir, the Shiv Sena on Sunday asserted that the former should be sent back to Islamabad within 24 hours.

Speaking to ANI in Mumbai, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut called for shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission office in New Delhi and the embassy in Mumbai.

Such a person, who spews venom against the country sitting in Delhi, should to sent back to Islamabad within 24 hours. He is making such statement a day before our Independence Day and Im sure the government will take action against him, Raut told ANI in Mumbai.

Dont know why Pakistan is celebrating Independence Day as it is observed by nations and Pakistan is not a nation, its a hub of terrorists, he added.

The Congress also condemned Basits statement and demanded an apology from the envoy, adding the 56 inch government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completely failed in its efforts to ostracise Islamabad.

Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi called for introspection by the Centre on how they have failed to get Pakistan isolated globally, adding Islamabads wish of claiming Kashmir is destined to go unfulfilled.

I think normally one would not give importance to such comments, but when it comes from the High Commissioner of a nation it has a full official flavour and colour to it. Pakistan will of course have to wait for millennia to even consider its wish being fulfilled, which they have expressed as the year of Kashmir azadi, he said. The Pakistani envoy earlier in the day said Islamabad has dedicated the 70th Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir.

Basit said Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India. As far as the relation of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we dedicate this years Independence Day to Kashmirs freedom. We are confident that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be successful, Basit said.

He asserted Pakistan has always given moral support to Jammu and Kashmirs freedom struggle and would continue to do so.Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom; sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain, he said.
New Delhi: Terming as "absurd" Pakistan's proposal of sending supplies to Jammu and Kashmir, India on Sunday strongly retorted that it along with others in the region have already received enough of "trademark exports" from that country including terrorism and infiltrators.

India's sharp reaction came after it received a note verbale from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry on Friday proposing to send supplies to Jammu and Kashmir. External Affairs Ministry "completely and categorically" rejected the communication from Pakistan.

"A communication was apparently delivered to our High Commission in Islamabad on August 12. I can only characterise its contents that propose sending supplies to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir as absurd," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

"India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistan's trademark exports  international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency," he said.

Read: Pak army violates ceasefire in J&Ks Poonch, Indian forces retaliate

India's reaction came on a day when Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier in the day, Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit made provocative statements over Kashmir and said his country will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state.

Basit made the comments during the country's Independence Day celebrations at its embassy here.

Read: Pak violates ceasefire in Poonch, displays camaraderie at Wagah border

In Islamabad, President Mamnoon Hussain, while addressing a gathering at a flag hoisting ceremony, also raised the Kashmir issue, saying the country will continue to support Kashmiris in their bid for the right to self-determination.

India and Pakistan have been engaged in a war of words over Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statements on the situation in Kashmir which has been witnessing unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Wani was described as a martyr by Pakistan, which has also tried to internationalise the Kashmir issue while India has been maintaining that Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the Valley is the root cause of the turbulence.
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless.

A right delayed is a right denied.Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.

Martin Luther King Jr.

No one is born hating another person People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

Nelson Mandela

We can disagree and still love each other, unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist

James Baldwin

There is a fine line between free speech and hate speech. Free speech encourages debate whereas hate speech incites violence.

Newton Lee

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.

Albert Einstein
Having grown up in Kashmir, I've seen some people asking for a merger with Pakistan, some opting to remain with India and others demanding an Azad Kashmir or independence, but Kashmir has very few resources.

Mysuru: In the many shops across the city that cater to the tourists, the Kashmiri businessman is ubiquitous, a fixture. He hawks his baubles, the carpets that feature the tree of life, the intricately carved silverware and colourful papier mache that is unique to the art and craft of the Valley, once described by the Mughal rulers as 'jannat' , heaven on earth. But as in the Bollywood movies that have returned to Kashmir - except there are no cinemas where the movies can be screened - violence and anger against the establishment, needs a mere spark to inflame the anger and passion that now stalks the land. As a new generation of the young take up the gun and face down the Indian authorities - and this time, lose their sight in more ways than one - Aasif Illahi, a businessman in Bengaluru tells Deccan Chronicle of how the Kashmiri is torn, trying to live a normal life with one wary eye on the army and the other on the militant.

""I am from Kashmir, but moved to Bengaluru a few years ago. Kashmir thrives on handicrafts and the tourists who buy them, but due to the conflict there, curfews are imposed, forcing early closure of shops and most stay home after 6 pm. They do sometimes allow people to step out for one or two hours even after the curfew, but no one can think of opening their shops at this time because the militants and separatists want them closed.

Having grown up in Kashmir, I've seen some people asking for a merger with Pakistan, some opting to remain with India and others demanding an Azad Kashmir or independence, but Kashmir has very few resources. Its main income is from the arts and it can flourish only if it remains with India where tourism is strong. The situation will change drastically if it becomes part of Pakistan and it will struggle to survive if it becomes independent.

The army does help to some extent in protecting civilians from terrorism. But if someone disobeys the curfew, the army and police are helpless and have no option but to follow the shoot at sight orders. If the curfew is lifted, the atmosphere could change, but shopkeepers will still not be allowed to go about their business, as militants want everything closed as a sign of protest. Even if the public wants normalcy, it will not happen. It is better they stay at home and follow the curfew. Once the government notices that the people are calmer, it might become lenient. It could reduce the curfew by a few hours every day, and eventually things could get back to normal. Usually, people are allowed to move around, especially for the Amarnath Yatra, in the uptown areas, where there is not as much trouble. It is downtown areas like Tral in Pulwama that are conflicted and remain shut. As of now there is no consensus because everybody wants different things and in the process, we, the civilians suffer.

Children can't sit for their exams. They can't attend school due to the ongoing conflict. I had to give up my engineering course for this very reason in 2008. In 2016 things have become more critical. I haven't spoken to my family back home for a month as they have cut off the phone lines.

There are no opportunities there for us anymore, despite the high demand for Kashmiri handicrafts.

If tourists don't come, what will we earn? All Kashmiris want is peace so we can make a living. There needs to be a dialogue between the civilians and militant groups about their demands, as well as between Pakistan and the Indian government. Let's talk. Maybe, there's a way to find peace all around. "
Hyderabad: Health minister Dr C. Laxma Reddy has ordered an inquiry into the reasons that Gandhi Hospital doctors kept Adilabad burns victim M. Nitish waiting for five days.

Dr Laxma Reddy asked the staff to check why patients were waiting outside the hospital instead of simply telling them that a particular doctor was not available.

Mr Nitish underwent a three-hour surgery on Sunday to remove the folds of skin that had formed in the neck region, which had made movement difficult.

Dr Bharatendu Swain, senior plastic and reconstructive surgeon and director of Aakar Asha Hospital, said Mr Nitish was stable. Doctors would take up the burns on the chest and abdomen after 10 days.

Mr Nitish was worried whether he would be able to use hands, which have become stiff. Mr Mujtaba Askari of Helping Hand Foundation said he was counselled by doctors and volunteers. As he is a daily wage worker he was very keen to know if he could use his hands.
Anti-sabotage teams had been formed and it had checked Fort St George where Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa will unfurl the tricolour on Monday morning.

Chennai: The city is brought under thick security cover with about 17,500 police personnel on the streets ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

Anti-sabotage teams had been formed and it had checked Fort St George where Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa will unfurl the tricolour on Monday morning.

About 5,500 personnel will be involved in the security of I-Day celebrations of the state at Fort St George. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) teams will keep maintain round-the-clock checks of the campus until the event gets over.

Fort St George premises will be out of bounds for unauthorized visitors throughout the day. Intensified anti-sabotage and vehicular checks were being held across the city as part of enhanced security arrangements.

Complementing the local police, about 12,000 more personnel drawn from various wings of the state police were deployed in key locations. All vital installations had been brought under surveillance besides beefing up security.

Snipers have been positioned at several vantage positions that would witness VVIP movement on that day. Frisking of passengers and their baggage were carefully done at railway stations and Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT).

Visitors entry to airport had been banned since August 8 following a nationwide sabotage alert sounded by central agencies.

All lodges, mansions and hotels are being checked and they have been asked to cooperate with police in providing information on suspected movements.
Chennai: In a major setback to industrialist A.C.Muthiah, the Madras high court has declined to quash the criminal proceedings pending against him before the lower court in four cases relating to the alleged `274 crore fraud by First Leasing Company of India Ltd.

Dismissing the petitions filed by Muthiah to quash the proceedings pending before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate/Economic Offences-II, Egmore, Justice P.N. Prakash said , There are sufficient material 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 the company stands rejected.

The Reserve Bank of India has launched four prosecution before the ACMM against four accused for offences under section 58B (1) and 58 (B) of RBI Act.

It was the RBI's case that First Leasing Company of India Ltd is a company incorporated under the Companies Act with Farouk Irani, A.C.Muthiah, Maharaj Jai Singh and A. Satish Kumar as its directors and had published financial statements for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 containing false particulars and statements, to make it look as if the company was financially sound, on the strength of which huge loans were borrowed from various financial institutions.

Challenging the prosecution, Muthiah filed the present four petitions. The judge said a reading of the complaints show that serious irregularities have been committed by the company in presenting a rosy picture of its financial status, via the annual financial statements for making its creditors believe that the company was financially sound, but whereas, in reality it was found to be a smoke screen to cover up its financial hollowness. Thus, there were sufficient averments (affirmation or allegation) in the complaint for the prosecution to proceed.

The fact remains 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 fully well about the malpractices in the accounting.
KOCHI: Buoyed by the announcement of finance minister Dr T.M. Thomas Isaac in Kochi last week in Kochi that funds wont be a problem for the expansion of Ernakulam Government Medical College, the college authorities have decided to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the expansion of the college. This will be a five-year expansion plan for the college after meeting the immediate requirements in the Rs 1.1 crore resuscitation package being approved by the State Government. PWD is expected to prepare the DPR. The Finance Minister while making the announcement had made it clear that he needed DPR for any proposal.

The PWD Executive Engineer needs to be consulted on this and according to our plan and specifications, they can prepare the cost estimate. They have consultants for technical aspects also, EMC principal Dr V.K. Sreekala told this paper on Saturday. She said that the DME and Health Secretary too will be consulted on this and the DPR will be submitted to the DME which will be forwarded to the Government. The preliminary estimate has been put at Rs 100 crore which will be reassessed by the PWD, she said.

The EMC seeks to achieve a Centre of Excellence status in the next five years by setting up a super specialty block, PG hostel, dental block, paramedical institute, staff quarters, playground and an indoor stadium. Our priority after implementing the resuscitation package would be to start cardiology and neurology wings along with a hostel for PG students. The building near cancer centre can be used for this. The hostel for PG students is essential to retain MCI approval for the courses, she said. She said that the super specialty wing of the hospital should have cardiology, cardio-thoracic surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, nephrology, urology and gastroenterology wings.
Chennai: DMK chief M. Karunanidhi paid homage to partys deputy general secretary Sarguna Pandian who passed away on Saturday morning.

She was a minister in the DMK government from 1996 to 2001 and an MLA from 1989 to 1991. She was elected from R.K. Nagar both the times and her daughter-in-law Simla Muthu Chozhan contested in the constituency against Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in the 2016 Assembly polls.

Announcing Sarguna Pandians demise, the party headquarters, in a statement here announced three days of mourning and asked partymen to fly the DMK flags at half-masts. The party had postponed all its functions for three days.

Karunanidhi along with party treasurer M.K. Stalin and other functionaries visited the deceased DMK functionarys house and paid homage.

In his condolence message, Karunanidhi said Sarguna Pandian began her political career as an orator at a young age. She was a member of the womens sing and rose to the post of womens wing president. In the party hierarchy, she became the deputy general secretary. She performed well in the posts she held and earned the respect of all partymen, he said.

Though, she was ill for the last few years, she did not fail to attend the party functions. Karunanidhi said and recalled that Sarguna Pandians father Ponnusamy belonged to the self-respect movement. Describing Sarguna as a light of the Dravidian movement, the DMK president said she was praised by party founder Anna as Sollin Selvi. She led the womens wing in all the party agitations and was imprisoned. She had also organised the partys women wing zonal meets.
The man demanded Rs 50,000 from the complainant, claiming that the duo had engaged in unnatural acts. (Representational Image)

Mumbai: A 30-year old homosexual man has filed a complaint of cheating and robbery at the Kurar police station against a person he met on a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) dating portal.

According to police officials, the two had fallen in love, but when they met in person for the first time, another man  impersonating a police officer  showed up and demanded Rs 50,000 from the complainant, claiming that the duo had engaged in unnatural acts. The victim was later let off after he paid the man Rs 10,000, according to the complainant.

The police is now searching for the man who contacted the complainant on the dating portal as well as the person who posed as a policeman.

The complainant stays in the Pimpripada area of Malad east and works for a private firm. On July 30, while surfing an LGBT dating website, he got a message from a 22-year-old man who identified himself as Sahil aka Jack. Both exchanged phone numbers on the portal.

The complainant on August 2 invited Sahil to his house in Pimpripada. When both were in his house, an unknown person turned up, identifying himself as a police official from Chembur police station.

He said that the duo were involved in wrongful activities and threatened to arrest them. Later he demanded Rs 50,000 for not arresting them. However, the complainant assured to give him Rs 10,000, and paid him. Immediately after this, his partner fled along with the policeman.

It made the complainant realise that the partner was also involved in the fraud as he later stopped communicating with him, said a police official.

Officials suspect that both the accused were working hand-in-glove and have cheated other people too in the past.

THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN THE ASIAN AGE
Lucknow: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday challenged other political parties to a debate on the condition of Muslims in the country and the allegations levelled against him.

Addressing party workers here, he claimed that since Independence, the condition of Muslims in the country has gone from bad to worse and none of the other political parties, including the Congress, has ever bothered to address the issue.

SP, BSP, Congress and BJP leaders call me communal and accuse me of giving inflammatory speeches. Do flowers shower from the statements of these leaders? he asked.

I challenge all other parties to a debate on the condition of Muslims in the country and the allegations levelled against me, Mr Owaisi said.

He said that the contribution of Muslims in India's freedom struggle and that maulanas had issued fatwas against the British were not mentioned anywhere by historians.
Deputy CM Kadiam Srihari said that the panel will submit its report to the CM for him to take a call on convening an all-party meeting before a final decision is taken on the issue.

Hyderabad: Major differences over the draft proposals prepared by state government on creation of new districts surfaced during the three-day exercise by the Cabinet subcommittee which met peoples representatives of all the existing 10 districts.

The panel met representatives of Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda and Warangal where it was obvious that the differences were major.

Gadwal MLA D.K. Aruna had earlier in the day led dharna in front of the MCR HRD, demanding creation of Gadwal district and opposing inclusion of the area in Wanaparthy district. Police had to disperse the protesters.

During the meeting also, while some of the peoples representatives demanded creation of new districts other than the proposed Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy in addition to the existing Mahbubnagar, others suggested Narayanpet, Shadnagar and Kalwakurthy as new districts in addition to Gadwal.

Later when reorganisation of Warangal district came in for discussion, some suggested creation of Jangaon in addition to Mahbubabad, Bhupalapally and Warangal. They also opposed inclusion of Jangaon in proposed Yadadri district.

Another group sought creation of Mulugu and opposed inclusion of this in either Bhupalapally or Mahbubabad. However the subcommittee made it clear that it was only a preliminary exercise to elicit the opinion of local leaders on the proposals and a final decision would be taken once the CM convenes an all-party meeting.
Independence Day anniversary is a time for stocktaking. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurls the tricolour at Red Fort today for the third time, how does he measure up in the domestic and external fields? The record is mixed with highs and lows. To begin with, the advent of Mr Modi was like a breath of fresh air, coming as he did after a lacklustre stint of the United Progressive Alliance-2, beset as it was with scams and a dual key arrangement detrimental to efficient governance and the prestige of the Prime Minister. Mr Modi also introduced an activist phase in foreign policymaking, wooing the United States as a major partner because it remains the sole superpower, with China looming on the horizon.

In the domestic field, Mr Modi tried to correct the aberrations of his initial Cabinet lineup in a second major reshuffle by relieving the human resources development ministry from the dead weight of Smriti Irani, originally intended to please the partys mentor, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He also brought in Dalits and backward classes into the Union council of ministers with an eye on the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. Mr Modi did bring in a measure of purposefulness in running the government and with his unerring eye for showmanship, most programmes had catchy slogans to denote his priorities such as Make in India and Swachh Bharat. Where he failed was in giving public guidance on major issues of concern in a reasonable time frame.

Two errors of the Prime Minister are conspicuous. The oppression of Dalits symbolised by the atrocious lynching of Dalits in Una, Gujarat, took him nearly a month to pronounce on the unspeakable act of cow protection vigilantes. Then he spoke on the problem on two successive days only to reveal his vulnerability. He received a mouthful from the Sangh Parivar, with the RSS faulting him for suggesting 70 to 80 per cent of the cow protection vigilantes were fake. As a dutiful RSS worker, he corrected the estimate the next day to a handful. Mr Modis reluctance to deal with the problem sooner was clear from the hate mail he attracted from a section of the Parivar.

A second major mistake of Mr Modi was in taking a month publicly to deal with the dangerous turn the Kashmir problem had taken. And when he broke his silence, it was at a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh, not in Parliament, as was piquantly pointed out by the Opposition benches when the issue was debated in the Rajya Sabha. The Prime Minister was undoubtedly closely following events as anti-government riots took an ugly turn but it was his duty as the countrys leader to promptly reach out to Kashmiris and other citizens. In foreign affairs, Mr Modi started on the right note by inviting Nawaz Sharif, his Pakistani counterpart, among others, to his swearing-in ceremony. And he later raised the stakes by a dramatic dash to Lahore to greet Mr Sharif on his birthday.

Not for the first time in India-Pakistan relations did the bonhomie not last long, with the usual name-calling resumed on both sides. The new Kashmir unrest in the meantime has given the Pakistani side the opportunity to highlight the disputed nature of Kashmir, an evocative issue for Islamabad. It is well known that the Pakistan Army is the king on major foreign policy and security issues. In the end, Mr Modis riposte has been to include Pakistan-occupied Pakistan and Balochistan as areas of concern for India and the world. Apart from relations with Pakistan, where Mr Modi is in the long list of Indian leaders who have tried and failed to break a historical logjam, his great stumble was in privately and publicly seeking to enlist the support of Chinas President Xi Jinping for Indias membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

The result was Chinas public snub in blocking Indias entry. Judging by the Chinese foreign ministers visit to New Delhi, Beijing is now demanding a high price: Indias support for the mess China has made by defying an international judgement on its extravagant claims in the South and East China seas and building military installations on reefs. One can only hope New Delhi will not be foolish enough to take the bait. In some respects, Mr Modi seems willing to learn from his mistakes. He met with a brick wall in seeking to isolate the Congress in getting the Goods and Services Tax Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha. Then he changed course to seek a compromise with the Congress and other Opposition parties to have the bill passed. Mr Modi faces two kinds of problems in achieving his goals. First, the RSS ties his hands in pursuing sensible policies (assuming he wants to) by insisting on the Hindutva creed.

Even his belated attempt to deal with the Dalit oppression has invited an avalanche of protests from the Sangh Parivar. Thanks to the compulsions of following the RSS script, the BJP-led coalition has accentuated divisions based on caste and creed further inflaming passions in the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir. There are no easy answers because the BJP and RSS are in a joint enterprise and the latter wields something of a veto power over Mr Modis actions. Every problem bearing on RSS priorities in fields touching ideology such as in education will, therefore, be subjected to its distorted view of Indias past and future. One dreads to think of the next generation of graduating students reared on myths as history. In a sense, Mr Modi is hoist with his own petard, because he is so good in directly communicating with people though tweets and Facebook, bypassing his aversion to face-searching questions from journalists. His silences on burning issues of the day therefore stand out like a sore thumb. He has about two years to prove his critics wrong.
It is telling that a standoff between the judiciary and the executive should play out in open court, with the Chief Justice of India presiding, days before Independence Day. Dont try to bring this institution to a grinding halt... Thats not the right thing to do, CJI T.S. Thakur stated in despair on Friday. Trouble has been brewing for some time. While the government has made shallow promises, it has done little to fill judicial vacancies, and lakhs of cases are piling up in the high courts and the Supreme Court (to say nothing of the lower courts).

As the CJI said, high courts are functioning at 40 per cent of their sanctioned strength, and people are having to spend years in jail without trial for want of judges. In dealing with a PIL by a retired Army officer, a three-judge bench headed by the CJI bluntly told attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi that the names of 75 judges for posting to various high courts had been sent to the government in February, March and April but the government had not moved. Where is the file stuck? the CJI asked.

Justice Thakur said if there were any adverse reports against a judge, the government should let the Collegium headed by him know. The government is silent. The court said it is hesitating at this stage to intervene judicially, and the A-G pleaded with the CJI not to issue notice to the government. The CJI asked the government not to stonewall transfers and postings at the high court-level merely because the memorandum of procedure was still being worked on.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the audience at the conference of high court and Supreme Court judges in Delhi last April, the CJI wept as he pleaded for speedy filling up of judicial vacancies. Not doing so impacts democracy, he noted. Mr Modi chose to intervene and haughtily asked judges to cut their vacation time and work harder, drawing an unprecedented response from Mr Thakur, who observed that members of the higher judiciary wrote judgments when out on vacation with their families.

Clearly, the file hasnt moved since April. There is another important instance of insult to the judiciary. In April 2015, Mr Rohatgi sought to upbraid then CJI H.L. Dattu for not helping give effect to the implementation of the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act and had the temerity to suggest that the CJI was triggering an avoidable constitutional stalemate. The governments attitude is not encouraging, and Parliament should ask a few questions.
The Presidents daughter has shown the way in outing the name of a cyber villain who used a social media platform to send her lewd messages. In another case, an NRI from Canada came to Chennai to lodge a police complaint against a close relative who sexually abused her more than four decades ago. She realised that there were vulnerable young children around the perpetrator who could become victims of abuse.

She was also spreading the message about why women should no more suffer in silence over sexual harassment and allow perpetrators to find other victims, because their nefarious activities have not been exposed by those they have struck. Both, Ms Mukherjee and the Canadian, have conveyed to Indian women the importance of standing up to men who are accustomed to getting away with their crimes. The current environment with the spread of social media poses a huge threat to very young people who are least equipped to face the pressures of cyber harassment and cyber stalking.

Of course, the authorities are more receptive these days in dealing with cyber complaints. And yet, more must be done, and quickly, if the criminals are to be brought to book in time so as to lessen the chances of their hitting on other victims. The social media platforms are certain to be more responsive to such issues than in dealing with the standard complaints of politicians and celebrities who are trolled for their views or for just being famous. Sexual harassment can be the worst of crimes as it is likely to leave psychological scars. As a society we must do more to stop the modern day perverts from spreading their evil.
Unity in diversity, the edifice of the multi-cultural nation we are, may suffer a severe blow if the Centre goes ahead with its plan to get rid of regional language services from AIR. Or is this an attempt to give private channels an edge and slowly render AIR irrevelant?

It is unfortunate that the All India Radio is planning to remove regional language news from its services. Having different languages is what makes India linguistically rich. They are the wealth of the nation. To confine news to just English, Hindi and Kashmiri, is a short sighted policy on their part. Because of this step taken by them, people will begin to rely on private channels more. From my time to now, the way we receive news has changed. People no longer rely on official media channels only. They are using more of social media now. If AIR does not take into account the variety in languages, people will find other platforms through social media, to express themselves. People communicate in their respective languages on these platforms, in India and abroad. This change is thanks to the IT revolution and has reduced the dependence on radio.

When I was growing up in Punjab, we would rely on only the radio and did not even own a TV. This was during the the 1950s, after Independence, when everyone was full of optimism and the music and programmes on radio were entertaining. They would play songs in all languages. We also had Vividh Bharti and in North India, the radio stations would also have an Urdu songs service. There would be rural centric programmes for farmers, like folk songs and poems, which they found enjoyable. Apart from these, there was the 9 o clock news. All this has been given up now since programmes for rural areas have taken a backseat.

It is not even about the importance of broadcasting news in recognized languages. Even the regional languages like Tulu, Rajasthani, Maitili, Bhojpuri, Braj,Kodava that are not recognized by the constitution should be included by the All India Radio. We must preserve our linguistic richness and culture, including dialects as well. For example, we have to highlight not just mainstream Kannada, but also Gulbarga Kannada spoken with a touch of Urdu, Belgaum Kannada spoken with an influence of Marathi and more.
Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, 4-time lawmaker and credible face of Left politics in predominantly Muslim Jammu and Kashmir. He is also the State Secretary of CPIM

About a couple of months ago, Kashmir was tranquil. What went wrong?

You see it is not for the first time that Kashmir has erupted. It is in turmoil for the past over two decades and has been going through political uncertainty right from the days of Partition. True, we had elections in 2014 and the people participated in huge numbers in these. The situation we are witnessing for the past over one month is in quite contrast to that. Unfortunately, the governments both at the Centre and in the State failed to respond to the emerging situation disillusionment and hopelessness-in Kashmir. They should have seized the breather to address the issues. At least, there should have been some sort of intent visible there raising some hope in people particularly the young that something good is going to happen. There were lot of expectations with the electoral processes the people had aligned themselves with. None of those expectations came true. Also the atmosphere emerging at the national level, the kind of debates that are on, the kind of events that have been unfolding also left an impact on the psyche of the people of Kashmir. Having said that I must reiterate that Kashmir crises is essentially rooted in certain aspirations of people and a result of unresponsiveness from those who are in power in Delhi and J&K.

You said certain aspirations. What are those aspirations?

We have been, at different times, given to understand by successive governments that sky is the limit as far as autonomy is concerned. There are certain constitutional guarantees provided to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been a unique situation, a unique state of affairs here in J&K and unique responses were expected at the national level. On the contrary, they eroded autonomy. We even lost whatever the rest of India is having. We are not at par with many other states. Apart from lot of bloodshed was shed during the turmoil and people have suffered tremendously. One of the Prime Ministers came here and said sky is the limit. But we have seen only limits, not sky is the limit. We often do hear big voices but nothing tangible is happening on the ground.

You are a 4-time lawmaker from Kulgam which is one of the worst hit areas in ongoing turmoil. Didnt you too fail to read the pulse of the people?

If you go through the deliberations of the House (J&K Assembly), you will know I did give them some hints. I told them the situation is not any positive and even normal and that it demands something good and positive from our behalf, on behalf of the government. Not that I knew something bad is going to happen. But I had seen disillusionment and hopelessness on the faces of the people particularly our young generation.



You met Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, when he came here in July. What did you tell him and has the Centre implemented any of the recommendations you made or you foresee them doing it?

I met him twice during this period-first in Delhi along with comrade Sitaram Yechury and MP Mohammad Salim and then here in Srinagar. Our concern was that first of all the brutalities must stop and there must be an end to the situation which has been brutalized by the security forces. We also told him that the use of pellet guns must be stopped forthwith. It is not a non-lethal. It is more than lethal. It has maimed and blinded our young boys and girls. He was also told that the situation in Kashmir is much more serious that thought about. Much more serious than what we have been witnessing during past two and a half decades.

But pellet guns are still being used?

We said it. We have told Delhi about it.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has repeatedly referred to Atal Behari Vajpayees doctrine of Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat but critics say this has only been rhetoric on his part as nothing tangible was done on ground to pursue the goal. What do you think?

Something like that coming from the mouth of Modi Sahib. It doesnt carry that conviction. Is this insaniyat (humanity) that people do get blinded here? Is this insaniyat that you respond to the emerging situation here only through the prism of security forces? Is this jamhooriyat (democracy) that you have been reluctant for the past so many decades and you are still reluctant to talk to people? You talk on every issue but Kashmir. What about Kashmiriyat? You talk about many things but not about the uniqueness of the Kashmiri identity and the guarantees given to its people no one else but the Constituent Assembly of India. You are not talking about that. Rather your organisation, your leaders, your spokesmen, your fellow travellers are time and again accusing and abusing the Kashmiri people, threatening that we will abrogate Article 370 which has already been largely eroded. Dont play with words. It is not about poetry. Kashmir is on fire. Kashmir is bleeding. No Mr. Prime Minister, you are expected to address the causes of this fire, the causes of this unrest. You are not moving even an inch towards that direction.

The NDA government under Mr. Vajpayee had started a process of peace and reconciliation with the Hurriyat Conference but the UPA government failed to take it forward and the present dispensation has outright said that the separatists have no role to play in conflict resolution. Do you think that tantamount to turning a blind eye on the ground realities?

Certainly. That is why I say the cycle of irresponsiveness by successive governments has brought us to this edge. Today, the outburst is not just anger against one unfortunate incident. It is an accumulated anger. It has been mounting, it has been getting multiplied. New Delhi failed to deliver. They did not even try to address the issues. They have rather been reluctant to accept the ground realities. That is the biggest tragedy. It is not the question of whether the separatists are stakeholders or not. My point is you have a trouble here; you have some sort of uncertainty here. These are concerns of not only of J&K but the entire country, the entire Subcontinent. That is why we want positive. Separatists may not be part of democratic set up but they are a force to reckon with and has to accepted as such. If you dont want to talk to them, it means you are reluctant to address the issue, reluctant not to solve the issue. I think that is most unfortunate.

The government has said that the ongoing turbulence is creation of Pakistan and that money is changing hands to keep the pot boiling. Do you subscribe to this view?

That is oversimplifying the whole situation here. You have been talking to Pakistan in spite of wars and insurgencies. You continued with NSA-level talks even after the Pathankot terror attack. PM Modi visited Pakistan. This is the expression of what? That some issue or some problem is there and needs to be resolved. All said and done, we have to be serious and Pakistan has to be serious. Pakistan has to take care of the interests of all of us including the security concerns of India. India has to take care of the people of J&K and the security concerns of Pakistan as well. So that is why I suggest both the countries must give up extreme. They ought to talk to each other. Unless that is done there is not any chance of solution emerging out of this crisis. The people of Kashmir are the real sufferers. They are the victim of this whole conflict. They have to be talked to. They have to be taken on board. And who is in Kashmir to be talked to? If you ask me, I will say all the shades of opinion, irrespective of whether they are part of the mainstream or outside it.

Do you think the State or Central government has the will or capability to get along the crisis and that without more lives being lost?

I tell you honesty, there lies the real concern of persons like Tarigami. Who are the people who are there-both the governments and their intent-their capacities are unequal to the size of the crisis which we people of J&K are facing today. That is the most unfortunate part of it and that doesnt give any hope to people like me for any forward movement.

What is the way out then?

It is not the question of crisis management today. No. Let the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) use its influence. They are partners in the government. They must assert not just to take care of their gadi (seat of power) or protest it but go beyond. Use the strength of your mandate to influence your partner so that something tangible is seen happening on the ground.

Should the Government of India accede the demand of the Hurriyat Conference that it should accept Kashmir a dispute and agree to holding a tripartite dialogue involving the separatist leadership, Pakistan and, of course, India?

I have my own opinion about it. It is not the question of accepting or rejecting the demand of separatists or that we have to coin something which should be acceptable to all of us. Certainly, the real confidence-building-measure, the real effort would be if Government of India openly accepts and admits that here in Kashmir there is a situation which is the expression of a deep-rooted alienation and political uncertainty. So there are political issues which need to be addressed to.
Comedian Rajpal Yadav was in a hurry to attend the programme when Sagar police station in-charge P. Srivastav, who was assigned the task of supervising security at the venue, waved his hand to signal him to stop for a security check.

Inspection or Introspection?

With barely a few months left for Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is busy inspecting and monitoring his dream projects to ensure that they get completed and inaugurated before the model code of conduct gets imposed. The CMs adviser, Alok Ranjan, and chief secretary Deepak Singhal are also spending their working hours inspecting these projects before and after the CM finishes the inspection trip. Other senior officials are also inspecting projects like the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and ensure that their inspection trips get sufficient publicity in the media.

Not to be left behind, even scribes are inspecting the under-construction media centre in new secretariat building that is nearing completion. Senior ministers, including Shivpal Singh Yadav are busy inspecting roads and canals in the state. But, despite numerous inspections flyovers, overrides and roads continue to cave in after every spell of rainfall in the Lucknow. It would be better if the ministers and bureaucrats tried to do some inspection and introspection about the quality of construction in these dream projects or else our hopes will also cave in during the elections, a SP leader remarked.

Why go easy on DIDI?

BJP leaders and workers in West Bengal were left disappointed by party president Amit Shah during his Kolkata visit on August 3, because in his 40-minute speech at a party workers convention, Mr Shah kept harping on Prime Minister Narendra Modis achievements while remaining silent on the state governments lapses. But state BJP leaders expected a stronger response from Mr Shah to Didis repeated attacks on the NDA government and the BJP.

After chairing administrative meetings in South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts last week, Didi accused Mr Modi of either stopping the release of funds in Central projects or slashing their volume. Then at the annual Martyrs Day rally, Didi launched a scathing attack on the right-wing saying, If I consume goat meat, there is no problem, but if someone else eats cow meat, it is a problem. I wear saris, which is not a problem, but if someone else wears salwar-kameez... Who are you to decide what people will wear and eat? amidst thunderous applause.

But Mr Shah was silent since the BJP needed Didis support for the GST Bill in the Rajya Sabha. In any case, Mr Modi and Mr Shah know Didi is more pragmatic than the Congress and the CPI(M).

Rajpals starry tantrums

Recently, a spiritual event organised in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, threatened to get out of hand and spoil spiritual guru Prabhakar Shastri alias Dadajis programme. Comedian Rajpal Yadav was in a hurry to attend the programme when Sagar police station in-charge P. Srivastav, who was assigned the task of supervising security at the venue, waved his hand to signal him to stop for a security check.

The actor mistakenly took the gesture to be a greeting and reciprocated it by waving back with a smile. But when the police officer advanced towards him to stop him from entering the venue, there was a heated exchange of words. Thankfully, the organisers and the actors followers intervened. Mr Srivastav apologised to the actor to pacify him. An annoyed constable remarked, We cannot help if every Bollywood actor considers himself to be Salman Khan. Fearing that the situation might get out of control, Mr Srivastav asked the constable to shut up.
A strong military defense certainly requires substantial development in terms of strategy. This is where the role of technology has received much attention in the recent past. Reports say, Britain is set to spend over 800m on a next-generation military technology which will include dragonfly drones.

This project has been given the name, Skeeters and is a part of a new defense innovation initiative to speed the transition of new systems from laboratories to actual battlefields.

Skeeter infographic (Credit: Animal Dynamics)

The design principle of this dragonfly micro-drone is built on the biology of a dragon fly, itself. This concept is believed to have a great impact on operations in urban environments. It weighs less than two pound coins, and is less than five inches long. It is equipped to fly at speeds of up to 45mph. It will further consist of a camera and a microphone which will enable carrying out covert surveillance. This drone is being developed by an Oxford-based company called Animal Dynamics.

There are numerous other similar projects that are under consideration such as the hyper-reality helmet by Close Air Solutions in Ripon. This is being developed with the purpose to help soldiers train in calling in air strikes in a virtual environment. Apart from that, there is a demonstrator to show the ability of the next generation of laser weapons to deal with aerial threats such as missiles, drones and warplanes.

Hyper-reality training tech developed by Close Air Solutions (Credit: MOD/Close Air Solutions)

The Quantum Gravimeter from the University of Birmingham is also being considered. What this concept essentially proposes is the use of quantum effect comprised of cold atoms in combination of paired gravimeters to make very precise measurements of the Earths local gravitational field with high resistance to external noise sources. According to the Ministry of Defense, this will help soldiers seek enemy out of tunnels or even hunt for survivors in disaster areas within minutes.

"This new approach will help to keep Britain safe while supporting our economy, with our brightest brains keeping us ahead of our adversaries," says Defense Secretary Michael Fallon. "Backed by a defense 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."

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According to a report by Internet and Mobile Association of India, our country has approximately 400 million Internet users.

India has emerged as a digitally-connected nation but experts suggest the country still lacks pragmatic Internet laws.

According to a report by Internet and Mobile Association of India, our country has approximately 400 million Internet users. Given the fact that we now prevail in the digital age, the government needs to work towards devising an unbiased internet policy for helping budding entrepreneurs and businesses.

Though the government, under its Digital India initiative, has addressed manifold problems over the past year, the ambiguous internet laws in the country have had a drastic effect on businesses and individuals.

Sunil Abraham, Executive Director of Centre for Internet Society, said, There are three categories of laws which we must consider. One, speech regulation laws - here we tend to be more repressive in comparison to other mature democracies. Two, intellectual property law which can enable or undermine access to knowledge - here we are quite progressive and we must thank our policymakers for their foresight. Three, privacy and data protection laws - these are incomplete, outdated or missing - this not only undermines the rights of citizens but also weakens our cyber security.

Defamation and national security can be listed among other issues that have threatened free speech; there have been instances where weak Internet laws led to the defamation of several artists and authors, curbing freedom to expression.

Not only individuals but online businesses have also had to limit their potential, in order adhere to the Indias hazy Internet laws. Among others, countless websites have been blocked by the government over the past few years.

However, with proper regulation in place along with rational vigilance, many of these problems might cease to exist.

Its essential that these issues are thought about, in-depth. The country needs to build a structure that can deliver innovation, protection and provision of one and all.

Without improving the three important areas that I pointed out, we cannot be successful at Digital India, Make In India and Start Up India, Abraham concluded.

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Nineteen people have been killed in clashes between police and militia in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo.(Photo: AFP/ Representational)

Kinshasa: Nineteen people have been killed in clashes between police and militia in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said.

The dead included the leader of the militia group, Kamwina Nsapu, the governor of Kasai-Central province, Alex Kande, told public television late on Saturday.

He said Nsapu was among eight militia members killed in the fighting in the town of Tshimbulu on Friday. Eleven policemen also died, Kande said.

In recent weeks Nsapu has resolved to "rid Kasai-Central of the security forces, who have carried out all kinds of harassment against the population," the UN-backed Radio Okapi said, quoting local sources.

Kande said four other policemen were missing and about 40 militia members were captured including 17 children aged between five and 12.

Police also seized weapons and ammunition.

He said the fighting erupted "following an intervention by security forces who sought to protect and safeguard the peaceful citizens of Tshimbulu, before being "dangerously attacked by terrorists of leader Kamwina Nsapu".
Hillary Clintons tax return filings release on Friday is part of an effort to undercut Donald Trump's character by questioning the celebrity businessman's record. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: 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.

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 US 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."
New York: An imam and his assistant were both shot in the head and killed in New York Saturday, police said, in a brazen attack carried out in broad daylight with unclear motives.

Gunshots rang out just before 2:00 pm (1800 GMT) near a mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens.

The two men were approached from behind by a suspect, whom witnesses saw fleeing from the scene with a gun, according to police.

Officers said the individual is still at large and the investigation is ongoing.

US media reported that the men were shot after leaving the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque after Saturday afternoon prayers, dressed in Islamic attire.

However police said the motive is unknown and no arrests have been made.

"There is nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," police told journalists.

Both men were taken to nearby Jamaica Hospital, where imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, was pronounced dead, a spokesman with New York's Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information told AFP.

Thara Uddin, age 64, later succumbed to his injuries, the spokesman said.

The neighborhood's city council representative Eric Ulrich tweeted that he stood "in strong solidarity with all Muslim New Yorkers tonight as we mourn the killings of Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin."

"When a religious leader is killed in broad daylight on the streets of Queens, we must come together as a community and demand justice!" he wrote.

Footage uploaded to Twitter showed people gathered Saturday evening near the scene of the fatal shooting, many of them yelling "we want justice."

"Imagine your father gunned down for no reason, and then let that feeling, let that motivate you to come out of your silence," said Afaf Nasher, the director of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic relations (CAIR) at a press conference in front of the mosque.

"When we stay silent we allow crimes to continue to occur," she said. "So every single one of us shares in this responsibility. And let's not forget the victims who are essential to all of this."
The last remaining ISIS fighters abandoned the city of Manbij near the Turkish border on Friday. (Photo: AFP/Representational)

Beirut: ISIS 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 ISIS 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 ISIS 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 ISIS-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 ISIS 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 ISIS... 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 ISIS.

"Among the civilians taken by ISIS 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.

ISIS 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 ISIS "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 ISIS 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.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi was today discharged after 11 days of hospitalisation after being treated for her illness and shoulder injury.





The Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where she was admitted on August 3, said her medical condition was stable and has been advised rest.



"Sonia Gandhi's medical condition at the time of discharge from the hospital is stable. She has been advised rest and continuation of medicines. Mrs Gandhi is likely to visit the hospital for further evaluation of her condition in the coming week," said D S Rana, Chairman of Board of Management of the hospital.



69-year-old Gandhi was admitted to the hospital after being taken ill during a roadshow in Varanasi.



She had undergone a surgery on her left shoulder on August 3 and doctors said she has recovered from the injury.



Gandhi was admitted under the care of Arup Basu, senior consultant, Department of Pulmonology and Chest Medicine and his team.



She was operated for her shoulder injury at the hospital by Prateek Gupta, senior consultant and his team from Department of Orthopaedics and Sanjay Desai from Mumbai.



Gandhi was shifted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital from the Army Research and Referral Hospital, where she was rushed soon after her arrival from Varanasi around midnight of August 2.



The Congress president had to cut short her roadshow in Varanasi after she was taken ill. She had fractured her left shoulder during the roadshow.


There are 140 stations under Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and some have given public a chance to view high art at no price at all.





Delhi Metro has tied up with government bodies and private organisations like National Book Trust, Delhi Tourism, Sahitya Akademi, India Habitat Centre, Ministry of Textiles and some schools, authorising them to use the Metro premises as hubs for promotion of Indian art, culture, literature, craft and tourism.



The most recent tie-up is with the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for curating exhibits on stations along the latest Heritage Line.



Public art is an expression of the thoughts, ideas and aspirations of the entire nation, Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal says. Such creative pursuits give our stations a distinct identity and character and do not confine them to being mere concrete structures constructed to facilitate commuter movement.



DMRC has also roped in Alka Pande, art consultant and curator of Visual Arts Gallery at India Habitat Centre, for curating exhibitions at Jor Bagh and Mandi House Metro stations. The idea is to take art to the public, so that those who dont go to galleries can take pleasure in art, she says. Text, along with images, plays a major role in the exhibitions curated by her.



If in March, the panels at the Mandi House station featured different ways of celebrating Holi, these days the display narrates interesting mythological tales. The panels showcase digital prints of original maps and vintage photographs sourced from personal and institutional archives, which are supplemented with text.



Among the exhibits at Mandi House are a rare aerial view of Modern School at Barakhamba, an old photograph of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru throwing open Sapru House, actor Naseeruddin Shah seen in a 1973 production of Dantons Death by theatre doyen Ebrahim Alkazi. Rare images of Dadi Pudumjee, under whom the Shri Ram Centre established the first modern puppet theatre, photographs of American architect Joseph Allen Steins iconic post-colonial landmarks like India International Centre (IIC) and IHC, architect Habib Rahman and his prized Rabindra Bhawan, which came up in 1961, are also on display.



Pandes next project is Photosphere for Jor Bagh Metro station. It is about sustainable environmental development and is in the form of a photo exhibition by Ashok Dhaliwal and children from Save Our Souls (SOS) NGO. Photographs of Delhi clicked by SOS children will be the highlight of the exhibition which is due in December.



Through these exhibitions many first-timers also get the opportunity to display their work for the first time.



According to the contract with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Pande curates a new show every four months at these Metro stations.



The tie-up with DMRC is successful. Sometimes there is a difference of opinion. But we work from our heart and they do it as a good job, says Pande.



For some exhibitions which are private shows, the artist has to pay to use the premises of the Metro stations.



To avoid monotony, Pande has been experimenting with light boxes by making frequent changes in text and photographs. Photographs and prints, rather than

original work, is on display so that there is no fear of vandalism.



At Govindpuri, during the last St+Art Festival, a street art festival by Start India Foundation, the walls of the Metro station were painted in vibrant colours. Before this, the station was not only dull, but also dirty.



Last year, after 29-year-old Italian artist Agostino Iacurci painted his graffiti on its walls, the busy station has become one of the most popular selfie zone in Delhi.



Arjun Bahl, co-founder of St+art Delhi festival says, Art seems so intimidating when you enter these elite galleries and appreciate it with a group of people who come from a certain economic background. Art is for everyone to see. Through the street art festival we want to make art more available to the public. For the artist it should become a medium to express themselves and not only to garner fame. Is art only to adorn sophisticated, off-white, closed galleries? Art needs to be democratised as well.

As part of the initiative, Start India Foundation will maintain the artwork for the next five years, after which the artworks may be repainted.



DMRC has got mural and artwork done also at stations like Shahdara, Welcome, Pul Bangash, RK Ashram and Barakhamba Road.



The ceramic mural work infuses life into concrete and iron structures. Murals at these stations cover themes varying from Panchtantra tales, Harappan and Mohenjodaro civilisations , and environment to the making of Metro Rail.



Students from intuitions like Delhi College of Art and South Delhi Polytechnic for Women, College of Art, Chandigarh have also designed the murals at prominent stations.








Khushi, a student of class 11, considers herself lucky on days autorickshaw drivers agree to drop her off at Greater Kailash 2 from Nehru Place Metro station. She has to shell out between Rs 50 to Rs 60 on any day. If the fare goes any steeper, she resorts to the last option: walking.





Last-mile connectivity continues to be a major problem in the capital. Even though there are feeder buses plying from the Metro stations, commuters feel they cannot rely on their frequency. Also, the bus routes are limited. While battery-operated rickshaws are available from some Metro stations at cheaper rates, for many returning from work is marked by haggling with autorickshaw drivers who refuse to ply by meter.



The existing routes of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses, though expansive, fails to connect the city.



It is usually around 8.30 by the time I return from my French class. Commuting from the Metro station to my PG (paying guest) accommodation is a problem every evening. I end up paying double the amount of the actual fare. Even though it is quite a walk, I have no alternative on some days, says Khushi.



There are times when I book a cab on Ola or Uber through the share option from my class at Lodhi Road to GK-2, if the rate is cheap during that time, adds the teenager from Meerut.



Connectivity is not a problem specific to the posh areas. Returning home is a nightmare for those living in colonies situated far from Metro stations and bus stops. For many, getting home remains a challenge with changing at least two modes of transport and walking down the last stretch.



Sujata, a resident of Tughlakabad village, says the ride back from the nearest Metro station, Govindpuri, to her home involves first taking a battery-operated auto and then an overcrowded Gramin Sewa auto.



I have to pay at least Rs 15 for the two rides. But during night hours, the drivers of the Gramin Sewa autos and the battery-operated rickshaws overcharge. Plus, the walk from where the autos drop us to the colony is another 15 minutes, says Sujata, who works as a domestic help.



Putting up in colonies in remote areas is a major problem for a major chunk of the population that has to depend on public transport.



The existing options for last-mile connectivity fall short in the capital, feel commuters. The feeder buses would come to aid if the frequency is improved. Otherwise, we end up taking an auto after waiting for a long time for these buses to arrive, says Nivedita kapoor, a PhD student at Jawaharlal Nehru University.



For Nivedita, the nearest Metro station from her JNU hostel is Hauz Khas. I am usually charged around Rs 60 for an auto ride from the Metro station to the hostel. At a glance, this amount may not feel like a pinch on the pocket. But when you travel to and fro from the Metro station daily this amount adds up to a significant sum, she says.



Those who own private vehicles and would like to park their cars at Metro stations and take a train to work, the experience is no better.



The situation in south Delhi is extremely messy at the moment with the ongoing Metro construction work. People prefer not to travel by car due to the heavy traffic. However, commuting by Metro is not easy either, says Amisha, a resident of South Extension.



If I decide to take the Metro from AIIMS, INA or Green Park, then the major issue is the lack of parking lots at these Metro stations. When I think of settling for an autorickshaw, they do not charge anything less than Rs 50 and refuse to ferry passengers by meter. There is no pocket-friendly solution. Frequent feeder buses with good connectivity can resolve the existing problems, says Amisha.



Commuters say the government should deploy marshals as promised outside Metro stations. With several Metro stations having a deserted look at night, travellers feel unsafe. Deploying marshals would also help in dealing with autorickshaw drivers.

Deploying marshals would also keep a check on autorickshaw drivers charging commuters exorbitantly, besides making the areas safer, the South Extension resident adds.



There are practically no feeder buses available after 9 pm. Even if it is a compromise with safety, I end up hopping into an auto with another passenger who is going on the same route. The autorickshaw driver makes double or triple the amount from one trip and show less reluctance in ferrying commuters in this case, says Nishika (name changed).



Last-mile connectivity becomes the biggest challenge during the monsoon. With waterlogged areas near the Metro stations and heavy traffic, autodrivers refuse to ferry passengers even at exorbitant fares.



The situation is the worst when it rains. There are autorickshaw drivers at the Metro stations but they refuse to ferry you. I have paid Rs 100 for a distance that is Rs 50 by meter. But in several instances, I have waited at Metro stations for over an hour as the autorickshaw drivers would not take you to the destination even by overcharging you, if the route does not suit them or if there is traffic, says Priyanka Roy, a resident of Kalkaji DDA area.








Chief Minister reiterated his demand of full statehood for the capital while unveiling a statue of the first CM of Delhi Braham Prakash in Najafgarh on Saturday.





Recently, the High Court held that the Lieutenant Governor is the administrative head of Delhi. Kejriwal said that the first CM of Delhi also fought for providing full statehood to the capital.



When I was talking to Chaudhary Braham Prakash ji's son, he told me that Chaudhary ji was also fighting for complete statehood for Delhi in 1950-51 period, said Kejriwal, who had returned to Delhi after a 10-day vipassana course in Dharamsala.



We are also fighting to provide full statehood to Delhi, he added.



The CM said that the government has been striving for the development of Delhi by providing better services to the people. Why should the value of a vote of a Delhiite be any less than that of a vote of a local in Haryana? When a resident of Haryana votes, he gets a state government with more powers. When a Delhiite vote, he gets a government with different set of powers. Why this disparity? said the CM.



We Dehiites are also a part of this country. We live in the national capital, so we have more say to get a government which can take decisions independently," he added.

But our vote has no value. Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain said the file relating to the land pooling policy for developmental projects in the identified urbanised villages in Delhi is with the Centre.



Under the land pooling policy, 45 % of the land will be with the DDA. The Delhi government has written to the Centre asking for 10-12 % of the land for schools, hospitals, police stations, fire stations, playgrounds.



This is necessary. We have repeatedly asked for 10 plots from the DDA for constructing hospitals and we have not got it in the last one and a half years.



We are not sure if they will give us any plot later. So we have asked for the plots for welfare of the public in advance. We do not have the file.



The Delhi government is not delaying the land pooling policy but wants to implement it at the earliest, said Jain.



Along side new houses being constructed, adequate number of hospitals and schools should also come up, he added.



The Chief Minister said the file would be cleared in a day when the city government receives it. Kejriwal said that the statue will inspire people. Whenever locals including relatives of late Chaudhary Braham Prakash ji's met us over the past one year, they had demanded that the government should install a statue of the first CM of Delhi, said Kejriwal.



So that whenever they look at the statue, they can take inspiration from his life, he added.



The CM said that Brahm Prakash had led the freedom movement from the front.

He sacrificed everything for the struggle of independence, he added.


In provocative remarks, Pakistan today said it is dedicating its Independence Day to Kashmir's "freedom" and will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state.





The comments by Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit came during the country's Independence Day celebrations at its embassy here.



India had yesterday virtually turned down Pakistan's offer for a dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir seeking an end to Pak-supported cross-border terrorism.



Basit's comments came on a day when Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.



"As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we are dedicating this year's Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir. And we firmly believe that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir will not go in vain.



"The ongoing unrest should be ended. Pakistan will continue to extend its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self determination," Basit said.



Basit said that no matter "how much" force is used, the political aspiration of people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be suppressed, and that the "freedom movement" will reach its logical conclusion.



In his address, Basit said Pakistan has always strived for better ties with India on the basis of sovereign equality and peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes.



However, he said no one can "belittle" or wish away the "legitimate struggle" of the Kashmiri people and it was incumbent upon the international community to ensure implementation of the relevant UN resolutions to settle the dispute.



"Today our nation faces several challenges, but no power can cause any damage to Pakistan. People who want to trouble Pakistan, they should know that our people, be it Muslim, Hindu or Sikh, we are together and will not hesitate to make any sacrifice for Pakistan's well-being," he said.



India had yesterday 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 had said.


Curfew was today extended to several places in Kashmir in view of the separatists' call for a march to the heart of the city even as restrictions on the movement of people were in force in rest of the Valley.





"Curfew remained in force in entire Srinagar district and Anantnag town but was extended to several other places as a precautionary measure in view of the call for march to Lal Chowk by certain elements," a police official said.



He said curfew was imposed in Ganderbal town, Awantipora, Tral, Pampore, Baramulla town, Sopore town, Bandipora town, Kaloosa, Papchan and Ajar areas of the Valley.



"Curfew was also imposed in Wargam area of Beerwah in Budgam district following yesterday's sectarian clashes," he added.



Despite curfew, separatists elements managed to hoist Pakistan flags in many localities across Kashmir to mark the Independence Day of the neighbouring country, he said adding security forces pulled down the flags as soon as they were noticed.



Authorities suspended Internet and mobile services across the Valley yesterday as part of the security drill ahead of the Independence Day celebrations tomorrow.



While broadband services were snapped yesterday evening, the mobile telephony was suspended late last night, the official said.



"Only BSNL postpaid mobiles are working while broadband services are available only at Lal Chowk, Sonawar and Bemina telephone exchanges," he added.



Normal life remained paralysed for the 37th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8.



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 yesterday and today.



As many as 56 persons including two policemen have been killed and several thousand others have been injured in the clashes that began on July 9.



Meanwhile, a police spokesman said that nine incidents of stonpelting were reported.

"Stonepleting incidents were reported from Anantnag, Shopian, Awantipora, Baramulla, Sopore and Bandipora.



"Restrictions under section 144/CrPC remained in force in the Valley.

"However, curfew was imposed in Srinagar and in the towns of Anantnag, Awantipora, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Sopore and Bandipora," he said.



At Hillar in the jurisdiction of Police Station Kokernag in Anantnag, around 200 protesters tried to disrupt traffic movement on Hillar-Kokernag road.

They pelted stones on police and security forces, the spokesman said.

He said at Keegam in Shopian, a group of 500 people pelted stones on Police Post Keegam.

"At Tral, miscreants assembled at Shariefabad and Noor Masjid and pelted stones on security force deployments.



"At Azad Gunj in Baramulla, miscreants assembled and pelted stones on security force deployments," he added.



Similar incidents were reported from Bomai in Sopore and Nesu, Gulshanabad and Mantrigam in Bandipora, he said.



The law and order situation remained peaceful in other parts of Kashmir Valley, he said.


7 (b) How would you rate the professionalism of the staff? (c) How would you rate the overall service received? (d) How would you rate the value for money? 5. Do you have any other comments? We would like to share this information with other customers but if you would prefer it not to be seen by others please tick the box Feedback provider s name: Tel. No.: Date:

6 Feedback Form for Customers If you do decide to use any of the funeral directors on this list, we would like to hear from you. While there is no obligation on your part to provide feedback on the services you receive, any feedback you can give us is helpful. Once completed, please return the form to the British Embassy, Riyadh by post to (British Embassy, PO Box 94351, Riyadh 11693) or by to An electronic version of the form is available at Thank you for your help. 1. Name of firm: Name of funeral director: 2. Date of contact: Are any of the details on our list regarding this provider wrong? (e.g. address, telephone number, etc.) 3. What service did you need? 4. Why did you need this service? Please circle the appropriate boxes below: (a) If the service provided English speaking services, how would you rate the standard of English?

5 JEDDAH: 1. GULF AGENCY COMPANY Address: PO Box 2038, Jeddah 21451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tel: x 240, Fax: Website: Licensed to operate in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam & other ports of the Saudi Arabia. Specialisations: shipping, logistic, Marine, Oil & gas moving, Medical Assistance, Repatriation of human remains, Investigation of lost items etc. Experience of representing British nationals They also work for (Rowland Brothers International - UK) for Repatriation of human remains from Saudi Arabia. Staff speak Arabic, English, and their regional Asian languages

4 EASTERN PROVINCE 1. GULF AGENCY COMPANY Address: Dammam, Opposite Sheraton Hotel, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tel: /3/4 or , Fax: Website: Licensed to operate in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam & other ports of the Saudi Arabia. Specialisations: shipping, logistic, Marine, Oil & gas moving, Medical Assistance, Repatriation of human remains, Investigation of lost items etc. Experience of representing British nationals They also work for (Rowland Brothers International - UK) for Repatriation of human remains from Saudi Arabia. Staff speak Arabic, English, and their regional Asian languages

3 2. GULF AGENCY COMPANY Address: PO box 74, Riyadh 11411, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tel: ext. 11 / , Fax: Website: Licensed to operate in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam & other ports of the Saudi Arabia. Specialisations: shipping, logistic, Marine, Oil & gas moving, Medical Assistance, Repatriation of human remains, Investigation of lost items etc. Experience of representing British nationals They also work for (Rowland Brothers International - UK) for Repatriation of human remains from Saudi Arabia. Staff speak Arabic, English, and their regional Asian languages

2 List of funeral directors in Saudi Arabia Updated: November 2015 RIYADH 1. Kanoo Freight (Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Company Limited LLC) Address: P.O. Box 753, Riyadh 11421, Tel: , Fax: , Website: Specialisations: Freight forwarding, repartiation of human remains, customs clearance, 3PL (Project / chemical & Third Party Logistics}. The company are unable to liaise with Government authorities for preparation of documents for repartiation of human remains. The deceased s sponsor should arrange the required paperwork for airlines booking and further airport clearance. Staff speak English, Arabic, Urdu and Tagalog Services provided in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to anywhere across the globe.

1 List of funeral directors in Saudi Arabia Prepared by British Embassy, Riyadh The following list of funeral directors has been prepared by the British Embassy in Riyadh for the convenience of British Nationals who may require this service and assistance in Saudi Arabia. It is provided on the understanding that we the British Embassy do not assume or undertake any legal responsibility, to you, or those affected, if you choose to take it into account when instructing a local funeral director. Further and alternatively, we cannot accept any liability to any person or company for any financial loss or damage arising from the use of this information or from any failure to give information. Our aim is to provide our customers with as much relevant information to enable them to make better informed decisions but our lists are not recommendations and should not be treated as such.

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About 30 civilians have been killed in a massacre in an area of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that has been shaken by violence since 2014, the army said today.





Suspected rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a partly Islamist armed group of Ugandan origin, killed "about 30 people" in the town of Beni yesterday night, army spokesman Mak Hazukay told AFP. "We have just found their bodies."



The victims were found in the Rwangoma neighbourhood on the outskirts of Beni, Hazukay said, adding that "The search for the bodies continues."



Hazukay said the ADF rebels had "bypassed" army positions "to come and massacre the population in revenge" for military operations in the area.



Gilbert Kambale, a local civil society leader, said 35 bodies had been brought to Beni's hospital morgue.

Beni lies in North Kivu, a province that has seen a long spate of attacks that the government and United Nations blame on the ADF.



The Beni area in particular has seen numerous massacres since October 2014 that have in total left more than 600 civilians dead.



The ADF, opposed to Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, have been present in eastern DRC for more than 20 years.

The group has been accused of copious human rights abuses and is thought to be deeply embroiled in criminal networks funded by kidnappings, smuggling and logging.



Dozens of armed groups are active in North Kivu, where government troops have also been accused of preying on the civilian population.



The Rwangoma neighbourhood where the latest massacre took place lies on the edge of the Virunga national park, used as a hideout for armed groups.



The killings came three days after DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila visited the region, promising to do everything in his power to bring peace and security .

"It's worrying because the president of the republic came here and then we were massacred," Kambale said, adding that the attack took place between 7.00 PM and 11.00 PM yesterday.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today called for reforms at municipal and panchayat levels to complement the efforts of the Centre and the states to improve ease of doing business.



Both the Centre and the states' steps to promote ease of doing business will only be successful when it will percolate down to civic bodies as well, Jaitley said at a seminar in Durg district headquarters.



If investors wish to invest, they had to go through environment clearance, state government clearance and other clearances but if they do not get permission from local bodies like municipality or panchayat the entire procedure becomes worthless, he said.



"Reform is required at the lower level (civic bodies) along with Centre and state efforts to improve ease of doing business," Jaitley stressed. The minister also said India missed to take advantage of earlier global economic revolutions but now is emerging as the fastest growing economy despite recessionary trends in the world economy.



"Unfortunately, our country missed the earlier economic revolutions took place in the world. European countries, America and others attracted huge benefits of the industrial revolution. Similarly, small countries like Japan, Korea and Taiwan took advantage of technological innovation revolution.



"China took full advantage of the third revolution of low-cost manufacturing but India missed to take benefits of these global economic changes," he said.



"History never gives chance again and again but it appears that 'Hindustan' (India) has got another chance. Over the past two years, despite the slow pace of global economic growth, India has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies..It's time to think that where we are facing crises and how we can sort it out so as to emerge as an economic power," said the senior BJP leader.



Jaitley also said reforms in taxation are inevitable for development and introduction of Good and Services Tax (GST) is a major step towards this direction. He said this would help countrys economy with the global market.



Highlighting the challenges ahead, the Minister said our infrastructure like roads, airports needs to be upgraded to world class standards. He also asserted that businessmen have to develop a habit of paying tax, instead of saving tax, so that it could help contribute towards development.


Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today commended the armed forces for showing utmost restraint in tackling terrorists in Kashmir Valley despite "grave provocation" and stressed on the need to maintain vigil on borders as well as keeping assets in readiness.



In a customary address to the armed forces, the Defence Minister lauded them for the "strong and daring" response to the terrorists attack on the Pathankot air base and for effectively repulsing ceasefire violations as well as infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir.



"Our armed forces have shown utmost restraint in tackling terrorists in Kashmir Valley despite grave provocations," he said in his address on the All India Radio on the eve of Independence Day.



"You have also effectively repulsed all ceasefire violations in Jammu & Kashmir from across the border and attempts of terrorists to infiltrate into the country with nefarious designs," he added.



Talking about the Pathankot attack, he said the strong and daring response against terrorists who came fully armed from across the border to attack the the airbase was an inspiration to the nation.



"I commend the efforts put in by our Air Warriors and security forces to thwart this attack. I deeply mourn the martyrdom of seven of our bravehearts who laid down their lives for the cause of the nation in the counter action," he said.

"Therefore, we should keep our assets in readiness and be able to mobilise troops to forward positions at short notice.



"At the same time, there is the need to constantly upgrade and modernise our weapon systems and equipment," he said.



The Minister asserted that the government has taken many steps to streamline the procurement process and make it faster and transparent.



"I am sure this would help you in getting the best weapons and defence platforms in the shortest time," he said.



On the missing AN 32 aircraft, he said the next of kin of all crew and passengers are being informed and regular updates on the search operations are being given to them by nominated officials.



"Inputs from all sources are being thoroughly investigated by ships and aircraft, but friends it is very unfortunate that no concrete evidence with respect to missing aircraft has emerged so far," he said.



He said that the government is making all possible efforts to locate the missing aircraft.



Parrikar pointed out that the government has taken the historic decision to implement One Rank One Pension (OROP) in November last year and fulfilled the long standing demand of the defence personnel benefitting over 20 lakh ex-servicemen pensioners.



"I am happy to inform that Rs. 3819.33 crore have already been distributed to 18,90,635 defence forces pensioners towards OROP arrears/revised pension," he said.



On health care reforms, Parrikar said the Ministry has completely digitized the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).



A total of over 47 lakh beneficiaries have been covered under ECHS.

As of now the scheme is being run through 28 regional centres. A total of 1445 civil hospitals have been empanelled to provide cashless treatment to ECHS beneficiaries.



Parrikar said he has directed the Ministry to complete the Married Accommodation Project (MAP) on priority. This will provide nearly 2 lakh dwelling units for the married personnel near their places of posting.The third and final phase of MAP is soon expected to be implemented providing 71,000 more dwelling units, he said.
The graduation performance of the Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, held in the city recently, showcased the dancing prowess of 40 graduating students. Every performance was unique in itself and portrayed the skill, creativity, imagination and finesse of the dancers.





The performance was the culmination of the year-long programme, involving eight hours of intense training every day, in several dance forms. The evening also showcased the choreographies of five acclaimed international as well as Indian choreographers.

Jayachandran Palazhy, Artistic Director, Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, said, Its a very proud moment and a huge step forward in the Indian contemporary dance scene. We not only have had dancers from within our country train the students but we also have some acclaimed dancers from across the world, who have been a part of our programme.



He informed that they will soon start an advanced programme that will focus on a more in-depth advanced training. It will be a job-oriented programme after which students can choose to become teachers, choreographers and even professional dancers, he said.



The members of the audience comprised families, friends and well-wishers of the graduating students. The performances were a mix of contemporary, ballet, kalarippayattu and bharathanatyam among other forms. Sharing her experience, Pooja Sabarinath, one of the graduating students, said, We performed five pieces and all the renditions were a blend of ballet, classical and contemporary. Our performance called Links was inspired by the electrical wires which is linked to each other.



Jeetu Pardeshi, another student and a native of Pune, said, We were inspired by birds and nature. Our performance was a mix of kalarippayattu and bharathanatyam. I hope to start teaching dance after graduation.



Abha, another student, moved to Bengaluru from Canada, a few years ago and the first thing that she did was to enrol herself at the Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts. Ive always been passionate about dance and yoga. The forms of dance taught at the Centre help me take both my interests forward. Weve had the freedom to mix different styles and come up with something unique, she said.



The students were also trained by acclaimed choreographers Stefano Fardelli from Italy, Carlos Pons Guerra from UK and Attila Egerhazi from Hungary. The choreography of bharathanatyam was by Minal Prabhu and Kalarippayattu by Gurkkal Raamkumar who was assisted by Sreerag. Sharing his thoughts on the programme, Carlos, one of the choreographers said, I am a trained ballet dancer and in this graduation programme, Ive linked ballet with Indian classical forms. I was inspired to create a performance after watching the traffic in Bengaluru. It is so chaotic yet the movement is so seamless. Attila Egerhazi, another choreographer said, he based some of the performances that he worked with during this graduation on the subjects given to him. The choreographies change according to the subject but the common element remains theatre. Ive mixed dance and theatre. The two are very powerful mediums of communication, Attila said.


Filing a complaint against an airline or airport operator for deficiency in services is going to be just a click away for fliers, with the Civil Aviation Ministry planning to set up a dedicated portal for the purpose.





The complaints from passengers recieved through the portal will be sent directly to the nodal officer of the airline or airport operator concerned, who will have to redress the grievances in a time-bound manner, sources said.



A brainchild of Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, the proposed grievance redressal platform will enable aggrieved fliers to file their complaints directly on the portal, as well as check the status, they said.



The proposal to set up such a platform came after Sinha took a meeting of various stakeholders last week, during which he discussed various air passenger-related issues, among others.



Discussed ways to improve air travel experience of passengers with various stakeholders of the aviation ecosystem, Sinha tweeted after the meeting.



The government has, of late, taken several passenger-centric measures, including capping of ticket cancellation charges, as well as enhancing compensation to fliers for both denied boarding and delayed flights.
The Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Amartya recovered an adrift waverider buoy belonging to National Institute of Oceanography at 7-km South West of Kasargod on Saturday.





A press statement by the Indian Coast Guard said that the National Institute of Oceanography had deployed a directional waverider buoy of Honnavar for research work in oceanography. Due to the prevailing rough sea conditions and strong waves, the buoy had uprooted and started to drift.



Diversion



On receipt of the information, immediately Coast Guard Karnataka diverted its ships to search and locate the data buoy, which is a sophisticated national property. After elaborate search, the ICGS Amartya located the adrift buoy using its electronic surveillance camera at South West of Kasargod.



Despite the challenging sea conditions, the buoy was recovered safely by the ship. After recovery, it has been handed over to National Institute of Oceanography.



DIG K R Suresh TM, the Commander of Coast Guard Karnataka appreciated the efforts of the ship and advised the ICG Ships to be alert for the safety and security of Karnataka state.
Some of the voices inside Caroline Whites head have been a lifelong comfort, as protective as a favourite aunt. It was the others  youre nothing, theyre out to get you, to kill you  that led her down a rabbit hole of failed treatments and over a decade of hospitalisations, therapy and medications, all aimed at silencing those internal threats.





At a support group at Holyoke, Massachusetts for so-called voice-hearers, however, she tried something radically different. She allowed other members of the group to address the voice, directly: What is it you want?



After I thought about it, I realised that the voice valued my safety, wanted me to be respected and better supported by others, said White, 34, who, since that session in late 2014, has become a leader in a growing alliance of such gro-ups, called the Hearing Voices Network (HVN).



At a time when the US Congress is debating measures to extend the reach of mainstream psychiatry  particularly to the severely psychotic, who often end up in prison or homeless  an alternative kind of mental health care is taking root that is very much anti-mainstream.



It is largely non-medical, focused on holistic recovery rather than symptom treatment, and increasingly accessible through an assortment of in-home services, residential centres and groups like the voices network White turned to, in which members help one another understand each voice, as a metaphor, rather than try to extinguish it.



For the first time in the US, experts say, psychiatrys critics are mounting a sustained, broadly based effort to provide people with practical options, rather than solely alleging abuses like over-medication and involuntary restraint.



The reason these programmes are proliferating now is societys shameful neglect of the severely ill, which creates a vacuum of great need, said Dr Allen Frances, a professor emeritus of psychiatry at Duke University.



Dr Chris Gordon, who directs a programme with an approach to treating psychosis called Open Dialogue at Advocates in Worcester, Massachusetts, calls the alternative approaches a collaborative pathway to recovery and a paradigm shift in care. The Open Dialogue approach involves a team of mental health specialists who visit homes and discuss the crisis with the affected person  without resorting to diagnostic labels or medication, at least in the beginning.



Some psychiatrists are wary, they say, given that medication can be life-changing for many people with mental problems, and rigorous research on these alternatives is scarce.



I would advise anyone to be carefully evaluated by a psychiatrist with expertise in treating psychotic disorders before embarking on any such alternative programmes, said Dr Ronald Pies, a professor of psychiatry at SUNY Upstate University, in Syracuse, New York. Many, though not all, patients with acute psychotic symptoms are too seriously ill to do without immediate medication, and lack the family support that those programmes generally rely on.



Alternative care appears to be here to stay, however. Private donations for such programmes have topped $5 million, according to Virgil Stucker, the executive director of CooperRiis, a residential treatment community in North Carolina.



A recently formed nonprofit, the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care, has made several grants, including $160,000 to start an Open Dialogue programme at Emory University and $250,000 to study the effect of HVN groups on attendees, according to Gina Nikkel, the president and CEO of the foundation. Both programmes have a long track record in Europe.



Recently, White and seven others who hear voices gathered at the Holyoke Centre of the Western Massachusetts Recovery Learning Community, which hosts weekly 90-minute hearing voices groups, to talk about what happens in those sessions.



The group meetings themselves, guided by a person who hears voices, sometimes accompanied by a therapist, are open to family members but closed to the news media. The culture is explicitly non-psychiatric: No one uses the word patient or refers to the sessions as treatment.



We need to be very careful that these groups do not become medicalised in any way, said Gail Hornstein, a professor of psychology at Mount Holyoke College and a founding figure for the American hearing voices groups, which have tripled in number over the past several years, to more than 80 groups in 21 states.



Most of the people in the room had extensive experience being treated in the mainstream system. I was told I was a ticking time bomb, that Id never finish college, never have a job, never have kids, and always be on psychiatric medication, said Sarah, a student at Mount Holyoke who for years has heard a voice  a child, crying  and in college started having suicidal thoughts. She was given diagnoses of borderline personality disorder and put on medications that had severe side effects. She asked that her last name not be used, to preserve her privacy.



In the group, other members prompted her to listen to the childs cries, to ask whose they were, and why the crying? Those questions led, over a period of weeks, to a recollection of a frightening experience in her childhood, and an effort to soothe the child. This altered her relationship with the voice, she said, and sometimes the child now laughs, whispers, even sings.



That is the way it works here, said Sarah, who is set to graduate from college with honors. In the group, everyones experience is real, and they make suggestions based on what has worked for them.



Reduced dosages

Like many of the other alternative models of care, Hearing Voices Network is not explicitly anti-medication. Many people who regularly attend have prescriptions, but many have reduced dosages.



I walked in the door on Thorazine and thought I couldnt get better, Marty Hadge said. About all I could do is lie on the couch, and the doctors would say, Hey, youre doing great  youre not getting in trouble!



Hadge is now a group leader who trains others for that role. He no longer takes Thorazine or any other anti-psychosis medication.



Not everyone benefits from airing their voices, therapists say. The pain and confusion those internal messages cause can overwhelm any effort to understand or engage.



People will come to our programme because theyre determined not to be on medication, said Gordon, the medical director of Advocates. But thats not always possible. The idea is to give people as many options as we can, to allow them to come up with their own self-management programme.



To do that, proponents of alternative care have much work to do. The programmes are spread thin, and to scale up, they will probably have to set aside their native distrust of mainstream psychiatry to form alliances with clinics. But the culture gap between alternative and mainstream approaches to psychosis and other mental problem remains deep, and most psychiatrists and insurers will need to see some evidence before forming partnerships.



Last month, the influential journal Psychiatric Services published the first study of the Open Dialogue programme in the United States, led by Gordon and Dr Douglas Ziedonis of the University of Massachusetts.



The results are encouraging: Nine of 14 young men and women enrolled in the programme for a year after a psychotic episode were still in school or working. Four are doing well without medication; the others started or continued on anti-psychosis drugs. Insurance covered about a quarter of the overall costs. Its tiny, just a pilot study, Gordon said. But its a start.




Going by the spate of recent killings in Turkey, Iraq and Bangladesh and a general link of such atrocities to Islamic terror groups, India feels rightly wary as it is vulnerable to myriad forms of insurgencies. But the availability of easy arms should cause sufficient alarm and it is about time that we trained our guns, literally, on the international networks that feed it.



It is well documented how Chinese arms manufacturing companies regularly sell small arms  portable lethal weapons like AK series rifles, light and sub-machine guns, grenades etc  to insurgents in the Northeast India. China, in fact, holds the key to the availability of weapons and ammunition among the rebel groups in Northeast India that is keeping the pot of insurgency boiling in this far-eastern frontier.



Binalakshmi Nepram, author of book South Asias Fractured Frontier: Armed Conflict, Narcotics and Small Arms Proliferation in Indias Northeast, has revealed that many parts of South Asia, and in particular the Northeast region of India, are fragmented societies run on guns and drugs.



She says how the region is being flooded with a frightening influx of small arms and narcotics and resulting in proliferation of groups armed by China, Pakistan, Burmese rebels and other Southeast Asian states, and criminal groups. There is no audit of the huge arms inventory of the insurgent groups in the Northeast. The Chittagong Hills Tract provided free access to at least 25 Indian armed groups that ran thriving empires of narcotics, arms-running and other illicit trade.



The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) should take a serious look into how the ring of narco-insurgency has spread its shadow across the seven states of the Northeast exacerbated by a massive international border which runs through difficult, porous and changing terrain and which touches several nations.



Nepram observes that narco-trafficking and insurgency, coupled with extortion, form a menacing ring which includes politicians, rebel groups and common people. The illicit trafficking in narcotics is often linked to arms smuggling, insurgency and organised crime. Illegal trade in narcotics and arms generate billion of dollars in the black market and is the major source of funding terrorism, insurgency and organised crime, with international ramifications.



The proliferation of cross-border illegal arms accounts for a spate of terrorism and insurgency. Following the arms haul in Chittagong port on April 2, 2004, by far the largest seizure of illicit arms in the history of Bangladesh, it was found out that Chinese arms and ammunition were headed for two armed Indian groups, ULFA and NSCN(IM).



Bangla-desh and Myanmar have been the key transit routes through which small arms made in China reaches the Northeast.



Arms from the Southeast Asian nations have either been routed through Bangladesh (via the Garo Hills route in Meghalaya) or have come through the porous Indo-Myanmar border at Moreh. For Nepal, the Terai region bordering India is a leaky point.



How alarming is the situation? Past the killings of eight soldiers after a Central Reserve Police Force convoy was ambushed by terrorists recently in Pampore in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, it was found that the two assailants subsequently killed were carrying AK-47s and hand grenades. Incidentally, the CRPF personnel were returning from a firing practice in Lathpora when their six-vehicle convoy was fired upon on a highway on the outskirts of Srinagar.



According to state Home Department officials, security forces have seized nearly 31,000 AK rifles of various series from the militants and their hideouts in the state till 2012 since the eruption of militancy in 1990. It was observed that the quantity of arms and ammunition recovered by security forces from militants in Jammu and Kashmir over the two decades is enough to raise an army larger than that of 150-member countries of the United Nations.



Late N S Saxena, former DGP, Uttar Pradesh, once noted in a report that there were more firearms, both licensed and unlicensed, with individuals in Moradabad district than in the whole of United Kingdom or Japan. According to the data from the MHA, out of all fatalities that occurred across the country between 2009 and 2013, around 90% involved unlicensed weapons.



Most-armed society

According to the website gunpolicy.org, there are an estimated 40 million firearms in the hands of civilians and only about 6.3 million of these are registered. That makes India the second most-armed society in the world next to the United States. A 2011 survey conducted by the India Armed Violence Assessment Institute, Delhi confirms the estimate. It took note of the fact that four of the top five most violent cities (Meerut, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kanpur) in terms of murder by firearms are located in UP.



And as a footnote, one can add that small arms play an important part in jeopardising the electoral process, mindful of the fact that Assembly elections are due in UP in early 2017.



In the course of the Assembly elections in West Bengal, it was found that the state had one of the highest rates of violent crimes as per the National Crime Records Bureau. While Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia districts are the arms-making and smuggling hubs, the Maoist areas of Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram are places where weapons are collected and stored.



The rise of Birbhum as one of the most troubled districts has to be accounted for the huge inflow of arms. Recently, a key suspect, a resident of Labhpur in Birbhum district, with possible links to Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) as well as with Islamic State was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The Indian Arms Act of 1959 does not envisage strict penalties for illegal possession of firearms.



Guns dont kill people, people kill people, goes the dictum of the National Rifle Association. But Indias internal security would be beefed up, if it prevents arms from falling into wrong hands.
Saturdays event on human rights abuses in Kashmir has snowballed into a controversy. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), on Sunday protested outside United Theological College (UTC) where the programme was held even as Kashmiri voices criticised its hypernationalism.





The Bengaluru police detained 35 ABVP activists when their protests turned violent and they damaged the college board and a few light bulbs. They were later let off.



Meanwhile, police are acting cautiously on a written complaint given by the ABVP for action against people who raised pro-Kashmir slogans at Saturdays event.



Amnesty International India, which had organised Broken Families, an interaction with families of Kashmiri youth killed in fake encounters, called for empathising with the victims and said the media must not publicise troublemakers.



K S R Charan Reddy, Additional Commissioner of Police (West), told Deccan Herald that they were checking the footage of the event. The subject will be broached with senior police officers and then a case will be registered against the guilty under appropriate sections, he said. Another senior police officer said they were trying to contact the organiser.



The ABVP has upped the ante. Prem S, member of the ABVPs national council, objected to anti-India slogans. The Indian army is keeping us safe from terrorists, so how could they raise slogans against them, he said and demanded action against the organisers and the sloganeers. He said the ABVP did not want an atmosphere similar to JNU to be created in a peaceful city like Bengaluru. The outfit also demanded that Amnesty International be banned and its activities investigated. It also sought a ban on United Theological College because we have heard rumours that it conducts several such anti-national events.



They (Amnesty International) gave the police false information that the event was about human rights violations in Kashmir when it was actually an anti-national event to mislead the youth, Prem suggested.



Tanveer Ajsi, a Kashmiri art professional who was present at the event on Saturday, slammed the ABVP for creating a ruckus at the venue. People have a low opinion of the ABVP but when it comes to the Kashmir issue they are suddenly seen as custodians of nationalism, he said.



He urged people to look at genuine sentiments of Kashmiris, not the slogans. Kashmiris are oppressed in their own land. The prime minister talks about the plight of people in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, but what about those in India Occupied Kashmir, he demanded.



Amnesty International India released a statement, saying that as a matter of policy it does not take any position in favour of or against demand for self-determination.



The statement also quoted Tara Rao, Programmes Director, Amnesty International India, as saying, It is important that media attention to the conduct of some of those who attended the event not serve as a distraction from the important issues of the denial of truth and justice to those who have suffered in Jammu and Kashmir.




Transcription

1 Tony Salvatore, MA Suicide Risk in Adult Offenders: The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide PA Association on Probation, Parole and Corrections May 23, 2011

2 Objectives: 1. Review explanatory power of prevailing theories in accounting for suicide in criminal justice settings. 2. Describe the interpersonal theory of suicide and its value in understanding suicide risk in adult offenders. 3. Describe the utility of the interpersonal theory in achieving further gains in suicide prevention in criminal justice settings.

3 Quiz: 1. Where do most prison suicides occur? [ ] General Pop. [ ] Med Unit [ ] Isolation 2. When do most jail suicides occur? [ ] 0-72 Hrs. [ ] >72 Hrs. [ ] No Difference 3. Any criminal justice contact raises suicide risk. [ ] True [ ] False 4. Which causes the most post-prison deaths? [ ] Suicide [ ] Homicide [ ] CV Disease

4 Site of Most Prison Suicides: Studies have consistently shown that most prison suicides occur when inmates are in isolation. (Bonner, 2001; Hayes, 2003; Winter, 2003) Inmates in segregation are significantly more likely to report higher levels of depression and suicidal ideation (Bonner, 2006)

5 Jail Suicides Timeframe: In 2005 and 2006 only 12% of suicides in US jails occurred during holding (i.e., <72 hours) while almost 88% took place during detention (i.e., >72 hours) National Institute of Corrections and National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, National Study of Jail Suicides, The data indicate that inmate suicide no longer occurs mostly during the first 24 hours of confinement and can occur at any time during an inmate s confinement. (Hayes, 2010)

6 Criminal Justice Contact & Risk: A study of >27000 Danish suicides (Webb et al., 2011) indicated that the odds of completing suicide rose for both men and women after any criminal justice contact. The link between higher risk and criminal justice contact applied even with probation and not-guilty verdicts. It was not clear if pre-existing suicide risk or interaction with the criminal justice system was the cause.

7 Causes of Death After Prison: Five leading CODs in former Washington state inmates: Overdose (Cocaine) 29.3% Cardiovascular disease 16.2% Homicide 15.6% Suicide 11.4% Cancer (Lung) 9.9% Binswanger et al., 2007

8 Suicidality in PA: In 2008, 1512 suicides (.012%) in a population of 12.4M, an average of 4.1 suicides every day In 2006, 10,357 suicide attempts in PA that resulted in hospitalization (SPRC) There were an average of 28.4 medically serious attempts every day statewide (SPRC) It may be estimated that in PA every year: 500,000 experience serious suicidal ideation 285,000 make a doable suicide plan

9 Questions: Why is non-fatal suicidality (i.e., thoughts, plans, and attempts) comparatively common? Why is fatal suicidal behavior (i.e., completed suicides) comparatively uncommon? Why do so few of those who become suicidal complete suicide?

10 Possible Answers: 1. Effective suicide prevention efforts deter high-risk individuals from suicide 2. Those who complete suicide and those who become suicidal but do not complete suicide represent two distinct populations 3. It is difficult to take one s life because of a deep-seated instinct for self-preservation

11 Prison Suicide Trend? 85% of prisoners who completed suicide had histories of psychiatric care (Cox, 2003) Rates of suicide in jails and prisons have stabilized since 2000 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2007) Of the inmates who completed suicide in the TX Prison System in , 51% had a psychiatric disorder, and 49% did not (Baillargeon et al., 2009) Voluntary and mandated institutional suicide prevention may have reduced suicide mortality among inmates with mental illness (Hanson, 2010)

12 Theory of Suicide: Provides testable explanations of behavior Provides a system for organizing what is known Provides clarity among types of suicidal behavior Provides assessment tools Provides a pathway to predictability Provides a paradigm a widely accepted explanatory context shaping research, training, and policy* *Thomas Kuhn The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962)

13 Suicide Research: Focuses on the variations between suicidal and nonsuicidal individuals. Differences are seen as risk factors and, very often, their absence is been interpreted as protective factors. Such research has not reduced suicidal behavior or increased predictive efficacy. Rogers and Lester Understanding Suicide: Why We Don t and How We Might (2010)

14 What we Know: A great deal about underlying conditions Who completes suicide The hows, wheres, and whens The methods, places, and seasons But not why: What we do not know kills. Kay Redfield Jamison Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide (1999)

15 Offender Suicide Profiles (WHO): Pre-trial Male 20-25, unmarried, first-time offender arrested for minor, usually substance related, offense; typically intoxicated at the time of arrest; completes suicide at an early stage of their confinement. Sentenced Male 30-35, violent offender who completes suicide after considerable time in custody (often 4-5 years); suicide may be precipitated by a conflict with other inmates or the administration, family conflict, or loss of an appeal or denial of parole.

16 Problems with Profiles: Insufficient for Screening - Do not permit staff to distinguish between suicidal and non-suicidal inmates. Insufficient for Risk Assessment Produce many false positives (i.e., individuals who fit the profile but do not show signs of suicidality). Insufficient for Prevention Programming

17 Prevailing Theories: Hopelessness Suicide results from diminished self-worth caused by an extreme state of hopelessness. Aaron Beck Psychache Suicide results from intolerable psychological pain caused by frustrated emotional needs. Edwin Shneidman Emotional Dysregulation Suicide results from an effort to regulate emotions because normal controls failed. Marsha Linehan

18 Theory Validity: A valid theory of suicide must account for: How people come to complete suicide Why so few people complete suicide The prevailing theories do not Explain how people are led to suicide as a result of hopelessness, psychache, or emotional dysregulation Explain why the indicated emotional states (which are all much more pervasive than suicide) produce so few completed suicides

19 Prevailing Paradigm: Suicide is a voluntary decision (i.e., it is committed ) Suicide is almost always an impulsive act Suicide is driven by depression and mental illness Suicide is a complex biopsychosocial phenomena Suicide is not predictable Suicide is nominally preventable

20 Suicidality as Process: Fixed Factors + Latent Factors - Protective Factors + Precipitating Factors = Outcome Family Hx Attempts Abuse/ Trauma/ Violence Gender Age Race Veteran Accessible Means D&A Use Self-injury Presuicidality Resilience Support Good Coping Values Mental Illness Pain Selfnegation Help- Seeking Treatment Specific Plan & Means Threshold Suicidality Trigger/ Stressor Crisis Attempt

21 Interpersonal Psychological Theory: Belief of being burden Belief not belonging Prior attempts Access to guns Trauma/abuse Hx of violence Self-injury Hx Mental practice Extremely Strong Desire to Die Suicide Capable of Lethal Self-harm Joiner (2005)

22 Perceived Burdensomeness: The belief or feeling of being a unbearable burden on family, friends, or society Sense of being a burden on those one cares about Belief that one is a liability to these others Belief of failing to contribute as expected Belief that one s death would be worth more than one s life Reversible

23 Failed Belongingness: A sense of failure regarding maintaining social relationships and connections An strong unmet need to belong Involves a lack of frequent, positive social interaction Sense of not being cared about by others Perceived inability to connect with others Reversible

24 Acquired Capability: The acquired ability to engage in or to withstand violence or painful behavior The degree to which one overcomes fear of death and the instinct for self-preservation The degree to which this capacity is developed overtime by exposure to fearful, provocative, and/or hurtful experiences Irreversible

25 Capability Suicidal Intent: Capability for lethal self-harm can be present without desire to complete suicide Capability may be acquired through medical, military, or law enforcement training or other activities Capability may be acquired through role-based exposure to the pain and trauma of others Police/correctional officers, veterans, active duty military, MDs/DOs, DDSs, RNs, EMTs acquire capability on job

26 Suicidal Ideation: 34% of ideators plan an attempt, most within year Suicidal thoughts may be source of relief, control (Hendin) As distress arises thoughts may be drawn on (Beck) Habituates client to the idea of suicide overtime (Joiner).

27 Mental Practice May occur after a specific suicide plan has been formulated Involves repeatedly running through the plan in one s mind Has effect of lessening resistance to carrying out plan and making an attempt Represents extremely high risk because it raises suicide competence

28 Aborted Attempt Intent to die, plan, and means are present Change of mind immediately before attempt No act or physical injury (but still traumatizing ) Strongly associated with actual suicide attempts Barber et al. (1998)

29 Suicide Rehearsal May occur after a specific suicide plan has been formulated Involves practicing the plan one or more times (i.e., holding gun or pills, visiting bridge or RR tracks) Has effect of lessening resistance to making an attempt Represents extremely high risk because it raises suicide competence

30 Acquired Capability Emergence: Fear-inducing Events Habituation To Fear = Courage Acquired Capability Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse Physically Painful Events Habituation To Pain = Tolerance Smith & Curowicz (2010)

31 Non-belongingness Signs: Living alone with little apparent social interaction Divorce or separation ( traumatic betrayal ) Recent relationship loss Recent deaths, especially to suicide (also family Hx) No social network at the facility Isolation or segregation in correctional settings Anxiety over transfer or release

32 Burdensomeness Signs: Recent loss of job, financial autonomy, foreclosure Feels unable to help family; belief that caused problems for others or fell short of expectations Pending litigation, sentencing, new legal problems Onset of disability, exacerbation of chronic illness Initial diagnosis, early stage of serious mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia) Shame of offense, incarceration, failed rehabilitation Extended sentence; parole violation Inmates with frequent family visits

33 Signs of Acquired Capability: Past suicide attempt(s), especially if requiring medical care and hospitalization Frequent exposure to violence Past/current non-suicidal self-injury (e.g., cutting) Abuse/bullying victim or perpetrator Intravenous drug use Exposure to severe trauma, chronic pain Violent offender; crimes against persons

34 Suicide in Violent Offenders: Violent offenders in both local jails (92/100,000) and State prisons (19/100,000) had suicide rates over twice as high as those of nonviolent offenders (31 and 9 per 100,000 respectively). Kidnappers had the highest suicide rate, followed by those held for rape or homicide. Mumola, Suicide and Homicide in State Prisons and Local Jails (2005)

35 Belongingness Questions: Do you feel close to people that you care about? Do you often feel that you are isolated and not part of anything? Do you feel that nobody cares about you? Do you have a sense that you can t connect with other people the way that you d like to? Did you lose a social relationship that was very important to you?

36 Burdensomeness Questions: Do you feel that those who care about you would be better off if you were dead? Do you think that you are a burden to your family and others? Do you feel that you have let people down? Would people in your life like to be rid of you? Do you feel that you would be worth more dead than alive?

37 Capability Questions: Have you ever attempted suicide? Have you ever had a plan for suicide? Did you rehearse or try out your plan? Have you ever experienced persistent suicidal ideation? Have you served in the military? Have you experienced abuse, violence, or trauma? Do you feel that you can handle pain better than others?

38 Suicide Risk Levels: Low Moderate Severe Extreme No capability /Capability & Feels connected and not a burden No Hx No capability /Capability& Feels disconnected or a burden No Hx Capability Feels disconnected or a burden Hx suicidality No plan Capability Feels disconnected & a burden Hx suicidality Specific plan

39 Suicide Bigger Threat for Police Than Criminals Alison Cowan April 8, 2008 NORWALK, Conn. When Matthew Morelli, a 38-year-old police officer, was found slumped in a secluded parking lot with an AK-47 rifle on March 21, state and local authorities spent two days looking for a suspect, with helicopters and police dogs scouring the neighborhood, where witnesses reported hearing multiple shots. The culprit turned out to be a stealthy if surprisingly familiar cop killer: suicide.

40 Back Story: Officer Morelli became a Marine after high school and was decorated for his service in Operation Desert Storm Officer Morelli was locked in an international battle with his ex-wife over their 6-year old daughter Officer Morelli sought sole custody of the child, but the divorce settlement allowed his ex to remain in Australia Officer Morelli accused his ex-wife of running up $11,000 on credit cards he was not aware she had

41 Morelli Case IPT Assessment: Belongingness Burdensomeness Capability - Divorce - Custody loss - Lost social ties - Financial loss - Control loss - Powerlessness - Self-esteem hit - Marine - Combat - Police Officer - Scuba Unit - Firearms

42 Three Risk Groups: 1. Inmates who deal with a problem by with threats and/or self-harm until they get an acceptable solution. 2. Inmates who make threats and/or self-harm to relieve overwhelming emotions (and who may show symptoms of borderline personality disorder). 3. Inmates who are severely depressed and hopeless and manifest strong intent to die. Bonner 2001

43 Forms of Suicidality: Chronic Suicidality Frequent suicide threats Contingent threats Low intent to die Low/growing self-harm ability Low/growing risk Acute Suicidality Episodic suicide threats Noncontingent threats Higher intent to die Higher self-harm capability High/imminent risk

44 Suicide Threats: Contingent Dramatic, demanding Secondary gain Self-investment Legal involvement Refuge seeking Substance use Personality Disorder Non-contingent Silent, passive Escape from pain Hopelessness Social withdrawal Few demands Major Depression Lambert (2002, 2003)

45 Sorting Out Suiciders: IPT Risk Variable/ Suicidal Group Problemsolving Threateners Emotional Relief Threateners Depressed/ Hopeless Threateners Belief of being a Burden May be Present Often Present Always Present Belief of Not belonging May be Present Often Present Always Present Capability for Lethal Self-harm Very Rarely Present Rarely Present Always Present

46 Emerging Paradigm: Suicide is a planned act and the outcome of a process Suicide is predominantly a psychosocial phenomena Suicide is not primarily driven by mental illness Suicidality has a lethal and a non-lethal form Suicide is predictable Suicide is increasingly preventable

47 Risk Along the Continuum: Intercept Risk Potential Prevention? Police Contact/Arrest Low Detention/Hearing Pre-trial/Jail/Trial County/State Prison Pre-Release/Release Community Supervision Moderate Severe Extreme Severe Moderate

48 Contact Info/Sources: Tony Salvatore Montgomery County Emergency Service 50 Beech Drive Norristown, PA Joiner, T. (2005) Why People Die by Suicide Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Joiner, T. et al. (2009) The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
On the occasion of the Independence Day, the state government has ordered the release of prisoners from various prisons in the state on Monday evening.





The government has ordered for the release of 289 prisoners, including 48 women.

120 from Bengaluru



As many as 120, including 21 women will be released from the Bangalore Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara. All the 289 are being released based on their good conduct during the time they served in jails. The male inmates have completed 14 years of imprisonment, while the women have served 10 years in jail, according to the Prison Department officials.


Delighted classical music lovers got to enjoy a line-up of performances which started at dusk on Sunday and lasted till the day broke on Monday.





An all-night concert was organised by Symbiosis School of Media and Communication (SSMC), in collaboration with SPIC MACAY (Society for the promotion of Indian classical music and Culture Amongst Youth). Over 2,000 people gathered on the lawns of Symbiosis International University in Electronics City for the event, entry for which was free.



The concert was inaugurated at 7 pm by renowned flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Other artistes who performed are Magsaysay awardee and celebrated Carnatic vocalist Vidwan T M Krishna, Chitravina player Vidwan N Ravikiran and Hindustani vocalist Pandit Venkatesh Kumar. The event also had a Kathakali performance by renowned Kathakali exponent Kottakkal Chandrashekharan.



It was very much like a picnic under the stars. For the comfort of the audience, instead of chairs, mattresses were provided along with cushions. To shield them from Bengalurus chilly nights, blankets were also provided by Symbiosis University.



An amphitheatre-like structure was also created at the back for people to sit and watch. Care was taken to ensure that senior citizens were not inconvenienced. Bio-toilets close to the venue were set up for them, besides tents if they want to rest.



Food was available through the night, with the menu changing every few hours for variety.



Cuisines from Kashmir to Kerala were served. The students of SSMC wanted to make sure that the event was as eco-friendly as possible. In keeping with this aim, kullads (clay cups), steel cups and plates were used, instead of disposable dishes. Nibin Gregory, a student organiser, said, We have not printed any flexes for the event. We have only used cloth banners. To save paper, we sent out only e-invites, instead of passes.



They worked with ELCITA (Electronic City Industrial Township Authority) to make it a zero-garbage event.
Obesity is rising among young people in Bengaluru, with most of them having other co-morbid conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, doctors say.





The National Family Health Survey, conducted by the Union government, has found at least 32% women and 26% men in Bengaluru obese or overweight. This size of the population has a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25, which is considered overweight. (BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women).



Just last week, doctors at Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research saw a woman as young as 34 suffering a massive heart attack. Dr C N Manjunath, director of the institute, told Deccan Herald that they were seeing more young people having a range of cardiac ailments, from hypertension to coronary artery disease.



We see more and more obese patients with hypertension. Usually they also have diabetes. Then, many overweight people also have coronary artery disease, he said.



Doctors blame the prevalence of obesity on lifestyle. Dr Manjunath said that most of the obese patients led a sedentary lifestyle while some had hereditary causes. There is a lack of exercise, too, he added.



Dr Ajith Benedict Royan, director, Hosmat Hospital, said the problem was more common among women than men as per the trend they had been seeing. Most women now lead a sedentary lifestyle, hence they tend to be obese.



The food intake is more and they burn less calories. They dont exercise, and technology has made it easy to quickly finish household chores, he said.



Orthopaedic disorders is another problem the obese face. Wear and tear of knees is common among obese people. Since the knees tend to bear the brunt, they come under a lot of pressure and suffer damage, Dr Royan said.



Some of the patients come in such severe conditions that knee replacement becomes necessary.


A head constable was manhandled by a group of four drunk women and men near MG Road Metro station in the early hours of Sunday.





According to the police, around 12:45 am, Ahana, Assa, Shreyas and Jitin had picked up a fight with the employees of a pub on MG Road. The staff alerted the Cubbon Park police.



Revanasiddappa, a head constable attached to Cubbon Park police station, found that the four left the pub. After a while, the head constable found them near MG Road Metro station. The gang of four complained to the cop that they were ill-treated by the pub employees, the police said.



Revanasiddappa asked them to lodge a complaint at the police station but they refused. The head constable alerted the Hoysala patrol vehicle, and by the time the patrol squad could reach the spot, the drunk men and women manhandled the cop.



They were taken to the police station, where they created ruckus. They again picked a fight when they were taken for medical examination at the Bowring hospital, added the police.



A case was filed against the group of four drunk men and women at the Cubbon Park police station and they were arrested.
The construction work on an elevated Metro line from Puttenahalli Cross station to Anjanapura Road Cross station is seeing visible progress with the erection of piers on this stretch.





This 6.29-km line consisting of five stations is part of the Metro Phase-II project (Reach 4A & 4B) which will pass through Kanakapura road in Bengaluru south. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has awarded the contract to Nagarjuna Constructions Company Limited (NCCL) for Rs 508.86 crore.



The NCCL has fully set up 227 piles of the total 1,722 piles at Anjanapura Road Cross station, Krishna Leela Park station and Vajarahalli station among others. The pile foundation work will be followed by erecting piers (pillars) that holds the viaduct where gauge rails will be fixed.



Barricading, cross trenching, road widening and drain works and foundation works at station locations are in progress. NCCL has set up their casting yard near Agara Cross, off Tataguni village, a senior BMRCL official said. The process of acquiring eight acres of land is almost over.



On cutting and pruning of trees up to Nice Road, the BMRCL is yet to receive permission from the BBMP (Forest department) and the tree committee. After the Nice Road, 34 trees out of 44 are have been cut till now and transplantation of two trees is over, an official statement stated.



Meanwhile, the BMRCL has awarded the work of partial demolition of buildings to Sai Retro Fabs and the work of complete demolition of buildings to Binyas Contech Pvt Ltd.



The extension up to Anjanapura Nice Road Junction would be a matter of relief for south Bengalureans who have been waiting for Metro connectivity for years. Despite the completion of 99% work from the Yelachenahalli Metro station to the National College station, the stretch has still not been opened to public due to lack of connectivity to the Metro depot.



Besides, the BMRCL has been able to start civil work only between Mysuru Road to Kengeri in two packages under Metro Phase-II project. The four other stretches including two extensions are still stuck at preliminary stages and might need many more months for the actual civil work to begin, according to BMRCL sources.
The probe into the suicide of former chief minister Kalikho Pul will be handed over to a senior police officer, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced here.





According to official sources, Khandu has directed that a senior police officer, not below the rank of an IGP, will head the investigation.



Khandu said this at a high-level meeting on Saturday with Chief Secretary Shakuntala Doley Gamlin, DGP S Nithianandam and Principal Secretary (Home) Satya Gopal, which reviewed the law and order situation in the state capital, official sources added.



Khandu also asked the police to expedite the investigation into Puls death and complete it within the shortest possible time.



Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa, who had landed in a controversy following the dismissal of former chief minister Nabam Tuki and installation of Pul, resumed charge as governor on Saturday after a six-week leave.



As Rajkhowa had to remain on leave, Tripura governor Tathagata Roy was given the additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh for the past five weeks.
A 50-year-old woman was injured on Sunday when the Pakistan army violated the ceasefire and targeted Indian posts along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch sector.





Kasim Jan (50), a resident of Shahpur village, was injured when she was hit by the splinters of a mortar shell fired from across the border this morning, a police officer said.



She was evacuated and immediately shifted to the district hospital in Poonch where her condition is said to be stable, he said.



Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said the Pakistan army resorted to heavy mortar, small arm and automatic weapon fire in the sector since 3 am. Our troops responded appropriately and no casualties or damage to our troops was reported, he said.



Army sources said that around 3 am, the Pakistan armys Doda battalion fired small arms and mortars from their Dhakni-Dhok, Nezapir and Mocho Mohra posts, and then later at 5 am, the Banwat battalion of the army also began firing at the Indian outposts.



Sundays ceasefire violation comes nearly four months after a similar incident on April 10 in the Poonch sector. Last year, 16 civilians were killed and 71 injured in 405 incidents of cross-border firing by Pakistan, the officer said.



While 253 incidents of ceasefire violations took place along the International Border, 152 incidents were reported along the LoC, he said.
Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said he has directed the police to identify those who reportedly shouted anti-India slogans at an event here on Saturday.





We have learnt that some students shouted slogans. But it is not clear whether somebody else was behind it. Bengaluru City Police Commissioner N S Megharikh has been directed to conduct a probe and identify them. Stringent action will be taken against those who shouted anti-India slogans. If it is confirmed that they have connections with terrorists, the case will be handed over to a federal investigation agency, he told reporters.



On Saturday, Amnesty International had organised a programme highlighting the human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir at the United Theological College. A section of students shouted slogans against the Indian Army during the event.



BSY demands action



State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa said the government should arrest those who indulged in sloganeering and initiate legal action against them.



Some people shouted slogans against the armed forces. They have also raised pro-Pakistan slogans. Nobody should compromise on the sovereignty of the country. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should direct the police to act against the culprits, he told reporters.



Who organised the event? Who gave them permission to organise it? What was their intention? All these issues should be probed, he said. Though the police have information on those involved, Parameshwara claimed that he has no clue about them, he charged.



He also wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, requesting him to order a thorough probe into the incident.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday called for stern action to stop attacks on the weaker sections of the society and women, terming such assaults aberrations on the national ethos.





In his fifth Independence Day address to the nation, Mukherjee also warned against the unmindful pursuit of a divisive political agenda and asked the institutions of state power to adhere to dignity in discharge of their duties.



The presidents remarks come in the wake of increasing incidents of attacks on Dalits and minorities, and growing vigilantism under the pretext of cow protection.



Mukherjee said during his four years as president he had seen forces of divisiveness and intolerance trying to rear their ugly head. Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly, he said.



Mukherjee said the safety and security that the country provides to women and children determined the well-being of the state and society. We cannot call ourselves a civilised society if we fail to protect our women and children, he said.



The president said the collective wisdom of the society and the countrys polity gave him the confidence that such forces would remain marginalised and Indias remarkable growth story would continue uninterrupted.



He cautioned that disruptions, obstructionism and unmindful pursuit of a divisive political agenda by groups and individuals lead to nothing, but institutional travesty and Constitutional subversion.



Polarising debates only deepen the fault lines in public discourse, he said. In his 14-minute address, Mukherjee said he had seen with some satisfaction stable and progressive democracy in full play.



Notwithstanding the different hues of political thought, I have seen the ruling party and the opposition coming together in pursuit of the national agenda of development, unity, integrity and security of the nation, he said referring to the passage of the GST Bill.



He said the non-partisan and quality Parliamentary deliberations were reasons enough to celebrate our democratic maturity.



Mukherjee said that backed by a strong political will, the country must create a future which would economically empower 600 million youth, build a digital India, a startup India and a skilled India.

India will grow, only when all of India grows. The excluded ones will have to be included in the development process. The hurt and alienated have to be brought back into the mainstream, he said.
These were the movements among the most widely-followed 10-year sovereign bond yields:

US: 1.51% (-5bp)

UK: 0.52% (-2bp)

Germany: -0.11% (-2bp)

France: 0.11% (-1bp)

Italy: 1.04% (-2bp)

Spain: 0.93% (+0bp)

Japan: -0.10% (-1bp)

Greece: 8.14% (-3bp)

Portugal: 2.7% (-4bp)

A barrage of weaker than expected economic releases Stateside pushed Treasuries significantly higher at the end of the week, dragging Gilts alongside them.

Fridays news on the state of the US economy came against a backdrop of somewhat mixed data out of the euro area and China, together with a dour warning from the International Monetary Fund on the risks of excessive corporate lending in the latter.

To take note of, and as regards Gilts, Jim Reid at Deutsche Bank mused aloud about the breath-taking 54% return - 32% alone since Brexit - delivered by 50-year Gilts year-to-date.

Retail sales in the US were unchanged from the previous month, down from a 0.6% increase in June and missing expectations for a 0.4% gain, the Commerce Department revealed.

Core retail sales  which exclude auto sales  declined 0.3% following a 0.7% increase in June, marking the worst reading since January and falling short of expectations for a 0.2% advance.

On a more upbeat note, the University of Michigans gauge of consumers expectations improved from its late-July reading of 77.8 to 80.3 at the start of August.

In a separate report, the Labor Department said its producer price index for final demand declined 0.4% in July compared to a 0.5% increase in June and analysts expectations for a 0.1% rise. It marked the first decline since March and the largest since September 2015.

By the closing bell the yield on the benchmark two-year US Treasury note was off by two basis points at 0.7057% and the odds of a Fed rate increase in December had fallen back to 40.6%, versus 44.9% in the previous session, according to the CME Fed Watch tool, while the chances of an even larger hike by that same date were pegged at 4.3%.
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.
The company's profit rose by 9.6 percent on-year despite low oil prices.

Joint Russian-Vietnamese oil and gas enterprise Vietsovpetro made a profit of nearly $150 million during the first six months of 2016, despite price sliding global oil prices.

Data from Vietsovpetro showed that the company hit their their goal to exploit 2.5 million tons of oil and 906 million cubic meters of gas for the first half of 2016, contributing $423 million to the state budget.

The company made of a profit of $148 million, of which the Russian partner took $72.5 million and the Vietnamese partner pocketed $75.5 million. Vietnams national oil and gas group PetroVietnam has a 51 percent stake in Vietsovpetro with the rest held by Russia's state-run Zarubezhneft.

Tu Thanh Nghia, deputy director of Vietsovpetro, said that crude oil prices have yet to show any signs of a recovery, but the company had cut costs and improved efficiency to reach its goals.

Vietsovpetro was established in 1981 under an inter-governmental agreement between the then Soviet Union and PetroVietnam.

Over the last 35 years, Vietsovpetro has exploited about 220 million tons of crude oil, accounting for 62 percent of oil output in Vietnam. The company has also contributed more than $35 billion to the state budget and made a profit of some $22 billion.

Related news:

> Vietnams top lawmaker questions plan to pump more oil to boost GDP

> PetroVietnams contribution to state budget falls on low oil prices
"ICANN reiterates that it, as an organization, and with the support of the global multistakeholder community, is ready for the IANA stewardship transition to occur."--see FEATURE further below.

and

Blended earnings decline is 3.5% year over year. If the S&P 500 index reports a decline for Q2 once all results are in, it will be the first time the companies in the index will have reported 5 straight quarters of earnings declines since the financial crisis (Q3 2008 - Q3 2009).

The number of companies issuing negative guidance for Q3 is double those guiding higher (53 vs. 26).

Wall Street analysts now expect Q3 2016 earnings to decline 1.7% versus the 0.4% growth factored into their models on June 30th. Earnings expectations are now reduced for every sector (not just energy) since the end of the Q2.

 FEATURE : ICANN Says It Is Ready for the IANA Transition, Is It Really?

ICANN stakeholder #1: "What is ICANN: public governance body or private coordination body? ICANN by its function is a public governance body, if it is a private body by its form and incorporation that is just an anomaly. All the discussions/ activities regarding the transition process etc are basically aimed at addressing this anomaly, in the practical ways possible. ICANN should therefore be subject to same level of transparency requirements as say the government of the US or of India is subject. Quoting 'standard commercial practices' cuts no ice. Government of India will not be able to give this response to a right to information query."

ICANN stakeholder #2: "ICANN by its function is not a 'public governance body' - it is actually a coordination body that supports the stable and secure operation of the Internets various identifier systems ..."

ICANN's new governance structure





3. The vast majority of comments submitted to the global multistakeholder community wants a "public governance body"--a domain name price regulator, an intellectual property rights regulator, etc. -- not a "private coordination body." to the Proposed Amendment to .COM Registry Agreement (comments closed August 12), indicate thepublic governance body"a domain name price, an intellectual property rightsprivate coordination body

How much longer will ICANN remain in denial?

How long will the global multistakeholder community tolerate ICANN before looking elsewhere for a public governance body that better meets its needs?

 The 'Good Old Days' ain't never coming back:

 .The U.S.absent consumer spending, is basically in a, said billionaire bond-fund manager Bill Gross, in an interview with Bloomberg Television . While employers are hiring, he said--after reports from 86% of S&P 500 companies--via FactSet.com (pdf): ICANN Submits Implementation Planning Status Report to NTIA | ICANN.org 12 Aug 2016: Coalition Letter Urging Congress To Sue NTIA and Delay IANA Transition (emphasis added)
The platform is the largest ever to be made in the country and capable of drilling down 9km.

State-controlled PetroVietnam Marine Shipyard has handed over the Tam Dao 05 jackup, the largest drilling rig ever to be built in Vietnam, the new owner Vietsovpetro said in a statement on Saturday.

Leading oil producer Vietsovpetro awarded PV Shipyard the contract to build the $230-million rig in November 2013. Both companies are subsidiaries of Vietnams national oil and gas group PetroVietnam, which has a 51 percent stake in Vietsovpetro with the rest held by Russia's state-run Zarubezhneft.

The 18,000-ton self-elevating platform is able to operate in depths of 120 meters and drill to depths of up to 9,000 meters.

Vietsovpetro will use the new jackup to search for more oil and gas reserves in waters far from the coast, the statement said.

The handover ceremony of the Tam Dao 05 jackup. Photo by Vietsovpetro

The countrys first locally-made jackup, the Tam Dao 03, also owned by Vietsovpetro, was launched in 2012. It weighs 12,000 tons and can drill up to 6,000 meters. Vietsovpetro has the claim to Vietnams largest known oilfield Bach Ho off the southern coast.

Related news:

> Vietnams biggest $230 million oil drilling rig ready in August
Last week pilgrims from Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Cavan and Armagh made their annual pilgrimage to the Ladywell Shrine in Dundalk.

Last week pilgrims from Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Cavan and Armagh made their annual pilgrimage to the Ladywell Shrine in Dundalk.

Ladywell Shrine is a classic holy well and one of the best known wells in the north-east of Ireland.

Beautifully maintained by the local community and the local authority, it is still the focal point of a hugely popular annual pattern on the 15 August.

It is a tradition that has gone on for many years and this week, many visitors, from all these neighbouring counties, are expected to visit the shrine.

We are expecting a couple of hundred people to arrive tonight, said Aidan Boyle, a member of the committee that helps maintain the shrine.

People come from all over Canvan, Monaghan and Armagh to visit the shrine, all the old country people, as we call them, visit the shrine annually.

Mass is held at the Shrine at 11.15pm on 14 August with the Rosary commencing at 11.15pm.

It is not known exactly how old the well is but Thomas Wrights engraving/drawing of the well in 1730 is arguably the earliest detailed visual record of an Irish holy well and clearly indicates that the well is at least 250 years old and is probably medieval.

Were not sure exactly how old the well was but it is mentioned as far back as 1617 as far as I know, said Aidan.

It used to be situated at the top of the hill here.

It was repaired in the council in 1895 and in 1954 the railway workers put up the rails which surround the shrine now.

The water from the well is said to be a powerful ward against evil.

The well house is an original structure apart from the cross over the entrance and modern stations of the cross have also been erected around the well.

We will have people coming and going all day on the 15th and then after that it will be quiet again, said committee member Margaret Moore.

Kevin Dunne will supply water bottles for those looking to take water from the well.

In conjunction with the event, the Patrick Kavanagh Centre in Inniskeen played host to Seamus Crosson from Dundalk, his family and friends who were commemorating the long standing tradition of pilgrims from Monaghan, Cavan and Armagh visiting Ladywell Shrine in Dundalk.

Patrick Kavanaghs writing about the annual pilgrimage featured in his autobiography The Green Fool.

The poet, who was first published in The Dundalk Democrat in 1929, describes a visit to Ladywell Shrine in the book.

Kavanagh talks about the pilgrimmage and how it took all night to reach the well at Ladywell, said Margaret.

In Kavanaghs time most made the journey on foot (sometimes with a pebble deliberately placed in their shoe) while some travelled by bicycle or by horse and cart.

It provides an interesting insight into how these pilgrims who lived some distance from the coast combined an annual visit to Ladywell Shrine with a visit to the seaside at Blackrock

The event got underway with a colourful introduction by the organizer, Seamus Crosson, followed by a reading of Kavanaghs Pilgrimage by Eoin Guidara and then a memorable rendering of Kavanaghs haunting ballad, Raglan Road by Seamus and Eoin.

The outstanding fiddle player, Jim McKillock from Cushendall brought the proceedings at the Centre to a close.

The group set off from the Kavanagh Centre in the afternoon on bicycles along the Bothar Bhee to Dundalk.

Before setting out pilgrims heard more beautiful singing from Seamus Crosson and fantastic fiddle playing by Jim McKillock. The pilgrimage was led by Gerry Markey with a horse and trap.
Substandard 'made in Vietnam' products may offset Vietnam-E.U. free trade agreement benefits.

The European Union accounts for around 38 percent of Vietnam's exports, but high standards and strict requirements make it difficult for Vietnamese enterprises.

Exports from Vietnam to the E.U. are expected to increase after the Vietnam-E.U. free trade agreement takes effect in 2018, but if the quality and standard of Vietnamese products do not improve, the agreement could significantly favor the E.U., according Dai Doan Ket (Great Unity), the official newspaper of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (the umbrella organization of all political and social groups in Vietnam).

Bui Thanh An, director general of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (under the Ministry of Industry and Trade), Bui Thanh An said that Vietnam's total international trade balance has hiked tenfold, $4.1billion from 2000 up to $41.4 billion in 2015, in the last 15 years.

The E.U. is one of Vietnam's major export markets. In the first five months, Vietnam's export value to the bloc reached $13.3 billion, a 10.5 percent on-year climb.

"Made in Vietnam" products need to meet strict quality and standard requirements to enter the EU market. Photo courtesy of baodautu.vn/The Hai

However, Vietnamese enterprises also struggle to keep up with E.U. standards. Representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that many goods from Vietnam including over 400 food products have recently received a warning from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Commission due to unsatisfying safety and standard requirements.

Tran Van Lieng, chairman and general director of Vietnam Cacao JSC, said: European and North American markets consume up to 85 percent of world cocoa and chocolate products but our company is still struggling to export chocolate to the E.U.

The biggest obstacle is that Vietnam does not have any organization approved by the European Commission for quality assurance, Lieng added.

Similarly, Vietnamese rice products can only dominate the Asian market with 59 percent of market share while it is hard to find them in fastidious markets like Europe. The Vietnamese rice brands remain weak which quality substandard for the highly competitive E.U. market.

To enter the E.U. market, Vietnamese products need to meet requirements on quality, environment, safety, food hygiene, food safety, packaging and pesticide residue control under Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGap) and GlobalGap.

Related news

> Vietnam struggling to reach export target this year

> Vietnamese garment firms stitched up by export tariffs

> Export orders jump to 14-month high in Vietnam's manufacturing sector
Buy now for a spring move to a new home in Hertford

Homebuyers in Hertford are being urged to look to the future and act now if they want to move in the early part of 2017.

Despite the school summer holidays still being in full swing, upmarket retailer Harrods is looking months ahead and has already opened its Christmas shop ready for early bird festive shoppers. But Redrow is encouraging house-hunters to plan even further ahead than Christmas.

For the housebuilder has released its final homes at the popular Priory Gate development, and those who snap one up will be able to move in early next year.

The location of the homes being built at Priory Gate, combined with the high specification offered as standard, make them an ideal choice for those who want to relax and enjoy family life.

Situated next to Hertford East station, homeowners can travel door to door to London Liverpool Street in under an hour.

Plus because the homes are easy to manage and efficient to run, there will be no need to spend time on repairs and renovations that an older property is likely to need.

Instead, customers can select from a range of options to create a home thats as individual as they are.

Kerry McCoubrey, sales director for Redrow Homes (Eastern), said: The beauty of buying a brand new home off plan means there are plenty of opportunities to make it your own. Customers can access the My Redrow area of our website where they can make their design choices, selecting the finish of things like the kitchen or the bathroom tiles, perhaps adding furniture for the living room or fitted wardrobes to each of the bedrooms. The range of options means that no two homes will be same, plus its really convenient as it means that once the property is ready in the spring youll be able to move straight in.

Set out over three floors, the four-bedroom Fitzroy style homes are reminiscent of Georgian townhouses. Spanning up to 1,436 sq ft they offer a lofty standard of living, thats well suited to the dynamics of modern family life.

On the ground floor, theres an open plan kitchen and dining room, cloakroom and laundry area. The lounge can be found on the first floor, along with a bedroom and en-suite. Three bedrooms, including a master with en-suite, and the family bathroom are on the top floor.

The final two Fitzroy homes at Priory Gate are available from 649,995

Theres a Tesco Extra store within a few minutes walk of the homes; while Hertford itself is home to a selection of independent shops and high street names.

For more information about the properties at Priory Gate, visit Steven Oates estate agents on Fore Street, see redrow.co.uk/priorygate.
Enjoy a flexible and luxurious lifestyle with a duplex apartment at Balham Walk

London home-hunters looking for a property with plenty of flexible living space are being urged to discover the contemporary three-bedroom duplex apartments on sale at Taylor Wimpeys Balham Walk development in Balham.

These impressive split-level homes have been carefully designed to offer a wealth of versatile living accommodation to meet the requirements of a wide variety of purchasers  from growing families seeking extra room to professionals in need of space to work from home.

Priced from 799,950 and with a range of attractive homebuyer incentives available  including Part Exchange  the duplex apartments at Balham Walk are already generating high levels of interest, so potential purchasers are advised to act fast to avoid disappointment.

Susan Joseph, Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey, says: The outstanding duplex apartments at Balham Walk are the ideal choice for buyers who are looking for a sleek new home in London and dont want to compromise on space or quality.

Id urge anyone searching for their perfect property in this enviable part of the capital to get in touch without delay, because we only have a limited number of these amazing split-level homes available and we dont expect them to be on the market for long.

Ideal for entertaining guests, each duplex apartment at Balham Walk features an open-plan kitchen/living/dining room with access to a private terrace, with a good-sized bedroom  which could alternatively be used as a study or hobby room  and a shower room completing the ground-floor layout. Upstairs, there is plenty of space for everyone to relax and unwind with two large bedrooms  both with access to a private balcony  and a family bathroom.

Aspiring buyers can see for themselves the many ways in which these versatile properties can be tailored to suit their needs by watching an exclusive video on the Balham Walk page of the Taylor Wimpey website at: taylorwimpey.co.uk.

Meanwhile, Balham Walk also offers a choice of two and three-bedroom apartments priced from 655,000.

Under Part Exchange, purchasers trading up to a new home at Balham Walk receive an agreed offer price for their existing property, based on an evaluation of independent professional valuations. With Taylor Wimpey acting as their cash buyer, they can stay in their old place until their new house is ready.

A desirable neighbourhood in the London Borough of Wandsworth, Balham has undergone extensive regeneration and its town centre boasts high street shops, independent boutiques and supermarkets. It also has a thriving nightlife, with a good selection of pubs, restaurants and bars catering for a wide range of tastes with cuisines from around the world.

Parents will appreciate that there is a choice of schools for children of all ages, while Balham Leisure Centre boasts a gym, two workout studios, a sauna and a steam room.

Balham Walk is just a short journey on foot to Balham underground station, which is on the Northern Line, while there are also Overground services to Waterloo and regular bus services into central London. Its less than four miles from the River Thames, five miles from the West End and six miles from the City.

To find out more about the amazing duplex apartments at Balham Walk, property-seekers should visit the Sales Information Centre, located at 18-20 Boundaries Road, Balham, SW12 8HU, and open daily from 11am to 6pm (Thursdays from midday to 7pm). Alternatively, visit taylorwimpey.co.uk.
August 13, 2016 | 04:31 pm PT

The project aims at ethic women from the poorest regions of Vietnam.

The Australian embassy and three other non-government organizations (NGOs) kicked off a project named Womens Economic Empowerment through Agriculture Value Chain Enhancement in Hanoi on August 12.

Accordingly, the Australian government will grant AUD2.5 million ($1.9 million) for the four year project.

Ethic women and children in Sapa, Lao Cai. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Thu

The project will help some 1,800 Vietnamese ethic women in the two northern provinces of Lao Cai and Bac Kan do small scale farming by training them in marketing, finance, making a business plan, negotiations and legal matters.

This project will pave the way for a substantial new program of Australian support for womens economic empowerment in Vietnams north-west over the coming years, said Stott Despoja, Australian Ambassador for Women and Girls Natasha.

Three international NGOs, SNV, Oxfam and CARE International will carry out the project.

Related news:

> World Bank grants Vietnam $119 million loan to support water supply projects

> E.U. offers helping hand to develop Vietnam's shrimp production value chain
By Laura Goldman

Energy conservation is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about freeways jammed with idling vehicles.

But in California, which has some of the most congested freeways in the country, thats about to change. The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a pilot program in which piezoelectric crystals will be installed on several freeways.

Energy conservation is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about freeways jammed with idling vehicles. Jeff Turner / Flickr

No, these arent some kind of new-agey crystals with mystical powers. Piezoelectric crystals, about the size of watch batteries, give off an electrical discharge when theyre mechanically stressed, such as when a vehicle drives over them. Multiply that by thousands of vehicles and it creates an electric current that can be harvested to feed the grid.

In fact, scientists estimate the energy generated from piezoelectric crystals on a 10-mile stretch of freeway could provide power for the entire city of Burbank (population: more than 105,000).

I still get stopped on the street by people who ask what happened to the idea of using our roads to generate electricity, said Mike Gatto, a Los Angeles assemblyman, in a press release announcing the program. California is the car capital of the world and we recycle just about everything. So why not capture the energy from road vibrations and put it to good use?

Piezoelectric-based energyharvesting technology is already being used in other countries. Since 2009, all the displays in the East Japan Railway Companys Tokyo station have been powered by people walking on the piezoelectric flooring. Italy has signed a contract that will install this technology in a portion of the Venice-to-Trieste Autostrada. Israel is already using this technology on some highways, which is how Gatto got the idea for the pilot program in California. A friend returning from a trip to Israel raved about a road that produced energy.

If piezoelectricbased technology has the potential to match the performance, reliability and costs of existing or emerging renewable energy sources, then it can potentially diversify Californias resource portfolio and ultimately increase grid reliability and reduce costs to ratepayers, states a report prepared for the CEC in 2014 by international certification body and classification society DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability (now known as DNV GL).

Piezoelectric technology has been used for years in electric guitars and sonar. The crystals are in effect the reverse of sonar: a vibration comes in and an electric pulse comes out, according to the press release. This video provides an animated illustration of how they could generate electricity on roadways.

After California Gov. Brown vetoed an assembly bill Gatto introduced in 2011 that would have launched two piezoelectric pilot programs in California, Gatto asked the CEC to study the technology. Five years later, the CEC has agreed to fund pilot projects around the state.

If they are successful, perhaps other states will consider harvesting electricity from their busy roadways.

Thirty years ago, no one would have believed that black silicon panels in the desert could generate solar power, Gatto stated. Piezoelectric technology is real and I am glad the state has finally acknowledged its potential in becoming an energy source.

This article was reposted with permission from our media associate Care2.
Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o...
The University Grants Commission ( UGC ) has released a list of massive open online courses ( MOOCs ) courses to be launched this month through the central governments Study Web of Active Learning by Young and Aspiring Minds ( SWAYAM ) platform. The initiative is aimed at providing education in all disciplines from class IX to postgraduate level. The courses include Forensics Science, Making of Modern India, Environmental Chemistry, and Vedic Language and Literature, to name some. Students will be able to interact with teachers, take tests, earn academic credits and transfer them to their academic record, minister of state ( HRD ) Mahendra Nath Pandey said in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question earlier this month. In July, the regulator had notified UGC (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through SWAYAM) Regulation, 2016, which defines credit transfer for online courses on SWAYAM. In a circular issued to all vice-chancellors of universities under UGC, secretary Jaspal S Sandhu asked them to take appropriate action to introduce the MOOCs through the platform for students of the university and affiliated colleges after approval from their academic bodies.
Medicine courses are among the most difficult to get admission into, be it in India or several other countries. The sheer number of applicants often makes it a challenge for many candidates to clear medical school tests. Every year, thousands of students compete for places on undergraduate - as well as postgraduate - courses in medicine. Such is the charm of the healthcare profession that some of those who do not secure a place in a medical school in India due to stiff competition, look to pursue their degrees abroad. In the case of the US, potential deterrents to the first degree in medicine are: the admission requirements, the cost ($57,819 on average for 2015-16, as per an Association of American Medical Colleges survey) and the amount of time it takes because, unlike India, schools dont offer MBBS degrees at the post-secondary level. Instead, students in the US first need to complete a four-year undergraduate degree before moving on to a four-year MD (the basic qualification required to become a doctor), which means a total of eight years before you can add Dr to your name. Also, generally, international students are not offered financial assistance. So, the other option to explore, if you are prepared to be a physician-scientist, is the MD/PhD route. When it comes to the UK, Canada and Australia, there are similar concerns of entry requirements and costs (around US$30,000-40,000 per year), which vary from one institute to another. So, some students prefer to study for an MBBS qualification in India and go to the UK, Canada or Australia for a postgraduate qualification. Hence, each year, some students are looking beyond such countries because of the highly competitive admission process and prohibitive costs. Some of the adventurous ones among them are open to pursuing medical degrees from institutes in Asia and eastern Europe, as admission to these institutes is easy and straightforward and the tuition fee is competitive, if not cheaper than Indian medical institutes. A look at the number of students who have taken the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) over the past four years reveals that 11,825 students had medical degrees from China , 5,950 from Russia , 3,250 from Ukraine and 3,163 from Nepal. Lets look at what these options entail.

> ELIGIBILITY In the four countries listed here, general admission requirements of almost all medical schools include 10+2 with physics, chemistry and biology and at least 50% marks. Some institutes may have additional requirements including an admission test and/or interview. You need to submit an eligibility certificate from the Medical Council of India (MCI) to study for MBBS degree in any foreign university. The medical school must be listed in the World Health Organisation's Directory of Medical Schools. Otherwise, its degree will not be recognised (in India).

> WORD OF CAUTION Students who have studied medicine in any country, except the US, UK, Canada, Australia or New Zealand and who wish to practise as recognised doctors in India need to take the FMGE, which is held twice a year. Data provided by the National Board of Examination (NBE), which conducts the test, shows that only 19% students have cleared the exam over the past few years. In addition to clearing this test, candidates also need to undertake a one-year internship as directed by the MCI (in some cases, if they have completed a foreign internship, this requirement can be waived). >> Ukraine Institutes in Ukraine offer one of the least expensive medical degrees. The length of the MBBS programme is generally six years. The tuition fees are around US$4,000 and living expenses around $1,000 per year. >> China Each year, the Chinese government publishes a list of medical schools permitted to accept international students. Before choosing a medical school in China, an applicant needs to make sure it is on the list. The MBBS programme usually spans over six years, including a one-year internship. Some of the institutes use Indian textbooks and have Indian professors teaching students since classes for domestic and international students are usually separate. The tuition fees are around US$5,000 per year and living expenses around US$1,000 per year. >> Russia Russia has several medical schools. Indian students choose Russian medical schools mainly because of the low cost. The tuition fees are around US$4,000-11,000 per year and living expenses around US$4,000 per year. The duration of the MBBS programme is usually the same as that in China, i.e. six years including a year-long internship.

>> Nepal With no visa requirements and its proximity to India, Nepal receives some students wanting to pursue medicine degrees. The duration of the MBBS programme is around five-and-a-half to six years and the fees are around US$7,000. Living costs amount to around US$3500 per year.




A war of words has erupted between groups affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement and pro-Israel commentators over the characterization of Israel in their policy document released last week.



The policy platform titled A Vision for Black Lives, is a wide-spanning document that was drafted by more than 50 organizations known as the Movement for Black Lives. It goes beyond criminal justice and touches on many issues including education and economics.



In the Invest/Divest section of the platform, the group criticizes the US government for providing military aid to Israel.




Police will launch a criminal investigation if the discharged waste is classified as hazardous.

Not long after the environmental disaster caused by Taiwanese Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Company along Vietnams central coast, a Malaysian firm in the southern region has been caught discharging unprocessed waste into the environment.

On July 28, Dong Nai Provinces environment police, in coordination with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, discovered Chin Well Fasteners Vietnam Co., Ltd was using one of its two underground pipelines to discharge untreated wastewater directly into the environment.

The Malaysian-owned firm that manufactures bolts and screws has denied the claim, saying the water is used to irrigate trees.

Authorities also found a large amount of waste buried on the site, news site VietnamPlus reported on August 12, quoting Vo Van Chanh, vice chairman of Dong Nai Peoples Committee.

The incident is under investigation and samples of the wastewater and solid waste are being analyzed. Chin Well Fasteners Vietnam will face a criminal investigation if the waste is found to be hazardous. Otherwise, administrative fines will be imposed, the Dong Nai Newspaper reported August 12.

Locals living near the Formosa Industrial Park in Nhon Trach District where the Malaysian firm is located said underground water in the area has been severely polluted recently.

My family has five wells but none of them can be used. Although the water looks clean, it smells like herbicide, local woman Vo Thu Hoi told VietnamPlus.

Chin Well Fasteners Vietnam was founded in 2005 and operates as a subsidiary of Malaysias Chin Well Holdings Berhad. The Vietnam-based unit has investment capital of $80 million and has around 600 employees.

60 percent of Chin Well Fasterners Vietnams products are exported to Europe, 30 percent to the U.S, 5 percent to Japan and the rest to Southeast Asian nations, according to Chin Wells data.

Chin Well Fasteners Vietnam is one of several foreign companies in the Formosa Industrial Park in Nhon Trach District. Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics Group established the industrial park in Dong Nai in 2001, seven years before Formosa Ha Tinh (2008). Formosa Plastics Group has four plants in the industrial park in Dong Nai.

In late June, Formosa Ha Tinh Steel admitted its $10.6 billion steel plant was responsible for the mass fish deaths that plagued the central coast. The company apologized to Vietnam and pledged to pay $500 million in compensation for the environmental disaster that it caused.

Related news:

> Vietnam province launches criminal probe into Formosa-related waste burial

> Where Formosa buried its waste

> Formosa pays Vietnam first $250 mln fish death compensation




Sen. Rand Paul says that Hillary Clinton deserves five years in prison for lying to Congress about the true nature of the CIA operation in Benghazi that was attacked by terrorists in 2012.



Under oath before Congress in 2013, Hillary Clinton answered a question from Sen. Paul, saying she knew nothing about the weapons shipments from Libya to Syria.



However, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said last months that his next release of Clinton emails may prove that this is not true.




Mexico City, Aug 14 (EFE).- The army was behind the disappearances of 43 education students two years ago, with the likely knowledge of President Enrique Pena Nieto, highlighting the network of corruption that ties together those who hold power in Mexico, journalist Francisco Cruz said in an interview with EFE.

Cruz co-authored a new book, titled "La Guerra que nos ocultan" (Planeta), with Felix Santana and Miguel Angel Alvarado, using the killing of one student, Julio Cesar Mondragon, as the starting point for a detailed investigative work that ties together drug traffickers, the mining industry and the government.

"There is a plot managed by the army, but proposed by the state," Cruz said.

The families of the 43 Ayotzinapa Rural Normal School students who disappeared on Sept. 26, 2014, have called for an investigation of the army 27th Battalion's role in the case.

The military unit has its headquarters in Iguala, a city in the southern state of Guerrero.

The calls for an investigation of the battalion have gone nowhere.

The book, however, shows that soldiers played a role in the case.

"In the voice of soldiers, we truly document" that the security control center in Iguala "was controlled by undercover soldiers," Cruz said.

Iguala municipal police officers fired gunshots at students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Normal School, a nearby teacher-training facility, on the night of Sept. 26, 2014, Mexican officials say.

Six people died that night, 25 others were wounded and 43 students were detained by police and then handed over to members of the Guerreros Unidos drug cartel.

The official version of events is that the Guerreros Unidos cartel murdered the students and cremated the remains at the dump in Cocula in an enormous fire that burned for hours.

"Masked men participated in the operation (against the students), but we don't know if they were police, narcos or soldiers, but they were being given orders by a person and moved like soldiers," Cruz said.

The order to crush the student movement, however, came from higher up, the journalist said.

"In this country, it's hard, if not impossible, for the president to not know, but anything is possible with Pena Nieto," Alvarado said.

The education students' disappearances were planned in advance and aimed at crushing grassroots movements, allowing drug traffickers to operate freely, the authors said.

The drug gangs work with the mining companies operating in the area, the journalists said.

Cooperation between drug cartels and mining companies is inevitable in states like Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Mexico because both groups need access to the land for mining and growing opium poppies and marijuana, Cruz said.

"They have to come to an agreement, protect themselves. The drug traffickers control the miners union. And they become paramilitaries or guards. They make more money off mining," Alvarado said.

Human rights groups have questioned the official version, including a report released earlier this year by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, or IACHR, Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts, who worked for months on the case and criticized serious flaws in the investigation.
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
The injured worker fell into the sea and hit his head on a rock.

The Vietnamese Navy dispatched a DHC-6 Twin Otter plane on Saturday to transport an injured worker from the Spratly Islands to the mainland.

On August 10, Phung Ba Hung, 38, fell into the sea and hit his head on a rock, rendering him unconscious. His condition deteriorated despite receiving treatment from a military health center on the island.

The amphibious aircraft from Cam Ranh with a team of military health officials onboard picked Hung up and transported him to shore for treatment.

Cam Ranh in the southern central province of Khanh Hoa is a strategic naval base home to Vietnam's submarine fleet and other key naval vessels.

Cam Ranh Bay holds a strategic position in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, due to its proximity to international navigation routes and the Spratly Islands where China is reclaiming land to build bases.

In April this year, China also sent a navy patrol plane to the Spratlys to pick up three workers who it said were seriously sick.

The worker being transported to the aircraft. Photo by VnExpress/Duy Khanh

The DHC-6 Twin Otter is used to conduct maritime patrols as well as search and rescue operation in Vietnamese waters.

Vietnam Peoples Navy in May 2010 inked a deal with Viking Air, a Canada-based private aircraft manufacturer, to buy six DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 314 kilometers per hour and a range of 1,832 kilometers, and is powered by two high performance engines.

The DHC-6 Twin Otter can land on short runways, soft ground and on water.

Related news:

> Vietnam Navy opens General Giap Park in Spratly Islands
In the picture is a gun the U.S cowboys often used to challenge each other.

"To buy these old guns, Robert Taylor has to travel to many countries and hunt for them. The older a gun is, the more expensive it is," a museum guide said.
Do you know for sure that you have a valid visa from your employer? It should he stamped in the passport and you had to take a medical test - if not and you have no visa after a reasonable amount of time with that company I think you can legally leave the job without notice and if they try to keep your salary or deduct costs then complain to ministry of Labour is an option (or tell the employer you will..).



It might be possible for your new company's PRO to find out if there is a valid visa and official labour contract in your name.
It's up to the prefecture that is registering the car as to whether the lease is adequate proof of residence. These things vary from one prefecture to the next. However, if you're buying a car through a dealer, they should be able to advise you as they know the local prefecture pretty well.



The limit on cash transactions is getting lower all the time - and I think it's currently down to something like 1500. You only need to use a "traceable" means of payment beyond that, however. Check, bank transfer, credit card - any of those will do. And for the bank transfer part, you may want to look at a company called Transferwise, which can transfer money from your bank account in the US to the dealer's account, so that it is done as a "local" transfer on both sides (and thus no bank fees). Just for the record, I have no financial interest in this company - I've only just stumbled onto it and have found it very useful for making transfers like this.

Cheers,

Bev
I was considering relocating to Malaysia after living in Thailand since 2001. I do not want to invest the 50 K right now. I have my own income no need to work so assuming visa runs are only option. I am a U.S passport holder if that matters



I had read visa runs may be tough now
From: Jack Marshall -- ProEthics, Ltd. For Immediate Release: Dateline: Alexandria , VA Saturday, August 13, 2016

I have been writing for some time that the most disappointing and damaging failure of Barack Obamas leadership has been the marked deterioration in racial trust, respect and communication during his administration. I raised the alarm regarding trends that began making themselves evident during the 2008 campaign, before Obama was elected. The use of race-baiting to silence political adversaries and critics. The shift of the news media, in its efforts to get the first black President elected, pound on racial fault lines while openly dismissing John McCain, a decent man, as old and white, and therefore irrelevant. Obamas close ties to the racist Rev. Wright, and his self-evidently disingenuous denials that his spiritual advisors bigotry had any effect on his own views about America raised additional suspicions. After Obamas election, his overtly and intentionally racialist Justice Department repeatedly signaled that racial neutrality was not a goal, with predictable resentment following from many white citizens, as it should have. The tactic of tarring his critics as motivated by racism continued, with the tea party, conservatives and Republicans being routinely compared to racists for levels of critical rhetoric that were neither excessive nor undeserved. Then came Obamas disastrous comments on the Trayvon Martin killing, as he chose to take sides as an angry family, race hucksters and an irresponsible press claimed that white men with guns were stalking and hunting down young black men and children like Trayvon because they were black. Obama, who had run for election on the promise of healing divisions, had through his leadership incompetenceno, I do not believe he intended to tear the nation apart along racial linessent race relations hurtling backward. So much societal carnage has resulted, including the cataclysmic candidacy of Donald Trump, the rise of Black Lives Matter, and a frightening explosion of anti-white racism and advocacy for segregation on college campuses. That this has happened during Obamas Presidency, of all Presidents, is nothing less than a tragedy. Naturally, the liberal mainstream media adamantly refuses to confront this, even after manifestly absurd statements by Obama that he believes race-relations have improved. Conservative critics, for their part, have no credibility on the topic, since they are presumed to be blind to Obamas virtues. They are also too gleeful about the Presidents failure; for example, conservative pundit Glenn Reynolds posts this old tweet routinely its mordantly amusing in its irony, but still not funny. Again, this is tragic. Many readers here, including African Americans and Obama supporters, vehemently object to my assessment, which is undeniable on the facts and impossible to rebut. After a recent post, Wait, Im Confused: I Thought Racial Segregation Was BAD., about black activists demanding campus spaces that are safe from whites while enabling, guilt-racked white administrators give such racist arguments legitimacy that would never be tolerated were the colors reversed, commenter Zoltar Speaks! authored this Comment of the Day in response to a protest by another veteran reader. Here it is: Ive heard some of my nearly life-long black friends opinions shift in dramatic ways that I never would have expected, and its all happened since Obama was elected President. The change in attitude and rhetoric has been absolutely astounding. I think Ive had no less than a dozen of my black friends unfriend me on Facebook for reasons that they never would have 10-15 years ago, and some others have just ceased to communicate. Some of these people have been friends from 25 to nearly 50 years  yup long before Facebook and computers when people had real face-to-face conversations and shared our lives offline. I still consider these people to be my friends and I miss their company, but some of them have built impenetrable walls between us and gone to a very dark place  racism is a very, very dark place. Maybe the last 7+ years have unleash some dormant feelings in some of them; maybe what some of them used to consider racist behavior from blacks has become so common place that now its somehow popular to be a black racist; Im absolutely positive that one of them bowed to peer pressure; maybe some of them that I used to go out to dinner with on a regular basis have just moved on in life; but one thing has been perfectly clear with most of them  any disagreement with an Obama policy was immediately deemed racist even when they knew full well that I had been against the same kind of policies in the past but yet my opposition in the past wasnt considered racist. Weve agreed and disagreed over the years on may things but nothing has changed their attitudes and rhetoric as it has since Obama was elected President. Furthermore; it has been abundantly clear that some of them completely flip-flopped long-term political views on some policies simply because Obama supported the opposing view. Somethings happening here ya damn right there is What it is aint exactly clear. its clear to me What it is, is divisive racism brought on by continual race baiting that has been inspired and ignored by Obama, pushed by the political left, and now dominates the psyche of many blacks across the country and, to top it off, the media fuels the fire with unchallenged illogical justifications of the nonsense. The propaganda related to race baiting is a very dominate feature in our society now and that is new since Obama was elected President! Did race baiting exist before Obama, yes, but its wide-spread usage in the political theater and the negative consequences of its wide-spread usage is new since Obamas election and the cannot be denied! Racism is now viewed by some as a means to an end  whatever end they choose  racism is now viewed as a power to dominate; demonize the opposition into absolute capitulation by using deflections that paint them as racists. It is complete the ends justify the means moral bankruptcy! I want the divisive racism to stop and I want my old friends back! Unfortunately, I fear that some of those old friendships might now be irretrievably broken. Its truly sad. Just wait till Hillary is elected and the blatant sexism baiting starts. Share this:


Sunday, August 14, 2016

Rebecca Brass, who who works with victims of sexual assault, was stunned to see an alcoholic beverage called The Willie Pickton on the drink menu of a British Columbia restaurant called Surrey Wings. It wasnt the drink itself, which contains blue curacao, blackberry, melon, orange juice and cranberry and sounds yummy, that troubled her, but the fact that the name honored local serial killer Robert Willie Pickton, currently serving a life sentence at Kent Institution in the Fraser Valley.

Though Willie was convicted of killing only six women, the remains and DNA of 33 more were found on his farm. He also confessed that he had murdered 49 women total, many of them Vancouver prostitutes. Brass, in her role as a sexual assault counselor with Women Against Violence Against Women, personally knows people with family members murdered by Pickton.

She contacted the restaurants head office, and the drink was pulled from the menu. Apparently it didnt appear on the menus of any of the chains other eleven locations. The Willie Pickton had been placed on the menu by a previous manager. As a way to embarrass the company? As a joke? As a genuine homage? Nobody knows. But the company sent out an internal memo reminding all of the restaurant managers that drink menus and lists need to be approved by the head office and must be consistent with procedures and guidelines. And that honoring serial killers is discouraged.

Rebecca Brass, unfortunately, couldnt resist using her temporary spotlight to turn the incident into a broad indictment of the culture and more evidence of the rape culture, telling reporters, Its shocking, but at the same time its not, because the desensitization of violence against women is real. Its like society thinks its OK.

You know, shes right! Ive been noticing all of those drinks named after the Green River Killer, the Hillside Strangler, the BTK Killer, and Zodiac.

Just joshing: Rebecca is, rather, full of malarkey, and trying to exploit the irresponsible and nasty conduct of one jerk, whose ethics alarms either malfunctioned, or who has none. Thats bad enough. Her suggestion that the offensive drink name indicates a societal-wide belief that killing 49 women is OK is irresponsible, and makes me want to chug a Rush Limbaugh.

_____________________

Pointer: Fark
Our family moved to San Antonio from Laredo in the summer of 1952. We had already read of a stalker in San Antonio referred to in the press as the Laughing Maniac. He would approach his victims from the back and terrify them with a devil's laughter, such that no one got a good look to identify him as he assaulted them. We were so scared our first night staying in a motel, we could not sleep. His identity, as I recall, was never found, sort of like Jack the Ripper. Can you provide more details of that period in San Antonio crime history?

 George Farias

For a few weeks in 1952, a high-concept criminal terrorized San Antonios South Side as the scary-but-skittish Laughing Maniac. Although there were only two confirmed attacks, the Maniac gripped the citys imagination, made international news and may have inspired some imitators.

His reign of terror might have started with lesser crimes. Police believed the same man was responsible for reports of someone peeping in windows, particularly (those) of women whose husbands were overseas, says the San Antonio Express, March 15, 1952. If so, he soon escalated to violence.

He struck first in the early hours of March 13 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gerhard Kneupper, 1016 Cantrell Drive. Mrs. Kneupper, a 27-year-old housewife, was in her bedroom with her two young sons when she heard someone enter the house. Expecting her husband, she found a strange man with stained teeth and wearing dark clothes. Laughing and cursing, he grabbed her, ripped her clothes with a sharp knife and said, Im going to kill you, and theyll never catch me.

The young woman fought him hard, and they grappled their way outside the house, where barking dogs scared him off. Kneupper was left with cuts and bruises; when police arrived at the house, they found no clues to the attackers identity inside or out.

The Maniac struck again the next day at an address eight blocks away. Mrs. Raymond DeWitt, 45, was watching television at around 9 p.m. in her living room at 740 Moursund Blvd. Expecting her husband, she heard a noise at the back door and went to the darkened kitchen where someone grabbed her, alternately laughing and mumbling filthy words, says the Express. The intruder tore DeWitts clothes off and threw her to the floor; as she struggled with him, her screams set off the neighborhood dogs, who pursued the spooked Maniac a short distance before he disappeared.

On the nights of both canonical crimes, he might have made a couple of other attempts. Before the Kneupper assault, it could have been the Maniac who knocked on the door of 133 Westminster Ave., telling another lone housewife to Let me in, your husbands been hurt. While Mrs. R.T. Tarver called her husband and the police, the man went around to the front door and knocked again. By the time police arrived, there was no trace of him.

The next night, a few hours after the DeWitt rout, someone woke Janie Russo, 27, as he tried to remove a window screen. He reached through and grabbed her, the Express says, but fled when she screamed. Something similar happened a few days later, when a 9-year-old boy was pulled through a window as he slept; other children in the room screamed and alerted their parents, who found no one. The boy woke up outside the window with no memory of how it happened.

Later that week, Alfred Pena, 26, heard a loud noise outside his house, found a bouquet of weeds tied with a handkerchief in the yard and saw a man standing near the edge of his property. Pena gave chase, and fought with the man, who broke free and ran away. The same night, a man proclaiming Im the Laughing Maniac accosted a group of children, then  you guessed it  ran away.

One night, police went so far as to cordon off the 500 block of West Pyron Avenue, where a reported prowler had been trapped in a garage, only to find a 17-year-old boy siphoning gasoline. South Side residents, says the Express, March 17, 1952, were alert to strange noises and persons, and the police were kept jumping, checking an unusual number of calls.

A week after the DeWitt attack, Renaldo Medrano surprised an intruder ransacking drawers in his house at 1615 Ceralvo St. The stranger, who fit the Maniacs description, jumped Medrano, laughing as he kicked and beat him. Medrano got away, grabbed his .22 pistol and fired at his attacker, who ran out through the front door. No blood spots were located in the yard by police, says the Express, March 22, 2015.

Throughout the Maniac scare, jokers called the police to try out their demonic laughter, while others cowered in their houses. Pranksters were rapping at doors and knocking on windows to scare their already terrified neighbors. A school census taker in the Columbia Heights area told the Express, March 22, 1952, that most people wouldnt open their doors, and Those who do open up have things like hammers in their hands. Indirectly, the Maniac caused the death of a 4-year-old girl, who stumbled upon a shotgun kept in a closet, loaded only recently by her father. The little girl died of an accidental chest wound March 29, 1952.

Meanwhile, the police arrested a number of suspects, including one who confessed but didnt fit the description and was committed to the San Antonio State Hospital. Others were jailed briefly for public drunkenness or other minor offenses and released for lack of evidence.

Thanks to wire-service reports, our Maniac made the front pages of newspapers all across Texas and even as far away as Long Beach, California; Uniontown, Pennsylvania; and the Pacific edition of the military Stars and Stripes. The stories stop abruptly with the end of March 1952; if the Maniac ever was arrested, it wasnt here or it wasnt for the crimes attributed to him as such.

Was he injured in the commission of his crimes or jailed for some other offense? Or did he move on to new hunting grounds?

The laughing maniac moniker wasnt uncommon. A variant was used in 1954 when a laughing sex maniac terrorized women in Montreal, Canada, by slashing them with a razor blade as he brushed by them on the street. Police doubted some of the victims stories; 11 came forward, but only five were believed to be genuine, with the rest ascribed to mass hysteria and self-harm.

The term came up again in 1958, when an Artesia, California, housewife was tortured by a man who had entered her unlocked garage and lay in wait for her. As with the San Antonio victims, the assailant grabbed her and tore off her clothes, laughing and using foul language. He tied her up, burned her with a cigar and beat her with a garden hose before he was scared off by the sound of a car in the driveway. His victim managed to get free of the rope and was found when her husband returned a few hours later.

Was it the same man with an uncanny ability to melt into the shadows of the South Side? Well probably never know. If San Antonios Maniac was at least 30 in 1952, hed be well into his 90s by now. Most likely, he took his alter ego to the grave with him long ago.

historycolumn@yahoo.com

Twitter: @sahistorycolumn

Facebook: SanAntoniohistorycolumn
Heres what the U.S. Supreme Court unambiguously told Texas in June.

Because it is a constitutionally protected procedure, the benefit of any restriction on abortion must outweigh the burden imposed  there must be a real benefit.

If there isnt one  if it is clear that the state is imposing an undue burden because it opposes abortion as a matter of general principle  then this measure will get tossed, embarrassingly so for the state. Well, if our leaders were capable of being embarrassed.

Gov. Greg Abbott, a lawyer and once the states top one, apparently read a different majority opinion than I, and a whole lot of other people, read. He must have skipped over that whole undue burden thing.

He seems to be just fine with proposed regulations imposing such burden on women seeking abortions by requiring that fetal remains be buried or cremated. There are no discernible health and safety issues raised by how they are disposed of now, and women already are offered burial or cremation options, but these seem to be rarely invoked.

So what is the real state interest at work here? Thats simple: another measure that puts women seeking an abortion under more stress to pressure them from having the procedure. It is another measure that adds to the cost of abortion, though its unclear who would bear this. Just another wrench thrown into what is already a wrenching decision.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission published proposed changes on how fetal remains are to be disposed on July 1.

Heres what the Texas District of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists told the agency recently of these: There is no public health benefit.

Revising the methods of fetal tissue disposal to only interment by burial or cremation, when already both existing law and professionals standards ensure safe and respectful disposal of fetal tissue, does nothing to improve or protect the health and safety of Texans, the two organizations wrote in a letter to the agency.

The groups, and others, also raised concerns about what happens when miscarriages occur  which can happen at home or on the job. What are already distraught women expected to do with remains? Fifteen to 20 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage.

There are now fetal death certificates registered when fetuses weigh more than 350 grams or the fetuses are separated from the mother after 20 weeks. Will more than these be required under this new rule? Funeral homes generally require death certificates.

This is just another attempt to obstruct a constitutionally protected procedure under the umbrella, this time, of public health and safety, though these arent at risk. When the state imposed abortion restrictions that the Supreme Court recently blocked, the faux reason the state offered was to protect the health of women.

One of the guys who let the cat out of the bag this time about the real reason is Abbott. In a fundraising email last month, Abbott said, I believe it is imperative to establish higher standards that reflect our respect for the sanctity of life.

Not public health or safety. Sanctity of life.

Of course, if youre in the life-begins-at-conception camp, it wont matter to you how many weeks into the pregnancy is the woman (more than 90 percent of abortions occur within the first trimester, 12 weeks). Whether zygote, embryo or fetus, you view this as life, and you likely view abortion as murder.

But believing that doesnt make it so under the law, no matter at what week of pregnancy the state bans abortion.

Though the Supreme Court undid two of the most onerous restrictions Texas imposed, remaining is a ban on abortions after 20 weeks. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists  whose members are the experts  says that a fetus is unlikely to survive outside of the womb before 24 weeks.

There will be legal challenges if these changes are made. Plaintiffs will cite the undue burden and even question the agencys authority to impose these changes in the absence of clear public benefit. The state will again spend millions defending itself And it will likely lose. Again.

Constitutionally. Protected. Right.

o.ricardo.pimentel@express-news.net

Twitter: @oricardopimente
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"They (Chinese enterprise) might be interested in establishing their own processing plant here, they might want to buy milk from one of the processors, they might buy one of the processors - I don't know as it's very early days," he said.
"Not only will we be focusing on the qualification but on delivery options and those options will be determined by our members in consultation with the management of the TAFE colleges who pick up the challenge," Mr Henchy said.
What was it like to be an Oath Keeper? John Zimmerman can tell you

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The UK Singles Chart is an interesting thing, evolving within the past couple of years as, from 2014, streaming has counted towards sales at the rate of 100 streams equalling a single download or physical purchase.

Ed Sheeran

Today we're taking a look at the top 10 best-selling songs in the UK since the addition of combined sales to the chart's formula and, surprisingly, there isn't an Adele song in sight! Here are the top 10 songs, in descending order!

10) Ed Sheeran - 'Thinking Out Loud' - Released June 2014 - Combined sales of 2,003,000

Now known as one of the biggest British artists the world has ever seen, Sheeran released this track from second studio album 'x'. Written by Sheeran alongside Amy Wadge, the tune was produced by Jake Gosling and spent 19 weeks in the UK top 40 before hitting number one. The song went on to become the first to spend a full year in the UK Top 40, and in September 2015 it was named as the seventh single ever to achieve triple platinum in the UK during the 21st century. At the 58th Grammy Awards, 'Thinking Out Loud' received three nominations and took home the prizes for 'Song of the Year' and 'Best Pop Solo Performance'.

9) Boney M. - 'Rivers of Babylon'/'Brown Girl in the Ring' - Released April 1978 - Combined sales of 2,030,000

'Rivers of Babylon' did well in the UK charts, but when it slipped to number 20, radios decided to flip the single and start playing traditional Caribbean nursery rhyme, 'Brown Girl in the Ring', which went all the way to number two and became a huge hit and perhaps Boney M.'s most recognisable in its own right. 'Rivers of Babylon' was recorded by various other artists but perhaps the oddest was a parody by The Barron Knights in their 1978 comedy A Taste Of Aggro. The lyrics of the song were changed and it became the group's biggest hit, reaching number three in the charts.

8) Frankie Goes to Hollywood - 'Relax' - Released November 1984 - Combined sales of 2,030,000

'Relax' wasn't just one of the most successful records of the 80s, but a song that was very controversial. Despite soaring to the top of the charts, BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read refused to play the song on-air because of the lyrics and suggestive artwork from the single. The BBC would then ban the single themselves from their radio shows two days later, extending to Top of the Pops, which would display a still picture of the group when the song hit Number One, rather than playing the track or having the group perform live as would be normal. This went on for the full five weeks 'Relax' remained at number one and the BBC were left very embarrassed. Later in 1984, the ban on the song was lifted and it featured on the Christmas Day edition of Top of the Pops, as well as Radio 1's rundown of the year's best-selling singles. Mark O'Toole of the group said of the controversy in 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome' album liner notes: "Everything I say is complete lies. Like, when people ask you what 'Relax' was about, when it first came out we used to pretend it was about motivation, and really it was about shagging."

7) John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John - 'You're the One That I Want' - Released May 1978 - Combined sales of 2,050,000

Written by John Farrar for 1978 movie Grease, 'You're the One That I Want' has estimates of selling over 15 million copies around the world. Released in conjunction with the film, the song became a huge hit across the globe, topping the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks and cementing the legacy of Grease in popular culture. There have been many covers and the song even appeared on 'Bob the Builder: The Album'. Of course, nobody does or sings it better than Travolta and Newton-John.

6) Wings - 'Mull of Kintyre'/'Girls' School' - Released November 1977 - Combined sales of 2,080,000

Becoming the Christmas number one in 1977, 'Mull of Kintyre' will go down in history as Wings' biggest hit in Britain. Though it did have some big international success, it didn't really reach the heights that were expected in America and Canada, peaking at only 33 and 34 in those countries respectively. Despite that, Paul McCartney and co. had to be happy with how it did. Paul still performs the song to this day, and the 18-piece Balmoral Highlanders Pipe Band joined him on stage at London's O2 Arena in 2009 to take on the hypnotic piece.

5) Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars - 'Uptown Funk' - Released December 2014 - Combined sales of 2,400,000

There's no denying that Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars are two men in the modern-day pop industry who know the exact formula for a perfect pop song. They'll create and collaborate with some huge names to put together a song that will blaze right to the top of the charts within hours of being released, and they've got to be commended for that, whether or not you like the material they're putting out there. 'Uptown Funk' is an infectious and exciting tune with a brilliant choreography that has huge fans in Lady Gaga, Beyonce and more. It's easy to see how it spent seven non-consecutive weeks at the top of the UK chart.

4) Pharrell Williams - 'Happy' - Released November 2013 - Combined sales of 2,400,000

Again, in Pharrell Williams we have a man who knows exactly what it takes to make music catered to the young modern day generation. Featuring in the hugely successful 'Minions' movie, the song was loved by people of all ages and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. It went on to become the most successful song of 2014, with 13.9 million units sold in combined sales worldwide. Those are some BIG numbers.

3) Queen - 'Bohemian Rhapsody'/'These Are the Days of Our Lives' - Released November 1991 - Combined sales of 2,440,000

No great music listicle is complete without the addition of a Queen song. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was written by the group's frontman, Freddie Mercury, and stuck to the top of the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks, selling over a million copies within two months. Now it's known as one of Queen's most popular songs of all time, despite upon its release being critically hounded by many. The influence the song has had following the huge dedication and work the band put into it has earned it a spot in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2012 the song topped an ITV nationwide poll in the UK to find the Nation's Favourite Number One, which included over 60 years of music releases. All hail Queen.

2) Band Aid - 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' - Released November 1984 - Combined sales of 3,780,000

Written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in reaction to television reports of the famine in Ethiopia, 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' may seem a little condescending on reflection, but there's no denying the good it's done and the money it's raised for some incredible causes. Worldwide, the single raked in sales of 11.7 million by 1989 and it has been re-recorded on multiple occasions by different artists throughout the years in a bid to continue the success and raise awareness for those less fortunate. The song is also hailed for leading to the Comic Relief charity events we still see take place to this day, and the Live Aid concert which took place seven months after release.

1) Elton John - 'Candle in the Wind 1997'/'Something About the Way You Look Tonight' - Released September 1997 - Combined sales of 4,930,000

Released for the second time as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, the song peaked at number one in the UK and became Elton John's fourth single to do so. In 2007, the Guinness Book of World Records stated that 'Candle in the Wind' was the biggest-selling single 'since records began', despite Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' selling more copies. Produced by George Martin, the song was loved by all because of its dedication to the tragic Princess. We'll forever miss Princess Diana and what could have been, but this is a fitting send off and memory in her honour, and will certainly forever hold a place in the history books.

Despite streaming obviously making some big changes to the way this would have looked before it had an impact, with Pharrell Williams and Ed Sheeran making the list, it's the classics and iconic artists such as Queen and Elton John who sit further towards the top.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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JAKARTA (dpa-AFX) - Japan will on Monday release preliminary Q2 figures for gross domestic product, highlighting a modes day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. GDP is expected to add 0.2 percent on quarter and 0.7 percent on year, slowing from 0.5 percent on quarter and 1.9 percent on year in the three months prior. Japan also will see final June numbers for industrial production, with little change expected from the previous reading that showed an increase of 1.9 percent on month and a decline of 2.4 percent on year. New Zealand will see July data for its Performance of Services Index; in June, the index score was 56.7. Singapore will release June figures for retail sales; in May, sales added 1.4 percent on month and 3.0 percent on year. Indonesia will provide July data for imports, exports and trade balance. In June, imports were worth $12.02 billion and exports were at $12.92 billion for a trade surplus of $900.2 million. 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.
New Delhi: Security agencies and police on Sunday went into tizzy after two calls of unclaimed bags lying in sensitive North Avenue area and New Delhi railway station were received, which were however found to be hoax.

The call about a bag lying unclaimed at the gate of RML Hospital, close to Rashtrapati Bhawan, in North Avenue area was received at 3 pm, police said.

Various agencies and police reached the spot along with a bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs but the bag was found to contain no explosive, said a senior police officer.

The call saying a blue colour bag lying unclaimed on platform number 16 of New Delhi railway station was received at 4.45 pm. But no explosive was found in it, he said.

A hawk-eye vigil is being kept across Delhi as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from 17th century Red Fort on the 70th Independence Day.

Thousands of security personnel have been deployed in and around the historic Mughal fort which will see the presence of senior ministers, top bureaucrats and foreign dignitaries, besides a large audience to hear the Prime Minister.
New Delhi: As many as 270 airline crew members, mostly pilots, were found violating safety norms this year by regulator DGCA which suspended over 150 of them, raising serious concerns about aviation safety.

The number paints an alarming picture as there was a total of 275 "enforcement actions" by DGCA last year, compared 270 such actions being initiated in less than eight months this year.

"Instances of safety violations are increasing. To curb such incidents, the regulator has stepped up surveillance activities," a senior DGCA official said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had earlier this week suspended flying licenses of two pilots of Air India and Jet Airways for four years as they were found to be drunk soon after operating international flights. It had also directed the airlines to register FIRs against them.

Violation of safety requirements such as being drunk while operating a flight can also attract imprisonment.

One cabin crew member each from the two carriers have also been suspended for the same violation for one year.

As per latest data available with DGCA, there were safety violations involving around 270 airline crew members this year till 12 August and the number stood at 169 at the end of June.

Most of them were pilots, flight commanders and first officers.

Taking serious note of the lapse, a significant chunk were suspended by DGCA  an action which also indicated several instances of repeat violations.

Generally, first time violators are given warnings. The next time they are caught, the DGCA directs airlines to de-

roster them from flying duty for a specific time period while repeat offenders are suspended. The enforcement action depends on the severity of violations.

The break-up available till June end show that DGCA took action against 169 airline crew members, of whom 110 were suspended, 28 "off-rostered" and 31 let off with warnings.

The official said the count of violators has seen a spurt since then and from July till 12 August, 101 airline crew members were found violating various safety rules.

According to DGCA data, 44 crew members, including pilots, of Jet Airways faced enforcement actions this year till June end, followed by IndiGo (25), Air India (22), Spicejet (15), GoAir (8), Vistara (4) and AirAsia (2).

On August 11, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told informed Parliament that DGCA acted against 63 pilots of SpiceJet for operating flights beyond their stipulated duty hours. In 2014, there were 391 enforcement

actions by the DGCA.
Hundreds of students gathered outside the main campus of Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi on Saturday and shouted slogans against the Delhi police and the University administration. The students alleged that Special Cell of the Delhi police and some officials in the civil dress barged into the hostel campus of the University and started shooting videos on the afternoon of Saturday.

This came after hostel residents of the University purported that during a raid the night before, hostel officials had warned them of an NIA raid in their residential complex in the wake of Independence Day celebration in the National Capital.

The students who had gathered to protest in Delhi on the campus alleged that at 2 PM on Saturday, two cars with black shields entered the hostel premises and started clicking pictures and shooting videos. When the students asked 'who they were', the "officials" said they had the permission to do so from University authorities.

However, when contacted, the official of the institution merely termed it as a rumour. Mehtab Alam, proctor at the University said, This was a routine check carried out by us before Independence Day, we did this before Republic day too but there was no police involvement in it." But later a PTI report quoted university official confirming that it was routine verification by the police and also officials of the Delhi police confirming the news.

Protesting students questioned this surveillance and termed it as a violation of their right to privacy and also pointed out at how the government at the Centre is suspecting students of being involved in anti-national activities just because it happens to be a minority institution.

A scholar on conditions of anonymity told Firstpost, "We couldnt sleep the entire night as we were told that there might be some raid in the hostel, it sent chill down our spines and we were reminded of what happened with the University students in the aftermath of Batla house encounter. Everyday someone was picked up from the University. All sort of thoughts came to our minds, a scholar cannot deliver in such pressures time and again.

Another student of the University, seemingly exasperated, questioned the legitimacy of such raids by police inside the campus. "Police are not allowed to enter the University premises. It is the duty of the internal security of the University to ensure law and order situation. Are we terrorists studying here at Jamia Millia Islamia that police has come inside the hostel and is shooting videos? How can the university allow that to happen?"

Interestingly, a few students of the University also claimed that a notice was put earlier in the year, mentioning that Jamia Millia Islamia is the prime target of terrorist groups operating in India.

This was not the first raid of its kind to happen in a university, ever since the NDA-led BJP government has assumed power. It has remained in a continuous tussle with the students' community all over the country. Students at the University of Hyderabad and Jawaharlal Nehru University have also complained of such patrolling by police personnel in the campuses on more than one occasion.

Tathagat Sengupta, secretary of the teachers association at the University of Hyderabad (UOH) saw the incident at Jamia Millia Islamia similar to with whats happening at other universities across the country, especially those which are politically vibrant. Sengupta claimed that similar raids were carried out at UOH by the police earlier this year. Sengupta said that in a bid to curtail dissents on the university campuses and turn them into A-political market hubs, these raids are part of politics of increasing surveillance in educational institutions.

"I am not surprised but disappointed to know about the raid in Jamia. This reflects the mindset of the government, they have a clear plan, and they have categorised universities. Jamia stands as Islamist in this categorisation and hence this surprise check before Independence Day. JNU for them is a communist hub and UOH a vanguard against Brahmanism. This all is happening in a bid to curb dissent against the regressive policies of the government and promote privatisation of education in this country. They have placed their own people as the vice-chancellors of the University and it is happening in collaboration with them. Now, this makes our fight more difficult, who do we reach out to? They have jeopardised the entire system.

Meanwhile, students at Jamia have decided a sit-out demanding suspension of the proctor and the provost and also have asked the vice-chancellor of the University to address them immediately. Firstpost tried to reach the vice-chancellor but his phone went unanswered.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday addressed the nation on the eve of India's 70th Independence Day.

In his speech, the president focused on the passage of the Constitution Amendment Bill for GST, intolerance and attacks on "weaker sections" of the society, obstructionism in politics, the sanctity of the Constitution, India's development, foreign policy and terrorism.

Here are the highlights of President Mukherjee's speech:

On intolerance and attack on weaker sections of society

At a time when several attacks on Dalits are being reported throughout the nation, the president said that such attacks need to be dealt with firmly to protect the nation.

"In these four years, I also saw with, some disquiet, forces of divisiveness and intolerance trying to raise their ugly head. Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly. The collective wisdom of our society and our polity gives me the confidence that such forces will remain marginalised," he said.

"One unique feature that has held India together is our respect for each others cultures, values and beliefs. The very essence of plurality lies in cherishing our heterogeneity and valuing our diversity," the president further said.

On the GST Amendment Bill

President Mukherjee also said that in the last four years, he had seen the ruling party and the Opposition coming together to take a decision for the welfare of the nation.

"In the just-concluded session of Parliament, the passage of the Constitution Amendment Bill for the introduction of GST amidst non-partisan and quality parliamentary deliberations is reason enough to celebrate our democratic maturity," he said.

On India's foreign policy

At a time when ties between India and Pakistan are especially strained due to the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, President Mukherjee said that there will be no stepping back from India's "neighbourhood first policy".

"We are in the process of forging new relationships based on shared values and mutual benefit with all countries, especially our immediate and extended neighbourhood. There will be no stepping back on our 'neighbourhood first policy'. Close bonds of history, culture, civilization and geography provide the people of South Asia with an extraordinary opportunity to carve out a common destiny and to march together towards prosperity. This opportunity must be seized without delay," Mukerjee said.

"Indias focus in foreign policy will remain on peaceful co-existence and harnessing technology and resources for its economic development. Recent initiatives have enhanced energy security, promoted food security, and created international partnerships to take our flagship development programmes forward," he further said.

On terrorism

Stressing on how terrorist forces around the world kill innocent people and threaten to disturb geopolitical divides, the president said, "The inhuman, mindless and barbaric modus operandi of such groups have been visible in France, Belgium, United States, Nigeria, Kenya and closer home in Afghanistan and Bangladesh recently. These forces now pose a danger to the entire comity of nations. The world will have to fight them unconditionally and in one voice."

On obstructionism in politics

The president said that democracy was also a responsibility rather than just the freedom to elect a government.

"The great tree of liberty requires constant nourishment through the institutions of democracy. Disruptions, obstructionism and un-mindful pursuit of a divisive political agenda by groups and individuals lead to nothing but institutional travesty and Constitutional subversion. Polarizing debates only deepen the fault lines in public discourse," he said.

On inclusion of weaker sections in development

"India will grow, only when all of India grows. The excluded ones have to be included in the development process. The hurt and the alienated have to be brought back into the mainstream. In this age of technological advance, machines are being pitted against men. The only way to survive this is to acquire knowledge and skills, and learn to innovate. Inclusive innovations linked to the aspirations of our people can benefit a wide spectrum of society as well as preserve our diversity," the president said.

"As we build an Indiaof hundreds of smart cities, towns and villages, we must ensure that they are humane, hi-tech and happy places leading to the creation of a technology-driven but compassionate society. We should promote and reinforce a scientific temper by questioning our beliefs which are not compatible with scientific way of thinking," he further said.

On the sanctity of the Constitution

Lastly, the President also talked about the importance of the Constitution and the need to uphold the spirit of the Constitution.

"Our Constitution is not only a political or legal document but also an emotional, cultural and social contract," said the president. "The Constitution has clearly defined the duties and responsibilities of every organ of the state. It has established the ancient Indian ethos of "Maryada as far as Authorities and Institutions of State power are concerned. The spirit of the Constitution has to be upheld by adherence to this "Maryada by the functionaries in the discharge of their duties," he said.
New Delhi: The Jamia Millia Islamia University authorities on Sunday demanded an action against police personnel who entered the campus premises without permission.

"Taking exception to the plain-clothed police personnel entering Jamia Millia Islamia premises without permission, the authorities have written to Delhi Police demanding suitable action against them," the university said in a statement.

Scores of students staged a protest and alleged on Saturday evening that some "raids" were conducted by Delhi Police inside the university hostels.

The police officials told the university that it was a "routine check up" ahead of the Independence Day.

"They (police) conducted the raids to harass the students," a protester, who wanted to remain anonymous, told IANS.

The students also accused Chief Proctor Mehtab Alam of allowing the police to enter the campus premises.

The authorities have appealed to the students to maintain "calm".
Lucknow: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday challenged other political parties to debate on the condition of Muslims in the country and the allegations levelled against him.

Addressing party workers here, he claimed since Independence, the condition of Muslims in the country has gone from bad to worse and none of the other political parties, including the Congress, has ever bothered to address the issue.

"SP, BSP, Congress and BJP leaders call me communal and accuse me of giving inflammatory speeches. Do flowers shower from the statements of their leaders?" he asked.

"I challenge all the other parties to debate on the condition of Muslims in the country and the allegations levelled against me," said Owaisi.

The MP from Hyderabad claimed that the contribution of Muslims in India's freedom struggle and that 'maulanas' had issued 'fatwas' against the British were "not mentioned" anywhere by historians.

He also claimed that Muslims in India have trusted "everyone" but got nothing except "backwardness" in return and called leaders from the community representing other political parties such as Azam Khan of the SP, Naseemuddin Siddiqui of the BSP and Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress "Muslim dealers".

Accusing the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh of "spreading casteism", he said "Yadavwaad", instead of "samajwad" (socialism) had taken root in the state.

Taking a jibe at Azam Khan, Owaisi said that the UP minister's buffalo was not stolen but it "ran away" after being "harassed".

He said following Azam's footsteps, a BJP MP has now lodged a complaint alleging that his dog 'Kallu' has been stolen.

"Politics in Uttar Pradesh is now revolving around a buffalo and Kallu," said Owaisi.

In a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently taking a tough stance on hooliganism in the name of cow protection, the AIMIM chief said, "I have told (Union Home Minister) Rajnath Singh that all the so-called cow vigilantes actually belonged to his party."
Jammu: BJP on Sunday claimed that attempts were being made by Pakistan-backed separatist leadership of the Valley to stir trouble in the "peaceful" areas of Jammu to portray that the people of the region support them.

"It is a well known fact that Pakistan is not able to digest the peace and tranquility that prevails in this border region...and has been desperately trying to spread the arc of Wahabiyat and jihadi terrorism in south of Pir Panjal with active collaboration of Hurriyat," BJP state president Sat Sharma said.

He said taking advantage of the ongoing unrest in Kashmir, hostile elements want to fan trouble in "peaceful areas" in order to portray it as support for the unrest in Valley.

Sharma advised the state government to act firmly against such elements so that they are unable to succeed in their evil designs and the areas remain peaceful. Condemning Saturday's grenade attack in Poonch, he said, "The grenade attack near the Akhara Camp in Poonch targeting Hindu pilgrims heading for Buddaha Amarnath is a clear attempt to disturb communal harmony in the area and to discourage devotees from undertaking holy pilgrimage of Buddha Amarnath."

"The cadre of BJP will fight all such elements tooth and nail and would provide full cooperation to the administration in maintaining peace in the area," he said. Sharma said some miscreants have posted hand-written posters with the slogans "Go Back" aimed at creating fear among the local population ahead of the Independence Day celebrations and urged police and civil administration to nab miscreants before they fuel trouble.

Condemning Pakistan for Sunday's unprovoked ceasefire violation, Sharma asked the neighbouring nation to take care of the trouble brewing in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit-Baltistan. "The demand for freedom from illegal occupation of

Pakistan is gaining momentum in those areas and we are behind the people of all Pak occupied areas," he said.
Jammu: Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions near the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday in Poonch district of Jammu region.

Army spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta told IANS that Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked firing at our positions near the LoC in Poonch district early morning on Sunday.

"They used small arms and automatics to target our positions. The Indian army has retaliated using same caliber weapons," he added.

The firing was still going on till the last reports came in.

A senior police officer on Saturday told IANS that "11 yatris of Baba Budha Amarnath Yatra were injured near the shrine, when three men hurled a Grenade."

Two suspects were nabbed while they were escaping in a vehicle, but a third suspect was still at the large.

Tensions have mounted near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir during the Independence Day celebrations of India and Pakistan.

Pakistan army has been resorting to unprovoked firing at Indian positions around 14 and 15 August ever since the armed violence started in the state in early 1990s.
New Delhi: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday took strong exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 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 Modi's 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 Minister's 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 percent 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 percent 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 percent 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.
A day after President Pranab Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee shamed a man on her Facebook post for sexually harassing her online, she reportedly filed a police complaint and demanded his arrest.

In her complaint to the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police, Mukherjee said that the messages sent to her were "totally distasteful and vulgar, posted with an intention of being extremely foul and intimidatory and were highly offensive in nature".

The police said that the lewd messages were sent to Mukherjee through Facebook Messenger and the perverts profile mentions him as a resident of Nauhati in West Bengal. We are in the process of registering a case and launching investigation to catch the culprit," NDTV quoted Anyesh Roy, DCP (Cyber Crime) as saying.

Mukherjee, in her post on 13 August, said that Partha Mandal has been sending her dirty sexual messages on the social networking site.

"I strongly feel such ppl shd be publicly exposed & humiliated. I'm posting screenshots of his profile & messages he sent me," she wrote in the post.

It soon went viral and while talking to The Hindustan Times, she said "I decided to share the messages because there is a need for public exposure and public humiliation of such people."

"Generally girls or women block such a person. But that never helps because the offenders take advantage of the situation and humiliate others," she added.

In another Facebook post on Saturday, Mukherjee thanked everyone for the support and the media for taking up the issue. She also confirmed that she has filed a complaint against Mandal in Cyber Crime Cell of Delhi Police.

Mukherjee also tweeted out, saying, "More power to all of us" while appealing to all women facing similar charges to lodge complaints.

More power to all of us trying to fight & expose these perverts https://t.co/gkcJg7pLeR  Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) August 13, 2016

She added that the police will take immediate action only because she is the Presidents daughter. However, she said that she does not 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.

The Congress leader fought the 2015 Assembly elections in Delhi and said that she made her Facebook profile public after joining politics to get suggestions and complaints from the people.

With inputs from IANS
Lucknow: Taking serious note of the death of a BJP supporter during a clash between party workers and police in Narhi area, the Uttar Pradesh government has suspended the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police for alleged dereliction of duty.

"Ballia District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar and SP MK Jha were suspended by the government late Saturday night," an official spokesman said.

The trouble started after five cows were recovered from a vehicle on Friday during a routine checking, following which an FIR was registered against BJP worker Chandrama Yadav and another person.

Thereafter, BJP MLA Upendra Tiwari and his supporters, including Yadav, staged a dharna in front of Narahi police station to protest the registration of the FIR, police said.

Efforts were made to pacify the MLA and his supporters but they did not relent and when police tried to evict them, they indulged in stone pelting.

The police then lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the irate crowd.

District BJP chief Vinod Dubey alleged that police used batons and opened fire at the party workers, leading to the death of BJP worker Vinod Rai, 38 and injury to 50 others.

Besides the BJP MLA, an FIR has been registered against 43 named persons and 300-400 unnamed persons in the incident, the spokesman said.

An FIR was also registered against Ballia ADM Bache Lal Maurya, and 11 policemen including Narahi station officer Rajesh on complaint of BJP worker Gopal Rai's, he said.

Sub Inspector at Nahari police station Rajesh Yadav was earlier put under suspension, he said.

Heavy police force has been deployed to bring the situation under control and a magisterial inquiry ordered into the incident.
Before his death in January 2016, Rohith Vemula was a prolific writer on Facebook, where he discussed everything from caste to cows.

Through 2008, the time that Vemula started posting on Facebook, to his last posts in January 2016, his writings offer not just a commentary on his life, but the lives of several others for whom caste discrimination is not a thing of the past but a lived reality. A life where, as Vemula tagged all his posts on the subject, #CasteIsNotaRumour.

Edited by Nikhila Henry, Vemula's writings are now available in a compiled form, by the publishing house Juggernaut.

Excerpts:

Of Home and Other Matters

17 June, 2012

Im against domestic violence. Ive seen my mothers suffering and I would like to be a part of the change that has to come. Real manhood lies in making a woman want to be with you (instead of forcing her to).

Musings on Self

12 March, 2012

Life is like a cigarette that is lit on one end. It will end if you smoke it or otherwise. Likewise, life will come to an end even if you enjoy or simply watch as it goes by. The choice you make is entirely up to you. Choose wisely. By the way, I am a good smoker.

Nation and Nationalism

15 August, 2013

Another Independence Day just came by to tickle our meagre everyday life. But we should be Proud of being an Indian. Even after 67 years of Independence there are class differences and caste discrimination but we should Love our Nation. There is freedom for women in our country but if a girl marries a boy from another caste and not her own, we will kill her for our honour. Happy independence day. The new born babies in this 67-year-old heaven have the freedom to become anything

in life but if they want education each has to pay a hefty Rs. 60,000 as donation to be admitted in private institutions. If they get educated in government schools and universities they should get recommendation to get a job. Swatantra Diwas Mubarak.

If you are a Muslim it is better to not get into any argument with a Hindu and if you are a Dalit never look at any Savarna person eye-to-eye. All this might trigger massive communal violence. Independence Day Greetings!. In reality, freedom of electing our leaders has become a choice between lesser evil and greater ones; only to be fooled every five years. Religion is still a determining factor in elections. Jai Hind.

We have the freedom to choose between McDonalds or Dominos for lunch. We also have the freedom to neglect our accountability towards the bitter suicides of farmers across the country. Happy Independence Day! 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 the best Indian ever! Bharat Mata Ki Jai!

Anyway, wishing you all a delightful Independence Day hoping at least today no innocent will face fake encounter at the hands of our security agencies just because they belong to some infamous community. Vandemataram! Mahatmas have come, Mahatmas have gone but the Untouchables have remained as UntouchablesSo long as you do not achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you...

Ambedkar

Caste and Beef

5 March, 2015

Cooking is what made us evolve as a distinctive species on our blue planet. Every culture ever recorded has some dish or cuisine associated with it. Ambedkar explicitly wrote how cow eating was prevalent in Indus Valley civilisation. From the existing art works (from the period) it can be seen that holiness of cow is nothing but a constructed value.

The recent ban on beef in Maharashtra has political and cultural angles. If you have read George Orwells 1984 you can draw parallels between 'Big Brother and Bharatiya Janata Party, thought police and law makers and room No. 101 and current status of this Nation. By attempting to control what to talk, what to think, what to eat and what to dream, the Modi government is racing towards a totalitarian regime with Hindutva pumped discriminatory spirituality as its tool. Brahmanical forces which exercise power on Indian government got exposed as the latter introduced beef ban.

Protest before they ban protesting too.

On Reservations

13 June, 2015

Some of my very nice friends ask

1. There are poor families even among upper castes. Why not give them reservations on economic basis? There are affluent people among Dalits, they say, adding the question, why are they enjoying reservation policy? (I must say that some among these friends of mine are social activists and Ambedkarites (who have ample respect for Ambedkar).

I never could say this to them, maybe because Im too shy, but here is my answer to those questions:

In our Mahan Bharat, the discrimination and exclusion Dalits face is not economic (discrimination and exclusion). It is not unifactorial. Dalits including me are not against any kind of structural affirmative action to support any disadvantageous groups who have genuine demands. If you feel you need some reservation, we will fight along.

Put together, 52 percent of the pie is still unreserved. Let us get a chunk of it for the deserving Below the Poverty Line (BPL) upper-caste families. My only problem is your comparative calculations (which equates discrimination against Dalits and economically deprived upper caste people). That is mis-oriented. That is self-contradicting.

Jai Bheem!
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday 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.
New Delhi: Latching on to the Supreme Court's recent observations, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday taunted the Centre, wondering whether it wants to appoint "BJP lawyers" as High Court judges instead of adhering to the collegium's recommendations.

In a series of tweets, Kejriwal termed as "shocking" the Centre's attempt to "interfere" and "stall" the functioning of the judiciary.

"Why centre not clearing names suggested by SC collegium? Does centre want BJP lawyers to be appointed as HC judges?" Kejriwal asked.

His comments came in the wake of the apex Court's reproach of the Centre's non-execution of the collegium's decision to transfer and appoint Chief Justices and judges in High Courts.

Observing that justice delivery system is "collapsing", the SC had earlier rebuked the Centre saying, it would not tolerate the resulting "logjam" and will intervene if necessary.
Bengaluru: On Sunday leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad asked students from Jammu and Kashmir to concentrate on studies and not get involved in politics, a day after a panel discussion in Bengaluru over the Kashmir issue witnessed heated exchanges.

"All these boys, whether they are Kashmiri Pandits or Muslim boys or they are boys from Jammu, they have come here to study. So my appeal to them is that when they are outside their state they should be very friendly," Azad said.

"First complete your studies - that should be their priority," he told reporters when asked about the incident.

Claiming that the atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir is not congenial for education, Azad said, "I would request our children who are studying here, whichever religion they may belong to, I would appeal to both the sections that first of all they should complete their studies."

"Kashmir has been spoiled by too much politics, let the students not spoil their career, if they have to make their career," he added.

A panel discussion on Saturday had turned chaotic as some "pro-freedom" Kashmiris, most of them youngsters and students, entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing the Indian Army. Pro-Kashmir Independence slogans were raised at the event organised by Amnesty International India at United Theological College.

Azad said "violence in Kashmir is a matter of great concern" not only for people of Jammu Kashmir but for the entire country which is why we have had discussion on the issue during the recent Parliament session."

Meanwhile, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activists today staged a protest in front of the United Theological College calling yesterday's event "anti-national". They demanded action against organisers and those involved in raising of slogans.

BJP's Mysuru MP and party's youth wing president Pratap Simha, who participated in the protest, alleged the organisers had set a stage for anti-national activities and demanded police to take action against the college.

He said permission should not be given for events organised by Amnesty International hereafter.

Condemning the reported comments against the Indian Army at the event, BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa sought strict action against those responsible.

Some Kashmiri pandits, who also took part in the protest, said they will soon meet the city police chief on the issue.
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: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday called for a national movement to reinvigorate the principles of "compassion, coexistence and inclusive development" as the indelible features of Indian society.

In her message on the eve of 70th Independence Day, she appealed to every citizen to follow the solemn duty of protecting and preserving the values of freedom and equality.

Gandhi said, "Each Indian citizen, as indeed the Congress worker was a freedom fighter and as inheritors of this great legacy today, we must rise to fulfill the responsibility of preserving and fighting for the values that this rich legacy bequeathed us with."

Paying tributes to farmers, labourers, tradesmen, scientists, teachers and thinkers who contributed in the great task of nation building, the Congress chief particularly underlined the selfless service of the armed forces.

She said, "their supreme sacrifice in protecting the integrity of India is extraordinary and worth bowing to."
Chennai: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday 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 jihadis into our side, there is a bomb blast that kills 70-80 people somewhere in Pakistan," he said at an event organised by Chinmaya Mission.

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.
Pakistan High Commissioner Adbul Basit has reportedly come out in his country's defence amid escalating tension in the volatile state of Jammu and Kashmir. On the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day, the high commissioner said that Pakistan's Independence Day this year is dedicated to Kashmir's 'azaadi' during the celebrations at its embassy in Delhi.

ANI reported that he said, "Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India." He added that Pakistan will dedicate this year's Independence Day to Kashmir and its struggle for freedom.

Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India: Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit pic.twitter.com/zlTHwGPDWV  ANI (@ANI_news) August 14, 2016

Is saal ki JashneAzadi hum Kashmir ki Azadi ke naam karte hain- Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in Delhi pic.twitter.com/gInZLqZ60a  ANI (@ANI_news) August 14, 2016

"Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom. Sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain," he said during his trip to Delhi.

Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom; Sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain: Pak envoy Basit  News18 (@CNNnews18) August 14, 2016

India summoned Basit on 9 August amid growing tension between the two nations over the violence in Kashmir. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar called Basit to his office and lodged a strong protest over the issue as he made a specific reference to LeT terrorist and Pakistan national Bahadur Ali, who was captured recently in North Kashmir during an encounter.

According to a tweet by Ministry of External Affairs Minister Vikas Swarup, Bahadur Ali was arrested by Indian authorities in Kashmir and confessed that after training in Lashkar-e-Toiba camps, he was infiltrated in India.

Demarche made specific reference to LeT terrorist and Pak national Bahadur Ali who was apprehended recently (2/2) pic.twitter.com/uYwEyCQokM  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 9, 2016

"Jaishankar called in the Pakistan envoy and issued a strong demarche on continuing cross border terrorism from Pakistan," he tweeted. The demarche also said that the infiltration is contrary to assurances given by the Pakistani leaders at the highest levels.

Foreign Secretary Jaishankar called in Pak HC Basit today, issued strong demarche on continuing cross border terrorism from Pakistan (1/2)  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 9, 2016

Basit's comments came on a day when Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The ongoing unrest should be ended. Pakistan will continue to extend its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self determination," Basit said.

Basit said that no matter "how much" force is used, the political aspiration of people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be suppressed, and that the "freedom movement" will reach its logical conclusion.

"Today our nation faces several challenges, but no power can cause any damage to Pakistan. People who want to trouble Pakistan, they should know that our people, be it Muslim, Hindu or Sikh, we are together and will not hesitate to make any sacrifice for Pakistan's well-being," he added.

The India-Pakistan ties have plunged further since the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Pakistan Prime Minsiter Nawaz Sharif declared Wani a "martyr" and even observed 19 July as black day to mourn the continuing violence in Kashmir.

India has reacted strongly to Pakistan's support to Hurriyat leaders and said that it has no "locus standi" in the matter of Kashmir.

"Pakistan has no locus standi in addressing any aspect of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, which is an internal matter of India, except to put an end to all cross-border terrorism, infiltration and support and instigation to terrorism and violence against India," Swarup said.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh too condemned Pakistan and its involvement in the Kashmir violence while addressing the Rajya Sabha. He said that the situation in Kashmir is sponsored by Pakistan while asserting that no power in the world can take Kashmir from India.

On Saturday, Swarup tweeted India's response to Pakistan's proposal to have a dialogue on Kashmir issue.

Our Response to Pakistan's proposal for a dialogue on Jammu & Kashmir pic.twitter.com/ieia4H1VVF  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 13, 2016

With inputs from PTI
In the wake of the ongoing unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan on Sunday reportedly offered to send supplies to the state, after which India snubbed the offer by terming it absurd.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup told ANI that a communication was delivered to Indias High Commission in Islamabad on 12 August.

A communication was apparently delivered to our High Commission in Islamabad on Aug 12: Vikas Swarup, MEA pic.twitter.com/GxvTYpAjsZ  ANI (@ANI_news) August 14, 2016

I can only characterise its contents that propose sending supplies to Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir as absurd, ANI further quoted him as saying. He also said that India has completely and categorically rejected this purported communication from Pakistan Foreign Ministry.

We completely and categorically reject this purported communication from the Pak foreign Ministry: Vikas Swarup, MEA pic.twitter.com/y4vbdczc7U  ANI (@ANI_news) August 14, 2016

In a strong message to the neighbouring nation, Swarup also tweeted Indias response to the offer. He said, India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistans trademark exports-international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency, corroborating Union Minister Rajnath Singhs statement that the violence in Kashmir is sponsored by Pakistan.

Our response to yet another communique by Pakistan Foreign Ministry pic.twitter.com/kMeSNgr7VM  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 14, 2016

Swarups statement comes on a day when Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit said that Pakistans Independence Day this year is dedicated to Kashmirs 'azaadi' during the celebrations at its embassy in Delhi.

While defending Pakistan, Basit said, Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India. Basit had even said that Pakistan will continue to extend its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self determination.

India had summoned him on 9 August amid growing tension between the two nations over the violence in Kashmir.

Swarup, however, reiterated the Centres stand that Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had called Basit to his office and lodged a strong protest over the issue as he made a specific reference to LeT terrorist and Pakistan national Bahadur Ali, who was captured recently in North Kashmir during an encounter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singh have overtly blamed Pakistan for the ongoing tension. In the all-party meeting convened by Modi to discuss the Kashmir issue, he had said that cross-border terrorism, supported by Pakistan, is the root cause of turbulence in the Valley.

Singh had previosuly assured Rajya Sabha that the Centre will ensure all basic commodities are available to the people of Kashmir despite curfew and restrcitions.

(With inputs from PTI)
Islamabad: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to pick Pakistan's next army chief from among four generals, and a key factor will be the officer's views on India, a newspaper said on Sunday.

The four officers in line to succeed incumbent General Raheel Sharif are Lt Gen Zubair Hayat, Lt Gen Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmed, Lt Gen Javed Iqbal Ramday and Lt Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Dawn reported.

The daily quoted an unnamed politician close to the Prime Minister as saying that Nawaz Sharif would consider his working relationship with the officers who have interacted with him frequently.

"In addition, the position of the candidates on political developments in the country will also be a deciding factor.

"For this, it is said, the Prime Minister will be relying on intelligence reports he has been receiving," the Dawn added.

It said another consideration likely to be taken into account "would be the prospective candidates' views on foreign policy issues, particularly ties with India".

The Prime Minister holds a one-on-one consultation with the army chief on prospective candidates, it said.

"Gen Raheel Sharif would not like to become controversial and would not like the Prime Minister to use his recommendation as an excuse to distort the seniority list," a retired general was quoted as saying.

Lt Gen Hayat is from the artillery and the serving chief of general staff (CGS). His father retired as a major general while two of his brothers are generals.

Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed is considered to have had a textbook career. He is currently serving as Multan corps commander. He belongs to the Azad Kashmir Regiment.

Lt Gen Ramday now leads the Bahawalpur corps and was previously president of the National Defence University in Islamabad.

Lt Gen Bajwa is considered a dark horse "and someone who needs to be closely watched", the Dawn said. He has extensive experience of handling affairs in Kashmir and the northern areas of the country.

The Dawn said all the candidates appeared to be evenly poised "and there are no clear front-runners".

Gen Raheel Sharif is set to retire at the end of November.
Islamabad: The Pakistan government will avenge every life lost to terrorists in Quetta, President Mamnoon Hussain said on Sunday.

"We are shocked at the Quetta terrorist attack and we stand with the bereaved families," Xinhua news agency quoted Hussain as saying during the country's Independence Day celebration.

A suicide bomber killed 74 people in a Quetta hospital on 8 August.

"Every Pakistani feels the pain," the President said. "The blood of the innocent people will not go waste."

"I announce here, the government will take revenge for the blood of the innocent people."

The Islamic State and a Pakistani Taliban group claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. Most victims were lawyers.

"Every visible and invisible enemy will be chased and crushed in order to establish durable peace in the country," said the President.

He said the menace of terrorism would be eliminated from the country with decisive actions and renewed determination.
On the sidelines of the recent Chinese transgression in Himachal Pradesh and the growing tensions between the two neighbours, on Saturday India and China held discussions on longstanding issues of conflict. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and flagged issues that are of mutual concerns for the two nations.

Wang Yi, who is on a three-day tour to India, met his Indian counterpart on Saturday. Wang was also called upon by Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi before he held discussions with Swaraj.

From China's refusal to support India's bid to gain Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership to the Masood Azhar issue, Swaraj flagged India's key concerns that have resulted in a bottleneck for Indo-China relations.

Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang, 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 strain in the recent past.

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

Swaraj also conveyed to Wang, India's concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) during the three-hour-long discussion. While no concrete statement were made by any of the two leaders on border issues, sources said that the situation on the border was reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity were discussed. "A new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries agreed to discuss ties," sources said.

In the past, Swaraj has 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.

According to PTI sources, "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."

India urged China to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism: Sources  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

On the NSG issue, PTI sources said, "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."

In June during the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping, China had scuttled India's bid for membership of the NSG 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.

Indias NSG membership was also discussed with Chinese FM. EAM outlined imp of meeting our clean energy goals in context of COP-21: Sources  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

Interestingly, on NSG, Chinese state-run media had sent a rare positive signal stating India need not be downhearted as the door for its entry into the elite club is not completely shut.

EAM offered to discuss any technical issues China may have. It was agreed that DGs of Disarmament of 2 countries would meet soon: Sources  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

Significantly, the Chinese minister's visit comes a few days after China's incursion in the Chamoli district of Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. These troops reportedly camped with arms despite India and China's agreement to keep the area demilitarised.

Bara Hoti, which is spread across 80 sq.km in Chamoli, is a disputed territory between India and China. However, this was not the first time that Chinese troops have infiltrated the border.

Meanwhile, on Friday Wang had hinted upon garnering support for China's claim on the disputed South China Sea. According to a The Times of India Wang said, "It is up to India what position it has to take." The report said that Wang may try to persuade India not to join the dissenting voices over China's control on the disputed waters.

With inputs from PTI
Beirut: 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 Quran. 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.
Islamabad: Pakistan has decided to play a "good host" and avoid a repetition of the tense atmosphere that prevailed during Home Minister Rajnath Singh's recent visit by according a "warm welcome" to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) ministerial conference later this month.

Jaitley is likely to attend the Saarc Finance Ministers' Conference to be hosted in Islamabad on 25 August and 26 August and there are chances of "gracious handshakes" between Pakistan finance minister Ishaq Dar and his Indian counterpart, finance ministry officials said.

The government has finalised arrangements for the upcoming Saarc meet, a finance ministry statement said, adding that Dar chaired a meeting to review arrangements for the conference.

Pakistan would play the role of a "good host" and try to keep the overall ambiance positive, the statement added.

The ministerial conference comes in the shadow of home minister Singh's visit to Islamabad earlier this month where barbs were exchanged between Singh and Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who only had a tense and uneasy handshake during the Saarc meeting.

The duo exchanged repartee over issues of terrorism and violence in Kashmir.

"The hostilities were at peak during the Home Ministers' Conference and Dar does not wish a repetition," finance ministry officials were quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.

They further said that all regional countries except Bangladesh have confirmed participation of their finance ministers. "Bangladesh has so far only confirmed the participation of its deputy finance minister. Dar will personally call his Bangladeshi counterpart and urge him to attend the conference," they added.

However, the Ministry of Finance did not comment on whether a bilateral meeting would be held between the finance ministers of India and Pakistan. The meetings are taking place ahead of the SAARC Summit to be held in November in Islamabad wherein Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to participate.

"All SAARC countries have a lot of potential to develop together utilising each other's potentials and energies. The cooperation is necessary in promoting the welfare and improving the quality of life of the people of the region," said Dar.

"The upcoming conference is an important event in this regard," he added. The Saarc is a regional intergovernmental organisation. Its member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Written by the Editorial board of The Guardian Newspaper

The battle against poliomyelitis, otherwise known as polio, has taken a pleasant turn as Nigeria marks two straight years without any reported case of the dreaded disease. While the development is good, it is, however, not yet time to celebrate as the job is not fully done.

Not until the country is certified totally polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) can Nigeria have cause to rejoice and it takes at least three years of no new infection for such declaration to be made on a country.



The good news, however underscores the success of Nigerias anti- polio campaign, which in no way, at this time, should mean relenting on the efforts. There should be more aggressive action at the grassroots and in the rural areas to ensure total eradication.

While the government mobilises needed resources, Nigerians should be on heightened surveillance and all the nooks and crannies of the country should be monitored to ensure that the last vestiges of the disease is eradicated.

From this point of view, President Muhammadu Buharis promise that the Federal Government and its partners would not rest on their oars but would continue to provide the needed oversight and resources to achieve total polio eradication makes sense.

The WHO and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), together with other leading partners in the polio eradication effort, are already urging Nigerians, under the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), to be on the alert for any sign of the disease through the heightened surveillance, especially, in the border areas.

After decades of devastation, in July 2015, Nigeria was removed from the list of polio-endemic countries by the WHO. The list had 125 countries.

In a joint statement in Abuja between Nigeria and its partners, an elated President Buhari expressed satisfaction at the historic moment that has brought Africa to the closest it has ever been to eradicating this devastating disease. He added that Nigerians must protect the gains it has made and stay on course to tackle the challenges that remain in eliminating polio for good.

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole also said government is building resilience by getting people out of their comfort zones to further enhance the quality of polio campaigns, reach children in difficult areas and continue to improve routine immunization.

Acting WHO Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Rex Mapazanje, advised the country to continue to be on alert for any sign of the disease, particularly, in the vulnerable populations, including insurgency-hit areas of the Northeast and adjoining areas of Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The need for community informants across the country was stressed as a sure way to keep track of the disease.

The UNICEF, through Country Representative, Jean Gough, while acknowledging that achieving a polio-free Africa will endanger a polio-free world, underscored the need to work with all partners, in particular, traditional institutions at all levels, to ensure that every child is reached in order to make this paralysing disease history.

All the partners have appropriately stressed the need for more commitment from governments, civil society and donors to finish the job for Nigeria, for Africa and for children everywhere.

As a further move to boost the eradication effort, the European Union has signed an agreement with the Federal Government to ensure sustainable quality Routine Immunization Services against the wild polio virus.

The efforts of the government and all development partners, who, over the years have committed time, effort and resources in combating polio are indeed commendable.

From all indications, Nigeria is on the verge of becoming polio-free, a development that will mark a landmark in the countrys primary healthcare delivery programme.

Worldwide, record shows that polio cases have decreased significantly by over 99 percent from an estimated 350,000 cases to 74 cases in 2015. The reduction is due to the global effort to eradicate the disease. Today, there are only two polio endemic countries, namely, Afghanistan and Pakistan, from as many as 125 in 1988.

Poliomyelitis is a debilitating infectious disease caused by the polio virus, which affects children mainly under five years of age. The disease presents itself in muscle weakness, resulting in inability to move. It leads to irreversible paralysis in most of the victims.

Now that so much progress has been made, the onus is on the global community to intensify the eradication programme and succeed in making the whole world truly polio-free.
By Adenike Lucas

Abubakar Sidiq Usman, a popular blogger was arrested by armed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the early hours of August 8, 2016, after publishing an article on Abusidiqu.com on August 2, where staff accused the acting chair of the anti-corruption agency, Mr Ibrahim Mustafa Magu of bullying and corruption.

Consequent to the report titled: Magu Commences Total War With Core EFCC Staff, Abusidiq was accused of Cyber Stalking the EFCC boss.



In his first interview after his bail was granted, the Kogi State indigene revealed that the evidence the EFCC had against him where print-outs of the articles I published concerning the former chair of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde and one or two concerning the current acting chair, Ibrahim Magu.

In addition, the EFCC showed him a print out of an email sent to me by the author of the articles with the content requesting for publishing space.

Meanwhile, I, Adenike Lucas, the author of the article in question demand for the Federal Government to investigate the real reason as to why Abusidiq was investigated.

In a press release, I also called for an investigation into this pressing allegation made against Mr Magu and his predecessor, Mr Lamorde.

I believe Mr Magus reaction to the article I wrote on August 8, lends credence that my sources were Core EFCC Staff at the commission who complained of bullying and corruption.

In August 2015, Abusidiq published an op-ed by SD Robo titled:  Rejuvenating And Overhauling The EFCC, An Open Letter To The President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari.

In that piece, Robo accused some policemen of killing the Pension and Fuel Subsidy Investigation. He advised for President Buhari to purge the commission.

According to a staff member who did not want to be named, Mr Magu is not prepared to send away corrupt policemen but he was forced to send some of his known lackeys to their mother organisation, this month.

Chief Superintendent Bello Yahaya and Superintendent Mohammed Baba Azare were among those returned by Mr Magu, following an intense write by Adenike Lucas which exposed corrupt activities in the commission he is currently leading.

Abusidiq, a prominent member of the Buhari Media Campaign team has published other articles highlighting corruption at the EFCC. The articles Why EFCC Management Must Be Investigated Now, The Decay And Rot In the EFCC, The Hidden Corrupt Chameleon In EFCC, Why The Next EFCC Chairman Must Not Be Sentiment Based, Ibrahim Magu Returns corrupt Police Lackeys to Mother Organisation, Arrested Commodore Caught With Sensitive EFCC Document At Maitama Home, Ibrahim Magu: Self-Acclaimed Anti-Corruption Czar Mounts Pressure on NASS For Confirmation.

This articles remain on Abusidiqs website. A source close to the EFCC boss believes it is the culmination of this write ups that lead to the arrest of the blogger.

Nigerians expects Abusidiq to head to the courts, following his unlawful detention.

Aisha Yesufu says his rights were infringed upon and he was detained unlawfully. She called for him to sue that institution and get them to pay so that it will deter them from next time going on to arrest any Nigerians.

She acknowledged that some people might say he should just let it go and God will take control, but she says God has given us brains, we should stop abdicating our responsibilities to God.

The co-convenor of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign group urged Nigerians to be united in fighting corruption just like the elite who in corruption are all united.

Let us deal with issues now. This are the reasons these things keep on happening. If they get away with this today, then each and every one of us will be picked at, Mrs Yesufu went on to add.

Since last weeks incident, other members of staff at the commission have gotten in touch with Adenike Lucas to report that Mr Magu was not relenting and that the bullying had intensified.

In addition, they made new allegations against their boss who they believed ordered the arrest of the popular blogger Abusidiq for revealing genuine FACTS.

One said that the Core staff Sambo Mayana, who led the operation to Abusidiqs house in Kubwa, Abuja was a loyal boy to the corrupt CSP Bello Yahaya who was returned back to the police by Mr Magu recently. Bello Yahaya was said to be a human tool for the former EFCC chairman, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, who was sacked by President Bubari.

Another explained that Mr Magu had been professionally advised in the past by the Director of Legal to shelve effort in harassing or victimising any staff associated with blowing the whistle about corruption in the organisation.

Rather than take the counsel given to him, the source said:  Mr Magu removed the said director and transferred him out of the Legal Department.

In a later case too, Mr Magu of the EFCC also transferred another female EFCC Core staff, for questioning the rational of suspending the whistle blowers with impunity.

Some of these staffs, many thought to be in fear of their lives, have reached out to different Government officials so as to inform them of what is happening to them.

They say they were delighted to hear a member of the House of Representative had sponsored a bill to amend the EFCC Act. This would allow the most Senior EFCC Operative, a Grade Level 17 core member to be made boss instead of Mr Magu who is understood to have been a level 14, Assistant Commissioner of Police with no interest in building the EFCC as a revered Institution.

Another source revealed that Mr Lamorde, a police officer reportedly returned from Course study leave three weeks ago to take on the role of Commissioner of Police with no portfolio at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS which is situated in Kuru, Jos, Plateau State.

Meanwhile, it has become too glaring that Mr Magu of EFCC is working in connivance with Mr Lamorde to embarrass the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari. Otherwise, offense did Abusidiq commit to warrant his arrest.

Does this constitutes any Economic and Financial Crime. What then is the Cyber Stalking that Mr Magu of EFCC is talking about?

A person close to Mr Magu said: there is a big chance that Mr Magu would be joining his old friend at the NIPSS as corruption cases against him would prevent him from being confirmed, when Senators returns from recess in September.

Many Nigerians are now asking: #IsMaguFit to lead the EFCC?
Ready or not, the marijuana industry could be reshaping right in front of our eyes.

Over the past 20 years we've seen incredible growth in the legal marijuana business. Starting with the passage of a compassionate use law in California in 1996 for medical patients, medical marijuana has become available in half of all U.S. states. Since 2012, four states -- Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska -- along with Washington, D.C., have passed laws allowing for the legal sale of recreational marijuana to adults aged 21 and up. Based on data from cannabis research firm ArcView, legal marijuana sales hit an estimated $5.4 billion in 2015, and legal sales could grow at an average of 30% per year through 2020.

Yet all of this could be just the tip of the iceberg.

These states are vying to legalize recreational marijuana

The November elections could wind up having a dramatic influence on the marijuana industry. Though there were plenty of state movements that fell short of the required votes or grassroots support to get a marijuana initiative on the ballot, residents in nine states will be voting on whether to give marijuana the thumbs up or thumbs down this fall.

Specifically, five states are vying to legalize recreational marijuana, which would more than double the current legal-state total in one year. Here are the votes that will matter most come November.

1. California

Without question, the crown jewel of the marijuana movement would be a victory in California. California has the largest economy among U.S. states by a mile, and if it were a stand-alone country it would represent the eighth-largest annual GDP in the world. Gaining recreational marijuana approval in California would give the industry access to a huge population of potential users, as well as give Congress the ultimate in marijuana guinea pigs to monitor.

For the state itself, marijuana would create a new source of revenue generation, which would probably be a good thing for a state that always seems to be running in the red. Estimates have suggested that legalizing adult-use marijuana could lead to an additional $1 billion in tax and licensing fees for the state.

The prospect of legalization looks good in California, although nothing can be set in stone just yet. A poll conducted in May by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found that 60% of voters favored recreational legalization, compared to just 37% who opposed the initiative. PPIC conducted a similar poll last year (even without a marijuana initiative on the table) and found the issue a lot closer, with 54% in favor of recreational legalization and 44% opposed.

2. Nevada

Among the nine states set to vote on marijuana this fall, residents of Nevada were the first to know they had an initiative on the 2016 ballot. Nevada is already home to "Sin City" and a vast network of medical marijuana dispensaries, making a move to legalize recreational marijuana only natural. If Question 2, as the ballot measure is know, is approved, recreational cannabis in Nevada would be subject to a 15% wholesale tax. The revenue generated from this tax would predominantly be shuffled into the K-12 education budget.

While it would seem likely that Nevada residents would also legalize recreational marijuana, let's not forget that Oregon, a state known for its pot infrastructure, failed to pass a recreational marijuana initiative in 2012 on its first go-around. An informal poll offered by the Las Vegas Review-Journal showed 88% support for recreational marijuana's legalization, but only time will tell if this strong support will hold.

3. Maine

Maine was among the earliest states to note that residents would have the opportunity to vote on a marijuana initiative this November. The move isn't surprising given that Maine legalized medical cannabis in 1999, becoming the sixth state in the U.S. to legalize the substance for certain medical ailments.

But will recreational marijuana pass in Maine? Signs are cautiously pointing toward "yes" thus far, but as always anything could happen. A May poll from the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) showed that 55% of respondents were in favor of seeing recreational marijuana legalized, as opposed to 41% who were against the idea. However, when MPP asked respondents how they felt about taxing and regulating marijuana, regardless of how they felt about it, 59% favored the idea of taxing and regulating the substance.

If approved, the first $30 million in tax revenue collected would go toward school construction, with the remainder heading into the state's General Fund. Also, the number of marijuana stores and cultivators would be capped until 2019 and 2022, respectively, if the Maine Marijuana Legalization initiative passes.

4. Massachusetts

Massachusetts is where we really see the possibility for an initiative to fail.

Although Massachusetts gathered more than enough signatures to get a recreational cannabis question on the ballot, mixed polling has shown that approval could be an uphill battle. In May, a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll found that 43% of respondents favored legalizing recreational marijuana, while 46% opposed it. A July 2014 poll from the Boston Globe found a similar mixed bag, with 48% of respondents favoring legalization and 47% opposing it. While well within the margin for error, these figures aren't comforting for industry supporters.

If approved, Massachusetts would require consumer to pay the state a 6.25% tax, plus a 3.75% excise tax. Local taxes could also be imposed, up to 2%. ArcView estimates that the legal recreational market could lead to $300 million in sales by 2018, with sales tripling to approximately $900 million by 2020. Inclusive of Massachusetts' medical marijuana market, we could be looking at a nearly $1.2 billion legal marijuana industry in the state by 2020.

5. Arizona

Perhaps the biggest longshot of all is Arizona, which also collected enough signatures to get a recreational cannabis ballot initiative in front of voters this fall.

A recently released poll from O.H. Predictive Insights showed that a mere 39% of Arizonans support the idea of recreational cannabis compared to 52.5% who oppose it. Another 8.5% of polled people remained undecided. According to Mike Noble, the managing partner of O.H. Predictive Insights, older Americans tend to be more conservative in their views of marijuana, and in Arizona older Americans appear more likely to vote, thus dooming the initiative to failure.

If an about-face were possible, passage of Arizona's legal cannabis initiative would impose a 15% tax on marijuana sales, with the majority of proceeds going to the education and healthcare fields.

Expansion is not a guarantee of success

Though the dynamics of the industry are on the precipice of potentially big changes, the investable nature of marijuana still appears quite risky.

State-level expansion would certainly boost the size of the legal market, especially if California comes on board. However, it still doesn't guarantee investors a way to participate. Most investable marijuana companies are penny stocks that are trading on the over-the-counter exchanges where getting up-to-date and accurate information isn't always easy.

The industry needs definitive change on Capitol Hill to become investable -- but even then there are no guarantees of success for investors. For now, I'd continue to watch the evolution of the marijuana industry from the sidelines.
For the second time in less than a month, one of the largest U.S. airlines has canceled thousands of flights due to a critical IT failure. Last month, Southwest Airlines (LUV 2.66%) was the victim. This past week, it was Delta Air Lines (DAL 1.70%).

Both system outages caused huge headaches for customers. Meanwhile, both Southwest and Delta have incurred significant costs related to their IT meltdowns. Is this a sign that airlines aren't investing enough money in their IT infrastructure?

Chaos at Southwest Airlines

On July 20, Southwest Airlines experienced a router failure, which caused a massive nationwide technology outage. Southwest's backup and recovery systems didn't work as planned, and it ultimately took 12 hours to get everything up and running again.

In addition to taking down the company's website, the technology outage caused Southwest to cancel about 2,300 flights over the span of four days. (In addition to flight cancellations on the day of the outage, Southwest was forced to cancel additional flights in the next few days, largely due to planes and flight crews being out of position.)

These cancellations will have a significant negative impact on Southwest Airlines' Q3 financial performance. Southwest recently estimated that the outage will have a 0.5 percentage point negative impact on Q3 unit revenue. It also expects an incremental increase of 1 to 2 percentage points in its Q3 unit costs, excluding fuel, profit sharing, and special items.

This probably puts the total cost of the outage at $40 million-$50 million after tax. That doesn't include any potential reputational damage that might hurt Southwest's future revenue.

Delta Air Lines melts down, too

In the past week, Delta Air Lines has faced a similar nightmare. On Monday morning, a power control module failed at Delta's Technology Command Center.

As was the case at Southwest, some systems successfully switched over to backups as they should have, but others did not. The result was a similar multiday spiral of delays and cancellations.

Delta canceled roughly 1,000 flights on Monday and another 775 on Tuesday as it worked to get its systems fully operational again. It also canceled more than 300 flights on Wednesday and a handful on Thursday.

It's too early to get a sense of how much this technology snafu will cost Delta, but it's likely to be substantial. Aside from the lost revenue from flights that were canceled and the additional costs created by all the disruption, Delta has offered $200 vouchers to every customer who suffered a flight cancellation or a delay of more than three hours between Monday and Wednesday.

Another series of payouts could be triggered if Delta falls behind the other legacy carriers in terms of delays and flight cancellations for the full year. As part of its corporate contracts, Delta offers travel credits ranging from $1,000 to $250,000 for any year where it falls behind both American Airlines and United Continental on those metrics.

Fortunately, Delta probably won't have to pay up on that on-time guarantee. That's because it is usually far more reliable than either of its rivals. As CEO Ed Bastian noted earlier this week, Delta canceled more than three times as many mainline flights on Monday as it had canceled in all of 2016 up until that point.

More redundancy needed?

With two big technology outages in the span of three weeks at major airlines, it's not surprising to see lots of people playing the blame game. Most of Southwest's big unions blamed CEO Gary Kelly and COO Mike Van de Ven, alleging that they are too busy spending money on stock buybacks to invest in better technology. Meanwhile, the head of the Airline Passenger Experience Association blamed the problems on an overreliance on automation.

In both cases, the blame seems misplaced. Just a month before its IT outage, Southwest had described for investors a multiyear IT overhaul that is in the early stages of deployment. Southwest expects to spend about $500 million over three years on these upgrades, so it's hardly fair to say that the company is skimping.

Furthermore, while in theory airlines could maintain the capability to seamlessly switch to fully manual operations, it would be extremely wasteful. To do everything by hand without delaying or canceling flights, airlines would need to carry far more staff than are ever needed for normal operations. That would drive up costs -- and by extension, ticket prices.

If anything, the incidents at Southwest and Delta over the past month demonstrate just how complex airline technology systems are. Since they are needed on a 24/7 basis, 365 days a year, it's hard to fully test every potential scenario that could cause problems.

As a result, it may be impossible to fully eliminate large-scale IT outages across the airline industry. Nevertheless, airlines should consider investing more capital to build even more redundancy into their systems. Two major IT failures and two backup system failures in the span of a month would suggest that the current precautions aren't sufficient.
Bristol-Myers Squibb's (BMY 2.99%) Opdivo is approved to treat some patients who see their lung cancer return following chemotherapy, but a key trial evaluating Opdivo's use in previously untreated patients recently came up short. The news caused Bristol Myers shares to tumble and competitor Merck & Co.'s (MRK 1.03%) shares to jump. Does Opdivo's failure mean Merck's Keytruda is the better cancer immunotherapy? Maybe not.

In this episode of The Motley Fool's Industry Focus: Healthcare podcast, analyst Kristine Harjes and contributor Todd Campbell discuss a key difference in how these two drugs were studied in lung cancer patients. Harjes and Campbell also weigh in on a unique, new "money-back-guarantee" that's being offered by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK 1.68%) on a drug used to treat an ultra-rare disease. A full transcript follows the video.

This podcast was recorded on Aug. 10, 2016.

Kristine Harjes: This episode of Industry Focus is brought to you by Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans. Rocket Mortgage brings the mortgage process into the 21st century with a fast, easy, and completely online process. Check out Rocket Mortgage today at quickenloans.com/fool.

Welcome to Industry Focus, the podcast that dives into a different sector of the stock market every day. We're talking healthcare today, August 9th. My name is Kristine Harjes, and I'm happy to welcome Motley Fool healthcare contributor Todd Campbell to the show via Skype. What's new, Todd?

Todd Campbell: Hi, Kristine! How are you today?

Harjes: I'm doing great!

Campbell: Are you excited to talk about some of the interesting trial results last week?

Harjes: Yes, absolutely. We have a really cool show coming up. But before we dive into it, I have something also very exciting to announce. That is that the lovely Alison Southwick of The Motley Fool Answers podcast set up a voice mail box, where you, our listeners, can call in and leave us a message. While, of course, we're always looking for feedback on how we can make the show better, I want to use it to offer you guys the chance to be on Industry Focus.

Here's how it'll work: Todd and I are looking to do a show on pet healthcare. This was a suggestion that came through our Motley Fool podcast Facebook page, which you should definitely join if you're not already a part of it. What we need from you is your best tale -- no pun intended -- of the craziest thing that you've had to take your pet to the vet or hospital for. Tell us, what did Fido eat, or whatever your best story is. Or, alternatively, tell us a tip you have for saving money on pet care. I know there have got to be a lot of good money-saving tips out there. Shoot for about 60 seconds or less. Hopefully we'll get some great messages that we can play on air. The number to call in to is 866-677-3665, which, oddly enough, spells 866-MRS-FOOL. I'm not really sure why. Many thanks in advance. I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say.

With that out of the way, Todd, as you alluded to, we have some really interesting stuff to cover today. GlaxoSmithKline has announced a money-back guarantee payment structure for a gene-therapy drug, which is the first time that we're seeing something like this happen. But first, we wanted to talk about a type of cancer drug called PD- 1, particularly in light of some disappointing recent news out of Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Campbell: Yeah, Kristine, this surprised everybody. Bristol-Myers is one of a few different companies that are developing or have developed drugs that can inhibit PD-1. Basically, what we're talking about here is, anything that we can do to help the immune system better find and destroy cancer is a good thing.

Harjes: Yeah, one of cancer's worst tricks is that it can just hide from the immune system. They have a really elaborate way of doing this. PD-1 is one of the ways that researchers have found to work around that and expose these cells in order to have the immune system be able to attack them.

Campbell: Exactly. If you take drugs like Bristol-Myers' Opdivo, it will basically stop cancer from being able to use that pathway to hide from the immune system. What we've found so far in trials up to this point is that Opdivo is very successful in helping the body get rid of cancer -- in kidney cancer, in various other cancers. It's even been shown to be helpful in treating recurrent non-small cell lung cancer. That's important because there's a trial that unfortunately just failed that Bristol-Myers was running, and that trial was for first-line use in treatment naive lung cancer patients. Unfortunately, Opdivo did not deliver the goods in this trial.

Harjes: It's important to note that this was a trial for front-line treatments, so the very first therapy that you would get. And one of the reasons that it was so shocking is because a competitor, Merck, which has a very similar PD-1 drug called Keytruda, met its primary and secondary endpoints in a trial for Keytruda as a monotherapy for advanced non small-cell lung cancer less than two months ago. With Bristol failing in its own trial, that's the first time these two have generated completely different clinical outcomes in the same indication.

Campbell: Right, and you could see the market reaction to that news -- it was to knock Bristol-Myers down by about 20%, and for investors to flock instead to Merck. What's interesting about this is that, since both of them have the same target, PD-1, why is it that Keytruda worked where Opdivo didn't? As investors, we have to remember that sometimes the devil is in the details. It's important to dig a little bit deeper. When you do that, you start to see why Keytruda won while Opdivo didn't.

Harjes: And that had everything to do with trial design.

Campbell: Yeah. Basically, people who are looking at this story now have to understand, when Bristol-Myers set up their trial, they did it to study the efficacy of this drug in patients that were expressing greater than 5% PD-1. Keytruda's trial was designed to evaluate patients expressing 50%, not 5%.

Harjes: Yeah. That's a huge difference.

Campbell: Very high-expressing PD-1 patients.

Harjes: Yeah. It almost doesn't come as much of a shock when you look at that particular detail.

Campbell: What I would be really interested to see, they didn't release the full data set from the Bristol-Myers trial yet. That's going to come out later on this year. But I'll be very interested to see if they break out the response rates and the efficacy by PD-1 expression.

Harjes: They would have to, I would think.

Campbell: Yeah. It would not shock me at all if they showed similar response rates to Keytruda in the high-expressing patients. That being said, the trial wasn't powered, it wasn't designed to look at these high-expressing patients. So, it's kind of irrelevant. I don't think they would be able to file for a label expansion in the high-expressing patients based on this trial. I guess we'll have to see how that all fleshes out.

Harjes: You always want to be wary of post-hoc analysis. Really, what you're seeing here is just a case of Bristol being a little bit too ambitious. It was probably an easier target to hit just those with greater than 50% expression, but they wanted to go for a broader indication, and they missed the mark.

Campbell: Absolutely. That, of course, raises the big question, Kristine -- what should investors do now? Should they continue to walk away from Bristol-Myers? Should they embrace Merck? Where do we go from here?

Harjes: So, Opdivo has, thus far, been the winner between these two drugs. Opdivo brought in about $840 million in sales in the second quarter of 2016. That was up almost 600% year over year, compared to $314 million for Keytruda. However, Keytruda also did get some really positive press that the drug was able to rid former President Jimmy Carter of detectable tumors from his melanoma that has spread to his brain. This makes headlines as a miraculous cure, and there was a lot of really positive press for Merck.

Campbell: Yeah, Opdivo has some advantages as far as testing advantages over Keytruda in some cases. A lot of people think that maybe is why people have embraced that drug as opposed to Keytruda. Investors probably should realize that this is going to be a short-term hit to Bristol-Myers' earnings next year. Analysts have already cut $0.20 off their forecasts for next year. They've added $0.08 to Merck's estimate for next year. But both of these companies -- this is not a deal-breaker or deal-maker for either one of these companies. Keytruda is probably going to be able to benefit from capturing, maybe, $1 billion extra in sales. That's certainly not chump change. But we have to recognize, too, that this was just one trial that's going on in this patient population. There are other trials that are occurring right now that could basically make this a non-event a year from now.

Harjes: Right. There are dozens of clinical trials going on for Opdivo. This was, as you mentioned, just one of them. Something else I'll point out is there are other PD-1s being developed. AstraZeneca has one. I think the broader question that is raised here has to do with class-wide perceptions of a therapy. This is the PD-1 class. I think it's pretty easy to think, a little bit misguidedly, that any drug in this class is going to have the same type of clinical results and the same type of real life efficacy. That might not exactly be true. This is important to remember because this is not the only drug class that has multiple drugs. You also have your PCSK9 inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors. We've talked about a lot of different targets that fall under this class category. And people often assume that the effects that one shows are class-wide. They're not always. It's a good reminder for investors looking at the healthcare space, to take the drugs individually and actually look at the different results that they post.

Campbell: Right. And to consider the trial design. You're right, two months ago, Keytruda's positive result in their trial, a lot of people probably didn't dig in to see if there might be differences in the Opdivo's trial with design. Yes, investors shouldn't just assume that because there's one drug that works that has the same target, that another one will as well.

Harjes: Right. We are halfway through our show, and that means it's time to turn our attention to the other topic du jour, which is gene therapy, specifically a GlaxoSmithKline gene therapy that promises your money back if it doesn't work.

But first, a quick message from today sponsor. This episode of Industry Focus is brought to you by Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans. If you've ever bought a home, then you know how frustrating and time-consuming getting a mortgage can be. Rocket Mortgage bring some mortgage approval process into the 21st century by taking all the complicated, time-consuming parts of applying for a mortgage out of the equation. With Rocket Mortgage, you can easily share your bank statements and pay stubs at the touch of a button, helping you get approved in minutes for a custom mortgage solution that's been tailored to your own financial situation. And, you can do it all on your phone or your tablet. So, if you're looking to refinance your mortgage or buy a home, check out Rocket Mortgage today at quickenloans.com/fool. Equal housing lender, licensed in all 50 states, NMLS consumeraccess.org #3030.

Let's turn our attention back to gene therapy now. Todd, what do we need to know?

Campbell: This is just a really interesting story, especially given how much everybody has talked about cancer drug pricing over the course of the last couple years. I think it's probably not brand-new news to our listeners that most cancer drugs that are getting approved today are hitting the market with six-figure price tags. When we talk about that, we have to also then talk about the expensive drugs that are being developed for other diseases as well, including rare diseases. What I found really fascinating about this story is that GlaxoSmithKline just won approval for a drug called Strimvelis over in Europe. It's going to be sold in Italy. As part of the negotiation with Italy to provide this drug to patients, they agreed that if the drug doesn't work, they'll refund the cost. That is pretty interesting, especially when we start thinking about how that could be used in other disease classes or indications like cancer.

Harjes: Absolutely. Strimvelis is $665,000. That's the list price for one-time treatment. That is over $0.5 million. But, Glaxo says, but, this is something that you only need to do once. When you look at what it treats, it's a rare disease called ADA-SCID, also known as "The Bubble Boy disease," because the immune system doesn't properly defend the body against infections, so patients are essentially forced to live in a sterile environment, hence the Bubble Boy name. Glaxo tested this in 18 children, and they found that with 15 of them, a single therapy of Strimvelis was enough to cure them. But then, you have the three children that it didn't work for.

Campbell: Right. And what Italy said is, "Listen, this is a very expensive drug, and it's not going to work every time. If you want us to pay $665,000 for this treatment, you have to be willing to give the money back if it doesn't work in those three patients." I think they're estimating that one out of every six patients that's treated will end up getting a refund. That's pretty fascinating. But the other thing that jumps out to me, Kristine, from the story, is, wow, it was really only tested in 18 children? And that just shows you how rare this disease is. I think they estimate that there's only about a dozen people in Europe -- all throughout Europe -- that are born with this condition every year.

Harjes: And if you run the numbers using that, if you have 12 children a year that are born with this disease in the EU, treating all of them would result in about $8 million of revenue. Then, if you refund one in six, which is based on your three out of 18 that didn't have a result, that's only $6.65 million in revenue, which is just not going to move the needle for Glaxo. Really, when I look at this story, I think it's painting Glaxo in a pretty positive light that they are researching a disease that's really not going to make them much money, and they're saying that they're so confident in it that they're going to give the money back if their therapy doesn't work.

Campbell: It's a fascinating step in what could be a very new model that gets rolled out globally for paying for drugs -- especially as these drugs get more and more expensive. Italy has been a pioneer in these types of arrangements. This is the first arrangement they've made. They've actually been working on pay-for-performance deals since 2007. They did a bunch of these deals with cancer drug makers back in 2010. Not exactly the same thing, not full 100% refunds, but getting back price discounts for when the drugs don't work as well as maybe "advertised."

What I think this does say about Glaxo, and maybe the broader research into the use of gene replacement or gene-type therapies, is that companies are willing to investigate novel payment structures or reimbursement structures if it means being able to get a larger price for their product down the road. Glaxo is probably thinking the long game here. They're working on some cancer drug therapies with a small company named Adaptimmune. These are early-stage trials for gene-based TCR therapies, total receptor therapies, that, who knows. Maybe those would come out targeting small patient populations and have similar pricing arrangements in the future, as well. It's a very interesting story. We're going to have to keep an eye on it. It could make a big shift in how this industry operates.

Harjes: I think this is Glaxo simply getting their hands a little bit dirty in this new pricing model, and also in gene therapy, which should be poised to become a lot more broadly used than just this one drug in Italy. There's drugs coming soon for hemophilia, brain diseases, eye diseases. Definitely something to watch going forward.

That's going to do it for your Healthcare edition of Industry Focus. I'm really looking forward to hearing all of your pet health voice mails. As always, people on the program may have interests in the stocks they talk about, and The Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against, so don't buy or sell stocks based solely on what you hear. For Todd Campbell, I'm Kristine Harjes. Thanks for listening, and Fool on!
Image source: Getty Images.

On the whole, the pharmaceutical industry appears to be back in favor. The iShares US Pharmaceuticals ETF has gained about 12% over the past three months, after a nosedive in the beginning of the year. Recently, however, a few big pharma stocks --Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), Novo Nordisk A/S(NYSE: NVO), and Perrigo Company plc (NYSE: PRGO)-- have been on the receiving end of market beatdowns.

Investors are wondering if overreactions to bad news have created some bargains in big pharma. Let's take a closer look at recent developments to see if the losses are justified by the news that prompted them.

1. Bristol-Myers Squibb: Checkpoint inhibited

Earlier this month, Bristol-Myers Squibb announced its top growth driver, Opdivo, failed to meet its main goal in a trial intended to support an important label expansion. Currently, the checkpoint inhibitor is approved for treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has progressed after chemotherapy.If the CheckMate -026 trial had met its main goal of improved progression-free survival for its patients compared to patients receiving an investigator's choice of available chemotherapies, it could have helped Opdivo's addressable patient population expand to previously-untreated patients (often called the first-line setting).

In the U.S., about 85% of the 224,000 lung cancer diagnoses expected this year will be of the non-small-cell variety.About $4 billion of Opdivo's enormous $15 billion peak annual sales estimate is based on a potential first-line NSCLC indication. Themarket reaction was swift, and the stock now sits about 19% lower than it did prior to the announcement.

Image source: Bristol-Myers Squibb

Although the recent failure won't help, Opdivo still has a chance of becoming a first treatment option for some NSCLC patients. Opdivo binds to a protein on the surface of tumor cells, called PD-L1, that otherwise shuts down immune system attack. The CheckMate -026 trial enrolled patients with tumors that express PD-L1 at just5% or higher,and aiming at this broader population might have been the source of its failure.

Merck & Co.'sKeytruda acts in the same manner as Opdivo and succeeded in a trial that had a key difference: Merck enrolled patients with PD-L1 levels of 50% or higher.

Bristol-Myers could take another shot at the higher PD-L1-expressing population. In the near term, though, the chances of the drug becoming a first-line option for NSCLC patients depend on an ongoing trial with Opdivo in combination with Bristol's first successful immunotherapy, Yervoy. CheckMate -227 is examiningOpdivo plus Yervoy in PD-L1-positive patients,and Opdivo plus Yervoy, or Opdivo plus chemotherapy, in PD-L1-negative patients.

Opdivo's future in the first-line NSCLC setting is uncertain, but its growth trajectory is off the charts. Second-quarter sales of $804 million rose a stunning 19% over the previous quarter. At this pace, Opdivo sales would theoretically reach an annualized rate of $15 billion before the end of 2018.

Despite the market thrashing, Bristol's stock is still trading at a high multiple of about 36 times trailing earnings. Still, investors might come out ahead, if a Yervoy and Opdivo combination makes it to the NSCLC front line.

Unfortunately, hints of stronger competition from Merck's Keytruda orRoche's recently approved immunotherapy, Tecentriq, which acts on the immune-cell side of the same checkpoint, could knock Bristol's valuation down another peg. Playing wait-and-see might be the best course of action with Bristol-Myers Squibb stock at the moment.

2. Novo Nordisk: Under pressure

Diabetes leader Novo Nordisk has seen its top and bottom lines soar in recent years as its long-lasting insulin products and next-gen blood-sugar-busting GLP-1 agonist, Victoza, have taken flight. Its 46% share of the total insulin marketand Victoza's six-year rise to a $2.8 billion annual run rate have helped the stock soar about 175% over the past five years.

The market recently hammered the Danish drugmaker's stock about 15% due to a less thrilling outlook than it's used to. Novo Nordisk lowered the top range of this year's estimated revenue growth by 2% while guiding the high end of its operating profit growth 1% lower. The company cited a challenging pricing environment in the U.S. as the cause.

The slightly lowered guidance appears out of sync with the stock hammering, but things might be worse than Novo is willing to admit. Victoza landed on the exclusion list of America's largest pharmacy benefit manager,Express Scripts.The preferred alternative,Eli Lilly's Trulicity, is blowing up. Second-quarter sales of the GLP-1 agonist hit $201.3 million -- a stunning 40% increase over the previous quarter.

Over the past two years, Novo Nordisk's trailing free cash flow has grown about 19.1%, to $5.55 billion. Despite increasing profitability, the stock is trading at 22 times trailing earnings -- by no means a low multiple, but below the currentS&P 500benchmark average of 24.7 times trailing earnings. Pricing pressure might crimp the company's rapid growth in the U.S., but the diabetes epidemic affecting more than 422 million people worldwide is rising throughout developed and developing nations. You might not get another chance to scoop up Novo shares at such a (relatively) low price again.

3. Perrigo Company: Regrets aplenty

Earlier this month, consumer-focused generic-drug maker Perrigo sank about 10% overnight after lowering its adjusted earnings guidance, due to price erosion among prescription generics, again. In February, management predicted 2016 adjusted earnings between $9.50 and $9.80 per share,then adjusted its outlook to a range of $8.20 to $8.60 per share in May. The latest guidance revision, offered earlier this month, is predicting adjusted earnings to come in below last year's $7.59, at a range between$6.85 and $7.15 per share.

Image source: Getty Images.

Perrigo shareholders are far too used to watching their stock sink. Since refusing a $26 billion offer fromMylan late last year,the stockhas fallen 41%, to a market cap of just $12.3 billion, and is one of several big pharma stocks struggling to raise its dividend.

Mind you, those adjusted figures exclude some hefty non-cash charges related to impairment of acquired assets that revealed themselves shortly after Perrigo's former CEO, Joseph Papa, left the company to head ValeantPharmaceuticals. And an actual reported loss of $0.98per share in the first half is more disturbing than the latest adjusted estimates.

With this earnings distortion, it's hard to put a price on Perrigo. That said, I wouldn't try to catch this falling knife until its new management team has a better handle on its future.

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Cory Renauer has no position in any stocks mentioned. You can follow Cory on Twitter, @TMFang4apples or connect with him on LinkedIn for more healthcare industry insight. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Express Scripts and Valeant Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool recommends Mylan and Novo Nordisk. 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.

Ready or not, the marijuana industry could be reshaping right in front of our eyes.

Over the past 20 years we've seen incredible growth in the legal marijuana business. Starting with the passage of a compassionate use law in California in 1996 for medical patients, medical marijuana has become available in half of all U.S. states. Since 2012, four states -- Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska -- along with Washington, D.C., have passed laws allowing for the legal sale of recreational marijuana to adults aged 21 and up. Based on data from cannabis research firm ArcView, legal marijuana sales hit an estimated $5.4 billion in 2015, and legal sales could grow at an average of 30% per year through 2020.

Yet all of this could be just the tip of the iceberg.

These states are vying to legalize recreational marijuana

The November elections could wind up having a dramatic influence on the marijuana industry. Though there were plenty of state movements that fell short of the required votes or grassroots support to get a marijuana initiative on the ballot, residents in nine states will be voting on whether to give marijuana the thumbs up or thumbs down this fall.

Specifically, five states are vying to legalize recreational marijuana, which would more than double the current legal-state total in one year. Here are the votes that will matter most come November.

Image source: Pixabay.

1. California

Without question, the crown jewel of the marijuana movement would be a victory in California. California has the largest economy among U.S. states by a mile, and if it were a stand-alone country it would represent the eighth-largest annual GDP in the world. Gaining recreational marijuana approval in California would give the industry access to a huge population of potential users, as well as give Congress the ultimate in marijuana guinea pigs to monitor.

For the state itself, marijuana would create a new source of revenue generation, which would probably be a good thing for a state that always seems to be running in the red. Estimates have suggested that legalizing adult-use marijuana could lead to an additional $1 billion in tax and licensing fees for the state.

The prospect of legalization looks good in California, although nothing can be set in stone just yet. A poll conducted in May by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found that 60% of voters favored recreational legalization, compared to just 37% who opposed the initiative. PPIC conducted a similar poll last year (even without a marijuana initiative on the table) and found the issue a lot closer, with 54% in favor of recreational legalization and 44% opposed.

Image source: Pixabay.

2. Nevada

Among the nine states set to vote on marijuana this fall, residents of Nevada were the first to know they had an initiative on the 2016 ballot. Nevada is already home to "Sin City" and a vast network of medical marijuana dispensaries, making a move to legalize recreational marijuana only natural. If Question 2, as the ballot measure is know, is approved, recreational cannabis in Nevada would be subject to a 15% wholesale tax. The revenue generated from this tax would predominantly be shuffled into the K-12 education budget.

While it would seem likely that Nevada residents would also legalize recreational marijuana, let's not forget that Oregon, a state known for its pot infrastructure, failed to pass a recreational marijuana initiative in 2012 on its first go-around. An informal poll offered by the Las Vegas Review-Journal showed 88% support for recreational marijuana's legalization, but only time will tell if this strong support will hold.

Image source: Pixabay.

3. Maine

Maine was among the earliest states to note that residents would have the opportunity to vote on a marijuana initiative this November. The move isn't surprising given that Maine legalized medical cannabis in 1999, becoming the sixth state in the U.S. to legalize the substance for certain medical ailments.

But will recreational marijuana pass in Maine? Signs are cautiously pointing toward "yes" thus far, but as always anything could happen. A May poll from the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) showed that 55% of respondents were in favor of seeing recreational marijuana legalized, as opposed to 41% who were against the idea. However, when MPP asked respondents how they felt about taxing and regulating marijuana, regardless of how they felt about it, 59% favored the idea of taxing and regulating the substance.

If approved, the first $30 million in tax revenue collected would go toward school construction, with the remainder heading into the state's General Fund. Also, the number of marijuana stores and cultivators would be capped until 2019 and 2022, respectively, if the Maine Marijuana Legalization initiative passes.

Image source: Pixabay.

4. Massachusetts

Massachusetts is where we really see the possibility for an initiative to fail.

Although Massachusetts gathered more than enough signatures to get a recreational cannabis question on the ballot, mixed polling has shown that approval could be an uphill battle. In May, a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll found that 43% of respondents favored legalizing recreational marijuana, while 46% opposed it. A July 2014 poll from the Boston Globe found a similar mixed bag, with 48% of respondents favoring legalization and 47% opposing it. While well within the margin for error, these figures aren't comforting for industry supporters.

If approved, Massachusetts would require consumer to pay the state a 6.25% tax, plus a 3.75% excise tax. Local taxes could also be imposed, up to 2%. ArcView estimates that the legal recreational market could lead to $300 million in sales by 2018, with sales tripling to approximately $900 million by 2020. Inclusive of Massachusetts' medical marijuana market, we could be looking at a nearly $1.2 billion legal marijuana industry in the state by 2020.

Image source: Pixabay.

5. Arizona

Perhaps the biggest longshot of all is Arizona, which also collected enough signatures to get a recreational cannabis ballot initiative in front of voters this fall.

A recently released poll from O.H. Predictive Insights showed that a mere 39% of Arizonans support the idea of recreational cannabis compared to 52.5% who oppose it. Another 8.5% of polled people remained undecided. According to Mike Noble, the managing partner of O.H. Predictive Insights, older Americans tend to be more conservative in their views of marijuana, and in Arizona older Americans appear more likely to vote, thus dooming the initiative to failure.

If an about-face were possible, passage of Arizona's legal cannabis initiative would impose a 15% tax on marijuana sales, with the majority of proceeds going to the education and healthcare fields.

Expansion is not a guarantee of success

Though the dynamics of the industry are on the precipice of potentially big changes, the investable nature of marijuana still appears quite risky.

State-level expansion would certainly boost the size of the legal market, especially if California comes on board. However, it still doesn't guarantee investors a way to participate. Most investable marijuana companies are penny stocks that are trading on the over-the-counter exchanges where getting up-to-date and accurate information isn't always easy.

The industry needs definitive change on Capitol Hill to become investable -- but even then there are no guarantees of success for investors. For now, I'd continue to watch the evolution of the marijuana industry from the sidelines.

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 has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.
Bristol-Myers Squibb's(NYSE: BMY) Opdivo is approved to treat some patients who see their lung cancer return following chemotherapy, but a key trial evaluating Opdivo's use in previously untreated patients recently came up short. The news caused Bristol Myers shares to tumble and competitorMerck & Co.'s (NYSE: MRK) shares to jump. Does Opdivo'sfailure mean Merck's Keytruda isthe better cancer immunotherapy? Maybe not.

In this episode ofThe Motley Fool's Industry Focus: Healthcarepodcast, analyst Kristine Harjes and contributor Todd Campbell discuss a key difference in how these two drugs were studied in lung cancer patients. Harjes and Campbell also weigh in on a unique, new"money-back-guarantee" that's beingoffered by GlaxoSmithKline(NYSE: GSK) on adrug used to treat an ultra-rare disease. A full transcript follows the video.

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This podcast was recorded on Aug. 10, 2016.

Kristine Harjes: This episode of Industry Focus is brought to you by Rocket Mortgage byQuicken Loans. Rocket Mortgage brings the mortgage process into the 21st century with a fast, easy, and completely online process. Check out Rocket Mortgage today at quickenloans.com/fool.

Welcome to Industry Focus, the podcast that dives into a different sector of the stock market every day. We're talking healthcare today, August 9th. My name is Kristine Harjes, and I'm happy to welcome Motley Fool healthcare contributor Todd Campbell to the show viaSkype. What's new, Todd?

Todd Campbell: Hi, Kristine! How are you today?

Harjes: I'm doing great!

Campbell: Are you excited to talk about some of the interesting trial results last week?

Harjes: Yes, absolutely. We have a really cool show coming up. But before we dive into it, I have something also very exciting to announce. That is that the lovely Alison Southwick of The Motley Fool Answers podcast set up a voice mail box, where you, our listeners, can call in and leave us a message. While, of course, we're always looking for feedback on how we can make the show better, I want to use it to offer you guys the chance to be on Industry Focus.

Here's how it'll work: Todd and I are looking to do a show on pet healthcare. This was a suggestion that came through our Motley Fool podcastFacebook page, which you should definitely join if you're not already a part of it. Whatwe need from you is your best tale -- no pun intended -- of thecraziest thing that you've had to take your pet to the vet or hospital for. Tell us, what did Fido eat,or whatever your best story is. Or, alternatively, tell us a tip you have forsaving money on pet care. I know there have got to bea lot of good money-saving tips out there. Shoot for about 60 seconds or less. Hopefully we'll get somegreat messages that we can play on air. The number to call in to is 866-677-3665, which, oddly enough, spells 866-MRS-FOOL. I'm not really sure why. Many thanksin advance. I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say.

Withthat out of the way, Todd, as you alluded to,we have some really interesting stuff to cover today.GlaxoSmithKline has announced a money-backguarantee payment structure for a gene-therapy drug, which isthe first time that we're seeing something like this happen. But first, wewanted to talk about a type of cancer drug called PD- 1,particularly in light of some disappointing recent newsout ofBristol-Myers Squibb.

Campbell: Yeah, Kristine, thissurprised everybody. Bristol-Myersis one of a few different companies that aredeveloping or have developeddrugs that can inhibit PD-1. Basically, what we're talking about here is,anything that we can do to help the immune system better find and destroy cancer is a good thing.

Harjes: Yeah, one of cancer's worst tricks is that it can just hide from the immune system. They have areally elaborate way of doing this. PD-1 isone of the ways that researchers have foundto work around that and expose these cellsin order to have the immune systembe able to attack them.

Campbell: Exactly. If you take drugs like Bristol-Myers' Opdivo, it willbasically stop cancer frombeing able to use that pathway to hide from the immune system. What we've foundso far in trials up to this point is that Opdivo is very successful in helping the body get rid of cancer -- in kidney cancer, in various other cancers. It's even been shown to be helpful in treating recurrent non-small cell lung cancer. That's important because there's a trial that unfortunately just failed that Bristol-Myers was running, and that trial was for first-line use in treatment naive lung cancer patients. Unfortunately, Opdivo did not deliver the goods in this trial.

Harjes: It'simportant to note that this was a trial for front-line treatments, so the very first therapy that you would get. Andone of the reasons that it was so shockingis because a competitor,Merck, which hasa very similar PD-1 drug called Keytruda, met its primary and secondary endpoints in a trial for Keytruda as a monotherapy foradvanced non small-cell lung cancer less than two months ago. With Bristol failing in its own trial, that's the first time these two have generated completely different clinical outcomes in the same indication.

Campbell: Right,and you could see the market reaction to that news -- it was to knock Bristol-Myers down by about 20%, and forinvestors to flock instead to Merck. What's interesting about this is that,since both of them have the same target, PD-1, why is it that Keytruda worked where Opdivo didn't? As investors, we have to remember thatsometimes the devil is in the details. It's important to dig a little bit deeper. When you do that, you start to see why Keytruda won while Opdivo didn't.

Harjes: Andthat had everything to do with trial design.

Campbell: Yeah. Basically, people who are looking at this story now have to understand,when Bristol-Myers set up their trial,they did it to studythe efficacy of this drug inpatients that were expressing greater than 5% PD-1. Keytruda's trial was designed to evaluate patients expressing 50%, not 5%.

Harjes: Yeah. That's a huge difference.

Campbell: Very high-expressing PD-1 patients.

Harjes: Yeah. It almostdoesn't come as much of a shock when you lookat that particular detail.

Campbell: WhatI would be really interested to see, they didn't releasethe full data setfrom the Bristol-Myers trial yet. That'sgoing to come out later on this year. ButI'll be very interested to see if they break out the response rates and the efficacy by PD-1 expression.

Harjes: They would have to, I would think.

Campbell: Yeah. It would not shock me at all if they showed similar response rates to Keytruda in the high-expressing patients. That being said, the trial wasn't powered,it wasn't designed to look at these high-expressing patients. So, it's kind ofirrelevant. I don't think they would be able to file for a label expansion in the high-expressing patients based on this trial. I guess we'll have to see how that all fleshes out.

Harjes: Youalways want to be wary of post-hoc analysis. Really, what you're seeing here is just a case of Bristol being alittle bit too ambitious. It wasprobably an easier target to hit just those with greater than 50% expression, but they wanted to go for a broader indication, and they missed the mark.

Campbell: Absolutely. That,of course, raises the big question, Kristine --what should investors do now? Should theycontinue to walk away from Bristol-Myers? Should they embrace Merck? Where do we go from here?

Harjes: So, Opdivo has, thus far, been the winner between these two drugs. Opdivo brought in about $840 million in salesin the second quarter of 2016. That wasup almost 600% year over year,compared to $314 million for Keytruda. However, Keytruda also did get some really positive press that the drug was able to ridformer President Jimmy Carterof detectable tumors from his melanoma that has spread to his brain. This makes headlines as amiraculous cure, and there was a lot of really positive press for Merck.

Campbell: Yeah, Opdivo has someadvantages as far astesting advantages over Keytruda in some cases. A lot of people think that maybe is whypeople have embraced that drug as opposed to Keytruda. Investors probably should realize that this is going to be a short-term hit to Bristol-Myers' earnings next year. Analysts have already cut $0.20 off their forecasts for next year. They've added $0.08 to Merck'sestimate for next year. Butboth of these companies -- this is not a deal-breaker or deal-maker for either one of these companies. Keytruda isprobably going to be able to benefit from capturing, maybe, $1 billion extra in sales. That's certainly not chump change. But we have to recognize, too, that this was just one trial that's going on in this patient population. There are other trials that are occurring right now thatcould basically make this a non-event a year from now.

Harjes: Right. There are dozens ofclinical trials going on for Opdivo. This was,as you mentioned, just one of them. Something else I'll point out is there are other PD-1s beingdeveloped.AstraZenecahas one. I think the broaderquestion that is raised here has to do with class-wideperceptions of a therapy. This is the PD-1 class. I thinkit's pretty easy to think, a little bit misguidedly, thatany drug in this class is going to have the same type of clinical resultsand the same type of real life efficacy. That might not exactly be true. This isimportant to remember because this is not the only drug class that has multiple drugs. You also have your PCSK9 inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors. We've talked about a lot of different targets that fall under this class category. Andpeople often assume that the effects that one shows are class-wide. They're not always. It'sa good reminder for investors looking at the healthcare space, to takethe drugs individually and actually lookat the different results that they post.

Campbell: Right. And toconsider the trial design. You're right,two months ago, Keytruda'spositive result in their trial,a lot of people probably didn't dig in to see if there might be differences in the Opdivo's trial with design. Yes,investors shouldn't just assume that because there's one drug that works that has the same target, that another one will as well.

Harjes: Right. We arehalfway through our show, and that meansit's time to turn our attention tothe other topic du jour, which is gene therapy,specifically a GlaxoSmithKline gene therapythat promises your money back if it doesn't work.

But first, a quickmessage from today sponsor. This episode of Industry Focus is brought to you by Rocket Mortgage byQuicken Loans. If you've ever bought a home, thenyou know how frustrating and time-consuming getting a mortgage can be. Rocket Mortgagebring some mortgage approval processinto the 21st century by taking all the complicated, time-consuming parts of applying for a mortgage out of the equation. With Rocket Mortgage,you can easily share your bank statements and pay stubs at the touch of a button, helping you get approved in minutes for a custom mortgage solution that's been tailored to your own financial situation. And, you can do it all on your phoneor your tablet. So, if you're looking to refinance your mortgage or buy a home, check out Rocket Mortgage today at quickenloans.com/fool. Equal housing lender,licensed in all 50 states, NMLS consumeraccess.org #3030.

Let'sturn our attention back to gene therapy now. Todd,what do we need to know?

Campbell: This is just a really interesting story,especially given how much everybodyhas talked about cancer drug pricing over the course of the last couple years. I thinkit's probably not brand-new news to our listeners thatmost cancer drugs that are getting approved today are hitting the market with six-figure price tags. When we talk about that, we have to also then talk about the expensive drugs that are being developed for other diseases as well, including rare diseases. What I found really fascinating about this story is thatGlaxoSmithKline just won approval for a drug called Strimvelis over in Europe. It'sgoing to be sold in Italy. As part of thenegotiation with Italyto provide this drug to patients, theyagreed that if the drug doesn't work, they'll refund the cost. That is pretty interesting,especially when we start thinking abouthow that could be used in other disease classes or indications like cancer.

Harjes: Absolutely. Strimvelis is $665,000. That's the list price for one-time treatment. That is over $0.5 million. But, Glaxo says, but, this issomething that you only need to do once. When you look at what it treats,it's a rare disease called ADA-SCID, also known as "The Bubble Boy disease," because theimmune system doesn't properly defend the body against infections, so patients are essentially forced to live in a sterile environment, hence the Bubble Boy name. Glaxo tested this in 18 children, and they found that with 15 of them, a single therapy of Strimvelis wasenough to cure them. But then, you have the three children that it didn't work for.

Campbell: Right. And what Italy said is, "Listen, this is avery expensive drug,and it's not going to work every time. If you want us to pay $665,000 for this treatment, you have to be willing to give the money back if it doesn't work in those three patients." I think they're estimating that one out of every six patients that's treated will end up getting a refund. That's pretty fascinating. Butthe other thing that jumps out to me, Kristine, from the story, is, wow, it was really only tested in 18 children? And that just shows you how rare this disease is. I think theyestimate that there's only about a dozen people in Europe -- all throughout Europe -- that are born with this condition every year.

Harjes:Andif you run the numbers using that, if you have 12 children a year that are born with this disease in the EU, treating all of them would result in about $8 million of revenue. Then, if you refund one in six, which is based on your three out of 18 that didn't have a result, that's only $6.65 million in revenue, whichis just not going to move the needle for Glaxo. Really,when I look at this story,I think it's painting Glaxo in a pretty positive light that they are researching a disease that's reallynot going to make them much money, and they're saying that they're so confident in it that they're going to give the money back if their therapy doesn't work.

Campbell: It's a fascinating step in what could be a very new model that gets rolled out globally forpaying for drugs -- especially as these drugs get more and more expensive. Italy has been a pioneer in these types of arrangements. This isthe first arrangement they've made. They've actually been working on pay-for-performance deals since 2007. They did a bunch of these deals with cancer drug makers back in 2010. Not exactly the same thing, not full100% refunds, but getting back price discountsfor when the drugs don't work as well as maybe "advertised."

What I think this does say about Glaxo, and maybethe broader research into the use of gene replacement or gene-type therapies, is that companies are willing to investigate novel payment structures or reimbursement structures if it means being able to get a larger price for their product down the road. Glaxo is probably thinking the long game here. They're working on some cancer drug therapies with a small company namedAdaptimmune. These are early-stage trials for gene-based TCR therapies, total receptor therapies, that, who knows. Maybe those would come out targeting small patient populations and have similar pricing arrangements in the future, as well. It's a very interesting story. We're going to have to keep an eye on it. It could make a big shift in how this industry operates.

Harjes: I think this is Glaxosimply getting their hands a little bit dirtyin this new pricing model,and also in gene therapy, which should bepoised to become a lot more broadly used than justthis one drug in Italy. There's drugscoming soon for hemophilia, brain diseases, eye diseases. Definitely something to watchgoing forward.

That's going to do it for your Healthcare edition of Industry Focus. I'm reallylooking forward to hearing all of your pet health voice mails.As always, people on the program may have interests in the stocks they talk about, and The Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against, so don't buy or sell stocks based solely on what you hear. For Todd Campbell, I'm Kristine Harjes. Thanks for listening, and Fool on!

Kristine Harjes has no position in any stocks mentioned. Todd Campbell has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
If youre like most moms, you feel guilty for just about everything. Whether its something you did, didnt do, or didnt do enough of, it can seem that theres always something to feel ashamed about

Experts say part of these feelings come from a desire to be the so-called perfect mom. And when we cant measure up, we think weve failed.

Many moms also mistakenly believe that the more guilty they feel, the more they love their kids. Throw social media into the mix with moms posting pictures of their genius kids or gourmet meals theyve made and youre bound to feel that you dont measure up.

The reality however, is that guilt serves no purpose and will only make you feel worse. So let go of the guilt once and for all by starting with these guilt-inducers.

1. Working

Dropping your child off at daycare, missing out on milestones or special school events can make your heart sink. Yet 40 percent of households with children under age18 are made up of mothers who are either the only or the primary source of income, according to Pew Research Center analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The notion of the stay-at-home is a fantasy in the collective minds of Americans, said Emma Johnson, an award-winning business journalist, founder of WealthySingleMommy.com and host of the Like a Mother podcast.

Johnson said not only do most moms need to work, but partners can become unemployed, get sick or die, not to mention that just two years of not working makes it hard to re-enter the workforce.

It doesnt make sense from a financial risk-taking standpoint to only rely on one income source, she said.

And studies show that children raised by working moms actually fair better. In fact, a survey out of Harvard found that women whose moms worked are more likely to have jobs themselves, hold supervisory roles and earn higher wages than women who are raised by full time, stay-at-home moms. Research also shows that working mothers have happier marriages and that they themselves are happier.

Although youll always miss your children while you work, remind yourself of the value of your career and that its what is best for your kids.

2. Breastfeeding

Nearly 80 percent of new moms start out breastfeeding but by 12 months only 27 percent still do, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

You have to look at this as a societal issuethe fact that were promoting breast is best in an environment where there is such an utter lack of support for American women to be able to successfully breastfeed their babies, said Jennifer Grayson, a Los Angeles-based journalist and author of, Unlatched: The Evolution of Breastfeeding and the Making of a Controversy.

For starters, with a lack of paid or even unpaid maternity leave, continuing to breastfeed after returning to work can be challenging for some moms. Theres also a lack of support from the medical community, especially for moms who dont have access to lactation consultants.

When a woman runs into a breastfeeding problem, by and large shes given a pat on the back and a can of formula, Grayson said.

Not only are moms made to feel guilty for not breastfeeding or not breastfeeding long enough, theyre also criticized for extended breastfeeding or breastfeeding in public.

Regardless of how long you decide to breastfeed, feel good about what you are able to do for your baby and realize that it is the best choice for you and your family.

3. Yelling

You know that yelling at your kids isnt good for them, but no matter how hard you try, sometimes you lose your patience.

Take heed and remember that youre only human; youre allowed to make mistakes and its unrealistic to expect that you should be a calm mom all the time.

If you find yourself frequently yelling, however, chances are that youre not nurturing yourself or theres an underlying issue, like depression.

If were taking care of ourselves and were calmer and were able to learn how to respond instead of react, we wont yell so often, said Cara Maksimow, a licensed clinical social worker in Summit, New Jersey. and author of Lose That Mommy Guilt: Tales and Tips From an Imperfect Mom.

4. Not playing enough with your kids

In 2011, moms spent an average of 14 hours a week caring for their kids, up from 10 hours in 1965, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. Yet the same study found that 23 percent of moms say theyre not with their children enough.

When it comes to spending time with your kids, research shows that quality trumps quantity. In fact, a study in the Journal of Marriage and Family found that the amount of time children between 3 and 11 years old spend with their mothers had no impact on their behavior, emotional well-being or academics.

Allowing your child free time to explore, use her imagination and entertain herself is good for her development.

We dont have to engage with our kids every second of every day, Maksimow said. A little boredom is not bad.

5. Using digital devices as a babysitter

Your toddler knows how to unlock your smartphone, use learning apps on the iPad and zones out in front of the TV more often than you care to admit. You already know that too much screen time isnt good for your childs development, but youre not a bad mom if sitting her in front of the TV for 30 minutes means you can cook dinner or sneak in a workout.

6. Feeding kids not-so-healthy food

If chicken nuggets and boxed macaroni and cheese are dinnertime staples because theyre easy or getting your kids to eat vegetables seems like a losing battle, its easy to blame yourself.

As long as youre doing your best to offer healthy fare and encourage your children to eat healthy food most of the time, then cut yourself some slack.

We do what we feel is right by our children the very best way we can manage and we should feel wonderful about that, said Dr. Shoshana Bennett, a clinical psychologist and perinatal specialist in Orange County, Calif. and author of Postpartum Depression for Dummies.

7. Date nights and me time

Its common for moms to think their lives must revolve around their children, but if you really want to be a good mom, you need to take time to nurture your relationship with your partner and you need time for yourself. Not only is it important for your own happiness and emotional well-being, but youre modeling for your children how to find balance when theyre adults.

Do your best to carve out time every week when youre off duty and someone else watches your child.

Selfishness means you are doing something at someone elses expense, Bennett said.

What we are talking about is the most responsible, loving thing you could be doing for your children and that is to replenish and nurture yourself on a regular basis.

When it comes to mom guilt, a good rule of thumb is: Let it go.

We do the best we can and its not about perfection, Bennett said. Its not about stressing over every little detail because that takes the joy out of life.
Donald Trump's presidential campaign chairman on Sunday dismissed reports that Trump was floundering amid perceived off-message remarks and said the campaign is "moving to get forward and is very strong."



Paul Manafort said the national media chose to focus last week on Trumps aside about Second Amendment advocates trying to stop Democratic rival Hillary Clintons White House bid, despite major news off the campaign trail, including Trump and Clinton announcing major economic plans.

Besides running against Hillary Clinton, [Trump] is running against the media, Manafort said on CNN's "State of the Union." There was a debate that could have been had there. Instead, the media chose to take the Clinton campaign narrative and go on attack on Donald Trump. Trump, in the course of this week, was very substantive.

Manafort suggested the Second Amendment comment, which some interpreted as a call to violence, deserved media attention but was overplayed compared to the coverage last week of weak economic numbers, a terrorist attack on the NATO base in Turkey and the release of emails suggesting a pay-to-play connection between the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton-run State Department.

Instead, you took an aside that the Clinton narrative told you was something, Mr. Trump told you he didn't mean, and you played it out for two days, Manafort said.

To be sure, Trump won the GOP primary as a first-time candidate with an unscripted message that resonated with disaffected voters.

However, that strategy has been less effective in the General Election. And his recent comments about a judge of Mexican ancestry, a Gold Star family and Second Amendment advocates appear to have hurt him in polls -- including those in the must-win states of Florida, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Trump on Sunday also turned his attack on the news media.

If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20 percent, he tweeted.

Top Republican National Committee strategist Sean Spicer told Politico on Saturday that Trumps polling deficits are not insurmountable, amid reports that the national party will soon begin diverting money from the Trump campaign to key congressional races.

Manafort also said Sunday that the campaign is getting much better press from the local media in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Ohio and pointed to recent fundraising and campaign numbers to bolster his case about Trumps continuing success in the race.

We raised over $132 million in the last two months, he said. We're organized in all 50 states. We have been in the battleground states every day this month, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida multiple times.  We are starting to get traction in those states.
Paul Nehlen, who failed to unseat House Speaker Paul Ryan in last weeks state GOP primary, is reportedly set to make good on his vow to stay in the political arena, planning a news conference for Monday to announce the formation of a super PAC that will challenge Republican leadership and back Donald Trump.



A Nehlen aide said the political action committee is a grassroots effort with the primary objectives of electing a Republican president and putting those who would work against the Republican nominee on notice.

Any political leader who would work against Donald Trump is working for Hillary Clinton, the aide said.

Nehlen, a conservative businessman, was never really in contention to deny Ryan a 10th term in the states 1st Congressional District, trailing by as much as 80 percentage points, then losing by roughly the same margin Tuesday.

However, a Twitter shout-out by Trump thanking Nehlen for his support drew the attention of the national media, outside donors and marquee conservative mavericks like Sarah Palin and Ann Coulter.

Palin and Coulter were among those also looking for an upset similar to GOP House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantors 2014 loss in Virginia -- despite just one Wisconsin House member losing a reelection bid since 1950.

Nehlen's group will be named Citizens Revolt PAC, and Nehlen will serve as chairman, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the story.



We are absolutely going to make sure Paul Ryan is being held accountable to the people, Nehlen told FoxNews.com on Saturday. "Youll be hearing from me shortly  like in less than week.

A Ryan spokesman declined to comment for that story.



The Nehlen aide said the PAC aims to raise into the seven figures and spend every available dime on communications and ground operations in key swing states in an effort to elect Donald Trump."



Said Nehlen: "Millions of hard-working Americans have had enough of the Clinton dynasty, and they've had enough of career politicians colluding to keep outsiders like Donald Trump  out of power."
Embattled Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Sunday faced off with primary challenger Tim Canova in a debate in which the candidates slung names like mealy-mouthed and challenged each others competence on issues ranging from protecting Israel to support for retiree voters.

Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., was expected early this year to cruise to a seventh term, until Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders accused her, as leader of the Democratic National Committee, of rigging the presidential primary season for front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Sanders then endorsed Canova in May. And leaked emails last month suggested Wasserman Schultz and some DNC staffers were indeed trying to tip the scales for Clinton, which forced Wasserman Schultz to resign from the committee.

Nobody is more committed to the safety of Israel, on Sunday said Wasserman Schultz, whose 23 Congressional District, west of Fort Lauderdale, has a large Jewish population.

She also said the DNC under her leadership had the strongest pro-Israel plank that the group has had in years.

And she accused Canova, a law professor, of being inconsistent in his position on Israel.

"My opponent has been mealy-mouthed and waffling in his position on Israel from Day One," she said in the roughly 60-minute debate on CBSs WFOR-TV in Miami. He's taken three different positions in the last eight months."

Wasserman Schultz -- backed by President Obama and Clinton, now the Democratic presidential nominee -- also disagreed with Canovas suggestion that she did not have the support of black voters in the district.

Wasserman cited in part the backing of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Canova proposed a second and third debate, which Wasserman Schultz seemed to decline, citing their primary being just two weeks away, on August 30.

Canova has tried to capitalize on the leaked DNC emails, pointing to ones that suggest Wasserman Schultz and others in the group used resources to monitor his campaign. And he vowed last week to file a federal complaint on the issue.

He has also raised $28 million for the race, in large part because of the national attention it has received.

Still, the most recent polling shows Wasserman Schultz with a strong lead in the race.

The candidates also battled Sunday over the support of the Obama administrations Iran nuclear deal, which lifts economic sanctions in exchange for Tehran curtailing efforts to make a nuclear weapon -- a deal considered a threat to Israel.

Canova had said he supports the 2015 deal, but now says he doesnt know how he would have voted had he been in Congress.

I went over that deal backwards and forwards, said Wasserman Schultz, who voted for the multi-nation agreement amid criticism about Israels future safety and guidelines for inspecting nuclear sites.

On other local issues, Wasserman Shultz knew the name of a mayor in the district, when asked, but Canova did not.

Canova tried to suggest that Wasserman Schultz did not support increasing Social Security benefits, in a district with a large retiree population.

"I stood in the breach over and over with my vote and my voice to increase benefits, Wassserman Schultz replied.
The deadly storm system that wreaked havoc on Louisiana, where more than 20,000 had to be rescued, is working its way into the Midwest, where officials are bracing for major flooding.

Six people have died in Louisiana, the state registrar for vital records, Devin George, told reporters Monday. George said the deaths included two people in East Baton Rouge Parish, two in St. Helena Parish and two in Tangipahoa Parish.

The storm system moved west into Texas before pivoting northeast, prompting flood warnings in southern Illinois after five inches of rain fell on the region.

Rivers in the Baton Rouge area have started to fall, but still remained above flood stage after setting record levels over the weekend, the National Weather Service said Monday.

"The rivers and streams north of Interstate 12 have crested and have started to drop, while those south of the interstate continue to rise," meteorologist Mike Efferson said.

Adding insult to injury, it started raining in Baton Rouge again Monday and the city could see up to a half-inch of precipitation.

In high-water vehicles, boats and helicopters, emergency crews hurried to rescue scores of south Louisiana residents as the governor warned that it was not over.

From the air homes in southwest Louisiana looked more like little islands surrounded by flooded fields. Farmland was covered, streets descended into impassable pools of water, shopping centers were inundated with only roofs of cars peeking above the water.

From the ground it was just as catastrophic.

Drivers tried to navigate treacherous roads where the water lapped at the side or covered the asphalt in a running stream. Abandoned cars were pushed to the side of the road, lawn furniture and children's toys floating through the waters.

"It was an absolute act of God. We're talking about places that have literally never flooded before," said Anthony "Ace" Cox in an interview with the Associated Press, who started a Facebook group to help collect information about where people were stranded. He was in Baton Rouge to help his parents and grandparents, who got flooded out.

"Everybody got caught off guard," he said.

The low pressure system that wreaked such havoc moved into Texas, but the National Weather Service warned that there's still danger of fresh floods, as swollen rivers drain toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Most of the rivers have crested, but several are still rising.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said late Sunday that more than 10,000 people are in shelters and more than 20,000 people have been rescued across south Louisiana. The Baton Rouge River Center, a major events location in the capital city's downtown, was to be opened Sunday as a shelter to handle the large numbers of evacuees.

The federal government declared a major disaster in the state, specifically in the parishes of Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston. Edwards said President Obama called him and said that "the people of south Louisiana are in his thoughts and prayers and the federal government will be a solid partner."

Edwards called on people to refrain from going out to "sightsee" even as the weather gets better.

The evacuees included the governor and his family, who were forced to leave the Governor's Mansion when chest-high water filled the basement and electricity was shut off.

Authorities worked throughout Sunday to rescue people from cars stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12 until the governor said on Twitter late in the day that everyone had been rescued.

One of those stranded motorists was Alex Cobb of Baton Rouge, who spent the night on the interstate before being rescued by a National Guard truck.

She was on her way to a bridal shower she was supposed to host Saturday when flooding closed off the highway.

She said she had food intended for the bridal shower and a produce truck about a  mile up the road shared its stock with drivers  giving out fruits and vegetables to people.

The Louisiana State Police started allowing people to reclaim cars left behind on a portion of Interstate 12. Vehicles that were out of gas, stalled or unclaimed were being towed Monday to the shoulder to help clear the interstate.

Hundreds of people were gathered at Celtic Media Centre in Baton Rouge, some coming in by bus and others by helicopter.

Matthew and Rachel Fitzpatrick, from Brandon, Mississippi, hopped off one of the choppers with her grandparents. The couple had been visiting family in Baton Rouge when the flooding started. They found temporary refuge at Hebron Baptist Church but became trapped by floodwaters Saturday night.

People at the church used boats and big trucks to rescue others and bring them to the church, where helicopters started picking them up and flying them to safety Sunday.

Matthew, 29, said between 250 and 300 people were still at the church as of late afternoon Sunday. Water was creeping up to the back of the sanctuary, and they didn't have any food or water there.

"Everybody is just tired and nervous and wanting to see what kind of damage they have to their home," Rachel said.

Steele said the flooding that started Friday has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 homes in Livingston Parish, and hundreds more in other areas, including St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

Gov. Edwards declared a state of emergency Saturday, 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.

In one dramatic rescue Saturday, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car almost completely underwater, according to video by WAFB. The woman, who's 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.

As of Sunday morning, some 5,050 people were staying in parish and Red Cross shelters, said Department of Children & Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters. Even more people were staying in private shelters like churches.

Other effects from the flooding:

 A hospital in Baton Rouge  Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge's O'Neal campus  has evacuated about 40 patients and is expected to evacuate another 10-15.

 Severe weather damaged AT&T Wireless's equipment and halted service for some customers in the Baton Rouge area.

 Amtrak is busing customers from Jackson, Mississippi to New Orleans instead of using the train.

 Rescuers have taken out hundreds of pets as they go door-to-door searching for people. Lt. Davis Madere from the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries said he and his teams have rescued at least 100 pets since they started working Friday.

 The head of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency says 56 people remain in a shelter because their homes are flooded.

Around Baton Rouge, worried family members tried to locate relatives. Wayne Muse, 68, ran into a police roadblock on Sunday morning in east Baton Rouge, where rapidly rising water is flooding neighborhoods near the juncture of the swollen Amite and Comite rivers.

Muse said he has been trying in vain to reach or contact his 86-year-old mother since Saturday night, when she told him by phone that she had two inches of water inside her retirement home apartment.

"She said they were going to evacuate them but no one could get to them," Muse said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two men were arrested after exchanging gunfire with officers that left one wounded outside an apartment in suburban Atlanta, police said.

Marietta police spokeswoman Kelah Wallace said the officer was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being shot around 4:24 a.m. Sunday. The shooting occurred outside the Gallery Apartments when three officers responded to a call about people breaking into cars.

Wallace said the officers approached two suspects who were inside a vehicle. One of the suspects from the vehicle started shooting at the officers, striking one of them.

The three officers returned fire, hitting one of the suspects, Wallace said. Both suspects were eventually arrested. The wounded suspect was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Names of the officer and suspects have not been released.

The Marietta shooting came just hours after an officer in Eastman was shot and killed. Patrol Officer Tim Smith was killed at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. The suspected gunman remained on the loose Sunday morning.

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An Iowa man who flew a U.S. flag upside down under a Chinese flag to protest future placement of an oil pipeline near his home has been charged with desecrating the American banner.

Homer Martz told The Messenger the pipeline will be placed without his consent next to the well supplying his Calhoun County home south of Somers. Under Iowa law flag desecration is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail.

Martz noted on a sign that China has no freedom and told the newspaper he would have taken down the flags if he'd known about the law. Court records don't show his trial date.

The pipeline route starts in North Dakota and runs through South Dakota and Iowa before ending in Illinois.
The man who was shot and killed by a Milwaukee police officer on Saturday  an incident which sparked a night of violet protests  is seen on body camera footage with a loaded gun in his hand, officials said at a Sunday news conference.

Sylville K. Smith, 23, was identified Sunday as the subject of a Saturday afternoon traffic stop that turned deadly when Smith allegedly ran from officers and then turned toward one with a gun in his hand.

Both Smith and the unidentified officer who shot him are black, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said.

The individual did turn toward the officer with a firearm in his hand, said Flynn, later adding that Smith was raising up with the gun.

Flynn said he had viewed the body camera footage, which had not yet been released to the public. The entire incident lasted 20-25 seconds in Flynns estimation. While the camera captures the shooting there is no sound of the critical moments because Milwaukee police body cameras do not begin recording audio for 30 seconds, Flynn said.

Police officers could be seen on the footage administering CPR to Smith, who was hit in his chest and arm, Flynn said.

It certainly appears to me at the time [the officer] made that decision it was a credible decision, Flynn said of the decision to shoot Smith.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett called for the quick release of the body camera footage, which he said he had not seen. Barrett said he had seen a still photo extracted from the tape, however.

That still photo demonstrates without question that [Smith] had a gun in his hand, and I want our community to know that, Barrett said.

Barrett spoke directly to the community after a night of unruliness in which six businesses were set on fire. Police arrested 18 individuals  including four for burglary  during the melee and first responders tended to a 16-year-old woman who was shot and sustained non-life threatening injuries, Flynn said.

While there were no reports of police officers using force, Flynn said, four officers were injured. Three were struck by concrete and another by flying glass. One of those struck by concrete was a female officer who sustained a concussion and had a laceration that required seven stitches. All of the officers were treated and released from the hospital. Seven squad cars were damaged and a department BearCat was hit by eight gunshots  two to the vehicles windshield.

Flynn said the citys ShotSpotter system recorded 48 instances of gunfire.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke saids a repeat of the violence that plagued the city Saturday night cannot be allowed to happen.

Clarke told reporters Sunday evening that violence will not be allowed to get out hand, citing Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore where rioting broke out after black men died during incidents there involving police.

Clarke added that he talked this Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker earlier Sunday, and requested help should it be needed to keep the peace.

Earlier Sunday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker activated the National Guard to assist Milwaukee police. The guard will remain activated but not deployed unless local officials specifically request it.

Smith was only identified Sunday afternoon, but already information about prior run-ins with police began emerging. Flynn said Smith had a lengthy arrest record, and The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that Smith had been charged with recklessly endangering safety and witness intimidation stemming from a February 2015 shooting. The charges were later dismissed for unspecified reasons, though prosecutors said they had recorded Smith asking his girlfriend to pressure a witness to the shooting to recant.

The 24-year-old unnamed officer who shot Smith was placed on administrative duty. Hes been with the Milwaukee department six years, three as an officer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A fifth body was recovered after an explosion and fire at an apartment complex in Maryland, authorities said Sunday evening as firefighters continued amid sweltering heat to comb through the rubble to search for several others who remain missing.

The explosion late Wednesday night sent debris hundreds of feet, and people more than a mile away reported the blast was strong enough to shake their homes.

Two bodies were recovered Thursday and another one was found Friday. The victims have been transported to the office of the chief medical examiner in Baltimore and haven't been identified.

Eight people remain unaccounted for, including two children, the Montgomery County Police Department said. Police say they believe the first four bodies that have been found among the eight unaccounted-for people.

Police said earlier Sunday that the first four bodies that had been recovered were among the eight unaccounted people. They did not immediately address Sunday evening whether the fifth body found is among that number.

More than 100 local and federal officials were on scene Sunday battling dangerously high temperatures to search for the missing and gather evidence to determine the cause of the explosion, said Pete Piringer, spokesman for Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service. Officials urged the public to be patient as the heat and concerns about the structure collapsing have slowed their efforts.

"We would like to do this more quickly. We just simply can't. It's too dangerous," Dave Steckel, the county's acting fire chief, told reporters Sunday. "We have to be very careful and methodical with what we do so we don't make this tragedy worse than it already is," he said.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, officials said. Residents reported smelling gas prior to the explosion, and officials responded to calls for a potential gas leak at the complex last month.

Authorities identified the people who are missing as: Saeda Ibrahim, age 41; Augusto Jimenez Sr., age 62; Maria Auxiliadorai Castellon-Martinez, age 53; Aseged Mekonen, age 34; Deibi "David" Samir Lainez Morales, age 8; Oscar Armando Ochoa, age 55; Fernando Josue Hernandez Orellana, age 3; Saul Paniagua, age 65.

The Montgomery County Police Department said those people are believed to be in one of the apartment buildings at the time of the explosion. The department said detectives haven't been able to confirm that Ochoa was in the building at the time of the fire.

Authorities are urging anyone with information on the whereabouts of those missing to contact law enforcement.
The U.S. Navy lieutenant who apologized on video for a mistake while he and his crew were being held by Iranian captors in January is appealing his discipline for violating the services code of conduct, The Navy Times reported.

Lt. David Nartker was given a non-judicial punishment last week by the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, two officials familiar with the proceeding told The Times. Narker appeared before Rear Adm. Frank Morneau on Aug. 4 to hear the charges against him, Stars and Stripes reported.

The exact punishment given to Nartker and the charges leveled against him have not yet been revealed. Stars and Stripes reported the punishments could range from confinement to his quarters to a letter of reprimand  which could be a career-ender.

Nartker was the most senior officer of 10 sailors manning a pair of boats captured by Iran after the U.S. vessels accidentally strayed into Iranian waters on Jan. 12. He was filmed apologizing for the incursion on a video that was later released by Iran.

It was a mistake, Nartker said on camera. That was our fault. And we apologize for our mistake.

The sailors were detained for one night before being released.

Left to his own devices, [Nartker] emulated the poor leadership traits he witnessed first-hand within his own chain of command, the Iran incident investigation report said.

The NECC would not comment on the specifics of the case.

Following [non-judicial punishment] proceedings, members may appeal the findings to a higher authority, Lt. Cmdr. Jen Cragg said in an email to The Navy Times. The appeal authority may set aside the punishment, decrease its severity, or deny the appeal, but may not increase the severity of the punishment.

U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii has a 30-day period to review the appeal, Stars and Stripes reported.
For the first time in over two-and-a-half years, the women of Manbij, Syria walked with their faces uncovered Saturday, some of them even setting their niqabs on fire. Men shaved or trimmed their beards. Smokers of both sexes lit up and puffed away.

U.S.-backed fighters seized the key northern Syria city late Friday after two months of heavy fighting that killed more than 1,000 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.

Amateur videos showed civilians hugging fighters from the predominently Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) after being evacuated from the final ISIS-held neighborhood.

"May God destroy them. They slaughtered us," a young man shouted in a Manbij square. "May they not live for a minute."

In a photo posted online by Kurdish activists, a young woman defiantly uncovered her face while smoking a cigarette and flashing a victory sign.

ISIS imposes a harsh and extreme version of Islam on the territory under its control, including a mandatory dress code. 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 on penalty of fines or public flogging.

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.

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 ISIS group's self-styled caliphate.

Manbij had been under ISIS control since January 2014, when the extremists evicted other Syrian militant groups from the town.

ISIS' loss of Manbij followed two months after they lost the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

SDF spokesman Nasser Haj Mansour 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, and was supported by U.S.-led airstrikes.

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.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said the remaining ISIS 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 ISIS 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 ISIS 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.

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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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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.

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 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 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 U.S. airstrikes. Officials say the city is now 70 percent liberated.
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.

Police killed the two 19-year-old attackers, Adel Kermiche and Abdel-Malek Petitjean, outside the church.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The suspect was also allegedly in contact with Kermiche via the messaging app Telegram, which encrypts messages and is a preferred means of communication for Islamic State militants.
A British man was fatally stabbed and another Briton wounded during a pre-dawn knife attack at Cyprus' coastal resort of Ayia Napa, Cypriot police said Sunday.

A 22-year-old man from London has been stabbed to death in Cyprus https://t.co/eWJshsBAHw pic.twitter.com/bl9IxC0kfS  BBC Newsbeat (@BBCNewsbeat) August 14, 2016

The two Britons, both 22, were attacked while they were walking down a busy street by two knife-wielding men shortly after getting into a shoving match with one of them, Famagusta District Assistant Police Chief Georgios Economou told The Associated Press.

Economou gave the name of the man who died as George Low, from Kent, England.

Economou said there is no suspicion the attack was terrorism-related and authorities are treating it as a murder case.

Low died from a stab wound to the neck. The other suffered four stab wounds to his back, but they aren't life-threatening.

Economou said according to witness accounts, the two assailants, who are still being sought, appeared to be foreign nationals. He said investigators have been able to track some of the suspects' movements through closed-circuit television cameras.

Authorities have been alerted at all airports, ports and crossing points into the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north of the ethnically divided island to be on the lookout for the suspects.

Economou said the two victims had worked during the previous two years at Ayia Napa bars and clubs. The wounded Briton told investigators that he and Low had been vacationing in Ayia Napa this time.
The man who attacked passengers on a crowded Swiss train with a knife and burning liquid died of his wounds Sunday, as did one of his victims, a 34-year-old woman, Swiss police said. Three others remain hospitalized with serious wounds.

Police are still searching for a motive but said there's no indication the suspect, identified only as a 27-year-old Swiss man from a neighboring region, had ties to extremist groups.

A 43-year-old woman, a 6-year-old girl and 17-year-old girl remained hospitalized Sunday with serious injuries, St. Gallen police spokesman Hans-Peter Kruesi told The Associated Press. A 17-year-old youth and 50-year-old man wounded in the attack have been treated and released, he said.

Kruesi said all the victims lived in the St. Gallen canton.

Swiss police searched the suspect's home after the Saturday afternoon attack on the train as it neared the station in Salez, close to the Liechtenstein border. Kruesi would not comment on what evidence was seized at the home, but said "so far there are no indications this was a terrorist or politically motivated crime."

Police were not able to question the suspect before he died, Kruesi said, adding that the man had no criminal record and was not previously known to police.

According to a video of the attack evaluated by police, the assailant acted alone, attacking passengers on the train between Buchs and Sennwald with a knife and then burning liquid, which is now being analyzed by a police forensics team.

The train driver was being credited with quick thinking, continuing into the Salez station before stopping, a move that allowed police and rescue crews to get on board easier.

Five passengers on the train were wounded in the attack and a sixth person on the train platform, the 50-year-old man, was wounded as he pulled the burning suspect off the train, police said. The 50-year-old was treated for smoke inhalation and burns, Kruesi said.

The Swiss train attack again illustrates how difficult it is for authorities to protect the continent's labyrinthine transport system, particularly against individuals wielding unsophisticated weapons.

Last month in neighboring Germany, a 17-year-old refugee from Afghanistan used an ax and a knife to wound four tourists on a train, and stabbed a woman as he fled. The attacker was shot and killed by police. All his victims survived.

In May at a train station in the German state of Bavaria, a 27-year-old German man who had been in psychiatric care stabbed commuters, killing one and wounding three others before being apprehended by police.

Last year a heavily armed gunman opened fire on a high-speed Amsterdam to Paris train but was overpowered by two young American soldiers and their companion.
Yemeni military officials say pro-government troops, backed by forces from a Saudi-led military coalition, are launching an offensive to retake territory held by Islamic State and al-Qaida forces east of the port city of Aden.

They say Sunday that hundreds of troops are headed to Abyan province to retake the towns of Jaar and Zinjibar, under cover of coalition artillery and naval fire. The officials spoke anonymously because they aren't authorized to brief reporters.

The conflict in Yemen pits the internationally-recognized government and the coalition against Shiite rebels known as Houthis.

The war has left a security vacuum throughout parts of the country. Both al-Qaida and its rival, the Islamic State group, have exploited the turmoil and expanded their footprint in the country's southern region.
Where do you find the practice of revival in perfumery, nowadays? Revival is not an easy term to negotiate; whilst it might intersect with ideas of reference, appropriation, even plagiarism, the most important facet of revivals meaning is its activity. Revival cannot be passive  it is always conscious, living, reacting, influencing, and material, as is implicit in its derivation. In perfumery, whilst referencing other perfumes, styles, and notes could be considered a foundational practice to the development and understanding of the medium (with two specific perfumes, Houbigants Fougere Royale and Cotys Chypre, actually going on to title the fragrance families Fougere and Chypre), the desire to consciously revive (be it fragrance effects or brand values) is fairly recent. Revival is a demonstration by its instigator that the quality being revived has preserved, relevant, and current value. Revival must also always take place in a new future context; revival is never revisionist.



NEWNESS and NOVELTY

Why is revival, generally, a new practice for perfumery? For one, the modern fragrance industry as we understand it is relatively new, coming in at 130 years old at its lengthiest valuation. It is hard for recent history to have vintage artistic appeal. Also, fragrance creation has been for a very long time, and mostly still is, all about newness and novelty; about incessantly releasing new products, and designing them so that they smell new. One might protest, but all contemporary fragrances smell the same? Therein lies the paradox. Fragrance formulas can never be fully copied, for both technical and legal reasons; materials must always be subtracted or new materials added. So, every composition is technically new, and there is inherently evolution in perfume creation, one perfume at a time.

The ambition of most big fragrance brands is to create the next big thing, the scent everyone is talking about, because you just cant stop smelling it. Often, however, a scent that could have started out its life as bold and innovative ends up generic and forgettable as the market testing process has its ways with it. Add more calone here; add more dihydromyrcenol there. The distributors are asking for praline, so thats what theyre getting. Therefore, both the idea of novelty and the idea of revival are consistently lost at the start of the supply chain so that the consumer cannot pick up either. The end effect is of a copy with additions or subtractions, giving rise to a Darwinian survival of the fittest mechanism that sees slow and slight changes to dominant perfumery styles. One cannot really speak of revival if the composition is simply lifting the heart and base notes from another, and adding grapefruit instead of bergamot to the top.



REVIVAL TENDENCIES

Something is happening in the industry right now that can be considered an act of revival. Whether you are looking at the revival of a classic brand itself (like Houbigant), a classic accord (such as amber), or a classic material (musk), they are each aligned under the more compelling command of a desire to revive classic fragrance brand principles, now mostly taking place in the niche sphere. This is often misconceived as luxury, but I dont think thats quite it, as the most respected and successful niche brands today arent necessarily luxury and the first werent high luxury either. Niche was first and foremost a revival of golden age perfumery principles (1920s) that relished the feeling of classic perfumery with good quality materials allowed to shine within a complex structure, coinciding with a revolt against what many saw as bland, cynical, vapid, cheap, mainstream consumer perfumery.

The pioneers of this ever-growing, ever-more threatening fragrance class were companies like Annick Goutal, LArtisan Parfumeur, and Serge Lutens. How did they revive (and recontextualise) golden age perfumery? Through the transparency of development processes; clear and honest communication of materials; emphasising technical legitimacy over superficial marketing; using rarer and higher quality oils that both perform better and have a more complex scent; more natural oils; and higher concentrations for greater longevity and projection. A kind of back-to-roots model.



IMPACT ON THE JUICE

Revival strategies such as the above, exemplified in niche, serve to gain brand authenticity through perceived specialisation. Niche consumers want niche brands to be specialists  to know everything about how the products were made, whats in then, where they came from, and what other perfumes (and perfume history) they relate to. Instead of just saying this reminds me of my grandmother, you have customers saying this reminds me of my grandmothers scent Shalimar by Guerlain which was made in 1925 and its clever how this new scent has freshened its amber base. What else can you suggest that modernises powder? Sales assistants would attest to this. The drive towards specialist fragrance knowledge and a specialist fragrance experience can be seen manifest broadly in two camps: the championing of key historical natural materials through clear simple structures, and the creation of richly layered, complex, long formulas that communicate a mysterious nebulous impression.

By aggrandising touchstone naturals and mythical accords such as neroli, bergamot, lavender, rose, jasmine, vanilla, amber, musk etc., and bringing them to the fore with supporting effects, it allows consumer-facing touchpoints to explore the development process, a platform to discuss provenance and methods of extraction, nuanced olfactory description akin to the connoisseur, as well as categorisation. Revival in perfumery right now is a lot about categorising into families and historical references that underscore authority. The other side of the niche coin reveals an increasing list of releases that reflect on perfumerys ability to create neologisms through combining of a plethora of complex materials, complex in themselves, but even more complex when mixed together. A symptom of niches drive to golden age perfumery principles can be identified in the will for a shortening supply chain (emphasising the provenance of raw materials and the role of the Perfumers themselves) as the antithesis of a muddled and muddied understanding of the commercial process void of accountability, reviving the way things were in the good old days of the classic brands (some owned and run by Perfumers themselves) where the consumer knows who made the scents and why and the guarantee that this vetiver absolute came from Haiti.



TO END

Some concluding thoughts on why the theme of revival is important today for fragrance. Its significant simply because were talking about it as significant, reflective of the increasing status and value of perfume, rather than an article on the top ten sexiest summer scents for teens this year. Incorporating accents of this trend through niche in emerging markets could prove difficult long-term; appreciation of revival scents rests on an understanding of western perfumery history, not matter how vague, of where it came from and where its going. Perhaps this is easier in cultures rich in fragrancing traditions like in the Middle East, but China does not have a familiarity with western models of scent education. Revival (of historical perfumes, of quality naturals, of classic fragrance accords) is also sacred in the IFRA context which increasingly takes up the headlines of fragrance news.

Revival is a theme to watch.
Col. W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police superintendent, recently announced the retirement of his deputy superintendent, Lt. Colonel Robert B. Northern. Also announced was the appointment of Lt. Colonel Tracy S. Russillo to the position of second in command of the department.

Lt. Col. Northern has served as the deputy superintendent for 11 years. During his 36 years with the state police, Northern has served in many capacities, including deputy director of the Bureau of Field Operations; division commander of the Culpeper Bureau of Field Operations Headquarters; lieutenant and staff assistant to the director of BFO; first sergeant in the Hanover/Henrico Area 1 Office; sergeant in the Bowling Green Area 44 Office; and as a trooper stationed in Fredericksburg Area 5 Office and in Area 1. He also served seven years on the Executive Protection Unit, which provides security for the governors of Virginia and their families. From 1990 until 1993, he was assigned to the Governors Office to coordinate Virginias anti-drug programs. Northern s retirement is effective Sept. 1.

Replacing Northern will be the current Bureau of Administrative Staff and Support director, Lt. Colonel Russillo. Russillo, a native of Fredericksburg, joined the department May 16, 1989. Her first patrol assignment as a trooper was in Spotsylvania Countys Area 5 Office, and she spent an additional two years patroling in the Culpeper County Area 15 Office. As she has progressed through the VSP ranks, Russillo has served as an Academy sergeant in Richmond and area commander of the Winchester Area 13 Office before being promoted to field lieutenant in the Culpeper Division. In 2008, she achieved the rank of captain, serving as the Fairfax Division commander in the Northern Virginia region. Russillo was promoted to major in 2011 following her appointment as BASS deputy director.
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Scene of the conference (Source: VNA)

In his speech, VBAR Chairman Le Truong Son highlighted the associations achievements as well as difficulties facing the organisation in the last year.



Participants focused their discussions on future orientations and ways to further effectuate activities of the association.



Russian is the leading priority partner of Vietnam not only in politics but also in trade, Lai Ngoc Doan from the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia said, hoping the VBAR would make greater contributions to strengthening the VietnamRussia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.



The same day, a roundtable meeting was organised to discuss possibilities to expand cooperation between Vietnamese enterprises and Vladimir Oblasts counterparts.



Members of the association introduced the Russian localitys officials to their businesses strengths in the fields of textiles and garment, agriculture, industrial production and hypermarket chain.



Meanwhile, local officials briefed Vietnamese firms on the localitys economic potential and committed to creating the most favourable conditions for Vietnamese companies to invest in the locality.



The VBAR is hoped to play an important role in boosting the Vietnam-Russia economic and trade ties in the time ahead, especially in the context that only one month, the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union officially takes effect./.
Photo for illustration (Source: khoahocphattrien.vn)

Head of the Department of Software Engineering under the city-based University of Science Dinh Ba Tien said technology is the field that could bring enormous opportunities for businesses to reach out the international market.



However, it requires innovation, passion and selection of suitable models to meet the markets demand, he added.



Truong Ly Hoang Phi, Director of the Business Startup Support Centre (BSSC), said what discussed during the event are significant to policy making for small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startup models.



She suggested enabling young startups to gain access to potential fields, including technology, while building staff with long-term development orientations.



The exploration of technological and innovative projects as well as the encouragement of experienced and influential figures to develop the startup ecosystem in Vietnam are recommended, she said.



Vietnam has about 1,000 startup projects on technology each year. An increasing number of organisations are investing in this field.



HCM City, one of the countrys largest economic hubs, is targeting to expand the number of enterprises in the city to 500,000 by 2020.



Currently, the 12-million-strong southern metropolis has 270,000 registered firms, including 170,000 active ones.



The Ho Chi Minh City Young Businesspeople Association (YBA) has pledged to support 1,000 creative start-up projects between 2016 and 2020./.
The View From Here is our new series where farming women give an insight into rural life around the world.

Over the coming weeks, well be visiting countries around the globe to get a sense of the joys and challenges of life in the countryside.

Here Nuku Hadfield in New Zealand answers our questions.

What sort of farm do you live on?

Our farm is 1,500ha of hill country on the East Coast of the North Island.

It ranges from 200-600m above sea level. We have 6,200 Romney ewes, 1,800 replacement ewe hoggets, 70 rams, 400 Angus breeding cows and 400 mixed-age replacement heifers.

Annual rainfall is between 1,700 and 1,800mm. We fatten and kill 5,000-6,000 lambs, with the remainder being sold store. Our normal lambing percentage is 145% (at the tail-docking stage).

How involved are you with the farm?

Very. My husband and I work as a team using our strengths in different areas. I take care of all the finances and the administrative side, while he is in charge of the day-to-day stocking decisions. We have a full-time shepherd who works alongside him.

I am out on the farm a couple of times a week; more so during the busier times such as docking and shearing. I have one dog and generally ride a horse when I do jobs. Our business is a partnership and we make all major decisions together.

Whats the farming/countryside typically like in your area?

Its medium to steep hill country. All farms in our area are sheep and beef.

We are high enough that we get three to four snowfalls a year. In summer, the temperature can climb above 30C.

Most farms have some native bush on them and so there is plenty of opportunity to catch a wild pig or a deer. Hunting is a big hobby for people. Possums are a pest (theyre not native) and plenty of kids make pocket money by shooting and plucking them, making $100/kg of fur (55).

How poor or prosperous are farming families in your country?

Generally farming families have a very good standard of living.

Agriculture is still New Zealands biggest export and there is plenty of room for growth.

Farming is not just a job, but also a lifestyle and we are very fortunate to live and work in such a great country.

Whats the best thing about living on a farm?

Its that our home is also our workplace. We have been able to bring up our children with them knowing about  and being part of  what we do. They see what we do to provide for them and it becomes second nature to them.

Being self-employed gives us the power to determine our own future. Farming is our passion; I can truly say we are living the dream.

See also: Whats in Your Shed? visits New Zealand

Whats the worst thing about living on a farm?

Probably the weather. We lamb outside and prepare as best we can by ensuring the stock is in the right condition, using genetic selection to ensure survival traits and providing adequate shelter.

But if a storm hits and we are in the middle of lambing, no one can control mother nature and we just have to ride it out. Its the same in the summer with a drought. We have learned it is about planning and making quick decisions if a problem arises.

Whats the single biggest challenge farmers face where you are?

Other than adverse weather, it is the price we receive for what we produce. What we get at the farmgate needs to be more as production costs have risen.

We are fortunate in our business that we have volume and this offsets it. When the prices are higher, it has positive spin-off benefits for the whole community, as farmers spend more.

What makes you laugh?

Watching a good comedy, such as The Big Bang Theory and catching up with family  we always have each other on, which always guarantees a good laugh!

What makes you angry?

As we live in an isolated area, getting services here can be a problem. For example, we only have a landline as there is no cell phone coverage. Recently our phone went out for 12 days.

Urban people can also be quick to criticise farmers over environmental issues and yet most farmers are caretakers, not destroyers, of the land.

Is there equality between the sexes in your country?

My husband and I are a team, he has his areas hes in charge of, and I have mine. This makes our business efficient and effective. All major decisions are made jointly.

More woman are taking on roles in agriculture and there is a lot more acceptance of woman in challenging physical roles, too.

There is still the odd old fella who will talk about Barts Farm or Barts sheep instead of Bart & Nukus, but I think they are a dying breed. When we hire anyone for casual work, it is always based on ability, not gender.

Is farming well supported by your government?

Generally, yes. We do not receive any financial subsidies or assistance, but we have not found any of their policies have impeded our business.

Tell us something about yourself not many people know.

I have a scar on my foot where a sheep kicked a handpiece and the comb dug into my foot and stuck my foot to the board of the wool shed. I was nine years old and was rousing in bare feet for my dad.

He wrapped a bandage around it to stop the bleeding and then said: Dont tell your mother. Like she wouldnt notice a hole in my foot!

If youre farming outside the UK and would like to be considered for this series, email fwfarmlife@rbi.co.uk
More than 1,000 sheep have been killed as a result of dog attacks so far during 2016 and under-reporting means that the true extent of the problem is probably much bigger, a leading campaigner has warned.

Terena Plowright, founder of SheepWatch UK, said well over 1,000 sheep had been killed in sheep worrying incidents since the start of the year and she received on average at least two reports each week.

Ms Plowright, who is gathering national statistics in order to make the government, police and public more aware of the scale of the problem, said it was important that farmers kept the issue in the spotlight.

See also: Graphic picture tweeted to show horror of dog attacks

The use of social media to share photographs of savaged sheep had been hugely important in bringing the issue into the public eye, she said.

I would definitely recommend that farmers keep that up. They should also report every incident to the local paper and finally they should fill out the three-minute report form on the SheepWatch website.

We need to get clarity on what the situation is and what it is costing the country and the farmer.

Farmers are pushed for time, but to get the government to take action there need to be statistics. At the moment, the police are not legally required to record incidents as a crime, so some get recorded and some dont.

Record attacks Have your sheep been attacked by dogs? Complete a SheepWatch record of attack form

Ms Plowright said graphic images circulated by a Welsh farmer showing a dog attacking a sheep sent a powerful message.

They show how utterly defenseless a sheep really is. Their only defence is to run and that just excites the dog further.

Sheep worrying did appear to have become a growing problem, with more people now owning dogs and many people taking on rescues, she said.

There are a lot more rescues around  which is good  but people often dont know their histories.

The problem may also have been exacerbated by the fact that dog owners who live in towns and cities were also increasingly forced to walk their dogs on farmland, as a result of the level of house-building in urban areas.

People used to walk their dogs on waste land in the community, but that has been built on and so dog walkers are being pushed further into farming areas.

A recent incident in Ireland saw 36 sheep killed after being chased by dogs.

North Yorkshire Police have also issued a call for dog owners to ensure their pets are kept under control at all times, after a ewe and three lambs were killed by a dog in Scalby, near Scarborough.

Officers are investigating after the rare Soay sheep were killed on 6 August 2016.

PC Helen Hardie, of Scarborough Police, said: I am urging dog owners to keep their pets on a lead, particularly in rural areas around livestock. Even the most mild-mannered dog can see sheep, especially lambs, as something to chase and kill.

Naturally, the owners of the sheep are devastated by this attack.
The free event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 29, and feature more than 30 different types of aircraft.
FLORENCE  After 15 years of working with western snowy plovers, Siuslaw National Forest wildlife biologist Cindy Burns has gotten really good at spotting the threatened shorebirds, despite their tiny stature and protective coloration.

But on a day when high winds and chilly temperatures are buffeting the Oregon Coast, shes having a tough time locating her quarry: a male with a freshly hatched brood of chicks.

Finally, after three hours of creeping along between the dunes and the surf line in her Forest Service pickup, she finds what shes been looking for: a male with a single chick, foraging for invertebrates in the sand.

Its a hopeful sign. Even though female plovers generally lay three eggs at a time, they can produce two or even three broods per season, and one fledgling per male is considered a good survival rate.

For six months out of the year, from March 15 to Sept. 15, 19 miles worth of Oregon beaches are roped off and closed to recreational use to protect the western snowy plover, which had almost disappeared from the state when it was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1993. And while some people may grumble at being locked out of their favorite oceanfront playgrounds during the prime summer months, the strategy is showing results.

Theyre doing pretty well in Oregon, Burns says. We have the public to thank for that.

Fight for survival

The western snowy plover, a teacup-sized shorebird resembling a miniature sandpiper, historically nested all along the West Coast of the United States. But the growth of human populations, urban development, introduction of invasive species and other factors drastically shrank the birds habitat, and its numbers plummeted.

By the time of its Endangered Species Act listing in 1993, the bird had disappeared from large portions of its historic range. Only 45 breeding adults were counted in Oregon that year, with an estimated 23 in Washington and roughly 1,000 in California.

To combat the plovers precipitous decline, an ambitious recovery program was launched. The effort is overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but also involves a number of other organizations, including the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Army Corps of Engineers plus a host of state and local agencies.

The basic strategy involves protecting and restoring habitat, shielding the birds from disturbance during nesting season and defending them from predators.

From a public perspective, the most visible activity involves putting up restricted access signs and roping off nesting areas during the six-month breeding season.

Plovers lay their eggs in shallow scrapes or depressions in dry sand, generally just above the high-water line. The roped-off areas are designed to minimize human disturbance of the birds during nesting season to maximize their chance of reproductive success.

But plovers will also venture outside the protected areas to search for food, making quick running dashes as they hunt for sand fleas, beach hoppers and other invertebrates. During nesting season, people are asked to stay completely clear of dry sand areas on any beaches where plovers may be nesting, whether there are rope barriers in place or not.

That can come across as a mixed message, according to Lisa Romano, public information officer for the Siuslaw National Forest.

It actually gets really confusing, Romano acknowledged. Working with the public to share the beach is a really important part of what we do.

Most beach users are cooperative, Romano said, but sometimes conflicts arise. Some people, for instance, get upset when theyre told they cant bring their dogs with them to beaches used by plovers, even if they keep Fido on a leash. Most folks comply in the end, although willful violators can be fined.

Theres always going to be some people who violate the rules because they just dont care, Romano said. But we know theres a lot of people who want to do the right thing.

Also part of the plan is managing invasive species, especially European beach grass, which has spread rapidly along the West Coast after being planted for erosion control.

Plovers will nest in areas with native dune grass, which grows in scattered clumps. But European beach grass grows in thick stands, eliminating open sand areas plovers need for their nests and making it easier for predators to sneak up on them.

About 500 acres of plover habitat has been restored so far in Oregon, in part by removing European beach grass. In that regard, Burns said, the birds have found an unexpected ally in off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, many of whom are happy to help clear the invasive grass from the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, a mecca for both plovers and OHV riders.

Theres not as much motorized beach access as there once was on the Oregon Dunes, and some folks who have been around a long time probably are still not happy about that, Burns allowed. But because of the separation of activities, plovers and OHVs generally are not at odds.

Predator control is another important element of the recovery strategy.

The main threats vary from beach to beach and year to year, but crows and ravens have emerged as a persistent problem. Both species will eat plover eggs, and ravens sometimes will take newly hatched chicks.

Opportunistic and intelligent, the birds adapt readily to areas frequented by humans and can be attracted to places like beaches by discarded or unattended food. They may even use humans to pinpoint plover nests, which might otherwise evade detection because both the shorebirds and their eggs are so well-camouflaged.

Say a person walks by and scares a plover off the nest  crows and ravens are waiting for that moment, Burns said.

Coyotes are also a factor in plover mortality, as are raptors such as northern harriers and some species of hawks.

Wildlife Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, handles predator control for the plover recovery effort in Oregon. Paul Wolf, the agencys district supervisor for Southern Oregon, said wire nest exclosures and hazing are sometimes enough to deter predators. When that doesnt work, the agency will try to identify individual problem animals before taking more drastic measures.

Raptors can sometimes be trapped and relocated, but crows, ravens and coyotes with a taste for plover are generally killed.

Were really trying to be very specific about the individuals that are causing the damage and then responding directly to that, Wolf said.

Reason for hope

The good news is, the efforts appear to be working.

Last year, we had approximately 450 breeding adults in Oregon and about 75 birds in Washington, reported Dan Elbert, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plover recovery coordinator for both states.

Washingtons numbers are expected to climb significantly higher in years to come, thanks in large part to a major habitat restoration project at Leadbetter Point in the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge.

Theyre poised to really become a source point on the West Coast, where historically until recently they were a sink population, Elbert said.

In Oregon, the birds are beginning to recolonize some of their old stomping grounds. As plover populations declined in the state, the birds retreated to just half a dozen nesting areas on the south coast, down from more than 20 historically.

But with protections in place, the plovers have been expanding their territory. Over the last two years the birds started nesting at two locations in Tillamook County, which had not hosted any breeding colonies for decades.

As of this year we are now up to about 11 sites, Elbert said.

If the resurgence continues, Oregon and Washington could soon reach a key milestone in the recovery plan for the western snowy plover: to have at least 250 breeding adults for 10 years. Other targets include producing at least one fully fledged chick per adult male for a five-year span and locking in long-term management and protection plans for plover breeding, wintering and migration areas.

California challenge

But Oregon and Washington are only part of the picture. All beach-nesting West Coast plovers are considered part of a single population, and before the threatened birds can be taken off the endangered species list, some larger targets will have to be met.

That includes an average of 3,000 breeding adults for a period of 10 years, with individual targets for each of the six recovery units scattered throughout the birds range. That means California needs 2,750 breeding adults, a number that remains well out of reach: as of last year, the state had an estimated 2,260.

John Hunter, who manages Californias northernmost recovery unit for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is also the coordinator for the entire plover recovery effort. While he lauds the work being done in Oregon and Washington, he said California faces a different set of challenges.

For one thing, his state has been less successful at forging partnerships among the multiplicity of county, state and federal agencies that have jurisdiction over individual patches of plover habitat.

Theres no overarching management statewide for plovers versus up north, where they do have that, Hunter said.

Theres also been a lot of public resistance to lethal methods of removing predators.

Predator control is a really contentious thing in California, he said. A lot of people just dont want it.

Last but not least, the states larger population and warmer climate means there are more people on the beaches  a lot more.

Beach use is huge, Hunter said.

You get down to the beaches and its just this thin little ribbon of really nice habitat that everybody wants to visit  the people, the dogs, the plovers  and the conflicts are just intense.

Long-term risk

Nevertheless, plover populations are on the rise in California as well as in the Northwest. If those numbers keep climbing, the bird could well hit its rangewide population and productivity goals by the target delisting date of 2047, perhaps even sooner.

But, as Hunter noted, theres one more big piece to the recovery puzzle.

Delisting is not just about the numbers, he said. Its about what kind of management plans are in place going forward.

The western snowy plover is what biologists call a conservation-reliant species. Because some of the threats it faces are unavoidable  drastically reduced habitat, ongoing pressure from invasive species, conflicts with people and their pets  the little shorebirds will probably always need help from humans in order to survive.

Thats why long-term plans for habitat protection and management are the final requirement for delisting. Interagency agreements for some portions of the plovers range are already in place, but much more work remains to be done.

Beaches are a really popular place. This is one of those places where the public interacts with an endangered species, Elbert said.

So theres always going to be this need to manage this species in order to maintain productivity numbers and population levels.

And with all the success wildlife managers have had so far, they caution against getting overconfident. After more than 20 years of intensive recovery work, they point out, the entire West Coast population of western snowy plovers still numbers less than 2,800 adults, far too few to provide a comfortable margin for error.

These birds are still at risk, Burns said. Theyre doing pretty well right now, but it wouldnt take a whole lot to set them back quite a bit.
Bad Godesberg gastronomy : New openings in Rungsdorf

Rungsdorf In Rungsdorf, there are two new openings: the espresso bar Black Coffee Pharmacy and Italian specialty shop Leos mercato cucina arte. Bastei and Rien ne va plus are two of the more traditional establishments.

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A few changes have come to the Rungsdorf gastronomy scene. Black Coffee Pharmacy is a new place for coffee lovers and Leos mercato cucina arte combines Italian culinary specialities with art. The two new establishments join traditional restaurants, Bastei and Rien ne va plus.

Silke Thun is the owner of Black Coffee Pharmacy on Konstantinstrae and she also owns an espresso bar on Bonner Talweg. The coffee expert offers her own barista courses. Once a week, she takes in a delivery of freshly roasted espresso beans from Heilandt, a coffee house in Cologne. Tea, cold drinks and light fare are also served. The space she occupies was formerly a magazine shop, and then a store offering home accessories.

At the corner of Rungsdorfer Strasse and Gerhard-Rolfs-Strae, Leo Raciti has opened Leos mercato cucina art. It took months of work to convert and renovate the former Edeka market into the new Italian specialty store which also offers art. Raciti also owns the restaurant Vitus on Rheinstrae. The gastronomist and artist serves guests himself at his new specialty store and soon, he plans to offer wine tasting.

In contrast to the new shops, Rien ne va plus has been around for 30 years. Owner Klaus Ockenfels says its a little old-fashioned in terms of decor, inspired by French and Belgian bistros. He said he wants the place to have a comfortable feeling. Its a family affair, Ockenfels runs the place along with his three siblings and Tom Buckler who joined them in the 1990s. It used to be considered a corner pub but after the no-smoking laws went into effect, it became more of a restaurant.

The Bastei, looking out over the Rhine, has been around for 15 years. Owner Martin Stutze looks back on the time with a certain amount of pride. He is a native Godesberger who went to school at Pada, a secondary school just around the corner from the Bastei. He says there have been lots of changes in the past 20 years in the gastronomy scene at the Rhine, It is much more lively and there are many more offers. This is tremendously important for Bad Godesberg and I also find that some of the culinary offers here at the Rhine are better than what is offered in Bonn.
Research from the Curtin WA School of Mines has led scientists to believe that volcanic eruptions that occurred more than 100 million years ago were so powerful that they could project sand-sized crystals from the east coast of Australia to as far away as Western Australia.

The study, led by Dr Milo Barham of the Department of Applied Geology, originally set out to examine WA grains to find out how the southern margin of Australia evolved during and after separation from Antarctica. However, the work took on a new direction after the discovery of sand-sized zircon crystals unlike any previously found in WA.

Using advanced geochemical fingerprinting of individual crystals, as well as in-depth analysis of the sediments and their fossils (for the age and original environment of the deposit), Dr Barham and his colleagues were able to deduce that the crystals found in WA were the products of volcanic air fall  despite being 2300km away from the remnants of their source volcanoes in eastern Australia.

Dr Barham said the grains, which were sourced from boreholes drilled beneath the Nullarbor Plain in remote south-eastern WA, implied the occurrence of super-eruptions  extremely explosive events with magnitudes tens to hundreds of times greater than anything in documented human history.

Such distal projection of a unique volcanic mineral population demonstrates that super-eruptions were occurring in eastern Australia approximately 106 million years ago, during the break-up of the supercontinent Gondwana, Dr Barham said.

The arrangement of land masses and atmospheric circulation at the time indicates that the recorded eruptions occurred during the southern hemisphere winter, when strong winds from the east would have pushed volcanic ejecta towards the west.

Dr Barham said these super-eruptions were capable of spreading tera-tonnes of volcanic material over thousands of kilometres, while affecting global climate systems.

These super explosions are well known from the relatively recent past and have even been implicated in the evolution of our species, Dr Barham said.

However, the incomplete nature of geological sequences means that recognising these earth-shattering volcanic events is difficult in deeper geological time, millions to billions of years ago.

If an event of this magnitude were to happen today it would have devastating effects on our society and likely would drive massive crop failures, famine and war.

The new study has been published in the August 2016 edition of the journal, Geology.

Reference:

M. Barham, C.L. Kirkland, M.J. OLeary, N.J. Evans, H. Allen, P.W. Haines, R.M. Hocking, B.J. McDonald, E. Belousova and J. Goodall. The answers are blowin in the wind: Ultra-distal ashfall zircons, indicators of Cretaceous super-eruptions in eastern Gondwana. DOI: 10.1130/G38000.1
South Korea Reviews Toxins Data Disclosure Process

South Korea plans to review the process of government's handling of sick workers' inquiries about the workplace toxins and to know if there was any negligence. An investigation conducted by the Associated Press found that the Korean government withheld repeatedly such information following requests from the Samsung Company.

On Friday, Ko Dong-woo, a director at the Labor Ministry, said that the ministry got the AP report and would ensure the government officials to properly evaluate and check information requests from workers seeking government compensation for work-related illnesses.

"We take the news report seriously," Ko said.

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On Wednesday, the Associated Press (AP) reported about the workers' compensation cases which involves atleast 10 former Samsung Electronics Company semiconductor and display plant workers with different diseases.

The regulators allowed Samsung to use the so-called trade secrets concerns to stop the release of information regarding the exposure to toxins. However, it is almost impossible to get a government compensation when there are no data to be shown.

Samsung is the biggest employer so far in South Korea. On wednesday, Samsung responded to the AP's report. "The claim that Samsung Electronics intentionally blocked workers from accessing chemical information pertaining to workplace health and safety, or illegally prevented the disclosure of such information, is not true," Samsung said. The company did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the government official's statement.

Kang Byungwon, a member of the main opposition at Minjoo party, said that when the labor ministry conducted an investigation in the workplace safety at a Samsung chip factory after a deadly incident happened in 2013, the findings were not disclosed to lawmakers, on grounds of protecting trade secrets.

Kang mentioned that the South Korean legislators are planning of proposing an approval system for trade secrets so that experts must judge whether there are valid and legitimate reasons to withhold information about toxins and chemical substances as trade secrets.

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No discrimination between telecom companies: Minister News oi -GizBot Bureau

The government does not discriminate between telecom service providers and stays totally unbiased in its policies towards the sector, Communications Minister Manoj Sinha told a delegation of the mobile operators' association on Friday.

"We don't discriminate against telecom companies. We are also not biased towards any company," he later told newspersons.

SEE ALSO: Independence Day Special! Grab Top 15 Smartphones at Up to 50% Discount Price

The chief executives of top telecom firms, members of the Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI), called on the minister and Telecom Secretary J.S. Deepak to express concerns over alleged favouritism towards new players in the sector.

"The meeting with the minister and the secretary was constructive. Both listened to us. We have told them the interconnect issue and its impact on the government, telecom companies and customers. They have indicated attempts to resolve the matter," COAI Director General Rajan S. Mathews told IANS.

The meeting came a day after a rather unprecedented move, wherein the association even wrote to the Prime Minister's Office complaining about the industry watchdog and contending that some of its moves discriminated against existing players.

SEE ALSO: Independence Day Offers: Top 10 Smartphones to Buy at No EMI Cost

The letter came after a similar missive to the Department of Telecom (DoT) that also specifically alleged that Reliance Jio has launched a full commercial service in the garb of test runs, while expressing concern over some consultation papers floated by the watchdog recently.

Jio has countered the claim, saying its tests are bona fide and aimed at delivering high-quality service.

Source IANS

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KC-46A approved for production

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published August 12, 2016

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The KC-46A Pegasus program received Milestone C approval from Frank Kendall, the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, signaling the aircraft is ready to enter into production.

Work is now underway to award the first two low rate initial production lots within the next 30 days.

"I commend the team for diligently working through some difficult technical challenges," said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. "The KC-46 program has made significant strides in moving the Air Force toward the modernization needed in our strategic tanker fleet."

Securing approval to begin low rate initial production required completion of several aerial refueling demonstrations, to include refueling an F-16 Fighting Falcon, C-17 Globemaster III and A-10 Thunderbolt II off the boom, and an AV-8 Harriar II and F/A-18 Hornet off both hose and drogue systems. The KC-46 also proved its receiver capability by taking fuel from a KC-10 Extender.

Some demonstrations were delayed due to higher than expected axial loads in the boom. Boeing installed hydraulic pressure relief valves to alleviate loads and last month all remaining demonstrations were quickly completed.

"The KC-46 is ready to take the next step," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein. "Our Air Force and Boeing team stepped up to meet the recent challenges. I'm especially proud of the employees on the floor of the Boeing plant and employees of all our industry partners, who work every day to deliver game-changing capability to the warfighter. My hat's off to them and our program leads."

The Air Force will soon award contracts to Boeing for two lots, totaling 19 aircraft, and associated spare parts for a pre-negotiated $2.8 billion combined value.

The first aircraft deliveries will be to McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, and Altus AFB, Oklahoma. A total of 18 tankers are scheduled to be delivered by early 2018.

"I am exceedingly proud of the KC-46 program office for clearing the production hurdle," said Darlene Costello, an Air Force Service Acquisition executive. "We have crossed an important milestone, and I appreciate Boeing's continued focus as they work to finish development prior to first aircraft delivery."

Going forward in the test program, the KC-46 will complete a robust schedule of Federal Aviation Administration and military certification flight testing, including refueling test flights, in order to achieve certification for aircraft in the Air Force and Department of Defense inventory.

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Two Years After Controversial Afghan Elections, Promised Reforms Remain Stalled

By Hasib Danish Alikozai August 12, 2016

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 president's 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 country's 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 Abdullah's remarks counterproductive.

"Unfortunately Abdullah Abdullah's 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, Ghani's 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.

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Counter-ISIL Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 13, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack and fighter aircraft conducted four strikes in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIL pump jack.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed 12 ISIL oil tankers and an ISIL oil storage tank.

-- Near Manbij, a strike destroyed an ISIL tactical vehicle.

Strikes in Iraq

Fighter aircraft conducted 10 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed two ISIL communication towers.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes struck an ISIL vehicle-borne-bomb factory and three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed six ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL observation post, seven ISIL weapons caches, two ISIL command and control nodes and four ISIL vehicles.

-- Near Qayyarah, two strikes destroyed two ISIL command-and-control nodes and an ISIL vehicle-borne-bomb factory.

-- Near Ramadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL weapons caches and an ISIL mortar system and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Sinjar, a strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

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 it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL'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, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Pakistan invites Iran, Turkey to hold int'l naval exercise

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Aug 13, IRNA -- Pakistan is scheduled to hold an international naval exercise AMAN-17 in North Arabian Sea from February 10-14 next year, according to Pakistan Navy.

Navies of 71 countries including Iran, US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Turkey have been invited to participate in the exercise.

This is the 6th exercise of AMAN series. AMAN is an Urdu word meaning 'PEACE' and slogan of AMAN exercise is 'Together For Peace'.

First Exercise of AMAN series was held in March 2007.

The objective of the exercise is to exchange naval experience and improve regional security.

The US and some western naval ships are already in the region, so it is highly possible that they will take part in the exercise.

*272* 1723**1416

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South Sudan to conditionally accept additional UN peacekeepers

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 13, 2016 5:9PM

South Sudan says it will accept an additional contingent of UN peacekeeping troops if Juba can negotiate the number, mandate, weapons and the contributing countries to the force.

South Sudan's presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny made the comments on Saturday, saying "the door is open" for the UN troops. The official did not say whether the government has withdrawn its objection to the coming forces, adding that neighboring Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya could not contribute to the additional contingent.

On Friday, the UN Security Council approved to deploy a 4,000-strong protection force to the conflict-ridden country, despite Juba's strong opposition, authorizing them to exert "all necessary means" to protect the UN personnel and installations there.

The UN resolution also calls for an arms embargo on South Sudan if the government blocks the regional force. There will be a total of 17,500 soldiers in South Sudan after the new deployment from a number of African countries.

South Sudan's government had earlier rejected more UN peacekeeping forces in the country, saying the move would give the UN the ability to govern and allow peacekeepers to "engage in combat."

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has been criticized during the past few weeks both for its inability to fully protect civilians when UN sites came under attack in the capital Juba last month, and for allegedly failing to intervene in cases that government forces reportedly committed sexual assaults outside UN camps in the city.

South Sudan has witnessed a new wave of conflict since July 8, when gunfire erupted near the state house in Juba, where President Salva Kiir and then Vice President Riek Machar were meeting for talks. More than 300 people have been killed in the clashes.

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Saudi warplanes hit Yemen, kill 17 civilians in 24 hours

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 13, 2016 1:57PM

At least 17 civilians, including women and children, have been killed and nearly two dozen others injured in about 90 airstrikes carried out by Saudi warplanes on Yemen in 24 hours.

Yemen's official Saba Net news agency reported Saturday that at least six children were killed when a Saudi jet hit a school in Hidan district of the northwestern province of Sa'ada. The strike also killed an old man and a woman, and wounded at least 10 other civilians.

Six civilians, including three other children and a woman, from the same family were also killed when their home in Razih district of the province was targeted by a Saudi warplane. Five people were also wounded.

Two other children also lost their lives and three other civilians were injured when their home was bombarded in Mahdidah area in Baqim district of the province.

Saudi warplanes also carried out seven airstrikes on the districts of Ashah and Bani Suraym in the western province of Amran. Reports said at least one civilian was killed.

Saudi warplanes also hit areas in the provinces of Ta'izz, Sana'a, Ma'rib and Mahwit.

On Friday, the United Nations announced that more than 270 people have been killed and over 540 others have been wounded in Yemen over the past four months.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen Jamie McGoldrick said he was "deeply alarmed" by the humanitarian situation across the crisis-hit country as local media reports indicate that "children and women are being killed and maimed, homes being destroyed by both ground fighting and airstrikes" carried out by Saudi warplanes particularly in the capital Sana'a and the provinces of Sana'a, Ta'izz, and Hudaydah.

About 10,000 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured since March 26, 2015, when the regime in Riyadh began its deadly campaign against Yemen.

The Saudi regime defends its airstrikes on markets and clinics in Yemen, alleging that armed forces are positioned at the sites.

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China's second orbiting space lab Tiangong-2. [File photo]

China's Shenzhou-11 spaceship, set to take two astronauts into space, was delivered to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Saturday.

General assembly and testing will begin at the center ahead of its launch scheduled for mid-October, said a statement by China's manned space engineering office.

The spaceship will transport personnel and supplies to China's second orbiting space lab Tiangong-2, which is to be launched in mid-September.

The astronauts selected for the mission are both male and have been taking intense training, the statement said.

Tiangong-2, which will allow two astronauts to live in space for up to 30 days, was delivered to the center in early July and the carrier rockets arrived last week.
Yemen parliament convenes in defiance of Hadi's Saudi-backed resigned govt.

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 13, 2016 12:41PM

Yemen's parliament has held its first session since the outbreak of conflict in the Arab country almost two years ago, in a move to challenge the Saudi-backed resigned government.

Yemeni lawmakers attended the session in the country's capital, Sana'a, on Saturday.

According to Yemen's al-Masira television, the parliamentarians voted in favor of the newly-formed "Higher Political Council" to rule the country, lifting power and legitimacy of resigned president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

Last week, Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement and the General People's Congress (GPC) party of the former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, jointly appointed a governing supreme council to run the country.

The two groups officially announced in a joint statement that they both have an equal share in the 10-member council.

According to the statement, the Houthis and the GPC will rotate the position of president and vice president, who will be chosen within the supreme council.

Ansarullah and the GPC initially announced the formation of the council on July 28, two days before the Saudi-backed delegation loyal to Hadi pulled out of the UN-backed peace talks in Kuwait.

The supreme council will be tasked with managing "state affairs politically, militarily, economically, administratively, socially and in security" based on Yemen's constitution, the two groups said.

In a statement carried by Yemen's official Saba Net news agency, Hadi called the parliament session illegal and warned that lawmakers attending it could be prosecuted as criminals.

More than 15 months of conflict in Yemen have killed around 10,000 people while hundreds remain displaced across the country. Most of the casualties have been caused by Saudi Arabia's relentless air campaign against Yemen, which started in March 2015 in support of Hadi.

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UN to send 4,000 soldiers to South Sudan despite govt. opposition

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 13, 2016 2:0AM

The United Nations Security Council has authorized the deployment of a 4,000-strong protection force to the conflict-hit South Sudan despite Juba's strong opposition to the move.

On Friday, the Security Council approved the US-drafted resolution with 11 votes in favor, while Russia, China, Egypt and Venezuela abstained, granting extended powers to the peacekeepers present in the African country and authorizing them to exert "all necessary means" to protect UN personnel and installations there.

There will be a total of 17,500 soldiers in South Sudan after the new deployment from a number of African nations.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has been under fire during the past few weeks both for its inability to fully protect civilians when UN sites came under attack in the capital Juba last month, and for allegedly failing to intervene in cases that government forces reportedly committed sexual assaults outside UN camps in the city.

South Sudan has witnessed a new wave of conflict since early July, when gunfire erupted near the state house in Juba, where President Salva Kiir and then Vice President Riek Machar were meeting. The gunfire turned into a much heavier fighting, which involved tanks and helicopters, between the two sides during the next several days. More than 300 people were killed in the clashes.

The UN resolution also calls for an arms embargo on South Sudan if the government blocks the regional force.

South Sudan's government, however, rejected accepting more UN peacekeeping force in the country on Wednesday, saying the move would give the UN the ability to govern and allow peacekeepers to "engage in combat," thus "seriously" undermining the country's sovereignty.

President Kiir recently replaced Machar with a former peace negotiator, General Taban Deng Gai, after Machar left Juba with his troops earlier this month following fresh fighting between his loyalists and government forces. He said he would only return if an international peacekeeping force guaranteed his safety.

Gai, who leads a faction of Machar's party, was named vice president by Kiir after being fired as a minister by his own party leader. He, however, has agreed to step down if Machar returns to Juba.

South Sudan initially plunged into violence in 2013, when fighting erupted around Juba between troops loyal to Kiir and defectors led by Machar, his former deputy.

The conflict soon turned into an all-out war between the army and the defectors, with the violence taking on an ethnic dimension that pitted the president's Dinka tribe against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

Thousands of people have been killed and more than three million forced to flee their homes in the war that started in December that year, when Kiir sacked Machar only two years after the country seceded from Sudan.

The UN refugee agency says nearly 110,000 South Sudanese, most of them women and children, have sought refuge in Uganda this year. Of those, 82,000 people have fled the country's recent wave of fighting.

The South Sudanese refugees in Uganda have been subjected to robberies and sexual assaults, according to the UN refugee agency. "Armed groups are also reportedly abducting children aged 12 and above from schools and threatening people."

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US Supplying $490Mln Worth of Aegis Systems to Japan, S. Korea Navies

Sputnik News

02:43 13.08.2016

The Department of Defense announced that 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.

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.

In a separate contract worth another $112 million that was announced the same day, the US Navy commissioned Lockheed Martin to upgrade Aegis systems for the US surface fleet.

"This procurement covers the production of multi-mission signal processor equipment sets; ballistic missile defense 4.0.2 equipment; AEGIS weapon system upgrade equipment; and associated spares," the Defense Department stated.

The new equipment was being provided under the Aegis Modernization or AMOD program, the announcement added.

 Sputnik

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Japan to Lend Spy Vessels to Philippines as Tensions Rise in South China Sea

Sputnik News

02:07 13.08.2016(updated 10:50 13.08.2016)

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 Japan's foreign ministry, told reporters.

"We are also discussing the possibility of leasing aircraft designed for training. They are surveillance aircraft."

This is in addition to 10 coast guard ships promised to the previous administration in Manila.

The arrangement comes as part of a renewed effort to strengthen military ties between the two nations that will also include Tokyo providing Manila with an increased number defense attaches to enhance information sharing and data gathering regarding China's military activities.

Beijing has constructed a series of artificial islands in the South China Sea that the United States and its Pacific allies claim are an attempt to militarize the region. China maintains that it has every right to build within its own territory and that the islands will be used primarily for civilian purposes.

The Hague-based Court of Arbitration recently sided with the Philippines against China's nine-dash territorial line in the South China Sea, though Beijing does not view the decision as legitimate.

As a result, both China and the United States have increased combat patrols through the highly-contested region through which roughly $5 trillion in international trade passes annually.

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, "It's 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.

 Sputnik

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Pakistan Hopeful, Afghanistan Skeptical of Reviving Taliban Peace Talks

By Hasib Danish Alikozai August 13, 2016

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 Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, told reporters on Friday that the peace talks, which were scuttled in 2015 by news of Taliban leader Mullah Omar's 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 Ghani's 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 it's 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 Omar's 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.

"Pakistan's 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. That's 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."

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Yemen Lawmakers Meet in Sana'a

By VOA News August 13, 2016

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.

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South Sudan Government to Meet on New UN Resolution

By Peter Clottey August 13, 2016

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 Sudan's information minister, Michael Makuei, says the Security Council's 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 country's 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. Charter"The 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 People's 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 year's peace accord signed between President Kiir and Riek Machar. The accord was aimed at resolving South Sudan's 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."

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Thailand Hunts for Bombers After Attacks Kill 4

By VOA News August 13, 2016

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.

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Bangladesh police nab five militants planning bomb attacks

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 13, 2016 7:4AM

Bangladeshi security officials have announced the arrest of five local members of a militant group that allegedly intended to carry out bombings in capital Dhaka.

The Friday development came as security forces were on a hunt to capture the mastermind of a bloody assault in Dhaka last month, with authorities saying that the suspects, including four would-be bombers and a bomb-maker, were dispatched to the capital to enhance the operational capability of the Bangladesh branch of the so-called Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) terrorist group.

"All of them were from the northern part of the country and were sent to Dhaka," said chief of Dhaka's counter-terrorism police unit, Monirul Islam, as quoted in a Reuters report.

He said the suspects had had plans to launch attacks on high-profile targets in the city but did not elaborate.

The report further cited Islam as saying that police officers recovered 25 detonators and a huge amount of raw materials for explosives at the site of their arrest in Kalyanpur, the same suburb where police killed nine suspected JMB members on July 26.

The country's security officials have accused JMB, which has pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, of a series of attacks over the past 18 months that has led to surging concerns over the threat of militancy in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation.

The attacks allegedly perpetrated by JMB include the July 1 assault on a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people were killed, most of them foreigners. Daesh claimed responsibility for the cafe attack and while the government has dismissed the claim, security experts say the scale and sophistication of the assault point to links to trans-national networks.

According to the counter-terrorism chief, police believe the prime suspect in the cafe attack, identified as Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, is still in Dhaka.

He further stated that police are searching for him, a discharged army major-turned militant, Syed Mohammad Ziaul Haque, and a third suspects known only as "Merjer" in connection with the cafe attack.

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China's 'milestone' in deep-sea research

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 09:25, August 13, 2016

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.

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Screenshot of Wang Baoqiang's Weibo announcement. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

Chinese actor Wang Baoqiang has published a surprise announcement on his Weibo account (China's Twitter-like micro-blogging platform) saying he will divorce his wife Ma Rong and accused Ma of cheating on him with his manager.

In the posting in the wee hours of Sunday morning, Wang said he has fired his manager Song Zhe, accusing Song of breaking up his marriage.

Later on Sunday morning, Ma accused Wang of abandoning his family and friends on the social media app Wechat, and Ma said it's not the right time to say anything more. Ma also said on her Weibo that he who excuses himself accuses himself, and that good and evil will reveal themselves in the end.

Wang Baoqiang and Ma Rong were married in 2009, and have a daughter and a son.

Wang gained popularity for his appearance as Shagen in Feng Xiaogang's 2004 film "A World Without Thieves," where he played a naive village boy carrying his life savings in cash home with him on a train.

He has since starred in other hit films such as "Lost in Thailand" and "Monk Comes Down the Mountain."

Wang Baoqiang and Ma Rong in a selfie. [Photo: 163.com]

Ma Rong accused Wang Baoqiang of abandoning his family and friends on the social media app Wechat on Sunday morning. [Photo: Wechat]

Ma also said Sunday on her Weibo that he who excuses himself accuses himself, and that good and evil will reveal themselves in the end. [Photo: Weibo]
China to Deploy Lethal Fleet of 'Carrier Killer' Ballistic Missile Destroyers

Sputnik News

21:41 13.08.2016(updated 01:13 14.08.2016)

Beijing recently produced its eleventh "carrier killer" destroyer and is set to deploy a fleet of the fearsome battleships to the South China Sea in an attempt to ward off American naval forces.

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 China's Jiangnan Shipyard with Beijing planning to construct at least five more battleships in the coming weeks amid tensions in the South China Sea.

The destroyers are set to be deployed to the South China Sea with some of the battleships set to flank the Liaoning, China's only aircraft carrier that itself has sparked the attention of Western defense analysts due to its growing combat capabilities and potential to house a fleet of 20 elite fighter jets.

The elite destroyer is considered a major threat to US naval domination in the Pacific equipped with a deadly supply of YJ-18 long-range, supersonic anti-ship missiles in addition to a powerful Type 346A radar system providing the destroyer the necessary intelligence gathering capabilities for conducting anti-access, area denial (AA/AD) operations.

The Type 052 Luyang III-class destroyer's anti-ship missiles travel at a speed of 614MPH (988kmh) through the first phase of transit after launch until the warhead disembarks from the missile powered by a solid rocket engine accelerating to a speed of 2,302MPH (3,705kmh) for the final 25 miles (40km) of its flight time.

The "carrier killer" destroyer will indeed play a critical role in China's AA/AD strategy vis-a-vis the United States preventing American warships from penetrating the South China Sea area.

The massive surge in China's naval capabilities come at a time when Beijing has warned its people to be prepared to go to war over the disputed South China Sea territory as the regime feels increased pressure from the West calling for the country to abandon the cherished and long-held territory after an adverse ruling by The Hague arbitrational court.

 Sputnik

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Iraqi forces drive terrorists out of villages near Mosul

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 13, 2016 4:46AM

Iraqi security forces have liberated four villages south of the strategic northern city of Mosul from the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, continuing a push to flush the extremists out of the city.

The Iraqi Joint Operations Command announced in a statement that security personnel had taken control of the villages of al-Bazajleh, al-Marir, Imam Gharbi and al-Tale'ah, which lie on the suburbs of the town of Qayyarah and more than 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of Mosul, on Friday, al-Baghdadia television reported.

The statement added that scores of terrorists were killed and seven vehicles rigged with explosives destroyed during the operations.

Hisham al-Hashimi, a consultant to the Baghdad government on the anti-Daesh campaign, has said the operation for the liberation of Mosul is slated for late September.

According to Iraqi officials, high-ranking Daesh commanders and their families have sold their belongings and fled Mosul as Iraqi forces are closing in on the northern Iraqi city.

Mosul fell into the hands of the Takfiri terrorists in June 2014 when they launched an offensive in Iraq.

Separately, Iraqi military aircraft, aided by intelligence from elite counter-terrorism forces, launched four precision strikes against the positions of militants in the northern province of Salahuddin, destroying a large volume of munitions.

The strikes also killed a Daesh bomb making expert, identified as Fahem Mejbel Ezzedine al-Ani but better known by the nom de guerre Abu Razwan al-Ani.

Iraqi F-16 fighter jets also struck terrorist positions in the northern oil-rich province of Kirkuk, killing Daesh's self-proclaimed Kirkuk governor Abu Mishan al-Janabi, his second deputy, Mohammad Rashid al-Janabi and seven of their fellow terrorists.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Daesh terrorists mounted their offensive in June 2014. The militants have been committing vicious crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians.

The Iraqi army and fighters from the Popular Mobilization units have been engaged in joint operations to retake militant-held regions.

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Report: Russia's Hypersonic 7680MPH Nuclear Glider Armed With ICBMs Almost Ready

Sputnik News

21:49 13.08.2016(updated 01:13 14.08.2016)

The lethal hypersonic nuclear glider that looks to revolutionize defense aviation could travel the distance from Moscow to London within 13 minutes and could penetrate NATOs missile defense system.

After launching initial tests on Russia's first futuristic glider last year as part of Russia's Project 4202, the aircraft believed to be the Yu-74 is "ready for action" reports Britain's Daily Star.

The glider can travel at a speed of Mach 10 (7,680MPH or 12,3560kmh) and will reportedly be fit with RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles although details about the glider's specifications remain top secret. In April, US military officials confirmed the existence of Russia's deadly hypersonic glider.

Considered a first in a growing aviation arms race, both the US and China are now hurrying to develop comparable hypersonic gliders equipped with nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles increasing the defense gap between the military superpowers and the rest of the world.

The report on the development of Russia's hypersonic glider comes at a time when Moscow's relations with the West approach a historic tipping point driven most recently by accusations that President Vladimir Putin is attempting to intervene in the US political election after Hillary Clinton's campaign hurled a desperate allegation that the WikiLeaks file dump exposing her own bid, joined by the media and Democratic Party officials, to subvert the 2016 presidential election was all a plot of the Russians.

The splurge of Russophobia appears to have spilled over into defense relations with feverish assaults on Moscow's strategy in Syria of stabilizing the Assad regime at least as long as necessary to root out Daesh and other jihadist elements in addition to renewed struggle in Crimea after Ukrainian forces were thwarted in a terror plot, an incident that has brought Moscow and Kiev to the brink.

There does appear to be a bit of opportunism in the reporting of Russia's defense capabilities by Western media outlets with recent leaks claiming that NATO would be outgunned by the Moscow military machine if a conflict were to ensue in a transparent effort to lobby for increased defense appropriations to further subsidize the Western military-industrial complex.

Although the latest report by Britain's Daily Star may be in line with this vein of exaggerating the threat of Russia, Moscow's program of hypersonic military capabilities has been an open secret and similar reports about the incredible capabilities of the experimental Yu-74 have been detailed by defense analytics webspite Ostkraft.ru which determined that the aircraft's outstanding maneuverability and high speeds would render NATO's missile defense systems and the US THAAD shield useless.

 Sputnik

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Nine killed, 20 inquired in militant rocket attack on Aleppo

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 13, 2016 9:41PM

At least nine people have been killed and 20 more injured by Takfiri militants' rocket fire in Syria's northwestern city of Aleppo.

A child was among those killed in the Saturday evening attacks which targeted the city's Salaheddin, Hamdaniyeh, and al-Zahraa neighborhoods.

According to Syrian media reports, some of the injured are in a critical condition.

The incident comes at a time that fighting rages on between Syrian army soldiers and terrorists over the control of Aleppo, which has been divided between government forces in the west and the militants in the east since 2012.

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces killed some 60 Takfiri terrorists in the central province of Homs, and destroyed a terrorist headquarters in the southwestern Daraa province.

Earlier, Syrian forces liberated a village on the eastern outskirts of the capital Damascus, following intense clashes with foreign-sponsored militants.

A military source said on the condition of anonymity that Syrian soldiers and their allies took full control of Hosh Nasri Village, which lies in the militant-held East Ghouta region and about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) east of the capital.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict. The UN has stopped officially counting the death toll for Syria.

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Syrian army forces recapture village east of Damascus

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 13, 2016 10:21AM

Syrian army soldiers, backed by fighters from popular defense groups, have liberated a village on the eastern outskirts of the capital, Damascus, following intense clashes with foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants.

A military source said on the condition of anonymity that Syrian soldiers and their allies took full control of Hosh Nasri Village, which lies in the militant-held East Ghouta region and about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) east of the capital, on Friday.

The source added that scores of militants were killed during the heavy fighting, while several others managed to flee.

Army bomb disposal units are currently combing Hosh Nasri for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and mines, which may have been planted by the Takfiri militants.

Hosh Nasri reportedly served as a defense line for the militant groups operating in the city of Douma, situated about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) northeast of Damascus.

On Saturday, Syrian army troops destroyed a command center of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham militant group, formerly known as Nusra Front, in the southwestern province of Dara'a.

A number of militant hideouts were destroyed as government forces launched anti-terror operations in the al-Sa'd Road and Khazan al-Karak districts of the city of Dara'a, located about 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Damascus.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The United Natiosn (UN)'s Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

The UN has stopped officially counting the death toll for Syria.

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Syria's Key City of Manbij Liberated From Daesh, Militants Seek to Escape

Sputnik News

18:18 13.08.2016(updated 18:30 13.08.2016)

There is evidence that Daesh militants are attempting to flee the Syria's city of Manbij and the Syrian Army, backed by the US coalition, liberated the city, according to the US Department of Defense.

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.

"ISIL's inevitable defeat in Manbij does real damage to ISIL's capability in those areas," he added.

According to Pentagon, Manbij served as a hub for recruiting foreign fighters and for sending terrorists across the Turkish border for potential use in military operations.

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. The Syrian Army backed by US coalition fought 73 days to expel IS out of Manbij. The US-led coalition of more than 60 nations has been conducting anti-IS airstrikes in Syria and Iraq since 2014. The Islamic State terrorist group is banned in Russia, the United States and many other countries.

 Sputnik

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Jubilant Syrians Hail Extremists' Defeat, Liberation of Manbij

By Lou Lorscheider August 13, 2016

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."

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.

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Turkey rejects UN allegations of rights abuse

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 13, 2016 1:16PM

Turkey has rejected allegations of rights abuse made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, criticizing him for the unacceptable remarks.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in a statement on Saturday that Ankara has respected the rights of people in the crackdown on officials suspected of being involved in the abortive coup of July 15.

Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, the UN human rights chief, has called on the Turkish government to uphold the rights of detainees under arrest since mid-July, saying Ankara should stem its "thirst for revenge."

"What we need to put across is that the thirst for revenge... be reined in and that proper procedures and guarantees of the pursuit of due process are upheld in respect of all these Turkish citizens not withstanding that some are believed to have turned against the authorities," Zeid stated on August 10.

Bilgic said Turkey's measures following the coup have been consistent with the rule of law and the fundamental principles of human rights.

"It is at best an unfortunate statement for a UN official tasked with guarding human rights to say 'he has no sympathy' for coup plotters," he said, adding that Zeid should have instead condemned "the terrorists who have attempted a bloody coup."

Bilgic again called on the UN rights chief to pay a visit to Turkey to be informed of the way Turkey deals with those deemed to have played a role in the coup attempt.

Turkey has arrested more than 18,000 people and dismissed or suspended over 60,000 from their positions over links to the US-based Turkish cleric and opponent of the government Fethullah Gulen. Ankara accuses the preacher of being behind the putsch. Gulen, however, rejects the accusation.

Turkey's allies in the West have criticized Ankara for the massive purge, expressing concern that the crackdown is used to consolidate the government's grip on power.

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U.S. Vice President Biden To Visit Turkey

August 13, 2016

by RFE/RL

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is to visit Turkey on August 24 amid tensions between Ankara and Western powers over a massive crackdown on dissent following the country's abortive coup attempt last month.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and the White House announced the visit on August 13 -- the first by a high-ranking U.S. official since the failed coup.

Speaking to journalists in Istanbul, Yildirim again urged the United States to extradite U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen -- blamed by Ankara for orchestrating the July 15 coup attempt.

Gulen, who runs a worldwide network of charities and schools, has denied any involvement.

Ankara has branded Gulen's movement a terror organization and wants him returned to Turkey to face trial. Washington has said previously it would need evidence of the cleric's involvement.

"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 daily Hurriyet quoted the prime minister as also saying the U.S. stance on extradition was "getting better," without elaborating.

In another development, reported by state-run Anadolu news agency, the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office submitted an official request for Gulen's detention to Turkey's Justice Ministry for it to be relayed to U.S. authorities.

On August 12, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag announced that a delegation from the U.S. Justice Department and State Department will be arriving by August 22 to discuss Turkey's extradition request.

Yildirim also told journalists on August 13 that a total of 81,494 people including judges, soldiers, and civil servants had either been suspended or dismissed since the abortive July 15 putsch in which more than 270 people died.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to rid Turkey of the Gulen network, which has a large presence in Turkey's security forces, judiciary, and civil service.

However, the extent of the purge has come under criticism from the United States, EU, and human rights organizations amid fears Erdogan is using the purge to tighten his grip on power.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on August 13 sharply criticized a top UN human rights official for saying Ankara should stem its "thirst for revenge" after the failed coup attempt.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said the UN official's comments were unacceptable. Bilgic also denied people's rights were being violated in the crackdown.

"It is at best an unfortunate statement for a UN official tasked with guarding human rights to say 'he has no sympathy' for coup plotters instead of condemning these terrorists who have attempted a bloody coup," Bilgic said.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein called on Ankara earlier this week to uphold the rights of detainees held since the failed putsch.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/turket-criticizes-un-rights- chief-coup-plotters-rights/27919327.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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The Gulen Schools In Central Asia

August 13, 2016

by Bruce Pannier

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.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/majlis-podcast-gulen-schools/27919459.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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Chinese peacekeepers patrol at the Protection of Civilians site 1 beside the United Nations House in Juba, South Sudan, Aug. 11, 2016. The UN 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. (Xinhua/Li Baishun)
Over 81,000 People Suspended, Dismissed After Attempted Coup in Turkey

Sputnik News

17:08 13.08.2016(updated 17:09 13.08.2016)

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that 76,597 people were suspended from work and 4,897 dismissed in a speech at the Cankaya Palace in Ankara after the attempted coup in Turkey.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The number of people suspended or dismissed from their work after the attempted coup in Turkey is more than 81,000, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday, according to media reports.

He said that 76,597 people were suspended from work and 4,897 dismissed in a speech at the Cankaya Palace in Ankara, Anadolu news agency reported. Yildirim noted that more than 3,000 of those sacked were military staff, judges and civil servants.

Yildirim added that the so-called Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO) involved more than 50,000 people.

On July 15, an attempted coup took place in Turkey that was suppressed the following day. Over 240 people were killed and more than 2,100 injured excluding the victims among the coup plotters, according to the country's authorities. Ankara has accused US-based dissident Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers (FETO) of playing a key role in the coup.

The Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO)/Parallel State Structure (PDY), made up of Gulen's supporters, is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara.

 Sputnik

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EU vows to back Kiev amid escalating tensions with Russia over Crimea

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 13, 2016 5:7AM

The European Union has vowed continued support for Ukraine amid growing tensions between Kiev and Moscow around the Crimean Peninsula.

EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini reiterated the bloc's "unwavering" support for Ukraine's sovereignty on Friday while calling on the country and neighboring Russia to avert further escalation of tensions.

Mogherini said she had discussed the latest tensions between Kiev and Moscow in a telephone call with her Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin as the Western-backed Ukrainian government accused Russia of fueling unrest in the east of the country and around Crimea, which joined Russia in 2014 following a referendum.

"The European Union condemns and does not recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea  We continue to be unwavering in our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," EU's top diplomat said in a statement.

The development came after the Kremlin declared earlier this week that it had thwarted "terrorist attacks" in Crimea last weekend by Ukrainian military intelligence amid denials by Kiev.

The move was followed by remarks by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev threatening a break in diplomatic ties with Kiev over the security incident in Crimea and the deployment of the advanced S-400 air defense system in the Peninsula.

Mogherini said the EU would continue to monitor the situation and member state officials would discuss the developments on Wednesday.

She added, "Any actions that could lead to a further escalation of the conflict must be avoided by all sides; a peaceful resolution of the conflict is the only possible solution."

The EU has consistently backed Kiev in its persisting conflict with pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, which has left more than 9,600 people dead since early 2014.

A shaky ceasefire agreed in the Belarus capital of Minsk in late 2014 and renewed in February 2015 has often been breached with both sides accusing the other of initiating the violations.

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More than 200 parents and students got an early start on preparing for college Saturday morning.

They attended the second annual College Bonanza held at O.T. Bonner Middle School. The event was for eighth through 12th grade students and their parents to attend workshops on financial literacy, scholarship applications, essay writing, and testing strategies for the PSAT and SAT.

Colleges and universities on hand to recruit applicants included Virginia Commonwealth University, Danville Community College, Averett University and American National University.

Scholarship opportunities were provided as well. Students and parents were gifted laptops, printers and gift cards.

This is to prepare our kids and parents early for what they need to do for college, said Mildred Richardson, chairperson of the College Bonanza.

This is more than just a college fair. This [has] engaging workshops that help us learn about what we need to do for college admission, Richardson said.

Peggie Saunders and her daughter, Thaniyah, came to the event to get a jump start toward her career.

An eighth grader at O.T. Bonner Middle School, Thaniyah said she wants to be a radiologist and has listed Virginia Commonwealth University and Duke University as her top two options.

Senior year is coming up, and he needs all the help he can get, Lakisha Long said of her 17-year-old son, DeQuan, a junior at George Washington High School.

We are hearing so many stories of students becoming seniors and not having the requirements, money or resources necessary for college, Richardson said.

What we want to do is put the resources in their hands, and give them anything they need to be successful, she said.

Danville Mayor John Gilstrap, Vice Mayor Alonzo Jones and Superintendent for Danville Public Schools Stanley Jones volunteered at the event.

Jones became a board member of the College Bonanza because its important to me personally to see students get the opportunities and resources to attend college that he didnt get.

Being the vice vhair commissioner for the Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority, we wanted to make sure the youth in the housing authority had the same access to the event as well.

The parents participation in the event was outstanding, Jones said.

The classrooms for each workshop were full as lecturers discussed their respective expertise on the subject.

Danville City Treasurer Sheila Williamson-Branch told a full classroom at O.T. Bonner Middle School about taking advantage of scholarship money and documenting extracurricular and community service activities for college applications.

You clock starts now, she told the students and parents.
As George Washington High School graduate Lily Hungarland began taking more and more Advanced Placement courses during her second year at the school, she began to notice a troubling trend.

 As classes got more advanced, students started looking more and more like me, Hungarland said.

The students taking the higher-level courses at the school became less and less diverse, including fewer African-Americans, students with disabilities and other subgroups.

So, Hungarland  along with other local members of the Virginia Organizing activism group  spoke in front of the Danville School Board at its Aug. 4 meeting, hoping to begin a discussion on ways to make the classes more reflective of the schools student body.

 Its a problem that you have to get in front of to try to fix, Hungarland said.

Schools nationwide are experiencing this lack of diversity in advanced classes, according to data from U.S. Department of Education. Across the country, black and Latino students make up 37 percent of students in high schools, 27 percent of students enrolled in at least one Advanced Placement course and just 18 percent of student receiving a passing score on an AP exam. In Virginia, only 6 percent of students enrolled in AP courses are black and Latino.

The diversity issues dont begin in high school, either. Black and Latino students represent 26 percent of students enrolled in gifted education programs, even though these students make up 40 percent of the total student populations.

Bonner Middle School parent and Virginia Organizing member Marty Jackson also spoke out at the meeting, and said the number of minority students at GW especially makes the diversity statistics worrying.

 Especially given that children of color represent over 70 percent of children in the school make up, Jackson said. So those kids should be in the class.

However, Jackson said board member seemed willing to work with the group on the issue.

 They seemed to be very interested and knowledgeable, and theyve been looking into the situation themselves and they said they were going to work on this, Jackson said.

Hungarland said she hoped to begin a conversation about the issue at this point, rather than find a singular solution. She suggested making parents more invested and active in student schedule creation might be a way to push students to take harder classes.

 We wanted to start the conversation, she said. Theres a lot of possibility here.

Metcalfe reports for the Danville Register & Bee.
Pittsylvania County employees are counting their pennies this month during the health insurance open enrollment period, because all of the premiums have gone up across the board.

Previously, Pittsylvania County employees who had the employee-only Keycare 30 plan did not have to pay anything for a monthly premium, thanks to the countys monthly contribution of $511.51 for each employees health insurance. This year, due to a 15 percent increase in the cost of the countys health insurance, the board of supervisors was unable to continue their full payment of this plan, despite increasing its monthly contribution to $541.51.

The employee only Keycare 30 plan will now cost employees $48.75 a month. That might not seem like a lot, but when a child is added to that plan, it goes up to $373.48. If a spouse is added instead, it goes up to $783.93. Cover both, and the full cost goes up to $1,261.85  every month.

An employee who has this plan will still be paying $30 in co-pays for every doctors visit, and has a $1,000 deductible.

Someone who needs to cover their family but never uses their insurance will pay $15,142 in a year with these new prices. Realistically, most people have $1,000 of medical bills annually, according to Matt Irvine from Health Equity.

Pittsylvania County Director of Finance Kim Van Der Hyde said, the county is self-insured, which means that we operate our own health plan and are responsible for the claims that are paid out. Being self-insured is different from being fully insured in that we pay a prepaid amount based on our past experience each month, plus any claims from the previous month that exceeded the prepayment amount.

 According to our insurance representative, the county is still under the trend over the past two years, despite the increase to expected claims, Jordan said. Being self-insured as a large group gives the county more options to help control costs and negotiate benefits.

While Jordan has heard some complaints about the price increase, she said that some have voiced they understand the countys dilemma to address the rate increase. Since 2007-08 wage compression has been a serious issue, coupled with rising cost-of-living, insurance rate increases, the county has not been able to recover nor catch up. We understand the struggles.

She wanted to assure people that the county is trying to find a solution.

 The county is taking measures to identify areas we can remedy by way of a wage and benefit study. We have created an Insurance Focus Group, comprised of employees and supervisors from various departments that will present a short-term solution to ease the struggle while working ahead with the aid of the wage and benefit study to implement long-term solutions.

The Pittsylvania County Finance Committee will be meeting on August 16, and the focus group will be discussing possibilities to help employees struggle a little less.

Simkiss reports for the Danville Register & Bee.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi, India, Aug. 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Bi Xiaoyang)

NEW DELHI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met here Saturday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the two sides agreed to strengthen mutual support over the successful organization of the upcoming G20 and BRICS summits.

The Indian prime minister said his country and China need to boost communications and mutual support to ensure successes for the G20 summit scheduled next month in China's city of Hangzhou as well as the BRICS summit to be held in the Indian state of Goa in October.

Modi said he cherishes the friendship with Chinese leaders, and looks forward to exchanges of views on further development of India-China ties with Chinese leaders on occasions including the G20 summit and the BRICS summit.

The Indian side is glad to see relations with China achieving all-around development in recent years, Modi said. He noted that India attaches great importance to relations with China, and the stance of viewing and treating the bilateral relations from a strategic height has not changed.

He added that the strengthening of cooperation between India and China will provide aspirations for other developing nations.

For his part, the visiting Chinese foreign minister said relations between China and India kept good momentum in recent years and have achieved all-around and rapid progress. Common interests between China and India far exceed their differences, and the need for cooperation far exceeds the competition, said Wang.

The foreign minister said China always welcomes the development and rise of India, and supports India to play a more positive role in regional as well as international affairs. The development of both China and India is conducive to the better balance and stability of world powers, he noted.

Wang stressed that amid the challenges that the global economy currently faces, it is highly important to ensure the successful organization of the G20 and BRICS summits. China is willing to boost mutual support with India for this end, he said.
The biggest guessing game in Danville this week has been, Who was responsible for spray-painting graffiti on two city churches?

As we write this, police have made no arrests.

That hasnt stopped people from using social media to advance their own theories about whether the letters and words were some sort of political statement  or the work of someone who was trying to make it look like someone was making a political statement.

We dont know of any direct connection between the two churches affected  Christ the King Lutheran Church on Franklin Turnpike and River Oak Church of God off of West Main Street.

Both acts of vandalism were linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, but Black Lives Matter isnt a well organized group so much as it is a rolling protest about police relationships with African Americans in high-profile cases that have occurred all over the country.

I was very disappointed that someone would take the message of Black Lives Matter and put a negative spin on it, said Ebony Guy, who is associated with Black Lives Matter in Danville.

It should be pointed out that the Danville Police Department has been responsive to questions from local people who are concerned about the local departments relations with African Americans.

Police Chief Philip Broadfoot has been out front on these issues over the past few years, tackling tough subjects like violent street crime, the number of African Americans arrested on drug charges and the reason so few blacks are hired by the police department. Broadfoot has met with community groups and at churches over concerns about the use of force by members of the Street Crimes Unit.

Without an arrest  or several arrests  the easiest explanation for the vandalism at the two churches is teens or young adults playing a prank. A person  or several people  who had ties to the neighborhoods around Christ the King Lutheran Church and River Oak Church of God would make the most sense. It seems obvious that both churches were probably approached by someone on foot.

That pushes the guessing game into the realm of bored teen with a can of spray paint.

But why would a teenager use the word whitey and the phrase black power? Nobody talks like that in 2016, and the only way most people would hear that is if they happen to be watching a 1970s television crime drama set in a dangerous inner city.

That leads to a second option  the vandalism was the work of an adult who is trying to stoke tension in our community based on the conflicts between blacks and police officers in other communities.

If an adult was behind these incidents of vandalism, then its much worse that a bored kid with a can of spray paint who is within walking distance of a few churches. It means someone who should know better is trying to start a fight.
To the editor:

The first president of the United States I can remember was Franklin D. Roosevelt. The day he died  when we heard the news on the radio  I remember my grandmother sinking into a chair, saying What will become of us now? (Yes, there was a time when there was no television; also World War II was raging across most of the world at the time and she had a son and nephews in the armed forces.)

I cast my first vote for president for Harry Truman (Democrat), then Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican), the general credited with much of the success of the invasion freeing Europe from Nazi rule in World War II.

I cast my next presidential vote for a Democrat, John F. Kennedy.

Since that year, in the political life of the United States, I have seen the assassination of a president (Kennedy) and the attempted assassination of a president (Republican Ronald Reagan).

There was the resignation of a sitting vice president for committing a crime before he became vice president (Republican Spiro Agnew); the resignation of a sitting president because his actions while in office were going to bring an impeachment proceeding in Congress (Republican Richard Nixon) and the seating of a vice president, later seated as president, who was never elected to either office by the voters (Republican Gerald Ford  in my opinion, a fine person).

Then there was the election of a man to the presidency, and a few years later, his son was also elected (Republicans George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush). There intervened the impeachment trial in Congress of a president (not removed from office, Democrat William Bill Clinton).

There occurred the candidacy of a woman to seek the nomination for president of a major political party in a presidential election (Republican Elizabeth Dole, who pulled out of the race in October 1999. She was wife of Bob Dole who ran, not winning, for both vice president and president as a Republican).

Then there was the historic election of the first African-American (Democrat Barack Obama). Now in 2016, we have the candidacy of Donald Trump (Republican) and Hillary Clinton (Democrat).

To live through what I have seen in the world since I started voting  and to be confronted with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as the only choices is the ultimate insult!

HILDRED C. SHELTON

Danville
Our one-month old formula for displaying the most rapidly declining new vehicles in Canada  the worst year-over-year percentage declines among volume products  positioned the Ford Fiesta at the top, or rather the bottom, of the heap in July 2016.

Canada Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model  July 2016 YTD

Ford sold 613 Fiestas in Canada in July 2015, but that figure plunged to only 252 sales in July 2016, a 59% drop worth 361 lost sales.

Ford also sold 2359 more F-Series pickup trucks in July 2016 than July 2015, a startling achievement as the overall auto industry declined to begin 2016s second half.

GCBC continues to show the sharpest declines among all new vehicles and a list of the outright lowest-volume products, a list which includes the expected (the discontinued Honda CR-Z) and the less expected: Cadillacs new CT6 has attracted only 68 buyers since April.

You can always select a make and model at GCBCs Sales Stats page to find historical monthly and yearly sales figures from both Canada and the United States. Pertinent links are clickable at the bottom of this post, but you can also find related links at the Best Sellers page. Mobile users can now thumb across the tables for full-width access.

August 2016  June 2016  July 2015

Rank Worst-Selling Vehicle

By Percentage Decline

(Minimum 250 Sales) %

Change July

2016 July

2015 #1 Ford Fiesta -58.9% 252 613 #2 Chrysler 200 -54.7% 392 865 #3 Honda HR-V -48.7% 993 1,936 #4 Nissan Versa -44.1% 570 1,019 #5 Hyundai Sonata -43.4% 847 1,497 #6 Nissan Pathfinder -41.5% 667 1,141 #7 Volkswagen Passat -38.0% 358 577 #8 Acura TLX -35.5% 372 577 #9 Ford Fusion -34.1% 1,327 2,013 #10 Dodge Journey -32.9% 1,586 2,363 #11 Ford Explorer -30.9% 1,439 2,081 #12 Toyota Venza -30.1% 458 655 #13 Kia Soul -29.9% 1077 1537 #14 BMW 3-Series -29.0% 612 862 #15 Nissan Micra -28.7% 803 1,127 #16 Kia Optima -26.9% 331 453 #17 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class & GLK-Class -25.1% 322 430 #18 Mazda 3 -25.1% 2,356 3,147 #19 Toyota Camry -24.8% 1,000 1,329 #20 Buick Encore -24.5% 388 514 Rank Worst-Selling Vehicle

By Percentage Decline %

Change July

2016 July

2015 #1 Nissan Xterra -98.7% 2 154 #2 Chrysler Town & Country -81.9% 93 515 #3 Fiat 500X -75.7% 61 251 #4 Fiat 500 -70.1% 88 294 #5 Dodge Viper -70.0% 3 10 #6 Alfa Romeo 4C -68.2% 7 22 #7 GMC Acadia -67.6% 178 549 #8 Cadillac SRX -66.9% 142 429 #9 Lincoln MKT -65.5% 10 29 #10 Lincoln MKS -63.2% 7 19 #11 Acura RLX -62.5% 6 16 #12 Mercedes-AMG GT -60.0% 8 20 #13 Nissan Armada -59.6% 21 52 #14 Ford Fiesta -58.9% 252 613 #15 Chevrolet Sonic -56.5% 201 462 #16 Buick Enclave -56.1% 162 369 #17 Chrysler 200 -54.7% 392 865 #18 Lexus RC -54.4% 52 114 #19 Cadillac XTS -53.1% 15 32 #20 Nissan Titan -51.8% 146 303

Rank Worst-Selling Vehicle

By Volume July

2016 July

2015 %

Change #1 Volvo S80 1   #2 Nissan Xterra 2 154 -98.7% T3 Dodge Viper 3 10 -70.0% T3 Honda CR-Z 3 4 -25.0% #5 Acura RLX 6 16 -62.5% T6 Alfa Romeo 4C 7 22 -68.2% T6 Lincoln MKS 7 19 -63.2% T6 Kia Cadenza 7 9 -22.2% T6 Mitsubishi i MiEV 7 8 -12.5% #10 Mercedes-AMG GT 8 20 -60.0% #11 Kia K900 9 1 800% #12 Lincoln MKT 10 29 -65.5% #13 BMW Z4 11 15 -26.7% #14 Infiniti Q70 13 13 0.0% #15 Cadillac XTS 15 32 -53.1% #16 Mercedes-Benz G-Class 16 24 -33.3% #17 Audi A8 18 12 50.0% #18 Volvo XC70 20 34 -41.2% #19 Nissan Armada 21 52 -59.6% #20 Cadillac CT6 22  

Source: Automakers & Global Automakers Of Canada

Vehicles which sold at least once in July 2015 but not at all in July 2016: Cadillac ELR, Chevrolet Orlando, Acura ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Hyundai Equus, Mazda 2, Infiniti Q60, Porsche 918 Spyder, Lexus LS, Scion iQ, Scion xB, Volkswagen Eos,

Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, Rolls-Royce do not release monthly sales data. Maserati does not report model-specific sales data.

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Top 20 Worst-Selling Vehicles In Canada  August 2016

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Top 20 Worst-Selling Vehicles In Canada  2015 Year End

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Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In Canada  July 2016
A two-year-old and therapy dog Yahoo speak their own language during story time at the Festival of the Arts on Monday, Aug. 1, 2016 in Laguna Beach, Calif. (Mindy Schauer/Orange County Register/TNS)

SHARE An eight-year-old therapy dog named Harbor meets a 2-year-old during a story time reading of "Raising a Hero," a book about therapy dogs, at the Festival of the Arts on Monday, Aug. 1, 2016 in Laguna Beach, Calif. (Mindy Schauer/Orange County Register/TNS) Children color after learning about how therapy dogs help people during story time at the Festival of the Arts Monday, Aug. 1, 2016 in Laguna Beach, Calif. (Mindy Schauer/Orange County Register/TNS) Sean Hanrahan, co-creator of the children's book, "Raising a Hero," reads from it during story time at the Festival of the Arts Monday, Aug. 1, 2016 in Laguna Beach, Calif. (Mindy Schauer/Orange County Register/TNS) "Raising a Hero" was the story time book at the Festival of the Arts. (Mindy Schauer/Orange County Register/TNS)

By Erika I. Ritchie The Orange County Register (TNS)

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.  Max McKoane couldnt contain himself when he saw the service dogs get up on the stage. He ran over to join them, struggling to pull himself up. Then he cuddled in.

The 1-year-old wanted to be as close as he could to the dogs that sat around Sean Hanrahan, who was getting ready to read Raising a Hero, a book about a puppy that grows up to be a service dog.

The book by New York Times best-selling author Laura Numeroff was featured last Monday during Art and Story Time, new this year at the Festival of Arts grounds. The program combines book reading with an art project. Children colored after learning about service dogs.

Putting together our Art and Story Time program seemed like a natural fit for engaging an age group at the festival that had not really been touched before and also exposing our community to art at an early age, said Ron Morrissette, the festivals exhibit director.

Morrissette, who developed the program, selected the stories and authors to relate to art and the community.

Raising a Hero ($17.95) will be available in stores next spring. It features dogs from Canine Companions for Independence, an Oceanside group that has raised and trained service dogs for 40 years.

Numeroff and Hanrahan, the books editor and producer, researched raising service dogs with the group for technical accuracy. Fifteen percent of the books proceeds will go to the group.

Last Monday, Max and his sister, Mackenzie McKoane, 3, and their mom, Lynette Fabrizio of Dana Point, were among about 30 children and 20 adults from around Orange County eager to hear the story and watch it come alive by meeting the pups.

But before they did, Denise Quinn, who is raising 7-month-old Saturn, her eighth service dog, explained what a service dog is and how it can change the life of a disabled child or adult.

Quinn, of Irvine, Calif., explained that most dogs trained by Canine Companions are golden retrievers and yellow Labradors. In some cases, the females are a mix of the two breeds. Males are mostly purebred.

The puppies are nurtured by volunteer caretakers until they are 8 weeks old. They spend the next 13 to 18 months with volunteer puppy raisers like Quinn, who care for them and provide basic obedience training and socialization.

Quinn said she has taken dogs to Disneyland, SeaWorld and Angels games. She teaches her pups basic commands such as sit, stay, no jump and no bark.

Then the dogs are sent to college for six to nine months of training with professional instructors in facilities such as the Dean, Gerda and Trixie Koontz Campus in Oceanside, Calif. They learn 40 specialized commands before being matched with an adult or child with a disability.

Service dogs are really smart  they can open doors, turn on lights and pick things up off the ground, Quinn said. It helps children who may feel a little different make new friends, too, when other children come up and want to meet the dog.

Quinn asked the kids what happens when they meet a service dog wearing a vest. You always have to ask if you can pet it, she reminded them.

Tyler ORourke, 9, from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., was at the event with his little brother, Jayden, 4.

He loves dogs, he said, smiling, as Jayden raced over to pet a dog.

I did a report on service dogs last year, he said. We also learned how they help the military. I think there should be more service dog breeds to help people. That way they can pick out the dog they like.

The boys mother, Tammi ORourke, is a fourth-grade teacher at Arovista Elementary School in Brea. She found out about the Festival of Arts program on social media and thought the pairing of art and reading would be a perfect learning opportunity. She didnt know the dogs would be there and loved that Tyler could relate his school project to the real thing.

It really brings the book to life like this, she said. Its so important to keep kids learning through summer. And learning sometimes comes in all different forms.
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) MANDATORY CREDIT

SHARE 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)

By Associated Press

HATCH, N.M. (AP)  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 sheriff's 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 car's owner also was shot.

Sheriff's 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 sheriff's 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 sheriff's spokeswoman said.

Thirty-three-year-old Hatch Officer Jose Chavez, 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, who was not identified, shot in the carjacking also was taken to the hospital; his condition wasn't immediately available.

Authorities didn't 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 officer's killing.
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States mull new definition

By Rebecca Beitsch, Stateline.org (TNS)

WASHINGTON  Hoping to deter deadly attacks against police officers, some states want to expand hate-crime laws, which are traditionally confined to characteristics such as race and ethnicity, to cover people who work in law enforcement.

Nearly every state has a hate-crime statute that increases penalties for offenders motivated by hatred of a victim's race, religion, sexuality or other personal characteristic. Louisiana in May became the first state to add police to the list when it passed "Blue Lives Matter" legislation. Now half a dozen additional states are considering similar changes to their hate-crime laws.

Supporters argue the measures, which are backed by police, are a deterrent and send a strong message to police officers that the community stands behind them. Forty-one officers died in the line of duty last year, according to the FBI, and the recent killings of officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge have fueled calls for new measures to keep them safe. President Barack Obama, for example, is considering lifting the ban that blocks police departments from using military-grade equipment.

But critics say adding police to hate-crime statutes is unnecessary because there are already laws mandating longer sentences for those convicted of attacking police. Unlike hate-crime laws, those laws do not require prosecutors to prove the motive for an assault.

Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also worry that expanding hate-crime laws to cover police or other professions would dilute their original intent: ratcheting up the punishment for acts designed to intimidate whole communities.

States began passing hate-crime laws in the 1980s. At first, the laws covered race, religion and ethnicity. In recent years, they have been expanded to include characteristics such as sexual orientation, gender identity and disability status. Now Kentucky, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Texas are among the states considering adding police to the list.

"We need to address the polarization in this country," said New Jersey Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, a Republican who sponsored legislation in his state. "Whether it's from the color of one's skin or the color of one's uniform, no one should be targeted."

Dancer's legislation would increase penalties for a hate crime committed against an officer by bumping the crime up by one grade, say from a second- to a first-degree offense.

The ADL, which has long supported hate-crime laws, argues that the statutes should be limited to "people's most precious identity categories."

Hate-crime laws "should remain limited to immutable characteristics, those qualities that can or should not be changed. Working in a profession is not a personal characteristic, and it is not immutable," the group said in a statement.

Kate Miller with the ACLU of Kentucky said the group is opposed to legislation there because it could dilute the power of hate-crime statutes. Miller noted that some of the bills include not just police officers but EMTs and firefighters. She worries that an expansion would open the door to "other professions that would undermine the original intent of the law," taking the focus away from characteristics central to one's identity.

But proponents argue police are being targeted in the same way the current protected classes are.

Frederick Lawrence, a visiting professor at Yale Law School who specializes in hate-crime laws, said recent attacks on police could be considered hate crimes because they were "directed at individuals not because of who that person is, but because of what that person is."

He said it makes sense to add police because, like other protected classes covered by hate-crime laws, they have a shared history; have long been treated with animosity; and when one member of the community is harmed, they grieve as a group.

Lawrence said such laws are also a way society states its values.

"When we punish certain things more than other things we recognize the greater harm that is caused," he said. "When we don't, we make a value-laden statement that it makes no difference."

Indeed, many sponsors say one of their main goals is to send a message.

"It's that extra layer of protection that reinforces morale by knowing the state of Louisiana is behind them," said state Rep. Lance Harris, the Republican who sponsored the legislation there. The state's hate-crime law adds up to $5,000 in fines or five years to someone's sentence for a felony-level crime.

Massachusetts state Rep. Alan Silvia, a Democrat who co-sponsored a bill that would add police to the hate-crime law in his state, agreed.

"People who put their lives on the line every day deserve every protection they can get," said Silvia, a retired police officer.

But the ADL notes that all 50 states already have laws in place that increase penalties for those who attack police.

Some see those statutes, which vary from state to state, as a better vehicle for increasing penalties for attacking police. In Massachusetts, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has proposed increasing the state's current penalty for assaulting an officer to a felony.

Michael Lieberman of the ADL said such statutes are a more appropriate way to protect police, because they make it easier to go after those who attack them.

Lieberman said prosecutors going after an attacker under a hate-crime statute would have to prove the intent  that the attacker went after an officer because of his profession. Under existing statutes dealing with violence against officers, prosecutors only have to prove that an attack against that officer took place.
SHARE Clinton Trump

Undecideds see more flaws than strengths

By David Lightman, McClatchy Washington Bureau (TNS)

LANCASTER, Pa.  Sandy Pittenturf is the sort of voter Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton need in order to win swing states such as Pennsylvania.

I voted for Obama because I thought Id be better off, Pittenturf, a printing company supervisor in Mount Joy, Pa., said of her 2008 vote. Today, Im worse off. Among her concerns: Her son, a married military veteran, has had to move in with her family.

Trump intrigues her because hes the candidate of change. But he has flaws, Pittenturf conceded. I wish I can whisper in his ear and say, Im a voter and you need to control yourself a bit, she said.

Her concerns are echoed throughout this battleground state and others. Interviews over the past week with about 30 swing state voters, most in Pennsylvania, found that theyre largely deciding not on ideology or even issues.

Character matters most.

They dont trust Clinton. They dont like how Trump acts.

Lets face it: Pennsylvania likely voters are not exactly enthralled with either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

Most voters opinions about Clinton and Trump formed long ago and have hardened. Of the voters in up-for-grabs states, those who might change their minds number 7 percent in Pennsylvania, 8 percent in Florida and 10 percent in Ohio, according to a July 30-Aug. 7 Quinnipiac poll.

America has roughly nine to 14 states that are considered tight battlegrounds, including Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and North Carolina. Some analysts include Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Polling released this week found Clinton comfortably ahead of Trump in Pennsylvania, up slightly in Ohio and Iowa, and in a virtual tie in Florida.

The key to victory: that voter who can still be convinced. Clinton has made significant gains in recent days, notably as Republican establishment stalwarts and moderates have moved away from the GOP nominee.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said this week that she would not be voting for Trump. Wednesday, former Rep. Christopher Shays, a veteran Connecticut Republican officeholder and activist, said hed vote for Clinton. Fifty former GOP national security officials declared in a letter that Trump would be the most reckless president in American history.

Clinton is clearly benefiting from the anti-Trump wave. Quinnipiac found that nearly half of her Pennsylvania and Ohio supporters said their main reason for backing her was they were anti-Trump, while 34 percent in Ohio and 37 percent in Pennsylvania called themselves pro-Clinton. In Florida, 42 percent said they liked Clinton while 41 percent called their Clinton votes more an anti-Trump statement.

Yet despite all of Trumps troubles, the swing states remain in play, as the presidential tickets work them hard.

In Pennsylvania, candidates are available almost on a daily basis. Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence visited Lancaster and Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Trump is due in Erie and Altoona on Friday. Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden are scheduled to campaign in Scranton next Monday.

Clintons chief flaws: Shes seen not only as an icon of the political establishment many voters loathe, but also as someone who cant be trusted.

The thought of Hillary makes my head explode. Ive distrusted this person since 1991, said Chris Huber, a Lancaster-area consultant. But its hard to imagine Trump being president. Shes thinking of going with Libertarian Gary Johnson.

Distrust of Clinton runs deep, partly because of her use of a private email server while secretary of state in President Barack Obamas first term. I wouldnt trust Hillary to take a stray dog to the SPCA, said Ken Howard, a Vietnam veteran from the Lehigh Valley.

But Trump and Republicans are a tough sell.

Im a Trump supporter, but Im not a big Trump fan, said Brandon Miller, an automotive group manager who came to Lancaster to hear Pence.

Trumps temperament is often the biggest problem.

I think the guy is crazy, said John Hawkins, of Gainesville, Fla., a reluctant Clinton backer.

Hes just scary. He offends people, said Barbara Allen, a Coralville, Iowa, voter polled by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion last week. An independent, she calls herself socially liberal and fiscally conservative.

Shell go with Clinton by default.

Tammy Tasker, a Jacksonville, Fla., cosmetologist, felt the same way. Trump is a multimillionaire who is very racist towards women and immigrants, she said.

But Tasker is no Clinton fan either, particularly because of her gender. Women are very emotional creatures, Tasker said.

The choice is largely about personalities, but occasionally economic interests creep into the political conversation.

Wanda Nye runs a Lancaster tavern where, she says, business should be better. She voted for Obama eight years ago and hasnt seen much of an impact. Joanne Flahart and her husband run a nearby trucking company, and saw only higher taxes that make it hard to be profitable.

Without trucks we wouldnt have clothes to wear and food in the supermarkets, she said. Trump, she said, understands what America needs to be.

Its a difficult, personal, uncomfortable choice for these voters. Lisa Marcoux, whose job was outsourced to a foreign country, traveled to Lancaster this week from nearby Perryville, Md., to hear Pence.

She voted for Obama in 2012; this time shes listening. She wants to hear more about trade policy and is concerned that Clinton will keep going in the same direction.

But Trump? Hes a little worrisome, she said. I dont know where hes going to go.
Graphic Illustration

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The following editorial appeared in USA TODAY:

Seven years ago, Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as a justice of the Supreme Court, 74 days after her nomination by President Obama. Less than a year later, Elena Kagan took her seat on the court, 89 days after being nominated.

Merrick Garland is another story. Older at 63, more moderate and a more conventional nominee than his predecessors, he has been waiting 146 days for the Senate to begin the confirmation process. The justice he would replace, Antonin Scalia, died before Valentine's Day.

Congress failing to act isn't exactly breaking news. It's tied in knots on a range of issues, from the budget and trade to creating jobs and controlling guns. But flat-out ignoring a vacancy on the nation's highest court, which Senate Republicans have vowed to do while President Obama remains in office, is an abrogation of its constitutional duty.

Until last month, Garland's wait was merely the longest in a century, since Louis Brandeis waited 125 days to be confirmed in 1916. Now it is unprecedented.

To its credit, the court has not been completely hamstrung by the Senate's intransigence. Chief Justice John Roberts and his colleagues managed to get through their last term with only four tie votes. But one blocked Obama's effort to protect millions of undocumented immigrants from the threat of deportation. Another upheld public employee unions' ability to collect fees from nonmembers. Those were major cases, but the 4-4 votes set no precedents. It's as if the court never got involved.

So what's the problem? Not Garland. He has been lauded by every group that has reviewed his qualifications. Even prominent Republicans, such as former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, have said that the time to act was yesterday.

Yet from Day 1, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear that Republicans simply could not let Obama replace Scalia. Despite GOP leaders' obvious unease with Donald Trump as their standard-bearer, they want to hand him the vacancy to fill. As Trump told The Washington Post last week, "The Republican Party more than any other thing has to have a victory, a presidential victory, for one thing, if nothing else: Supreme Court justices."

That's certainly how many Republicans see it. The next president is likely to get to replace one or more Supreme Court justices. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 83. Anthony Kennedy is 80. Stephen Breyer turns 78 this month.

But Scalia died on Obama's watch. To the winner goes the spoils, and the American people made Obama a winner, not once but twice.

Recently, with Trump's poll numbers slipping, some Republicans have sounded flexible. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas told a local TV station: "I assume this will be a topic of conversation legislatively when Congress is back in session in November and December." Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona said: "If it becomes apparent that we aren't going to win the White House  if we know in October that it's not good  then we've got to move forward at that point."

Translation: The Scalia seat may await Trump, but not Hillary Clinton. If she wins  or even if it looks like she will  all bets are off, because Clinton could ditch Garland for someone far younger or further left, and the GOP gambit will have backfired.

That's a hypocritical posture for Republicans to take. Either this is Obama's seat to fill or it isn't. When the Senate returns in September, it should put politics aside and give Judge Garland a hearing and a vote. It's the best thing for the court, the country and the Constitution.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 14

Trend:

Armenian armed forces have 15 times violated the ceasefire on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry Aug. 14.

The Armenian armed forces stationed in the Paravakar village of Ijevan district of Armenia opened fire at the Azerbaijani positions located in the Kehnegishlag village of Agstafa districts and on nameless heights of the Gazakh district. Azerbaijani positions in the Munjuqlu village of Tovuz district also took fire from the positions located on the nameless heights of Armenias Berd district.

Azerbaijani positions located on nameless heights of the Gadabay district underwent fire from the positions located on nameless heights of Armenias Krasnoselsk district.

Moreover, Azerbaijani positions took fire from the positions located near the villages Chilaburt of Terter district, Horadiz, Qorqan of Fizuli district.

Moreover, Azerbaijani positions took fire from the positions located on nameless heights of Goranboy and Jabrayil districts.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
back in 2005, I found myself thumbing through one of the oddest books I had ever come across. It was a 733-page treatise on parking by Donald Shoup, an economist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who had devoted much of his career to collecting every available nugget of information on the subject. What made the book so unusual wasnt just the level of detail. It was Shoups palpable enthusiasm for the material and his ability to make it interesting. He quoted Albert Einstein and Robert Frost, Lewis Carroll and Graham Greene. He filled up the pages with quirky little details about the way ordinary people go about their lives.All this detail was made to serve a fairly simple point: Free parking costs cities and their residents a fortune and gives us little more than traffic congestion and ugly downtowns. Abolishing all those free spaces could bring about a renewal of high-quality urban life. Despite his verbosity, Shoup made his main point concisely and rather convincingly. Intrigued as I was, however, I dismissed him as an erudite eccentric certain to be branded as a crackpot by the pragmatic engineers and politicians who design and govern American cities.I was quite wrong about that. Eleven years after publication of, you wont find many people making jokes about it. Unlikely as it once seemed, Shoups ideas have taken root in cities all over the country. Urban planners who scarcely gave parking a second thought in the pre-Shoup era have come to regard it as a crucial force in determining the future of their communities.This has happened for several reasons. One is the mountain of numbers and facts that Shoup and his allies have brought to the subject. More than 30 percent of the area in many downtown commercial cores is taken up by parked cars. In many places, there are four times as many parking spaces as there are vehicles. Even so, as many as half the cars crowding center city streets at any one time are cruising for a place to park. It doesnt make a lot of sense.But it isnt just Shoups arguments; its the changed economics of metropolitan America. A couple of decades ago, it didnt seem to matter that many downtowns were full of parking lots because there wasnt much else to do with the land. Nobody wanted to build on it. Thats why it was turned into parking lots in the first place. Nowadays, cities see all sorts of uses for that land -- as sites for apartments and condos, retail businesses, and new office buildings. Because of that, a parking lot begins to look like nothing more than a waste of space. The sooner city officials can persuade the property owners to yield in favor of development, they are convinced, the better off the city will be.Downtown isnt the only locus of Shoupism. As cities plan their expansion over the next few decades, many of them are talking about pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods and transit-oriented development far beyond the central core. The question of what to do about parking turns out to be fundamental to the question of how they can bring their planning goals into fruition.Seattle is a good example. Later this year, residents of the metropolitan area will vote on a massive 25-year plan that would create a transit system of 108 miles and build 39 stations. Not too long ago, the question of how much parking to build at the stations would have been a minor technicality. Now its seen as perhaps the most important issue. The current plan is to have as many as 18,000 new parking spaces next door to the stations. The most intense transit advocates, and some professional planners, insist thats a mistake: The only way to create a network of transit-oriented projects and stay away from car-generated sprawl, they argue, is to stop building parking lots. Starve the beast, in other words. Urbanist blogger Ben Schiendelman wrote recently that for every parking space we build at a transit station, were encouraging a new car-oriented suburban housing unit, demand for suburban shopping and suburban road extension to serve them.Most of the areas business and development community is adamantly opposed to starving the parking beast., the dominant local newspaper, argues that the 25-year blueprint should plan for continued use of the automobile despite the anti-car zealotry in vogue at Seattle City Hall.The dispute wont be resolved for a long time. But it suggests a Catch-22 of transit planning that is emerging in many places in the age of Shoup: If you start by building huge parking lots next to transit stations, you may never be able to switch to transit-friendly development. But if you dont build the lots, what will happen in the short run is that people wont be able to get to the stations to use the system.This has been a perplexing issue in the Washington, D.C., suburbs of Northern Virginia, where a new transit line with five new stations opened in 2014. The Silver Lines planners wanted a future in which transit riders would live near the stations in pedestrian-friendly developments and walk to catch the train. So they didnt provide parking at four of the five stops. This is totally consistent with the Shoup doctrine. But for the most part the cutting-edge mixed-use developments havent happened yet. In the meantime, without a park-and-ride option, potential riders have stayed away. Projected to attract 25,000 weekday boardings, the Silver Line barely reached 15,000 in its first year.have transit stations in walkable neighborhoods have a different set of issues to consider. Their problem is the antiquated planning rules that require a minimum number of parking places in any new residential development. Most cities have traditionally required two spaces for every apartment or condo unit; some set the minimum a little lower, some higher. But at a time when cities are eager to create new housing designed around transit, what those rules mainly do is make residential projects more expensive to build and more expensive for the people who want to live in them.There is something simple and effective that cities can do about this. They can repeal or at least soften the parking requirements. Chicago has been doing that. Up until recently, it had a one-space-per-unit rule -- relatively sane compared to what some cities had, but still out of touch with evolving urban realities. Prodded by an activist alderman, Proco Joe Moreno, the city council has twice changed the rules in recent years to ease the parking mandate for buildings as far as 1,320 feet from a station -- a quarter-mile -- and eliminate it altogether in some circumstances.By some estimates, Chicago has increased tenfold the area of the city where the old parking requirements dont apply, and it has brought its parking rules closer to those in place in Boston, New York and Philadelphia. The strategy appears to be achieving the desired result: The city says that since 2013 more than 20 residential projects have taken advantage of the looser requirements.All of this progress still stops short of Shoups most fundamental and radical proposal: that cities systematically limit the number of parking spaces in the central city and charge higher prices for the ones that remain, all as a way of inducing people to do less driving. One city has become relatively famous for doing this. Portland, Ore., stopped adding downtown parking in the 1970s. A quarter-century later, with a significantly larger population, it had roughly the same number of spaces it had started with. This didnt prevent downtown Portland from experiencing dramatic commercial and residential success in the years after the policy was implemented. But not many other cities have been willing to mount such a direct challenge to driver sensibilities.Still, quite a few have begun to at least nibble around the edges of Shoupism. Several years ago, San Francisco initiated what it calls SFpark, a technology-driven system that divides each working day into three distinct periods and charges different prices for a parking space depending on when during the day a driver wants to use it. The prices are adjusted regularly to take account of driver demand. The goal is to reduce overall parking usage to roughly 70 percent of capacity, so that a space is almost always available for somebody who really needs one. San Francisco is calling SFpark a success. Washington, D.C., has been experimenting with a similar idea in selected busy neighborhoods in the city.There are other schemes floating around that trace back to the Shoup doctrine. One is to let developers pay a fee to city government in lieu of providing parking. Another is for employers to offer their workers cash payouts rather than giving them a parking subsidy. Earlier this year, a developer in San Francisco promised tenants $100 passes for the citys transit system or for Uber rides in exchange for doing without a reserved space.All in all, the past few years have been a fruitful time for a set of ideas that once seemed odd and to be outside the realm of practicality. Shoup himself is semi-retired, but he is as single-minded as ever. Minimizing parking requirements, he wrote earlier this year, may be the cheapest and the simplest way to achieve a more just society.Im inclined to dismiss that as far-fetched, but not quite as cavalierly as I would have in 2005.
Tehran, Iran, August 14

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

There are 13 smuggled Mercedes Benz and Porsche cars that Iran will sell as scrap iron, according to spokesman of the Staff to Fight Good Smuggling Qassem Khorshidi.

According to the law, all smuggled goods should either be deported from the country or scrapped and no entity is authorized to redistribute them, Khorshidi said, Tasnim news agency reported August 14.

The cars will be scrapped next week and transferred to the Organization for Collection and Sale of State-owned Properties of Iran (OCSSPI), he said, noting that the Russian government last year conducted a similar action.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 14

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Irans Post Company has signed a deal with a foreign firm to offer MasterCard service to Iranians, Mahmoud Vaezi, the countrys ICT minister, said.

The Iranian post company has signed a deal with Vision Card Iranian Company which represents MasterCard in Iran under the framework of international trade rules, Vaezi said, IRNA news agency reported.

The Iranians' problem in their international payments has been resolved as they can now apply to the Iranian Post company and receive their international MasterCard, he added.

The cards can be used in over 210 countries, Vaezi said, adding the initial credit of these cards will be $10,000.

Transactions with the cards are possible under the regulations of Irans Central Bank, he said.

Vaezi further said that the opportunity is a result of nuclear deal which led to removal of sanctions against Iran last January.

Last March it was announced that the Central Bank of Iran has adopted the policy of holding regular talks with Visa and MasterCard companies to have their services in the country.

Iranian officials already said that the country is preparing the ground for the people to use credit cards provided by Asian banks until the restrictions for using the international electronic payment operators like Visa and MasterCard are removed.

Earlier in February, Iyzico  a Turkish credit card company  signed a deal with Iran which enables its customers process transactions from some 230 million payment cards that until recently were not connected to any financial system outside Iran. The Turkish company signed the deal to enter Iran after restrictions excluding the country from the SWIFT banking system removed following implementation of the nuclear deal.
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North Carolina students performed the worst theyve done in more than 20 years on national tests of reading and math performance  showing how much achievement has declined since the pandemic. Reading and math scores in the state dropped from three years ago for fourth- and eighth-grades on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. The results released on Monday by the U.S. ...
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 14

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Tehrans Mehrabad international airport resumed flights on Aug 14 after a nearly two-hour shutdown caused by an accident involving an Airbus A320 plane, said Reza Jafarzadeh, director of public relations for Irans Civil Aviation Organization, IRIB news agency reported.

The Airbus A320 which was carrying 150 passengers ran off the side of the runway in its taking-off run on runway 29L at Mehrabad airport last night.

Mehrabad Airport was closed for more than two hours until the A320, which belongs to the Atrak Airlines was removed.

No one was injured in the incident, Jafarzadeh said, adding experts are investigating the issue.

Western sanctions prevented Iran from updating its US aircrafts and make it difficult to get European spare parts or planes. The country has come to rely on Russian aircraft, many of them Soviet-era planes.

The country needs at least 550 new passenger planes until 2025 to renovate its ageing fleet.
Its the summer of 1866, and Jacob Ballard, against his wishes, is returning to the land of his birth, an isolated region along the French Broad River in North Carolinas high mountains.

Though only in his late 20s, Ballard has seen and done more than enough to haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. He fought for the Union from his adopted state of Pennsylvania until a blast of grapeshot at Fredericksburg blew away most of one of his hands. After that, he was a surgeons assistant in a military hospital, and, as the Civil War ended, a detective for the Pinkerton agency. Now he works for the War Department in Washington City.

When his uncle, Zebulon Vance, the wartime governor of North Carolina, shows up in Washington asking for Ballards help, Ballard is reluctant. First, he doesnt really claim Vance or any of his other North Carolina relatives because he thinks they abandoned his mother when she married his father. After the age of 8, he was raised in Pennsylvania, and he has only vague memories of his mountain home.

Second, hes had his fill of war and killing, so he has no stomach for it when Vance asks him to find out whos been murdering Union veterans in that remote part of North Carolina. But the War Department orders him to take up the task, under the cover of investigating Union veterans disability claims, and go he must.

Thus Ballard begins his detective effort  and a great deal more in That Bright Land. Terry Roberts, who lives in Asheville and has deep roots in the mountain region, gives us a fine book thats at once a vivid historical novel with an unforgettable setting, a murder mystery and thriller, and a believable, mature romance. Theres good reason that the books back cover bears testimonials from Fred Chappell, Robert Morgan and Ron Rash, three esteemed authors with ties to the same mountains. Roberts book deserves to be on the shelf with theirs, as well as with those of John Ehle, to whom the book is dedicated.

The historical tale draws on a fascinating and complex chapter of North Carolina history. That region of the mountains, bordering Tennessee and with relatively few slave owners, was deeply divided during the Civil War. Communities, even families, had split allegiances, and some men joined the Union effort after deserting, disillusioned, from the Confederates. The Shelton Laurel Massacre  a real incident in January 1863 in which a North Carolina regiment of Confederates, with a mission of arresting deserters and Union sympathizers, captured and summarily executed 13 men and boys ranging in age from 13 to 60  figures prominently in Roberts story, as it did in the community that was struggling to move forward after the war.

The murder mystery and thriller aspect develop compellingly as the killer or killers attack again, right under Ballards nose. Even as the war-weary man battles the visions that disturb his rest, new horrors are thrown at him.

As he hears the stories of veterans of both sides, and comes to know the people hes dealing with, Ballard learns a great deal about the region he tried to leave behind forever  and a lot about himself, as well. He encounters vivid, believable characters: a scheming actress, a mute slave woman, a developer hoping to create a resort colony among the mountain heathens, a traveling evangelist and ordinary people trying to get by in a land where its hard enough to survive even without the scars of war. And then theres Sarah Freeman, a scrappy young widow whose lively little boy decides hes going to be Ballards assistant.

Roberts blends all these elements into an entertaining and thought-provoking story that will keep you reading. And once youre done, you wont soon forget That Bright Land.
Aug. 14, 1945

President Truman announced tonight that the Japanese government has accepted the surrender terms without qualification. He read a statement which said: I deem this reply a full acceptance of the Potsdam declaration which specified the unconditional surrender of Japan. In the reply there are no qualifications. The President also revealed that he had named Gen. Douglas MacArthur the supreme commander to receive the Japanese surrender. Meanwhile, he said, allied armed forces have been ordered to suspend offensive operations. V-J day will not be proclaimed until after the formal signing of the surrender terms by Japan.
The wave of tragic and troubling events of recent days in our country has brought me back to another tumultuous time: the spring and summer of 1968.

I remember it well because I was a college senior about to graduate. I remember the night of April 5 when Julie and I had planned to go into Chicago for an event. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated the day before in Memphis, and that night, Chicago seethed and exploded: a 28-block stretch of Madison Street was left largely in ruins; 36 major fires were reported; 11 people were killed; 48 were wounded by police gunfire and 90 policemen were injured. In two days 2,150 people were arrested. Thousands of Army troops were sent in to restore order.

The summer before I had worked with teenagers in the Cabrini-Green Homes on Chicagos Near North Side. I lived in a largely African American church community. I felt comfortable joining pick-up games on the asphalt basketball courts and visiting families in these high-rise apartments. After the spring of 1968, gunfire became commonplace from the upper floors of Cabrini-Green, and deep racial tensions made my normal kind of coming and going impossible.

On the Wednesday before graduation, June 5, 1968, I awoke to learn that Bobby Kennedy had just been shot in Los Angeles after winning the California Democratic Primary. I can remember a deep sense that our nation seemed to be splitting apart  a fear that seemed to be coming true when the Democratic National Convention met later that summer in Chicago and spiraled into chaos. Ten thousand demonstrators gathered outside and were met by 23,000 police and National Guard members. These violent clashes were broadcast live to the nation.

The current moment in America reminds me of 1968: the heightened racial tension, repeated incidents of violence, denunciations and defense of police  all against the backdrop of an overheated political season. Then, many young people felt alienated from the system and found little hope in either candidate of the major parties.

In such troubled times, what are we to think? How are we to act? I have no grand answers to our deep problems as a nation and as a society. The fact is there are no easy answers. But what can we do here, as a Wake Forest community? What can I do? Here is what I am committing myself to, as best I can:

1. Acknowledge hard truths. The dilemmas of race continue to plague our society. Racial disparity and racial conflict are serious problems that we must not ignore. Instead, we must rededicate ourselves to the unfinished work before us: shaping a society in which everyone, created as equals, receives treatment as such.

2. Listen and learn. I am convinced that party lines and pat answers are not sufficient to address such troublesome times. We must listen to voices other than accustomed ones. We must be open to adjusting our thinking and our behavior. We must push ourselves beyond what is comfortable, broadening our network of friends and deepening our capacity for empathy. How long has it been since we have, even imaginatively, seen the world through the eyes of someone very different than ourselves?

3. Start a conversation. A place like Wake Forest must foster honest, face-to-face conversation, however difficult, in the classroom, in residence halls, and in structured and unstructured occasions. Do the hard work of dialogue with those with whom we disagree.

4. Retain hope. The United States has a wonderful  and deeply flawed  history. As the historian Edmund Morgan has emphasized, we were a nation founded both in liberty and in slavery. Whatever progress has been made in race relations and attitudes, racism is still a troubling reality. Today, we must redouble our efforts in the noble quest for which so many have given their lives: to build a society where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness remain within the grasp of everyone.

In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. implored those who would listen. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that, he said. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. As we walk through what feels like another dark hour, let us be people who carry the light and let us be people who choose to love.
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GREENWICH - As a nurse in an intensive care unit in Detroit, Michelle Beltrano became known for her empathetic approach to caring for families of patients who were not going to make it.

Families appreciate honesty, despite how difficult that is, she said. She was able to spend time with them that doctors could not spare, to explain to families honestly what was going on with their loved one so that theyre not misled ... and so that they can call in other family (members) who live far away.

But that was a whole other career for the Beltrano, who is now also an attorney, running her own practice in elder-care law, estate planning and other matters at 21 Benedict Place, a converted home a block off the downtown strip of Greenwich Avenue. Shes also on the elder-care committee of the Connecticut Bar Association.

With her unique dual qualifications, Beltrano was recently named president of At Home in Greenwich, taking over from Marylin Chou, who founded the organization about eight years ago and had helmed it ever since. Beltrano joined the board about two years ago, and was named president in July.

At Home in Greenwich is a social services organization that helps people age in place. Beltrano said the organization has 198 members, and Beltrano expects it to grow as the population ages.

Were going to become more important for the services that we provide and I want to continue to develop the infrastructure to make sure that At Home remains sustainable, she said. Thats really the priority - knowing that we have so much work to do.

The organization also offers referrals to vetted professionals, who offer discount rates to members, for services such as home repair and personal care. At Home staffers follow up to make sure that the member is happy with the work that was done.

Its like a flexible insurance plan, says Lise Jameson, executive director of At Home.

Beltrano obtained a bachelors degree in nursing from Eastern Michigan University. She worked for 15 years in a skilled nursing facility, and as a home care nurse, a hospice nurse and finally as a nurse in an intensive care unit at a 1,000-bed hospital in Detroit.

But, getting a good look at medical care in the nation, and seeing the costs skyrocketing for all the wrong reasons gave her the idea of going into law.

Basically, I wanted to go to Washington to fix the health care system, she said.

She also hoped to return to the East Coast, having lived in Groton for a time in her youth when her father was in the Navy. She studied law at Pace University in White Plains, N.Y. While there, she worked in health care compliance for Praxair, Inc. in Danbury, becoming senior compliance advisor for health care operations in the United States and Canada.

She also served on the board of the Child Care Council of Westchester County and ran her own health care consulting firm in Westchester from 2010 until opening her law firm in Greenwich in 2012.
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GREENWICH  Greenwich native Brian Calabro and his wife Teresa joined his father Robert on the sidewalk outside his childhood family home on Gerry Street Sunday when the statue of St. Roch paused there.

Throughout the neighborhood Italian Americans exited their homes to the strains of a brass band to pin $10 and $20 bills to the likeness of the saint; donations to help the 109-year-old St. Roch Parish.

It is important to be here, Calabro said.

Each August, the 60-year-old Naples, Fla. marketing and sales executive makes the journey with his family back to Chickahominy where they work at the annual St. Roch Feast cooking pizza fritta, fried dough eaten with either tomato sauce or powdered sugar.

To me its about tradition and tradition is very important to the Italian community, Calabro said. You see multiple generations of Italians working in the pizza fritta booth cooking the dough in 400-degree oil. It has a lot to do with what the festival is about. Its important to us.

More than two dozen parishioners joined a sweltering procession carrying the statue from St. Roch Church on a circuit through western Greenwich. The annual event marked the end of the the parishs namesake feast, which began Wednesday evening.

An Italian language mass said by the parishs recently appointed pastor Father Arthur Mollenhauer was to follow the march at noon, and later celebrants were invited to dinner at Pasquale Ristorante just over the border in Port Chester.

The procession dates back to the late 19th century, when it was started by Italian immigrants, most from Morra de Sanctis, Italy, who were attempting to raise funds to build their church.

Today the carnival-like feast and the procession continue to support the churchs existence, said Salvatore DiPietro, president of the Societa San Rocco Di Morra De Sanctis, who came to the United States in 1973.

The people from Morra de Sanctis were poor and came here for a better life and worked very hard to be able to create this church, DiPietro said. Its very important to remember them.

The annual four-night festival includes games of skill, amusement park rides and food. Organizers said this weeks heat and rain dampened attendance, but Mollenhauer said the money raised should help meet church needs, including a new air conditioning system.

We havent added everything up but were hoping were going to end up with some money to help with the church, Mollenhauer said.

Jim Bria, a 60-year-old resident of Fairfield and a Chickahominy native, said he tries to return as often as possible for the procession to maintain a connection to his heritage and family history.

Brias relatives came to the neighborhood in 1882 from Morra de Sanctis, many of them becoming workmen who helped build the church.

I went to St. Roch School and grew up in the neighborhood, Bria said. They were all peasant farmers who came here because they were starving in Calabria and they built this community.
Its a shameful list: bigotry, racism, misogyny, fear mongering, xenophobia, demagoguery, cruel insults, bullying tactics, lies, reckless statements ... and now apparent incitement to assassination.

Republicans face an unprecedented challenge. Party loyalty first, or principles before party? Repudiate Donald J. Trump, or condone his dangerous, hate-filled message?

Its a big, tall fence with a lot of ugly barbed wire on top of it.

Republican Jim Lash, former Greenwich first selectman and current chair of the BETs budget committee, invoked this forbidding fence image last Sunday afternoon toward the end of our telephone interview.

This wasnt the imaginary Great Wall of Trump along the Mexican border. Lash was referring to the real Trump fence that poses an immediate challenge to all Republican leaders and candidates in the 2016 elections, whether at the local, state, or national levels.

I dont think thats a fence you can straddle, Lash said. Donald Trump has defined it in such vivid terms that you have to be on one side or another.

Id emailed 10 local Republican leaders and elected officials, including Lash, after reading a column by conservative political commentator David Brooks (The Wet Noodle Republicans, New York Times Op-Ed, Aug. 5,). I asked for comment on Brooks column.

While Brooks depicted Trump as someone of questionable sanity  he cannot be contained because he is psychologically off the chain  Brooks main argument was that events would force Republicans off the fence.

For the past many months Republican leaders have been condemning Trumps acts while sticking with Trump the man, Brooks wrote. Trump is making that position ridiculous and shameful. You either stand with a man whose very essence is an insult to basic decency, or you dont.

Lash was clear about where he stands: Im not going to vote for Donald Trump.

He called Trump a bad man and considers him unqualified to be president and leader of the free world.

Lash was among a tiny Republican handful who responded to my email. Also responding was Art Norton, the BET vice chair. While dissociating himself from Trumps bigotry, Norton found the Brooks moral righteousness argument less important than the need to address the underlying dynamic thats made the Trump phenomenon possible.

He offered an analysis of the dynamic whereby Trump has tapped into the discontent of those whove been marginalized by social, economic, and political forces.

The large sector of the American population that feel that they need Trump is very disturbing, he wrote. And it is an indictment of our current political leaders.

In Nortons view, neither presidential candidate addresses these issues in a substantive way.

State Sen. Scott Frantz was among those who did not respond. His Democratic opponent, John Blankley, issued a news release on Aug. 1 challenging Frantz to denounce Trump. Blankley noted Mitt Romneys denunciation of Trump, and that Frantz once hosted a fundraiser for the former Republican presidential candidate.

Blankley hopes his challenge to Frantz will not be perceived as partisan in motivation. He reminded me of his March op-ed article in Greenwich Time in which he urged all local Republicans to denounce Trump as a matter of duty.

You will bring honor on yourselves if you do, for what we are faced with is a threat to all of us, Blankley wrote in March. He urged Republicans to reclaim their party for all our sakes, given the terrible threat Trump poses to our nation and our world.

Now five months later, Blankleys op-ed seems prophetic. This week, a letter signed by 50 GOP national security professionals warns that Trump would be a dangerous president who would put our countrys national security at risk. The letter concludes that Trump would be the most reckless President in American history.

Increasing numbers of prominent Republicans and conservative commentators are coming out against Trump, including this week Maine senator Susan Collins and former Connecticut Rep. Chris Shays. Blankley says he hopes Frantz will do likewise. Hes prepared to laud Frantz for so doing.

Circumstances call upon Republicans to stand up and be counted. Theres no straddling the fence. To be neutral is to choose the Trump side, and thats historys wrong side. Brooks concludes: ... decades hence, your grandkids will look away in shame.

Alma Rutgers served in Greenwich town government for 25 years. Her blog is at blog.ctnews.com/rutgers/.
Floods in southern US states of Louisiana and Mississippi have left at least three people dead as National Guard soldiers in boats and helicopters evacuated over 1,000 people from their homes and cars, Press TV reported.

The development led Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to declare a state of emergency on Saturday and describe the flooding in his state as "unprecedented, historic." He also warned that the slow-moving storm was likely to dump even more rain and cause further problems.

In Louisiana, all seven major roads leading into Greensburg, a city near Baton Rouge, were reported under water and the town cut off by the severe floods.

Stranded residents have been pulled from cars and rooftops.

Local estimates of the rainfall in Louisiana stand at about 12 inches, indicating a 1-in-100 year to 1-in-500 year rainfall near the towns of Zachary and Greensburg. This is while the National Weather Service measured 17.09 inches of rainfall in the town of Livingston since midnight.

Meanwhile, searches were continuing for missing people with Gov. Edwards declaring, "This is an ongoing event. We're still in response mode." He further urged residents to heed warnings to evacuate and not rely on their past experiences because the state has never seen flooding like this before.

Mississippi and Alabama were also struggling with heavy rainfall.

In the town of 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.

Heavy rains have caused rivers to crest in Louisiana and neighboring Mississippi, closing schools and roads and stranding residents.




Haiti - Politic : The Head of State met with representatives of the new communes





Friday at the National Palace, the de facto President Jocelerme Privert, accompanied by Francois Anick Joseph, Minister of Interior and Territorial Communities met with representatives of the new communes created by the decree of 22 July 2015, namely the communes of : Liancourt (1st communal section of Liancourt, in the commune of Verettes), Lapointe (2nd communal section of Lapointe,in the commune of Port-de-Paix), Baptiste (Quartier Baptiste of the 1st communal section Renthe-Mathe, in the commune of Belladere), of Arcadins (in the borough of Saint-Marc) and of Mafranc (in the commune of Jeremie), in order to talk about the regularization of these communes.



During the discussions, the participants agreed to create a Commission with as a roadmap :



The identification of sources of income for the operation of these communes ;



The initiation of steps to set up an administrative apparatus and services, able to meet the needs of citizens ;



The identification of human resources available in these communes ;



The effective territorial delimitation of comunes ;



The preparation of comunes for the electoral operations.



Privert believes that it is necessary to strengthen local authorities in Haiti,especially communes that hitherto have not been able to benefit structures to facilitate their development.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14858-haiti-politic-5-new-communes-in-haiti.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















A blast at the Syrian Atme crossing with Turkey has killed 11, mostly rebels, Anadolu reported.

Initial reports by Turkish media said a suicide bomber had infiltrated a bus carrying Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels.

The Syrian opposition has accused ISIS in targeting the rebel army members in Atme, Al Hadath News Channels correspondent reported. The correspondent said the rebels were getting ready to head to the northwestern city of Aleppo where heavy clashes are taking place between FSA fighters and the Syrian army.
Published on 2016/08/13

Kim Ki-duk takes on God and war in his first Chinese-language film, Jason Bechervaise reviews John H. Lee's "Operation Chromite" for Screen Daily, The Hollywood Reporter gives us some context for Lee's latest wartime blockbuster, and find out what films have grossed the most this year with KOBIZ.

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"Kim Ki-duk Partners with Dick Cook Studios for Chinese Anti-War Film"

Kim Ki-duk's next project ("Who Is God?") sounds absolutely fascinating, it will also be Kim's most expensive production as well as his first Chinese-language film. Kim is one of modern Korean cinema's most influential and hard-hitting filmmakers whose work is intelligently designed to challenge main streams; he pushes back against social boundaries and reveals devilish details of human nature through his mindful cinematic form and harrowing stories. According to Kim, his new project is about the "conflict of faith", and the story itself will be "richly interwoven with philosophy and Buddhist allegory".

...READ ON KOBIZ

"Operation Chromite" [Review]

South Korean film critic Jason Bechervaise reviews John H. Lee's wartime blockbuster, "Operation Chromite". The film stars Lee Jung-jae, Lee Beom-soo, Jin Se-yeon, and Liam Neeson as General MacArthur himself. Jason was not impressed with Neeson's performance ("[He] appears to have difficulties embracing his role and thus comes across as stiff, wooden and below-par"), and instead highlights Jin Se-yeon's relatively small role as a nurse as one of the most impressive in the film. If you've already seen Lee's latest, let us know what you thought of it in the comment section below...

...READ ON SCREEN DAILY

Yearly South Korean Box Office Figures

If you're curious about what films have been making waves in South Korea his year, KOBIZ's has accessible statistics online that are easy to navigate and updated regularly. Did you know, for example, that "Train to Busan" is the highest grossing film (over $76 million); there are only four foreign films in the top ten so far ("Civil War", "Zootopia", "Kung Fu Panda 3" and "Deadpool"); and "Spirits' Homecoming" made $7.5 million more that "Batman v Superman"?

...READ ON KOBIZ

""Operation Chromite": Five Things to Know About Liam Neeson's South Korean Hit"

Here's an informative piece by Lee Hyo-won that provides some digestible context for John H. Lee's new film, "Operation Chromite": "Liam Neeson plays the role of General Douglas MacArthur, who was the think tank behind the operation. During his recent Seoul tour, the actor explained how the war hero had 'this crazy idea to land 75,000 troops in the port of Incheon, which is as wide as this [hotel ballroom].'" The more you know, the better it gets.

...READ ON THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
By William Schwartz | Published on 2016/08/13

The year is 1962. Jang-han (played by Park Hae-il) is working as a reporter in South Korea, having managed to survive the last fifty-odd years of brutal repression. With the normalization of relations with Japan, Jang-han is at long last able to investigate what happened to his childhood friend Princess Deokhye (played by Son Ye-jin). The last survivor of the Joseon dynasty, Princess Deokhye suffered the worst fate possible for royal blood- she had to watch helplessly as her country was destroyed.

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"The Last Princess" is, in many ways, a fantastically awkward film. This is clear from the first flashbacks which depict the Joseon royal family being photographed. Traditional royal clothing notwithstanding, early twentieth century set design makes it clear that this is a very different world than what Korean film usually shows us of royalty. Emperor Gojong (played by Baek Yoon-sik) has a powerful physical presence but no actual power. The best he can do is shame collaborators by pointing out the obvious- that they sold Korea out to foreigners.

So where does that leave Princess Deokhye? Well, mostly she's just a metaphor. Much like her father, Princess Deokhye lacks the ability to affect change and she knows it. Even so, Princess Deokhye is constantly surrounded by loyal retainers who look at her and see the physical embodiment of their country. Princess Deokhye is Korea, and Koreans can fight for Korea like they never would for the Japanese.

Yet for all this, there's very little Princess Deokhye can actually do. Most of her people are in forced labor camps, and the upper classes who could provide the means for resistance against the Japanese care more about their personal wealth than their cultural heritage. Pay close attention to collaborator Taek-soo (played by Yoon Je-moon). While the Japanese may have the guns, director Heo Jin-ho makes it very clear that without men like Taek-soo, the Japanese could never have taken over the Korean peninsula.

This is all horribly dark material that only becomes more grim as Princess Deokhye is forced to accept her role as the designated survivor. Dynamic attempts to save Princess Deokhye only bring greater light to the helplessness of the era. In the end even victory ravages Princess Deokhye's precarious mental state. The twisted political wake of World War II makes it clear that whatever America's motives for fighting the Japanese, a desire to bring justice to the Korean peninsula was not one of them.

But don't watch "The Last Princess" for the history lesson. Watch it for Son Ye-jin. She gives the performance of her life as the vanquished regal woman who struggles with self-worth, having failed people who would have and did do everything in their power to save her, and their country. Even if Princess Deokhye's task was fundamentally impossible, that in no way lessens the pain. It's only small comfort when at the end Princess Deokhye tearfully reunites with her best friend, and visits the palace which was once her home. Those emotional bonds were, for better or worse, what kept Princess Deokhye alive.

Review by William Schwartz

"The Last Princess" is directed by Heo Jin-ho and features Son Ye-jin, Park Hae-il, Ra Mi-ran, Jung Sang-hoon and Jung Jin-young.
Published on 2016/08/14 | Source

/Yonhap

Most of the nation will keep sweltering in temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Tuesday.

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On Tuesday, 30 high schools in the southern port city of Busan sent students who had just returned from their summer vacation home again.

School authorities in Seoul, Incheon and Daegu also told schools that already finished their summer vacation to adjust classroom schedules and refrain from making students exercise outdoors.

The KMA forecast that the heat wave will still be in full swing on Aug. 16, when most middle and high schools end their summer vacation.

No respite is in sight as fewer typhoons than usual are expected at the end of summer this year. According to the KMA, East Asia is currently under the influence of a muggy North Pacific high-pressure front, which is stifling typhoons by blanketing the entire region.

The situation is expected to continue at least until the end of August.

Only six typhoons have arisen in Asia until July, less than half of the 13 that raged in the same period last year.
Hawaiis Budget: Taxes on the Horizon

by Hiram Ruiz Grassroot Institute, July 28, 2016

Hawaiis Legislators are well on their way to depleting the states $890 million cash balance. Since 1990, Hawaiis state budget has grown by more than 50%. At the rate Hawaii is spending and taxing, projected budgets will only be sustainable for two more years.

The graph below shows how the general fund (the source of the majority of the states budget) has seen its balance change throughout the last 25 years. Note the relative stability of the budget during the 1990s, and how it has sharply risen during the 2000s.

Since escaping the recession in 2010, Hawaii has seen its expenditures rise at an average rate of 4.15% per year. However, the Council of Revenues (an entity within Hawaiis Department of Taxation tasked with forecasting government revenue) announced in its May 2016 meeting that tax revenue growth has been declining.

This means that if spending keeps going up as it has during the last decade, we may see higher taxes ahead because Hawaiis constitution requires a balanced budget.

A balanced budget requirement is good because it prohibits legislators from passing budgets that exceed projected revenues, and it keeps the state in good fiscal health. But it implies that any expenditure increase must come accompanied by a revenue increase of the same magnitude, which will probably mean higher taxes down the road, since revenues have been flattening.

Using current trends, a senate study projected the general funds balance for the next five years, in millions:

Because of Hawaiis constitution, the large general fund deficits shown above will probably never materialize. However, it should be clear that current trends cannot continue without any adjustment to either tax collection or spending.

Due to past experience, it would not be far-fetched to suppose that the government will try to increase taxes. This raises several concerns.

First, Hawaii is already the most expensive state to live in, so there are both political and economic limits to how much taxes can increase further.

Second, the heavy reliance on the General Excise Tax (a very broad 4% flat tax on consumer and business transactions), hits the lowest income households the hardest. While the poorest 20% of the population forgo 10% of their income in excise and sales taxes, the wealthiest 20% only contributes 3%.

Third, the lack of straightforward information from the government regarding public projects/programs and their costs is nothing new to the residents of Hawaii. This lack of transparency hurts fiscal accountability, and it can easily lead to overspending.

This is not a call for massive government reduction. As members of this community, we should all acknowledge the value of many of the public services provided by government, since they are crucial to the day-to-day functioning of our economy. That being said, we must also keep in mind the cost of programs, since we know it is those with the least among us that will see their quality of life the most affected by these measures.
Source: Andy Sechler

The 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic killed approximately 11,300 people, but its long term effects on the regions health is expected to be compounded by many factors including the deaths of at least 500 health care workers. In addition, many facilities closed while other preventive and therapeutic services were interrupted. We also know that the stigma associated with Ebola interfered with people seeking healthcare services, in addition to the perception that people can contract Ebola if they go to health facilities, explains the studys senior author John Kraemer, JD, MPH, assistant professor of health systems administration at Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies. It appears these perceptions are a major factor in the decrease of the number of people utilizing health facilities.

Kraemer and his colleagues, including those from Last Mile Health, an organization focused on health in rural Liberia, set out to measure the indirect health consequences of Ebola so that a fuller understanding could inform efforts to restore health care in Ebola-impacted areas. They focused specifically on maternal health services, which are dependent on functioning health systems. Their findings are published in PLOS Medicine.

The researchers compared the odds of facility-based delivery among 686 births in the period before the Ebola epidemic with the 212 births during the epidemic in a specific rural area. They found a 30 percent reduction in the odds of facility-based delivery during the Ebola outbreak. The district we surveyed had one Ebola cluster and its health facilities remained open, unlike in other parts of the country where the epidemic was more intense, Kraemer explains. Given that, our results most likely underestimate the impact on facility births in high-burden areas where there were closures.

The drop appears to be correlated with fear, Kraemer says. The odds of facility-based delivery were 41 percent lower among women who reported a belief that Ebola was or may be transmitted in health facilities, but not significantly lower among women who reported believing that Ebola was not transmitted in health facilities. Prior to the Ebola epidemic, Liberia made big gains in the rate of babies being delivered at health facilities, which translates into healthier moms and babies. Kraemer says. Maternal health, like almost all other health services in Liberia, was badly damaged by the epidemic. It is critical that we stay focused on rebuilding Liberias health care system, which will require long-term investment.

Building and maintaining stronger health systems will be critical to preventing future global public health emergencies, says John Ly, MD, co-lead author of the study and medical director at Last Mile Health. Last Mile Health is supporting the Government of Liberia and the Ministry of Health to build a more robust health system, one that will ensure a well-trained and equipped health worker in even the most remote communities.

Source: Georgetown University Medical Center
Google Fuchsia OS (Photo : Twitter)

Google is working on a new operating system named Fuchsia that could combine Linux-based Android and Chrome OS. The open-source OS could run on PCs, mobile devices, and Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets. Meanwhile, the Google OS features user modes and support for advanced graphics and 64-bit Intel PCs, and uses the Alphabet company's in-house Dart programming language.



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Google will release Android Nougat in less than one month. However, the new OS spotted at the GitHub hosting service shows that the company is making plans beyond its mobile OS.



The OS at the Git storage space is probably brand new. Its description tells visitors to pick purple, which is not a color that represents Chrome OS or Android.



The new OS kernel includes many high-end OS features. They include a capability-based security model and user modes.



Fuchsia can also support ARM architecture, which is a group of computer processor designs introduced in 1985.



The new OS is powered by the Magenta and LK kernel. Magenta targets high-tech smartphones and PCs with fast processors, while LK targets small systems.



Google's Fuchsia OS can be tested on a PC or virtual machine. Travis Geiselbrecht is a Google software engineer and has worked on several other OS projects. He explained that Fuchsia will soon run on the mini CPU Raspberry Pi 3, according to Engadget.



It is not unequivocal that the new OS will replace Android or Chrome OS, and Google has not made any official statements about the matter. It is now just an experiment that could be part of bigger projects.



Google recently unveiled its smart speaker Google Home to challenge Amazon Echo. The new OS could provide more power and flexibility than Brillo for IoT devices, but fewer features than Android.



In related news, Russia has fined Google $6.75 million for pre-installing apps on Android mobile devices, according to The Verge. Last year local search engine company Yandex filed a complaint against the United States-based company. Most Russian smartphones and tablets run on Android.



The small fine is the amount of money Google makes in one hour. However, it shows that the tech giant is facing more hatred in Europe.



Here's a Google Nougat preview:






A special 6GB RAM, 128 GB built-in storage variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is still under study for China. (Photo : Getty Image/Drew Angerer)

Samsung has confirmed that they are currently studying the possibility of releasing a higher capacity Galaxy Note 7 in China as it tries to cover the high-capacity marketing ploys of local companies.



All this was confirmed by Samsung Mobile Chief Koh Dong-Jin following earlier rumors that a special variant was in the works, the Korea Herald reported.



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This means that for the Chinese market, a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage is indeed under study though he made it clear that all these are under review. Koh adds that they are considering other factors such as its adverse effect on other markets including South Korea.



While the move makes sense, Koh adds that they accept diverse opinions from other regions first to avoid upsetting other markets. Samsung has found it tough to penetrate the Chinese market mainly due to the successful local brands. Among the popular ones which have gained notice are OnePlus and Xiaomi, both offering high-end devices at a reasonable price.



By offering the different and better specs, Samsung is hoping that Chinese consumers will take notice though they may want to the same to other regions. However, Samsung may have no plans of doing so for now according to Phone Arena.



Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy Note 7 last week sporting 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB internal storage by default. However, it was the other striking features that caught the fancy of consumers.



Among the leading specs of the Galaxy Note 7 that drew attention included a 5.7-inch HDR curved display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 823/ Exynos 8893 chipset, the 12 MP main camera and a 3,500 mAh battery.



The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 boasts of an IP68 rating which means it will be dust and water resistant. Focus was also on the phablets new biometric feature  the iris scanner  which Koh calls the safest security technology at the current level.



The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is scheduled to go on sale by Aug. 19 with prices starting at about $896.



Check out the hands-on video of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 video below.







A video posted by Brian Yalung (@bryboy317) on Aug 2, 2016 at 8:38pm PDT






A Great White Shark is attracted by a lure on the 'Shark Lady Adventure Tour' on October 19, 2009 in Gansbaai, South Africa. (Photo : GettyImages/Dan Kitwood)

A recent study of a shark's eye concluded that a 400-year-old Greenland-vertebrate is the longest living on earth. A total of 28 animals were studied through extensive research and radiocarbon dating technology, and it was estimated that a particular female was four centuries old.



Some of the spectacular findings revealed that sharks grow only 1cm long a year and that they attain sexual maturity only at the age of 150 years. The findings were recently published in the journal science that further throws light on the special ways invented now to determine the age of sharks in contrast to the techniques used earlier.



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Julius Nielsen, who is a marine biologist from the University of Copenhagen opines, "We had our expectations that we were dealing with an unusual animal, but I think everyone doing this research was very surprised to learn the sharks were as old as they were."



Greenland sharks can grow up to a length of 5 meter over its lifetime. They are huge beasts and spend most part of their lives in the cold, deep waters of the North Atlantic. The sluggish growth rate and leisurely pace of life of the sharks convinced scientists that the vertebrates lived long, but there were no technology to determine their exact age.



Scientists have been able to examine otoliths in some fish to determine their age, but Greenland sharks are very soft and they have no hard body parts where their growth layers can deposit over the time. After some clever inspection, scientists found that a shark's eye lens consists of a kind of specialized material that is full of proteins. These proteins are metabolically inert, BBC reported.



Radiocarbon dating fail to produce the exact age of sharks as the youngest age determined can be as low as 272 and the oldest age is 512. "Even with the lowest part of this uncertainty, 272 years, even if that is the maximum age, it should still be considered the longest-living vertebrate," according to Julius Nielsen, a well-known marine photographer.



Mr. Nielsen further explains the unique eye structure of Greenland sharks. He says that the lens grows over the entire lifetime of the animal. As the animal gets older, more layers are gradually added to the lens. Scientists count all the layers until they reach the embryonic nucleus that lies in the center of the eye, National Geographic reported.



Here is a video demonstration of Greenland shark, the longest living vertebrate:






More women, juveniles help drive need for more space at the jail
Yemen's prime minister is set to meet President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and deliver a message from the Yemeni president

Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid Bin Daghr has arrived in Cairo to discuss recent developments in Yemen and bilateral relations between the two countries with top officials, including President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, state news agency MENA reported.

In press statements from Cairo International Airport, Bin Daghr hailed Egypt's support to the "legitimate leadership of Yemen of President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi" and participating in the Saudi-led coalition, highlighting the history of Egypt's support for Yemen in the political, military and development fields.

The conflict in Yemen pits the internationally-recognised government of President Hadi and the Saudi-led coalition against armed Shia rebels the Houthis allied with ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Egypt has been participating with naval and air forces in the Saudi-led military coalition against the Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen since the coalition was launched in March 2015.

The prime minister, who heads a ministerial delegation, said that he would deliver a message from the Yemeni president to President El-Sisi during their meeting on recent developments in Yemen.

He also said: "We are keen to discuss means to activate relations with the Egyptian government, through talks with Egypt's Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and work on the development of mutual cooperation in all fields to serve the strategic interests of the two brotherly countries."

During his several-day visit, Bin Daghr will meet Prime Minister Ismail and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb.

After UN-backed peace talks to end the conflict collapsed last week, the Houthis and former president Saleh's General Peoples Congress set up a governing council to rule the country, despite UN and government opposition.

The Egyptian navy is currently securing the Bab El-Mandeb strait.

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Lebanon's parliament has been deadlocked on choosing a new president since May 2014

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is heading to Lebanon on Tuesday to offer ideas to help end Beirut's presidential political vacuum as it enters its third year, the Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon said.

Ambassador Mohamed Badreddine Zayed explained that Shoukry's visit aims to present support to Lebanese "consensus" in the election of a new president, Ahram Arabic news website reported on Sunday.

Zayed said that Egypt is making available all of its diplomatic and political expertise to the Lebanese, adding that Cairo supports any initiatives that aim to build consensus among rival parties.

Lebanon has been suffering from a presidential vacuum since May 2014 following the end of the term of former Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.

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The shooting in New York City Saturday killed two men, including the Imam of the attacked mosque

Al-Azhar, the highest seat of Sunni Islam, condemned Sunday an attack on a New York City mosque in which an Imam was killed, calling on American authorities to "protect places of worship and respect [their] sanctity."

Two men, including an Imam, were fatally shot Saturday in an attack on Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in broad daylight as they left afternoon prayers.

"All religions prohibit shedding blood, regardless of sex or religion or colour, and it is rejected by all laws, international norms, conventions and human values," Al-Azhar said in an official statement.

Al-Azhar stressed the necessity of protecting places of worship from any attacks, saying that such criminal acts result in religious strife, hatred and racism, and create fertile soil for terrorism.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), "in the wake of the 2015 attacks in Europe and San Bernardino, California, anti-Muslim sentiment has spiked."

The most recent US attack, in June, was a shooting that killed at least 50 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.

Meanwhile, the ACLU reported that in New York City alone there have been at least five incidents of hate crime this year.

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Hunter S Thompson, the iconic American journalist and author, once wrote a letter to a friend about the meaning of life. The answer  and, in a sense, the tragedy of life  is that we seek to understand the goal and not the man. We set up a goal, which demands of us certain things: and we do these things, he wrote in April 1958. Thompson was stating what we often hear today  to enjoy the journey and the present, rather than constantly looking for the results.

Perhaps it is this sense of journey that Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour evokes in his play White Rabbit Red Rabbit (WRRR). The 60-minute piece, written over a period of six years, and one that has been presented all over the world since 2011 (it is currently being held off-Broadway, New York), does not require a director, rehearsals and a set. All you need to do is convince an actor, who is a natural storyteller, and who has not read the script before, to come on the stage in front of a live audience. The actor is then handed the play, and he or she enacts it while reading it aloud for the first time.

Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpours play, White Rabbit Red Rabbit, has been enacted across the world, and does not require a director or rehearsals.

Theatre director Quasar Thakore Padamsee, who brought the play to India under the banner of his theatre company QTP, hadnt watched the drama until he hosted its first show in April, at the Writers Bloc festival. The moment you take out the actors or the directors rehearsal time, you are allowing little room for interpretation. Therefore, the play is almost a conversation between the writer and the audience, but through the actor. I like to call it a love letter to the audience. I forgot I was watching a play. I got wrapped up in Nassims story, says Padamsee, who has now planned a series of WRRR shows until September. The first show, featuring Richa Chadha (right) and Sohrab Ardeshir, opens on August 16, at Prithvi Theatre. Comedians Anu Menon and Anuvab Pal, among 26 other actors, will also enact the drama.

Read: We need to build more theatres in Mumbai, says Quasar Thakore Padamsee

Padamsee excitedly describes the play as unique, calling Soleimanpour a bit of a genius. Most people would feel the play is unique because actors are being handed the text in front of the audience. But that is the performance side of it. For the audience to actually witness the creation of this work, to have a communication directly with the writer, that is what the play has done, he says.

Watch: Performance Highlights from White Rabbit Red Rabbit at NUS Arts Festival 2014

But he stresses that the drama does not deconstruct traditional theatre. Nassim was worried about words like deconstruct, or this being called a political play. The play is not about Iran. Its just a story, and whether it is an absurdist play or not is left to the audience. It is open to interpretation, says Padamsee, adding that he plans to translate it into Marathi and Hindi.

Pushing the envelope

Soleimanpour wrote a versatile play that could travel without him because he was not allowed to leave Iran for several years. He refused to do the mandatory military service that all men in the country have to undertake when they turn 18. In 2012, though, Iranian authorities found he had an eye disorder, which meant Soleimanpour couldnt join the military forces anyway. So, the playwright now lives in Germany, and receives numerous requests from theatre artistes to perform his play.

He, however, did have one purpose in writing WRRR. He wanted to break the boundaries of playwriting. Its a play to push the borders of the techniques of playwriting one or two steps further. That has been and will be my intention, as long as I write in theatre, he tells us over email.

Actors perspective

For someone like Chadha, the play is an opportunity to perform on the stage, given her hectic schedule as a film actor. Why not [do such a play]? This makes the process easier, and I can do it between my projects and travelling. Its going to be an instinctive performance, she says.

Sohrab Ardeshir and Richa Chadha will perform the play on August 16.

Ardheshir, however, is looking at the show as a challenge. He came on board because he found the concept interesting. But while I was enthusiastic before, I am terrified or no, apprehensive, now, the actor laughs, adding, Weve all done dramatic readings during rehearsals, but never with a live, paid audience in front of us. People are used to watching theatre in a particular way, and that is why this concept has an element of risk. So now, I will have to think on my feet. I could fall flat on my face. But I have to create in the moment. It will force me to be totally in the present. It can teach us how to think in the moment.
British minister for international development Priti Patel called on Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday and offered 5 lakh pounds (Rs 4.32 crore) assistance and expertise to the state, primarily for the proposed smart cities.

A delegation led by Patel, including British high commissioner to India Dominic Asquith, met Chouhan at his official residence and offered the assistance from the Department for International Development of United Kingdom, responsible for administering overseas aid, besides technical help to the state for smart cities, a senior state government official said.

The official said Chouhan requested the British minister for UKs partnership in the Madhya Pradesh Global Investors Summit (GIS) in October, to which she readily agreed.

In reciprocation, the British minister invited Chouhan to address a business seminar in the UK, he said.

Patel held talks with Chouhan for business opportunities in the state, especially in the food processing industry and areas open for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), he added. She also lauded the socio-economic development taking place in Madhya Pradesh.
Adi Godrej, chairman of the 119-year-old Godrej Group, is one of the most visible faces of the industry. From the locks business in 1897 to consumer goods, agriculture, and real estate, the $4.1 billion Group has come a long way. He spoke to HT about recovery in the FMCG business, and chances of a family member becoming the Group head, among other things. Excerpts:

After two years of drought , are there signs of recovery?

With a good monsoon, there have definitely been better signs. In the April-June quarter, our profit grew by 18%. The economy is picking up and after two bad years due to the La-Nina effect, we should have two to three good monsoons. Then, the GST constitutional amendment is also passed, which will add tremendously to economic activity. Other factors like the Pay Commission payout will also boost consumption.

Has the government done enough on reforms? Has ease of doing business improved?

There have to be constant reforms. Its like progress. You cant say progress is enough, ever. As far as ease of doing business goes, unfortunately, state governments are still slow in clearing projects, in areas like real estate. Though, we are certainly in a better position, than we were two to three years ago. But, in certain areas, there needs to be further improvement.

Despite reforms and the economy picking up, why is the private sector still not investing?

One, with very little investment, productivity is improving strongly, and this is driving GDP growth. Secondly, consumer offtake was slow in the last two years. Once that picks up, companies will need new capital investments to raise production. I expect huge increase in investments ahead of 2017-18 . Even, we will have to do more across businesses. If all legislations, including GST, fall in place, we may have to raise investments this financial year.

Do you see a turnaround in the real estate business?

Godrej Properties has continued to grow. But, real estate market is still weak. I expect good growth from 2017.

Do residential property prices need to come down? Even RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had talked about the need to reduce prices.

I dont think the governor is an expert on property. You cant cut property prices as costs are high. For instance, land costs are expensive as India has a land shortage.

Godrej Agrovet had a 50% revenue growth last quarter. You have made two acquisitions, including Creamline Dairy last year. Is this going to be a big future driver?

Creamline Dairy fits in exceedingly well in our business. It is a consumer products business. Secondly, Creamline sources directly from farmers, and we will sell the farmers our products like cattle feed. We plan to scale up in the dairy business going ahead. We will look at all aspects of expansion and make investments wherever there are opportunities.

Are you mulling Agrovet IPO?

We will look at an IPO of Agrovet at the right time, if we do need to raise capital. No definitive plans yet.

Has there been any decision on the succession front?

My children are very much in the business, playing bigger roles. We are also grooming young professionals . Many of our companies such as Godrej Consumer Products, Agrovet, are being managed by non-family professionals. However, the position of the group chairman will remain with the family.

Many see Tanya Dubash (executive director, group chief brand officer and also chairperson of Godrej Natures Basket) as a possible successor

There could be a woman chairperson. But, we wont comment on these issues .

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Security in the city and its neighbouring areas was beefed up by the city police on the eve of Independence Day.

Security has been stepped up at vital installations across the city, and religious places, malls, multiplexes and other tourist attractions. A general alert has been sounded and meetings are being conducted with people and managements of places where a large number of footfall is reported.

Most of the police officers has been deployed for security arrangements while all possible precautionary measures have been taken, said Deven Bharti, joint commissioner of police (law and order).

The Mumbai police have appealed to people to stay alert and not to believe in rumours. Citizens should immediately dial 100 or alert a policeman nearby if they spot any suspicious object or person, said Bharti.

The Mumbai police have recently conducted mock-drills to check the citys preparedness.

Officials added that all the senior inspectors of 93 police stations have been asked to conduct a security audit of their areas and take necessary steps in co-ordination with senior officers. The Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel have also been asked to stay vigilant and ensure security is tightened at the suburban railway stations in the city and also the major terminuses. Sniffer dogs have been pressed into service.

The Mumbai police have imposed check points at strategic locations across the city and also at entry/exit points of the city. Vehicles are being checked while the traffic police too are on their toes to avoid any untoward incident.

Security measures have also been stepped up in South Mumbai, where vital governmental organisations will conduct flag-hoisting ceremonies and where there will be a large number of tourists.

Surprise nakabandis on the streets in the city and gathering of intelligence by the polices anti-terror cells (ATCs) is also underway.

Combat vehicles will be posted at strategic locations. The coastal security has been beefed up with high-speed patrol boats have been put on continuous patrolling of the coasts.

GRP police commissioner, Niket Kaushik said, Maximum staff has been mobilised. The security has been tightened from the past seven days. Anti-sabotage checks are on. They will continue on Monday as well. There is no specific alert.
NEW DELHI: To bring awareness among Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and their families, the force, in collaboration with National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation (NOTTO), observed Organ Donation Day in the Capital on Saturday.

Nearly 1,500 certificates from BSF were handed over to Union health minister JP Nadda, pledging to donate their organs.

We are very much aware that due to non-availability of transplantable organs, many precious lives are lost in our country. We have been counselling and educating our men regarding the importance of organ donation and its humanitarian value, said Dr AP Maheshwari, additional DG, BSF.

Our men are also being encouraged to educate their family members and relatives, he said.

With the event in Delhi, BSF has begun organ donation drive within the force comprising more than 10 lakh members.

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, said Nadda.

Let organ donation become a national movement and lets show to the world that even in death, we care for our fellow citizens and the humanity at large, he added.

India suffers from acute shortage of cadaver organ donation.

An estimated 200,000 people in India need a new kidney and 100,000 need a new liver each year, but only 2%-3% of the total demand for organs is met.

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Turkey on Saturday criticised a top U.N. human rights official for saying Ankara should stem its "thirst for revenge" after a failed coup attempt and denied people's rights were being violated in a purge of officials and professional ranks.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called on Ankara this week to uphold the rights of detainees held since the July 15-16 abortive putsch.

Authorities have suspended, detained or begun investigating tens of thousands of soldiers, police, judges, journalists and civil servants.

Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic, in a statement, said Zeid's comments were unacceptable.

"It is at best an unfortunate statement for a UN official tasked with guarding human rights to say 'he has no sympathy' for coup plotters instead of condemning these terrorists who have attempted a bloody coup," Bilgic said.

Western allies worry that President Tayyip Erdogan is using the putsch and the purge that has followed to tighten his grip on power.

But many Turks are angered by what they see as a lack of Western sympathy over a violent coup attempt by a rogue faction in the Turkish military using fighter jets, helicopters and tanks in which 240 people died.

Erdogan vowed to rid Turkey of the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose followers in the security forces, judiciary and civil service he accuses of orchestrating the attempted power grab and of plotting to overthrow the state.

Gulen denies these charges.

Bilgic said Turkey's measures following the coup have been consistent with the fundamental principles of rule of law and human rights and repeated Ankara's calls for the Commissioner to visit the country.

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NEW DELHI: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has handed over more than 50 parkings to the three municipal corporations in the city.

Municipal officials said that new parkings will not only help increase the revenue of the corporations, but also streamline the parkings in the city.

As per details, the DDA has handed over a total of 52 parking sites to the three municipal corporations, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has been the biggest gainer.

The SDMC will get a total of 28 parkings, whereas the North and East Delhi corporations will receive 13 and 11 sites respectively, said a municipal corporation.

Sources said that each parking site potentially stands to earn Rs 1 crore annually for the corporations.

Currently, the municipal corporations have 229 parking sites including the multi-level parkings.
NEW DELHI: 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. National Security Guards, Border Security Force 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.

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 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.
GHAZIABAD: 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 the 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 a tape over her mouth so she could not make any noise. Meanwhile, his wife returned but he sent her to her parents house saying Nargis has gone missing and she should look for her, the police officer said.

He pretended to help his in-laws in searching 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 be packed 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 repeatedly to cover up the foul smell and waited for a suitable time to dispose of the body, an investigator said.
GHAZIABAD: Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday visited BJP leader Brijpal Teotia who is on life support at a Noida hospital after an armed attack in Muradnagar this week.

The minister consoled the family of Teotia, whose condition allegedly continues to be critical. The leader is said to be close to Singh.

Local BJP leaders said the minister spent nearly 10 minutes at the hospital and told senior police officials to track down the attackers at the earliest.

He consoled Teotias family and assured them of full support. Doctors are monitoring him (Teotia) Another operation was carried out in the morning, said Ghaziabad BJP unit city president, Ajay Sharma.

Police said nearly 250 officers, divided in 25 teams, have launched a search for the men who opened fire on Teotia and his aides on August 11.

The police believe Thursday nights attack might have been fallout of a personal rivalry or a dispute with one Manoj of Mehrauli village.

Manoj and his family are on the run ever since the incident and their houses are locked.

It is a key angle we are looking. We suspect the assailants were hired killers, but this can only be ascertained at a later stage. Sunita (Rakesh Hasanpuriyas wife) is being questioned. Six people are being questioned, said KS Emmanuel, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Ghaziabad.

Rakesh Hasanpuriya, accused in multiple cases, was killed in a police encounter in Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad in 2003. The family of the slain gangster believe Teotia and his close aide Inderpal Singh had tipped off the police about Hasanpuriyas location before the encounter.

Police said Teotia had a longstanding rivalry with Manojs family over several murders in 1984, 1997 and 1999.

The BJP leaders brother Vikas Teotia rejected the claims. My brother was targeted as he was gaining popularity at Murad Nagar to win a ticket for the upcoming Assembly elections. We have never had any links with Hasanpuriya or any rivalry with Manoj or his family, he said.

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NEW DELHI: 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 minor wants the trial of the gang rape case to be transferred to Delhi from Bulandshahr with the top court monitoring the investigation of the case.

Earlier this week, the main accused in the gang rape case, Saleem Bawariya, was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police.

Azam Khancalled a press conference and publicly insulted the petitioner by terming the entire incident as a political conspiracy and nothing else and thereby caused various acts and deeds being substantially outrageous to the modesty of the petitioner, the minors plea said and sought registration of an FIR against the UP urban development minister.

The petition said such action has caused serious and substantive infringement of the fundamental rights of the petitioner to live a lawful life, right to equality before law and right to civil liberty of the petitioner.

The petition filed through advocate Kislay Panday said two similar incidents had occurred in the district on May 7 and May 12 this year. The same modus operandi was used in both the incidents  an object was thrown at a vehicle to stop it, the occupants led out at gunpoint and then robbed and assaulted.

The petition said the police on both the previous occasions had registered only cases of normal theft and failed the arrest the culprits. The petition, hence, sought direction for registration of FIR against the erring police officers.

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SRINAGAR: 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 Pakistan s 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 cur few 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. An all-party meeting called by the government on Friday also failed to assuage feelings in Kashmir.

Swathes of rural Kashmir 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 g roups 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.

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.

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 g roups 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 Tr al villa ger, 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 inputs from Abhishek Saha in Kashmir)
NEW DELHI: 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.

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, he said.

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.

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The water level of the Yamuna river flowing through the national capital has breached the warning level due to discharge of water from a barrage in Haryana, with authorities stepping up precautionary efforts.

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.

The warning level for Yamuna is 204 metre while the danger level is 204.83 metre. The highest water level of 207.49 metre in Yamuna was recorded in 1978.

The river has breached the warning level of 204 metre after Haryana released water from a barrage. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Railway engineers check the water level of Yamuna river in Delhi. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

The Delhi government has deployed disaster and flood management teams to evacuate people in case of any eventuality. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Slum dwellers take shelter under a bridge in Delhi after Yamuna river breached the warning level. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

People gather at the iron bridge near the Old Delhi Railway Station to check the swollen Yamuna river. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

(With inputs from PTI)
Coming from a family of tailors, Nasruddin, 22, did well enough to break tradition and get admission into Delhi Universitys Kirori Mal College.

At KMC, where the fourth-cut off this year was 96.75 for commerce, Nasruddin was studying BCom in the third year. On Saturday, however, his father, Karim Mandal, was told his son is a criminal.

Nasruddin and his friend Sachin, 19, were arrested on Saturday for allegedly snatching mobile phones and stealing two-wheelers. Their friend Vivek escaped while the two were caught at a police picket.

As part of the Independence Day security arrangements, when police were checking vehicles at Shakarpur, east Delhi, three youths were asked to stop for riding a scooter without a helmet.

DCP (east) Rishi Pal said that the three boys, who were going towards ITO, fled in the opposite direction on seeing police officers at the picket. A police team chased and caught two of them, while the third managed to escape.

Sachin and Nasruddin initially told police that they had forgotten the scooters papers at home, but later broke down when officers confirmed that the scooter was stolen in April from Madhu Vihar. Four stolen cell phones were also recovered from them.

On Saturday night, hours after the arrest, when Nasruddins father was summoned to the police station, he told the investigating officer he had no idea about his sons activities. Nasruddins father broke down and told us that only a few days ago, he had asked his family why Nasruddin was hardly seen at home. He said that Nasruddin usually left home in the afternoon and returned only late at night. He had warned his son against coming late, said an investigating officer.

Sachin is a BSc graduate from Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College in Agra and Vivek is reportedly studying to become a CA. Police said all the three are aspiring CAs and had met at Viveks rented flat in Shakarpur.

During their interrogation, they confessed that they stole phones and two-wheelers to make easy money. They wanted to show off in college that they were rich. Nasruddin, along with Vivek, had stolen the scooter from Madhu Vihar. They used the scooter to snatch mobile phones. Two phones were snatched in Seelampur last month, while the other two were snatched in Noida and Khurja, said an officer.

Nasruddin and Sachin said that they were involved in such crimes for the last three-four months. Police suspect, Vivek has been involved for a longer time. Vivek, is the son of a retired Uttar Pradesh head constable.
The paper is old and the writing has faded into an indistinguishable grey. Yet, the firmness in the hand of the writer is visible after 70 years.

Around him, as he wrote in 1947, looters were invading homes and striking at the vulnerable. Diwan Chand Bhatia wrote to his son, Chuni Lal from Gujrat near Sialkot, on the September 1, 1947: Situation is so bad, and beyond description. Do not come back to this place If I survive I will meet you all. Arson, plundering is the order of the daythis may be my last letter to you.

Now 70 years later, as his grandson, Ved Bhatia, donates the carefully preserved letter, written in pure Urdu, to the Partition Museum, the lost story of Diwan Chand has found a home, at last, in Town Hall, Amritsar. His words, his agony and his despair will be commemorated. He is no longer just a forgotten number: One of the millions who suffered during the Partition of India, unsung and unheard.

While we celebrate Independence, and the freedom fighters  shouldnt we also commemorate the spirit of those 14 million who lost their homes on August 17, 1947, when the final Radcliffe Award was announced?

Ved Bhatia has given to the Museum not just this precious letter, which contains more information than any chapter of a history book, but also a Refugee Registration Card, the final blow that was delivered, post-Partition, to so many respectable middle class families as they fled their homes. They found it in the squalor of makeshift camps, set up by the new governments on both sides of the border. Chuni Lal struggled with 13 other family members, first in a refugee camp in Dehradun and later in Kanpur.

So as we put together the memories that our history writers and political masters have tried to erase over the years, the question that I am asked most frequently is, Why did this museum not come up earlier? To be honest, it puzzles me. The only reason could be our own hypocrisy. Or could it be because the freshly divided nations felt an overwhelming guilt both towards those who had been forced to leave their homes and those who were treated like second class citizens in the country they selected?

How were the refugee families received? In Delhi there are still people who will speak about how the culture of Delhi was spoilt after the refugees arrived. Many of the upper middle class refugees who came from West Punjab were not uncouth.

Read: The Partition Museum

In fact, they had led extremely cosmopolitan lives: Lahore was known as the Paris of the East. But now, having been stripped of their fancy homes and luxurious cars, they arrived (from Punjab and Bengal) as supplicants.

Those who had been alerted were well prepared. But many were not, and former millionaires slept on the streets or on verandahs of overcrowded homes, courtesy the largesse of friends.

Many were able to rise from the dust, but there were also those who found the psychological and mental trauma impossible to cope with. Still others managed to cope with the help of the resettlement policies that the government set out, and accepted the property they were offered in lieu of that what had been left behind. All those stories, public and private documents will be part of the narrative in the Partition Museum.

And yes, there are also so many stories of courage and hope. For instance, the story of the artist SL Parashar, whose works we are fortunate enough to display in the Museum. Krishan Khanna, another artist whose works on the Partition are based on his own memories of the event and the disastrous outcome, has given the Museum another fascinating account.

Watch | Partition Museum to commemorate the past

Among these refugees, there were many nation-builders, and there were also women who swept aside purdah and decided to work in the refugee camps and help other women who had become destituted, as all the abandoned single women were called . The museum will also recognise the importance of their work, which enabled other women to work in areas forbidden to them earlier. There are millions of stories hidden for decades, which are now being gathered for the Partition Museum, about not just what happened to the destituted women, but also about their children who were taken to ashrams and then abandoned. Some questions remain unanswered  where did these children go?

Read: Why India needs a Partition Museum?

The museum will house all those memories, people, documents and stories that some continue to deny. That is a false premise  and now as the 70th year of the Partition approaches, it is time to junk the excuses and contribute memories, oral histories, any objects or documents that were carried across the border. And given the advancing age of the Partition survivors, time already running out, rapidly.

Kishwar Desai is the chair, The Arts And Cultural Heritage Trust , which is setting up the Partition Museum in Amritsar

The views expressed are personal
A Palestinian detainee who has been on a hunger strike for two months to press for his release is determined to continue despite deteriorating health, his family and an advocacy group said.

Bilal Kayed, 34, began the fast June 14, after Israel ordered him held for six months without charges, immediately following completion of a 14-and-a-half-year prison term, his relatives said.

The family has mixed feelings, wanting him to go free but fearing for his health.

"We can only support him" in his strike, his 41-year-old sister, Soha Hussein, said Saturday at the family home in the village of Assira al-Shamaliya. "So we say, 'go on, but stay alive and come home.'"

Israel's Prison Service said Sunday that Kayed is being monitored by medical staff and has undergone hospital checkups.

The advocacy group Addameer said representatives visited Kayed last week at Barzilai Hospital in the Israeli city of Ashkelon. Kayed is shackled to his bed and suffers from severe pain, blurred vision, numbness, hair loss and yellowness and peeling of the skin, the group said.

Despite his deteriorating health, Kayed is in high spirits and "has vowed to continue his hunger strike until he is freed," the group said.

Kayed was arrested in 2001, at the height of an armed Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Kayed, a Palestinian policeman at the time, was convicted of shooting at Israeli troops.

A protest tent outside the family home in the West Bank was decorated with posters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a small PLO faction which has carried out attacks on Israelis.

Hussein said her brother had hoped to get engaged after his anticipated June release. She said he had spent his prison term learning English, French and Hebrew, and had taught fellow inmates.

Hana Herbst, a Prison Service spokeswoman, said 93 Palestinian prisoners have begun a hunger strike to show solidarity with Kayed.

At the end of April, Israel was holding close to 6,300 Palestinians in security-related cases, including some 700 in administrative detention, without trial or charges.

The Israeli rights group B'Tselem says Israel is violating international humanitarian law with its large-scale application of what is meant to be, at most, an emergency measure used sparingly.

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Kenny Baker, the British actor who starred as plucky robot R2-D2 in the Star Wars movies, died on Saturday at the age of 81, his agent and relatives said.

Kenny Baker has sadly passed away and was found on Saturday morning by his nephew Drew, who was also his carer in the latter part of his life, his agent Johnny Mans said in a statement to AFP.

He said he had been ill for some time, adding: Kenny was truly a great friend, one of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet and a fabulous and talented performer.

Bakers nephew, Drew Myerscough, told local media his uncle had suffered respiratory problems for almost a decade.

Baker, who measured just one metre tall (three foot, eight inches), played the resourceful droid known for his whistles and beeps in 1977s Star Wars and in the five following movies.

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the first three films, paid tribute to a lifelong loyal friend.

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

I loved his optimism & determination. He WAS the droid I was looking for! he wrote on Twitter, posting old black and white photos of them together.

20th Century Fox posted a photograph of Bakers character and his on-screen sidekick C3PO, saying: Rest in peace, Kenny Baker, the heart and soul of R2-D2.

Rest in peace, Kenny Baker, the heart and soul of R2-D2. pic.twitter.com/NqOpxotxyK  20th Century Fox (@20thcenturyfox) August 13, 2016

A wheelchair-bound Baker attended the European premiere in London of last years Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in which he received a mention in the credits.

This file photo taken on December 16, 2015 shows British actor Kenny Baker attends the opening of the European Premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in central London. (AFP)

Unfortunately he was too ill to be part of the new Star Wars films, his niece Abigail Shield told Sky News television. But he was consulted by certain people.

She had earlier told The Guardian newspaper: 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.

British actor Ewan McGregor, who starred in the three Star Wars prequels, wrote on Twitter: So sorry to hear about this. It was lovely working with Kenny.

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

The latest instalment of the franchise, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is due out in December.

According to his official website, Kenny was born in Birmingham on August 24, 1934. He began performing at the age of 16 with a troupe called Burton Lesters Midgets.

As well as Star Wars, he starred in cult movies from the 1980s such as Time Bandits and Flash Gordon.

Here are some other tweets that poured in about the late actors passing

Rest in peace Kenny Baker. It was a pleasure to meet you & thank you for all the joy you brought us #R2D2forever  pic.twitter.com/3wnnj8Ekc3  Gwendoline Christie (@lovegwendoline) August 14, 2016

May the force be with R2 #KennyBaker pic.twitter.com/ARrzcc3R16  Darth Vader No1 (@Burnt_Out_Darth) August 14, 2016

Today we lost a dear friend. Well miss you, Kenny Baker. https://t.co/Z020FtLQpP pic.twitter.com/xDHvUurUgv  Star Wars (@starwars) August 13, 2016

He may have been a droid, but the force was always strong with #KennyBaker

Thank you, R2!  Nolan North (@nolan_north) 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

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

#KennyBaker is gone. #RIPR2D2 You will live on in this galaxy for years to come!  Josh Gad (@joshgad) August 13, 2016
Under an ambitious plan, the government will lay 6,900 km of gas pipelines to link Bangladesh, Myanmar, and West Bengal and most north-eastern states in India, ONGC executive director SC Soni said.

As part of Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for north-eastern region, 6,900 km pipelines would be laid connecting Sitwe (Myanmar), Chittagong (Bangladesh), most north-eastern states, Siliguri and Durgapur, Soni told reporters on Saturday.

Currently, large quantities of gas are burned in the north-eastern region because it cant be piped to the consumers, he said.

The policy related to sale of gas from small and isolated gas fields is more inclined to the seller side. So, ONGC and Oil India Ltd are not able to sell the gas, which is flared now.

The plan is to carry the gas elsewhere for productive purposes, Soni said.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) signed an agreement in April this year to jointly set up a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) terminal plant in the Chittagong port city, which will help pipe gas to the north-eastern states.

There is also a sale-purchase agreement between Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) in Assam and BPC for the construction of a pipeline from Siliguri in West Bengal to Parbatipur in Bangladesh for supply of High Speed Diesel (HSD) to the neighbouring country, Soni said.

This agreement figured in talks in June last year between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The two leaders directed the officials of their countries to finalise the terms for establishment of a joint venture company that will construct and operate the pipeline.

The first high-level meeting in this regard was held in Guwahati last week and the second will be held in Agartala later this year to finalise the laying of pipeline to carry gas, LPG and HSD, he said.

Thirteen routes with a total length of about 6,900 km of pipelines have been proposed for the purpose.

The Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 envisions doubling the production of oil and natural gas in the north-east and promoting trade in the region and the neighbouring Saarc countries, Soni said.

The ONGC Board has approved a plan to invest Rs 5,050 crore by 2022 to explore more gas in Tripura, he said.

Under this plan, new wells would be drilled and additional surface facilities would be created to increase gas production from 5.1 million standard cubic metres per day (MSCMD) to at least 6.25 MSCMD from Tripura gas fields, he said.

ONGC has so far discovered 11 gas fields in the state, seven of which are in production, said Soni, who is also the asset manager of ONGC Tripura.

Under the investment plan to produce and supply 6.25 MSCMD to various consumers, including for production of electricity, over another 15 to 20 years, at least 153 wells are to be drilled, he added.

To enhance gas production, processing and supply capabilities, the GCS (Gas Collection Centre) in Sonamura, Gojalia and Konaban would be upgraded and around 900 km gas pipelines would be laid.

The ONGC Tripura asset was carrying out its drilling activities with three owned rigs under operation and well servicing operations through two work-over rigs, he said.

Additional four to five rigs would be hired to intensify the exploration activities.

Tripura gas fields and pipeline locations are in very challenging locations that require forest clearance and special efforts for timely construction, he said.

ONGC has so far drilled about 209 wells in Tripura  more than half of which are gas-bearing, Soni said.

The company has also commissioned its first commercial power project in India, located in southern Tripura and run by ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC).

Its a 726 MW gas-based combined cycle power project (using both water and natural gas), located at Palatana, 60 km from here.

Electricity is being supplied to seven of the eight North-eastern states from the Palatana power project. Also 100 MW of power is being supplied to Bangladesh since March, Soni said.

ONGC has also planned to set up a Rs 5,000-crore fertiliser plant in Tripura in association with the state government and Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd.

We will drill at least 12 gas wells in northern Tripura to feed gas to the proposed fertiliser plant, Soni added.
As India and Indians prepare to celebrate Independence day and the freedoms we gained, let us pause for a moment to think of the lack of any azadi in Kashmir, which is often called the crown on Indias head.

The crown is bereft of sheen, of jewels, of Indian-ness. Every Kashmiri is locked up at home because of the governments fear that Pakistani flags might flutter atop buildings, that black flags might mar the celebrations of the nations birth.

The Valley is draped in a blanket of security. Thousands of soldiers are the only ones out on the streets, trying to keep tentative peace. Nervous men in uniform stand with guns cocked, in wait, perhaps, of defiant pelters who might dart out of their homes. But movement, too, is restricted. Rolls of concertina wire have been laid out to block squares, alleys and bylanes. The sight of a civilian on the streets is enough to unnerve the security forces, as this reporter did: Who are you? Why are you out? Dont you know there is curfew?

On Saturday night, some policemen came to our hotel with a similar set of questions: Who are you? Why are you in Srinagar?

A phone call to a senior police officer revealed a journalist had been mistaken for a member of the Dukhtaran-e-Milat, an all-woman group led by Asiya Andrabi, who had managed to hoist a Pakistani flag last year on August 14. The hotels proximity to Lal Chowk, Srinagars historic square, led the police to believe Andrabi was planning another stealth hoisting of the Pakistani flag. The policemen left, disappointed at not having unearthed a grand conspiracy.

Kashmiri protesters hold a flag of Pakistan during celebrations marking Pakistani Independence Day in Srinagar on Sunday (Waseem Andrabi / HT Photo)

They might yet succeed, at least in the towns, in preventing the enraged youth from riling India through a symbolic hoisting of Pakistani flags. But the rest of you, sitting outside the Valley, will not be discomfited because the government, on Saturday night, snapped broadband connections everywhere except in its own areas.

The story might, however, be different in the rural swathes of Kashmir, where it is difficult to find men in uniform. And where stone-pelting youth hold a sway so powerful, they can block entire highways for 10 hours without the police even attempting to intervene.

This reporter got a taste of this on Saturday in south Kashmir, where she was held up for 10 hours as stone-pelting youth blocked the Awantipora-Srinagar highway with the body of a civilian  the 58th casualty of the latest cycle of violence set off by the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8.

Local militants, who now outnumber Pakistani terrorists in the Valley, are on an upswing after Wanis death. Armed members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen have a measure of freedom in rural Kashmir where security operations are limited. Lt Gen Satish Dua, head of the 15 Corps, told HT they dont want collateral damage and that the marrying up of terrorists with agitators is a big challenge.

Paramilitary soldiers stand guard in the centre of Lal Chowk in Srinagar on August 13, 2016 as India and Pakistan celebrate their Independence days. (Waseem Andrabi / HT Photo)

Here, terrorists have a free run but civilians are being curbed. Phones are off, newspapers have not been distributed and online services remain suspended.

There are also some in Kashmir who are declaring their independence by distancing themselves from mainstream political parties. Several block-level members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party put out letters of resignation, seeking forgiveness for their association with chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and her pro-India party.

India and its perceived apathy is riling Kashmiris as much as India is being riled by Pakistan.

If you are reading this postcard from Kashmir, its not because we have defied the internet curfew. Its only because, by sheer luck, this hotel is close to a government block that needs some azadi for itself.

The author tweets as @shammybaweja

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Refused permission for rallies, the firebrand All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president, Asaduddin Owaisi, says the Uttar Pradesh government is afraid of him. It is muzzling free speech and he will lodge a complaint with the election commission.

The Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad was allowed an indoor meeting in Lucknow on Saturday but the Kanpur administration denied him permission for a similar event for August 14.

The 47-year-old Lincolns Inn-trained barrister talks to M Tariq Khan about AIMIM plans for Uttar Pradesh, where the party is set to makes its poll debut in 2017 state election.

On being denied permission to hold rallies

The Bajrang Dal can openly hold an arms training camp. The BJP, BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) and the Congress can organise rallies and yatras, but I cant address a public rally. Why?

I was allowed to address only two public gatherings ahead of the Bikapur by-election in Faizabad. The events passed off peacefully. They have no case against me to deny what basically is my fundamental right.

Why are they afraid of me? Dont muzzle my voice like this. Take me on politically. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav should realise that whatever goes round, comes round. Tomorrow, he may not be in power. How will he react in a similar situation? Im compiling a list of SPs (superintendents of police) and DMs (district magistrates) who have denied me permission, put it before the EC and ask how can it hold free and fair elections with such officers at the helm.

On a Muslim front

I am open to alliance with like-minded political parties but AIMIM wont be part of a Muslim front. I would like to keep my cards close to my chest right now, as talks are underway and it would be premature to say anything on the number of seats we will contest.

On being labelled the B team of BJP

The BJP won 71 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 in Uttar Pradesh. We did not contest the elections in UP. Who is to be blamed for BJPs landslide victory? Obviously, it were the wrong policies of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP.

These parties call me communal when I talk about Dalit-Muslim unity. Ok. I am willing to accept the tag. But, who among them is really secular? They should let people know.

Similar allegations were levelled against Kanshi Ram when he formed BAMCEF and later BSP. The condition of Dalits would have been worse than Muslims had he not done so.

On minority status of Aligarh Muslim University

The BJP governments opposition to an act passed by the Parliament (that confers the minority status on AMU) is unparallelled in the history of parliamentary democracy in this country. They (BJP) had laughed at me when, as a member of the standing committee of the Parliament on National Judicial Commission (NJC), I had opposed its formation. The Supreme Court rightly struck it down. The minority status of the AMU has to be preserved at all cost. The BJP does not realise the inherent complications and cascading effect on several other linguistic institutions if it tries to change AMUs status.

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Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit reiterated on Sunday his countrys support for Kashmirs freedom, testing the already strained ties between the two countries over the unrest in the Valley.

Is saal ki jashn-e-azadi hum Kashmir ki azadi ke naam karte hain (we dedicate this years independence day celebrations to Kashmirs freedom). We are confident that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be successful, Basit said in an address at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi.

Pakistan celebrates its independence day on August 14, a day ahead of Indias.

Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom...sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain, he said.

Basits statement comes a day after India rejected an out-of-turn proposal from Pakistan for talks on Kashmir. India said it would talk on contemporary and relevant issues including cross-border terrorism.

Abdul Basit hoits Pakistans flag during the Independence Day celebrations in Delhi. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

India has blamed Pakistan for the violent protests that have rocked Kashmir for more than a month after Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was gunned down by security forces in Kashmir on July 8.

Read: Pakistan army fires at Indian posts in Jammus Poonch sector

Fifty-eight people have died and thousands injured in clashes with security forces. Pakistan hailed Wani as a martyr and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said one day Kashmir would be a part of Pakistan.

Home minister Rajnath Singh had hit back, saying there is no power in the world that can take Jammu and Kashmir away from us.

At an all-party meeting called on Friday to discuss the Kashmir situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi blamed Pakistan and said its brutalities in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir should be exposed.

Pakistan has accused India of using excessive force to suppress Kashmirs freedom struggle.

India had on August 9 summoned Basit and issued a demarche over his countrys continued support to cross-border terrorism in Kashmir, which was fuelling unrest in the Valley.

Read: Would talk to Pak only on contemporary, relevant issues: India

Pakistan always made efforts to improve its relationship with India, Basit said in his independence day address.

Early on Sunday, the Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked firing on Indian posts along the line of control (LoC) in Jammus Poonch sector. Indian troops hit back and the firing was on when reports last came in.

The provocation along the LoC was in contrast to the conciliatory mood along the Wagah border, where the goose-stepping Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers on Sunday exchanged sweets to mark the independence day celebrations.

Last year, Indian side decided against the ritual exchange following the terror attacks in Punjab and Kashmir.

In Islamabad, President Mamnoon Hussain, while addressing a gathering at a flag-hoisting ceremony, also raised the Kashmir issue, saying the country will continue to support Kashmiris in their bid for the right to self-determination.
Bihar government authorities in Naugachia subdivision of Bhagaalpur district have initiated moves to confiscate premises that have allegedly been used for committing offences under the states total prohibition law.

While the excise department in Bhagalpur has proposed to confiscate two properties, Naugachia police have sought permission to impound one land holding from where illegally stored liquor was recently seized.

Excise superintendent Vijay Shanker Dubey said the move to impound land of one Chandra Shekhar Yadav at Kolakhurd village of Jagdishpur block and the immovable property of a hotel at Jhandapur village of Bihpur block had been initiated under the provisions of the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Act, 2016. The amended law provided for confiscation of any premises or part thereof that may have been used for committing any offence under this Act, Dubey said.

He said circle officers of the blocks concerned have been asked to provide details of the land proposed to be confiscated.

In a separate move, police have proposed confiscation of a land holding in Teentanga diara under Gopalpur police station of the subdivision from where country-made and Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) were seized in large quantities. The land used for storing the alcohol belongs to Vikas Mandal, said Pankaj Sinha, superintendent of police, Naugachia.

Taking cognizance of the proposal of Naugachia police, Bhagalpur district magistrate (DM) Adesh Titarmare has directed authorities concerned to initiate the confiscation process.

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Numbers matter. And the crowd, or the absence of it, at the playground of a private school in this town on Monday will decide the course of the Dalit unrest in Gujarat.

It is at the grounds of Shah HD High School that the Una Dalit Atyachar Samiti has chosen to end its march for freedom from indignity, coinciding it with Indias 70th Independence Day.

Launched early this month, the Dalit Asmita March (Dalits March for Pride) has attracted members of desperate groups working for the rights of the scheduled castes and backward communities from across the state.

The flogging of five Dalit men by cow vigilantes in this town for skinning a dead animal has come to symbolise the atrocities heaped on the community in the name of caste and has emerged as a rallying point for the young among the community.

There are no big names to pull crowds, resources are scarce but the goal is clear  freedom from discrimination and a life of dignity.

The videos -- there are more than one -- of flogging and gloating by the so-called cow protectors, most of them upper castes, went viral and sparked state-wide protests. But, the anger has been building for some time.

The ground where flag will be hoisted by Dalits in Una (Siddharaj Solanki/ HT Photo )

Read | Word for word: When Dalits use jokes, puns to protest in Gujarat

The young and the restless

Young and the educated Dalits have been at work for a while to spread awareness and harness the discontent. The suicide of Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula in faraway Hyderabad spurred them to come together.

Vemula hanged himself on January 17 alleging caste discrimination, leading to weeks of protests. Rohits mother, Radhika Vemula, is expected at Mondays rally.

Local youth started networking  on and offline -- to prevent a Vemula. Many of those leading the protest hold good jobs and are well educated.

Subodh Parmar, a core committee member of the Una Dalit Atyachar Ladai Samiti, has an M Pharm degree and is studying law. Parmar and his friends even launched the Gujarat Ambedkar student association wing on the lines of the one in Hyderabad.

Last years Patel quota stir, which conflicts with Dalit interests, has been an inspiration. When the government can hold talks with them, why not with us? is what many protesters ask.

The Una flogging has forced many like Parmar to look back. Parmar, who now lives in Ahmedabad, Gujarats largest city, has not forgotten how it was growing up as a Dalit child in a village in Mehsana district that fronted Indias milk revolution.

No one aspires to be a cow-skinner. It is imposed upon us by the caste system. But now we are thrashed even for that. If we dont act now, we will be encouraging our suppressors, he said.

Most are comfortable with the Gandhian way but havent ruled out a hardened approach. Parmar and others will on Monday set a deadline for the government to meet their 10 demands. Failing which, they plan to stop trains.

The community has rallied behind its young representatives -- they have given a voice to it. But there are questions that Parmar and others like him face when they stop for rallies in villages. Sarkar kuchh degi kya? (Will the government give us something?)

Vashram Sarvaiya and his father Balubhai Sarvaiya at their home in Mota Samadhiyala in Una in Gujarat on Saturday. (Siddharaj Solanki/ HT Photo )

Fear factor

An uneasy silence prevails in Mota Samadhilaya, a nondescript village of around 2,500 small brick and mortar houses off the Somnath highway.

Last few weeks have been busy. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and four-time former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati are among the VIPs who have come calling.

Mota Samadhilaya is home to the five men targeted by the cow vigilantes. Balubhai Sarvaiyya has been forced to rent and pitch a tent outside his house.

He just doesnt have enough room for the steady stream of visitors coming to see him and his two sons after they were beaten up.

The visitors offer little comfort. They will not remain quiet. They will kill me whenever they want, he said, referring to the supporters of the upper-caste men who attacked him. Repeated assurances from villagers, his community and even presence of police have failed to calm his fears.

Four state reserved police personnel guard his house while eight others keep a watch from a cemented platform under a nearby neem tree.

Policemen sit near Sarvaiyyas residence in Mota Samadhiyala village. (Siddharaj Solanki/ HT Photo)

Around eight kilometres from Mota Samadhiyala is Samret village. At least 10 of its men are in prison for the kaand (episode), as villagers describe the incident.

One of them, Ramesh Bhai Jadav, is an auto-rickshaw driver. Sitting on the floor next to the white rickshaw, his mother doesnt welcome visitors. Go, go to the jail if you want to talk to him, she says, refusing to answer any questions.

The villagers, explains Bhavesh Rohil, dont want to be seen as taking sides. The 22-years-old videographer says, We are damned if we support a Dalit and damned if we say anything against them.

Back in Unas HD high school, there is no such ambiguity. A lot depends on what happens tomorrow. Let us see, says Subodh Parmar, finalising the seating arrangement for Mondays meeting.

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An army havildar who laid down his life while killing four armed intruders in Kashmir was honoured with the Ashok Chakra, the highest peace time army gallantry award, and NSGs Lieutenant Colonel Niranjan EK was given the Shaurya Chakra posthumously for his supreme sacrifice at the time of the Pathankot attack.

The government awarded 948 central and state forces police personnel with gallantry and other service medals on the eve of Independence Day.

Army havildar Hangpan Dada was posthumously honoured with the Ashok Chakra for eliminating four heavily-armed intruders from Pak-occupied Kashmir.

Lt Col Niranjan was the head of the NSG bomb disposal unit that was rushed to Pathankot after the terrorist strike on January 2. He died while sanitising a terrorists body that was booby-trapped with a hand grenade. In all, the government announced one Ashok Chakra, 14 Shaurya Chakras, 63 Sena Medals, two Nau Sena Medals and two Vayu Sena Medals.

Among seven Presidents police medal (PPMG) for gallantry, three went to Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel for thwarting terrorist attacks at Indian consulates at Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad in Afghanistan early this year. Seven other ITBP personnelSandip Ghosh, Harinandan Gururani, Satish Kumar, Mohardhwaj, Dinesh Sharma, Ravindra Singh and Bhoopendra -- were given the police medal for gallantry (PMG).

One PPMG was given to CRPF inspector Gulam Nabi Bhat and three more went to policemen from Telangana for undertaking daring operations.

The CRPF was decorated with the maximum number of these bravery medals at 43, with most of them going to personnel serving in Maoist-affected states.
Divers from the navy located on Sunday another wreckage assessed to be part of an SUV, which got caught in the Mahad bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa highway.

Rahul Sinha, CPRO (defence), said the wreckage of Tevera SUV bearing registration number MH04 GD 7837 was recovered from the Savitri river.

There is a likelihood of two bodies inside the vehicle, Sinha added.

The wreckage was found 300 metre away from the damaged bridge in Mahad.

Navy officials said that they have informed the administrative and NDRF officials about their findings.

The Indian Navy team, comprising of personnel specialising in diving, and NDRF personnel have been searching in the river for the wreckage and survivors since the incident occurred on August 4.

The effort was in response to a request received from the state government on undertaking search along the river for survivors and bodies, said a navy official.

A Maharashtra government official said 42 people are missing. Since the operations began, 26 bodies have been retrieved.The search teams have not ruled out the possibility of other bodies being trapped in the submerged vehicles.
Union cabinet ministers will visit birthplaces of unsung heroes of the freedom struggle this Independence Day as part of the Narendra Modi governments push to reach out to people during important festivals and occasions.

Ministers travelling for such occasions  be it Raksha Bandhan, yoga, or the 41st anniversary of the Emergency  on the direction of the PM has become a practice since the government came to power in 2014.

A month-and-a-half before Bharat Parv that is being celebrated from August 12-18 to mark the 70th Independence Day, all the Union ministers were told to fan out to different parts of the country, hold public meetings and talk about the excesses of Emergency. The occasion: 41st anniversary of Emergency.

These events have kept the ministers on their toes most of the time. The ministers may not have complained, but Opposition, and civil society campaigners have called the practice of turning every event into a show an over-eagerness of the government to appropriate every event on the countrys calendar.

Independence Day, for instance, is an occasion for celebration by every citizen. The attempt on the part of this government to appropriate everything which belongs to the citizens of India is something very disagreeable to me, sociologist Andrei Beteille said.

Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, BJPs national vice president, however, thinks that its an excellent strategy to have people internalise and own the development agenda. To make it happen, the PM and his cabinet colleagues as well as party leaders are going to nook and corner of the country to spread message of development, intertwining it with patriotic fervour and celebration of national festivals, he said.

Government sources said that a lot of planning goes into the whole process once an occasion is chosen to be celebrated. Its not easy. We have to prepare the ministers schedule, coordinate with the party unit in the cities and towns where he/she is visiting, arrange the logistics. For Bharat Parv, where ministers are going to some 300 locations to visit birthplaces of unsung heroes, more than a month was spent in doing research and coordination, said a party leader.

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The Saudi-led coalition Sunday denied targeting a Yemeni school in air strikes that killed 10 children, instead saying it bombed a camp at which Iran-backed rebels train underage soldiers.

Doctors Without Borders, a Paris-based relief agency also known as MSF, said the children were killed Saturday in coalition air raids on a school in Haydan, a town in rebel-held Saada province.

The coalition of Arab states has been battling the Houthi rebels since 2015 after the insurgents seized Sanaa before expanding to other parts of the country.

Ten days ago it acknowledged "shortcomings" in two out of eight cases it has investigated of strikes on civilian targets in Yemen that the UN has condemned.

Coalition spokesman General Ahmed Assiri said the strikes hit a Houthi training camp, killing militia fighters including a leader identified as Yehya Munassar Abu Rabua.

"The site that was bombed... is a major training camp for militia," he told AFP. "Why would children be at a training camp?''

Yemen's government had confirmed to the coalition that "there is no school in this area," he said.

Assiri said MSF's toll "confirms the Houthis' practice of recruiting and subjecting children to terror."

"They... use them as scouts, guards, messengers and fighters," Assiri said, noting previous reports from Human Rights Watch on the rebels' use of underage recruits.

"When jets target training camps, they cannot distinguish between ages," he added.

MSF spokeswoman Malak Shaher said those killed in the strikes on "a Koranic school" were all under the age of 15.

She called on "all parties to take the measures necessary to protect civilians".

But Assiri criticised the organisation for overlooking the issue of child soldiers.

"We would have hoped MSF would take measures to stop the recruitment of children to fight in wars instead of crying over them in the media," he said.

The United Nation's children agency, UNICEF, also reported the attack.

It warned that "with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by air strikes, street fighting and landmines has grown sharply."

The rebels posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead children wrapped in blankets.

Assiri sent AFP pictures of Houthi children carrying rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said warplanes "targeted" children at the Jomaa bin Fadhel school, in what he described as a "heinous crime".

The Arab coalition launched air strikes against the rebels on March 26, 2015.

After a three-month pause, it resumed raids Tuesday, less than 72 hours after UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced the collapse of peace talks.

Raids struck a food factory in Yemen's rebel-controlled capital, killing 14 people, according to medics.

The factory is near a military equipment maintenance centre targeted by the coalition.

The UN had voiced concern over the increased fighting in the past week, warning that more than 80 percent of Yemenis need aid.

"UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to respect and abide by their obligations under international law," it said, including "to only target combatants and limit harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure."

Saudi Arabia reacted angrily to a decision in June to blacklist the coalition after a UN report found the alliance responsible for 60 percent of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon had accused Saudi Arabia of threatening to cut off funding to UN aid programmes over the blacklist, a charge denied by Riyadh.

A 14-member investigative team formed by the coalition has probed claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme aid trucks.

It found the coalition guilty of "mistakenly" hitting a residential compound and an MSF-run hospital, but accused the rebels of having used the hospital -- also in Haydan -- as a hideout.

The UN says more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition air campaign began in March last year.

The coalition, meanwhile, said Saudi air defences Saturday intercepted a Scud missile fired from Yemen.

Around 100 Saudi soldiers and civilians have been killed inside the kingdom's borders since last March.

The coalition has also been backing government forces fighting Sunni militants, who have exploited the conflict to gain ground in southern parts of Yemen.

On Sunday, government forces entered the southern city of Zinjibar as they launched an offensive to recapture the wider province of Abyan from the militants.

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A Mumbai court on Sunday sent Mohammed Haneef, a cleric arrested on charges of indoctrinating and radicalising Muslim youths in Kerala and Mumbai and prompting them to join the Islamic State (IS), to police custody till August 20.

The crime branch of the Mumbai Police produced him in a city court on Sunday after he was arrested from Peringathoor area of Kannur district of Kerala on Saturday night. Police suspect Haneef is an important link to unearth the IS network in India.

A team of Mumbai Police led by senior police inspector Vinayak Ghorpade from the crime branchs intelligence unit carried out the arrest.

The 26-year-old cleric hails from Kambalakkad in Keralas Wayanad district.

Haneef was among those booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by Mumbai Police on August 6 following a complaint by Abdul Majeed Kadar Khan, the father of Ashfaque, one of the 21 youths from Kerala who have gone missing and have allegedly joined the IS after being indoctrinated.

Khan had accused Haneef of indoctrinating his son.

Arshi Qureshi, guest relationship manager of Zakir Naiks Islamic Research Foundation and Rizwan Khan, a volunteer with Al-Birr Foundation, who were arrested last month by the Kerala police have also been booked in the same case.

One more accused in the case, Rashid Abdulla is believed to have left the country and joined the IS.

In his complaint, Khan also claimed that Ashfaque had been meeting Haneef at his native in Kasaragod district in Kerala where the indoctrination took place.

Haneef allegedly introduced Ashfaque to Qureshi and Rizwan Khan and the trio met several times in Kerala and also in Mumbai at the IRF office in Dongri.

The Kerala Police is also probing a similar case of indoctrination filed by the brother of one Merin alias Mariyam, who is among the missing 21 youths.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Saturday that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) was not intended to serve farmers interest but was aimed at filling the coffers of insurance companies.

Speaking at a felicitation function of newly elected panchayat representatives belonging to farming community of Kushwahas, Kumar said, I believe that our earlier crop insurance scheme was far better in terms of focus and benefit for farmers. But I have asked the department to implement PMFBY to honour our cabinet resolution.

He said the current scheme was intended to ensure profit for insurance companies by forcing state governments to pay money from their exchequer in advance and that too at a higher premium.

The state government will have to share a financial burden of Rs 650 crore, as premium, with the Centre contributing an equal amount to roll out the scheme for 1.5 crore farmers in the state.

How can the premium be charged at 10% in Buxar and less than half of that in Balia - a contiguous district across Bihar border in Uttar Pradesh, he asked, adding that he had raised the matter in the meeting of inter-state council recently.

Bihar has been asked to pay a premium of 15% by insurance companies after the finalisation of the bidding process.

Referring to higher risk factor as the reason for the hefty premium, as cited by Opposition BJP, the CM said that the state had even decided to provide diesel subsidy to reduce the risk factor in event of drought.

Despite all this, we have decided to go ahead to have a real time assessment on how much benefit accrues to the farmers, he said.

Incidentally, union minister for agriculture Radha Mohan Singh has agreed to state co-operative minister Alok Mehtas request to extend the date for the implementation of the PMFBY to August 31.

He said that the decision to implement the scheme was also taken to tackle the misinformation campaign launched by Opposition that the state government was not in a position to implement the scheme.

I had only talked of renaming the PMFBY as centre-state crop insurance scheme in a lighter vein, on account of equal contribution, but the matter was blown out of proportion, he said, alleging that the media did not highlight state governments point of view in the matter.

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Four kids from Asansol in West Bengal, who set out for Mumbai in the hope of meeting their idol - Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, have landed in a rescue home for juveniles in Gaya in Bihar.

Aged between eight and 10 years, the children were found loitering at the Gaya railway station around midnight on Friday by the government railway police personnel who promptly informed the Childline unit at Gaya.

Around 12.45 am on Saturday, we received a call from the GRP office at the Gaya railway station about the four children. We went to the station and brought them to the rescue home, said Rhea Kumari, co-ordinator of Childline, Gaya.

While counselling the children, the Childline functionaries learnt they were part of a larger group of kids which had boarded a Mumbai-bound train lured by the promise of the trip organisers they would meet SRK in Mumbai.

A GRP source said there is a suspicion that the children were being trafficked to Mumbai to work in factories and shops in Maharashtra.

However, by the time the train reached Madhupur station (in Jharkhand), these four kids started to weep and were detrained at the Gaya railway station, Kumari told HT, recounting what the kids had told her.

She said the children are from very poor families and had no idea about the people who weer taking them to Mumbai.

The children said they were from Kasaitola locality of Asansol. They claimed they were huge fans of Shah Rukh Khan. One said Koyla (1997), starring Khan and Madhuri Dixit was his favourite movie. Another one said he was enamoured of Khan after seeing Dilwale (2015).

Kumari said the childrens case would be presented soon for the consideration of the Gaya district child welfare committee, for instructions.

Meanwhile, we are contacting the Childline office at Asansol with the request to help us locate the childrens parents, she added.

Earlier, in February 2014, three Class 9 students of a leading Patna school, had an even more bizarre reason to head for Mumbai. The kids went missing after school hours. Surveillance of their mobile phones showed their location to be New Delhi.

Brought back to Patna, they told the police they had gone to catch fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, believed to be in Pakistan, and claim the reward on his head!

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The government reacted sharply on Sunday to Pakistans proposal of sending supplies to Jammu and Kashmir, saying India has already received enough of Islamabads exports in the form of terrorism and infiltration.

New Delhis reaction came after it received a diplomatic note from Pakistans foreign ministry proposing to send supplies to the northern Indian state, which has been on the boil since the killing of a popular militant leader last month.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup completely and categorically rejected the neighbours offer.

A communication was apparently delivered to our high commission in Islamabad on August 12. I can only characterize its contents that propose sending supplies to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir as absurd.

India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistans trademark exports: international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency, Swarup said.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit said in New Delhi that his country was confident that Kashmirs struggle for independence will not go in vain.

At least 58 people have been killed and thousands injured in violent protests in Kashmir Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter on July 8. Kashmiris have alleged atrocities by Indian armed forces.

Pakistani leaders have criticised India over the Kashmir unrest even as India accused Islamabad of interfering in New Delhis internal affairs and backing terrorism.

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After a lull of over four months, the ceasefire along the line of control was violated Sunday morning when the Pakistan army fired at Indian positions in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Indian troops retaliated to the firing which was on when last reports came in.

But the firing along the line of control was in contrast with scenes at the Wagah border, where personnel from the Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers exchanged sweets to mark Independence Day celebrations.

Last year, the Indian side decided against the ritual exchange following a string of terror attacks.

The ties between the two countries are at a low as Kashmir Valley continues to be restive for more than a month following the encounter death of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. India blames Pakistan, which hailed Wani as a martyr, for stoking violent protests that have left 58 people dead in the Valley.

The Pakistan army resorted to heavy mortar, small arm and automatic weapon fire in Poonch sector since 3am, defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

Our troops are responding appropriately and no casualties or damage to our troops was reported till the report last came in, the spokesman said.

Tension usually mounts along the LoC, the de facto border, as the two countries celebrate their independence days a day apart.

Pakistan celebrates its independence day on Sunday, a day ahead of India.

Pakistan army has been resorting to unprovoked firing at Indian positions around August 14 and 15 ever since the violence started in the border state in early 1990s.

Sundays violation comes after four months. The last such incident took place on April 10, again in the Poonch sector.

Earlier, Pakistan violated the ceasefire on September 18, 2015 in Balakote sector of Poonch district. Last year, 16 civilians were killed and 71 injured in 405 incidents of cross-border firing by Pakistan, the officer said.

While 253 ceasefire violations took place along the international border (IB), 152 incidents were reported along the LoC, he said.

Around 8,000 people had to be moved to safer locations from their homes as the two sides had exchanged fire.

The two sides had agreed to a ceasefire in 2003.
On the eve of Indias 70th Independence Day, President Pranab Mukherjee warned against the rise of divisive and intolerant forces, in what can be seen as a message for the parties in power.

Mukherjee also asked for firm measures to deal with attacks on weaker sections amid allegations of increasing victimisation of Dalits and minorities, often by fringe elements of the ruling establishment.

Reminding about the duties defined in the Constitution, President Mukherjee in his pre-Independence Day speech asked the stakeholders to uphold the spirit of the Constitution and maintain the maryada (sanctity) of authorities and institutions of state power.

In these four years, I saw with disgust forces of divisiveness and intolerance trying to raise their ugly head. Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly, Mukherjee said in what may be his last speech as President on August 14.

A spate of incidents, including attacks on churches, the beef controversy, a Muslims lynching on the suspicion that he was storing beef, the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemulla and the recent beating of Dalit youth in Gujarat, has raised a number of political storms for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which has come under increased criticism from the opposition.

The Constitution has clearly defined the duties and responsibilities of every organ of the state. It has established the ancient Indian ethos of maryada as far as authorities and institutions of state power are concerned, Mukherjee said. The spirit of the Constitution has to be upheld by adherence to this maryada by the functionaries in the discharge of their duties.

The President hailed the passage of the 122nd Constitution Amendment Bill for the goods and services tax as reason enough to celebrate Indias democratic maturity.

The fact that despite two consecutive drought years, inflation has remained below 6% is a testimony to our nations resilience, he said.

But he also warned against disruptions, obstructionism and unmindful pursuit of a divisive political agenda by groups and individuals that might lead to nothing but institutional travesty and Constitutional subversion.

Polarising debates only deepen the fault lines in public discourse, he said. The collective wisdom of the society and Indias polity gives confidence that such forces will remain marginalised and Indias remarkable growth story will continue uninterrupted.

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Academic Pratap Bhanu Mehta has quit the high-profile Nehru Memorial Museum and Library as its executive committee member, citing political pressures, another backlash at the Modi governments strengthening grip over top institutions.

Bhanu is the second official at the Nehru Memorial to resign. Last year, historian Mahesh Rangarajan quit his post as director.

Mehta was upset over the choice of a bureaucrat as director of the institution, rather than a candidate with intellectual scholarship. The bureaucrat, Shakti Sinha, an Indian Administrative Service officer, was private secretary to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In his resignation letter, which HT has seen, Mehta said appointing an administrator as the number one choice sends a very bad signal. He said the advertisement put out for a candidate tweaked the qualifications for the post of director to include bureaucrats or administrators, which was never the case before.

The Nehru Memorial, housed out of the sprawling Teen Murti Bhawan  the official home of Indias first prime minister  is not just a monument to Jawaharlal Nehru. Its also a leading think-tank for social sciences scholarship.

Mehta told HT he had nothing more to add to why he quit. However, the contents of his resignation letter are emblematic of a familiar battle playing out in the world of academia under the Narendra Modi government.

Mehta said there was an impression that good academics will find it very difficult to function in the institutional set up we have created, with its multiple political and administrative pressures. We are doing everything to exacerbate the impression

Some of the governments top nominations have led to outrage. These include actor Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman of FTII, Indias premier film institute, and former cricketer Chetan Chauhan as the head of the National Institute of Fashion Technology. Last year, opposition MPs in Parliament had criticized the government for infusing Right-wing Hindu nationalist ideology into the countrys education sector through political appointments.

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A soldier who died in May while killing four suspected armed intruders in north Kashmir won Indias top peace-time army award as the government announced gallantry medals for more than 1,000 personnel on the eve of Independence Day.

Army Havildar Hangpan Dada  a resident of Arunachal Pradesh -- was posthumously honoured with the Ashok Chakra while National Security Guard lieutenant colonel Niranjan EK was posthumously awarded the Shaura Chakra, the countrys third-highest peace-time army award.

Niranjan EK was head of the NSGs bomb disposal unit that was rushed to the Pathankot airbase after a militant strike on January 2 but died when a hand grenade strapped to a terrorists body explored.

In all, the government announced one Ashok Chakra, 14 Shaurya Chakras, 63 Sena Medals, two Nau Sena Medals and two Vayu Sena Medals.

Hangpan Dada, #AshokChakra, loved snakes, kept them as pets. On May 26, he killed 3 terrorists in Kupwara @htTweets pic.twitter.com/tjcc994ZTH  Rahul Singh (@rahulsinghx) August 14, 2016

Three of the seven Presidents police medal (PPMG) for gallantry went to Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP) personnel  Subhash Chandra, Virender Singh and Sunil Bisht -- for thwarting attacks at Indian Consulates at Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad in Afghanistan early this year.

Seven other ITBP personnel Sandip Ghosh, Harinandan Gururani, Sastish Kumar, Mohardhwaj, Dinesh Sharma, Ravindra Singh and Bhoopendra were conferred with the police medal for gallantry (PMG)

A PPMG was given to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) inspector Gulam Nabi Bhat and three more went to policemen from Telangana.

The CRPF, the largest paramilitary force in the country, was decorated with 43 medals  the maximum with most of them going to personnel serving in Maoist violence-affected states.

Three home guards - Bodh Raj, Desh Raj and Sukhdev Singh, who laid down their lives during an attack on Punjabs Dinanagar police station last year also won the Presidents Home Guard and Civil Defence Medal for Gallantry.

The government also announced PMG to 170 personnel, Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service to 88 personnel and Police Medal for Meritorious Service to 683 personnel.

Four fire-service personnel from Maharashtra who died while dousing a massive fire in Mumbai last year have been decorated with the Presidents gallantry medals for fire services.

Officials from the countrys federal anti-corruption agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, got 31 medals.

Notable among them were 2,000 batch IPS officer Ashwini Chand who is part of the team probing Agusta Westland scam and DSP Atul Hajela, who is involved in the probe against Rajendra Kumar, the principal secretary to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

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Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who underwent shoulder reconstruction surgery at New Delhis Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on August 3, was discharged on Sunday.

The panel of doctors which was treating her, reviewed her condition and decided to discharge her around 8am after determining that her infection had healed and that she no longer had fever.

Mrs Gandhi was discharged from the hospital this morning in a stable condition. She has been advised rest and continue her medication, said Dr DS Rana, chairman, Ganga Ram Hospital.

She is likely to visit the hospital for further evaluation of her condition in the coming week, Dr Rana added.

Sixty nine-year-old Gandhi had dislocated and fractured her left shoulder after she fell following a spell of dizziness during a road show in Varanasi on August 2. She had been running fever for a few days ahead of the road show.

Mumbai-based orthopaedic surgeon Dr Sanjay Desai who specialises in shoulder reconstruction, had flown in for the surgery.

The Congress chief also suffered from massive electrolyte imbalance that also triggered diarrhoea, fever and vomiting.

She was flown in to Delhi directly from her roadshow in Varanasi in a serious condition and was admitted to the Army Research and Referral Hospital. A day later on August 3, she was shifted to Ganga Ram hospital.
It remains unclear if finance minister Arun Jaitley will travel to Islamabad for the Saarc ministerial conference later this month, but reports from Pakistan say it will accord him a warm welcome if he does.

Given the current hostile atmosphere in Indo-Pak ties, sources in New Delhi said it was uncertain if Jaitley would travel to Pakistan for the meeting on August 25-26.

Who would represent India and at what level is yet to be decided, a source said.

However, Pakistans finance ministry said it will play a good host and avoid a repetition of the tense atmosphere that prevailed during home minister Rajnath Singhs visit.

The ministry officials said there were chances of gracious handshakes between Pakistan finance minister Ishaq Dar and his Indian counterpart if Jaitley decides to attend the ministerial conference.

The government has finalised arrangements for the upcoming Saarc meet, a Pakistan finance ministry statement said, adding that Dar chaired a meeting to review arrangements for the conference.

The ministerial conference comes in the backdrop of Singhs visit to Islamabad earlier this month, when barbs were exchanged between Singh and Pakistan interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

The duo also traded repartees over issues of terrorism and violence in Kashmir.

The hostilities were at its peak during the home ministers conference and Dar does not wish a repetition, a finance ministry official was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

They further said all regional countries, except Bangladesh, have confirmed participation of their finance ministers.

Bangladesh has so far only confirmed the participation of its deputy finance minister. Dar will personally call his Bangladeshi counterpart and urge him to attend the conference, the official said.

However, the ministry of finance did not comment on whether a bilateral meeting would be held between the finance ministers of India and Pakistan.

The meetings are taking place ahead of the Saarc Summit, to be held in November in Islamabad.

All Saarc countries have a lot of potential to develop together utilising each others potentials and energies. The cooperation is necessary in promoting the welfare and improving the quality of life of the people of the region, said Dar.

The upcoming conference is an important event in this regard, he added.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) is a regional intergovernmental organisation. Its member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
US-backed Syrian forces said Sunday they have established a military council to push Islamic State group fighters out of their northern bastion of Al-Bab after ousting the militants from Manbij.

"We announce... the creation of the Al-Bab Military Council" tasked with driving IS from the town in Aleppo province, said the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters in a statement, two days after driving the last militants from Manbij.

The last remaining IS fighters abandoned the city of 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 was the militants' worst defeat yet at the hands of the SDF alliance backed by US air power.

Al-Bab is around 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of Manbij, and also in the battleground province of Aleppo.

In Sunday's statement, the SDF said "we promise to our people that we will strike to liberate [email protected]" and the region around it.

They also called on the US-led coalition that has been battling IS in Syria and neighbouring Iraq "to back us in our struggle to liberate our land and our brothers from the Daesh terrorists".

The battle for Manbij -- a key supply route for the militants between the Turkish border and their self-declared capital in Raqa -- lasted more than two months.

As they fled, the militants took hundreds of civilians with them to use as "human shields" but later released many of them.

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Banshidhar Bauddh, Uttar Pradeshs minister of state for social welfare, first came into limelight as the least wealthy among the states 403 elected MLAs and 80 MPs.

Now, the leader of the ruling Samajwadi Party is in the news again after his mud-and-thatch house in Bahraich village collapsed due to rain on Tuesday.

Bahraich is nearly 130km northeast of Lucknow and his village is over 100km from the district headquarters.

Fortunately, we were not in the house when it caved in. One of my sons lived in it with his family but they too were out in the morning. We have another mud house in the vicinity. Now, all of us  my wife, five sons, three daughters-in-law and their children are living in it, said Bauddh.

For now, rebuilding his hut is out of the question. The monsoon is on now. I will wait till the rains are over to rebuild it, he told HT. Unlike most politicians in the state, he owns no real estate.

A resident of Tedia village in Katarniya Ghat forest area of Bahraich, 58-year-old Bauddh has been a member of the legislative assembly (MLA) since 2014 when he won the by-election from Balah assembly constituency (reserved) for the first time.

UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav inducted Bauddh into his cabinet in October 2015 but Bauddhs assets did not change much -- except that he now gets about Rs 75,000 per month as salary.

Despite a higher income now, he remains humble and down to earth. He scoffs at the suggestion that he could have bought a car. Why? I now have an official car which is better than my motorcycle.

At a time when even corporators and local politicians usually have fat bank balances and flaunt SUVs as status symbols, Bauddh continues to be different. He continues to live in a thatched hut in his obscure village. Before he became an MLA, he was not even eligible to pay income tax.

When he contested the by-poll, his election affidavit stated that he did not own any jewellery and his cash and bank savings amounted to Rs 58,000. He did not even have a PAN card. His wife had just Rs 4,750 cash and silver jewellery worth Rs 63,000. To top it all, he had an agriculture loan of Rs 1.25 lakh to pay off.

The loan has been paid off, he told HT on Sunday.

Bauddh is literate but he has never attended a school or college. My area is extremely backward. More than 45 kilometre of the area is a forest and there is not a single college in a 50-km radius. In my constituency, I have prepared a list of 70 houses that have collapsed in this rainy season. I will return to Lucknow after Independence Day and hand over the list to the chief minister and ask him to do something about it, he said.

When the assembly is not in session and he is not engaged in departmental work in Lucknow, Bauddh stays in the village with his family. He married off his two daughters in June last year in a simple ceremony in the village that was also attended by the chief minister.

Prior to becoming an MLA, he had worked as a guard and also ran a roadside kiosk to mend bicycle punctures. Now, he cultivates his six-acre land with his sons.

In the 2014 by-polls, Bauddh had secured 52% votes against 39% of his nearest rival Akshibar Lal of the BJP. He joined the Samajwadi Party shortly before the by-polls in what was his first assembly election. Earlier, he contested panchayat elections twice supported by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The SP is likely to give him the ticket to contest the seat in 2017 UP assembly election.

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Pakistani flags were raised in several places in Kashmir on Sunday, the neighbours independence day, as the Valley remained under a tight security blanket with curfews and restrictions in place and all communication blacked out on the eve of Indias freedom celebrations.

Escalating hostilities, Pakistans high commissioner in India, Abdul Basit, dedicated his countrys celebrations to Kashmirs freedom, following up on Islamabads proposal to send food and medicines to the state  where the killing of a militant commander has set off a cycle of violence that has left 58 dead, thousands injured and sparked a war of words between the neighbours.

Terming Pakistans offer absurd, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistans trademark exports  international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency.

The hostilities continued with the Pakistan army firing at Indian posts along the Line of Control in Jammus Poonch sector. Indian troops retaliated and the firing was on when reports last came in.

Read | Pakistan Prez raises Kashmir issue in Independence Day speech

Militants appeared in south Kashmirs Rudwani village where they hoisted Pakistani flags and offered gun salutes, police sources said.

The familiar green-white flags came up in several areas of Srinagar, too, along with photos of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, in the early hours but were removed by the police later.

In south Kashmir, where Wani hailed from, protesters clashed with troops in Pulwama district and nine people were injured. In Tral, there were reports of Aasiya Andrabi, who heads the all-woman separatist group Dukhtaran-e-Millat, being injured as forces lobbed teargas shells at a rally she was leading. In Budgam district, two protesters were injured in firing.

A police statement said there were nine stone-pelting incidents across the state, adding that troops exercised maximum restraint.

The police prevented separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq  the latter was also detained  from marching to the capitals commercial hub, Lal Chowk. The separatists have called for a civil curfew and black day on Monday to oppose the governments Independence Day celebrations.

But the security establishment said it was prepared for any eventuality, in view of the boycott call and the overall situation in the Valley, where normal life has remained paralysed for over a month now.

Curfew has been imposed in Srinagar and in the towns of Anantnag, Awantipora, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Sopore and Bandipora, a police spokesperson said, adding that restrictions are in place elsewhere.

Read | India factor may decide Pakistans next army chief: Daily

Security has been beefed up in Srinagar, especially around Bakshi stadium where the main government event will take place.

Broadband services were suspended across Kashmir along with mobile phone networks, except the state-owned BSNL, on Saturday night.

Is saal ki jashn-e-azadi hum Kashmir ki azadi ke naam karte hain (we dedicate this years independence day celebrations to Kashmirs freedom). We are confident the sacrifices of the people of Jammu and Kashmir will be successful, Basit said in an address at the Pakistan high commission in Delhi.

The statement came a day after India rejected an out-of-turn proposal from Pakistan for talks on Kashmir.

On Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs promise to send supplies to Kashmir, Swarup said, A communication was apparently delivered to our high commission in Islamabad on August 12. I can only characterise its contents that propose sending supplies to the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir as absurd.

The MEA spokesperson said India completely and categorically rejects this purported communication from the Pakistan foreign ministry.

Pakistan has hailed Wani as a martyr and said Kashmir will one day be a part of it. India holds the neighbour responsible for the current situation in the Valley. On August 9, it summoned Basit to issue a demarche over his countrys continued support to cross-border terrorism , saying it was fuelling unrest in Kashmir.

At an all-party meeting on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is ours.
Mohammad Haneef, 26, a priest, accused of persuading youngsters from Kerala to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), was in touch with operatives of the terror outfit through internet phone calling, said police.

Haneef was arrested from Peringathur area of Kannur district in Kerala on Saturday. He was produced before a city court on Sunday and remanded in police custody till August 20.

Sources said Haneef, a native of Kambalakkad, was thrown out of his village around two years ago because he tried to radicalise people. He then settled in Peringathur.

The crime branch sleuths are checking his call data records and other details to check the people from the ISIS he was in touch with.

The police will also get details of his bank account, to check if he has received funds for the ISIS. Haneef played a key role in radicalising the 21 youngsters who are missing from Kerala and are reportedly in Syria to join the ISIS, according to the complaint filed by the father of one of the youngsters, Ashfaque, with the Nagpada police.

In his complaint, Abdul Majeed Kadar Khan, 60, said Haneef was in touch with Ashfaque, who has allegedly left for Syria along with his wife and daughter.

Khan claimed Haneef radicalised Ashfaque two years ago at their native place in Kerala, after which he came in touch with the other accused.

Haneef use to teach at a masjid in Peringathur. The Mumbai crime branch, along with the Kerala police, is trying to find out if the accused radicalised others.

The Kerala police arrested two other accused  Arshi Qureshi, guest coordinator with IRF, and Rizwan Khan of Kalyan -- allegedly involved in making documents for conversion from Navi Mumbai and Kalyan last month. They are currently in the custody of Kerala police.

The Mumbai crime branch plans to seek their custody soon.
The data on religious affiliation from the 2011 population census was released last month. Some information from the count  like the decline in Parsi-Zoroastrians numbers by a fifth since 2001  has been received with gloom, but the statistic on Ahmadiyyas, a sect which is persecuted in many countries because of beliefs that are seen as renegade, has evoked resentment among some Muslim clerics.

According to Ahmadiyya organisations, they number around 100,000 in India and 60 million worldwide. Their population in India is an estimate as the census has never counted them separately, but the 2011 population count has identified 119 members, including 99 in Punjab where the birthplace of the sect, Qadian, is located. This means that only one of every thousand Ahmadiyya has used the option in the census form to identify their sect; the others have marked themselves only as Muslim. Other groups like Bohras, too, have opted not to fill the question about their sect  only 33,460 did, though this group has several lakh members in India. Members of some mainstream sects have not approved of the inclusion of Ahmadiyyas as Muslims. Recent reports in Urdu newspapers that the latest census has not counted the sect separately have annoyed clerics.

The sect was founded in the nineteenth century by a religious teacher named Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who proclaimed himself as the messiah prophesised in the Semitic religions. He also added figures from other religions, like Krishna, Zoroaster, Lao Tzu  founder of Taoism, Guru Nanak, to the list of teachers. His followers are also called Qadianis. Pakistan, which has the largest population of this sect, has declared them non-Muslims. The country does not allow members of the sect to list Islam as their religion in their passports, thus restricting them from going on the Haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Muslims share some fundamental beliefs: one is the belief in Allah and that Mohammad is the last prophet. There are many Muslim sects and they have a lot of differences, but all of them believe in these two fundamental principles, said Mehmood Daryabadi, a cleric from the orthodox Tablighi sect. But they (Ahmadiyyas) say that another prophet was born in Qadian.

Mehmood Ahmed, an Ahmadiyya from Mumbai, said that their beliefs are not different from the mainstream sects. We also believe in Allah and that Mohammad is the last prophet, but we interpret the Koran differently, said Ahmed. When we translated the Koran from Arabic we referred every ayat (sentence) with a supporting phrase. This is different from the literal translation that other sects do.

Daryabadi said that a meeting of Islamic scholars held in Mecca in 1972 it was agreed that the sect is not Muslim. All Muslim sects do the Haj (pilgrimage). There are no restrictions on any sect, but the Qadianis are not allowed, said Daryabadi. If Muslims all over the world do not consider them as Muslims why is the government of India identifying them as such?

The Indian census enumerates six main religious groups; the others are listed in the other religions and persuasions. This category includes Parsi-Zoroastrians, Jews, Bahais, Animists and nature worshippers. About 7.9 million people out of 1210 million Indians who were counted in the last census are from this classification which includes 33,304 atheists. An official from the directorate of census operations, Maharashtra, said that citizens have the freedom to not report their sect and most have chosen not to do so. For instance, the census counts only 374 Shias though the community is estimated to form 15-20% of Indias Muslim population of 172 million.

Daryabadi suggested that Ahmadiyyas should list themselves in the other religions and persuasions category. India has many other religious minorities; Ahmadiyyas can be recognised as a minority.

It is unlikely that India, where the Ahmadiyyas enjoy religious freedom, will take away their religious identity and force them to be identified as a separate group.

manoj.nair@hindustantimes.com
Four American swimmers, including six-time gold medallist Ryan Lochte, were held up at gunpoint early Sunday morning, according to the US Olympic Committee.

Lochte had initially denied reports of the robbery through the Olympic Committee. Also robbed, according to a subsequent statement from the US committee, were Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen.

Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes money and other personal belongings, a spokesman for the US Olympic Committee said. All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities.

The swimmers were leaving a party at Club France, the French hospitality house established during the Rio Games in the upscale Lagoa neighborhood, the spokesman said.

I think theyre all shaken up, Ileana Lochte, Lochtes mother, told USA Today. They just took their wallets and basically that was it.

Conflicting accounts had swirled on Sunday morning, after a spokesman for the International Olympic Committee said reports of the incident were absolutely not true, citing information that had been provided by the US committee.

After Ileana Lochtes statements that her son had indeed been robbed, the Olympic committee spokesman said he had simply passed along information from the US Olympic Committee. They said they spoke to Lochte, and he said it wasnt true, the spokesman said. I guess that may change.

Ryan Lochtes Twitter feed was silent on the matter; his last post was on Saturday, a picture of him with the snowboarder Shaun White. He did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Ryan Lochte was part of the gold medal winning American 4x200 team here, and he has faced an array of challenges at past Summer Games. In 2008 in Beijing, he was expected to challenge Michael Phelps in the 400 IM race, but came down with a stomach virus. During the 2012 Olympics in London, a report broke that his parents were facing foreclosure on their house in Florida.
The Aam Aadmi Party has accused the Punjab government of ignoring the problems of Dalits in the state and dividing the people on cast lines.

AAP patiala coordinator Balbir Singh gave this statement, when he reached Thuhi village with his team on Saturday, after reading the Hindustan Times story on the inhospitable conditions in which Dalits of the village are being made to live. The HT highlighted that the Dalits of the village have to live in between two sewage ponds, created by the drainages exiting from two villages Thuhi and Thuha.

The villagers said that the gram panchayat had passed a resolution a year ago, which has not been worked on by the administration. Sarpanch of Thuhi patti told that he has again moved the agenda and the gram panchayat would sit on August 17 and again pass the resolution to shift the sewage pond to another piece of land in Shamlat () beyond the residence.

The party workers collected a contribution to fill diesel in the motor to push the water to bigger drain. The motor was not used owing to petty politics of both the gram panchayats. The party leaders met the other villagers and Sarpanches of both Thuhi patti and Thuha patti and motivated them to solve the issue of drainage by sitting on one table.

The villagers showed them the whole village how the water was logged in the streets since the rain on Thursday night and also listed the problems related to MGNREGA, unemployment and health. Jabir Singh Jassi, AAP worker said that the whole village was troubled by the poor drainage system since the rain water enters the houses of both the villages whereas the sewage water rises in the houses of Dalits which is bad for everyones health.

The party leaders promised to set up the water treatment plant to use the water for irrigation which would result in cost effective farming on coming into power. Dr Balbir said the Dalits that they could demand the cleaning of the pond also under a central government scheme for the time being.

However, the activity made the local leaders a bit uneasy.

Ex Sarpanch and nephew of ex minister Harmel Singh Tohra, Palvinder who is brother in law of the current sarpanch of Thuha patti said these are new comers in politics and dont know the ground issues. They (dalits) are living in Shamlat land which belongs to both the panchayats he added. When asked that the government has policy to give 150 sq yard plot to homeless and poor families, he said that he was not aware of the scheme. Show me in any village if the such plots have been given. The policy must be in papers only he added.
After the burial of Indian spy Karamat Rahi, the Gurdaspur district administration has backtracked on its promise of compensation and job to his son, saying it never made any written agreement.

Additional deputy commissioner (general) JS Grewal said he hadnt promised anything to Rahis son, Ranjeet. If Rahi was a spy indeed who did a good service to the country, we will verify it before we forward the case to the state government, he said.

Dont miss: In death, spy who returned from Pak jail gets relief denied for 11 yrs

Ranjeet produced a paper signed by the ADC and said the district administration was making fun of his fathers sacrifice. The copy available with HT says in clear terms: We will give financial compensation as well as a job to the son of the national hero. As soon as we get proof. Ranjeet claims to have even a video of the signing. Threatening to drag the administration to court, he said: They signed the letter in front of the media and hundreds of villagers. How can they deny it.

Rahi spent 17 years in Pakistani jails for spying. After homecoming in 2005, he moved court for recognition and compensation. For 11 years, he fought in the Supreme Court until prolonged illness took him on Wednesday evening. His family declined to bury him (he had embraced Christianity) until it had a written assurance of help from the administration.
The security arrangements have been beefed up along the Indo-Pak international border in Ferozepur as well as Fazilka districts besides the local civil and army areas, keeping in view the terror threats on 70th Independence Day.

Noticeable here is that Pakistan security agencies had raised apprehension of terror attacks by Taliban suicide bombers at Wagha (Amritsar) and Ganda Singh Wala (Pak border adjoining to Hussainiwala in Ferozepur) nearing Independence Day.

Security agencies of India and Pakistan had held flag meetings recently to take preventive measures protecting public as well as security personnel during the celebrations of Independence of duo nations.

Security agencies including BSF, police and army are not taking any chance, high vigilance and heightened security measures have been adopted to avoid any untoward incident, revealed a security official pleading anonymity.

The vigil along the 553km long border with Pakistan has been enhanced by BSF while a hawks eye is being kept on the movements of notorious elements who were earlier found to be involved into smuggling of contraband or arms from the other side of border, disclosed another security official.

The local (in India) contacts of anti-national elements across the border are major threat as the same can be easily exploited to assist in any possible terror activity so we are taking no chances, he added.

The entries of civil population into army areas in the region, on Sunday and Monday have been restricted as preventive security measures, added official sources.

In the meantime, a contingent of Rapid Action Force (RAF) along with the local police held a flag march in Ferozepur led by DSP (City police)Vibhore Sharma, as per instructions of recently appointed Ferozepur SSP RKBakshi.

We are ensuring minute to minute coordination with BSF, army and other security agencies while security has been beefed up in the civil as well as in the border areas, quoted Narinder Bhargav, SSP Fazilka.

Meanwhile the district administration of Ferozepur and Fazilka has ensured all arrangements to celebrate the 70th Independence Day on Monday with great fervour. The cultural program will be presented by school students besides parade by representatives of security agencies.
Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said the party was making the best ever manifesto for upcoming elections and it will be released on October 2, birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Bhattal and Manpreet Singh Badal were in town to listen to the grievances and demands of people in Sangrur on Saturday.

Bhattal said the party would incorporate their demands in its manifesto. She said 28 unions came to them who were fed-up by the Badal government and wanted to see a positive change in Punjab. She said the party would make sure that every individual gets its rights and demands get fulfilled.

Bhattal said irrespective of which SAD leader contests from Lehra, but the village would remain loyal to her. She said, even if chief minister Parkash Singh Badal himself shows interest in contesting from Lehragaga, then also she would win from there. HTC
The last mile is the hardest. Even an old warhorse like state Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh is getting to learn it now  an election he has announced to be his last. The Congress campaign in the 2012 state elections was a 9 to 5 affair, as helicopter sorties ended with fading daylight of January evenings.

Four-and-half years later, Amarinder, now 74, is covering four constituencies per week to complete all 117 till the first week of October before he embarks on yet another campaign designed by poll strategist Prashant Kishor. And it is only August now and elections are more than five months away.

Youth, farmers and ex-servicemen have had Coffee with Captain and for people of every assembly segment, there is Halke Vich Captain where Amarinder sits on a stage hearing grievances of people. (HT file )

So far the campaigning is happening as per Kishors script. The Congress is fast unlearning the rally way to get votes  for Kishor believes crowds at rallies can be managed and do not translate into votes. So youth, farmers and ex-servicemen have had Coffee with Captain and for people of every assembly segment, there is Halke Vich Captain  a grand show, where Amarinder sits on a stage hearing grievances of people, picks 20 to 25 chits from a bowl and hands out prompt help or promise, as the case may be. If the complaint is of police high-handedness, he even storms the police station. Whether or not each of all those who fill the complaints form get lucky, they go home with a mobile sticker and keychain of a smiling Amarinder and his promise.

Dont miss: Coffers empty, state Congress office goes on a treasurer hunt

Both the events are managed by Kishors team of young professionals hailing from the IPAC. According to Congress sources, the events are looked after by an event management company handpicked by Kishor and the bills of his team, event management and the collaterals (key chains, mobile stickers et al) are reimbursed directly by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Just 5,000 attendees in Cong bastion

In the 19 Halke Vich Captain events held so far, the highest attendance has been 6,500 at Shahkot and lowest 3,200 at Dasuya. Of the 2014 villages the party reached out, people from just 1,406 villages came.

Fridays event is at SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr)  a Congress bastion which had elected Parkash Singh in 2007 and his wife Guriqbal Kaur in 2012. The gathering at AS Resorts, a marriage hall on the Chandigarh-Nawanshahr road, is a mixed crowd of the young and old, Hindus and Jat Sikhs, but nearly all are Congress voters. Avtar Singh, a district Congress functionary, says the hall has 1,500 chairs and altogether 4,000 people are present at the venue.

Also read | Congress cant win Punjab polls by losing the perception game

We sent messages to Congress supporters and many came, he says. The IPAC puts the figure to 5,000 people but claims 30% on an average at every such meeting are new or non-Congress voters. But in either case, the numbers should worry the party. What should worry it even more is that even those who came needed some counselling and not all go back convinced.

Balwinder Singh of Langroya village says he had filled the complaint form but his chit was not selected. We are here to complain against our village sarpanch, who too belongs to the Congress. We did not let an Akali win from our village but who do we have to blame now, he says. Anish Rana (23) from Jadla village wanted to know Amarinders solution to why postgraduates in Punjab have to apply for jobs of peons. But my chit was not selected, he says. A man angry at not being given the mike said, Us Balu nu mike de dita, te 100 vota saade nal ne (They gave the mike to Balu. But we have 100 votes). Standing nearby, Paramjit Singh of Khurd village mocks, Aithe vi sifarish ta nai chaldi (does one need high contacts to get the chit picked?).

Punjab assembly polls: Congress to bet on Hindu faces on urban seats

For even those who got lucky, Amarinder may not have quick-fix solutions such as Harvel Singh of Bhalta Khurd village who accused the Akali panchayat of supplying water to areas with Congress families from a contaminated chappar or Mandeep Singh, a disabled man, looking for a government job. But Mandeep was all praises for Amarinder. He has asked me to apply for a job in a government department and let him know, he said.

Not many youth volunteers

Some 30-odd young voters such as Ravinder Ghuman get enrolled as volunteers for the party campaign and win a selfie with Captain. So far the Jago Punjab campaign of the party to take on the Aam Aadmi Partys (AAPs) army of volunteers has made little progress. Though the campaign being handled by partys youth leaders such as Birender Dhillon and Gobind Khatra claims to have got over 1.5 lakh missed calls, it has enrolled just 2,193 for door to door campaigning  approximately 26 per constituency. It has another 1,173 active and 4,000 passive social media volunteers. Over 500 professionals  lawyers, doctors, social workers and teachers too are working as volunteers, Dhillon says. Jago Punjabs creative team is also making mash-ups, memes, cartoons and videos to match AAP and SADs social media war.

Accessibility, visibility, unity

Sitting at a dhaba for lunch, Amarinder agrees that events at marriage halls are an expensive proposition and the numbers not too high. Some 65% are from Congress, others are new. But once rains are over, we will hold the programmes in the open and many more people will come. After the 117 constituencies are done, it will only be rallies till elections. The party campaign is happening at three levels. It is not just Coffee with Captain and Halke Vich Captain. Punjab Congress in-charge Asha Kumari is holding her own programmes and so is the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, which has covered all 117 seats to mobilise party workers, he says. The IPAC, on its part, claims the aim of the Halke Vich Captain is addressing the issues of Amarinders accessibility and visibility.

Dont miss | Halke Vich Captain: As Amarinder sweats it out, Congress rank and file smiles

The partys unity woes too seem to have subsided for now. Senior leaders such as Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Partap Bajwa have been made to head the seven high-level committees to suggest policies and promises for the poll manifesto. Though other than manifesto committee headed by Bhattal (Manpreet Badal is convener), not much progress has been made by the others. Partys frontal organisations such as Mahila Congress, Sewa Dal and Youth Congress are helping the IPAC and the PPCC in their programmes and are feeling more relevant than ever before.

The AAP effect

Thriving on controversies courted by the AAP, the Congress is now regaling at the first list of AAP candidates. Amarinder asks MLAs and prospective candidates having lunch with him at the dhaba about AAP candidates in their seats and all dismiss them as no threat. He adds that the list of disgruntled AAP leaders and volunteers will only grow with the number of lists.

For the Congress, he predicts no rebel trouble like the AAP. After applications are received, we will hold constituency-wise surveys to zero in on the right candidate, he says. Sitting across the table are both contenders from SBS Nagar Guriqbal Kaurs son Angad and the district chief of the Congress, Satvir Singh and Amarinder inadvertently mentions both as contenders.

Campaign sans advertisements

The partys campaign is so far going by Kishors idea of no paid publicity. So unlike the ruling SAD-BJP and AAP, the Congress has not yet launched its ad campaign on newspapers, TV, radio or cinema halls. As of now, the idea is to focus on reaching out to workers and voters through personal contact. The Congress will unleash its main campaign only two months before the elections after selecting the candidates and fight the elections with unity. The ad campaign, if needed, will be unleashed then, party insiders said.

But many senior Congress leaders disagree with the campaign. It was earlier decided that there will be a common war room and Kishor would be anchoring the campaign by taking part in meetings but his energies seem to be concentrated on Uttar Pradesh as of now. There is no focus on social media. We cannot win elections by meeting few thousand people at marriage palaces. Amarinder was drawing more crowds when he was holding anti-Partap Bajwa rallies. We have to raise issues and give an agenda. It is going to be an issue-based election, says an MLA.

Amarinder leaves the venue for the workers meeting scheduled after the dhaba lunch and its time for the selfie counters and cut-out posters to be dismantled for the next event. The Congress seems to be learning many new things but is it also unlearning enough?

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An Iraqi Kurdish reporter was killed and another wounded on Sunday during a military operation against the Islamic State group in northern Iraq, officials said.

The incident occurred during an operation launched by the Kurdish peshmerga forces near Mosul, the country's second city and the jihadist organisation's de facto capital in Iraq.



The journalists, working together for Kurdistan TV, were following peshmerga forces involved in the assault which began early Sunday.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party, which owns the channel, announced the death in a statement.

"We deplore the loss... of cameraman Mustafa Said from the Kurdistan TV satellite channel and the injury of correspondent Hayman Nanqli," the KDP media office said in a statement.

It said the incident was caused by a mortar round fired into a village recently retaken by the peshmerga from IS.

Iraq's Journalistic Freedoms Observatory, a press freedom NGO, confirmed the cameraman's death.

A peshmerga commander said the goal of the operation was to secure a part of the Nineveh plain between Mosul and Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region.

"A military operation was launched this morning... to recapture 10 villages on the eastern bank of the Khazr river (and) has so far succeeded in recapturing six," Colonel Muwaffaq Zebari told an AFP reporter on the frontline.

He said the ground operation was getting air support from the US-led coalition and was aimed at preventing further IS attacks on an area called Gweyr, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Mosul.

A senior officer in the peshmerga, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said seven members of the Kurdish forces were also killed in the fighting, but no official confirmation was immediately available.

Mosul is the last remaining city controlled by IS Group in Iraq and the next big military target for the myriad forces battling the militants in the country.



The Kurdish advance east of Mosul on Sunday is part of shaping operations that have been taking place on several fronts for weeks.

Federal forces have also been working their way northwards up the Tigris river valley in a bid to set up bases around Mosul and start tightening the noose around IS's last major bastion.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has vowed to retake Mosul and rid the country of IS by the end of 2016.

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After busting a terror module a few days ago, the counter intelligence wing of Amritsar police has recovered three more pistols along with 15 cartridges.

Dont miss | Another Khalistani terrorist module busted with 3 arrests in Amritsar: Cops

The police had on Thursday arrested Gurpal Singh of Jalalpur Kalan in Jalandhar, Major Singh, who hailed from Karnal but now lived at Dera Gurdwara Guruana Sahib, Veronangal village here, and Rachhpal Singh of Jalalabad, who lived at Khuda Ali Sher in Chandigarh. The police said the accused had links with the Khalistan Zindabad Force and other foreign-based terrorists.

Inspector general of police (counter intelligence) MF Farooqui said: After interrogating three suspects, Rachhpal disclosed about three weapons and ammunition which he had hid at Khuda Ali Sher in Chandigarh. A police team from Amritsar went to Chandigarh and recovered three pistols, along with magazines and 15 cartridges.

He said the police were interrogating the accused to get more details.
A 15-year-old girl from Ludhiana, who had publicly vowed to hoist the national flag at Srinagars Lal Chowk on August 15, was on Sunday turned back by authorities from Srinagar International Airport.

Police sources at the airport told HT that Jhanvi Behal accompanied by almost 35 others had arrived at the airport but all of them were asked to return back in the same flight that they came. Sources said the step was taken considering the security situation in the Valley.

Days after the security situation deteriorated in Kashmir after Hizb-ul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8, Behal had given a media statement expressing her intention to unfurl the national flag at Lal Chowk.

I would hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on August 15 because that is a place where the national flag was insulted. I challenge all those, including the separatists and the Pakistanis, to stop me if they can, she had said.

Read: Ludhiana teen dares Hafiz Saeed, says will hoist tricolour in Srinagar on Aug 15

Kashmirs joint separatist leadership has called for a civil curfew and black day on August 15 opposing all celebrations of Indias Independence Day while asking people to pray for the stability of Pakistan on August 14, the day the neighbouring country celebrates independence from British rule.

The strong boycott statement and the overall situation in the Valley has raised apprehensions regarding large-scale protests and attempts to disrupt the August 15 celebrations. But, Kashmirs security establishment says it is prepared to tackle any eventuality feared during the I-Day celebrations.

Strict curfew and restrictions are put in place across Kashmir for Monday and internet services, including broadband, are snapped.

Behal had shot into limelight earlier this year by challenging JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar to a debate on nationalism and freedom of speech soon after a crisis had unfolded at the university.

Read: 5 things about Jhanvi Behal who challenged Kanhaiya to debate
The Union ministry of human resources development (MHRD) has asked every government school in each state to celebrate Azadi-70 zara yaad karo kurbani till August 23 to inculcate patriotic spirit among students.

The MHRD has also asked every school to encourage students to take part in the activities. Schools have also been directed to make students sing the National Anthem at 11 am on August 23.

The letter stated that schools might also cover events of freedom movement of 1857 and the independence struggle.

The activities in which the students can take part include painting of greeting cards for the jawans posted at the border stations and they could be sent to the nearby army post office so that they reach the jawans. Students may also take a mass tree plantation drive, which could inculcate the idea of sustainable development among the students.

Schools are also advised to invite resource persons, who can talk to the students on the freedom movement of 1857 and the Independence struggle. The resource persons could include writers, academics and persons from the defence forces (retired or serving).

The other activities may include painting competition, elocution competition, essay writing competition, play with freedom movement as theme, slogan writing competition and patriotic song competition.
Only 0.08 % people consent to donate organs in India to shed light on this poignant fact and spread awareness, city hospitals observed Organ Donation Day on Saturday.

Every brain-dead person can serve as many as eight people with the donation of organs like lungs, liver, heart, pancreas and kidneys.

Read: Giving life in death through organ donation

As declared in Paris in 1959, a brain-dead situation actually leads to wastage of precious resources, since the person is, for all intents and purposes, dead. Organ donation should be adopted in such a situation, Dr Baldev Singh Aulukh, professor of urology and head of transplant surgery, DMCH, said.

The concept was adapted by the Indian government under Transplantation of Human Organ Act, 1994 Act and later by the Punjab government, he added.

Aukhukh, who is also the president of Gift Of Life, Organ, Donation Awareness Society (GLODAS), further said, Organ donation is a noble cause and to create awareness regarding it, we conduct regular camps across cities. We have been successful in motivating almost 50,000 people till date to consider organ donation.

Read: Two men gave new lease of life to 8 people in 2 days

Fortis observes day

An Organ Donation Day program was organised by Fortis Hospital in Ludhiana, which was attended by more than 100 patients and their relatives on Saturday.

The session was followed by a question-answer round on the procedure and difficulties faced during donation.

While the rate of organ donation in India may be abysmally low, in many western countries the figure goes up to 10 to 20 %.

Every year, 5 lakh people, who could have been saved by a donor, die. For the 2 lakh people suffering from incurable liver diseases, a liver transplant would be life-saving. For the 10 lakh people having corneal blindness, a corneal transplant would be a gift of sight! Dr Ajay Pal Sandhu , consultant, Fortis psychiatry department said.

After brain-death the liver, kidneys, heart and pancreas can be successfully retrieved. After natural death, cornea, heart valves and bone marrow can be retrieved.

Dr Ashish Jindal, consultant urologist and kidney transplant surgeon, Fortis Hospital Ludhiana, said, Kidney disease is rampant in our country and its incidence is expected to increase with rising occurrence of diabetes and heart diseases. There is need of 2 lakh kidney transplants a year, but only 3,500 transplants are performed because of lack of living donors. If more people would donate their kidneys after death then such cadaveric (dead) transplants would be the norm obviating the complex tape and corruption which exists in kidney transplantation today.

Also read | Going beyond Raksha Bandhan: When sisters gift life to their brothers

SPS hospital launches Gift an organ programme

SPS Hospital and the Ludhiana chapter of CII Young Indians launched the Gift an Organ Initiative on Organ Donation Day with an aim of spreading information and awareness regarding organ donation.

Dr Arindam Ghosh, head of department of GI surgery and liver transplant, said, We need to create awareness in India. In Spain, the rate of organ donation stands at 33 per a million inhabitants, among the highest in the world. In India, the rate drops to a low 0.1 per million. Its been more than 15 years since the law declaring brain death came into effect in India, yet there is limited awareness about it.
Two days after a six-year-old girl complained of sexual assault by her tutors husband, the police have finally registered a case of attempted rape and launched a manhunt against the accused.

The accused identified as Kulwinder Singh of Lehri Colony of Mundian Khurd has been booked under Sections 376/511 (attempt to rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 4 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act of 2012.

Kulwinder, however, is still at large. The kin of the six-year-old girl had earlier alleged that the police were initially reluctant to register a case and had allegedly pressurised them to arrive at a compromise. However, when contacted, ASI Balbir Singh, incharge at police post Mundian Kalan, had said that family had themselves gone back without registering a complaint.

The girl was allegedly assaulted at the tuition teachers house on August 10 by the accused, who was alone at home at the time of the incident.

Not the first case

May 3, 2016: The Dehlon Police booked a government school teacher for sexually exploiting minor girl students in the toilet of the school.

January 16, 2016: The Sarabha Nagar police booked a computer teacher for allegedly raping a 22-year-old student and duping her of `80,000. The police took around 10 months to register the case.

February 2, 2015: The KoomKalan police have booked a government school teacher for raping minor daughter of home guard.

On February 13, 2015: A teacher of Government Middle School at Chet Singh Nagar was booked for sexually abusing students of Class 7.

On June 11, 2014: A man raped a 12-year- old girl student of his wife, at his house at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. A case of rape was registered against the accused at police station Sarabha Nagar.
The blame game

Since July 2013, Nagal village has faced serial predation of livestock by leopards, the latest a cow killed on July 24. The remarkable fact is that leopards have not attacked a single human at this village nestling in the Shivaliks, about 15 km from Chandigarh. Contrary to popular perception, leopards do not habitually attack humans. This is underscored by a study, Leopard presence in human use landscapes of Punjab, authored by Jairoop Riar and prepared under the guidance of Dr Vidya Athreya. This study, based on data of 2012-14, was submitted to the Punjab Forests and Wildlife Preservation department in 2015. The study stated: Three attacks on people were reported but all appear to have occurred because of inappropriate behaviour on the part of individuals.

One attack on a person was reported at Sangowal in Ludhiana on May, 3, 2013 during a rescue operation after the leopard was tranquilised. On January 13, 2015, two people were attacked at Paprali village in Rupnagar, when they chased the leopard after it was discovered in a farmers field...On August 7, 2014, three people, including a mediaperson, were injured at Ratta Khera, Sangrur, during a rescue operation when they insisted on taking images of the leopard even after being prevented from doing so by forest guards, the study said.

There was only one instance of an attack outside the ambit of a leopard rescue operation. On June 5, 2014, two women were injured by a leopard, while collecting wood in the forests of Deriyan village (Hoshiarpur), the study revealed.

Though grazing is banned in jungles, livestock owners not only persist by exploiting this free resource but also leave domestic animals unattended/unprotected leading to leopard kills. On top of it, the study found that a majority of livestock owners demanded that leopards be captured from jungles and jailed in zoos.

Khargosh ki khamoshi

The rabbit and Chhote Lal. (Vikramjit Singh)

If you happen to venture into a corner of the regional centre for youth development (PEC University of Technology), you will come across a solemn rabbit in a big, airy cage. This is not a typical enclosure over-crowded with nibbling bunnies and squabbling, dominant males. Nor is this rabbit a wise, old fellow whom age has mellowed to a meditative disposition. This pet is 18 months old and supposedly at the peak of youthful ardour. What afflicts the rabbit is a global malady of the soul: loneliness. This summer, three of the four rabbits in this cage died due to heat, says their caretaker, Chhote Lal, who has been managing rabbits for past 8-9 years.

As we call out to the rabbit, the voices seem to kindle a spark in the rabbits murky, listless eyes. The rabbit breaks out of its frozen turbulence when Lal enters the cage. His endearing voice spurs the rabbit to nibble at the cabbage lying untouched. The rabbit proceeds to take a stroll around the cage and indulge in the compulsive habit to burrow and back-kick the soil. Affection has roused the rabbit and a natural curiosity for the world comes seeping back into its eyes.

Lal says the pensive mood recalls the brooding songs of love and loss from a Rajesh Khanna movie. When the rabbits companions were alive, it would spend all day frolicking with them. Now, the rabbit has two spots in the cage where it alternates position and does nothing else. I can feel the rabbits isolation just as I can sense a human in distress. I will request director saheb to purchase a mate from a pet shop, Lal told this writer.

Cobra karma

A spectacled cobra whose fangs were removed for Nag panchami. (Ajay Giri)

Last Sunday, Nag Panchami acquired political overtones. The Hindu Mahasabha activists in Aligarh offered milk to Prime Minister Narendra Modis image, terming him an aasteen ka saanp as he had back-stabbed cow vigilantes. But snakes are not devious creatures as the milk offering to Modi suggested. Nor do they thirst for human blood or milk. On the other hand, one cannot grant a similar clean chit to humans celebrating Nag Panchami by using captive snakes instead of statues.

This is because snakes are caught by charmers and their fangs cut with a blade or yanked out with pliers. Venom glands are pricked with a needle. The snakes mouth is stitched, with a hole left for the tongue to flicker. The snake is confined in a basket for 7-14 days without food and water even as its mouth fills with pus and festering wounds. On the auspicious day, stitches are removed and the snake is placed before devotees who offer milk and apply vermilion and turmeric powder on the neutralised serpent. Leave aside milk, the snake will even drink urine because it is so thirsty. Snakes are carnivores and unlike mammals, cannot digest milk enzymes and this causes vomiting, allergies and lung infections.

In the original practice of Nag Panchami, rural folk would put out milk and rice when the rains poured and snakes were in abundance. Offerings near snake holes would attract rodents and it was hoped that snakes would not need to visit fields where farmers worked. However, contemporary Nag Panchami rituals distort this simple worshipping. A craze fuelled by social media is selfies with snakes that leads to rough handling and a traumatic death for the venerated serpent.

The snake charmer makes a quick buck, the devotee buys peace with the Almighty. After Nag panchami, the mutilated snake is discarded like a condom and dies slowly on the garbage heap.

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At least 36 people were killed in an attack by suspected rebels in northeastern Congo, spurring residents to stage street protests against the ongoing violence, officials said Sunday.

Allied Democratic Forces, with origins in neighbouring Congo, likely carried out the attack late Saturday after the army pushed them from their bases, said Congo army spokesperson Gen. Richard Kasonga.

Two days ago we won back their positions in Mwalika about 30 km from Beni and we destroyed their underground dwellings, he said. In their flight they killed at least 30 civilians in Rwangoma.

Congos government said the country will observe three days of mourning starting Monday.

The bodies of 22 men and 14 women are in the morgue and the toll is likely to rise, said North Kivu provincial governor Julien Paluku.

The area around Beni has been the site of repeated attacks. The ADF rebel group has killed at least 500 civilians in the region since October 2014, according to a local rights group that tracks attacks in the region, and have come since the army has been staging offensives against their bases.

Residents in Beni marched to the mayors office in protest, and one resident said that others brought the body of a dead woman.

The city woke up with strong emotions following the killings, and we see people in small groups in several neighbourhoods, said Nicole Katavali, a Beni resident.

The attack comes just days after Congo President Joseph Kabila visited Beni. Kabila, in nearby Goma on Sunday, denounced the brutality of the attacks and the threat posed to civilians.

Scores of militia groups and rebels continue to destabilize Congos east more than two decades after the end of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when many of those who carried out the killings fled across the border into eastern Congo.
Rammohan Roy and Dwarkanath Tagore were allies in social reform, early Indian journalism and much else in colonial Calcutta, but after both died in England in the 19th century, their lives are remembered differently: one is celebrated, while the other lies in a crumbling grave, neglected.

Roy (1772-1833) died in Bristol, while Tagore (1794-1846) passed away on a stormy August day in London. During their time in England, both were the toast of Victorian society, feted at elaborate dinners in elite company, which has been the subject of much recent research in academia.

As the death anniversaries of the two makers of modern India are observed  Roys on September 27 and Tagores on August 1  the difference in approach cannot be starker. The state in which the two lie in cemeteries also reflects a selective interpretation of history.

In fact, it was Tagore who paid for Roy's beautiful Indian-style mausoleum in the Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol. The local council, members of the Brahmo Samaj and others gather every year to pay their respects and celebrate his life every September.

Cut to the Kensal Green Cemetery in London, and you will find hardly anyone paying tribute to Dwarkanath Tagore, grandfather of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. His grave lies neglected, while Roys mausoleum is well-maintained and preserved.

The grave of Dwarkanath Tagore, grandfather of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, at the Kensal Green Cemetery in London, which lies neglected and gets few visitors. (Tony Mitra/ Flickr/ Wikimedia Commons)

There is ambivalence among lovers of Rabindranath Tagore about his grandfather. This is because, it may be fair to say, Rabindranath distanced himself from him for moral and political reasons. Simply put, Dwarkanath was pro-British; this did not sit well with his grandson's nationalism, said senior London-based journalist Ashis Ray.

Writer-historian Shrabani Basu added: "It is really tragic that Dwarkanath Tagore, one of Bengal's foremost business pioneers, lies in a crumbling grave in London.

It is doubly tragic that the man who constructed the beautiful mausoleum for Rammohan Roy in Bristol, has himself been forgotten, with no one visiting or taking care of his grave."

Known as Prince Dwarkanath, Tagore was one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his time. He founded the first joint stock commercial bank in India, the Union Bank; he was also involved in charity work, was a partner in Carr, Tagore & Co, and had interests in tea, steam navigation, indigo and much else, besides providing the financial muscle for Roys social reform activities.

A little known aspect is Tagores stake in some of Indias first print journals published from Calcutta and his support to Roys celebrated opposition to restrictions on the press imposed by the East India Company in the early 19th century.

Sumit Mitra, who has researched Tagores life, said he was the original internationalist in the Tagore family  not Rabindranath  and needs more recognition for helping modernise the country.

He was an early moderniser of India, but very little record has been kept of his work. During his lifetime there was hardly any major Indian voice in Western narratives, but he managed to achieved much in various fields, Mitra said.

At a time when the West Bengal government is desperately trying to attract private investment in the state, it may do well to embrace Dwarkanath as a path-breaking example of Bengali entrepreneurship. It may not be inappropriate for the West Bengal government to take charge of caring for his grave as perhaps a symbol of its pro-business intentions, Ray added.

Bristol has several landmarks related to Roy, besides the popular mausoleum. His life-size statue was installed in the city centre in 1997, while a pedestrian path beside the house in Stapleton where he died has been named Raja Rammohun Roy Walk.

A giant painting by Henry Briggs, for which Roy posed during his stay in Bristol in 1832, is in the city museum, which also houses a lock of his hair. A sum of 50,000 pounds was donated by Kolkata businessman Aditya Poddar for repair work on the mausoleum in 2007.

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SpaceX successfully landed a reusable Falcon 9 rocket on a floating drone ship at sea early on Sunday after the vehicle had sent a Japanese communications satellite into orbit.

The California-based companys eighth launch this year was part of its ongoing effort to re-use costly rocket parts instead of jettisoning them into the ocean.

It was also the fourth time SpaceX has vertically landed a used Falcon 9 rocket aboard a floating platform at sea.

The white rocket launched under a dark night sky from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 1.26am (0526 GMT).

Less than three minutes into the flight, the rockets main stage separated as planned, with SpaceX mission control erupting in cheers as live video showed the moves.

Around six minutes later, the first stage landed on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship, drawing more cheers at mission control.

The vertical landing on the reconverted deck barge in the Atlantic Ocean was especially challenging because the JCSAT-16 satellite had to be carried into a highly elliptical orbit some 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the Earths equator.

The first stage will be subject to extreme velocities and re-entry heating, making a successful landing challenging, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation -- SpaceXs full name -- said prior to the mission.

The communications satellite will help provide more stable satellite services for video distribution and data transfer communications in Asia, Russia, Oceania, Middle East and North America.

It was the second JCSAT satellite SpaceX has launched in four months for satellite operator SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation.

SpaceX chief Elon Musk wants to revolutionize the launch industry by making rocket components reusable.
Leading figures armed forces came together at various places in Britain to celebrate Raksha Bandhan on Saturday, remembering the ideas of courage, valour and commitment behind the ancient practice in Hinduism.

The events were held in Bolton, Birmingham, Cardiff and London, the defence ministry said in a release. There are currently 2,500 armed forces personnel belonging to the Hindu faith.

Earl Howe, minister of state for defence, said at an event at the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in London: The tying of Rakhi to symbolise bonds of mutual protection is a potent symbol for all here today and one that resonates beyond the Hindu religion to all servicemen and women, whatever their beliefs.

General Gordon Messenger, the vice-chief of defence staff, said: Values such as courage, commitment, discipline, respect, integrity and loyalty, as illustrated in many Hindu epics and scriptures, perfectly reflect the values of the armed forces.

The resonance between the Hindu community and service personnel over the messages championed by the Raksha Bandhan festival is very clear.

The ministry said: Hindus have long made a significant contribution to the defence of the UK. During World War 1, 750,000 Hindus deployed overseas in the British Indian Army, earning 8 Victoria Crosses (VCs) and during World War 2 over 1.25 million Hindus fought in the British Indian Army, including in Europe, Africa and Asia, earning 18 VCs.

Speaking at the Shree Geeta Bhawan Temple in Birmingham, Surgeon Vice Admiral Alasdair Walker said: For the armed forces, protection of society is delivered through a wide variety of missions such as peacekeeping and humanitarian aid, as we saw during the Ebola crisis, when many service doctors, nurses and other personnel went to the aid of those in desperate need in Africa.

Rear Admiral Graeme Mackay, the armed forces Hindu network champion, said: There are currently around 2,500 Hindus serving in the armed forces and they continue the proud tradition of their predecessors in serving their country, upholding the values that we all hold dear. They are as much part of the future of the armed forces, if not more so, as they are of our past.

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Thousands of houses have been destroyed and several villages submerged after flooding triggered by torrential rainfall killed 100 people across Sudan, officials and an AFP photographer said on Sunday.

Thousands of people in the impoverished eastern state of Kasala bordering Eritrea fled their homes after the river Gash burst its banks, flooding entire villages inhabited by farmers.

Many people were sheltering in makeshift grass huts on hilltops, after floodwaters also cut off the main highway between east Sudan and the capital Khartoum.

Villagers braved waist-high water as they looked for food, drinking water and medicines amid a shortage of supplies, the AFP photographer said as he toured two flood-hit villages near the provincial capital Kasala.

Many people, mostly children, were seen drinking muddy rain water.

"We had no time. We simply fled, taking our children when our village was flooded in the night two weeks ago," said Taha Mahmoud, chief of Makli village in Kasala.

"We lost all our food, belongings and livestock. We're living in miserable conditions in makeshift huts that won't withstand heavy rains."

"We are eating just one meal a day. Children are falling sick, and doctors are miles away."

Twenty-five people died in Kasala itself and around 8,000 houses have been destroyed since heavy rains lashed the state two weeks ago, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society said on Sunday.

At least 100 people were killed nationwide, it said.

There was a similar scene in another Kasala village, Al-Mahmoudab, where all 250 houses and the local school were destroyed. Only the mosque was left standing.

Villagers were setting up a makeshift school under a tent so children could continue their lessons.

"We managed to rescue our children, but everything has been destroyed. We lost our entire stock of food, especially sorghum," said Saeedna Mussa, the imam of Al-Mahmoudab, of a staple food in Sudan.

Hundreds of people and vehicles were stranded on both sides of the highway that has been cut off, a local government official told AFP.

"Heavy rains have cut off the highway linking east Sudan with the capital. People on both sides are stranded," he said.

Authorities said water levels were also rising on the Blue Nile along the border with Ethiopia after continuous rainfall there.

The Blue Nile flows to Khartoum where it meets the White Nile and they become the Nile which flows into Egypt.

United Nations aid agencies had warned of the flood danger in Sudan between July and November.

The most affected states are Kassala, Sennar, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and North Darfur, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday.

It said heavy flooding since early June has affected more than 122,000 people and destroyed over 13,000 houses in many parts of the country.

A downpour in August 2013 was the worst to hit Khartoum in 25 years, and affected tens of thousands of people, the UN said.

Those floods killed about 50 people, mostly in the capital.

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Protesters hurled bricks, fired gunshots and set a gas station on fire in the US city of Milwaukee on Saturday night hours after police shot and killed an armed suspect during a pursuit following a traffic stop.

Milwaukee police said a uniformed officer shot and killed the 23-year-old man during a foot pursuit which took place after an afternoon traffic stop.

The suspect, who the department said had a lengthy arrest record, was armed with a stolen handgun. It did not say whether the man fired any shots during the incident.

A police officer hides behind a car during the protests in Milwaukee. (AP)

A crowd later broke the windows of an unoccupied squad car and set another one on fire before setting a gas station on fire. Firefighters were initially unable to combat the blaze because of shots being fired in the area, police said.

One officer was hit in the head by a brick thrown through a squad car window. Protesters fired shots and hurled rocks as police attempted to disperse the crowd, which local media reported numbered more than 100.

An unspecified number of people were arrested.

The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative duty during the investigation and subsequent review by the Milwaukee County district attorneys office.

Protests in many US cities including Baton Rouge, Dallas, Ferguson, Missouri, New York and Oakland have broken out in recent years over police shootings of civilians.

Read | Protests continue across US over police killings of black men
PESHAWAR/WASHINGTON: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.

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.

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.

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.
ISLAMABAD: The former husband of a British-Pakistani woman, who was strangled to death in Pakistan last month, confessed on Saturday that he had killed her because she had married against the wishes of her family.

According to local police reports, Samia Shahids ex-husband Mohammad Shakeel told 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 held 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 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.
LONDON: Rammohan Roy and Dwarkanath Tagore were allies in social reform, early Indian journalism and much else in colonial Calcutta, but after both died in England in the 19th century, their lives are remembered differently: one is celebrated, while the other lies in a crumbling grave, neglected.

Roy (1772-1833) died in Bristol, while Tagore (1794-1846) passed away on a stormy August day in London. During their time in England, both were the toast of Victorian society, feted at elaborate dinners in elite company, which has been the subject of much recent research in academia.

As the death anniversaries of the two makers of modern India are observed  Roys on September 27 and Tagores on August 1  the difference in approach is stark. The state in which the two lie in cemeteries also reflects a selective interpretation of history.

In fact, it was Tagore who paid for Roys beautiful Indian-style mausoleum in the Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol, where he is buried. The local council, members of the Brahmo Samaj and others gather every year to pay their respects and celebrate his life every September.

Cut to the Kensal Green Cemetery in London, and you will find hardly anyone paying tribute to Dwarkanath Tagore, grandfather of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. His grave lies neglected, while Roys mausoleum is well-maintained and preserved.

There is ambivalence among lovers of Rabindranath Tagore about his grandfather. This is because, it may be fair to say, Rabindranath distanced himself from him for moral and political reasons. Simply put, Dwarkanath was pro-British; this did not sit well with his grandsons nationalism, said senior London-based journalist Ashis Ray.

Writer-historian Shrabani Basu added: It is tragic that the man who constructed the beautiful mausoleum for Rammohan Roy in Bristol, has himself been forgotten, with no one visiting or taking care of his grave.

Known as Prince Dwarkanath, Tagore was one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his time, besides providing the financial muscle for Roys social reform activities.He also had a stake in some of Indias first print journals published from Calcutta.

Sumit Mitra, who has researched Tagores life, said he was the original internationalist in the Tagore family  not Rabindranath  and needs more recognition for helping modernise the country. During his lifetime there was hardly any major Indian voice in western narratives, but he managed to achieved much in various fields, Mitra said.
NEW YORK: Ice cream thieves are on the rampage in New York and one billionaire has had enough. A supermarket tycoon on Friday offered a $5,000 reward leading to the arrest and prosecution of the miscreants.

John Catsimatidis, who owns the Gristedes chain of grocery stores, tweeted out the reward, saying ice cream bandits are wreaking havoc on NYC supermarkets  quoting a headline in the New York Post.

The reward comes at a time New York is in the grip of a heatwave, expected to last through August 14 with heat index values expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius.

Police confirmed 250 complaints of ice cream theft and 130 arrests so far in 2016. We are working closely with the retailers to combat the thefts of ice cream, a spokesman said. According to the Post, a Bonnie-and-Clyde styled duo raided a Gristedes store in Chelsea, making away with 80 cartons of Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerrys ice cream in four bags.

They keep stealing it because its an easy item to sell.. . The bodegas buy it, they encourage it, the Greek tycoon told the publication.

Catsimatidis, a self-made businessman who migrated from Greece to New York with his family as a baby, is valued at $3.4 billion by Forbes.

The 67-year-old philanthropist is also a Republican donor who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of New York in 2013.

Gristedes operates more than 30 stores throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn and the Westchester suburb.
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 Qawis name has been made part of the Qandeel murder case on the statement of her father, senior police officer Azhar Akram told Dawn.

The clerics 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 Qawis 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 honour killing. Waseem disclosed the name of his cousin Haq Nawaz as a co-suspect after the polygraph test.
ISLAMABAD: 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 August 4, when it suffered a technical failure and in the Taliban-held Logar province in eastern Afghanistan earlier this month.

The crews 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 US 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 indicated that there were seven passengers but foreign ministry spokesperson 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.
SAN FRANCISCO: 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.

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 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 didnt cooperate with prosecutors. Chahal said both women had cheated on him, according to prosecutors. Chahals 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 OBryan 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 didnt 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.
Contrary to widespread belief, even Beast Butler had a better side. He just kept it well hidden.

If the Confederate States of America had ever offered a prize for the most hated Union general, New Hampshire-born Benjamin Butler would have won the laurels hands down. Short, stoop-shouldered and cross-eyed, Butler looked the part of the consummate villain, and during his controversial seven-month reign as military governor of Louisiana, he played the role to the hilt, deliberately provoking New Orleans residents with a barrage of orders aimed at restoring Federal control over the famously insouciant city.

His most notorious act was General Order No. 28, ever afterward referred to by outraged Southerners as the Woman Order. Aimed at stopping the open abuse of Union soldiers by New Orleans fairer sex, the order declared, in part, that when any female shall, by word, gesture, or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocationin other words, a prostitute.

The order had the anticipated effect on Southern tempers. Jefferson Davis immediately declared Butler an outlaw and common enemy of mankind, to be hanged outright if captured. South Carolina poet Paul Hamilton Hayne denounced the general as a fiend of lust and demanded for him a swift cord and a felon grave. Piteous appeals, supposedly from the ladies of New Orleans, filled the editorial pages of Southern newspapers. Even lawmakers in Great Britain felt the need to protest the orderuntil Butler pointed out with some glee that he had taken the wording almost verbatim from a London municipal ordinance.

In actuality, the Woman Order had no practical effect on New Orleans dames and demoiselles. No arrests were ever made, and Butler himself noted that all the ladies forebore to insult our troops, because they didnt want to be deemed common women, and all the common women forebore to insult our troops because they wanted to be deemed ladies. Instead, the ladies took their protests indoors, using chamber pots with Butlers frowning visage painted on the bottom.

Considerably more serious, indeed a life or death matter, was Butlers Special Order No. 70, which concerned the fate of New Orleans resident William Mumford, arrested and condemned for desecrating the American flag. The 42-year-old Mumford was no common street thug; neither was he, as one Southern author had it, just a wild-spirited lad. He was instead an accomplished gambler and bon vivant, with a wife and three children at home. In fact, it was his very prominence that led to his downfall. The New Orleans Picayune singled him out as a patriot for his role in tearing down the flag from the roof of the U.S. Mint as Union warships approached the city. Mumford did not help his cause by going around town with part of the flag stuffed in his jacket.

Butler had nothing to do with Mumfords arrest and trial, but as military governor he was asked to review the prisoners pending death sentence. (Earlier that month, Butler had commuted similar sentences for six Confederate soldiers who had violated their paroles by joining in the defense of New Orleans.) Butler worried that his leniency would be mistaken for weakness, a concern that was further underlined when supporters of the luckless Mumford sent the general dozens of threatening letters replete with sketches of pistols, coffins, skulls and crossbones.

If the letter writers thought they would intimidate Butler into pardoning Mumford, they were sadly mistaken. I thought I should be in the utmost danger if I did not have him executed, Butler recalled, for the question was now to be determined whether I commanded that city or whether the mob commanded it. At 10:47 a.m. on June 7, 1862, Mumford was hanged on a special gallows projecting from the second story of the Mint, directly below the flag staff he had defamed.

Mumfords execution forever confirmed Butler as a beast in Southern eyes. Yet this act, too, had a surprisingly unbeastly aftermath. In 1869, Mumfords widow contacted Butler, by then a member of the House of Representatives, and asked him to relieve her destitute condition. Butler used his influence to get her a clerkship in the Treasury Departmentan ironic position for a woman whose husband had been hanged for desecrating the U.S. Mint. Eight years later, when Mrs. Mumford was fired from her post by the incoming Hayes administration, Butler again came to her rescue, personally asking the new treasurer to restore her job. When that aid was not forthcoming, he went to Postmaster General David Key, an ex-Confederate, and managed to get her a job in Keys department, which she held for the last decade of her life. Each time, Butler kept his actions secret. Sometimes, even a beast can have a gentler side.

Roy Morris, Jr., Editor, Americas Civil War


Rewriting History

I read with some misgiving your announcement Proposed Legislation Could Clear Dr. Mudd (News, December 1997). President Jimmy Carter did not issue a proclamation absolving Mudd of his conviction as a co-conspirator of John Wilkes Booth, as you state. Carter sent a letter to Dr. Richard D. Mudd, grandson of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, in which he expressed his agreement with certain statements made by President Andrew Johnson in his official pardon of Mudd. This closed the matter as far as the executive and judicial branches were concerned. Certain members of the legislative branch, however, are now seeking to undo what the executive and judicial branches have already put to rest. H.R. 1885 is an ill-conceived effort by certain legislators to take on the role of rewriting history.

Edward Steers, Jr.

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

Editors Note: Steers is the author of His Name Is Still Mudd (Thomas Publications, 1997).

A Family Affair

In his review of Right or Wrong, God Judge Me: The Writings of John Wilkes Booth (Reviews, December 1997), John Stanchak raises some interesting and intriguing questions in regard to Booths relationship with Isabel Sumner. Referring to Booths relationships with other women, including prostitutes, Stanchak writes: None of this paints a picture of a man who would be attracted to a chaste, inexperienced 16-year-old girl. What drew him to her? The answer may lie in the name Sumner. Was Isabel Sumner related to Charles Sumner, the abolitionist senator from Massachusetts whose name was anathema to most Southerners? Could Booth, widely regarded as a charmer, have used this relationship with Isabel Sumner to strike directly at Senator Sumner?

Alan Rockman

Upland, California

Copycat Coins?

Recently I purchased a handful of Civil War medallions for $1 a piece. One was a half-dollar, and one side of it is a dead ringer for the coins described and illustrated on pages 44 and 45 in the article Coins for a New Country (December 1997) by Russell Stolling. Side two, however, is unlike anything in the article. Instead, it is another type of shield with Confederate banners and the Latin motto Nulla Patria Amictae Fide along with a repeat of Confederate States of America. I see no sign of a date, which makes me suspicious. I hope your readers can help me determine whether my half-dollar is real or, as I suspect, a copycat.

Richard Hall

Brentwood, Maryland

Why They Fought

The article At Fredericksburg with Stonewall (My War, December 1997) points up a major reason Northerners rallied to the Union cause. The arrogant and condescending equation of a black man to a horse was what the North found so unacceptable: Equally obedient, patient, easygoing, and reliable. So, Boteler lumps a man and an animal together and makes no distinction between them.

Stewart Smith

Milford, Connecticut

Grave Desecration

I read with interest Eric Ethiers King of the Hill article (December 1997) on General George Sears Greene. Late last year I was made aware that Greenes grave site in Apponaug, Rhode Island, was in disrepair. I traveled to Rhode Island and visited the cemetery. What I found appalled me! The boulder from Culps Hill that was his headstone had had the bronze plaque pried off, and it was missing. (Someone told me that the plaque, soon to be sold for scrap, had been located and recovered from a junkyard.) Years ago there was a sword attached to the headstone, but that was long gone. It was apparent that no one maintained the sitea sad ending for a national hero and a member of a historic Rhode Island family.

David E. Rathbun

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Willing Horse

I greatly enjoyed your essay Hail to the Horses (Behind the Lines, December 1997). Often the horse does the work, and the rider gets the credit. An example may be found in the Battle of Cedar Creek. That battle may have caused Lincolns reelection. In his poem about the battle, Sheridans Ride, Thomas Buchanan Read does not tell us the name of the steed as black as the steeds of night whose red nostrils playseemed to the whole great army to say I have brought you Sheridan all the way from Winchester down to save the day!' Even if the battle were not so pivotal, Read did make it famous, and Sheridans horse, Rienzi, did the work while Sheridan received the glory.

John H. Licht

Denver, Colorado

Erratum

December: It Is Well That War Is So TerribleThe credit for the painting on page 58 depicting Federal troops moving toward the Rappahannock River should have read Civil War Library and Museum.



 1998, Cowles History Group, Inc., a division of Cowles Enthusiast Media. Allrights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express

written permission of Cowles Enthusiast Media is prohibited.
Libyan authorities have warned Italy about an Islamic State group cell based in the Milan area with links to one of the militant group's battle-hardened veterans, Italian media reported Sunday.

The existence of the network was reportedly revealed by documents seized by Libyan agents after government forces took over an IS group headquarters in the city of Sirte earlier this week.

The Italy-based militants were said to be associates of Abu Nassim, 47, a Tunisian who lived in Italy for most of his 20s and subsequently fought in Afghanistan and Syria, before becoming an IS group commander in Libya.

The reports as concerns grow that IS group fighters dispersed from Sirte could cross the Mediterranean on migrant boats and mount "lone wolf" terror attacks on Italian territory.

Security services have been put on a state of high alert for the peak holiday season and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano has stepped up expulsions of suspected militant sympathisers.

Late on Saturday, Alfano said he had ordered the deportation of Hosni Hachemi Ben Hassem, a Tunisian imam based in a mosque at Andria in Puglia.

The 49-year-old imam had been cleared of charges of recruiting militants but Alfano expelled him anyway on the basis of suspected incitement to racial hatred.

The cleric is the ninth imam to be kicked out since the start of 2015 under a 'zero tolerance' approach to Islamist militancy which Alfano says has reduced the risk of a terror attack on Italian soil.

The centre-right minister has signed a total of 109 expulsion orders since the start of last year, 43 of them in 2016, he said in a statement.

Abu Nassim, whose real name is Moez Ben Abdelkader Fezzani, first arrived in Italy in 1989 to work on building sites.

Suspected of trying to radicalise and recruit other Arab immigrants, he disappeared in 1997 and resurfaced in Pakistan, on his way to join the late Osama bin Laden's forces in Afghanistan.

He was arrested by US forces in 2001 and held at the Bagram airbase detention facility, which was to become notorious for the torture and killing of inmates.

Abu Nassim was transferred to Italy in 2009 after prosecutors tabled charges of terrorist recruitment related to his previous stay.

He was acquitted in 2012 and deported to Tunisia. He was convicted on appeal the following year, by which time he was already fighting in Syria.

Since 2014, he has commanded IS forces around the Libyan port of Sabratha.

Tunisia issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with the March 2015 Bardo Museum attack in Tunis, in which gunmen killed 21 tourists and a policeman.

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THE END OF THE WAR

Thank you, Dr. Castel, for your article in the May issue. Although I count myself a believer in the theory that the Civil War was largely fought and won in the West, I have not until now adequately appreciated the contributions of General William Rosecrans.

Roger Hardy

Big Bear Valley, California

The May issue is marvelous. The Trudeau, Carmichael and Gallagher pieces may be the three best ever combined in a military magazine. The Castel piece is persuasive but possibly incomplete in these two particulars:

1. In any explanation for why the North won and the South lost, I think Abraham Lincolns edge over Jefferson Davis needs mentioning.

2. I propose that if Lincoln had been in the Confederate White House, he would have won the war with Lee, Jackson, Stuart, and Longstreet on his side. Conversely, had those generals served the North, the war would have ended in 1864, if not before.

Bob Oates

Los Angeles, California

JEFFERSON DAVIS AND THE JEWS

I would like to congratulate you for printing Peggy Robbinss article Jefferson Davis and the Jews (March). The Jewish experience in the American Civil War is an interesting and important facet of the Civil War story that is overlooked by most historians.

Benjamins story is a fascinating one that I wish would have come out more in the article. Instead, Robbins dwelled on the dispute between President Davis and Foote. Granted, Davis defended Benjamin against Foote and numerous other critics, and maintained a friendship with him until the end. Benjamin was a whipping boy for both North and South. The North used the fact that he was Jewish to attack Southern pride, and the South blamed him for all their defeats simply because he was Jewish. Yet, Benjamin was a non-practicing Jew who had no interest in religion. Still, Benjamin accepted the abuse, took the blame, and even offered to resign, all for the good of the Confederacy, but Davis stood by him and refused to allow his resignation.

Robbinss article at least brings up the issue, and I hope other writers will follow suit. There is a vast amount of unassembled information on this topic just waiting to be discussed.

Arnold A. Smith II

Akron, Ohio

I looked forward to receiving my March issue, anticipating the article Jefferson Davis and the Jews. I hoped to get some fresh insights and perhaps learn some new things about Jefferson Davis and his relations with his Jewish constituents.

Imagine my disappointment when I read the article. It wasnt about Davis and the Jews. It was about one Jew, Judah P. Benjamin. Even that was secondary to Daviss famous rivalry with Henry Foote. As if that wasnt enough to disappoint me, the article contained several errors about Benjamin.

He wasnt the first Jew to sit in the U.S. Senate. David Levy Yulee of Florida preceded him by 6 years (Yulee, though, had renounced his religion). Benjamin was not born in the British West Indies. He was born in the Virgin Islands, which at the time belonged to Denmark. Benjamins father enjoyed British citizenship, which helped Benjamin join the English bar after the Civil War. Benjamins family did not settle in New Orleans. Benjamin went to Yale in 1825, and two years later left for New Orleans, alone.

You might consider publishing a piece devoted to Benjamin, who is a fascinating character in his own right, with or without the Jewish emphasis.

Harry A. Ezratty

Baltimore, Maryland

NITPICKING

In reviewing Brooks Simpsons Ulysses S. Grant, David E. Long makes some condemning statements regarding Grant that do not hold up (Reviews, May). Long wrote that the defeat at Cold Harbor, Virginia, in early June 1864 was possibly the most devastating setback inflicted upon the Army of the Potomac during the war. What about the Battle of Chancellorsville and the Battle of Fredericksburg?

Dr. Long blames Grant for the delay of truce negotiations at Cold Harbor and for downplaying casualty estimates. Historically, the underestimation of battle losses was as much a strategy as a naval blockade. To fault Grant for this is nitpicking. While I agree with Dr. Long that the Cold Harbor tragedy was one of Grants worst moments of the war, Long seems unable to give Grant any credit at all.

Long accuses Simpson of attempting to convince us to adopt Grant as the Civil Wars other unstained hero (besides Lincoln). If, however, in his book, which I admit I have not yet read, Dr. Simpson lauds such things as Grants campaign in Mississippi from Grand Gulf and Port Gibson through Jackson to victory at Vicksburg, he is only the latest of many admirers of a brilliant military campaign.

As much as Mr. Lincoln won the war in the halls and councils of government, General Grant won the war on the field of battle. He was the hero, at least in the North, of the Civil War. Mr. Longs criticisms cannot change that.

Christopher J. Earle

Madison, Connecticut

ANOTHER SOUTHERN GAR HALL

The Grand Army of the Republic hall in St. Cloud, Florida, is certainly not the only existing GAR hall south of the Mason-Dixon Line (Travel, March). About 35 miles north of Tampa is the small village of Zephyrhills, in Pasco County, Florida. It was founded at about the same time as St. Cloud and for the same purpose. The original meeting hall still stands and remains a meeting place for veterans.

Charlotte Abell

Zephyrhills, Florida



2000, Cowles History Group, Inc. d/b/a PRIMEDIA History Group, a division of PRIMEDIA Special Interest Publications.

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Leila McConnell and Henri Gadbois, who are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary Sunday, like to say they never met.

What they mean is, they were never officially introduced.

"You just knew people in the art world," Gadbois said.

They came of age during a time when a small but sophisticated creative community in Houston embraced the concepts of modern art that were sweeping the globe, looking for ways to make those ideas their own.

"Everybody knew everybody. It was very congenial," Gadbois said. "Nobody copied each other. We were not a school. It was all individuals."

He and McConnell, both painters, were one of the scene's young power couples. That era didn't last long. By the 1980s, the galleries that had nurtured them were gone, art trends had changed, and a newer generation of talent took the limelight.

Gadbois and McConnell never stopped painting, but they were nearly forgotten until about 15 years ago, when collectors fascinated with local art history started a group called the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art.

More Information 'This Was Contemporary Art: Fine and Decorative Arts in Houston 1945-1965' When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, through Oct. 15 Where: Heritage Society Museum, 1100 Bagby Info: Free; 713-655-1912, heritagesociety.org See More Collapse

The couple is well represented in that group's latest exhibition at the Heritage Society Museum, "This Was Contemporary Art: Fine and Decorative Arts in Houston 1945-1965."

Curators Ginger Berni, Tam Kiehnhoff and Randy Tibbits thought it would be fun to riff on a 1948 exhibit by the Contemporary Arts Association that promoted Bauhaus ideals of good design and featured an array of the coolest, newest objects on the planet - including furniture by Charles Eames, sculpture by Alexander Calder and architectural renderings by Frank Lloyd Wright. Only they wanted to showcase midcentury work made in Houston.

Surprised to discover how much existed - enough for several shows, really - they have packed the Heritage Society Museum with paintings, photographs, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, architectural renderings, textiles and furniture.

The lighting is poor - this museum is not a white box - but the show illuminates a little of the story of Handmakers, a collective that sold artist-made goods in Houston for nearly 20 years - everything from silkscreened ties, greeting cards and glassware by Stella Sullivan to jewelry by Charles Pebworth (and others, including Gadbois). Sleek midcentury modern furniture from the archives of Brochstein's, which is still in business, could be a hot seller today. The minimalistic, surrealistic ceramics of Ruth Laird are timeless classics, too.

The stories of fine artists such as John Biggers, David Adickes, Richard Stout and Lowell Collins may be better known. But to McConnell and Gadbois, it all looks familiar.

During the show's opening, Gadbois pointed to Jack Boynton's 1953 "Landscape," a painting he and McConnell own. It's a reductive image of gray earth with a rocklike form near the center that protrudes into a big sky of dark blues, greens and blacks.

Gadbois bought the painting the year it was made. He chuckled, noting that he'd spent an ungodly sum on it - $250, his whole month's salary. At the time, he was working as the registrar at the Museum of Fine Arts, then a small organization limited to one building and two security guards, one of whom Gadbois remembers as a wino who often didn't show up.

His own "Tribute to C.H.," from 1958, is also in the show. It's a stark landscape with no land - just barren, burnt treetops and an intense, hazy sky. McConnell's "Bingle Road," painted the same year, also has a pair of bare trees, but they appear to be in a prettier place, in autumn.

She and Gadbois painted these works side by side, but they have made it a practice never to compare notes or comment on each other's work unless one of them asks for advice.

"It might throw you off," McConnell said. "We don't do that to each other."

The early years

McConnell thinks she first saw Gadbois in one of Ruth Pershing Uhler's classes at the Museum of Fine Arts when they were teenagers.

They became a couple a bit later, often having coffee on Main Street after Bill Condon's Friday-night printmaking sessions.

McConnell's family moved to Houston when she was 6. By age 16, she was an architecture student at the Rice Institute, where the program included drawing and art history. Professor James Chillman, who had been the museum's director, became a profound influence.

"I could have gotten a license, but I thought, 'No, I'm a painter,' " she said.

She also took classes at the museum and spent the summer of 1949 at the California School of Fine Arts, hoping to learn more contemporary techniques.

Mark Rothko was among that school's famous teachers. McConnell remembers how he peered over her shoulder, as she painted a still life of green and red apples with a white background, and recommended, "Why don't you do that just in flat pattern?"

She still has that painting, somewhere, in the vast studio she and Gadbois built during the late 1960s, in the River Oaks home they inherited from her parents. Decades of projects are stored there, propped against walls and tables, tucked behind the furniture, stacked on shelves.

The room, now dense with memories, once had an echo.

"It was an empty, empty room," Gadbois said.

He was encouraged by a father who painted realistic billboards, a grandfather who painted religious scenes for churches and his art teacher at Lamar High School - Norma Henderson - who appreciated modern art and had a studio in an artists' compound on Pacific Street.

Gadbois worked in a studio above his parents' garage as a teenager. He began showing his work at 18, earned his art degrees at the University of Houston and had his first solo show in 1953, at James Bute Gallery - which was inside a paint store - before serving two years in the Army. He continued painting even during his tour of duty in Germany.

After Gadbois and McConnell married in 1956, they bought a house in Spring Branch from one of Gadbois' teachers, the highly regarded abstract painter Robert Preusser, who left Houston for MIT after World War II.

The young couple was all in, all the time, in those days, as artists and teachers. Both taught at the museum school at various times, and Gadbois taught art for more than 30 years at Lee High School.

Their painting styles have evolved over the decades.

McConnell, who paints with her fingertips rather than brushes to achieve her atmospheric compositions, found her way to abstraction more than a decade after she took the class from Rothko, inspired by colored stucco walls she and Gadbois saw in 1960, when they spent a summer in Italy. That's where Gadbois came up with the idea for a technique he called "field patterns," after viewing landscapes through a train window.

Even guests at their home were expected to show some creativity.

McConnell and Gadbois still have a room dedicated to displaying the small, square "flags" they used to ask guests to paint before dinner. That collection is now a veritable who's-who of midcentury Houston.

Eventually, life brought other priorities for Gadbois and McConnell - including their children David and Laura, who were born in 1965 and 1967, respectively. They now also have three grandsons.

"Your life, there's a lot of things to do," McConnell said. "It's not all painting."

The River Oaks home burned soon after David was born, a major upheaval that required rebuilding most of the interior. "We were lucky that we had insurance, so it was all redone. Since then, it's been going downhill," McConnell said with a wicked grin.

Throughout their home - not just the studio - collections of all kinds fill every tabletop, shelf and wall - Staffordshire figures, plates, all kinds of art, boxes, cigar-band plates.

"I'm an addict," Gadbois said good-naturedly.

'You keep going'

Gadbois had some "really good years" in the late 1960s, when his paintings sold well at DuBose Gallery, Houston's first major contemporary art gallery.

But teaching and parenting consumed much of his time in the 1970s, and in the late 1980s he got sidetracked by an enterprise he called Faux Foods.

It started when he was sponsoring Lee High School's Key Club, which sold grapefruits every holiday season to raise funds. He wanted to give an award to the top seller, but no ordinary silver cup would do. So he molded an earthenware trophy in the shape of a grapefruit.

McConnell, who was working as a docent at Bayou Bend, talked him into making faux food to help decorate the museum's holiday tables. Soon, a whole group of docents - the "Mudpie" group - was gathering at the studio often to help mold faux peas and flowers.

"Things take over, and you're having so much fun. It's absolutely worthless for the income, but it's fun for you to do," Gadbois said.

Fax Foods wasn't exactly worthless: An industry group named Gadbois a top American craftsman several times, and he made the pineapple ornament that topped the White House Christmas tree in 1999.

Always prolific and never idle, Gadbois has been making art glass lately - agateware plates - that are sold at the Bayou Bend Gift Shop. And he used up McConnell's collection of antique black buttons recently to make a few holiday ornaments.

He and McConnell learned a long time ago to go with the flow in their art, as in everything else.

"It's sort of like being on a road and you don't know where you're going, but you keep going," McConnell said. "I call it the time between - there's a long, long wait, and you know something is coming, but you don't know what it is."

She started making collages in 1976, when she managed a chapter of the Bluebirds, a national organization for girls modeled after the Cub Scouts. Laura and the rest of the girls wanted to make paper one day, and while they were working at her studio table, McConnell busied herself, too.

"I thought, 'Oh, that was fun,' and did a little more. Then the collages started influencing the paintings," she said. "I started getting a hard line, where they had been more amorphous before."

Now she senses her art may be taking another turn. She's doing a "conversation" with a former student of Gadbois' in which she does a painting, then he responds with a painting and so on. "I'm doing stuff I don't think I would have done otherwise. There's some realism in it," she said.

Gadbois sees his landscapes looking more realistic, too. "I want something more, so I'm in a very changeable spot at this time."

The couple often spends weekends at their "soul-satisfying" place out in Ingram, in the Hill Country, but they still love the stimulation of the city.

Tibbits, who owns a number of paintings by Gadbois and McConnell, has become one of the couples' most ardent new fans.

"In some respects, they expected when they died somebody would just pull a truck up to the back door and shovel the stuff out," Tibbits said. "It's been exciting for them to have even the small community that we are excited about their work again."

"(Weighing in on each other's work) might throw you off. We don't do that to each other."

Leila McConnell,

on her and Henri Gadbois' painting side by side but separately
Swiss police said Sunday there was no indication a stabbing and fire attack on a passenger train was an act of terror, as a female victim and the assailant died of their injuries.

Five other people were hurt in Saturday's assault in eastern Switzerland, including a six-year-old girl who was seriously injured.

"The question of motive remains," police in the Saint Gallen region said in a statement. "To date there is no indication this was a terrorist or politically-motivated act."

While no motives have been ruled out, the police statement should calm some of the speculation circulating since Saturday's attack, which followed several violent, often deadly assaults in Europe, many of which were claimed by the Islamic State group.

"Terrorism is not our main theory," police spokesman Bruno Metzger told AFP, adding that "other motives" figured far higher, although he would not say what they were.

A 27-year-old Swiss national used flammable liquid to start a fire on a moving train in eastern Switzerland at about 2:20 pm (1220 GMT) before stabbing passengers.

The incident took place on the line between Buchs and Sennwald near Salez station, not far from the eastern border with Liechtenstein and Austria.

Dozens of people were on the train at the time, police said.

Pictures published by Swiss media on Sunday showed burned-out seats by a blackened window, the seats covered with ash and the upholstery burnt to a crisp, while on the platform was a pool of blood.

Police said images of the attack had been caught on surveillance footage, allowing them to determine that the man had acted alone.

The footage, which was not immediately made public, showed the man, who was carrying a knife, pouring out flammable liquid and setting it alight, police said.

A 34-year-old woman and the assailant died in hospital on Sunday, police said.

The injured, who included two men aged 17 and 50, two women aged 17 and 43 and a six-year-old girl, suffered burns and stab wounds. One of the women and the child were in serious condition, police said.

The woman who died had been doused with a large amount of the flammable liquid, leading to speculation she might have been the target.

But Metzger said he could not confirm that, and another police spokesman Hanspeter Kruesi told AFP it did not appear the attack was directed at a single person.

He said it was unclear if the attacker, who did not have a criminal record, knew any of the victims.

One of those injured was not a passenger, but a man on the platform at Salez station, where the train stopped when the smoke detector went off.

He was hurt after rushing in to pull the attacker -- who was on fire -- from the train, police said.

"His intervention probably prevented worse," Kruesi told the Blick daily.

Police did not provide any details on the identities or nationalities of the victims.

They had not been able question the attacker before his death but have searched his home, located in a canton neighbouring Saint Gallen.

Some 90 rescue workers took part in Saturday's operation, including police, firefighters, ambulances and three rescue helicopters, police said.

Saint Gallen prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the attack and sealed off the affected carriage, which is being examined by forensics teams.

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An off-duty Harris County deputy constable shot and wounded a man who allegedly tried to attack him with a knife outside his northeast Harris County home Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 2:41 p.m. when an unidentified man allegedly knocked on the door of the home of an off-duty Harris County Precinct 3 deputy constable in the 7100 block of North Main, authorities said. When the deputy constable asked the man what he wanted, the two became involved in an argument, authorities said.
A key firewall came crashing to the ground last month in the battle over city pensions - Todd Clark stepped down as chairman of the Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund. His resignation is the first solid sign that progress is being made on a pension deal.

Clark was elected chair of the board, which manages the firefighter pension fund, in January 2010, and over the next six years he served as Mayor Annise Parker's key adversary in her fight to fix Houston's pension mess. The total unfunded pension burden on taxpayers continued to soar during his tenure - about $1.5 billion was added by all three pensions, according to a recent study by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.

Even if the city pays 100 percent of its calculated annual contribution, the unfunded liability still keeps growing. It would be as if your mortgage grew with every monthly payment rather than shrank. This is a clear sign of a broken pension system, and yet Clark used every tool at his disposal to stop the city from fixing it.

He refused to meet with the city to discuss important changes, forcing City Hall to file lawsuits to open the black box that is the firefighters' pension. What, exactly, was taxpayer money going toward? This is an important question, and Clark's actions kept Houstonians from finding the answer.

City Hall also sued to ensure that Houston taxpayers had effective representation on a pension board dominated by firefighters - nearly 80 percent of whom don't actually live in the city of Houston (and who don't pay the city property taxes that fund the pensions). It was a brazen conflict of interest that had pension beneficiaries acting as their own supervisors.

Clark's stubborn attitude become a roadblock to implementing changes to the police and municipal worker pensions, as well. Those two public pensions had negotiated reforms under former Mayor Bill White, and they didn't want to move any further until Houston's third public pension stepped up.

But what incentive did firefighters have to fall in line? They had a pretty sweet deal put in place by a 2001 change that transformed the city's three fully funded public pensions into the unsustainable mess we have today.

A recent report by KPRC 2 investigative reporter Jace Larson revealed that Houston firefighters with 30 years on the job could retire with a pension that paid about 94 percent of their final salary. In contrast, Houston police officers with 35 years on the job retired with a pension that paid about 56 percent. Those retiring firefighters also receive an average lump-sum payment - a deferred retirement option plan, or DROP - of more than $800,000. In contrast, police and municipal workers ended those DROP accounts for new hires in 2008 to help control costs.

Houston needs some big changes, and the Legislature in Austin holds the keys. It is a bizarre system where state politicians control decisions about pensions funded by local tax dollars, and those elected officials refuse to move forward until everyone agrees on a plan.

The Kinder Institute report lays out four recommended policies to finally bring expenses back in line: Greater contributions from the city; greater contributions from employees; switching over to a different retirement system for new hires; and reducing benefits for current employees, such as ending automatic cost of living adjustments. The report also recommends changing overly optimistic assumptions and methods used to calculate pensions.

Clark spent his tenure as chair fighting these sorts of reforms. We hope that new leadership will finally open a door to necessary changes. As Mayor Sylvester Turner has said, it is a time for shared sacrifice.
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Uniteds Kingdoms shock referendum vote to leave the European Union (EU) delivered a hit to the pound and a great deal of economic uncertainty.How will British expats working in Singapore, and their employers, be affected by the move?Theres no black and white answer, Lee Quane, regional director  Asia, ECA International, told HRD.Most Brits working in Singapore will be employed on one of two types of employment: an international assignment or on a permanent basis, Quane said.Workers employed on a permanent basis in Singapore  who will likely be paid in Singapore dollars  may be experiencing an improvement in their purchasing power after the depreciation of the pound, Quane said.They need to send fewer Singapore dollars back to their home location to meet their home country commitments.The Singapore dollar that they earn is now buying them more in pounds. So relatively speaking, theyre better off, he explained.Those on international assignments, however, might be experiencing a deterioration in their purchasing power.For these roles, companies will normally calculate the employees salary by taking into account the costs of the worker in both home and host country, Quane explained.In most cases, the salary will then be split between Singapore dollars and pounds, but on some occasions, the company may choose to pay 100% of the employees salary in pounds  and thats when the employee will be worse off.As the pound is depreciating against the Singapore dollar, the amount of pounds theyre converting each month is buying them progressively less and less, Quane said.What companies must do in the face of currency volatility, he explained, is conduct regular salary reviews  for example, every six months instead of every year.Employers should also implement a trigger point system  a threshold of currency fluctuation, at which point a salary review is triggered.Such policies can put the employer at a disadvantage, and because of this many companies will dictate that the threshold must have been met for a sustained period of time  for example, two to three months  before the salary will be reviewed.In some cases, employers may even choose to conduct salary reconcilations at the end of the year  meaning the employee would bear the brunt of the fluctuation in the mean time, Quane explained.Looking ahead, if the value of the pound remains lower, the impact of Brexit may mean that Singapore employers find it easier to bring talent from the UK into the country, as the prospect of a local package looks more and more favourable, Quane said.Particularly if they are moving them on a permanent transfer basis, that Singapore dollar salary is now becoming much more competitive against what they would have been earning in their home location.
The birth of a clothing label often takes a set path: A fashion lover becomes a fashion student, works under the instruction of varying employers and eventually tries to forge their own path, often as a result of creative frustration and a desire to take the helm.

It's a typical tale.

When you meet somebody, as I did recently, who has arrived at the oft-sought after role of fashion designer, from a different path, it is perhaps not so surprising that their outlook of the industry is very different. They haven't set up a brand to satisfy an aforementioned 'creative frustration', but rather identified a problem that a clothing brand might help solve. Providing employment and training opportunities for women, for example.

Today, the fashion industry is in a state of flux and as it unravels and begins to rebuild itself, it is perhaps the input of these revolutionaries that is the key to real change. Free from the mindset that comes with years of dutiful service, fresh eyes see different opportunities.

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People often say, that the last thing we need in this world is another fashion designer.

But in the case of Rebecca Fordham (though I'm fairly sure she'd rebuff the label), I'm inclined to disagree. We need her and her Tales of Thread.

Pineapple Print, image courtesy of talesofthread.com

A member of the award-winning team behind docudrama Ten Days to War, she spent three years leading UNICEF's global Child Protection Communications and launched the International Day of the Girl Child. These are just a few of a long list of achievements.

And here we are, sitting in a London cafe, talking about her latest range of pyjamas, including a rather beautiful pink pineapple print. A career curve ball you might think and yet, given a second thought, not really.

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While the organisations she has worked for previously may remain A-political, everything she's done up to this point has been driven by a social message. And what is fashion, if not a way of communicating that message internationally?

Image courtesy of talesofthread.com

Women are at the heart of this brand: from designer to factory owner to producer, with a handful of other collaborators in-between.

The Cadling factory in Accra, Ghana, where the pyjamas are made, is run by Linda Ampah and she exclusively employs women. And it is no typical factory, but rather one centred on collaboration, education and empowerment.

A piping machine sent in from Germany (for the detail on the hems and cuffs of Tales of Thread pyjamas) is a joint investment between both brand and factory. Such machinery allows a greater manufacturing finesse for both Rebecca's pyjamas, as well as other brands using the production facility. Linda's employees learn the skills required for each different stage of the manufacturing process, leaving them with a broad range of transferable skills.

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Kente Print, image courtesy of talesofthread.com

The factory where the fabrics are made is run by Edwina Assan, who currently employs six other women and has plans to increase that number to 100.

Every pair of pyjamas represents a collaboration between women. The supply chain itself was part engineered by another enterprising pair at Ethical Apparel Africa (EAA). Set up by Keren Long and Paloma Pineda, EAA is an organisation aiming to link brands and producers sharing the common values of achieving the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.

Wave Print (left) and Ivory (right), images courtesy of talesofthread.com

If you've taken the opportunity to click on one of the many product links in this article so far, you will know that at 105-145 a pop, these pyjamas don't come cheap.

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At this point, I could mention the perfect cut of the leg (which tapers slightly towards the hem, expertly flattering all shapes and sizes and avoiding contact with the ground), the roomy pockets, the slightly higher waist, the beautiful piping details, the natural shell buttons, or the individual organic wash bag and its traditional, recycled Ghanaian beads in which the pyjamas are packaged.

But there is something else I would like to point out too.

When it comes to purchasing pyjamas, we often lower our budget. There is something about their inconspicuousness that diminishes the value we place on them. Compared to all our other clothes, hardly anyone will see us in them, making them, in our eyes, less worthy of our investment.

But what we chose to wear to bed are the items we are choosing to wear hundreds of times over - and very close to our skin.

If you think about what you wear most often, it probably isn't that white shirt, or those skinny jeans. It's your favourite pyjamas - so you might as well invest in a pair you can be proud of.

Bring on bed time.

Discover Tales of Thread at Okapi, 40 Eaton Terrace London, until the end of August.
Hillary Clinton's religious background is more straightforward than Donald Trump's (on Trump's religious background, see last month's blog post), but just as revealing of how well she will likely do this November with churchgoing voters. This is an especially important consideration in the part of the country located between Pittsburgh and the prairies, both because the presidential election will likely be decided there, and because it's a place with many churchgoing people.

Like Donald Trump, Hillary Rodham Clinton was an early baby boomer. She was born in 1947, the second year of the boom. As a result, she, like Trump, grew up at a time when religious affiliation and weekly observance reached all-time highs in modern American history. Clinton, however, had a closer connection to her church and faith than did Trump.

Clinton's parents were Methodists, and they and their three children belonged to First United Methodist Church in Park Ridge, Illinois, the Chicago suburb in which Hillary Rodham grew up. All the indications are that the Rodhams, Hillary included, were closely connected to that church. Her father was a devout Methodist and her mother a Sunday school teacher at First United. Hillary was confirmed there, went to summer bible camps, was part of the youth group, and occasionally helped clean the church organ. For her, First United seems to have been a place she very much enjoyed going and being a part of. The moderate religiosity of the 1950's and early '60's were very much in evidence at First United then, and seems to have resonated strongly with Hillary Clinton.



Helping making that experience even more formative was the close connection she formed during 1961-'63 with the youth pastor at First United Methodist, a man named Don Jones. At that time, he taught a kind of class for his approximately sixty students called "The University of Life." The basic idea was to expose a virtually all-white, comfortably middle-class group of young people to the complexities and social problems that lay beyond the borders of staunchly Republican and mostly prosperous Park Ridge. Among the expeditions Jones led were ones to the heavily black South Side of Chicago, to witness firsthand the hardships of the urban poor, and to debates with atheists and a conversation with a rabbi. In some ways most memorable for Clinton, Jones took the group to hear Martin Luther King, Jr. speak when he visited Chicago. Jones also arranged for the teen-aged Hillary to meet King and shake his hand. Having these kinds of experiences through church were very much part of the Methodist tradition. The faith's founder, John Wesley, emphasized experience over the details of doctrine. That faith tradition tends to support not just a life of prayer but also of socially useful works. As a result, there has long been a strong Social Gospel side to the Methodist Church, and that appears to have shaped Hillary Clinton's outlook on life greatly. She seems to have taken the notion of Christian mission and service to the world (as part of the process of personal salvation) very seriously, and still does.

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What has made her connection to religion more complicated was her decision to marry Bill, who is a lifelong Southern Baptist. That decision didn't create a lot of doctrinal conflicts because Methodists don't heavily emphasize matters of doctrine. Her interfaith marriage complicated her religious life somewhat, though, because it led her to move from suburban Chicago to the very different Little Rock, Arkansas, and because her husband's faith and values background differed from her own. Hillary Clinton continued to attend a Methodist church (First United Methodist) when she moved to Little Rock, and Chelsea was confirmed there. Hillary Clinton belongs to a Methodist church in New York today.

What, then, does this kind of religious background tell us about Hillary Clinton's appeal to voters this fall, in the pivotal Midwestern states especially? First, that her connection to mainstream religious belief and observance is lifelong and very natural. Second, that older churchgoing voters who remember the era, theologically speaking, in which Clinton grew up, will likely respond positively to that side of her. Third, that she will likely struggle with the more strongly religious and the most secular, both of which have seen their numbers expand since the mid-1970's. The United States is a more polarized place than it was during Clinton's formative years, and the current state of American religion very much reflects that. Most white evangelicals will likely respond coolly to her middle-of-the-road faith tradition and liberal version of the Social Gospel. Most of the most secular voters will find her lifelong commitment to Methodism a quality somehow out of place in a modern, liberal feminist. But in her native (and electorally crucial) Midwest, where moderate religiosity remains strong, Hillary Clinton's religious background seems likely to be a positive factor in persuading swing voters to support her.
In Baton Rouge, La., Silky Slim, pictured above, has implored the United Nations to pay attention to what he calls the "hypocrisy" of the United States regarding the treatment of some of its own citizens, African-Americans. In fact, several UN officials have readily commented on racial and other violence in the United States as well as the conditions of blacks in the country.

As reported globally and partly captured on video in July, the capital of Louisiana suffered the shooting deaths of three police officers and the death of a man selling CDs at a convenience store parking lot, all within two weeks. Both episodes and other killings last month of black men and police officers jolted the US into a deep examination of how violent race relations had become in the country.

Slim, whose real name is Arthur Reed, lives in Baton Rouge -- the city's South Side, to be exact -- where he runs a nonprofit group, Stop the Killing, recording violence in the area to show in schools, churches and other community settings to educate people on injustices that may not get much scrutiny.

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His goal is to stop street violence and other "senseless killings," he said in a phone interview after the Baton Rouge killings, by diverting young men and women away from criminal and self-destructive behaviors through building self-esteem.

Slim, who is 43, knows well a violent life. He was a gang member and drug user who tried to commit suicide and served years in prison before he turned around and found a lifesaving cause: antiviolence. He grew up in Baton Rouge in the "depressed neighborhood between Beauregard Town and the North Gates of LSU," or Louisiana State University.

By age 14, he was locked up for two counts of attempted second-degree murder. Years later, after surviving a near-fatal car accident, he said he heard God speak, "I just brought you out of that, now what are going to do for me?"

He opened Stop the Killing, where he tries to educate the community on nonviolence. His new civic venture is to increase awareness of the July 5 deadly shooting by Baton Rouge police of Alton Sterling, a black man who sold CDs in front of the Triple S convenience store. The night of his death, police reported they had been responding to a call that a man was seen in the vicinity wielding a gun. Sterling was apprehended and pinned to the ground by two white officers and shot instantly. Whether he carried a gun has not been fully established.

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The US Justice Department announced soon after the death, recorded on video by Slim and the store owner, that it would investigate the killing. Slim's video set off a street protest, which remained calm, in the city the next day.

More violence in Baton Rouge ensued: on July 17, two days after Sterling's funeral, three local police officers were killed and five others were wounded on a strip mall. Louisiana officials labeled it an "ambush" by Gavin Long, a lone gunman and ex-Marine apparently intent on executing police. He was from Kansas City, Mo., and had brandished an assault rifle that Sunday morning before he fired at police and was shot in the gun battle.

The two incidents preceded by mere days the killing of a black man by police in Minnesota and then five police officers shot in Dallas by a black sniper. Yet the racially charged and retaliatory episodes were also interspersed with peaceful street protests, making neat summaries difficult.

As Teju Cole, a photography critic for The New York Times, wrote about the Baton Rouge incidents: "Rightful protests against murder are not to blame for other murders."

After Sterling's funeral on July 15 in Baton Rouge, Slim surprisingly invoked the UN in an impromptu video interview (the day before the Baton Rouge police officers were killed).

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Speaking in the video, which surfaced on Twitter, Slim said that he hoped that the UN would look at Sterling's death and see America's "hypocrisy" for sending "the same young men" to fight for democracy elsewhere but denying them democracy at home.

"America has very persuasive power in the UN," Slim said in a later phone interview, noting that his country addresses inhumane conditions and humanitarian needs elsewhere, but not necessarily, he added, at home.

Slim was most likely unaware that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman had eagerly addressed the issue of the violent, racial deaths that occurred in July in the US, when the spokesman answered a question from a reporter.

The reporter's question said, in part, "two AfricanAmericans have been, in a very highprofile way, killed, Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana. One was captured on film, the whole incident. And I wanted to know, although these might seem to be disparate incidents . . . what does the SecretaryGeneral think, if the United States has enough protections for particularly members of minority or other groups . . . being shot by the police?"

Ban's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said to the reporter: "First of all, our condolences go to the families of the victims involved in both shootings. I think anybody who's seen the videos, they are extremely disturbing to say the least, and we would hope that each of these cases are investigated thoroughly in order to find out what happened and also to establish if there is, in fact, any pattern."

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Dujarric said that Ban also condemned the sniper deaths of the five police officers in Dallas, adding that the violence in the US "has put the focus on the need to address discrimination, including racial disparities in law enforcement, in a comprehensive approach."

Several ambassadors who represent their countries on the UN Security Council -- namely China, Malaysia and Venezuela, each experiencing varying degrees of tension with the US -- said in brief questioning that the topic of racial discrimination or racial violence in America has not come up in council meetings. The countries vehemently agreed that the topic should come up.

The UN's leading human-rights advocate weighed in two months ago about discriminatory gun attacks in the US.

In June, after the killing of 49 people by a gunman in a gay nightclub in Florida, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, urged US leaders to live up to its obligations to protect its citizens from the "horrifyingly commonplace but preventable violent attacks that are the direct result of insufficient gun control."

In addition, a UN human-rights expert, Ricardo A. Sunga III, who heads the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, said after the deaths of Philando Castile in Minnesota, Sterling and the Dallas police officers: "The Working Group is outraged and strongly condemns the new police killings of two African-American men. These killings which were captured on video cannot be ignored. We call for prompt independent investigations to ensure the perpetrators are prosecuted and punished.

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"We also condemn the attacks on police officers in Dallas and call for the perpetrators to be held accountable. Excessive use of force by the police against African Americans in the United States is a regular occurrence. African Americans are reportedly shot at more than twice the rate of white people."

In January 2016, the working group released its findings from a mission to the US to assess the situation of African-Americans and people of African descent regarding racism, racial discrimination, Afrophobia, xenophobia and related intolerance. The group said in its report, "The United States is still a long way away from dealing with the systemic and institutionalised racial discrimination that plagues it on all levels."

Conditions for blacks in the US, despite major advances, remain unequal compared with whites. The Lancet said in a July editorial that some well-being indicators of blacks have improved in the last decades, like better health care coverage, but "little movement has been made in reducing the number of black children from impoverished backgrounds."

In 2014, compared with 12 percent of white children, 37 percent of black children lived in poverty (defined as an income of $24,008 for a family of four), The Lancet said. "In a related metric, the percentages are similar for the stark divide in children living in food-insecure households (black, 34 percent; white, 15 percent).

"Just as in 1960, issues of race, racism, and inequality are once again at the fore of the national conversation," it noted.

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Since the deaths of the Baton Rouge police officers, Slim said on the phone, his group has not been prevented from doing its video recordings by the police, yet: "It's a funny situation to be in. We are trying to stop violence and now we're viewed as anti-police."
Yields on Egypt's three-month and nine-month treasury bills rose at Sunday's auction, the first since the International Monetary Fund agreed in principle to grant the country a $12 billion three-year loan facility, data from the central bank showed.

The average yield on the 91-day bill rose to 14.154 percent from 14.089 percent at the last auction on August 7. The 266-day bill rose to 15.889 percent from 15.730 percent at a similar auction a week ago.

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The Full Moon Fest will bring a new level of excitement to New York City's music scene on August 20th and 21st at Governors Island. With artists like Santigold and Black Coffee set to perform, people all over the world are hyped to attend one of the most energetic and spirited festivals this summer season. I recently got the chance to talk to JIL who will be playing the show on Saturday. While I could not see the three men's faces, they did open up about their recording process and why they are excited to make their festival debut this year. Tickets to the festival can be purchased by visiting http://fullmoonfest.com.

You guys are very mysterious. Can you give us all some information about yourselves? To say we are intrigued is an understatement.

We are made up of an Urban Cowboy, a Yung Neuroscientist, and a Skating Gator.

I love the song "All Your Words." What was the creative process behind putting the music together?

All Your Words has been our baby throughout this process. We'd spend countless nights recording new layers and taking layers away. Once we found that verse melody though...Really had to dig deep for those lyrics. As with most of our music, we worked on the song in a lot of locations - NYU and Columbia dorm rooms, our home studio, our parents' houses, and a few friends' places.

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I always knew that college could pay off! This question is for the vocalist - How and where did you train yourself to sing?

Mom says that I've "been singing since before I could speak" to gospel records in the car. My parents met in our church choir. Some might say I was born to sing.

A star is born. What do you guys love about NYC?

Everything and every kind of person you could imagine is here. Almost the entire scope of humanity is packed into several square miles. And we all hustlin'.

The hustle is so real. Who are some of your influences in the music world? Who would you love to collaborate with?

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We are influenced by a lot of different styles and eras in music, from romantic era classical to hip-hop. A few of our all time favorites are Debussy, Marvin Gaye, Radiohead and J Dilla. In terms of who we are influenced by that is around now - Flying Lotus, Tame Impala, Floating Points and Mike Dean to name a few. Collaborating with any of those guys would be an honor. And Kanye. Yeezy. That would be awesome. But most of all, Frank Ocean.

Love my boy Kanye. I'm looking forward to the LP release in September. What can music fans expect when it drops next month?

We'd like to think of it as a modern space odyssey into the soul. Musically it is an elaboration on and exploration of the colors, energies, and ideas we've brought you in our music so far.

I know you guys have an origin in Jazz. How difficult was it to transition from your musical roots into the world of electronic music?

We all come from playing many styles of music, jazz is just one of them. We'd all been messing around with computer oriented music for a long time so it was a pretty natural transition. Improvising was a huge part of our process, especially as we were first forming. That said, having the chance and ability to perform our music live (instead of taking turns recording and editing parts) is a freeing and somewhat cathartic experience after spending so much time perfecting its recorded form.

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"Emotional Heat" belongs in a film soundtrack. What kind of movies would you like your music to be in?

It would be unreal to hear our music in an aesthetically moving, movie about space. Think high detail CGI of spaceships carrying the first people to live in a different part of our galaxy blasting through hubble telescope type stuff...It would also be amazing to have our music score a film set in NYC.

There's no place like New York. So true guys. What do you look forward to the most about playing the Full Moon Festival?

First festival we've ever played, it's pretty exciting for us.

Who are some artists that are playing the same day as you that you want to watch as a fan?

We're especially hyped to see SBTRKT, Pusha T, and Moodyman.

Great answer. Before I let you guys go, how do think playing a festival compares to playing a solo show?

We're thinking the main difference is going to be that we'll be playing to an almost entirely new audience. We are a little nervous. This will be different. But we hope to inspire at least a couple people!

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I'm sure you guys will. Good luck at the Full Moon Festival. I will be cheering you all on!
The number of Western citizens being detained and thrown in Iran's political jail, Evin prison, is increasing. Most of those being targeted are from Western countries (Europeans or Americans), who have Iranian ethnicity.

Even the State Department has acknowledged the increasing threat "Iran has continued to harass, arrest, and detain US citizens, in particular dual nationals."

Many believed that Iran would open up politically and socially after rejoining the global financial system and after sanctions were lifted. Rowhani encouraged the Iranian Diaspora to visit Iran without fear.

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Iranian authorities use dual citizens as pawns for extracting economic concessions or receiving political and financial gains and can also use them to swap prisoners.

This year, Iran swapped 4 Iranian-Americans for seven Iranian prisoners in the US. In addition, a report revealed that "the Obama administration secretly organized an airlift of $400 million worth of cash to Iran" when four Iranian-Americans were released.

Iran can also use dual citizens to put pressure on Western countries to give Tehran geopolitical or economic points such as ignoring the IRGC's military adventures, turning a blind eye on Iran's breaches of international laws and testing of ballistic missiles, or not imposing penalties on Iran.

The hardliners are also sending a message to the moderates that the nuclear agreement does not mean more political and social liberalization. From a trade perspective, the hardliners want to keep the country closed to competition so that the IRGC and the office of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, maintains monopoly over the wealth and financial system.

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The Iranian government is also sending a message to the West and to the Iranian people that the Islamic Republic will not only target and arrest prominent and influential people, but also ordinary citizens such as Mr. Shahini. Iranian authorities are more concerned about Western cultural infiltration among the youth than anything else.

_____________________

You can read more of the article on Al Arabiya English.

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is an American political scientist, business advisor, best-selling author, and the president of the International American Council on the Middle East. Harvard-educated, Rafizadeh serves on the advisory board of Harvard International Review. An American citizen, he is originally from Iran and Syria, lived most of his life in Iran and Syria till recently. He is a board member of several significant and influential international and governmental institutions, and he is native speaker of couple of languages including Arabic and Persian. He also speaks English and Dari, and can converse in French, Hebrew.

You can sign up for Dr. Rafizadeh's newsletter for the latest news and analyses on HERE. You can also order his books on HERE.

You can learn more about Dr. Rafizadeh on HERE.
In this strategy memo on why progressive Democrats and Empire-skeptic Republicans should do what they reasonably can to assist efforts to block the recently proposed Saudi arms deal, I will cover four points.

1. What's going on2. Why this is a winnable fight3. Why blocking/trying to block the Saudi arms deal is in the broad interests of humanity4. How blocking the Saudi arms deal could help block lame duck TPP

1. What's going on:

On August 9, the Administration notified Congress of a plan to sell a bunch of tanks and armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia. Congress has 30 days to try to block the sale. Ordinarily, Congress never blocks or even tries to block an arms sale. The notification happens and nobody pays it any mind. But this one is special, because it's perceived as a proxy for continued US participation in the Saudi war in Yemen, which has brought about a total humanitarian catastrophe. Republican Senator Rand Paul has announced that he will work with a bipartisan coalition in the Senate and House to block the sale. Oxfam and other human rights groups oppose the arms sale. Just Foreign Policy's petition to Congress against the arms sale is here.

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2. Why this is a winnable fight:

Foreign Policy handicaps efforts to block the sale as "an uphill battle," because the main beneficiary is General Dynamics, which FP says has big clout on the Hill.

However, FP neglects the fact that two months ago, we had a very similar fight on the House floor and almost won, on an amendment to block the transfer of US-produced (Textron) cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. The vote on the Conyers-Ellison-Grijalva-Lieu-McGovern-Johnson-Lee Amendment was 204-216. All but 16 House Democrats voted yes. 40 Republicans, including many Liberty Caucus members, also voted yes. The amendment was supported by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

3. Why blocking/trying to block the Saudi arms deal is in the broad interests of humanity:In general, Saudi Arabia is bad and the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia is bad and the promiscuous transfer of U.S. weapons around the world is bad and having our relations with other countries be dominated by weapons transfers is bad and the outsize influence of the Pentagon-industrial-Congressional-think tank complex on U.S. foreign policy is bad. And forcing public debate in the political system and the media about these things is good.

In this particular case, it's plausible that if we can block the Saudi arms sale, or even come close and have a robust public food fight about it, we can help end the catastrophic Yemen war.

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From the FP piece:

Human rights groups, by contrast, say the move sends the wrong message to Saudi Arabia. "The international community must go 'all in' on a peace agreement," said Scott Paul, a senior policy adviser at Oxfam America. "A sale of major arms to Saudi Arabia signals the opposite -- that the U.S. is instead all-in on a senseless war that has created one of the world's largest humanitarian emergencies."

Blocking the arms sale would send the right message.

4. How blocking the Saudi arms deal could help us block lame duck TPP: Obama is using two arguments for passing TPP [the proposed corporate power-grabbing Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement] in a lame duck session of Congress after the election that overlap with arguments it will likely make if pressed on the Saudi arms deal:

A. TPP is about foreign policy/national security/US leadership in Asia/US commitment to Asia/pivot to Asia/containing China/geopolitical blah blah.

B. Obama is still President. Obama, not Hillary Clinton, will be President until January 20.

A. Even if you don't buy claims that the TPP will benefit the US economically, Admin argues, TPP is a foreign policy-national security thing. It's about pivot to Asia, containing China, US leadership in Asia, blah blah. If Congress doesn't give Obama the TPP, it will unnerve our allies in Asia, who will wonder about the U.S. commitment to Asia and it will embolden China to run amok, blah blah. Similarly, to discourage Members of Congress from opposing the Saudi arms deal, Admin will likely say: even if you don't think this arms deal is a great idea, even if you don't think the Saudi war in Yemen is a great thing for the US to participate in, if Congress blocks this arms deal, it will cause key U.S. Middle East ally Saudi Arabia to doubt the US commitment to its allies in the Middle East, blah blah.

If we can beat the Saudi arms deal in the House, it will be a sharp, fresh indication that the House doesn't care about geopolitical US leadership blah blah very much. Most Americans don't care about Saudi Arabia or Yemen very much. So, if we can beat the US leadership geopolitical blah blah argument in the House on Saudi-Yemen, which most Americans don't care about, why would anyone think the House should care about a US leadership geopolitical blah blah argument in the case of the TPP, where there is a real domestic political cost to supporting the TPP in terms of engaged public opinion?

B. One of the things Obama needs to do to win TPP in a lame duck is to get some group of House Democrats to act according to the belief that lame duck TPP is an Obama loyalty test. This isn't just a question of who votes yes or no in the endgame. It's also a question of how forceful people who are eventually going to vote no are in their public opposition prior to a vote. Elijah Cummings will vote no on the TPP if it comes to a vote on the House floor. Yet, as chair of the Democratic Platform drafting committee, he rejected the idea that the Platform should explicitly oppose the TPP, on the grounds that he wasn't going to undermine the President in his last six months in office.

If we beat Obama in the House on the Saudi arms sale, the most likely way we win is like the cluster bomb vote: almost all Democrats and 40-50 Republicans. In other words, in rough measure, a lot like a House TPP vote.

So, if we beat Obama in the House on the Saudi arms sale, the message is: Obama is still President, but that doesn't matter nearly as much to House Democrats anymore as he wants it to matter. And that would be a sharp psychological warfare blow in September against the idea of lame duck TPP.
Iraqi Kurds gather near the Arbil Citadel in the center of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, on the eve of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed, known in Arabic as 'al-Mawlid al-Nabawi', on December 23, 2015. AFP PHOTO / SAFIN HAMED / AFP / SAFIN HAMED (Photo credit should read SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images)

Co-written with Tea Ivanovic, WYLN Senior Fellow and Board Member at the Mediterranean Basin Initiative, Paul H. Nitze School of International Advanced Studies at Johns Hopkins University alumna

It is known to the world that the Kurdistan region in Iraq is facing daunting problems as it combats the largest global terrorist threat, the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or ISIS. The courage of the Peshmerga, the Kurdistan army that halted ISIS' advancement two years ago, and which keeps counting victories over this vicious terrorist group, has entered world history. Add to that the fact that these brave men and women are fighting with old weapons, unlike ISIS fighters, who confiscated modern and heavy weaponry from the Iraqi army that the U.S. provided.

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Fearing the threat of ISIS and political instability, investors and foreign companies left Kurdistan, which had a sizable impact on the region's economic development. In addition, since February 2014, the Iraqi central government stopped paying its financial obligations to Kurdistan, all while more than two million refugees and internally displaced people of all ethnicities and nationalities found refuge in the Kurdistan region, fleeing ISIS. To address these challenges, the government in Erbil has launched a set of reforms to create a more efficient administration and to diversify the economy, which is still heavily dependent on oil and gas exports. The liberation of Mosul is expected to send between 500,000 and 1,000,000 additional refugees to the Kurdistan region, and will undoubtedly have abysmal effects on its fragile economy. The international community will need to commit to long-term aid and financial assistance, which will be crucial to defeating ISIS not only militarily, but also their entire ideology.

The fear is that if basic living conditions for refugees are not created and sustained, additional resentment might develop and new terror groups could emerge. The process of finding permanent homes for refugees will be slow at best, as ISIS destroyed numerous villages and placed landmines in others. Those mines are placed within buildings, which make them almost impossible to neutralize, and are planted there with the sole reason of potentially killing more people who try to dismantle them in an effort to inhabit the villages. Just a few days ago, Peshmerga Colonel Peshkaft Zuher Khalid was killed while attempting to dismantle a mine left by ISIS in Tulaband village. He was 34 years old and left three sons and a daughter behind.

After Mosul is liberated, the international community must prepare for long-term humanitarian aid.

Talks about a post-ISIS future for the Mosul area are already well underway, and Masoud Barzani, the Kurdistan region president, already supported requests by Yezidis, Christians, Shabaks, Kakais, Armenians and Assyrians, for independent administration and self-rule of Nineveh province.

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The liberation of Mosul will be a huge leap forward for the Kurdistan region. After ISIS is repelled further from its borders, investors are expected to start coming back. Plenty are already eyeing ways to enter or re-enter projects and foreign ministers, ambassadors and other officials are meeting daily with Kurdistan government officials. And rightly so, as opportunities for cooperation are plenty.

The city of Rawanduz, some 24 miles from Erbil, with a stunning view and a fresh supply of sweet mineral water (PHOTO: Sarkawt A. Sabir

Restoring the Agricultural Richness of the Kurdistan Region

Kurdistan, formerly known as the "breadbasket of Iraq," has 1.5 million hectares of irrigated lands and 70 percent of the grain production in Kurdistan is organic. In addition, Kurdistan annually produces 1.6 million tons of wheat, of which it only uses 650,000 tons, leaving one million tons available for export. Yet Iraq is not buying wheat from the Kurdistan region and is importing it from Iran and Turkey. Furthermore, the region's fruit production is also substantial. The Barwar Bella region alone (Duhok province) produces more than 28,000 tons of apples, and Halabja produces over 50,000 tons of pomegranates on an annual basis. Opportunities for U.S. businesses are plenty in the agricultural sector, where technology is needed for further growth. Now is the time to start exploring these opportunities through the union of farmers in Kurdistan and connecting to the existing agriculture private sector for exploring joint business opportunities.

The extent to which politics undermine economics in this part of the world is proven by this letter from the Iraqi Ministry of Commerce issued on Oct. 19, 2015, in which instructions were given to not honor the payment for the already delivered agricultural goods from Kurdistan, Kirkuk, Anbar, Nineveh and Om Qasr but to pay farmers throughout Iraq with allocated 680 billion Iraqi dinars (around $600 million).

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In Oct. 2015, the Iraqi Ministry of Commerce issued a letter instructing the government in Baghdad to pay all Iraqi but not Kurdish farmers for delivered agricultural products to Baghdad in 2014 and 2015.

A lack of property rights is a huge problem for economic development in the Middle East, and so it is in Kurdistan, a condition inherited from Saddam's times. The KRG should look to reform the agricultural sector to allow for individual ownership of the land, to encourage farmers to use owned land as a collateral in obtaining bank loans to expand their businesses and foster international business cooperation. It is a win-win situation where the government will have increases in tax revenue and the agricultural sector will be a strong and stable pillar of private sector business. To boost revenue, requests should be made to the U.N. and other international agencies that will be instrumental in the rebuilding effort in post-ISIS Mosul and other territories, to buy wheat and other products from local farmers in the Kurdistan region, instead of importing readymade products for their needs from neighboring countries.

Group Tourism Gaining Momentum in the Kurdistan Region

Before ISIS, the Kurdistan region was a very popular tourist destination and would host over three million visitors annually. In 2014, Erbil was named the "Capital of Tourism" by the Arab World Tourist organization. Understandably, the very present fear of ISIS significantly decreased visitor numbers, but in the last two months tourism started to pick up again as security in the region improves. Even though ISIS is still a major danger for the region, its threat to security is significantly diminished within Kurdistan.

On July 7, the second day of Eid, 18,000 visitors entered Kurdistan, and nearly 200,000 visited the region in July, mostly from the rest of Iraq. The Kurdistan Regional Government is in the process of negotiating agreements with Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Kuwait and Jordan on group tourism to make it easier to obtain visas for organized group travel through security check points.

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The Citadel, located inside Erbil, is one of the oldest uninterruptedly inhabited towns in the world. It is listed on the UNESCO world heritage list and is currently undergoing restorations (PHOTO: Jan Sefti

The Kurdistan Tourism Guide, an excellent smartphone app, and the General Board of Tourism website, are available in five languages and are a great tool to discover the hidden beauties, the cultural and historical treasures of the Kurdistan Region.

At the Gem Stones Museum in the Citadel in Erbil, the owner's son in fluent English guides visitors to rare stones from Kurdistan, region, and world (PHOTO: Sasha Toperich)
I'm a gun owner and Donald Trump doesn't speak for me - or any of the gun owners I know. His suggestion on Tuesday that we "second amendment people" could take matters into our own hands if Hillary Clinton makes undesirable supreme court justice selections makes all gun owners look unhinged. But he doesn't speak for us. He speaks only for himself.

In his controversial comments, he warned: "If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks." He then added: "Although the second amendment people - maybe there is, I don't know." Any reasonable person can tell what he's hinting at there. It's assassination.

We have a long history in our nation of a peaceful transfer of power. These days, it seems like some self-proclaimed "patriots" are getting further from that fundamental value of our society.

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We all know the demographic. We also know that groups who might sympathize with these ideas have been increasingly popping up around the country. They are excited about the prospect of a Trump presidency, and why shouldn't they be? David Duke, former "Grand Wizard" of the KKK, has announced a run - the impetus being Trump's popularity.

Many gun owners believe the right to bear arms is a fundamental one. But the vast majority of us also believe that right is strengthened through smart laws that protect us and our families. We want comprehensive and universal background checks. We want required training. We want common sense laws to keep us all safe.

When I was in the US Navy, I served for a time as the Work Center Supervisor and Leading Petty Officer for two divisions of weapons systems maintainers and operators aboard the USS Thach. The requirements for our military members to use firearms include, but are not limited to: annual live-fire training, regular background checks and a "sanity check" each time they check out weapons and ammunition from the armory.

We do these things because they work. They keep us safe and professional - and handling weapons responsibly is part of our job that we're repeatedly trained to do. Why expect less from our citizenry?

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Trump repeatedly claims that Clinton wants to "abolish" the Second Amendment. But what she, and Barack Obama, have proposed doesn't even strengthen our laws to mirror the rigors of the military. In fact, all they've asked for is a universal background check system for anyone purchasing a gun - something that as many as 83% of gun owners also support.

Meanwhile, it's hard to think of any national security or firearms professionals who think that what Trump said is acceptable. Hell, I don't know many humans who think what he said is acceptable - aside from a few folks who are trying to change what Trump said or make excuses for him.

House speaker Paul Ryan called his remarks "a joke gone bad." And Trump's running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, said he was simply referring to "tremendously unified" voting block with "great political power". These men are elected officials.

Enough is enough. Hinting at - or even joking about - the prospect of one's political opponents being assassinated is a signal of being temperamentally unfit for the presidency. The responsibility to keep Trump out of the White House is on all of us, and that includes gun owners. We can't let our care for the second amendment mean we turn a blind eye to this latest of many red flags.

After all, in the navy's firearms training, we learn that ignoring the signs of danger can get us killed - so why would we ignore them here at home?




UNFPA and private sector representatives in Mandera county in Northern Kenya to develop solutions with the community and the county government. Credit:  Ilija Gudnitz Weber

The increased budgetary allocations to the health sector by county governments point to an acknowledgement not only of the enormous challenges facing the sector, but also of good health as a prerequisite to overall development.

There has never been a better time for partnerships that harness the power of business to drive prosperity by tackling health challenges. The combination of a growing population and preventable infections means that companies with a focus on solving consumer challenges can expect to record impressive profits while at the same time serving a social good.

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The partnership aims to harnesses the strength, resources and expertise of the private sector, in close collaboration with the Government of Kenya and the six County Governments of Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Isiolo, Lamu and Migori. These counties contribute close to 50% of the country's maternal deaths.

The partnership seeks to significantly improve health outcomes in the counties, while also potentially creating shared value business opportunities, ensuring a sustained engagement that has a social as well as economic return on investment.

With support from the World Economic Forum, PSHP Kenya has built a strong platform to engage with key public and private stakeholders, create political support for the initiative as well as catalyse expertise for design of leapfrogging innovations.

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It is not a partnership that is led by any one sector, but a coalition model where all players can see opportunity in line with their individual missions.

The active participation of the county governments and community organisations is helping to tweak technologies to suit local purposes.This approach is working impressively for instance in Mandera where Philips is establishing a Community Life Centre.

The Life centre is a health facility for providing vital primary care to mothers and children as well as a community hub. The local community can buy clean water and sustainable products like smokeless stoves and home solar lighting products, and benefit from solar-powered LED outdoor lighting that illuminates the area at night, improving security and extending daylight hours.

Other players like Safaricom and Huawei have started to pool their unique expertise and services in IT and mobile connectivity to design and test transformational digital health solutions. MSD has announced a USD 1.5 million grant, through its Merck for Mothers initiative, to a new project by JHPIEGO which will engage with the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) in Mandera and Migori.

UNFPA has also partnered with the Kenyan innovation incubator Nailab to support young Kenyan entrepreneurs and we have partnered with the First Lady of Kenya, Ms. Margaret Kenyatta's Beyond Zero campaign to bring together government, private sector and the thriving civil society.

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The situation in the six counties has in the past contributed to the country's reputation as a dangerous place for a woman to give birth. Reduction of maternal and child mortality rates are some of the Millennium Development Goal targets that Kenya missed last year. However, it is clear that it is also an opportunity for collective action and a commitment to shared value creation.

In the words of Michael Porter; "for too long have business and society been pitted against each other". The PSHP is showing the way in how different sectors with separate mission statements can be galvanized to find intersections in solving social problems.

For long, suspicions about the private sector's motives have created a wedge, preventing social programmes from accessing the knowledge, ideas, capabilities and resources that abound in private companies.

Shared value propositions will enable different sectors to leverage each other's assets, connections, creativity and expertise to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

We must continue finding new and creative ways to increase collaboration between government, the private sector and non-profits if we hope to reach Sustainable Development Goals.

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December 1900 marked the first ever "Christmas Bird Count". Its aim was to get people counting bird species rather than killing them. It's now an annual tradition. Every year on a specific day between December 14 and January 5, thousands of volunteers - ordinary people, not scientists - gather in more than 2,000 locations in the Western hemisphere to count birds.

Conservation biologists use this data to assess bird populations' health and look at long-term trends.

This is probably the earliest recorded example of citizen science, a phenomenon that filmmaker Geoff Haines-Stiles calls

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...science with, for and by the people.

Haines-Stiles, who produced the scientific TV series "Cosmos" during the 1980s, is an enthusiastic fan of citizen science. "It is truly a revolution in the way science is done," he said during an online seminar organised by the Berlin Museum for Natural Science on July 18 2016. "It allows people who are not traditionally involved in doing science and gathering data, to become active contributors to real science."

This is as true in Africa as it is elsewhere in the world. More and more Africans are becoming citizen scientists - and the benefits are huge both for them as individuals and for science on the continent.

African initiatives

Gathering environmental data is a key focus of African citizen science.

In South Africa, Kenya and Uganda, for instance, volunteers monitor and record data on everything from mangrove ecosystems to beach erosion; along with a variety of animals and insects like sea turtles, bats, owls, frogs, lizards and butterflies.

Cape Citizen Science asks nature lovers to become "pathogen hunters" while on nature walks. This is done by recording dying fynbos plants and collecting samples of the dead plant material. From time to time, visitors to South Africa's Kruger National Park are asked to help monitor endangered species like wild dogs and cheetahs by submitting their photographs of these animals.

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With internet access, it's even possible to contribute to African-based citizen science projects around the globe without leaving home. Wildebeest Watch invites people to explore collective intelligence in these animals as they navigate the Serengeti. Snapshot Serengeti asks for help in sorting photos gathered by hundreds of camera traps in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park.

Professor Les Underhill of the University of Cape Town's Animal Demography Unit (ADU) is a pioneer of citizen science on the continent. Over the past 25 years, his research group has integrated citizen data into ambitious research projects across southern Africa. Through this unit, data from citizen scientists are feeding into atlases and distribution maps of birds, dung beetles, frogs, scorpions, spiders, butterflies, dragonflies, lacewing moths, sea stars, mushrooms and orchids.

The unit's innovative virtual museum contains more than 6,000 photographic records provided by hundreds of citizen scientists. Most of their bird ringers are amateurs, not professional scientists, who spend their own time and money to contribute valuable ringing data.

"Each data point the ADU's citizen scientists collect is a piece in the jigsaw puzzle of biodiversity," Underhill says. "It is our job to turn the myriad bits of raw data into information that can support conservation policy and action."

The limitations of citizen science

The contribution of citizen science goes beyond gathering or unravelling data. Enthusiastic volunteers also bring their computer equipment and technological skills to assist with number crunching and data analysis. They can fill in knowledge gaps by providing scientists with extra hands, eyes, computers, cameras, smartphones and vehicles.

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But not everybody is convinced.

"Citizen science" is an oxymoron." That's what Dr Rob Little, a biologist at the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town, told me recently. "It is not possible to be a citizen dentist or a citizen lawyer, so why citizen scientists?" he asks. "Being a scientist requires a minimum of MSc-level training."

Other criticisms revolve around the quality of data collected by non-experts and the potential for conflicts of interest - ordinary people who are opposed to fracking, for instance, might get involved in projects just to gather information that supports their stance.

Inclusivity is also a particular challenge when it comes to citizen science projects. It can be difficult to involve people who don't have their own transport or access to smartphones, computers and internet; or where literacy rates are low. Some initiatives in Africa are getting creative to address these problems. The Extreme Citizen Science research group in the Democratic Republic of Congo is doing some great work with communities in this regard.

A powerful force for change

Despite its limitations, citizen science has an important place in Africa. It is a way of driving public engagement; of creating linkages and dialogue between science and society. It can inspire people to take an interest in science and enthuse young people about careers in science. It helps make science a part of everyday life - after all, the evidence of science's benefits is all around us.

It is also a vital step towards democratising science.
Blumberg Grain said its mega project to store Egyptian grains was back in play, with the government to announce a final decision in two weeks, after earlier indications that plans had been shelved and the company might exit the country entirely.

The decision comes as Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, remains 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.

If Egypt's local wheat procurement numbers were misrepresented, it may have to spend more on foreign wheat purchases to meet local demand - even as the country faces a dollar shortage that has sapped its ability to import.

The grain logistics company has said the tracking and monitoring capabilities of its high-tech storage systems would crack down on the type of fraud seen in this year's local procurement, which involves private silos sharply overestimating their wheat stocks to boost government payments.

Blumberg Grain completed the first phase of the project earlier this year, delivering 93 systems to process and monitor about a quarter of the country's crop. But a series of bureaucratic hurdles prevented the sites from coming online in time for the procurement now under investigation.

Egypt's supply minister said last month that the second phase, which includes an additional 300 storage systems, had been rejected by the state's Holding Company for Silos and Storage.

Blumberg Grain nonetheless said it is now optimistic about the project moving forward following a meeting with the prime minister and despite the pending resolution of "modest issues that stand in the way", Blumberg Grain's CEO for the Middle East and Africa, David Blumberg, told Reuters this weekend.

"Given the high impact of this project, and the Sisi administration's emphasis on combating corruption, the need to increase hard currency, and help farmers, we are confident that the Egyptian government will do everything in its power to ensure the rapid development of the entire shouna (storage site) network," Blumberg said.

The company said however that if the second phase is not signed, it would halt plans to establish Egypt as its regional export hub and for a $250 million investment allocation for projects that include a manufacturing plant in East Port Said.

The plant would be the first located in Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone, on which the government has pinned hopes of building a re-export hub that will draw badly needed hard currency but which has so far struggled to secure foreign investors.

A parliamentary fact-finding committee investigating the wheat procurement scandal is expected to deliver its final report to the head of parliament on Sunday, committee member Yasser Omar told Reuters.

Among the report's recommendations is that all private storage areas include monitoring capabilities similar to those of the Blumberg sites in order to prevent a repeat of this year's fraud, Omar added.

The minister of supplies said last month his ministry had finalised inspections at storage areas and that only 4 percent of the value of this year's harvest was missing.

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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 easily approved sending the question to the ballot.

Pittsfield City Councils Votes to Put CPA on November Ballot



State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier said the Legislature each year approves a budget for the CPA but none of those funds are coming back to Pittsfield.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Voters will be asked for a second time whether the city wants to adopt the Community Preservation Act.

The state law allows for communities to add a surcharge to property tax bills to pay for parks, open spaces, historic preservation, and affordable housing. The state divvies up fees collected from deed transfers with real estate sales and matches on a percentage basis.

"For the price of a large pizza, the possibilities are endless with what can come back to the city," Ward 3 Councilor Nicholas Caccamo said in voting to put the measure on the ballot.

The fees on the deed transfers are paid by everyone in the commonwealth whether or not the community has adopted the act. Those in favor of the act say the city is missing out on revenue it could be bringing back. Pittsfield resident Beth Van Ness previously said $43,180 was generated in those fees last year, a portion of which could have been brought back to Pittsfield if the city adopted the law. So far this year, $17,170 was generated, she said, all of which will go to match other communities that have adopted the act.

"Each year during budget season we approve $15 million, $10 million in state taxes to go to the CPA communities. But none of it comes back to Pittsfield because we are not a CPA community. I think it is time we get our fair share of that," state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier said.

Locally, the proposal would call for a 1 percent surcharge on property tax bills with the first $100,000 of assessed value being exempted. With those funds, a Community Preservation Committee would recommend how the money will be allocated with the only restriction being 10 percent goes toward open space and recreation, 10 percent for affordable housing, and 10 percent for historic preservation.

The City Council would then be asked to make the allocations. The Community Preservation Committee needs to consist of representatives from the Conservation Commission, Historical Commission, Planning Board, recreation, and the Housing Authority. The city also can appoint up to four at-large seats.

Stewart Saginor of the Community Preservation Coalition estimates that the average single-family homeowner would be asked to pay about $14 a year on top of his or her annual tax bill. The surcharge is also excluded from Proposition 2 1/2.

This is the second time the adoption of the act has come to a ballot in Pittsfield. In 2006, voters shot down the program by 2,008 votes. It has seemingly more support now with many peopel taking to the City Council's open microphone period to promote it.

But, not everybody is behind it.

Resident Terry Kinnas called it a "sneak tax" and vowed to oppose it again. He voiced concern for the additional taxes saying the city is "trying to tax the elderly out of the city as well as a number of the younger people."

Proponent John Dickson countered, saying there are exemptions for senior citizens and low- and moderate-income residents.

At the state level, criticism of the program has been that it further widens gaps between wealthy communities and poorer ones. Towns can adopt up to a 3 percent surcharge and the towns more likely to adopt the act tend to be wealthier. The criticism is that wealthier communities can afford to pay more and then get more revenue collected from all towns back. The money is then spent to better the communities, raising property values even more.

In 2015, Commonwealth Magazine wrote "residents from every municipality pay into the fund through the use of the Registry of Deeds, but only the affluent communities that are able to adopt these tax increases are eligible to receive these matching grants from the state. Thus, most of the money deposited in the state trust from the Community Preservation Act is collected at the expense of the less affluent; by providing funds from a state endowment to fund open space land acquisition, poorer communities are funding wealthier communities, which in turn increases their property values and tax rates."

The article continues to say that the city of Cambridge received a total of $45.7 million in state funds since 2002, receive about 15 percent of the state match while residents had only paid in 1 percent. Worcester and Boston contribute the most to the tune of $14.5 million, Commonwealth Magazine writes, while getting none of it back.

"The Community Preservation Act has unwittingly created a system in which the rich are subsidized by the poor," Commonwealth Magazine wrote.

That argument was made in Williamstown in 2011 , when one member of that Community Preservation Committee sought to disband it. Christopher Winters called it a "regressive tax" then because it shifts wealth from poorer communities to wealthier. The idea of disbanding was raised again earlier this year but dismissed because of how much it benefits the town.

Residents in the city of Pittsfield are currently contributing to the pool of state funds through those real estate fees while getting nothing back. Should voters adopt the act, the taxpayers will be paying the extra 1 percent surcharge but would be in line to have that revenue matched by deed fees somewhere around 25 percent.

Thomas Suski is working on the Pittsfield Town Players board and searching for a new theater space but for small organizations like his, a massive fundraising effort is needed. The adoption of the Community Preservation Act could provide a revenue stream to help renovate a historic building into a theater.

The Friends of St. Mary the Morning Star, which has been seeking to save the Tyler Street church and find a reuse project, has been advocating for the act in hopes to help those efforts.

Council Vice President John Krol previously said the money could be a good revenue stream to build a new track at Taconic High School since that is not in the scope of the new high school building project.

The use of the funds are somewhat loosely controlled. Other cities have used them for rental assistance programs, first-time homebuyer programs, demolishing and repurposing buildings, creating parks, renovating historic buildings, building dog parks, veterans housing, and a multitude of other uses. Northampton renovated the exterior of the Academy of Music. Westfield created a whip museum out of a historic factory. Williamstown spent $1.5 million to contribute to the massive Cable Mills project to ensure an affordable housing aspect.

There are no shortages of uses in Pittsfield and with the city's financial state, in which the ability to tax is eroding as it approaches the debt ceiling, many fear those priorities outlined with the CPA funds would be first on the chopping block. The CPA could be a source of income for investments as the city attempts to work through the financial challenges it approaches.

"This is a real good issue that needs to go to the residents on the ballot and let them decide how they feel about this," Ward 4 Councilor Christopher Connell said. "It would involve a small increase on your tax bill. I think let the voters decide."

The adoption of it will be on the ballot in November.
Imperial Valley News Center

Highest Point East of Rockies Gets New Name

South Dakota - Harney Peak in South Dakota will now be called Black Elk Peak on federal maps. This unanimous decision was made Thursday by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN). The mountain is not only the highest point in the state, but is the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains.

The summit had been labeled Harney Peak on federal maps since 1896. The feature is located in the Black Elk Wilderness of Black Hills National Forest in Pennington County in southwestern South Dakota.

The name Black Elk Peak was formally proposed to the BGN in October 2014. The BGN sought opinions from the U.S. Forest Service and the South Dakota Board on Geographic Names (SDBGN), which in turn sought opinions from the county government, numerous local, State, and Tribal organizations, and the general public.

In making the decision, the federal BGN acknowledged the recommendations by the SDBGN and a number of state legislators to retain the name Harney Peak. However, the BGN also recognized the wishes of native peoples and many non-native South Dakotans that a new geographic name should be given to this feature that is regarded as a sacred site by several Tribes.

U.S. General William S. Harney (1800-1889) fought against native peoples in the Black Hills region of South Dakota and in the Seminole Wars in Florida. Black Elk or Nicholas Black Elk (1863-1950) was a revered Oglala Lakota (Sioux) holy man.

One of the guiding principles for the BGN is to adopt for official federal use the names found in present-day local usage. However, an exception to this principle occurs when a name is shown to be highly offensive or derogatory to a particular racial or ethnic group, gender, or religious group.

"The Boards understanding was that the name Harney Peak for a traditional sacred site was distressing to Tribal people. For that reason, there was a unanimous decision to change the name of the peak to Black Elk Peak," said Lou Yost, executive secretary of the BGN.

The new name is now considered official for use in federal maps and publications. State and local governments as well as commercial entities generally follow the federal use of geographic names as a matter of efficiency, although there is no law requiring this.

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is the geographic names authority for the Nation. It is a coordinating body made up of representatives from federal departments, agencies, and organizations who receive no additional compensation for this specialized work. The BGN standardizes and approves geographic names so that geographic references can be used consistently in federal publications and communications.

President Benjamin Harrison established the BGN by Executive Order in 1890 to resolve conflicts in geographic names. In 1947 Congress re-established the BGN in its current form by public law.

The standardization of names not only serves to preserve a record of geographic names across the Nation, but it enables the use of uniform geographic names in many digital settings  for example, it makes navigation by GPS possible by facilitating standard location references.
Imperial Valley News Center

Back to School: Separation Anxiety, Fears and Stress

Scottsdale, Arizona - Getting ready for a new school year can be exciting for children, parents and caregivers. It may also be a major cause of anxiety or stress. Whether kids are heading off to elementary school, high school or college, leaving the safety and familiarity of home can prompt feelings of fear.

Mayo Clinic Children's Center psychologist Dr. Stephen Whiteside says if back-to-school anxiety or separation anxiety become overwhelming and disruptive, taking steps to reduce those fears is important. "Some kids are more anxious than others, and transitions like going back to school can be more difficult for them," says Dr. Whiteside. "Talking to them and preparing them ahead of time by doing things such as visiting the schools and meeting teachers can be beneficial."

Dr. Whiteside offers additional tips that can help:

Tour school ahead of time  classrooms, lockers, cafeteria, gymnasium

Be social  get in touch with school peers

Practice academic work

Develop a routine  wake up early to be ready on time

Spend time apart so kids and parents/caregivers can get used to being separated

If anxiety becomes severe, talk to your health care provider to be sure the anxiety is not caused by an underlying issue, such as a learning disability.

For parents who have separation anxiety from sending their child off to college, Dr. Whiteside recommends getting support by talking to others who have already gone through that transition.
ICE removes ex-member of Guatemalan special forces linked to 1980s massacre

Los Angeles, California - A former member of the Guatemalan army, whom witnesses say participated in a massacre there more than three decades ago that claimed over 200 lives, was deported to his native country Wednesday, capping a longstanding effort by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to win the ex-commandos removal from the United States.

Santos Lopez Alonzo, 64, arrived in Guatemala at around noon local time on board an ICE Air Operations charter removal flight and was immediately turned over to Guatemalan law enforcement officials. The former member of an elite Guatemalan army unit known as the Kaibiles is wanted in his native country on criminal charges for his role in the Dos Erres massacre. The charges are detailed in an arrest warrant issued by Guatemalan authorities in 2002.

Guatemalan authorities allege Lopez was among some 20 Kaibiles who murdered more than 200 men, women, and children in the village of Las Dos Erres in December 1982. The Kaibiles had gone to the remote Guatemalan settlement seeking to locate insurgents allegedly responsible for the ambush of an army convoy nearby that resulted in the killing of 21 soldiers and the theft of several military rifles. After arriving in the village in the middle of the night, the Kaibiles began searching for the missing weapons, forcing the residents from their homes and interrogating them about the stolen guns. No rifles were recovered.

The soldiers then proceeded to systematically murder the villagers. According to witnesses and documents filed in U.S. courts, over the course of two days the Kaibiles massacred men, women, and children; raped many women and girls; and forced pregnant women to miscarry before killing them. Many of the bodies were thrown into the villages well and others were left in a nearby wooded area. The settlement was then razed to the ground.

Approximately 12 years after the Dos Erres massacre, the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) exhumed the villages 40-foot well and recovered 162 skeletons, including many belonging to young children.

The long-awaited return of this human rights violator to his native country is hugely gratifying for the many men and women in ICE who work tirelessly to seek justice in these kinds of cases, said ICE Deputy Director Daniel Ragsdale. While more than three decades have passed since the Kaibiles commandos indiscriminately slaughtered dozens of innocent men, women and children, its a tragedy their loved ones will never forget. We owe it to them, and to all victims of war crimes and human rights abuses around the world, to use every resource at our disposal to ensure the U.S. offers no refuge for those involved in such atrocities.

Lopez is the fourth Dos Erres massacre participant living in the U.S. to be targeted by ICE for enforcement action. Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Lopez was originally arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in 1999 at a traffic checkpoint near Kingsville, Texas. He was subsequently ordered deported by an immigration judge with the Department of Justices Executive Office for Immigration Review and removed to Guatemala in June of that year.

Lopez illegally re-entered the U.S. and, in February 2010, was arrested by special agents with ICEs Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Houston. At the time of his arrest, Lopez had no legal status in the U.S. He was criminally prosecuted for re-entry after deportation and sentenced to time served. Within days of his sentencing, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California designated Lopez as a material witness in an ongoing investigation into the actions of another former Kaibil, Jorge Sosa Orantes. Following Sosas conviction in October 2013 for naturalization fraud, Lopez was de-designated as a material witness and transferred back to the custody of ICE, which reinstated his prior removal order. Lopez requested an emergency stay of removal from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which was vigorously opposed by ICE through its attorneys in the Department of Justices Office of Immigration Litigation. Lopez remained in ICE detention litigating his removal case up until his repatriation. Last month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Lopezs request for a stay of removal, paving the way for his return to Guatemala.

Lopez is the second Dos Erres massacre participant living in the U.S. to be deported by ICE to Guatemala to face charges involving war crimes. The first, Pedro Pimentel Rios, was removed in 2011. On March 12, 2012, he was convicted in Guatemala for his role in the massacre and a three-judge panel sentenced him to 6,060 years in prison - 30 years for each of the 201 deaths in Dos Erres, plus 30 years for crimes against humanity.

The remaining two ex-Kaibiles whose cases have been brought forward by ICE so far, Gilberto Jordan and Jorge Sosa Orantes, are both currently serving 10-year federal prison terms for naturalization fraud. ICE will seek to deport both men once they have fulfilled their sentences.



The enforcement efforts targeting the former Kaibiles were overseen by ICEs Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC), in close collaboration with the agencys Human Rights Law Section, and ICE attorneys in Los Angeles. Established in 2009 to further ICE efforts to identify, track and prosecute human rights abusers, the HRVWCC leverages the expertise of a select group of agents, lawyers, intelligence and research specialists, historians and analysts who direct the agencys broader enforcement efforts against these offenders.

Since fiscal year 2004, ICE has arrested more than 375 individuals for human rights-related violations of the law under various criminal and/or immigration statutes. During that same period, ICE obtained deportation orders for and physically removed more than 815 known or suspected human rights violators from the United States.

Currently, ICEs Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has more than 140 active investigations into suspected human rights violators and is pursuing more than 1,700 leads and removals cases involving suspected human rights violators from 97 different countries. Over the last four years, the HRVWCC has issued more than 70,000 lookouts for individuals from more than 110 countries and stopped 194 human rights violators and war crimes suspects from entering the U.S.
Online Retailer Pleads Guilty for Fixing Prices of Wall Posters

San Francisco, California - An e-commerce retailer pleaded guilty for conspiring to fix the prices of posters sold online, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.

Trod Ltd. (doing business as Buy 4 Less, Buy For Less and Buy-For-Less-Online), a U.K. company headquartered in Birmingham, England, pleaded guilty to fixing the prices of certain posters sold online through Amazon Marketplace from as early as September 2013 until in or about January 2014. Trod Ltd. was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of California in San Francisco on Aug. 27, 2015.

E-commerce is among the fastest growing segments of our economy, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Renata Hesse for the Justice Departments Antitrust Division. For this robust growth to continue, customers must be confident that they will receive the same benefits of vigorous competition on the web as they do at brick-and-mortar stores. We will continue to ensure that happens by investigating and prosecuting schemes that harm online shoppers.

According to the indictment, Trod Ltd. and its co-conspirators agreed to adopt specific pricing algorithms for the sale of certain posters sold on Amazon Marketplace, with the goal of offering online shoppers the same price for the same product and coordinating changes to their respective prices.

This prosecution arose from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing in the online wall decor industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Divisions San Francisco Office with the assistance of the FBIs San Francisco Division.
Nosebleeds Usually Nothing to Worry About

Rochester, Minnesota - Most people experience a nosebleed at one time or another. They tend to happen more often in younger children and older adults. Bleeding often results from a cold, a sinus infection, dry air, a scab being dislodged or use of certain medications, such as nasal steroids. Occasional nosebleeds are nothing to worry about and are not dangerous. But, you may want to talk with your doctor if they are becoming regular and are bothersome.

Most nosebleeds are easily treated with a few simple steps. First of all, make sure you sit up. This decreases the pressure in the veins of your nose, which slows the flow of blood. Leaning slightly forward will help you avoid swallowing blood. Very gently, blow your nose once or twice to remove any clotted blood. Next, pinch the front, soft part of your nose with your thumb and index finger, and breathe through your mouth. Do this for about five minutes. Pressure should stop the flow of blood. Repeat for 10 minutes, if needed.

To keep the bleeding from starting again, dont pick or blow your nose for a few days, and dont strain or bend down for several hours. Seek prompt medical care if the bleeding resulted from a head injury or accident, or if it doesnt stop after 30 minutes.

To help prevent future nosebleeds, keep the interior lining of your nose moist. Regularly apply petroleum jelly inside your nose using a cotton swab up to three times each day. Saline nasal spray also can help moisten dry nasal membranes. Using a humidifier to moisten the air in your home can be helpful, as well.

If you have reoccurring nosebleeds, talk to your doctor about steps you can take to avoid them. Your doctor may want to take a closer look at your nasal passages or refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist. If you are on a blood thinner, your doctor may recommend adjusting the dose. (adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter) - Dr. Paul Takahashi, Primary Care Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
AMA and CDC Update Nations Physicians on Latest Zika Virus Guidance

Chicago, Illinois - The American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the following statements Wednesday regarding the Zika virus as they hosted a webinar for American's physicians and clinicians on the current status of the outbreak.

"As the Zika virus outbreak continues to evolve and more Americans become impacted by the virus, we must ensure that our nation's physicians, and all clinicians, are prepared to handle possible cases of the virus and are equipped with the most up-to-date information to answer patients' questions. The AMA and CDC will be holding a live webinar tonight to provide physicians and other clinicians with an update on the current status of the outbreak and the latest clinical guidance to help them diagnose and manage patients and prevent further transmission of the Zika virus," said AMA President Andrew W. Gurman, M.D.

The AMA will continue to update its online Zika Virus Resource Center with the latest Zika-related information from the CDC and other trusted healthcare organizations to support health care professionals in combatting and preventing complications from the virus to help keep their patients safe and healthy.

With an increasing number of Zika cases confirmed in the U.S., including this week's news of the death of a newborn baby with Zika-linked microcephaly, the AMA continues to call on policymakers in Washington to immediately make the necessary resources available for our country to combat the growing threat of the virus and protect the American public. For months, the AMA has vigorously urged that sufficient resources be provided to ensure our nation is able to deploy a robust public health response to the Zika virus.

"Clinicians play an important role in the fight against Zika in the United States," said Michael Bell, M.D., CDC Deputy Director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. "CDC and AMA are working together to ensure that medical staff are properly equipped and trained to help protect Americans' health from Zika."
U.S. Education Department Releases Guidance on Education of Children with Disabilities Attending Public Virtual Schools

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Educations Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) today issued guidance in the form of a Dear Colleague Letter to states to ensure students with disabilities attending public virtual schools are getting the special education and supports that they deserve and is their right. The guidance focuses on specific requirements in the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for public virtual schools. IDEA is the law that guarantees the right to a public education for Americas nearly 6.7 million students with disabilities.

Over the last decade, there has been a proliferation of educational models involving varying degrees of in-person and online instruction and practice. Todays guidance addresses the supervision responsibilities of states and the applicability of IDEAs child find provisions to children attending public virtual schools. The letter also clarifies states responsibility to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to children with disabilities attending public virtual schools.

Children with disabilities attending virtual schools have the same right to a free appropriate public education as children attending brick and mortar schools, said OSERS Acting Assistant Secretary Sue Swenson. States and school districts must ensure that children with disabilities are getting the special education and supports that they need to be successful in school.

Virtual public schools, including virtual charter schools, must be held to high standards and be accountable to the students and families they serve. The Department is releasing this guidance today to emphasize the importance of ensuring oversight, transparency and accountability for these schools. The most important feature of any school is the quality of the learning experience for students. The Departments goal continues to be to ensure that all studentsparticularly those traditionally underservedreceive a high-quality public education.

Among the letters key points:

The educational rights and protections afforded to children with disabilities and their parents under IDEA must not be diminished or compromised when children with disabilities attend virtual schools.

States are responsible for ensuring that all school districts, including virtual schools that operate as school districts, implement the requirements of IDEA.

To ensure FAPE to children with disabilities in virtual schools, each school district must implement the evaluation, eligibility, individualized education program (IEP) and least restrictive environment requirements under IDEA.

Each state also must have policies and procedures that ensure that children with disabilities who attend virtual schools are included in all general state and district-wide assessment programs, including assessments with appropriate accommodations and alternate assessments, where necessary and as indicated in their respective IEPs.

In addition, each state and school district, must have child find policies and procedures in effect to ensure that all children with disabilities residing in the state, including those who attend virtual schools, who are in need of special education and related services, regardless of the severity of their disability, are identified, located, and evaluated.

School districts, including virtual schools that operate as school districts, should review the states child find policies and procedures as well as their own implementing policies, procedures, and practices to ensure that children with disabilities who attend virtual schools are identified, located, and evaluated.

OSERS currently funds the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities to research how online learning can be made more accessible. The center also identifies promising practices for K-12 children with disabilities by investigating approaches that address variations in student learning styles within the range of online learning options.
WATCH: This Restaurant in Pune Are Run by Speech and Hearing Impaired People
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For well over a year now, fans have been anticipating the release of Frank Oceans new album, supposedly titled Boys Dont Cry.

In 2015, it was suspected the album would be released in July, yet the month rolled around with no news from Oceans camp.

Then, earlier this year, another July release date was rumoured to no avail, quickly followed by a New York Times piece detailing an early August release; the album still isnt here.

With that in mind, take these latest revelations with a huge grain of salt. According to NME and Pigeons And Planes, Apple representatives have allegedly been telling customers the new album will be released within the next 24 - 72 hours.

Frank Ocean's greatest artworks Show all 7 1 /7 Frank Ocean's greatest artworks Frank Ocean's greatest artworks Pyramids single (2012) Frank Ocean's greatest artworks Nostalgia, ULTRA mixtape (2011) Frank Ocean's greatest artworks Thinkin Bout You single (2012) Frank Ocean's greatest artworks Swim Good single (2011) Frank Ocean's greatest artworks Novocane single (2011) Frank Ocean's greatest artworks Sweet Life single (2012) Frank Ocean's greatest artworks Channel ORANGE album (2012)

The representatives told the publications that the content provider was indeed Oceans record company, as well as assuring the album will be released soon.

Both Apple and Frank Ocean representatives have been asked for comment.

Since the July date passed, Oceans website has been updated to feature a library card with the date 13 November 2016 currently on it; the date was suspected to be the release date until the Apple representatives spoke out.

 What is the hype behind Frank Ocean's new album?

Meanwhile, Oceans album Channel Orange has reentered the US album charts, having seen a 40% spike in sales. A website has also appeared that will text you when the album does finally drop.
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Homeless people in Rome have been receiving trips to the beach and pizza on the way back, thanks to the Pope.

Pope Francis almoner, Konrad Krajewski who looks after the Pontiffs charity money, said this summer he has been driving about 10 people to a beach near the Italian capital and stopping in to a local pizzeria on the way back, all funded by the Vatican.

The guests, who mainly live around the Vatican, are also given swimsuits and towels for their trip and the pizza is offered up by Pope Francis.

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

We certainly are not saving the world with some of these initiatives, we are not solving the problems of the homeless in Rome, but at least we are restoring to them a little dignity, Archbishop Krajewsj told the Vatican Insider.

The Pontiff has also installed showers, a barber service and medical services near St Peters Square where many of the homeless people in the area live. The almoner and Swiss Guards also hand out meals to homeless people at train stations.

In 2014, the Pope handed out 400 sleeping bags bearing the Vaticans coat of arms to the homeless in Rome.
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Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, has opened a turf war with his former fellow Brexiteer Boris Johnson over whose department handles economic diplomacy.

This function is within the remit of the Foreign Office, but within two weeks of being put in charge of the newly created Department for International Trade, Mr Fox was demanding that the Foreign Secretary hand over the responsibility to him.

His letter, leaked to the Sunday Telegraph, appears to have been given short shrift by Downing Street, after Mr Johnson objected to being asked to preside over a diminished Foreign Office.

In his letter to Mr Johnson, copied to Theresa May, Mr Fox demanded a rational restructuring, with his department taking clear leadership of the trade and investment agenda, leaving the Foreign Secretary in charge of diplomacy and the intelligence services. He claimed that economic diplomacy was crucial to delivery of the objectives I have been set by the Prime Minister as international trade secretary.

He added: In my first few weeks as Secretary of State for International Trade it has become clear to me that existing cross-Whitehall structures have meant that HM Government has not taken the holistic approach it might have on trade and investment agendas.

I strongly believe this will be the only chance we get to materially change the approach we take to trade and investment and, as such, would urge you to consider this proposition favourably. If we fail to take this opportunity to restructure now I feel we will have a suboptimal structure for the future.

A Government spokesman said it would not comment on leaked documents. Alongside other departments, the Foreign Office are seconding a small number of staff with relevant expertise to the new Department for International Trade, the statement said. This is all part of the cross-Government effort to ensure we make a success of Brexit.

This is the second embarrassment for Mr Fox in three days. On Friday, a press release appeared on his departments website saying that after Brexit, the UK would trade with the EU under World Trade Organisation rules until new trade deals are negotiated.

But under WTO rules, businesses exporting to the EU would have to pay heavy tariffs, including 10 per cent on cars and 12 per cent on clothing. The press release was taken down and the department said it was posted by mistake.
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Michaella McCollum, one of two women arrested in Peru for attempting to smuggle cocaine across borders, has returned home after serving a third of a prison sentence.

McCollum, 23, was released from Peruvian prison four years early after reportedly making a deal with authorities that would enable her to see out the terms of her parole in in her home country Ireland.

Footage shows the ex-convict arriving at Dublin airport on a connecting flight from London three months after her release from a notorious Peruvian prison, Ancon Two, in March.

She can be seen walking through the airport with two bags and avoiding attention from the public and the media.

McCollum was arrested in August 2013 along with Melissa Reid after the pair tried to smuggle cocaine worth 1.5 million in their luggage on a flight from Peru to Spain.

The women, nicknamed the "Peru two", initially claimed they were abducted, held at gunpoint, and forced to board a flight with 24lb of cocaine hidden in their luggage.

But they later pleaded guilty in a Peruvian court and were sentenced to six years and eight months in prison.

McCollum has returned after serving two years and three months of her sentence, but will be expected to see out the terms of her parole - although it is not clear how.

In the months in between her release and her return to the UK McCollum was reportedly seen spotted dining out, partying in night clubs and working out at a gym in Lima, the capital of Peru.

Smugglers hide drugs in food Show all 11 1 /11 Smugglers hide drugs in food Smugglers hide drugs in food Methamphetamine in chocolate bar This July 2012 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows methamphetamine disguised as a chocolate candy bar in Los Angeles. Officials said a California man tried to smuggle more than 4 pounds of methamphetamine out of the country disguised as 45 individually wrapped chocolate bars at Los Angeles International Airport. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in coffee This October 2015 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows a packet of cocaine hidden in a bag of ground coffee in Miami. Three bags of roasted, ground coffee arriving at Miami International Airport in a package from Guatemala in October were actually filled with more than 3 pounds of heroin, customs officials said. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in powdered milk This November 2014 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows bags of powdered dairy product that contained cocaine in New York. A woman arriving at Kennedy International Airport in New York from Guyana was found with six bags of milk and custard powder that were filled with cocaine. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in custard powder This November 2014 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows bags, marked as holding powdered dairy products, that hold cocaine in New York. A woman arriving at Kennedy International Airport in New York from Guyana was found with six bags of milk and custard powder that were filled with cocaine. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in various foods This October 2015 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows an array of food products concealing cocaine in Newark, N.J. A U.S. citizen arriving from Peru at Newark Liberty International Airport in October had an assortment of food in his luggage that customs officials found also included 10 pounds of cocaine. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in vanilla wafers This April 2015 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows vanilla wafers filled with cocaine in Houston. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in vanilla wafers A Guatemalan citizen arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport from Guatemala City in April with packages of vanilla wafers. But when customs officials opened them up, they said they found they were filled with cocaine instead of cream filling. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Liquid cocaine in rum bottles This December 2014 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows rum bottles filled with liquid cocaine in New York. A man arriving from Guyana at Kennedy International Airport in New York was found to be carrying the bottles that customs officials said were filled with 18 pounds worth of liquid cocaine. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine paste in chocolate syrup This February 2012 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows plastic packets of chocolate syrup and salad dressing concealing cocaine paste in Los Angeles. A mother and daughter traveling from Spain were carrying bags of condiments that customs officials at Los Angeles International Airport decided felt unusually thick. They opened it up to find a plastic bag with cocaine paste placed inside, and then found another syrup packet in their checked-in luggage that contained more cocaine paste. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Opium in cinnamon packets This June 2012 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows packets of opium covered in cinnamon hidden inside a rice cooker in Los Angeles. Officials found the rice cooker stuffed with 3 pounds' worth of black opium, which had been coated in cinnamon and wrapped in plastic, being transported by a man arriving at Los Angeles International Airport from Iran. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in frozen meat This undated photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in October 2015 shows a block of cocaine concealed in a package of frozen meat in New York. A man arrived at Kennedy International Airport from Trinidad with three large packages of frozen meat in his suitcase. AP

Her fellow convict Reid returned to the UK in June after a judge granted her expulsion under an early release scheme for deporting first-time drug offenders.

She too is serving the rest of her sentence on parole, but without the strict terms attached to McCollum.

Following her release in April McCollum said she had acted in a "moment of madness" when she decided to smuggle cocaine across borders.

According to the UK Government there are more than 30 Britons currently serving prison sentences for drug offences in Peru.
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Ministers are reportedly in discussions over a delay in triggering Article 50, the formal process of leaving the European Union, which could see Britain remain a member of the bloc until late 2019.

Theresa May, who is expected by many to trigger the two-year process of leaving the EU in early 2017, could push back the timetable because her new Brexit and international trade departments will not be ready, sources in the City of London have told The Sunday Times. Elections on the continent, including those in France and Germany, could also delay Article 50 of the Libson Treaty being triggered.

Ministers are now thinking the trigger could be delayed to autumn 2017, a source who has reportedly had discussions with two senior ministers told the newspaper. They dont have the infrastructure for the people they need to hire, the source added, in reference to the new Whitehall departments being set up from scratch to handle the Brexit negotiations.

They say they dont even know the right questions to ask when they finally begin bargaining with Europe, the source said.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: The Prime Minister has been clear that a top priority for this government is to deliver the decision of the British people to leave the EU and to make a success of Brexit. The PM has set out the governments position on Article 50 and has established a new department dedicated to tacking forward the negotiations.

Peter Bone, the Conservative MP for Wellingborough who campaigned to leave the EU told The Independent, however, that he would have thought Ms May would want to avoid delaying the process.

He said: I just think its speculation. I would have thought that was the last thing the Prime Minister would want because shell want Brexit done and dusted a long time before the next general election because shell want it to be her election. She wont want it to be clouded by Brexit I think people who are pro leaving the EU just want to make sure there is a process in place and we have confidence in David [Davis] and Liam [Fox] and the PM.

6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Show all 6 1 /6 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you More expensive foreign holidays The first practical effect of a vote to Leave is that the pound will be worth less abroad, meaning foreign holidays will cost us more nito100 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you No immediate change in immigration status The Prime Minister will have to address other immediate concerns. He is likely to reassure nationals of other EU countries living in the UK that their status is unchanged. That is what the Leave campaign has said, so, even after the Brexit negotiations are complete, those who are already in the UK would be allowed to stay Getty 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Higher inflation A lower pound means that imports would become more expensive. This is likely to mean the return of inflation  a phenomenon with which many of us are unfamiliar because prices have been stable for so long, rising at no more than about 2 per cent a year. The effect may probably not be particularly noticeable in the first few months. At first price rises would be confined to imported goods  food and clothes being the most obvious  but inflation has a tendency to spread and to gain its own momentum AFP/Getty Images 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Interest rates might rise The trouble with inflation is that the Bank of England has a legal obligation to keep it as close to 2 per cent a year as possible. If a fall in the pound threatens to push prices up faster than this, the Bank will raise interest rates. This acts against inflation in three ways. First, it makes the pound more attractive, because deposits in pounds will earn higher interest. Second, it reduces demand by putting up the cost of borrowing, and especially by taking larger mortgage payments out of the economy. Third, it makes it more expensive for businesses to borrow to expand output Getty 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you Did somebody say recession? Mr Carney, the Treasury and a range of international economists have warned about this. Many Leave voters appear not to have believed them, or to think that they are exaggerating small, long-term effects. But there is no doubt that the Leave vote is a negative shock to the economy. This is because it changes expectations about the economys future performance. Even though Britain is not actually be leaving the EU for at least two years, companies and investors will start to move money out of Britain, or to scale back plans for expansion, because they are less confident about what would happen after 2018 AFP/Getty Images 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you And we wouldnt even get our money back All this will be happening while the Prime Minister, whoever he or she is, is negotiating the terms of our future access to the EU single market. In the meantime, our trade with the EU would be unaffected, except that companies elsewhere in the EU may be less interested in buying from us or selling to us, expecting tariff barriers to go up in two years time. Whoever the Chancellor is, he or she may feel the need to bring in a new Budget Getty Images

It really doesnt matter as long as we get it right. The worry from people from my perspective, there are a lot of people who dont want it to happen, there a lot in the establishment that dont want it it happen. People like myself will be making sure in Parliament that it does happen. I dont think well really know much more about this until October.

My guess is that the last thing the Prime Minister would want is for this to be delayed.

Ms May previously warned that she would not trigger Article 50 this year and has said she would not formally start the process of leaving the bloc until there was a coherent UK approach to negotiations. Once the process is triggered then negotiations must be concluded within a two year period and a request for extending the agreement needs the ratification of the 27 other EU member states.

 Angela Merkel insists Article 50 must be triggered before Brexit talks

Referring to the upcoming French and German elections, another source told The Sunday Times: You cant negotiate when you dont know who youre negotiating with. Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, has also advocated delaying the process until the autumn of 2017.

I lost the argument and now it's for them to persuade the EU how we can get the best of both worlds, how it's possible to have access to the single market and not have free movement of labour, Mr Khan told Sky News.

Maybe waiting for French and German elections to be out of the way gives the new French president or German chancellor more of a chance for latitude for some of the things that the British public say we need.

Click here to download your free guide on five shares to watch in 2016, with Independent Partner, Hargreaves Lansdown
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Labour members who have been denied a right to vote in the forthcoming leadership contest will not challenge the judgement in the Supreme Court, it has emerged.

On Friday three Court of Appeal judges upheld an appeal by Labours governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), against a High Court ruling that 130,000 people who joined the party between January and July should get a vote in the contest.

Permission to appeal the case to the Supreme Court was denied by the Court of Appeal but an application to the UKs highest court could have still been made. A Corbyn ally, however, told The Independent last week this was unlikely.

In a statement the members said: This has been an odd, emotional-rollercoaster of a week for all of us. Thank you for supporting us through this, its been a huge help to see how many of you care deeply about this unfair and unjust situation."

Unfortunately, given the costs involved in pursuing the case further (the fee for getting the case even heard at the Supreme Court is around 8,000), we have taken the decision that this where this particular legal case has to stop. But the case wasnt in vain - although we didnt succeed in reclaiming votes for the 130,000 disenfranchised members, we did win in the High Court, exposing facts which have spurred important conversation about the role of the Labour Party membership and the NEC, they added.

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.

The Independent understands the UK's highest court was on "standy by" to hear the case and was making urgent arrangements to bring back five justices from their summer break.

A Supreme Court spokesperson added: "Decisions about proceeding with an appeal are entirely matters for the parties involved. However, the Court's usual fee regime would not have applied in this case, due to the way in which any such application would have been fast tracked. The court fees would have been closer to 1,000."

The Appeal Court also ordered the five Labour members who brought the case against the party to the High Court to pay 30,000 towards the Labour partys legal costs. This is in addition to their own legal costs.

Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Show all 8 1 /8 Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith clash at a leadership hustings in Gateshead, where Mr Smith was scarcely able to answer a question without being booed by Mr Corbyns supporters PA Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Jeremy himself admitted he was seven out of 10 in terms of his faith in the European Union. He said it, said Mr Smith during his second live debate with Jeremy Corbyn Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Ballot papers are currently due to be sent out on 22 August and returned a month later, with the result being announced at a special Labour conference on 24 September Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Jeremy Corbyn supporters cheer and wave placards as the Labour Leader addresses thousands of supporters in in Liverpool, England Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Labour Party leadership candidate Owen Smith poses for a picture with supporters during a picnic for young members in London Fields, Hackney in London Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith The Labour leader has a spring in his step at a leadership rally in Sunderland Screenshot Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Labour leadership contender Owen Smith delivers a speech at the Open University in Milton Keynes, where he promised to reverse Conservative cuts set to leave millions of low paid workers thousands of pounds a year worse off PA Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has urged Owen Smith to distance himself from those saying they want to split the Labour party Getty

But a crowdfunding page set up to support the members in their legal fees - at the time of writing - had received 93,000 in donations from members of the public. Their final target is 100,000.

A spokesman for the Jeremy for Labour campaign said: The strength of solidarity shown to the give claimants campaigning for the democratic rights of their fellow Labour party members has been truly remarkable.

It is clear that there exists a huge amount of support for Jeremys vision of a democratic Labour party that is open and inclusive for all, so that we can achieve a Labour government that can transform and rebuild
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The extraordinary public row between Labour's two most senior office holders continues, as the Deputy Leader Tom Watson produced evidence to support his claim that disciples of Leon Trotsky are seeping back into the Labour Party.

It follows a public slap down in which Jeremy Corbyn accused his deputy of talking nonsense  pointing out that the number of new recruits who have joined Labour in the past is almost certainly greater than the entire membership of every far left grouplet in the UK.

But in a riposte posted on Facebook, Mr Watson has reiterated that he is not saying that every new recruit who has joined Labour during Mr Corbyn's leadership party member is a Trotskyite. The numbers he is talking about are small, but Mr Watson remembers the turmoil in the Labour Party in the 1980s when Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock tried to rid the Labour Party of Trotskyite groups running their own secret organisations after joining the Labour Party as individual members.

On his Facebook post, Mr Watson singles out the tiny Alliance for Workers Liberty (AWL), successor to a group called Socialist Organiser, whose members were barred from the Labour Party in 1990. The post includes links to AWL documents, one of which declares Our basic approach is to remain active as an open revolutionary group.

It goes on: Into the Labour Party and Young Labour! All AWL members should be members of the Labour Party unless specifically agreed; doing Labour Party work of some kind should be the norm. In previous Labour Party history, and so probably now, the youth movement has been the most fruitful area in the Labour Party for left-wing activism.

Mr Watson says that this is an example of how old hands twist young arms.

He added: My claim about groups like the Alliance for Workers Liberty is evidenced with publicly available information, if people care to look. Some might not like me saying these things but I'm not making this stuff up, as others have claimed.

In an interview in todays Observer, Mr Corbyn remarked: I just ask Tom to do the maths  300,000 people have joined the Labour party. At no stage in anyones most vivid imagination are there 300,000 sectarian extremists at large in the country who have suddenly descended on the Labour party.

Sorry Tom, it is nonsense  and I think he knows its nonsense. Lets get on with campaigning Tom. Thanks.
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A Georgia police officer was shot and killed while responding to reports of a suspicious person.

Officer Tim Smith encountered the individual in an Eastman neighbourhood, who exited his car and fired his weapon, investigators said.

Recommended Read more Milwaukee sees night of violence after police shoot man dead

Georgia Bureau of Investigations spokesperson Scott Dutton said authorities are still working to apprehend the shooter.

No suspects are in custody at the time of this writing.

Smith, who would have turned 31 on Monday, is survived by two sons, a daughter, and a stepson, according to CNN. He was engaged to Chelsea Clark, with whom he had been involved for two years.

We were engaged. We were trying to get on our feet before getting married, Ms Clark said.

The town, with a population of only 5,500, is located 130 miles southeast of Atlanta.

In a separate incident, two juveniles were arrested after a Marietta police officer was reportedly shot in the leg early Sunday morning.

Officer Scott Davis  and two other officers  exchanged gunfire with two 15-year-olds around 4.24 am local time, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.

A Marietta police spokesperson said one of the two juveniles was wounded in the shootout. Both were arrested, and the injured teenager was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

All three officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave.

The shootings come at a time of high racial tension between police and black communities in the US. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, approximately 36 cops have been shot and killed in the line of duty in 2016.

The number stands in stark contrast to the number of civilians killed by police in 2016, so far. The Guardian's database, "The Counted", estimates that 654 people have been killed by police this year.
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Milwaukee has become the latest US city to be hit by violence after police shot an armed man dead during a chase.

City officials have appealed for calm after more than 100 protesters took to the streets after news of the shooting spread.

Protesters clashed with officers while several businesses  including a petrol station  and a police car were set alight.

An officer was injured after a brick was thrown through the window of another police car.

Mayor Tom Barrett said the situation appeared to be calming as police mounted at least two efforts to push protesters back from the main intersection in the north of the city where the majority of the unrest occurred.

The violence came after 23-year-old Sylville K. Smith was shot dead while trying to flee from police at a traffic stop.

Police said the man had a stolen handgun but it was not clear whether he was brandishing it when he was shot.

Neither his race nor that of the officer who fired the fatal shot have been identified.

Mr Barrett told a news conference that the shooting was being investigated and the officer was wearing a body camera.

The unnamed 24-year-old officer has been put on administrative duty. He has been at the Milwaukee police department for six years.

Mr Barrett said: This stop took place because two officers...saw suspicious activity.

There were 23 rounds in that gun that that officer was staring at. I want to make sure we don't lose any police officers in this community, either.

Milwaukee Common Council president Ashanti Hamilton echoed Mr Barretts call for calm.

He said: We understand the frustration people feel with the police community nationally. We have to go through the process of finding justice, but we have to be able to restore order to these neighbourhoods.

Please participate in restoring order to these neighbourhoods.

At least three people have been arrested during the latest wave of violence in Wisconsin which follows recent unrest over the shooting of several black men in separate incidents across the country last month.

Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Philando Castile in St Paul, Minnesota and Delrawn Small in Brooklyn, New York were all killed by police officers in a three-day period last month sparking mass protests across the country.

The Black Lives Matter movement, which protests against the perceived brutality with which US police officers treat black suspects, has organised many of the protests but has urged its supporters to protest peacefully.
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A six-year-old boy beat his newborn sister to death after their 62-year-old mother left her young children alone in a car for more than a half hour while she went to get her cellphone fixed, authorities on Florida's Gulf Coast said.

The mother has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gulatieri said she went to a cellphone repair business in St. Petersburg on Monday and left her children in the car  the infant and her two other children aged three and six.

While she was gone, the baby began crying and the six year old began beating her to make her stop, the sheriff said.

"He was tossing that baby around like a rag doll," the sheriff said during a press conference, shortly after the woman was arrested.

Nevertheless, "the mistake is with the adult, not a six-year-old boy," the sheriff said.

Gulatieri said the boy won't face criminal charges. His mother, who lives in the St. Petersburg area, made her first court appearance Friday, saying only that she understood the charges. Her two sons have been placed in therapeutic foster care.

Speaking to AP, Gulatieri painted a picture of a single mother who seemed overwhelmed and ill-equipped to care for her three young children in the months leading up to the baby's death. He said her husband died of cancer in 2011 and she paid a significant sum to be artificially inseminated with his frozen sperm to conceive her three-year-old son and newborn daughter.

She told authorities she even hoped to have more children, Gulatieri said, even though friends and family said she was struggling to raise the children on her own. The two boys were "running amok and were unsupervised" to the point that an anonymous caller contacted the state's child protective hotline about them on Aug. 2.

On the day of the incident, the mother took the three children to a pediatrician amid concerns the 13-day-old baby wasn't eating. The doctor found nothing wrong and the family then headed to get a mobile phone fixed after the six-year-old dropped it. The sheriff said video shows the woman leaving the children alone for 38 minutes while she was in the repair store.

The six-year-old told investigators the baby started fussing and he tried to calm her. But deputies said the boy later used a doll to show how he repeatedly slammed the infant's head into the minivan's ceiling, dropping her on the floor, flipping her over and pummeling her.

The van's ceiling was covered in blood and investigators said the baby was likely dead when her mother returned to the car. Her elder son tried to tell her something was wrong with the baby, but authorities said she disregarded him and stopped at a rental car company before heading home. That's when she noticed the baby's injuries.

"The baby was beaten and traumatized," the sheriff added. "There was gross swelling in her face. Her skull was cracked in numerous places."

Even so, Gulatieri said she didn't call 911. Instead, she called a neighbour who is a nurse. The nurse recognized the baby was dead, but performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

Gulatieri called the six-year-old bright and mature for his age, and said he even reminded his mother that they needed to renew their rental car lease.

"The things that he said and his awareness level and how astute that he is, it's amazing really. By hearing him talk you'd never think the kid was six," Gulatieri said.

But the boy also had aggression issues, he said. One neighbour told authorities she wouldn't let her son play with him.

"By numerous witness accounts, she was an inattentive parent and (the boys) were largely unsupervised and had very serious behavior issues," the sheriff said.

Elementary school officials said the boy will not return to the school.

When asked whether the boy was aware he'd killed his sister, the sheriff said he made a vague reference to his actions.

"At one point he said, sometimes people make really bad mistakes."

Her relatives were apparently upset with her decision to continue getting pregnant and raising young children by herself.

"It caused some dissension within her family that she was doing this because they realized this was something that she should not be doing and it was wrong," said Gulatieri, who said she was inseminated by a doctor in New York.

AP
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People outraged at the shooting dead of an iman and his assistant are blaming anti-Muslim hatred spurred on by Donald Trump.

The men were shot in the back of the head as they walked home from Saturday afternoon prayers in Islamic dress, according to police.

No motive for the killings has yet been established by investigators, but worshippers and community members in Queens said the killings were hate crimes.

Thats not what America is about, Khairul Islam, 33, told New York Daily News. We blame Donald Trump for this... Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia."

More than 100 people joined a protest on Saturday night outside the mosque where they chanted: We want Justice.

Mosque leader, Malama Akonjee, 55, a married father of seven from Bangladesh, was pronounced dead at the scene, one block away from the mosque. Thura Uddin, 65, also from Bangaldesh, was rushed to Jamaica Hospital but later died.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that it is the two main officials of the mosque, it just doesn't connect," said Mahfauza Hague, a friend of the imam.

A leader of another mosque in the area, Kobir Chowdhury, said religious intolerance was to blame for the attack. Read my lips: this is a hate crime. We are peace loving, he said at a news conference.

But police on Sunday morning had not yet determined the motive for the attack. "There's nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner, from the New York Police Department, said.

Police were still hunting on Sunday for the man who shot the pair dead shortly before 2pm the previous day. Witnesses described a tall Hispanic gunman, who was wearing a dark blue shirt and shorts.

Witnesses described a tall Hispanic man wearing a dark blue shirt and shorts (AP)

The imams daughter, Naima Akonjee, said her father didnt have any problems with anyone".

Ms Akonjee said her father and Mr Uddin were close friends who lived on the same street and always walked together to the mosque.

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

"These were two very beloved people," Afaf Nasher, of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said. "These were community leaders. There is a deep sense of mourning and an overwhelming cry for justice to be served."

City Hall issued a statement: "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."

Mr Trump has made multiple anti-Muslim statements while running for office. In December, he said he supported a blanket ban on Muslims entering the US. Despite claims from Mr Trump's campaign he has changed his position on the issue, Mr Trump has not publicly disavowed the proposal.

(AP (AP)

A report by Georgetown University in May found that hate violence has spiked in the US, in accordance with the US Presidential election.

After the Mr Trump called for shutting down mosques in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks and the San Bernardino mass killings, anti-Muslim crimes initially tripled. Almost half the attacks targeted mosques.
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A 13-year-old boy from Staten Island killed himself after facing relentless bullying at school.

Daniel Fitzpatrick left behind a letter in which he says he was bullied and that the teachers at the school "didn't do anything".

According to his account, his friends at Holy Angels Catholic Academy stopped talking to him and did not like him. He ended up getting in fights with his bullies  but whether he fought back or told his teachers, nothing was stopping the torment.

Recommended Read more Simon Callow voices concern about children bullying gay classmates

I gave up, he wrote in the note, handwritten on a single sheet of notebook paper. The teachers  they didnt do anything!

Daniels 17-year-old sister, Kristen, found him hanging in the attic of their home on Thursday.

My son shouldnt have to die to be heard, Daniels mother, Maureen Fitzpatrick, told the New York Daily News. Theres something wrong with the adults in authority positions when kids cant go to them for help.

No parent is supposed to bury their child.

Daniels father, also named Daniel Fitzpatrick, posted a video speaking to the parents of his sons alleged bullies.

To the parents of the boys that tormented my son, he said in the nearly 20 minute video, 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 dont get that anymore. Your little monsters took that away from me and my wife.

The family launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to pay for Daniels funeral expenses.

We want to give Daniel a proper memorial, as well as shine a bright light on the bullying that killed him, his eldest sister, Eileen, wrote on the fundraisers page.

The campaign has raised more than $80,000 at the time of this writing  well over the initial $10,000 goal.

The family said they intend to donate the surplus money to an organisations that address bullying and suicide awareness, but still have not determined which.
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Donald Trump has found at least one supporter for his allegation that the US administration founded Isis.

The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group quoted Trump at a rally in the south of the country, saying the presidential candidate's statements were based on facts.

Hassan Nasrallah said: "This is an American presidential candidate who is saying this. What he says is based on facts and documents."

Trump described President Barack Obama as the "founder" of Isis. 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 destabilize the Middle East.

Trump's comments have led to a growing alienation among the Republican Party.

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.

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."

People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Show all 8 1 /8 People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Miley Cyrus 'God he thinks he is the f***ing chosen one or some shit!  Honestly f*** this sh*t I am moving if this is my president! I dont say things I dont mean!' Jemal Countess/Getty Images People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Whoopi Goldberg 'I dont think thats America. I dont want it to be America. Maybe its time for me to move you know' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Samuel L. Jackson 'If that mother**er becomes president, Im moving my black ass to South Africa' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Raven Symone 'My confession for this election is, if any Republican gets nominated, Im gonna move to Canada with my entire family. Is that bad? I already have my ticket. I literally bought my ticket, I swear' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Cher 'If he were to be elected, I'm moving to Jupiter' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Neve Campbell 'Im terrified. Its really scary. My biggest fear is that Trump will triumph. I cannot believe that he is still in the game ... [I'll] move back to Canada' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Jon Stewart 'I would consider getting in a rocket and going to another planet, because clearly this planets gone bonkers' People who will flee America if Donald Trump wins Randy Blythe 'He could just be a clown. If he is the president, though, I am leaving America 'till he's gone'

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.

AP
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Donald Trump explained why he is behind Hillary Clinton in the polls: biased media coverage.

In a barrage of angry tweets, Mr Trump complained about the supposed media bias after the New York Times published a report about the troubled efforts of his campaign staff to restrain him.

If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didnt put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%, he tweeted Sunday morning.

He unleashed an attack on the Times specifically for its use of anonymous sources, accusing the paper of writing fiction and threatening to revoke its media credentials  a move he made against the Washington Post in June.

 Diagnosing a narcissist with Donald Trump

Maybe well start thinking about taking away their press credentials, Mr Trump told a crowd at a Fairfield Connecticut rally. When they write dishonest stories, we should be a little tough.

News outlets have placed significant scrutiny on remarks made by Mr Trump at rallies and during news conferences. In recent weeks, the New York real estate mogul has suggested Russian intelligence hack Hillary Clintons email servers, implied Second Amendment people could assassinate either his opponent or potential Supreme Court justices, and said that both the Democratic nominee and President Barack Obama founded Isis.

Mr Trump has backtracked from all three remarks by explaining that he was being sarcastic.

In a bit of damage control, running mate Mike Pence is appearing on news programmes to explain the meaning of Mr Trumps statements.

In an interview with Fox News Chris Wallace, Mr Pence explained that his running mate was stating that policies of the President and Democratic nominee that created the right circumstances for the Islamist extremist group to flourish.

I think he was being very serious, Mr Pence said. He was making a point that needs to be made, that there is no question that the failed policies of President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in the wider Middle East, created a vacuum within Iraq in which Isis was able to arise.

However, Mr Pence's explanation contradicts what Mr Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

Last night, you said the President was the founder of Isis. I know what you meant, Hewitt said. You meant that he created the vacuum, he lost the peace.

No, I meant hes the founder of Isis, Mr Trump replied. I do. He was the most valuable player. I give him the most valuable player award. I give her, too, by the way, Hillary Clinton.

Hewitt continued: But hes not sympathetic to them. He hates them. Hes trying to kill them.

I dont care, Mr Trump shot back. He was the founder. His, the way he got out of Iraq was that that was the founding of Isis, OK?

The Trump campaign has seen significant fallout in the polls in the past week.

Ms Clinton currently leads in all of the most recent major polls by a substantial margin at this stage in the election. The RealClear Politics average places Ms Clinton seven points higher than Mr Trump. According to an NBC News poll, the Democrat has a double-digit command over her opponent at 51 per cent to his 41.

But for Mr Trump, his lower polling numbers are a result of unfair media representation of words he actually says.

I am not only fighting Crooked Hillary, he tweeted, I am fighting the dishonest and corrupt media and her government protection process. People get it!"
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A 22-year-old British man has been stabbed to death and another injured during a knife attack in the holiday resort of Ayia Napa in Cyprus.

George Low, from Dartford, died from a stab wound in the neck after he was attacked in the early hours of Sunday morning while walking down a busy street in the popular party resort.

Another Britain, also aged 22, suffered four stab wounds in his back during the attack. His injures were not life-threatening.

George Low, 22, was stabbed to death in Ayia Napa (Gofundme)

Famagusta police said the pair were attacked by two men with knives shortly after getting involved in a shoving match with one of them.

District assistant police chief, Georgios Economou, said they are still searching for the attackers, who, according to witness accounts, appeared to be foreign nationals.

Police said there is no suspicion that the attack was terrorism related.

Tributes have been posted on social media to Mr Low, who is understood to have worked in Ayia Napa last year, according to the Evening Standard.

Posting a picture of Mr Low with a group of friends, Jason Woods said on Facebook: Words cant describe what you meant to me.

I was lucky to have you as a brother and I am truly heartbroken by this tragedy! Just looking back at the first time we met and I was lucky enough to meet one of the best guys in my life.

Bradley Bowden wrote: Definitely up there with one of the best humans Ive met. He didnt care about anything other than making his mates laugh.

Ollie Ellis: Last night we lost one amazing member of the Ayia Napa family and a very good friend of mine. Words cant describe how much of a shock this is we are going to miss you so much George.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of Mr Low, saying: We lost a true legend. Lets get him home and give him the send-off he deserves! The page has raised 1,165 in one hour.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: We are providing support for the family of a British national who sadly died in Cyprus on 14th August and will remain in contact with the local authorities who are investigating.

Additional reporting by Press Association
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A court has upheld the ban on burkinis by the Mayor of Cannes.

The court said the rule, introduced to ensure safety, was legal.

Full-body swimsuits were banned from the beaches near the city by a new local by-law for the duration of the summer.

The court said the rule was legal under French law that prohibits people invoking their religious beliefs to skirt common rules regulating relations between public authorities and private individuals".

The judge put the ban "in the context of the state of emergency and recent Islamist attacks, notably in Nice a month ago".

Cannes is less than 20 miles from Nice, where Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel ploughed a lorry into a crowd gathered to watch Bastille Day fireworks, killing 85 people.

"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 judge ruled.

Sefern Guez Guez, a lawyer for the CCIF said the group would appeal against the ruling at the highest level. "This decision opens the door to a ban on all religious symbols in the public space, he said.

Under the law, only clothing that is respectful to morality and secular principles, and in compliance with hygiene and safety rules can be worn on the beach. Those caught wearing burkini risk a 38 (33) fine.

Paris designers react to burka ban Show all 3 1 /3 Paris designers react to burka ban Paris designers react to burka ban 334905.bin AFP PHOTO/Pierre Verdy Paris designers react to burka ban 334906.bin AFP PHOTO/Pierre Verdy Paris designers react to burka ban 334907.bin AFP PHOTO/Pierre Verdy

Lionnel Luca, the mayor of Villeneuve-Loubet, a Riveiera resort, said the ban was for sanitary reasons.

I was told that there was a couple on one of our beaches where the wife was swimming fully dressed, and I considered that unacceptable for hygienic reasons and unwelcome given the general situation," he told AFP.

It is not yet clear whether the law will also apply to wetsuits or other clothing worn during swimming.

The law came one day after an event for women wearing burkinis was cancelled in Marseille because of death threats against the organisers.

France was the first country to introduce a burqa ban, which makes it illegal to wear a full face veil in public.
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The satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo has received death threats after it published another controversial front page which has been accused of mocking Muslims.

Commenting on the decision to ban burkas from beaches in Cannes, the latest issue depicts a man and woman with a traditional beard and hijab running naked on the beach with the caption The reform of Islam: Muslims loosen up.

The issue was published on Wednesday and the staff received a threat that a new attack was imminent via the magazines Facebook page, Le Parisien reported.

 Trump: Obama is the founder of Isis

Officers from the BRDP branch of the Paris police said this is not the first time the magazine has been threatened since the terror attack on their offices in January 2015.

An investigation opened by the force revealed that the magazine had seen 60 threats, insults and anti-Semitic remarks on their page in July and August.

Eric Portheault, the co-owner of the newspaper, told Le Parisien: We have filed a complaint with the police of the 13th arrondissement of the Paris police over the threats.

It never stops.

The magazine is still under heavy police protection after 10 staff members and two police officers were murdered when Islamist terrorists stormed an editorial meeting and opened fire.

In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Show all 25 1 /25 In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Police investigators search for evidence as an unidentified man is detained (L) during an operation in the eastern French city of Reims, after the shooting against the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting A bullet impact is seen in a window of a building next to the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo's office, in Paris AP In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Police set up a piece of cloth at the back of a truck as they carry out a body from the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris Getty Images In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Police block the roads next to the 'Charly Hebdo' headquarter where a shoutout occurred in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting A truck tows the car used by armed gunmen who stormed the Paris offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo Getty Images In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting An injured person is evacuated outside the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo's office in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting French former Youth and Associations Junior minister Jeannette Bougrab (C) is comforted by an unidentified person outside of the headquarters of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira reacts outside of the headquarters of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting French soldiers patrol in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris as the capital was placed under the highest alert status after heavily armed gunmen stormed French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and shot dead at least 12 people in the deadliest attack in France in four decades In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Firefighters carry an injured man on a stretcher in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting A victim is evacuated on a stretcher after armed gunmen stormed the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting A French Policeman is shot in the head in the street as two masked gunmen stormed the Charlie Hebdo headquarters, opening fire on staff In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting A bullet's impact on the window of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, after armed gunmen stormed the offices leaving at least 10 people dead In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting A police car riddled with bullets during an attack on the offices of the newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting French President Francois Hollande (C) arrives after a shooting at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting France's interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve (C, L) and Paris' Mayor Anne Hidalgo (C, R) arrive at the headquarters of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Firefighters and police officers gather in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Firefighters and police officers gather in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Armed gunmen face police officers near the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting A police officer stands next to the bicycle of a police officer who was hit by a car near the shell of a bullet (bottom R) not far from the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Firefighters carry an injured man on a stretcher in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Police forces gather in street outside the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Firefighters carry an injured man on a stretcher in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Firefighters carry an injured man on a stretcher in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris In pictures: Charlie Hebdo shooting Charlie Hebdo shooting Police officers and firefighters gather in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, after armed gunmen stormed the offices leaving "casualties", according to the publication's cartoonist, and "six seriously injured" police officers according to City Hall

The terrorists, one of whom died in a police shootout after murdering four more people at a kosher deli in the city two days later, attacked the magazine after it published cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohamed.

In January, it caused outrage when it published a cartoon suggesting Aylan Kurdi, the little Syrian boy who was photographed lying dead on Greek beach sparking an international outpouring of sympathy towards refugees, would have grown up to be sexual abuser if he had lived.

The cartoon appeared just weeks after the sex attacks on women in Cologne on New Years Eve - which were blamed on refugee men.

Following a police investigation it was found only three suspects were recent refugees from Syria and Iraq.
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A French court has refused to release a 68-year-old woman pardoned for murdering her husband after nearly 50 years of rape and violent, sparking a public outcry with some describing the ruling as incomprehensible.

Jacqueline Sauvage, of Montargis in central France, shot her husband Norbert Marot three times in the back with his own hunting rifle in September 2012, the day after their son hanged himself.

She described Marot as a violent alcoholic who raped and beat her and their three daughters and also abused their son.

Ms Sauvage was found guilty in December 2014 and given a 10-year-sentence.

Jacqueline Sauvages lawyers argued that she was acting in self-defence (PHOTOPQR)

More than 400,000 people signed a petition demanding Ms Sauvages release and she later received a pardon from President Francois Hollande in January.

A presidential spokesperson said at the time: In the face of an exceptional human situation, the president wanted to make it possible for Madame Savage to quickly return to her family while respecting judicial authorities.

On Friday, Ms Sauvages lawyers said they were in shock after a court in Melun, south Paris, refused to grant her conditional bail.

During a news conference, Nathalie Tomasini and Janine Bonaggiunta accused the magistrate of refusing to release Ms Sauvage because the presidential pardon was highly resented by the whole profession.

The prosecution service, backing her release, will appeal the decision, Beatrice Angelelli, a Melun prosecutor, told AFP.

Sauvage's lawyers said the court had raised concerns that her return to her old neighbourhood may encourage people to see her as a victim rather than a convict due to the support around her and the media coverage.

The courts decision not to release Sauvage has ignited much criticism. It has been described as incomprehensible by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, while many womens rights groups have slammed the ruling as patriarchal.

The President has only used his pardon once before, to release Phillippe El Shennawy in 2014, a bank robber who had served 38 years of a life sentence.
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Children as young as seven have been sexually assaulted in official European refugee camps, it has been reported.

Others are reportedly too afraid to leave their tents at night amid fears they could also be targeted, following a number of disturbing allegations about life in the camps.

One volunteer serving at the Softex camp in Greece told The Observer young girls are being groomed by male gangs. He said on one occasion an Iraqi family had been moved to emergency accommodation following a sexual assault on their 7-year-old daughter.

He said: The parents are still in disbelief over what happened. A man from one of the mafia groups asked their seven-year-old daughter into their tent to play games on his phone and then zipped up the tent.

She came back with marks on her arms and neck. Later the girl described how she was sexually abused. It has scarred a seven-year-old child for life.

The family are reportedly no longer wishing to stay in Europe, but seeking to return to Iraq following the attack.

Other charities and aid agencies say they have also heard reports of children and women being sexually assaulted at the camps, fuelling concerns they do not provide adequate protection for vulnerable refugees.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper said the allegations should shame us all and serve as a reminder of how much more the UK must do to support refugees. She told The Observer: The UK government needs to urgently wake up to its responsibility. Parliament passed the amendment exactly because we were worried about child refugees being exploited, trafficked and sexually abused because other countries were overwhelmed with the scale of the problem.

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

In May, it was alleged a cleaner at a Turkish refugee camp had raped up to 30 boys, as young as 8-years-old. It was alleged he raped the boys in camp toilets and paid them 35p. Many of their parents said they were too afraid to speak out. After multiple alleged attacks over the course of three months, he was later arrested by local authorities.

In September 2015, it was alleged that sexual violence was commonplace at a camp in Giessen, Germany, where 5,000 refugees and migrants were living. A letter penned by a whistle blower to the Minister of Integration and Social Affairs alleged: It is a fact that women and children are unprotected. This situation is opportune to those men who already regard women as their inferior and treat unaccompanied women as fair game. As a consequence, there are reports of numerous rapes, sexual assaults and increasingly of forced prostitution. These are not isolated incidents.

Reports have also emerged of men being forced into prostitution due to destitution. Men fleeing Syria and Afghanistan have been reportedly selling sex for as little as two euros in Athens red light district, after border rules changed and left many stranded with no possibility of earning an income.
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The man who attacked passengers with a knife and set fire to a Swiss train has died from his injuries alongside one of his victims, police say.

Three others are believed to remain in a critical condition in hospital.

The unnamed 34-year-old woman was one of seven people injured when the man attacked passengers with a knife and then douzed the carriage with a flammable liquid as the train pulled into Salez in the north-eastern St Gallen canton near the Liechtenstein border.

One of those injured is believed to have been a six-year-old girl.

St Gallen police said two men, aged 17 and 50, and three women aged 17, 34 and 43, were burned by the fire or suffered knife wounds.

They said the attacker poured the flammable liquid on one of the women who then caught alight. It is not known if this is the woman who has now died.

Police spokesman Hans-Peter Kruesi said they were unable to interview the suspect due to the severity of his injuries but added that they had found no evidence of any ties to extremist groups.

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

He said: So far there are no indications this was a terrorist or politically motivate crime.

Five passengers were wounded in the attack aboard the train, and a sixth person who was on the platform was wounded as he pulled the burning suspect off the train, police said.

Coming after a string of deadly attacks in Europe, the Swiss train attack again illustrates how difficult it is for authorities to protect the continent's labyrinthine transport system, particularly against individuals often wielding unsophisticated and readily available weapons.

Recommended Read more Man sets Swiss train on fire and attacks passengers with knife

Last month in neighbouring Germany, a 17-year-old refugee from Afghanistan used an axe and a knife to wound four tourists on a train, and stabbed a woman as he fled. The attacker was shot and killed by police and all his victims survived.

In May at a railway station in the German state of Bavaria, a 27-year-old German man who had been in psychiatric care stabbed commuters, killing one and wounding three others before being apprehended by police.

And last year a heavily-armed gunman opened fire on a high-speed Amsterdam to Paris train, but he was overpowered by two young American soldiers and their companion.

Additional reporting by AP
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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 on Saturday,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 photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen Show all 4 1 /4 The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen sa1.jpg The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen sa0.jpg The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen sa2.jpg The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen sa3.jpg

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.

AP
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Police have released a sketch of the man suspected of killing of an imam and his friend.

Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin were shot in the back of the head as they walked from Saturday afternoon prayers at a mosque in Queens, New York.

Witnesses described a tall Hispanic man wearing a dark blue shirt and shorts who killed the 55-year-old imam and his 64-year-old assistant.

 Donald Trump blamed for stoking Islamophobia after imam and assistant shot dead

The attack happened in broad daylight shortly before 2pm, one block away from the mosque. Police said on Sunday the gunman remained at large.

Police say the man had dark hair and a medium complexion. He was was bearded and was wearing glasses at the time of the attack.

No motive for the killings has yet been established by investigators, but worshippers and community members in Queens said the killings were hate crimes.

Mosque leader, Mr Akonjee, a married father of seven from Bangladesh, was pronounced dead at the scene, one block away from the place of worship. Mr Uddin, also from Bangaldesh, was rushed to Jamaica Hospital but later died. (AP)

More than 100 people joined a protest on Saturday night outside the mosque where they chanted: We want Justice.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that it is the two main officials of the mosque, it just doesn't connect," said Mahfauza Hague, a friend of the imam.

A leader of another mosque in the area, Kobir Chowdhury, said religious intolerance was to blame for the attack. Read my lips: this is a hate crime. We are peace loving, he said at a news conference.

But police on Sunday had not yet determined the motive for the attack. "There's nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner, from the New York Police Department, said.

Witnesses described a tall Hispanic man wearing a dark blue shirt and shorts (AP)

The imams daughter, Naima Akonjee, said her father didnt have any problems with anyone".

Ms Akonjee said her father and Mr Uddin were close friends who lived on the same street and always walked together to the mosque.

"These were two very beloved people," Afaf Nasher, of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said. "These were community leaders. There is a deep sense of mourning and an overwhelming cry for justice to be served."

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

City Hall issued a statement: "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."

Another local said the rhetoric of the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, was responsible for the attack. Thats not what America is about, Khairul Islam, 33, told New York Daily News. We blame Donald Trump for this... Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia."

Mr Trump has made multiple anti-Muslim statements while running for office.
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It has been a bad few months for women  the attack on Channel 4 news anchor Fatima Manji by Kelvin MacKenzie for fronting the news on the day of the Nice attacks, followed by Donald Trumps accusation that a dead Muslim American Servicemans mother isnt allowed to speak. The announcement of the opening of a fellatio cafe in London in December 2016 servicing only mens desires with coffee on the side was a similarly shocking moment, in addition to the TUCs report on sexual harassment of women in the workplace, the investigation by the Women and Equalities Committee on the prejudices faced by Muslim women in employment.

This week, we heard the announcement by David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes, that he is prohibiting access to the beach to anyone wearing inappropriate swimwear that does not respect good customs and secularism.

I had my face in my palms wondering if it could get any worse, and then Thierry Migoule, head of Municipal Services in Cannes stated that the rule is about banning ostentatious clothing which refers to an allegiance to terrorist movements which are at war with us.

Choosing to conflate a cultural and religiously inspired mode of bathing attire  which women choose to wear to make them feel safe from the sexual gaze of society while partaking in a very ordinary pastime  with a terrorist group is a convenient othering of fellow citizens in times of national crisis.

The greatest causalities of Isis have been Muslims, and the banning of the burkini illustrates the extent to which Frances fundamentalist secularism is singling out the most visible and vulnerable group in society for blame.

Since when did wearing a burkini, in most cases a loose fitting nylon version of a wetsuit, become an act of allegiance to terrorist movements? Do Marks & Spencer or House of Fraser know that their attempt to raise profits and exploit a gap in the over-saturated clothing market is selling and promoting allegiance to Isis?

What is it about French secularisms blindspot to its own racism and misogyny? The obsession to the point of fetishism with Muslim womens mode of dress and covering curtails the most basic of human rights  that of self-determination and freedom of expression. As Arundhati Roy so eloquently put it, coercing a woman out of the burka instead of enabling her to choose is an act of violence, humiliation and cultural imperialism. Instead of extending the hand of fraternite, Mr Lisnard and his supporters are excluding Muslims, if not pushing them into the arms of radicalisers.

 Anti-women laws that still exist in 2016

Such policies and acts of discrimination are examples of how Islamophobia is more likely to manifest itself in a gendered way which targets and affects women uniquely, adding to their misogynistic oppression and religious victimisation.

Similar to the Everyday Sexism project, my friends and I sit and exchange stories of incidents that we would post on our imaginary Everyday Islamophobia blog. These daily micro, and at times macro, aggressions indicate the extent to which misogynistic Islamophobia has become normalised in Western discourse and public debate.

What hurts the most is the silence of fellow mainstream and western feminists whose voices would have a significant impact on how these issues are framed and articulated. Their solidarity would mean so much to their Muslim sisters across Europe and the world.

The Mayor of Cannes and the extremist secularism in parts of France and Europe are, in this instance, the other side of the coin to Saudi Arabia, Iran or, dare I say it, Daesh in Raqqa, where enforcement and regulation of womens clothing and bodies is mandated by men acting in the name of the state.

It is when we cease to treat womens bodies as commodities, using them to score points in ideological wars which strip them of control over their own bodies and deny them the right to choice that we honour liberte, egalite and fraternite.

Huda Jawad is Community Coordinator at Standing Together Against Domestic Violence
Retail Ireland says shoppers are unnerved by the prospect of the split from Europe

Business chiefs have called on the Government to cut income tax but leave the minimum wage alone in order to ease the pressure posed by Brexit.

Retail Ireland, part of the Ibec lobby group, warned of deepening threats from competitors in Northern Ireland and UK online retailers in the aftermath of Britain's vote to leave the EU.

The association said shoppers are unnerved by the prospect of the split from Europe while the collapse in Sterling's value makes it harder for Irish business to compete.

It called on Finance Minister Michael Noonan to cut tax on wages, to drop plans to raise the minimum wage to 10.50 euro over four years and to create a dedicated fund to rejuvenate town centres.

Retail Ireland director Thomas Burke said: "Ireland is uniquely exposed to Brexit's chill winds.

"Consumer confidence has fallen back, after months of strong growth, and retailers say positive momentum has slowed in recent weeks.

"Sterling's sharp fall has intensified competition from Northern Ireland and UK online retailers. While domestic retailers are moving quickly to adapt to the new environment, the Government must also take decisive steps in Budget 2017."

Mr Burke said price-sensitive shoppers and intense competition are keeping prices down.

Retail Ireland urged the Government to target the domestic economy as currency fluctuations are outside their control.

The group's latest retail monitor also found trade in Dublin city centre stores is down on other areas and it blamed lower footfall because of road works, including the Luas extension.
Professor Curran was a head and neck surgeon at St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin

Tributes have been paid to a respected doctor who died in a boating accident.

Professor Aongus Curran, a well-known head and neck surgeon at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin and academic at University College Dublin, died on Lough Corrib, Co Galway.

The father-of-five, who was in his 50s, was originally from Oughterard, Co Galway, near where the accident happened on Friday, and lived in Dublin.

Health minister Simon Harris said: "I was very sorry to hear today that Professor Curran had passed away.

"He was an enormously respected surgeon, and a valued teacher to medical students at UCD. I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to his family, loved ones and his colleagues."

Prof Curran was feared drowned after an upturned boat was discovered on Friday.

His body was found near Camillaun Island, about four miles from where he set off near Oughterard.

Cancer specialist Prof John Crown said: "Very sorry to hear of sad death of Prof Aongus Curran RIP. Fine man and outstanding cancer surgeon."

The Irish Coast Guard, gardai and local boats and rescue teams were involved in the search operation.

Prof Curran trained in NUI Galway and later in Toronto before being a ppointed to the Professorship of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology at UCD and his main clinical interest was in treating tumours in the head and neck.
The Government's make-or-break housing plan is under threat from Britain's decision to leave the European Union, according to a briefing document compiled by Department of Housing officials.

A risk assessment drafted by senior government officials in the wake of the Brexit vote warns that UK construction companies will be less likely to invest in Ireland once Britain leaves the EU single market.

The document obtained under the Freedom of Information Act says this could "limit upscaling construction activity" in Ireland.

The report says this is a "low operational risk" at present but there could be a "more significant strategic issue" in the medium term as the Government seeks to resolve the housing crisis.

The Sunday Independent previously revealed how the same risk assessment highlighted Government fears over the impact Brexit will have on Ireland's nuclear power agreements with the UK.

Officials also warned that the cost of construction material sourced from the UK may rise after Britain leaves the EU

"While the availability of UK products and services is unlikely to be an issue in the future, a question now arises over the cost of those products and services and the impact of possible cost increases on the housing sector," the reports states.

Fianna Fail's housing spokesman Barry Cowen said the issue needs to be monitored "very closely".

"It was felt that a lot of investment in Irish property was being funded by UK- based pension funds," Mr Cowen said.

"Much of said funding is now obviously at risk due to Brexit and lack of finance and cost of such finance could impinge progress," he added.

A spokesman for Housing Minister Simon Coveney said any risk from Brexit to the Action Plan for Housing & Homelessness is "extremely low at this point".

"Brexit is, at least, a further two years away which will enable all stakeholders in the housing market to put in place mitigation strategies as the negotiations progress and post Brexit arrangements become clearer," he said.

The briefing document also warns environmental assessments and mandatory consultation processes "may prove more difficult" to enforce when Britain leaves the European Union (EU).

Ireland has bilateral agreements with Britain which entitle the government to information on the UK's nuclear programme.

The UK will no longer be tied down by strict EU laws which underpin these.
Mr Donohoe said protecting the Irish economy from Brexit will be 'one of the key themes' of the budget. Pic Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

Cabinet ministers have been told to prioritise their spending needs for the next three years as fears grow within Government over the impact of Brexit.

Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe wrote to his cabinet colleagues last week telling them to set out their long-term investment demands to allow the Government to prepare for the fallout from the UK leaving the European Union (EU).

Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Mr Donohoe said he wants to make budget decisions that will make people's lives better but also warned that he also needs "flexibility" to protect Ireland from a future financial disaster.

News of conservative budgets will spark concern among Middle Ireland where hard-pressed families are hoping to reap the benefits of the recovering economy.

Rising health and car insurance premiums, coupled with the financial demands of sending children back to school, are to the front of ordinary families' minds as the summer ends in the coming weeks. While there will be some reprieve in October's budget, it is unlikely to meet the demands of a frustrated public.

Another senior cabinet minister warned that "Ireland is running to catch up" after a "lost decade" following the financial crash.

"Regardless of Brexit, there is a huge amount to be done to bring the country back to where you would like it to be and I think, in that sense, the giveaway Bertie budgets will be no more," the minister said.

Mr Donohoe said protecting the Irish economy from Brexit will be "one of the key themes" of the budget, along with implementing policies that "will support people and make their lives better".

"How we support our enterprise sector and how we support business in the context of Brexit is clearly something that will be important in spending and investment choices that the budget will make," he added.

It has also emerged that Fianna Fail has called for face-to-face meetings with Mr Donohoe and Finance Minister Michael Noonan as soon as the Dail returns in September.

The demand is the latest move in Fianna Fail's strategy to exert influence over the Government's budget from the Opposition benches.

Fianna Fail's public expenditure and reform spokesman, Dara Calleary, is seeking to speak to Mr Donohoe, while the party's finance spokesman, Michael McGrath, wants to meet with Mr Noonan.

Mr Donohoe said he is "willing to engage" with FF but warned that the party needs to "act responsibility" when it comes to budget negotiations. He said it is not financially possible to fulfil all the commitments set out in Fine Gael's confidence and supply agreement with Fianna Fail in the forthcoming budget.

Last week, the Sunday Independent revealed that Fianna Fail is planning to force Fine Gael to increase the old age pension by 5 a week and fully restore the controversial cut to the lone parent allowance.

Fianna Fail is demanding that these measures, along with radical reforms to the contributory state pension system, are enacted in the budget.

The party will also insist that college fees are not increased and, at the same time, call for an additional 100m a year to be added to the education budget to address funding shortfalls.

FF education spokesman Thomas Byrne said the funding crisis is "immediate and acute" and also said the party has a commitment in its election manifesto not to increase fees. Fianna Fail is also looking for post-graduate grants to be reintroduced next year.

Education Minister Richard Bruton has yet to say if he will increase fees in the budget. However, if Mr Bruton did increase fees, he will face a backlash from backbenchers.

FG Cork South West TD Jim Daly, who is on the Oireachtas Education Committee, said he would rather Government "grasp the nettle" and introduce real reforms instead of increasing funding by stealth through increased fees.

Dublin Rathdown TD Josepha Madigan also said increased fees should not be "imposed at this time on the youth".
Partly explaining the pessimism is fear of change and the unknown. Another reason is what economists call the lump of labour fallacy  the idea that the number of jobs in an economy is fixed, and therefore more automation must in turn mean fewer jobs... (Stock picture)

'Artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race." That is how no less a figure than physicist Stephen Hawking has described the risks posed by intelligent machines capable of thought and action.

He is not alone. Some, if by no means all, of the world's deepest thinkers in relevant fields are profoundly worried about the possible negative consequences of rapid and accelerating advances in artificial intelligence (AI).

The happening that triggered the latest wave of concern took place in March of this year. Then, a milestone was reached when the computer programme, AlphaGo, defeated a human in a game of Go - a Chinese board game previously been considered too complex for a machine ever to best a human.

AI advances are, as always with new technologies, being driven by those who see more opportunities than threats in change. As the opportunities are almost limitless, companies are now pouring massive sums into AI in the hope of making the next breakthrough. And of reaping the returns.

Machines already do much of the work once done by people's muscle power. The next step is to complete more tasks requiring brain power.

There is a distinction between 'narrow AI', which can perform specific tasks, and stronger forms of AI, which would perform a full range of human cognitive abilities. The narrow form has been around for years, and nearly everyone has encountered it. Examples includes AI that can filter spam emails and give purchase recommendations on websites. As we all know, these forms of AI can be pretty dumb.

But better stronger forms of AI are drawing closer, even if estimates among tech types on when they will be widely available vary a great deal. How advances in AI and other technologies will affect different aspects of our lives divides opinion too.

At one extreme are the utopians who envision a world in which our lives improve immeasurably. At the other are dystopians who see multiple negative consequences, including machines replacing humans in an increasing number of jobs and AI being used against humanity, either by other humans or (as in the Terminator movies), by machines themselves.

As AI advances in the coming years, a number of important economic, ethical and practical concerns will inevitably come to the fore. For instance, should machines be programmed to mimic humans or be distinct? Who will controls AI once it is developed - the developers exclusively, or will new forms of regulation have to be created? And could AI create unprecedented levels of inequality as the gains go to the small group who own the technology while the losses are counted in mass unemployment.

For a column focusing on economics for a business readership, the most relevant issues relate to the impact of AI on companies and the people who work in them.

It is perhaps fair to say that debate thus far on the topic has focused more on the downsides than the upsides. The idea that automation is causing joblessness and inequality is prevalent and oft repeated. But while the likes of Hawking are right to highlight the risks of AI in the longer term, I am on the more optimistic side of debate when it comes to employment issues.

Partly explaining the pessimism is fear of change and the unknown. Another reason is what economists call the "lump of labour fallacy" - the idea that the number of jobs in an economy is fixed and, therefore, that more automation must mean fewer jobs.

Even the briefest glance at history shows that this notion is not called a fallacy for nothing. Going back as far as Ireland's first export industry - stone-age axes - technology has never stopped destroying jobs, but new jobs have always emerged to replace them. Today, there has never been more people at work on the planet.

Even in the rich world, where fear of losing out to both technology and low wage economies, nearly every economy has got more of its people working than 20 years ago. As the chart shows, the US has been (almost) exceptional, which may well explain in part recent political happenings.

For starters, jobs will be created directly to service any new technology. Moreover, greater automation tends to boost productivity, the engine of increased prosperity. That, in turn, allows people to consume and invest in other areas instead. Labour is reallocated, rather than displaced entirely.

Martin Ford, author of The Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of Mass Unemployment, believes this time is different. He argues that because almost every sector uses computers, there will be no safe havens when it comes to job displacement. Given the breadth and speed of coming change, it will be more difficult for workers to move to other jobs than the past.

Some economists are also worried future economies will consist of low-skilled jobs that are not profitable to automate and high-skilled jobs that complement new technologies. The losers will be a widening swathe of middle-skilled workers.

Because the trajectory of future technology is unpredictable, the exact impact on jobs is rather unclear. A much cited study by researchers at Oxford University found that 47pc of jobs in the US could become automated in the next 20 years. Yet a recent OECD paper* found (more plausibly, in this columnist's view) that 9pc of jobs at highrisk of being automated. The figure for Ireland was even lower, at 8pc.

If opinions differ greatly on how negative the effects might be, there is more consensus on the sectors most likely to be disrupted by smarter machines. Those working in office support, retail and transport are seen as being affected most. Those in creative jobs, by contrast, are least likely (in the medium-term at any rate) to be replaced by machine.

What most experts agree on is the need for governments to act in order to smooth out the disruption technology is expected to bring. After all, industrialisation eventually forced states to introduce labour regulations and measures that became the welfare state. It seems most likely that education systems offer the best hope of ensuring as many people as possible access new opportunities and as few as possible are, to use a voguish phrase, left behind.

Among other things, lifelong learning and re-skilling are likely to be a feature of working lives from now on. Innovation in education can help this process. There has been an emergence of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) where people can take online classes on platforms such as Coursera, edX and Udacity (incidentally all three were founded by people involved in AI).

When these websites were launched a few years ago, the hype that they might displace universities was overblown. But they will provide at least a part of people's formation in the future.

The prospect of people constantly updating their skills and working a number of jobs in their lifetimes seems possible, particularly for those with high-level and technical skills. More focus will be required for those with low- and middle-level skills.

AI technology brings with it challenges and opportunities. It will doubtless bring great change to the economy and society.

The important lesson is that when faced with change, the best course of action is usually to adapt proactively.

* http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/download/5jlz9h56dvq7.pdf?expires=1469458438&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=8E80F13A296EEF60C302EFA79BA400D3
Isolde Goggin: "If only 5pc of procurement processes were subject to bid rigging, the extra cost to the Irish taxpayer would be in the region of 100m a year." (Cartoon by Jon Berkeley)

Isolde Goggin's job is to smash cartels. Sounds glamorous, right?

Her workplace is not glamorous. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) - of which she is chairperson - is based on Parnell Square in an old Georgian building that looks beautiful on the outside, but is not so beautiful on the inside.

Early next year they're moving home to something a little more salubrious. It's a symbol, perhaps, of a new era.

The CCPC was established in 2014 - a marriage of the old Competition Authority and National Consumer Agency. The late Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan Jr announced the plan as far back as 2008.

Then came the moratorium on public sector recruitment.

Staffing has been a serious issue in recent years - in 2010, the Competition Authority's headcount was at its lowest since 2003. But now the CCPC is in the middle of a recruitment drive - adding 23 staff on top of a headcount that stood at 86 last September. Some 15 roles have been filled thus far.

"Just seeing those new faces around the place is great, because it's been a struggle, like for everybody else, with scarce resources over the last couple of years," Goggin says.

"But I am quite proud of the fact that I think we did manage to do a lot even with the scarce resources - we didn't just throw in the towel. And we got the amalgamation done at the same time, because that takes resources."

Now Goggin expects the CCPC to get more aggressive, carrying out more so-called 'dawn raids' and other investigations, though she points out that the number of raids has been picking up.

Since its inception in October 2014 up until December last year, the anti-cartel arm of the State reviewed 74 allegations and opened two large-scale formal investigations.

The most high-profile move involved a visit by the Commission to an Irish Cement premises in Co Meath, in connection with alleged anti-competitive practices in the bagged cement sector. Irish Cement - a subsidiary of Ireland's biggest company CRH - has cooperated fully with the investigation. It took the CCPC to court and successfully secured a ruling that some of the seized material couldn't be used in the investigation, which continues.

The CCPC is appealing that ruling to the Supreme Court.

Strengthening competition enforcement was part of the Troika's diktat during the bailout programme and, now that the CCPC is up and running, the pressure is on to deliver results.

Perhaps the greatest task facing Goggin is the banking sector. After the General Election, the CCPC was asked to work with the Central Bank to try and stimulate more competition. That process, which is likely to involve discussions with the IDA about attracting new entrants, is under way.

"We would like to concentrate on what you can do to improve the situation. I don't think we need any more analysis of the past," says Goggin.

"We had the banking crisis and I think the causes are very well known. There was a crash, we had a two-pillar banking strategy, whereby competition was basically sacrificed in order to ensure the stability of the financial system.

"We didn't object to that at the time - it was a crisis situation. But this is what a banking system with limited competition looks like now. So what we would really like to concentrate on is to see how we can encourage more entry into the sector.

"We certainly wouldn't feel that things like putting a cap on standard variable rate mortgages would encourage entry - I think you certainly have to try to not make things any worse than they are at the moment."

Goggin (56) has a background in engineering. After college she worked as an engineer in Eircom and later found herself at the European Commission.

"At the time, there was a lot of deregulation of the telecoms industry," she says. "Historically it had been run by big government departments, where there was very little innovation, and they actually made it very hard for anybody to come along with a new idea - a new phone or a fax or whatever.

"So that was just starting to break up and people were being allowed to interconnect networks - that kind of gave me the whole idea of being interested in competition, and particularly the role of innovation."

She became a member of the old Competition Authority in 1996, leaving in 2002 to join communications regulator Comreg, where she became chairperson.

"By 2011, they were advertising for the post of chairperson of the Competition Authority to become the chairperson of the combined agency. I was very interested because I'd seen a lot on the competition side . . . and when I was in Comreg I had a lot of dealings with the consumer side, because there's a huge amount of consumer issues in telecoms, lots of ways in which people are not necessarily being given the information they need, or they're not necessarily on the best package - all that kind of thing.

"I just thought it was a really interesting opportunity to bring those sides together. And then the amalgamation of the two organisations was a big challenge as well, as you'd expect.

"I think, at that time in 2011, we expected that it would happen imminently, but in fact it was October 2014 before we got the legislation enacted to bring us together."

One of Goggin's biggest fears is the potential losses to the State - 100m a year at conservative estimates - arising from suspected bid rigging in the lucrative domain of public procurement.

Goggin has made public procurement the Commission's top investigative priority - but it's an area that is notable (here and elsewhere) for its lack of prosecutions, let alone convictions.

"We've had various complaints over the years, and we've done various investigations, but we haven't had a successful prosecution," admits Goggin, who adds that the prosecution rate may rise if the data environment improves.

"International experience would tell you that public procurement is something that tends to be very prone to cartel activity, and particularly prone to bid rigging, where people decide 'look, there's six of us here in the market, if we all really compete we're not necessarily all going to survive - why don't we just have a little gentlemen's' agreement that this time you'll get it, the next time I'll get it, and so on?'

"And that kind of cartel activity can add a lot to costs. It's estimated that it adds between 20pc and 30pc to costs, so even if that was only going on in a small fraction of the Irish public procurement area it would be a lot of money.

"If only 5pc of procurement processes were subject to bid rigging, the extra cost to the Irish taxpayer would be in the region of 100m a year."

The CCPC has written to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to make the case for a data analytics-based system, which would make it easier to track activity in the sector over time.

"At the moment, in order to detect bid rigging, we'd basically be reliant on a whistleblower - obviously, we want to encourage that and for people to come and talk to us if they know of this kind of thing going on.

"But we also know that the Irish State could use software a lot more cleverly than we do at the moment, to detect patterns like that, because what tends to happen is people look at one bid. But you need to look the historical pattern in order to detect whether there's some kind of 'pass the baton' going on."

It may not have flexed its muscles fully yet, but the mere whiff that the Commission is rooting around a sector has the business fraternity reaching out to their lawyers. Just in case.

And Goggin is rooting: as well as banking and procurement sectors, she has the motor and waste industries in her sights.

Last year, the CCPC was contacted 3,500 times by consumers about the motor sector - with issues including difficulties with deposits and financing, potential car clocking and the selling of crashed cars. This has led the Commission to undertake public information campaigns to ensure consumers know their rights when buying a car, and what to ask for when they do.

"Again, we don't have as much information in this country accessible to consumers as we could have," she adds. "There are private companies which make odometer readings available from, say, cars imported from the UK for a price. You've got to pay for a check, but if the cars are going through the MOT and the NCT we'd like to see a situation where the mileage is recorded and people can get access to that, so that there's a check-back."

The shift to pay-by-weight in the waste sector is causing major headaches. On the perennially thorny issue of waste, Goggin says there's been "a lot of issues", much of it driven by a lack of proper communication between waste companies and consumers.

"It's just the information, are people being given clear information as to what they're expected to pay, what they're liable for?" she says. "The companies have obligations to give consumers proper information - and we'll keep on their tail."

I ask whether she'll go back looking for more resources once the current recruitment drive has been filled. Wouldn't that it make it easier to avoid difficult decisions about prioritising some investigations over others?

"When we have the new resources, it'll take some time to absorb those and train them up and get them to full speed, but I think we'll be grand then," she says. "We'll be able to do a lot. But we're still going to have to prioritise - we prioritise now.

"On the consumer side, we get a lot of complaints. We get a lot of competition complaints as well. Quite often you think there could be something there, but the evidence just isn't there. So you're always saying 'I'm doing this rather than that. I'm doing this because I think it has a bigger impact on consumers'.

"We're doing this because it's a big detriment to consumers, because the ball is squarely in our court and we're best-placed to do something about that.'"

It's not just enforcement, she adds. Goggin says the Commission, which does "a lot of chasing", needs to shore up its business engagement functions.

"We would like to be able to have resources to go around to business associations, go around to people and say 'look, this is what you have to do' - pre-empt the issues, tell people what their obligations are," she adds.

"Many companies - often quite large companies - either didn't know their obligations or hadn't told the people on the frontline what they were, and there's really no excuse for that."

'Be yourself, don't sweat the small stuff...'

My hobbies are...

"I do a bit of running, very slow running. Also a bit of hill-walking, and I read a lot."

The book I'm reading is...

"I'm reading John Rae's Arctic Correspondence, 1844-1855, edited by Ken McGoogan. Is that really obscure? I'm kind of an armchair polar explorer, I like reading a lot about the Arctic and the Antarctic and the people who went there.

"John Rae is this great character - because he wasn't an explorer, and he wasn't in the Royal Navy, and he didn't necessarily think of himself as going out to find the North Pole or whatever. But he went up to the High Arctic - and he learned a lot from the indigenous people there, and he spent time exploring and ended up very involved in the search for Franklin."

My music taste is...

"I'm stuck irretrievably in the early 1980s. The Cure, the Jam, The Clash, Blondie, the Pretenders . . . I never moved on from those days."

The best piece of career advice that I've received is...

"Be yourself and don't sweat the small stuff."
KBC's Irish arm more than doubled its net profit after tax and impairments year-on-year in the second quarter - to 39.5m from 17.8m Photo: AFP

KBC Bank Ireland has not set aside provisions to deal with potential costs arising out of the Central Bank's tracker mortgage probe.

It did not comment on the strategic rationale for the decision - which may indicate confidence that it will not suffer a significant hit - but said that it was cooperating fully with the Central Bank's requirements.

One of the issues being examined is whether customers of Irish banks were wrongly denied trackers. Deloitte has been appointed as an independent third party to make sure KBC's internal review complies with Central Bank requirements. The Central Bank said last month that it would shortly commence on-site investigations.

"We are meeting the timelines that the Central Bank has set out for this review, which is a phased review. I wouldn't want to pre-empt any of the findings or the conclusions before the entire process has been concluded, just to say that we're fully cooperating with the Central Bank and their agents in completing this process as speedily as possible. We will make sure that customers are treated fairly," KBC Bank Ireland chief executive Wim Verbraeken said.

KBC's Irish arm more than doubled its net profit after tax and impairments year-on-year in the second quarter - to 39.5m from 17.8m. The results will feed in to the parent group's ongoing review of whether the bank should retain a presence here. Verbraeken said details on the outcome of the process would probably be made known by the end of the year.

The premise of the review is to examine whether KBC could build out a sustainably profitable bank in Ireland. It added 33,000 customer accounts in the first half, driven in part by a new digital offering that enables customers to set up a bank account online.

Verbraeken said the bank had not seen any direct impact from the UK's vote to exit the European Union.

"I think we would agree that overall it is not good news for the Irish economy. It remains to be seen to what extent it will impact customers, and we take a proactive approach in reaching out to customers that will potentially be impacted," he said, adding that the bank had seen a continued economic recovery in the sectors in which it operates.

"On the mortgage side, we have noticed that the macro-prudential lending rules that have been put in implementation by the Central Bank last year have kind of been digested and we're moving into the next phase. Lenders and borrowers have adjusted, we work within these rules and we expect essentially that the positive momentum is carried into the second half of the year," he added.
Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick, with his foot in plaster after an operation, poses with one of his patients, cocker spaniel Cookie, to whom he gave two bionic feet in an operation

Laois 'Supervet' Noel Fitzpatrick, of Channel 4 TV fame, booked 11m in sales and a profit of 1.1m in his company's most recently filed accounts for the year to the end of March 2015.

The main company related to his business, Fitzpatrick Referrals, also had borrowings of 5.1m and 8m in shareholders' funds in the bank at that time. It had 113 employees and had achieved a 43pc increase in sales in the previous year, the accounts state.

In an interview with the Sunday Independent last year, the Ballyfin native confirmed that a number of his employees are also from Ireland and that at that time the number of staff had increased to 137.

Last September, former BBC Top Gear presenter Chris Evans opened a new division of the business, the Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue Centre, in a multi-million pound new building in a science and technology research park on the campus of the University of Surrey, near London.

The specialist animal cancer hospital is the first of its kind in Europe, and Prof Fitzpatrick's aim for the business was that it would employ up to 140 people. Cancer is the biggest killer of cats and dogs after trauma.

"This is going to change the whole level of cancer care for animals in Europe: it's a super-specialist hub, inspired by Thomas Mayo's famous Mayo Clinic in the US. It's beautiful, and it's going to be the best cancer centre in the world for animals.

"I've hand-picked and waited 11 years to hire one of the centre's staff - Nick Bacon. I badgered him until he couldn't say no. He's the best animal cancer specialist in the world today," he said in the interview last year.

Theatre, U2, Irish literature and Aston Martin fan Prof Fitzpatrick describes himself as a workaholic "who lives like a student" and previously had bit parts on British TV in Casualty and Heartbeat.

A spokeswoman for Prof Fitzpatrick declined to comment on the accounts. The latest series of The Supervet began this week on Channel 4.
The bitter row between Greg Kavanagh's New Generation and Johnny Ronan's Ronan Real Estate Group over a site in the Dublin docklands has escalated, with Ronan lodging an appeal against a court ruling on the dispute that went in Kavanagh's favour.

The appeal was lodged shortly before New Generation was granted planning permission by Dublin City Council for a significant mixed-use development at the site.

Their plan involves building a six to seven-storey apartment block comprising 91 units, and a seven-storey block with space for shops, offices and gym. There will also be a further six-storey development comprising two blocks, one with space for shops and offices and another with shops and 45 apartments. A new street extending from Cardiff Lane to Hanover Street East will be constructed under the plan.

Hibernia REIT owns a small three-storey house on a section of the site, which under the current plans would be flanked by two new buildings constructed by Kavanagh's group. It did not comment on its plans for the house. But documents filed by the listed company, which is run by ex-Leinster rugby star Kevin Nowlan, show it had raised concerns about sunlight - adding that the house would effectively "sit as an island" within Kavanagh's planned residential scheme.

But Kavanagh's project could be delayed by Ronan's appeal, lodged in court at the end of last month.

The row relates to a number of strips at the site where a Kavanagh-linked company owns the leasehold interests and a Ronan-linked company owns freehold interests. Kavanagh is seeking to acquire Ronan's freehold interests in the strips via a statutory procedure involving an application to the Dublin County Registrar. The registrar is to hear the application at the end of November.

The Kavanagh company, Balark Investments, had brought an action against the Ronan-linked Chambury Investment Company after Chambury issued so-called forfeiture notices over alleged covenant breaches relating to the strips.

Counsel for Balark told the court that the reliefs his client sought were "required to ensure the defendant cannot implement its game plan and try and frustrate the plaintiff in the acquisition of the freeholds of the premises in the first instance, and then in pursuing this development and selling the units in the development".

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Mr Justice Hedigan in the High Court ruled that the forfeiture notices were invalid and awarded costs against Chambury, with a stay on the costs order subject to a potential appeal, which has now been filed.

Both New Generation and Ronan declined to comment on the lodging of the appeal. A source close to Ronan said: "It's Ronan's land and nobody will be able to build on it unless they reach an agreement with him."

Both sides of the dispute have been conducting business with UK-based M&G - an arm of the insurance giant Prudential. M&G helped finance Ronan's exit from Nama, alongside Colony Capital, while M&G is New Generation's major financial backer. M&G declined to comment on the dispute.

The Hickey site is not the only major project for which Ronan and Kavanagh have competed. They were the two highest bidders for a site at Spencer Dock on the northside of the River Liffey, with Ronan's bid prevailing.

That six-acre site has planning permission for 340,000 sq ft of office space, 165 apartments and a hotel with 169 bedrooms. Ronan has been exploring the potential to build student accommodation at the site. He is also set to build a 200m six-storey office block development at Ballsbridge in Dublin, with capacity for over 2,000 workers.
Data centres - large warehouses full of computer servers - are the engines of the internet and are critical to modern business and society Photo: Frank McGrath

A consortium of technology firms planning to build and lease huge new data centres and locate them beside large greenhouses, indoor ski slopes or water desalination plants around the world - and at least one US tech giant - are adopting a solution to radically cut their CO2 emissions using a system that a Wicklow businessman first proposed to implement in his native county.

Brian McDonagh, who previously founded Ecologic Data Centres, is helping one US tech equipment maker and a number of other industry heavyweights in the UK and Asia to form a joint venture to build and operate this crucial IT infrastructure on a leased basis for large tech giants.

The news emerged as Apple was granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanala for an 850m data centre in Galway.

McDonagh declined to name the companies involved in the venture, but added that they are well-known names in the IT industry.

Ireland risks losing out to other countries if it does not adopt greener methods of powering data centres, and missed the chance to be first to adopt the solution in Co Wicklow, he argues.

"On the scale that we're looking at, we can reduce a data centre's 160m electricity bill by 25m a year and save millions of tonnes of CO2. I've already consulted on a project for one US tech giant also present in Ireland that is building an ultra-efficient one beside a greenhouse in Holland, like the one I originally planned to build [but which did not go ahead] in north Wicklow, so this is definitely the future.

"Ireland could take a lead in this, but firms in other countries we're talking to may take on our solution next. This is a huge business opportunity requiring design and construction services as well as vast amounts of equipment - some of which is manufactured in Ireland," he said.

Data centres - large warehouses full of computer servers - are the engines of the internet and are critical to modern business and society. But the energy-hungry 'cloud' is responsible for the same greenhouse gas emissions as the global airline industry, about 2pc, and use a third more electricity than the entire UK in one year. Furthermore, the amount of energy they use is doubling every four years, according to Britain's foremost data centre expert Prof Ian Bitterlin.

McDonagh's solution is a patented technology called a desuperheater. This takes the massive amounts of heat the computer servers generate, captures it and uses it to heat a refrigerant gas, in turn generating more energy to power an adjacent facility such as a greenhouse.

The method also uses natural gas, powering a combined heat and power (CHP) unit to produce electricity to power the data centres. At the moment data centres draw their power from the electricity grid which is inefficient because of transmission losses. McDonagh's solution also uses the CO2 the CHP unit produces in the greenhouse, which is much more eco-friendly.

Gas Networks Ireland Innovation Manager Ian Kilgallon agreed the solution works.

"This CO2-saving approach is one of the most innovative we've seen. The technologies are commercially and technically viable," he said.

"Cost competitiveness and greater energy security and efficiency are a critical focus of many data centre developers. They all have CHP units onsite to provide emergency backup anyway, but they are very rarely used, despite having gone to the expense of installing them."
TV3 was bought by Liberty Global subsidiary Virgin Media last year for up to 87m (Stock picture)

Tv3 has submitted a planning application for a new broadcasting studio at its Ballymount campus in Dublin.

The group wants to convert 2,287sqm of existing logistics facilities into a television studio with an associated technical support facility and office.

The broadcaster declined to comment on the planning application submitted to South Dublin Co Council. However the group is known to be planning a third studio to complement its original studio and the Virgin Media TV3 HD Studio.

The aim is to free up the HD studio - which is the country's largest - for the filming of big, showcase programmes and so it can be rented out to other broadcasters.

TV3 was bought by Liberty Global subsidiary Virgin Media last year for up to 87m. Liberty is controlled by US billionaire John Malone.

Earlier this year, Virgin announced its intention to similarly buy UTV Ireland for a smaller 10m, uniting the two broadcasters in a deal that should create a stronger challenger to RTE.

The transaction is still subject to regulatory approval. If it goes through it will add another television studio to Virgin's Irish portfolio - UTV's news operation in Dublin's Docklands district.

In other TV3 news, the group recently poached industry veteran Bill Malone as director of programming from his role as RTE2 channel controller. Malone will have responsibility for all programme commissioning, acquisitions and scheduling for TV3.

News of his departure came shortly after RTE television managing director Glen Killane said he was leaving the broadcaster to head up Eir TV and Eir Sport.
While Ireland has become used to hosting US multinationals and their EMEA headquarters, it's unusual for a company to locate its global marketing hub in Dublin - especially UK ones.

In the post-Brexit limbo-land that we now find ourselves in, however, it should be pointed out that the company in question - William Grant & Sons - is Scottish, and many Scottish companies feel the result of the recent Brexit referendum was not what they had wished for.

Founded in 1887 in Scotland, the company is an independent family-owned distiller with nearly 2,000 employees globally and estimated revenues in the region of 1bn in 2015.

Now run by the fifth generation of the Grant family, the company owns a stable of well-known spirit brands that includes Glenfiddich, Grant's, Hendrick's, Drambuie - and of course Tullamore Dew, the second biggest selling Irish whiskey brand in the world after Jameson.

The company acquired the Tullamore Dew brand in 2010 when it bought C&C's spirit business for 300m. It subsequently invested 35m in a new distillery which opened in 2014.

Selling into 180 markets across the globe, Dublin is home to the company's global marketing teams for Hendrick's Gin, Tullamore Dew, Sailor Jerry and several other brands.

"I think the company initially looked to Dublin as a way to expand its international perspective. We are an export-orientated firm, and Dublin's dynamic and international talent pool complemented that of the London office," says Caspar MacRae, global brand director for Irish and American whiskeys.

With nearly 130 years of history behind it, the company still sees itself as being in growth mode.

"While William Grant is growing, we don't yet see ourselves as large. We are still an entrepreneurial, family-owned business, where individuals feel they can make a difference. With the brands that we have, we think there is lots of opportunity for future growth," says MacRae. "That said, there are always going to be challenges. In the short-term, the emerging BRIC markets [of Brazil, Russia, India and China] have not recently enjoyed the growth the industry expected, though that has affected William Grant less than many of our competitors," he adds.

As with many food and drink companies headquartered in the UK and Ireland, Brexit will be one of their stiffest challenges. For Scottish companies, most of which want to remain within the EU, the prospect of Brexit is a bitter pill to swallow.

"Brexit seems to be an example of increasingly protectionist political rhetoric and that creates unwelcome uncertainty for export-orientated businesses," says MacRae.

"In the short- to medium-term we are expecting business as normal and will not do anything differently than we are doing today. However, in the longer term we continue to monitor and evaluate the situation - and we will be working closely with our partners both at the Irish and Scotch Whisky Associations to understand the longer term implications for our industry," he says.

"Overall we remain very confident. We have great brands, which operate in high growth categories and are well placed to meet long-term consumer needs for premiumisation, authenticity and quality," he says.

"Premiumisation is an enduring trend," he adds. "Consumers want to mark and celebrate their progress by indulging in brands that are a little more special. That could mean trading up from a blend to Glenfiddich, or for someone in India or Kenya it might mean trading up from a local spirit to a globally recognised Scotch like Clan MacGregor," he says.

"Overall, Scotch remains the biggest whisky category - and by some margin - but sales have dipped over the last couple of years. I think that creates an impetus for marketers and whisky makers to become more creative, and now you have brands, like Monkey Shoulder, showing Scotch can be great without being sedate, serious or stuffy."

The global market for Irish whiskey, meanwhile, is also growing significantly and this poses all kinds of opportunities for the likes of Tullamore and indeed the many craft distillers around the country.

"The Scotch whisky category is still 12 times larger than the Irish. That means that there is lots of opportunity, but it also means there is a huge amount of work to be done if we are going to develop the reputation and recognition for quality and innovation that will ensure Irish whiskey's long-term success.

"I think the scale of our investment in Ireland and in the new Tullamore Distillery gives evidence to our ambitious growth plans for the brand. Right now we think there is a great opportunity in the US, and there is still plenty of room to grow in Europe.

"However, longer-term we are excited by the opportunity for Africa, Latin America, India and potentially Asia. Personally, I hope that we can help more people discover Tullamore Dew here in Ireland, where the history and quality of the brand is still relatively unknown," he concludes.
Given the wide range of chemical-type products on the market today, many businesses and organisations find themselves being required to handle a variety of potentially hazardous materials on a daily basis.

Think of all the potentially hazardous material you may have stored on your own premises - cleaning fluids, solvents, adhesives, lubricants, coolants, pesticides. Add to that any containers of fuel - petrol, oil or gas - stored around your facility. While we might all think that it is desirable to have proper safety measures in place when dealing with such substances, the truth is that the introduction of legislation in this area now actually makes it a legal requirement.

To learn more about what's been happening in this space, I paid a visit last week to hazardous materials experts Chemstore. Set up in 1993 and with offices in Limerick and London, the company employs 25 staff and has an annual turnover of more than 5m.

"We are an engineering firm that specialises in designing and manufacturing the storage units that are used to house hazardous materials on a company's own premises," explains company founder and CEO, Neil O'Carroll.

Made from steel, these storage units resemble the typical 40-foot-type shipping containers you might see being drawn by haulage trucks all across the country - except these come in different sizes and shapes depending on what type of hazardous materials are being stored in them.

"Our most popular storage units include our 'FireVault' branded unit," says Neil. "As the name implies, these 2m-high walk-in units are specially designed using fire-rated steel frames and composite panels and can be made in lengths up to 12m long. Given the robust nature of these units, they are ideally suited for use in oil, gas and pharmaceutical processing plants," he adds. "Our 'ChemStore' branded units are used largely for the storage of corrosive liquids, while the all-steel version is bunded to prevent any leakage of oils or other lubricants in the event of a spillage."

Bunded, I learn, refers to the process by which the bottom of these units are constructed to include an impermeable surround or embankment - designed to prevent hazardous materials from escaping through the floor, walls or underneath the door in the event of a spillage within in the storage unit itself.

"Our 'GasVault' range on the other hand, is designed for the safe storage of pressurised gas cylinders," explains Neil. "For example, many people may remember a time when it was okay for factories or commercial premises to leave gas cylinders stacked up outside their buildings. However, under health and safety legislation, these cylinders must now to be located in a secure enclosure. This prevents unauthorised access as well as avoiding instances such as where a forklift might accidentally knock them over," he adds.

We are joined on our tour of the facility by Neil's sons, David (the firm's technical director) and Shane (who is in charge of marketing). David joined the business in 2012 and has a degree in Manufacturing Systems and a master's in Organisational Health and Safety. Shane, who joined in 2013, has a degree in Environmental Science.

In the goods inward area, staff are busy unloading a new delivery of box steel and sheet metal. Next to this, production staff are actively cutting, bending and welding steel to form the frames for the different types and sizes of storage units. Once made, these are progressed down the line, where they are primed and painted before being clad with fire-rated panels.

"Because we make every part ourselves here on site, we can guarantee the quality of everything - from the steel frames themselves right down to the shelves and hinges," says David.

In addition to providing storage products the company also offers a variety of training, safety audits and risk assessments on how to handle highly-flammable substances lab safety, emergency spill responses, safety signage requirements and personal protective equipment.

Over the last 23 years the business has built up a strong national and international customer base in pharma, oil and gas and general industry - with clients such as Pfizer, Amgen, Teva, Novartis, and GSK; BP, Shell and the Corrib Gas Field; as well as Diageo, Veolia, Rolls Royce, Land Rover and Jaguar. In the education arena the company supplies almost every one of the country's universities - and are even suppliers to the London Underground.

"Some 50pc of our revenues now come from exports. That's 40pc from the UK, where we now employ five staff in our office in London and the remaining 10pc from a mix of the Nordics, Central Europe, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Singapore," says Shane.

It's been an interesting journey for founder Neil O'Carroll. Growing up beside Thomond Park in Limerick, he left school to serve his time as an apprentice pipe fitter. Shortly afterwards, he set up his own business providing general maintenance services to local businesses. His interest in the hazardous goods area only came about by chance in 1993.

"It was the time when multinational firms were locating here in significant numbers. With them came greater demands in terms of environmental, health and safety standards. It was also the time when new legislation on storing hazardous liquids came into effect. I was contacted by a Cork pharma company to see if I could make a storage unit for them so that they could store hazard materials on site," says Neil.

The company was so pleased with the unit he made that he was commissioned to make others. Over time, word spread and he was approached to make units for other companies. Around that time too, there was a major accident in a pharma plant in Cork which served to further highlight the need for all companies to have proper storage facilities in which to house hazardous materials on site. From there, enquires began to flood in.

In the summer of 2015, there was a catastrophic chemical explosion in Tianjin, China. On foot of this, Shane featured on BBC World News and the Wall Street Journal speaking about what needed to be done to prevent such events happening. As a result, the company's profile shot up internationally, strengthening its position as experts and leading to enquires from all over the world.

Chemstore also made another breakthrough when they were invited by Nexen Oil to locate one of their FireVault units on the company's Golden Eagle Oil Rig in the North Sea some 70km of the coast of Scotland - something that has opened up the oil and gas exploration sector as another potentially lucrative market.

More recently, the company won a contract to manufacture storage units to house radio and fibre optic equipment for companies involved in the roll out of national broadband scheme.

"It's a significant order that will be worth 4m to us over the next three years," says Neil.

While his target now is to grow the company's total revenues to 20m over the next five years, he has an even larger and more compelling goal.

"Our overriding mission is to create a safer workplace for employees everywhere by eliminating the risks associated with storing and handling hazardous materials," Neil says.

Few people who start a new business ever really know where the business will end up. Almost 30 years ago O'Carroll took the brave step of setting up his own local maintenance company. Today, with his sons by his side, he has managed to grow that into a successful global business that is literally helping to save lives.

Overview

Company: Chemstore

Business: Manufacture of storage units for hazardous materials

Set up: 1993

Founder: Neil O'Carroll

Turnover: 5.5m

No of Employees: 25

Location: Headquartered on the Ennis Road, Co Limerick, with a UK office on Putney Bridge Road, London

Neil's advice for other businesses

1 Only hire the best people

"If you want to really succeed, hire the best people you can afford. To be strategic and forward focused, you cannot allow yourself to get stuck in the day-to-day operational side of your business. Hire the best people. Manage them well. Then learn to trust them to deliver."

2 Quality is huge

"To develop your business into a long-term success, you have to develop a reputation for consistently delivering high quality products and services to your customers. To really differentiate yourself you have to become recognised as the best in your sector."

3 Listen to your customers

"Success depends on your willingness to engage with and listen to your customers. If asked, customers will provide you with valuable feedback to help improve your business. Satisfied ones will also help convince new customers to do business with you."

For further information see www.chemstore.ie
Rowan Atkinson's son Ben has been accepted to Sandhurst military academy.

Rowan Atkinsons son Ben (22) has been accepted to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

The Blackadder actors son announced on Facebook that he received an acceptance letter from the academy, where Prince William and Harry earned their military badges.

Sandhurst is the British Armys initial officer training centre, with Katie Hopkins and James Blunt among previous students.

"Dunno what this letter is but apparently The Royal Military Academy want me to come and attend them. Sounds like fun, wrote Ben in the post, The Telegraph reports.

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Ben would have to have passed rigorous physical and mental tests to be accepted and is expected to begin his 44-week training course next year.

In comedy series Blackadder Goes Forth, Rowan Atkinson starred as Edmund Blackadder, a British army officer during World War I.

Rowan (61) divorced Bens mother Sunetra last year after 24 years of marriage and now lives with his partner, actress Louise Ford.
Almost 34,000 products were stopped from entering the Irish market due to product safety concerns last year.

The product safety orders were issued by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (the CCPC) which released its annual report today.

The report showed that 62 consumer enforcement actions were issued against traders for breaching the consumer protection legislation.

The second hand motor sector is an area of priority for the CCPC as a huge number of consumer protection issues arose last year.

Isolde Goggin, Chairperson of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission said:

In 2015, we received over 3,500 contacts from consumers relating to the motor sector  issues range from difficulties with deposits and financing, to potential car clocking and/or the selling of crashed cars.

Goggin said that one contact lea to the CCPC opening an investigation which resulted in an individual being prosecuted for misleading a consumer about the mileage of a car.

A number of Divisions across the CCPC are working together to ensure traders comply with relevant legislation and consumers are able to make better-informed purchasing decisions, she said.
The Garda "cold case" unit has completed its work on almost 30 unsolved crimes, most in the past year, clearing its backlog of cases.

The Serious Crime Review Team, which reviews investigations into unsolved crimes, has been inundated with requests to review cold cases since it was established eight years ago but has only recently cleared the decks.

It has completed files on almost 30 cold cases last year and this year and at least five previously unsolved crimes have been before the courts, some of them still ongoing.

They include some of Ireland's most notorious unsolved crimes, from the perplexing disappearance of 18-year-old student teacher Deirdre Jacob in Newbridge in 1998, to the murder of Charles Self, an RTE set designer; and Grace Livingstone, the wife of a tax inspector, who was shot in the bedroom of her home in Malahide, all completed this year.

Kevin Daly, a detective inspector with the Serious Crime Review Team, said: "At one stage, we had 30 cases on our books. The majority have been closed or concluded and have been returned to the local investigative team."

The so-called cold case team does not re-investigate old crime, but conducts a fresh examination of the evidence to find "new investigative opportunities" which they then flag up with the local investigation team.

"We may identify 20 avenues of investigation that we see potential in, and yet only one or two or three may yield potential eventually. Or none," Daly said.

Garda management are training up cold case detectives in divisions across the country to help the detection of unsolved crimes.

Gardai would continue their day-to-day work in their own regions but would also be required to "peer review" unsolved crimes that were investigated by colleagues, under the guidance of the national Serious Crime Review Team.

According to Daly, local garda have already opened cold case reviews in their own divisions under the guidance of the Serious Crime Review Team.

Gardai in Donegal revisited the evidence in the case of Shaun Duffy, an undertaker who was beaten and stabbed in his home outside Dungloe in 2005.

According to Daly, the passage of time sometimes helps shake new witnesses or new information out of the woodwork.

"It's amazing. It is never really too late. People will always come forward. Whether it is the passage of time, whether it is the guilty mind, whether it is a change in their own lifestyle or circumstances, something in their life could trigger them to come forward now," he said.

Although anyone can request a Serious Crime Review of an unsolved crime, gardai will usually take on those cases that are most likely to yield new investigative avenues.

"There is a matrix system there where we decide on what cases to review. And quite often it is to do with the viability of the review.

"Rather than spend a significant amount of time on a case that is not viable, even though it would be much appreciated by the family, we can divert that energy into a case that is viable and try to come up with a success in that," he said.

It is not always about solving the crime.

"In some cases we may be looking to exonerate somebody, which is also just as important," he said.

Perhaps the most famous unsolved cases are those involving the six missing women, whose disappearances are being investigated by Operation Trace.

Annie McCarrick (26); Jo Jo Dollard (21); Deirdre Jacob (18); Fiona Pender (18); Ciara Breen (17); and Fiona Sinnott (17), all vanished in the Leinster region.

One of those women, Deirdre Jacob, has been the subject of a cold case review.

The 18-year-old was last seen at the gates of her family home in Newbridge, Co Kildare, walking towards the house. But it is believed she never made it to the front door.

The cold case review, completed in June, has generated follow-up investigative tasks for gardai in Kildare.

Daly said the cases of the other missing women are being actively investigated by gardai in their local areas.

"I know that each investigation team is still actively progressing each case and they do have suspects in mind, in some cases," said Daly.

He said the unit is starting work on another case load of unsolved mysteries, including the case of Mary Boyle, the missing schoolgirl who was last seen walking across fields near her grandmother's home in Donegal in 1977.
Tributes have been paid to the top cancer surgeon who died in a boating accident on Lough Corrib in Galway yesterday.

The man has been named as Professor Aongus Curran (51), a married father of five who worked as a medical professor in UCD and in St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin.

Very sorry to hear of sad death of Prof Aongus Curran RIP. Fine man and outstanding cancer surgeon.  ProfJohnCrown (@ProfJohnCrown) August 14, 2016

The tragic death has taken place of Aongus J. Curran (NUIG 1988) Professor of Otolaryngology at UCD, RVEEH and SVUH. R.I.P.  IMD (@theIMD) August 13, 2016

Very sad to hear of the tragic death of Prof Aongus Curran - a brilliant surgeon, compassionate consultant and a lovely man. RIP Prof Curran  Mary Regan (@MaryERegan) August 13, 2016

Dr Curran's body was found west of Camillaun Island, around four miles from where he set off in the Oughterard area.

Dr Curran was originally from Oughterard, Co Galway and lived in Dublin.

Tributes were paid to Dr Curran as news of his death emerged.

Health minister Simon Harris said: "I was very sorry to hear today that Professor Curran had passed away.

"He was an enormously respected surgeon, and a valued teacher to medical students at UCD. I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to his family, loved ones and his colleagues."

Professor John Crowne expressed his sympathy on social media: "Very sorry to hear of sad death of Prof Aongus Curran RIP. Fine man and outstanding cancer surgeon."

The body was brought to University Hospital Galway.

A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out.

The alarm was raised on Friday after his fishing boat was found.

At least 10 local boats were assisting emergency services in the search.

Professor Curran was one of the top cancer specialists in the country.

He was responsible for setting up a rapid access clinical at St. Vincent's Hospital for patients with suspicious neck lumps in order to aid the speedy diagnosis of malignancy in patients with head and neck cancer.

It was the first clinic of its kind for head and neck cancer in Ireland.
Ireland currently has the greatest proportion of young people with third-level qualifications in the EU. Stock Image

Irish parents need to stop encouraging their children to attend third-level education straight after secondary school, according to the General Secretary of The Education and Training Boards (ETBs) Michael Moriarty.

"There is a fixation with going to third level directly from secondary school, and a look at the failure rates after the first year of university makes it clear that a large number of people have been inappropriately placed - and that maybe third level isn't the best place for them," Moriarty told the Sunday Independent.

"We need to let the mothers and fathers of Ireland know that further education and apprenticeships are comparable in status and value to third level, and there really is a fantastic future for their kids if they go down this route.

"Qualifications are not the same as skills, and industry wants skills," he added. "I work very closely with industry, and again and again they say 'please do not send us people with third-level degrees or even a Master's degree in something, and no practical skills.'"

The ETBs, which replaced both the old VEC training model and Fas, now manages one-third of all second-level schools in the country and provides further education and training to over 200,000 adults every year.

He believes that the apprenticeship model, which is due to expand rapidly in the coming years, will allow Ireland to address the current skills shortage, while allowing young people to both 'earn and learn' simultaneously.

"An apprenticeship council has been set up and it recommended 25 new apprenticeships, with eight to 10 of those proposed to start this September in things like commis chef, electrical engineering, insurance practitioner and accounting technician," he said.

Ireland currently has the greatest proportion of young people with third-level qualifications in the EU. However, Ireland lags far behind other EU countries when it comes to apprenticeships.

"There are 450 apprenticeships across Germany. We have 27 - so now there's a rush to expand that. We need to respond to those in industry who want job-ready people.

"About 40pc of EU businesses experience shortages when it comes to finding employees with the right skills, so we are responding to this."

Some 69pc of school-leavers transfer directly into higher-education institutes in Ireland every year. However, on average, 16pc will drop out during their first year.
The wife of IRA man Pearse McAuley wrote a series of letters to the then Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, seeking the early release of her husband and the other killers of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe. Mr Ahern refused Pauline Tully's appeals in correspondence which has now been released to the Sunday Independent.

McAuley was eventually freed in 2009, having served his full sentence with remission, but is now back in prison for a vicious attack on his by then estranged wife in 2014. He stabbed Ms Tully 13 times with a steak knife, broke four of her fingers and told the couple's young sons to "say goodbye" to their mother during the sustained three-and-a-half-hour attack on Christmas Eve 2014.

The couple married in 2003, when McAuley was serving 14 years for McCabe's manslaughter. Ms Tully, then a Sinn Fein councillor in Cavan, had visited the McCabe killers in Castlerea Prison as a party representative.

On September 5, 2005, she wrote to Mr Ahern "both as a Sinn Fein politician, but also as a wife, to ask you to release all remaining IRA prisoners".

Using her married name of Pauline McAuley, she wrote: "My husband is one of 16 prisoners still in jail. History tells us that the conclusion of conflict leads to the release of prisoners of war."

Referring to Michael McDowell, she told Mr Ahern: "While I would not expect a positive response from the Minister for Justice, I hope you will give it serious consideration."

More than six months later, on March 27, 2006, an official in the Office of the Taoiseach replied: "The Taoiseach has asked me to say that in relation to those individuals convicted of the killing of Garda Jerry McCabe and the wounding of Garda Ben O'Sullivan, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice have made the Government's position quite clear.

"None of those serving sentences in relation to these crimes qualify for early release under the Good Friday Agreement. There is no prospect of this changing."

On May 10, 2006, Ms Tully wrote to Mr Ahern again, seeking their temporary release.

She wrote: "I dispute your claim that the people convicted for the manslaughter of Garda Jerry McCabe do not qualify for early release. The courts ruled that their release was at the discretion of the Minister for Justice, over whom you have authority, therefore [you] could release [them] if you so wish. I firmly believe these men should be released permanently. However, in the meantime, some short time with their families would help make their situation some [sic] bearable."

On September 4, 2006, the Taoiseach's office replied that Mr Ahern did "not have any direct responsibility for authorising temporary release", and that her letter had been forwarded to Mr McDowell as Justice Minister.

The correspondence in this report was released by the Department of the Taoiseach at the behest of the Information Commissioner, after the department had refused a Freedom of Information request and an appeal.

The Director of Public Prosecutions is to appeal against McAuley's sentence of 12 years, four of which were suspended, for the attack on Ms Tully, on the basis that it was unduly lenient.

The case is due to be heard in November.
Tourists driving down the A7 motorway in France are being targeted by scammers CREDIT: AFP

A young Irish couple have been arrested by French police investigating a gang of suspected scammers.

The Telegraph is reporting that the Irish pair, who had two small children with them, approached elderly tourists in separate incidents and said they needed a small loan after their car and caravan were stolen.

It is alleged that they became violent once a wallet was produced and forced the tourists to hand over large sums of cash.

The pair were caught after a major police manhunt, which saw some 30 officers deployed along the motorways rest stops in both directions.

The fact that they spoke in English made them seem more convincing, a senior policeman told the newspaper.

The officer said the scams were carried out in service stations on the busy A7 motorway that leads to Provence and the Riviera last Wednesday.

Radio network France Bleu reports the couple told two groups of victims that their caravan had been stolen, before asking for a small loan of money.

However, it is alleged the Irishman became violent and threatening once the tourists took out their wallets, intimidating them into handing over all the cash they had.

They are alleged to have taken 300 off one group, and a further 900 from another.

Once they apprehended the couple, police found more than 2,000 in cash in their possession, leading investigators to suspect they may have targeted other drivers.

Police eventually tracked the Irish couple to a service station near Valence and arrested them.

Local media said the male suspect violently resisted arrest and that two policemen were injured in the ensuing scuffle.

The Telegraph is reporting that the man and woman were charged with extortion and have been ordered to appear in court in March 2017.

They could not be held in custody as their crime did not involve physical violence.

The scams are commonplace in France with a large number of tourists driving across the country.

These gangs systematically target foreigners, the police spokesman said.

Sometimes they even write out IOUs to the people whose money they take. But of course they will never see the money again.
Rachel Lee is taking on the icy challenge of swimming the English Channel Photo: DFB

A swimmer who rescued a man from the River Liffey has crossed the English Channel and looks to have set a new Irish record.

Rachel Lee, a Swift-Water Rescue Technician (SRT) - a fire officer who has specialist training - swam out to the mans aid and tended to him until the Dublin Fire Brigades boat arrived on the scene on August 7.

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On Sunday Dublin Fire Brigade wished Lee good luck as she sets her sights on a new challenge.

Bit different from her recent Liffey rescue but best of luck to FF/P Rachel Lee swimming the English Channel today, they said.

Congrats to our own Rachel Lee who swam the English Channel today and looks to have set a new Irish record time pic.twitter.com/XIJp0ehnQQ  Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) August 14, 2016

Over 2/3 of the way there for FF/P Rachel Lee as she swims the English Channel, nearly there! #BonneChance pic.twitter.com/xRpUVaTLsH  Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) August 14, 2016

Regular updates were posted from the active twitter account throughout Sunday and shortly after 9pm it was confirmed that she had landed in France.

They wrote: "Congrats to our own Rachel Lee who swam the English Channel today and looks to have set a new Irish record time."

bit different from her recent Liffey rescue but best of luck to FF/P Rachel Lee swimming the English Channel today pic.twitter.com/FhkdSsnedC  Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) August 14, 2016

The rescue swimmer is a former winner of the Liffey Swims female event.
Today, around 70 fit men and women will take the plunge into the Atlantic from a place called Ballinacourty, a point opposite Helvick Head in west Waterford, to help lifeboats.

Their swim across the bay of Dungarvan, along with a subsequent barbecue for supporters and visitors, is an annual fundraising event for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Overhead seabirds will be curious, especially herring gulls, and later will find rich pickings.

A walk up to the peninsula headland's coastal fields and cliff-tops, with a sighting of a unique bird of the Celts, the chough or cag coisdearg, feeding or displaying aerial skills with its distinctive keow calls, could be a bonus. I remember these red-legged crows with their equally-red, curved beaks.

King Arthur of Camelot, or Avalon, the isle of apples, is the sleeping Celtic hero of British tales wherein he lies mortally wounded in a cave in Cornwall, Wales, Glastonbury or Cadbury Castle, Somerset, awaiting Judgment Day. In Irish folk tales, Fionn Mac Cumhaill also met an untimely end and his return is expected when a flat stone is found in a particular riverbed some Sunday morning.

However, in whatever manner these heroes re-appear, Arthur's return could be re-considered because of a Cornish belief that his spirit is carried by a chough, or bran gernyw, a long departed species (except in Wales) that has now made a remarkable recovery in a sea-swept tail of England.

A BBC story enthused about "brilliant news" from Cornwall of a natural recolonisation of choughs to a total of 54 birds observed this summer. Twenty years ago a re-introduction programme from Morocco failed and some ornithologists seemed to give up hope of the 'Cornish Crow' ever coming back to its historic homeland.

Choughs, pronounced "chuff", and once also called "cows" after its commonest call, are usually seen in pairs or family groups, sometimes with jackdaws, digging into sheep-cropped fields or rabbit patches for ants and spiders or probing cattle or horse droppings for insect larvae.

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, with its elegant curved beak and glossy black plumage, short 'arms' and long 'hands' with six clearly spread flexible feather 'fingers', is a superb and graceful flyer. I have watched their dramatic aerobatics in mountainous places and cliff-tops, soaring, gliding and diving at breakneck speed down sheer drops, pulling out and shooting back up again.

The bird is seldom in trees and its cup-of-sticks nest, lined with sheep wool, feathers and grass, is usually in some secluded cliff place. In recent times, disturbance and habitat decline have resulted in a drift westwards where, along with north Mayo, Donegal and some islands, most of the estimated 2,000 population may be seen.

Tradition has it that this bird of the Celtic fringe will be found only where Celtic sounds are heard. Its return to Cornwall is significant then as there has been a sturdy revival of the Cornish tongue with 600 fluent speakers claimed and 10,000 signatories have called for public investment funding for a language project. In An Rinne - Helvic Irish is spoken in homes and is heard socially. Visitors go to improve conversation skills. So, oscail do gob, let the birds hear your mighty talk. Go gcloisfidh na hein do glor.
If I see one more shot of somebody's tanned legs by a pool, a cocktail glass in front of a sunset, or a happy group of friends dining al fresco under the stars, I might scream. Really!

A couple of weeks ago I cut down my Facebook usage because the endless sharing of desperately bad news was getting me down. But now I've gone to the opposite extreme, hanging out on Instagram where I'm perusing photos of my friends' perfect holidays, perfect summer dresses, perfect Italian cappuccinos. I am mired in what psychologists call 'Instagram Envy' - that feeling that your life is not as fun and glamorous as everyone else's. So why do I keep scrolling even though it's making me miserable? Well, studies have shown that social media is highly addictive, even though it adversely affects our mental health, making us feel more insecure and alone. So what to do?

I have come upon a useful remedy: actually speak to the friends behind the pictures. I have just come off the phone with a friend who last week was posting pictures of the Tuscan hills. Turns out she spent most of the holiday fighting with her husband and the rest of it with a tummy bug. "But it looked like you were having a brilliant time," I said. "Appearances can be deceptive," she replied. Too true.

* Marianne Power is the author of helpmeblog.net
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Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash

We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus.
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Eoghan Harris Opinion Misery media fails to give due credit to the Taoiseach

Taoiseach Micheal Martin must drive his advisers mad. Unlike Leo Varadkar or Donald Trump, he never bigs up success stories such as the effect of Level 3 Plus on Covid or his visionary Shared Island project. Last Friday, Tony Holohan and RTE cheerleaders seemed to imply Level 5 was responsible for the improved Covid situation. Not so.
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New hospital for a tenner may come at too high a price

The Taoiseach is under a lot of pressure  the kind of pressure that leads to costly mistakes. It perhaps explains why he has been saying things that are not quite true. Micheal Martin is in a tight political corner. From all sides hes being told he has to get the contract signed for the new National Maternity Hospital.
Most of the world will have air conditioning in their homes, workplaces and cars within 20 years, requiring thousands of power stations to be built and potentially accelerating climate change, energy experts say.

As temperatures shatter records worldwide in 2016, demand for the technology is exploding.

"Globally, 2016 is poised to be another record-breaking year for temperatures. This means more air conditioning. It is becoming an air-conditioned world," says Lucas Davis, an energy economist at the University of California in Berkeley.

"The growth in air conditioning has been staggering. China is the sweet spot. The number of households that have it has doubled in five years. Every year, 60 million more units are being sold there."

As large developing countries such as India, Mexico, Indonesia and Brazil grow richer, staying cool may come to be seen as a necessity and not a luxury, leading to severe energy shortages and major environmental stress, says Davis.

"Air conditioning is wonderful. As people are coming out of poverty, they buy a TV, then a fridge, then a car and air conditioning. There are a lot of hot places where people are getting richer," he says.

But Davis, who expects nearly all households in warm countries to have air conditioning within 20 to 30 years, warns that the extra energy needed will be dramatic and could have huge consequences for global warming. "We are talking about hundreds of new power stations having to be built in China alone over the next 20 or 30 years," he says.

His research is backed by the US government's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where researchers have calculated that 700 million air- conditioning units are likely to be installed worldwide by 2030 and 1.6 billion by 2050.

Sales in Indonesia, Brazil and India have been growing by as much as 15pc a year, it says.

Technologists say that it's not just warm countries switching from fans to air conditioning.

"Offices, hospitals, shops and homes... are all using air conditioning as buildings fill with computers, televisions and other heat-generating machines," says a spokeswoman for the Institute of Refrigeration.

In addition, she says, better insulation in new buildings traps heat and it is too noisy in cities to have windows open.

Cooling systems may already account for about 10pc of electricity consumption in the UK, says the UK Building Research Establishment. It estimates that 65pc of office space and 30pc of retail space was air conditioned in 2012.

The UN's climate change body, the IPCC, has projected that global air conditioning energy demand will grow 33-fold - from 300 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2000 to more than 10,000TWh in 2100, with most of the growth coming in developing economies.

But in a world already warming because of fossil fuel emissions from oil, gas and coal, demand for air conditioning and refrigeration is seen as one of the greatest accelerants of climate change.

Concern is also mounting over a class of chemicals that is widely used in refrigerants and air-conditioning units. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) - which have largely replaced CFCs, which were found to damage the ozone layer - are potent greenhouse gases.

Although they are far less significant today than CO2 for global warming, if the numbers of refrigeration and air-conditioning units explode as expected, they could add to the problem.

"The data is poor, but one estimate suggests that refrigeration and air conditioning cause 10pc of global CO2 emissions - three times more than is attributed to aviation and shipping combined - through energy consumption and leaks of HFC refrigerants that are themselves highly potent greenhouse gases," says one expert.

"As climate change increases outdoor temperatures, air conditioning will more often be used to maintain comfortable indoor conditions. Climate change is expected to stimulate installation of air conditioning in buildings that would otherwise not need air conditioning."

Policymakers met recently in Vienna to agree to phase out HFCs, but some countries are nervous about the extra cost of changing to alternative refrigerants. Researchers in India have estimated it could cost the country tens of billions of dollars.

 Observer
It's November 22 and Enda Kenny is in his final days as Taoiseach. Having made the decision to retire after holding the government together in the wake of a contentious Budget Day, he picked his moment and told the Dail that he would leave the stage on his own terms.

There was deep relief in Fine Gael - particularly among the pretenders to the throne - Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney and Frances Fitzgerald - that nobody has had to publicly push him.

They are now locked in an intriguing succession battle. Fitzgerald has surprised many by putting up a good stump, playing to a large extent on feel-good factor that followed Hillary Clinton's election as the first female president of the United States. Surely it's time Ireland had a woman as the head of government.

Varadkar is still the favourite but faces questions about his record. What did he really achieve in health? Is he statesmanlike enough to be leader?

Simon Coveney is gaining ground. Since taking over the housing portfolio he has played the long game. He has avoided brash talk and obvious courting of support while trying to present himself as the 'steady hand' to keep Fine Gael true to itself.

But two big questions hang over him too. Will the rest of the country really be happy if at the next election the two choices for Taoiseach come from the same constituency? The minister is a Cork South Central rival of Micheal Martin.

And the Fianna Fail leader presents the second problem too. Mr Martin is riding high in the opinion polls, proving popular with the squeezed middle and pensioners who are growing tired of the limitations of 'new politics'.

Fine Gael grassroots trust Coveney more than Varadkar but the latter would be better at countering Mr Martin's presidential-style of leadership. That leaves a slim space for Fitzgerald to come through the middle. It's a healthy contest and a best case scenario for Fine Gael.

The alternative is that Mr Kenny decides he wants to remain in-situ and whether or not there is a heave - the questions over his longevity will continue to weaken the party's position.

A lot has been made in the past week about the first 100 days of the Fine Gael/Independent Government - but the reality is that what happens over the next 100 days will be far more important for Fine Gael and the country.

The next three and a bit months will see Fine Gael and Fianna Fail finally end the phoney war.

Come the Budget, both sides will have to decide how far they can push each other and still maintain their 'confidence and supply' arrangement.

Already this week we have seen the early shots being fired. On the front page of this newspaper last Sunday Fianna Fail's social protection spokesman, Willie O'Dea, didn't call for a 5 increase to the old age pension, he demanded it.

In response, Public Expenditure Minister, Paschal Donohoe, warned that he will not dance to the tune of Fianna Fail - even if there are threats from the self-titled 'main party of Opposition' that they will collapse the Government.

Sources say that Micheal Martin has warned his frontbench TDs not to hype up definitive promises in advance of the Budget.

Senior party people believe Mr O'Dea went on a "solo run", although he is unapologetic for it.

The fact is that Fianna Fail wants a budget to get through the Dail but at the same time doesn't want to be seen to give the Government a "free pass".

Sinn Fein will be screaming blue murder over everything from housing to USC cuts. Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald will consistently try to drive home the message that Fianna Fail TDs are the "buddies" of Fine Gael and are co-guarantors of the Budget.

For Mr Martin the next 100 days will be largely about looking responsible.

It's all part of the continuing effort to rebuild the party's image and distance itself from the mad, reckless days of the Celtic Tiger.

The 'Ireland For All' campaign that it ran during the General Election in February achieved a lot.

Things almost took a turn for the worst when it looked like the party would refuse to help with the formation of a government - but since Enda Kenny went back into office, Fianna Fail has run a clever balancing act that many thought wouldn't be possible.

Now Mr Martin must take it a step further before going back to the electorate again in a bid to become Taoiseach.

The Budget will also test the mettle of the Independents. Even his Alliance colleagues are wondering whether Junior Minister John Halligan will survive the Budget.

Just last week he was arguing that there should be tough legislation to force Google and Facebook to pay higher taxes.

Aside from the Budget, how will he react in early autumn if, as many analysts predict, the EU Commission rules that Apple struck unfair deals that led to Ireland losing billions in tax revenue between 1991 and 2007.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has argued that no State aid was given to the computer giant - and is likely to politely tell Europe that we'd rather appeal a negative decision than gleefully accept the windfall.

Will Mr Halligan be able to stay in a government that backs big business with money that could be used in the health service or for education?

And if he goes what will Shane Ross, Finian McGrath and the other Independent Alliance members do?

And while Denis Naughten has transitioned better than most from the obscurity of the Independent benches to Cabinet, it's worth remembering that he walked out on Fine Gael when he didn't like cutbacks made to his local hospital. Will he get everything he believes his department deserves when the 1bn 'fiscal space' is diced up between ministers?

In the background Brexit will still be the burning issue.

It's unlikely that British prime minister Theresa May will activate Article 50 and formally pull the UK out of the European Union this year - but despite what other leaders say about negotiations not starting, they will dominate politics.

The Taoiseach will be in Bratislava on September 28 and 29 to meet with other European leaders.

This is the point where we might get some solid information on whether Europe really believes we're a 'special case', or actually a bunch of 'whingers' who constantly seek reassurance.

The answer to that question will be crucial. Heather Humphreys, the Rural Development Minister, this week described Mr Kenny as our "ace card" when it comes to the negotiations.

He has done well to convince French President Francois Hollande of our 'special status' but just like the Taoiseach there are major questions over Hollande's lifespan in power.

There has been significant disagreement though between people in Government and members of fourth estate who heard two very different messages from Angela Merkel during Mr Kenny's visit to Berlin last month.

While the media reported the German chancellor's public statement that Ireland will have an equal voice, somehow Government spokespeople interpreted that as her saying we are a 'special case'.

Clarity around her real stance and that of other leaders will emerge over the coming weeks - and this will have a major bearing on the Cabinet's Brexit strategy.

By November 22 too we will have had three more months of Exchequer returns and the 'Ministers of Merrion Street', Noonan and Donohoe, will be anxiously studying the pattern.

Last month, the state's income ran almost 100m behind target after VAT receipts took a wobble.

November is the biggest month of the year for income tax as most of the country's 325,000 self-employed workers cough up in the region of 2.5bn.

Will jobs minister, Mary Mitchell O'Connor, be able to say, as promised, by the end of the year that there are two million people at work in the Irish economy?

In policy areas too the Government won't be able to hide behind the cloak of 'finding their feet'.

The first 100 days is largely about making plans but we should also be seeing some tangible results in the areas of housing and health by November 22.

Above all Simon Coveney committed that B&Bs and hotels would only be used for homeless families in exceptional circumstances by the middle of 2017.

If in the weeks leading into Christmas the number without a roof over their head is still growing, the Government can expect a storm to begin building.

Similarly, Simon Harris's new five point plan for reducing hospital waiting lists should be making some impact.

And then there will be the surprises.

In the first 100 days the surprises were extreme: everything from a bloody gangland feud in Dublin to Cabinet members ignoring the advice of the Attorney General.

They were significant and emotionally charged events that sparked widespread public debate but ultimately the Cabinet figured a way forward and moved on. But it's the smaller 'events' that can turn into crises and can trip up a government.

Ultimately though the one thing we are almost guaranteed not to have at 'Day 200' is an election in the offing.

If a budget fails to pass, we would get the November election that never was last year.

But no party wants that. Not even Sinn Fein.

After the bitter days of February there was a broad consensus around Leinster House that the electoral cycle should be readjusted to spring/summer.

My money still sits on May 2017.
There is no doubt that a credible threat of terrorist attack exists in Ireland at this time. In recent months we have seen violent outrages against communities with which we share broad cultural, religious and political values. Why in Ireland do we feel so immune from this threat?

Whereas most developed countries have threat levels such as Low, Moderate, Substantial, Severe or Critical, we have one level permanently set at "possible, but unlikely". As a security and intelligence consultant to governments around the world, I know how other states manage the threat of terrorism and I have yet to find the national threat level "possible but unlikely".

The establishment of a "powerful new State agency" reported in the Sunday Independent on July 31, 2016, gives no cause for reassurance that Ireland is aligning its intelligence structures with the rest of Europe. The body being established seems little more than a passenger identification database forced upon us by the US under threat of losing our visa waiver and seems designed to reassure the UK that, post-Brexit, a common travel area between the two islands should be maintained.

Our history has created distaste for security agencies. The political hangover of the civil war causes deep suspicion for any government body tasked with the gathering and analysis of intelligence. No Irish government has ever had the appetite to grasp this nettle and so we have been, and are, poorly protected.

The much referred to National Security Committee (NSC) is an inter-departmental committee of high-ranking civil servants (not security or intelligence professionals) responsible for ensuring that the Government is kept informed of high-level national security and intelligence issues.

The NSC receives intelligence and security assessments from the Chief of Staff (Defence Forces) and the Commissioner (An Garda Siochana) and determines the national threat level (the famous "possible, but unlikely").

The NSC does not have an autonomous functional expertise to validate or interrogate either of these inputs. The NSC is not considered a national intelligence agency by our counterparts and therefore is not allowed partake in European national agency cooperation and intelligence sharing.

There are those who would claim that Ireland's security agencies are correctly structured and resourced to meet the current threat - this is simply not true. After 9/11 most developed countries realising that 'gaps' existed in their security and intelligence structures and developed 'National Intelligence Agencies' supported by 'Information Fusion Centres'.

Nearly all developed countries conform to four agencies (police, military, internal security and external security) carrying out their roles, with a fifth national agency gathering and analysing ALL available intelligence, ensuring there are no gaps and a national perspective - free of individual agency filters, rivalries and bias - is formed. Ireland has remained with the same outdated and ineffective two-agency structure (police and military) since the formation of the State.

Due to the fact that our structures have not evolved, Ireland is desperately out of step with the rest of Europe and the developed world, a club that we are a member of whether we like it or not, and therefore a legitimate target.

In our current structures, An Garda Siochana is the agency with the responsibility and authority to manage security and intelligence.

Again, due to historic reasons, the Army, who have the experience and capability to gather and analyse intelligence, do not have the legal independent authority to do so and effectively find themselves redundant - in competition with, or subordinate to, An Garda Siochana.

So, in reality, a single small, under-resourced unit within the Crime and Security branch of the Gardai is all that defends the nation against the new European threat. It would be unfair to blame An Garda Siochana for the unusual structure that Irish security and intelligence has evolved (or not evolved) into. Whereas most developed countries have five agencies (and a fusion centre) participating in a national security structure, we effectively have one.

One, which the Garda Commissioner herself admits needs modernisation and reform. One, which has come under severe criticism in recent times for not being able to deal with organised crime, the little brother of terrorism, but we somehow are unquestioning about its ability to provide nation security and intelligence at the level required to defend against a rootless, determined and undefined enemy.

With our intelligence structures being so out of step, it means that we are unable to participate fully in international intelligence sharing. Our communications interception technologies are dated and ineffective. Our politicians are being advised on whether our intelligence structures are fit for purpose by the very structure that is obviously not fit for purpose.

As a former leader of Special Forces troops, I understand the value of accurate, timely intelligence. To deal with the modern threat, independent, unbiased intelligence should be at the heart of our national defence.

It is well within the reach of the Irish Government to establish a genuinely first-of-its-kind, bespoke and dedicated National Intelligence Agency. Our politicians should have timely, accurate intelligence so that they can prepare for, and defend against, modern threats to the State.

There are those who would regard Ireland as a target for terror attacks. Any act that exposes our national security weakness is likely to be catastrophic.

Joe Ryan is managing director of Glassmor - an Irish-based communications management and intelligence company working mostly in Africa and Asia with national leaders and governments
The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Princess Eugenie of York.

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank have plans to marry next year. Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Qatar Goodwood Festival)

Princess Eugenie is reportedly set to marry her long-term partner Jack Brooksbank in 2017. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse)

Princess Eugenie of York has plans to wed her long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank in 2017, despite not yet being engaged.

The 26-year-old is blissfully happy and plans to get engaged to the nightclub manager by the end of the year and will marry in 2017, friends of Eugenie are said to have told the Sunday Express.

The news follows one week after the split of Eugenies sister, Princess Beatrice, from her long-term partner Dave Clark.

Everyone was a bit down about Beatrice and Dave ending it after 10 years but its fantastic news about Eugenie and her sister is overjoyed for her, said a close family friend.

Expand Close Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank have plans to marry next year. Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Qatar Goodwood Festival) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank have plans to marry next year. Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Qatar Goodwood Festival)

The Sunday Express reports that the couple will be living in Ivy Cottage, a three-bedroom home next door to Prince Harry.

The youngest daughter to Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Eugenie currently lives with Beatrice at St Jamess Palace.

A palace source told the paper that Queen Elizabeth II is delighted to hear the news and thinks its wonderful that there will be a family wedding in the year when she and Prince Philip celebrate their 70th anniversary!

Eugenie is eighth in line to the throne, and returned last year from New York to work in an art gallery in London.

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Whatsapp The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Princess Eugenie of York.

In an interview with Harpers Bazaar, the Princess admitted that people may be surprised to hear that she works full-time, but her company is very accommodating and understanding of her royal duties.
Some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have been killed in Nigerian military air strikes, according to a new video appearing to come from Boko Haram Islamic extremists.

The video posted on Twitter shows one of the alleged victims pleading for authorities to release detained militants so the girls can be freed.

The girl, in a headscarf, has been identified as one of the 276 students abducted from a remote school in north-eastern Nigeria in April 2014.

She claims that some of her kidnapped classmates died in aerial bombardments by the Nigerian military. She also said that 40 have been "married" to Islamic extremist fighters.

The video, posted by Nigerian journalist Ahmad Salkida and cited by SITE Intelligence Group, also shows a fighter warning in the Hausa language that if President Muhammadu Buhari's government battles Boko Haram with firepower, the girls will not be seen again.

"Presently, some of the girls are crippled, some are terribly sick and some of them, as I had said, died during bombardment by the Nigerian military," the fighter says, appearing before a group of more than 40 young women in headscarves and hijabs.

"If our members in detention are not freed, let the government and parents of the Chibok girls know that they will never find these girls again."

It says the Chibok girls are held by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who is in a leadership battle with a lieutenant named by the Islamic State group as the new leader of what it calls its West Africa Province.

Dozens of the schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok in April 2014 escaped on their own within two days of the abduction. One girl escaped this year, saying she had been led to freedom by her Boko Haram "husband".

Some 218 remain missing in the abduction that shocked the world.

In the video, the fighter says the Nigerian government has repeatedly lied to its citizens with promises to quickly free those kidnapped from Chibok Government Girls School, who now are all over 18 years old.

The young woman in the video begs for help to free them.

"Oh you, my people and our parents, you just have to please come to our rescue. We are suffering here, the aircraft has come to bombard us and killed many of us. Some are wounded. Every day we are in pain and suffering, so are our babies. Some of our husbands that we married also are injured, some dead. No one cares for us.

"Please go and beg the government of Nigeria to release the members of our abductors so that they too can free us to let us come home. We are really suffering, there is no food to eat, no good water to drink here."

AP
Thai police patrol the area near the Erawan Shrine, the site of a bombing in August 2015, in the centre of Bangkok. Photo: Getty

Police in Thailand said yesterday 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 last 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 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 said. He did not elaborate, but said that international militant groups were not believed to be responsible.

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 and streets to empty. 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, 200km south of Bangkok, and the cities of Surat Thani and Trang, farther south. All the affected destinations - which also included Phang Nga and Krabi, as well as Phuket - are popular with foreign and Thai tourists.

Mr Pongsapat said the perpetrators are believed to belong to the same networks and were still inside the country.

It was also 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 authorities had listed in the series of attacks. Police said they found evidence at his home and in electronic devices they had confiscated that he was involved in an active political movement against the government. But they failed to explicitly link him to the other attacks.

While police have strongly hinted that opponents of the military government that seized power in the 2014 coup may have been behind the attacks, they also acknowledged signs that Muslim separatists from the 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 that has ground on for a decade and killed 5,000 people.

Southern militants fighting for greater autonomy have carried out sophisticated attacks before, but most have hit three provinces in the far south that were not among those targeted last week.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has issued a warning to reporters. "Don't go starting a witch hunt yet as we must make our home as peaceful as possible," he said.
Police in Afghanistan are being targeted by the Taliban

At least 11 policemen have been killed in Taliban attacks on checkpoints in Afghanistan.

Nine officers died in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan while another two were killed in the east, security officials said.

General Noor Habib Gulbahari, police chief of Baghlan, said that three police checkpoints in the Baghlan-e-Markazi district were attacked by insurgents on Saturday night.

He also said that five insurgents were killed and three wounded in the ensuing gun battles. Fighting was ongoing elsewhere in the region, he added.

In eastern Nuristan province, two police officers were killed and nine others were wounded in an attack on a district headquarters in the early hours of Sunday, said General Akramudin Sareh, the provincial police chief.

Gen Sareh said around a dozen insurgents were killed in the battle in Waygul district. "Afghan security forces repelled a huge attack," he said.

He also confirmed that sporadic gun battles are ongoing in the area. Nuristan is a remote, mountainous and largely impassable region bordering Pakistan.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the two attacks, adding that the attackers had seized equipment from the police.

AP
Rebels and pro-government forces are battling for control of Aleppo

At least 49 civilians, among them five children, have been killed in Syria's contested Aleppo province as rebels and government forces traded indiscriminate fire across the region.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said that government airstrikes and shelling on opposition areas in the provincial capital, Aleppo city, and surrounding countryside killed 40 civilians on Saturday. The Local Coordination Committees activist network put the toll in opposition areas at 45 dead.

State media and the Observatory said rebel shelling on government-held districts of Aleppo city killed nine civilians, among them two children. State media said another 22 were injured.

Rebels and pro-government forces are battling for control of Aleppo, once Syria's largest city and its commercial capital.

AP
Police in Cyprus believe the assailants were foreign nationals

One British man was fatally stabbed and another wounded during a pre-dawn knife attack at the coastal resort of Ayia Napa, police in Cyprus said.

Famagusta district assistant police chief Georgios Economou said on Sunday the two Britons, both 22 years old, were attacked while they were walking down a busy street by two knife-wielding men shortly after getting into a shoving match with one of them.

Mr Economou said there is no suspicion the attack was terrorism-related. No names have been released.

One Briton died from a stab wound to the neck. The other suffered four stab wounds to his back, but they are not life-threatening.

Mr Economou said, according to witness accounts, the two assailants, who are still being sought, appeared to be foreign nationals.

AP
A car burns as a crowd of more than 100 people gathered after the fatal shooting of a man in Milwaukee (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel/AP)

Both the man whose fatal shooting sparked violent protests in the US city of Milwaukee and the police officer who shot him are black, police said.

Chief Edward Flynn made the disclosure at a news conference on Sunday.

Mr Flynn identified the man killed on Saturday as 23-year-old Sylville K. Smith, and said Smith had a "lengthy arrest record".

Mayor Tom Barrett said a still image pulled from the officer's body camera shows "without question" that Smith had a gun in his hand when he was shot.

Police earlier said Smith fled from a traffic stop.

Mr Flynn said he was not sure what prompted the stop, but said Smith's car was "behaving suspiciously".

Smith's mother Mildred Haynes said he had a two-year-old son.

The Journal Sentinel reported Smith was charged last year in a shooting and was later charged with pressuring the victim to withdraw evidence that identified him as the gunman. Both felony charges were later dropped for reasons that are unclear.

Wisconsin governor Scott Walker has activated the state's National Guard to help law enforcement in Milwaukee if violence there persists.

At least four businesses were burned and one police officer was hurt on Saturday night in violence that broke out a few hours after the shooting.

Mr Walker says he took the step after receiving a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke and talking with Mr Barrett and the Guard's leader. His announcement says the Guard will be in position to help "upon request".

Mr Walker praised citizens who showed up on Sunday to clean up the north-side neighbourhood where the violence took place.

He called for "continued peace and prayer".

The White House said President Barack Obama has been briefed on the outbreak of violence.

Spokeswoman Jen Friedman said Mr Obama was updated by senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. Ms Jarrett briefed the president after speaking with Mr Barrett and offering federal support for local authorities.

AP
Duke Special: Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart meeting the Duke of Westminster at the Royal National Institute of the Blind gala dinner at the Dorchester Hotel, London. Photo: Myung Jung Kim/PA Wire

The 6th Duke of Westminster, who died last Tuesday, aged 64, was Britain's richest aristocrat, with a fortune estimated at more than 8bn (9.3bn), based on an inheritance of 300 acres of Mayfair and Belgravia.

In later life, he lamented the fact that the accident of inheritance had taken him away from the placid life of an Ulster beef farmer like his father.

The Duke owned the freehold of much of London's most expensive real estate, including Grosvenor, Belgrave and Eaton Squares, and such landmarks as the Connaught and Lanesborough hotels and the American embassy - which paid him a rent of one peppercorn a year.

However, his beginnings were quite different.

Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor was born on December 22, 1951. He was the only son of Lt-Col Robert Grosvenor, Ulster Unionist MP for Fermanagh and County Tyrone and one-time parliamentary private secretary to Edward Heath. His mother was Viola Lyttleton, daughter of the 9th Viscount Cobham. The family home was a farm on the island of Ely on Lough Erne, near Enniskillen.

Gerald enjoyed what he once called a "Swallows and Amazons childhood" with his two sisters. Having failed to gain a place at Eton he was despatched to Harrow, which he hated, leaving with only two O-levels. His talent was for sport, but a suggestion from George Cohen, manager of Fulham FC, that he should have a trial to join the club was vetoed by Col Grosvenor on the grounds of too much kissing on the pitch.

Gerald's real ambition was to join the 9th/12th Lancers, but he was already under pressure to take the reins of his inheritance. At 19, he assumed responsibility for the management of the family's vast estates and business.

The estates dated in origin from shortly after the Conquest, when William I granted lands in Cheshire to Hugh Lupus, "le gros veneur" or chief huntsman, with instructions to keep the troublesome Welsh borderers under control. The Duke's direct line of descent traced from Robert le Grosvenor, who was granted the manor of Budworth in Cheshire in the 1170s. The Eaton estate was acquired by marriage in the mid-15th Century, and Richard Grosvenor, the first MP in the family, was created a baronet in 1622.

It was in 1677 that Richard's 21-year-old great-grandson Thomas married 12-year-old Mary Davies, sole heiress to the manor of Ebury, 430 acres of marshy farmland covering the area which now lies between Knightsbridge and the Thames and between Park Lane, Oxford Street and Bond Street. The estate had been bequeathed by Hugh Audley, a city lawyer, to his nephew, Alexander Davies, a clerk who died in the plague of 1665; Davies's widow set out to sell their child Mary's hand in marriage to the highest bidder, gaining 5,000 for herself from Grosvenor.

Though the land was still largely open fields, its potential was apparent; once the building of Mayfair began in 1720 - Belgravia and Pimlico were 19th-century developments - the Grosvenor fortune began to multiply. By the 1890s, the annual rent roll of Mayfair alone amounted to 135,000 (156,000), and the family was one of the richest in Europe.

As its wealth increased, so did its status: the barony of Grosvenor was created in 1761, the earldom in 1784 and the marquessate of Westminster in 1831. Finally, in 1874, the 3rd Marquess - a Knight of the Garter and former Liberal MP for Chester - was created the 1st Duke. It was the last non-royal dukedom to be created.

The 2nd Duke (grandson of the 1st) was the legendary "Bend Or", an arrogant grandee, lover of Coco Chanel and tireless womaniser, four times married, who represented the apotheosis of flamboyant ducal style during the inter-war years. But his only son died in childhood, and in 1953 the dukedom passed to another grandson of the 1st Duke - William Grosvenor, a bachelor of diminished mind who lived in a bungalow at Whitstable and bred poultry.

This brought into the line as 4th Duke yet another grandson (by the 1st Duke's second marriage), Colonel Gerald Hugh Grosvenor, who had no children, and as the 5th, in 1967, his brother Colonel Robert Grosvenor.

Provision had been made in the 2nd Duke's will for the likelihood that young Gerald would eventually inherit. The Pimlico portion of the estate having been sold to pay death duties, the bulk of the remaining fortune was placed in trusts entailed to him, bypassing his three predecessors. The weight of his future responsibilities did not sink in until he was 15, when his uncle, the 4th Duke, died and "everyone started to treat me differently".

By 1970, his father had become ill, and it was apparent that Gerald would have to take complete control. The property crash of 1973 provided his first test, and instilled in him the need for tough management and long-term strategy. When he inherited the dukedom in 1979, the estate was in debt and liable for another heavy tranche of death duties. But shrewd investment by the young duke and his advisers combined with lower tax rates and the property booms of the 1980s and early 2000s to turn it into a treasure chest.

During World War II the landscape of Eaton Hall - set in 11,000 acres just outside Chester, where the Duke sent his children to local day schools - had been used by the Army for officer training, and afterwards it was too dilapidated and impractical to maintain. The house was demolished, all except its clock tower, chapel and stable yard, and was replaced in 1973 by a modern, flat-roofed structure in concrete and marble - compared by critics to a county ambulance headquarters and dubbed the 'Inn on the Park' by the Prince of Wales (who also observed that the Duke "employs more butlers than I do").

Rather than rebuild Eaton Hall, the Duke eventually added a pitched roof and sandstone cladding: "The overall effect," noted Burke's Peerage, "is curiously Germanic".

Business was always a lower priority for the Duke than his military and charitable duties and most of all, his family life. Fast cars (he had a notorious driving record) and a private aircraft enabled him to spend as much time as he could at home atof Eaton Hall.

Under his leadership the Grosvenor Estate imposed rigid rules on tenants to preserve the cream stucco uniformity of Belgravia, and the Georgian brick terraces of Mayfair. It was also notably businesslike when it came to setting rents. Besides its London holdings, the Grosvenor empire included shopping centres throughout Britain - in recent years he transformed the centre of Liverpool (and the city's fortunes) by pouring millions into developing the shopping complex known as Liverpool One. The development is said to attract 28m shoppers annually.

There were also commercial properties in the United States, Canada and Australia, and a variety of other investments in Europe and the Far East.

The empire's total value was the subject of annual guesswork by the compilers of UK 'rich lists', in which the Duke rarely dropped out of the top five.

The Duke, a chain-smoker, worked and travelled incessantly, and in later years suffered bouts of depression, a problem which was exacerbated by reports in newspapers that he had employed the services of prostitutes.

His most satisfying escape from ducal responsibilities came as a long-serving Territorial Army officer. He spent at least one weekend a month on exercise among soldiers from the north of England who treated him, to his relief, as they would any other officer.

Fond of Churchill's remark that "the only time the Grosvenors were any good was when they were at war", he rose to command the Queen's Own Yeomanry, and in 2000 he was promoted to brigadier.

In 2004 he was appointed to the new post of Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets), with promotion to Major-General. In 2011, he was appointed Deputy Commander Land Forces (Reserves) before retiring after 42 years' service in 2012.

His many charitable interests ranged from the NSPCC to the Royal London Hospital.

Deeply concerned about land conservation and other rural issues, he rescued the Soil Association from financial difficulties and was a major backer of the Countryside Movement.

He married, in 1978, Natalia, daughter of Lt-Col Harold "Bunny" Phillips and a grand-daughter of Maj-Gen Sir Harold and Lady Zia Wernher, of Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire; Lady Zia was in turn the daughter of Grand Duke Michael of Russia. The Duke and his Duchess had three daughters and a son, Hugh, styled by courtesy Earl Grosvenor, who was born in 1991 and now succeeds to the dukedom and the other peerages.

 Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Police at the scene where two men were shot near a mosque in the Queens borough of New York AP

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 targetted 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. The imam, Maulana Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, were fatally injured, police said.

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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.

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The killing of the two men in the borough of Queens was denounced as a hate crime, with local members of the Islamic community blaming Donald Trump, accusing him of stoking Islamophobia.

Witnesses described the gunman as tall and Hispanic, and was reported to still be at large. Police said they were still investigating the motive.

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.

In the wake of last Decembers terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, which left 14 people dead, Mr Trump pledged to ban Muslims from entering the United States.

The slaughter of 49 people at a gay bar in Orlando, Florida, and the wave of terrorist attacks in Europe have also regularly been used by Mr Trump as evidence of a need for America to change its immigration policies.

Mr Trump, who has been accused of exploiting fears of Islamist attacks for political ends, was rounded on by members of the Muslim community in Queens.

The Bangladeshi community is one of the fastest growing in America and, according to one estimate, there could be as many as 100,000 in New York City.

Thats not what America is about, said local resident Khairul Islam, 33. We blame Donald Trump for this. Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia.
The ex-fiancee of Steven Avery, the subject of the Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer, has reportedly expressed fears that her former partner could be released from prison - after a judge overturned the murder conviction of his nephew, Brendan Dassey.

Avery and Dassey were both found guilty of the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach of Wisconsin in separate trials, chronicled in the hugely popular documentary series released last year.

Last Friday, US federal magistrate William Duffin handed down the ruling in Dassey's case on the grounds that he was coerced into making his original confession. In so doing, the judge called into question the conduct of Dassey's attorney, Len Kachinsky, as well as those of investigators who he said had elicited an "involuntary" confession from the then 16-year-old, who has learning difficulties.

According to website TMZ, Avery's former partner Jodi Stachowski said after the judgment that, while she had great sympathy for Dassey and believed the state of Wisconsin had a duty of care towards him "because they wilfully destroyed his life", she feared his potential freedom might put pressure on the courts to release Avery, "who she firmly believes is guilty of raping and killing" Halbach.

TMZ added that, in contrast, Avery's brother Chuck said that he would not celebrate "until the other person wrongly convicted is also freed: his brother".

The reports come amid mounting questions over the impact Dassey's case will have on that of his uncle, who is also serving life in prison. Avery's legal team said in a statement that they were "thrilled" for Dassey that his conviction had been overturned. "We fully expected this outcome from an unbiased court that carefully examined his confession," they said.

Avery's attorney, Kathleen Zellner, who took up the appeal case in January, added: "Steven Avery is so happy for Brendan. We know when an unbiased court reviews all of the new evidence we have, Steven will have his conviction overturned as well."

Jerry Buting, Avery's former lawyer, who featured prominently in Making a Murderer, also tweeted that "justice finally strikes", adding: "State of Wisconsin should accept federal court decision and drop case against Brendan Dassey. Avery is next. Time to go after real killer."

Steven Drizin, a professor of law at Northwestern University, who pushed to have Dassey's conviction overturned, said yesterday: "I thought that this was a confession that was the result of police coercion. These detectives had taken advantage of a young man who had severe learning difficulties. The only facts in the confession had been fed to him by the investigators."

Halbach, a photographer for Auto Trader magazine, went missing on Halloween in 2005 after photographing a vehicle at Avery's salvage yard. Her charred remains were discovered in a burn pit on the yard 10 days later, along with her Toyota RAV4, mobile phone and car keys.

The Netflix documentary brought international attention to the subsequent murder case by exploring issues and procedures in the Manitowoc County sheriff's department investigation of Avery and Dassey.

It also cast doubt on the legal process to convict both men, which led to a significant public backlash against the state of Wisconsin. Following the show's airing, a petition to investigate and pardon the Averys "and punish the corrupt officials who railroaded these innocent men" was submitted to the White House with more than 120,000 signatures. (A White House spokesperson later said that, since Avery and Dassey were both state prisoners, the president could not pardon them.)

Meanwhile, Kachinsky, who was removed from Dassey's case and later de-certified from the public defender's office, reported receiving hate mail from Dassey's supporters. Last Friday, Duffin accused the attorney of spending more time talking to the press about the high-profile case than actually communicating with his own client. In his first three weeks as Dassey's attorney, Kachinsky spent 10 hours speaking to reporters and one hour with Dassey, according to Duffin.

If prosecutors do not refile charges within 90 days, Dassey will walk free. While a second series of Making a Murderer is currently in the making, the new ruling is understood not to have been captured on camera.

Observer
BY-CATCH: Using a novel dating technique, a team of biologists and physicists were able to estimate the age of 28 dead female Greenland sharks. Photo: Julius Nielsen/Handout via Reuters

Not long after Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic and a few years before the full conquest of Ireland and the Tudor plantation, a very special shark just might have been born in the icy waters of the Arctic.

A new study shows this Greenland shark was alive until recently, when it was accidentally caught in a fishing boat's net after living possibly more than half a millennium.

The precise age of the five-metre-long female is rather uncertain.

Researchers estimated it was born about 392 years ago - in 1624, when the Palace of Versailles was first built as a hunting lodge - but they added it could be anything between 272 and 512 years.

This means it potentially lived through the time of Shakespeare, the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution and the arrival of the Nuclear Age. The latter two events appear to have made their mark on the sharks.

What is clear is that the Greenland shark - a contemporary of Henry VIII who led the Reformation in England - now holds the record for the oldest known vertebrate animal on the planet by some margin.

It might even have an outside chance of being the oldest animal ever found, with a clam called the ocean quahog currently holding that record at 507 years.

Writing in the journal Science, the researcher said: "Our results demonstrate that the Greenland shark is among the longest-lived vertebrate species, surpassing even the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus, estimated longevity of 211 years).

"The life expectancy of the Greenland shark is exceeded only by that of the ocean quahog (Arctica islandica, 507 years).

"Our estimates strongly suggest a precautionary approach to the conservation of the Greenland shark, because they are common by-catch in arctic and subarctic groundfish fisheries and have been subjected to several recent commercial exploitation initiatives."

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, the Greenland shark is classed as "near-threatened", although its current population is unknown.

It was once hunted for its liver oil with 32,000 a year killed in the 1910s in Greenland alone.

The researchers, led by Julius Nielsen of Copenhagen University, radiocarbon-dated the eye lens nuclei of 28 female Greenland sharks.

The sharks, ranging in size from 81cm to 502cm, were all by-catch caught by fishing boats. They estimated that the sharks have a prolonged period of "childhood", only gaining sexual maturity at the age of about 156 - plus or minus 22 years.

Some of the sharks bore signs of humans' impact on the planet - such as the radiocarbon signature left by open-air nuclear bomb tests in the mid-20th century and possibly a chemical time marker caused by emissions of fossil fuels, which has been detected in the marine food chain since the early 20th century.
SHARE A photograph of Pendleton Tire Service in the 1960s in downtown Pendleton, is framed in the lobby. David Galloway arrives to work at Pendleton Tire Service, where he has clocked in for 53 years. David Galloway checks the air pressure as he repairs a car tire at Pendleton Tire Service. Galloway said he started working there when he was 17-years-old, still in high school, a total of 53 years for the tire repair business. David Galloway arrives to work at Pendleton Tire Service, where he has clocked in for 53 years.

By Abe Hardesty of the Independent Mail

PENDLETON  They don't make tires the way they used to make them, but David Malvin Galloway is thankful just the same.

"They're made much better than they used to be," said Galloway, who watched tire manufacturers endure a half-century of experiments with rayon, nylon and fiberglass before finding the steel-belted structure that prevails today.

"They've come a long ways," Galloway said Thursday morning, while changing the day's first set of tires. "The sidewalls are a lot stronger. They're just stronger all the way around."

No one around Anderson County knows more about the subject of tires than Galloway. He has been replacing and repairing tires at the Pendleton Tire Company for 56 years.

Dwight Eisenhower was president, the store was located in the town square and Galloway was a student at Riverside High during the segregated school system when he began his craft in 1960. He became a full-time tire man two years later, and was on the job the day President Kennedy was killed.

After approximately 14,000 work shifts, Galloway is reluctant to change the routine.

Galloway, 73, was 17 when he walked into John Gambrell's store for that first and only job interview. At the time, the store was expanding its business from a small appliance repair to one that also repaired tires and sold new ones.

For Galloway, that meant working outside on the ground  the store didn't have a garage  but that mattered little. Galloway, whose father left the family when he was 12 years old and put his mother and six siblings in poverty, wanted an job anywhere he could find one.

"(Gambrel) asked me if I could fix tires, and work on toasters and irons in between the tire customers. I told him I could do that. I was not about to turn anything down," said Galloway, who lived within walking distance of the store. When he told me I could (start) the next day, I was a little disappointed. I was ready to start that day."

Galloway has the same enthusiasm for productivity today. Nearly 3,000 work shifts later, he is Pendleton's tireless tire man who reports for duty well before his work shift begins, always bringing a smile with him.

"This job has been a lifesaver for me. The Lord has been good," said Galloway, who continues to make most of the tire changes in an open-air environment. "I've worked close to home, where I could watch my kids grow up and cheer for them at ball games."

He gave some thought to a job change several years ago, when he learned of an opportunity at a large manufacturing plant in the region.

"I knew they'd have me inside all day," Galloway said, offering a brief disapproving nod. "I decided to make less (money) and stay closer to home. I ask the Lord to supply my needs, and he does. I'm pretty happy."

That's apparent to store owner Joey Welborn, who bought the company eight years ago.

"David is like a freight train. He doesn't run fast, but he's steady. And always busy," Welborn said. "He always comes to work early and stays long. Sometimes I have to tell him to go home, because he's still here two hours after his shift is over."

The work ethic and the enthusiasm were molded by his mother, the late Lois Vandiver Galloway. Long before she died in 2002, at age 83, she offered the model for a joyful life.

"I pray about keeping a good attitude and about saying things to help people, even if it's just for a few minutes that day. That was the attitude my mom had," Galloway said.

"Mom was a great encourager. We didn't have much, but she always said 'The Lord will make a way,' and He does," Galloway said. "She's why I try to live my life the way I do."

"She always told us, 'the walk-talk outweighs the talk-talk,'" said Galloway, who has never used alcohol nor tobacco.

The positive demeanor helped Galloway raise two daughters who graduated from college. It also enables him to sing extensively at the Kings Chapel AME Church and as a soloist at gospel concerts in the area. His faith even helped him endure the death of his first wife five years ago.

Galloway's income was a bit higher in the past when he operated an after-hours business  Galloway's Roadside Service  that enabled him to make extra money by responding to those with car problems in the middle of the night.

"I'd go as far as Spartanburg or into north Georgia, or way out in the country, and help anyone stuck on the side of the road," he said. "I did it for 35 or 40 years, but I stopped a few years ago. My kids got onto me about it because it's dangerous these days."

Galloway's motivation, in addition to those college degrees for daughters Anita and Audra, was the poverty of his youth.

"I came up on the welfare line, but I didn't want to stay there. I wanted to earn my way," said Galloway, who usually works in his yard or around the house when he leaves Pendleton Tire.

He's well past the traditional retirement age, but has no desire to quit working.

"Some of my friends have quit working and the next thing you know, they're sickly. The Lord has given me good health," said Galloway, whose job requires frequent bending and lifting. "When some of these big tires get too heavy, all these young guys around here are good to help me.

"If I can't bend over and stoop down, there's no point in being here," Galloway said. "But as long as I feel good, I'm going to come to work. I don't want to sit around."

Follow Abe Hardesty on Twitter @abe_hardesty
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American Red Cross disaster-trained volunteers are assisting after fire destroyed a single-family home Saturday evening on Fairoaks Circle in Oconee County.

The Seneca Fire Department responded to the blaze. The Red Cross is working with the family of two adults and two children by providing services to meet immediate needs, including financial assistance for food, clothing and temporary lodging. The family also has been given comfort kits with personal hygiene items and other essentials, according to a statement from the organization.

The Red Cross responds to a disaster every four hours in South Carolina on average.

To help neighbors affected by disasters, become a Red Cross volunteer or make a financial contribution to Red Cross by visiting redcross.org/SC.

Staff report
We come across many instances of Sikhs facing racism all around the globe. Remember how Veerender Jubbal was held responsible for both the Paris and Nice attack?

Two London-based photographers Amit and Naroop have done something brilliant. In a bid to raise awareness about their faith and to educate people about the values of Sikhism, they have photographed 30 Sikhs living in the US for an art exhibit. The whole point of this project is to capture the essence of modern Sikhism. It is also a tribute to the two powerful symbols of Sikhism  the turban and the beard.

Amit and Naroop

This art exhibit will be held in New York In September. With this project, Amit and Naroop also wanted to highlight Sikh American history that embodies perseverance and progress.

It will be open to the public right after the 15th anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Three hundred incidents of hate crimes against Sikhs were reported in the months following the attack.

Their approach while photographing the subject was to capture their way of expressing modern Sikhism. While some chose to let out their fun side, others chose to just look directly at the camera and let their eyes do the talking

When shooting in their London studio, Amit and Naroop simply wanted to capture the face of modern Sikhism, whichever way the subject wanted to express it.

Some let out their fun, quirky side during these shoots, while others looked directly into the camera and let their eyes do the talking.

"As we commemorate this important milestone for our organization, we felt that the moment was right to examine the beauty of the Sikh faith, the strength of our collective spirit and to do so in a way that further educates Americans." said Executive Director, Sapreet Kaur, in a statement.

Check out these jaw-dropping photos for yourself:

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The awesome @ishprit (Ishprit Kaur), one of the featured turban wearing women of our now renamed, 'SIKH' project, exhibiting in Manhattan, NY this September. We'll be releasing more images over the forthcoming weeks. A photo posted by Amit and Naroop (@amitandnaroop) on Jun 24, 2016 at 11:21am PDT

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Great shooting the main man Dennis Singh! He grew up in Jamaica and was good friends with Bob Marley. Now a converted Sikh, we loved listening to his stories and his journey. What a man. A true legend..... A photo posted by Amit and Naroop (@amitandnaroop) on Jun 8, 2016 at 10:38am PDT

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"A few months before August 15, 1947 I had returned home from my uncle's place at Dharampore where I was studying BSE," recalls Retd Col SN Bhaduri. "My parents were staying in Calcutta. It was a difficult time since the Calcutta Killings had taken place in 1946 and my parents were living in Park Circus area. They had then moved to Bhowanipore."

"We stayed in a two room set which was difficult as we were seven brothers and sisters along with our parents," he says.

Upenn Library

"We hitched a free ride from our mohalla to Esplanade in a lorry. Instead of staying back here we went all the way to Howrah. It was August 15th and despite the tension - which we could still sense - from the previous year, we saw that Hindus and Muslims alike were celebrating the occasion," he recalls.

"We roamed till 12 in the night, all around Kolkata and Howrah, shouting till we lost our voices," he says. "The effect of the Independence also reflected immediately as Hindus from East Bengal, now Bangladesh, and Muslims from West Bengal started moving in opposite directions to where their kith and kin were staying."

"Although we hugged each other, a part of the distress was still among us."

Upenn Library

"I joined the Jadavpur Engineering College as it was not a university then. At the college we had students from all over the country but only a few Muslims who had chosen to stay back," he shares. "The concept of independence started dawning on us when as we realised that it wasn't only independence for Bengali students, who were a majority but for all communities living with us."

"We are all Indians first and Bengalis, Biharis or Punjabis later."

Support Elders

"I joined the Indian Army in 1952 and the love for the country above all religion and everything else prevailed even more then," he adds. "Even now, when we are incited by some of our neighbours, we must maintain the religion oneness."

--- Retd Col SN Bhaduri is a member of Support Elders, Kolkata.
Back in the day, a horse was more than a ride. They were loyal companions who accompanied their masters to fight heroic battles, save them from an enemy attack and carry messages. War horses were considered the true heroes of battle as they combated enemy blows and survived to carry their masters back to refuge.

Here are 9 war heroes who are still remembered for their gallant service in history.

1. Chetak

Image Credit: trekearth

The courageous stallion who has poems written in his name was Maharana Prataps saviour. He was the real hero of the battle of Haldighati where he saved his masters life by taking over a mighty elephant. Chetak reared high in the air and planted his hooves on the forehead of enemy Man Singh's elephant. He then received a fatal wound on one of his legs. Chetak had a blue tinge on his coat and thus, Maharana Pratap is addressed as the Rider of the Blue Horse.

2. Traveller

Image Credit: wikipedia

Yes, thats the name of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's valiant horse who fought the American Civil War. It was due to the horses popularity that Lee was always the primary target of the enemy. Like an experienced traveller, Traveller would go for days without being exhausted. He was a horse with great stamina. However, during the Second Battle of Bull Run, Traveller got a bit nervous and retreated. He died by stepping on a nail and contracting tetanus.

3. Reckless

Image Credit: horsenation

This equine owned by the US military is one of the bravest of warhorses. Reckless was a great help in carrying supplies and weapons, and evacuating wounded soldiers during the Korean War. She became the talk of town when she made 51 solo trips in a single day. Due to her heroic deeds, she was selected as one of the 100 All-time American Heroes by Life Magazine.

4. Palomo

Image Credit: wonderlist

Palomo was Venezuelan military and political leader Simon Bolivar's horse. His beauty was described at length as his tall demeanour, white colour and shiny tail were the most striking features about him. According to folk lore, once a guide told Bolivar about his wife Casilda's dreams, in which she saw herself giving a recently born colt to a famous general as a gift. The guide did not know who Bolivar was and was surprised when he learned about his identity. Bolivar smiled and told the guide, "Tell Casilda to keep the colt for me." This very colt then turned into a beautiful horse named Palomo.

5. Marengo

Image Credit: wikimedia

The fact that he carried Napolean Bonaparte on his back made him famous. Marengo accompanied Napolean at the famous battle of Waterloo. Belonging to an Egyptian breed, he was exported to France in 1799. Marengo died in the war while battling British troops. Marengo had galloped an over 5,600-km round-trip from Paris to Moscow in 1812. Today, his skeleton stands tall in the National Army Museum in Chelsea.

6. Comanche

Image Credit: horseandman

Talk about a horse with celebrity status! Comanche, a mustang owned by the US Army, became a celebrity after his retirement. He went on parades on special ceremonies after being wounded in battle. After his death, the horse received a respectable military funeral for his heroic service.

7. Bucephalus

Image Credit: mainlesson.com

Owned by Alexander, the Great, Bucephalus has a city named after him. The horse was known to be a mighty creature who fought many battles along with Alexander. At the young age of 13, Alexander acquired Bucephalus, and from then on, the horse became his favourite companion. Bucephalus was killed in the legendary battle of Jhelum which was fought between his master and Indian king Porus.

8. Copenhagen

Image Credit: wikipedia

Copenhagen was the Duke of Wellingtons warhorse, who he rode on the battle of Waterloo. Copenhagen was said to be enthusiastic for a horse of his species. It is recalled that when Wellington gave Copenhagen a congratulatory pat on the back, he responded him by giving him a kick in his head. However, Copenhagen missed doing so and Wellington was saved from a fatal blow. After retirement, he became a total darling, where he allowed strangers to touch his mane.

9. Cincinnati

Image Credit: the-thoroughbred-universe.tumblr.com

Cincinnati was one of the three famous warhorses owned by American Civil war general and later President Ulysses S. Grant. Cincinnati was the son of Lexington, one of the fastest horses in America. He was a gift to the president from an admirer and therefore he was Grant's most favourite. Grant is depicted riding Cincinnati in most of his memorials. In fact, even Abraham Lincoln rode on Cincinnati and admired him for his speed.
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.

rediff.com

"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.

Reuters

"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."
While the country is going high on Make in India, the presence of national flags with Made in China tag make a sorry statement of ground realities.

The Chinese version of the Tricolour has overwhelmed India-made ones these days in Delhis markets as buyers prefer them over the Indian ones.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

But why is this?

Indian manufacturers of national flags are losing out to Chinese imports because of at least 30-35 percent price differential.

Invasion of cheaper, durable and finely printed China-made Indian flags is making the survival difficult for small Indian manufacturers. And therefore, local manufacturers have also begun using the same material used in Indian flags made in China. But in the bid of copying, they fail to match the finishing.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

While locally made paper flags measuring 4x6 feet, 6x9 feet, 8x12 feet cost retailers Rs 130, Rs 150 and Rs 250 per hundred pieces respectively, the Chinese once cost them Rs 90, Rs 120 and Rs 220. In addition, because of the attractive and fine quality, the demands of the latter are also higher.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

Similarly while the original Tricolour of the Indian make is costly, made from hand spun khadi, cotton and silk, buyers can now opt for a cheaper cotton Chinese version. China-made cloth flags measuring 10x15 inch costs retailers Rs 15 per piece, 20x30 inch costs Rs 30 per piece and 24x36 inch costs Rs 45 per piece. On the other hand, the flags of same measurements made in India cost Rs 20, Rs 35 and Rs 50.

The total turnover of the flag market in the national capital stands somewhere at Rs 4-5 crore.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

Demand of China-made Indian flags is higher because of its high quality and cheaper prices. As a result, Indian manufacturers are facing huge losses as only about quarter of their products find buyers, Manoj Kumar Garg, a wholesale supplier of national flags at Delhis Sadar Bazaar, told Indiatimes.

Interestingly, during the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, there was a huge demand for the Made in China Indian flags. But in their frenzy to raise slogans, he said, protesters didn't realise that the Tricolour they were waving with gusto were fake versions or a pale imitation of the original flag.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

According to the Indian Flag Code of India, our national emblem, the Ashok Chakraa 24-spoke wheelis present on the flag, representing the eternal wheel of law. However, some protesters realized to their utter horror that the flags they were patriotically waving had only 18 spokes instead of 24, said Garg, who is involved in the business for the past 15 years.

Some blamed the rise in price of raw materials like good quality paper, cloths, etc for slack in their business. Chinese manufacturers use a polyester type smooth material to make the flag. Also, the flag is held up with the help of a plastic stick. Though we are giving a tough competition to Chinese manufacturers in terms of quality and printing but we fail to beat their prices because of the skyrocketing prices of materials required, said Abdul Ghaffar Ansari who deals in all kind of flags for the past 45 years.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

He claimed that the khadi flags are not being sold in large quantities because of its limited supply. In schools, paper made flags are quite popular. Even here, Chinese manufacturers use hard and laminated papers with fine quality of printing if compared to Indian manufacturers.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

He said the flags manufactured by him and others are supplied to the market for public consumption.

It does not go to government establishment because the flags used hoisted there are made up of hand spun khadi. The only authorised unit in India to manufacture and supply national flags to government departments is the Karnataka Khadi and Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangh (Federation) (KKGSSF), which is located in Bengeri village in Dharwad district of northern Karnataka.
Sahla Nechiyil had every right to demand gold, or customary jewellery as 'Mehr', a compulsory payment by the groom to the bride at the time of marriage.

Indian Express

Instead, the Kerala Muslim girl went against tradition and asked for only 50 books.

Indian Express

The Political Science postgrad from Hyderabad University's request is a message to the region's "gold-obsessed" Muslims community. "...I wanted to show the Malappuram Muslims that a wedding can take place without obsessing over the amount of gold transacted between both parties," she told the Indian Express.

Indian Express

Anees Nadodi, her husband supports her decision: "Mehr is the right of the woman, not the generosity of the man," he said. She gave him a list of books she wanted, and he went hunting for them, travelling from Kerala to Bangalore. This, despite disapproval from both families.

However, she had spoken out against contemporary norms, not Islam itself.

"They could not argue for long, because we were not doing anything against the religious texts," said Nechiyil. The book list included Islamic feminist literature, feminist literature, fiction and politics.
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".

TOI

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.

TOI

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.

independent.co.uk

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.

rt.com

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".

dailymail

"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.

tutuz.com

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.
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.

Reuters

The National Counter-Terrorism Authority has asked the Punjab Director General of Pakistan Rangers, the home department and the Punjab (Pakistan) 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 August 13, 14 or 15," the security alert says. The alert 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 (Pakistan) home department has also issued a separate alert saying "at least 16 suicide attackers have entered the province" who are planning to target public gatherings in connection with the Independence Day.

Reuters

Following the alerts, the Punjab police (Pakistan's Punjab) 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 said.

He said the suspects would be quizzed and kept into custody till verification process as a majority of them could not produce documents related to their identity.

He said police personnel have also been deployed at the border areas on Pakistan's Independence Day (August 14). Rangers have also reportedly enhanced their patrolling in the border areas.

BCCL

Read Also: Here's How The Men Who Protect The Borders Keep Themselves Fighting Fit

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.

BCCL

Meanwhile, the Punjab (Pakistan) 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 August 14 festivities that attract massive public participation," an official said.

Read Also: India Activates A Dozen Laser Walls Along Border With Pakistan To Stop Terrorist Infiltration
A British pilot tells the story of ingenious IAF engineer Harjinder Singh who used jugaad to beat the Japanese, and went on to build a bomber fleet by refurbishing destroyed planes

Calcutta, 1941. The Indian Air Force was being deployed in World War II to fight the Japanese in Burma. Warrant officer Harjinder Singh wondered out aloud: "Why should we fight this war for the British?" Being heavily influenced by the Congress-led Freedom Struggle, he wasn't convinced that Indians should fight for the British.

His Indian commanding officer, Squadron Leader Karun Krishna "Jumbo" Majumdar, reasoned with him: "Harjinder, if we do not fight in this war for the damned British, we shall be nothing better than a flying club when the war ends. We must fight, and we must aim to expand the IAF while the going is good. After the war is won, India will be a Dominion, and we shall have to run our own Air Force."

TOI

A little later, on February 1, 1942, Harjinder and Jumbo parked themselves with the whole 1st squadron of IAF at the Royal Air Force base in Toungoo, Burma. The next day, the base was hit by a Japanese bombing raid. The RAF was putting up a dispirited fight with talk about withdrawing from Burma further bringing down morale. But the IAF ignored all the defeatist talk. In fact, its unorthodox CO had the most audacious idea  bombing the Japanese air base with obsolete reconnaissance aircraft. Harjinder said aye.

So, seven decades before India started talking about 'Make in India', this first engineer officer of IAF converted a whole squadron of 12 Lysander planes into bombers. The Indians bombed the hell out of the Japanese. Again and again. For his pioneering effort, Singh was made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire). It was a sweet revenge of sorts for him  as a lowly Hawai Sepoy in 1934, he had got the most disappointing welcome message from Air Marshal Sir John Steele, the first chief of the IAF. "Indians will not be able to fly or maintain military aeroplanes. That's a man's job," Steele had said to the 200 Indians of the fledgling IAF.

From being a Hawai Sepoy to retiring as an air vice marshal, Harjinder's (or Harry to some) fascinating life story is the stuff of film scripts. A man who could put back any damaged or destroyed aircraft to the air, who commandeered and then drove a whole train in Burma to take his boys and birds out of harm's way, who gave Independent India an entire bomber fleet by cannibalising and restoring destroyed British and American planes, and a man who could well have been be the poster boy of the government's 'Make In India' programme.

His exploits were largely unknown till former RAF officer and British Airways pilot Mike Edwards wrote out the epic tale, using personal diaries, letters and other memorabilia kept safe by J R Nanda whose uncle Air Commodore Amrit Saigal was Harjinder's staff officer.

TOI

At the launch of his delightfully written book, Spitfire Singh, at the British High Commissioner's residence recently, Edwards told TOI: "I learnt about his story in 2012. It took me so many years to write it out. I can only hope that I did justice to this unsung hero of India and the IAF. But it was perhaps destiny that a gora had to write the story of an IAF legend," said Edwards, who was also involved in the resurrection of the IAF's vintage flight and flies the refurbished Tiger Moth and Harvard of the IAF.

Just like Jumbo had predicted, India became a Dominion in 1947 though he didn't survive to see it himself. But Harjinder did and also experienced the horrors of Partition. Worse, soon after that, he found himself in a war against his former comrades when the Kashmir War broke out.

Overruling his British commanders, Pandit Nehru deployed the RIAF (the prefix Royal was added in 1945 and dropped in 1950) in the war. And soon, Dakotas were flying in troops to the Valley while the fighter force of Spitfires and Tempests was bombing and strafing Pakistani positions. Harjinder realised he didn't have enough spares to keep his aircraft flying. But he was a man who thought on his feet.

The next thing Harjinder did was fly to Lahore in a Dakota where he was cordially received by Pakistan Air Force officers. They let him take half of everything they had. Once back, Singh readied his planes to take on the same Pakistanis. The age of chivalry was still alive between the two rival militaries back then.

Harjinder, by this time, had spotted the wreck of a Spitfire in Kanpur. True to his style, he completely restored the plane with some help from Rolls Royce and started flying it. But he was still not a military pilot. In the 1950s, the IAF allowed him to proceed for pilot training. In his own Spitfire. And even at that age, Harjinder successfully got his wings. His Spitfire is now being restored to join the Vintage Flight.
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.

AFP

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.

AFP

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.

AFP

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.

AFP

Delhi Police has already prohibited aerial activities including paragliding, flying UAVs and hot air balloons 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.
French newspaper Charlie Hebdo has a simple mission - make fun of everyone and everything. No one is spared - Catholics, Muslims, Jews, pop culture personalities and the government. In an attack that could be seen as the debut of modern Islamic terror in France, 12 of Charlie Hebdo members were gunned down during a weekly editorial meeting in January last year.

A History Of India's Discontent With Charlie Hebdo

Now, after they have published cartoon of naked Muslims on its cover, staff of the magazine have reportedly received threats warning of new attacks.

The new cover (10 August 2016) shows a cartoon of a bearded man and a veil covered woman on a beach with exposed genitals

reuters

The caption reads The reform of Islam. Muslims, loosen up (Musulmans de-coin-cez-vous).

Charlie Hebdo, Paris And Now Nice, Here Is Why France Is Hit By Terror Again And Again

The magazines staff received a single sentence threat: You will die, Le Parisien reported.

Charlie Hebdos co-shareholder, Eric Portheault has spoken about filing a formal police complaint, adding that death threats have been ongoing since summer: it does not stop. The weekly has received almost 60 chilling messages and insults on its Facebook page. The staff today works under police protection after the January 2016 attacks, in revenge for cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.

Threats on the weekly magazine had increased in frequency since they openly declared Prophet Muhammed as their editor-in-chief. Charb (Stephane Charbonnier), the editor of the magazine till he was gunned down in the attacks, was already on the most wanted list of Al-Qaeda organisations for his anti-Islamic writings.

These Tributes To Charlie Hebdo By Cartoonists Will Move You To Tears
Fixing the Great Barrier Reef will cost Australia 8.2 billion dollars over the next 10 years, an Australian minister said.

Reuters

Queenland's Environmental Minister, Steven Miles, confirmed that Australia will need eight times more than the initial one billion dollars set aside by the federal government to nurse the reefs back to health.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure in the world and the largest coral reef. It can be seen from space and unsurprisingly so because it is more than 2,300km in length and has almost 3,000 individual reef, covering an area about the size of Germany.

This natural wonder, unfortunately, has suffered large-scale bleaching where 93% of its individual reefs have suffered from it. The cause is, of course, environmental degradation and climate change. Until effects are put into gear to save earth's oceans from pollution, the reefs cannot be saved. In fact, some environmental scientists have said that the Great Barrier Reef is far from being saved.
A Swiss man armed with a knife poured inflammable liquid on a train and injured six people.

Reuters

The 27-year-old man who is a Swiss citizen, entered a train and poured the liquid which caught fire, hurting three adults, two teenagers and a six-year-old child.

The attack on Saturday took place in the northeastern part of the country in the Canton of St Gallen. Although the police haven't yet ruled out a terrorist motive because of the recent rise of lone wolf attacks in Europe, a spokesman said a terrorism background still seems very, very far-fetched.

Last attack of a similar nature took place in December 2015, a 33-year-old Swiss man broke into his neighbours' house in Rupperswil and killed four people.
In 2011, France became the first country in Europe to ban the full Islamic face veil and fast forward to 2016, French Riviera town of Cannes has banned the burkini, a full-body swimsuit.

Reuters

The Mayor of Cannes introduced the ban saying that the swimsuit worn mostly by Muslim women stands for Islamic extremism.

David Lisnard said burkinis symbolise "Islamic extremism" and might cause trouble on the beaches of the southern French city in the wake of recent terrorist attacks in France. Anyone seen breaking this new rule could be fined upto 38, that is, INR 2839.

Another French Riveria town has introduced this ban following Cannes. Mayor of Villeneuve-Loubet, Lionnel Luca, banned the burkini and cited sanitary reasons.

He told AFP news agency, "I was told that there was a couple on one of our beaches where the wife was swimming fully dressed, and I considered that unacceptable for hygienic reasons and unwelcome given the general situation.

In France, one does not come to the beach dressed to display ones religious convictions, especially as they are false convictions that the religion does not demand.

This ban has once again raised questions about liberty and secularism, ethos France stands on. People on Twitter didn't take too well to the ban and said the ban is infringing on women's right to choose what they should wear. Here's what some said:

Not a lot of Western feminists making noise about France telling women what they can't wear. #BurkiniBan  Dr. Spits (@CallMeSpits) August 14, 2016

Men commit the violence and women pay the price. Thats not a pattern we havent seen before. #BurkiniBan  Riverstreet (@riversoldier) August 14, 2016

Can we please stop telling women what to and what not to wear? #BurkiniBan #Feminism  Meg Kneafsey (@MegKneafsey) August 14, 2016

Muslim women demanding FREEDOM (re #BurkiniBan)

Reminds me of all those times they stood up for our freedom in their homelands. Wait.  GodCons (@GodCons) August 13, 2016

How can the Burkini be banned? It's a wetsuit... #BurkiniBan  Mackenzie Scott (@MackenzScott2) August 13, 2016

What rational reason can there be for the #BurkiniBan? But a wet suit and swimming cap would be OK? Arbitrary racism  Tenacious Lee (@monkey_wench) August 13, 2016

If we can respect those who swim topless, why not those who are fully dressed.#BurkiniBan  Chris Shayne (@Chris_Bonkers) August 13, 2016

Gov should rescind decision to ban Burkini, it makes no sense at all, but only sparks division within Cannes community. #Cannes #BurkiniBan  Ilyas Kassim (@fiidow08) August 13, 2016
Pakistans Azadi train, launched 3 days before the countrys Independence Day aims to inform the new generation especially students about the achievements made by Pakistan, the Pak governments news agency APP reported.

Special Azadi Train to leave Peshawar for Karachi on 14 Aug16. Commander Burhan Wani & otr #Kashmir pics featured. pic.twitter.com/SpjTU4bneb  Syed Ali Geelani (@sageelani) August 8, 2016

However, it is surprising to see the face of terrorist Burhan Wani, slain commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, designated a terrorist organisation by India, the the European Union, and the United States, plastered among other figures of Pakistan history.

With Governor KP& minister LG Inayat ullah on the occasion of inauguration of Azadi train at Pesh #KPKUpdates pic.twitter.com/FJou8FSfjd  Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) August 12, 2016

The train is set to cover over 4,000 kilometres in a month, and cultimate its journey at Karachi

Even as the train claims to depict the countrys fight against terrorism and extremism, Burhan Wani, part of a culture that has spearheaded Kashmirs reign of terror against its Kashmiri Pandit community.

After Threatening To Burn Girls Alive, Now Posters Tell Kashmiri Pandits To Leave The Valley...Or Face Death

India killed Burhan in just 4 minutes

Twitter

Dreaded Kashmiri terrorist Burhan Wani, often referred to as the poster-boy of the Hizbul Mujahideen in the valley, was been killed in an encounter with the police. The encounter took place in Kokernag, after a joint team of police and Army launched a search operation on the basis of specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants. Wani, who was among the new generation of Kashmiris who joined the ranks of terror outfits like Hizbul, created quite a storm in the valley, especially among the youth after selfies and videos of him and his colleagues in militant uniforms and armed went viral. Hizbul used the popularity he enjoyed as a tool to recruit youths.

Hizbul Commander Burhan Wani Was Killed in Just 4 Minutes, Could Fire Only 2 Rounds Of Bullets On Forces

Wanis death is a huge victory for the Indian troops and a setback for the Hizbul as he was a star recruiter and the brain behind many attacks. Even though he planned a number of attacks, he had rarely participated in them.

Looking Beyond Burhan Wani, Heres Why J&K Needs Better Icons That Give The State Education And Jobs
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Nollywood diva, Chika Ike is the cover star on this Weeks issue of Vanguard Allure.

In this edition, the UN Peace Ambassador sits down with Vanguard Allures Pamela Echemunor to talk about her new television project, what she has been up to and what more to expect from her.

We also Go Behind the scenes Of Chika Ikes Sexy water themed shoot, where the talented role interpreter showed a different side to her that has never been seen before.
Dr. Abdulmalik Mohammed Durunguwa, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State was on Friday reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the state capital.

Confirming the reports, the state Police command said the businessman was abducted at gunpoint.

Meanwhile, a large-scale, statewide search has begun to apprehend the perpetrators and rescue Alh Durunguwa according to the police.

The Police refused to make further comments on the matter so as not to jeopardize the ongoing rescue operations but they or the family have not been contacted by the kidnappers.
These are the hardened criminals that has been terrorizing Nkwerre community in imo state for the past one month plus now. These demons killed a man n his granddaughter, rape a pregnant woman, vandalized peoples houses, kidnapped few months old babys, to mention but a few. God heard the cry n prayers of mothers, fathers, priest, youths even children n finally they were caught by the community vigilante on their way going from their final operation. The youths wanted to unleash their anger by giving them jungle justice but the securities intervened and took them to the police station for more investigations.

See more photos below.

Source: Nairaland
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.

Source: Dailypost
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 attack was the latest in a string of violent, often deadly assaults in Europe in recent months, with many claimed by the jihadist Islamic State group.

The motive for Saturdays attack was not immediately clear, police told AFP.

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.

The man carried out the attack on a train travelling in Switzerlands far east, along its border with Liechtenstein, and was also injured, regional police in the city of 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.

Seven people including the suspected attacker were admitted to various hospitals with burn and stab wounds, the statement said.

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.

 Europe on edge -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.

In Belgium, meanwhile, a lone gunman armed with a Kalashnikov and other arms in August 2015 opened fire on a train but was overpowered by passengers.

Source: Punch
A man in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia has been sentenced to 14 months in prison and a fine of 5 million Rupiah (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 on Saturday.

Dodi, who is also the chairman of the National Committee of Indonesian Youths (KNPI) North Sumatra branch, is said to have been taken into custody and the case was processed without supporting evidence, according to an Indonesian press chief, Asep Komarudin.

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.

Indonesian Legal Aid Institute for The Press (LBH Press) fears that more people could be implicated in the same charges.

We regret the courts 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.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Kwara on Friday said it arrested Mohammed Adamu for possessing N9.8 million fake currency notes.

The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Apeh Reuben, who presented the suspect to newsmen in Ilorin said the fake currency were mainly N1,000 notes.

Reuben said Adamu concealed the fake notes in a carton of noodles wrapped with cello tape.

He said that the suspect was arrested by NDLEA Jebba Command while on transit to Kano on Aug. 9, 2016.

The commander said that Adamu conspired with a yet-to-be-identified individual in Ilorin to carry out the act.

He said, Investigation is in process aimed at arresting the accomplice, adding that the agency was a alerting the public on the fake money in circulation.

We just want to alert the public to be aware of such fake money because if this amount of money is allowed to be injected into the economy, it is very bad.

A lay man can hardly identify that they are fake currency. These days we even have cases of people collecting money from ATM and still find fake currency in them, he added.

The suspect, who spoke to newsmen in Hausa language, admitted that the fake currency was found on him.

Source: Punch
A New York City billionaire is offering a financial reward for information leading to the arrest of ice cream shoplifters.

John Catsimatidis took to Twitter to offer a bounty of $5,000.

He told the New York Post newspaper that thieves are stealing cartons of ice cream in order to resell them to smaller shops, known as bodegas.

According to reports, police have received 250 complaints and made 130 arrests.

Catsimatidis tweeted that the bandits are wreaking havoc on NYC supermarkets and told the newspaper that the thefts are being encouraged by the bodegas.

He shared an example of an attempted theft at one of his stores earlier this week in the Chelsea neighbourhood of Manhattan, in which the thieves were filmed on mobile phone cameras.

A man and woman shoved 80 tubs of ice cream into bags and then ran from the store.

But police say that the couple abandoned the frozen treats on the street after they were chased by store employees.

City officials have called the resale of ice cream a public health risk, since the dairy products can become contaminated with germs if left outside of the freezer.
Vanguard

The panel, set up by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to meet with Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who is laying claim to the office of the National Chairman of the party, to resolve the leadership crisis in the PDP, met a brick wall when a defiant Sheriff stuck to his guns last Tuesday.

Punch

The Chief Executive Officer, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Oladele Amoda, speaks on vital issues in the power sector

Thisday

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Saturday told critics of its monetary policies that its measures remained the best and most sustainable as they were designed to lift the economy out of the woods.

The Sun

THE ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, yesterday exchanged invectives over an attack on the PDP Publicity Secretary (PDP), in the state, Mr Jackson Adebayo

Daily Times

Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, has said the party did not know while it was campaigning that the economy of Nigeria was this bad.

Guardian

Worried by the alarming rate of violence perpetrated against children in Benue State, the state government is to, in concert with other stakeholders, take proactive steps to end the vicious cycle.

Daily Trust

A criminal justice organisation has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) urging it to comply with a court order granting right to prisoners to vote in elections.

Leadership

A coalition of civil society groups under the aegis of Peace Ambassadors Initiative of Nigeria (PAIN) have asked Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to step aside to save the people of the state from growing tension and anxiety.

Tribune

THE Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) has faulted the exoneration of President Muhammadu Buhari by the Presidency over the continued detention of its leader, Sheikh Ibraheem el-Zakzaky.

The Nation

Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives appears to have modified his stance on the propriety of the alleged padding in this years budget in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Borno State said it has arrested a serving policeman with 126 kilograms of Indian hemp also known as cannabis.

Speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, the state Commandant of NDLEA, Mr Ona Ogilegwu said the suspect was arrested at Njimtilo checkpoint while attempting to transport the illicit substance to Yobe State.

The suspect, a 26-year old who gave his name as Sale Ishaku is still a serving police man in the Yobe State Police Command, he said.

Upon interrogation Mr. Ishaku said that he was being paid N5 thousand for each bag of cannabis he ferried. He admitted he was trafficking the drugs on behalf of another person but has not disclosed his identity.

Mr. Ogilegwu added that We later discovered that he was the one trafficking the illicit substance which he buys here and sells in Damaturu.

He parked his car at the airport junction where his supplier brought the consignment in a tricycle and arranged it in the boot of his vehicle for him to ferry across. he said.

We are still going after his suppliers in Maiduguri and Yobe States, the commandant said.

The NDLEA commander therefore warns drug barons to repent or face the full wrath of the law.
The look on his face said it all, and it was a look with many emotions rolled up in one.

Each of his words was laced with a deep sense of grief, despair, and confusion; he had lost his woman and his first son in one day.

Buchi Eze, 30, stood awkwardly on the edge of the pit, where his woman, Blessing, had fallen to her death. She was 23 years old and was eight months pregnant.

Perhaps, Ezes confusion overrode other emotions as he told his story because only a day before, Blessing had just returned home from a hospital, where she was on admission for four days after falling inside a pit beside the one in which she had taken her last fall.

I am confused; I dont understand how my woman fell inside the pits twice in one week, he said with a look that seemed to be seeking for answers in the air.

Her death was painful and I dont think it was natural. The pits have been there for a long time and she met them here when she moved in with me in January, so how did she fall inside the pits twice in six days? She was not mentally unstable and did not show any suicidal tendencies.

All the children in the compound pass there always and none of them has fallen inside before, so I am still confused. After she fell inside one of the pits the first time, I dismissed it as a mistake, but after the second one, I concluded that it was not natural.

The couple shared a rented room in an uncompleted building on Akinola Street in Lusada community, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, until the incident.

Both pits were meant to serve as septic tank and soak away for the adjoining house but because there was no fence separating the buildings, Eze and other occupants of the house only had to walk about two metres from their backyard door to reach the edge of the pits.

Both pits had been overgrown by weeds after being abandoned since 2012.

Eze had not slept in the house since the incident occurred because he was afraid of what memories of Blessing and all they shared would come with. He feared the worst; he was frightened that they would bring nightmares and more tears.

Since Blessings death, Eze has been having goose pimples every now and then, so he concluded that her spirit still hovered nearby.

Ezes curiosity was also piqued by Blessings last words to him after he had jumped in the pit to save her.

I was on my way home when I heard that my woman was in pit the second time, he said.

When I got there, I saw my woman lying face down in the pit again. She was sleeping gently when I left home. She lay on the ground face down. People were holding me but I jumped inside the pit.

As I raised her head up, she seemed to regain consciousness. I said why again? Do you want to kill me? She said she did not know how she got there, and that she just realised where she was as we were talking.

First fall

The first incident occurred at around 6pm on Monday, July 25, 2016, while Eze was away at a mill in Agbara, an industrial estate, where he used to hustle for casual labour for N850 a day.

Around the time the first incident occurred, I was at the flour mill and I started having a strange feeling that something bad was happening, he said.

I was getting angry for no reason at all and about 30 minutes later, my neighbour called me on the phone to say that I should return home immediately.

When I got home, I saw my woman lying down beside one of the pits. She had been brought out. I was told that she fell inside the pit. I asked one of my neighbours to take her to the hospital while I tried to withdraw money from the Automated Teller Machine. The woman helped me take her to the hospital. The doctor rejected her and said he could not handle the case. Then she was taken to another hospital, where she was accepted and treated well. Some pastors also prayed for her and she was okay. We were in the hospital for four days and then the doctor said she needed blood and that it would cost me N20, 000.

I did not have the money, and I told the doctor I was expecting some money- N30,000, so he said I should take her home and bring her back anytime I had the money. I planned to buy her blood tonic and fruits pending when I would be able to take her back to the hospital.

We returned home on Friday, July 29, and ate and played together. She bathed and said she felt okay. We prayed and slept. We did a scan and the baby was said to be fine- a bouncing baby boy.

Second fall

On Saturday morning, I boiled some water for her and after she bathed, she said she wanted to eat and I gave her food. It was Lusada market day. So I left to buy her some fruits so that she could use that to replenish till when the money I was expecting would come.

Then, I had an ominous feeling again. I said what kind of sign is this? So I started going home. By the time I approached the house, I heard people shouting. When I got home, I saw my woman lying down in the pit again.

Blessing was taken to the hospital again but before midnight, she and her baby were confirmed dead.

The doctor said he would remove the baby to try to save her and I said no problem, let my woman just be okay, Eze continued.

After the doctor removed the baby, we saw that he was dead. I think the problem was serious because she hit her tummy on ground when she fell. Then my woman went into a coma and started vomiting blood from her mouth and nose. Everyone was shouting, even the doctor said he had never seen anything like it.

He tried and tried to save her but couldnt. We called her name, she didnt answer but her eyes remained open. She was not talking but blood was coming out of her mouth. I was calling her people to tell them what was happening. By 11.30, the generator went out and by the time they put it back on, she took her last breath. I touched her, but she did not move again, she did not talk to me. I was just confused. I looked at the baby; I looked at her. Both of them were dead.

When Blessing was alive, Eze said the two of them had had a playful argument over which sex they wanted their baby to be and he was glad when a scan confirmed his wish to have a boy.

So he named the baby Austin while Blessing said she would keep her childs name to herself till she was delivered of the baby.

Ezes parents in Imo State had also been expectant that finally one of their sons would give them a grandson, even though one of their daughters already had a son.

Sadly, Eze used his own hands to bury his first son, an experience he described as one of his most painful.

People had to contribute money for me to take my woman to the mortuary as I had no money again, he said.

The doctor gave me N7, 000 and got me a vehicle to take her to a mortuary in Badagry. Then I returned to the hospital to take the baby. I wrapped him in nylon and prayed for him.

Then I took him to where I buried him. It was very painful to use my hands to bury my first child. I never thought I could find myself in that position. No, Blessing and I didnt expect this at all when we spoke fondly about our baby.

When I pass by couples laughing together now, I remember her and tears flood my eyes. Also, when I see someone with a new born baby, I remember my dead child.

Fighting back tears, Eze said he already missed Blessing, who he described as his love and adviser. He said it was Blessing that had given him some sanity since he lost his job at the mill, where he used to work as a contract staff.

She always advised and encouraged me, he said. Anytime I didnt have money, she would assure me not to worry and that everything would be fine. Sometimes, we would drink garri together. We would stroll in the streets, talk and laugh. We ate and bathed together. Everything about us just matched.

I was still going to the flour mill daily because sometimes, if there was shortage of workers, they would come out to get people to work for N850 for the day. We were using that to survive. Sometimes when I had no work to do, I would return home in a bad mood. But she would encourage me to take it easy and that things would be fine someday.

It is also painful she died because she has suffered with me. So why would she just go like that? She really tried for me. She would encourage me not to give up.

Both of Igbo origin from Eastern Nigeria, Ezes immediate problem is to get Blessings body to the East for burial and final rites.

In line with their tradition, Eze is expected to marry the Blessing as the two had not formalised their union before her death.

I almost died when I realised that she was dead, he said.

I started thinking of so many things. I understand the Igbo culture and I knew I was in trouble since I had not formalised the union, although; I had her mothers permission to bring her to Lagos. My family and hers are in the East. My family has gone to her family house in the village but her family said they would not say anything till they see their daughters body.

The family is saying that I should bring her body and that has further compounded my problem. They have accused me of killing their daughter and that because we had not formalised the union, I would have to marry her, do the traditional marriage, pay her dowry and perform everything I was expected to do if she was alive. Blessing and I had planned to travel to the East in December to start preparations to formalise the union.

Now I want to get her body to Imo State first, that is my priority now. I just want to get the money I need to bury her so that she can rest in peace. It was a painful death so her spirit will still be roaming the streets.

The driver that wants to take the body there wants to collect N60,000 and the estimate of the amount I would need to settle the mortuary and get to the east is N25,000. So I need at least N85,000 to get my womans body to the East.

Meanwhile, Eze said even though some of his neighbours had sympathised with him, the man who owns the septic tank andthe pit his woman had fallen into had not done so.

His wife came to say sorry but the husband did not come; he does not talk to Igbo people in this area because we supported former President Goodluck Jonathan and he supported President Muhammadu Buhari, he said.

But the neighbour Eze had referred to, Mr. Oyewole Ogundele, denied Ezes claims, saying he had recently got a new job that had been taking a lot of his time.

He, however, accused Eze of being rude to him in the past.

The lady died in the hospital; she did not die in the pit, he said.

He was not taking care of the lady and the first time the lady fell inside the pit, my wife and I were the ones who called on other neighbours to force him to take her to the hospital. He did not want to take her to the hospital because he did not have money.

She was rejected by three hospitals before they got to the hospital that agreed to treat her. The guy did not have money to pay for her bills. Then the hospital rejected and he brought the lady home. The lady needed blood and was not okay.

According to him, he went to get her fruits when the second incident occurred, but the lady was looking for him up and down and imagine somebody that had shortage of blood roaming up and down, her eyes would be dizzy.

That was how she fell inside the pit the second time. I was not at home when it happened. She died because there was lack of money to take care of her. This guy has not talked to me in almost two years, but the lady was nice to me. She was very nice to me, but the guy never greeted me. 

On the reason why the septic tank and soak away were left open, Ogundele said: I know, I just got a new job about three weeks ago. Very soon, I will start work on it. Thank you for your advice. I appreciate.

When I started the project in 2012, we dug them for soak away and septic tank but could not complete them.

Along the line, we had some challenges. I lost my job and had some crisis to the extent that I had to abandon the project and when the landlord was troubling me and even took me court, I left and moved into my uncompleted building. It is not as if I abandoned them (pits), and they are on my land.

You would see that the house is not plastered, but very soon, we would complete the soak away and septic tank.

Another neighbour, who identified himself as Alfa Saheed, also described Blessings death as mysterious, saying nobody understands how she fell inside the pits twice.

He also said it could be that Blessing was feeling dizzy since she was said to have needed blood.

But Eze didnt take care of the lady; the lady needed blood, he added. Even small children play there but dont fall inside.

Legal angle

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Samuel Adejare, could not be reached on his mobile telephone as it was switched off, but a lawyer, Mr. Wahab Shittu, said the person who constructed the septic tank and soak away could be criminally liable if found to have been negligent by leaving them open.

Shittu said he ought to have exercised due care to ensure that his soak away and septic tank do not constitute danger to persons and property around.

He said, The relevant questions are: does he hold a duty of care? Has he breached that duty? The answer will be yes because he ought to have put in place some precautionary measures. Arising from that breach, has some damage been caused to particularly person(s)?

But also since it happened twice, the issue of contributory negligence could arise on the part of the woman having been aware that the place posed some sort danger. Having fallen into the pit previously, she should have taken steps to mitigate the damage. But everything will depend on the evidence of proof. But these are evidential issues that an impartial arbiter will consider.

Source: Punch
A crowd of demonstrators took to the streets in Milwaukee on Saturday night following the shooting of a 23-year-old man by a Police officer.

A statement from the Milwaukee Police Department confirms that the man was indeed shot and killed by a police officer; He (officer) ordered that individual to drop his gun, the individual did not drop his gun, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. He had the gun with him and the officer fired several times.

The mayor added that the gun the deceased had on him was stolen; The victim of that burglary reported 500 rounds of ammunition were also stolen with the handgun,
Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said their agents arrested three suspects who attempted to courier cocaine through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. According to the NDLEA, one of the suspects had concealed cocaine inside the sole of his shoes while the other two reportedly tested positive for ingesting illicit drugs and subsequently excreted narcotics.

NDLEA spokesman, Mitchell Ofoyeju, informed reporters that the first suspect, Paul Ifechukwu Mbatugosi, 32 years old, was caught with 1.95 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside shoe soles. Mr. Ofoyeju disclosed that the consignment of shoes where the cocaine was concealed most likely originated from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The NDLEAs statement revealed that, before venturing into drug smuggling, Mr. Mbatugosi used to sell shoes in Enugu.

He added that another suspect, Ugochukwu Godson Adugba, 34, ingested 1.50 kilograms of cocaine on his way to Sydney, Australia. The third, Friday Dominic Onuoha, 42, ingested 850 grams of cocaine from Brazil.

The NDLEA spokesman revealed that agents were still investigating all the suspects prior to charging them to court.

Speaking on the arrests, the NDLEAs commander at the Lagos Airport, Ahmadu Garuba, confirmed that one of the suspects concealed the drugs inside shoe soles while the two ingested wraps of cocaine.

The NDLEA said Mr. Mbatugosi told interrogators that a friend he met in Brazil had introduced him to drug trafficking. According to the agency, the suspect stated,

After my graduation from Technical College in my home town, Ihiala, Anambra State in 2002, I went to Enugu where I was selling shoes. In 2015, I travelled to Brazil in search of better opportunities. However, while in Brazil, I worked as a barber to earn a living. After a year and three months in Brazil, I was disappointed because I had no savings. So I decided that I will get some money and be exporting shoes to Nigeria. It was in the process of looking for start-up capital that a friend introduced me into drug trafficking. My friend bought the shoes and prepared the drugs inside 13 pairs. This is my first time and I was caught.

The second suspect, Mr. Adugba, claimed that he wanted to visit his wife in Sydney, Australia when he was caught with the drug. He too stated that a friend had introduced him to drug trafficking, adding that he initially turned down the proposal, but could not resist the offer of $15,000. The suspect hails from Abia State.

The third suspect, Mr. Onuoha, equally blamed his involvement on friends. The NDLEA said he confessed to traveling to Brazil in search of job opportunities, but meeting with frustration. I was not satisfied working as an event planner in Brazil because the salary was just for subsistence living. After paying my bills, there was little or nothing left. That was how I was introduced into drug trafficking. My friend said that the only way to make quick money [was] through drug trafficking. He promised to pay me $15,000 and I agreed to swallow the drugs, stated Onuoha who is from Abia State.

The NDLEAs chief executive, Colonel Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (ret.), said every arrest and seizure of drugs represented a victory over drug syndicates. He promised that the anti-narcotics agency would continue to sustain its vigilance at all entry and exit points.

This will be complimented with public awareness programs on illegal drug production, trafficking and use aimed at reducing demand for drugs, Abdallah stated.

Source: Sahara Reporters
Also on this day in 2015;Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, vowed to stop at nothing in making the party very strong in the whole of South East.

Speaking during the meeting with leaders and officials of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Okorocha said the APC would not only remain strong in the state but would be in power in the state for the next twenty-four years.

And on this day in 2014;One of the primary contacts of the late American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, escaped quarantine on suspicion of having the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in Lagos, but was tracked to Enugu.
The federal government of Nigeria has said it is negotiating with the Boko Haram faction holding the Chibok Girls. This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The statement comes after Boko Haram released a new video showing some of the abducted girls.

SEE: New Boko Haram Video Shows Missing Chibok Girls

The video also shows what was claimed as an aerial attack by the Nigerian military that led to the death of some of the girls.

In reaction to the video release, the information minister said, We are on top of the situation. But we are being extremely careful because the situation has been compounded by the split in the leadership of Boko Haram. We are also being guided by the need to ensure the safety of the girls.

Since this is not the first time we have been contacted over the issue, we want to be doubly sure that those we are in touch with are who they claim to be, he added.
A housewife that goes by the name Fatimoh Olanrewaju has been apprehended by the Nigerian Police Force in Ogun State for allegedly breaking her five-year-old stepsons arms and legs.

According to reports, the woman has been over the years maltreating her victim, Iyanu Olanrewaju but she bit more than she could chew when neighbours called the Police after severely injuring the little boy.

The woman was said to commit the crime at Onihale village, along old Abeokuta-Lagos expressway where she lives with her husband and the boy. Iyanu was first rushed to Ifo General Hospital after the attack only to be referred immediately to the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta due to the severity of the injury.

Confirming the incident, Iyanus father, Idowu Olanrewaju, a butcher, told reporters that he was shocked by the cruelty of his wife to the boy, while expressing sadness over the damage done to his family.

The suspect it was learnt, is presently cooling it off at the Anti-Human Trafficking Department of the state Police Command.

Meanwhile, Child Network Protection (CPN), an umbrella body of Non-Governmental Organisations in Ogun State, has picked interest in the case and has also taken over the medical bills of the patient.

The State Coordinator, Peju Osoba told reporters that the boy is gradually responding to treatment but may spend months on admission to achieve full recovery.
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Saranno 1,4 milioni i rifugiati che arriveranno in Europa secondo le stime dellUnchr. Per il 2015 si prevede che saranno almeno 700.000 persone in cerca di sicurezza che cercheranno di varcare le frontiere europee e per il 2016 i dati sono simili anche se ci potrebbe essere un numero maggiore di arrivi rispetto a questanno. Inoltre nel report, lo Special Mediterranean Initiative June 2015  December 2016, le stime per questanno sono state riviste al rialzo di 350.000 migranti rispetto ai valori iniziali. Nonostante laumento dei controlli e dei pattugliamenti navali, soprattutto nel corridoio centrale del Mediterraneo, sono oltre 2.900 le persone che sono morte o disperse in mare nel 2015, aggiunge il rapporto, confermando cifre gia circolate nelle scorse settimane.

In mancanza di vie legali per raggiungere lEuropa, i rifugiati hanno continuato a muoversi al fianco dei migranti, con gli stessi percorsi e mezzi e di fronte a rischi e pericoli simili, si precisa sottolineando che tra i fattori alla base del maggiore movimento verso lEuropa, i rifugiati hanno indicato la perdita di speranza, gli alti costi della vita che conducono alla poverta, opportunita di sostentamento limitate e carenze di aiuto. Di fronte a misure di controllo alle frontiere sempre piu restrittive e imprevedibili nelle regioni di origine e transito, molti inoltre cadono preda di trafficanti, ricorda il rapporto. Alla luce della situazione in rapida evoluzione in Europa, e alla necessita di spostare risorse da un luogo ad un altro, in risposta al flusso di persone attualmente in cerca di protezione internazionale nella regione, lUnhcr lancia un appello ai donatori per fornire i contributi che possono essere allocati il piu flessibilmente possibile in tutta la regione.
Although Canada does not receive the same kudos for innovation and technological development as the United States, it punches above its weight when it comes to emerging financial technology (fintech) companies. Here's a look at five Canadian fintech companies that are making a name for themselves by providing innovative financial solutions for customers: Payfirma, Quandl, Mogo, Shopify, and Cryptologic.

Key Takeaways Payfirma is a Vancouver-based payment processing company that operates on a cloud-based platform, allowing business analytics, such as sales data, to be retrieved easily.

Quandl, founded in 2012, provides access to extensive financial, economic, and social datasets from companies such as NASDAQ, Zacks Investment Research, and Zillow Group Inc.

Mogo Finance Technology Inc., sometimes considered the Uber of finance, operates an online lending platform aimed at providing young people with a variety of credit solutions, such as short-term loans and prepaid credit cards.

Shopify provides a cloud-based multichannel commerce platform for businesses of all sizes.

Cryptologic Corp. began as a web-based business-to-business (B2B) risk management and payment solutions but now operates as a cryptocurrency miner and blockchain application development company.

1. Payfirma

Payfirma, founded by Michael Gokturk in 2010, is a Vancouver-based payment processing company with a vision for allowing customers to pay anyway, anywhere, and at any time. It helps businesses accept online credit and debit card payments for mobile, e-commerce, and in-store locations under a single merchant account.

Payfirma processes transactions on a cloud-based platform, allowing business analytics, such as sales data, to be retrieved easily. The company has won several awards and honors, including the ACT Canada Innovation Award in 2012, the CIX Top 20 Innovators of 2013, the BC Business Top Innovators in 2013, DigiBCs Top 25 Most Innovative Tech Companies in British Columbia in 2014, and the Fintech Company of the Year at the Canadian Fintech Awards in 2015.

Payfirma received C$5.5 million in angel funding between 2011 and 2013. In 2015, then Dundee Capital Markets, a division of Dundee Securities, Ltd., backed Payfirma with a C$13 million investment.

2. Quandl

Toronto-based Quandl operates a platform for financial, economic, and alternative data. Founded in 2012 by Abraham Thomas and Tammer Kamel, Quandl provides access to extensive financial, economic, and social datasets from companies such as NASDAQ, Zacks Investment Research, and Zillow Group Inc. (Z).

Quandl permits data access via an application program interface (API), which allows customers to customize the information in a format that is suitable for their needs. Its customers include many of the largest hedge funds, banks, and consulting firms in the United States. In 2015, August Capital invested C$5.4 million in the company, and in 2016, Nexus Venture Partners led a round of funding that raised another C$12 million.

3. Mogo Inc.

Mogo Finance Technology Inc. (MOGO), founded in 2003, operates an online lending platform aimed at providing millennials with a variety of credit solutions, such as short-term loans and prepaid credit cards. In 2018, the company released MogoCrypto for buying and selling Bitcoin cryptocurrency. As of July 2021, more than 1.6 million people had signed up as Mogo users.

Mogo is sometimes considered to be the Uber of finance, as it provides quick access to a competitively priced service and focuses on the user's experience. Founders Greg and David Feller found inspiration to help young Canadians pay off debt at lower rates in their own experiences of struggling to pay down credit debt while in college. The Vancouver-based company made its debut on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) in June 2015. A key investor is Fortress Investment Group LLC (FIG).

4. Shopify

Shopify Inc. (SHOP) provides a cloud-based multichannel commerce platform for businesses of all sizes. Founded in Ottawa by Daniel Weinand, Scott Lake, and Tobias Lutke in 2004, Shopify allows merchants to improve their overall customer experience by managing multiple sales channels, such as social media, web, and mobile. As of April 2021, the company had more than 1.7 million customers in roughly 175 countries. Prominent customers include Heinz (KHC); Budweiser which is part of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (BUD); and Mondelez International. Shopify raised C$100 million in Series C funding in 2013 and went public in 2015.

5. Cryptologic Corp.

Vogogo Inc. has undergone some major changes since it was founded by Rodney Thompson and Geoff Gordon in 2008. The company first offered web-based business-to-business (B2B) risk management and payment solutions and began focusing on cryptocurrency in 2013. The company went public in 2012, and after failing to gain traction, suspended its operations in late 2016.

Vogogo relaunched in April 2018 as a cryptocurrency miner and blockchain application development company after acquiring 14,000 mining machines and facilities in Quebec. Cryptocurrency mining is the process by which transactions are verified and added to the public ledger, or the blockchain, and also the means through which new cryptocurrency is released.
On October 23, 75 kg of explosives, including potassium nitrate, were seized from the residence of 29-year old Jameesha Mubeen who was killed after a gas cylinder exploded in a car he was travelling in.
The HP Spectre 13" could well be the laptop that makes the sexiest fashion statement of all time  and it is much thinner at 10.4mm and lighter at 1.1kg than a MacBook Air (comparisons between Windows 10 and macOS are not germane here).

The pizza analogy is very relevant  it is more svelte than a Dominos with the lot, but less digestible, with a durable aircraft aluminium and carbon fibre clamshell body. And it is in HPs new dark ash and copper two-tone finish that oozes expense, yet it starts from $2399.

While it has the latest specifications and comes with either an Intel Sky Lake Core i5 or i7, it lacks one feature  a touch screen. That may not be a deal breaker but if it is, then its slightly larger, bigger brother  the Spectre x360  may, at 15.9mm thin, be more your style (iTWire review here).

HP has positioned its Spectre models for the premium prosumer. This is for ultimate computing on the go. Whatever your choice, these are products from the new HP and they have taken the boring out of computing  even the boring HP logo is now edgy and stylish.

Lets start with the specifications.

There are two models  the i5, 13-v037tb as tested, and the i7, 13-v038tu. Where different, the latters specifications appear in [square] brackets.

Intel Sky Lake Core i5-6200U (dual core, 2.3/2.8Ghz), TPM and Intel 520 graphics [Core i7-6500U, dual-core 2.5/3.1GHz]

256GB PCIe, NVMe M.2 SSD [512GB]

8GB LPDDR3-1866

13.3, 1920 x 1080 HD, `66ppi, Brightview, IPS, non-touch screen with Gorilla Glass 4 protection

32.5 x 22.9 x 1.04 cm x 1.16kg

1 x USB-C, 3.1 Gen 1 and 2 x USB-C Gen 2 with Thunderbolt

Wi-Fi AC, dual band, 2 x 2 MU-MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5mm audio

38Wh Li-ion battery and 45W USB-C charger

Full size backlit keyboard and oversized trackpad with multi-touch

Bang and Olufsen quad speakers, HP TrueVision HD webcam and dual-array microphones

Windows 10 64-bit Home

One-year warranty

$2399 [3099]

It comes in a very attractive box several times too large for it and has a USB-A female to USB-C adaptor.

USB-C

USB-C is one of the prime reasons the HP Spectre can be so thin. Over the next year or two, you are going to see the end of micro-USB, HDMI, DisplayPort and Ethernet ports on tablets and laptops as USB-C with a dongle will handle both charging and data.

But to be clear, if you intend to use this as a desktop with multi-monitors you will need a power dock device to run external monitors, charge, and accept standard USB devices like portable disks. iTWire has an overview of the new Kensington USB-C docks ranging from $129.90 to $349.95 for a fully powered dock. HP has a lower cost $299 USB-C dock with power pass through (uses your device adaptor).

To HP's defence, it has three USB-C ports, and the MacBook Air has only one so you may get away without the dock.

Core i5/i7 and go fast stuff

I am glad that HP chose to use a full fat, Core i5/i7 for this as it means it runs all those CPU-hungry programs with aplomb. Geekbench for the i5 was just over 7000. It is perfect for things like Lightroom.

It will play HD video and basic 3D games at 30 fps.

There is nothing wrong with the lower powered (both in horsepower and battery drain) Core M5-6Y75 processor used in the MacBook Air (Geekbench 5879), except that in my experience it can choke up for power users and its ability to render graphics and games is limited.

HP uses a heat pump called hyperbaric cooling and two very small fans to remove all heat. After several hours use, the vents and keyboard were warm to the touch, and I did notice minor fan noise at times.

It is also pleasing to see 8GB RAM (not upgradable) and 256/512GB PCIe NVMe SSD  this is blazing fast and at 1255MB/s will keep up with data transfer rates over Gen 3 USB-C.

It has Wi-Fi AC, dual band, 2 x 2 MU-MIMO got over 700Mbps at 20 metres  that is very good.

Keyboard/trackpad/use

I love the chiclet island style keys, and I hate the trackpad  well, dislike is a better word.

The backlit keyboard is well spaced, has a degree of tactile feedback, 1.3mm travel, and is as good as it gets as far as typing on a laptop gets. The backlighting is effective on full-sized keys (a nice glow), but a little irritating on half-sized function and arrow keys where a harsh LED light shines through the space surrounding those keys. Not a big deal.

The trackpad takes four diagonal swipes to get from the top right to the bottom left of the screen. By comparison, the amazing oversized trackpad on the x360 takes only one. It does not support multi-touch gestures like pinch or zoom, and that is a major oversight on a non-touch laptop. What this means is mousing around is a pain, and you are going to want to use a Bluetooth mouse for any serious work.

The hinge provides sufficient tilt to the screen for normal use, but it only goes marginally past 90 vertical (to 120)  fine for typing, but perhaps not enough as a video device on a plane.

Screen and audio

It is bright (301 cd/m2), clear, crisp and has 1531:1 contrast. Its colours cover 95% of the sRGB gamut  all very good and HD movies looked both natural and superb. In all, a quality IPS screen but it can be subject to glare given its Gorilla Glass coating.

The B&O audio from its four speakers is clear but does not offer a good range or depth. These speakers are not for music or video  they are fine for a PC.

The HD camera was fine for Skype and happy snaps.

Battery

HP claims up to nine hours battery life and perhaps you can get that at 30% screen brightness. During continuous HD video loop at 50% brightness, it achieved just over five hours. During a normal office day, running Word, Skype, Email, browsing, Wi-Fi and periods where it went to sleep, it got seven hours.

Recharge time from zero to 100% was three hours.

This laptop will drain fairly quickly if left in sleep mode, losing more than 30% of its charge in 24 hours. I am sure that can be addressed in firmware updates but for the moment it is better to shut it down.

Conclusion

It is a remarkably well-built, thin, powerful, and sexy laptop. The omission of a touch screen, while not a deal breaker for a laptop user, is puzzling, given it has a very basic touchpad. OK, I know a touch screen would have added .5mm to the thickness.

This is a tilt at the MacBook Air and in every hardware specification it is far superior. I mentioned earlier that the debate about Windows 10 versus macOS was not germane as dyed in the wool Mac users would not have read this far and are unlikely to switch anyway.

There are no gimmicks here  no 4K, no touch screen, no x360 hinge  just one of the most well-made, stylish, full-blown, Core i5/i7 laptops that will stand out in the crowd.

What I liked:

Looks  stunning, sexy, sleek, modern, eye-catching

Quality build

HD Screen

Keyboard

Wi-Fi AC is a screamer

Intel Core i5/i7 power over the Core-M

3 USB-C ports  two with Thunderbolt and a USB-A adapter in the box

Leather sleeve provided

What I disliked:

Trackpad and half-size keyboard light bleed

Battery life

Some heat and fan noise after a lot of use at the back vents and around some function keys

Audio

Non-upgradeable ram  8GB is fine for most use

Rating

This is subjective. For my money, I would go for the Spectre x360 any day for Touch and its amazing keyboard and trackpad.

The HP Spectre 13" is pretty good; it competes well with other 13 models, including Dells XPS, Acer Aspire S, Asus Zenbook and the Surface Book.

Where the Surface and Dell are definite 4.5 out of 5 stars, this is just a little behind at 4.
One of the first people to question the approach being taken to the 2016 census, former Australian Bureau of Statistics chief Bill McLennan, says what ultimately transpired reeks of managerial incompetence.

McLennan told iTWire that one thing was certain: the perception of the ABS being a well-run, efficient, statistical office, and acknowledged as a world leader, had suffered very significant damage.

He said when running a big event like this, one needed considerable testing before the day. "The ABS really hadn't put together a very good testing package."

The census was supposed to be conducted mostly online on 9 August, but the website was not available after 7.30pm and a great deal of chaos followed.

Complaints continue even today, with Guardian Australia political columnist Katharine Murphy saying on the ABC's Insiders programme on Sunday morning that she had tried to submit her form on Saturday, but was unable to do so.

McLennan, who warned before the event that even a 5% non-response could ruin the integrity of the data collected, said the whole debacle seemed to be due to local problems and a lack of capacity to handle the load. "I don't think it is a difficult process given the technology we have today," he said.

Well before census night, he had taken issue with the decision by current ABS chief David Kalisch to retain names for four years, pointing out that the organisation had no legal authority to demand compulsory submission of names.

Bill McLennan during his days as the director of the UK Central Statistical Office in 1995.

Asked if the public would be to some extent mollified if Kalisch backed down on this now, McLennan agreed, but said it was highly unlikely the ABS chief would do so. "It will not happen, he would lose face," he said.

While Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised that "heads will roll" and has laid the blame squarely on the ABS and IBM, sacking Kalisch is a complicated affair.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act 1975, the governorgeneral can "remove the statistician from office on an address praying for his or her removal on the ground of misbehaviour or incapacity being presented to the governorgeneral by each house of the parliament in the same session of the Parliament".

The Act also allows the governorgeneral to suspend the statistician from office "on the ground of misbehaviour or incapacity".

McLennan said Turnbull might, however, turn up the pressure on Kalisch so that he fell on his own sword.

He said from his point of view, there had been two failures of technology, the first being when the system handling requests for Australians who wanted a paper form could not handle the volume of calls almost as soon as it came on-line.

"Was this a stuff-up or was it caused by poor estimates being made regarding the number of people who would ask for a paper form? In other words, was it a stuff-up or just an act of stupidity, often known as poor management?" he asked.

McLennan said he had had personal experience with this system. "I rang at different times over one day and couldn't get into the system. In the end I arose from my slumbers early one morning and rang the number at 03:45, and the system worked like a charm - as it should because no people were involved! I would now put my money this problem being caused by bad estimation of the demand, and that is just bad management."

The second failure, according to the Canberra-based McLennan, was when the census system had to be shut down while the collection of information was in full swing.

"Until now, no firm or official answer on this matter has been given to the Australian public. There has been all the normal hand pointing and nods-and-winks, from all and sundry, including from the prime minister, suggesting that heads will roll. It would be unusual, I would have thought, if heads didnt roll as a result of such a major stuff-up."

McLennan said he he still hadn't seen any statement that, in an authoritative way, explained what went wrong and why. "That seems to me to be not just passing strange, but almost incomprehensible. I say this because it can only mean that those responsible don't know the answers yet," he added.

"I say 'those responsible' because the managers of this whole operation haven't yet stood up to be counted. The statistician (Kalisch) has stood up to say he was sorry, and his chief offsider did so as well. The statistician didnt at any stage say he, as the boss, accepted overall responsibly for the stuff-ups."

He pointed out that Kalisch's acolytes did manage, however, "at this tense stage in conducting the census, to say that people would still be subject to a prosecution spree. Can anyone think of a better way of turning off any co-operation remaining among the Australian public? I certainly can't.

The current situation, McLennan said, had gone "past the interesting stage, to the damn ridiculous".

"The boss accepts no responsibility for anything, but watch out, the ABS is going to prosecute everyone it can get in its sights. One would think I am discussing a comic opera, and not one of the biggest statistical disasters seen in Australias history!" he added.
Google is working on a new operating system and it is not based on Linux, Unix or any other variation  and it will run on any processor, anywhere. That is the theory.

Like a lot of things Alphabet, Google's parent company, does, it may be part of a grand plan, or it may just be a project because, like the mountain, it is there". The rumours began when a link to a Git repository on fuchsia was located.

Google is tight-lipped about its purpose  but if you are inclined you can play with the code either on bare metal or run up a virtual machine and it allegedly runs on IoT devices like Raspberry Pi 3, ARM (smartphones and tablets) and x86 architecture.

Fuchsia uses Googles Dart programming language  a JavaScript replacement and a JavaScript translator that Google says produces fast, clean, code. It also uses the Material Design Flutter user interface framework, Mojo inter-process communications, and a new kernel called Magenta (hence the name Fuchsia).

Closer examination of the code reveals that it does not have Linux roots  or any other roots for that matter  and has been designed from the ground up. That is going to make the filing of patents easier.

One observant coder spotted, however, that the copyright notice is (c) 2008-2015 Travis Geiselbrecht. Those leading the project include Google engineers Adam Barth, Travis Geiselbrecht, Petr Hosek, Eric Holland and Brian Swetland. Members of this group have been involved in HPs webOS and BeOS (a desktop OS).

One user called Pavlov has suggested that Fuchsia has very strong graphics capabilities called Escher and could be focused on augmented and virtual reality. He said that it supports OpenGL and Vulkan, and it was a conundrum  why would a supposedly lightweight OS want to support such sophisticated kit?

Of course, this has the pundits claiming it is the beginning of the end of Android, Chrome OS and more, but both these operating systems have advanced ecosystems (apps). In Androids case, it has been developed to take advantage of everything the ARM processor can do and it's unlikely that Google would abandon something that runs around 70% of all smartphones.

But Google is also very concerned at the fragmentation of Android, at its inability to roll out over the air updates (as Apple and now Microsoft can), and at rumours of major smartphone vendors defecting to Tizen. It may just be time to follow its saying Dont be evil to that smartphone ecosystem.

And for some trivia:

Fuchsia is one of the most misspelt words in the English language  fushia, fuschia, fucshia, fuchia 

The colour fuchsia is named after the fuchsia plant.

The fuchsia plant is named after a botanist named Leonard Fuchs.

There are more than 10 shades of fuchsia  magenta is one and comprises equal portions of blue and red (#FF00FF).

The first recorded use of fuchsia as a colour was in 1892.

According to Wikipedia, in gay slang, a beautiful, attractive woman is known as a fuchsia queen.

Fuchsia City in the Kanto region in Japan is from the original Pokemon game.

Wearing a fuchsia bandana means you have a spanking fetish.

I suppose that is better than naming an operating system after a lolly! Spank me.
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

People in Syrias norther town of Manbij, now entirely liberated from the rule of Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), rejoiced on Saturday. Men shaved their beards (which had been imposed on them by the fundamentalists) and women threw off their burqas (full-face veils) and burned them. The burqa is a Gulf custom, not a Muslim one, and many Muslim countries frown on it, including Egypt. In 2010 it was banned in Syrian schools.

People were also happy in the city that Daesh fighters, who had taken 2,000 hostages, released some of them as they escaped for Jarabulus, the last major border town they hold.

Now the Kurdish militia, the YPG or Peoples Protection Units, which forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, faces the problem of encouraging the city population that fled to return. There is also a problem of some covert fighters still being in the city.

Another big problem is that the victorious Kurds may wish to see the Manbij joined to a Kurdish federal region. They have dreamed of a Rojava or Kurdish enclave in Syria for decades. With the fall of Manbij, nothing really stops them from declaring Rojava. Some Kurdish sources are saying that it will be announced momentarily.

For now, lets let people celebrate.



Related video:

Euronews: Liberation of northern Syrian city of Manbij is major blow to IS
JURIST Guest Columnist Albert E. Scherr of University of New Hampshire School of Law discusses Donald Trumpss recent statements

The spectacle of Donald Trumps invitation to the Russian government to either hack Hillary Clintons e-mail or provide to him the results of hacking already completed has been entertaining and troubling. Put aside whether the invitation was serious or sarcastic as Trump now claims after the fact. Put aside the political and foreign policy implications of the invitation. Was Trumps invitation criminal incitement to criminal conduct by a foreign state upon the US government or merely an approval of criminal conduct by a foreign state upon the US government?

Trumps invitation went like this: after expressing hope that Russia had hacked Hillary Clintons e-mail, he said: Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.

What is the significance of such a statement, assuming that someone, possibly a Russian or the Russian government, has hacked Clintons e-mail. Two items of note: (1) it is very unlikely that Clintons private e-mail server that contained her State Department communications is still running and, if so, still has hack-worthy governmental information; and (2) it has yet to be established that Russians or the Russian government ever hacked Clintons e-mail though many experts believe that the Russian government is the source of the e-mail hacking of the Democratic National Committee. And most recently, we now have learned that Russia may have hacked Clinton campaign e-mails.

Up front it is very unlikely that Trumps invitation constituted treason. To prove treason, one must show: the defendant owes allegiance to the government and the defendant intentionally betrays that allegiance by giving aid or comfort to the governments enemies. It is well-established that giving aid and comfort to the enemy in peacetime, even assuming Russia qualifies as an enemy, does not constitute treason.

It is only slightly more likely that Trumps invitation constitutes espionage which is defined as the- knowingly and willfully communicates,  otherwise makes available to an unauthorized person, or publishes, or uses in any manner prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States or for the benefit of any foreign government to the detriment of the United States any classified informationthe statute then goes on to describe the particular kinds of information banned from disclosure. To prove these elements, it is likely the prosecution would need to establish that Trump knew about the e-mails contents (the missing e-mails, that is) and that they in some fashion harmed the United States, all at the time he made the invitation. Difficult to so prove based on the current evidence given that the 30,000 e-mails apparently remain missing.

To understand Trumps potential culpability, one must understand Russias culpability. It is likely that if a Russian or the Russian government hacked Hillary Clintons e-mail server while she was Secretary of State, that that individual or state actor has violated either the Electronic Privacy Act (ECPA) (including the Stored Wire Electronic Communications Act) or The Computer Fraud & Abuse Act (CFAA). ECPA bans the interception, acquisition and disclosure of electronic communications. It focuses on communications in interstate and foreign commerce by corporations and individuals. For example, those who obtained access for WikiLeaks to protected e-mails and their substance may well have violated ECPA. The Stored Communications Act focuses on surreptitious access to communications at rest in electronic storage. If someone, including the Russian government broke into Clintons e-mail server; obtained her e-mails and, as urged by Trump, disclosed them, it very likely a violation of ECPA.

CFAA focuses less on communications themselves and more on computers, effectively operating in part as an anti-hacking statute. The language states that only protected computers are covered. However given the definition of protected computer, which includes any computer that affects interstate or foreign commerce, most computers are covered. The covered conduct includes computer trespassing, cyber espionage, including using viruses and worms, fraud, password trafficking to damage computers and certain kinds of cyber threats. Again the statutory language suggests pretty strongly that an individual Russian or the Russian government would be criminally liable for computer hacking.

Now having a theoretically provable case is not enough. It is definitely the case that the U.S. government could charge someone with this conduct even though that person had not set foot in the US Case law and the implications of ECPA and CFAA language verify that the US Attorneys office would have extraterritorial jurisdiction. At least three further problems remain:

It is very difficult in extraterritorial cybercrime investigations to identify exactly the individual(s) who should be charges; Even if possible the US and Russia do not have an extradition treaty (see Snowden, Edward); and The US and Russia do not have a mutual legal assistance treaty or executive agreement facilitating access to witnesses and evidence through agreed upon legal processes.

Thus if someone in Russia actually did hack Clintons e-mail server, they would be chargeable but difficult to engage in the US criminal justice system let alone convict.

What about Trumps culpability? At one level hes an easier target in that he is in the US and he made very public statements. If his statements can be read to encourage someone in Russia to disclose electronic communications whose acquisition is illegal, then the question becomes whether he is engaged in a conspiracy to violate ECPA. Encouragement does not equal a conspiracy. One need also prove an agreement to violate the statute and overt acts, at the least. The publicly available facts do not get us there to date. And prosecutors would still need witnesses and evidence from Russia to prove the underlying crime.

As to CFAA the challenges are the same and a bit greater. Assuming a Russian individual has accessed Clintons computer, that access had already occurred by the time of Trumps invitation. That conduct is the essence of the CFAA and diminishes any possibility of prosecution.

To be sure Trumps invitation is one that encourages a foreign government to further engage in and aggravate the federal crimes they may well have committed. If the hacking had been upon Trumps email by the Clinton campaign or by the Trump campaign on Clintons e-mail, imagine

Albert E. Scherr is a Professor of Law at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. He is chair of UNH Laws International Criminal Law & Justice Program and has written in the area of cybercrime and cyberwar.

Suggested citation: Albert E. Scherr Trumps Invitation to Hack or to Share the Spoils of A Hack , JURIST  Academic Commentary, August 11, 2016, http://jurist.org/forum/2016/11/albert-scherr-trump-spoils.php.

This article was prepared for publication by Elizabeth Dennis, an Assistant Editor for JURIST Commentary. Please direct any questions or comments to her at commentary@jurist.org.
A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio [official website] on Friday blocked [order, PDF] the diversion of public funds from Planned Parenthood clinics across Ohio. Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and Planned Parenthood of the Southwest Ohio Region filed motions for permanent injunction and a judgment on the merits to prevent the enforcement of Ohio Revised Code Section 3701.34, which would have precluded the distribution of federal funds from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) to any entity that performs or promotes non-therapeutic abortions. Plaintiffs operate only three clinics [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report] providing abortion services in Ohio, and have received federal funds from ODH for a number of years passing all state and local audits and program reviews. Acknowledging the states argument that the legislature has wide latitude in choosing among competing demands for limited public funds, Judge Michael Barrett stated that this wide latitude to set spending priorities exists [s]o long as legislation does not infringe on other constitutionally protected rights.' Ohios Attorney General Mike DeWine [official website] plans to appeal the decision.

Abortion in general continues to be a highly controversial subject in the US. Last month the Alaska Supreme Court [official website] ruled [JURIST report] that the states parental notification law requiring doctors to inform the parents of minors seeking an abortion is unconstitutional, and cannot be enforced. Earlier the same month a US district judge issued a preliminary injunction [JURIST report] against a law intended to cut state funding to clinics administering abortions. Also in July a federal judge placed an injunction [JURIST report] on an Indiana law that would have banned women from seeking abortion procedures when they are based on race, sex, or the potential for or actual diagnosis of a disability in the fetus. Recently the US Supreme Court ruled [opinion, PDF] that a Texas law [HB2 text] imposing certain requirements on abortion clinics and doctors creates an undue burden on access to abortion, and is therefore unconstitutional [JURIST report]. A collection of Texas abortion providers challenged provisions of HB2 requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital and requiring abortion clinics to conform to state standards for ambulatory surgical centers on the grounds that such requirements violated the Fourteenth Amendment as interpreted by the Court in Planned Parenthood v. Casey [text]. The Indiana statute contained a similar admitting privilege provision.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) [official website], South Koreas antitrust regulator, confirmed [FT report] on Friday that the country is investigating whether Google [corporate website] violated the countrys antitrust laws. The KFTCs statement comes as a surprise as a local news outlet reported that the KFTC had cleared Alphabet Inc., Googles parent company, of all antitrust claims against the technology giant. It is alleged that Google requires mobile-phone producers to pre-load the companys apps on phones using its Android operating system. Earlier this year, the EU Commissioner of Competition, Margeth Vestagar [official profile], launched a probe [JURIST report] in regards to the same matter.

Google has faced numerous legal suits both in the US and internationally. In 2015 the EU filed an antitrust claim [JURIST report] against Google claiming that Google structures its search results to favor its own services over those of rivals. Earlier that year, privacy software company Disconnect [corporate website] filed antitrust charges [JURIST report] against Google with the European Commissioner. That January a representative for Google signed an agreement [JURIST report] to rewrite the companys current privacy policy in response to pressure from the UK Information Commissioners Office [official website]. Also in January of last year Google was among four tech companies that reached a $415 million settlement [JURIST report] in a class action lawsuit claiming the companies unlawfully agreed to reduce employee compensation and mobility. A Hong Kong court ruled [JURIST report] in August 2014 that Chinese businessman Dr. Albert Yeung Sau Shing may continue his defamation suit against Google over the autocomplete function of the companys search engine, which suggests links connecting Yeung to organized crime groups in China. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit [official website] ruled [JURIST report] in May 2014 that programming interfaces in Oracles Java technology can be protected under US copyright law, allowing Oracle to pursue its legal case against Google.
Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said [Reuters report] on Saturday that comments made by a top UN human rights official were unacceptable. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein previously stated [Reuters report] that he had no sympathy for the coup plotters, but that Turkey should uphold the rights of detainees and stem [PressTV report] its thirst for revenge. Bilgic criticized [Fortune report] the the UN official for not condemning the coup plotters for their attempted coup.

The aftermath of the failed coup attempt last month continues as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed [JURIST report] that those involved in the coup would pay a heavy price. Last week an Istanbul court issued [JURIST report] an arrest warrant for Pennsylvania-based preacher, Fetullah Gulen, on charges of orchestrating the attempted coup. Also last week Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjrn Jagland arrived [JURIST report] in Turkey to meet with a variety of Turkish officials to urge for respect for the rule of law. Last month Amnesty International condemned [JURIST report] Turkeys decision to issue arrest warrants for 42 journalists. Also last month Erdogan ordered [JURIST report] the closure of thousands of private schools, charities, and other institutions.
A spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] reiterated previous calls [press release] to Australia Friday to end offshore detention on Nauru. The press release notes various reports of violence, sexual assault, degrading treatment, and self-harm, revealed through more than 1,000 incident reports. The OHCHR also discussed signs of severe mental health issues which they believe stem from the poor treatment and prolonged detention of the migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in Nauru. Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani expressed disappointment that, despite numerous visits from and reports by OHCHR officers, the governments of Nauru and Australia have yet to address these serious issues. The press release urged both governments to properly investigate the allegations and ensure those responsible are held accountable. OHCHR ended by asking that the countries expeditiously end the immigration detention of children, and institute human rights-compliant alternatives, also asking Nauru to establish a national mechanism to prevent this sort of torture.

Australian refugees and their treatment have been a topic of discussion among international human rights organizations as of late. Last week Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch issued reports [JURIST report] stating Australia is ignoring inhumane treatment for detainees in Nauru. In May the Papua New Guinea officials stated Australian refugees are not being detained [JURIST report], as they are given access to mainland Australia, although refugee advocates believe that the refugees are being faced with arbitrary restrictions to the mainland. The statement by officials followed a ruling by the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court that the Australian off-shore detention facility was illegal, in direct opposition to a ruling [JURIST reports] by the Australian Supreme Court earlier this year that the off-shore detention was legal. In February the UN Human Rights Committee issued a report [JURIST report] in which it stated Australia had violated the rights of Guantanamo detainee David Hicks, continuing to detain him after his transfer from the United States.
A Venezuelan appeals court in Caracas on Friday upheld the more than 13-year sentence of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. The sentencing [El Universal report, in Spanish] of the Corte de Apelaciones del Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (TSJ) [official website, in Spanish] can and will be appealed [El Pais report, in Spanish] to the countrys highest court, and the legal team has resorted to appeal [Anadolu Agency report] to international organizations. Amnesty International UK (AIUK) this week created a petition [AIUK backgrounder] to put pressure on President Nicolas Maduros regime to free Lopez and an international campaign, Free Leopoldo [advocacy website], has continued to urge for his immediate release.

The tension between the executive, legislative and judiciary branches of government in Venezuela has served as a hostile condition against Lopez. In March Venezuelas National Assembly approved [JURIST report] an amnesty law that would free 77 individuals allegedly jailed for political reasons under a number of crimes, including Lopez, but Maduro has vowed to veto the law. In November UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein called for [JURIST report] the protection of political opposition leaders associated with an assassinated Venezuelan opposition leader while he was on state with Lopezs wife, Lilian Tintori. In October, a former Caracas prosecutor confessed [JURIST report] to being pressured into presenting false evidence to condemn opposition leader Lopez.
The primary challenger to incumbent Zambian President Edgar Lungu [BBC profile], Hakainde Hichilema [official website], on Saturday accused [Daily Mail report] the countrys electoral commission of colluding with the Patriotic Front (PF), the ruling party, to manipulate the results of the election. Hichilema, who represents the United Party for National Development (UPND), alleged that the Electoral Commission is delaying results to create fake results. At least three people have been killed during the campaign so far, as a result of regular clashes between PF and UPND activists in a country that is generally known for its relative stability and historical record of peaceful elections. Hichilema urged his own supporters to be peaceful. Results of the election were expected to be announced on Friday, but there have been repetitive delays in a scheduled briefing leaving the voters anxious. This is not the first time [The New Indian Express report] that Hichilema alleged electoral fraud. Constitutional changes since a 2015 snap ballot, in which Hichilema lost to Lungu by a narrow margin [JURIST report], mean that a candidate must now secure more than 50 percent of the vote to be declared victorious. Esau Chulu, the chairman of the ECZ called the claims unsubstantiated. According to Chulu, results are currently not expected [Reuters report] until at least Sunday.

Zambias presidency has been surrounded by controversy in recent years. In 2013 Zambian authorities arrested [JURIST report] former president Rupiah Banda on allegations that he misappropriated over USD $11 million during his three-year tenure in office. Zambias Supreme Court in 2010 acquitted [JURIST report] Regina Chiluba, the wife of former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba, of charges that she accepted stolen property during the years of her husbands administration. Prior to his wifes acquittal, former president Chiluba was acquitted [JURIST report] in 2009 of charges of stealing money from the countrys treasury while in office from 1991-2001. He was ordered to stand trial [JURIST report] on the corruption charges in February 2008.
Roy Ellis did it.He snatched a girl after she stepped off a school bus, killed her and dumped her half-naked body in a ravine in a remote park on Omaha's northern edge.

That's the conclusion the jury of six men and six women reached this morning in the first-degree murder trial of 54-year-old Roy Ellis.

A solemn jury filed into the courtroom about 11 a.m., one woman clutching a handful of tissues.

"Will the foreperson please hand the verdict to the clerk?" Douglas County District Judge Greg Schatz asked as a young woman with long hair stood and handed over a piece of paper.

Schatz then asked Douglas County District Court Clerk John Friend to read the verdict.

"In the District Court of Douglas County Nebraska vs. Roy L. Ellis," Friend read, "we the jury find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree."

As he read, the juror with the tissues started crying softly, turned her head away from Ellis and clutched the hand of another woman, an alternate juror, who also was crying.

She wasn't the only emotional one. Deputy Douglas County Attorney Brenda Beadle dabbed her eyes. Patrick Dunn, one of Ellis' attorneys, turned his chair toward the jury and furrowed his brow. And Melissa Harris, Amber's mother, held her hand to her mouth and then bowed her head.

"It's just kind of an emotional, tremendously satisfying verdict for both Brenda and myself and all the officers involved," Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said after the verdict. "We've been with this case for quite a while."

Ellis's attorneys, Dunn and Jerry Hug, left almost immediately and had no comment.

First-degree murder convictions trigger an automatic appeal.

Amber, 12, last was seen Nov. 29, 2005, as she walked away from a school bus that had dropped her off near Florence Boulevard and Pinkney Streets. Her remains were found May 11, 2006, in Hummel Park.

Michael Harris, Amber's father, and Melissa Harris hugged prosecutors and then said they never will have closure in Amber's death.

Melissa Harris said, however, that she pictured Amber and other missing and dead children looking down and smiling at the scene.

"I'm just happy for Amber," Melissa Harris said. "No, it will never be over. It's a relief, though."

Asked if they wanted Ellis to get the death penalty, Melissa Harris said she rather would not comment. Michael Harris gave an emphatic "Yes."

Before jurors were allowed to leave, Schatz told them their work was done for the day - but they were not yet dismissed.

"We will be in recess until Monday morning for that aggravating hearing," Schatz told them.

The jury on Monday will hear evidence to help them decide whether aggravating factors exist. If they don't find any aggravators, Ellis automatically receives a life sentence. If they find aggravating circumstances, a hearing will be scheduled in front of a three-judge panel to determine Ellis' punishment.

The three-judge panel then will weigh the aggravating circumstances that the jury found against any mitigating circumstances Ellis' attorneys present.

Jurors no longer are sequestered - they can go home tonight instead of to the hotel where they stayed Thursday after 6 1/2 hours of deliberations. Schatz told them, however, that they still are required by law to steer clear of news reports of the case and not talk about it. Should they do so, he said, it could result in a mistrial.

The jury filed out after the verdict was read. Lt. Wayne Hudson, head of courthouse security, then directed deputies to put Ellis in shackles. Ellis, his braids now frayed and wearing the same dark suit he had worn to court most days over the past week, sighed deeply several times and stood for the deputies. He walked slowly out of Courtroom 2, his ankles and wrists in metal cuffs.
LEXINGTON  PJ Stapleton, Jake Johannsens companion the night Rodney Marshall was murdered, was sentenced to consecutive one-year terms in jail Friday in Dawson County District Court.

She was originally charged with a Class III felony as an accessory in Marshalls death early on the morning of March 23, 2008. The charge against her was reduced to Class I misdemeanors of false reporting and obstruction of a police officer.

She then pleaded guilty.

The sentence imposed by Judge James Doyle was the maximum. She was given credit for 204 days she had already spent in jail.

Johannsen, 26, entered guilty pleas May 28 in district court to charges of second-degree murder, a Class IB felony, and use of a deadly weapon to commit a murder, a Class III felony. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 30.

At the time of the murder, Stapleton and Johannsen were living together at Marshalls home northwest of Lexington.

Marshall, 49, was beaten to death with a baseball bat and left in his home on Easter Sunday. Later that day, Johannsen and Stapleton had dinner with Johannsens family. They returned home, according to Dawson County Attorney Liz Waterman, and Johannsen called authorities.

As they have at every hearing in the case, a group of Marshalls friends was in court for Fridays sentencing.

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FILE - In this June 5, 2013, file photo, attorney John Henry Browne listens to questions from reporters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. Browne will be representing accused Russian computer hacker Roman Seleznev as jury selection for a federal trial begins Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, in Seattle. Prosecutors accuse Seleznev of hacking into U.S. business computer systems, mostly pizza restaurants in Washington state, and selling credit card data on underground internet forums. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
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Gmail update:warns users for malicious links



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 Google's 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 sender's profile photo to indicate potential risk. Read More...


Steve Zugschwerdt / Special to the Kitsap Sun

The Theler Community Center in Belfair.

By Arla Shephard, Special to the Kitsap Sun

BELFAIR  The Mary E. Theler Community Center could soon become the Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center, as North Mason School District officials enter into preliminary discussions to convert the old schoolhouse into a facility that meets the needs of the district.

Superintendent Dana Rosenbach brought the idea to the school board at a July 21 study session, introducing for the first time the concept of the Theler property as three separate parcels to be dealt with  the wetlands and classrooms, the building and playfield, and the southern parking lot.

"We've been talking for so long about Theler as one piece of property and what to do with it," Rosenbach said. "If we divide it up, more solutions come to mind."

The school district would retain ownership of the building and playfield, using the property to expand and bring together disparate early learning programs throughout the district, while pursuing another government agency to take over the ownership of the largest parcel, the wetlands.

The third parcel, owned by the Theler trust and managed by the Bank of New York Mellon, consists of the secondary parking lot to the south of the main lot and could be transferred to another agency along with the wetlands, once the trust dissolves this fall and the district gains ownership of it.

The school district inherited all but the secondary parking lot in 1968 from philanthropist Sam Theler, who wanted the properties to be used for children and recreational activities in perpetuity.

A nonprofit managed the properties for the district from the mid-1980s until 2013, when the board discovered the center had been operating for years without a nonprofit status and owed more than $160,000 in overdue bills and back taxes.

In 2014, the school district took over Theler's operations, but has struggled with the expense of running a community center and wetlands amid dwindling payouts from the Theler trust and state laws that prevent using district funds for nonschool purposes.

By removing the community center and its maintenance from the discussion regarding the wetlands and classrooms, more agencies have expressed interest in the latter, Rosenbach said.

Rosenbach has spoken with representatives of several agencies, such as the Department of Natural Resources and Washington State Parks, about transferring ownership of the wetlands and classrooms, but those conversations are not far along.

Any transfer of the wetlands would include an agreement that the school district could still use the classrooms and exhibits located on the wetlands, Rosenbach added.

Meanwhile, the school district's need for early learning programs has steadily grown  more than 100 kids from low-income families sit on the waiting list now for Head Start.

Head Start, a federal program administered locally by Educational Service District No. 113 in Olympia, offers preschool for children ages 3 to 5 from low-income families.

"We're a high-poverty district and research shows that kids entering school now are as much as three years behind developmentally," Rosenbach said. "We have a lot of needs to prepare kids for graduation and the earlier we can start, the better."

Right now, Head Start uses a school district portable formerly occupied by the alternative high school. Moving to the Theler building could serve three to four times as many preschoolers, Rosenbach said.

The district could also start offering Early Head Start, for children from birth to 3 years old; currently the district only offers Early Head Start to developmentally delayed children by sending them to the Holly Ridge Center in Bremerton.

By expanding early learning programs to Theler, those developmentally delayed infants and toddlers could be moved back to the district, Rosenbach added.

"I believe that an early learning center really would serve the needs of the kids in our community well and fit the intent of the will," she said. "Having all of our preschool programs in one place allows the children to interact with more of their peers."

Rosenbach has more ideas  the center could also be used by high school students with children, allowing those students to take classes during the day while their infants and toddlers are in preschool, and offering parenting classes at night.

The school district could partner with Olympic College and offer night classes for adults, such as those for English Language Learners, as well.

"We could also use the building to enhance preschool opportunities for other preschools in our area," Rosenbach added. "We could provide professional development and curriculum resources so all kids entering kindergarten come in at the same level and are ready to learn."

Rosenbach has walked through the building  which is the former Belfair Elementary  with the school's construction manager and with Head Start representatives to see what types of changes would need to be made to accommodate early learning programs.

Some of that work includes improvements to the HVAC system and lighting, getting new flooring and a sprinkler system and upgrading the kitchen and bathrooms.

The playground would need to be upgraded to meet ADA requirements and the playfield may need to be partially fenced in.

Funding to convert the building would require board action and would come in part from grants, ESD No. 113 and the final payout from the Theler trust, Rosenbach said.

"The next step is to put together an agreement and plan for the board," she said. "We own the property, so there is not much to curtail the idea. And the truth is we use our schools to provide all of the things mentioned in Theler's will, like a gym and community space."

Rosenbach has received positive comments so far from the board and community members about the idea, but admits others might be hesitant to see the community center serve a different purpose.

"Some of the expectations for how you use a community center, such as renting the space for weddings and serving alcohol, do not match how you can use a school space," she said. "It's past practice to serve alcohol there, but I would not do that at any other school property."
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By Ed Palm

Your far-flung correspondent Ed Palm here again, reporting on how my universe is unfolding amid this contentious presidential campaign.

One of my own far-flung correspondents, my former sergeant in Vietnam, prides himself on not having watched a minute of either political convention. Instead, he caught up on episodes of "National Geographic Wild," where he was treated to footage of lions, tigers, and hyenas tearing apart small deer and even each other. So he didn't miss much, he maintains. "National Geographic Wild" versus the Republican and Democratic national conventions: As we used to say "in country"  "samey same!"

Remember when American politics was not a blood sport?

As for me, I did take a break from the Republican convention to watch a little TV, and by sheer happenstance, I found myself watching an episode of "The Life of Adolf Hitler" on one of the obscure Direct TV channels. Most commentators have been careful to tread lightly in drawing parallels between the current mood in America and that of Germany in the 1930s. A notable exception is Peter Ross Range, author of "1924: The Year that Made Hitler."

Range recently published an op-ed in The Washington Post that was reprinted on July 31 in Lynchburg's News and Advance under the headline "Donald Trump's 'I Alone' Moment." Range makes a compelling case for how the conditions in prewar Germany and present-day America parallel one another, inducing people to place their faith in messianic leaders. Like Hitler before him, Trump claims that he alone can make his country great again.

Given the checks and balances built into our political system, we would never grant absolute power to any American president. But I still find it troubling to hear Trump echoing Hitler's claim that he alone can save the nation. And I find it even more troubling that so many of Trump's "disciples"  an apt term for the followers of a modern day messiah  have placed nearly absolute faith in him  his incivility, pettiness, and arrogance notwithstanding.

The best writers and speakers, I used to tell students, "deal in particulars." Their words evoke images in the reader's mind. I have to credit Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" for that principle. And I have to credit Amanda Carpenter  Ted Cruz's former campaign communications director, of all people  with the best example of that principle I've encountered in a long time.

On August 4, on CNN, Carpenter characterized the relationship between Trump and his running mate in this way: "Poor Mike Pence," she said, "everyday, he has to act like the guy who follows the elephant in the parade, trying to clean up." The image is brilliant given the animal traditionally associated with the GOP.

Frankly, I still think that Cruz might have made a worse president than Trump. Cruz is an ideologue, a neoconservative and a member of the religious right. Trump, I suspect, believes in nothing but Trump. Still, I have to give credit where credit is due. Clinton should perhaps hire Carpenter as her communications director.

Along the same lines, I have to credit Warren Buffett with the most inspired use of a literary and historical allusion I've heard in some time. "Have you no sense of decency?" Buffett asked of Trump amid the controversy he created by counterattacking the Gold Star parents who had criticized him. The allusion was to the question posed by attorney Joseph Welch during the televised Army hearings in 1954 that established the red-baiting Senator Joseph McCarthy as a bully and a buffoon.

Whether stumbling into that parallel will mark a turning point in Trump's campaign remains to be seen. But just when I think that Trump couldn't get any more crass he tops himself.

A case in point would be accepting a Purple Heart medal from a veteran supporter, remarking that he "always wanted to get a Purple Heart. This was much easier."

I've always wanted one too  along with a Silver Star and a Pulitzer Prize maybe. But the fact is that I didn't earn those honors, and I wouldn't pretend to deserve them. What a difference it would have made had Trump simply told that veteran, "I'm touched by your offer but I can't accept it."

Finally, I can't resist indulging in a literary allusion of my own: Berke Breathed, you should be cartooning at this hour! Breathed was the creator of the now defunct comic strip "Bloom County," featuring Opus the Penguin and Bill the Cat. Fans of the strip will recall how the Meadow Party in 1984 put up Bill for president and Opus as his running mate.

Their campaign slogan would seem to speak to our condition today, particularly to the Republican leaders who are not so much supporting as acquiescing in Trump's nomination: "You've tried the best. Now why not the worst?"
A guest post by David Garrett:

Introduction

The Court of Appeal has released its decision in the cases of two murderers who, if three strikes (3S) had been applied by the High Court as the law is written, would both have been sentenced to Life Without Parole (LWOP). The two cases are of great interest for a number of reasons: they are the first two such cases to be considered by the Court of Appeal, and the fact situations in both are very dissimilar. One thing applies to both however  and indeed to every other such case yet to come before the High Court  the offenders have benefited from the manifestly unjust provision in section 86E of the Sentencing Act.

Far from being rare and exceptional, as parliament clearly intended, it is little short of miraculous that in the five cases of second strike murder to come before the courts thus far, in all of them the Judges have found that to apply the law as written would be manifestly unjust and instead imposed life sentences with minimum non parole periods.

The facts

Both cases  R v. Harrison and R v. Turner  involved murder as a second strike offence. Other than that, both the offences and the offenders are rather dissimilar.

In R v. Harrison, a patched Mongrel Mob member of some thirty years standing was a party to a murder committed by a gang prospect. The victim was probably another gang member, although that is not certain. Although Harrison did not pull the trigger, the High Court found, and the Court of Appeal agreed, that both were involved in a common criminal purpose, and therefore although he didnt actually shoot the victim himself, Harrison was just as guilty as the shooter.

Harrison had a long criminal history including a manslaughter in 1987, a conviction for wounding with intent to injure in 2005, and a conviction for assault in 2007.

His first strike offence  which put him in line to receive LWOP for murder  was what the Crown conceded was a relatively low level indecent assault. Harrison had brushed his hands over the breasts and buttocks of a female cop, and had been convicted of indecent assault. It is probably fair to say that if he was not a gang member, and the victim had not been a cop, he would probably have got away with common assault, or perhaps not been charged at all.

R v. Turner was a nastier case. Turner was a man of 29 who had lived on the streets since he was 15. He had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, and had amassed 110 previous convictions, 22 of them for violence. Although the usual claims of mental illness were made on his behalf, there was no evidence that he was mentally ill, either in the medical or legal senses.

Turners victim was a fellow homeless man who was about twice his age. After his arrest, Turner told police that he had visited the victim twice on the night in question, and returned a second time sober as with the express intention of killing him. Turner repeatedly stomped on the victims head over a period of about 30 minutes; mercifully it appears the victim was dead after the first couple of stomps.

Turners first strike offence was much more serious than Harrisons  an assault with intent to injure inflicted on a former girlfriend. After a prolonged attack, the victim suffered traumatic brain injuries and had teeth knocked out. She was put on life support, and was hospitalized for 14 days. At the time he committed murder, Turner was on parole for the assault on his girlfriend, and had been out of jail only about two months.

The cases in the High Court  reasons for not imposing LWOP

In the High Court, both Harrison and Turner were convicted of murder. In both cases two different Judges declined to impose LWOP for different reasons, although both cited the disproportionality of LWOP. Harrison was sentenced to life with a minimum non parole period (NPP) of thirteen years. In his case, the Judge avoided what she acknowledged was the presumptive sentence of LWOP by reference to Harrisons first strike offence  the low level indecent assault.

In her judgment, the Judge opined that parliament cannot have intended LWOP to be imposed for a second strike murder where the first strike offence was relatively minor offending of its kind. With the greatest respect to the Judge, I am aware of nothing said in the parliamentary debates from the government benches which supports such a conclusion. On the contrary, the entire regime was based on a list of strike offences, all being violent offences, and all carrying a maximum sentence of seven years in prison or more. The idea  of which more later  was that repeat strike offending would attract exponentially more serious punishment. Nowhere in debates was it said that if the first strike offence was relatively low level, the presumption(s) at strike two would change.

It is unarguable that Harrisons indecent assault was at the lower end of the scale  the type of drunken grope which Graeme Edgeler pointed to as being problematic when the Bill was being debated. But again with respect, in my view that is not the point  Harrison was convicted of a first strike offence, and having committed murder as a second strike, there was no good reason not to apply the law as written.

The High Court in Turner found a different set of reasons for not imposing LWOP on him. The Judge focused on the fact that at 29 years of age, LWOP could lead to Turner spending up to 50 years in prison given his life expectancy of 75-80 years. He also said that because of his relative youth, it could not be said that he was beyond rehabilitation, although even the Judge thought his prospects of same very limited.

In both Harrison and Turner the High Court judges referred to the disproportionate sentences which would be imposed because of 3S unless the manifestly unjust provision was applied. With the greatest of respect to both Judges  and indeed the five Judge Court of Appeal bench which heard the appeals  if their Honours had read the parliamentary debates carefully, they would have known that it was exactly this disproportionality which was the entire point of the legislation! Instead of a series of incrementally slightly longer sentences for multiple instances of violent offending, 3S quite deliberately imposes an exponential two or three step regime: first offence just as before; second offence sentence to be served without parole; third strike offence to attract the maximum penalty for the offence in question.

Disproportionality was not only quite acceptable to the Nat-ACT government of the day, but was the intention, and this is made very clear if one reads the parliamentary debates, particularly at Committee stage. I recall making this point every single time a Labour member got up to bleat about disproportionate consequences for second or third strike offenders. While it is just possible to put Labours bemoaning this point down to ignorance or lack of understanding, one would not naturally come to either conclusion when talking about High Court and Court of Appeal Judges.

The cases in the Court of Appeal

In the Court of Appeal the Crown argued  quite correctly in my view  that the Judge in Harrison had effectively reversed the presumption in favour of LWOP for a second strike murder, and sought to find reasons to justify that reversal. The Court of Appeal did not agree.

Again, and somewhat perplexingly for me, their Honours focused on the disproportionality of the sentence of LWOP and the life with a 13 year minimum NPP which would otherwise be, and in fact was, imposed. Again with the greatest of respect to them, it seems to me that their Honours simply didnt get it, or more concerning, perhaps they didnt want to. As I have already noted, disproportionate sentencing outcomes at strike two and three was the entire point and intention of the legislation. Harrisons sentence was left undisturbed: life with a minimum NPP of 13 years.

In Turners case the Court of Appeal were somewhat more critical of the sentencing Judge, and while LWOP was rejected, the NPP was increased from 15 to 17 years. In Turner the Judge at first instance had taken the view that because the murder in question was not the worst of the worst, and the defendant was not clearly beyond rehabilitation, parliament cannot have intended LWOP to be imposed on him.

The Crown argued  quite correctly in my view  that Turner was exactly the kind of violent offender, whose offending was getting exponentially worse, that 3S and its mandatory provisions was aimed at. Preventing further harm to innocent victims by incapacitation  locking them up  was always the primary purpose of the 3S regime. Rehabilitation or deterrence, if they occurred, would be happy bonuses.

The Court of Appeal held that the trial judge had erred in concluding that the presumption of LWOP at stage two for murder only applied to the worst murders. Their Honours went further, and pointed out that at the same time 3S was put in place, another amendment to the Sentencing Act was made which provided for LWOP for the worst murders regardless of an offenders strike history. (See s.103 (2A) of the Sentencing Act). That particular amendment  supported by both ACT and the Nats  went unremarked at the time because all the attention was on 3S.

The Court of Appeal also found that the trial Judge had erred in considering Turners prospects of rehabilitation, although they found that that error was not fundamental to the Judges overall conclusion that LWOP should not be imposed. The Court of Appeal Judges focused once again on the disproportionality of the LWOP sentence as compared with what would otherwise have been imposed  in Turners case, life with a minimum NPP of 15 years.

Again, and with the greatest respect to the Judges, I find it hard to follow their reasoning on this point  and it is certainly not supported by anything said in parliament on the government side, even when Simon Power was in charge of the Bill. In short, the Court of Appeal have decreed that, in deciding the meaning of manifestly unjust in the 3S context, it is their job to balance what is imposed prima facie by s.86E of the Sentencing Act (the section which imposes LWOP for a second strike murder) with s.9 of the Bill of Rights Act (BORA) which precludes disproportionately severe punishment.

In making that finding, the Judges purported to find that the intention of parliament was not inconsistent with their reasoning:

We assume that Parliament, in introducing the new sentencing regime for repeated serious violent offending, intended that any sentence imposed on an offender should not be grossly disproportionate to the circumstances of the offending and the offender contrary to s.9 of the Bill of Rights Act

Again with respect, it seems to me that the Judges are taking it upon themselves to decide whether the sentences which 3S gives rise to are in breach of BORA, rather than acknowledging the correct position  that parliament enacted 3S fully aware not only that disproportionate sentences would result, but with that express intention.

Still, the Judges discussions on the BORA are not all bad news for the legislators. Although they pointedly left the full discussion for another day, it seems fairly clear that when the issue is addressed fair and square, the conclusion will not be that the legislation itself breaches the BORA. Their Honours noted with approval dicta in other cases which talk of conduct which is so severe as to shock the national conscience and the Canadian test on their BORA: conduct which outrages standards of decency

Given that at the time the legislation was passed 87% of the public were in favour of it, it would be hard to argue that any aspect of 3S would meet that extremely high threshold. Although it is of course entirely unscientific, I have found that when the 3S regime is properly explained to them, even those who are generally on the left fully support it. The usual response is in fact why not just one strike?

The Crown may appeal the result of either or both cases to the Supreme Court  I have no idea whether they will. My guess is that they will not, but rather save their powder for another day, and a somewhat clearer case  perhaps a Turner type offender who is 45 and not 29. In the meantime, a further four LWOP cases are awaiting hearing in the Court of Appeal. The Judges approach to those cases must be consistent with their findings and conclusions made in these two. Given their conclusion that such cases are intensely factual, we may yet see an LWOP sentence imposed. Then of course, it will inevitably be off to the Supreme Court for a final decision.
The Herald editorial:

It is a brave regulator who would claim official licensing paperwork is superior to the constant customer assessments that are commonly available for internet-based services. If the service is making available to users the impressions, observations and experiences of previous passengers, these would be a far more searching and reliable measure of safety than the routine checks of departmental registers. Police and medical records will not contain more than a fraction of those who might not be suitable, and will bar some who have outgrown youthful crimes.

The internet is making many activities safer, and Uber is no exception. Its app provides regular checks on where the vehicle is and the route it is taking. Its lower costs and online payment system make it attractive to many, but not to everybody. Some people do not like the idea of riding in a car that feels like what it is: a strangers personal or family vehicle. There will continue to be a market for well-presented commercial taxis in which the passenger can preserve the detachment of a paying customer.

Traditional taxi operators insist Uber drivers should be subject to the same licensing requirements they face. The Transport Minister seems to agree with them. But his only concern should be public safety.

He needs to ask whether licensing procedures devised in a pre-digital age are still warranted when passengers carry personal tracking transmitters and mobile movie cameras and, perhaps more important, every driver knows it. It should not be taking three months and thousands of dollars, or even hundred of dollars, for people to become an Uber driver.

If conventional taxi firms feel this is required for public safety, they can continue to require P endorsements  and promote the fact they offer that level of safety, for what it is worth. Uber is equally confident its screening procedure is sufficient for the safety outcomes the travelling public want and expect. It wants to help the Government find a more flexible licensing framework, one more in tune with the future.
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A new report says LGBT people of color are discriminated against and abused in the criminal justice system. (iStockphoto)
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Early registration ends Monday for the Edge2016 Security Conference Oct. 18 and 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Knoxville. The conference, presented by Sword & Shield Enterprise Security, brings together business executives and IT professionals to work through today's cybersecurity challenges. To register, visit www.edgesecurityconference.com.

The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce will host a workshop by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center on Wednesday 9-11 a.m. The workshop will discuss the steps in starting a business. There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. To sign up, call 865-483-2668 or email jbangs@tsbdc.org.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will host a TSBDC workshop on expanding your business in the global marketplace on Thursday 9 a.m.-noon. Speakers will cover exporting financing and export credit insurance with Ex-Im Bank; logistics and freight forwarding, and export compliance; legal issues and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and export assistance available through the TSBDC. There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. Lunch will be provided. To sign up, call 865-483-2668 or email jbangs@tsbdc.org.

The Endeavor Young Professionals Summit will take place 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Friday at The Mill & Mine in Knoxville. Jay Rogers of Local Motors and Amy Lynch of Generational Edge will be the keynote speakers. For more information, contact Kayla Witt at kwitt@knoxvillechamber.com or visit www.ypsummitknox.com.
Jon Hamilton

SHARE Robert Lang David Duggan Robert Burns Cassidy Duckett Britt

Aries Energy has hired Jonathan Hamilton and Robert Lang. Hamilton joined as the firm's customer service manager. He previously served as a strategic analyst for the U.S. Marine Corps. Lang, an electrician, is a field technician with Aries' production and installation team. Lang most recently owned and operated Lang Electric in Palm Desert, Calif. In addition, Aries Energy recently was named one of the top 500 solar contractors in the U.S. and Canada by Solar Power World.

Blount County judge David R. Duggan has been named the incoming chairman of the Blount County Public Library board of trustees for the 2016-17 term. Bill Beaty is outgoing chairman. K.C. Williams is library director. Other board of trustee members are John McArthur, Cathy Hammon, Susan Schneibel, Mike Crabtree, Ginnae Harley and Meredith Goins. In addition, Ocoee River Regional Library board members representing Blount County are Beaty, chairman of the ORRLB, and Bruce Kerr.

Dr. Robert Burns, P.E., associate dean, University of Tennessee Extension, has been named to the Class of Fellows with the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

Webb School English teacher and writing center director Cassidy Duckett Britt was selected to participate in a prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of American History and Culture teacher workshop, "Inventing America-Lowell and the Industrial Revolution" by the University of Massachusetts Lowell's Tsongas Industrial History Center.

Alesia Knutsen was named a senior tax accountant at Conry-Taylor & Morrow. Sarah Davis joined the firm as a senior tax accountant.

Kim Lauth of Knoxville was elected to the board of directors of the League of Women Voters of the United States at its 52nd biennial national convention on June 19 in Washington, D.C. Lauth owns Kim Lauth Consulting, LLC and is the past president of the League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County and served on the board of directors for the League of Women Voters of Tennessee.

LBMC announced executive leadership appointments to bolster strategic initiatives centered around client service and company growth. The company brought in physician practice tax leader Janice Sansing from Elliott Davis Decosimo effective July 1. She brings with her a team of six. In addition, LBMC has named corporate tax outsourcing expert Justin W. Follis a shareholder as he returns to Knoxville from Nashville, where he was a senior manager.

Sevier County Bank has promoted vice president Christopher D. Plemons to senior commercial lender. Plemons joined Sevier County Bank in 2007 as a loan officer.

The Young-Williams Animal Center board of directors has appointed Janet Testerman as interim CEO. Testerman has served on the board for nearly five years.

Regions has named Lynn Thompson as its newest portfolio manager for the Knoxville area. Thompson actively will manage personal, charitable and institutional assets for trust and investment management portfolios.

Tyler Boldin, Ann Pierce and Mary Stump have joined the United Way of Greater Knoxville. Boldin is the major gifts and leadership giving manager and will work with individual donors as well as The Young Leaders' Society. Pierce joined as an associate in individual giving and will focus on individual donors through UWGK's Women's Leadership Groups, the Faith Cabinet and Professional Affinity Groups. Stump is an associate in resource development and will manage accounts for local businesses and nonprofits. She also will help facilitate United Way's volunteer training program.
A new prevention program, funded by a $400,000 federal grant, is aimed at raising awareness of elder abuse in Knoxville and providing training for law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, health-care professionals and others across the community.

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By Megan Boehnke of the Knoxville News Sentinel

KNOXVILLE  State officials investigated 483 cases of abuse against elder adults in Knox County last year, including financial exploitation, neglect, and physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

On Monday, Knoxville officials will announce a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to combat elder abuse by training 877 law enforcement officers, along with judges, prosecutors and case workers, said Joseph Winderry, the elder abuse community outreach program manager at the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee's Office on Aging.

The three-year grant will also include funding for victim services and exploring solutions to stemming the abuse.

"It's a growing issue nationwide, and for every case of abuse that does come forward, there are 23 additional cases going unreported," Winderry said, referring to a statistic from the National Clearing House of Abuse in Later Life.

The volume of abuse cases is growing in part because the aging baby boomer generation and the longer life expectancy.

As adults enter their senior years, they can become dependent on family members or caretakers, which could make them vulnerable.

"The vast majority of cases are situations where there is usually a child or a grandchild or a caretaker or close friend," Winderry said. "It's usually someone who is closer. It's very rarely a stranger who is perpetrating the abuse."

Most cases reported are financial exploitation, in part because they can be the easiest to spot, Winderry said. If an adult isn't paying his or her bills, there are people who notice without ever having met the victims, he pointed out.

In Tennessee, anyone who suspects elder abuse is required to report it to authorities.

"When someone views a situation of elder abuse, mandated under law to report that to Adult Protective Services, so there are people  it can be neighbors, relatives as well as friends, it can be professionals they come in contact with," Winderry said. "There's a wide variety of people who see abuse and report it."

At an event Monday at the John T. O'Connor Center, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, District Attorney General Charme Allen, Police Chief David Rausch and U.S. Attorney Nancy Harr will announce the new program and begin training professionals who work with seniors.

The grant, from the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, was awarded to the Knoxville Police Department, but will be managed by the Community Action Committee's Office on Aging.
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UT receives grant to finish Polk Project

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded a more than $200,000 grant to the University of Tennessee's Department of History for the department's James K. Polk Project.

The project is to publish the correspondence of Polk, a Tennessean and the 11th U.S. president.

So far, 12 volumes covering the time from July 1817 to July 1847 have been released. The grant will support the project through 2019, allowing for the last two volumes, which extend through 1849, to be published.

To learn more about the project, visit polkproject.utk.edu/

College names first architecture fellow

Darius Ammon is the first Architecture Fellow in the UT College of Architecture and Design.

The new fellowship recognizes emerging design educators. Ammon will teach several classes as well as continue research. Ammon's work will be featured in a lecture and project in the spring.

Facilities services building opens

On Aug. 4, the new UT Facilities Services Complex on Sutherland Avenue opened after a two-year renovation and construction project.

The 91,000-square-foot building, built in 1908 as a marble and precast factory, houses more than 200 UT employees.

The building has office, warehouse and workshop space for electrical, plumbing, sanitation and air conditioning staff. Many of them moved in earlier this year.

Moving facilities staff off of Volunteer Boulevard was part of the UT campus master plan and helps with the goal of opening space in the center of campus for academic use.
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By Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News Sentinel

NASHVILLE  A new law requiring high school students to take a civics test does not mandate they get a passing grade for graduation.

The state Department of Education issued the "guidance" message to public school system directors last week, and it was contrary to some interpretations of the law. "All public high school students, including the class of 2017, are expected to participate in the civics test; however, a passing grade is not a requirement for graduation," said the guidance sent by email Thursday.

As reported by the Kingsport Times-News, there has been confusion over whether passage of the test was required for a high school students to graduate under the law, approved in the Legislature and signed by Gov. Bill Haslam last year, though it doesn't take effect until Jan. 1, 2017.

The newspaper noted that media reports, some legislators and many school officials thought passage was mandatory. The Kingsport Board of Education adopted a local rule, intended to comply with the new law, that adds civics test passage as a graduation requirement in the local system.

As the bill (HB10) was initially drafted, passage would have been required for graduation, said House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, in a telephone interview. But McCormick, lead sponsor of the measure, said an amendment added late in the process dropped the passage mandate with an eye to making "some common-sense exceptions" for "special needs kids" and other students who might have understandable reasons for failing.

"You might have a case where a student who tried really hard and met all other requirements just could not pass it for whatever reason," he said. "That could be embarrassing to the student and the family especially if it got into the media."

As enacted, the bill does declare that students can take the test as many times as necessary to get a passing grade, set as answering 70 percent of the questions correctly.

Explains the guidance email: "Beginning in January 2017, all high schools must administer a United States civics test. The test should be prepared by each district and should be comprised of between 25 and 50 questions. Questions must come from U.S. citizenship test administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Students must correctly answer at least 70 percent of the questions on the test to earn a passing grade. A student may participate in the test as many times as necessary to earn a passing grade."

The Department of Education also says in the email that schools where all graduating seniors pass the test will get a certificate from the department declaring them "United States Civics All Star Schools."

When introducing the bill, also sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, McCormick said he was inspired by surveys showing many Americans' knowledge of basic civics is "pathetic."

Civics Education Initiative, a group formed in 2013 with former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as a key supporter, has been pushing for enactment of similar legislation in all 50 states.
Zoo Knoxville's male black-breasted leaf turtle begins to mount the female and initiates the reproductive process on Thursday, Aug. 11. Black-breasted leaf turtles are an endangered species found in streams and rivers in the mountains of Southeast Asia.

By Travis Dorman of the Knoxville News Sentinel

One of Zoo Knoxville's newest inhabitants is also one of its tiniest.

A 2-inch-long baby black-breasted leaf turtle was hatched on Aug. 6 by zoo biologists who hope to increase the endangered species' chance of survival. The species, which hails from rivers and streams in the mountainous forests of Southeast Asia, ranks as one of the smallest species of turtles in the world and faces extinction in the wild due to excessive collection and trading by humans.

"People collect rare anything," said zoo herpetologist Stephen Nelson. "So you have rare turtles, rare pieces of art and rare automobiles  it doesn't matter, as long as it's rare, people have an interest in it.

"From a smuggling point of view, if you think of people smuggling a parrot worth $500 vs. smuggling a turtle worth $500, the parrot you have to feed, water  they can make squawks and calls and attack you. But that turtle's not going to do anything, and you can easily stick it in your pocket."

Zoo Knoxville belongs to a nationwide network of 233 accredited zoos and aquariums that follow the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' detailed species survival plans to help save endangered and critically endangered species from extinction. While the zoo brands itself as fun and playful on the outside, important conservation work happens behind the scenes inside facilities unseen by visitors.

"We have over 200 individual turtles and tortoises," Nelson said, "and of that, over 80 percent are considered endangered or critically endangered."

The outdated reptile compound, constructed in the 1970s, has created various challenges for the organization's herpetologists, but zoo spokeswoman Tina Rolen said upgrades are on the way.

"We have one of the most important reptile collections in the country, housed in one of the most antiquated facilities," Rolen said.

Zoo officials hope the newborn black-breasted leaf turtle will turn out to be a male, but they won't be able to determine its sex until later on. Males grow to be smaller and have longer tails than females, and they have concave plaster on the bottom of their shells. It hasn't yet been scientifically proven, but Nelson said experts widely believe lower incubation temperatures are more likely to yield males.

"Even if its a female, it will probably still be valuable," Nelson said. "Because there's a shortage of males in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' species survival plan, males are particularly important at this stage to help diversify the gene pool."

In addition to excessive trading, one factor contributing to the black-breasted leaf turtle's endangerment is the low frequency at which females lay their eggs. Like most turtles, males do not follow the mantra of "slow and steady wins the race" when it comes to courtship. They mate often, but females can hold sperm in their bodies for several months, and they typically wait to lay their annual clutch of one to three eggs during the rainy spring season, which herpetologists must imitate with constant misting.

The turtles are difficult to hatch and rear, Nelson said, because their native mountains of Southeast Asia are not a particularly accessible region for biologists to visit and study. As a result, the creatures remain somewhat of an enigma  scientists still aren't sure exactly how long they live, how certain husbandry affects them or how many are left in the wild.

"They're really smart," Nelson said. "They are one of my favorites  they are pretty high up there to be my favorite species of turtle."
SHARE State Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge State Rep. Jimmy Matlock, R-Lenoir City

By Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News Sentinel

NASHVILLE  Sen. Randy McNally, likely to become speaker of Tennessee's Senate next year, doesn't have a vote in electing the next House speaker, but says he would like to see one of his constituents, Rep. Jimmy Matlock of Lenoir City, get the position.

"Jimmy is a very good friend and we've worked very well together," McNally said in a telephone interview when asked about Matlock declaring last week that he would challenge Beth Harwell's re-election as speaker of the House.

"Nothing against Speaker Harwell  I like her and respect her  but I'd support him (Matlock) in any of his endeavors," said McNally, R-Oak Ridge, current chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. "Jimmy would be a great speaker."

McNallly, the Legislature's most senior member, has announced he will seek to succeed retiring Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and has no announced opponent. The Senate Republican Caucus will meet after the November election, probably in December, to select its nominee and that nominee is virtually certain to win election in the formal Senate floor vote on a speaker to be held in January.

A similar situation exists in the House, where Republican representatives will also meet in a post-election caucus meeting to decide between Harwell and Matlock  assuming both win re-election to their respective House seats in November. Both face underdog Democratic opponents in November.

Matlock's 21st House District seat includes all of Loudon County and part of Monroe County. McNally, who lives in Oak Ridge and does not face re-election this year, holds the 5th Senate District seat, which encompasses all of Loudon and Anderson counties along with part of Knox County.

If Matlock is successful in his challenge to Harwell, Loudon County would thus be represented in the Legislature by the speakers of both the House and Senate.

Haywood County of West Tennessee was the last county to hold that distinction. The late Lt. Gov. John Wilder and former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh both represented Haywood County for several years. Democrat Wilder was unseated as Senate speaker in January 2007 with the election of Ramsey. Democrat Naifeh was replaced by former House Speaker Kent Williams in 2009, who held the seat for one two-year term as an Independent until Republican Harwell's election as speaker in 2011.

In media interviews, Matlock says he has no intention of criticizing Harwell, regarding her as "a friend and a classy lady." But he also says "it's time to hit the reset button" and put "a new style of leadership" into place for the sake of GOP caucus unity and smooth functioning of lawmaking work.

He's optimistic about the outcome.

As reported by The Tennessean last week, Matlock sounded out his prospects among many caucus members and thinks he starts with a seven-vote lead over Harwell among caucus members among those willing to state a preference to him. But there are enough undecided members to change the result and, of course, legislators are known to change their mind.

Interviews with a handful of caucus members last week found most unwilling to state a preference.

"I love them both," said Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Costly.
President Barack Obama came to office with what many of us thought grand delusions. He aspired to a consequential presidency, audaciously aiming to reshape America with inspired liberalism like Ronald Reagan did with optimistic conservatism.

Leftists were appalled, disturbed by Obama calling the Gipper great while essentially relegating Bill Clinton to mediocrity. Conservatives were aghast, outraged even, that the first-term senator would engage in such elevated self-absorption. Our outrage was tempered only by our certainty Obama's lack of experience would lead to, at best, relatively inconsequential incrementalism.

We were wrong. Vastly, historically wrong. Obama has consequentially reshaped America. Big time.

When Reagan took office in 1981, after the malaise of Jimmy Carter, only 17 percent of Americans were satisfied with the way things were going in the United States, according to Gallup. Reagan brought "Morning to America" with cheery optimism, believing not in bureaucracy or an intellectual elite, but the initiative and ingenuity of everyday Americans.

Reagan cut taxes, blasted the bureaucracy and, in spirit if not always in practice, sought to unleash the animal spirits of economic growth by reducing regulation. With bluster and bombast  "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"  he led the free world, exposing the Soviet Union, setting the stage for its dissolution soon after he left office.

By the time Reagan was done, in September 1988, Gallup's last measure before Reagan left office, 56 percent of Americans felt good about the way the country was going. The economy was in the midst of a multi-year expansion. Our allies trusted us. Our enemies feared us.

Now most of Obama's historic, consequential presidency is done. He has insinuated government into as many nooks and crannies as he possibly could. Massive regulation has given government ever more control. Health care, banking, energy and financial services industries have all been "disrupted" by government regulation.

Obama has led from behind on foreign policy, seeking to disengage the U.S. from the Middle East, withdrawing from Eastern Europe (before being forced to re-engage) and being so passive China has militarized the South China Sea. Opposite Reagan's "peace through strength," Obama's national humility has left our allies exposed, our enemies emboldened. The world is in chaos as our allies can no longer trust us and our enemies no longer fear us.

Last week, on the home front, Obama made history when his administration implemented its 600th major regulation. "For those keeping score, that's an average of 81 big ones a year, or roughly one every three days the government is open," the Wall Street Journal editorialized. "Who says our bureaucracies are inefficient?"

The American Action Forum calculates, based on government data, these regulations cost $743 billion, which, the Journal noted, "is larger than the GDP of Norway and Israel combined, and it amounts to a regulatory tax of $2,294 on every American."

Continuing a consequential pattern, our economy grew in the second quarter only 1.2 percent. In the 1980s, when Reagan deregulated, gross domestic product grew at better than 4 percent. While consumer spending expanded in the latest quarter, business spending actually contracted. American businesses now hold a record $1.7 trillion in cash. Weary from Obama's relentless war on capital, corporate chieftains build an arsenal of cash rather than investing to create jobs. No wonder prosperity eludes us.

In February 2009, the first survey of the Obama presidency, Gallup found only 15 percent satisfied with the direction of America. After historic domestic regulation and consequential withdrawal from the world stage orchestrated by Obama, as of last month, only 17 percent of Americans thought we were on the right track, ironically but predictably, the same as under the guy before Reagan.

In other words, Obama has been as consequential as Jimmy Carter.
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The most important book this election cycle does not even mention Donald Trump. Rather, "Hillbilly Elegy," a memoir by J.D. Vance, offers the reader a glimpse into the struggles  social, cultural and economic  affecting the white working class across America, especially those hailing from struggling rural regions such as Appalachia. It's a story that sheds light on a voting bloc that has been all but abandoned by the political elite of both parties.

While Vance in no way peddles his book as an explanation for the "Trumpian" phenomenon, his writing clearly sheds light on how a billionaire from Queens came to become the only presidential candidate in the past few decades to speak to the concerns of the white working class in Appalachia. "Trump's candidacy is music to their ears," Vance asserts. "He seems to love to annoy the elites, which is something a lot of people wish they could do but can't because they lack a platform."

As Douglas Irwin writes in the latest edition of Foreign Affairs, the white working class in rural America has for decades relied on three particular industries: manufacturing, construction and the armed forces. Since the turn of the century, manufacturing and construction jobs have largely been swallowed up by trade, automation and most recently the economic collapse, leaving the service industry as the last remaining job source in many towns.

Like manufacturing and construction, the prospects of finding a career in the armed forces has also become increasingly difficult. The armed forces now turn down over 80 percent of applicants. This leaves an incredibly large void throughout much of Appalachia, a void that has been filled, in part, by disability payments (more than twice the national average) and opiates.

These conditions combined to create a political environment that made a Trump candidacy possible, and yet while he has appealed to the emotions of the white working class, he has offered little in terms of a solution. Building a wall or imposing a tariff on China will not address diminishing levels of economic mobility.

There are, however, some important things that the next president can do to tear down some of the walls stunting economic prosperity in rural America.

For starters, more money needs to be set aside for prevention and treatment services to get a handle on the opioid epidemic, which has killed more people than the bird flu, Sars and Ebola combined. You can't treat an epidemic until you recognize that there is one.

Secondly, more should be done to supplement wages for those who work by expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit. While the Trade Adjustment Assistance program helps those whose jobs were lost by trade, it is widely inefficient and does not include those who lost their jobs via automation. Furthermore, the government could create a program to put the white working class to work rebuilding our country's crumbling infrastructure (at last count, over 70,000 bridges in the United States were deemed structurally deficient).

Would these policies require significant resources and funds? Yes. But you'd be hard pressed to find a government program more important for the future of our nation, and specifically the oft-neglected white working class of Appalachia.

Wilson Paine grew up in Maryville and now lives in Reston, Virginia.
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Amelia and her husband, Shawn, decided to enroll in my freshman composition course at Pellissippi State Community College together. Newly transplanted from California, they had relocated to Tennessee in hopes of lowering their living expenses while pursuing their college degrees. In addition to being full-time students, both worked long hours to make the rent each month.Both were bright, capable students who seemed excited about the opportunity to earn a college degree.

A few weeks into the semester, their attendance became spotty. First, Shawn and Amelia emailed to apologize for missing class that day but indicated they couldn't afford gas for traveling to campus. A few days later, they had car trouble. Then one day Amelia walked slowly into class and asked if she could stand in the back during our session. When I agreed and asked why, she grimaced, saying she'd ruptured a disc while doing her daily run. Since neither her nor Shawn's job provided benefits, she couldn't afford medical care and had decided to tough it out. And she did; I lost count of how many classes Amelia spent standing attentively at the back of the room, trying awkwardly to take notes or do the assigned computer work while carefully shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

About the time his wife's pain seemed to be subsiding, Shawn began missing class, and Amelia reported that he'd developed an especially painful sore throat. They'd scraped together enough cash for him to visit a walk-in clinic, and the physician's assistant had offered him the least expensive antibiotic available. That wasn't helping Shawn recover, though. He made it to class a few times afterwards, but his listless demeanor revealed that he was feeling pretty rotten. By the end of the semester, Amelia and Shawn had accrued the maximum number of allowable absences. This meant they had also missed a significant amount of class instruction. While Amelia managed to earn a passing grade  largely because of the natural writing ability she possessed before ever taking my class  Shawn did not. No doubt he was capable, but his many absences, combined with the other challenges he and Amelia had to navigate, proved to be too much. After that semester, I never saw them on campus again.

I'd like to say Amelia's and Shawn's stories are rare, but the truth is that I regularly encounter Pellissippi students who face serious financial struggles while working towards their academic goals. Here is why. During the fall 2015 semester, over 60 percent of the 10,000 students enrolled at Pellissippi would have qualified for free and reduced lunch, if such a resource were available at the college level. This means over 6,000 students were experiencing some form of economic instability while working on their college courses. Although 3,800 of our fall 2015 student population did qualify to receive the Pell Grant (need-based financial aid), the average annual family income for those Pell Grant recipients was a meager $22,337.

To me, education's most crucial role  especially in today's cultural climate  continues to be how it invites us all to continue exploring unfamiliar ideas, cultures, and world views. I'm grateful that my work encourages me to create a space that fosters curiosity, critical thinking and self-reflection. But it's impossible to ignore the economic role education plays as well.

By creating the possibility for anyone with a high school diploma to earn a college degree, open-admission community colleges like Pellissippi State serve a unique and vital role in democratizing higher education. When students earn college degrees, they increase their employment opportunities. This in turn creates a potential for them to earn better wages and maybe even benefits like health coverage.

Many Pellissippi students, however, face a troublesome irony as they pursue those opportunities: while they are doing the very thing that can move them towards economic stability, their journey is often marked with unexpected challenges that sometimes prove insurmountable. This is one of the reasons behind our college's newly developed Pellissippi Pantry, which helps alleviate food scarcity for students in need.

As I travel back and forth between the Hardin Valley campus and my Farragut home, I often wonder whether the greater Knoxville community is aware of how just how many Pellissippi students  our neighbors  face economic instability. I also wonder whether we have a true understanding of what their experiences are really like.

As someone whose family found a way to provide complete financial support while I attended a private four-year school, I had virtually no exposure to anything even closely resembling economic instability. To tell the truth, if my own circumstances had required me to juggle the complex, often-frightening realities that accompany such economic instability while also attending college, I'm not sure I'd have been able to make it  not then, and not now.

Teaching at Pellissippi State has brought me face to face with my own privilege. It's made me realize how my background and current circumstances  and perhaps especially my role as an educator  can make me think I understand poverty, even though I have no experience living it. It has led me to realize that while I may have something to offer my students in the way of exploring a particular subject, they play a powerful role in helping me deepen my understanding of the challenging complexities that come with economic instability.

Most importantly, my students also offer me the opportunity to observe and encourage the rare, remarkable resilience they demonstrate while navigating the kinds of difficult I have never faced.

From where I stand, theirs is a resilient resourcefulness that the greater Knoxville community could benefit from seeing, celebrating and maybe even emulating  if we're attentive.

Anne Pharr is an assistant professor in the English Department, Student Success Coordinator and College Success Program Coordinator at Pellissippi State Community College.
For more than a year, Gov. Bill Haslam has been telling supporters of his failed Insure Tennessee plan that he sees no reason to try again for passage until there's something to indicate a change in political attitudes toward what critics branded "Obamacare expansion."

Arguably, some results in the Aug. 4 Republican primary elections are at least a harbinger of change in legislator attitudes, which can be influenced by voter attitudes.

For starters, the most prominent legislative critics of the Haslam plan  Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, and Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown  were both big losers in primary campaigns. They were the House and Senate sponsors, respectively, of a bill they and Americans for Prosperity branded as the "Stop Obamacare Act." Both had made their efforts major talking points on the campaign trail.

Durham's landslide loss to challenger Sam Whitson, of course, surely had little or nothing to do with his rhetoric against Haslam's modified Medicaid expansion plans. Durham had suspended his campaign and his rhetoric before the election after a state attorney general's report blistered him for inappropriate "sexual interactions" with 22 women  interns, legislative staffers and lobbyists. Still, the Durham debacle has to be a bit embarrassing for the anti-Insure Tennessee crowd.

Kelsey, who wasn't up for re-election to his Senate seat this year, instead launched an intense campaign for the 8th Congressional District seat immediately after incumbent U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher announced he would not seek re-election. Kelsey finished fourth with just 13 percent of the vote after spending more money than any of the 13 candidates excepting multi-millionaire George Flinn, who self-funded a $2 million campaign. Flinn finished second behind the winner, former U.S. Attorney David Kustoff, who got 27.5 percent of the vote after spending about $500,000, or about $100,000 less than Kelsey, according to most recent disclosures.

In East Tennessee, meanwhile, Sen. Doug Overbey, R-Maryville, came under attack from Americans for Prosperity because of his support for Insure Tennessee.

Indeed, he was sponsor of the proposal after Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, the fellow who usually sponsors legislation pushed by the governor, bailed out on Haslam and opposed the bill. His challenger, Scott Williams, echoed the AFP opposition to "Obamacare expansion." Overbey won with 61 percent of the vote.

Given that Overbey is an established incumbent who dramatically outspent Williams, one can't really claim the voting was a referendum on Insure Tennessee.

But it should be noted that AFP says activists knocked on 5,000 doors in the district, not to mention an advertising onslaught that focused on the issue with substantial undisclosed spending. And Overbey got 61 percent of the vote.

In West Tennessee's Senate District 26, incumbent Sen. Delores Gresham, R-Somerville, was attacked in a radio ad that noted three hospitals had closed in the eight-county rural district while the incumbent did nothing and contrasted this with Gresham's vote to build a "$100 million political Taj Mahal"  the latter a reference to the price tag for renovation of the old Cordell Hull building on the state's Capitol Hill that will become the Legislature's new home in 2017. The hospital closings were a reference to Gresham's opposition to Insure Tennessee, which proponents contend could save rural hospitals from bankruptcy.

John Rowley, a Nashville political operative who wrote the ad, says a poll showed Gresham's primary challenger, Savannah Mayor Bob Shutt, down 29 points before the ad ran. On election night Gresham won by a much smaller margin, 53 percent to 47 percent. Rowley says this is part of a pattern showing "the Insure Tennessee worm has turned" to end the "myth" that supporting it means death at the polls.

Maybe so. House Speaker Beth Harwell's push to find an alternative to it shows a recognition that doing nothing on the health care insurance front is not a politically popular position.

The suspicion here, though, is that Haslam will need some more reassurance before trying again. Perhaps a surprise defeat in November of an anti-Insure Tennessee Republican or two by Democrats  all supporters of the governor on that issue  would do that.
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The United States does many things well, but one thing we do better than any other country is innovation through basic research. Matter of fact, it's hard to think of an important technological advancement since World War II that has not involved at least some form of government-sponsored research.

To solve our energy and climate challenges, the federal government should double funding for basic energy research, and the way to pay for it is by ending the wasteful Big Wind subsidy on Jan. 1, 2017.

I've spent much of this year working on legislation to drive biomedical research. Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, testified that in 10 years researchers in the United States may be rebuilding hearts from adult stem cells, giving patients artificial organs, and there may be a vaccine for HIV/AIDS.

Just as remarkable are the opportunities available in clean energy research  lowering the cost of energy, cleaning the air, improving health, reducing poverty and helping address climate change.

The biggest problem we have with increasing basic energy research is finding a way to pay for it, so I introduced legislation to help solve that problem.

By ending the 24-year-old wind production tax credit at the end of this year instead of at the end of 2019, Congress could use the $8.1 billion saved to increase the funding for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. This would support the same kind of basic energy research that drove our natural gas boom and could jump-start the next generation of energy innovation.

Let's not continue to give away this money to wind developers, who move forward with wind energy projects often over the objections of communities, towns and homeowners that don't want their farmland and mountains littered with massive 45-story turbines.

And I'm not the only one who says we should focus on research instead of incentives for mature energy technology.

Political scientist Bjorn Lomborg wrote in the Wall Street Journal last month, "Instead of rhetoric and ever-larger subsidies of today's inefficient green technologies, those who want to combat climate change should focus on dramatically boosting innovation to drive down the cost of future green energy."

Lomborg wrote the United States should support energy research the way Bill Gates does through the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, which has committed $7 billion of private funding toward clean energy research.

And Gates has said to me that the government should double its $5 billion investment in basic energy research to boost clean energy innovation.

Such research could help develop small modular reactors, which would allow inherently safe nuclear power to be produced with less capital investment and less resulting nuclear waste in more places. After all, nuclear power provides 60 percent of our country's carbon-free electricity, and it is available 92 percent of the time. Wind, on the other hand, produces 15 percent of our country's carbon-free electricity  and the wind blows only 35 percent of the time.

And basic energy research could also help develop an economical way to capture and use carbon, make solar power cost-competitive, and help advance supercomputing, which is essential to solving the most complex scientific problems and maintaining our country's competitiveness and national security.

In 2014, Congress voted to spend another $6 billion to extend the wasteful wind subsidy for one year. That amount is more than the U.S. spends in an entire year on the Office of Science at the Department of Energy. Let's not make that mistake again.

Basic energy research is one of the most important things the country can do to help unleash our free enterprise system to provide the clean, cheap, reliable energy we need to power our 21st-century economy, create good jobs and keep America competitive in a global economy.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is a Republican from Maryville representing Tennessee.
State Rep. Joe Armstrong's 28-year legislative career has ended in disgrace after a jury found him guilty of filing a false federal tax return.

The Knoxville Democrat rose to national prominence, making his fall from grace farther and more disappointing.

Armstrong first entered public service in 1982, when at the age of 25 he won a seat on the Knox County Commission. He successfully ran for the state House of Representatives in 1988 and was re-elected 13 times. He chaired several committees when Democrats controlled the Legislature and was elected chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus in 1997.

President Barack Obama appointed Armstrong to serve on the White House Health Task Force on Health Reform, which was part of the effort to develop the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In 2012 he was named president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.

The next year the Internal Revenue Service notified Armstrong he was under investigation for tax evasion.

The investigation stemmed from a scheme to make money off a tobacco tax increase. In 2006 cigarettes were taxed at a rate of 20 cents a pack in Tennessee, and lawmakers were to consider an increase in the tobacco levy in 2007.

Testimony in Armstrong's trial showed Boyd Wyatt and Roger Cox, owners of Knoxville tobacco wholesaler Tru Wholesale, paid $30,000 to Robert Carter, a friend of Armstrong's who had worked with the lawmaker at Tengasco, a Knoxville natural gas and oil company, to arrange a meeting with the lawmaker in December 2006. Wyatt and Cox wanted find out whether the tax increase was likely to pass so they could begin hoarding the 20-cent tax stamps.

Cox agreed to allow Armstrong to invest $250,000 in tax stamp purchases because he and Wyatt had exhausted their lines of credit and cash reserves.

Armstrong recruited former longtime Knox County School Board Chairman Sam Anderson to co-sign a loan with BankEast for the $250,000. As a member of the bank's board, Armstrong needed an outsider to help obtain the loan.

The wholesalers made about $3 million by selling cigarettes taxed at the 2006 rate and post tax-increase prices. Cox and Wyatt took a $50,000 cut of Armstron'g profit. Anderson made about $88,000. Armstrong made roughly $321,000.

Though the arrangement was not illegal, Armstrong wanted to shield his investment from public scrutiny, his accountant testified. Charles Stivers said he funneled the checks from Tru Wholesale into his investment firm, then wrote checks to Armstrong to disguise the money's origins.

Armstrong did not pay federal taxes on his profits, however. The jury acquitted him of conspiring with Stivers, to defraud the IRS and of willfully evading taxes, but found him guilty of filing a false tax return. Armstrong faces up to three years in prison. He also could be fined up to $250,000 and ordered to pay the taxes owed with interest and penalties. He is free until sentencing on Nov. 30.

Stivers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the IRS and testified against Armstrong. Anderson did not pay taxes on his profits either, but he has not been charged.

Even though he now is a felon, Armstrong is still eligible for his legislative pension and lifetime health benefits for himself and his family because he began serving in the Legislature before recent reforms were enacted.

The felony conviction disqualifies Armstrong from seeking office, so his long service to the public is at an end. Instead of ending his legislative career with the respect of his constituents and colleagues, he joins an infamous band of Tennessee politicians  among them Ray Blanton, John Ford, Ward Crutchfield and Ted Ray Miller  whose misdeeds have left their reputations in ruins.
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In the Aug. 6 Citizen's Voice, "Presidents should support Truman's toughest decision," author Richard Cook states that President Harry Truman "is disgraced by the only club on the planet that should support him unconditionally," i.e., former and current presidents. What? First, how is disagreeing with a past president's decision (if any of the presidents do) disgraceful? Aren't they allowed to? Disagreement does not lead to disgrace but dialogue. Second, since when do presidents have to support past presidents' decisions unconditionally? Will the next president have to support President Barack Obama's decision to bomb Libya? The writer builds a case out of straw. He writes, "Welcome to America in 2016." Indeed. It's the place it always is at its best, a country that celebrates individual freedom and where we are not forced to support something unconditionally.

Bob Beasley, Maryville
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By Kim Tae-gyu



If the bed-ridden Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee wakes up, he will face the good news that his stocks have appreciated more than 10 percent this year alone.



Chabol.com, a domestic consultancy, said Sunday that Chairman Lee's stocks valued at around 12.7 trillion won ($11.5 billion) as of the end of last week, up 13.1 percent from last year.



As a result, Chairman Lee, who has been hospitalized for longer than two years after suffering a heart attack in May 2014, maintained the lead on the stock-rich tycoons list in Korea.



Amore Pacific Chairman Suh Kyung-bae came second, despite the account balance of the cosmetic giant's owner hardly changing this year at 9.2 trillion won followed by Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong with 7.3 trillion won.



Of note is that, Jae-yong, the only son of Lee and now de facto leader of the nation's largest conglomerate, saw his share value shrink by 4.4 percent this year.



The different portfolios of the father and son explain the divergence _ the senior Lee possesses big stakes in Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung Electronics while the junior Lee has shares in Samsung SDS and Samsung Construction and Trade (C&T).



Samsung Electronics went up by around 28 percent this year largely thanks to robust sales of memory chips and smartphones.



This generated huge capital gains for Chairman Lee and his wife Hong Ra-hee, who also has a substantial stake in the tech behemoth. She was ranked 12th.



By contrast, Samsung SDS plummeted almost 30 percent this year to cause losses for the young Samsung leader.



Things were not different for his sisters Hotel Shilla CEO Bu-jin and Samsung C&T President Seo-hyun, whose stock portfolio is similar to their brother's.



Their share values dropped 8.7 percent this year to 2 trillion won to share ninth place, which means Samsung Chairman Lee and his family members occupy five out of the top 12 spots in the stock-rich table.



Hyundai Automotive Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo took fourth place with 4.5 trillion won, up 0.6 percent from last year, chased by SK Group head Chey Tae-won with 3.7 trillion won, down 3.4 percent.



Shares of CJ Chairman Lee Jae-hyun, who has just received a special presidential pardon on the occasion of the 71th anniversary of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day, dropped 17.4 percent this year to 2.6 trillion won. Still, he managed to stay in seventh.



The businessman, also a nephew of Samsung Chairman Lee, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of multiple charges including embezzlement and tax evasion in 2013.



He spent most of his term at a hospital dealing with a hereditary neurological disorder and the side effects of a kidney transplant in 2013.



One of the biggest beneficiaries of this year's rally in the Seoul bourse is Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin, whose share worth rocketed 23.6 percent to 1.2 trillion won for 16th position.



Last month, the Web portal's Japanese subsidiary Line went through initial public offerings in New York and Tokyo at the same time to become an entity valued at around $10 billion.






Political, economic elites make Koreans feel more miserable



By Kim Jae-kyoung

"I feel like I have no future. I have been trying hard to find a job but I'm still unemployed. I'm also frustrated by corruption cases involving ranking officials. I just want to leave this country," said a 27-year-old Korean college graduate living in Seoul.

"I love Korea. I'm impressed by Korea's rapid economic achievements and fascinated by hallyu or The Korean Wave. Korea is one of the most attractive countries in the world. I really want to visit Korea," said a Singaporean businesswoman in her late 20s living in Singapore.

These two contrasting views of South Korea show a perception gap between those inside the country and those outside.

A growing number of people outside of Korea, particularly those in Southeast Asia, have very positive views about Korea. They respect and envy Korea's economic achievements and the popularity of Korean culture.

In contrast, many Koreans living here are dissatisfied with their lives even though their living standards have been improving. They call Korea "Hell Joseon," a self-depreciating term used to describe the country as a hell-like place.

Korea is becoming a popular place to visit, yet many Koreans are eager to leave the country.

"Recently, a gap has formed, and the gap is real," a senior consultant at a global consulting firm's Seoul office told The Korea Times, asking not to be named.

"The gap exists because there is a time lag for a country's internal issues and dynamics to become known by the outside, especially for a country like Korea where the international community is rather small," he added. "The gap will not widen as the time lag will lapse eventually."

Perception gap

While people outside of Korea are impressed by the past that many of them seek to emulate for their own country, Koreans are seeing many challenges in their everyday life.

The younger generation here sees limited opportunities to achieve success, a large portion of the elderly segment cannot afford their own retirement, and many people in the middle class feel overworked with no corresponding reward. Raising a child in this environment is less and less of a joyful experience.

"Foreigners have a bird's eye view of the Korean economy, while Koreans at home see everything including the warts in society," said Sohn Sung-won, economics professor at California State University.












By Jhoo Dong-chan

Imported tire brands are showing steady growth in sales on the domestic market at the expense of the three local manufacturers.

According to the Korea Tire Manufacturers Association, Sunday, the total value of imported tires reached $511.48 million, or 561.6 billion won, as of 2015, up 63.8 percent from $312.27 million in 2010. Tire imports in the January to June period this year also increased 6.2 percent year-on-year to $250.84 million.

Of them, Chinese tires had a 33.6 percent share, followed by German makes with 9.5 percent, Japanese with 9 percent, Thai with 8.1 percent, French with 4.8 percent and Italian with 1.4 percent.

Tire products imported from China have seen a steady growth in sales over the past several years because of strong demand from commercial vehicle manufacturers, while Japanese tires that had dominated the nation's tire market until the early 2000s have shown a continuous decline in market share.

U.S. and German tires have recently shown notable growth along with their auto brands' sales boom over recent years.

The nation's largest automaker Hyundai Motor, which has traditionally used domestic tires on their new models, also chose France-based Michelin and Germany-based Continental as new suppliers for its newly launched Genesis EQ900 sedan while the Ioniq hybrid is equipped with Michelin tires.

The growth in the nation's imported tire market is influencing the sales of domestic tire makers.

Korea's largest tire maker Hankook Tire recorded 1.4 trillion won in domestic sales in 2014, but declined to 1.26 trillion last year.

Its rival Kumho Tire reached 1.08 trillion in domestic sales in 2013, but this has since dropped to 1.03 trillion won in 2014 and 974 billion won in 2015.

Another domestic player Nexen Tire showed a decline in sales from 485.6 billion won in 2014 to 466.2 billion won in 2015.

"It natural to see more imported tires because more foreign brand cars are imported to Korea. Once a certain tire brand is equipped in a newly launched model, drivers don't usually change them," said an industry official.

"So we are now trying to become a tire supplier of imported auto brands as a part of our efforts to diversify our business operations."
South Korea's national flag will take center stage in this year's Liberation Day celebrations, the Seoul metropolitan government said Sunday.



The municipal authorities and ward officials said they will prominently use the Taegeukgi, South Korea's flag, to highlight the people's love of their country and liberation from the oppressive Japanese colonial rule (1910-45).



"The goal is to cover the city with a wave of Taegeukgi to mark the national holiday that falls on Monday," a Seoul city official said. He pointed out that the city's wards are all taking part in this movement.



Taegeukgi is comprised of a red and blue roundel on a while field with the four corners decorated by so-called trigams. The flag symbolizes harmony, peace, purity, and the "four classic elements" of the heaven, sun, moon and earth.



An enlarged version of the flag used by freedom fighters that fought Japanese occupiers has been set up at the outer wall at city hall. The flag is signed with the names of 70 fighters who also expressed their firm resolve to liberate the country from Japanese rule and give up their lives for the fatherland.



The original flag is held at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, 92 kilometers south of Seoul.



In addition, a floral version of the national flag measuring 5.2 meters tall and 7 m wide has been erected at the Gwanghwamun thoroughfare in downtown Seoul. This is decorated with more than 9,000 flowers of all types.



Besides the city, Gangnam, Songpa, Yongsan and other wards have kicked off their own flag campaigns to get people to hoist people in their homes and buildings.



Gangnam ward, south of the Han River, has launched a drive to have the Taegeukgi hoisted on 90 percent of all homes and buildings in its jurisdiction.



Others have set up pinwheels using the national flag motif and have erected a tunnel made from painted gourds. Some are planning to allow citizens to walk and wave flags in celebration along boulevards blocked to traffic.



In addition, Lotte Tower, which will be South Korea's highest skyscraper when it opens next year, has been displaying a 20-by-20-m flag on its outer wall since last week, with a slogan of encouragement to the people. (Yonhap)




By Kim Bo-eun



Various civic groups held rallies throughout Seoul, Sunday, commemorating Liberation Day, promoting peace and protesting against war.



Liberation Day, which officially falls today, marks Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945) following Japan's defeat in World War II.



Over 1,500 civic group members took part in an anti-war march from the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, passing the Ministry of Defense, Noksapyeong Station and the U.S. army base.



They called for the Japanese government to apologize for its colonization of Korea.



Events marking the 25th anniversary of the first public testimony of a Korean "comfort woman," or sex slave for the Japanese military, were also held.



On Aug. 14, 1991, the late Kim Hak-soon first spoke out about her experiences as a victim of Japan's sexual enslavement, making the issue public and prompting movements to call for Japan's apology and reparations for the women.



A civic group supporting the former sex slaves held an event in front of the Japanese Embassy, in downtown Seoul. In a speech, former sex slave Kim Bok-dong denounced the Japanese government for avoiding legal responsibility for its atrocities.



Around 1,000 participants of the event called for the victims' honor to be restored, demanding the annulment of the December agreement between the Korean and Japanese governments to put the issue to rest by Tokyo providing 1 billion yen to Seoul.



The Korean government established a foundation to carry out the agreement, but many victims and civic groups say they cannot accept it, as the Japanese government failed to take legal responsibility over the issue and the two governments are still wrangling over the semantic clarity of the 1 billion yen fund, whether it is reparations or humanitarian assistance.



At Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul, around 1,000 participants gathered for a discussion on a peaceful unification, urging the government to hold talks with North Korea. They moved to Seoul Plaza to join around 5,000 more people in all calling for unification and peace on the Korean Peninsula.




A secret bar where couples in their 20s to 40s openly have group sex in front of visitors has been operating in the middle of Seoul for seven years, a TV network reported Thursday. / Courtesy of YouTube



By Hong Dam-young

A clandestine bar where couples openly have sex and watch other couples having sex has been operating in the middle of Seoul, a TV network reported Thursday.

Couples in their 20s to 40s hand in their mobile phones and other belongings before the sex party, which includes group sex and swapping partners.

The bar is on the third floor of a building in the middle of Hongdae, one of Seoul's busiest night-out areas, according to TV Chosun.

There are shower booths and cleansers for women to use after sex.

The bar even runs a blog where readers can find explicit reviews, a bulletin board aimed at foreigners, and photos of a dressing room that holds erotic clothing, TV Chosun said.

The bar has remained confidential for seven years, thanks to strict security checks. It is open only to members, who must make a reservation.

Sex parties in public have been disclosed and reported several times. On Aug. 1, the National Police Agency arrested members of a ring that held secret group sex inside what was disguised as a restaurant in Seoul.

There are also plenty of online reviews by those who share their experiences of group sex in such bars.

The reviews say that the bars' main customers range from elderly couples seeking new excitement to young couples with open attitudes toward sex.

They also call each other only by their "nicknames."

But a crackdown on such activity is difficult because group-sex does not fall into prostitution because it is done under mutual agreement.

High security on group-sex venues also contributes to the difficulty.

"The frequency of reports of such activities is very low because they are hard to detect," a police official said.

"We act only if we receive reports. But if there are none, we cannot take any action."
Tokyo lodges complaint with Seoul



By Jun Ji-hye



Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties will visit the nation's easternmost islets of Dokdo, Monday, to mark Liberation Day despite protests from Japan.



The visit is expected to complicate Seoul-Tokyo relations with the two countries already in a tug-of-war over how to use 1 billion yen ($9.9 million) that the Japanese government has promised to pay to assist South Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual enslavement under a landmark deal reached last year.



Japan lodged a complaint against the visit by Korean lawmakers to Dokdo, Saturday, but the group, led by Rep. Na Kyung-won of the ruling Saenuri Party, a former chairwoman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee, said the protest does not matter.



Those who will visit Dokdo include Reps. Na Kyung-won, Sung Il-jong, Khang Hyo-sang, Kim Sung-tae, Lee Jong-myeong and Yoon Jong-pil from the ruling party; Reps. Kim Jong-min and Hwang Hee of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea; and Rep. Chang Jung-sook of the minor opposition People's Party.



They plan to visit the islets by helicopters along with civic activists and meet with the police detachment there as part of an event to celebrate the 71st anniversary of Korea's liberation from the 1910-45 Japanese occupation.



"The visit is designed to express the strong will to defend the islets and inspire patriotism amid continuous sovereignty claims by Japan," the group said in a press release.



Korea has effectively controlled Dokdo with a small police detachment there since its liberation from Japan in 1945. But, Tokyo has claimed that the islets, which lie closer to Korea, are part of its territory.



Most recently, Tokyo declared its sovereignty over the islets, which it calls Takeshima, in its annual defense white paper released early this month for the 12th straight year.



On Saturday, Tokyo's foreign ministry, through a phone call to the Korean Embassy in Japan, lodged a complaint over the lawmakers visit to the islets, saying the country cannot accept such a tour based on its position on Dokdo ownership, according to officials.



The Japanese Embassy to Korea also expressed its regret to the Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



The ministry responded that Dokdo is indigenous Korean territory geographically, historically and legally, so it would not accept Tokyo's argument.



Rep. Sung told reporters, "Japan's claim is not worth noticing," adding that he and other lawmakers go ahead with the visit as planned.



This is expected to add fuel to already existing discord between the two nations over their different views on the nature of Japan's funding for a foundation dedicated to former wartime sex slaves.



Under a Dec. 28 deal to end their dispute over imperial Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean women before and during World War II, the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation was established late last month in Seoul, and the Japanese government vowed to provide funding to the tune of 1 billion yen.



But Japan maintains that all compensation for the colonial occupation was settled in a 1965 treaty, which established diplomatic relations with South Korea, and said the money it is providing should not be seen as reparations but as "healing money."



Based on such a perception, Japan reportedly wants to indirectly support the victims by, for example, providing medical services, while Korea wants to give the funds directly to the victims, according to sources.



On Friday, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to "swiftly" hand over the money during telephone talks with his Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se, according to the foreign ministry.



The latest development came amid a delay in the transfer, but observers say it still remains to be seen when this will take place as Tokyo did not clarify the timing.



Even after its official launch, the foundation has been unable to begin work because the two governments' lingering rift over a statue of a girl symbolizing comfort women in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul has caused Japan to delay the transfer.



Tokyo has called for the removal of the statue. But Seoul has maintained that while it can suggest such a move to the civic groups that erected it, it has no authority to take unilateral action.



Up to 200,000 women, mostly Koreans, were enslaved in front-line brothels for the imperial Japanese troops during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula (1910-45). Currently, only 40 confirmed victims of the sexual servitude here remain alive.




A Hyunmoo 2A missile



By Jun Ji-hye

The military plans to increase the number of Hyunmoo surface-to-surface ballistic and cruise missiles that can simultaneously strike missile bases all across North Korea in a time of war, sources said Sunday.

This is part of Seoul's plan to establish the "Kill Chain" preemptive strike and Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) systems by the 2020s.

South Korea is currently operating Hyunmoo 2A and 2B short-range ballistic missiles with maximum ranges of 300 and 500 kilometers, respectively, and Hyunmoo 3 cruise missiles with a range of 1,000 kilometers. The military refused to disclose how many Hyunmoo missiles are currently in place, and how many will be added.

"The military will increase operational deployment and combat reserves of Hyunmoo missiles," a source said on condition of anonymity.

The plan has been drawn based on awareness that the North may launch its missiles all at once against the South if it starts another war and of the need for the Seoul to conduct preemptive strikes if intelligence agencies detect an imminent threat, the source explained.

Pyongyang is known to have some 1,000 missiles.

Last month, Defense Minister Han Min-koo also said during a session of the National Assembly that Seoul has developed the concept of the three-pillar systems composed of the Kill Chain, the KAMD and Hyunmoo ballistic missiles.

"Relevant plans have been considerably developed and brought into shape," he told lawmakers.

According to the 2014 Defense White Paper, the isolated state operationally deployed four kinds of ballistic missiles  Scud-B, which has a range of up to 300 kilometers; Scud-C, which has a range of 500 kilometers; Nodong, which has a range of 1,300 kilometers; and Musudan, with a range of over 3,000 kilometers.

Scuds are capable of striking the entire Korean Peninsula, while the Nodong can hit a target on the Japanese mainland and Okinawa. The Musudan can reach Guam.

The North is also believed to be developing its abilities to build a nuclear weapon small enough to fit on its KN-08 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) to hit the U.S. mainland.

Hyunmoo missiles were jointly developed by the state-run Agency for Defense Development and local defense company LIG Nex1.
Cote d'Ivoire Ambassador to Korea Sylvestre Kouassi Bile speaks at a reception to mark his country's 56th anniversary of independence at the Lotte Hotel Seoul on Aug. 8. / Courtesy of the Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire

By Rachel Lee

Cote d'Ivoire Ambassador to Korea Sylvestre Kouassi Bile marked his country's 56th anniversary of independence with a reception at the Lotte Hotel Seoul on August 8.

"Cote d'Ivoire, under the guidance of President Alassane Ouattara, has an ambition to become an emerging country by 2020," the ambassador said. "To reach this goal, efforts are being made to introduce strong and credible institutions in the country, which is reassuring on both the national and international stages, and to consolidate the democratic progress achieved."

The envoy highlighted the country's strong economic performance over the past four years  an average 9 percent a year, positioning itself as one of Africa and the world's fastest-growing countries.

"These economic performances made it possible to raise resources in the international market and to attract many foreign investors, which includes a growing number of Korean businessmen whose contribution to development efforts in the Cote d'Ivoire we greatly value," Bile said.

The event also marked the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the African country, established in 1961, the ambassador said.

Bile said there have been high-level delegations between the two since, which included President Ouattara's first visit to Seoul in 2014 as Ivorian head of state.

Other big events were the Korea-Cote d'Ivoire Economic Forum, organized in Abidjan last year, and the reopening of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency office in Abidjan this year.

"I am pleased to note that the annual total value of trade between the two countries has almost doubled, rising from $120 million in 2012 to $230 million in 2015," Bile said

"However, efforts must be maintained to stimulate our exchanges at the level of potential existing in our two countries."

Korean companies had a successful presence in Cote d'Ivoire in electronics and the sale of new vehicles, the ambassador said.

"The Korean expertise is called upon to build extensive sites of thermal power plants to reinforce the production of electricity and create economic infrastructure," Bile said.

"I wish to invite Korean economic operators to establish fruitful partnerships as part of the implementation of the National Development Plan 2016-2020, which offers many investment opportunities."
By Rachel Lee

e exhibition is being held at the Korea Foundation (KF) Gallery in Seoul from August 13-27.

The"100 Best Posters" exhibition aims to offer Koreans an opportunity to learn about today's European graphic design scene, selected by the 100 Best Posters Association.

"The exhibition being held outside Europe for the first time means a lot," KF President Lee Si-hyung said. "Through the show, Koreans can improve their understanding of the cultures and arts of German-speaking nations and also see the latest trends in the graphic design industry."

Every year the 100 Best Posters Association searches out the best and unique poster designs in German-speaking countries, the KF said.

The winning works have traditionally been on show in Berlin, Essen and Nuremberg in Germany; Vienna and Dornbirn in Austria, and Lucerne and La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland.

The KF was founded in 1992 for international exchange and public diplomacy initiatives.

For more information, visit www.kf.or.kr.
Singapore



Singapore celebrates National Day in Seoul

By Rachel Lee

Singaporean Ambassador to Korea Yip Wei Kiat hosts a concert to celebrate Singapore's National Day and Korea's Liberation Day at the Star Plaza in Seoul today.

The "Korea-Singapore Friendship Concert," co-organized with the Seodaemun District Office, brings together performances by the Singapore Wind Symphony (SWS) and the Sejong Symphonic Wind Orchestra (SSWO). It features 11 pieces, with five performed by the SSWO, four by the SWS and two combined pieces.

The SWS, led by director Adrian Tan, has played a central role in the development of wind band music in the Asian country since its establishment in 1977, according to the Embassy of Singapore. For the past four years, it has commissioned and premiered more than 100 works from more than 20 local composers, working with internationally renowned soloists including Joseph Alessi and Joe Burgstaller and conductor Johan De Meij.

Since its founding in 2014, the orchestra has participated in numerous festivals, including the 2014 Sejong Art Festival and the 2015 & 2016 Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival. It is known for performing a wide range of repertoire from classical pieces to contemporary.

FRANCE

Classic festival goes nationwide



The French Embassy in Seoul will host classical music concerts around Korea as part of its celebrations for the France-Korea Year 2015-2016 and 130 years of friendship between the two countries, on August 26 to September 5.





The events will be held nationwide.



The Year of France in Korea events run until December. Some of the highlights have included: the "Discover Charcuteries" event that introduced French culinary specialty charcuterie last month; a new, exclusive creation of Jose Montalvo with the National Dance Company of Korea showcase in March; and French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's installation "King of Signs" surrounding the statue of King Sejong the Great in the capital city's Jongno-gu.



For more information, visit According to the embassy, the "Coree-France Classic Festival" will feature some top French artists  pianists Emmanuel Strosser and Denis Pascal, violinist Olivier Charlier and mezzo-soprano Marie Paule Milone  Korean pianist Lee Hyo-joo and clarinettist Chae Jae-il. The musicians will perform Koreans' favourite classic pieces, including "Gabriel's Oboe" by E. Moricone, "Il postino" by L. Bacalov and "La Strada" suite (arr. Ohad Ben Ari) by N. Rota.The events will be held nationwide.The Year of France in Korea events run until December. Some of the highlights have included: the "Discover Charcuteries" event that introduced French culinary specialty charcuterie last month; a new, exclusive creation of Jose Montalvo with the National Dance Company of Korea showcase in March; and French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's installation "King of Signs" surrounding the statue of King Sejong the Great in the capital city's Jongno-gu.For more information, visit www.institutfrancais-seoul.com.





AFGHANISTAN




French Ambassador to Korea Fabien Penone, right, speaks at a forum at the National Assembly in Seoul on Aug. 4. Eighteen Korean lawmakers attended the event to discuss the country's low birthrate. Penone introduced some of his country's key policies that have increased the fertility rate to 2.08 last year from 1.6 in 1990. He said France's working environment enables women to pursue both their career and their role as parent at the same time.



/ Courtesy of the Embassy of France
Mamoru Shigemitsu, then Japanese foreign affairs minister, signs the Japanese instrument of surrender on board the USS Missouri on Sept. 2, 1945. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, far left, and Gen. Richard K. Sutherland stand in front of Shigemitsu. / Korea Times file







Who is

An Hong-kyoon?



An Hong-kyoon was born in

1932 in Cheongju, North

Chungcheong Province. He

attended Kyunggi Middle School.

During the Korean War, he

joined the Korean Army and

served in a frontline unit and in

various staff positions after the

armistice. He was released from

service in 1959 to study abroad.

He graduated from the University of

Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1963, attended George Washington

University 1963-69, earning

an MA and completing his Ph.D. course work in international

relations. He served as a research fellow at Princeton University and the Federal Research Service of the Library of Congress. In 1977, he was a professional

staff member for the U.S. House

of Representatives investigating

the Koreagate allegations. As a

registered foreign interest lobbyist, he represented overseas

interests in the U.S. From 1993

to 2012, he worked for the FBI.

By An Hong-kyoon

The day began just like any other day. I woke up to dull, humid air that promised another sweltering day, typical of mid-summer Seoul. I was a month short of 13 years old and, since April 1, had been a first-year middle school student  the American equivalent of the 7th grade.

That morning, my house was nearly empty because most of the members of my family had been evacuated to our country house in Guangju, some thirty miles southeast of Seoul. Many cities in Japan were being bombed by American B-29s, and we were afraid Seoul might face the same fate any day. Only a week earlier, the Japanese imperial high command reported that the bombs that had hit Hiroshima, and Nagasaki three days afterwards, were Tokushu bakudan, special bombs. Strangely, no cities on the Korean peninsula had been subjected to American airstrikes to that day, except that on several occasions, a single B-29 flew majestically high above in the sky, leaving white vapor trails in its wake. We watched the silver-colored Superfortress  the name we learned later  in awe. There were no Japanese interceptors in sight, and people wondered why.

As I finished putting on my khaki school uniform, complete with a pair of gaiters, our house maid Sukja brought in my breakfast. I glanced at the rice bowl and grimaced. It was half full and the food in it was nearly black, mostly sorghum and little rice. Sukja smiled at me uncomfortably as if it was her fault. Japan had been at war with the United States for nearly four years and the food ration had grown worse.

"Sukja is an orphan," my mother had told us several months earlier when she had brought Sukja from my mother's native county, Cheongyang. Sukja was a year older than I and small for her age, but she had unusually sharp and shining eyes. After cleaning the dinner dishes, she often came into my room and watched me doing homework. I knew she was illiterate by the way she handled my books. Yet she was full of curiosity and seemed intrigued by my English textbook.







An Hong-kyoon, top, poses with his classmates in a photo taken when attending Kyunggi Middle School in Seoul in the 1940s. / Courtesy of An Hong-kyoon



After breakfast, I walked the four miles to school at a brisk pace and was sweaty when I reached my school. The school building, once a white-walled structure and one of the landmarks in Seoul, was painted black to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Passing through the campus gate, the obligatory daily ritual began. First, I, like everyone else, stood in front of the Hoanden, a small concrete shrine, and bowed. The shrine housed two imperial edicts, one relating to the ethical and moral principles of the Japanese, and the other the December 8, 1941 declaration of war that started the war in the Pacific. At eight o'clock, the entire student body was in the customary parade formation. At the high-pitched command of the teacher on duty, we turned to the east in the direction of the imperial palace and bowed deeply, bending 90-degrees. Then we recited in unison the pledge of allegiance to the emperor. It was telling that natural-born Japanese were not required to recite the pledge, only colonial Koreans. It was the daily reminder that we had to be loyal to Japan.

When the morning assembly was over, Principal Shimada said that there would be no regular classes today. All would continue to do the same work as in the past weeks: upper classmen digging trenches; junior classmen collecting pine oil. "By the way," he said as if in a second thought, "there will be an important government announcement at noon today. All are required to assemble at the nearest schoolyard and hear the broadcast. No exceptions," he said sternly.

Marching in a column of fours to the Bugak Mountain north of our school, one classmate wondered aloud what would the important broadcast be about. "Nothing extraordinary," another opined. "Some big shot will tell us we must work harder for the final victory, the usual lecture." We all agreed in silence.

Even while the battle lines in the Pacific had been steadily moving northward from the South Pacific islands to the Philippines to Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the Japanese high command repeatedly assured us that no filthy American boots would be allowed to step on the sacred soil of Nippon, the divine land under the Arahitokami emperor Hirohito, the reigning god in human form. We will beat back the invading Americans at our shoreline, Japan's war propaganda machine shrieked incessantly, and we had no reason to doubt it.

To do our part for the war effort, we roamed Bugak Mountain and collected pine resin. Pine resin, we were told, was used to produce pine oil, which supplemented petroleum that the Imperial Navy desperately needed. In those days, it was a common scene that the mountains and hills were covered with students collecting pine resin. The total collected in a year, we learned, was enough to fill two naval fuel tankers. I thought that wasn't much for the nationwide effort, but I kept the thought to myself. You'd better watch your mouth in wartime, nervous parents cautioned their children repeatedly.

As noontime approached, we were taken to a nearby elementary school. Besides us, the schoolyard was filled with factory workers and local youth group members as well as townspeople, all standing in military formations.

Exactly at noon, a radio announcer stated that his majesty the emperor would read an edict to his subjects. The Japanese national anthem streamed through a loud speaker as we stood at straight attention. Then there was the voice of Emperor Hirohito, the living god, no ordinary people had ever expected to hear in their wildest dream. The highly formal court language he delivered in his high-pitched voice via the poor reception was nearly impossible to follow, however. Standing in tight attention under the glaring sunlight, I quickly lost my interest. Bored, I looked at my Japanese teachers standing in front of us. Most were listening intently One seemed unimpressed. He appeared puzzled, and his face grew slowly contorted as the emperor's voice continued. He must have sensed something ominous. I did not care. I was thirsty and wanted to go home. A while later, it was over. Our teachers dismissed us. No more work for the remainder of the day. We gave a cheer and hurried home.

Sukja who was home alone wondered why I came home early. Dedicated as usual, she served me with two slices of watermelon.

Then my father came home. It was unusual for him to leave his office so early. He called me into his room and instructed me to sit. I knew he was serious. He said, "Japan lost the war and the emperor surrendered to America!"

What? Japan surrendered? What does it mean? My head spun and then turned white blank. I stared at him.

"Now, Hong-Kyoon," looking at me squarely, my father asked, "are you happy or sad?"

A chill ran through my back. I knew that this father of mine was asking me a very, very important question, so critical that how I answered would determine whether I was a worthy a son for him or not. Many thoughts flickered through my head all at once. Did I not swear my allegiance to Japan several hours earlier that morning?, But... Then my instincts took over, hard: Japan has surrendered, but I am a Korean, not a Japanese. That's it! "I am happy that Japan surrendered," I answered with deliberate certainty.

"Right," my father's face broke loose into all smiles. "We are liberated from the Japanese rule. Korea will become an independent country, again." Almost unconsciously, he touched his close-cropped head. Barely a couple of months ago, my father had succumbed to the pressure of the rising war fervor and had cut his Western-style long hair short. All males were expected to look like soldiers.

I was delighted that I had passed my father's test. And I felt a surge of exultation steadily engulf me at the realization that Korea was free again from Japan's colonial rule. It was almost a miracle few Koreans had seriously anticipated until noon of the day, August 15, 1945. Our nightmare of 35 years since our country was annexed by Japan in 1910 was over.

There was a knock on the front door, and Sukja led in my aunt - my father's eldest sister. The aunt was happy to see that my father was home. After a short exchange of pleasantries, my aunt cautiously asked my father what Japan would do now. It was obvious that my aunt was concerned about her two sons. The older son was working at a munitions factory somewhere in Japan, and the younger one had been inducted into the Japanese Navy. My aunt did not know where her second son was. My father assured her that they would come home soon. "They will come home," he stressed.

My father then took off. He wanted to meet with his friends to discuss Korea's future.

I called Sukja to ask her for slices of watermelon for my aunt, but there was no answer. She must have gone outside, my aunt told me.

My aunt then asked me if I remembered how to write my name in Hangul, the Korean alphabet. I had not written anything in Korean since my second grade year when the Korean public schools stopped teaching the Korean language. Ever since, the Korean language had been banned in schools and in public, we could only use Japanese. Under the expectant eyes of my aunt, I tried to write my name in Hangul, and I failed miserably. I was stunned and embarrassed. At thirteen, I could not write my own name in my own language. My aunt stroked my back gently and taught me how to write my name. I mastered it in less than five minutes.

That day, like all of my fellow Koreans, I held the vexatious Japanese version of my name forced upon me by the Japanese colonial rulers several years ago.

I stepped out of the house to see my aunt off, and saw many townspeople pushing in scrum, shouting Haebang...Dongrip - liberation... independence. In a distant street corner, I saw a black-uniformed Japanese policeman with the regulation sabre hanging on his side watching the crowd apprehensively. It was a striking sight, Koreans shouting "Independence" in front of a Japanese policeman, unthinkable before noontime that day. A sense for a new reality, a phenomenal new era, began to permeate into my heart.

The dusk of a summer evening slowly descended upon the earth, and our maid Sukja was nowhere to be found. I was alone, getting hungry and began to worry about her. She had never been away for so long at a time and without permission. It was almost dark when she returned. She stood before me stiffly, and before I had a chance to open my mouth, she declared, "I want to leave."

"Leave? What do you mean? Where have you been?" Sensing something untoward, I asked her as gently as I could.

"I don't want to be your maid any more. Our country is free now, and I want to be free. I was talking with Mr. Yun, and he told me what had happened today. He told me I could have a better life, no need for me to be a maid, I can even go to school." Mr. Yun was our popular neighbor, a college student. I knew him well, and he was like an elder brother to me. He had loaned me many books.

I was awestruck. "But where is my dinner?" I asked her, and I realized it was a foolish thing to ask.

"I am going back my home village tonight. I will catch the midnight train. I have to pack," she said and retreated to her room adjacent to the kitchen.

I lay down on the floor and watched the ceiling, totally lost.

"Goodbye," I heard Sukja saying, and with a small pack on her back, she disappeared into the dark street.

I started to sob. And I heard a voice murmur into my ear: "Why do you cry? You are a big boy now, and aren't you ashamed of yourself for crying? What's the matter with you? Do you miss her?"

"I don't know why I am crying," I answered to the murmur. "No, I don't miss her. It's just that I thought she had to protect me; she betrayed me, and I am sad."

I soon fell asleep.
By Stephen Costello

Three months ago a policy specialist here in Washington asked for my responses to his questions about Japan-Korea-US cooperation with Aegis platforms, and intelligence sharing about North Korea. Today these issues have come up again due to statements about how the ROK government would use THAAD radar information gathered about North Korea and possibly shared with Japan. The North Korean missile launch of 3 August landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone, and prompted Japan's Self Defense Forces to be prepared to shoot the next one down.

1. This Aegis system is only useful for detecting one or two missiles and doesn't detect short-range missiles on land  so how useful will these drills be in stopping an actual attack from North Korea?

As you imply, the system that is being tested, linked trilateral MD for ballistic missiles, is almost irrelevant to possible attacks from North Korea. They would more likely use artillery or short-range missiles, or many other means to damage South Korea, if they wanted to.

2. How exactly is this related to the intelligence-sharing pact of 2014? If that agreement already existed, how big of a new step is this joint exercise? Why doesn't the agreement recognize direct sharing between Korea and Japan?

The Intelligence Sharing Agreement has long been used as a proxy for dueling national interests and policies, and ideological posturing by the three governments (US, Japan and Korea). Its utility was mainly to clean up laws that would have prohibited joint action between Japan and Korea. Because of the new exercise's primarily symbolic role, it serves as a substitute for more serious, meaningful and long-term diplomacy by the three. The absence of direct Japan-Korea sharing is an indication that this is being done to please the US and continue with rather transparent posturing in order to avoid political risk and the responsibility for lowering tensions.

3. Will these exercises pave the way for more cooperation? What do you expect the future of cooperation between these countries will entail?

I doubt these exercises will pave the way for anything more ambitious. The fundamental distrust between insecure actors (Abe and Park) will keep it minimal. In a way, the over-hyped declarations over this by the US, less-so by Japan, and even less by Korea, perfectly show how limited this cooperation is.

4. How are China and Russia responding to this?

China and Russia are responding exactly as expected. On the one hand, they would oppose any military cooperation in East Asia that includes the US, for ideological reasons. Both have become more opposed to US policies and interests. On the other, they are correct that the goal of such MD plans is to counter and balance against Chinese and Russian capabilities, however modest they may be. The real question is whether ambitious US MD plans are upsetting the goals or laws of the ABM Treaty and fueling a more rapid arms race. The other real question regards the logic of the 15 year attempt to sanction and isolate the DPRK into capitulation. No serious scholar believes this strategy will work, so it is a substitute for more ambitious actions.

5. Who else is in opposition to these exercises? What might be reasons for concern?

Opponents will include many arms control professionals. Russia and China are looking for cheap ways to counter US qualitative and quantitative advantages and that ought to be our long-term focus. There are important debates on those issues.

Other opponents will be in Japan and Korea. In Korea the worry is that conservative, anti-communist nationalists, given an outsized voice by President Park, would subordinate Korea's nascent independent role as mediator and/or arms control advocate (without damaging the ROK-US alliance) by joining in an approach to Northeast Asia developed by Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld and adopted by Obama, that forces them to choose between US and Chinese political tactics and security fears. To many of them, Korean diplomatic flexibility vanishes when they sign up to be part of a perceived military-first, minimum-diplomacy US approach to that neighborhood. The fact that this US approach has produced a nuclear North Korea, makes everyone less safe, and has no practical end-game is also relevant here.

6. Without the threat from North Korea, would this cooperation be happening?

North Korea and its increasing threats are central to all of this. The only reason this MD cooperation could be considered rational is that the NK issues remain unresolved, and certainly unaddressed, which allows them to be cast as great threats. Without them, this question would be a clear debate about how we follow the law and logic of the ABM Treaty while balancing against real threats from China.

The narrow and a-historical nationalisms of Prime Minister Abe and President Park have prevented their administrations from seeing and acting to support bilateral or trilateral military cooperation, "defense" or otherwise. For these reasons, this exercise fits perfectly into the urgent but shallow political needs of all three, without contributing any significant practical military advantage. In many ways, cooperation between Korea and Japan is logical and needed. It is also a requirement for democratic middle powers to not only share intelligence on North Korea - which is the selling point for the current exercise - but to jointly do a range of common security, contingencies-other-than-war, natural disaster, and asset-maximization tasks.

Aegis systems and naval platforms are nice to have, but humanitarian capabilities may be more relevant to both public needs and strategic interests. Hospital ship: $300 million, Chinook CH-47 helicopter: $30 million, Aegis Destroyer: $2 billion. Many in Japan and Korea do not buy the argument that "historical" bad feelings prevent this sort of cooperation. Such bad feelings are often manipulated by minority groups for political advantage.

Today, it's possible that political dynamics may be changing in Korea and Japan. If they do, MD will fade quickly in significance, to be replaced by more useful bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and by real disarmament and denuclearization. We'll see.

Stephen Costello is a producer of AsiaEast, a web and broadcast-based policy roundtable focused on security, development and politics in Northeast Asia. He writes from Washington, D.C. He can be reached at scost55@gmail.com.
/ Korea Times photo by Jung Min-ho



Korea should not waste its hard-won opportunity for global leadership'

By Jung Min-ho, Kim Eil-chul

Korea's healthcare industry is enjoying its good days. Its hospitals are packed with foreign patients, its doctors are speaking at the podiums of international conferences and its pharmaceutical companies are increasing their research and development (R&D) investment like never before.

There has never been a better time for the country's healthcare industry in terms of financial gains and global reputation. But if you believe it will continue to thrive, you are an optimist, says Professor Chung Hyun-cheol at Severance Hospital.

The noted oncologist reckons that Korea today is in a position where it has to resolve some complicated questions in order to move forward. The next five years, he said, will be critical for the nation's healthcare industry and future.

"If Korea misses the opportunity it has now, I think there won't be any better ones for a long time," Chung said in an interview. "As industries like shipbuilding and steel are crumbling, we all should cooperate to find ways to get the most out of the emerging industry. I mean, what else do we have now?"

If the country can manage to seize the opportunity, he said, the rewards may be the biggest it has ever seen.

Optimists can say Korea is in a terrific position. The country may not have a population big enough to become a global healthcare market, but it is interconnected with populous China and Southeast Asia. Moreover, unlike its neighboring countries that are starting to develop their medical infrastructure, Korea already has great infrastructure, sophisticated surgeons and researchers and world-class technologies.

All these advantages make Korea attractive both as a seller and buyer in the growing healthcare market in Asia.

"Having Asian leadership means a lot more now than 10 years ago," Chung said. "By many standards, Korea is a medical leader in the burgeoning Asia. Now, the key question for Korea is how to make the best use of Asia's growing influence and its own resources in the coming era."

In fact, the United States is losing its traditional dominance in biomedical R&D. According to research done by the University of Michigan Health System in 2014, the U.S. share in the global biomedical R&D business declined to 45 percent from 51 percent between 2007 and 2012, while Asia's swelled to 24 percent from 18 percent during the same period.





Medical workers from Mozambique visit Yonsei Cancer Center at Severance Hospital in Seoul in 2014. Chung Hyun-cheol, who has devoted his career to cancer research and treatment, served as the director of the center from 2009 to 2013. / Courtesy of Yonsei Cancer Center



The bad news, however, is that other Asian nations, especially China, are catching up fast to Korea in the biomedical field. According to the Science and Engineering Indicators report by the U.S. government this year, China makes up 20 percent of the world's total R&D expenditures, the second largest only after the United States.

Given the size of its investment and the pace of its development, Chung believes China's rise will be quick. "Although Korea still leads China in many biomedical areas, it won't be long until China catches up," he said. "This is why Korea should create its own game instead of running on the same track with followers."

One of his suggestions is the expansion of Korea's role as an agenda-setter in and a gatekeeper to the Asian biomedical industry.

"In terms of both quantity and quality, Korea's research ability has improved greatly over the past few years. Korean doctors now participate in the preclinical phase of drug development and select research partners," Chung said. "Given its global standing and its network within Asia, Korea can play such roles."

According to the Korea National Enterprise for Clinical Trials, Korea ranked ninth in the world (second in Asia after Japan) in the number of clinical trials conducted in 2015. This is a dramatic improvement from 1987, when Chung had to explain to government officials what the term "clinical trial" means.

European countries used to be dominant in the biomedical industry until the beginning of the 1980s, when the United States surged to the forefront. And it may soon be Asia's turn.

"I believe Korea has great potential to lead the world to the new era," he said. "Yes, I'm an optimist."

Working in tandem with government

Will the healthcare industry bring economic prosperity to Korea? The government has been cautious in approaching this question.

The healthcare industry can enrich the nation and rejuvenate its economic system. Over the past few years, the industry has produced some convincing numbers.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of foreigners visiting Korea for medical purposes last year was 297,000, up from 60,000 in 2009. Revenue jumped to 669.4 billion won ($608 million) from 54.7 billion won during the period.

In addition, more than 500,000 jobs have been created in the healthcare industry from 2010 to 2015, according to the Korea Employment Information Service.

Last year, Hanmi Pharmaceutical hit the jackpot by exporting new technology worth 8 trillion won in the largest license deal for a Korean drug-maker.



These figures are impressive accomplishments, but at the same time, they under-represent what Korea is truly capable of, Chung said. The number of foreign visitors to Thai private hospitals last year, for example, was 2.81 million and the Southeast Asian nation earned about $3 billion in revenue, according to Thai think tank Kasikorn Research Center.







The good news is the Korean government has realized the potential value of its healthcare industry lately. Last month, the health ministry announced that it will create a department dedicated only to supporting domestic hospitals and biomedical firms advance abroad. The ministry also allocated the largest budget of 532.3 billion won to R&D this year.

All these efforts will be helpful. But if Korea's healthcare industry is to grow faster, the government needs to change its view on the industry, Chung said.

"For example, whether to expand the national health insurance for incurable diseases such as cancer is an important issue every year," he said. "I urge the government to look at it as an investment (for clinical data and know-how) rather than a cost."

Also, the government should trust the industry and give it more freedom. The Ministry of Drug and Food Safety is notorious for being too rigid, which discourages new ideas. Many people believe this was one of the reasons Korean pharmaceutical firms have remained largely as sellers of copycat drugs, having failed to develop blockbusters for a long time. No one expects the government to let the reins go, but it needs to loosen them a little to encourage people in the industry to be more creative in their experiments.

Given Korea's resources, realists may say it needs a miracle to become a global leader in the biomedical industry. But after Korea quickly rose from the ashes of the devastating Korean War, people here learned that miracles can happen.
Chefs turned leftover food from the Rio athletes' village into meals for poor Brazilians. / Courtesy of Wikimedia commons



By Choi Ha-young



Renowned chefs are turning leftover food from the Rio athletes' village into meals for poor Brazilians, The Telegraph reported Friday.



"We want to fight hunger and provide access to good food," Brazilian chef David Hertz said.



He and his Italian colleague Massimo Bottura were motivated by an example in Italy, where 65 chefs created meals using donated ingredients from the Milan World Expo.



The village restaurant feeds about 11,000 Olympians.



The team will continue the project during the Paralympic Games.



However, several countries including South Korea are operating their own restaurants to provide athletes with foods that taste familiar back home. But it produces considerable leftovers.



"We are going to work only with ingredients that are about to be wasted, like ugly fruit and vegetables, or yogurt that is going to be wasted in two days if you don't buy it," said Hertz.



Brazil has overcome extreme hunger, but 5 percent of the population is still short of food.
By Kim Seung-jun

According to news reports, the Ministry of Education initially considered to mark as absent from school students who participated in the protest against the government's plan to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). However, the North Gyeongsang provincial education office wants to temporarily withhold the decision. It will be a mistake if the Ministry and school principals decide to mark student participants "absent" for it would show that these leaders do not understand the real meaning of education.

at my school, I passively sit in the classroom, listening to lectures full of abstract theories and facts. It is not an effective method for learning. For example, when I learned about the era of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea through text books, I forgot about them right after the final exam.

Contrary to the classroom experience, when I shadowed a judge in the criminal court I still remember the details. It is because not only did I observe the process of the trial but also engaged with the people who were involved with the case. I actively learned by doing and I am not alone in this. The study of the learning pyramid shows that students retain only 5 percent of what they learn through lecture, 10 percent through reading, 20 percent through audio visual, 30 percent through demonstration, 50 percent through discussion, 75 percent through practice.

Learning by sitting in the classroom is outdated and will not bring up the potentials of many students. According to Howard Gardner, eminent professor of education at Harvard, there are multiple intelligences such as linguistic, logico- mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist intelligence. But the current Korean school system only focuses on cognitive skills and tests only student's ability to memorize while ignoring other intelligences.

By letting students participate in such out-of-class activities as the protest against THAAD, schools could foster students' imbedded intelligences that are ignored in their classes. Every day, many students spend more than ten hours at their school and hakwon to gain knowledge that might not be useful when they graduate. Especially, in this age of the Internet and Google where students can easily access knowledge, which renders memorizing facts and formula no longer an effective way of learning.

Some people might think that high school students are too immature to participate in protests and that students belong in school. They should, however, realize that students, given an opportunity, are well-informed enough to understand and express their opinions in the public. Some countries such as Germany already understand that and they even allowed 16-year-old teenagers to vote. Before they decide to mark students "absent" for participating in THAAD demonstrations, the Ministry of Education and school principals must think about what is the right thing to do for the sake of students, not for the sake of maintaining their authority.

The writer is a senior at Dan-Kook High School. Write to hoonsunyjoon98@gmail.com.
Cases of child abuse by parents or adults give society goose bumps or a lump in the throat out of sadness and outrage. A child was habitually beaten by the father and left for dead by the mother. An undernourished girl was caught stealing snacks from a mom and pop shop and was discovered to have been mistreated like an abandoned dog by her parents.



Society is outraged by and worries about acts of child abuse which speak to its own imperfections, but as usual dares not to go one layer deeper to confront the even more uncomfortable truth  rapes of children by their parents.



These cases are even more complicated because those involved  perpetrator fathers, condoning mothers and raped children  often conspire to keep silent, which enable the crimes to go on for longer and the damage, psychological and physical, to go deeper.



About 500 cases of rapes by parents have been reported every year. According to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office, in 2012, about 466 such cases were reported with 254 arraigned. In 2013, it was 502 for 305; in 2014, 564 for 276; in 2015, 520 for 252 and by June this year, it was 232 for 114.



The Seoul Daily, a Korean newspaper, cited one case in its Aug. 14 report about a 14-year-old girl, identified as Ji-yeon, who had been habitually raped by her father since 2009 when she was seven. Her father continued his heinous crime as he realized his daughter kept silent out of shame and didn't know what to do. "My father told me not to tell mom because, if I did, they would divorce and our family would break apart," she was quoted as telling prosecutors. Ji-yeon summoned her courage and posted her story on line, prompting police investigations. Her father was arrested early this month and Ji-yeon was sent to a public shelter.



It's hard to know exactly how many rapes by family members occur every year. The actual number can be twice as many as reported or can be far more than that. Experts call for a preventive measure against this elusive crime by stiffening the current penalty  the minimum seven years' imprisonment for raping those aged 16 or under  to 20 years as in France or life as in Switzerland. Also desirable is to make it possible to penalize them even without the consent of the victims.




By Yoon Sung-won



Samsung Electronics' drive for the presale of Galaxy Note 7 is leading to criticism of the government's "unfair" application of subsidy limits as the company is offering large gifts for the customers.



As the world's top smartphone maker is arguing that the marketing measure is "not against the Telecom Act," the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) remains cautious about ruling it illegal.



"The free gifts with the Galaxy Note 7 can be considered as a subsidy under the Telecom Act," the KCC said. "However, it is difficult to conclude that it is a violation of law because it benefits all its customers. We need to think this matter over."



According to Samsung Electronics, Sunday, it is offering its latest smart band "Gear Fit 2," which is priced at 198,000 won in Korea, for those who preordered the Note 7. In addition, the company also offers a mileage coupon worth 100,000 won for its mobile payment service "Samsung Pay" and promised to discount 100,000 won if customers need repair services. In total, the value of three preorder gifts is about 400,000 won.



The controversy has come amid heated popularity for presales of the Note 7.



According to an online survey on 4,049 adult consumers by market researcher DooIt Survey, 44.2 percent of respondents said they were willing to purchase a Note 7 within a year. Among them, 65.3 percent said they were thinking of buying the handset through a subscription contract with SK Telecom. The Note 7 is scheduled to be rolled out on Aug. 19 here.



To prevent excessive subsidies and to create fairer telecom market competition, the Telecom Act stipulates that the amount of subsidy provided by mobile carriers and handset makers cannot exceed 330,000 won. The act also determines all financial gains offered to users to support their handset purchase as a "subsidy." Under this, Samsung Electronics' marketing drive for the Note 7 can be seen as a violation of the act if the telecom agency considers the presale offerings as part of a subsidy.



Such an aggressive marketing drive for the Note 7 comes as the company is pushing hard to dominate the large-screen premium smartphone market here before its biggest competitor, Apple, rolls out new iPhones. As LG Electronics is also planning to release its new smartphone, the V20, next month, Samsung Electronics is adopting an aggressive strategy with a scale that smaller brands cannot imitate, according to an industry source.



Those who criticizes the unfairness of the rule application pointed out that the government is remaining lukewarm whereas it has been relatively more strict in regulating mobile carriers.



"The offerings for the Note 7 can be seen as an indirect subsidy," an industry source said. "This may undermine fair competition between businesses. The government should thoroughly look into the legality of this case."




A man has set a train carriage in Switzerland on fire using a flammable liquid and stabbed passengers, injuring six people, including a six-year-old child.

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.

Police said the attack had taken place this afternoon 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.

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An easier-than-expected first mammogram experience HUNTERSVILLE  Scheduling a cancer screening probably ranks somewhere on your to-do list between "clean out the garage" and "donate those clothes that don't fit." Sure, you'll get to it at...

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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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QUESTION: A few months ago our homeowners association hired a new manager. At first she was very conscientious and we were thrilled all of our issues were being addressed. Then she started taking more time off and getting involved with the board in ways that should not concern her. She recommended we get rid of vendors weve used for years that have proven to do a good job and bring in vendors and contractors that she uses at her other associations. Next, we noticed that the things we asked her to do werent being done, and work was piling up.

One of our maintenance workers complained to the board that he was having problems getting supplies he needs for his job. He explained that every time he goes into the office to ask for supplies, the manager is on her computer gambling online. Apparently the manager does this throughout the day and tells maintenance workers shes busy and to come back later. Yesterday, during lunch, the manager mentioned she would be much better off financially if she wasnt addicted to gambling. At the last board meeting I sat next to a bidding contractor. He joked that all he needs to do is comp our property manager a couple of gambling weekends out of town and he gets the contract with our association.

The manager was employed to work, not gamble and not use our associations opportunities to benefit herself. What does the board do now?

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ANSWER: The board should handle this situation the same way it would any other breach of the employment relationship. Although gambling and addiction are sensitive subjects, the awkward nature of this situation does not insulate your manager from disciplinary action nor does it insulate the association from any legal liability attributed to her behavior.

Compulsive gambling is recognized as a condition that deserves proper treatment. Indeed, aside from purely social and professional gambling, the American Psychiatric Assn. calls gambling an impulse-control disorder. However, from an employers prospective it is not classified as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Specifically, section 1630.3(d)(2) of the act states that Disability does not include: Compulsive gambling....

Bringing vendors and contractors to the association that the manager knows are comfortable providing out of town gambling weekends or other perks in exchange for contract awards obviously creates a conflict. Gambling during working hours also affects the associations productivity. When needed supplies are not ordered because the manager is preoccupied with her online gambling, her activity interferes with the business of the association.

If the manager is an employee of a management company, the board should speak with the proprietor and ask for a replacement manager. If the manager is an employee of the association, the board needs to address the problem in a swift and direct manner. Because this is a confidential matter, the discipline meeting should be private.

The association can obtain tracking software to install on its computers and gather data related to her performance. Generally an employee has no reasonable expectation of privacy in their personal use of an employers computers or other equipment. Illegal gambling is monitored based on the login address for activity, which could implicate your association in an investigation if her gaming were tracked. The potential for liability far outweighs any potential right to privacy.

Even if your managers gambling habit is not illegal, it is still improper for her to engage in this activity at work. Using association computers and Internet access for anything other than association business is a misappropriation of its resources and a breach of the employment relationship.

If you are not terminating this manager immediately, then she should receive a formal reprimand detailing her unacceptable behavior, as well as a definitive time frame to rectify the situation. Make certain your expectations are very clear. If she does not comply, then reevaluate terminating her employment.

Zachary Levine, a partner at Wolk & Levine, a business and intellectual property law firm, co-wrote this column. Vanitzian is an arbitrator and mediator. Send questions to Donie Vanitzian, JD, P.O. Box 10490, Marina del Rey, CA 90295 ornoexit@mindspring.com
Olympics pomp and design. A play about greed and our financial system. And an opera inspired by Luis Bunuel. Im Carolina A. Miranda, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, and here are the top arts and culture news stories:

The Olympics as theater

Fountains of fireworks light up Maracana Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times )

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U.S. viewers of the Rio Olympics have reveled in Katie Ledeckys swim records, Michael Phelps multiple wins and gymnast Simone Biles buoyant, gold medal floor routines. Times theater critic Charles McNulty has been focused on the pageantry, reporting on an opening ceremony that, in true Brazilian style, combined gravitas with gravity-defying bounce. Los Angeles Times

In related news: Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne is using the Olympics to re-examine the work of Roberto Burle Marx, the Modernist landscape architect whose designs left an indelible imprint on the Rio de Janeiro landscape. Writes Hawthorne: If there were ever a body of work seemingly tailor-made to be captured by blimp, helicopter, hotel balcony or drone and sent out to the rest of the world via TV, computer screen or smartphone, it belongs to Burle Marx. Los Angeles Times

Guardian architecture critic Oliver Wainwright is also looking at design at the Olympics, covering everything from architecture to Speedos. The Guardian

Plus: The Rio Olympics sustainable medals. Hyperallergic

An L.A. art star turns 50

Gemini G.E.L., the vaunted print studio that has produced limited edition works for celebrated artists such as John Baldessari, Robert Rauschenberg and David Hockney, is not only marking a half century of existence, its about to be the subject of a new exhibition at the L.A. County Museum of Art. Co-founder Sidney Felsen reminisced with the Times Deborah Vankin about Geminis humble beginnings: We thought it was gonna be a hobby, that it would be fun to hang around the artists. Los Angeles Times

A play that picks apart Wall Street

Junk: The Golden Age of Debt, the new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar  on view through Aug. 21 at the La Jolla Playhouse  takes on the 80s financial system, when debt overtook value as a way of accumulating wealth. The Times McNulty says this enthralling ensemble performance is brisk, lucid and at times highly suspenseful, taking the viewer into a world governed not by morality, but by the almighty dollar. Los Angeles Times

McNulty was less enamored with another San Diego production: Steve Martins new play Meteor Shower  which he describes as an act of Hollywood welfare. Good thing Martin has a well-remunerated day job. Los Angeles Times

An opera inspired by Luis Bunuel

Composer Thomas Ades The Exterminating Angel, an opera inspired by the Luis Bunuel film of the same name, is causing a sensation at the Salzburg Festival in Austria with a storyline that pierces the pretensions of the bourgeoisie and music that captures the essence of social decay. If there is a method to all the musical madness, writes Times classical music critic Mark Swed, it is hysteria raised to exhilarating new heights. Los Angeles Times

The darkness of Pop

In a new show at Art + Practice in Leimert Park, artist Alex Da Corte takes the bright, commercial tropes of Pop art but uses them as a way of expressing more somber narratives. Da Cortes elegy for shattered love, writes Times art critic Christopher Knight, is written in unexpected, often surprising visuals pieced together from the cheerily indifferent language of pervasive popular culture. Los Angeles Times

In other news: Its summer group show season and Knight has been dutifully scoping out some of the most worthwhile. These include exhibitions at China Art Objects (all about the self), Various Small Fires (the grind of city life) and Samuel Freeman (inspired by foghorns, though, sadly, not leg horns).

Washingtons intriguing new museum

There have been a lot of big new museum openings in the last year  and one of the biggest will be happening late next month on the National Mall, when the National Museum of African American History & Culture unveils a new 400,000 square foot complex. I paid a visit to architect David Adjayes structure-in-progress  as well as one of his D.C. libraries  and its made me very enthusiastic about the imminent opening of this new institution. Los Angeles Times

Excavating the L.A. River

Artist Frederick Gautier in his studio by the L.A. River. (Deborah Vankin / Los Angeles Times)

French artist Frederick Gautier is scouring the 51-mile Los Angeles River for discarded objects and architectural elements that he can use as points of inspiration for a series of clay objects. The finished objects, reports the Times Deborah Vankin, will go on view in downtown L.A. at the end of September. Los Angeles Times

How ballet gets made

A light moment during rehearsals for a new piece by American Contemporary Ballet. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times )

Its a regimen of grand jetes, cabrioles and pirouettes. Times staff writer Jeffrey Fleishman spent time with artistic director Lincoln Jones and the dancers from American Contemporary Ballet to observe how a dance is born  conceived by choreographer but shaped by the contributions of the dancers. The resulting ballet, Music + Dance: LA II will be performed in downtown L.A. through Sunday. Los Angeles Times

Downtown L.A. is their stage

Invertigo Dance Theatre performs House Lights Up in the orchestra seats of the Dorthy Chandler Pavilion. (Ivan Kashinsky/Los Angeles Times )

Moves After Dark brings dance to some unlikely spaces around the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles, including a Grand Park fountain and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilions seats. The wild choreographies, writes Christina Campodonico, flip the perspective between performer and audience in performances that, at times, border on the unwieldy. Los Angeles Times

In other news

A 1977 sculpture by Dan Flavin on view at Miamis Margulies Collection in 2008. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times )

 In Europe, Dan Flavins neon sculptures are no longer art, they have been declared goods  making them subject to a 20% tax. The Guardian

 When the artists word isnt good enough: Painter Peter Doig says he didnt paint a particular desert landscape in the 70s. A collector is taking him to court to prove otherwise. New York Times

 Is the redesigned LACMA big enough? William Poundstone parses the square footage. Los Angeles County Museum on Fire

 Anglo-Italian performance artist Vanessa Beecroft wishes she were black and lives in a Hollywood Hills home she has dubbed the favela. This is not going over well on the Internet. The Cut

 Art patrons (and agriculturalists) Lynda and Stewart Resnick control a whole lot of Californias water. Mother Jones

 Urban design ideas for remaking dreary freeway underpasses. Curbed

 How Gustavo Dudamel and the USC marching band turned a crowd-pleasing Tchaikovsky Spectacular into a concert that offered musical fire. Los Angeles Times

 The Wooster Group, as David Ng reports, is bringing Town Bloody Hall, a play inspired by the feminism-themed 1979 documentary of the same name, to downtown L.A.s Redcat theater next year. Los Angeles Times

 Charles McNulty looks at how the staging of three lesser-known Tennessee Williams plays around SoCal offer fresh insights into his legacy. Los Angeles Times

 YouTube has turned L.A. choreographer Tricia Miranda into a star. New York Times

 Bringing ballet to Soweto. PBS

 President Obamas summer playlist. Groovy. The White House

Last chance

Huntington Beach photographer Deanna Templeton has spent years exploring the nature of moody female adolescence, making images that capture teens looking both demure and defiant. The images are now on view at Little Big Man Gallery in Boyle Heights, paired with fragments of the artists own teenage journal entries. The results are at once emotional, poignant and funny. Through Saturday. 1427 E. 4th St., Unit 2, Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, littlebigmangallery.com.

And last but not least

The Kardashians read books about architecture. Sort of. Keeping Up With the Kardashians

Find me on Twitter @cmonstah.
A group of passengers have taken refuge in the last safe place, the front car of a train that is barreling through the hinterlands of South Korea, as a mob of zombies seethes just beyond the door.

As the last few passengers who havent succumbed to the zombie horde beg to be let in, those inside must quickly decide: Should they open the door and risk their own safety, or stand by and watch as others get mauled to death?

Such choices between group and individual well-being are at the core of Train to Busan, a high-octane thriller that has been the smash hit of the summer in South Korea.

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Its not just the eye-popping visuals and high-paced monster story that have made Train a hit: The movie is also touching a nerve by reflecting the present-day reality of South Korea, an increasingly stratified and competitive society where many citizens feel elites cant be trusted to lead in times of crisis, and those caught up in the chaos have to fend for themselves.

Cine21, one of South Koreas most-read film magazines, wrote in a review that Train is motivated by sadness and anger over a situation where the weak cannot be protected.

The movie, directed by Yeon Sang-ho, tells the story of Seok-woo (played by Gong Yoo), a successful fund manager and less-than-attentive father of Su-an (Kim Su-an), an elementary-school-aged girl. Early in Train Seok-woo makes a hamfisted attempt at celebrating his daughters birthday, then agrees to make good on a promise to take her south to Busan to see her mother, from whom Seok-woo is divorced.

Such a journey between South Koreas two largest cities is normally a breeze, more than 200 miles whipping by in less than three hours on the KTX, the countrys sleek high-speed rail system. Shortly after Seok-woo and Su-an get settled in their amply-cushioned seats, a writhing, infected young woman, with pulsing red veins across her face and beady grey eyes, hops aboard just before the train can pull out of the station.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

There starts a breakneck struggle. The government declares martial law, and the characters aboard have to figure out a way to reach Busan, a southern port city, which the military has sealed off from zombies.

What follows is not a conventional hero story. In the early going, Seok-woo, a dapper businessman with leading-man looks, is depicted as indecisive and selfish, timid in handling a crisis. Instead of him, its a kind of South Korean Everyman who takes charge, a somewhat boorish, heavyset character who realizes that only by cooperating will the group survive. He buys the group time by coming up with clever plans to hold off the zombies.

The real villain in Train is a senior employee of the train company. Apparently in a thinly-veiled dig at South Korean officialdom, at every turn the man chooses to save his own skin over helping anyone else. He goes as far as to actively sabotage passengers efforts to save their friends or family, in order to reduce the risk of zombies breaching the doors of the carriage he is cowering in.

The movies theatrical run comes during a bad time for South Korean officials. At a time of rising inequality and unemployment, in July a high-ranking official in the countrys Education Ministry caused a furor when, while having drinks with a group of newspaper reporters, he described 99% of South Koreans as being like dogs and pigs. The comments sparked an outpouring of vitriol from citizens and led to a wide discussion about the allegedly condescending ways South Korean officials view the public theyre meant to serve.

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Darcy Paquet, a Seoul-based film critic, says Trains zombie outbreak unleashes all the social tensions that were already there to begin with. In particular, the way that the hyper-competitiveness of Korean society causes everyone to put themselves first, and turn against others in a crisis.

Train, which is now playing in Los Angeles, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in France and opened July 20 in South Korea with a record-breaking opening day. Within less than two weeks, it had brought in more than $66 million domestically, making it the second-highest-grossing movie of the year at home, according to Korean Film Council data.

Shin Do-yeon, a middle-aged woman who attended a recent afternoon showing, needed a moment to catch her breath once the theater lights came up. It was good, but really intense, she said. All the blood and violence make it hard to watch.

I think a story about a zombie epidemic is alluring right now because the Korean government has been slow to respond to crises and has let citizens suffer, said Danny Kim, a masters student in Duke Universitys experimental and documentary arts program, who had also seen Train.

Another part of the social context of the movies popularity is the fresh memory of last summers outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, a poorly understood, contagious ailment for which there is no known treatment or vaccine. Last summer, as the virus spread and the number of deaths rose, the South Korean government was criticized domestically for failing to properly quarantine people who had been exposed, and for not sharing information about the outbreak with the public.

South Korean directors have long used fantastical elements to craft stories that have social commentary at their heart, a trend that has picked up steam in recent years, says Marc Raymond, a Korean film scholar and professor of media and journalism at Kwangwoon University in Seoul.

A prominent example is Bong Joon-hos 2006 monster flick The Host, a critical success that managed to skewer both the South Korean government and the U.S. military presence in Korea  and was the highest-grossing Korean movie ever at the time. It centers on a young girl who is abducted by a monster created after a U.S. military official dumps chemicals into a river in Seoul. As her family desperately tries to rescue her, the government bungles efforts to contain the disaster.

Train to Busan, Raymond said, is just the latest example of how, now that Korean directors are competing more directly with Hollywood, theyre incorporating more foreign influences to critique their government.

Borowiec is a special correspondent.

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Aug. 25, 2016, 10:40 a.m. Reporting from imperial beach, Calif.

We made it, Oregon to Mexico, along an 1,100-mile beach The drive began at the Oregon border. It ended five weeks later at the Mexican border. Where I almost got arrested. OK, thats an exaggeration. When photographer Allen Schaben and I got to the border of Tijuana and Imperial Beach, the party was much better on the Mexican side. Families were in the water and on the sand, a Mariachi band played, and the whole scene was rather festive compared with two people strolling quietly on the Imperial Beach side. I thought briefly about defecting. One man stood at the fence on the Tijuana side, so I walked up to say hello. I asked why he wasnt swimming and he said he didnt have a bathing suit, then he stuck his hand through the fence to shake my hand. A Border Patrol agent sped toward me in an SUV and yelled for me to stand back from the fence. I hesitated, because what was the big deal? But then I noticed a sign warning against contact or the passing of narcotics through the fence, etc. So I stepped back from the fence because I didnt know if Id be able to write my last road trip columns from a jail cell. Im going to wrap up the series on Sunday, but that wont be the end of my coverage of the California Coastal Commission on the 40th anniversary of the Coastal Act. Theres lots to keep an eye on. Legislation to ban private meetings between commissioners and developers could move forward later today. A vote has been delayed on the controversial proposal for a desalination plant in Huntington Beach, a project that doesnt make a lot of sense in my opinion but has big money backing it. The ever-controversial Newport Banning Ranch project -- a massive hotel/housing development on the last undeveloped plot of privately owned coastal property in Southern California -- will be up for a vote in early September. And the City Council election in Pismo Beach has gotten very interesting because Erik Howell, a councilman and coastal commissioner who ticked off Pismo residents by supporting a development that will block ocean views, now has challengers in his reelection campaign. Howell, if youve forgotten, accepted a $1,000 campaign donation from the domestic partner and business colleague of the lobbyist who represents the Pismo development. If he loses his council seat, he loses his Coastal Commission seat too. So stay tuned. The Coastal Commission will have a new director soon, a new chair and at least two new commissioners, and we need to watch closely because whats at stake is the greatest 1,100-mile coast in the world.



10:25 A.M. reporting from san diego

Lawmaker who led 72 coastal preservation bike ride from San Francisco to San Diego still has Schwinn that delivered win Former senator James Mills, 89, stands with the bike he rode from Sacramento to San Diego in 1972 to promote Prop 20, which created the Coastal Commission and led to the Coastal Act. The photo was taken overlooking the San Diego skyline from Mills Coronado apartment Wednesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The bike. I wanted to see the bike, and meet its owner. Arriving in San Diego meant our coastal trek from Oregon to Mexico was coming to an end, and it meant that it was finally time to pay a visit to Jim Mills. Mills, a state legislator from 1962 to 1981, was Senate president pro tempore in 1972 when he decided to support Proposition 20, the coastal preservation act. Without it, conservationists feared, coastal development would run amok, Highway 1 would be widened, and a string of nuclear power plants would spring up on some of the greatest beach fronts in the world. But there wasnt much money to fight Prop. 20s foes, said Mills, who had grown up wading in La Jolla Cove and has a deep appreciation of the states greatest natural resource. So in September 1972, he hopped aboard his canary yellow Schwinn Super Sport and led a bike rally from San Francisco to San Diego. The number of riders swelled at times, Mills said, and bikers were greeted each evening by locals serving plenty of carbs. We ate a lot of weenies and beans, and spaghetti too, he said. He recalled PG&E executives following the cyclists in a chauffeur-driven Cadillac, doing their own spin on Prop. 20. The bike rally drew lots of publicity, Mills said, and whether it made the difference is anyones guess. But Prop. 20 won 55% of the vote and led in 1976 to the Coastal Act that to this day protects the coast for the benefit of fragile marine and land habitats and the enjoyment of everyone. Mills was 45 when he rode down the coast, and 89 now. He greeted me and photographer Allen Schaben at his Coronado condo and said he hasnt done any riding lately, but hes doing a lot of writing. Mills has written several books and is working on another. He leads us down to the basement, and there it is. The dusty, canary yellow Schwinn that Mills rode in 1972, and for many years after the Prop. 20 campaign. He was an avid cyclist. Mills also kept the helmet he wore in 1972. We took the bike upstairs, where Mills put on his helmet and posed next to the bike that is a piece of California history. The Coastal Act has done a great deal of good over the years, Mills said, and the cause is no less important now than it was when he rode south from San Francisco. We need to preserve the coast for the benefit of future generations, he said, and I thank him for his contribution.



Aug. 21, 2016, 10:50 p.m. Reporting from the Mexican border

Steve Lopez reflects back on his 1,100 mile trek down the California coast

6:57 P.M. Sometimes the sausage is good enough to eat Two things will happen soon. The last column from my 1,100 mile road trip down the California coast will be done. And the reform bill banning private communications between California Coastal Commissioners and developers, as well as others, could finally emerge from the factory. As Ive been saying, Hannah-Beth Jacksons bill sailed through the Senate and should have done the same in the Assembly, but it got pushed off into a dark corner after a very fishy report claimed that reform costs money. The thing has come back to life, though, with amendments that arent as bad as the original amendments. I dont see why we need the amendments at all, or why the wrangling has to take place behind closed doors and out of public view. While I was thinking about that, a reader emailed me a clever idea about how to keep coastal commissioners honest -- make them strap on body cameras, like cops. I like it, and why not do the same with legislators, so we can all see whats going on? Having said all this, though, Im hearing from supporters of Jacksons bill that they think theres actually a chance the legislation is going to be OK, once all the cooks are done tweaking the recipe. Sausage is full of awful stuff, but just about all of it is good on the grill. So as much fun as Ive had telling you to ping Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, @Rendon63rd, and Appropriations Chair Lorena Gonzalez, @LorenaAD80, and ask what gives, maybe we should try another approach. Im told that Rendon, Gonzalez and other Assembly leaders have done some decent work rescuing this much-needed bill from the trash. So go ahead and tweet them again, and tell them youre encouraged, and still watching -- to the extent thats possible -- and counting on them to do whats necessary to get the bill to Gov. Jerry Brown, which is when the real fun will begin.

8:46 A.M. When it comes to coastal protection, why does state Assembly have such a problem with transparency? The need to clean up the way the California Coastal Commission operates was obvious. Commissioners meet privately with developers more than with any other group, by far. They have repeatedly failed to fully explain the nature of those meetings, and have even failed to report them on occasion. State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) penned a bill to ban such meetings. It cleared the Senate and bounced over to the Assembly, which nearly killed it, but finally decided this week to merely beat it to a pulp. The toothless mess that emerged from the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week would allow private meetings to continue under certain circumstances, and now Sen. Jackson has the task of trying to put some punch back into her bill. And heres the irony: We dont know which Assembly members, or higher powers, conspired to water down Jacksons bill because there is no transparency in the process. You cant peer through a window into the sausage factory. These amendments were hammered out privately. One can guess that the development lobby and labor groups did not like Jacksons reform bill because it would get in the way of a process that gives an advantage to those who want to build on the coast. One can even guess that the Brown administration shares their view. But we dont know, because a bill to shine a light on important decision-making got pummeled in a dark room, and the perps left no fingerprints. See Dan Weikels story at latimes.com. Ive sent in a request for an explanation to Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount). He has appointing authority for four coastal commissioners and itd be nice to hear what he thinks about the handiwork by his Appropriations Committee. If youd like to ping him or Appropriations Chair Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) to ask what happened, try @Rendon63rd and @LorenaAD80. Or you can drop a line to The Silent One @JerryBrownGov, but Ive tried, and despite months of turmoil and controversy on the 40th anniversary of the Coastal Act he signed into law, the governor doesnt want to be disturbed.



7:36 A.M. Summer is in the rear-view mirror, end of journey just down the road 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) Carlsbad. Leucadia. Encinitas. Cardiff. Solana. Del Mar. Summer is disappearing in my rear-view mirror. Week Five of my trip from Oregon to Mexico will be over in just a few days, 1,100 miles after it began. Photographer Allen Schaben is farther down the road, waiting for me in San Diego. Soon well stand at the Mexican border and reflect on a deeper love of the California coast, a greater appreciation of the Coastal Act on the 40-year anniversary of protections that became law. Ill wish Id had a week to spend in places where I only had an hour or two. Ill thank the people we met along the way, and tell others well take up their offer the next time through. Californians are passionate about their coast. Theyre closely watching those in public office whose job is to protect fisheries and dunes, to limit development and maximize access. Ive got one eye on Sacramento myself. On legislative reforms that would serve all Californians. On coastal commissioners, some of whom seem to have forgotten their purpose. Im pulling into San Diego, where the air is warm, the water blue, Mexico in the near distance.



4:14 P.M. La Jolla The palm fronds of a palapa reveal a surfer, a couple and children taking in a warm summer sunset at Windansea Beach in La Jolla. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)



1:07 P.M. newport beach

Watts in a name? Find Amp-le answers in Newport Beach On Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach. (Steve Lopez / Los Angeles Times) Im driving south on the Pacific Coast Highway and spot the sign. The boat name of the week, it says, is Watt A Man. Thats not a mistake. This is the headquarters for Duffy, which makes the electric boats that are part of the culture in the Newport harbor. Many years ago, I wrote a column about a day of hobnobbing and bar-hopping, by boat, with local residents. I also wrote, at the time, about boat owners trying to out-do each other with clever names for the battery-powered boats. One of my favorites was Salt n Battery. So what are some of the newer ones? I walk into the office, and salesman Jim Drayton says one of the best ones this summer was Amp-ly Endowed. Not bad. Tyler Duffield, of the Duffy family, shows me a list with a few more recent winners. Your name here. (Steve Lopez / Los Angeles Times) Its a Ohm Run. Watt the Hey. Watta Yacht. Going back through the years, some of the better names include: Current Affair. Carry Us Ohm Watts the Hurry. Shock Cousteau. Ohmer Simpson. Knots and Volts. I could go on, but why dont you, instead? Send me your best names. Its not as easy as it looks, Duffield said. Its usually the hardest part, he says. Someone comes in and orders a boat, and they get the colors and everything figured out, and the last thing to do is come up with a name before the boat leaves the factory. Yeah, Its a Duff Life out here, where people are Ohm on the Watter, but It Is Watt It Is.



9:13 A.M. Going under in Laguna Beach A snorkeler looks for fish at Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Garibaldi swim and feed on rocks at Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

2:41 P.M. Catching waves in Huntington Beach



10:53 A.M. On our way toward Mexico 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) The site of the proposed Banning Ranch development now before the California Coastal Commission. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The tide rolls in at twilight at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station located on the border of San Diego County and San Clemente. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

4:52 P.M. Laguna Beach

4:45 P.M. Laguna Beach



12:51 P.M. Dana Point 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)

10:37 P.M. sacramento

Profiles in courage: Legislators soften Coastal Commission reform, leave no fingerprints A perfectly sensible bill to clean up the way California coastal commissioners do business has been getting the waterboard treatment. First, Santa Barbara Sen. Hannah-Beth Jacksons SB 1190 was submerged by a ludicrous report claiming it would cost too much money to prohibit private conversations between developers and commissioners. Then it was tossed overboard and dragged like chum. Then on Thursday, legislators pulled SB 1190 back into the boat so badly decomposed its barely recognizable. As my colleague Dan Weikel reports at latimes.com, five amendments gutted the good intentions. The most egregious one allows commissioners to meet privately with developers during on-site visits. This comes just weeks after reports that Coastal Commission Chairman Steve Kinsey met twice with developers of the massive Newport Banning Ranch development and failed to properly report those confabs. Environmental groups, however, would not be able to have such meetings in the bills current form. On my best day, I could not have come up with a more Alice in Wonderland outcome. Details were still emerging, and it wasnt clear which legislators were responsible for the hatchet job, or whether they caved in to political, development or union pressure, or all three. No fingerprints on the body, in other words. Three environmentalists I checked with were livid, and understandably so. Stay tuned for updates on the autopsy, and dont stop letting @JerryBrownGov know how you feel about whats happening to coastal preservation on his watch. #SaveYourCoast



7:46 A.M. Sunset at Crystal Cove Beach Cottages Children run along the beach at twilight near the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The sun sets over the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 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) Incoming tide rolls onto the beach at twilight at Crystal Cove Beach Cottages. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)



1:29 P.M. Column: Fighting for the California coast from a tiny office in her kitchen nook Susan Jordan, who created and runs the California Coastal Protection Network, is seen in her Santa Barbara office. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) If you were a coastal conservation activist in California, with 1,100 miles of shoreline to look after, how would you even decide where to begin? Theres always a battle somewhere, and let me give you just a couple of examples from one tiny section of the coast. Moss Landing is in the news again this week as the Surfrider Foundation and other activists try to stop Cemex, an international sand mining company, from trucking away the beach as it has done for decades, causing erosion that has begun to set off lots of alarms. Read more



8:49 A.M. Hermosa Beach

Remember when you could spend a night at a California beach motel for less than a weeks pay? A third-generation motel owner in this seaside town tells me he gets an offer, about every other day, from someone who wants to buy his property, bulldoze it and rebuild. But hes hanging on because three generations of families have been staying at his low-budget, no-frills motel since the 1960s, and he doesnt want to end those summer vacation traditions. Elsewhere on the California coast, motels and hotels have been bought out by chains and developers, driving up the cost of affordable family vacations. Look for my column on the Hermosa Beach motel in the coming days. And if you know of good low-budget beach lodging, or if youve seen your motel go from cheap to chic, drop me a line at steve.lopez@latimes.com Over the next two days, photographer Allen Schaben and I will be in Hermosa and Huntington Beach, reporting on the proposed desalination plant there. And, by the way, we should find out in the next day or two whether legislation banning private meetings between coastal commissioners and developers is released from legislative prison and put up for a vote in the state Assembly. Theres still time to weigh in at #SaveYourCoast and be sure to give a poke to @JerryBrownGov and Assemblywoman, Lorena Gonzalez @LorenaAD80. Read more
A community march will be held Saturday night in Long Beach to remember a mother and her four-year-old daughter who were fatally shot last weekend as they walked home from the grocery store.

The Long Beach Love Your Community Walk is scheduled from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The walk, which will begin at 1157 Long Beach Boulevard, is being organized by Epic Strong, according to the gyms Facebook page. The gym is a few blocks from where the shooting occurred.

Participants are being asked to wear white shirts and to burn white candles in a show of peace and harmony.

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In honor of Carina and Jennabel, lets take a stand against the senseless violence that plagues our community, according to a statement on the gyms website. We will walk hand-in-hand, as neighbors, friends  to commemorate this latest tragic loss of life.

Long Beach police are still struggling to understand why someone would want to kill Carina Mancera, 26, and her daughter, Jennabel. The two were gunned down at the corner of Locust Avenue and 9th Street around 10:20 p.m. on Aug. 6, police have said.

The attacker also shot at Manceras boyfriend, Luis Anaya, police said. No motive has been offered for the attack, and investigators have not said if Mancera and her daughter were the targets of the shooting or killed in a random crime.

Police Chief Robert Luna said Friday that the grieving father has told police as much as he can, but cautioned that he may not remember much given the traumatic nature of the attack.

If I can put you in his situation, for a minute, of being shot at and watching his girlfriend and daughter being murdered ... I dont know how many of us would remember many details after that, Luna said.

Long Beach officials and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors are set to offer a $40,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who shot and killed a mother and her 4-year-old daughter in a city intersection.

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One man was killed and two others injured after gunmen opened fire on a group of people congregated in a San Pedro alley late Saturday, authorities said.

The shooting occurred at about 11:30 p.m. in an alley near the intersection of Pacific Avenue and 14th Street, said Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department.

At least two gunmen were believed to be involved in the incident, Eisenman said. An unidentified 36-year-old man was killed and two other male victims, including a teenage boy, were injured in the incident.

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The condition of the other two victims was not immediately known, Eisenman said.

No arrests have been made and the investigation into the shooting is continuing

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Civic leaders in San Diego are preparing to make a case to get more federal funding to help the homeless after years of receiving less than other cities with fewer people on the street.

Ending homelessness in San Diego is a bold goal that can only be achieved if we receive our fair share of resources, Rep. Scott Peters (D-San Diego) said at a news conference last week at Father Joes Village in downtown San Diego.

San Diego County receives federal funding for homeless programs from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which bases its funding on a formula that many local advocates have said shortchanges the region.

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San Diego at times has had the third-largest homeless population in the country, but ranked 18th in the amount of federal funds received to address the issue, officials said.

HUD Secretary Julian Castro announced late last month that the formula used to distribute money for homeless programs will be revised. The department has proposed four alternative funding programs, with each expected to bring more money for San Diego County.

Of an estimated $100 million spent on helping the homeless in San Diego County each year, about $18 million came from HUD last year. Revising the formula is expected to bring an additional $2 million or $3 million.

HUD is accepting public comments through late September on the four proposed alternative formulas.

The formula HUD has been using gives more money to communities based on the age of its housing and whether the population is decreasing or not growing as fast as the rest of the country. The federal government uses a similar formula to fund community development block grants.

Rick Gentry, the San Diego Housing Commission president and chief executive, said that the formula favored the East Coast but hurt the West Coast, which has newer housing and a growing population.

Gentry said all four proposed alternatives would benefit San Diego and other cities on the West Coast because they give greater weight to issues more directly related to homelessness.

A fifth alternative yet to be proposed could bring the area even more money, Gentry said.

If we give even greater weight to housing affordability, it would help not only San Diego but the whole West Coast, Gentry said. The fifth alternative also would give more weight to mental health and substance abuse issues.

Although HUD did not ask for alternatives to the proposed formulas, Gentry said another one could be proposed because the department had asked for public comment.

Were saying, These are all fine and well rate them, and by the way, have you thought of this other way of doing this? he said.

Gentry said he would like all groups working on homelessness throughout the county to be in agreement when they make a pitch for one new funding formula.

Its unclear when, or even if, any new funding formula would go into effect. Peters said that although Castros announcement indicated a change was coming, he was not considering it money in the bank.

No matter what formula is adopted, speakers at Wednesdays news conference all agreed a change was long overdue.

At Father Joes, were frequently asked what we need to help more, said Bill Bolstad, vice president of capital development for Father Joes Villages, reading a statement from Deacon Jim Vargas, the organizations president and chief executive. The bottom line is we need more funding.

Bolstad said Father Joes Villages helped more than 800 people get off the street last year, but could have helped more if it had more resources.

For the last several years, the point-in-time count has indicated that approximately 8,700 homeless people are here in San Diego County on any given night, Bolstad said. Thats a staggering figure. Whats more staggering is that it doesnt have to be that way.

Jerry Sanders, president and chief executive of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, said homelessness is an economic issue.

At the end of the day, San Diegos substantial homeless population is evidence that we need to protect and create more jobs, he said, adding that the chamber has been working with the mayors office and Housing Commission on the issue.

The funding formula alternatives are scheduled to be discussed at the Aug. 18 meeting of the Regional Continuum of Care Council, an association of 18 cities within the county, various nonprofit service providers and other homeless services advocates.

The care council oversees federal dollars that come to the region to address homelessness.

San Diego City Councilman Todd Gloria, governance board chair of the care council, said the goal of ending homelessness is being pursued throughout the county by civic leaders, including Mayor Kevin Faulconer and County Supervisor Ron Roberts, who attended the news conference.

The city and county of San Diego are together at the helm of the Regional Continuum of Care, he said. Were working closer than we ever have before on this problem because it is so very important, and this partnership is essential to our continual progress in trying to end homelessness in San Diego.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Warth writes for the San Diego Union Tribune
A taxi cab driver died early Sunday after he was beaten by a passenger at a gas station in Hollywood, police said.

The attacker remained at large as detectives canvassed the 76 gas station at Franklin Avenue and Beachwood Drive, where the Yellow Cab vehicle was cordoned off with police tape.

Officers were called at about 3 a.m. to the gas station in Franklin Village, at the foot of the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles police Officer Norma Eisenman said.

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After the cab pulled into the gas station, the driver and the suspect had a dispute that escalated to a physical altercation, Eisenman said.

Both men exited the car and the assailant punched and kicked the driver.

The cab driver was struck several times, LAPD Lt. John Radtke told KTLA-TV. That fight lead into the gas station parking lot and then the victim fell down, and possibly hit his head.

The attacker fled on foot, heading eastbound on Franklin Avenue.

The driver, described as 45 to 50 years old, was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Eisenman said. His identity was not released pending notification of his family.

Radtke described the suspect as a white or Middle Eastern man with thick, dark hair and standing about 5 foot, 8 inches. He was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

For more news in California, follow @MattHjourno.

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With an AR-15-style rifle slung across his chest and a handgun holstered on his hip, an angry man stepped up to address the gathering crowd outside this rural county seats courthouse.

The problem, he said, was that some officials want to keep firearms out of courthouses and other government buildings.

Theres all these multi-use facilities that are preventing gun owners from accessing their public services, C.J. Grisham, president of Open Carry Texas, railed over a bullhorn Friday as some of the 35 people assembled applauded and shouted, We want our rights back!

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C.J. Grisham, president of Open Carry Texas, tells a crowd in Hempstead, We want our rights back! (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times )

As gun rights advocates have successfully pushed for greater access to public spaces in Texas, some localities are pushing back, citing safety and cost concerns  even otherwise gun-friendly officials in Hempstead.

Earlier this year, Texas surpassed a million licensed handgun owners  1,069,706, to be exact, as of June 30, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Thats about 4% the states 27 million residents.

New laws allow handgun owners in Texas the freedom to openly carry (as opposed to concealed carry), to carry more broadly on college campuses (so-called campus carry), and to appeal handgun bans in government offices.

A law passed last year forbids state and local officials from posting signs restricting the concealed carrying of handguns by lawful permit holders. People objecting to such signs can file complaints with local agencies and the attorney generals office, which is charged with investigating and taking possible offenders to court. Violators could face a $10,500 daily fine.

The Texas attorney generals office has taken only one local agency to court over the complaints  the city of Austin  and that case is pending, a spokeswoman said. The office did not have a tally of complaints filed.

Open Carry Texas officials have filed complaints against 63 local entities over gun bans. The Rev. Terry Holcomb, founder of another gun rights group, Texas Carry, filed complaints against Hempstead  population 6,400  which posted signs at courthouse entrances warning that its a felony to bring guns inside. He filed similar complaints against 75 other local government entities.

The idea that some of the most law-abiding citizens have to leave their gun in their car to go pay their property taxes is ludicrous.  Terry Holcomb, founder of Texas Carry

Theres criminals everywhere we go, theres emotional trauma everywhere we go; you cant get away from it, Holcomb said. The idea that some of the most law-abiding citizens have to leave their gun in their car to go pay their property taxes is ludicrous. Theres just no good reason to do that. I mean, we carry in the Legislature, one of the most emotional places in the state.

Holcomb said 26 of the agencies he filed complaints against dropped their gun bans.

But if state law prohibits such no-guns-allowed signs, why are governments posting them? The answer is that another state law bars carrying a handgun on the premises of a government court. Gun-rights advocates say that provision applies to courtrooms, but officials in Hempstead and elsewhere say it means entire courthouses, including associated offices, such as those for tax assessors.

After Holcomb complained to the attorney generals office about Waller Countys ban, the county struck back, suing him last month for $100,000 in damages.

There are certain places that guns should not be taken: a bar where you serve alcohol, a sporting event, a federal building, a school and a courthouse, said Waller County Judge Trey Duhon, the countys top executive. He defended the lawsuit, along with the district attorney and other county officials.

Duhon noted that tempers often flare at the courthouse, where people go to resolve disputes; where you have divorces, custody battles, child support.

The three-story Hempstead courthouse, built of limestone and red brick in 1955, has a single elevator, staircase and narrow hallways that do not lend themselves to having security checkpoints at every turn, he said.

About 2,600, or 6%, of county residents are licensed to carry handguns, according to state figures.

If people were allowed to carry guns inside the courthouse, the county would have to add checkpoints and hire additional bailiffs. Even so, Duhon said, I dont think anyone would be comfortable serving on a murder trial jury knowing the defendants family members could be sitting in the hallway with a gun.

Duhon added that he and most local officials are gun owners, that he believes in the 2nd Amendment and open carry. But inside the courthouse, he said, it just doesnt make sense.

On Wednesday, the attorney generals office notified Duhon that it had substantiated Holcombs complaint that the law does not allow the county to bar those carrying handguns from the courthouse. It gave the county 15 days to comply.

 Protesters gather at courthouse in support of the Rev. Terry Holcomb, founder of gun rights group, Texas Carry.

When Duhon recently contacted the Texas Assn. of Counties, he learned many have been coping with complaints about their efforts to keep guns out of county buildings.

You have counties that are moving offices and making changes because theyre in fear that if they dont theyre going to get assessed a fine, he said. Our county was not going to be bullied by the attorney general into making changes if were not legally required to do so.

Texas has seen several shootings near courthouses in recent years, notably a prosecutor gunned down by a justice of the peace three years ago outside the Kaufman County courthouse southeast of Dallas.

But Duhon harked back even further to 1905, when four people were shot dead at the Hempstead courthouse, including U.S. Rep. John Pinckney and his brother, who had been meeting with prohibitionists attempting to ban alcohol. The town became known as Six Shooter Junction.

After Duhon traded barbs with Holcomb online, he was contacted by the FBI ahead of Fridays protest to say the agency was investigating death threats against Duhon, the district attorney and other county officials.

Law enforcement advised them to avoid the protest, which they did.

Waller County Dist. Atty. Elton Mathis closed his office for the day, issuing a statement saying, We do not allow guns in prisons, hospitals, or sporting arenas, and we should continue to prohibit them in courthouses as well.

Mathis said allowing guns in the courthouse would subject witnesses, victims, jurors, officers, prosecutors, and judges to an unnecessary and unjustifiable risk.

He said those being investigated for making death threats against him are some of the individuals who would be allowed to carry firearms in courthouses under this wrong interpretation of the law. This fact alone highlights the importance of courthouse security and the recognition of the heightened emotions and security considerations involved.

Outside the courthouse Friday, wearing his handgun in a Texas Carry-embossed leather holster as sheriffs deputies looked on, Holcomb called the lawsuit against him a retaliatory attempt to silence him. He vowed to keep fighting, not just here but in bigger cities, such as nearby Houston in Harris County, which boasts the highest number of licensed handgun owners of any county in the state.

You need to rise up and stand up against this oppression! Holcomb shouted to the crowd, which applauded.

Sitting nearby, local retiree Pat Bruegger  who owns guns but isnt licensed to carry them  said she got upset after reading about the lawsuit and came to support Holcomb.

We should be able to disagree with the government without getting sued, she said. You cant say you can have a weapon, but not here.

Walking past her, Nickleberry Lilly disagreed.

What if I dont like the decision of the court? What if I get angry? the 59-year-old rancher said.

Lilly, who is African American, also worried about racial attacks in a town where Sandra Blands death at the local jail blocks away from the courthouse sparked heated protests and drew national attention last year.

Theres a lot of places guns belong: hunting, protection in rural areas. Guns dont belong in courthouses, Lilly said.

Lilly was headed to court himself Friday for a contentious case. Soon after, a group of protesters disarmed themselves and followed, on their way to the clerks office to file complaints against the gun ban.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

Twitter: @mollyhf

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While Trump blasts the media, Mike Pence defends the campaigns approach

Taking a good-cop, bad-cop approach, Donald Trump and his campaign Sunday blasted the media for what they said was unfair news coverage, while running mate Mike Pence offered a more conciliatory tone in defending the GOP presidential nominee.

Trump speaks his heart and he speaks his mind and in doing so has drawn attention to important issues, Pence said on Fox News Sunday.

Stay tuned. Its still early in this campaign, Pence added, noting that Trump on Monday will detail his vision for confronting radical Islamic terrorism.

He offered no details. For much of the last week, the Trump campaign has been responding to his repeated statements that President Obama founded the militant Islamic State group. Trump later described his remarks as sarcasm, but the episode was the latest to raise questions about the businessmans temperament and ability to be commander in chief.

On Sunday, Trump took aim at the news media for what he viewed as distorted and biased reporting. He threatened Saturday to ban more news organizations from covering his campaign, and he followed up by tweeting that the disgusting and corrupt media was to blame for his trailing Hillary Clinton in polls.

If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

His campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, claimed that news organizations were ignoring substantive aspects of the campaign and had essentially taken sides with Clinton.

Here was a debate that could have been had, Manafort said on CNNs State of the Union, referring to trade, energy and other issues laid out in economic speeches by both candidates last week. Instead, the media chose to take ... the Clinton campaign narrative and go on attack on Donald Trump.

Pence, for his part, has spoken before about trying to get Trumps bans against reporters lifted. On Sunday, he reiterated his support for the publics right to know. And well continue that, well continue to advance that principle.

Asked whether his role was that of the cleanup crew, Pence laughed, and said that I couldnt be more honored to be campaigning shoulder to shoulder with a man who I believe is going to be the next president.
Donald Trumps battle with the press continues as he threatens to revoke newspapers credentials

Donald Trumps battle with the media continued Saturday as the Republican presidential nominee threatened to revoke the press credentials of the New York Times.

Trump assailed the newspaper for what he alleged was dishonest reporting in a newly published story that cited both named and unnamed sources in showing him shunning the advice of top aides.

Maybe we will start thinking about taking their press credentials away from them, Trump said. Maybe well do it. I think so. I think so.

Trump has sought retaliation for other critical coverage by revoking credentials. Reporters from the Washington Post, Politico, BuzzFeed and elsewhere have been denied entry into his events.

The latest story portrayed Trump as poorly executing such campaign basics as fundraising and staying on message.

Even the location of his Saturday rally, Connecticut, had veteran political operatives questioning his strategy as he trails Hillary Clinton in several swing states.

Connecticut hasnt voted for a Republican since 1988, when it selected George H.W. Bush for president.

Trump foolishly campaigning in Connecticut less than 100 days before the election is what Democratic dreams are made of, tweeted Dan Pfeiffer, a former aide to President Obama.

Yet Trump, even noting the uphill climb a Republican faces in the state, seemed undeterred.

Were making a big move for the state of Connecticut, just so you know, he told supporters. Normally that wouldnt happen because a Republican, in theory, doesnt win Connecticut.
My aunts journey toward death with dignity began last November. The first symptom was difficulty swallowing after a severe cold  nagging, but not too serious. By December, she was complaining that she couldnt move her left arm and shoulder. And she was tired, tremendously fatigued.

Finally in March, after a battery of tests, the doctor gave her a fatal, hopeless diagnosis  ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease. My aunt would not get better; instead, each day would be worse than the one before, until eventually she suffocated or slowly starved to death as the muscles in her throat collapsed.



For the record: An Aug. 14 op-ed about one familys experience with Californias End of Life Option Act incorrectly called the law the Death with Dignity Act. It also said that a doctor cannot be present when a terminally ill patient takes lethal drugs in accordance with the law. A doctor may be present, although he or she cannot administer the drugs.

She wasnt afraid to die. She was deeply religious, confident about the afterlife, and she was adamantly against machinery that would prolong her misery  no feeding tubes, no ventilators.

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By April she could no longer lift her head. Walking and talking were difficult. The fatigue was relentless. Even the act of sleeping was a challenge. Her sister (my mom), my sister and I, and her best friend tried to encourage her. But for an ALS patient, hope is hard to find.

Early in June, my aunt attempted suicide. At 2 a.m., alone at her home, she tried to slit her wrists. Im so grateful it did not end for her that way. She managed just a flesh wound. We had a long talk. She didnt want to wait for the disease to take her on its evil terms. It was time to join her journey.

On June 9, Californias assisted-suicide Death with Dignity Act went into effect, and my aunt declared her intentions in writing the same day. I embarked on a Google search to figure out how the law worked. It was nearly impossible to get clear information, even from doctors.

We would come to learn the law establishes a strict protocol to obtain the life-ending drugs. It takes a minimum of 15 days, and the countdown would start once a primary care doctor attested to my aunts mental fitness, her terminal condition, her desire and ability  on her own  to take the medication that would allow her to die. She had to sign a form stating her intentions, with two witnesses, one not related to her. A second doctor had to affirm the diagnosis and her mental fitness.

For days, I fruitlessly contacted everyone I could think of to find a doctor who would start the process. My aunts regular physician never returned my phone call. Cooperating with assisted suicide is a physician-by-physician choice, including hospice and palliative care specialists.

By now, my aunt could no longer walk or swallow anything except small cups of water, iced tea and Boost. She was very weak. We moved her to my mothers house first and then to mine  luckily, as it turned out. When the local hospice doctor arrived, she quickly agreed to start the paperwork  my aunt and I both cried in relief. It was June 22.

We were in a serious race against her symptoms. Each day my aunt could swallow less, making it harder to be certain she could meet the laws requirement that she ingest the medicine on her own. I literally prayed for guidance in finding doctor number two: If this is the right thing to do, please help. The next morning, I found one more doctor to contact. She agreed.

Finally everything was in place, but my aunt had to wait six long days to meet the timeline minimum, after which her doctor could write the prescription.

On July 7, the pharmacy filled the order: a massive dose of barbiturate that does not take into account the size, age, gender or overall health of the patient. The full cocktail included two anti-nausea pills, an anti-seizure pill and 100 capsules of Secobarbital. It all had to be ingested within an hour. The drugs cost more than $3,000, and they arent covered by insurance.

It was a surreal day. We gathered at my house  everyone who loved my aunt so much they were willing to help her die. She was restless, impatient. We all were. The pharmacy had promised to get the drugs to us by 2:30 p.m. We waited. We called. The package arrived at 5. Thousands of dollars of lethal medication had been handed to an Uber driver to deliver.

It didnt exactly match the serene scenario Id pictured  with appropriate music, Bible readings and meaningful conversation.

We set to work. By law, my aunts doctor couldnt be present, but she had given us detailed instructions. The first anti-nausea pill was crushed and poured into the super-sweet simple syrup Id concocted to help the medicine go down. The anti-seizure pill I placed under my aunts tongue.

My attention turned to the kitchen table, where my husband and sister, wearing latex gloves, frantically scraped the powder from 100 capsules with toothpicks, trying to beat the clock. I paced. In 45 minutes, she had to down the second anti-nausea pill, then 15 minutes later, the final cup, her final cup.

The mountain of powder we poured into more sugar syrup created a half-cup of sludge so bitter it literally burned my tongue. And my aunt, who could barely swallow water, had to drink all of it in less than five minutes to ensure success.

It didnt exactly match the serene scenario Id pictured  with appropriate music, Bible readings and meaningful conversation. My aunt was surrounded with love, but the day was fraught and frightening.

It was all over quickly, though. After maybe two tablespoons of the required 4 ounces of Secobarbital, my aunt went under. I knew she could still hear us so I said, Its OK, Auntie, go to the light. And she did. When we sat back down at the kitchen table, white powder everywhere, we all had to wonder, Who the hell wrote this law?

We had been forced to assist in the most bizarre fashion, jumping through seemingly random legal hoops and meeting arbitrary deadlines while my aunt suffered, and finally emptying capsules, making an elixir so vile I cried when I knew she had to drink it. This was death with dignity?

Dont get me wrong, the new law and its rules are a start, and Im thankful it was passed by the voters. But Im also hopeful that those of us whove been on the front lines can offer invaluable insight for improving it over time.

I am certain my aunt did the right thing, and I know we were right to help her. As soon as it was over, I felt overwhelming relief for her and deep respect. Her determined pursuit of death on her terms makes her the bravest person Ive ever known.

Linda Van Zandt is an entrepreneur and a writer in California.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook

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Where is Democratic state Assemblyman Roger Hernandez?

With less than 90 days until voters in the San Gabriel Valley go to the polls to decide if he will become a member of Congress, Hernandez has been absent from the campaign trail and his work at the statehouse.

Hernandez has been out on medical leave for unspecified reasons since the Legislature returned from summer break two weeks ago, and it is unclear if he will return before the legislative session ends Aug. 31. Hernandez will leave the Legislature this year because of term limits and is challenging U.S. Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-Norwalk) for her 32nd District seat.

The West Covina assemblyman has been out of the public eye since a judge granted his ex-wifes request for a domestic violence restraining order against him on July 1 after she accused him of severely beating her several times before and during their marriage.

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Hernandez has not answered phone calls from Times reporters seeking comment. A spokeswoman for his office declined to explain the cause of the medical leave and said she did not know when he would return.

His attorney, Donald Schweitzer, said the assemblyman has been experiencing stress since the ruling and is under a doctors order to rest. He said he did not know what medical issue spurred Hernandezs leave, but that his blood pressure was a little bit up.

Updates on California politics 

It is legitimate, Schweitzer said of the leave. He has had a lot of anxiety because of what has gone on in his professional career and with his restraining order.

The political fallout following the issuance of the restraining order was swift.

Hernandez was stripped of his committee assignments by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount)  including his chairmanship of the Committee on Labor and Employment  within hours of the ruling. He quickly lost the support of several colleagues who had previously endorsed his campaign.

Earlier, Democratic and Republican women in the statehouse and Congress called for action against Hernandez soon after his ex-wife, Baldwin Park City Councilwoman Susan Rubio, came forward with the abuse allegations in April.

Hernandez kept his posts long enough to help defeat a bill expanding the states family leave law that had been a priority of the same leaders of the California Legislative Womens Caucus who had called for him to take a leave of absence.

The bill has come back to life now that Hernandez is gone. Meanwhile at least three bills authored by Hernandez cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday and now move onto a floor vote.

Rendon has also talked to Hernandez and encouraged him to resign, The Times reported last week.

And other legislators have openly questioned whether they should invoke Proposition 50, a new law approved by voters this June that allows state lawmakers to suspend a colleague without pay.

Hernandez continues to draw his $100,113 annual salary and $176 in per diem payments for travel-related expenses. He was out of the country for a period of time in July following the ruling, his deputy district director, Dayana Partida, said at the time, but Schweitzer said he is now here in California. Hernandezs legislative office has a community health fair scheduled in Azusa on Aug. 27.

Hernandezs office said his return is between him, his doctor and the Assembly Rules Committee. But John Casey, a spokesman for Rendon, said if Hernandez is going to be out this week he will need to submit a new doctors note.

Aside from his work in the Legislature, Hernandez still has an uphill battle against fellow Democrat and nine-term incumbent Napolitano to deal with in November.

Hernandez was able to eke out a second-place finish after Rubios allegations were graphically detailed in court documents and testimony in the lead-up to the June primary.

But Hernandezs campaign has been all but inactive since then. It has remained quiet on social media, and the assemblymans official Twitter account is now private. It is unclear if he has a campaign manager as November fast approaches.

Laura Herrera, who managed his campaign during the primary race, said she is not currently running his general election campaign and has not been in contact with Hernandez.

His campaign also hasnt shown much activity behind the scenes, according to Federal Election Commission records, reporting a meager fundraising haul of $8,849 between May 19 and June 30 with just $60,668 left in the bank for the general election.

For her part, Napolitano raised just shy of $100,000 in that same time period and had nearly $250,000 left available for November.

Hernandezs campaign headquarters on Rowland Street in Covina has been leased to new tenants, according to real estate agent Michael Wong, who represents the property. And his campaign website still boasts the endorsements of five candidates who told The Times last month they had pulled their backing, including Rendon and Compton state Sen. Isadore Hall, who is running for Congress in another district.

Rubio is also listed as having endorsed her former husband though she said Hernandez never asked for her endorsement.

My name is being used without my consent, she said.

Neither Hernandez nor Rubio appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom last week for a divorce hearing that was ultimately continued until Oct. 19.

Reached at her mothers home last week, Hernandezs sister Veronica shook her head when asked if she knew where the assemblyman could be reached. And long-time supporters of Hernandez have not heard from him since the election either.

Bradley McFadden, a former mayor of West Covina where Hernandez used to serve on the City Council, supported the assemblyman in the primary. McFadden said he does not yet know if he will continue to support him in the general election.

He is up against the eight ball, he said.

javier.panzar@latimes.com

Twitter: jpanzar

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UPDATES:

7:45 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details about Hernandezs Twitter account.

7 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details about Hernandezs term limits.

This article was originally published at 12:05 a.m.
Tom Edwards, a former Newport Beach mayor and Citizen of the Year, will remain in his role as a consultant for the city on John Wayne Airport issues for an additional year.

Edwards, 69, who also works as an attorney, has been a consultant for Newport Beach since 2008 on issues involving the airport, which sits on unincorporated land adjacent to Newport Beach, Irvine and Santa Ana.

His duties include following up on noise concerns, monitoring activities at the Federal Aviation Administration, keeping tabs on trends in aviation and meeting with community members to explain often complex issues related to the long relationship between Newport and the airport, according to a city staff report.

Im sort of their arm when they need to get out and meet with different groups, Edwards said. The airport is still one of the most significant issues that faces the city. It has been in the past and it will be in the future.

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The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend Edwards contract through March 2017. Under the contract, Edwards will continue to receive $5,000 per month for his first 25 hours of work. Every additional hour will be billed at a rate of $300 and will require approval from City Manager Dave Kiff.

Edwards can bill the city up to $70,000 through March 2017, according to the contract.

Kiff wrote in the staff report that last years contract with Edwards resulted in improved communication with the community regarding JWA issues and also resulted in greater direct attention being given to JWA issues.

Edwards has lived in Newport Beach for about 40 years and helped negotiate the settlement agreement with John Wayne Airport in 1985 that established a flight curfew and limits on noise and the number of passengers and departures. Newport Beach is the only community with an agreement that specifically addresses airport noise, Edwards said.

This is an issue thats very dear to my heart, Edwards said. Its important that we continue to protect what we have in Newport.

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Edwards and the city will face another hurdle this year with the FAAs proposal to replace traditional ground-based air traffic procedures with satellite-based technology at 11 Southern California airports, including John Wayne. The FAA has said the Next Generation Air Transportation System could save fuel, reduce emissions and delays and shorten flight times by establishing flight plans that are less dispersed than they have been.

However, some Newport residents worry that flights could become more concentrated above their homes.

With NextGen and higher levels of operation at JWA, Toms work continues to be a high priority, Kiff wrote in the staff report.

--

Hannah Fry, hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN

--

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Friends, family members and admirers gathered Saturday to honor the memory of Marian Bergeson, the first woman to serve in both the California Senate and Assembly.

The pioneering Newport Beach legislator was remembered in a celebration of life that began in the early evening at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Dover Drive.

Bergeson, who also had served as the state secretary of education and an Orange County supervisor, died in early July after a long period of ill health. She was 90.

The Salt Lake City native, who had lived in her adoptive Newport Beach since the 1950s, became involved in a 1959 effort to get Mariners Library built. A political career would follow.

Marian was a great lady and shell be missed, as she was an inspiration to women, former Mayor Evelyn Hart told the Daily Pilot last month. My best memories of her were the love she showed back to this community of Newport Beach.  We all knew we could call on Marian when we needed her, even when when she was busy in Sacramento.

Following her terms in the Legislature, Bergeson served as education secretary under then-Gov. Pete Wilson.

An elementary school in Laguna Niguel now bears Bergesons name, as does the aquatics center at Corona del Mar High School.

She was best known, perhaps, for contributions to education. But as a county supervisor, Bergeson helped lead the county out of bankruptcy in the mid-1990s.

She was a Republican, but at the time of her death, members of both parties praised her for boosting the political power of women in California.

She encouraged women to enter the male-dominated world of politics and to dedicate themselves to public service, Senate GOP leader Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. Her influence and passionate dedication stretched for decades and to all parts of California.

Bergeson is survived by her husband, Garth, and three adult children. A fourth child preceded her in death.
Ten Years Ago

Late on a Monday night in late July 2006, two masked men entered Taylors Steakhouse on Foothill Boulevard and robbed patrons of jewelry and cash. After an unsuccessful attempt to access the restaurants office, the suspects made their getaway through the rear parking lot.

Twenty Years Ago

Equestrian Anne Kursinski, who began training with the late Jimmy Williams at Flintridge Riding Club as a child, was representing the U.S. in the 1976 Olympic Games, held in Montreal. It was her fourth Olympics.

Thirty Years Ago

Quick thinking on the part of a 21-year-old dump truck driver whose vehicle developed overheated brakes prevented calamity at the intersection of Angeles Crest Highway and Foothill Boulevard. Beeping his horn down the Crest as he approached Foothill, he steered his truck away from traffic and into a driveway at the Union 76 station. After crashing into a sign pole there, the truck flipped over. Station personnel snuffed out a fire that broke out underneath the vehicle because of a gas leak and pulled the driver from the upturned cab.

Forty Years Ago

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a Nov. 2, 1976, election on the proposed incorporation of La Canada and Flintridge as a city. At the same time, the supervisors denied the proposed boundary exclusions of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Flintridge area.

Fifty Years Ago

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the Behrens Memorial Hospital that was to be built on Verdugo Boulevard, on land the city of Glendale annexed from La Canada for the project. (It was renamed Verdugo Hills Hospital before it was opened.)

Sixty Years Ago

The Regional Planning Commission gave La Canada resident Ara Melickian the green light to construct an apartment building on the west side of Chevy Chase Drive between the Youth House (Community Center) and a Foothill Boulevard gas station. It would be the first apartment complex in town.

Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci.
What fun to read Chris Reynolds article on Harlem [Full-Tilt Harlem, Aug. 7]. Thank you. And thanks for remembering Ella Fitzgerald. Heres another spot youll love: the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

Its finally in its permanent location, and the museums programs are wonderful. The Harlem School for the Arts is good too, with lots of free stuff.

Fran Morris-Rosman

Executive director

Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation

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Archivist to the Fitzgerald Estate

Los Angeles

Acknowledging history

Referencing Where Sorrow Meets Solace, by Thomas Curwen, July 31: As horrible as the Sand Creek massacre was, it did not approach the horror suffered by the Shoshone Indians in January 1863 in what is now Idaho.

Between 450 and 500 Indians were slaughtered by U.S. troops stationed at Ft. Douglas in Salt Lake City. The dead included women, children and even babies. Only a marker erected by the Shoshone and a historical state sign mark the Bear River massacre.

The state of Idaho has blocked attempts to acknowledge this horrible event, the largest massacre of Indians in the West, including Sand Creek and Wounded Knee.

Kenn Morris, Los Angeles

The letters on Sand Creek [Sand Creeks Significance, Aug. 7] are not the only lament about the way our history and subsequent books are being manipulated and distorted.

Government organizations have tried and succeeded (almost) to remove the Civil War from our history. They piously and ignorantly objected to flying the Confederate flag in the South. Thousands of young soldiers died defending it. It does not matter whether the South lost the war. The issue is that those people lost their lives because they believed in the cause.

I wish I could coin a few words to describe how biased, unintelligent and narrow-minded elected officials are. History describes the events the way they occurred. Politicians always try to convolute and excise it.

John Rosati, Simi Valley

Quiet, please!

I was a tad miffed to see the Travel section promote, alongside beautiful shots of places such as the Sierra Nevada, Corsica and South Africa, a Bluetooth speaker unit that acts as a sort of mobile DJ [Bluetooth on the Go, by Judi Dash, Aug. 7]. Seriously? It was an ear-opening experience this summer to take a walk along Huntington Beach while speakers strapped to bicycles played music at high volume. Is this what awaits us on our next hike of the Grand Canyon? Ill bet $49.99 (the price of the system) that the vast majority of readers who enjoy the Travel section want to get a break from the omnipresent pounding of sub-woofers et al that pollute our cities on a daily basis. Heres an idea: How about spending about half that amount on, say, earbuds?

John Schmidt, Artesia

A posh memory

Regarding Jay Jones article [Palace Panache, July 31]: I want to add that I was one of the first to spend a night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

I was part of a group of servicemen based at nearby Nellis Air Force Base who opened the posh hotel as shills in advance of its debut to the public.

It was quite an adventure for those of us earning a few hundred dollars a month to be given a king-size room and bed just for helping out Caesars as guinea pigs.

Michael Daly, Mission Viejo
Some of the 276 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been killed in Nigerian air force bombings, the group said in a video released Sunday.

The video appeared to be the first proof in months that dozens of the girls are still alive, more than two years after they were captured from the town of Chibok.

Their faces bleak, the group of several dozen girls could be seen wearing long Islamic gowns, guarded by a masked man in camouflage. Some fought back tears. Many held babies, likely the product of rape after the girls were forcibly married to fighters. About 40 of the girls have been married off, the masked man said.

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No one cares for us, one girl, identified as Maida Yakubu, said in the video.

We are suffering here. The aircraft has come to bombard us and killed many of us. Some are wounded, Yakubu said, according to an Associated Press translation. Every day we are in pains and suffering. So are our babies. Some of our husbands that we married also are injured, some dead.

Please go and beg the government of Nigeria to release the members of our abductors so that they too can free us to let us come home, she said. We are really suffering, there is no food to eat, no good water to drink here.

The masked fighter, who seemed to represent the Boko Haram faction led by Abubakar Shekau, demanded the release of prisoners in return for releasing the girls.

The group split recently, after an Islamic State-run magazine named Abu Musab Barnawi as the new leader of Boko Haram, angering Shekau and his followers. Both factions have since released video and audio statements attacking one another.

The spokesman warned in the video that no one would see the girls again unless the government stopped fighting the group and released Boko Haram prisoners.

Presently, some of the girls are crippled, some are terribly sick and some of them, as I had said, died during bombardment by the Nigerian military, the spokesman said. The video showed what the fighter said were the bodies of girls killed by airstrikes.

Let me say again, release our people and we release your girls. Otherwise, they will never be released. If you think you have the power to come and rescue them, go ahead and try, the spokesman said, according to a translation by Nigerian newspaper, the Premium Times.

The video was posted on Twitter on Sunday by a Nigerian journalist, Ahmad Salkida, who has Boko Haram contacts. The Nigerian army said it was seeking to question Salkida.

Boko Haram controlled a vast swath of territory in the north east of the country until last year, when a coalition of armies from Nigeria and neighboring countries drove the Islamist terrorist group out of all the major towns that it controlled.

The Nigerian air force has been bombing Boko Harams stronghold in the Sambisa forest, in the northeast, near the Cameroonian border.

Boko Harams scorched-earth policies have forced farmers off their land, stopped fishermen from fishing in Lake Chad and prevented the transport of food across the region, leaving a large area facing starvation. The policy appears to have hurt Boko Haram as much as it hurt surrounding communities, with many fighters surrendering to Nigerias military because of hunger.

The girls were kidnapped in April 2014 from their boarding school, where they had gathered for examinations. Boko Haram fighters stormed the school late at night, loaded the girls into trucks and took them away. Several dozen of the girls managed to escape by jumping from the trucks and running into the bush. One, Amina Ali, was recovered in May, married to a Boko Haram fighter, with a baby. But 218 are still missing.

A few weeks after they were kidnapped, about 100 of the girls were shown on video dressed in Islamic clothing. Some 15 were shown in a video released in May this year.

The Nigerian government, then under former President Goodluck Jonathan, was harshly criticized for failing to act swiftly to locate and recover the schoolgirls.

After the kidnapping, Shekau appeared in a video, grinning and laughing, calling the girls slaves and saying he planned to sell them in the market.

Activists in Nigeria initiated daily protests and the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, triggering peaceful protests and garnering support from people around the world, including from First Lady Michelle Obama.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

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Not long after it became clear that the robust winds that blow down from the Rocky Mountains and across the sea of sagebrush here could produce plenty of profit in a world that wants more renewable energy, some of the more expansive minds in the Wyoming Legislature began entertaining a lofty question:

Who owns all of that wind?

They concluded, quickly and conveniently, that Wyoming did.

Then, with great efficiency for a conservative state not traditionally tilted toward burdening the energy industry, they did something no other state has done, before or since: They taxed it.

In the four years since Wyoming began taxing power generated by wind turbines, it has collected a little less than $15 million in revenue.

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No, that is not much money in a resource state rocked by the simultaneous decline in the prices of coal, oil and natural gas, a state trying to close a budget gap that could reach $500 million.

But now, as one of the worlds largest wind farms is about to begin construction here on a project aimed at providing clean electricity to nearly a million homes in California and the Southwest  potentially transforming this fossil fuel state into a major player in renewables  some powerful state lawmakers are looking to raise those taxes.

And some in the wind industry, which has long benefited from incentives and subsidies, say they are worried. The company that has spent nine years trying to build the wind project says higher taxes could further delay or even halt the plan.

Just about every legislator weve met with asks us, You tell us how much we can tax you before we put you out of business, said Bill Miller, chief executive of the Power Co. of Wyoming, which is planning the wind farm. I just shake my head and say, Zero.

He said the state was at risk of taxing this project out of existence.

Miller and others note that other states are offering incentives, and that new technology is helping states with even less wind glean more electricity from it. Wyoming, they say, is in no position to impose new taxes that could make it less competitive.

In their view, the tax increase is more about politics  Wyoming lashing out at clean energy as payback for federal policy aimed at scaling back the coal industry on which the state has always relied.

Supporters of the tax increase say that the company is posturing  that Wyomings abundant winds are the renewable equivalent of its high-quality Powder River Basin coal. They point to studies showing that Wyoming eventually could provide half of the wind power in the nation, but they also emphasize that it likely will not provide anywhere near the jobs and other benefits fossil fuels have. Fully built out, the project called the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre would create fewer than 150 jobs.

They also say Wyoming doesnt necessarily need clean energy, much less the turbines that harness it. Giant towers would line the horizon for decades to come, altering the states wide-open spaces more fundamentally than drilling rigs or even vast surface coal mines.

The benefits of wind are disproportionately on the West Coast, and the costs of wind are disproportionately in Wyoming  and I mean the social costs, said Cale Case, a state senator and economist who serves on the Legislatures revenue committee. This tiny reflection of the impacts back here, I think its just kind of a fair trade.

California is indeed the primary market for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project, Miller said. California, which does not provide state tax incentives for wind but also does not tax wind generation, has committed to producing half of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, with the bulk of that expected to come from wind and solar power. Last year, turbines on large wind facilities provided 6% of the states gross system power, according to the California Energy Commission.

The Wyoming project includes a major transmission line that would be built specifically to transport its energy to California and the Southwest. Yet Miller said his company does not have a power purchase agreement in place with California or other locations, in part because of the uncertainty created by the potential tax increase.

What a new tax might look like is unclear. The current code requires wind farms to pay $1 per megawatt-hour produced. That has brought in about $4 million in annual revenue in the last few years. If the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project is built to its 3,000-megawatt capacity, revenue could triple even under the existing tax.

In May, the joint interim revenue committee asked legislative staff to draft two bills for them to consider at their meeting next month. One would raise the production tax to an unspecified level. The other would try to get wind companies to pass on the savings they receive from federal subsidies.

The latter idea is especially frustrating to supporters of the project, but Miller may have helped inspire it earlier this year when he said publicly that Chokecherry and Sierra Madre did not need the federal tax credit to be competitive. In an interview this week, Miller said he made that claim based on the presumption that the tax scheme in Wyoming would not change.

We thought we had a fixed set of rules, he said.

In addition to his work as CEO of the Power Co. of Wyoming, Miller also heads Transwest, which would build the new transmission line. Both are subsidiaries of the Anschutz Corp., which long has been involved in fossil fuels and owns Staples Center in Los Angeles. It is led by Philip Anschutz, a major donor to Republican candidates and conservative causes.

Miller and his colleagues have begun an assertive effort to sway local governments and the states business community against a higher tax. They have drafted reports showing how much tax revenue their project will generate  nearly $1 billion over 20 years under current law. Several groups have lined up behind them.

Ray Peterson, a contractor who hopes his rig company will get work with the new wind project, wrote to the revenue committee this month to oppose any move to raise taxes further.

We expected the Obama Administration to wage war on coal and oil as they promised, he wrote. What is most alarming, and completely unexpected, is realizing Wyoming state officials are willing to threaten killing the creation of new business, much needed jobs, a generous amount of tax revenue and diversification of our states energy dependent economy to wage war on renewable energy sources.

Miller has met with lawmakers and Gov. Matt Mead, who has not taken a position on the proposal.

I asked the governor if he would veto this; he would not answer me, Miller said.

In an interview, the Republican governor said state law prevents him from threatening vetoes, but he suggested he was wary of raising taxes on wind.

Im not where the revenue committee is now, but I do respect that the revenue committee is trying to find revenue and looking at things, Mead said.

He noted more than once that Anschutz expected to invest as much as $8 billion in the project, including the wind farm and transmission line, though not all of it would be spent in Wyoming.

Thats going to put a lot of contractors to work, and its certainly going to help the local communities and the state, Mead said. We certainly agree that every industry should pay its fair taxes, but Wyoming, now and historically, has prided itself on being very business-friendly, including fewer regulations and low taxes.

He added, speaking of Anschutz, For them to get their power purchasing agreements with states like California, for example, there has to be predictability and certainty of what taxes have to be paid. So I think we as a state need to be very thoughtful and cautious on this approach on new taxes.

No major wind projects have been constructed since the tax took effect in 2012.

Robert Godby, the director for the Center for Energy, Economics and Public Policy at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, outlined several possible explanations for the stall, including a lack of transmission capacity to get the power to market, but he said it was hard not to conclude that the uncertainty created by the tax has played a role.

Godby said the real issue Wyoming faces is much broader than how much to tax the wind. For too long, he said, the state has relied too heavily on revenue from fossil fuels. It needs to diversify and, even more daunting, to reconsider its tax code. The state has no income tax and still allows some industries to avoid sales tax.

Here in Rawlins, the seat of Carbon County, a name that now seems plenty ironic, local leaders support the wind project, but not the idea of taxing it further.

Wyoming is a boom-and-bust state, but its not really because of energy prices, said Sid Fox, the county planning director. Its because of our tax policy. If the state can figure that out, that might be the shining light out of this.

william.yardley@latimes.com

Twitter: @yardleyLAT

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Its 3 a.m. on a Friday, and while most denizens of Baghdad are either winding down the night or ensconced in bed, Hatem Taai and his bleary-eyed crew have just begun their work day.

They assemble in a dingy alley off of Baghdads posh Karrada Street. The staffers bulky frames, bulging muscles and frowning dispositions give them the air of a particularly menacing band of boxers itching for a street fight.



For the record: This story originally stated that the cooks use lard, a pork product that is forbidden under Islamic dietary laws. The correct ingredient is ghee, or clarified butter.

But no. The only workout their meat hooks will get will be from pounding and rolling dough to paper-thin rectangles. Its the prelude to the delicate, quick surgery that lies at the heart of making of kahi, a phyllo-esque pastry that marries the delicate layering of a Parisian mille-feuille with the profligacy of a glazed cream doughnut.

Its the Iraqi breakfast dish extraordinaire. On any given morning, this unassuming walkway, home of the Kahi of Karrada cafe, becomes a hive of activity, producing hundreds of golden-brown sheets of pastry for hungry Baghdadis who will flock in for a sugar and fat fix.

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Its the breakfast of the masses. Its like fast food, says Taai, owner of the cafe. Normally, we come in at 4 a.m., but on Fridays and holidays, theres much more demand, so we come earlier.

Qusai Taai, in red, prepares to serve a customer at his Kahi of Karrada cafe in Baghdad. (Nabih Bulos / For The Times )

Taai, an avuncular, bespectacled 59-year old man who began working in a bakery when he was 13, said he initially offered cakes and other desserts in his cafe when he first opened in 1988. But he soon eschewed all other pastries and now focuses only on kahi.

Thats what people wanted more than any other pastry. You wake up in the morning, its the natural thing to have it.

One side of the alley is dominated by large, chest-high tables, where an assembly line is soon in place. The air crackles with the rhythmic patter of rolling pins and dough slapped against a surface.

Hussein Farhan, 32, calmly picks up one edge of a rolled-out hunk of dough; his sausage-like fingers work quickly, deftly making one fold, another, then two more before he neatly stacks the resulting pouch in a nearby tray.

His equally massive brother, Ali, takes a pouch and flattens it out to a neat rectangle. He kneels almost tenderly as he carefully places it on another tray. A busboy takes the full tray to the oven for a six-minute bake.

Throughout the process, both Farhaan brothers regularly dunk their hands in the bowls of melted lard arrayed before them  an essential ingredient of kahi.

Even by the dismal health standards of Iraqi food (where the double, nay, the triple starch rule is gleefully ignored and fat is a constant presence in every meal) kahi is bad news.

Ghee oil and butter oh and milk, says Hussein haltingly. We put them [in the kahi] so we get the nice layers.

Once out of the oven, the kahi comes to the counter of Taais 26-year old son, Qusai, who lies in wait with spatula and knife.

Were the first kahi place that opened in Karrada, he boasts, the pastry emitting a satisfying crunch as it yields to the knife. He cuts it into manageable squares, arranging them on a plate in a flower-like pattern before he distributes a splash of cardamom-infused sugar water.

Thats when he turns to geymar, a thick, clotted cream, made from the milk of water buffaloes, for which Iraq, among other countries, is famous.

Although it can be found in stores, most Iraqis prefer to buy it farm-fresh; prune-faced women, swaddled in black Bedouin clothing, camp out on street corners near places where kahi is sold, with large trays of geymar brewing overnight.

A dollop of the stuff is the health equivalent of a hydrogen bomb. Its richness leaves one gasping, even as its scent, redolent of the animal from whence it came, delivers a sneaky sucker punch to the nose.

Qusai heaps the geymar in the center of the kahi flowers. Hungry patrons standing in shambolic lines a few feet behind the shop window stare with almost physical longing at the plates going past.

Its better with geymar. It gives it a special taste, says Ahmad Abdullah, one of the lucky ones already demolishing a kahi plate. He takes a square still dripping with syrup, using it to scoop geymar before he pops it into his mouth.

Geymar is an Iraqi flavor. You want to try?

By 9 a.m., customers, some of whom began to show up three hours earlier, begin to trickle out. They leave with an almost shamefaced look of bliss on their faces. Others soon take their place.

But its no time to dally for Qusai, as a fresh batch of kahi is put before him.

By noon well be done, he sighs as he takes up his knife again.

Bulos is a special correspondent.
A woman set fire to her veil in the midst of a cheering crowd. A man sliced off his beard with a pair of scissors, then started snipping at his friends facial hair.

Such were the scenes of celebration broadcast on Kurdish television from the Syrian city of Manbij on Saturday, hours after Islamic State militants were forced out by U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters.

The capture of the city, located on a key supply route between the Turkish border and the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of Islamic States self-styled caliphate, deprives the extremist group of a hub used to move fighters, weapons and supplies in and out of Syria.

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In a statement late Friday, the Kurdish and Arab fighters known as the Syria Democratic Forces announced that Manbij had escaped the claws of terrorism. SDF fighters were searching the city for militant holdouts, but by Saturday, the battle had all but ended, according to Sharfan Darwish, a spokesman for the SDF-allied Manbij Military Council.

There is no fighting in the city, but there is sweeping of areas where there might be Daesh sleeper cells, he said, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State that is considered pejorative by the groups members.

A convoy of Islamic State fighters was seen retreating Friday from Manbij toward the Syrian border city of Jarabulus, using hundreds of residents as human shields, pro- and anti-government activists reported.

Nasser Hajj Mansour, a spokesman for the SDF, said the militants left behind thousands of mines, a signature tactic.

Manbij community pages on Facebook reported that at least two men were killed by mines in the citys Sarb neighborhood as residents searched their homes for the hidden devices using 12-foot-long iron bars.

It was but one of many horrors inflicted by Islamic State during its more than two-year reign over the city, residents said.

Those who violated the groups extreme interpretation of Islam were subject to harsh punishments, including lashings, amputations and beheadings.

I even saw them slaughtering 3-year-old children. They showed us no mercy, an unidentified Manbij resident told Kurdistan 24 TV.

Standing amid the remains of a destroyed street market, an SDF fighter said, Whenever [Daesh] leave an area, they burn it.  Any civilian who tries to leave, they immediately try to shoot him.

U.S. officials have described the offensive, which began at the end of May, as an example of the strategy to defeat Islamic State by working with local ground forces to cut off the groups supply lines and eliminate its safe havens.

Warplanes from the U.S.-led coalition played a key role, taking out hundreds of Islamic State positions before the SDFs advance, while U.S. special forces provided assistance to the fighters on the ground.

The city had served as a center for recruiting and processing foreign fighters, and for dispatching operatives across the Turkish border for possible use in external attacks, Pentagon spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said this week.

Its loss 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, he said, using another acronym for Islamic State.

Yet some Syrian activists questioned how the remaining Islamic State forces had been able to leave the city unopposed.

Is it possible that 500 to 600 cars, with 2,500 people, could have left without a shot being fired? asked Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the pro-opposition monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, in a phone interview Saturday.

This was an undeclared deal between Daesh and the SDF.

Other activists accused the SDF, which is dominated by a Syrian Kurdish militia, of seeking to assimilate Manbij into an autonomous Kurdish zone on Syrian soil.

The SDF, meaning the Kurds, have a plan to establish Syrian Kurdistan, said an activist with the pro-government Facebook page Manbij Here. He refused to give his name for security reasons.

Were happy that Daesh has left, but this is just the start.

Bulos is a special correspondent. Special correspondent Kamiran Saadoun in Irbil, Iraq, contributed to this report.
Some rebel reinforcements reached the besieged Syrian city of Kobani, officials said Wednesday. But the main force of fighters from Iraqi Kurdistan, aiming to help fellow Kurds battle Islamic State militants, was said to be still en route as night fell.

Defenders of the border town just yards from the frontier with Turkey are backed by a campaign of U.S.-led airstrikes, lending Kobani heavy symbolic weight in the Wests confrontation with the extremist group Islamic State. The militants hold sway over large parts of Iraq and Syria and have enforced their rule with atrocities, including beheadings, crucifixions and sexual slavery.

On Wednesday, warplanes roared over the city, high above crowds on the Turkish side waiting for the arrival of the Iraqi Kurdish fighters, or peshmerga. A column of smoke could be seen rising from the city.

Officials reported the arrival of dozens of rebel fighters from the pro-Western Free Syrian Army, but their role in the citys defense was not immediately clear.

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Near Mursitpinar, close by the Turkish frontier, men and women gathered on roadsides and hilltops, some scanning the terrain with binoculars, hoping for a glimpse of the peshmerga forces. Kurdish flags fluttered, and a festival-like atmosphere prevailed, despite the sound of occasional gunfire from across the border in Kobani.

The peshmerga are welcome -- they will help us get the Islamic State out of our lands, said 46-year-old Fatma Sheikh, sitting on a hill overlooking Kobani. She was wearing a headscarf in the Kurdish colors.

Esmat Sheikh, a political representative of the Peoples Protection Units, the ethnic Kurdish faction commonly known as the YPG which is defending Kobani, said by telephone that the peshmerga are on the way, but they havent come in yet. He said the approximately 50 Free Syrian Army fighters who had arrived were from Kurdish-majority brigades.

A contingent of 150 peshmerga fighters landed earlier Wednesday at Ruha airport in the southern Turkish city of Urfa, 30 miles northeast of Kobani, before making their way with Turkish army and police escorts toward the border with Syria, according to Turkeys official Anatolia news agency.

Another 40-vehicle convoy carrying fighters and weaponry traveled overland via the Habur border crossing in southeast Turkey. Local Kurdish news outlets showed footage of hundreds of Kurds cheering the convoy as it passed through Kurdish-majority towns between Iraq and Turkey.

Halgurd Hekmat, spokesman for the Iraqi Kurdish ministry responsible for the peshmerga, told the French news agency Agence France-Presse that the fighters would serve as support forces. They were armed with automatic weapons, mortars and rocket launchers, Hekmat said.

Kobani has been the site of intense clashes since September between the Sunni Muslim extremists of Islamic State and Kurdish fighters affiliated with the YPG. About 800 people have been killed in six weeks of fighting, and some 200,000 have fled.

The battle has posed a quandary for the Turkish government. Turkey, a NATO ally, has frustrated Western officials with seemingly halfhearted support for the coalition confronting Islamic State. Many Kurds also accuse Ankara of giving tacit, if not active support to the extremist group  a charge that Turkey has forcefully denied.

There is no evidence that Turkey has any link, any cooperation, any support to this type of group, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the BBC on Tuesday.

Turkey has demanded that international action in Syria be directed at toppling Syrian President Bashar Assad, which it describes as a greater threat than Islamic State. The Obama administration has insisted that the main threat lies with the militants.

Turkey is also reluctant to offer military aid to the YPG in Kobani. It views the group as little more than a Syrian proxy for its longtime nemesis, the PKK, or Kurdistan Workers Party. Both Washington and Ankara consider the PKK a terrorist group.

Special correspondents Johnson reported from Mursitpinar and Bulos from Amman, Jordan. Times staff writer Laura King in Cairo contributed to this report.
I have perused the judgment of the Trial Court. Trial Court has decreed the suit on the ground that in the written statement the Appellant ...
A COUNTY Limerick priest, who is one of the youngest in Ireland, has defended the national seminary in Maynooth from anonymous allegations of homosexuality and misconduct.

Fr Ger Fitzgerald, Castleconnell, who only left St Patricks College in 2011 and is still in contact with priests there, says it is being portrayed as a golden house of debauchery, sin and squalor.

In my time, this was not the case. No parties were had and there were no drinks in rooms. This simply did not happen during my years, said Fr Fitzgerald, who entered the seminary in August, 2005.

Now based in Ennis, the 36-year-old says he felt he should say something considering the recent storm that appears to have engulfed my old alma mater. To have an image of Maynooth as a replica of a Christmas party in The Wolf of Wall Street is an inaccurate representation, he said.

As students in my time, we were all there with a purpose in mind. We all wanted to be close to God because we love God and were trying, in our own flawed way, to serve him in his church.

This is why I have such an issue with what is happening currently. The church that I love with all my heart is once again taking a battering. This goes further than just the institution of Maynooth College. This strikes again right to the heart of the church in Ireland, said Fr Fitzgerald.

Clouds have gathered over the seminary ever since Archbishop Diarmuid Martin explained his decision to send seminarians to Rome instead of Maynooth due to allegations of a "homosexual, gay culture - that students are using an app called Grindr, a gay dating app".

The Leader understands that one Limerick priest is due to go back shortly to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree in St Patricks College and that Bishop of Limerick, Brendan Leahy is going to discuss the matter with him. Two other Limerick men are about to start in the Irish College in Rome.

While most of the Limerick dioceses seminarians over the years went to Maynooth, others also studied in Thurles, Carlow, Waterford, amongst others.

After being contacted by the Leader for his thoughts as somebody who studied there, Fr Fitzgerald stresses these are his reflections and reminiscences.

I cannot speak for any other student, perhaps even less so for the students who are there now. I must also say that even just one case of abuse be that verbal, physical, sexual or in any form is one case too many and should be investigated rigorously.

I have read absolute horror stories of formation meetings turning into interrogations about a persons sexual orientation, spiritual direction gone awry and other such disgraceful events. If it is ongoing then things have certainly changed in the five years since I left Maynooth. In my time, formation meetings, which are semester meetings with your director of formation, were deeply respected by the vast majority of students.

As for the experiences I have read in the papers of formation meetings becoming something which could be included in the 13 enhanced interrogation tactics used by the CIA, this categorically was most certainly not my experience, said Fr Fitzgerald, who believes it is a time for all parties to come together and to openly, not anonymously, discuss whatever it is that is rotten in the state of St Patricks College.
FERGUS Kilcoyne has called for Fine Gaels biggest branch in the city to be stripped of its voting rights for 12 months.

It comes as the controversy continues over the eligibility of members to vote in the contest to replace Maria Byrne on the council.

As revealed earlier this summer by the Limerick Leader, Fine Gaels top brass are investigating allegations that almost half the members in the city branch  which numbers over 80 people  were not eligible to vote in a selection to replace the newly elected senator.

Some, it is understood, were found to not be living at the addresses where they are listed, while up to eight people, the register stated, were based at a two-up, two-down house in OConnell Avenue, with Mr Kilcoyne now saying many were based as far away as Cork, Waterford and Kerry.

Mr Kilcoyne was due to face city pharmacy boss Elenora Hogan  a cousin of Ms Byrnes. Given the strength in numbers of the James Reidy branch, she would have been overwhelmingly the favourite to prevail.

But the convention, which was due to take place at the South Court Hotel, was cancelled with only hours to spare in June, after Mr Kilcoyne lodged a formal complaint over what he has now described as serious irregularities.

Speaking out for the first time over the controversy, Mr Kilcoyne  who narrowly missed out on a council seat in 2014  wants his party to invoke rule ten of its constitution and suspend the voting rights of the Reidy branch.

In a statement released to the Limerick Leader, he said he will also vigorously resist the holding of a new convention, preferring it to be a face-off between himself and Ms Hogan.

The contest has already started [and] nominations had been processed and closed with two declared candidates. Clearly the goalposts should not be moved, he said.

The Patrickswellpublican also alleged there was a clear intention to mislead and distort the true voting rights of the James Reidy branch.

This was first brought to the attention of headquarters by myself three months ago, where they have members with voting rights living as far away as Cork, Waterford and Kerry, with some members allegedly having never resided in the functional area of City West at the addresses provided on the affiliated forms to headquarters by the James Reidy branch.

Mr Kilcoyne congratulated Ms Byrne on her elevation to Seanad Eireann.

Rule ten of Fine Gaels constitution states where any branch fails to carry out instructions issued by the constituency executive, then either the registered members of such branch, of the branch itself, shall forfeit all voting rights for a year.

Ms Hogan declined to commen on the situation this week..
A GENEALOGIST who rallied 2,500 people to attend a re-enactment of a march by Irish Volunteers to Glenquin Castle, has been named the Limerick Person of the Month.

One of the biggest single events of the Easter Rising was re-enacted on Sunday, April 24 at Glenquin Castle in West Limerick where hundreds of people walked in the footsteps of Irish Volunteers who played a part in the struggle for independence.

The Footsteps to Freedom event involved a re-enactment of the march of 300 Irish Volunteers from across West Limerick and North Cork to Glenquin Castle 100 years ago.

The year 1916 was, for most people, about Dublin, explained Gerard Greaney at the award presentation this week.

There was, in fact, a lot done outside Dublin but it was just never commemorated, he added.

Gerard, a qualified genealogist who has a keen interest in the tracing of family history, was determined to mark the events at Glenquin Castle with a special celebration.

The mustering in 1916 was part of a wider plan to galvanise the country and strike for Irish freedom against imperialist Britain.

On the day, up to 300 volunteers, drawn from 11 Irish Volunteer sections, made their way across fields, their eyes firmly on the Glenquin landmark.

Their mission was to be part of the wider national uprising. They travelled on foot over bogs and fields and along side-roads to avoid detection. They waited for hours in Glenquin until finally the word came from Limerick that the rising had been called off.

More than 2,000 people attended the commemoration, where after a moment of reflection they enjoyed an afternoon of traditional Irish music.

The idea was to re-enact the event. We ended up with 21 villages walking because some villages had split down through the years. The idea was to use genealogy to get as many names as possible of the original 200 to 300 and then go forward to grandnephews and grandchildren and you would say to them well, your grandfather did this. We were shocked when we ended up with 2,500 people on the side of the road.

We went around to all the different villages - thats where Jane Lacey and Vera Lacey came in. The two girls also looked after the end piece with the actual celebration and food etc. They were a major part of it.

Just over 900 people arrived at the castle after walking from 21 different villages across West Limerick and North Cork, including Abbeyfeale, Ardagh, Ashford, Broadford, Carrigkerry, Feoghanagh and Milford.

People were there for different reasons - people were there because their grandfathers or great grandfathers did it. Some people were there because they were there for the 50th anniversary in 1966. One 92-year-old walked from Templeglantine which is not an easy walk.The whole day followed like it did in 1966, Gerard continued.

The walk was part one of the project. Part two is to commemorate it properly.

We hope to have some form of an exhibition with the names or at least provide some kind of an index that we can use for later, said Gerard.

We were trying to reclaim history for the people themselves. It was totally non-political. It was a great way of remembering history, added Gerard who is originally from Dromcollogher and is now living in Ardagh.

The Limerick Person of the Month award is sponsored by the Limerick Leader, media agency Southern and the Clarion Hotel.
#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 ...
Aug 13, 2016, 11 PM

The discoverer of electromagnetism and aluminum, Hans Christian Oersted, has been honored on stamps by his native Denmark.

By Michael Baadke

Denmark is rightfully proud of physicist and chemist Hans Christian Oersted, and has issued two separate stamps to honor him as a scientific pioneer.

Oersted was born Aug. 14, 1777, in Rudkoebing, Denmark, on the island of Langeland. He studied at the University of Copenhagen, and became a professor there in 1806, researching electrical currents.

He observed that electrical current affected the needle of a compass and discovered electromagnetism through his research.

In 1825 Oersted also became the first scientist to isolate the element aluminum.

Denmark honored Oersted in 1951 with a 50-ore blue stamp showing his portrait (Scott 329). In 1970, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his discovery of electromagnetism, an 80o green stamp showing an electromagnet was issued (471).
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Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com

Columnists Press Releases
As Sahab, al Qaedas propaganda arm, released a new message from Ayman al Zawahiri yesterday. Zawahiris speech is apparently the first of a series titled, Brief Messages to a Victorious Ummah [worldwide community of Muslims]. In the inaugural episode, Zawahiri asks: Who Will Defend the Koran?

Osama bin Ladens successor offers a blistering critique of Islamists who compromise with rulers. Zawahiri even compares members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt to chickens, according to a translation obtained by The Long War Journal. He likens the Brotherhood to a poultry farm, which raises chickens to be pleased with what they are given, but leaves them ignorant of the predatory threats that surround them.

Zawahiri says the Arab Spring has failed in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen, while the fate of Libya remains uncertain. His assessment of Yemen is curious as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) continues to wage a prolific insurgency and also ruled over a large swath of territory in the southern part of the country for approximately one year. AQAP withdrew from the port city of Mukalla and other areas earlier this year, but still maintains control of some areas. In Libya, as well, the jihadists continue to fight on. However, al Qaeda-affiliated groups such as Ansar al Sharia, which is backed by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, have suffered setbacks.

Only in the Levant does Zawahiri see success. He believes that victory is within reach in Syria. Zawahiri makes no mention of Al Nusrah Fronts recent relaunch as Jabhat Fath Al Sham (Conquest of the Levant Front). This move was widely reported as Nusras split or break from al Qaeda, but that assessment is inaccurate for many reasons. For instance, Zawahiris own deputy helped orchestrate the move. [See LWJ report, Analysis: Al Nusrah Front rebrands itself as Jabhat Fath Al Sham.]

Zawahiris native Egypt dominates his thinking in his latest message. He claims to trace the Muslim Brotherhoods faults back to Hassan al Banna, who founded the organization in the late 1920s. Although Zawahiri respects Banna, referring to him as a martyr and a brilliant preacher, he critiques Bannas errors. Specifically, Zawahiri claims that Banna was too submissive to King Fuad of Egypt, who ruled until 1936, as well as his son and successor, King Farouk, who reigned until 1952. Farouk was overthrown in a military coup by Gamal Abdel Nasser and other members of the Free Officers movement, with Nasser later serving as Egypts president.

The al Qaeda leader says that both Fuad and Farouk served the British occupiers and ruled according to a secular constitution.

According to Zawahiri, Banna pledged allegiance to Farouk on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood and even referred to Farouk as Amir ul Mumineen, or the Commander of the Faithful, a title usually reserved for the Muslim caliph. The Brotherhoods members allegedly promised to serve as Farouks soldiers. Zawahiri goes on to criticize Banna and his Brotherhood for initially pretending that Egypts secular constitution was consistent with Islamic rule and participating in parliamentary elections. Only late in life did Banna understand the error of his ways, Zawahiri claims. The al Qaeda leader cites an article Banna wrote in which he explained that Egyptian law was not consistent with sharia and, therefore, Egypt was not an Islamic state.

Even after Bannas death, Zawahiri says, the Muslim Brotherhood acted like hypocrites in their dealings with Farouk. They then allied with Nasser against Farouk, but Nasser turned against them. Regardless, the Brothers then allied themselves with Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and his successor, Hosni Mubarak.

Zawahiri accuses the modern Brotherhood of surpassing Bannas errors. He says that Mohamed Morsi won the Egyptian presidency in 2012 only after the Brotherhood promised it would abide by existing agreements with America and Israel and wouldnt implement sharia without the electorates consent. Zawahiri accuses the Muslim Brotherhood of adopting secularism, saying Morsi was nothing more than a secular leader because the Brotherhood supposedly did nothing to sweep away the Egyptian governments corrupt system, which is run by foxes and wolves. Zawahiri then compares the Brotherhood to a chicken farm.

Of course, Zawahiri offers a selective reading of history. He has long been critical of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists who do not adopt al Qaedas methodology for waging jihad. His message is al Qaedas latest broadside against these Islamists. In addition to the Brotherhood, Zawahiri asks viewers what they think will come of the Ennahda party in Tunisia and the Salafis sponsored by the Saudi monarchy, implying that they are doomed to fail as well.

Interestingly, Zawahiri does not criticize Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, or his party. Perhaps Zawahiri knows that some of his most trusted compatriots enjoy a safe haven in Turkey, which has also supported Al Nusrah and like-minded groups in the war against Bashar al Assads regime.

Zawahiri calls on Muslims to behave like lions, who are willing to wage battle according to Islamic texts. The Muslim youth should be raised like lion cubs, not lambs, al Qaedas leader says.

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

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The great Gold Rush Music Festival returns to the township of Waihi, with the first nuggets of gold dropping for the highly anticipated return of the 2023 festival.
Thiruvananthapuram: The veteran communist leader, VS Achuthanandan rejected the opportunistic tie-up with discontented opposition allies. He blatantly came against the any truck with corrupt and communal elements. The comments came amid the political discourse triggered by CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnans statement that LDF was ready for issue-based cooperation with Kerala Congress (M).

The understanding with either Mr. KM Mani or the Muslim League was rejected outright by VS. When media asked about the possibilities the former Chief Minister said: Mani is the most corrupt person. We will have nothing to do with him. When asked about the tie-up with Muslim League, he said: Muslim League is a communal party and we cannot have any understanding with such forces. Leagues ideology is incompatible to the CPM.
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 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.
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) .
Stock Market Final Pop - It Cant Wait Any Longer  Deja Vu!

The stock market tends to repeat itself on regular bases. Why? Because it moves mainly based on the emotions of market participants, with the exception of extreme times when the masses are moving the market with extreme fear or greed, at which point they are flooding the market with buy or sell orders to create a final pop or drop in the market just before a major market reversal.

As with everything in the universe, everything moves in cycles, periods of expansion and contraction, and there are regular wave-like patterns that happen on a regular basis no matter the time frame one is reviewing on a stock chart.

Below are three charts, each showing a similar price pattern of extreme washout lows, followed by roughly a 1.5-month rally taking investors on a roller coaster ride from fear and complete panic to greedy know-it-alls.

Current S&P 500 Daily Chart Price Action





October 2014  S&P 500 Daily Chart Price Action



September 2015  S&P 500 Daily Chart Price Action



Trading Conclusion:

In short, no pun intended, us large cap stocks look and feel toppy here. I feel a correction is likely to take place any day now, and the big question is how much will the stock market pullback?

Will it be another 4-5% correction similar to the chart examples above? Or will it be something larger 8-15% correction?

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A new brewery is headed to Rockbridge County this fall.

Great Valley Farm Brewery is under construction right now in Natural Bridge. Owners Nathan and Irma Bailey lived in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area, but Nathan said they wanted to move somewhere more rural. They purchased 27 acres in 2008 with the intention of opening a brewery and a winery.

The brewery's tasting room is already in the works. It is at 2 Mesa Valley Lane in Natural Bridge, next door to Virginia Safari Park. The tasting room will be about 600 square feet and will include a place for outdoor seating to take in the views of the Shenandoah Valley.

Nathan Bailey said he began making his own beer about eight years ago. He plans to grow hops, fruit and herbs on site. He said he doesn't have any immediate plans for distributing the beers into stores.

"Our core focus will be on creating beers in the Belgian farmhouse tradition, as well as other Belgian styles," he said. "However, we will rotate through a number of different beer styles throughout the year and will have something for everyone."

Belgian beers are his favorite, he said. And he hopes it will create a beer-drinking niche for the area as more breweries have begun to pop up. Sam Crickenberger, the director of community development for Rockbridge County, helped Great Valley get up and going and thinks it ties in nicely with tourism efforts for the region.

Last May, area leaders created the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail to highlight breweries in the valley. The trail features about a dozen breweries, including Devils Backbone Brewing Co. and Blue Lab Brewing Co. in Lexington. Crickenberger hopes more will be added.

The Baileys also plan to add wine production and sales in the future. They planted the first four acres of their vineyard in 2012, but it will be a few more years before that launches. Great Valley is expected to open in September.
One hundred local people are on their way to the big screen.

They are the cast of Myron Smiths locally produced films, which will be part of the Virginia Sweded Film Festival.

Smith is the co-director of Young Blood: Evil Intentions and Invasion of the Killer Cicadas. A Sweded film is a condensed, low-budget version of a popular movie.

Smith, his cast and his crew have made versions of Almost Famous, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Wizard of Oz and A Nightmare on Elm Street. There may be another on the way.

Each film runs between 15 and 20 minutes, Smith said. They will be shown together.

The First Annual Virginia Sweded Film Festival is coming Oct. 1, at the Historic John D. Bassett Event Center.

Behind the scenes

The project started in spring. Each film has about 20 or 30 actors. Another five or six worked behind the scenes on each film.

Building, hauling around and setting up props was a major job. Smith and Andrew McVicker handled that.

Creating sets and costumes was not difficult, but it took a lot of creativity, Smith said. For Willy Wonka, for example, he built a thing in the shape of a boat. A bed headboard was part of it. For The Wizard of Oz, I made the Emerald City door with a circle in the middle for a guy to stick his head, Smith added.

Marcy Martin handled phone calls on a phone dedicated to the project.

Garland William Whitlow, the only person who appears on screen in all four films, was all-purpose general help behind the scenes as well, Smith said. Chris Harding helped with camera work, and Jordan Hughes assisted on a variety of things.

Stephanie Stowe and Chrystal Jackson were the make-up artists.

Patti and J.R. Blankenship served snacks on the sets.

The snacks often were in the theme of the movies; for Wizard, they were Somewhere Over the Rainbow Skittles and lions, tigers and bears animal crackers, said Blaize Gilbert, who performed in two of the films.

The biggest challenge to production was Mother Nature.

They made the props on Fridays, and it seemed like it rained on every Friday (when it was time to make props), and when we filmed (on Saturdays) it kept trying to rain, Smith said.

The wind also was a challenge. It completely knocked over the airplane prop Smith had made the day before, even though it was under a shelter so it wouldnt get wet by rain.

Dressing the part

Smith coordinated the costumes, and the actors helped put them together.

For The Wizard, Dorothy was the easiest to dress: The actress portraying her bought her dress.

The Tin Man was spray-painted silver. Smith told the actor to wear shoes he would not mind being painted. To create the Tin Mans knee joints, a dust particle mask was looped over each knee, above the paints, and spray-painted silver. The chest piece was a silver sun reflector used to shade a cars dashboard. His hat was a silver-painted funnel turned upside down.

Chris Dollarhite, who played the Cowardly Lion, wanted his costume to look good, Smith said. Dollarhite bought a brown fake beard. He wore a fuzzy tan Snuggie (a small blanket which snaps around the body) around his body. Smith made his paws and tail from fur pieces cut from a teddy bear.

Smith chuckled over the time he and Dollarhite ran into each other at a thrift store, where each were looking for elements of the costume. Thats where they got the Snuggie and teddy bear.

The costume was literally falling apart by the end of the day, but we made it work, Dollarhite said.

The Scarecrow was dressed in jeans and a checkered hat. Straw sticking out of his sleeves and pants was raffia, and what looks like a straw scarf around his neck is neutral-colored shelf liner. Both items came from Dollar Tree.

Creating the costumes definitely takes some thinking outside the box, especially with Wizard of Oz costumes which are more complex, Smith said.

Smith had children to play the Munchkins and Oompa Loopmas. To simplify the costuming, in one scene he had them all wear white T-shirts and black pants. I made them little suspenders which I forgot to use, he said. It happens sometimes: I make something and forget to use it because theres a lot going on.

Two weeks per film

Each film took about two weeks to make. Smith would write the script over the course of a few days. When he had an actor in mind for a major role, he would give the script to the actor a week ahead of filming, generally without telling which role it might be.

On Thursday evenings, Smith, the potential actors and the crew met. The actors read the scripts in audition; Smith assigned the roles; and they would practice.

Fridays were dedicated to set-building while the actors practiced their roles.

Casting went smoother than I had hoped, Smith said. It seemed like they (the actors) did kind of perfectly fall into place. With a lot of these people, they almost looked as much as I would expect or hope the character to look.

Ive been impressed with their performances because, truthfully, I was working with a lot of new people that I have not worked with before, and they exceeded my expectations, he said.

Filming was done on Saturdays, usually starting between 9 and 11 a.m. Two of them took about 12 hours to film, most in one day, but Nightmare took 15 hours and The Wizard took two days.

Oz in Martinsville

Filming was done around Martinsville. The Kansas scenes for The Wizard were filmed at Infinity Acres. Once in Oz, Dorothy met the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion along the Silver Bell Trail.

The witchs castle in Wizard was inside Piedmont Arts. That worked out well, Smith said, because the guards surrounded people from upstairs and downstairs. The large mobile gave the feel of the castles chandelier.

For Willie Wonka, they filmed Charlie delivering newspapers along Church Street. Uptown Sweets was used as a candy store.

Friends houses were used for scene is several of the films, and some filming was done at Chatham Heights Recreational Park, Hugos and Sparkys.

A long to-do list and an opening night

The hardest part was  the simple fact of doing everything, because Im obviously doing the script, buying the props and stuff, creating the props, script, casting  thats a lot, Smith said. A lot of the time Im sitting there with a to-do list of 50 things and I dont know where to start.

Myron is so passionate and so driven about his filmmaking, Dollarhite said. But he has a kind, compassionate side and hes so patient with the kids and older folks. Its a pleasure to watch him work.

Lately, Smith has been editing the films. He plans to release a trailer this week or the next. He will make a playbill for opening night, hopefully with photographs of each actor, he said.

He has developed a fundraising campaign on the Kickstarter website with a goal of $1,000. He is considering creating a final film chosen by the highest-level donor.

The Sweded Film Festivals opening night will start with a dinner of spaghetti, a salad, a roll, dessert and a drink at 6 p.m. The show will be shown at 7 p.m. To order tickets ($10), call 226-3801.

Im excited to see how it turns out  and works not over yet, Gilbert said. Hopefully (there will be) more Sweded films to come. Gilbert will be at the premier dressed as Tin Man serving food, and hope to see you there.

Filmmaking in Virginia

Being an actor and director myself, often driving several hours to film, it would be great if Martinsville-Henry County could become more proactive in film, said Christopher Harding, who was an actor in the project. When North Carolina eliminated the tax incentives, filmmakers had to look elsewhere. Virginia is slowly climbing the ladder of popularity for films.

He said two movies have been filmed in Roanoke recently: Follow Friday, which will air Sept. 9 on the SyFy channel and included crew members from Sharknado, and there is an independent movie being filmed there named Medic Zero.

Martinsville has locations, has talents  we just need to get on the radar, Harding said.
The debate over the future of Social Security typically focuses on the 60 million seniors and disabled Americans who receive roughly $55.7 billion in monthly benefits.

When the AARP, for example, calls for reforms to well past 2034  when Social Security is currently projected to begin running out of money  the advocacy groups major concern is how aging baby boomers will place budgetary pressures on the program in the coming years.

Related: Trump and Clinton Square Off On Saving Social Security

For too long in this campaign cycle and many others, it seems like the candidates want to kick the can down the road, Pete Jeffries, AARPs national engagement director, said in a statement during last months Republican and Democratic National Conventions. Theres no longer time for that. We need our nations leaders to take action and update Social Security.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton favors raising taxes to finance expanded benefits, along the lines of what was advocated by her former Democratic rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appears to be backtracking on a previous pledge to leave Social Security and Medicare unscathed and use an expanding economy to generate additional revenues for retirees.

The next president will be faced with a major controversy that will pit Social Security advocates and liberal groups favoring expanded financial resources and benefits against conservative groups and fiscal watchdogs such as the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and the Concord Coalition who are advocating spending cuts to avoid adding to the $19 trillion national debt.

Social Security just turned 81, but without reform its trust fund wont make it to 100, Marc Goldwein, CRFPs senior vice president, said in a statement late last week. If Washington doesnt act to reform Social Security soon, benefits will be cut abruptly for todays workers as well as many current retirees. The organization just posted a new interactive tool to show how old you will be when the trust fund runs out, and just how much money you stand to lose.

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One thing lost in the debate is that its not just retirees and the disabled who have a major stake in the outcome. Roughly 6.4 million children  or nearly one in 10 -- currently benefit directly or indirectly from Social Security payments. While it gets scant attention, Social Security is one of the federal governments largest anti-poverty programs for children, serving more kids than other discretionary programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the major welfare program approved during the Democratic administration of President Bill Clinton.

Related: Record Number of Americans Living With Parents and Grandparents

Without Social Security, the poverty rate for the nations youngsters would soar to nearly 43 percent overall and roughly 60 percent among black children, according to a new report. While Social Security, the so-called Third Rail of Politics, is largely immune from draconian cuts because of the power of the seniors lobby, some experts worry that millions of children could be hurt by tight restrictions on growth in spending over the coming years.

For the last decade we have been having this debate about the future of Social Security, and in all of these discussions not a single portion of it has really been dedicated to the number of children who actually rely on Social Security for their income and support in childhood. And thats a mistake said Maya Rockeymoore, president and CEO of the Center for Global Policy Solutions and chief author of a new report on the subject.

Rockeymoore complained that Clinton and Trump have said little, if anything, about the importance of Social Security to young Americans, although Clinton has long-championed childrens health benefits, education and other social services. Rockeymoores report, Overlooked But Not Forgotten: Social Security Lifts Millions More Children Out Of Poverty, claims there are 3.2 million children under the age of 18 who directly receive Social Security income benefits either as the surviving dependents of a parent or guardian who had died, the dependent of a disabled worker, or the dependent of a retiree.

Americans need to understand that Social Security supports people at all stages in life, Rockeymoore said. Its a mistake not to understand that it has a significant role in lifting children and their families out of poverty.

But fiscal conservatives also point to the massive number of alternative poverty programs that serve children and families that cost taxpayers nearly $1 trillion in 2013. Of the 12 federal food programs costing $116 billion in 2013, 8 are targeted to children. Childrens medical care is covered by Medicaid; housing subsidies and assistance costing about $50 billion a year as well as low-income energy assistance are also available. Finally, there are federal cash payments through the Earned Income Tax Credit, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), and the Refundable Child Credit, a total of about $200 billion all in.

Related: Social Security Trustees Project Trust Fund Will Be Tapped Out by 2034

The issue is complex because there are many competing interests in the Social Security debate. Many of the advocacy groups including AARP unavoidably focus their efforts on protecting the benefits of retired Americans because seniors make up the bulk of their 37 million membership. Polling suggests that the millennials and other younger Americans who are many decades away from retirement are highly suspicious of the Social Security system and question whether there will be any money left in the trust fund by the time they retire.

Conservatives have sought to leverage the inter-generational tension over Social Security in pressing for major reforms. Those have included proposals to privatize a portion of the system to allow younger people to take risks to maximize their retirement nest egg while allowing the elderly to remain in the existing program of guaranteed monthly payments and cost of living adjustments.

John Rother, a former top official of AARP, said in an interview last week that the perception of generational conflict around Social Security has been fed mostly by the right/privatizers looking for a way to justify benefit cuts. He said that to combat this, he helped found an organization called Generations United, to bring senior and children's advocates together.

Related: Democrats Promise to Expand Social Security Regardless of the Risk

Rockeymoore noted that many of these children are products of the countrys most economically vulnerable household. As a result, Social Security is often the only financial safeguard protecting them from the harmful effects of poverty.

Even the 3.2 million official government number of children directly benefitting from Social Security is vastly understated, according to the report. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Social Security Administration, the report found that the actual number is double that amount -- or 6.4 million  when adding in children who are not direct beneficiaries, yet live in extended families that receive Social Security.

Thats the equivalent of nine percent of all children in this country under the age of 19 and 11 percent of all Social Security beneficiaries, according to the report.

Among other findings in the report:

While there has been some growth in the number of direct Social Security beneficiaries under age 18, the majority of the increase is due to the growing number of children who are indirect Social Security beneficiaries. Social Security substantially reduces poverty rates among all children in families that receive it by 17.3 percent.

White children continue to represent the biggest number of direct or indirect child beneficiaries, although the number of blacks and Hispanics is on the rise.

Related: The Social Security Mistake That Can Cost You Thousands a Year

About two-thirds of indirect child beneficiaries reside in multi-generational families consisting of three or more generations or in skipped-generation households that include families of grandparents and grandchildren only.

The annual rate of growth of children benefiting indirectly from Social Security is 3.5 percent. That accounts for practically the entire 1.7 percent annual rate of growth in the number of kids who have benefited either directly or indirectly from the retirement program during the past 14 years.

In sum, as U.S. childhood poverty increased during the 2000s, Social Security played a crucial role in offsetting increased poverty rates across all racial and ethnic groups, the report concludes. When families needed it most, Social Security strengthened child economic security and helped to provide the critical necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing that children need to survive and thrive.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
FIELDALE  An estimated 300 people participated in the 14th Annual Jennifer Short Memorial Scholarship Bike/Car Ride on Saturday, with proceeds of $5,500 to $7,000 expected to go toward two scholarships each at Bassett, Magna Vista and Martinsville high schools.

The annual event honors Jennifer Short and her parents, who were murdered in 2002. The investigation continues to this day, and no arrests have been made.

On Aug. 15, 2002, Jennifers parents, Mary and Michael Short, were found dead in their Oak Level home, according to a previous Bulletin article. Both had been shot in the head. Jennifer, who was 9 at the time, was believed abducted by her parents killer or killers. Her remains were found Sept. 25, 2002, along a stream bed off Grogan Road in Stoneville (Rockingham County), N.C. She, too, suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

Chris and Deana Willard and their 10-year-old daughter Kayla, of Axton, were among the riders Saturday.

Chris Willard said he grew up in the community where the Shorts lived and was about 22 when the family was murdered.

It scared the mess out of everybody, he said. Parents latched on to their kids a little tighter.

It made people realize that big cities are not the only places such crimes happen, Willard said.

He and his wife said they support the rides causes of raising scholarship money and reminding the public about the case and investigation.

Vernon Nelson of Sanville, who previously helped organize the event, said of the Shorts: That family was taken for no reason.

Nelson said he hopes the event would jog the memory of people who could have information about the case. It could be just one word could be shared that would help solve the case, he said.

Martinsville Sheriff Steve Draper compared the investigation to a jigsaw puzzle and said he hoped someone would remember the missing piece that might help solve the case, which is being investigated by a multiagency task force.

Draper also said that about 20 officers from Martinsville city, Franklin County, Henry County and Rockingham County, North Carolina, sheriffs offices participated in the ride Saturday and provided security.

Ray Reynolds, one of the organizers of the event, said all kinds of vehicles took part in the ride, including custom bikes and representatives of three car clubs, among others. Each participant paid $10.

Since its inception, the ride has raised about $30,000, and 36 scholarships have been awarded, Reynolds said.

Riders traveled from Victory Baptist Church in Fieldale about 35 miles to The Jennifer Short Memorial Bridge near Madison, North Carolina, and broke for water, prayer, comments from law enforcement and the playing of bagpipes. The ride then returned to Victory Baptist Church for a donated meal.

Debbie Schelling, wife of Victory Baptist Pastor Dan Schelling, said she supported the ride, in part, because she identifies with the loss of a child, having herself lost a son because of a traffic accident. It was the most devastating day of my life, she said, and a parents worst nightmare.

Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry has urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 63-CRIME (632-7463). The Crime Stoppers Program offers up to $2,500 for information related to crime. The nature of the crime and the substance of information determine the amount of reward paid.

Those with information also may call 656-4200 and ask for Lt. Curtis Spence.
Iran's Sohrab Moradi competes during the men's weightlifting 94kg event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 13, 2016 (AFP Photo/Goh Chai Hin)

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Iranian weightlifter Sohrab Moradi insisted a previous doping ban did not diminish his gold as he backed two Polish brothers who failed drugs tests in the run-up to Rio.

Moradi on Saturday easily topped the podium in the men's 94kg class just over a year after returning to action following a two-year suspension for testing positive for the painkiller methadone.

"No, I don't accept the idea that it's diminished because someone has doped," an angry Moradi told reporters, insisting that he had always been 100 percent clean.

"My doping ban was unwanted. I don't know why they disqualified me. I just don't know. I didn't know about the painkiller. Yes of course 100 percent (clean)," he added.

Moradi, who won by 8kg to claim Iran's second weightlifting gold medal of the Rio Games, said he had spent the time out from June 2013 to June 2015 training alone at home in Iran.

"I worked very hard to come back and win. It was very difficult for me," he explained.

Moradi won with a combined total of 403kg. Vadzim Straltsou of Belarus claimed silver on 395 while Lithuania's Aurimas Didzbalis, who has also served a two-year doping ban, took bronze with 392.

The run-up to the competition had been overshadowed by a doping scandal after Polish brothers Adrian and Tomasz Zielinski were both withdrawn for failing drugs tests.

Adrian Zielinski, a 2012 Olympic champion, tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone just three days after his brother Tomasz suffered the same fate, Poland's anti-doping committee said Friday.

The drug was detected as the 27-year-old was gearing up for the 94kg competition in Rio.

His brother Tomasz, 25, was also registered for the contest before he also tested positive.

Adrian Zielinski, gold medal winner in the 85kg category at the London Olympics, and European champion Tomasz, have denied any wrongdoing.

"I'm very sad that they're not here," Moradi said of the Zielinskis, who trained for the Olympics individually, outside the framework established by the Polish federation.

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"I feel I am a great lifter. I feel also that they worked very hard and they wished to win as well.

"Because I'm a weightlifter I feel for them. Out of competition we are athletes and friends," he added.

Moradi, 27, also backed Kazakhstan's double Olympic champion Ilya Ilyin, who won 94kg gold at London and Beijing.

He had also been due to bid for a third consecutive title, in the 105kg class, before receiving a doping ban in June after samples from the previous two Olympics were retested.

"If Ilyin had been here we would have competed against each other well. I love Ilya. I would have liked him and the two Polish lifters to have been here," he said.

"Every weightlifter is sad after (a positive) doping (test). But every time an athlete has the opportunity to compensate and I established that today."
After a week from hell in which Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump suffered major GOP defections and saw his standing in the polls plummet as he wildly lashed out against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and President Obama, Trump forces engaged in damage control on Sunday to try to staunch the hemorrhaging.

Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence and Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort disputed reports that the campaign was in disarray and, like Trump in a tweet this morning, blamed the news media for distorting Trumps statements last week.

If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

Related: Trump Doubles Down on His Claim That Obama Was a Founder of ISIS



Trump seemingly called on Second Amendment gun rights advocates to threaten the life of Clinton if she wins the election and tries to nominate liberal justices to the Supreme Court. He also accused Clinton and Obama of being the co-founders of the terror group ISIS, dumbfounding Republicans and Democrats.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that Trump is unwilling and perhaps incapable of softening his hard-edged, racially divisive image, and that he cant pivot from his primary victories to a general election campaign strategy. Instead, the newspaper reported, he has grown only more volatile and prone to provocation, including his recent attacks on a Gold Star family whose son was killed in Iraq by a suicide bomber.

"The campaign is moving forward and is very strong," Manafort insisted on CNN's State of the Union. Trump is very plugged in and he's very connected. ... The media chose to take [the] Clinton campaign narrative and go on the attack on Donald Trump."

Not all Republicans see it that way. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine last week became the seventh Senate Republican to break with Trump over his combative anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric. She said today on the CBS News Face the Nation that after Trump clashed with the family of the fallen military hero that she concluded Trump wasnt interested in making a much-needed political course correction.

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Related: Is Trump Trying to Game the Presidential Debates?

Clinton currently holds a 6.8 percentage-point lead over Trump in Real Clear Politics cumulative national polling average, with some polls showing her with as much as a 10-point advantage. A new CBS News Battle Ground Tracker released today shows Clinton extending her lead over Trump in the crucial state of Florida and is now up by five points, 45 percent to 40 percent.

Trump appeared to get back on script last Monday when he delivered a major economic speech to the Detroit Economic Club. He contrasted his tax cut proposals with Clintons plans for new taxes and spending programs. But the weeks media coverage was dominated by his comments the following day in which he appeared to be encouraging second amendment supporters to threaten the life of Clinton or liberal members of the Supreme Court. Trump later said the media had misconstrued his sarcasm, although he said in the same breath that perhaps he wasnt being sarcastic.

"The point is, most people did not take it that way, Manafort said today. It was not at all meant to be a threat," he said. You could have been covering what he was saying or you could take the Clinton narrative and play it out, and you chose to do that instead," he said.

Related: How Donald Trump Just Single-Handedly Saved Obamacare

During an interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday that was taped on Friday in Indiana, Pence, the governor, gamely defended Trump as a politician like former President Ronald Reagan who shook up the political establishment by speaking his mind, even when many policy experts at the time warned that his policies were highly risky. He said that Trump would begin to show more of his leadership skills beginning on Monday when he delivers a major national security policy address and discusses his plans for defeating ISIS.

Pence also said that Trumps campaign would continue to make the case that Clinton showed favoritism to contributors to the Clinton Family Foundation during her tenure as secretary of state and that she and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, fostered a pay to play environment in the government. Some of Clintons emails released on Tuesday raised new suspicions that the foundation staff sought favors from the State Department on behalf of major donors  an allegation that Clinton has repeatedly denied in the past.

On Trumps ISIS comment, Pence replied, I think he was very serious and was making a point that needs to be made -- that there is no question that the failed policies of President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the wider Middle East created a vacuum within Iraq in which ISIS was able to rise.

Related: Planning the Purge: What Will the GOP Look Like After Trump?

Theres simply no question about that, Pence added.

Trump, the once high-flying political newcomer who blew away 16 rivals during the Republican presidential primaries, has been on a fast slide since the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in mid-July.

Donald Trump made his way through a very competitive primary because he spoke not like your typical politician but just plainly like an every-day American, Pence said. And speaking plainly is exactly what the American people will anticipate in the course of this election. But more importantly, theyre going to have a president who tells them exactly whats on his mind and the American people are going to hear him and hear him loud and clear.

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Dr. Neilesh Soneji, Staff Anesthesiologist, Toronto Western Hospital and the lead author of the study, said, "However, these findings provide reassurance that the current strategies to manage acute pain after surgery are associated with a low risk of persistent opioid use in our study population. This empowers clinicians to address patients' concerns about the risk of developing long term opioid use after major surgery."The researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of anonymized population-based healthcare data securely housed at ICES, the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), the research is based on a retrospective analysis of anonymized population-based healthcare data which including databases on outpatient prescriptions dispensed to Ontario residents aged 65 years or older.For this study, researchers focused on individuals who were aged 66 years or older, were not previously taking opioid medications, and underwent one of the following operations between 2003 and 2010: heart bypass surgery, major lung surgery, major abdominal surgery, major prostate surgery, and major surgery on the uterus. They then looked at the number of individuals who had continued to receive repeated prescriptions for opioids at least every 90 days for the next year after surgery.The analysis determined that of the 39,140 patients in this cohort, 53% received one or more opioid prescriptions within 90 days of their surgery but, by the 365 day mark, only 0.4% continued to receive prescriptions. The study also showed that patients who underwent major lung surgery were at highest risk of persistent opioid use a year after surgery."These findings are important because they show that an opioid naive individual has a low risk of developing persistent opioid use after surgery," said Dr. Hance Clarke, Medical Director, Pain Research Unit and Director, Transitional Pain Service, Anesthesia Department and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital. "This means future research and interventions should be targeted towards better identifying patients who are at higher risk of developing persistent opioid use and providing them with adequate resources."In previous research on opioid use after surgery in Ontario residents, Dr. Clarke and team previously found at-risk patients are those who have pre-existing pain, mental health issues, chronic preoperative use of opioids, and those who do not have access to teams who specialize in advanced and multiple techniques of pain management.Source: Newswise
Over the past month, the Saudi press has featured a number of highly unusual articles harshly critical of the antisemitic discourse in Arab and Muslim society, and calling to avoid its generalizations regarding the Jews. The articles argued that Koranic passages against the Jews only applied to specific groups during specific time periods, and should not be applied to Jews in general. They added that blind hatred of Jews everywhere has prevented Arabs and Muslims from learning the lessons of Jewish experience and advancement.

It should be mentioned that these articles came against the backdrop of a heated debate in Saudi Arabia over the issue of normalizing relations with Israel, which erupted after a July 2016 visit to Israel by a Saudi delegation headed by Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Anwar Eshki, chairman of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies in Jeddah, and the publication of photos of the delegation with Israeli politicians. While Eshki claimed that he represented only himself and that "official Saudi elements did not know of the meeting in advance, as it was of a personal nature" and was the result of an invitation by the Palestinian Authority, he stressed that "the kingdom does not prevent anyone from holding such visits." He also did not rule out indirect Israeli-Saudi intelligence cooperation as part of efforts to combat terrorism.[1]

The visit, which was seen as a Saudi step towards normalizing relations with Israel, sparked harsh criticism inside and outside the kingdom. Several hashtags attacking the visit were launched on social networks, including "Saudis Against Normalization."[2] Likely as a response to the criticism, the Saudi Foreign Ministry distanced itself from Eshki, arguing that "people like Anwar Eshki do not represent us, have no ties to any governmental elements, and do not reflect the positions of the Saudi government."[3]

However, despite this statement, and despite the Saudi regime's denial that the visit heralded normalization with Israel, the publication of Saudi articles attacking antisemitic discourse specifically at this time is no coincidence, and is likely meant to lay the groundwork for public acceptance in the country of normalized relations with Israel.

The following are excerpts from articles in the Saudi press attacking antisemitic discourse:



Anwar Eshki (center with striped tie) with Israeli Knesset members (Image: Haaretz.com, July 23, 2016)

Saudi Columnist Al-Qahtani: The Koranic Depiction Of Jews Does Not Apply To All Jews

Saudi columnist Siham Al-Qahtani rejected antisemitic generalizations regarding the nature of the Jews. She argued that Koranic descriptions of Jews - as killers of prophets, infidels, warmongers, and usurers - apply to a particular group that lived during a specific time period, and that the traditional view that blames disasters throughout history on Jewish plots stems from the helplessness of Arabs, who searched for scapegoats on whom to blame their own failures. Al-Qahtani added that she does believe in the existence of "a Jewish plot against Arabs," but stressed that such a plot could not have been realized without Arab ignorance. She wrote: "The [collective] memory of Arab culture continues to preserve the stereotypical image of Jews to this day. Some see this stereotype as the product of Koranic texts, [which depict the Jews] as killers of prophets, infidels, warmongers, and usurers. [However,] it is improper to blame the Koran for the creation of Jewish stereotypes. When the Koran depicts a certain people, it does so in accordance with [this people's] behavior and thought during a specific time period. This description is valid in the context of [those particular] circumstances and [that particular] behavior, and does not refer to a unique and permanent trait. Proof of this is [the fact] that, among the Jews [mentioned in the Koran], just as there are murderers and warmongers there are also prophets and righteous men. [Further proof is] the fact that Islam at the time permitted marriage between a Muslim man and a Jewish woman. If the 'Jewish race' possessed some unique and permanent flaw, then Islam would have banned such marriages in order to preserve the integrity and propriety of the Muslim man.

"As for [the question of] how circumstantial events became stereotypes, it is the result of the subjective assessment of ancient [Koranic] commentators who - whether intentionally or unintentionally - transformed those circumstances into unique and permanent traits, and thus established the stereotyped [perception of] the Jew in Arab memory. The influence of [these] early creators of religious philosophy was compounded by history, geography, and politics.

"In the [collective] memory of Arab cultural heritage, Jewish history is associated with a 'plot.' Behind every disaster in Arab history - from the days of 'the Saqifah Event'[4] to the assassination of [Third Caliph] 'Uthman bin 'Affan, to the fall of Islamic caliphates, to the occupation of Palestine - there are hidden Jewish hands! In this way, Arab fundamentalism regarding Arab-Jewish relations taught us to link [Jews to plots].

"In Arab memory this formula has become a defensive trick, used [by the Arabs] to absolve themselves of blame, paint themselves as victims, and avoid accountability and punishment. I do not reject [out of hand] the notion of 'a Jewish plot against the Arabs,' because I believe that such a plot does exist, but such plots could not have been realized without the ignorance of Arabs, their improper attitude, and the division in their ranks. The chief enemy of Arabs is Arabs [themselves]."[5]

Saudi Columnist Yasser Hijazi: We Must Abandon Hatred Of And Hostility Towards Jews

Columnist Yasser Hijazi penned two articles calling to abandon hatred of and hostility towards Jews in Arab cultural and institutional discourse, which paints the Jew as a satanic figure. He even called on Arabs to take an active role in the fight against "Judophobia": "Since my childhood, I - like other Arab children - was raised on hatred of and hostility towards Jews. The justification for this did not merely come down to the Arab-Israeli conflict and the claim that 'they occupied our land,' but rather that 'Jews are enemies of Arabs and of mankind; they possess all evil human traits, [and] they were created to be depraved, evil, lying, treacherous, deceiving, and to do anything that can harm humans in general, and Arab Muslims in particular'... Who is responsible for this generalization?... To what extent did this generalization rob the Arab mind of its ability to see things in a realistic perspective that does not blame [an entire] people for the sins of individuals or for historical episodes?...

"In school, on TV, in places where men and women congregate, and in Friday sermons, Jews were cursed and they and their descendants were maligned. Their religious description, according to human commentaries and interpretations, is 'those who have evoked [Allah's] anger.'[6] We never considered this generalization or realized the seriousness of holding an entire people responsible for the sins of all mankind. If we give it some serious thought, we discover that this perception means that the ultimate salvation for one people comes at the expense of another [who serves as] a scapegoat. This is because sins are pinned on the Jews, who are the scapegoats for all humanity. [The Jews] are equated to Satan in Arab Muslim culture, because Satan is a metaphysical figure, which requires a corporeal representation by something or someone. Thus, in the Arab and Islamic perspective, the Jew is the natural representation of this supernatural being [Satan].

"Religious education has been persistent in its racism and hatred, particularly towards Judaism and Jews. Unfortunately, national education was not free of religious and ethnic racism either. [Thus, it argued that] the holy [Jewish] book is fake; their religion is fake; their scholars and rabbis are corrupt and preach evil and plots; their rich are usurers; their poor are treacherous spies; and their scientists are murderers who invent and create all manner of methods of extermination. [Strangely,] no one has exposed this Jewish plot apart from the Muslim Arabs, who are gripped by these fears... Did this hatred have a reason prior to the occupation of Palestine? Do these distortions stem from the strong victor oppressing the weak loser? Was it the hatred of Arab Muslims towards religious and ethnic minorities that fostered these [distortions]?

"According to the Arab-Islamic view... the Jews will remain in hell forever, while the other nations have a chance to be pardoned by Allah. How can this kind of education be seen as proper civilized education within the framework of the perceptions and terminology of the contemporary world? How can it be seen as civilized education, when the source of authority for its standards regarding [different] sciences, histories, and cultures is the interpretation of ancient religious texts?...

"We can certainly find Israelis and Jews, as well as Jewish institutions, who stand for Palestinian rights and against Israel... but on the other hand, we cannot find an Arab who absolves the Jews - who are a people... like any other people - of all the inhumanly negative titles that have been applied to them, and no people on earth can be accused of what the Jews are accused of. Who [among us] demands to end Judophobia...? Who openly demands to treat the Jews like all other people, some of whom are good and some bad? Is there any Arab Islamic institution that defends Jews - with all their various sects and ethnic backgrounds - and works to end incitement against them and their marginalization due to their image as human embodiments of Satan?

"Who will begin to accept the humane notion of absolving people and their institutions of responsibility for a religious-historic struggle? Who will begin to recognize the errors [that have been made] regarding the rights of the other? Who will eliminate marginalization, racism, and selfishness from earthly considerations?... The world will never accept or tolerate the marginalization of people. We must eradicate the remnants of racism and religious ethnic struggles embedded in our cultural, religious, and institutional discourse. This will be a step on the path towards coexistence with the world, and will close a massive loophole that is exploited by Western extremism [against us]. Our only response to this [extremism] should be to distance ourselves from [this discourse] and instead export an official pluralistic civilized discourse; one that accepts the world, both in its interpretation of texts and its actions on the ground."[7]

Hijazi In Another Article: Changing Antisemitic Discourse Is A Step Towards Coexistence

In another article, Hijazi wrote that eliminating the antisemitic discourse was a step towards drying up the sources of terrorism as well as Western arguments against Islam: "Just as we oppose the discourse of [Donald] Trump and Western and European racists like him, when they attribute terrorism to all Arab Muslims due to the actions of a minority of our people, thus we cannot attribute despicable traits to all members of [other] religions merely due to the existence of hostility and a struggle with some of them, or even with most of them, who deserve to face judgment before international criminal courts, such as the prime minister of Israel and his defense minister. Netanyahu does not represent Judaism... any more than [ISIS leader] Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi represents Islam...

"What do our curricula, satellite channels, and mosque pulpits say about the other/the Jew in general...? Do we even distinguish between a Jew and an Israeli?...

"We cannot struggle against a world that levels accusations against us, or change it, but we can change ourselves or at least begin to distance ourselves from these views that associate all followers of a [certain] religion with every [negative trait] that harms [their image] and their honor and humanity. The meaning [of this] is not normalization, softening [positions], or relinquishing negotiations to establish a Palestinian state within internationally-recognized borders... The two religions cannot resolve the conflict on the ground... The conflict is not between Islam and Judaism - even if our Israeli enemy seeks to present it as such - but rather between the [rightful] owners of the land and of the rights and occupiers and war criminals...

"Are we, or is any official Arab institution, able to abandon this generalizing discourse that besmirches the other...? [This should] start with eliminating any remnant of racism from any existing law, and from curricula, mosque sermons and pulpits, and [TV] channels... in order to eventually create a different discourse based on the principles of international relations and human rights... which will lead to a creative and professional discourse that speaks of the other/the Jew in a way that is devoid of racism; a way that respects his humanity and right to live without becoming a symbol of betrayal, evil, and deception.

"This is a step on the way to the coexistence we desire; a step [on the way] to drying out the sources of terrorism, if we so desire; a step on [the way] to restraining the European right and people like Trump, who feed their own racism with the racism spread by (popular) Arab and Islamic discourse under a religious guise, which the world no longer accepts or does not need to accept. The world will respect your culture if [this culture] is not hostile towards it."[8]

Saudi Writer Ibrahim Al-Matroudi: We Should Benefit From The Jews' Experience And Successes

On July 21, 2016, in his column in the Al-Riyadh daily, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Matroudi called for overcoming the hostility towards the Jews and for benefiting from their experience and successes, even though they are enemies. He argued that, although it has been "isolated and distanced from life," the Jewish nation has "remained alive and alert, and has continued to build its future, and its sons have reached the top of the pyramid in science, philosophy, and economics." He wrote:

"...Hatred blinds and unbalances the individual. When he searches his memory, he finds only flaws and defects in his rival... Those who hate harvest bitter fruits, in the form of loss of the ability to learn from their rivals and to remember their virtues, and thus they lose man's most precious [asset] - [his] wisdom and [ability to] adapt to modern times, because anyone who does not benefit from his enemy in this world will ultimately be forced to leave it, to wallow on its margins, and to gaze nostalgically at the ruins of the past.

"The others whose experience I want to talk about, and whose modern history I want to look at, are the Jews... [Examining] our culture today, we find in it only curses and invective towards the Jews, reiteration of condemnation, and lists of bad things. I have never seen anyone talk about their experience in the new era, and their success in extricating themselves from a situation where the peoples harassed and persecuted them. I have never read about a Muslim urging us to change [our view of] the chronicles of this nation in the modern era and to get to know the methods that it has employed in order to escape its isolation, until it became, in the eyes of many of us, the nation that is leading the world through its institutions and forcing its will on it.

"Imagine that some of your people, once under your control, have, a few decades later, become world leaders. What would you think about that? Would you say, 'they are demons, they are devils' - or would you look at their way of life and examine their customs in order to learn how they got to where they are and became leaders, when they once lived as dhimmis, and [now they have] turned the nations of the world into their dhimmis, as many of us say?

"The warning by some American founding fathers about the Jews and letting them in to the U.S.[9] did not stop them from building their fame there. We envied them for this, and we interpreted it without amazement - which made us forget the efforts that they put into [it]. Due to this poor attitude, we did not think of learning from them, looking and investigating the reasons [they achieved this]. We linguists settled for amazement at their revival of their nearly extinct Hebrew language. We are astounded at how they created the [modern Hebrew] language, and, even more, at how they acquired a status that made the world act according to [their] will, not according to ours.

"This is a nation that nearly went extinct because its language went extinct, but nevertheless [managed to] preserve its heritage, values, and ideals. There is a connection between the extinction of a language and extinction of a nation. Later it was revived, arousing a distant hope in the hearts of its people. Don't we need to learn something and look closely at [this nation's] modern history?"

The Jews Are More Astonishing Than The Japanese

Criticizing the Arabs who had gone as far as Japan to learn from that country's experience and capability for advancement - instead of looking at the Jews who are closer both geographically and culturally - Al-Matroudi continued: "The Jews in the modern era - not to mention in the past - have known harassment by all the countries of the world, that placed them in their own special neighborhoods [i.e. ghettoes]. The peoples strove to expel them, and to look for a permanent place for them to settle. This is a nation that was isolated and distanced from life, but that has remained alive and alert, and has continued to build its future, and its sons have reached the top of the pyramid in science, philosophy, and economics...

"If this is so, then why have the sons of this nation - even if they are our enemies - not been the subject of research [to investigate how they] extricated themselves from the dark tunnel where the world wanted them to remain? Why have we been preoccupied with the Japanese, while the Jews are closer to us? Their situation [was] like ours is now. It is more appropriate for us to look at their new history [than at the history of the Japanese], because they are our enemies, past and present...

"[The focus on the Japanese revival] has distanced us from the wonder of this Jewish nation, whose presence in the religious and cultural discourse frightens us. This is the nation that was considered our terrible enemy in the past and in the present, and therefore it is this [nation] that can arouse us from our slumber, for rivalry with what is near to you is top priority because its impact is greater. Can we open our eyes and see their path in this era?

"Can we be neutral and forget the enmity, so that we can benefit from the roadmap of the Jews, whose beginning was unfortunate but which ultimately turned [the Jews] into a nation that preoccupies us and frightens us all the time? One of the principles of wisdom is to be interested in the source of danger, and consider it important, so as to understand how this source of danger is created and how it became a disturbing nightmare. It will be possible to do this [with regard to the Jews] only if we show openness to the success of this nation, which, although a scattered minority, participated in shaping global public opinion until it became a model of capability to undermine every decision that does not strengthen its existence or its influence...

"The Jewish nation is more amazing and astonishing than the Japanese. It attained its fame by proper efforts, planning, and administration. The world today does not believe, as many of us like to, in the rule of religion, or in religion, but believes in its interests and in participating in shaping life. This is the logic of life that rules today, and the closer one clings to it, the more one's influence grows. The Jews' adherence to this logic made them succeed in building this fame that shocks us and arouses the envy of many of us. The world today does not give you anything unless you either pay for it or invest effort [to achieve it].

"The situation of the Jewish nation shames us more than [that of] any other nation. We ignore the fact that it lives well and advances, and that it participates in shaping global culture. Among ourselves, we talk about it, preoccupied with warning about its deeds, and about the evil and venom that it sows in global thought. And this is the habit of cowards, and their way of dealing with those who disagree with them everywhere...

"How have the Jews - when the world schemes against them - succeeded in extricating themselves from isolation and transforming themselves into a nation that [both] shames us the most and impacts us the most? How has this nation achieved what we cannot achieve, despite the great difference between us and them in everything - in numbers, in geographic area, and in national resources...[?]"

Unlike Arabs, Jews Understand The Logic And Spirit Of The Times

"The Jews are a competitive people, and life is a competition. The difference between us and them is not that the world loves their religion and hates ours, but rather [lies in] their understanding of the logic and spirit of the times versus our ignorance regarding the logic and spirit of the times - for we were led by a team of preachers who look at everything that occurs in the world through a religious prism and think of how to plot against it... Many preachers cannot comprehend that competition erupts between nations, not between religions.

"Our current situation will persist until a generation arises that acts like the other nations and benefits from the experience of others, rather than shies away from it; a generation where religion and faith do not prevent you from mingling with others and believing in them, and thinking positively about their ideas, visions, and theories; a generation that competes with other nations in their chief industry - the industry of life. Then many preachers will see other nations changing their view of us and will regret... the time they spent brainwashing people into thinking that those nations had a problem with our religion - a religion that is said to be the religion of human nature, mind, and logic..."[10]

Endnotes:
On my recent visit to the Four Seasons Winery, at Baramati, Pune, I had the pleasure of interacting with Mr Abhay Kewadkar, CEO, Four Seasons Wines, at the unveiling of the Vintners Reserve Select Barrels, 2011 the Four Seasons signature wine. Kewadkar, who is an expert in wine etiquette, having been in the industry for years now, explained to me the basic tenets of wine drinking. And its simpler than youd imagine!

 Four Seasons

Wine is the drink of the affluent. If you have class, style and an air for the finer things in life, you can take on wine. But it comes with affinity. Its a lot like smokingyou have to develop a taste for it. But, theres more to wine than simply developing a taste for the drink. To begin with, your wine etiquette is as simple as saying One, two

Dont believe? Read on

1. Get The Temperature Right

 Pexels

Kewadkar advises, Always serve the wine at the correct temperature. If wine is served warmer than the recommended temperature, it does not taste good. In fact, he adds that red wines tend to lose their complexity on the nose and tannins taste harsh. White wines, he says, lose freshness when served at warm temperatures as you can sense the sharpness of the acidity, instead of the crispness. So if youre serving wine in the summers, always preserve it in a cool place; albeit not too chilled. Refrain from using a refrigerator and store it instead, in a cool and dark place to keep the taste intact.

2. Hold The Glass Right

 Pexels

In order to understand a wine glassyes, there is a certain kind of glass used to serve wineyou must first understand the differences between the kinds (yes, there is more than one kind of wine glass). Kewadkar tells us that while red wine glasses are slightly bigger in size, with a bigger bowl to allow the wine to aerate so that the wine opens up to its full potential of complexity; white wine glasses are supposed to be smaller than red wine glasses as this one is often better served chilled and in smaller volumes.

Kewadkar goes on to explain that when it comes to holding a wine glass, you hold the glass by the stem or the base at the bottom. Holding the glass by the bowl allows your body temperature to be transferred through your hand, thereby, causing the temperature of the wine to increase.

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Muslim prayer beads

Its like being told to take off your hat when you enter a restaurant.

Thats how a former top executive described how it felt to be told he could no longer meet with his coworkers for a Christian Bible study at JPMorgans midtown Manhattan office. He felt that openly engaging with fellow Christians didnt quite have a place at work.

Its treated as a voluntary religion, says the executive, who asked not to be named. JPMorgan was extremely politically correct and there were certain things they were willing to bend over backwards for. Christian gatherings werent one of them.

The executive belonged to a mens group at JPMorgan that he says met once a week during lunch hours to pray and read the Bible together in a company conference room.

His experience raises questions about whether religion has a place within the walls of our offices, and why religious groups typically arent treated in the same way at work as other affinity groups like the LGBT community and various other ethnic groups.

At JPMorgan, the first iteration of the Christian Bible study was disbanded during the bear market of 2000 because all employees were prohibited from using the dining room for personal meetings. A second one sprouted up a few years later. The executive we spoke to said the group gained a lot of traction, with several employees even teleconferencing in from remote offices.

But one day in early 2014 he got an email from the human resources department that stated the group was not allowed to have organized religious meetings on-site, according to the executive who spoke with Yahoo Finance. He believes theres definitely persecution that comes with being Christian [in the workplace].

A spokesperson for the bank told Yahoo Finance that she not aware of such an instance where people who met during lunch were told they could no longer congregate. She did, however, emphasize that any group gathering should not interfere with ones work schedule.

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She said its possible the group was disbanded because it used JPMorgans resources for teleconferencing. Those resources are quite expensive, and conference rooms are intended for professional meetings only, the spokesperson said.

She added: We do have a policy that specifically states that resources can only be used for business purposes. With 250,000 employees globally that is a reasonable request.

Separation of church & work

Organizations like JPMorgan do provide resources for non-religious activities or groups intended to bring people together and provide a forum for employees to meet and relate to others.

The bank has 200 chapters of nine affinity groups, like Adelante for Hispanic and Latino employees, as well as AsPIRE, which stands for Asians and Pacific Islanders Reaching for Excellence. Yet Another group, PRIDE, supports LGBT employees and allies, while Voices of Employees That Served (VETS) engages veterans, retirees, reservists, National Guard, military alumni and their supporters.

Most large organizations offer some variety of mentorship and leadership skill-building programs like these for minority groups. But, like JPMorgan, few employers facilitate groups pegged to a religious belief system.

Thats despite the fact that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has said in its own guidance that employers must provide reasonable accommodation for workers religious practices, Jill Rosenberg, partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe focusing on employment law, told Yahoo Finance. However, she notes, the employer doesnt have to provide space for employees to practice their religion if theres an alternative place to worship or if its an unreasonable burden.

Employers are required to accommodate individuals religious beliefs so long as it doesnt impose or cause hardship on the employers business, she says. Employers have a duty to accommodate  there has to be a sincere religious belief and practice if its to be accommodated. Employers wont dig around regarding specific religious beliefs. Its a balancing act between whats reasonable and whats appropriate.

JPMorgan, for example, attempts to offer a quiet room for prayer for individuals at each of its larger offices, according to the spokesperson. But that wasnt feasible at one of its UK outposts, which has a large Muslim population. Because there wasnt a way to create a prayer room that was large enough, JPMorgan even offers transportation to the local mosque so employees can access a place for prayer.

Of course, its not always easy for employers to accommodate workers religious practices. And changing social mores in the US can make religion in the workplace a thorny issue. A recent study found the share of Christians in the US was dropping while other religions are growing. Meanwhile, 2015 Gallup poll found Americans confidence in the church and organized religion has fallen dramatically over the past four decades and hit an all-time low of 42%.

More and more people are insistent that they want to live out their religion and not just go to church once a week. But thats happening at the same time as others who want to be free from religion entirely. So we have this automatic clash as people assert their rights in both directions, says employment relations attorney Bob Gregg.

An Imam speaks to a local news agency about the dispute over prayer at Ariens. Screenshot/WBAY.com

This kind of tension is playing out in Wisconsin, where earlier this year, a civil liberties group representing former Muslim employees at Ariens, a manufacturing equipment firm, filed a religious discrimination complaint alleging employees were no longer allowed to take prayer breaks at times that are in accordance with their religion.

The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) submitted the charges of discrimination with the EEOC along with a letter that states that Ariens had allowed Muslim employees to take prayer breaks one at a time after alerting a supervisor. However, employees claimed the firm enforced a policy in January that only permitted two pre-determined 10-minute breaks per shift.

According to CAIR, Ariens threatened to fire employees who continued to pray beyond the breaks they were allowed; seven Muslim employees were fired this year and 14 others quit over this dispute in a sign of solidarity. The former employees claim Ariens violated the Title VII Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on religion.

From the companys perspective, it was providing accommodations by offering two 10-minute breaks per work shift. Devout Muslim employees objected to this policy because it made it impossible for them to pray five times a day.

We handled this with the same straightforward approach we use every day at Ariens Company. Recognizing there are language barriers and cultural differences, we allowed for extra time. We would have liked for more of the employees to stay, however, we respect their faith, we respect the work they have done for Ariens Company, and we respect their decisions, Ariens said in a statement.

Religions physical manifestations

Samantha Elauf stands outside the Supreme Court in Washington after winning her case against Abercrombie & Fitch. AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

The right to prayer and have fellowship groups arent the only religious issues that come up in the workplace. When it comes to appearance, employers must allow their workers to wear religious garb and paraphernalia unless it creates a safety issue or materially affects the accomplishment of work, according to Gregg.

The Supreme Court affirmed this notion in an 8-1 decision last summer when it revived a Muslim womans case claiming Abercrombie & Fitch refused to hire her because of her head scarf.

The now-deceased Justice Antonin Scalia wrote: Title VII forbids adverse employment decisions made with a forbidden motive whether this motive derives from actual knowledge, a well-founded suspicion or merely a hunch. An employer may not make an applicants religious practice, confirmed or otherwise, a factor in employment decisions.

Even though the law requires employers to allow Muslims wear traditional hijab, people who practice Islam may still face bias in the workplace. This prejudice toward specific religious groups like Muslims ramped up after 9/11, which was linked to radical Islam. According to a recent Gallup poll, 43% of Americans harbor some degree of prejudice toward Muslims.

Others find their physical garb can serve as an advantage because it allows them to express their religion. That category includes Eli Langer, whos now CMO at a kosher supermarket chain called Cedar Market, and was previously employed at CNBC as a social media producer. He wears a yarmulke and says, I would never work in a place that wouldnt accept my religion. I always felt comfortable being myself and my Jewish religion.

He said his colleagues and managers were very accommodating of his schedule.

And, if anything, he says his religious identifier gave him a unique edge: The yarmulke made me stand out. There was a CEO who may not have remembered my name but would tell my coworkers, Send my regards to the boy with the yarmulke. I was the only boy with a yarmulke there. Wearing a yarmulke is my badge of honor.

He pursued the career change for a variety of reasons but says religious hostility was certainly not one of them. To be sure, he enjoys working in an environment that nurtures his faith. At the kosher supermarket chain, he knows hes surrounded by likeminded individuals who share his values. This gives him a level of peace and comfort. However, Langer says he has moments where he misses the diversity at a place like CNBC.

A core of my Jewish upbringing is to help educate others who might not have had the experiences I have had growing up Jewish, he says. There were days where I had to fast and would receive notes from my first boss there asking what an easy and meaningful fast was and whether that was the correct way to say it.

A different kind of hedge fund

When you think of a faith-based or affiliated organization you might think of a nonprofit organization or Kosher supermarket chains like the one Langer works for.

But you probably wouldnt associate the words Christianity and hedge fund. New York City hedge funds are cutthroat at best. At worst, were talking raucous activity you thought only existed in a movie like Wolf of Wall Street,  like when ex-hedge funder Brett Barna hosted a Hamptons party featuring gun-toting little people and an allegedly trashed $20 million mansion.

However, Bill Hwang has been on a mission to rebrand his own hedge fund as one with values that would align closer to a church than a 70s nightclub. He was one of a handful of coveted tiger cubs who eked out impressive returns, averaging 16% gains each year from 2001 to 2012. But after an SEC investigation in 2013, Hwangs firm seemed to topple from its high. Hwangs New York-based hedge fund, Tiger Asia Management, had to pay $5.8 million to more than 1,800 investors after the fund admitted to using inside information to trade Chinese bank stocks.

In 2013, Hwang turned Tiger Asia into a family investment office (which manages only the money of the Hwang, his family and select employees) and renamed it Archegos, which means beginning, origin, or ruler in Greek. The word is deeply rooted in Christian scripture  its used to describe someone who is a leader, prince or ruler. In the Christian faith, Jesus is often referred to as archegos  a pioneer or someone who is paving the way.

Andy Mills, the executive chairman and president of Archegos, met Hwang while he was president of The Kings College, a Christian liberal arts college in New York City. Mills ended up being the president of the College twice  the first time from May 2008 through December 2008 and again from October 2012 to July 2013; during this time he also co-chaired the Theology of Work Project, which researches and develops ways that Christians can apply their faith to non-church related work.

Through an event organized by the Theology of Work (TOW), Hwang heard Mills speak and the two immediately hit it off. I was a college president and he was a wealthy Christian so those are the meetings you take. We spent two hours together and after a few minutes we started sharing scripture. We started meeting every few weeks and five years later he asked me to come work with him, Mills said.

Archegos is not religiously affiliated but Mills estimates that about 70% of its 50 employees are of the Christian faith. So how exactly can investing fit in the realm of Christian living? Theres nothing antithetical with being an excellent organization and building that on biblical principles. A lot of people think you have to trade one for the other, Mills says.

Archegoss core values are excellence, integrity, conviction and perseverance. Its website emphasizes its strong mission and values-driven culture and a deliberate focus on mentoring its people and growing them professionally. Archegos fully supports the Grace and Mercy Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3).

Mills says teamwork is the fundamental principle for employees at Archegos: The idea is that you can produce industry-leading returns but at the same time create a firm where people want to grow together.

To pray or not to pray (at work)

A firm like Archegos isnt for everybody. It would be impossible  and not necessarily desirable  for every religious person in the US to work for a religiously-affiliated organization. The tension that arises when people want to express their religion in the workplace will inevitably continue to vex employers.

In some cases, the ability to express ones religion at work might be a bonus but not necessarily a dealbreaker. The JPMorgan exec, for example, left to start his own boutique firm but said religion didnt play into his decision.

When asked whether he put up a fight when his prayer group was disbanded or brought this incident up as a discriminatory practice, the former executive said, rather nonchalantly, no: The group within JPMorgan was great, but I had plenty of other opportunities for fellowship.

For those whose faith requires prayer multiple times a day, its simply not feasible to separate religion and work. But other employees might find it makes life easier to check their religious practice at the door to their offices  and find other opportunities for religious fellowship.

Melody Hahm is a reporter at Yahoo Finance. Read more of her work:

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Ross Connelly had hoped to get at least 700 essays from which to pick a winner to own the Hardwick Gazette but said Thursday that he had received fewer than 100 since the contest started June 11.

The entry fee is $175. Contestants are expected to write up to 400 words about their skills and vision for owning a rural weekly newspaper in Vermont.

Connelly announced in the newspaper on Wednesday that he was extending the contest by 40 days.

"Besides garnering a number of excellent essays, the contest to this point makes a strong case there are people in this country and elsewhere who recognize the importance of a community newspaper, and have the skills and drive to be successful running one," he wrote.

The deadline to enter is Sept. 20.

The winner would assume ownership of the newspaper and its historic building, equipment, website and proprietary materials needed to operate the business. The newspaper is printed offsite at a press not owned by it.

Connelly and his late wife, Susan Jarzyn, bought the newspaper in 1986 after moving to Vermont from Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. She died in 2011, and he has said he would like to retire.

He had been unsuccessful selling the newspaper so he came up with the essay contest.

If he doesn't receive at least 700 entries, he'll refund the entry fees. He also has the option to extend the contest another 20 days.
The Ohio law targets the more than $1.4 million in funding that Planned Parenthood gets through the state's health department. That money, mostly from the federal government, supports certain education and prevention programs. The law would bar such funds from going to entities that perform or promote abortions.

The restrictions, which had been slated to take effect in May, were signed by Republican Gov. John Kasich during his failed presidential bid.

The state's Republican attorney general will appeal the ruling, his spokesman said.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region had sued the state, saying the law violated their constitutional rights by denying them the funds "in retaliation for" providing abortions. Their lawsuit names the state's health director as a defendant.

U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett in Cincinnati sided with Planned Parenthood in granting a permanent injunction, which keeps state officials from enforcing the law's provisions.

Barrett, who was nominated to the bench by then-President George W. Bush, a Republican, said in many instances Planned Parenthood was chosen over other entities to receive the funds as part of a competitive grant process. He said if the changes were to take effect the group couldn't offer some free services and would no longer have access to the juvenile justice and foster care systems to teach teenagers about healthy relationships.

If not blocked, the judge wrote, Planned Parenthood would "suffer a continuing irreparable injury for which there is no adequate remedy at law."

The state's attorneys had argued that Planned Parenthood was trying to override state policy choices and that no entity has a constitutional right to receive public money.

"Planned Parenthood supplies no basis for disturbing Ohio's legislative judgments about how to spend its public money," attorneys wrote in a court brief.

Planned Parenthood has said Ohio's law would not force any of its 28 health centers in the state to close but the legislation would deprive thousands of patients of access to HIV tests, breast and cervical cancer screenings and other prevention and education initiatives.

The group's attorneys argued the law was unconstitutional because it required, as a condition of receiving government funds, that recipients abandon their constitutionally protected rights to free speech and to provide abortion services.

Planned Parenthood officials praised the judge's decision, calling it a win for Ohio residents who rely on the organization for care.

"Politicians have no business blocking patients from the care they need  and today the court stopped them in their tracks," said Iris Harvey, the head of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio.

Under the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, women have a constitutionally protected right to terminate a pregnancy before a fetus is able to survive outside the womb, generally around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Planned Parenthood is a national target because of its role as the largest U.S. abortion provider.

Anti-abortion group Ohio Right to Life, which lobbied in support of the funding changes, said the judge's ruling violates the state's rights and the conscience rights of taxpayers.

"It is the public policy of the state of Ohio to prefer childbirth over abortion, and we should be allowed to allocate funds accordingly," spokeswoman Katie Franklin said.

Federal law and the laws of most states already prevent public money from paying for abortions except in rare circumstances, but the recent defunding bills prohibit state money for any services by an organization that also provides abortions.

According to Planned Parenthood, politicians in 24 states have either enacted or proposed measures since last July that target the organization with defunding. In most of those states, the cuts haven't taken effect.

Planned Parenthood says that since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that struck down tough abortion restrictions in Texas, courts have blocked laws there and in Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Kansas, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Utah and Wisconsin.
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The remains of a U.S. Marine killed in a World War II battle in the Pacific nearly 73 years ago have been identified by military officials, using dental records and a Boy Scout pocket knife.

Pfc. George Traver's mother sent him the knife after he joined the Marines in 1942, WNYT-TV reported Friday. He had it on him when his remains were found in May 2015, buried in a mass grave on the island of Tawara in the South Pacific.

"When we got the report back from the recovery team one of the artifacts that they found on him was a knife," nephew George Traver, of Chatham, N.Y., told the station. "And the description of it was a 3-inch or a 4-inch knife blade, bone case covering and a Boy Scout emblem on it. So it was almost like he carried something that meant something to him so much and mentioned about being home."

Traver was killed on Nov. 20, 1943, the first day of the battle to capture Tarawa from the Japanese. Over several days of intense fighting, about 1,000 Marines and U.S. Navy sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, according to the Department of Defense.

The mass grave contained the remains of 35 fallen members of the U.S. Marine Corps; it was discovered by the Florida-based group History Flight.

"His mother lived to be 90 years old and, right up until her dying day, she was hoping to hear something about George and get him back," relative Al Wheeler told WNYT. "She tried and tried. Never happened."

The family is now planning a second funeral for Aug. 28 in Chatham; the first one, planned in 1944, was called off when Traver's remains were not found, the station reported.

The headstone in the Chatham Rural Cemetery reads: "Private First Class George H. Traver 1943, killed in action and buried at Tarawa."

George Traver said the upcoming funeral service won't be only about his uncle.

"This is for all the other families that have lost their men," he told the station. "And I think if my uncle was here, he'd say the same thing."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Debbie_Dingell_111215_RJS_02.jpg

Debbie Dingell (file photo)

(Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News)

YPSILANTI, MI - Congresswoman Debbie Dingell is calling for the temporary evacuation of a troubled senior housing tower where broken elevators are creating unsafe conditions.

In an Aug. 12 letter to Michigan State Housing Development Authority Executive Director Kevin Elsenheimer, Dingell wrote that broken elevators at the 11-story complex are preventing residents from receiving medical care, and creating a difficult obstacle for paramedics. It's also causing problems for Meals on Wheels and caretakers who are unable to reach patients, Dingell wrote. Some residents haven't been bathed in a week.

The situation "resulted in great hardship and at times dangerous conditions" to the complex's 170 residents, many of whom are elderly, disabled, and receiving Section 8 assistance, Dingell wrote.

"The reports are deeply concerning and could result in a tragedy if unaddressed," Dingell said of Town Centre Plaza, which is at 401 W. Michigan Ave. in downtown Ypsilanti.

She added that her office is also receiving complaints of a cockroach and bed bug infestation. Furniture has been disposed of, and some residents are sleeping on the floor, Dingell wrote. On Sunday, she said her office was alerted to the issue last week by Ypsilanti Mayor Amanda Edmonds.

MSHDA administers federal funds for the Section 8 program in place at Town Centre. It also holds the building's loan and is liable for the property's condition.

In a Saturday email to The Ann Arbor News, MSHDA Communications Director Katie Bach downplayed the situation's seriousness, and only said it is resulting in "extra congestion and longer wait times." She said the elevator will be repaired within several days.

"According to management, staff members have been doing all they can to accommodate residents by delivering items to their apartments, providing extra seating for the extended wait times and bottled water among other things to help alleviate the elevator inconvenience," Bach said.

She added that only one elevator was out of service on Saturday, but officials say the functioning elevator is only a two-person elevator that can't support emergency personnel and a medical gurney.

Dingell said on Sunday that she is upset by MSHDA's comment that the situation is only an inconvenience, and added "the living conditions are not decent, safe, or sanitary."

"If there's a medical situation and EMS can't get a gurney to someone, I don't call that an inconvenience, I call it a real problem," she said. "I plan to stay in close contact with MSHDA this week to ensure that an action plan is being developed."

On Sunday, Dingell said she had been in touch with MSHDA's director over the weekend, and he didn't appear to have accurate information about the situation. He was told the elevators were working, but Dingell's staff had visited the site and found both elevators weren't working.

"In the meantime, in addition to hoping that you are protecting the citizens who have no other place to live, I ask that the landlord be encouraged to temporarily relocate residents of Town Centre Plaza who have faced serious hardship because of the disrepair of the elevators," Dingell wrote in the letter. "Such a step will ensure that the safety and mobility of residents is provided for while repairs are taking place."

The property is owned by Forest City Realty Trust, a publicly traded Cleveland-based company that owns around 190 residential and commercial properties nationwide. A spokesperson couldn't be reached for comment on Saturday.

Dingell said residents met with Legal Services and the city on Friday. Residents hadn't reported the issues because they feared retribution. Legal Services assured residents that they would defend them, Dingell said.

The city could also take enforcement action over the bug infestation and broken elevators, but has not yet done so. Beth Ernat, the city's economic development director, said the city "is researching our options."

"We are working with legal currently," she said on Saturday.
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, MI -- A small room in the Yankee Air Museum was packed with people on Saturday, Aug. 13, in celebration of one man -- Ypsilanti native and recent Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Col. Charles Kettles.

Kettles was awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry by President Barack Obama during a July 18 ceremony at the White House.

According to a release from the White House, Kettles is credited with saving the lives of 40 soldiers and four of his crew members during his service in the Vietnam War:

Kettles received the medal of for his actions while serving as a flight commander assigned to 176th Aviation Company (Airmobile) (Light), 14th Combat Aviation Battalion, Americal Division.

Then a major, Kettles distinguished himself in combat operations near Duc Pho, Republic of Vietnam, on May 15, 1967. He led a platoon of UH-1Ds to provide support to the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, during an ambush by a battalion-sized enemy force.

After leading several trips to the hot landing zone and evacuating the wounded, he returned, without additional aerial support, to rescue a squad-sized element of stranded soldiers pinned down by enemy fire.

U.S. Rep Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, attended the celebration and was one of a handful of speakers who thanked Kettles for his bravery in 1967.

Also present was Spc. Roland Scheck, the first of the 44 men Kettles saved that day. Scheck came from Maryland to attend the ceremony.

"I was part of his crew, and I was wondering for 50 years what was taking them so long," said Scheck. "I enjoy him finally getting his honors."

When asked how it feels to receive the appreciation of so many people, Kettles said "Well obviously, a little overwhelming. It's not my cup of tea. As long as everyone understands that the focus belongs on those 44 that we got out of there."
WIXOM, MI - Wixom police were expected to request charges Monday for a 31-year-old woman accused of shooting

a 21-year-old man in front of two children

.

The woman allegedly shot Gabriel Dumas in the head at 27046 Sprucewood Drive in the Meadowood Park Apartments off Grand River Avenue, south of I-96. Police were called to the area about 11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 12 when the woman called 911, according to a Wixom Police Department statement.

In spite of "the best efforts" of the Wixom Fire Department and Huron Valley Ambulance personnel, Dumas died at an area hospital.

The two children, a boy and a girl, were inside the apartment and witnessed the shooting; they were not physically injured and "seemed to be in good spirits," according to the statement. Police took them into "protective custody" pending reunification with a parent or guardian.

The statement did not make clear the relationship between the children and either Dumas or the woman.

Wixom police were to work hard on the case throughout the weekend, according to the statement.

The woman's name will not be released until after she is charged and arraigned.

"Certainly, the members of the Wixom Police Department offer their thoughts and prayers to the family of Mr. Dumas," the statement reads.

Wixom police thanked the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the city police department, the ambulance company, and the Walled Lake and Wolverine Lake police departments for their assistance.
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Burton Fire Station No. 2, 1320 S. Belsay Road, will become the new home of the city's fire department headquarters beginning Monday, Aug. 15, 2016.

(MLive.com File Photo)

BURTON, MI -- The headquarters for the Burton Fire Department is set to move into its new home on Monday, Aug. 15.

After spending years inside a building along with the city's police department on Manor Drive across from Burton City Hall, fire officials will move their headquarters to Fire Station No. 2, 1320 S. Belsay Road.

Burton Assistant Fire Chief Kirk Wilkinson said moving the headquarters will give the police department more room to operate and place fire officials closer to firefighters.

"Hopefully it is going to be good for all involved," he said.

Hours of operation for the headquarters will run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Entrance for the public is on the Belsay Road side of the fire station building.

Anyone with questions may contact the Burton Fire Department headquarters at 810-742-2158.
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Ghanaian boxer, Bukom Banku, has made an appearance at the launch of the campaign of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

As many as 40,000 supporters are present in the stadium for the launch.

The president will be outdoored as the flagbearer of the party, together with his running mate, Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, as well as some parliamentary candidates.

Actor John Dumelo was spotted earlier at the stadium.

Banku is a known supporter of the NDC. Earlier this year, he made a song for the president John Dramani Mahama.

The party at a point however found some of his actions unpleasant, and stated that he was speaking for them.



By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Nairobi (AFP) - UN peacekeepers cowered in their bases rather than risk doing their job of protecting civilians during an outbreak of fighting in South Sudan in July, a rights group said Wednesday.

Some peacekeepers in the capital Juba abandoned their posts inside so-called "Protection of Civilian" sites -- where tens of thousands have sought safety from successive bouts of fighting -- while outside the fortified bases peacekeeper presence was "non-existent".

When foreign aid workers were attacked and some of them gang-raped in a hotel close to a UN base, peacekeepers refused to help.

"The United Nations needs to ensure transparency and accountability for the inadequate response of its peacekeepers," the Washington-based Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) said in a statement.

CIVIC also called for a UN arms embargo on South Sudan which gained independence in 2011 and was plunged into conflict in December 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

A patchily-implemented August 2015 peace deal saw Machar return to the capital earlier this year but fresh fighting between his forces and government soldiers loyal to Kiir erupted in July.

During four days of fighting between the rival forces artillery rounds and gunfire hit two UN bases and two Chinese peacekeepers were killed. Civilians died both inside and outside the UN bases and many women were raped by soldiers outside -- some within sight of UN sentries.

CIVIC said the failings in July were nothing new. The group previously investigated an incident in February when peacekeepers from Ethiopia, India and Rwanda stood by as government soldiers attacked another "Protection of Civilian" site in the northern town of Malakal, killing at least 30 civilians.

Months later the UN admitted to peacekeeper "inaction, abandonment of post and refusal to engage" during the Malakal attack but did not to hold any commanders or troops to account.

CIVIC said the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is hampered by "inadequate support" from UN headquarters and has been "repeatedly blocked, harassed, and, at times, even attacked by the parties to the conflict".

Machar is currently exiled in Khartoum from where he has called for "armed resistance" against Kiir's government.
Kasala (Sudan) (AFP) - Thousands of houses have been destroyed and several villages submerged after flooding triggered by torrential rainfall killed 100 people across Sudan, officials and an AFP photographer said on Sunday.

Thousands of people in the impoverished eastern state of Kasala bordering Eritrea fled their homes after the river Gash burst its banks, flooding entire villages inhabited by farmers.

Many people were sheltering in makeshift grass huts on hilltops, after floodwaters also cut off the main highway between east Sudan and the capital Khartoum.

Villagers braved waist-high water as they looked for food, drinking water and medicines amid a shortage of supplies, the AFP photographer said as he toured two flood-hit villages near the provincial capital Kasala.

Many people, mostly children, were seen drinking muddy rain water.

"We had no time. We simply fled, taking our children when our village was flooded in the night two weeks ago," said Taha Mahmoud, chief of Makli village in Kasala.

"We lost all our food, belongings and livestock. We're living in miserable conditions in makeshift huts that won't withstand heavy rains."

"We are eating just one meal a day. Children are falling sick, and doctors are miles away."

Twenty-five people died in Kasala itself and around 8,000 houses have been destroyed since heavy rains lashed the state two weeks ago, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society said on Sunday.

At least 100 people were killed nationwide, it said.

- 'Everything has been destroyed' -

There was a similar scene in another Kasala village, Al-Mahmoudab, where all 250 houses and the local school were destroyed. Only the mosque was left standing.

Villagers were setting up a makeshift school under a tent so children could continue their lessons.

"We managed to rescue our children, but everything has been destroyed. We lost our entire stock of food, especially sorghum," said Saeedna Mussa, the imam of Al-Mahmoudab, of a staple food in Sudan.

Hundreds of people and vehicles were stranded on both sides of the highway that has been cut off, a local government official told AFP.

"Heavy rains have cut off the highway linking east Sudan with the capital. People on both sides are stranded," he said.

Authorities said water levels were also rising on the Blue Nile along the border with Ethiopia after continuous rainfall there.

The Blue Nile flows to Khartoum where it meets the White Nile and they become the Nile which flows into Egypt.

United Nations aid agencies had warned of the flood danger in Sudan between July and November.

The most affected states are Kassala, Sennar, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and North Darfur, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday.

It said heavy flooding since early June has affected more than 122,000 people and destroyed over 13,000 houses in many parts of the country.

A downpour in August 2013 was the worst to hit Khartoum in 25 years, and affected tens of thousands of people, the UN said.

Those floods killed about 50 people, mostly in the capital.
Tripoli (AFP) - Jihadist attacks and political struggles are thwarting attempts by Libya's unity government to revive an oil industry seen as vital for the economy of the impoverished North African country.

Five years since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi, Libya's rival governments and militias are in a bitter struggle for control of crude exports.

The political turmoil, coupled with Islamic State (IS) group attacks on oil facilities, has brought shipments to a near-standstill.

Despite having Africa's largest oil reserves, estimated at around 48 billion barrels, Libya has only managed to export a few tankers of crude in recent months.

On August 1, the Tripoli-based National Oil Company (NOC) announced that it was preparing to restart regular exports of crude.

But analysts doubt Libyan oil will be gushing back to world markets just yet.

"Opening the ports allows the NOC to start to undertake repairs, but that will still take time," said Scott Modell, an analyst at energy consultancy Rapidan Group.

"One announcement about potentially opening ports that are not fully functional is not going to turn around the overall trajectory of the political process," he added.

Since 2010, the country's production has plummeted from 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to just 300,000 bpd.

Libya now has the smallest production of any member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The 2014 collapse in oil prices was a further blow. Industry sources say Libya's exports this year will earn it just a tenth of the estimated $45-50 billion (40-45 billion euros) it took in 2010.

That is a disaster in a country where the government depends on oil exports for nearly all of its revenue.

- Struggle for control -

Libya's Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) faces major obstacles as it tries to revive the sector.

For a start, the NOC is split into two rival branches -- one loyal to the GNA and the other based in Benghazi and loyal to a rival government.

Meanwhile, all of the country's export terminals in Libya's eastern "oil crescent" are controlled by the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG), a militia set up to protect them.

They include the two key export terminals of Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra, 650 kilometres (400 miles) east of the capital, which are together capable of handling 700,000 bpd.

But they were shut down in January after storage tanks were set on fire during attacks by IS.

The jihadists have taken advantage of the turmoil to establish a presence in Libya, but now appear close to losing their stronghold in Sirte which lies between Tripoli and the oil crescent.

PFG leader Ibrahim al-Jadhran also regularly defies both of Libya's rival governments.

"The blockage costs Libya $30 million (27 million euros) a day," Mustafa Sanalla, chairman of the Tripoli-based branch of the NOC which supports the unity government, said in April.

At the end of July, the GNA announced that it had reached an agreement with Jadhran to re-open the Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra export terminals.

The NOC said the unity government had agreed to pay salaries to the oil installation guards and provide them with schools and hospitals.

- East-west rivalry -

That agreement underlined the bitter struggle between the GNA and a rival administration based in Libya's far east that refuses to recognise the unity government.

It controls much of the east through part of the Libyan army led by general Khalifa Haftar, and runs a rival NOC out of Benghazi.

After the GNA's agreement with Jadhran, Haftar's forces told AFP they would bomb tankers approaching the Libyan coast without the Benghazi NOC's permission.

It also moved troops towards the Zueitina terminal, another major facility on the oil crescent.

But the Petroleum Facilities Guard said it was prepared to fight.

"We will not let them control the ports," said spokesman Ali al-Hassi.

The standoff appears to have stalled an agreement, announced on July 3, to unify the rival NOCs.

Germany, Spain, the United States, France, Italy and Britain have called for all the country's oil installations to be immediately handed over to the GNA.

A Libyan oil industry veteran, who did not want to be named, said the country could only restore oil exports if there was "a strong unified government and a single military force".

"As long as there are still ongoing political and power struggles... the resumption of full oil production and exports can never be achieved."
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer's five day tour of the Western Region has seen the latest bout of religious politicking with the spokesperson to Nana Akufo-Addo, urging Muslims to vote for the NPP in gratitude for having a Muslim running mate, Dr. Mahmudu Bawumia.

Nana Addo's spokesperson, Mustapha Hamid, backed this call with scripture from the Quran where he said Nana Addo was doing good to Muslims and that he deserved Muslim votes in return.

Addressing party supporters at Sefwi Akontombra, Mustapha Hamid, said If somebody like him [Nana Addo] is doing this for us Muslims and we say we don't like, let us remember that in the Quran, Allah tells us that: If somebody does good to you and you thank them, I will bless you; but if somebody does good to you and don't thank them be careful my wrath doesn't fall on you.

Now if Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has done all this for Muslims and we don't thank him, Allah himself has said his wrath will fall on you. It is not me Mustapha Hamid telling you this. So let us vote for him.

Mustapha Hamid also insinuated that the Nana Addo retained Dr. Mahmudu Bawumia as his running mate because the latter is a Muslim.

Look at Alhaji Dr. Mahmudu Bawumia, on three occasions Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo repeated him as his running mate. The reason he repeated him was because he is a Muslim.

Collins Dauda urges Zongos to shun NPP

Mustapha Hamid's words to Muslims follows the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Alhaji Collins Daudas call to people in Zongos in the country to shun the NPP because they will discriminate against them.

People from the UP [United Party] tradition are not our friends and such we should not be in bed with them. They are people the Zongo community cannot rely on They are like lions, no matter what, they will not have good intentions for us, he pronounced to NDC supporters in Koforidua in the Eastern Region.

Alhaji Dauda asserted that the NPP had a long history of discriminating against people living in Zongos, known for being mainly inhabited by Muslims, and if you allow the NPP to come to power again, they will exhibit this same character of discrimination.

Christian bias at the presidency

The last time comments of this nature emanated from the NPP, Dr. Bawumia accused the presidency of being biased against Muslims in the country.

According to him, the current seat of government is occupied by persons who are from the Christian fraternity which to him does not create balance within the highest political positions in Ghana.

Dr. Bawumias argument was that because there are two dominant religious groups in the country, the President and his Veep ought not to be from the same religion.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Johannesburg (AFP) - Jailed murderer Oscar Pistorius has been put on suicide watch following mysterious wrist injuries that landed him in hospital earlier this month, media reported on Sunday.

Prison officials told City Press newspaper that the athlete who is serving a six- year sentence for murdering his girlfriend was under 24-hour monitoring, with increased cell visits by warders.

Some inside sources told the paper that razor blades were found in the disgraced athlete's cell last Saturday afternoon, and that his wrist injuries, described as "severe", were self-inflicted.

Prison authorities have launched a probe into the incident.

"Our internal investigation is at an advanced stage," said Correctional Services spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo.

The 29-year-old double-amputee, who is being held at the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria, had told prison officials he sustained the injuries falling off his bed.

According to the newspaper, the injury occurred soon after he had an altercation with prison officials over medication prescribed by state doctors. The Paralympian had refused to take the medication, saying it was "toxic" and demanded to be given medication prescribed by his private doctor.

He alleged that the prison official wanted to kill him and demanded to be transferred to another jail.

Warders also raided his cell and found a pair a scissors, prescription drugs and "toxic pills".

Pistorius's family has rubbished reports that the "Blade Runner" who made history by being the first disabled person to compete with able-bodied athletes in the 2012 London Olympics had tried to kill himself.

Pistorius initially escaped a murder conviction for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door three years ago.

An appeal by prosecutors saw his manslaughter conviction upgraded to murder, and in July he was sentenced to a six-year jail term.

But prosecutors have said they would push for a longer sentence, saying six years was "shockingly lenient".
Goma (DR Congo) (AFP) - About 30 civilians have been killed in a massacre in an area of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that has been shaken by violence since 2014, the army said Sunday.

Suspected rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a partly Islamist armed group of Ugandan origin, killed "about 30 people" in the town of Beni during the night, army spokesman Mak Azuray told AFP. "We have just found their bodies."

Beni lies in North Kivu, a province that has seen a long spate of attacks blamed on the ADF. The Beni area in particular has seen numerous massacres since October 2014, including 16 villagers hacked to death in their village in May.

Based in eastern DRC for more 20 years, the ADF has been accused of copious human rights abuses and is thought to be deeply embroiled in criminal networks funded by kidnappings, smuggling and logging.

Dozens of armed groups are active in North Kivu, where government troops have also been accused of preying on the civilian population.
The Volta Regional Youth Organiser of the governing National Democratic Congress says anyone who votes for the flagbearer of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom is inadvertently voting for the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Egypt Kobla Kudoto believes considering the relationship between the PPP leader and the NPP, especially having served in the erstwhile Kufuor administration, it will be inconceivable for anyone to believe he is in the presidential race to win.

Let us not be deceived that there is a gentleman who is doing us a favour by plating banks and by appointing a Voltarian as a running mate. It is just a decoy. After December 7, let it not be said that Nduom got votes in the Volta region. A vote for PPP is a vote for Nana Addo, he said.

The Regional NDC youth organiser told party supporters during the campaign launch of the Ho Central Member of Parliament (MP), Benjamin Kpodo at Klefe in the Ho Municipality.

As the nation prepares for the 2016 election all the political parties have stepped up their activities in a race still keenly between the NDC and the NPP, the only two parties to have won a general election since the start of the 4th Republic in 1992.

But this status quo has not stifled the desire of several other parties to push for an upset believed to be unlikely. The PPP is projecting itself as a party keen to set a record. Last week, Dr Nduom appointed a gender advocate and businesswoman Brigitte Dzogbenuku as his running mate.

Even though many have described the move as strategic considering the running mate hails from the Volta Region, Mr Kudoto says it was all a ploy to decrease the NDC votes in the region.

He says he has uncovered the sham in Dr Nduoms running mates decision which he believes was to rather amass to the benefit of the NPP  a party he played a role in.

Touching on the many businesses the PPP flagbearer has established in the region, Mr Kudoto says they were all done to persuade the people to vote for him.

He says, The Primary objective of doing business is profit. But the primary objective of being in government is to care for the people. As a party we are not working for profit. The reason for Kwesi Nduoms planting of banks in the Volta region is a business interest and to get our votes.

He entreated the people not to be deceived by the PPP flagbearer to think that there is a gentleman who is doing us a favour by plating banks and appointing a Voltarian as a running mate.

It is just a decoy. After December 7, let it not be said that Nduom got votes in the Volta Region... [but rather] for Nana Addo, he added.

Also speaking at the campaign launch was the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Francis Ganyaglo, who called on the people to show appreciation to the good works of President Mahama by voting for him.

Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Francis Ganyaglo

He cautioned the people not to be convinced by propaganda works of the NPP into believing the NDC government has done next to little for the region.

President Mahama deserves a second term to fully realise his grand vision of bringing prosperity to Ghanaians.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | AKABP
President John Mahama has implored supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to desist from acts of violence on the campaign trail ahead of the elections in December.

Speaking on the President's behalf ahead of the partys campaign launch, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, cautioned supporters of the party that they will have to live with the consequences of any violent conduct on their own.

The fact that we are campaigning doesn't mean you should go and fight. There are people who in the name of political parties who escalate political discourse into violence and the next moment someone is dead, the Chief of Staff said during a church service ahead of the launch.

The President says we should let the whole country know that it's [violence] not important. None of us can go to First Lady Lordina and tell her that we campaigned the most and so should be entitled to a portion of the food that the President is supposed to eat.

In the same way, if you follow some people on the campaign trail and you end up in a fight and end up getting hurt in the head, do you think you can go to the President and say: I campaigned for you in Cape Coast so let me eat some of your food, Mr. Debrah stated.

Church services ahead of campaign launch

As part of the activities preceding the NDC campaign launch, the party hierarchy worshiped at the Church of Pentecost, Adisadel Church Auditorium in Cape Coast, Central Region.

Present at the service were Julius Debrah, Central Regional Minister; Kweku Rickett Hagan, NDC General Secretary; Johnson Asiedu Nketiah and Finance Minister; Seth Terkper.

Former NDC chairman; Kwabena Adjei, Majority Leader; Alban Gbagbin, the party Director of Elections of the NDC; Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and a host of other ministers were also at the Adisadel Church Auditorium, Citi News' Kojo Agyeman reported.

The rank and file of the party will later converge at the Cape Coast stadium for the campaign launch on Sunday afternoon.

The launch, themed Changing Lives, Transforming Ghana, will be attended by thousands of party members and sympathizers, where President John Mahama would be officially outdoored as the partys Presidential nominee for the December polls.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The media have been awash with the budget padding in the lower chambers of the national assembly. Is budget padding a novelty in Nigeria? And lo, the statesman, Obasanjo is vindicated once again. For more than once, former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has doubted the integrity of the occupants of the hallowed chambers of the national assembly. If only man learns from the realities of life, the world would have been a better place.

One, there is nothing hidden under the sun. Secondly, whatever the ears hear or the eyes see is no more a secret. Thirdly, in life no one can live independently  everyman needs others to live. Whatever two people, two individuals even of nuclear relation engage in secretly has an expiry date, not to talk of dirty deals involving many people of diverse interests, as well as physical and psychological disparities.

Stories abound where gangs operate successfully for many times until their cup is full. By the time, either they quarrel over sharing formula or they are lured to a very insignificant operation through which they will regret the failure. Here is a house of people entrusted to represent their people from all nooks and crannies of the Nigerian territory.

Here is a house of personalities believed to be honourable and who took oath to put Nigeria first and to put their people first. This is a people described be former President Obasanjo as armed robbers and rogues, from revelations that emerged from the padding of the 2016 budget. He repeated this assertion in 2012 in Lagos at an event attended by two former Nigerian leaders, Yakubu Gowon and Ernest Shonekan.

Although a lot has been revealed, there may still be some twists that can open more windows for the recovery of our misplaced or stolen commonwealth. The ruling party, thus, may have acted too fast to stop the revelations. It is still in the interest of the party, representing the national that those involved in the shady deals be allowed to expose themselves for the public to be aware and be more informed. Once this matter is treated secretly by the party and anti-graft agencies, there are some assurances that it will be covered up like the past or the law will be twisted.

The unfolding events may jeopardize proper investigations. The Presidency has denied that the signed into law was padded. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang; and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House), Mr. Ismail Kawu, made the Presidencys position when they appeared before the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress at the partys headquarters. However, let us keep trust in our press that they will do the needful in this war against corruption.

Nonetheless, one continues to admire the audacity of former President Obasanjo, who spoke with the press after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja who declared that the best way out of the current mess was to ensure that only men of integrity are elected into the National Assembly. But how do Nigerian electorates differentiate between men of integrity or even men of God, from men of greed, utmost selfishness and dishonesty in the face of abject poverty and ignorance pervading the society?

In this situation when shame and remorse should freeze these honourable members, some of them are proud to take on the bribery scandal of the third term saga in 2007. Even if some claimed to be honourable to refuse the huge-enticing bribe advanced to them, why was it not exposed at that time? Was it to cover up the dishonourable ones who could not resist the temptation of getting richer from the peoples commonwealth? Apart from these revelations involving the leadership of the house, who monitors the constituency project funds granted every member. Most of these funds ended up with audio-visual reports in the purchase of few okada or drilling of few boreholes or purchase of few wrappers for the political women folk. That is all and the press carries out the rest of the job.

Budget padding and financial recklessness in the system are as old as our memory can recount. The great news about them is that there is now the political will by the leadership to confront them headlong. The military regimes operated with absolute authority and had no check and balance organ. The Shehu Shagri regime recorded a high level of financial misappropriation, though the president himself was a little saint. Former President Obasanjo in 2000 refused to sign the budget passed by the National Assembly on the accounts that it was padded with about N2 billion when the lawmakers raised their allocation from N22.7bn to N24 billion. Obasanjo sought for clarification on the added amount in a letter he wrote on May 3, 2000 to the then Senate President, Chuba Okadigbo, and Speaker Ghali NaAbba.

In 2005, some senators and the honourable members were accused of padding the budget of Ministry of Education. It is of no significance to debate if anyone was prosecuted for these fiscal abuses, though Obasanjo made broadcast that the accused lawmakers would be reported to ICPC for prosecution. Surely, there was no political will. And for eight years  1999 to 2007  budgets were passed, whether padded or unpadded.

Mr. Rule of Law and late former President Umaru YarAdua signed budgets from 2007 to 2010 and had cases with the national assembly over budget padding. When he presented his first budget of N2.94 trillion in 2008, the legislators raised the allocation for some items. Money for meal and refreshment were increased. The Senate alone added N120 million for non-regular allowances, resulting to president refusing to sign the budget. However, the president was forced to sign it as the nation was almost shut down. Both parties agreed on a budget amendment bill and a Supplementary Budget as it became a soft landing.

The 2011 budget of Goodluck Jonathan raised a heavy dust. The lawmakers jerked up their salaries and allowances. A budget of N4.48 billion was badly padded that the budget of both chambers was inflated from N120 billion to N232.74 billion. Jonathan refused to sign the budget until both parties agreed to peg it at N150 billion which they got till 2015 when it crashed a bit to N115 billion. This was due to public outcry that the legislature was becoming too expensive to maintain. The National Assembly from that year refused to publicize details of its allocations in the budgets. There was no political will to face the padding cabals in the public service and the national chambers. That is how the budgets had been infested with impunity and nothing was done to combat it.

Though the records may still remain in abandoned shelves, who is there to recall and deal with them when the present effort is being undermined and castigated? Despite the energy exerted by President Buhari and his vice Osinbajo to scrutinize the budget page by page, these revelations from the sacked chairman of appropriation committee are shocking. Is it because the God of Nigeria is now alive because the leadership is now sincere? Is it because the cup of enemies of Nigeria is full and God wants to cleanse the land? Or it is because the commonwealth is revolting against its continuous diversion into uncommon causes.

These exposures have caught the interests of Nigerians and the world. The pad-mafias have been fished out in the civil service. How they were dealt with is yet to be completely publicized by disclosing their names and their exact punishment. Merely sacking anyone guilty of this gross criminality is insufficient retribution. After all, most or all those who have defrauded the national or state treasuries have secured their freedom through plea bargaining. That is one who stole billions of naira belong to Nigerians end up hiring the service of as many senior advocates as possible to defend him; then the justice asks him to return few millions of naira back to the treasury. This is if the returned money ever hit the treasury accounts.

For the purpose of record and to prove the sincerely of the government in the fight against financial lawlessness across all the sectors in the country, let the fight concentrate in the leadership: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary at the national and state level. Let justice be enforced not only on goat stealers or pick-pocketters but more on every Nigerian that abuses public trust. Assurances are there that once the national assembly is sanitized, every public office holder cannot be otherwise. The great tussle for the leadership of committees in the national assembly reveals more of personal interests than selfless responsibility to serve.

Just of recent, the twist of events in the senate concurs with the postulation. A segment of the senate which claimed to have been fighting a noble cause suddenly swallows itself after getting the chairmanships of juicy committees. This is unbecoming of the distinguished and honourable members of our hallowed chambers. Let there be a redirection, a rethink, a refocus and a rebuilding of personalities in our public offices.

Recent padding scenarios reveal that the trend is not new. It shows that it had been a recurring phenomenon. Former presidents Obasanjo, YarAdua and Jonathan tackled the Nigerian lawmakers on it, but the political will was deficient to nail it down. Can it end with this first budget of President Buhari, with the assertion by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali NaAbba, that it was impossible for the budget to be padded without the connivance of some members of the executive arm of government?

Muhammad Ajah is an advocate of humanity, peace and good governance in Abuja. E-mail [email protected]
14.08.2016 LISTEN

A body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed. The constitution gives reverence to the three arms of government by ensuring their supremacy and independence, it ensures parliamentary sovereignty, independence of the Judiciary and the enormous privileges of the executive in terms of functions and roles it plays. To the best of my knowledge and as far as Im concerned, the makers of the constitution did a great job but there are few flaws that may have escaped them or didnt realize its future repercussions.

How independent is the Judiciary, legislature and the executive. Independence and autonomy in my own candid opinion should be, no interference if an arm takes a decision. However, to ensure proper checks and balances, there could have been an independent body made up of retired state officials from each of the arms of government to render any tyrannical decision of any arm as null and void where the need arise. The aim of this article is to address two important issues, one has to do with the too much powers the constitution has conferred on the executive and the limitations associated with such and secondly, a clue of what such powers can do to this nation if the constitution is not amended as quickly as we can.

You will bear with me that, it is not appropriate in any way for the sitting president to be the one to appoint the Chief Justice of the land, the same president or government to ensure the appointment of the Electoral Commissioner, the same president does ministerial appointment from within parliament, then where lies the independence of these bodies if their appointments are determined by the sitting government which is the provision of the very document that guides the land.

About 89% of parliamentarians wish to be ministers, with such constitutional provision that, a member of parliament can as well be a minister, dont you think, members of parliament would implement laws in favor of the sitting president in order to win their interest towards his appointment. Such appointed ministers still in parliament receive double salary, one as a minister and another as a member of parliament, as to whether they perform their functions in these two offices as appropriately as stipulated in the constitution is another matter for discussion.

The Electoral Commission in as much as it must ensure free, fair and a violent free elections must be neutral and autonomous in its dealings as pertained to elections and its processes. But the same constitution demands the office of the Electoral Commissioner be determined by the sitting president. Maybe such conditions in the constitution are stipulated in the western world and is working perfectly but what I believe is that, greater percentage of us are more partisan than being nationalistic and has placed a bigger limitation on such constitutional provision. A sitting president would want to do anything if it even includes blood shed to retain power or for his party.

If the president has the power to appoint the EC then, this EC owes his/her allegiance to the president and remember we are humans, professionalism plays a little role here. I am not surprised what is currently trending in our country, the constitution that guides us is in conflict with itself. The same applies to the Chief Justices appointment. If these bodies are to be neutral and autonomous, then in my own opinion, the constitution should be amended to limit the powers of the executive in this regard.

Now let me quickly tackle the possible damages our constitution can cause and is causing at the moment, parliamentary allegiance has been explained already but the thing is, if bills to become laws are always implemented to favor the sitting president and not the interest of the greater percentage of the Ghanaian citizenry, then we cant call such democracy. Secondly, the electoral commissioner must be credible in its dealings to ensure free and fair elections, now, its appointment pushes her in a tight corner and causes the EC to be indecisive and manipulated by people who should have no say in what the EC must do or not do. Hardly did I hear the EC on the lips of our media men until when it gets to elections but as it stands, from day one since our government gave the nod to Mrs. Charlotte Osei, not even a single day does she rest, that is manipulation and it has caused her to be indecisive, thats in my own opinion.

A new voters register was what majority of Ghanaians hoped for to avoid any party petitioning the court after election based on what happened in the 2012 general elections. If the EC works in any ones interest for the purpose of showing allegiance and gratefulness, in as much as it is an insult to professionalism, it also means that, our constitution failed us. Now let me site a very critical example of the Montie Mahama boys; the media is a very powerful tool in bringing about peace and building a nation, yet some media men have sought to insults using the media and we have people who supports their insults.

These boys (used boys because their actions is not deserving of men) sits on radio every day and render insults and accusations without facts on prominent leaders of this nation and because they are given salaries for rendering insults every day didnt know their limit than to extend their indecency to the chief justice by threatening to rape her. It was in this very nation that judges were abducted and murdered in a gruesome manner on June 30th 1982.

These judges include the late Mr. Justice Fred Opoku Sarkodee,Mrs Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addow and Mr Justice Kwadwo Agyei-Agyepong. So threats are not mere jokes especially on a body that has been faced with tragedy of that sought before.

With such uncouth, uncivilized and unpardonable behavior, the court in using its powers and based on the 1992 constitution which is the supreme document of the land, Article 19 (12) for Criminal Contempt which reads Clause (11) of this article shall not prevent a Superior Court from punishing a person for contempt of itself notwithstanding that the act or omission constituting the contempt is not defined in a written law and the penalty is not so prescribed. And if in the same constitution, article 72 grants the president to exercise his prerogative power of mercy in these forms as

(1) The President may, acting in consultation with the Council of State- (a) grant to a person convicted of an offence a pardon either free or subject to lawful conditions; or (b) grant to a person a respite, either indefinite or for a specified period, from the execution of punishment imposed on him for an offence; or (c) substitute a less severe form of punishment for a punishment imposed on a person for an offence; or (d) remit the whole or part of a punishment imposed on a person or of a penalty or forfeiture otherwise due to Government on account on any offence. In my opinion, the constitution is in conflict with itself if it can give power to an independent and supreme body and as well give a counter power to another body.

It demeans the proceedings of our supreme court in my own opinion. Can such a constitution punish offenders of the law and ensure peace? If it guarantees presidential pardon in this regard then it suggest all prisoners in the country deserve the pardon and preference to specific prisoners and offenders of the law is an indication of how confused our constitution is and the danger is, the prerogative power of mercy if exercised would compromise the independence of the Judiciary.

To end it here, my suggestion is that, the constitution needs to be twisted a little to decrease the powers given to the executive because it exhibits conflict of interest in the exercise of its functions as against the legislative and the judicial body.

Author: Emmanuel De-Graft Quarshie

The Political Tintin The non-patisan

0202927554/degraftxclusive.blogspot.com
As the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) gears up for its campaign launch Sunday the partys Campaign Spokesperson has disclosed what President John Dramani Mahama will be touching on in his address.

Joyce Bawa Mogtari told Joy News the President will speak about several topical issues bothering the country predominantly he will talk with nostalgia about the passing of our former President John Atta Mills.

He will talk about other issues affecting Ghanaians and about himself because this is an achieving President and engaging President. He is a President who has been in touch with Ghanaians, she said.

The untimely death of President John Evans Atta Mills in July 24, 2012 at a time when the nation was close to the 2012 polls still dominates in political discussions in the country. He collapsed at the Flagstaff House and was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Even after Dr Cadman Mills, brother of the former President disclosed at his graveside that he died of Hemorrhagic stroke some people believe that may not be the true case. They have urged President Mahama to disclose to Ghanaians how Professor Mills died.

According to stroke.org, a hemorrhagic stroke is a brain aneurysm burst or a weakened blood vessel leak. Blood spills into or around the brain and creates swelling and pressure, damaging cells and tissue in the brain.

But Mrs Mogtari says the President will give a final blow to the issue in the course of his address to the nation.

It was an incident that affected him and he is concerned about discussions regarding the issue.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | AKABP
Goma (DR Congo) (AFP) - At least 30 civilians have been killed in an area of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that has been shaken by violence since 2014, the army said Sunday.

Suspected rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a partly Islamist armed group of Ugandan origin, killed "about 30 people" in the town of Beni on Saturday night, army spokesman Mak Hazukay told AFP.

"We have just found their bodies."

The victims were found in the Rwangoma neighbourhood on the outskirts of Beni, Hazukay said, adding: "The search for the bodies continues."

He said ADF rebels had "bypassed" army positions "to come and massacre the population in revenge" for military operations in the area.

Gilbert Kambale, a local civil society leader, said the attack took place between 7.00 pm and 11.00 pm on Saturday evening and that there were "already 35 bodies" in the morgue at Beni hospital.

The latest bloodshed provoked an angry protest, bringing around a hundred people onto the streets shouting anti-government slogans and demanding security.

The slaughter took place three days after DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila visited the region, promising to do everything in his power to bring peace and security.

Beni lies in North Kivu, a province that has seen a long spate of attacks that the government and United Nations blame on the ADF.

The Beni area in particular has seen numerous massacres since October 2014 that have in total left more than 600 civilians dead.

- 'Slaughter us like goats' -

During the day, around a hundred angry protesters carrying the body of one of the victims gathered in the town, shouting angry slogans against Kabila and his government, witnesses said.

Local human rights activists Jackson Kasereka said residents in the north of the town were "burning tyres" in the streets in protest over the killings and in anger at the authorities.

"The police have just taken the body off us but we will continue to protest. It's not normal that they slaughter us like goats," said demonstrator Georges Kamate, who drives a motorbike taxi.

"Our government is incapable of keeping us safe!" shouted another demonstrator.

Kambale said there was a lot of anger over the government's apparent inability to restore security to the area.

"It's worrying because the president of the republic came here and then we were massacred," he said.

"There is a blatant lack of security, (the authorities) are not capable of keeping the population safe, that is why these people have come into the street," he explained.

Contacted by AFP, Beni mayor Edmond Masumbuko had no immediate comment, saying he was tied up "in a security meeting".

- Copious rights abuses -

Beni and the surrounding area have been badly hit by violence over the past two years, suffering a series of massacres which the Congolese government and the UN's mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, have blamed on the ADF.

But in March, that allegation was recently questioned in a report published by the Congro Research Group at New York University which looked into the massacres around Beni, and claimed that soldiers from the regular army had also participated in the killings.

The government rejected the claims and said the ADF was "definitely" responsible for the massacres.

ADF rebels, who oppose Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, have been present in eastern DRC for more than 20 years.

The group has been accused of copious human rights abuses and is thought to be deeply embroiled in criminal networks funded by kidnappings, smuggling and logging.

Dozens of armed groups are active in North Kivu, where government troops have also been accused of preying on the civilian population.

Despite efforts by the international community and the Congolese authorities, the region has remained mired in violence since the end of the second Congolese war (1998-2003).

On August 8, 11 Congolese soldiers and a UN peacekeeper were wounded in the Beni area during a confrontation with ADF forces, MONUSCO said.
By Samira Larbie, GNA

Accra, Aug. 14, GNA - Mrs Linda Ofori-Kwafo, the Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), has asked political parties to incorporate the gaps in anti-corruption legislation in their manifestos.

She said this is necessary because manifestos launched during pre-elections become the main development planning tool that is implemented after elections by the party that forms the government.

Mrs Ofori-Kwafo was speaking at a news conference in Accra to make presidential and political parties to demonstrate commitment to the fight against corruption.

The aim was to take advantage of the pre-election opportunity to influence the development of political parties manifestos to reflect appropriate strategies that have capacity to address some of the gaps and strengthen the anti-corruption legislative framework.

She said this would give the parties specifics they need to work on in the legislation to make the country a safe haven for all.

Over the years, parliament had passed a number of laws and signed a number of international and regional anti-corruption conventions.

Despite the progress made, she said the impunity with which some public officials are engaging in corruption is worrying.

She said though several factors may account for this such as the lack of enforcement laws confirmed during the review of Ghana's implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2013 also brought to the fore some weaknesses in the anti-corruption laws that needs to be addressed.

She said the GII in consortium with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition and SEND-Ghana are not calling for new laws but rather the need to strengthen the existing ones to make them binding.

The documented gaps presented to the President and political parties are made up of corrupt conducts that should either have been criminalised or if already criminalised, are deemed inadequate to deal with the offence more effectively, she said.

'If political parties are able to incorporate some of the demands in their manifesto they would help to tackle such issues to shape the nation,' she said.

Some of the areas in the Act that needs amendments include bribery, illicit enrichment, compensation for damage, abuse of functions, embezzlement, trading influence, laundering of proceeds of crime, concealment, obstruction of justice in criminal process, protection of witnesses, transparency, public reporting and access to information.

She advise the electorate to desist from selling their votes but rather vote based on key issues.

GNA
Accra, Aug. 14, GNA - In a bid to consistently offer customers of Ghana's premier network superior customer experience, staff of Tigo Ghana took to some major market centres in Accra and Tema to engage with existing and potential customers.

The company used the opportunity to introduce its exciting products and services.

The visit included Kaneshie, Ashaiman, Lapaz and Circle markets where the staff engaged the market men and women on why they should make the switch to Tigo to enjoy the unparalleled services and products that the company has to offer.

The visit, especially also allowed the staff to motivate customers to participate in Tigo's latest innovative promotion dubbed 'wosuro wondi, which aims at rewarding loyal customers with mouth-watering prizes.

'The bid is to get the staff to spread the word really to speak to retailers out there to speak to consumers out there that there is an extra incentive for buying Tigo scratch card. It is not only the airtime and the service you enjoy but the fact that there is cash to be won and various other branded items and prizes,' Mr Tara Squire, the Director of Mobile Tigo said.

'At Tigo we have led the way putting together innovative campaigns to reward our loyal customers. We also believe in the fact that the streets are where the action is that is where the retailers are and that is where the customers are with the purchases,' he said.

Mr Squire said it is important to get the staff who work behind the scenes to ensure that the wonderful products Tigo puts out there are meeting customer needs, adding that 'as long as the campaign is ready we get everybody involved'.

He said the team at Tigo believe in what they put out there and that it is the best for the consumer and the best for the country 'so we tasked them as the first people to go out there and spread the gospel'.

Speaking on the wosuro wondi promotion, Mr Squire said the campaign is designed to getting consumers to believe in Ghana.

He said there is a very rich heritage embedded in the campaign since the Big six were right there at the beginning.

He said the promo reflects Ghana's history by engaging the pictures of Ghana's Big Six during the struggle for independence and demonstrated Tigo's commitment to Ghana, especially in this election year.

Mr Squire said it was also to let customers know that Tigo is passionate about the country and its consumers has been here we would continue to innovate to give them the best so they should come and join us, so consumers out there should go out there and buy Tigo and Ghana scratch card and make sure they enjoy the services we have.

The 'Wo suro aaa wondi,' meaning 'you cannot win if you are afraid', promotion would over the next 90 days give away instant exciting prizes every time customers buy top-up cards to make calls and browse the internet.

Aside the instant prizes, customers who collect the images of the Big six in Ghana's political history stand the chance to win the bingo prize of GH100,000.00.

GNA
By Robert Tachie Menson, GNA

Dormaa Ahenkro (B/A), Aug. 14, GNA - The Electoral Commission(EC) in Dormaa Ahenkro, has denied accusations from the National Democratic Congress(NDC) that it connived with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to delete more than 200 eligible voters from the voters register.

Responding to allegations made by Mr John Adu Jack, the NDC Dormaa Central Constituency Parliamentary aspirant at a news conference in Dormaa Ahenkro, Mr Christian Boafo Offeh, the Dormaa Central Municipal Election Officer, described the allegations as baseless, false and unfounded and asked the aspirant to substantiate such claims.

He said he never sided with any political party in the performance of his duties but strictly operated within the confines of the law, during the recent opening of the Voters Register for public scrutiny.

Mr Boafo Offeh described the attitude of the aspirant as a sheer display of ignorance and asked the NDC to take the matter to court to seek redress if the party feels it has concerns against the EC on the register.

He explained that Article 23(2c) of the Constitutional Instrument(CI) stipulated that a person entitled to be registered as a voter may object as set out in form seven of the schedule to a person whose name appears in the provisional register of voters on the ground that the person is not qualified to be registered as a voter.

He said any citizen of the country is permitted under the law to question or object to the eligibility of any voter, adding that Article 23(2d) indicates that an officer of the Commission may object as set out in form seven of the schedule to a person whose name appears in the provisional register of voters on the ground that, that person is not qualified to be registered as a voter.

Reacting to the allegations, Mr William Nyarko, the Communication Officer of the NPP, said the party has sufficient evidence to proof that the names are ineligible and the party is prepared to contest the NDC at the courts.

Mr Seth Asare, the NPP Constituency Organiser, said there is no portion of the CI that a person making objection should hail from the community where the eligibility was in question but that every Ghanaian is allowed to question the credibility of a voter they are not sure of.

GNA
By Albert Futukpor, GNA

Tamale, Aug. 14, GNA - Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies, has called on players in the animal industry to do more to fill the meat supply gap in the country to create jobs and improve incomes.

He made the call during the 33rd Biennial Symposium of the Ghana Animal Science Association (GASA) in Tamale, on the theme: 'Climate Smart Animal Husbandry Systems: Key to Improving Animal Production.'

The three-day event attended by members of GASA and sister associations from Nigeria including farmers, was to deliberate on issues about the sector and ways to improve them.

Prof Teye expressed dissatisfaction that meat and other farm produce such as tomato, are being imported from neighbouring countries.

He, therefore, called on the authorities to come out with measures to improve the capacity of local industry players to produce more to meet the country's demand.

Statistics from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture show that livestock accounts for only seven per cent of agricultural Gross Domestic Product, leaving a lot of room for growth.

Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru Limuna, Minister of Food and Agriculture, whose speech was read on his behalf, expressed the need for farmers to develop their animals to ensure high birth per litter, short birth intervals, low mortality rates, fast growth, high final body weight, low incidence of disease, good quality products for increased revenue.

Alhaji Limuna also expressed need to develop the livestock value chain to ensure that a number of products come from one animal spicie as well high level of processing, storage and trade; involvement of several seemingly unrelated industries in the value chain such as input/output/service providers and consumers to improve income.

Mr Abdallah Abubakari, Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf, appealed to farmers to belong to associations to effectively deal with challenges associated with the industry.

Mr Abdallah said 'Farmers should also try as much as possible to integrate livestock production with crop production to increase their income all year round'.

He advised farmers to learn to operate along the value chain principles by consciously fostering economic and technical links with agencies and people for their benefit.

GNA
Sirte (Libya) (AFP) - Libyan pro-government forces pressed an advance against the Islamic State group in the coastal city of Sirte on Sunday as they battled jihadists holed up in waterfront residential areas.

In May, forces loyal to the unity government began an offensive to retake the Mediterranean city and home town of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, which IS seized in June last year.

The offensive came amid growing concern that jihadists would use Sirte, where they had set up centres to train militants, as a springboard for attacks on European shores hundreds of kilometres (miles) away.

One June 9, pro-government forces entered Sirte and more than two months later pushed the jihadists from key positions including their headquarters at the Ouagadougou conference centre, a sprawling compound near the city centre.

AFP correspondents who toured the city on Saturday said loyalist forces were pressing their advance, buoyed by US air strikes earlier this month that targeted IS holdouts in the city.

The forces fired machineguns mounted on pick-up trucks and light weapons at IS targets in the distance as they tried to advance towards an area known as "residential district three" facing the Mediterranean, the correspondents said.

On Sunday, the spokesman for the forces, General Mohamad Ghassri, told AFP that both residential districts near the waterfront were "currently battle zones".

Pro-government forces "have entered district number two" which could fall under their control later Sunday, he said.

"IS has only control over one sector, residential district one in the heart of downtown Sirte," he said.

"From a military point of view, the battle (for Sirte) is over," he said, adding that "victory" would be announced soon.

Earlier the forces loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord said in a statement that their fighters had seized buildings on the outskirts of district two and were chasing the jihadists.

- Eyes on Rome -

Mustafa al-Faqih, one of the commanders of the loyalist forces, told AFP that the jihadists fled after their headquarters fell on Wednesday.

The "enemy forces collapsed" in the face of the loyalist advance, he said.

"We will advance on... areas where the enemy is still deployed in the coming days, God willing."

The taking of the Ouagadougou centre, where Kadhafi once hosted Arab and African summits as well as European leaders, was the first in a string of blistering losses sustained by the jihadists this week.

A statement by the loyalist forces on Saturday said they had seized a radio station near the centre which the jihadists used to broadcast propaganda, describing its capture as "important".

They also drove jihadists out of the university of Sirte which they had used as a key defensive position, they said.

On Sunday, pro-government fighters could be seen removing jihadist graffiti from the walls of the Ouagadougou centre.

"The caliphate will endure and expand," read one slogan at the centre's main entrance, before it was removed.

A trail of destruction has hit the once grandiose centre, with windows shattered, ceilings caved in and bullet strikes on its walls.

Outside, a group of pro-government fighters flashed victory signs and pointed to a banner left behind by the jihadists that read: "We are fighting in Libya but our eyes are on Rome."

Libya's former colonial power Italy lies a mere 300 kilometres (less than 200 miles) across the Mediterranean from Sirte.

On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi faced criticism at home for reportedly sending special forces to Libya to help the anti-IS fight without approval from parliament.

Renzi's centre-left government has refused to confirm or deny reports that dozens of special forces have been deployed to help with de-mining and training pro-GNA forces.

More than 300 pro-government fighters have been killed and 1,800 wounded since May in the battle for Sirte, medics have said.

The jihadists have not revealed their losses.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Alex Mould has stated that the corporation is ready to offload crude oil to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) if it has the financial guarantee.

According to him, Ghana's Petroleum laws will not allow the sale of the product without reliable financial guarantee to pay for the oil.

The refinery has been neglected for some time. It requires financial instrument as a guarantee before we can give them oil. The law is firm on that; I think we must give them some time. They are still working on the refinery, he said.

Mr. Mould stressed that the practice is a global procedure aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in the petroleum industry.

You are aware that GNPC has partners in the industry. The corporation does not undertake transactions unilaterally. So once the refinery is in a position to buy and pay, we will offload the product to them, he said.

Mr. Mould who spoke to Citi Business News at the sidelines of a press soiree organized by Tullow Oil Ghana Limited on the commencement of oil production at the Tweneboa Enyenra Ntomme (TEN) field maintained that TOR has the capacity in the near future to build its balance sheet to procure large quantity of crude.

I think we must give the refinery some time. Like I said it has been neglected for a long time and it is now showing some positive signs. I believe it will very soon build the capacity to acquire large volume of crude, he stressed.

TOR showing profitability

Recent reports pointed out that TOR had begun showing signs of profitability after seven years in the doldrums.

The refinery posted a profit of $800,000 from its operations from February 16 to April 20, 2016, a development described by industrial watchers as a sign of the possible revival of the company.

The success story of TOR resonated at a May Day parade in Wa in the Upper West region this year when a section of TOR workers had travelled to thank President John Dramani Mahama for setting the company back on track to recovery.

In his speech at the May Day event, the President said a close collaboration among labour, management and the government at TOR and the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport (BOST) Company had yielded a positive result.

Supporting the President, the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Kofi Asamoah, alluded to the fact that not only had those combined efforts brought back the crippled national asset but also restored national dignity and security.

Under an arrangement, TOR processed one million barrels of crude oil supplied by BOST.

The refinery tumbled to a sorry state in 2009 from huge debts that had suffocated its operations.

However, it secured a deal for TOR to refine crude oil for BOST.

The refinery is expected to make an additional profit of $1.5 million after the second consignment of a million barrels is processed from May to August 2016.

Under the arrangement, TOR will receive the third and the fourth parcels of a million barrels in May and June 2016.



By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
A deputy minister of Education in charge of tertiary, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said President John Dramani Mahama will next month extend free education to boarding students in the various Senior High Schools (SHS) in the country.

The programme currently covers only day students in some selected schools.

Mr. Ablakwas remarks confirms President John Dramani Mahama earlier announcement that his government would be expanding the Progressively Free SHS policy to cover boarding students in deprived districts.

Speaking at the launch of the NDC's 2016 campaign in Cape Coast on Sunday, Mr. Ablakwa said the NDC government is committed to implementing the progressively free SHS policy.

Next month September when the 2016/2017 academic year begins, president Mahama will be launching the free SHS for borders. 120,000 borders are going to benefit from this programme as we expand progressively free senior high school education. This is what the NDC stands for.

Education investments take time to show; but we are committed and President Mahama led by the able Professor Naana Opoku Agyeman, we are making progress and progress is there for all to see. Apart from quality and access, affordability is also key and so we have implemented the progressively free senior high school education. More than 400,000 school pupils are benefiting at the second cycle level.



By: Godwin Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Former President Jerry John Rawlings has urged the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to address its weaknesses if it is to beat the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

In an address at the partys campaign launch at the Cape Coast stadium in the Central region Sunday, the founder said the party must re-claim its founding principles if it is to be unbeatable in elections.

His speech was largely evasive as the President said he will not make any explosive commentary until after the general elections in December.

Speaking at the launch however, the President told the grassroot that we must reach into the principles that emerged from the circumstances that gave us power. [If we do this] no one can ever defeat us.

The former president did not mention any specific weaknesses but in the past Jerry Rawlings has castigated this own party and suggested an internal cleaning up exercise because he believes corruption has taken hold of the party.

He has said a certain amount of the current executives must be thrown out and replaced with people with merit, logic and integrity. This is the only way the party can win elections and bring back the value that gave birth to the party.

But he was measured and diplomatic in his Sunday commentary. He however said enough to suggest a return to probity and accountability, the party's stated values.

He explained that it is the NDCs principles that set the party far apart from the NPP and without it, the party's political chances could be threatened.Rawlings suggested that the NDC cannot afford to fight the NPP on their own terms.

To mimick the NPPs behaviour as some in the party are doing will be disastrous for the NDC, said the former president whose criticism of the governing party has made him a darling of the opposition NPP.

Leaving political analysts to decode his statements, Jerry Rawlings said the NPP has been in existence for a long time and have been changing their names till this date, the nature of who they are, what they are, where theyve come from is something they are happy with and they will be there for a long time".

He warned the governing NDC not to underestimate the threat posed by the opposition NPP ahead of a crucial general election. President Rawlings told a packed stadium of party supporters that defeating the NPP is going to be quite a challenge.

What is ahead of you is not an easy task the NDC founder said amid cheers from 16,000 supporters.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|Edwin Appiah|[email protected]
President John Dramani Mahama has accused the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of embarking on a campaign to discredit the credibility of the Electoral Commission, as a plot to reject the outcome of the elections if it doesn't go their way.

President Mahama, who said this at the launch of his party's campaign for the 2016 polls at the Cape Coast in the Central Region, stated that Ghana's Electoral Commission remains credible on the continent, and has been resourced to deliver a free and fair election.

Lately, it has become fashionable for the largest opposition party to discredit the EC. All kinds of accusations including unprintable insults hurled at the person of the EC Chair have become normal. This is unacceptable. But for students of politics, we can see the strategy behind it. It's an old trick in the book; vilify the referee and reduce his credibility in the eyes of the public when you can tell you are losing the match. This creates the platform where when you lose you contest the outcome of the match, and this is the underlying force for all the winding that is taking place against the EC at every step of the electoral process. And yet with the same EC, the same voters' register and process, the same party has participated in two by-elections and won; and this is indeed a paradox.

Our EC has a proud history of delivering credible elections in Ghana and has been used as a facilitator and resource person to transfer Ghana's experience to other countries. Our electoral process has safeguards that allow us to police the elections from the polling station level to the declaration of results. Policing the poll and ensuring the integrity of the ballot, is as much the responsibility of the EC, as it is for us political parties. As President, I will ensure the Commission has all the support it needs to carry out its mandate.

Disunited NPP can't govern us  Mahama

According to Mahama, the NPP is disunited and is not in the position to govern the country.

He called on Ghanaians to give his administration a second term, to continue the good foundation they have laid.

He admitted that election would be tough but said the party has what it takes to win the elections.

President Mahama officially declared the party's campaign duly launched, and asked all members of the party to contribute to the campaign for his second term.



By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AfanyiDadzie
Founder of the governing NDC Jerry John Rawlings has hinted he will be embarking on a nationwide tour after the December 2016 general elections.

The founder who has in the past, castigated the governing NDC for losing its values said the tour will focus on how I think we could restore the kind of strength that will take us into the future.

The former President began a largely evasive speech by ruling out any possibility of his famed boom speeches in which he makes explosive commentary and fiery criticisms.

I will reserve what I have to say till after the elections, former President Rawlings said aware of a feared expectation.

The founder whose his popular style of lambasting his party has endeared him to the opposition NPP said the First Lady Lordina Mahama approached him soon after he took his seat on the platform and wanted to know if he was going to boom today.

So is this why you came to seat next to me? he said laughing. If I talk there is trouble if I dont talk too there is a problem.

Touching on the elections, former President Rawlings warned the NDC not to underestimate the NPP. President Rawlings told a packed stadium of party supporters that defeating the NPP is going to be quite a challenge.

What is ahead of you is not an easy task the NDC founder said amid cheers from 16,000 supporters.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|Edwin Appiah|[email protected]
President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghanaians that social media will not be banned during the general elections in December this year.

He made this statement while speaking at the launch of the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) campaign launch for the 2016 elections in Cape Coast on Sunday.

According to the President, government has no intention to shut down social media on election day.

This statement contradicts the Inspector General of Police, IGP), John Kudalor's statement that the police is considering a ban on social media on election day. According to the IGP, the reason for the ban would be to curtail abuses that could lead to violence.

The IGP came under heavy criticism for this statement from some civil society organisations and some social media enthusiasts in the country.

The president's statement, will therefore, put the matter to rest. Anyone who had doubts over whether or not it would be possible to know what was going on via social media has now been reassured.

The launch of the NDC's campaign, took place at the Cape Coast Stadium, where it was reported that about there were about 40,000 NDC supporters, though the stadium has a capacity of 15,000.

The party used the occasion to outdoor President John Dramani Mahama as its flagbearer, along with his running mate, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, campaign executives and the party's parliamentary candidates.



By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana
14.08.2016 LISTEN

The Ethical Considerations Behind Study

Drawing on the ethos of the Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ), this report is premised on the assumption that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy (SPJ, 2014, September 6). Rightly so, this report is guided by the four key considerations of the SPJ as follows:

Seek truth and report it Minimize harm Act independently Be accountable and transparent

Executive Summary

The transnational nature of the contemporary educational ecology has placed many national accreditation boards under an enormous pressure in executing their mandate of monitoring, supervising, and granting accreditation to academic institutions and the programs they offer. In recent times, the Ghana National Accreditation Board (NAB from now on) has come under an immense public scrutiny for what the public may have rightly perceived as its failure to perform its gatekeeping role in safeguarding the credibility of educational products sold to the Ghanaian public by some unaccredited educational institutions.

Using a purposive comparative framework, we selected for interrogation cases of institutions and individuals who have come under public scrutiny for awarding and receiving academic qualifications and awards that the public considers questionable. This is to answer three pertinent questions:

What is the accreditation status of institutions selected for analysis? Who are the individuals associated with these institutions? What are the motives of these individuals for acquiring these degrees/awards?

The report indicates that some of the institutions in question are in breach of the NABs instrument of authority, while others have acquired NABs accreditation under questionable arrangements. The report further indicates that two categories of individuals are identifiable in these accreditation controversies. While one group views higher academic qualifications as career tools, the other considers these awards as status symbols for self-actualization and a seal for the legitimization of their place of honor in the publics eye. An uncritical-propagandadogged media coupled with an unquestioning public continues to fuel the practice.

1. Introduction and Statement of Problem

The NAB, akin to accreditation boards in many countries, is facing enormous challenges in carrying out its constitution mandatethe monitoring and supervision of the quality of higher education and the granting and revocation accreditation for institutions of higher learning operating in Ghanaconferred on it by Act 2007 (Act 744). Recent cases of unaccredited or dubious academic institutions conferring academic degrees and awards on certain individuals attest to this state of affairs. Further testament to this state of affairs is the recent revelations by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Professor Mawutor Avoke, that 61 percent of teachers in tertiary institutions in Ghana are unqualified to teach in such institutions (GNA, 2016, April 16).

While this might look very much like a Ghanaian problem, one would argue that the problem of questionable academic qualifications has now assumed continental proportions and has infected every institution imaginablegovernment, higher educational institutions, the private sector, the diplomatic service, and just any human institution. A few examples: Johnny

Molefe resigned as the Vice-Chancellor of Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa in 2011 when it was discovered that he had a dubious qualification (MaCfarlane, 2011, August 5); the high profile South African cabinet minister and parliamentarian who held many ministerial portfolios, Pallo Jordan, resigned in 2014 after it was discovered that his qualifications were false (Magome, 2015, April, 12); former South African Broadcasting Corporation Chair, Ellen

Tshabalala, resigned after it was discovered that she had faked her qualifications (Ndenze, 2014,

December 18); and in 2015, South Africas ambassador to Japan, Mohau Pheko admitted faking her qualifications (Times Live, 2015, February 27).

In the wake of these scandals, the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA)akin to the NAB in Ghanaintroduced stringent verification modalities for evaluating both foreign and local qualifications. This was after the affected persons resigned from their positions.

In Nigeria, Ms. Stella Oduah, former Aviation Minister is on record to have faked her academic qualifications ((Mojeed, 2014, January 8). In 2013, a university professor in Nigeria was offered a fake doctoral degree for $11,550 by a con artist, (Prof.) David Iornem, who also claims a professorial title for himself (Saharan Reporters, 2013, August 1). In Pakistan, a large number of parliamentarians are known to have acquired degrees with questionable status (Ellick, 2010, July 16). President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also come under close scrutiny in recent times for allegations of using fake academic qualifications (BBC, 2016, June 3). With the number of dubious academic institutions offering fake academic qualifications to people around the world on the rise, the problem is a serious one that must be tackled with the seriousness it deserves.

To unpack the magnitude of the problem for public education, consumption, and, most importantly, for policy discourse, this report examines the accreditation regimes across three countriesthe US, UK, and Ghana. This is to provide a context for the reader regarding the regimes that guide the accreditation processes in these countries. The report also provides a comparative analysis of what a doctoral degree in its various formsresidency, online, and honoris causaentails. While these reviews are not exhaustive explanations regarding accreditation regimes and the structure of doctoral programs, the authors believe that these cogent and succinct background information are sufficient to provide an informative context to the reader on what he/she needs to know about the subject of accreditation and doctoral degrees to form an informed opinion on the subject matter under discussion.

Using a purposive comparative framework, we select academic institutions and individuals as cases for interrogation. Both institutional and individual cases selected for interrogation are news making cases with publicly available information on the Internet. First, we interrogate the accreditation status of the selected institutions. Second, we identify individual Ghanaians who are associated with these institutions through the receipt of qualifications and awards that the public may deem questionable. We then appraise the possible motivations behind the desire for the identified individuals to acquire these qualifications and awards. We analyze the role of the media in these processes, the attitude of the general public toward these challenges, and the impact of the situation on Ghana as a country. Based on the foregoing, we made some recommendations for immediate policy action to remedy the situation.

2. Literature Review

This section provides the context to the subject matter of interestaccreditation of

educational institutions and the award of (post)graduate level degrees to individuals. The section is divided into two parts(1) comparative review of national accreditation, and (2) earned doctoral (residency and online) and honorary degrees. The context is provided to orient the reader to the wider discourse on accreditation. This is to serve as terms of reference from which the selected cases will be evaluated.

2.1. Comparative Review of National Accreditation

Tertiary education (particularly postgraduate education), unlike primary and secondary education, is viewed by most nations as a vital lever for national development. Even in the US, where private capital can purchase everything and anything, including education, tertiary education is jealously guided through accreditation and quality control. To be admitted into any graduate program of repute in the US, prospective students are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Graduate Management Test (GMAT), the Law School

Admission Test (LSAT) and other discipline specific examinations. There is further filtering of students from international destinations in the admission process to determine their capability for graduate level work. Apart from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which is a mandatory requirement for almost all graduate programs, some universities and colleges in the US further require applicants to go through the World Education Services (WES) for the conversion of their GPA or academic qualifications to a US equivalent.

Beyond these general requirements, institutional accreditation provides a reliable conduit among the comity of nations for the acceptance of academic degrees emanating from each others country. For example, for a bachelors degree holder from the University of Cape Coast seeking admission to a University in the UK, once he/she meets the academic requirements of the recipient university, he/she does not have to go through any forms of conversion or take any form of examination for the recipient university to accept his/her credentials. In the same vein, qualifications emanating from these accredited institutions become acceptable in each others jurisdiction. National accreditation boards, thus, serve as a pivot around which trust among academic institutions revolve.

To protect the unsuspecting public from being duped by institutions which may not necessarily be delivering value for money, states set up these accreditation boards with legal instruments to monitor, regulate, and to grant accreditation to tertiary institutions that are in good standing. This creates a triumvirate relationship among states (represented by the accreditation board), the educational institution (mostly profit seeking but also the nonprofit) and the private individual (a helpless and unsuspecting customer). The point is that the individual customer lacks the capacity to monitor or regulate the activities of educational institutions. Therefore, the regulatory agencies or institutions perform this task on behalf of government and the customer with heavy penalties for institutions that breach the public trust.

With this enormous responsibility on the shoulders of accreditation boards as gatekeepers for institutional standards, they are constantly evaluating the quality of research and pedagogy to ensure that standards are maintained and improved upon. As stated earlier, when the quality of education is dubious, it has implications for national development. Thus, beyond the role of providing institutional trust among academic institutions, the educational and national development goals can/are shaped by the accreditation boards.

The US, with the highest number of post-secondary institutions in the world, maintains a databaseunder the auspices of the US Department of Educations Office of Post-secondary Education (OPE from now on)where accredited institutions are listed on the recommendations of state agencies vested with the powers of accreditation. According to the OPE, the Secretary of Education is required by law to publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies that the Secretary determines to be reliable authorities as to the quality of education or training provided by the institution of higher education and the higher education program they accredit (OPE, N.D.). These agencies are either national, regional, specialized, recognized for preaccreditation services, or are recognized for Title IV purposes. These agencies, thus, develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations for institutions and programs to ensure that they are meeting the agencys criteria and national development needs.

For the US, the various categories of agencies are available as follows:

List of regional and national accrediting agencies: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg6.html Specialized accrediting agencies (in the areas of arts and humanities, education training, legal, community and social services, personal care and services, and healthcare):

http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg7.html

Accrediting agencies recognized for their pre-accreditation categories: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg8.html Accrediting agencies recognized for Title IV purposes:

http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg9.html

The US has some private organizations that also perform accreditation, but are not agencies of the OPE with its seal of authority for accreditation purposes. An example is the Council for Higher Education (CHEA). The OPE, however, warns that it cannot guarantee that the information contained on its database is accurate, current, and complete, since it depends on accrediting institutions for its information (OPE, N.D.)

For the UK, the authorities recognize those institutions which have been granted degree awarding powers by a Royal Charter, an Act of Parliament, or the Privy Council. By a statutory instrument 2013 No. 2992, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills exercises his/her powers conferred by section 216(1) of the Education Reform Act 1988 to recognize educational institutions with the capacity to award academic degrees. The link to recognized bodies (or academic institutions) is available here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/2992/made

In addition to being a recognized body, these institutions undergo review by the Quality

Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to remain in good standing. The QAA demands

that educational standards in the UK are being met by these recognized bodies. It also requires that any affiliated institution to the recognized bodies must also satisfy QAA standards. For example, in its April 2014 review, 3D Modern College Limited, London, failed the quality standard test and is rightly classified as such for public education:

(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews-and-reports/provider?UKPRN=10038552#.V2bjfT9nB8E ).

Aware of phony or dubious institutions duping the unsuspecting public by awarding them unrecognized academic degrees, the UK authorities promulgated a law to bring offenders to book. According to the Education Reform Act 1988 C.40 Part IV, Section 214, any person who, in the course of business, grants, offers to grant or issues any invitation relating to any award:

Which may reasonably be taken to be an award granted or to be granted by a United

Kingdom institution; and

Which either

Is described as a degree; or Purports to confer on its holder the right to the title of bachelor, master, or doctor and may reasonably be taken to be a degree;

Shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/40/part/IV/crossheading/unrecognised-degrees

Zeroing in on Ghana, the NAB is in a regulatory position, conferred by the National Accreditation Board Act, 2007 (Act 744). By this instrument, the NAB is vested with powers to monitor, supervise, and revoke institutional and program accreditation of any institution that is operating in Ghana. This is to protect the unsuspecting public from unscrupulous institutions and ensure that national development needs through education are also being met. The point is that, unlike the US, in Ghana and the UK accreditation is a sole function of the government.

However, for a developing country such as Ghana, quality control has become an enormous challenge for multiple reasons. First and specifically, with regards to online programs from foreign countries (where these programs are not accredited), the transnational ecology of higher education today makes the monitoring of these institutions a herculean challenge. The term transnational ecology is employed to underscore the fact that, today, all manner of arrangements are available to deliver higher education to individuals anywhere around the globe. A prospective student may take an online degree from a far-flung country like Australia without necessarily having to set foot into that country. Some foreign institutions are also operating across the borders of their home countries in an attempt to bring education to the doorsteps of those who can afford it. But even in the face of the constraints associated with monitoring these programs, the NAB has been able to identify some of these institutions and listed them on its website as unaccredited to operate in Ghana. A good example is the Atlantic International

University (Available at http://www.nab.gov.gh/unaccredited-institutions).

Second, for what looks like the lack of resources coupled with the lack of personnel with the right mix of skills to investigate, evaluate, and to ensure that measurable criteria are consistently applied may account for confusion around the accreditation status of many mushrooming universities and colleges operating in Ghana. Third, with regard to some unaccredited institutions operating in Ghana, a critical evaluation of arrangements at the Ghana National Accreditation Board (NAB) reveals that, at least, there is one individual board member who might be cited for conflict of interest. As a member of the NAB, Paul Buatsi partners the

Swiss Management Center (unaccredited by the Swiss Accreditation Council (SAC) in its own home country Switzerland) which is operating in Ghana. On Buatsis own LinkedIn page, he boldly states as partner for Ghana, I represented the interest of the Swiss Management Center University in Ghana. (LinkedIn, 2016, June 19). The dates on Buatsis LinkedIn page indicate that between March 2012 and December 2015, Buatsi represented the SMC. Within the same period, February 2012 to July 2016 (at the time of writing this report), Buatsi was also a member of NAB without any inkling that he was in a conflict of interest position.

2.2. Earned Doctoral (Residency and Online) versus Honorary Doctoral Degrees

An honorary degree or honoris causa (Latin: for the sake of honor) is an academic degree for which universities (or other degree-awarding institutions) waive the usual matriculation, residency, and examination requirements for its recipient. Unlike earned doctoral degrees, its recipients are honored for contributions to a specific field or to society in general. This degree does not have the same stature as earned doctoral degrees and must not be presented as such. To prevent misrepresentation, most institutions in the UK, as a matter of policy, ask recipients of honoris causa to place h.c in parenthesis (e.g., Dr. (h.c), HonD, HonDMus, etc.) after the title to differentiate it from an earned doctoral degree. Specifically with US universities, the following are noticeable: LLD (Doctor of Laws), LittD (Doctor of Letters), HLD (Doctor of Humane Letters), ScD (Doctor of Science).

There are three important points of note here: (a) honorary doctorates do not correspond to or equate to earned doctorate degrees; (b) an awarding institution must be accredited to confer an honorary doctorate; and (c) nominees are normally screened by a high-level university committee to determine their contributions to a field of human endeavor or society in general and their suitability as an individual who will promote the image of the institution.

Earned doctoral degrees on the other hand follow a rigidly prescribed program of study. In the US, most doctorate programs (Doctor of Philosophy or Ph.D.) on a fulltime basis take between 5-6 years to complete (with a minimum residency of 3-4 years). In continental Europe and the UK, it takes between 3-4 years (with a minimum of 2-3 years residency to complete). One important difference one must be aware of is that, while in the US doctoral students must accumulate a required number of credits to progress into candidacy (irrespective of the number of credits one had accumulated at the masters level), in the UK and European universities a doctoral student can begin his/her dissertation research immediately after finishing research methods. The outcome is that US doctoral degree holders tend to have more grounding in their areas of specialization compared to their European and UK counterparts.

In both cases, however, the residency aspect of doctoral education is supposed to instill in its recipient collegiality and the opportunity to work with renowned academics and researchers in the students area of interest. This affords students the opportunity to design research topics, research techniques, and to present papers at professional meetings and academic conferences.

For American universities where Teaching and Research Assistantships/Teaching and Research Associates are the norm, residency is an opportunity for classroom and laboratory/field research mentorship. The doctoral student learns how to work closely with undergraduate students (in some cases graduate students) through the teaching of courses, acquire classroom management skills (including federal regulations for managing students record), and gain understanding and use of the universitys virtual course management system (e.g., Blackboard or D2L), among other important skills needed to be successful in an academic environment.

For online qualifications generally, the question of rigor and accreditation are still nagging issues. In spite of the opportunity to acquire your Ph.D. at a minimal expense and with the flexibility to tailor your academic schedules to suit your career and other life engagements (Dupuis, 2016; Gagne & Shepherd, 2001), its deficits in research, networking and collegiality, teaching experience, and lack of accreditation and questions about its integrity are well documented (Patti, 2007; Sapp & Simon, 2011; Schrock, 2009). For some academic institutions with even online doctoral programs, they would not recruit online doctorate holders as professors for their universities and colleges. Even at the K-12 level the State of Florida would not recognize Nova Southeastern online doctoral degrees for administrative positions (Patti, 2007).

Grossman and Johnson (2016) highlight negative industry perceptions of online education.

According to the duo, employers are significantly more willing to offer employment to an entry-level job applicant whose baccalaureate degree in accounting, from an AACSB-accredited institution (take note AACSB is different from ACBSP), was obtained in a traditional (on campus) or hybrid (blended learning) environment as opposed to an online environment (p. 91). Furthermore, employers tend to be more accepting of lower-level, as opposed to upperlevel, online-accounting coursework and favor applicants who complete a baccalaureatedegree on-campus and an online-M.B.A., or vice versa, over those who complete both degrees online.

At the university and college levels, Guendoo (2008) points out that community colleges are more receptive to online doctoral degrees than universities and other colleges. Karl and Peluchette (N.D.) in an interview with 99 US faculty members indicate that 70% of them would not hire a candidate with an online degree for a tenure track position in management for reasons of lack of mentoring, networking, rigor, integrity and preparation because they believe these issues impact directly on the mentoring of future managers.

The point is that on-campus earned doctoral degrees are more favorable for academic positions than online academic qualifications. For honorary degrees, we might simply classify them as pseudo-academic decorations with no value at all in the academic world.

3. Methodology: Comparative Purposive Sampling Technique

This report adopts the comparative purposive sampling technique in selecting its cases both institutions of interest and the individuals of interestfor analysis. The comparative purposive sampling technique is deliberately adopted for a couple of reasons:

Due to the qualities of the cases of interest at the individual level: i.e., (a).

Individuals who are thought to have achieved the first four levels of Maslows human needs and are thought to have sought opportunities for self-actualization by any means possible, including receiving an honorary doctorate. (b) Individuals who have sought and acquired academic qualifications which may be deemed by the public as dubious. These two groups would then be compared for any similarities and differences between them.

This report also selects institutions whose accreditation statuses are considered by the public to be in doubt, but have conferred academic degrees, including honorary degrees on some individuals (Teddie & Yu, 2007). Based on these unique characteristics with the purpose of evaluating the accreditation status of the degree awarding institutions of interest and the individuals who have been awarded these qualifications, the cases are purposive rather than random

(Tashakkori and Teddlie, 2003a).

To qualify as a case for interrogation, based on the above characteristics, both the individuals and the institutions under investigation must have been in the news. In this case, information on the selected cases and individuals can be deemed public information, which is also accessible to the general public. The casesboth institutions and individualswhich have already been in the news are selected. The names of these individuals and the associated institutions are then placed in Google search engine for any public information on them. Through critical evaluation, the status of the individuals and the accreditation status of the institutions in question are determined. This is to answer the following questions: I. What is the accreditation status of the institutions selected for analysis? II. Who are the individuals associated with these institutions? III. What are the motives that drive these individuals to acquire these degrees/awards?

The report begins with a comparative overview of accreditation regimes in the US, UK, and Ghana. This is followed by a comparative analysis of doctoral degreesresidency, online and the honorary. This is to provide the reader with a context for understanding the selected cases. This is then followed by the method for selecting the cases and the selected cases. Analysis of the cases, implications, recommendations, and discussion and conclusion then follows.

Table 1: Selected Institutions and Associated Individuals

Name of Institutions Associated Individuals Atlantic International University, Honolulu, Hawaii (Dr.) Hassan Ayariga, Presumptive presidential candidate of the All People Congress (APC) Ms. Charity Afua Boateng (Ph.D. Candidate), University of Professional Studies Dayspring Christian university of Mississippi and local affiliates, Global Center for Transformational Leadership and Pan African Clergy Council (Dr.) Kwesi Appiah, former Ghana Blacks Stars Coach (Dr.) Gifty Dansoa Anti (Dr.) Joseph Kobina Essibu (Dr.) Wisdom Khehor (Dr.) Akua Sarpong Ayisu (Dr.) Patience Abolo Agbaza (Dr.) Gabriel Canaco (Dr.) Gabriel Canaco (Dr.) Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey (Abeiku Santana) (Dr.) Bernard Otabil (Dr.) Prince Kofi Kludjeson (Dr.) Jessie Quist (Dr.) Kofi Asamoah (Dr.) Salwa Helen (Dr.) Bertha Ivy Owusu (Dr.) Maxwell Kofi Awuku (Dr.) Sherry Ayittey (Dr.) Kofi Portuphy, NDC Chairman (Dr.) John Kudalor, IGP Almeda College/university, Atlanta, GA Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, (B.A.) European-American University, Commonwealth of Dominica and affiliates in Lagos, Nigeria (Dr.) Bernice Adiku Heloo, MP American Century University, Albuquerque Dzifa Aku Ativor, (B.Sc. & M.A.), Former Minister Thomas A-Bucket University Canterbury, Kent, UK. Affiliates: Pan African Mission Association, Lagos, Nigeria, and African Institute of Technology, Nigeria (Dr.) Patrick Kobla Agboba Swiss Management Center (SMC), Zurich, Switzerland (Prof. Dr. Dr.) Goski Alabi, University of Professional Studies (Dr.) John Gatsi, University of Cape Coast (Dr.) Tetteh Nettey (Dr.) Albert Puni, University of Professional Studies Mr. Stephen Teye Akrobor, (Doctoral candidate), University of Professional Studies University of Dublin, California University of California (Dr.) Theophilus Tay (aka Theophilus Worgbale), King David Medical Center

The Commonwealth University London Graduate School (Dr.) Nana Yaa Jantuah, Public Utility Regulatory Commission

(Dr.) Sampson Effah Apraku, Samara Company

Limited

(Dr.) Moses Asaga, National Petroleum Authority

(Dr.) Kwame Acheampong-Kyei, GLICO Group

(Dr.) Daniel Mckorley, McDan Shipping

Company

Very Reverend (Dr.) Sam Nmai Ollenu, West

African Examination Council

(Dr.) Benedict Kwesi Tandoh, BBS Group of

Companies

(Dr.) Kay Kwao-Simmonds, GIHOC Distillery

Limited

(Dr.) Kwame Antwi-Boasiako, Ghana Institute of Management

(Dr.) Kofi Amoah-Abban, Rigworld International

Services Limited

(Dr.) George Yaw Gyamfi-Osew, National

Lottery Authority



This is by no means an exhaustive list

3.1. Case Description and Analysis of Institutions and Persons Associated with them

This section contains a case-by-case description and analysis of selected institutions and individuals who have come under public scrutiny in recent times through the award and acceptance of questionable academic qualifications.

3.1.1. Atlantic International University, Honolulu, Hawaii. First, a critical examination of accredited universities registered on the website of the OPE was conducted but Atlantic International University was not listed among the accredited universities in Hawaii.

Second, a wide Internet search was conducted for any information on the accreditation status of this institution. This second level search revealed that the Atlantic International University is listed on the NAB website as an unaccredited institution. Further to this, the search revealed that in 2002, consumer protection law suit was brought against Atlantic International University for operating as an uncredited university. (The case against the university can be accessed via the following link: http://files.hawaii.gov/dcca/ocp/udgi/lawsuits/AIU/atlantic_intl_u_c.pdf). This second level search also revealed that academic qualifications from the Atlantic International University are listed as fraudulent and substandard, thus, illegal to be used in the state of Texas per Texas Penal Code (Section 32.52). The offense of using any academic qualifications from this institution is classified as Class B misdemeanor, meaning one is liable for a years jail term for the offense (This information is accessible via the following link:

http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/?objectid=EF4C3C3B-EB44-4381-6673F760B3946FBB)

In spite of all these red flags (Dr.) Hassan Ayariga, the presumptive presidential candidate of the All Peoples Congress (APC) claims to have acquired a doctoral degree from this university and would insist to be addressed as a doctorate holder in a TV interview. Sadly, he tags a sleeping Ghanaian media along in that regard. Instead of any journalist of substance who interviews this man conducting a thorough investigation on this university in order to confront him with the facts, the media presents him as he claims and the public unquestionably accepts that and addresses him so. Ms. Charity Afua Boateng, University of Professional Studies, is also currently pursuing a Ph.D. in this institution, in spite of the fact that this institution is listed on the NAB website as unaccredited.

3.1.2. Dayspring Christian University of Mississippi and its Local Affiliates,

Global Center for Transformational Leadership, Pan African Clergy Council, and the World Council for Evangelical Clergy. These institutions have been under public scrutiny for some time now. On September 18, 2014, the NAB published a report that discredited the honorary doctorate degree conferred on (Dr.) Kwesi Appiah, Ghanas head coach in the 2014 World Cup. The board categorically stated that the above institutions are in no way certified to honor any Ghanaian with a doctorate degree (Ghana Soccer, 2014, September 18). Prior to the action of the NAB, the following individuals were awarded similar doctoral degrees:

(Dr.) Gifty Dansoa Anti

(Dr.) Joseph Kobina Essibu

(Dr.) Wisdom Kpehor

(Dr.) Akua Sarpong Ayisu

(Dr.) Gabriel Canaco

(Dr.) Patience Abolo Agbaza (Ghana News Agency, 2012, April 15)

Other individuals who were also awarded similar academic degrees were:

(Dr.) Bernard Otabil

(Dr.) Prince Kofi Kludjeson

(Dr.) Jessie Quist

(Dr.) Kofi Asamoah

(Dr.) Salwa Helen

(Dr.) Bertha Ivy Owusu

(Dr.) Maxwell Kofi Awuku

(Dr.) Kofi Portuphy

(Dr.) Sherry Ayittey

(Dr.) Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey (Alias Abeiku Santana).

It is important to note here that, with the declaration of Kwesi Appiahs honorary doctorate null and void by the NAB on September 18, 2014, that precedent quashes all other doctoral awards by the aforementioned institutions. That being the case, one would expect a reputable media organization such as the Daily Graphic to respect the legal instrument of the NAB. Contrary to this expectation, on December 16, 2014, in the run-up to the NDC congress at which Kofi Portuphy was elected as the NDC Chairman, the Daily Graphic carried a profile feature on Portuphy. In this piece, Kobby Asmah and Kofi Yeboah, quoted Porturphys discredited honorary doctorate degree to promote his candidacy. According to the duo, The Dayspring Christian University in the United States of America conferred an honorary doctorate degree in humanitarianism on Mr. Portuphy this year. The award was based on Mr.

Portuphys selfless devotion to humanitarian activities which spanned more than three decades (Asmah & Yeboah, December 16, 2014). If this is not institutional failure and a

wanton disregard for the laws of the country, then what would constitute such?

With the current hullabaloo about a doctoral degree awarded to Ghanas foremost policeman, IGP John Kudalor, from the same Dayspring Christian University (Larnyoh, Pulse News, 2016, June 21), it raises questions about the mental capacity of (Dr.) Kudalor to lead an investigative organization such as the Ghana Police Service. As the foremost police officer, the public expect the IGP to be the one protecting Ghanaian institutions, not the one breaking their instrument of authority. Besides, as the foremost investigative officer, if even the IGP is unaware of Kwesi Appiahs case, it should have occurred to him along the line to do a thorough search on the credibility of the institution that was about to award him with no other degree than an academic doctoral degree. What to do with the IGP on this issue is left to his appointing authority.

A search conducted on this institution uncovers a communication between a Ghanaian journalist, Emmanuel Dogbevia, and Dayspring Christian University in which the journalist approached the institution feigning interest in its honorary doctorate. The institution responded by requesting an amount of $500.00 from him for the award to be conferred. When

Dogbevia delayed in responding to the offer, the institution offered to reduce the fee by

$75.00 (Follow the link to Dogbevias communication with this institution https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2016/04/10/155569/) (Dogbevia, 2016, April 10).

3.1.3. Almeda College (variously known as Almeda University, Almeda College and University, or Almeda International University), Atlanta, GA and Boise, ID. First, a search was conducted on Almeda College/University on the website of the OPE, but the institution was not listed among its list of accredited institutions. Second, a Google search was conducted on Almeda College/University. This search results revealed that Almeda was a non-accredited American institution that offered various academic degrees, including online certificates. Until it folded up, Almeda College boasted of accreditation from the Council for

Distance Education, The Interfaith Education Ministry, and the Association for Online Academic Excellence. All the aforementioned accreditation bodies are themselves not agencies recognized by the OPE (Get Educated, N.D.).

At least an individual in the NDC government is associated with this institution. Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, former Deputy Minister of the Central Region and current Member of Parliament for Mfantsiman West Constituency claims to have obtained a B.A. degree from this institution. This implication is that even the office of the Chief of Staff of Ghanas presidency is not spared of these phony qualifications because the human resource department of the presidency fails to do a thorough job on its appointees.

3.1.4. European-American University, Commonwealth of Dominica with affiliations in Lagos, Nigeria. Being a non-American University, this university displays a catalogue of affiliations and accolades under accreditation on its website. First among these accolades is its international status. Under its international status, the European-American

University indicates that it operates on the basis of a corporate charter granted to it by the

Commonwealth of Dominica. The university further claims to hold two Royal Charters from HM the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara (which also incorporates the University in the Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara), and, additionally, from HRH the Chief of Gomoa Nyanyano, Ghana

(European-American University, 2013). The question is: has Ghanas NAB been replaced by a Royal Charter from the chief of Gomoa Nyanyano?

One (Dr.) Bernice Adiku Heloo, a member of Parliament for Hohoe Constituency claims to have acquired a Ph.D. from this institution in Sociology after studying between 2008 and 2010. This is in the face of other career engagements she must have been involved in. If she is that smart to pursue a Ph.D. in two years, in spite of all other engagements, the question is: why not in university in Ghana?

3.1.5. American Century University, Albuquerque, NM or San Jose California.

First, a search was conducted on the OPE website both in the state of New Mexico and California, but in both cases the results indicated that the American Century University is not listed in either state as accredited by the OPE. Second, an Internet-wide search was conducted to augment the initial search. On this score, one discovers a ton of information indicating that the institution is a diploma mill that is not accredited by the OPE (Foreign Credits

International Experts, 2013).

A former Minister of Roads and Highways, Dzifa Aku Ativor, claims to have obtained both B.Sc. Administration (2007) and M.A. Human Resource Management (2012) from this university. An interesting observation is that as a Deputy Minister between 2009 and 2012, she was also a student pursuing her Masters degree with the aforementioned university. If her appointing authorities based part of their decisions to appoint her on the basis of these qualifications, it again demonstrates the failure of the human resource entity of the executive to do a good job on the background of its appointees.

3.1.6. St. Thomas A-Bucket University Canterbury, Kent, UK

(https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Thomas-A-Becket-

UniversityCanterburyUK/250357125002771 ) and its affiliates: Pan African Missionary

Association, Aba, Nigeria (http://www.netministries.org/ministries/CM07536 ), and African Institute of Theology (non-existent). In this case, first, the list of recognized bodiesas universities and colleges with accreditation to operate in the UK are calledwas ran. But St.

Thomas A-Bucket University Canterbury, Kent, was not listed. Second, the Quality Assurance

Agency for Higher Education (QAA) website was also interrogated but St. Thomas A-Bucket University Canterbury, Kent, UK, failed to show up at all. As a third filter, an Internet-wide search was conducted on this institution. This search uncovered St. Thomas A-Bucket University Canterbury, Kent, UK, as an unaccredited institution. Further, its Facebook page shows it has only 7 likes, indicating inactivity. For its affiliates, the African Institute of Theology and the Pan African Mission Association, they either do not exist or do not have an Internet presence. Just as their associate St. Thomas A-Bucket University Canterbury, Kent, they have a doubtful existence.

His purported Royal Majesty, Hon. (Dr.) Torgbui Sri III (aka Patrick Agboba), Awomefia of Anlo State is on record to have received an honorary doctorate degree in leadership and national development from these institutions recently. Like Kudaor, Agboba was a senior police officer at the rank of deputy commissioner. As usual, the conferment of this fake doctoral degree by these dubious institutions was reported in the Daily Graphic of Tuesday May 3, 2016 without any critical checks on the claimant and the institution conferring the award.

3.1.7. Swiss Management Center (SMC), Zurich, Switzerland. First, this institution came to public attention based on an open letter penned by one David Amoah, who identified himself as a concerned professor, about the activities of the SMC. In this letter, Amoah lamented how there are several individuals teaching in our public institutions with certificates from unaccredited institutions, some disguisedly registered under the Ghana

[National] Accreditation Board. The author then queried if the NAB can explain to Ghanaians why [,] for example, the Swiss Management Center (SMC), which is not accredited in Switzerland is registered under the Board and offering an online Doctoral Certificate in

Business Administration in 1-2 years (Amoah, 2016, March 21). This letter was copied to the Vice Chancellors, Ghana, (VCG); the NAB; and the Speaker of Parliament. On sighting this letter, an Internet-wide search was conducted on the accreditation status of this institution.

Multiplicity of issues emerged regarding its accreditation status. These are: I. the SMC is not accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Council (SAC), a Swiss federal institution that monitors the quality of higher education in that country (SAC, 2015). II. A letter was sent to the NAB and its Executive Secretary by Dr. A. Kobla Dotse, based on this observation. In his response, the Executive Secretary of the NAB, Mr. Kwame Dattey, indicated that the NABs accreditation granted to the SMC is based on SMCs accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), an accrediting body under the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in the United States (see appendix for communication).

Second, the information from the NAB triggered a further search on the link between the SMC, the ACBSP, the CHEA, and the OPE. The following facts were unraveled: I. The

ACBSP is not recognized by the OPE as one of its accreditation agencies (in other words, the

ACBSP does not have the seal of authority from the US Department of Education). The ACBSP derives its accreditation powers the CHEA which is a private organization and also not an agency of the OPE. II. According to the ACBSP itself, it does not accredit the institution, only the business programs at the institution (ACBSP, 2016, June 10). III. The

ACBSP provides caveats to students. According to the ACBSP, most businesses and universities reviewing transcripts and accepting degrees for employment or advanced degrees base their decisions on the existence of action by a local, regional or national authority regarding the institution and the authority to grant degrees (ACBSP, 2016, June 10). IV. Specifically, the ACBSP points out that for institutions located within the US, regional accreditation of the institution is required for membership accreditation eligibility (so, instead of the NAB evaluating the SMC on its merit to determine the fit of the content of its programs to local needs, it based its decision on that of the ACBSP which is not even recognized by the US Department of Education as one of its accrediting agencies. What is clear is that since the SMC may not operate in the US, the ACBSP does not really matter. The implication is that it is up to any country in which the SMC operates to decide what they want to do with the SMC). V. Further attempts to alert the NAB about these facts and to seek further clarification went unanswered (see appendix for communication).

Third, the failure of the NAB to respond to queries prompted a third level search. The following observations were made: I. Paul Buatsi who is a member of the NAB was concurrently the SMC representative in Ghanaa clear conflict of interest situation (Buatsi,

2016, June 19). II. Some professors listed on the SMC website display academic qualifications that are different from their instructional areas even though graduate level instruction requires specialization. Examples are: Dr. Hardy Bouillon, whose training is in philosophy (Doctor in Philosophy both M.A. and Ph.D.) but professes economics; and Dr. Michael Leube whose training is in Anthropology (B.A., M.A., Ph.D.), but professes political economy. III. Individuals who acquire the SMC doctorate are likely to have another doctorate degree (Ph.D.) from the Central University of Nicaragua.

The following individuals are associated with this center:

(Prof. Dr. Dr.) Goski Alabi, University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana

(Dr.) John Gatsi, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

(Dr.) Tetteh Nettey, Founder and President of High Point Academy, Accra, Ghana

Stephen Teye Akrobor, University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana Albert Puni, University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana

3.1.8. University of Dublin, California. First, an individual purporting to be a physician was arrested and sentenced to prison (Follow the link to events http://www.modernghana.com/newsthread1/296886/1/). When he returned from prison, he continues with the practices that sent him to prison in the first place. His Facebook page reveals that he studied at University of Dublin, California, and then studied medicine at University of California. A search on University of Dublin, California, reveals that it is a diploma mill. Second, contacts were made with all the campuses of University of California to establish the veracity of the claims to have attended a medical school on one of its campuses where he studied obstetrics and gynecology, but the feedback indicated that the individual was unknown to all the UC campuses. (Dr.) Theophilus Tay (aka Theophilus Worgbale) claims to be associated with the above universities, where he studied medicine.

3.1.9. The Commonwealth University and London Graduate School. First, this institution came to public attention when it conferred an honorary doctoral award on Nana

Yaa Jantuah and eight other Ghanaians in 2016 (refer to the individuals in the table above). The aura around the conferment carried hallmarks of a diploma mill, inviting proper scrutiny of the activities of this institution. At this stage, it was discovered that the institution is registered in Belize but maintains a London address. The institution boasts of being accredited by the International Association for Distance Learning, UK. It must be noted that in the UK, accreditation is the sole preserve of the government. Thus, any claims of being accredited by an agency other than the Royal Charter/Pricy Council/Act of Parliament as a recognized body which is under the scrutiny of the QAA must be red flagged. Second, with the red flad properly observed, a thorough search of the QAA website and the list of recognized bodies in the UK revealed that the Commonwealth University and the London Graduate Schools are not listed by these agencies as recognized bodies/academic institutions per the UK yardstick. As a third and final filter, an Internet wide search reveals that the so-called (Prof.) David Iornem who was arrested for attempting to sell dubious degrees to another professor in Nigeria for $11,550 in 2013 is associated with this University as the director of its international operations. Any perceptive mind should uncover the scam by simply looking at the CV of

(Prof.) David Iornem, who claims to be the Director of Operations for the Commonwealth

University (Please follow the link to the conmans CV here http://www.davidiornem.com/cv.html)(Saharan Reporters, 2013, August 1).

4. Observations

This segment discusses the cases in parts(1) general observations, (2) uncriticalpropaganda-dogged media, (3) an unquestioning public, (4) the registrars office. First, a general observation is discussed. This observation dovetails with the media environment, the public response, and the role of the registrars office. The idea is to explicate what these entities could have done differently.

4.1. General Observations

From the cases presented, two categories of institutions are identifiable. First, academic institutions without accreditation with the NAB but awarding academic qualifications of higher learning to Ghanaians are identifiable. These institutions are: Atlantic International University, Dayspring Christian University and its Ghanaian affiliates, American Century University,

Commonwealth University and London Graduate School, and St. Thomas A-Bucket University Canterbury, Kent, UK. For the European-American University, it claims to be operating under a

Royal Charter from the chief of Gomoa Nyanyano. Specifically, with the European-American University, the question of when the NAB ceded its authority, or parts of its authority, to chiefs to accredit universities in Ghana or elsewhere arises. Since the regulatory instrument of NAB for monitoring and accreditation is solely vested in its Board and its Executive Secretary, the information on the website of the European-American University is not only misleading but it is also in breach of the ACT 2007 (744) of the NAB. For the rest in this group, especially the Dayspring Christian University which has consistently defied the legislative instrument establishing the NAB, it is evident that even as a Christian organization it has reckless disregard for the rules that govern educational attainments and resultant awards. This action undermines the civilized relationship that the accreditation mechanism is supposed to uphold among the comity of nations. For the St. Thomas A-Bucket University, there is no record anywhere demonstrating that it exist as a university. Thus, the St. Thomas A-Bucket University Canterbury and its affiliates only exist in the imagination of their purveyors and awardees, who are in clear breach of the legislative instruments of accreditation for the UK. On the part of the Atlantic International University, the Almeda University, University of Dublin, California, and University of California Medical School (more on this later as a single case of interest), and the American

Century University, they cannot be said to be in breach of NABs instrument of authority. It is the individuals who acquired dodgy degrees from these institutions who knowingly and willingly employed those dubious qualifications to dupe the Ghanaian public by using those qualifications as a way to promote their entry into public office. In this case, not even the medical profession is spared of these practices.

Turning the spotlight on the Commonwealth University and London Graduate School, one wonders if it has come to the attention of the NAB yet. In spite of its unaccredited status, in a span of one year this bogus institution has conferred in excess of 10 doctoral awards on some unscrupulous Ghanaians who lack the critical mind to evaluate what they were submitting themselves to. A few questions will be appropriate in this regard: does the Commonwealth University also confer doctoral degrees on individuals in its home country, Belize, or in the UK, where its offices are located? How many honorary doctorates do University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, combined, confer on deserving individuals in a year? All these are questions a perceptive mind should ask before submitting himself/herself to this scam.

For the second category of institution (s), precisely the SMC, it is obvious that the institution was accredited by the NAB based on some erroneous considerations and under some dubious organizational arrangements. These are: I. The NAB based its accreditation of the SMC on the accreditation of ACBSP, an institution which requires regional accreditation as a prelude for its own accreditation of members. II. Paul Buatsi, being an SMC representative and at the same time NAB member (a conflict of interest situation indeed). III. The SMC not accredited in its own home country precisely for the reason that it is an online program whose research and pedagogical quality cannot be ascertained and monitored effectively by the SAC. As of the time of compiling this report, the NAB indicated that the SMCs accreditation had elapsed, raising questions of why it is still continuing to run academic programs in Ghana. IV. Further concern is that universities cannot be ran like professional programs such as ACA, ACCA, etc., whereby program accreditation by a professional body is enough to warrant national accreditation.

Universities have a research component to what they do. Thus, faculty members who teach must have a profound understanding of their areas of expertise through research mentoring while in training. As seen from the data above, it is doubtful if those receiving SMCs online training in Ghana can claim such privileges.

With regard to the individuals under scrutiny in this report, two groups of individuals can be observed based on their motivations for acquiring a higher academic laurel. One group, largely the associates of the SMC, who view doctoral degrees as working tools necessary for their careers and career progression. While the argument can be made that because most of these individuals are in fulltime employment and do not have the luxury to pursue fulltime education, this position is weakened by the dubious acquisition of double doctoral degrees by some of these individuals within a short span of time. If fulltime on-campus doctoral degree in the US takes a minimum average of 5-6 years to complete, how on earth would someone who is pursing these courses on part-time basis be able to acquire two doctoral degrees in a short amount of time (say 3-4 years)? This in itself cast a lot of doubt on the rigor of the programs and the integrity of the institutions awarding qualifications in such doctoral programs.

Turning to the case of University of California Medical School, it is symptomatic of a huge institutional failure that this individual without even an undergraduate degree could operate as a physician, train assistant physicians without being discovered by even the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana. What is even more troubling is that after serving a prison term of two months, the omnipotent obstetrician-cum-gynecologist returns to continue doing what he knows bestquackery. Unfortunately, in an era of social media, there are admirers and devotees on Facebook cheering this charlatan on. Even though his unprofessional behaviors online and his general demeanor sends a lot of questionable signals about him, and people could simply resort to Google to learn more about this character, the society and its institutions are trusting and believing the hype.

For the second group of individualsthe likes of Ayariga, Portuphy, Ativor, Heloo, Agboba (aka Torgbui Sri III), Jantuah, Ollenu, Asaga, Antwi-Boasiako, Kudalor, etc.it can be argued that these are individuals who have attained the first four levels of Maslows hierarchy of needs. For this group, they see the doctoral award as a conduit to self-actualization and are motivated by such aspiration to acquire it by any means possible. To this group of individuals, self-actualization implies access to the political stage, prominence among peers, and cultural capital. Sadly, even in contravention of the laws of the land, these individuals shamelessly pursue their single-minded desire of acquiring doctoral awards even if that is from nonexistent institutions or institutions of dubious standing. In the wake of their acts, they leave behind a trail of very bad examples that do not augur well for our society and its institutions.

4.2. Uncritical-Propaganda-Dogged Media

Ghanaian media generally has received many accolades in recent years for being free. The notion of free media must be contextualized. To be precise, it will be more appropriate to say that the Ghanaian media operates in media ecology where guns are not being pointed at the heads of its media operatives and journalists for what they choose to publish. This does not mean that media houses, journalists, and media operatives in Ghana use this prevailing free media ecology in ways that advance the national discourseexposing crime, following up on corruption, educating the public on processes, conducting critical analysis of issues for the sake of a subject matter, and holding both the ruled and the rulers accountable, etc. In the exception of a few resolute anti-corruption crusaders who also tend to put their work through time-tested critical processes, leading to media products that can be deemed wholesome for a democratic discourse, the generality of the media in Ghana leaves so much to be desired. The works of Ghanas foremost journalist, the late Komla Dumor (when he was with Joy FM in Ghana and later the BBC) are online and can attest to the quality of his work. Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Sampson Lardi Anyenini, and, recently, Manasseh Azure and a few others have shown great promise in that direction. But generally, apart from being driven by brazen propaganda, there is so much ignorance in the Ghanaian media that makes you question the training of Ghanaian journalists in general. An interesting observation is that in the exception of Dumor, Anyenini, Anas, and a few others who are not trained journalists but have excelled extraordinarily, the majority are trained journalists.

The issue of questionable academic credentials is a case in point to demonstrate how uncritical the Ghanaian media is. What does it take for a media house or a journalist to conduct a thorough search on an individual who claims to have this or that academic qualification who is seeking publicity on their networksince in todays Ghana the fad is to get some dodgy qualification from some unaccredited university somewhere and legitimize it with a full front page or middle page newspaper publication? In some of these cases, the information needed to confirm, disconfirm, or controvert these claims are simply a finger away from Google. Indeed, information on the accreditation status of most universities in the developed world is online. Even in the developing world, a Google of a doctoral degree awarding institution is enough to raise a red flag which should call for extra scrutiny of the claim, if the journalist understands his/her work as a critical exercise.

As it were, Ghanas so-called premier newspaper, the Daily Graphic, with nationwide coverage, has become complicit in purveying these untruths without due regard for critical evaluation of claims that look too good for even the untrained mind to be true. But because of the unique position the Daily Graphic occupies in the Ghanaian political space, once these dubious claims are published, they become legitimated, unquestionable, and are then promoted in the public space as such. Daily Graphic and other media platforms that engage in this practice have, therefore, become accessories to the institutional decays that Ghana is experiencing. When even some of these individuals are exposed as in the case of (Dr.) Theophilus Tay, a simple online search would have provided a trail of information from his Facebook page to bolster the case of the prosecution for a stiffer punishment. But a media which is asleep on its social responsibilities and critical duties is only interested in purveying propaganda for individuals or political party A or party B. Let us consider all the following awards and ask if there were any attempts on the part of the media houses that carried these publications to do any searches on the individuals and the institutions that provided the information for publication. It is obvious that in most, if not all, cases slothful journalists published the scripts as they were presented to them. Follow the link to some of these features about the awards:

4.3. An Unquestioning Public

Societies can only be as critical as the institutions that interpellate themthe schools, the family, the media, and the church, etc. With emphasis on rote learning in Ghana, family systems that teach absolute submission to authority, religious structures that indoctrinate the people to leave it to God, and uncritical media at the forefront of its political discourse, Ghana has the right mix of ingredients that will ensure that the status quo remains intact or even worsen with time as the signs are depicting. A wealthy individual pays to publish his so-called doctoral degree in a newspaper, most probably the Daily Graphic. This dubious publication is then culled from the original publication and posted on social media for the most part by agents and affiliates of the claimant (See an example in the Daily Graphic of Tuesday, May 3, 2016; Graphic Online Friday, April 17, 2015). For the advocates of the claimant, this becomes an absolute truth that must not be questioned by anyone.

With a dangerously evolving social media norm whereby those who probe and ask critical questions regarding these issues are labelled HATERS, people who do not want to celebrate the achievements of others or are too arrogant to recognize the achievements and contributions of others, coupled with institutional failures, whereby institutions like the Daily Graphic which should be probing these dangerous developments have become accoutrements in promoting them or the NAB being impotent in the face of all these, the situation would only degenerate if the public continues to allow this state of affairs to prevail.

Recently, the Daily Graphic, as usual, posted one of such stories online (Follow the link:

http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/from-watchman-to-doctor-the-story-of-tettehnettey.html). Some agents and affiliates of the said individual culled the news from the Daily

Graphic online post and posted it on social media for adulations. It was a story worth celebrating indeed! From watchman to doctor: The story of Tetteh Nettey, the caption announced. Who in this world would not recognize such tenacity on the part of the recipient of this academic degree? Upon reading the story, a member of this research team realized that the name of the university that awarded the degree was not even in the story. His first instinct was that if the doctoral degree is at the apogee of the achievements of the nobleman, and indeed what is to be celebrated, why would a journalist worth his salt not even mention the awarding institution in the story even in passing? Being the HATER that Dr. Prosper Yao Tsikata has always been, he posted the following comments: well done, Dr. Nettey. Whats the name of the institution that conferred the degree? This simple question degenerated into a contentious thread of conversation on Facebook long enough for a book chapter. One post from the advocate of (Dr.) Tetteh Nettey asked: why, Prosper? You have a problem with wherever he had his PhD program? There were other very offensive comments in response to the simple question of which university conferred this academic degree. However, in this conversation, Prosper maintained the focus of his question: what is the name of the university that conferred the degree? We are only incorporating this information into this report because it was a public conversation.

One public that could have made a huge difference in these matters matter is academia itself, whose ranks are being infiltrated and watered down by this wholesale conferment of academic qualifications on undeserving individuals by institutions of dubious standing. But the silence of the academy is more deafening than the ordinary public. In Ghana, the desire for public intellectual activities these days is not about social issues of this nature. The academy, just like the society from which it derives, has become more political than the politicians themselves. If the issue is not about party A or party B, then it is a non-issue and must not be allowed media space.

4.4. The University Registrars Office

The university registrars office remains the administrative hub of any university. Recruitment decisions, the management and supervision decisions are all handled or carried out by this vital entity within the university system. While administrators within this vital unit can conduct background checks on individuals to ascertain the veracity of qualifications they tender in to these units in the recruitment process, it is presumable that the issue of accreditation is at the purview of accreditation boards. The implication is that once a prospective student or jobseeker satisfies the engagement requirements and are accepted or employed, we cannot blame the registrars office for the lack of monitory and calling institutional accreditation into question (perhaps as the norm). But as the times demands, it is important that the registrars office of our universities begin to conduct their own investigations on individuals and academic institutions of dubious standing. This way, they can even take action on some of these issues before they even come to the attention of the NAB.

5. Impact and Recommendations

This section is divided into two parts(1) the impact of dubious academic qualifications and awards, and (2) recommendations. The impacts of this matter on the socio-economic development of Ghana are examined with recommendations for policy action stipulated.

5.1. The Impacts of Dubious Academic Qualifications and Awards

The impact of individuals with dubious academic qualifications and awards can be categorized into two. First, the impact of those who acquire these qualifications and find themselves in the classrooms and other professional environments; and second, the impact of individuals who receive these dubious honorary doctoral awards. For the first group, the impact of being poorly trained is directly felt in our classrooms and in industry. If postgraduate level qualifications masters and doctoral degreesare considered as working tools, then the inability of these individuals to employ these tools effectively in their areas of specialization in the training of their students or the discharge of their duties imply that students leave our academic institutions ill-equipped for industry. For those in industry, for example, the fake physician only heaven knows how many lives have been lost through his criminal activities. If there is a correlation between skill acquisition and efficiency and effectiveness at the workplace, then poor job performance, lack of understanding of ones job description and role, and poor productivity would be the end result. These conditions have rippling effects across the workforce. If a trained teacher is poorly trained, it has implications for the students he/she would subsequently train. If a police officer is poorly trained, he/she may not appreciate the time-tested investigative procedures, the ethical considerations embedded in these processes, and he/she may be a danger to society than being at its service. As the entrepreneur and educator, Patrick Awuah, pointed out everyone who goes to college by definition is running this country [Ghana] one day; they will be running the courts, designing roads and buildings, they will run the hospitals and schools, etc. (Duthiers & Ellis, 2013, May 1).

Leading from the above, the ill-trained instructors will be drawing wages from their employers, pretending to be performing duties that are commensurate to their qualifications when in fact all they are doing is polluting their students and receiving wages for a bad work done. The same applies to the fake physician who is being paid for killing unsuspecting patients. The danger is that the organization which is harboring these ill-trained individuals lose out in the long-run.

Particularly, with those so-called doctoral degrees that are completed between 1-2 years, they undercut the concept of fair play. This can be explained with the analogy of running a marathon. While some work hard to finish the 26 mile stretch, others lurk in the dark alleys and sneaked into the tracks from the 20th mile, doing only six miles to complete the race, but would also want to revel in the rights and privileges that accompany those who finish the full lapse of the race. This indeed undermines the concept of fair play.

For the second group of individuals who received honorary doctorates from unaccredited institution, it speaks to a certain mindset within the Ghanaian society, i.e., the rich, the prominent, and the influential can undermine our laws with impunity and get away with their criminality. If leaders of political parties, the executive class, senior police officers, and chiefs can act with this level of impunity, it undermines the notion of playing by the rules of the game.

In both cases, the potentials of these individuals representing Ghana in important negotiations and decisions both nationally and internationally, based on the erroneous assumptions that they have the required qualification, is already a reality. Our world today is a knowledge-based world with individuals selected to negotiate on behalf of their nations in other parts of the world because they are the best their countries can offer in their fields of human endeavor. As a friend who once worked for a Washington-based fund organization once intimated, our leaders came unprepared and you could hardly make any sense of their arguments. Ativor and Quansah are a good example to demonstrate this point.

Overall, both groups undermine and erode the institutional trust that is to exist among institutions, and until the society finds ways to deal with this wanton disregard for our rules, we will continue to witness the trickledown effect of these lawlessness in the society in general.

5.2. Recommendations

The NAB must be dissolved with immediate effect and be reconstituted. In reconstituting NAB, the issue of conflict of interest must be properly addressed to ensure that any future occurrence of the Paul Buatsi incident is dealt with decisively. The NAB must return to Parliament to seek prosecutory powers, so it can haul individuals and institutions that flout its legal instruments to court, if it does not already have prosecutory powers. As international education continues to expand, there will be all manners of qualifications emanating from all manner of places in the world into Ghana and most African countries. As a matter of policy, just as trade and military personnel are attached to Ghanas embassies and high commissions abroad, there is the urgent need for individuals who are assigned to these missions to have some understanding of the educational systems of the countries they are posted to, either through being educated in those countries or having a broad-based educational training that exposes them to issues of education and training in the country of their duty station. These individuals should be tasked to forge functional links between the NAB and the country, region, and institutions of their duty station on matters of accreditation. This way, they can quickly conduct due diligence on institutions and individuals on issues of accreditation and furnish the NAB with the needed information to act. The NAB must also forge functional links with other national/international accrediting bodies for the purposes of verification. Ghana can take the lead in mooting the notion for an international body of accrediting organizations/institutions. A mentoring process must be initiated with the well-established universities in Ghana University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana, and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technologyimmediately for the purposes of mentoring and supervising genuine online educational programs for quality assurance. A committee must be set up immediately to look into the SMC and other related issues and make recommendations to the Minister of Education. Based on this recommendation, there is the need for a national debate on the matter. All tertiary institutions in Ghana, with immediate effect, must begin a wholesale background check on their faculty, from the Vice-Chancellors all the way down to the ordinary lecturer.

6. Discussion and Conclusion

Per the cases presented in this report, it is proven that with weak regulatory systems in place, individuals who are anxious to use any means, including the unscrupulous, to tap into certain rights and privileges that certain categories of qualifications confer on their holders would do so. Tertiary level qualification, especially a doctoral degree, is a long-term commitment fraught with disappointments, challenges, and the test of tenacity and resilience. For an individual to commit 5-6 years of their productive life to this process, it is incumbent upon such an individual to research the credibility of the institution that he/she is about to commit his/her time and resource to. If an aspiring doctoral student cannot perform this rudimentary task of filtering through the multitude of universities and colleges there are around the world to establish the credibility of a program and the institution offering that program, it leaves one asking the simple question: are these really individuals with the capacity to endure the rigor of a properly constituted doctoral degree program in a well-established institution?

Leading from the above is the question of why an online doctoral degree from Nicaragua and Dominica Republic, not the Congo or Togo? The point is that if Nicaragua could organize a doctoral degree in business management online for Ghanaian students, what stops University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology from doing same? Indeed, in the case of the local universities, one can be certain that there would be the integration of local content into these programs that would go a long way to help in the development of local industry. But for reasons best known to those who seek shortcuts to a doctoral degree and the inability of our local institutions to respond to the needs of the market, we are in this terrible situation where Ghanaian doctoral aspirants are being fleeced around the world with questionable qualifications that are not going to help the development discourse of Ghana in anyway.

What is even more befuddling is that if the inability of these individuals who seek these online doctoral degrees is due to their career engagementspreventing them from accessing a fulltime doctoral program in Ghana or elsewherethen the question arises of how some of these individuals are able to amass two doctoral degrees in record time, while on their fulltime jobs (which require them to research and publish, do students advising, teach, grade, attend staff meetings, perform services to their disciplines, and also perform services to their communities). These very, very flamboyant claims should have drawn the attention of the administrative organthe registrars officeof any reputable university or college to begin to raise some important questions.

In a recent research report, the Vice-Chancellor of University of Education, Winneba, Professor Mawutor Avoke revealed that 61 percent of teachers in tertiary institutions in Ghana are unqualified to teach in such institutions (GNA, 2016, April 16). This only goes to underscore the fact that the problem of dubious academic qualifications is not limited to the tertiary institutions alone. The canker has eaten very deep into the fabric of the Ghanaian educational system. How can a teacher who does not understand simultaneous equation teach the concept? And how can a student who learned simultaneous equation on false assumptions performed its related task in the workforce? No wonder the products coming out of Ghanaian tertiary institutions these days cannot find their feet in the workforce.

As a country, Ghana can only be as good as the institutions it builds. Building excellent institutions implies that the laws of the land apply in a just and fair manner to all manner of peoplethe poor, the rich, the educated, the uneducated, the politician, the foot soldier, the religious leaders, the chiefs, and, indeed, every Tom, Dick, and Harry. If an IGP flouts the legal instruments of the NAB, he must be equally charged with the offense just as a presidential candidate and a chief. It is only by these actions that we can strengthen our institutions, by sending the right message to the citizenry that no individual is above the law. This is an example of President Barrack Obamas concern when he pointed out on his Ghana visit that Africa doesnt need strongmen, it needs strong institutions (The White House, 2009, July 11).

In this report, we reviewed the accreditation regimes of three countriesthe US, UK, and Ghanacountries where many Ghanaians acquire higher education. In the review we found that the UK and the US operate different accreditation regimes. But it is easy for anyone to ascertain the accreditation status of institutions operating in these countries. While Ghana also operates an accreditation regime, it is fraught with peculiar problems that need urgent attention.

As a result of the weak accreditation regime in Ghana, it is clear that individuals and institutions of dubious backgrounds take the NABs accreditation regime for granted and flout its authority with impunity. Not even the medical profession is spared of this. We argue that there is the urgent need for a review of the NABs instrument of authority to include prosecutory powers to its legal instrument, so it can hold people accountable when they flout its regulations.

Finally, it is our view that the society, the media, the academia, must all become watchdogs in surveilling our institutions. This way, the red flag can come from anywhere, not necessarily the media or the NAB itself.

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Appendix

1.1. Communication between Dr. A. Kobla Dotse and the NAB

THE FINAL NAIL IN GHANA'S COFFIN: THE GHANA ACCREDITATION BOARD AND ABYSMAL ACADEMIC STANDARDS/OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

Dear Dr. Dotse,

I wish to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail.

I have forwarded it for the attention of the Executive Secretary.

Thank you Sir.

On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 8:10 PM, Anthony Dotse:

Dear Mr. Akutetsu for the Executive Secretary of NAB:

Why is it taking the NAB, Executive Secretary and its management team such pain to respond to my request for the position statement in a written form?

Let me point out that my letter was addressed to you, the Executive Secretary of NAB, and the management of NAB, not the Honorable Minister of Education. Let us not confuse the line of communication. You would be right to indicate that my action was based on the open letter to the Minister of Education titled THE FINAL NAIL IN GHANAS COFFIN: THE GHANA ACCREDITATION BOARD AND ABYSMAL ACADEMIC STANDARDS/OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF

EDUCATION and the prompting of my nephew who is a student at the University of Professional

Studies. This in no way means that my letter to you requires a response from the Minister of

Education. Let me once again remind you that by constitutional provisions (Act 744, Section 2), the NAB has the sole responsibility of clarifying issues of accreditation concerning individuals and institutions whose academic credentials are in doubt.

You wrote, and I quote: Secondly, it may interest you to note that the said institution - Swiss

Management Centre (SMC) University - has been deleted automatically from NAB's website because its accreditation has lapsed. The institution is undergoing review for re-accreditation and depending on the outcome of the review exercise, the name of the institution would be restored on the website.

The impression we got from your response (NAB) is that SMC was accredited in the past and that its removal from the NAB website was due to the fact that their accreditation had elapsed. By this admission, I wish to understand the following:

Where in the world has doctoral degrees been conferred on any candidates in nine (9) months? What is the basis for accrediting an institution that is unaccredited in its own country of origin and has not gone through the mentoring process of ten (10) years within Ghana? If the accreditation of the SMC has elapsed, under what authority is it currently operating in Ghana and issuing certificates? Why is it so difficult for the NAB to state its position emphatically and publicly, so every concerned Ghana can access this information? This way, we can all encourage our sons and daughters (even including some of us who are still interested in acquiring further knowledge) so that they (we) can also enroll on the SMCs doctoral program in the conviction that it is accredited.

The following is from a document entitled "Roadmap to Accreditation" on NAB website:

Part II: REQUIREMENTS FOR INSTITUTIONAL REGISTRATION

An agent of a recognized foreign tertiary educational institution that facilitates access to tertiary education qualifications from the parent institution shall be Registered (and not accredited) when the scope and mode of its operations have been satisfactorily ascertained by the NAB. An institution shall qualify for registration if the source of instruction for the programme of study is outside the shores of Ghana or outside the confines of the premises of the institution. *****************************

But we know that SMC is not 'recognized' in Switzerland. It is not among the accredited institutions in Switzerland. So how come it was registered by NAB? If NAB claims it was 'accredited' according to the reply to our email, does it mean NAB considered it as an institute originating from Ghana. If so, what was the mentoring institution? According to the same document:

The applicant institution shall have operated under the supervision of a mentoring institution for a minimum period of ten (10) years.

The Swiss Management Center (SMC) gained notoriety in recent years for successfully granting fake doctorate certificates to dozens of unsuspecting lectures at the University of Professional Studies (UPS) and University of Cape Coast (UCC), among others. This is nothing to be proud about as overseers of public trust and accountability! The NAB, must therefore not be absolved from the harm caused by the SMC, among others. The reasons why are not far-fetched. Other reasons why these things are happening are being addressed to the Minister of Education as requested by your own office.

We are once again giving NAB, its Executive Secretary and Board, the final opportunity to respond to our request with a written position statement of the issues under discussion. Our new dateline is Friday May 20, 2016. Failure would compel us to go ahead and make everything public, including publishing the names of Professors, NAB Board Members, Ministers of State, politicians and others who are parading themselves as doctorate degree holders from SMC and other unaccredited universities.

Copy of body of this e-mail is attached as "NAB Correspondence Final Edit".

Warmest regards. A. Kobla Dotse, Ph.D.

-----Original Message----- From: Albert Akutetsu

Sent: May 11, 2016 8:07 AM

To: Anthony Dotse

Subject: Re: THE FINAL NAIL IN GHANA'S COFFIN: THE GHANA ACCREDITATION BOARD AND ABYSMAL ACADEMIC STANDARDS/OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

Dear Dr. Dotse,

I am directed by the Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board to inform you that since the petition was to the Honourable Minister of Education, you should expect a response from her and not the Board.

Secondly, it may interest you to note that the said institution - Swisss Management Centre (SMC) University - has been deleted automatically from NAB's website because its accreditation has lapsed. The institution is undergoing review for re-accreditation and depending on the outcome of the review exercise, the name of the institution would be restored on the website.

Thank you Sir.

On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 6:31 AM, Anthony Dotse:

Dear Mr. Akutetsu,

I hope that you are fine and doing well. This is just a quick follow up to get a status update on our previous numerous requests. You indicated on April 28, 2016 that you will forward the information to the Executive Secretary and we have been waiting ever since.

We are glad to note that since our last communication, NAB has removed the SMC from its web site. Congratulations!

In our last communication, we requested that NAB and its administrators furnish us with their "position statement" on the subject matter under discussion/investigation. In that communication, we requested for a "written response" and gave you up to April 31, 2016 to respond. It is now May 11, 2016 and our patience is running out.

Please let us hear from you by the middle of this month, May 15, 2016. This is an extension to the previous dateline.

Please let us know how we can assist you resolve this issue amicably among ourselves so as not to get it publicized.

Warmest regards.

A. Kobla Dotse

-----Original Message-----

From: Albert Akutetsu

Sent: Apr 28, 2016 11:49 AM

To: Anthony Dotse

Subject: Re: THE FINAL NAIL IN GHANA'S COFFIN: THE GHANA ACCREDITATION BOARD AND ABYSMAL ACADEMIC STANDARDS/OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

Dear Dr. Dotse,

I acknowledge receipt of your e-mail. It will forwarded it for the attention of the Executive Secretary.

Thank you.

On Thu, Apr 28, 2016 at 3:38 PM, Anthony Dotse :

Dear Mr. Albert Akutetsu,

I wish to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail dated April 27, 2016 on the above subject matter. Very much appreciated.

I am encouraged that the Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board (NAB), Mr. Dattey is reaching out to me/us and requesting for a meeting to discuss the concerns raised in my e-mail and the said article.

Unfortunately, I am not currently in the country, Ghana and therefore cannot meet with him and the Board face to face (F2F).

My preference however is for the Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board (NAB), Mr. Dattey to write and explain things as per our request. In legal terms, this is called position statement.

Please let Mr. Dattey send me/us a written response to the queries/clarifications as presented - NAB's position statement. In this way, all of us can work on salvaging the current educational situation using SWOT/5W&H analysis and SMART principles. The positive outcome from this very troubling issue will definitely benefit a number of students who may be contemplating joining the SMC program for their doctorate degree and subsequent employment as professors in our educational institutions.

I wish you all the best whilst I/we await the official NAB's written response to the queries/clarifications.

Warmest regards.

A. Kobla Dotse, Ph.D.

-----Original Message-----

From: Albert Akutetsu

Sent: Apr 27, 2016 5:59 AM

To

Subject: RE: THE FINAL NAIL IN GHANA'S COFFIN: THE GHANA ACCREDITATION BOARD AND ABYSMAL ACADEMIC STANDARDS/OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION

Dear Dr. Dotse,

I wish to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail to the Executive Secretary, NAB dated April 7, 2016 on the above subject matter.

I am directed to find out whether you are in the country (Ghana). The Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board (NAB) wishes to meet with you to discuss the concerns raised in your e-mail and the said article.

I would therefore be most grateful if I could get your contact number to enable me arrange the meeting if you are available.

Albert Akutetsu

Assistant Secretary

National Accreditation Board

1.2. NABs Answers to the Questions of Accreditation

Is Swiss Management Centre (SMC) which is registered under National Accreditation Board (NAB) accredited in Switzerland?

Our information is that the Swiss Governments policy does not permit the accreditation of strictly distance learning universities such as the SMC.

If it is not accredited in Switzerland, is it accredited in Ghana?

The SMC is registered as a Distance Learning University by the National Accreditation Board (NAB).

What does the term Registered mean according to the definition of NAB?

Registered institutions, by the definition of NAB refer to institutions without physical presence in Ghana but either provides distance learning through electronic means to its students based in Ghana or are external examination bodies such as the ACCA or ABMA. NAB attempts to bring such institutions under its regulations, at least, to monitor the integrity of provision and of their examinations.

According to the NAB website, the programmes of the SMC are under review. If this means the SMC is not accredited, can it admit students and issue certificates?

Further to my answer in 3. above, please note that although SMC is not accredited by

Switzerland, its programmes have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for

Business Schools and Programmes (ACBSP), one of the accrediting bodies under the American Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a major collaborator of NAB in such matters.

Registration of institutions and for that matter SMC is not valid for an indefinite period, thus NAB periodically reviews such institutions and their programmes as circumstances may change anytime.

For the validity period of SMCs registration, SMC can admit students and issue certificates.

I hope I have been able to address your concerns adequately, if not, kindly revert to me for any clarifications you may require.

I thank you for your concern

Best Regards

SIGNED

KWAME DATTEY EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Addendum There are others who came to our notice at the tail end of this exercise. They have also started using the title Dr. without any institutional affiliation or any work with any academic institution. The general public should help get more information on where these individuals pursued their doctoral degrees, what they have contributed any specific area of human endeavor, for which they are awarded a doctoral degree by which institution. The individuals are:

Hon. (Dr.) Rashid Pelpuo (Follow the link here: http://www.cwcghana.com/speakers/hon-drrashid-pelpuo/ )

(Dr.) Alfred Oko Vanderpuije (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K_2RLYiam4)

(Dr.) Sylvester E. Tornyeava

(https://www.facebook.com/sylvestertornyeavah/photos/a.534894366661940.1073741827.53468 7826682594/561898163961560/?type=3&theater)

[1] Prosper Yao Tsikata (Ph.D., Ohio University) is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies in the Department of Communication Arts, Valdosta State University. He is also a journalist, a consultant, and an activist whose interest is in cross-cultural understanding of health and healing, health campaigns, and cross-cultural challenges in contemporary organizations. Correspondence to:

[2] A. Kobla Dotse (Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology) is an educationist, a chemical technologist, innovation and technical manager, and a cultural critic. He coordinates fund raising activities in support of school projects in Ghana.
Afedzi Abdullah, GNA

Yamoransa (C/R) Aug. 14, GNA - The Yale Alumni Service Corps (YASC), American Foundry Society (AFS) Ghana, has inaugurated an Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre and library at Yamoransa in the Central Region.

It was in collaboration with the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana Think with support from Vodafone Ghana.

The two-storey complex has a classroom, reading rooms, conference rooms, kitchen, wash rooms and a computer laboratory, which would be stocked with 35 computers installed with eBooks covering various subjects.

The facility is expected to provide access and training to residents in and around Yamoransa and bridge the digital divide that places information and opportunities out of reach of most residents.

It would in addition, host council meetings and other community activities.

The edifice, a priority identified by the community, started in 2012 with the community members and Yale Volunteers laying the building's foundation.

Skilled Labour and other materials were funded through community fundraising and financial support from Yale friends.

Mr Robert Jackson, United States Ambassador, at a durbar said Yale has the tradition of encouraging civic participation and the alumni has over the years provided various services.

The ceremony, which also signified the end of YASC's fourth programmme in the community was interspersed with cultural and arts display from some of the 80-member YACS volunteers and Yamoransa pupils while some individuals who have been instrumental in the project were honoured.

He said the project has the potential to link up marketing and employment opportunities outside the community and nurture individual talents and skills necessary to bring about development in the community.

The Ambassador urged residents make good use of the facility to access world ideas to bring about the needed change in the community.

The Pro Vice Chancellor of UCC, Professor George Oduro underscored the importance of ICT to the development of every nation, adding that it helps to enhance the proficiency of students in various subjects.

He commended the stakeholders especially the volunteering spirit of the community and affirmed the university's commitment to support projects and collaborations, which seek the development of deprived communities.

Nana Akwa II, Chief of Yamoransa KojoKrom and Sumankwahen of the Nkusukum Traditional Area, expressed the importance of computer literacy in the fast developing world and appealed to the youth to make good use of the ICT centre.

According to the 2010 National Population Census, the most recent by the Ghana Statistical Service, only 4.9 per cent of households in the Mfantsiman Municipality have computers with 53 per cent of all residents in the municipality and 58 per cent in Yamoransa being 19 years or younger.

Computer literacy is expected to improve in the area with the establishment of the ICT facility.

YACS's relationship with the Yamoransa dates back to the time when volunteers engaged in sustainable development efforts and cultural exchanges in conjunction with AFS Ghana.

The Population and Health Department of UCC had chosen the community as its social laboratory.

GNA
By A.B. Kafui Kanyi, GNA

Ho, Aug. 14, GNA - Mr Benjamin Kpodo, Member of Parliament for Ho Central has given the assurance of commencement of work on Ho-Barracks-Tokokoe road soon.

He said contractor for the project is mobilising to move to site and expressed confidence that work on the 15 kilometre road linking farming communities in the Ho-Kpeta Zone of Asogli would begin in a few weeks.

Mr Kpodo gave the assurance following a petition by the Youth of Kpenoe and Takla asking President John Dramani Mahama to intervene and fix the road to avert the boycott of the December polls by the communities.

Mr Kpodo explained that price revision and separation of the Barracks-Tokokoe contract from that of Matse is what delayed the work and asked the people to exercise restraint, saying, agitation would not work.

He said approval has been given for the construction of the road in 2015 and the procurement process is being concluded for work to start.

'I sympathise with them but they will be happy very soon. The contractor has been introduced to the site and the chiefs, so there is no doubt that the work will be done,' Mr Kpodo stated.

The Youth of Kpenoe and Takla in a petition to President Mahama, made available to the Ghana News Agency said he at the 2015 Yam Festival of the chiefs and people of Asogli promised that the Ho Barracks-Tokokoe stretch would be fixed 'soon'.

They asked the President to make good his promise, else they would boycott the December polls.

The petition, signed by Sohefia Amevor, said the bad nature of the road makes it very difficult for farmers to move their produce to neighbouring towns.

The petition alleged that health workers and teachers posted to the communities are irregular because the roads are inaccessible, a situation affecting their health, especially maternal healthcare and the performance of pupils in the area at the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

The people of Kpenoe and Takla are predominantly farmers who rely on the cultivation of fresh vegetables, cassava and yam.

GNA
By Eric K. Amoh, GNA

Bolgatanga, Aug. 14 GNA - Mr Mathew Mac-Kwame, Executive Member of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has called on media practitioners to assess the vulnerability of children and bring their plights to bear.

He observed that some duty bearers; especially those in the public sector are handicapped in attempt to give the prescribed protection to children and said consistent excuses of the absence of logistics to ensure that they received adequate care and protection from the State and members of the public is not proper.

Mr Mac-Kwame made the call when he addressed journalists attending a two- day workshop on child rights protection, organised by World Vision International (WVI) in Bolgatanga.

He indicated that despite the legal framework, which ensures that all forms of abuses against children are eradicated, little is done by actors to ensure that they enjoy all forms of rights that are obligatory under the children's Act.

Mr Mac-Kwame noted that the media is pivotal in contributing to ensure that proper care is given to children.

He implored journalists to fish out information about activities involving children and abuses against them.

He urged journalists to work around the four cardinal regulations of children's rights to shelter, food, education and protection.

He said they could do so by working closely with community members, opinion leaders and actors in the area of child rights protection to ensure that children are safe from abusive parents and adults.

The GJA executive member called for wider networking of journalists on children's rights issues to give them better platforms where they could make broader consultations and bring out effective results in writing on children's issues.

Mr Mac-Kwame expressed optimism that members of the fraternity would come out with reports that would bring about behavior change in handling issues connected with children.

An official of WVI, Mr Gregory Dery, stated that giving children the needed protection could not be compromised because they serve as future managers of the country and are entitled to every available protection to let them grow into good adults.

Mr Dery said there is the need for stakeholder collaborations from institutions, the media, non-governmental organisations, and government to give adequate protection to children.

GNA
Accra, Aug. 14, GNA - The Deputy Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Bernice Adiku Heloo has urged stakeholders to incorporate environment health and safety tips into their operations in order to help promote the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Speaking at the maiden launch of the Environmental Health and Safety Awards in Accra, she noted that science and technology has brought in its wake environmental and health challenges through socio- economic activities.

She said to be able to achieve the SDG's all corporate institutions must ensure that their policies are aimed at sustaining the environment.

Dr Heloo expressed government preparedness to collaborate and support public- private partnership particularly in areas related to health and safety.

'The government gives recognition to public- private partnership and encourage practitioners who make deliberate effort to ensure environmental sustainability while promoting corporate social responsibility in the society,'' she said.

She commended Maximum Growth Africa and GRATIS Foundation for collaborating to promote safety while creating jobs.

Maximum Growth Africa is a non -governmental organisation that promotes environmental health and safety through conferences and exhibition for about five years now.

It is a platform for advocacy, networking, capacity building and to promote sustainable environment and productivity.

Mr Francis Kwaidoo, the CEO of Maximum Growth Africa explained that the excellence award is to select companies individuals and organisations that promote environmental sustainability.

It would also sponsor transformative steps urgently needed to collectively stimulate investor interest in environmentally sustainable projects and help create two million jobs with different modules in five years.

He explained some of the significance of the award' The Environmental, Health and Safety Excellence Award would help reduce the fragmentation of the eco-system as a result of human activities.

It would also promote conservation of green and sustainable settlement, cities, and towns in a planned and organised manner for a healthy, safe and sustainable development.

Mr Kwaidoo mentioned that the sectors that would be awarded include investment in health and education, environmental sanitation and pollution, innovative technology oil and gas mining, construction among others.

The Award Ceremony is slated for October 22.

The CEO of GRATIS Foundation, Mr Emmanuel Asiedu noted that the unemployment problem in Ghana could be reduced significantly if every government focuses on skills training rather than academic training.

He said: '' We give people academic training instead of skills training, which does not help in job creation.

'It is only when people have the required skills to work that jobs are created. As an Institution we are ready to partner any organisation that will help with job creation as we have been doing in the past .The idea is to empower those who will undergo these training to become employers and not employees.'

The event was held on the theme:'' Transformative and sustainable change creates a Healthy and Wealthy Nation''.

GNA
14.08.2016 LISTEN

By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA

Tarkwa (W/R), Aug. 14, GNA - The Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo has cut the sod for work to begin on a 10- kilometer road within the Tarkwa Township.

The Project, which is estimated to cost GH16.1 million, is being executed by Justmoh Construction Limited, a Ghanaian firm, and is expected to be completed in 18 months.

The project, which is being financed solely by the government involves the reconstruction of asphaltic overlay, drainage works and exceptional repairs would be done in areas where necessary.

Some beneficiary areas would include Cyanide, Tarkwa Old Hospital, Astoria, Africana Avenue, Market Low Cost, Nzema Line, Tarkwa Na Aboso, Post Office, Tamso Estate, Old Town Annex, Duncan Street and Nana Enimil road.

Addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Tarkwa- Nsueam Municipality at the Cyanide Park, Mr Aidoo mentioned poor road network as the major problem facing the region.

He said since the National Democratic Congress assumed office in 2008, the road situation in the region had improved immensely.

The Regional Minister said, the 94 kilometer road from Tarkwa to Ayanfuri has been constructed by the government to promote business in the western and southern part of the region.

He said major roads in most districts, municipality and metropolitan assemblies across theregion have seen a phase lift while others are under construction.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs Christina Kobinah together with the Acting President of Apinto Traditional Area, Nana Adu Payin expressed joy and noted that completion of the project would ease the difficulty confronting both drivers and pedestrians.

The Project Manager of Justmoh construction limited, Mr Eric Danpare promised to complete the project as planned.

GNA
Cape Coast, Aug.14, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Director of Elections of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), says Ghanaians should not make the mistake to vote the New Patriotic Party (NPP) into power.

According to him Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, the Presidential Candidate of NPP has disintegrated and left the party tattered with more than two thousand members suspended after the former President, John Agyekum Kufuor handed over the fortunes of the NPP to him.

Mr. Ofosu Ampofo who was addressing the national campaign launch of the NDC Party at the 16,000 capacity new Cape Coast stadium on Sunday, questioned how Nana Addo who could not handle his own party could rule the country and unite the people

The Campaign is on the theme: "Changing lives, changing Ghana."

'The peace and unity of this country cannot be left in the hands of such a person,' he said adding that Nana Addo could not continue former President Kufuor's legacy for the party and cannot unite Ghanaians and seek a better agenda for them.

Mr Ampofo enumerated how President John Mahama had unified the NDC and making giant strides in governance and said the future and fortunes of the country could be guaranteed under him.

He in his regard asked Ghanaians to vote for the President to continue with his 'transformation and changing lives agenda, saying all sitting Presidents were given two terms and so 'the tradition must go on', he added.

The Minister of Health, Mr Alex Segbefia said President Mahama had demonstrated to the international community that he is a champion where health infrastructure is concerned.

He listed a number of health facilities that have been upgraded under his administration to include the Tamale Teaching Hospital, which is receiving a second phase, the Cape Coast Regional Hospital to a Teaching Hospital the construction of a military hospital in Kumasi among others.

For his part, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of Education, said the NDC is formidable and united and respects the divergent views and opinions of all members.

He said the party is very proud of its achievements, particularly on education where 1,600 schools under trees have been eliminated, nine new community senior high schools inaugurated and the achievement of gender parity at the primary level.

He said more would be unveiled under the next administration of the NDC and urged Ghanaians to give the party another chance.

GNA
Agona Nsaba, (C/R), Aug 7, GNA - The Agona East District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Francis Duodu Addo has expressed shocked about same posters of President John Mahama and New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate that had surfaced in the constituency.

According to the DCE, the situation has created tension and acrimony among the National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters in the area.

Speaking to the Media at Agona Nsaba, Mr Addo said the party is against the move by some members to print posters of President Mahama and NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Mr James Owusu - Banes.

He said more than nine posters have been found at Agona Nsaba, Agona Duakwa and other towns in the constituency.

The DCE said investigation team has been setup to unravel the mystery the posters to punish those behind the act.

Alhaji Ibrahim Jabiru, Constituency Chairman of the NDC said an emergency meeting has been held to find out lasting solution to the problem.

He said the posters are meant to create division, hatred and the eventual defeat of the NDC in the December 7 polls.

GNA
Goma (DR Congo) (AFP) - At least 42 civilians have been killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official said Sunday, in what the government described as a massacre in revenge for military operations in the area.

Three days of national mourning have been declared following Saturday night's mass killing, the latest in a series of massacres that have left more than 600 people dead in and around the troubled town of Beni since 2014.

Speaking to a local radio station, Beni mayor Edmond Masumbuko said 42 people had been killed. The government had earlier put the death toll at 36.

Army spokesman Mak Hazukay said the attack was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a partly Islamist armed group of Ugandan origin.

The group has been present in DR Congo for more than two decades and is accused of copious human rights abuses.

Hazukay said the ADF rebels had "bypassed" army positions "to come and massacre the population in revenge" for military operations in the area.

The victims were found in Rwangoma, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Beni, according to government spokesman Lambert Mende.

Mende said the government has previously sought to "alert the world to the jihadist threat" in DR Congo, adding: "In our country, the armed forces of the DRC are alone in the face of the indifference of the international community".

- 'Slaughtered like goats' -

Around a hundred angry residents gathered in Beni to protest against the mass killing, carrying the body of one of the victims and shouting slogans against President Joseph Kabila, witnesses said.

Local human rights activist Jackson Kasereka said residents in north Beni were burning tyres in the streets.

"The police have just taken the body off us but we will continue to protest. It's not normal that they slaughter us like goats," said motorcycle taxi driver Georges Kamate.

"Our government is incapable of keeping us safe!" shouted another protester.

The killings came three days after Kabila visited the region, promising to do everything in his power to bring peace and security.

"It's worrying because the president of the republic came here and then we were massacred," said Gilbert Kambale, a local civil society leader.

"There is a blatant lack of security, (the authorities) are not capable of keeping the population safe. That is why these people have come into the street," he said.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende announced three days of national mourning would begin from Monday.

"Flags will be lowered to half-mast across the country and media scheduling will be adjusted to the situation," he said.

- String of massacres -

Beni lies on the edge of the vast Virunga national park, used as a hideout for some of the dozens of militant groups active in North Kivu.

The area has been badly hit by violence over the past two years, suffering a series of massacres which the Congolese government and the UN's mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, have blamed on the ADF.

But in March, that allegation was recently questioned in a report published by the Congo Research Group at New York University, which looked into the massacres around Beni, and claimed that soldiers from the regular army had also participated in the killings.

The government rejected the claims and said the ADF was "definitely" responsible for the massacres.

The ADF, opposed to Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, is thought to be deeply embroiled in criminal networks funded by kidnappings, smuggling and logging.

"MONUSCO condemns this barbaric act against the civilian population, and reaffirms its support to the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Congolese National Police to protect the civilian population in Beni," the UN force's leader Maman Sidikou said in a statement.

Despite efforts by the international community and the Congolese authorities, the region has remained mired in violence since the end of the second Congolese war (1998-2003).

On August 8, 11 Congolese soldiers and a UN peacekeeper were wounded in the Beni area during a confrontation with ADF forces, MONUSCO said.
you are here:
MAJ 23/12 : Microsoft est desormais disponible pour tous en version 5.1 !





Le Microsoft Launcher pour Android que jaffectionne tout particulierement a recu une belle mise a jour. Pour linstant, seuls les beta-testeurs peuvent la recevoir, mais la mise a jour sera egalement proposee au grand public dans les semaines a venir. Alors, quoi de neuf avec cette nouvelle version 5.1 ?



Si vous utilisez la Beta de Microsoft Launcher, une nouvelle mise a jour devrait etre des a present disponible sur Google Play. La nouvelle version numerotee 5.1 apporte des changements majeurs au lanceur alternatif de Microsoft pour Android. Parmi les nouveautes interessantes, on note lintegration de Sticky Note et de Microsoft To-Do mais pas seulement. Voici le changelog publie par Microsoft :

Surveillez le temps passe devant votre ecran et la frequence de deverrouillage du telephone. Vous pouvez meme afficher cette info sur lecran daccueil.

Une nouvelle carte To-Do affiche desormais sur lecran daccueil les taches a faire a partir d'applications telles que Microsoft To-Do, Outlook ou Skype.

Une nouvelle carte Notes affiche maintenant les notes depuis Sticky Notes sous Windows, Outlook, Cortana et OneNote Mobile.

Cortana se dote aussi de nouveautes. Pour le marche US : arrivee de la fonctionnalite Hey Cortana en beta et integration des informations routieres. De plus,s support de Cortana pour lEspagne. Esperons que cela arrive un jour en francais.

Les suggestions de Bing donnent maintenant des indications rapides sur le marche boursier et les devises. Il est meme possible de faire des conversions directement sur lecran daccueil.

Merci Remi pour l'info !
Best Value Motorcycle of the Year: Yamaha FZ-07

If it aint broke, dont fix it. Thats whats happening here with Yamahas FZ-07, the winner of our Best Value award for the third straight year (2014, 2015). The 07 continues to impress due to the simple combination of its punchy 689cc, 270-degree parallel-Twin, sub 400-pound wet weight (397 lbs), and $6,990 price tag  the same its been since 2014. It makes a great companion for the everyday commute and is a joy to play with in the canyons. Itll start to protest when the going gets super aggressive, but thats not unexpected from a $7000 motorcycle.

The competition has started to catch up with Yamaha, with KTM offering up its 690 Duke, which makes exactly the same power as the FZ (69.8 hp) from its 690cc Single, weighs 50 lbs less, and is better suspended. However, its $8,999 price tag is a whopping two grand more than the Yamaha. In a category like this one where value is king, the KTM simply isnt $2000 better than the FZ.

Suzukis revamp of its SV650 to compete on both price ($6,999) and performance is the closest threat to the FZ-07s dominance, but though the SVs venerable 645cc V-Twin is as lovely as ever and makes one more horse than the Yamaha, the Suzukis porky 430-lb curb weight was its ultimate downfall when we placed the two Japanese competitors and the Austrian against each other earlier this year.

So its not like Yamaha is simply cruising to an easy victory in the value category year after year  the FZ-07 really is a fantastic motorcycle at a spectacular price.

Honorable Mention: Indian Scout Sixty

The same qualities that make the Indian Scout Sixty the Best Cruiser of 2016 make it an incredible value. Indian created a motorcycle that costs 20% less than its bigger sibling and gave it 95% of the torque and 83% of the horsepower. Next came the same brakes and suspension as the larger bike that, by-the-way, won Best Cruiser and Motorcycle of the Year in 2015. Now, make everything else the same, save for a few dress-up details, and sell it for $8,999. This is the prescription for a great value  since the motorcycle it is based on had already struck an amazing balance between premium features and reasonable price.

To put the Scout Sixtys accomplishments into perspective, one needs to look no further than our Great American $9k Cruise-Off, which pit the Sixty against the Harley-Davidson Iron 883. The Sportster has long been the go-to model for cruiser fans looking for an American-made cruiser in $9,000 price range, but when the dust settled, the Sixty ended up on top by almost two percentage points, largely due to the strengths of its engine, suspension, and build quality.

On the import side, in their most recent shootout the Vulcan 900 Classic LT (the same engine as the non-touring $7,999 Vulcan 900 Classic) cranked out a mere 42.7 hp and 50.9 lb-ft., while the V Star 950 Tourer ($8,690 for the base V Star 950) churned out slightly more with 47.3 and 54.5, respectively. Compare that with the Scout Sixtys 69.0 hp and 59.4 lb-ft of torque, and the bang-for-the-buck value shines through.

So, while the Indian Scout Sixty couldnt best the Yamaha FZ-07, it places a solid second in the Best Value MOBO category.
Members of the Midland chapter, Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists (SIPES) will meet August 17 in the upstairs ballroom at Midland Country Club beginning with a reception at 11:15 a.m..

Speaker will be Dr. Joseph Satterfield, professor of geology at Angelo State University. His topic will be Recent Geologic Mapping in the Big Bend: What I Have Learned That Applies to Petroleum Geology.

There is no charge for members, $20 for guests.

Faces of Freedom clay shoot set

Freedom Service Dogs will host its First Annual Faces of Freedom Clay Shoot August 19 at Windwalker Farms Sporting Clays, 2551 County Road 2801, Stanton.

Sponsorship and participation opportunities are still available. Volunteers are always welcome to help out by being a clay puller or score keeper. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. for the 8 a.m. games (Spanish Doubles, Perfect 10, etc.) Shotgun start is at 10 a.m. for teams of four. Veterans and their service dogs will be available.

All profits will go to the Freedom Service Dogs nonprofit organization. Contact Amy Hall at (432)254-7059 or Amy.Hall@CoreLab.com for registration/sponsorship information.

New crude oil shipment applications on hold at Cherry Point

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP)  The Whatcom County Council has temporarily banned new permit applications for projects that ship crude oil and other unrefined fossil fuels out of Cherry Point.

The 60-day moratorium unanimously approved Tuesday night prevents shipments or exports of fuels such as methane, coal or crude oil from tar sands not processed in that industrial zone north of Bellingham.

The council says the emergency measure is needed to protect public health and safety, while the county weighs land-use changes at Cherry Point that could restrict future crude oil and other fossil fuel exports.

In its ordinance, the council cited the dangers of increased shipments of crude oil by train and pipeline through the area and the need to prevent new permit applications while changes are considered. The moratorium, however, wouldnt affect current shipments or projects.

Cherry Point, located on Puget Sound with access to deep waters for shipping, is the site of an aluminum smelter and two oil refineries. In recent years, BP and Phillips 66 have expanded their facilities to accept crude oil shipments by train.

In May, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for a $700 million project to build the nations largest coal-export terminal at Cherry Point. The Lummi tribe successfully argued the project would interfere with its treaty-protected fishing rights. The terminal would have handled up to 54 million metric tons of dry bulk commodities, mostly coal, at Cherry Point for export to Asia.

Supporters applauded Tuesdays move, saying it will protect the public from dangerous fuel shipments. Meanwhile, others say potential changes to the industrial zone could hurt jobs and economic development.

Other cities in Washington state have taken aim at crude oil and other shipments.

Last month, the Spokane City Council decided to ask voters in November whether the city should prohibit the shipment of crude oil or coal by rail. The ballot measure, if approved, would make rail shipments of crude oil or coal a civil infraction, punishable by a fine of up to $261 per tank car.

Vancouver in southwest Washington also voted to ban new or expanded crude oil storage facilities. That decision, however, won't affect a massive crude-by-rail facility currently proposed at the city's port.
Chevron wasn't the only winner in Monday's ruling by a federal appeals court over its long-running Ecuadorian pollution litigation. The victory, in which the court affirmed that a victims' lawyer engaged in wrongdoing to secure a $9.5 billion verdict in the South American country, may benefit other corporations seeking to avoid enforcement of foreign judgments they contend are based on corrupt proceedings.

Or, if you're an anti-corporate activist, you can put it this way: "The decision hands well-heeled corporations a template for avoiding legal accountability anywhere in the world."

That's the assessment of Deepak Gupta, the lawyer for Steven Donziger, the controversial New York attorney who's been battling Chevron over pollution liability in Ecuador for decades.

Whichever take one prefers  resisting corruption or avoiding accountability  Monday's ruling said that an American corporation hit with a big-ticket judgment abroad can come home to the U.S. and use the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) as a weapon to go after the lawyers on the other side of the aisle.

This case began with pollution in oil fields operated by Texaco in the rain forests of Ecuador in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1993, Donziger and other U.S. lawyers sued Texaco in New York on behalf of villagers and indigenous tribe members. Chevron acquired Texaco and its potential liabilities in 2001. The pollution case was dismissed by U.S. courts and restarted in Ecuador in 2003.

Chevron argued that whatever contamination might have remained wasn't its responsibility to clean up. Eight years later, in 2011, an Ecuadorian trial court disagreed, imposing a $19 billion judgment against Chevron; higher Ecuadorian courts upheld the liability finding but halved the damages to $9.5 billion.

Chevron refused to pay, claiming Donziger had obtained the Ecuadorian judgment by means of fabricated evidence, coercion and bribery. Because the company had no assets in Ecuador, there was no way for Donziger's clients to enforce their judgment there. The natural next move might have been to seek justice in the U.S., but Chevron turned the tables on Donziger by filing a RICO lawsuit against the lawyer and his clients in Manhattan federal court.

The racketeering suit led to a 2014 judgment holding that Donziger transformed what began as a pollution-liability lawsuit into a corrupt enterprise relying on bribes of an ostensibly neutral court official and ghostwritten court documents, among many other instances of corruption. It was that 2014 RICO verdict that a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York upheld on Monday.

In a technical-sounding portion of that ruling, U.S. Circuit Judge Amalya Kearse wrote that a private party, such as a corporation, may sue under the RICO law in hopes of obtaining only a judicial order, or injunction. Whether RICO provides such a remedy had been disputed, and other federal appeals courts had split over the question. The U.S. Supreme Court has never resolved the matter.

Chevron sought an injunction barring enforcement of the $9.5 billion Ecuadorian judgment. The company did not seek money damages from Donziger and his clients, at least in part because that would have required the RICO case be tried to a jury. And a jury might have had more sympathy with the lone lawyer and his impoverished clients facing off against an enormous corporation.

Interpreting RICO as authorizing a company to seek an injunction in this manner "is consistent with Congress's intent to encourage civil litigation to supplement government efforts to deter and penalize" illegal activity prohibited by RICO, Kearse wrote. "The object of civil RICO is thus not merely to compensate victims but to turn them into prosecutors," or "private attorneys general."

The injunction that the federal appeals court upheld said that Donziger and his clients couldn't enforce their tainted judgment in the U.S., and couldn't profit from it anywhere in the world. It seems entirely likely that other corporations that find themselves in similar straits will emulate Chevron and its RICO defense.

A couple of caveats: Donziger, who denies wrongdoing, could still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and seek to get yesterday's ruling on RICO reversed. The existence of a lower-court conflict over the RICO-injunction question would argue for Supreme Court intervention. The heft and idiosyncrasy of the 23-year- old record in the Ecuadorian pollution case might encourage the justices to seek another case to use as a vehicle to clarify RICO.

Regardless of what happens in the U.S., Donziger has vowed to seek enforcement of the Ecuadorian judgment in third countries, such as Canada, where Chevron subsidiaries have ample assets and proceedings are scheduled for next month. The Ecuadorian plaintiffs will urge the Canadian courts to respect Ecuador's judicial actions. Chevron will point instead to the U.S. federal courts and their determination that Donziger is a racketeer, with his seeming victory in Ecuador a nullity.

Other companies that do business globally and find themselves hauled before foreign courts will be watching closely.
Williams Partners has a plan to revive drilling in the birthplace of the U.S. shale boom.

The Tulsa, Okla.-based pipeline giant has drafted a service contract with a private equity-backed company thats taking over Chesapeake Energys assets in the Barnett shale formation of Texas. It says the pact will bring back natural gas exploration to the once-prolific play and make money-losing wells profitable again. The key: tying the monthly fees it charges for gathering and delivering fuel to the price of gas traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
One of the most important metrics regarding the health of an economy is job creation and growth. All jobs are not created equal, however, and among the most desirable are those in technology industries. While technology industries only represent about 6 percent of private employment in Texas, they nonetheless have a high indirect impact on the economy.

There is a not a single, uniform definition of the specific subindustries included in technology industries. It is also an ever expanding definition as new fields are created. A common definition includes companies manufacturing semiconductors, communications equipment, computer hardware, and technology-related office equipment, in addition to providers of related consulting and IT services. However, other broad definitions have included industries from oil and gas extraction to chemical manufacturing.

One indicator for whether a field can be considered a technology industry is the proportion of the workforce in science and technology occupations, often requiring some multiple of the national average. Another indicator is the relative amount of funds devoted to research and development on average in the industry. Many times, a distinction is drawn between whether an industry is generating technology rather than just implementing it. Different studies can include different subindustries, so statistics about technology industry growth are all over the map.

Regardless of the exact definition used, Texas has received excellent ratings in regard to the technology industrys performance in our state. Recently, Texas became the top state for technology exports, passing California with exports of more than $45 billion in products such as semiconductors, telecommunication devices, and computers to other countries. Texas is second only to California in terms of technology-industry employment and business establishments, according to CompTIAs Cyberstates 2016 Research Report. In 2015, Texas employed over 585,600 workers in technology fields, representing a nearly $58.4 billion payroll. Technology employment in the state has increased by 2.4 percent from 2014 levels and by over 15.6 percent since 2010. Furthermore, the state saw an increase of over 900 technology business establishments for a total of 34,144 establishments, an increase of 2.8 percent.

Many of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. are those with a growing technology industry, and Texas is no exception. Austin was recently rated by Forbes as the city with the strongest technology sector expansion, having experienced 73.9 percent growth in tech employment from 2004 to 2014.

Corporate locations and expansions generate positive effects for suppliers and vendors across a spectrum. In addition, when new jobs in a community are added, they indirectly affect other industries by the additional demand created by the new employees. Economist Enrico Moretti recently estimated in his book The New Geography of Jobs, from an analysis of 320 metropolitan areas, that every high tech job has the potential to create five additional local jobs outside of the technology industry, in particular two professional jobs such as doctors or lawyers and three nonprofessional jobs.

Governor Greg Abbotts economic development strategy for Texas highlights six key sectors, all of which can be considered technology industries: Advanced Tech and Manufacturing; Aerospace, Aviation and Defense; Biotechnology and Life Sciences; Information and Computer Tech; Petroleum Refining and Chemical Products; and Energy. The state has also put considerable resources towards science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in order to remain competitive and innovative in the future economy, to the point where STEM has become a buzzword in regards to future economic growth (we need to add the arts (STEAM) in order to foster the creativity needed to compete in generating the new technologies of the future, but thats another column).

Businesses choose to relocate for numerous reasons. For example, Texas is a popular destination due to the lower cost of living compared to other locations like California. This is both a benefit to businesses who can hire more employees for less, as well as for employees who can see a salary go farther than in more expensive locales. Also, the multiple higher education institutions in the state have produced an educated labor force that can meet the needs of new enterprises. Knowledge workers, by far the most important resource to emerging technologies segments and firms, also place a premium on quality of life, outstanding public schools, and environmental factors in choosing locations. These areas cannot be ignored if success in major technology industries is to be sustained.

Texas is an attractive location at present partially because of its open business environment, including lower taxes and less regulatory burdens than in many states. Incentives for municipalities also do much in convincing a business to choose Texas for new locations or expansions. While many of the development strategies, incentives, and business policies of the state are largely unnoticeable to the average citizen (or at times are even criticized), they have a major impact on attracting the new growth in sectors that will define our future. To build on past achievements, Texas must focus on the various components that are essential to creating, locating, and expanding the industries of tomorrow.

Dr. M. Ray Perryman is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Perryman Group (www.perrymangroup.com). He also serves as Institute Distinguished Professor of Economic Theory and Method at the International Institute for Advanced Studies.
Elijah Gray is a public relations specialist and events coordinator who left Midland at a young age and grew up in Austin. In order to be closer to family, he moved back to Midland in 2014. He has a strong desire to bring a little bit of that Austin weirdness to the desert and has done so with a variety of nightlife and party events including the Faded warehouse party, rooftop pool parties at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and the Brightside music-dance-light experience at The Reserve. He started his firm RYOT PM to host the events and collaborates with Sound Foundation TX which provides the lights and music. Gray has a a background in professional theater, including acting and stage management,. He describes himself as an introvert who wound up doing extroverted things.

MRT: What's been your proudest achievement in your career?

Gray: I'm extremely proud to be part of something that is larger than myself. To be adding to the culture and community of Midland is pretty cool -- to get the chance to create an unforgettable moment for someone. And I want to remember to cherish that.

MRT: What would you say is your best quality and why?

Gray: I've learned to love very easily. That has allowed me to find some of the most amazing people to connect with on different levels and almost immediately. I feel so lucky and thankful. I don't think that'd be the case if I didn't fall in love with the people in my life daily.

MRT: What is the best thing you cook?

Gray: Grilled cheese but in a next-level way. Last week I made a grilled cheese trio for my weekly dinner with friends which had turkey, pesto and tomato with muenster. Also, I made one with roasted jalapeno and avocado with queso fresco. And finally a dessert grilled cheese which was dark chocolate with raspberry and brie. I kind of killed it and everybody loved it. Who doesn't love a grilled cheese?

MRT: Who is a fictional and real-life hero and why?

Gray: I'm gonna show my nerd card a bit here. For fictional that would be Neville Longbottom. He's this kid who always fumbled, was made fun of, picked last, but throughout the Harry Potter series, he grows up. And I grew up with him. You see him turn into this man who is so brave, loyal and strong -- a leader. He's so full of love even in the face of adversity and literally evil. I want to be more like Neville Longbottom every day.

In reality: J.K. Rowling. I'm a huge bibliophile. I devour books. And that hunger was planted in me because of her. I was one of those kids who was at B&N at midnight and then ready to just go home and read. I owe her so much. She changed my childhood, she made me fall in love with words and it may sound silly but she made me the dude I am today. For the record, Im currently rocking a Deathly Hallows bracelet.

MRT: Your not-so-secret indulgence.

Gray: I am obsessed with Big Brother. I watch Big Brother Canada, Big Brother UK, Celebrity Big Brother UK and even Big Brother Australia. I might have a problem. There's something so simple and yet so complex about locking a bunch of strangers in a house together and sort of throwing away the key. As for this current season of Big Brother, Im S all the way.
James Frank is swimming in dangerous waters  another way to say hes talking about policy in a way that might seem politically risky.

Frank, a Republican state representative from Wichita Falls, wrote to his constituents last month about school finance and used these phrases along the way: statewide commercial property tax, consolidated funding districts, and statewide property tax.

Yikes.

Hes got two points to make. Frank says taxpayers in Texas spend about $10,750 per public school student in federal, state and local money. He thinks thats probably enough, although he knows that is a point of contention in the Legislature. Its an economic tug-of-war: Some think thats too much per student, some think its not enough.

His questions about how the money for schools is raised are provocative, too. Like other current and past Texas lawmakers, Frank is frustrated by the rich-and-poor divisions in the states schools, and he thinks it could be simplified by distributing the money from one place.

He was prompted by the Texas Supreme Courts recent decision on school finance that said, in short, that the states method of paying for public education is screwed up  but not unconstitutional. The court didnt order lawmakers to fix it, which is what Frank and his colleagues were expecting.

Still, it set them to thinking.

Instead of raising money from local property taxes and from the state and federal governments, Frank has been pondering ways to have all of the money come through the state, distributed, as he puts it, strictly based on the number of students that they are educating and the educational needs of those students.

Thats where he gets into those three phrases  three alternatives for a new school finance system  that have been batted around in education circles for years.

Texas voters  prompted by their legislators  made a state property tax unconstitutional decades ago. Among other things, that means the state cant set a single property tax rate that applies to everyone and that raises money for all of Texas public schools. With more than 1,000 school districts, there are more than 1,000 property tax rates.

The local tab varies, depending on the value of real estate, the number of kids in schools, their educational needs and so on.

The price and quality of public schools vary greatly in Texas, depending on where you live.

Easy remedies have eluded Texas lawmakers for a long, long time.

The statewide commercial property tax idea would leave local districts with residential properties in their tax bases and put everything else into a statewide group taxed at a statewide rate. Like the other options Frank mentioned, this one is full of pluses and minuses. It would be easy to understand, but many businesses dont want to be put in a separate class from homeowners, for fear that it would be easier to raise taxes on them if all of those homes full of voters were pulled out of the mix.

They prefer the protection of an all-for-one, one-for-all approach.

The consolidated funding districts would redraw school district lines  for financial purposes only  to try to ease the fiscal differences between rich and poor districts. Past runs at consolidation prompted fights over local controls and local priorities, like whether and when to build school buildings and how much to pay teachers. Its possible, but also runs the risk of trading an old set of political problems with a new set.

The statewide property tax would leave the districts intact while taking all of the real estate in Texas and taxing it to pay for public schools. It has the advantage of making the rate the same for everyone, and the political disadvantage of making state officials responsible for setting the tax rates that so reliably anger voters.

All of those ideas share one political shortcoming with the current one: Taxpayer money from places with a lot of valuable property gets used in places without that kind of wealth.

The current system requires the richer ones to send money to the state to share with the others; so do the various statewide taxes Frank, among others, is talking about.

Do I think were going to do something? he said in an interview. No. But I think were going to talk about it.

Hes working on it, he says, to make sense of the system in his own head. Its complicated. School finance is so complex, the schools have full-time people trying to maximize their revenues, he says. We have the school systems bobbing for dollars.
We were not bribed to drop ...
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The Alamo's gift shop sells plenty of T-shirts, mugs and other commemorative tchotchkes bearing its iconic facade and marking the 175th anniversary of its historic siege. Dig a little deeper and you'll find more kitsch than you can throw a rubber Bowie knife at.

Not just novelty coonskin caps either. Alamo-shaped lollipops, Old Betsy rifle pens and pistol-shaped shot glasses are just some of the curios that pay tongue-in-cheek homage to the Shrine of Texas Liberty.

There is method to such mad merchandise. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which cares for and maintains the Alamo, doesn't receive financial help from the local, state or federal government. The DRT relies on gift-shop proceeds and donations to preserve the Alamo grounds and exhibits.

With that in mind, remember these quirky products the next time you visit the Alamo's gift shop in person or online at museumstore.thealamo.org.

The cat

Clara Carmack, aka C.C. the Alamo Cat, has delighted Alamo visitors and staff for years. If you don't spy C.C. on the grounds, catch her March 12 on Animal Planet's Must Love Cats You can find her likeness on a C.C. puzzle ($15.95), C.C. socks ($8.95) and C.C. plush cat ($11.95).

Flavorful

Who knew remembering the Alamo could be so  tasty? Whet your appetite for Texas history with scrumptious shortbread Alamo Crackers ($1.75) or colorful Alamo lollipops ($1.95 each).

Fashion accessories

An Alamo T-shirt for your main squeeze? Please. For more memorable wearable iconography, try a vibrant Alamo tie ($19.95) for him or sterling-silver Alamo earrings ($15.95) and matching Alamo pendant with chain ($19.50) for her.

For the kids

Of course, we'll highlight Davy Crockett's famous coonskin cap ($8.95), the Mickey Mouse ears of the Alamo. But let's not forget Crockett's famous Old Betsy rifle (a toy one for $26.95) or Jim Bowie's famous knife (also a toy one for $3.95). More peaceful Alamo playthings include a cuddly Crockett teddy bear ($19.95) and even a curious Alamo tractor-trailer ($5.95).

For baby

Before your little one wears her applesauce for dinner, have her wear a "Remember the Alamo  (and my supper!)" bib ($8.95). Then change her into a haunting little glow-in-the-dark Alamo T-shirt ($11.99). For more glowing nighttime fun, give your tyke a handmade porcelain Alamo nightlight ($22.75).

A shot for the shrine

Next to coffee mugs, shot glasses pack the Alamo gift shop like so many troops of varying heights, widths and alcohol-holding capacities. And nothing puts the "shot" in shot glass quite like an Alamo shotgun-shell shot glass ($4.95) and One Last Shot! pistol shot glass ($4.25). If you prefer your liquor with a bit more dignity, try the Crockett, Bowie and William Travis shot glass three-pack ($9.95).

Do the write thing

When it's time to pen a hasty grocery list, arm yourself with a trusty Rifle Pen ($4.95) or Alamo pencil (92 cents) and die-cast Alamo pencil sharpener ($3.95). Just grab some paper and write on, kitchen soldier.

Play with toy soldiers

The Battle of the Alamo inspires a good share of sophisticated dioramas and expensive miniature soldiers. For simpler, cheaper toy-soldier fun, grab a gift-shop bag of plastic Alamo toy soldiers ($17.95) and a Remember the Alamo cardboard fort ($12.95).

Junk-drawer treasure

You know that drawer where you stow batteries and loose change? What better place for an Alamo nail file ($1.95), Alamo wooden nickel (92 cents) and Alamo pressed penny (51 cents)? And unless you like to show off unusual condiment containers, make room in the pantry for Alamo salt and pepper shakers ($14.50).

rguzman@express-news.net
Firefighters worked from the ground and air late Saturday to prevent a fast-burning wildfire from spilling into the community of Lower Lake, just north of where last years deadly Valley Fire roared through Lake County.

Dozens of residents south of the town were given evacuation orders shortly after the blaze began about 5 p.m. in oak-studded hills south of Clear Lake, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire, along Highway 29, grew to 1,400 acres by Sunday morning.

Six air tankers were dropping retardant surrounded by a plume of smoke that could be seen for miles.

More than 500 firefighters from state and local strike teams attacked the blaze from below, in hope that the fire would remain south of Lower Lake and not move into more populated areas to the north.

As of 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Cal Fire officials say they had contained 5 percent of the blaze, with homes in the Ellen Springs and Clayton Creek areas, near the fires origin, remaining threatened. Onc structure was destroyed.

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The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

We were packing up so many times last year because of fires. I hope this isnt the start of something like last year, said Georgia Terry, owner of the Linger Longer Resort on the shores of Clear Lake, where the skies were a dingy brown from smoke.

The blaze, named the Clayton Fire, was only miles from where the 76,000-acre Valley Fire killed four people and burned more than 1,300 homes in September.

Two other fires in the area last summer also destroyed residences.

This summer, Lake County, like many parts of California, has seen several small wildfires as the state wrestles with a fifth year of drought and a dangerously parched landscape.

Farther south, firefighters continued to battle the 71,860-acre Soberanes Fire along the Big Sur coast, the states largest blaze this year. Containment was at 60 percent Saturday.

Fire crews planned to close Highway 1 between Point Sur Lighthouse and North Coast Ridge Road at 2 p.m. Sunday to conduct fire operations for the Soberanes blaze. The closure may last up to 24 hours, officials said.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Nea Kavala, Greece

As her young children played near heaps of garbage, picking through burned corn cobs and crushed plastic bottles to fashion new toys, Shiraz Madran, a 28-year-old mother of four, turned with tear-rimmed eyes to survey the desolate encampment that has become her home.

This year, her family fled Syria, only to get stuck at Greece's northern border with Macedonia in Idomeni, a town that had been the gateway to northern Europe for more than 1 million migrants from the Middle East and Africa seeking a haven from conflict. After Europe sealed the border in February to curb the unceasing stream, Greek authorities relocated many of those massed in Idomeni to a camp on this wind-beaten agricultural plain in northern Greece, with promises to process their asylum bids quickly.

But weeks have turned into months, and Madran's life has spiraled into a despondent daily routine of scrounging for food for her dust-covered children and begging authorities for any news about their asylum application. "No one tells us anything  we have no idea what our future is going to be," she said.

"If we knew it would be like this, we would not have left Syria," she continued. "We die a thousand deaths here every day."

Seven months after the European Union shut the doors to large numbers of newcomers, Greece remains Europe's de facto holding pen for 57,000 people trapped amid the chaos. Many are living in a distressing limbo in sordid refugee camps on the mainland and Greek islands near Turkey.

"We came from a war and now we're in a slower war," said Malek Haj Mohamed, 23, who fled with her brother Yasir from Raqqa, a Syrian city where the Islamic State has taken hold.

The ranks of those in limbo are most likely to grow despite a deal to resolve the crisis that took effect March 20 between the European Union and Turkey. While the number of migrants entering Greece has dwindled from nearly 5,000 a day last year, hundreds have started crossing the Aegean Sea again after the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey.

Few of the resources pledged by the European Union to assist the asylum seekers and process their applications have actually come through, leaving Greek authorities struggling to cope with a daunting humanitarian and logistical challenge that has fallen from view in the rest of Europe.

European Union member states have sent just 27 of the 400 asylum specialists and 24 of the 400 interpreters they had agreed to provide to process claims for refugees like Madran. So far, 21,000 migrants have been registered for asylum; 36,000 have not. A union plan to ease Greece's burden by relocating tens of thousands of asylum seekers to the continent has also fizzled, with European countries taking fewer than 2,300 people.

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 don't 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.

In Nea Kavala, many of the nearly 3,000 migrants have struggled to adapt to their new world, a filthy, dust-blown wasteland built atop an abandoned airfield. Women looked after scores of children playing on an asphalt runway, and swatted flies from babies' faces. Men chopped wood to make fires for cooking in tin drums. In some areas, the trash-strewn earth was scorched black where tents had burned when the fires got too near.

Nearby, at the Softex camp near the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, the situation was hardly better. Hidden in an industrial park along a pothole-covered road busy with trucks, a gravel expanse gave way to an abandoned factory filled with migrants. Behind it, rows of dilapidated green tents stood in the shadow of a gas plant that belched smoke in the sweltering heat.

Children with runny noses and mosquito bites smiled sweetly and clung to visitors, taking them by the hand and beckoning them to inspect the sordid alleyways between the tents. Almost no one had been processed for asylum. And some worried that recent attacks in Germany by two Syrian refugees would lead Europe to turn them all away. "They are making us look like bad men, thugs, like Daesh," said Ali Rahmeh, 58, from Syria. "We are not Daesh. We are human beings, and we're talking about human rights."
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Sheborah Thomas picked her two children up from daycare on Friday, took them home and fed them.

Then, prosecutors said Monday, she filled a bathtub full of water.

The 30-year-old mother got her daughter, Kahana Thomas, in the tub then held her head underwater until the 5-year-old stopped struggling. She put the body on a bed in her home, then called her 7-year-old son, Oraylyn "Ray Ray" Thomas to the bathroom, prosecutors said.

She later told police she held his head underwater, too, as he struggled and grabbed her hand, until he finally stopped breathing. Then she put his body on the bed next to his sister.

The shocking details emerged as a prosecutor briefed a Harris County magistrate judge on two capital murder charges filed against Thomas, each for causing the death of a child under the age of 10.

Thomas, who is in custody without bail, did not appear before Judge Blanca Villagomez. Because she is still going through the process of being booked into the jail, she is expected to be arraigned in person on Tuesday in state district court.

The prosecutor, who did not give her name in the probable cause courtroom, reaffirmed earlier details released by authorities that Thomas matter-of-factly told an acquaintance on Sunday that she had drowned the children and had to leave town. He thought she was joking.

A day after allegedly drowning her two children, Thomas went to her job to get her paycheck early, but was denied. She also put the two small bodies in a black trashcan behind the house, prosecutors said.

Later, she tried to bury the bodies, but was unsuccessful in digging a hole large enough so she rolled them under a neighbor's house, prosecutors said.

As she packed up her house and threw away items on Sunday, her acquaintance realized her admission was not a joke. She apparently showed him where the bodies could be found, prosecutors said, though it was unclear whether he actually saw the bodies under the house.

Using subterfuge, he drove around until he was able to flag down an officer. Police were dispatched to the scene where they found the children's bodies. Thomas was charged with capital murder.

If convicted, she could face the death penalty. The decision whether to seek the death penalty is not typically made until months after an arrest.

On Sunday, Houston police descended on a row of modest houses, as neighbors gawked from behind police tape at the small yellow home of a young mother they barely knew. She was a relative newcomer to the Third Ward neighborhood  quiet, but friendly enough during strolls to a nearby park with her children.

"This is the type of stuff that you see on TV," said Kita Thomas-Smith, the children's aunt. "To actually feel it yourself is devastating. It's hurtful. It's ridiculous.

They were just innocent, growing kids."

The case stirs horrific memories of another Houston mother, Andrea Yates, who confessed to drowning her five children in a bathtub more than 15 years ago. The killings sparked national discussion about postpartum depression and psychosis, and Yates' 2002 conviction for the murders was overturned. Following a retrial she was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and is being treated at a state mental hospital in Kerrville.

Kita Thomas-Smith, whose brother married Sheborah shortly before the birth of the 7-year-old, said she had never seen the children's mother exhibited signs of mental illness.

"There's no reason you'd do this to your kids," she said, adding Thomas could have taken them to a police station or to Child Protective Services if she didn't want them.

Tejal Patel, a Houston spokesperson for Child Protective Services, confirmed the agency had previous involvement with the family, though she couldn't provide details of the confidential case.

CPS has launched an investigation, and the Office of Child Safety will conduct "a top-to-bottom review of this case to see what led to this point," Patel said, a process that could take months.

"Obviously we want to know how this happened, why this happened," Patel said. "We just feel horrible. This is just a tragic case."

The acquaintance alerted authorities about 10:15 a.m. He drove toward the Houston Police Department's South Central patrol station at 2202 St. Emanuel, parking a block away to obscure the destination. At the station, he flagged down an officer and relayed what the woman had told him.

Patrol officers took the woman into custody and went straight to the house, where they discovered the bodies.

Smith said they are not aware of the woman having a history of mental illness. There had not been recent major calls-for-service to the house, which Thomas rented.

An autopsy will be conducted to determine the children's cause of death.

Neighbors, gathering behind police tape surrounding the yellow house Thomas and her children lived in, were stunned by the news.

"I never would have thought she would do that. She didn't seem like the type. She was always with a smile and friendly," said Dee Davis, a neighbor. "How in the hell can she do something like this? You bring life into the world; it's not up to you to take it out. I can't get over this."

George Shoupe, the landlord who owns the house Thomas rented and two adjacent houses, said Thomas and her family had moved into the house in April, so few of the neighbors knew them.

"I remember when they first moved in  the kids were happy and everything," said Geovanna Brewer, a neighbor, who remembered Thomas' friendly greeting in an encounter at a local convenience store. "It's like a shocker to me."

The mother has a minor criminal record, according to Harris County clerk filings. In July 2011, Thomas pleaded guilty to failing to identify herself to a peace officer, a misdemeanor for which she served a three-day jail sentence. She also pleaded guilty to two charges of misdemeanor theft in October 2010. She received probation for the same offense in August 2009.

Danny Ray Thomas, who she married in July 2008, is currently incarcerated at a Texas Department of Criminal Justice unit in Bryan.

He was sentenced in October 2015 to three years in prison for possession of PCP.

The couple filed for divorce in 2012, but it doesn't appear to have been finalized.
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A silent protest by local Black Lives Matter activists made its way among tourists and locals browsing several popular landmarks downtown Saturday as they called attention to their concerns over the recent contract between police and the city.

Mike Lowe, an organizer with SATX4, addressed the group of several dozen as they stood in front of the Confederate statue in Travis Park, encouraging them to attend the Citizens to be Heard meeting Wednesday at City Hall to voice concern over a lack of accountability in the contract drafted between the city and the San Antonio Police Officers Association.

They are passing a contract void of any accountability, Lowe said. They wanna pass it now and talk later and that's not going to fly.

The San Antonio Police Officers Association approved the terms of the new collective-bargaining agreement Thursday. The City Council is expected to vote next month on the terms of the agreement.

Local activists say the contract blocks accountability by disqualifying complaints, preventing officers from being interrogated immediately after an incident, and gives officers access to information that civilians do not get.

People against the contract said it prevents the release of information on past misconduct, thus limiting disciplinary consequences.

Youre setting it up to always protect the officers, activist Mary Kay Johnson said. We want to make sure San Antonio becomes proactive and not reactive.

This contract allows that loophole when it comes to officer statements and how they're interrogated, Lowe said.

Lowe said that the city needs to have accountability of the SAPD to handle incidents such as the death of Antronie Scott, who was fatally shot in February when officer John Lee mistook a cell phone in his hand for a gun.

Rey Saldana, Lowe said, has been the only city councilman to voice the same concerns held by the protesters Saturday.

Johnson addressed the group of several dozen activists who gathered just before their march.

The most troubling things is just how laid back they are about how serious things can get so quickly, she said.

Johnson said she moved to San Antonio from Chicago when she felt it was no longer safe to raise her 2-year-old son.

Johnson responded to SAPOA President Mike Helle who was quoted in a Texas Public Radio segment, saying that Black Lives Matters did not represent the voice of the community, and that they were more similar to an anarchist group.

I dont see that here. I see concerned citizens, Johnson said. Saying Black Lives Matters is like the KKK lets me know you are not listening to community that is so unified.

After the talk, the protesters walked past the Majestic Theater, the Alamo Plaza, and through River Center Mall, monitored by several bike patrol officers.

The response from observers varied from shouts of support with a fist held high while others crumpled the pamplets they were handing out and yelled All Lives Matter!

jbeltran@express-news.net

Twitter: @JBfromSA
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This week, experts rained fire on Donald Trump's plan to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

Several months ago, Trump released a day-by-day plan on his election website detailing what his presidency would do to compel Mexico to pay for the wall.

On day one, Trump said he would propose regulations that bar persons from wiring money outside the United States without proof of "lawful presence in the United States."

Trump says that these remittances to Mexico serve as "de facto welfare" for the poor families living there. By day three, if Mexico refused to pay for the wall, Trump's proposal would go into effect.

But this might not be a problem for illegal immigrants.

Nestor Rodriguez, a University of Texas sociology professor who studies immigrants, told Politifact that "Someone else with legal status may send the money to Mexico on behalf of the undocumented immigrant, or send money in cash with people traveling."

READ MORE: Ex-Mexican president drops "F" bomb in interview about Trump's wall plan

President Obama believes stopping these remittances is an impossible task, too.

"The notion that we're going to track every Western Union bit of money that's being sent to Mexico, good luck with that," Obama said.

If Trump's logistics did pan out, the president says it would only make things worse.

"Then we've got the issues with regard to implications for the Mexican economy, which in turn, if it's collapsing, will actually send more immigrants north because they can't find jobs back in Mexico," Obama said.

Trump's plan also calls for increasing fees for visas and border crossing cards, as well as enforcing trade tariffs. Trump points to the deficit between Mexico and the United States, and how reversing that deficit would help pay for the wall, too.

READ MORE: Donald Trump's border wall plan gets unpacked and taken down on HBO comedy show

"Trump's connection of the trade deficit with a Mexican border fence is just nonsense," Alex Nowrasteh, an expert on immigration from the Cato Institute, told Politifact in an earlier article.

"Just because the Mexican economy has a trade surplus relative to the United States doesn't mean the Mexican government has the resources to build a border wall. It would be like me threatening my neighbor to build a new fence or else I'll stop shopping at Walmart."

Take a look at how other countries are reacting to some of Trump's statements in the gallery above.
By O. Ricardo Pimentel

San Antonio Express-News

It is a fair question to ask as Republicans agonize over whether  this time, this one, finally  is the line crossed that warrants abandoning Donald Trump.

If you finally recognize such a red line, what made it so extraordinarily special? What made it worse than his previous gazillion groaners?

Because Im in Texas, this is a question for the states entire GOP congressional and legislative delegation  with the exception of Sen. Ted Cruz, whose lines were crossed long ago owing to up-close and personal interaction with Trump.

And it can be directed to any Republican whose supply of excuses for the volcanic candidate is nearing exhaustion. Are you even pretending anymore?

Well, Hillary Clinton is far worse is not viable. It is not only factually dubious  one is flawed and qualified, the other dangerous and decidedly unqualified  but illustrates you are scraping the bottom of that excuse barrel. But if you want to cling to it, there are, you know, Libertarian and Green Party candidates. None-of-the-above options exist.

But if you are a public official and are endorsing Trump, in a sense youve already voted  in public. Going to vote your conscience against Trump in the voting booth but still havent withdrawn your endorsement? Well, then you are asking people to do what you wont do. Thats hypocrisy.

Was not a discernible line crossed when Trump, out the chute, blanketed Mexicans with that broad description as rapists and criminals, and Mexico as a country that purposely exports them?

How about when he denigrated the military service of Sen. John McCain, former POW and always a hero?

No line crossed when Trump called women pigs, or when he spoke aloud of one particular woman, a journalist he viewed as uppity, bleeding from various orifices?

How about  ha, ha!  that funny line when he suggested that this country bar people from coming here on account of their religion? Or suggesting Cruzs father was involved in JFKs assassination and Clinton in Vince Fosters death? Or when he mocked a reporter with a disability?

There are all those knee-slappers questioning whether President Barack Obama is an American and a Christian.

Heres a favorite line not crossed: There is something on that birth certificate  maybe religion, maybe it says hes a Muslim, I dont know.  Or he might not have one. Or, An extremely reliable source has called my office and told me that Barack Obamas birth certificate is a fraud.

Was this source John Miller or John Barron? You know, the guys who were really Trump pretending to be them in calls to reporters. Is lying not a line crossed? Fact-checkers all over the country want to know.

Some Trump lines involve a certain line erected on the U.S.-Mexico border and how Mexico will pay for it. And deporting 11 million people. Has this not been a delusional line repeatedly crossed?

How about this one: Our great African-American president hasnt exactly had a positive impact on the thugs who are so happily and openly destroying Baltimore.

And remember how he focused on that judges ethnicity when he suggested he couldnt get a fair shake in a case because the U.S.-born judge hearing it is Mexican? House Speaker Paul Ryan said this was textbook racism, but, this, too, wasnt a line crossed.

Each day brings a new line uncrossed. The one recently billed as the final line was his beef with the Muslim Gold Star family who lost a son, an Army captain, in Iraq. And then he initially refused to endorse Ryan and McCain in their primary races.

Hey, wouldnt it be funny if the final red line  the one in which he really, really went too far  was the slight done to the party? You know, those other insults just trifling matters, not indicative at all of fitness or nativism or racism or misogyny. Did I mention fitness?

I get it. GOP politicians who have endorsed Trump cant live with him and cant live without his supporters if they want to hang on to House and Senate majorities.

Oh, the dilemma. No, not really. How about hanging on to your integrity and putting country first? If you still endorse Trump, youve forfeited claim to both.
For many, the exact function and duties of Bexar County Commissioners Court is not always well understood. The presence of the word court draws people toward a judicial function confused with county courts-at-law.

The rule of law at the state level is established through legislative sessions attended by the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the House, and senators and representatives from all around our great state. Bills are proposed, votes are taken, and new laws are formed. These laws are then applied within our judicial system, both criminal and civil.

Bexar County Commissioners Court, on the other hand, functions as the management body and funding mechanism of the county. This court consists of four county commissioners, all elected by the people from the respective county precincts, with the county judge  also an elected official  as the head of the court.

Collectively, this Commissioners Court is tasked with the duty of budgeting and funding the county operations throughout the year, with the day-to-day oversight and application of the court directives by the office of the county manager. This budgeted funding includes diverse programs throughout the county, as well as functional departments  everything from parks and recreation and economic development activities to county law enforcement.

County law enforcement is comprised of four elected constables and the Bexar County sheriff. Though there is jurisdictional overlap between these two departments, the idea is to split the core functions of the constitutional mandates between the two.

Constables, each representing a county precinct, are elected officials as well as sworn law enforcement officers in the state of Texas. They have jurisdiction throughout Bexar County, not just their respective precincts, and all have the authority to act in a full law enforcement capacity.

Local Government Code Title 3 establishes specifics around the organization of each county, with Subtitle B, Chapter 86 establishing the duties of constables. A constable is tasked to execute any civil or criminal process throughout the county, as well as attend each justice court held in the precinct. They are certainly not forbidden to act in other law enforcement capacities, but the above duties are what our state constitution requires Commissioners Court to fund.

The Bexar County sheriff, on the other hand, is mandated by Subtitle B, Chapter 85 to patrol, by automobile or motorcycle furnished by the officer, the highways of the county located outside the corporate limits of the county seat. The officer shall devote all time spent on duty to performing that service and to matters related to that service.

These are all extremely important duties, and with these in mind, it is incumbent upon Commissioners Court to act as the financial watchdog for the county and its constituents to ensure these departments are adequately funded to perform these tasks.

While there are differing opinions to this end, it is important to remember the Texas Constitution gives clear and concise mandates when it comes to law enforcement duties, which the court uses as the basis for funding the operations of these county officers. I have proposed that all four constable precincts be measured on their performance of these constitutional mandates and subsequently funded in accordance with these measures.

Should individual elected constables wish to perform additional law enforcement activities, this is completely at their discretion and Commissioners Court cannot stop them. However, Commissioners Court can decide the appropriate funding and has a duty to the constituents of Bexar County to act in this capacity.

County Commissioner Kevin Wolff represents Precinct 3.
In 1983, girls across the world chanted Ride, Sally Ride, as Sally Ride made history as the first American woman to fly in space.

It was a seminal moment for women in the sciences. Many, at the time, predicted Rides breaking the highest glass ceiling as she exited Earths atmosphere would inspire more young women and quickly close the gender gap in the sciences.

But a little more than 30 years later, women are still underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, fields. Rides flight did inspire a generation of women to pursue careers in the sciences, but it also left more work to be done. That is why, before her passing in 2012, she made it her life mission to help inspire young girls to go into the sciences.

It is a mission and a passion that we share at Girls Inc. of San Antonio. For more than a decade, we have worked to help girls in our community be strong, smart and bold, building on the example set by pioneers such as Sally Ride and celebrating a new generation of women in science, including todays astronauts.

The issue is not only about curiosity in the subject matter, but also confidence in the skills needed to do the work. For girls, building self-assurance in their abilities in STEM areas early in their education is key because given the right tools, support and guidance, we know girls can change the world.

But even today, too many girls dont have the role models and mentors needed to cultivate and validate their interest in STEM fields.

Women, who make up 47 percent of the American workforce, only make up 39 percent of chemists and material scientists. And they are only 17 percent of industrial engineers, 8 percent of electrical engineers and 7 percent of mechanical engineers.

In higher education, the gap isnt as stark but it still exists. Last year, for the first time ever, women in the U.S. were more likely to have a bachelors degree than men. But in the physical sciences and mathematics, women made up only 42 percent of the graduating students in 2014. They were only 20 percent of the students who earned engineering degrees, and only 18 percent of those who graduated with a computer science degree.

Girls in early childhood and elementary school show the same interest and aptitude for math and science as boys. But study after study shows that the STEM breakdown starts in middle and high school. Part of the problem seems to be a lack of mentors and role models.

Fortunately, this is something we can definitely change. Since 2009, Girls Inc. of San Antonio has partnered with Boeing to encourage girls to pursue science and math-based education and careers. The company provides funding for our girl-focused STEM programs and shares its people power through employees who volunteer as mentors.

The company helped us launch our annual Girls Inc. science festival and our STEM Saturday programs, which foster girls interest in STEM fields through hands-on activities and interaction with women who have already broken through in STEM professions.

Boeings investment in STEM activities where girls can ask questions, get involved and solve problems, can help develop enthusiasm for STEM fields. Last year, the company provided seed funding for Eureka!  our program that helps engage young women in STEM starting in the eighth grade and continuing through high school. This program provides continued support and mentorship as they grow up. Encouraging girls to be strong, smart and bold today will lead to a larger percentage of successful women in STEM fields tomorrow.

As Ride showed, it takes more than just inspiration to help close the long-standing gap for women in the sciences. It takes hard work, sustained encouragement and help from forward-looking private sector partners such as Boeing to make progress.

Lea Rosenauer is president and CEO at Girls Inc. San Antonio.
We all know and understand the importance of ensuring Canadians have access to good jobs. Its that regular paycheque from work that helps us put food on the table for our families, helps cover the cost of educating our children, and maybe even gives us the chance to take a vacation with loved ones every once in a while. Canadians rely on good jobs to provide for the basics, and governments need to create an environment that ensures good jobs are available for those who are looking.

Unfortunately, the Liberal Government doesnt have a plan when it comes to job creation and its starting to show in the economys performance. Statistics Canada recently released figures for the month of July and they arent encouraging. In only one month, a total of 31,200 jobs were lost across Canada and the unemployment rate rose to 6.9%. Statistics Canada also said the number of full-time workers dropped by 71,400. That figure represents the largest 1-month drop in full-time employment in the last 5 years.

This isnt simply business as usual as far as economies go. This is a result of Liberal policies which are hurting employers and employees alike. The Liberals have been raising taxes on job-creating businesses, making it harder for out-of-work Canadians to find employment. Some businesses are already in a place where they are being forced to make tough decisions about maintaining existing jobs.

In recent weeks in this column, Ive shared my concerns with a number of the Liberal policies that have contributed to the poor job numbers we are seeing now. For one, I have spoken out against the Liberals cancellation of the scheduled lowering of the small business tax rate. This action was taken despite their commitment to reduce this rate during the election campaign. As if that wasnt bad enough, the Liberals eliminated the hiring credit for small businesses as well. Ive also expressed concerns with the planned CPP tax hike. The Liberals told Canadians they had a plan to leave more money in the pockets of Canadians, but this plan does the exact opposite. Workers will be forced to pay higher mandatory CPP contributions leaving less money available for family priorities. Businesses will also be forced to pay more, limiting their ability to employ Canadians or give workers raises.

Our previous Conservative Government had the best job creation and economic growth record among G7 countries and we reduced taxes to their lowest point in 50 years. Thats a far cry from what we see happening today under Prime Minister Trudeau. The Liberal Government is not only failing to create a job-friendly environment; its actively implementing policies that hinder job creation. At a time when more and more Canadians are struggling to find work, it is clear the Liberals need to change their approach.
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Zimbabwe will fly home 118 of about 250 of its citizens fleeing war in Ukraine, the government said on Tueday.

The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting and announced by information minister Monica Mutsvangwa.

She said: Cabinet would like to reassure the nation that the government is taking all necessary steps to evacuate students and other nationals from Ukraine following the outbreak of war with Russia.

The countrys missions to Moscow and Berlin are facilitating the evacuation mission. To date, a total of 118 students have relocated to the following safer places: Romania 28, Hungary 15, Slovakia 26 and Poland 49.

The government says it will buy air tickets for the students.

According to information secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana, some 250 Zimbabweans had been in touch with the embassy in Berlin seeking passage home.

Many Africans have raised complaints of racism against Ukrainian authorities, citing discrimination on public transport and sometimes being denied permission to leave.

Russia bombed a TV tower in Ukraines capital on Tuesday and rained rockets on the city of Kharkiv as Moscow intensified its bombardment of Ukrainian urban areas in a shift of tactics after its six-day invasion stalled.

A U.S. official said a miles-long armoured column bearing down on the capital Kyiv had not made any advances in the past 24 hours, frozen in place by logistics problems, short on fuel and food, and perhaps pausing to reassess tactics.

Russias defence ministry urged Kyiv residents to flee and said it would strike unspecified areas used by Ukraines security services and communications.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has drawn global condemnation and sanctions that have already sent the ruble into freefall and forced Russians to queue outside banks for their savings.

Russias defence minister Sergei Shoigu said the special military operation would continue until it had achieved its goals, defined by Putin as disarming Ukraine and capturing the neo-Nazis he says are running the country.

More than 660,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania since the invasion began, the U.N. refugee agency said.

 ZimLive/Reuters

Breaking News via Email
Jerri-Lynn here: Erdogan met Putin in Moscow last week but as Helmer explains, failed to achieve any rapprochement in its relations with Russia, despite widespread media claims to the contrary. Both countries remain completely at odds on Syria policy. Turkey continues to turn a deaf ear to wider Russian security concerns: e.g., guaranteeing free sea passage through the so-called Turkish straits, between the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean, and blocking any expansion of NATO or enemy operations that could hinder such access.

John Helmer is the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. He served in Jimmy Carters White House and then with the Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou in Athens. Originally published at The Real News Network.

SHARMINI PERIES, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, TRNN: Its the Real News Network, Im Sharmini Peries coming to you from Baltimore. On Tuesday, August 9, President Putin of Russia, and President Erdogan of Turkey met in Saint Petersburg to repair relations that had become frayed after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet near the Syrian-Turkish border last November. Following this incident, Russia had imposed sanctions on Turkey, and trade and tourism were seriously affected. Erdogan later apologized to the families of the military men involved in the crash.

The meeting was set also after July 15 coup attempt against President Erdogan. President Putin was the first international leader to express support for Erdogan and Erdogan seemed to suspect the US of having a hand against him in this coup de etat. Speculation was rife that perhaps Erdogan was ready to switch sides from his alliance to the West, to a closer relationship with Russia.

However, a major stumbling block remains, which is the two countries dramatically opposed positions in regard to Syria. Now joining me to discuss all of this is John Helmer. John is the longest continuously foreign corresponder in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of national and commercial ties. Thank you so much for joining us John.

HELMER: Thank you Sharmini.

PERIES: So John, give us a bit of a take on what exactly happened at this meeting. I know you are opposed to what the western press has been reporting.

HELMER: I wouldnt say I oppose, I simply know what happened and the western press is completely misleading itself as to what happened. A three letter word, it was a dud. It was a failure, total failure on the part of the Turkish side to achieve any sign of a rapprochement or an improvement in relations with Russia.

To give you an idea of just how bad it was, the Russia Foreign Ministry has yet to put on its website any acknowledgement that during Tuesday, the foreign minister of Russia met a Turk. Instead, the only things indicated of importance by the Foreign Ministry of Russia that occurred on Tuesday was a telephone call between Foreign Minister Lavrov and the German Foreign Minister, Mister Steinmeier.

So, what happened was, let me try and say it quickly for you, a lot of expectations built up by the Turks for Washington and Berlin to take care and to be more supportive of Mr. Erdogan as he tries to continue fighting his coup in Turkey, with hundreds if not thousands, if not a hundred thousands of arrests, purges of the military, the state bureaucracy and so forth, and a total reconstruction of political power in that country.

The coup in Turkey did not end on July the 16. It is continuing, and Erdogan needs to reinforce his power domestically, he needs to begin to promise to deliver economic payoffs to his policies, when the major economic constituencies of the country, the farmers, the exporters, the energy distributers and so forth, can only see weakness in their currency, weakness in their financial balance sheets, and so on.

So Erdogan promises big, hes also trying to achieve more bribery from the European Union to stop refugee flows, he tries to attract bribes from the United States by making a conspiracy theory of US intervention in his country, et cetera, et cetera. And this idea that there would be a complete change in Turkish strategic alliance is nonsense, it was a Turkish bluff and the rug dealers had the rug pulled from underneath him by himself.

He showed up in Moscowsorry, go on.

PERIES: Ok. And, John, give us a sense of what Russias interests are in this meeting. I mean, although it was downplayed, they did have the meeting with Erdogan, and they were the first to acknowledge and provide some support to Erdogan after the coup. We know that

HELMER: No support. No, no, thats not quite right. Russian policy is for stability on its borders, its neighbors. Russia does not consider its national interests, its security interests, its border stability, to be advanced if there are coups and revolutions in countries around the neighborhood, whether thats Ukraine, the US did sponsor a coup in Kiev in February 2014, whether its in Iran, whether its in North Korea, whether its in China, or whether its in Turkey. So the Russian position was, stability in the neighborhood. The Russian position was Mr. Erdogan is the elected, constitutional leader of that country, and what was happening was an attempt to kill him, overthrow him, so Russias position was stability in the neighborhood. That was the Russian position. It was stated rather quicker than Mr. Kerry was capable of stating it when he was trying to put some money on whoever was the winner and wasnt sure who would be the winner.

But the Russian position is really simple. Its good neighbor policy if you like, but let me try and make it quick and short for you. First, Turkey should stop supporting and fueling and providing safe haven and supplies for groups that threaten Russia to the North, threaten Syria to the south. Threaten Iraq to the east. That means and end to support for ISIS, an end to support for the Chechen Rebellion in the Russian Caucasus. It means an end to support for Crimean Tatar opposition to Russia. It means an end Turkish support for the war against Armenia. Thats number one. Number two, Russia has always for the last several hundred years, as long as there are ships, and as long as theres the sea, Russia wants free passage through the so-called Turkish straits, between the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean. The Turks claim that its a territorial war, they often claim that they lost several wars over this. Russia wants to see no expansion of NATO or enemy operations, naval operations, in the Black Sea, facilitated through the Bosphorus, through the Dardanelles, through the Turkish straits, at the behest and at the permission and the encouragement of the Turkish government. Those are security issues, right? No response from Erdogan. In fact, he said at the press conference, we didnt even talk about Syria, well talk about that a bit later in the afternoon. But as for that meeting, there is no record that anything was said, because as I said before the Russian Foreign Ministry has yet to acknowledge there was such a meeting. More important, on the [crosstalk] morning on the day Erdogan

PERIES: [interceding] Now, John, but there was a post-meeting press conference that took place. Both presidents did make a statement. President Putin actually made reference to what you were just talking about, which is that Russia categorically opposed any unconstitutional coup detats of this nature. Some interpreted that to be also a reference to Syria and Bashar al-Assad, so there was some official references to this. What then, did they say in the meeting, and what was your take away?

HELMER: Well, let me go back a minute. On the morning of Erdogans arrival in Saint Petersburg, there is a 30 minute interview that he gave to Russian state television, to the Tass News Agency, which he made a number of statements which he didnt repeat in his press conference. He called again for the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. He again explicitly referred to support for the Crimean Tatars and their opposition to Crimeas accession, to the Russian Federation.

Those are two very big no-nos, negatives. Aggressive remarks to make on the eve of your arrival in Russia, so that there was nothing left to discuss when he got there. Instead theres a lot of talk about talking.

A lot of talk about talking about the future economic relations between the two countries. The revival of the two gas pipeline projects, the Turkish Stream and South Stream for Gazprom. The revival of the nuclear reactor project, which is Russias building at Akkuyu. Talk about reviving investment, talk about improving visa conditions for Turkish workers in Russia.

On none of those things, none of those things was any agreement announced. All the sides did, all the presidents said at their press conference was that they agreed to continue talking. And for all Mr. Erdogans dear friend Putin remark he kept making roughly, I timed him, every three to four minutes of the time hes in front of the camera, nobody believes it. And he didnt offer anything on which the Russian side could say weve reached a new stage.

He did, yes he apologized for the shoot down of the SU24, but he did not offer Turkish compensation for the murdered pilot, Captain Peshkov. It was very clear Russian policy that Turkey should pay compensation, just as its been Turkish policy that Israel should pay compensation for the killing of Turkish citizens in the famous vessel incident off the Gaza coast several years ago. Turkey insisted on compensation from Israel. It took years, its been achieved. Yet Turkey offers no compensation when Russia has insisted, on little issues, on big issues, Erdogan offered nothing.

PERIES: And John, what now? In terms of moving forward with these two countries who are very pivotal and very strategically located in terms of the Syrian conflict.

HELMER: Well, I wouldnt say that the direction is forward. From a Greek point of view, there is increasing chaos. From a Greek and Cyprian point of view, there is increasing chaos in Turkey, and around Turkey. And from one point of view, thats a small positive because it makes the Turkish army less capable of expanding aggressively east, south, or west.

There is not improvement on Turkeys readiness to reach a solution for the withdrawal of troops from Northern Cyprus, illegally there since the invasion of 74. There is no sign that Turkey will relent in its support for the overthrow of Syria. There is no sign that Turkey will do anything to remove the Chechen threat to Russia inside Turkey, so were going to move sideways.

Were going to move, we will simply watch and see if Mr. Erdogan himself can survive. But the way he describes his survival is that hes the democratic leader of Turkey, well thats true.

He produces these street displays of public support, and at the same time he distrusts his own military forces so much that he not only purges the general, generals staff, he couldnt bring a military officer in his delegation to Moscow yesterday. Not one military officer does Mr. Erdogan trust enough to bring to the party in Moscow. Sorry, in St. Petersburg. The chief of the Russian General Staff was there but no Turkish counterpart officer.

PERIES: Now, finally, John, do we at this point know what the Russian intelligence knew about the coming coup in Turkey?

HELMER: All we know is telephone intercepts. What we know is all major intelligence organizations follow what happens in Turkey, so theyre all listening to military communications. Some are in the open, some are encrypted. Knowing and listening doesnt mean that youre assisting in whats happening.

I think we said on this program before, the Turks themselves engaged in the push didnt know what was happening with their own comrades across Istanbul town. So, foreign intelligence services, whether they were the United States or Russian were watching and listening, but I dont believe controlling, and the situation is right now, everybody continues to sit in their bunkers and watch and listen.

But Mr. Erdogan, if he thought he came to Russia to prove that hes in charge, proved that hes not even in charge of his own mouth.

PERIES: All right John, thank you so much for joining us today, and look forward to ongoing reports from you.

HELMER: Thank you very much. Me too.

PERIES: And thank you for joining us on the Real News Network.
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader.

One so-called unintended consequence of the financial crisis and the inadequate Dodd-Frank reforms has been to consolidate or maintain the status quo within different types of financial players, rather than encourage competition. So, for example, the U.S. banking sector is more concentrated now than before too-big-to-fail institutions are even bigger, and many smaller regional players have been forced to merge.

Additionally, despite much sound and fury promoting greater competition in the market for credit ratings, no alternative to the issuer pays business modelwith all its embedded conflicts of interest has emerged. As a recent SEC report documents, rating agency performance remains woeful, in part due to persistent conflicts of interest. But so far, no new entrants have made significant inroads into the combined market share of Standard & Poors, Moodys Investor Services, and Fitch Ratings Inc., which the SEC estimates together issued 96% of the more than 2.4 million credit ratings outstanding as of end-2014.

For the biggest accounting firms, concentration began even earlier, during George W. Bushs administration, when the big five became the big four. In the wake of the Department of Justices (DoJ) pathetic enforcement record on corporate fraud during the Obama administrationparticularly regarding financial institutionsits worth remembering this wasnt always the case. During Bushs tenure, federal prosecutors successfully prosecutedand jailedcorporate executives from Adelphia, Enron, and WorldCom, among others.

The decision to pursue a criminal charge against Arthur Andersen for Enron-related activities caused the accounting firms bankruptcy. This ultimately led former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder to follow his previously enunciated Holder doctrine, under which the DoJ opted to seek civil settlements and monetary penalties for corporate transgressions rather than individual or corporate criminal claims. The ostensible reason was to avoid triggering a major corporate bankruptcy, which would inflict significant collateral damage, on employees and otherwise. Further, in the case of a too-big-to-fail banks, it was argued, dire systemic consequences might follow. (In September 2015, Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates authored memo announcing a significant tightening of individual accountability for corporate wrongdoing. So far, surprise, surprise, no major upsurge in prosecutions has occurred.)

Now, big four auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) faces potential exposure to three significant legal actions for allegedly negligent audits. And depending on the outcome of this ongoing litigation, the big four might become the big three. Statutes of limitations considerations dictate that, these will probably be among the last lawsuits brought as a consequence of actions arising from the financial crisis.

The first action kicked off earlier this month in the Circuit Court for the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida before Judge Jacqueline Hogan Scola, and could itself potentially inflict a knock-out blow on PwC. As reported by CVN, which is producing a live webcast and gavel-to-gavel recording of the trial, attorneys for the Taylor Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp.s bankruptcy trust accused PwC of performing negligent audits that contributed to Colonial Banks multibillion collapse during the mortgage crisis. Taylor Bean & Whitaker was one of the largest U.S. mortgage lenders before a 2009 raid by federal agents led to its subsequent bankruptcy declaration.

Plaintiffs seek to recover $5.5 billion in damages from PwC for allegedly failing to detect a multiyear fraud carried out by Taylor Bean executives involving funds deposited in Colonial accounts from problematic mortgage loans (e.g., that were either non-existent or had previously been bought by other investors). PwC audited the accounts of Colonials mortgage lending division. The bankruptcy of Colonials largest customer, Taylor Bean, led the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) to shutter the bank in what was the sixth largest banking failure in U.S. history.

Year after year, Pricewaterhouse didnt do their job, they didnt follow the rules and they failed to detect the fraud, said Steven Thomas of Thomas Alexander Forrester & Sorensen LLP in his opening statement, as recorded by CVN. This action presents the jury with the question to what extent is an auditor responsible for detecting potential fraud? an answer that has yet to be conclusively settled legally.

The Florida action brought against PwC is noteworthy in that it has proceeded to trial. PwC was not unique in seeing the demise of clients during the financial crisis. In fact, all the major accounting firms saw some clients fail or receive bailouts. Yet unlike PwC, these other accounting firms have successfully avoided trials and instead pursued settlement strategies. One reason for their taking such positions is no doubt the costs of litigating complex financial claims. Another is the unwillingness to expose to public view the unpalatable process of financial sausage-making that constitutes the auditing process. Settlement records are generally sealed and not made public.

Those firms that opted for settlement have capped their liability at a fraction of PwCs potential exposure. MarketWatch reports that Ernst & Young paid $99 million to investors and $10 million to the New York state attorney generals office for its role Lehman Brothers auditor. KPMG also opted for quick settlement, and in 2010 settled for an undisclosed amount for its audit activities for major mortgage originator New Century. KPMG also shelled out an additional $24 million for auditing the accounts of Countrywide Bank, prior to when Bank of America made a distressed acquisition.

MarketWatch also noted that Deloitte also opted for settlements. JP Morgan purchased Bear Stearns at a fire-sale price in March 2008 and Deloitte subsequently settled its exposure as Bear Stearns auditor for $19.9 million. For its role as Washington Mutuals auditor, Deloitte contributed $18.5 million to a multi-party settlement. Deloitte subsequently earned hundreds of millions of dollars reviewing J.P. Morgans exposure to foreclosure fraud claims for the Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual mortgages it acquired when it purchased these institutions.

If it survives the Florida action, PwC is facing two further trials, including an action brought by the FDIC and docketed for federal court in Alabama in February of 2017. Federal district judge for the southern district of New York Victor Marrero allowed the second to proceed when on August 5 he denied PwCs motion for summary judgment in a $1 billion lawsuit filed by the administrator winding down MF Global. (Jon Corzine, CEO of that firm, was former CEO of Goldman Sachs, as well as a former U.S. Senator and former New Jersey Governor.) The Wall Street Journal noted that the judge determined the administrator has presented sufficient evidence to create a material factual dispute as to whether PwCs accounting advice contributed to MF Globals 2011 bankruptcy. PwC separately settled a claim concerning the adequacy of PwCs audit of MF Globals pre-failure internal controls for $65 million.
Oil and gas industries threaten to sue Colorado residents for trying to protect homes, nature

(NaturalNews) Citizens of the Centennial State will finally get the chance to have their voices heard on the issue of hydraulic fracturing , as two major voter referendums seeking restrictions on the destructive practice head to the November ballot. If passed, Initiatives 75 and 78 would halt all new oil and gas exploration and production activities in upwards of 90 percent of Colorado, constituting the biggest political blow to "fracking" yet Tired of seeing industrial holes punched throughout their natural landscape to accommodate the exponentially growing number of oil and gas rigs, some of which are as close as 500 feet to homes, parks and other residential areas, Coloradans are hoping for landslide victories with the two pieces of legislation. The two proposals, which Colorado voters will decide on in just a few short months, would accomplish the following: Initiative 75 would give power back to local governments to establish their own rules and regulations concerning oil and gas development, authorizing municipalities "to pass a broad range of more protective regulations, prohibitions, limits or moratoriums on oil and gas development  or not," according to the grassroots group backing it. Initiative 75 challenges a Colorado Supreme Court ruling from back in May that says state law overrides local fracking bans. Initiative 78 would expand the current 500-foot setback rule for drilling operations to 2,500 feet. This setback would apply to homes, hospitals, schools and other "sensitive" areas, like drinking water sources and underground aquifers , playgrounds and parks. Initiative 78 is predicated upon health studies showing that one half-mile is the minimum buffer zone needed to reduce the risks associated with drilling, which include explosions and fires.According to(CNS), more than 200,000 signatures  which is more than twice the number required for ballot approval  were gathered in support of the two measures in just five months, indicating strong public support for the effort. But this isn't without resistance from the oil and gas industries, both of which have issued a formidable threat to Colorado residents.The two industries' advocacy website, "Protect Colorado," claims that the initiatives are "irresponsible" and represent an "extremist agenda." The site also warns that, if the two initiatives pass, the result could "threaten private property rights and could even cost Colorado residents hundreds of millions of dollars in lawsuits." In other words, cross us and you'll pay the price, so vote how we tell you to vote.Many Coloradans are already taking action to protect themselves against the devastating effects of fracking by collecting rainwater in barrels rather than using potentially contaminated water from the tap, or by purifying this questionable tap water using advanced methods like the Berkey gravity-fed water filtration system . But more needs to be done, and because momentum is strong, it appears as though more will be done come November.Environmental concerns aside, there are also many safety concerns associated with fracking . Back in 2013, a major fracking accident led to carcinogenic chemicals being leaked into Parachute Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River, which provides drinking water to some 30 million people living in the Southwest U.S.In addition to worker deaths associated with fracking, many areas around fracking sites are now prone to mysterious earthquakes as well, presumably due to the shifting that occurs from materials being moved and removed from underground spaces."Industry has been gearing up for this fight for five years," Dan Grossman, Rocky Mountain regional director for the Environmental Defense Fund, toldjust prior to the initiatives getting approved for the ballot. "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 matchan all-out war."
Is this really just a decision bought and paid for by Big Pharma?

What are they talking about, the 'science doesn't support' medicinal use?

(NaturalNews) For hundreds of years, humankind has known that cannabinoids from marijuana are a boon to overall health, but for some reason the federal government run by a president who admitted to smoking pot in his youth still doesn't understand this.On Thursday, in an announcement published in the Federal Register and in a letter to petitioners, the Drug Enforcement Administration said it would continue to disallow the use of marijuana for medical purposes, claiming that there is no scientific proof that pot has any therapeutic value.This, at a time when more Americans than ever are clamoring for its legalization, and when some states have defied federal statutes prohibiting its use  and at a time when more science than ever supports claims that there most certainly is therapeutic value to cannabinoids.In its announcement, the DEA refused requests to remove pot from "Schedule I," which makes it a drug that has "no currently accepted medical use" in the U.S., and thus precludes healthcare providers from prescribing it.Regardless of motivation, the DEA's decision puts the federal government at odds with 25 states and Washington, D.C., all of which have passed laws that allow pot to be utilized for medical treatments to varying degrees.In addition, members of Congress have called on the administration to reclassify marijuana, and this week the National Conference of State Legislatures adopted a resolution requesting that marijuana be removed from Schedule I, thereported."Right now, the science doesn't support it," Chuck Rosenberg, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said. But he cited another government agency hostile to medical marijuana use as his reason: the Food and Drug Administration, which has allegedly conducted a lengthy analysis of the issue, which Rosenberg claimed was "tethered to the science."That said, there was one policy change to come out of the DEA's decision: The amount of research conducted on marijuana may be set to increase after the agency expands the number of regions permitted to grow pot for the purposes of studying its value in alleviating chronic pain, as a treatment for epilepsy and for other purposes."Currently, only the University of Mississippi, which holds an exclusive contract with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is federally licensed to grow marijuana for research purposes,"reported.But, asand many other outlets have reported, there has already been study after study demonstrating the medicinal value of cannabis. In fact, just a year ago, we reported on a study that was a collaborative effort between East Anglia University in the UK and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain. Scientists at those institutions uncovered the pathway by which THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, can reduce tumors in patients suffering from cancer.Researchers found that THC has an affect both on serotonin and cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which is where the "high" comes from. But the scientists also discovered that when those receptors are blocked, THC can still fight off cancerous cells, but without the undesired side effects of being high, and without any memory impairment. In addition, scientists found that the THC could still provide pain relief, and that is important because pot is frequently used for pain control.But we're expected to believe the DEA and the FDA when they say that there is no "science" supporting the medical benefits of marijuana? It's absurd.Besides pain relief, marijuana is also useful in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and nausea/vomiting. It works as an appetite stimulant, and as a treatment for asthma, glaucoma and sleep disorders.These assertions are. But you wouldn't know that  or, more correctly, you wouldn't admit that  if you worked for a federal drug agency.Who wins again? Big Pharma, donor to the political elite.
Scientists are now looking into the empty space in the Universe in search of evidences that might possibly disprove Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.

Their newly adapted technique, describe in a paper to be published in the journal Physical Review Letters, works by searching tiny deviations in the behavior of the invisible dark energy lurking in Universe's empty spaces.

"Voids are empty. They're boring, right? Galaxies are like the cities of the universe, full of bright lights and activity, and voids are like the miles and miles of quiet farmland in between," said Paul Sutter, staff researcher at The Ohio State University and co-author of the study, in a statement.

Dark Energy is not yet known during the time of Einstein. This is the reason why researchers are trying to find out if the rules of general relativity developed by Einstein in 1915 will still be applicable in a Universe dominated by dark energy.

"We're looking for bits of evidence that general relativity might be wrong, and it turns out that all the activity in galaxies makes those tiny effects harder to see. It's easier to pick up on effects in the voids, where there's less distraction--like it's easier to spot the glimmer of a firefly in a dark cornfield than in a lit-up city bustling with nightlife," Sutter explained in a press release.

To test if their new technique is effective, the researchers compared a portion of data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with computer simulations of voids in space. The researchers discovered that studying the empty spaces in the Universe provided four times better precision in measurements of how the visible matter in the Universe is clustered together.

So far, the researchers found no tiny deviations in void behavior, suggesting that Einstein's theory of general relativity describing how gravity works still hold still for now.


This story is the first part of an NBC Bay Area investigation into Californias workers compensation system. Check back on Aug. 22nd for Part II.

Dozens of injured San Jose firefighters, 68 in all, have filed complaints with the city since late 2014 alleging they were denied the medical care that was promised to them.

The city says the complaints state that Athens Administrators, the private company contracted by the city to handle half of San Joses workers compensation claims, improperly rejected requests for medical treatment needed to get those firefighters healthy and back to work.

An NBC Bay Area investigation found the citys Human Resources department had to intervene on behalf of the injured firefighters and later overturned 95 percent of those denials. Athens says it was simply following the guidelines set by the state when they determined the requests for medical service were not medically necessary. But city officials disagreed and ultimately approved treatment on 70 of the 74 firefighter claims.

California Professional Firefighters (CPF), the organization that represents more than 30,000 firefighters across the state, says whats happening in San Jose is emblematic of a much larger issue: Injured firefighters are being failed by the states workers compensation system.

Were seeing a lot of folks fall through the cracks and seeing folks that cant get treatment, said Lou Paulson, President of CPF and a Contra Costa County fire captain.

Its impossible to know exactly how many firefighters, or any injured workers for that matter, have had requests for treatment denied. No state agency tracks those numbers.

But after hearing anecdotes of injured firefighters being denied medical care, CPF sent a survey to its local affiliates across California asking if the workers compensation system was working as intended. The organization received a stack of responses three feet high overwhelmingly saying the system is broken.

Unfortunately, we were right on the mark on this, Paulson said. Its just a small sample of what the problem is, but unfortunately it just validates that weve got a big problem with the system.

One of those injured firefighters is Marty Hoenisch, a retired San Jose fire captain.

In 1999, Hoenisch was nearly killed in the line of duty when a warehouse engulfed in flames collapsed and buried him in rubble.

I couldnt catch my breath, Hoenisch said. I was facedown. I could feel my right leg wrapped up behind me.

Hoenisch suffered a fractured spine, a broken pelvis and a broken leg. After months of rehab, Hoenisch returned to work. He retired in 2009 with lifetime medical benefits after 25 years on the job.

The San Jose Fire Department shot this video of a building collapsing on Captain Marty Hoenisch on Feb. 18, 1999.

In May 2014, Hoenisch woke up in severe pain.

I woke up one morning and my legs were weak and my feet were numb, Hoenisch said. I said, Woah, what is this? I called workers comp for the city and was told my case was transferred to Athens Administrators.

Athens Administrators was awarded a contract to handle half of San Joses workers compensation claims in 2013 under a three-year pilot program. The program was launched in response to a 2009 audit that found the city could do a better job of containing costs.

In 2014, when Hoenischs doctor submitted requests for an MRI, an epidural and physical therapy, Athens denied the requests, claiming they were not medically necessary. Hoenisch, in pain the entire time, said he went back and forth with Athens for months with no progress.

It affects every aspect of your life, Hoenisch said. It changes your mood. You sulk; youre in a bad mood all the time.

Nothing happened until Hoenisch contacted Joe Angelo, the director of San Joses Human Resources department. Angelo, who began tracking complaints from firefighters in late 2014, asked his team to investigate.

After reviewing Hoenischs case file, the city reversed Athens original denial. They would ultimately do the same for 63 other injured firefighters.

Sworn officers risk their lives every single day and they are exposed to so many injuries every day, Angelo said. We felt it was deserving of another look. And when we did our research and looked at the history of these complaints, we saw there were some significant injuries these employees sustained and it enabled us to reach the conclusion that additional medical treatment was appropriate.

Angelo said the city never expected to receive so many complaints from firefighters and acknowledged some growing pains in the relationship with Athens. Although he disagreed with their decisions in some cases, Angelo said Athens was just trying to ensure the city wasnt wasting tax dollars on unnecessary medical treatment.

Weve learned a lot, weve grown a lot, and clearly there are areas where wed like to see improvement, Angelo said. But in general, I think that Athens has been a good partner with the city.

Athens would not discuss the specific cases of injured workers for privacy reasons. But the company said the Department of Industrial Relations sets the treatment guidelines for injured workers and Athens is just following the states playbook.

The state put the guidelines in place to have objectivity, said Heather Hornbrook, Executive Vice President of Workers Compensation for Athens. So that decisions could be made based on science and evidence-based medicine, rather than subjective decisions.

Hornbrook said the 70 cases overturned by the city represent just a fraction of the 880 requests for medical treatment submitted by firefighters since July 2013. However, since the city only began tracking complaints since Oct. 2014, its impossible to know how many complaints were actually filed over that time period.

And those 70 cases werent they only denials made by Athens. According to data from San Joses Human Resources department, Athens has denied about 26 percent of treatment requests from the citys injured workers since the 2013 contract began.

When asked why the city had to intervene on behalf of injured firefighters, Hornbrook said its just part of the process when working with a client.

With any relationship there is a learning curve, Hornbrook said. Weve been working with the city for three years now. Weve worked through challenges and we think weve come to a very great place.

The city says the pilot program never actually saved any money, although Athens says it reduced the number of open claims by about 8 percent.

After the city stepped in on his behalf, Hoenisch finally got the treatment his doctor requested. He said hes mostly pain free these days, but worries about the firefighters still fighting on the front lines.

I have friends, and their cases are much worse than mine, Hoenisch said. They are suffering.
A fast-moving wildfire threatened scores of homes Saturday at a Northern California lake community that was evacuated because of a devastating nearby wildfire last year.

Authorities issued four evacuation orders for an unknown number of homes as the wildfire south of Lower Lake, a town of about 1,300, spread to about 400 acres in mere hours.

Firefighters aided by water- and retardant-dropping air tankers were trying to keep the fire away from homes north of the lake, said Suzie Blankenship, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The blaze is 15 percent contained.

Blankenship said the fire was spreading rapidly because of parched conditions brought on by California's historic drought.

"The fuels are extremely dry,'' Blankenship said. ``This is the time of year when everybody has to be extra cautious.''

Lower Lake was evacuated nearly a year ago by a nearby wildfire that ravaged most of rural Lake County and parts of Napa County about 90 miles north of San Francisco. It killed four people, destroyed more than 1,300 homes, burned 120 square miles and was considered California's third most destructive wildfire.

A report issued this week concluded that the fire was ignited by faulting wiring in a hot tub.

In central California, a wildfire that broke out Saturday afternoon forced the evacuation of 135 homes south of Lake Nacimiento, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's office said.

The fire has burned at least 850 acres, with full containment expected Sunday, Cal Fire Chief Tom McEwen told KSBY-TV
Housing rights activists on Friday demanded that the San Francisco District Attorney file elder abuse charges against the owners of an apartment building in San Francisco's Lower Haight neighborhood, accusing the owners of attempting to evict a centenarian who has lived in the building since the 1950s.

The demand comes after a judge found that Iris Canada had failed to pay court-ordered attorney's fees Wednesday, granting the owners of 670 Page Street the right to evict her. The ruling is the latest in a legal battle between Canada and her landlords, which has been going on for years.

Canada, who just turned 100 years old last month, was granted a lifetime estate to the apartment in 2005, allowing her to stay for the rest of her life, while the rest of the building underwent an Ellis Act eviction and five other units were sold as tenancies-in-common.

However, property owners Peter Owens, Stephen Owens and Carolyne Radishe, moved to terminate that lifetime estate and evict Canada in 2014, alleging that she had been living with family members since 2012 and had neglected the apartment for so long that the utilities were shut off and it became uninhabitable.

"It is a crime to harass and stress and cause financial and emotional abuse to elders," activist and organizer Tiny Gray-Garcia said outside the Hall of Justice.

"We're here today to demand as a community that Gascon's office actually stand up and do the right thing for a San Francisco resident of this city for generations; a black San Francisco resident that is potentially being kicked out to make way for other people who happen to be in the tech industry or have more money."

"This another reflection of the unjust treatment of black people in this town," President of the NAACP San Francisco branch Rev. Amos Brown said. "It's time San Francisco search it's soul."

In April, the court found in the landlord's favor, ruling that Canada could stay in her apartment only if she accepted strict limits on her occupancy and paid the property owners' attorney's fees, which total more than $150,000.

An attorney for the property owners, Mark Chernev, said the owner would drop the demand for legal fees and let Canada stay if she agrees to sign paperwork allowing the building to convert to condos.

"The owners are extremely disappointed to hear of the most recent action taken by Ms. Canada, now almost two years after this litigation began. The elder abuse allegations being rallied are ridiculous and wholly without merit," Chernev said in a statement.

Chernev also said that because Canada had not been living in the unit since 2012, her conditional life estate was terminated and she no longer has any rights or interest in the property.

The case is not about money, according to Chernev, but more about Canada's cooperation with the condo conversion.

"For the past four months the owners have agreed to vacate the judgment, restore the life estate, waive all money arrears, and permit Ms. Canada to return and live the remainder of her life at Page Street. Her cooperation with the conversion will have absolutely no impact on the life estate or her ability to live at Page Street, and will also benefit the neighbors she had relied on for years," Chernev said.

Canada is refusing to sign the papers and asking the owners to sell her the unit at a discounted price.

"Who is being taken advantage here?" Iris Merriouns, Canada's niece, said of the lifetime estate. "I believe she has a right to buy the unit."

The property is not for sale, however, Chernev said.

Canada's attorney Dennis Zaragoza planned to file a motion Friday seeking to dismiss previous court rulings on the grounds that they were made at a time when the case was technically in federal court, and outside the state court's jurisdiction. That motion, however, was rescheduled for Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., according to Zaragoza.

"The owners are still optimistic that Ms. Canada can return, and intend to hold off on any recovery to permit Ms. Canada a final opportunity where the judgment can be vacated ... and Ms. Canada can live the remainder of her life on Page Street pursuant to her life estate - which has long been the intent of everyone," Chernev said.
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.
The 19-year-old son of a Chicago police officer was killed in a shooting on the city's South Side early Sunday, just hours before family members said he was scheduled to return to college.

Arshell Edward Dennis was sitting with another man in front of his family's home in the 2900 block of West 82nd Street in Chicago's Wrightwood neighborhood when an unknown suspect approached them around 12:04 a.m. and opened fire, authorities said, striking Dennis in the chest.

The 20-year-old man sitting with Dennis sustained gunshot wounds to the arm and side of the chest, according to police.

Both men were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center where Dennis was pronounced dead. The other victim was listed in critical condition, officials said.

Family members said Dennis, who was known as Trey, graduated from Urban Prep Academy in 2014. He was home visiting his mother, who has been sick, the family said, before starting his junior year studying journalism at St. John's University in New York.

"Our family is deeply saddened by this tragic and senseless shooting. The loss of our son is stunning and painful," the Dennis family said in a statement. "Tragically, we were going to take him to airport today at 3 p.m. to return to school. Now because of this senseless violence, we will be grieving and planning his funeral."

"Trey was smart, funny and the light of our lives," they added.

Dennis' father is a Chicago police officer, CPD confirmed. Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement that he and Superintendent Eddie Johnson served as patrol officers together in the 6th District.

Johnson spoke with Dennis's father and "is at a loss for words for the amount of grief the officer and his family are dealing with," according to Guglielmi, adding that Johnson will visit with the family on Sunday.

"Officer Dennis dedicated his life to make this city safer, and his son Arshell was a good kid, making his parents proud and studying for a promising future as a journalist," Johnson said in the statement.

"As always, the men and women of the CPD will stop at nothing to find who was responsible and bring a sense of closure and justice to Officer Dennis and all of families affected by violence.

But in order to address the root of this violence, we must change the way the criminal justice system treats the reckless, repeat gun offenders who are causing this violence and send a clear message that when you are involved in gun crimes you will be held accountable," Johnson added.

"It's a deep loss," Dennis' grandfather said. "It hurts and I wish some of this senseless killing would stop."

No one is in custody for the shooting and authorities continue to investigate.

Dennis was one of 9 people killed in shootings that left at least 30 others wounded across Chicago so far this weekend.
Nine people were killed, including the son of a Chicago Police officer, and at least 31 more have been wounded in shootings across the city since Friday night.

Arshell Dennis III, the 19-year-old son of Officer Arshell Chico Dennis, was gunned down early Sunday on the Southwest Side.

Just after midnight, Dennis was sitting outside near his home in the 2900 block of West 82nd Street with a 20-year-old man when a gunman walked up and started shooting, according to police and the Cook County medical examiners office.

Dennis was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, where he died at 12:45 a.m., authorities said. The older man was taken in serious condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn with gunshot wounds to the arm and chest.

The weekends latest homicide happened Sunday morning in the South Side Park Manor neighborhood.

About 9 a.m., a man was found with multiple gunshot wounds in the 6700 block of South Wabash, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet identified him.

Earlier Sunday, a person was found shot to death in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

Officers responding at 5:11 a.m. to a call of a person down in the 5200 block of West Ferdinand found the male lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not yet been released.

About two hours earlier, a 31-year-old man was fatally shot on the Near West Side.

Alfonso R. Kyles was found on a sidewalk about 3 a.m. just south of the entrance to Touhy-Herbert Park in the 2100 block of West Adams Street, authorities said. Kyles, of the 4900 block of North Humboldt, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 3:13 a.m.

At 2:18 a.m., another 31-year-old man was shot to death in a separate Austin neighborhood attack.

Antonie Johnson, 31, was shot in the back in the 5000 block of West Van Buren, authorities said. Johnson, of the 1900 block of South Homan, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:06 a.m.

Just after 1 p.m. Saturday, a 27-year-old man was killed and a 10-year-old boy wounded in a shooting in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side.

Yanong Woods was standing outside in the 3800 block of West Madison when a gunman walked up and shot him in the chest, knee and thigh, authorities said. Woods, of the 3100 block of West Huron, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died at 1:35 p.m. The 10-year-old boy was grazed in the shooting and taken to Stroger in good condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

Earlier Saturday, a 23-year-old man was fatally shot while driving in the West Eldson neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

Abner Garcia was going south in the 5200 block of South Pulaski about 1:40 a.m. when a van pulled alongside him and someone inside it flashed gang signs, authorities said. The two began arguing until someone in the van opened a door and shot Garcia in the head. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 5:45 a.m., authorities said. Garcia lived in the 5400 block of South Luna.

Late Friday, a double shooting in the Humboldt Park neighborhood left a 30-year-old man dead on the West Side.

About 11:35 p.m., Louis Carrasquillo and a 26-year-old woman were in a vehicle going east in the 3300 block of West North Avenue and, while they were stopped at a red light, another car pulled up next to them and someone shot them, authorities said. Carrasquillo, of the 4800 block of West Wellington, was shot in the head, and he died at Stroger Hospital at 12:02 a.m. The womans condition was stabilized with a leg wound, police said.

The weekends first fatal shooting happened about 10:15 p.m. Friday in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.

Johnathan L. Stewart, 17, was shot in the chest and right leg during a possible drive-by attack in the 700 block of West 66th Place, authorities said. The boy was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was pronounced dead 15 minutes later. Stewart lived in south suburban Country Club Hills.

The latest nonfatal shooting happened about 4:40 p.m. Sunday in a Brainerd neighborhood drive-by attack on the South Side, where a 22-year-old man was shot in the abdomen in the 1200 block of West 92nd Street, police said. He took himself to Little Company of Mary Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

At least 27 more people have been shot in separate attacks across Chicago since 9 p.m. Friday.
One person was injured in a fiery crash involving two cars near Chicago's Grant Park on Saturday.

Fire officials said around 3 p.m., two vehicles were involved in a collision at the intersection of S Columbus Dr and E Balbo Dr. One person was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the Chicago Fire Department. The victim's age and condition were not immediately available.

Video from the scene showed a massive blaze and thick smoke billowing from a black Lamborghini, which appeared to split in half during the crash. Images showed the rear end of the car on the sidewalk on the east side of Columbus, several feet from the front end of the car in the intersection.

Just left corner of Balbo and Columbus in Chicago Guy pulled from this car before explosion! #Chitown pic.twitter.com/cVDxxFNLcd  Stephen Bardo (@stephenbardo) August 13, 2016

Witnesses said the Lamborghini was hit, then slammed into a pole which tore the car in half. Witness Andre King said he and a deputy extracted the driver, who was conscious and was taken from the scene in an ambulance. King said shortly after the driver was pulled from the wreck, the Lamborghini burst into flames.

Authorities did not release any further information on the cause or circumstances leading up to the incident, and the investigation is ongoing.
After a long night of unrest in Milwaukee, city officials identified the man fatally shot by police and revealed new details about the incident that sparked hours of rioting.

Violence erupted when hundreds of people turned out to protest the fatal police shooting of a man fleeing a traffic stop on foot near North 44th St and Auer Avenue on Milwaukee's north side Saturday.

At a news conference on Sunday, authorities identified the man as 23-year-old Sylville Smith. Police Chief Ed Flynn said Smith had a "lengthy arrest record" with the Milwaukee Police Department.

Authorities said the officer who shot Smith is African-American, and they are not releasing his name out of concern for his safety. Officials said threats have been made against him as well as other officers.

Smith was shot twice in the chest and arm, according to police, though an autopsy has not yet been conducted.

The incident was captured on the officer's body camera, Flynn confirmed, and the video has been turned over to the state of Wisconsin, which is leading the investigation.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said he would like to see video released as soon as possible, adding that he saw a still image and wanted the community to know that "without question" Smith had a gun in his hand.

Sundays news conference was the second time Milwaukee officials addressed the public amid rioting. Following several hours of violence and destruction beginning between 8 and 9 p.m., Barrett and other city leaders made a public appearance to urge area residents to remain calm.

"This is a situation where we are asking every resident of this community to do everything they can to help us restore order," Barrett said in a news conference after midnight early Sunday.

Four officers were injured in the riots, as hundreds of protesters clashed with police in the area the shooting occurred, throwing debris and smashing car windows.

One officer was injured by a brick thrown through the window of a squad car, and all four officers were released from the hospital Sunday. A 16-year-old girl was also wounded when she was shot by a stray bullet, police said. She sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Six businesses were also set on fire, including a BP gas station at North Sherman Blvd and West Burleigh St that was destroyed in the blaze. Some of the other businesses set on fire included a BMO Harris bank branch, an O'Reilly Auto Parts store and a beauty supply store.

Seven squad cars were damaged, police said, two of which were totaled in the riots.

Police initially said three people had been arrested Saturday night, though by Sunday the number of arrests had risen to 17. Police Chief Flynn said each person arrested had a prior criminal record with the department and charges were pending.

The city activated the major incident response team, putting 150 officers on the street in pairs. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker also activated the National Guard on Sunday, to help if needed, though they will not be deployed unless the police chief requests it.

Officials were meeting with pastors Sunday evening to continue to work to try to keep the peace, and Mayor Barrett said he was prepared to put a curfew in place if needed.
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.

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 to outline 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."
Allens Community Theatre uses digital scenery and recycled items to tell a familiar story with their production of The Magical Land of Oz.

The Magical Land of Oz, a musical childrens production by Tim Kelly with music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur and based on the classic book by L. Frank Baum, is a special experiment for Allens Community Theatre (ACT).

The show features a large cast, multiples locations, and the need for magical effects. To accomplish theatrical magic on a limited budget, ACT combines video mapping to create digital scenery with recycled common materials for costumes and physical set pieces.

Jo Rivers-Schenck

"Its exciting. This is the first time weve used technology like this and it makes sense with our young cast. Were meeting them where they are. They are familiar with cell phones and computers. Were bringing them to live theater, but they are telling this familiar story with classic characters and themes using modern technology," said Jennifer Stubbs, the assistant director of the show.

The cast ranges in age from eight to 15 years old.

Stubbs and her husband, Robert Stubbs, noticed video mapping on their trips to New York City and considered how it might be used to ACTs advantage. Robert Stubbs is a video and live event producer and began working on the concept of ACTs digital scenery in February.

Video mapping is often used to transform skyscrapers and other large buildings into 3-D works of art and VJs use video mapping to create interactive musical presentations. Video mapping can also project images on a specific smaller object to change its character and appearance. Digital mapping software can map any object, no matter its size or shape, and the projection will mimic that object exactly.

Jo Rivers-Schenck

ACT mainly uses video mapping to establish the scene, but it becomes interactive when the tornado spins through the scene. The performers become part of the tornado and gradually transform the stage from a farm in Kansas to the magical land of Oz.

Thanks to video mapping, the yellow brick road moves with Dorothy and her new friends. The Wizard of Oz initially seems great and powerful because video mapping transforms a simple theatrical flat into something much more intimidating and extraordinary.

Larger theaters do not hesitate to use video mapping, but its use in ACTs 100-seat black box theater presents specific challenges. Because the space is small, ACT projects images from the sides of the theater using three projectors.

Robin Coulonge, the musicals director, has never directed a show with digital scenery. "She had to envision a lot of things and the actors had to start performing without knowing what the scenery would look like," explained Stubbs.

The production team is also concerned about projecting images on the screens or designated objects, not the actors. Because ACTs stage was being used for another production earlier this summer, the cast and crew could not start working with the digital scenery until a few days before the opening of the show.

During final rehearsals, the young cast adapted to working with the digital scenery quickly. The kids told me tonight that they love acting in front of the screen, especially the Wicked Witchs interactive effects. They said they loved the feeling of being in different places with the combined effects of the video, lights and sound, reported Stubbs following a dress rehearsal.

Jo Rivers-Schenck

Not all elements of this production are high-tech. ACT uses many recycled items to craft costumes and set pieces.

"For no specific reason, I started saving kitty litter buckets a year ago. When we started working on costumes for the show, we cut the buckets into wings for the flying monkeys," said Stubbs.

The monkeys spears were hedge trimmings found on the side of the road and their arms, tails and ears were made from black sweatshirts. The trees in the show are made from an old tarp. Poppy costumes were old curtains and the flowers on their hats are made of recycled water bottles.

In this production, the role traditionally known as the Tin Man is a played by a girl and called a Tin Woodswoman. Her costume is made of recycled fabric, metallic tapes and old belts. Coulonge created the Tin Woodswomans wig using an old funnel and tinfoil. A Valentines Day candy box and a plastic heart from an old flower arrangement is now the heart the Tin Woodswoman desires throughout the show. The interior of the Wizards command center is made with cardboard packaging, old iPhones cases, and venting pipes.

Using everything from common household items to sophisticated technology, ACT makes magic.

The Magical Land of Oz runs August 12 -28

Allen's Community Theatre

2016 at 1210 E. Main Street, Suite 300

Allen, Texas 75002

For tickets and information, visit www.allenscommunitytheatre.net.
Two brothers in South Dallas are proving that you're never too young to be an entrepreneur.

Since late May, Jordan and Codie Hornsby have been going door-to-door looking for yard work in the Parkdale-Lawnview neighborhood.

"We're trying to make our neighborhood look a lot better," said Codie, as he prepped the lawnmower to mow another yard.

With their landscaping skills now the talk of the neighborhood, the pair's client list has grown to 20 homes.

"We know some people during the summer, they don't really want to go outside. We're young and we have a lot of energy so we want to go outside and help people," said Jordan. "We ran out of business because we really cut a whole lot of yards."

For these industrious teenagers, this is more than just a summer job. Their yard work is tackling a major code compliance issue. High grass and weeds make up a majority of 3-1-1 calls in the area.

"We kind of have that problem under control now," said Casie Pierce, vice president of the Parkdale-Lawnview association of neighbors.

Pierce is a loyal customer. She's also helped them learn the ins and outs of running a successful business  everything from negotiation strategies to bookkeeping.

"They're just really good kids. They're just eager to work, eager to do stuff, and they know a lot of stuff about the neighborhood, which we love," she said. "These young boys are invested in this community. You don't hear 14 and 15-year-old kids going, 'We want our neighborhood to look good.'"

Even with a lucrative business, their sibling rivalry still persists. Jordan said he's the brains of the operations, but he leaves the negotiating to his brother Codie.

"I had the price at $20 and next thing you know he's over there negotiating and they give us $80," Jordan said.

The boys attend Skyline High School and they plan to use their earnings to buy school uniforms. For them, the money is great, but the time they spend together is what they value the most.

When asked what the best part of his summer was, Jordan said, "just being with my little brother cutting grass all day."
On Sunday morning, Waxahachie Fire-Rescue crews recovered the body of man who drowned at Lake Waxahachie.

Just after 5:30 p.m. Saturday, witnesses told authorities they saw a swimmer go underwater. According to a spokeswoman for the City of Waxahachie, the witnesses called 911 and tried to reach the swimmer without success.

Dive crews searched for the victim, but had to suspend the search when storms moved in.

Shortly before 7 a.m. the man's body was located. His identity is not being released until next of kin are notified.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, Lake Waxahachie is two miles south of Waxahachie. The surface area is 656 acres. It's deepest point is 48 feet.
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.
Three people were shot with a BB gun while they were standing in line for a club in Hollywood Saturday night, police said.

A man shot at three people in line for the Argyle Club in Hollywood with BB gun pellets, according to the Los Angeles Police Departments Hollywood Division. The gunman shot at their arms and legs, and the people were treated at the scene.

One person in line said her friend got shot as they were standing in front of the club.

"We were waiting in line just to get into this party, and he felt something sting him on the back of his shoulder," Madison Calley said. "And somebody who walked by before us said that he got shot with something previously, and he said he thought it was a BB gun."

Argyle Avenue at Hollywood Boulevard was closed while authorities searched for the gunman, according to LAPD's Hollywood Division. They believed he was in the upper floor of an adjacent apartment building next to the W Hotel.

NBC4 is working to confirm if anyone was arrested in the crime.
With the fight to combat the Zika outbreak in South Florida still ongoing, the Mayor of Miami-Dade County wants the state of Florida to pay them back for money spent in the battle.

In a letter to Governor Rick Scott that was obtained by the Miami Herald, Mayor Carlos Gimenez is asking to be reimbursed for a variety of things, including aerial and ground spraying as well as outreach efforts to inform the public.

State officials have said they have close to $26 million set aside to fighting Zika, but Miami-Dade County so far as received around $300,000 of that. The CDC sent the state close to $36 million in funds to be used to help in the fight.

Scotts office issued a statement saying that all counties, including Miami-Dade, have had access to resources since the first case was discovered this February in Florida and has been in constant contact with Gimenez.

As of Friday, Miami-Dade County had 120 travel related cases as well as 25 of the states 28 non-travel related cases, with the other three coming from Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

Gimenez has said previously that Miami-Dade County will spend nearly $8 million fighting mosquitoes this year, nearly four times more than budgeted.

Miami-Dade County officials say it's safe to attend a monthly art festival in the Miami neighborhood linked to Zika cases.

According to a statement from the Miami-Dade County mayor's office, volunteers will hand out repellent and pamphlets about preventing mosquito bites to people attending events Saturday evening in the Wynwood arts district.

Florida health officials have linked Wynwood to over two dozen Zika infections apparently spread by Miami mosquitoes. The county is spraying pesticides throughout the 1-square-mile area.

Some charities also hand out mosquito repellent. Feeding Florida began offering it Friday in South Florida food banks.

Tampa's Metropolitan Ministries quickly ran out of ``Zika Kits'' it started distributing in June. Spokeswoman Ariel DeWitt says more supplies were ordered for clients living in the woods, in tents or on the streets.

At the same time, Miami-Dade County officials say it's safe to attend a monthly art festival in the Miami neighborhood linked to Zika cases.

According to a statement from Gimenez's office, volunteers will hand out repellent and pamphlets about preventing mosquito bites to people attending events Saturday evening in the Wynwood arts district.

Florida health officials have linked Wynwood to over two dozen Zika infections apparently spread by Miami mosquitoes. The county is spraying pesticides throughout the 1-square-mile area. Some charities also hand out mosquito repellent. Feeding Florida began offering it Friday in South Florida food banks.
A police officer shot a knife-wielding man who stabbed a fellow officer in the face during a domestic disturbance incident at a Long Island residence, authorities said.

Mark Caraway, 40, of Central Islip, was shot in the abdomen after stabbing the officer, Suffolk County police said.

The incident occurred at about 1:20 p.m. when the officers reponded to a 911 call from an Oakland Avenue residence.

The injured officer was taken to a local hospital where he was to undergo facial surgery.

Caraway was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore where he was said to be in critical condition.

Additional information wasn't available.
A man was stabbed and beaten to death and his mother also was injured after the two were attacked early Saturday morning in their Queens home, police said.

Officers responding to a 911 call at around 2 a.m. found 37-year-old Kenneth Schemitz with multiple injuries to his head and body in the home on 113th Street in Richmond Hill, police said. His 68-year-old mother had cuts on her head and body.

EMS arrived at the scene and declared the Schemitz dead, police said.

His mother was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, according to police. She is expected to survive her wounds.

No arrests have been reported.
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After news reports and a photo of a man found unconscious on a Southwest Philadelphia street corner surfaced over the weekend, police say the man's family reached out to them on Sunday and identified him.

A passerby found the man lying unconscious at 62nd Street and Grays Avenue around 2 a.m. The man was taken to the Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center by medics and remained there on life support.

Police and hospital staff had difficulty identifying the man and turned to the public for help. Police sent a photo of the man to news outlets Saturday, asking for help identifying him.

By Sunday afternoon, police said the man's family saw the news reports and reached out to them, identifying him as a family member. His name has not been released.
Police are searching for a woman accused of pouring bleach on a customer and a 1-year-old child during an argument at a Target store in Wilmington, Delaware.

Police say a 24-year-old woman was shopping at the Target Store on 1050 Brandywine Parkway in Wilmington around 5:50 p.m. on August 4 when she was approached by another customer who was angry that she was blocking the aisle with her shopping cart.

The victim told police she moved her shopping cart to the side to allow the suspect to pass. The suspect then struck the victims cart with her own shopping cart and the two women began to argue, police said.

The suspect then allegedly took out a bottle of bleach and poured it on the victim, according to investigators. Police also say the bleach splattered onto the toddler who was inside the victims shopping cart.

The suspect then fled the store and was last seen in surveillance video entering a white vehicle with a man inside, police said.

The 24-year-old victim and the child were both taken to Wilmington Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police released a surveillance photo of the suspect. If you have any information on her identity, please call Corporal Michael Fiore at 302-761-6677.
The day after he released a decade of his own tax returns, Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Tim Kaine lambasted Republican nominee Donald Trump for not releasing his.

"Even Richard Nixon released his tax returns to the public when he was running for president," Kaine told a campaign rally in New Hampshire Saturday.

Nixon didn't actually release his returns while campaigning: he released them while under audit in 1973.

Trump is undergoing an audit  which his campaign says is why the candidate has not yet released his tax returns. The campaign says the returns will be released once the audit is completed, NBC News reported.

Kaine on Saturday questioned whether there could be shockers in Trump's finances and whether Trump's investments might show connections with "people we have some questions about."
A former dean and professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UC San Diego has been awarded the most prestigious prize in the field of meteoritics, the scientific discipline concerned with the study of solar system origin, evolution and history.

Mark Thiemens, who was dean of the Division of Physical Sciences at UCSD for the last 16 years, was announced as the winner of the Leonard Medal for 2017 at the Meteoritical Societys annual meeting in Germany. The prize was established in 1962 to honor the first president of the society, Frederick Leonard.

Thiemens is the fourth professor at UCSD to receive the award. He stepped down as dean last month to spend more time doing research.

Nobel-Prizewinning Chemist Harold Urey, won in 1969; James Arnold, the first chair of UCSDs chemistry department and one of the first scientists to analyze the lunar samples brought back from the Apollo mission won in 1976; Finally, Hans Seuss, who collaborated on the development of the shell model of the atomic nucleus and the isotopic abundances of the elements, won in 1977.

Thiemens came to UCSD in 1980 after getting his undergraduate degree at the University of Miami, PhD from Florida State and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Fermi Institute of Nuclear Studies at the University of Chicago.

During his research at UCSD, Thiemens developed new techniques of understanding the composition of the early atmosphere of the Earth, lifes imprint and the evolution of Mars.

In 2006, the minor planet center at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics designated a minor planet orbiting the inner part of the main asteroid belt Markthiemens in honor of his work with meteorites and extra-terrestrial materials.

Thiemens is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a two-time winner of the Alexander von Humboldt Award and was awarded the prestigious E.O. Lawrence Award from the U.S. Department of Energy in 1998 and the 2009 V.M Goldschmidt Medal of the Geochemical Society. He is also an elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry.
A rainbow flag decorates the entrance of Gossip Grill in Hillcrest.

It bares the names of the victims killed in a gay Orlando nightclub, a sad reminder for manager Darcy Carson.

Kind of the sad reality of what was going on in our community, Carson said. Those kinds of things we have to think about now.

Carson has beefed up security ever since and in anticipation of huge crowds during CityFest.

As Hillcrest prepares for an estimated 125,000 people for Sundays CityFest, security will be tight this year.

Organizers say they are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, and they're doing everything they can to make sure everyone is safe.

Everything is a little more visible, a little more presence, Carson said. We do large bag checks now, but overall Hillcrest has stood for claiming that this is a safe place to come."

CityFest organizer Benjamin Nicholls wants to keep it that way.

The police are bringing a few extra resources with their RV command station, but we're also staffing up with security mainly at the perimeter of the event so we can stop people from coming into the event who might do harm, Nicholls said.

Hillcrest businesses even said theyve attended active shooter safety trainings with the San Diego Police Department after the attacks.

Carson said shes learned about escape plans, getting people out [and] which direction you want to send people, something she now knows since the Orlando tragedy, but hopes to never have to use.

The Hillcrest Business Association said it has also hired 50 extra security guards who will patrol in and around the festival tomorrow.
The world's second oldest Pearl Harbor survivor visited San Diego Sunday, where he spoke of his time in the war.

Lieutenant Jim Downing, 102, was the guest speaker at the Spirit of '45 event, held at the Veterans' Museum in Balboa Park.

The event is a way to keep the Spirit of '45 alive during a National Day of Remembrance to recall the U.S.' victory in World War II.

In his speech Lt. Downing talked about living through Pearl Harbor, and his duties after the attack.

As the USS West Virginia's Post Master, he had access to service members' addresses, so he went around to the injured who could speak and passed their messages along to family.

After the event, he said it was important for the U.S. to remain strong.

"Keep America strong. Remember Pearl Harbor," he said in an interview with NBC 7 San Diego after the event. "We dis-invite segregation. Whatever it takes, we've gotta be stronger than any other country so this will never happen again."

While in San Diego, he will also speak to school-aged children.

Lt. Downing will be celebrating his 103rd birthday later this month.
Two people were found dead inside a home in Jessup, Maryland, Saturday after an apparent murder-suicide, police say.

Anne Arundel County police said about 11:45 a.m. officers responded to a double shooting in the 7400 block of Montevideo Court.

Officers found a man and a woman who died from gunshot wounds. The two were a couple who lived in the home, police said.

One of the victims suffered what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound, police said.

The victims have not been identified.

Stay with News4 as we continue to update this developing story.
What to Know Marion Christopher Barry, son of the late D.C. mayor, has died after a drug overdose, family members told News4s Tom Sherwood.

Christopher Barry, 36, was the son of Marion and Effi Barry.

Christopher Barry's bid for a Ward 8 seat, running as Marion C. Barry, fell short in 2015, coming in sixth place.

Marion Christopher Barry, son of the late D.C. mayor, has died after a drug overdose, family members told News4's Tom Sherwood.

Sherwood first reported the story on Twitter just before 6 a.m. Sunday. He said Barry had struggled with drug use and ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 8 Council seat in 2015 after his father, former Mayor Marion Barry, died.

Christopher Barry, 36, was the son of Marion and Effi Barry.

According to a police report, the person who reported Christopher Barry's death said Barry went outside about 12:10 a.m. Sunday to smoke K-2 and PCP. When he returned, Barry was "'acting crazy/different' and then he suddenly 'dropped.'"

Barry was found unconscious and unrepsonsive. He was taken to George Washington University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a couple hours later, the report said.

Cora Masters Barry, wife of the former mayor, issued a statement on Sunday.

"Christopher's sudden death has been devastating news to me. My heart is broken. I am in shock. The news of his death is beyond comprehension.

"I would like to thank everyone for their concern and support. I would also like to send my condolences to Mrs. Polly Lee Harris, Christopher's grandmother, for the loss of her only grandchild.

"Please understand that I will not be making any further statements at this time."

Community leaders and friends of Barry gathered to remember him Sunday night in Southeast.

Some said despite Barry's personal struggles, he was always fighting for his community.

"Through him I saw strength, I saw vulnerability. I saw the type of heart that creates a community," one man said at the vigil.

Marion Barry was mayor of Washington, D.C., from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. He also served on the Council of the District of Columbia for three terms, one as an at-large member and two serving Ward 8.

His prominance as mayor and a civil rights leader changed after he was videotaped and arrested by the FBI on crack cocaine charges in 1990.

The former mayor always hoped his son would follow in his political footsteps, but Sherwood said Christopher Barry never seemed to warm up to the public spotlight like his father. Christopher Barry's bid for a Ward 8 seat, running as Marion C. Barry, fell short in 2015, coming in sixth place.

Christopher Barry also had his share of problems with the law, starting in 2005 with a misdemeanor assault charge for resisting arrest. He also faced drug-related charges in 2011, 2013 and 2014.

Effi Barry died of leukemia in 2007. Cora Masters Barry, widow of Marion Barry, confirmed to Sherwood that Christopher Barry died.

A News4 I-Team investigation found that synthetic drug overdoses, including overdoses on K-2, accounted for 10-times more EMS calls than heart attacks in D.C.
A group of six people were rescued after their boat sank bewteen Castle Island and Thompson Island in Dorchester Bay early Sunday morning.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, at approximately 1:30 a.m. crew from Station Boston launched a 45-foot rescue boat into Dorchester Bay after Massachusetts State Police notified them of the sinking boat.

The crew located the six people in the water near their partially submerged boat just before 2 a.m. The people were taken to a pier in the channel for medical evaluation.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the sinking is under investigation.
Police captured a six foot boa constrictor on Memorial Ave. in Dartmouth, Massachusetts on Saturday evening.

Members from the Dartmouth Police and Fire Departments assisted animal control in capturing the snake.

Because New England isn't a boa constrictor's natural habitat, officials assume it's a pet.

Police ask if anyone has information that can help in locating the snake's owner, to call (508) 910-1700.
The body of a missing hiker was recovered Friday on Monument Mountain Reservation in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, after an eight-hour search and four-hour recovery operation.

Rescuers were dispatched to the area at 3:18 p.m. after Joan Sussman, 67, of Ashley Falls/Sheffield, reported she was injured.

Because of the steep terrain, additional crews and all-terrain vehicles needed to be called in.

Sussman's body was found at 10 p.m. on a rock cropping.

Family members said she was a frequent climber and regularly hiked the mountain.

Officials said this was the second rescue effort performed at the mountain in the past week.

The incident is under investigation by the Great Barrington Police Department.
One week after a New York City woman was murdered, residents in Princeton, Massachusetts, honored her memory with a 5K run.

The body of Vanessa Marcotte was found in some woods off Brooks Station Road last Sunday evening, hours after she went for a jog.

About 200 people turned out for the run on Sunday, which started at 6 p.m. at the gazebo on the town common. The route traveled down the same road where Marcotte had been running on the day she was killed.

Organizers were hoping to keep the spotlight on the investigation.

"I thought this would be a fitting tribute to Vanessa to just go out for a run," said organizer Sean Doyle.

Many runners told necn that they didn't know Marcotte, but wanted to participate for her family, as well as runners in the community.

Some runners said that her death has had a chilling effect, with many afraid to now go out for a jog.

"The loss of innocence was hard to take," said runner Kim Santucci.

Police said they've received more than 600 tips in the case and have narrowed down who they're looking for. Authorities said the killer is a man who likely has bruises and scratches from a struggle with the 27-year-old.

"Most homicides that are solved are solved within 48 hours," said James Alan Fox, a Criminologist with Northeastern University. "The longer it takes the less likely the prospects of solving a case like this is."

Police are hoping that if anyone has any information in the case, they will call the tip line at 508-453-7589.
A methamphetamine lab was discovered Friday at a home in Edinburg, Maine.

Police first responded to 316 Edinburg Road to look for a man wanted on an outstanding warrant.

While at the home, officers discovered items allegedly used to manufacture methamphetamine.

After the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency was called in, a significant amount of evidence related to the meth lab was found.

Authorities arrested the homeowner, Eugene Pomeroy, 48. He was charged with class B unlawful operation of a meth lab.

Also arrested was Scott Lord Jr., 29, of Mattawamkeag. Police said Lord, who was out on bail on a pending MDEA charge for drug trafficking, was found hiding in the basement of Pomeroy's house. He was charged with a probation violation.
Nearly a week after the murder of a New York City woman, police in Princeton, Massachusetts, have still not made an arrest but continue to get tips.

Twenty-seven-year-old Vanessa Marcotte was found murdered in some woods near her mother's home last Sunday, hours after not returning from a jog. Her body was found naked and burned.

State police said Saturday they have received nearly 600 tips via their phone line so far and are continuing to investigate every angle. Investigators are asking the public to call the tip line if they recall seeing anything suspicious or a vehicle parked in the area between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday near Brooks Station Road.

On Thursday, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said investigators believe Marcotte put up a fight before she was killed and think the suspect would have sustained scratches, scrapes or bruises.

Dave Procopio, spokesperson for Massachusetts State Police, said in a statement on Saturday that 'no amount of information was too small or insignificant.'

"Every piece of information, no matter how insignificant it may seem to the bearer, has potential value to our efforts to secure justice for Ms. Marcotte and her loved ones," he said.

Anonymous tips can be left by calling (508) 453-7589.

Funeral services for Marcotte will be held Tuesday, August 16, at Brandon Funeral Home, 305 Wanoonsnoc Road, Fitchburg, with a Mass celebrated in Our Lady of the Lake Church at 1400 Main Street, Leominster.
A New Hampshire man was killed Saturday night in a motorcycle crash in Pepperell, Massachusetts.

Police said the crash happened on Dow Street at about 9:30 p.m.

The 60-year-old motorcyclist from Hollis was killed instantly.

Police said there were no other injuries to report.

The exact cause of the crash is under investigation.
One person was severely injured after being struck by a vehicle in South Boston on Saturday evening.

State police said the person was walking near 176 Day Boulevard at about 7:50 p.m. when they were struck by the vehicle.

Authorities said the pedestrian was transported to Boston Medical Center with life threatening injuries.

Day Boulevard was closed from the rotary to the McCormack Bath House while the scene was investigated.
School for young people with autism rated "outstanding"

STAFF and students at Hermitage-based Priors Court School are celebrating following a glowing report from Ofsted inspectors.

The school, which supports young people from across the UK with profound autism, has been rated outstanding following the inspection in July.

Providing education and residential care for children and young adults with autism, the school was awarded the highest rating by inspectors for the overall experiences and progress of children and young people.

An outstanding rating was also given for the impact and effectiveness of managers, following the two-day inspection.

The school offers day and residential placements and teaches students, many of whom have limited language due to the severity of their autism, to self-manage behaviour, to communicate and develop independent living and social skills.

In the report, inspectors said: Many children and young people have developed the ability to self-regulate emotions and manage their behaviour, to the extent of being able to cope in the community, interacting and socialising with others.

This means that they are able to go shopping, to go to the cinema or to enjoy a meal with family and friends.

Parents have commented on how this would not have been thought possible before admission.

Interactions between young people and staff were observed to be characterised with great care and tremendous patience on behalf of the staff.

The report said: They [the young people] have an evident trust in staff known to them.

The quality of the relationships is exemplary.

Staff were also commended for their expertise, with inspectors commenting: Staff are very skilled and demonstrate enormous patience so that the quality of care provided to children and young people is of the highest standard.

Director of care Sarah Butcher said the latest report reflected the hard work and dedication of all the care staff at Priors Court.

She added: We plan to continue to improve the already high standards of practice, as well as deliver on our ambitious plans for the future of Priors Court, including the new, purpose-built development of four homes which will help us expand our reach even further.
Three members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin who were on their way to St. Louis for a meeting were among those shot early today in Joplin.The three were on their way to St. Louis for a meeting about the church's Comfort Dog ministry. The two dogs in the van were shot as well. A bullet grazed one dog while the other was sustained a gunshot wound and is currently in surgery.Police responded to a call at 5:08 a.m. today about a possible shooting at a duplex at 1810 S. Connecticut Ave. Police said there were no victims at the scene. The suspect, Tom S. Mourning II, 26, was driving south on Connecticut Avenue when police prepared to stop his vehicle.As the suspect drove, he allegedly fired shots at a van from Immanuel Lutheran Church that was stationed near 32nd Street and Connecticut Avenue.The suspect also allegedly fired multiple shots at an oncoming white pickup truck with two adults inside near 32nd Street and Texas Avenue, police said.Police said a motive for the shootings has yet to be determined. There appears to be no relation between the suspect and the victims, and the shootings appear to be "random," police said."As rounds were being fired, they (police) continued to stay with that suspect, continued to pursue that suspect even though they knew the suspect was actively firing his weapon," Police Chief Matt Stewart said.
What if one blood test could screen for more than 50 types of cancer?
Mukherjee also referred to polarizing debates which according to him only deepen the fault lines in public discourse.

"In the just-concluded session of Parliament, the passage of the Constitution Amendment Bill for the introduction of GST amid non-partisan and quality parliamentary deliberations is reason enough to celebrate our democratic maturity," Mukherjee who addressed the nation said.



"The strong edifice of democracy built by our founding fathers on the four pillars of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity has withstood several threats from both within and without and has grown from strength to strength," the President added.

On the eve of 70th Independence day celebrations on Sunday, President Pranab Mukherjee said that attacks on the weaker sections need to be dealt with firmly and termed them as "aberrations" that "militate against our national ethos"."Disruptions, obstructionism & unmindful pursuit of divisive political agenda lead to institutional travesty," President Pranab Mukherjee said during his televised address to nation.Mukherjee also praised the passage of the Goods and Services Tax Bill and said it was reason enough to celebrate India's "democratic maturity".Mukherjee said that nobody believed that India will survive as a democracy when it gained Independence from the British rulers in 1947, but "Indians have proved those forecasts wrong".He said that despite the different hues of political thought, he has seen the ruling party and the opposition coming together in pursuit of the national agenda of development, unity, integrity and security of the nation.Mukherjee also touched upon the terrorist attacks that have happened across the world and asked the world to fight them unconditionally and in one voice."The world has witnessed a spate of terror activities having their roots in radicalization of people on the basis of religion. The world will have to fight them unconditionally and in one voice," Mukherjee added.This was President Pranab Mukherjee's fifth address to the nation as President.
Greenpeace volunteers celebrated alongside farmers in Kedia, as Bihar Labour Resources Minister Vijay Prakash inaugurated the states first solar-powered cold storage in Kedia in Jamui on Saturday.The installation of a crowd-funded, solar-powered, Eco-frost cold storage comes as a boon to the farmers of this small village.Besides being environment-friendly, the solar-powered freezer will help farmers resist the pressure to sell their produce at exploitative prices.By providing a way to extend the shelf-life of their produce, the freezer gives farmers a degree of control over fluctuating market conditions, so that they can secure better prices and higher returns for their products.By enabling the safe storage of their seeds for future harvests, the facility provides the farmers financial security and greater control over their futures.Until now we couldnt afford to grow vegetables commercially, because the lack of storage facilities meant that they would start to rot before we could sell them profitably. Now, the cold storage will ensure less wastage of our produce, A farmer in Kedia, Sunita Devi said.The eco-frost facility has been bought through individual donations secured via a Greenpeace-managed crowdfunding campaign across India.
Srinagar: Dozens of people were injured on Sunday in clashes between security forces and protesters as authorities foiled a march called by the Hurriyat leadership in the Kashmir Valley, witnesses said.



The protesters wanted to march towards Lal Chowk in the heart of the city but police sealed off the area and imposed curfew and severe restrictions all across the troubled valley.



Police claimed the situation was peaceful in most parts of Kashmir.



But a police spokesperson said dozens of stone pelting incidents were reported from Srinagar, Anantnag, Shopian, Awantipora, Baramulla, Sopore, Achabal and Bandipora towns.



Massive clashes erupted in north Kashmir's Bandipora area as youths hoisted a Pakistan flag at Gulshan Chowk. Sunday was Pakistan's Independence Day.



Witnesses said that despite curfew, a large number of youths assembled at the town's main square.



But as they tried to march towards the Martyrs' graveyard at Nusoo, a huge contingent of police and paramilitary forces intercepted them and fired several tear gas canisters, triggering clashes.



Three youths were critically injured when security forces fired at protesters in central Kashmir's Budgam district, residents said.



On the night of August 13-14, some young men hoisted Pakistan flags at Daharmuan and Soibugh areas in Badgam district.



On Sunday, the security personnel pulled down all the flags. "As the forces trampled the flags, the youths started pelting stones, triggering clashes," a resident said.



Security forces also reportedly opened fire, injuring three persons.



Scores of women, including Dukhtaran-e-Millat chairperson Aasiya Andrabi, were reportedly injured when security forces fired tear gas to quell an all-women march in south Kashmir's Tral town, witnesses said.



Raising pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans, the women were seen carrying green colour as well as Pakistani flags.



Meanwhile, Hurriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani staged a sit-in outside his Hyderpora residence when he was stopped from marching to Lal Chowk in downtown Srinagar.



And when Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also broke out of his house arrest and tried to march toward Lal Chowk, a huge contingent of police and paramilitary forces outside his house arrested him.



He was lodged at a police station at Nigeen.



Meanwhile, normal life remained affected in the Kashmir Valley for the 37th day due to curbs imposed by the authorities and a shutdown called by the Hurriyat leadership.



Life in the valley has been paralyzed since militant commander Burhan Wani was killed on July 8, triggering widespread clashes between protesters and security forces leaving over 55 people dead and thousands injured.


New Delhi: India on Sunday has rejected Pakistan offer to send relief material to violence hit people in Kashmir.



Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup said, "I can only characterise its contents that propose sending supplies to Indian state of J&K as absurd."



He said, "India has already received enough of Pak's trademark exports - international terrorism, cross border infiltrators, weapons and narcotics."



Swarup said that a communication in this regard was apparently delivered to India High Commission in Islamabad on Aug 12.



"We completely and categorically reject this purported communication from the Pakistan Foreign Ministry," he added.
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said India's foreign policy has shown "considerable dynamism" in recent times and called for a united global stand in the fight against terrorism.



"Our foreign policy has shown considerable dynamism in recent times," he said in his address to the nation on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.



"We have reinvigorated our historic bonds of friendship with traditional partners of Africa and Asia Pacific," he said.



He was referring to the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (Fipic), a multinational grouping developed in 2014 for cooperation between India and 14 Pacific Islands nations of Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.



All heads of state and government of these countries met in Suva, Fiji, in November 2014 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit for the first time where the annual summit was conceptualised.



In October 2015, all 54 countries of the African continent participated in the India-Africa Forum Summit hosted by New Delhi.



The President said there would be "no stepping back" in India's "Neighbourhood First" policy.



"We are in the process of forging new relationships based on shared values and mutual benefit with all countries, especially our immediate and extended neighbourhood," Mukherjee stated.



"There will be no stepping back on our 'Neighbourhood First Policy'," he said.



He said that the "close bonds of history, culture, civilisation and geography provide the people of South Asia with an extraordinary opportunity to carve out a common destiny and to march together towards prosperity".



"This opportunity must be seized without delay. India's focus in foreign policy will remain on peaceful co-existence and harnessing technology and resources for its economic development," Mukherjee stated.



"Recent initiatives have enhanced energy security, promoted food security and created international partnerships to take our flagship development programmes forward."



The President also called for the world to come together in the fight against the global scourge of terrorism.



"The world has witnessed a spate of terror activities with their roots in radicalisation of people on the basis of religion," he said.



"These forces, apart from killing innocent people in the name of religion, also threaten to disturb geopolitical divides, which could prove disastrous for world peace," he said.



"The inhuman, mindless and barbaric modus operandi of such groups have been visible in France, Belgium, United States, Nigeria, Kenya and closer home in Afghanistan and Bangladesh recently."



Stating that these forces posed a danger to the entire comity of nation, he said: "The world will have to fight them unconditionally and in one voice."
Pakistan Army violates ceasefire and resorted to unprovoked firing near the Line of Control (LoC) at the Indian posts in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir since Saturday night.



The firing and shelling took place in Shahpu Kandi area in Poonch district, sources in the Indian Army said.



Indian troops retaliated to the firing which was still going on when last reports came in.



"The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir," Defence Spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said.



He said the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy mortar, small arm and automatic weapon fire in Poonch sector since 3 AM.



"Our troops are responding appropriately and no casualties or damage to our troops was reported till the report last came in. The firing was still going on" the spokesman added.



The ceasefire violation comes after over four months as the last such incident took place on April 10, this year in Poonch sector.



Earlier Pakistan had violated ceasefire on September 18, 2015 in Balakote sector of Poonch district.



Last year, 16 civilians were killed and 71 others injured in 405 incidents of cross-border firing by Pakistan, the officer said.



While 253 incidents of ceasefire violations took place along the International Border (IB), 152 incidents were reported along the LoC, he said.



Around 8,000 people were temporarily affected due to the ceasefire violations and had to be shifted to safer locations.



The firing incident took place after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday declared that Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to India.







On Saturday, MoS PMO Jitendra Singh launched a Tiranga Yatra in Jammu & Kashmir's Samba district 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.



(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: Pakistan on Sunday said it was dedicating its Independence Day to Kashmir's "freedom" and vowed to extend diplomatic, political and moral support to its people, provoking strong remonstrance from India, which contended the "only outstanding issue" was to liberate parts of the state under "illegal occupation of Islamabad".



Rebuffing Pakistan's proposal of sending supplies to the restive state, India also said it along with other countries in the region have already received enough of "trademark exports" from that country, including terrorism and infiltrators.



As several cities and towns in the Valley remained under curfew, Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit sought to fish in the troubled waters when he told a gathering that,"As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we are dedicating this year's Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir.



And we firmly believe that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir will not go in vain.



"The ongoing unrest should be ended. Pakistan will continue to extend its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self determination," Basit told a function at the Pakistan High Commission organised to celebrate his country's Independence day.



Basit said no matter "how much" force is used, the political aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be suppressed, and that the "freedom movement" will reach its logical conclusion.



Basit's comments came on a day when Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.



With ties between the two countries under severe strain, both the government and BJP reacted strongly to Basit's remarks, with Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office Jitendra Singh contending that the "only outstanding issue is how to liberate parts of J&K which is under illegal occupation of Islamabad."



Singh said, "Our stand is very clear in the context of J&K issue. If at all there is any outstanding issue with Pakistan it is how to liberate the part of J&K which remains under illegal occupation of Islamabad after 60-65 years of Indpendence and make it a part of J&K and part of the Indian Union.



"Whatever goes on in Islamabad and on behalf of Pakistani authorities is a reflection of confusion and frustration they suffer from," he said.



BJP attributed the Pakistani envoy's "provocative" remarks on Kashmir to its "frustration" after Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted it over atrocities against people in PoK and Balochistan.



"Pakistan is speaking out of frustration after Modi showed it the mirror over the atrocities being carried out by its army against people in Pak-occupied-Kashmir and Balochistan.



"India is exposing Pakistan at international level and has made it clear that talks will be now about the repression of people in PoK and how they can get rid of this," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.
Students at Delhi's Jamia Milia Islamia protested on Saturday night alleging their hostel in the campus was "raided" by police in plain clothes as part of security preparations for Independence Day.



Delhi Police said the "routine check" was carried out along with members of the university staff, though the warden and the provost denied giving any such permission.



"It was not a raid. It was a routine security exercise before Independence Day, where along with the university staff they checked the posters etc. The police had gone with the university staff only" said DCP of the South East Zone.



After the security check, Jamia students staged a protest on the main campus till late into the night and shouted slogans against the Proctor and Vice-Chancellor.



They said the police, while at the hostel campus, took photographs of some of the students and checked their ID cards.



The police behaved as if we are all terrorists. They kept asking weird questions such as where are we coming from, where are we going, said a student.



What is the need for police on a university campus? This is just a concerted effort to malign the image of this university that has remained under the radar for no reason. Are we here to live in a continuous state of fear, asked a female student.



Though some students said they were warned a couple of days ago about a surprise raid , they questioned why it was held in the absence of hostel authorities.



What if they place something in our room and put the blame on one of us, who will take the responsibility in such a case? asked a protester.






 This mutiny was the turning point of the freedom movement, though it was suppressed by the British. It was the first organized freedom struggle on such a large scale, and paved the way for further struggles for freedom.An artistic impression of storming of Delhi, during the 1857 sepoy uprising against British rule (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) It was decided to celebrate Indian Independence Day on the 26th of January. On this day the freedom fighters, spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi, hoisted India's national flag. It was decided to completely disregard the orders of the British Government. Gandhi led a 241-kilometer march to Dandi at the age of 61, and proceeded to make salt in defiance of the law by non-violent means. The British had to arrest millions to enforce the law, causing panic in the administration. This march, in fact, was the first strategy of the Civil Disobedience Movement. The year 1942 is now identified more with the movie 1942: A Love Story, than it is with the Quit India Movement! This movement called for a widespread, non-violent struggle for India's freedom. Before long there were revolts all over the country, demanding that the British 'Quit India'.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in the country, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, on the eve of Independence day. Top brass of the security establishment briefed him on the prevailing situation in the country and the steps taken to foil any attempt by terrorists and other elements to disturb peace, official sources said.



The meeting specially reviewed the security scenario in Kashmir Valley, which has been witnessing unrest after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani. There were intelligence inputs earlier that militants might try to attack security forces in the run up to the Independence Day in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.



Situation in the national capital was also reviewed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the country tomorrow from the ramparts of the Red Fort, where a galaxy of leaders, top civil, defence, police officials, school children and civilians will be present.



Those who attended the meeting includes National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, chiefs of intelligence agencies besides others.
Mumbai: Suspected ISIS recruiter Muhammad Hanif has been sent to police custody till August 20 by a Mumbai court.



Hanif was arrested by the Kerala police in Kannur on Saturday and then handed over to the Mumbai police.



Hanif had taken classes for 11 of the 21 persons from Kerala who are missing and are suspected to have joined the IS, sources in the police department said.



Mohammed Hanif, who hails from Kambalakkad in Wynad was taken into custody from Panur on Friday night.



Hanif is reported to have worked as preacher in various places.



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.





Muhammad Hanif, believed to be involved in recruiting youths for ISIS, has been sent to police custody till August 20.
: Actress Kangana Ranaut has paid a tribute to the Indian armed forces in a video.The anthem titled "Love your country" released on Friday online. It also focuses on social issues such as rape, female infanticide, child marriage, dowry and even apathy, read a statement.The almost three-minute long video has Kangana saluting, lip synching to the song, sung by Siddhart Sharma, Piyush Wasnik and Yash Chauhan."Do you vote?" asks Kangana, clad in a white outfit, in the anthem.This song comes after Kangana created waves with a video on 'cleanliness is next to godliness' addressing Prime Minster Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Rio de Janerio: Niccolo Campriani won the closing Olympic shooting gold on Sunday for his second title at the Rio Games and Italy's table-topping fourth.

Campriani defended his London 2012 crown in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions to add to his success in the 10m air rifle.

Italy's other golds in Brazil came courtesy of Gabriele Rossetti in the men's skeet and Diana Bacosi in the women's skeet.

With three silvers as well they ended with a seven-medal haul, ahead of Germany and China.

Campriani appeared destined for silver as Russian military officer Sergey Kamenskiy led at the Deodoro range.

But the shaven-headed shooter from Florence finished with a bang, nailing gold on his last shot.

The 28-year-old ended on a score of 458.8 with Kamenskiy in silver on 458.5.

The bronze medal went to France's Alexis Raynaud who finished with a score of 448.4.

Campriani, whose girlfriend was also competing in the Rio shooting, scraped into the three positions final as the eighth and last qualifier.

"I was very, very lucky to make the final today. Just I had no energy left. This is my third final in three matches, and watching my girlfriend shooting, that wasn't easy either," he explained.

On depriving Kamenskiy with his final shot he said: "I'm sorry for what happened to Kamenskiy today, but I would have been silver medal anyway, so I was already pleased with my performance.

"The gold is just almost too much."

The vanquished Kamenskiy described the final shot as "like a lottery".

"It's really hard on the last shot. I was unlucky."

For Raynaud, emotions were running high back in his family home in Grasse in the hills of the French Riviera.

"I just called them on the phone. They are all crying," said the 21-year-old.
Year: 2015

Year: 2014

Year: 2013

Year: 2012

Year: 2011

Commemorating the 70th Independence Day of Pakistan, search giant has posted a doodle which is inspired by the ancient ruins of Mohenjodaro.Situated to the west of the Indus River in the Sindh Province of Pakistan, the ruins make up what archeologists called the most advanced civilisation of the ancient Indus Valley.The doodle showcases some of the iconic landmarks from that era, including the 'Priest-King,' a clay bullock cart, and the bronze 'Dancing Girl.'Today's doodle is exclusive to the Pakistan homepage.Here are some of the doodles posted by Google for the occasion in previous years:
Airlines will likely suffer more disruptions like the one that grounded about 2,000 Delta flights this week because major carriers have not invested enough to overhaul reservations systems based on technology dating to the 1960s, airline industry and technology experts told Reuters.



Airlines have spent heavily to introduce new features such as automated check-in kiosks, real-time luggage tracking and slick mobile apps. But they have avoided the steep cost of rebuilding their reservations systems from the ground up, former airline executives said.



Scott Nason, former chief information officer at American Airlines Group Inc, said long-term investments in computer technology were a tough sell when he worked there.



"Most airlines were on the verge of going out of business for many years, so investment of any kind had to have short pay-back periods," said Nason, who left American in 2009 and is now an independent consultant.



The reservations systems of the biggest carriers mostly run on a specialized IBM operating system known as Transaction Processing Facility, or TPF. It was designed in the 1960s to process large numbers of transactions quickly and is still updated by IBM, which did a major rewrite of the operating system about a decade ago.



A host of special features, ranging from mobile check-ins to seat selection and cabin upgrades, are built on top of the TPF core, or connected to it.



"They have surrounded that old industry infrastructure with modern technology," said Bob Edwards, United Continental Holdings Inc's former chief information officer until 2014. "Those systems have to always reach back into the old core technologies to retrieve a reservation or to figure out who flies between Dallas and New York City."



When a power outage shuts off that reservations system - as happened on Monday to Delta Air Lines Inc's "Deltamatic" system - TPF falls out of sync with the newer technologies that passenger service agents use to assist travelers, Edwards said.



Airlines are then forced to cancel flights as demands from stranded customers flood their employees - who meanwhile are handling bookings on an older platform without their familiar, modern tools, he said.



Several years ago, it took United six hours to recover from a test shutdown, thanks to complications with the many add-ons built atop TPF, Edwards said.



Other recent disruptions include one in July that prompted Southwest Airlines Co to cancel over 2,000 flights and two outages last summer at United Continental.



IBM Senior Vice President Tom Rosamilia said in a statement that TPF "was not named as the source or issue in any of the recent outages" and that it "is one of the most modern and reliable systems in the airline infrastructure."



Rosamilia added that the vast majority of airlines use TPF "to process up to a million complex transactions per second, uninterrupted by frequent feature updates or the failure of other systems."



Pressure for Profits



Delta spokeswoman Kate Modolo said in a statement that a small fire on Monday resulted in a "massive failure" at the airline's technology center. Delta was forced to cancel flights because critical systems did not switch over to backup power as intended, she said.



Reuters sent Delta and other major carriers detailed questions on TPF infrastructure and their technology investments.



Modolo did not answer whether Delta relies on TPF, but said "the functionality of the IT programs we use" was not an issue. She had no comment on whether Delta had decreased or increased its spending on back-end technology over the past decade.



"We have a new CIO who has a go-forward plan to ensure Delta is on the cutting edge of customer service technology while strengthening our IT infrastructure so that it is reliable, redundant and nimble," she said in a statement.



Most big airlines, including the four largest in the United States - American, Delta, United and Southwest - rely on TPF in some form, industry experts said.



In response to questions from Reuters, those airlines did not answer whether their aging systems put them at risk of future disruptions, but all stressed that they are upgrading their technology and are focused on reliability. Southwest, for example, said it is in the process of replacing its reservations system.



Earlier this week, in a video statement, Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian said: "Over the last three years, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars on technology infrastructure upgrades and systems including backup systems to prevent what happened yesterday from occurring. I'm sorry that it happened."



US and Canadian airlines are projected to spend an average of 3 percent of their revenue on information technology this year - compared to 8 percent by commercial banks and 4 percent by healthcare firms, according to Computer Economics, a firm that tracks IT spending.



Nason cautioned that comparing technology spending by airlines to some other industries, including banking, can be tricky. Banks have lower capital costs and they rely more heavily on information technology for their core business.



Still, technology experts say that level of spending by the major airlines is not sufficient, pointing to the recent failures as evidence.



Part of the challenge is that US airlines are under pressure from investors to top recent record profits and boost stock prices, even as economic troubles overseas have reduced travel demand.



Delta, for example, is looking to boost its operating profit margin to between 17 per cent and 19 per cent by 2018. That's up from last year's margin target of 14 per cent to 16 per cent.



Fear of Failure



Airlines have also held off on making major network upgrades out of fear that systems could fail during the transition, making them feel that they cannot afford to take them down to add equipment, install patches and perform other maintenance, said Gartner analyst Mark Jaggers.



Some consumer groups have called on airlines to do a better job at planning for disruptions like the one this week at Delta, which affected hundreds of thousands of passengers over four days.



"It is unfair to the traveling public that the cost of under-investment in needed equipment be shifted and placed on the back of air travelers," said travel consumer advocates Paul Hudson and Charlie Leocha in a letter to the heads of the U.S. Transportation Department and US Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday.



Henry Harteveldt, founder of the travel consultancy Atmosphere Research Group, said some airlines are choosing to risk outages that might cost them $20 million to $40 million rather than invest, for example, $100 million on technology upgrades. He believes investors and the general public will apply increasing pressure on airlines to avoid outages at any cost.



"We cannot afford, as a nation, for any of our airlines to be rendered useless by a technology failure," Harteveldt said.



Yet it can be hard to convince airline management that the cost-benefit analysis justifies the major investments to make their computer systems truly fail-safe, said Edwards, the former United chief information officer.



"When fuel prices are low and there's extra cash on hand, they want to spend it on the cool shiny things like planes and mobile apps," he said. "Nobody gets excited about the data center."
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.

Chris Hoke, superintendent of the Northwestern Consolidated School District of Shelby Co., Ind. 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 an exchange student and a junior at Triton Central.

The Borinstein's mother was victim Lisa Borinstein, a registered nurse who worked for the Indiana Surgery Center.

"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 Borinstein family is one already acquainted with tragedy.

According to an obituary in the Shelbyville News, the family's father John M. Borenstein, 57, passed away in March 2015.

He was survived by Lisa, Luke, Emma and two other sons.

Drew Borinstein lives here in Virginia and Beau Borinstein lives in Indiana.

The pilot was a long time financial representative for Northwestern Mutual in Indiana, according to the company's website.

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.
How Frog Hospital got its name

News and commentary by Fred Owens in LaConner, a small town in the Skagit Valley. The story behind the name: There was once a grocery store in a quonset hut, run by Mr. Grobschmidt. Clyde, an old drunk who lived out on the river, thought that Mr. Grobschmidt looked like a frog, so he took to calling the store the "Frog Hospital." Now the quonset hut, Mr. Grobschmidt, and Clyde are all gone -- only this blog survives to carry on the Frog Hospital tradition.


Daagas power to the people

In a sea of vibrant patterns and colours, many of which were in NJACs party colour of purple, attendees arrived at the venue, pausing to pay their condolences to the political icon, whose body was available for viewing, or to sign the condolence book.

As people took their time to place their hands on the casket and get a final glimpse of the Chief Servant, as he was also known as, it was time for the Daaga family to say their goodbyes to their family patriarch.

The youngest son, Makandal Piankhi, gently placed his palm upon his fathers chest. His face was solemn as he bowed his head and absorbed the last private moment with his father, albeit in the presence of many. Nearby, Nefertari, the daughter of the late social activist, was comforted by her mother, Liseli.

To honour Daaga, the service featured speakers who recounted fond stories of him and spoke of his legacy. Yet highlights of the ceremony included a number of performances by artistes who paid tribute to the man who touched their lives.

Calypsonian Dr Hollis Chalkdust Liverpool thanked Daaga for the changes that he brought about in society.

If you proud, my child, of your Rasta hairstyle, while you thank Jah, say a lil prayer for Daaga Chalkdust sang as the crowd erupted into an animated sky of waving fists and shouted one more time! Representing the youth, Caryn McCarthy performed Daaga My Hero, which spoke of the efforts Daaga made so we could be proud and free. It was in the middle of her performance, however, that the young calypsonian broke into tears, only to be supported by the clapping and singing of the audience that surrounded her.

Such unity remained steady as supporters showed their alliance and loyalty to Daaga by joining in on chanting power to the people as NJAC flags soared overhead. With some attendees being moved to tears and others extending their fists in unanimity, the immortality of Daagas influence was evident.
US: We See

No Signs

Putin Will

Use Dirty Bomb
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.
(Newser)  Simmering anger over the fatal shooting of a man by police erupted in violence on Milwaukee, reports the AP, with protesters skirmishing with officers over several hours and setting fire to at least four businesses. The uprising that broke out Saturday didn't subside until after midnight, after Mayor Tom Barrett and other city leaders appeared at a news conference to plead for calm. Police said three people were arrested, and one officer was hurt by a brick thrown into a squad car. The triggering event came Saturday afternoon, when a man fleeing police after a traffic stop was shot and killed. Police said the man was armed, but it wasn't clear whether he was pointing the gun or aiming it at officers. Neither his race nor the officer's was immediately released, nor were they identified. The officer was wearing a body camera, Barrett said. "We have to have calm," Barrett said. "There are a lot of really good people who live in this neighborhood."

Alderman Khalif Rainey, who represents the district where the violence occurred, said the city's black residents are "tired of living under this oppression." He said he didn't justify the violence "but nobody can deny that there are racial problems here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that have to be rectified." Barrett said the 23-year-old man who died was stopped by police for "suspicious activity." As many as 100 protesters massed at 44th Street and Auer Avenue between 8 and 9pm, surging against a line of 20 to 30 officers. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that officers got in their cars to leave at one point and some in the crowd started smashing a squad car's windows. Another police car was set on fire. Around 11pm, police with shields and helmets moved into the intersection, telling a crowd of about 50 to disperse. Some threw rocks and debris at police, who held up their shields. (Read more police shooting stories.)
(Newser)  Swiss police say the man who attacked passengers aboard a train with a knife and burning liquid, killing one and wounding five others, has died of his own injuries. St. Gallen canton (state) police said the suspect, described only as a 27-year-old Swiss man from a neighboring state, had been suffering from serious burns himself. They said in a statement that he died in a hospital Sunday. A 34-year-old woman earlier died of her train attack wounds in a hospital, reports the AP. Three others, including a 6-year-old child, remain in critical condition.

Police are still searching for a motive but said there's no indication the suspect had ties to extremist groups, notes the BBC. Swiss police searched the suspect's home after the Saturday afternoon attack on the train as it neared the station in Salez, close to the Liechtenstein border. A police rep would not comment on what evidence was seized at the home in a neighboring canton, but said "so far there are no indications this was a terrorist or politically motivated crime." (Read more knife attack stories.)
(Newser)  A 63-year-old Calhoun County, Iowa, man was none too pleased about an oil pipeline being constructed between his home and his well and decided to quietly protestonly to end up briefly jailed. Homer Martz raised the American flag upside down, with the Chinese flag above, and was on Friday arrested and charged with desecration of the flag. That's a simple misdemeanor, reports North Iowa Today. "Do you know what an upside-down American flag means? It means distress," Martz told the Messenger News in advance of his arrest. The Messenger News has a photo of Martz's flagpole, which also shows a sign he erected on it reading, "In China there is no freedom, no protesting, no due process. In Iowa? In America?"

The Messenger News has the backstory on the Dakota Access LLC pipeline, which will carry crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois and has received formal approval from Iowa; Martz says he had been told the pipeline wouldn't end up on his land, and was never invited to meetings regarding it. The well is deeded to Martz but is actually on his neighbor's land. The neighbor, Ken Anderson, didn't sign a voluntary easement and so Dakota Access obtained one via eminent domain. Among Martz's concerns: "Pipes, when you dig under a pipeline and you don't put it back on solid ground, that's when they freeze. That's what they're going to do." The AP reports flag desecration is punishable by up to 30 days in jail in Iowa. North Iowa Today reports a court date has not been set. (This teacher was fired for stepping on a US flag in class.)
(Newser)  When Daniel Fitzpatrick first entered Holy Angels Catholic Academy in Brooklyn, it was a "great life," he explained in a letter written a few weeks before he committed suicide on Thursday. The 13-year-old Staten Island boy wrote that things later spiraled downward due to incessant bullying at the hands of five classmates. He went to his teachers and "begged and pleaded" but "they didn't do ANYTHING!" he writes, with the exception of one, but the reprieve "didn't last long." His 17-year-old sister found Daniel with a belt around his neck in the attic, and his parents tell the New York Daily News their son wrote the letter about a month ago so someone would be "held accountable."

The parents say the bullying is what caused their son's grades to slide from passing to failing, which resulted in a recommendation that he repeat 7th grade; he was set to do so at another school this fall. "My son shouldnt have to die to be heard," says mom Maureen Fitzpatrick. "There's something wrong with the adults in authority positions when kids can't go to them for help." A rep from the Brooklyn Archdiocese tells SILive.com that the staff is "heartbroken" over the death but feels it helped Daniel the best it could; Daniel saw the school's guidance counselor regularly, she adds. A GoFundMe campaign set up to raise $10,000 for Daniel's memorial has raised $77,000 as of this writing. SILive.com reports Daniel's suicide was one of three in Staten Island last week. (A 12-year-old whose family says he was bullied killed himself in March.)
(Newser)  Robert and Gwen Arceneaux endured a sleepless night Sunday after noticing floodwater creeping into their homein a neighborhood that had never seen water before. They gathered up their dogs and a few bags of belongings and fled out the back door, wading through waist-deep water to a passing National Guard truck. Now safe at a shelter, their worries aren't over, as they try to get medication for Robert, who suffers from lung cancer. Across southern Louisiana Sunday, residents scrambled to get to safety as rivers and creeks burst their banks, swollen from days of heavy rain that in some areas came close to two feet over a 48-hour period. The low pressure system that wreaked such havoc moved into Texas, but the National Weather Service warned that there's still danger of fresh floods, as swollen rivers drain toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday morning that at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far. Three people have been reported dead and one person is unaccounted for. A rep for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness says the flooding has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 homes in Livingston Parish, and hundreds more in other areas, including St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes. Gov. Edwards declared a state of emergency Saturday, 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, reports the AP. (Read more Louisiana stories.)
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Chennai:

A minor fire has been reported at the domestic departure airport in Chennai, no casualties have been reported so far.



Short circuit in an exhaust fan is suspected to be the reason behind fire, airport officials said. Firefighters instantly came into action and doused the fire.



No human has been injured in the incident, they said.

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OSAGE  The Mitchell County Board of Supervisors has tabled the sale of the countys annex building.

At a meeting earlier this month, the supervisors declined resident Russ Brandaus offer to purchase the building for $1.

Supervisor Joel Voeklander said Brandau had not come to the board with his business plan, making it hard to accept the transfer of the building for that price.

I know what Ive got to do, Brandau said. I dont think its the duty of the county, as the seller, to know what someone wants to do with the property.

County Attorney Mark Walk said the county both was allowed and not allowed to know what should happen to the property.

In St. Ansgar, the county added stipulations in the sale of a building to the highest bidder. In Osage, the annex building has not received much interest.

Walk said Brandau agreed to put a new roof on the building within six months.

Thats going to be $20,000 to $30,000, Walk said. Is that going to make everybody happy?

Voeklander asked if adding a roof to the building could be done before the deed was transferred.

Im not going to put a roof on until it is my property, Brandau said.

Brandau said he did not feel comfortable sharing the plan for fear of the idea being stolen.

Supervisor Stan Walk said the building is in bad shape, which is why it hasnt received interest.

I think even though we lose money on it, we move for demolition, Stan Walk said.

The cost of demolition is approximately $40,000.

Brandau said it wasnt good use of taxpayer money to tear down the building when there was an offer in front of the board.
Patna:

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.



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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New Delhi:

Customers of state-run BSNL will be able to make free unlimited calls on any mobile or landline number in the country on Sundays from August 21.



Unlimited free calling from BSNL landline to any networks mobile and landline on all Sundays on pan India basis w.e.f. 15th August, 2016, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said in his tweet.



According to official sources, details of the unlimited free calling plan will be released on August 15.



BSNL commands around 57 per cent market share with 14.35 million customers.



At present, it offers unlimited night calling on any network in the country between 9 pm to 7 am as complimentary service for all its customers.



BSNL landline connection plan starts at a monthly rental of Rs 120 per month which includes 120 free minutes of call within BSNL network during a month.



Private operator Airtel offers free unlimited calling from landline to any network in the country throughout the day at extra monthly fee of about Rs 100 per month.
Joplin:

A random shooting has injured five people, including three members of a Joplin church who were starting a trip to St Louis, police said.



A 26-year-old suspect was taken into custody and was being held but has not been formally charged, The Joplin Globe reported.



This came out of the blue, and all of a sudden people were shot and going to the hospital, said Jason Glaskey, director of Christian education at Immanuel Lutheran Church, where three of the injured people take part in the churchs Comfort Dog ministry.



Glaskey said two dogs were in the van and injured, but that no one else in the van was injured.



Police Capt Bob Higginbotham told AP Radio that there was no apparent motive for the shootings, which began after the suspects father called police to report the suspect was firing rounds at their home.



Officers went to the home, and then began pursuing a suspect vehicle. Police said the driver of that vehicle fired shots at the church van, which was stopped at a traffic light.



Two people in the van were taken to a hospital, with one in critical condition and the other in serious but stable condition. One was released.



Also, two comfort dogs, which provide assistance to people, were injured, Glaskey told the newspaper. One was released, and one was still getting medical care yesterday afternoon.



Police said the suspect then shot at a pickup truck, injuring two adults. The driver is hospitalized, and the passenger was released, according to police.



As rounds were being fired, they (police) continued to stay with that suspect, continued to pursue that suspect even though they knew the suspect was actively firing his weapon, Police Chief Matt Stewart said at a news conference.



The man surrendered and was arrested at 5:22 am, police said.



We are very grateful that these victims do not appear to have life-threatening wounds because of this act, Mayor Mike Seibert said.



Glaskey said he did not think anyone at the church knew the suspect, adding: It was random.



Church member Vicki Eby was in the van with her husband, Kenneth, who was driving. She told KOAM-TV they heard three pops go off.



It was so dark, we didnt know what was happening, she said.



One of the bullets hit her husbands lung, she said, adding that hes in critical condition.



If they hadnt of gotten him to the hospital when they did, he wouldnt be here, she said. They said that his chances were very, very slim. I was in shock. I just asked if they were going to fix him.

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New Delhi :

The Supreme Court has awarded a compensation ranging from Rs one lakh to Rs two lakh to three members of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party who were beaten up by state police during a demonstration in 2007.



A bench of justices A K Sikri and R K Agrawal awarded a compensation of Rs two lakh to Anita Thakur, a general secretary of the party, and Rs one lakh each to JKNPPs secretary and a senior journalist, who was also its member, saying their fundamental rights had been violated due to the police excess.



The bench noted in its judgement that initially it was the protestors who had taken law into their hands during the protest which began peacefully but turned violent.



On the other hand, even the police personnel continued the use of force beyond limits after they had controlled the mob. In the process, they continued their lathi charge. They continued to beat up all the three petitioners even after overpowering them. They had virtually apprehended these petitioners making them immobile, it said.



However, their attack on these petitioners continued even thereafter when it was not at all needed. As far as injuries suffered by these petitioners are concerned, such a situation could clearly be avoided. It is apparent that to that extent, respondents misused their power. To that extent, fundamental right of the petitioners, due to police excess, has been violated, the bench said.



The three petitioners had told the apex court that they had planned to take out a peaceful protest march up to Delhi for ventilating their grievances and, when they reached near Katra, they were assaulted by Jammu and Kashmir Police on August 7,2007.



According to the petitioners, the march up to Delhi was for highlighting the grievances of Jammu migrants, who were forced to leave their homes between 1996 and 1999 due to the terrorist attacks.



They said they reached Katra to speak with the authorities concerned regarding the plight of the migrants and had a discussion with the officials about the peaceful march.



The petitioners alleged that after the march resumed, around 500 policemen blocked the bridge, which migrants were about to cross, and attacked them with lathis and lobbed teargas shells.



They said when they approached the police and asked them to stop the attack, they were beaten up.

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New Delhi:

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, on Sunday, called upon international community to ensure implementation of the relevant UN resolutions to settle the long-standing Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

Speaking at the celebrations of the 70th Independence Day in Pakistani High Commission in Delhi, Basit said that he dedicates the Jash-e-Azadi to freedom struggle of Kashmiris.

The High Commissioner stressed that the political aspiration of the people of Jammu and Kashmir could not be suppressed, nor could anyone belittle or wish away their legitimate struggle and enormous sacrifices. It was incumbent upon the international community to ensure implementation of the relevant UN resolutions to settle the long-standing Jammu & Kashmir dispute, said the official press statement from the commission.

According to press brief, the High Commissioner said, Pakistan will continue extending its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu & Kashmir till they get their right to self-determination.

On Pakistan and India relations, Basit said that Pakistan had always desired and endeavoured to have cooperative relations with India on the basis of sovereign equality and peaceful resolution of the bilateral disputes.

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New Delhi :

Bereft of bridge connectivity, students of a far-flung village in Kendrapara district are forced to wade through waist-deep water in a crocodile-infested creek to reach their school every day.



Its a dangerous journey for the children of Burudia village under Rajkanika tehsil as threat of crocodile pouncing upon them is quite imminent.



The village does not have a school, with the nearest one located at Tarasa village, more than a kilometre from Burudia.



To reach the school, children wade through the creek that separates the two villages.



The creek is a narrow one and it spills during rainy season. The creek is also regarded as a habitation corridor of salt-water crocodiles. As there is no school in our village, we are forced to send children to the school in the neighbouring village. Children traverse through the river barrier to attend classroom teaching.However guardians and parents accompany them to ensure their safety, said a local, Ram Chandra Mohanty.



Parents prefer safety of their wards and stop them from going to school when the tides are high and the creek cannot be crossed, civil society group member, Subhransu Sutar, said.



Sarpanch of Tarasa gram panchayat, Sanjukta Nayak, said a proposal for construction of a mini-bridge over the creek has been approved at the panchayat body meeting and financial allocation is awaited for the construction work to resume.



Construction of bridge is being taken up on a priority basis. Children are subjected to great hardship as they are made to wade through the water-body. We are concerned about their safety. Till the permanent structure comes up, a temporary bamboo bridge is being built very shortly, Block Development Officer, Rajkanika, Prasant Kumar Rout, said.



Children trek over a virtual death trap as there is possibility of crocodiles straying into water-body from Kharasrota river.



We pray to God for childrens safety as they leave for school. We are left with no other option. It is becoming a risky ritual to wade through croc-infested creek, rued a guardian, Premanand Sahu.

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Srinagar:

Curfew was today extended to several places in Kashmir in view of the separatists' call for a march to the heart of the city even as restrictions on the movement of people were in force in rest of the Valley.

"Curfew remained in force in entire Srinagar district and Anantnag town but was extended to several other places as a precautionary measure in view of the call for march to Lal Chowk by certain elements," a police official said. He said curfew was imposed in Ganderbal town, Awantipora, Tral, Pampore, Baramulla town, Sopore town, Bandipora town, Kaloosa, Papchan and Ajar areas of the Valley.

"Curfew was also imposed in Wargam area of Beerwah in Budgam district following yesterday's sectarian clashes," he added. Despite curfew, separatists elements managed to hoist Pakistan flags in many localities across Kashmir to mark the Independence Day of the neighbouring country, he said adding security forces pulled down the flags as soon as they were noticed.

Authorities suspended Internet and mobile services across the Valley yesterday as part of the security drill ahead of the Independence Day celebrations tomorrow. While broadband services were snapped yesterday evening, the mobile telephony was suspended late last night, the official said.

"Only BSNL postpaid mobiles are working while broadband services are available only at Lal Chowk, Sonawar and Bemina telephone exchanges," he added. Normal life remained paralysed for the 37th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8.

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 yesterday and today. As many as 56 persons including two policemen have been killed and several thousand others have been injured in the clashes that began on July 9.

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Geneva:

Swiss train on Sunday was set on fire by a knifeman and stabbed six passengers. According to policesix people including a six-year-old child was injured.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.

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New Delhi:

The 92-year-old practice of presenting a separate Rail Budget is set to come to an end from the next fiscal, with the Finance Ministry accepting Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's proposal to merge it with the General Budget.

According to railways, the Finance Ministry has now constituted a five-member committee comprising senior officials of the Ministry and the national transporter to work out the modalities for the merger. The committee has been asked to submit its report by August 31.

"I had written to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for merger of the Rail Budget with General Budget. This will be in the Railway's interest and also in the nation's interest. We are working out the modalities," Prabhu told PTI.

The public sector behemoth has to bear an additional burden of about Rs 40,000 crore on account of implementation of the 7th Pay Commission awards, besides an annual outgo of Rs 32,000 crore on subsidies.

Besides, the delay in completion of projects resulted in cost overrun of Rs 1.07 lakh crore and huge throw-forward of Rs 1.86 lakh crore in respect of 442 ongoing rail projects.

If the merger happens, Indian Railway will get rid of the annual dividend it has to pay for gross budgetary support from the government every year.

According to a senior Railway official, the move to discard the age-old practice of a separate Rail Budget is part of Modi government's reform agenda.

With the merger, the issue of raising passenger fares, an unpopular decision, will be the Finance Minister's call.

Prabhu had also told Rajya Sabha on August 9 that he has asked the Finance Minister to merge the Railway Budget with General Budget in the long-term interest of national transporter as well as the country's economy.

All-India Railwaymen's Federation General Secretary Gopal Mishra said Railway Ministry's autonomy will be lost in the merger. "But we have to see in what form the merger will happen," he said.

The merger move is significant as it is expected to have political implications.

It has been seen that almost every Railway Minister, particularly in coalition governments, has addressed his constituencies by doling out favours by way of new trains and projects.

The keenly sought after Railway Ministry is likely to lose much of its sheen if merger happens.

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New Delhi:

Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in the country, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, on the eve of Independence day.

Top brass of the security establishment briefed him on the prevailing situation in the country and the steps taken to foil any attempt by terrorists and other elements to disturb peace, official sources said.

The meeting specially reviewed the security scenario in Kashmir Valley, which has been witnessing unrest after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani.

There were intelligence inputs earlier that militants might try to attack security forces in the run up to the Independence Day in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.

Situation in the national capital was also reviewed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the country tomorrow from the ramparts of the Red Fort, where a galaxy of leaders, top civil, defence, police officials, school children and civilians will be present.

Those who attended the meeting includes National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, chiefs of intelligence agencies besides others.

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Paul E. Dahle

LAKE MILLS  Paul E. Dahle, age 87, of Lake Mills, died Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016, at Walnut Creek Senior Living Care Facility in Walnut Creek, California.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, at Lime Creek Evangelical Lutheran Church, rural Lake Mills, with the Rev. Dan Basel officiating.

Burial will take place in the Lime Creek Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery with military honors conducted by the American Legion Louis/Tveite Post No. 317 of Emmons, Minnesota.

Visitation will be Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 E. Main Street, Lake Mills, and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.

You can contact the family with online condolences at www.mittelstadtfuneralhome.com. 641-592-0221.
New Delhi:

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be given a warm welcom by Pakistan at the SAARC ministerial conference later this month. According to reports it has been said that Pakistam has decided to play a "good host" and will avoid repetition of the tense atmosphere that prevailed during Home Minister Rajnath Singh's recent visit.



Jaitley is likely to attend the SAARC Finance Ministers' Conference to be hosted in Islamabad on August 25 and 26 and there are chances of "gracious handshakes" between Pakistan finance minister Ishaq Dar and his Indian counterpart, finance ministry officials said.

The government has finalised arrangements for the upcoming SAARC meet, a finance ministry statement said, adding that Dar chaired a meeting to review arrangements for the conference. Pakistan would play the role of a "good host" and try to keep the overall ambiance positive, the statement added.

The ministerial conference comes in the shadow of home minister Singh's visit to Islamabad earlier this month where barbs were exchanged between Singh and Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who only had a tense and uneasy handshake during the SAARC meeting.

The duo exchanged repartee over issues of terrorism and violence in Kashmir. "The hostilities were at peak during the Home Ministers' Conference and Dar does not wish a repetition," finance ministry officials were quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. They further said that all regional countries except Bangladesh have confirmed participation of their finance ministers.

"Bangladesh has so far only confirmed the participation of its deputy finance minister. Dar will personally call his Bangladeshi counterpart and urge him to attend the conference," they added.

However, the Ministry of Finance did not comment on whether a bilateral meeting would be held between the finance ministers of India and Pakistan. The meetings are taking place ahead of the SAARC Summit to be held in November in Islamabad wherein Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to participate.

"All SAARC countries have a lot of potential to develop together utilising each other's potentials and energies. The cooperation is necessary in promoting the welfare and improving the quality of life of the people of the region," said Dar. "The upcoming conference is an important event in this regard," he added.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation. Its member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

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New Delhi:

Reacting strongly to Pakistans provocative comments on Kashmir MEA spokesperson Vikas Swaroop today said that India has already received enough of Paks trademark exports- international terrorism, cross border infiltrators, weapons & narcotics.

Earlier today, Pakistan's High Commissioner in Delhi Abdul Basit made a series of provocative comments about what he called the independence of Kashmir.

A communication was apparently delivered to our High Commission in Islamabad on Aug 12.  We completely and categorically reject this purported communication from the Pak foreign Ministry, Swaroop added.

PM Modi on Friday said that relevant issues will be discussed with Pakistan like support for cross-border terrorism, inciting violence in Kashmir and allowing terrorists like Hafiz Saeed on its soil. He also said that POK is also another issue India would like to discuss.

Pakistan has been quite active in making this series of provocative comments since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in Kashmir.

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New Delhi:

Havildar Hangpan Dada has been bestowed with Ashok Chakra, the country's highest peace-time army award. He killed four intruding terrorists before laying down his life at a height of 13,000 feet in the harsh and icy Himalayan. 36-year-old Dada was honoured posthumously with the government announcing the award today on the eve of 70th Independence Day.

Dada, who laid down his life for the country on May 27 this year, valiantly fought at the treacherous Shamsabari range in North Kashmir eliminating four heavily-armed terrorists who had infiltrated into North Kashmir from Pak-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Hailing from Boduria village in far-flung Arunachal Pradesh, the Havildar, who was popularly known as 'Dada' among his team, was posted at the high mountain range since late last year.

Enrolled in the Assam Regiment of the Army in 1997, Dada was posted with the 35 Rashtriya Rifles, a force carved out for counter-insurgency operations. In the last week of May, he along with his team spotted the movement of terrorists in the area and lost no time in engaging them in a fierce encounter that went on for over 24 hours.

Taking the enemy head-on, Dada charged at the spot where terrorists were holed up and killed two terrorists on the spot and later the third one after a hand-to-hand scuffle as they slid down the hill towards the Line of Control. A fourth terrorist was also killed by him. Dada was badly injured in the encounter as the terrorists who crossed over from PoK had a slight height advantage.

He displayed raw courage, unflinching grit, presence of mind and with utter disregard to his personal safety and despite bleeding profusely, discharged his duties and made supreme sacrifice for the nation. The presence of mind of Dada, who is survived by his wife Chasen Lowang, 10-year-old daughter Roukhin and six-year-old son Senwang, saved the lives of his team members who came under heavy fire from the terrorists.

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New Delhi:

After Sania Nehwal's shoking exit from the Rio, She said she could not give her best because of an inflammation in her right knee as it was hampering her on-courte movment.

World No 5 lost her s econd group league encounter 18-21, 19-21 to World No 61 Ukraine's Maria Ulitina to crash out of the competition. "I had a knee pain and could not give my best.

It was heavily strapped, and I tried my best. My movements were not smooth and were painful. It's heartbreaking loss. I also feel very bad about it," Saina said. The injury according to her happened during training before the Olympics and it got worse during the match. "It happened just before the Olympics about one and half weeks back.

It happened during training and got aggravated after coming here," she said. Saina agreed that she was not able to move well but credited her opponent for playing well. "She played better but I was not able to move on the court. I tried for improvement but was not successful."
New Delhi:

Lt Col Niranjan E K, head of NSGs bomb disposal unit who was killed while sanitising a terrorists body during the Pathankot air base terror attack in January, has been honoured with the Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry medal of the country, on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.

Niranjan, an officer of the Armys Corps of Engineer, was part of the special NSG commandos unit that was rushed to the IAF base in Punjab after four terrorists entered the high-security military facility on the intervening night of January 1-2.

NSG had said it lost the experienced and brilliant counter-IED officer to a deadly booby trap as the terrorists had used an innovative technique whose antidote was not included in the Standard Operating Procedure of the black cat commandos force.

Niranjans lungs got punctured due to the impact of the blast of a grenade that was kept in the pocket of a slain terrorist and the officer died before being taken to hospital.

NSG Director General R C Tayal, had maintained that Niranjan, an experienced and highly trained Commanding Officer of the Bomb Disposal and Detection Unit, had followed all laid down SOPs while sanitising the bodies of the four terrorists, killed in the attack on IAF base on January 3.

Niranjan was probably the only officer who had a wide-range of experience in conducting back-to-back anti-sabotage and sanitisation checks on live bombs, including defusing IEDs found in Patna and Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Bangalore and Burdwan in West Bengal.

The DG had said a grenade that took the FBI-trained officers life was concealed very cleverly by the terrorists. The brave officer had sanitised two bodies and was working on the third when the fatal blast claimed his life.

The Pathankot attack claimed the lives of seven security personnel while four terrorists were killed by NSG and other security personnel.

While the NSG has maintained six terrorists were involved in the attack, including two in the airmen billet which they brought down using heavy explosives, according to the NIA, it so far has proof of presence of only four militants whose bodies were later recovered.

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Silly me.

A few years ago, I was walking through Southbridge Mall when I ran into Tom Jolas, former mayor, former deputy director of the state economic development department and longtime Mason City businessman.

As we walked and chatted, someone sitting in the food court area shouted, Hey, Jolas  nice mall you stuck us with!

We both ignored the comment and went about our way, but the incident has always stuck with me. The guy doing the yelling was referring to the mall deal of 30 years ago in which many people were involved.

But no matter that three decades had passed. Mason City often displays itself as a city of grudges. Even when things go right, officials have hell to pay from those who cant bring themselves to take the high road.

A businessman whose opinion I respect says, North Iowans can put up with a lot of things, but success isnt one of them.

But this grudge thing is something we need to work on. I have been around long enough to have covered six mayors and about 50 City Council members, all of whom have acted in what they thought was the best interests of the city.

And people today who criticize decisions made in the past have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight coupled with a lack of knowledge of what all the circumstances were when those past decisions were made.

All of us should be excited about the number of citizens who have expressed interest in running for the open seat on the City Council. Six people had either filed or said they were going to file as of Friday afternoon.

In what has been a tough year for the community for a variety of reasons, there is no better way of moving on than to have so many people running for office with the hope of helping the city move on.

So far, Paul Adams, Jeff Christie, Jacob Krueger, Joshua Masson, Andy OBrien and Max Weaver have announced their candidacies  and there is plenty of time for others to get involved. The filing deadline is Aug. 26 for the Sept. 20 election.

Heres hoping the grudge factor doesnt find its way into this election.

While obviously, none of the people running are current City Council members, the council vote on the Prestage Farms pork processing plant looms as a potential issue for some voters.

Social media has been awash with efforts by some to learn how the candidates would have voted on Prestage, using that as a gauge as to whether to vote for or against a candidate.

The Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, the Des Moines-based environmental advocacy group, which was active in rallying people against Prestage, has expressed interest in our city elections.

The question for Mason City voters becomes: At what point is Prestage history? Does the knowledge of how someone would have voted on Prestage give any fair indication as to how they would serve in helping the city move forward?

In other words, what is more important to the voters, the past or the future?

The irony in all of this, of course, is that with respect to the Prestage vote, it is the victors, on social media, who seem to be the ones holding the grudge.

Silly me.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Aug. 14, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Family Vision Associates is reminding parents about the crucial nature of the early years of life when it comes to children's eye health and vision. Healthy eyes and optimal vision are foundational to their experience in school and in all areas of life.

Ensuring that each child receives a regular pediatric eye exam before returning to school is essential. Family Vision Associates is currently offering a back to school promotion for 25% off all eye exams along with free single vision lenses with the purchase of eyeglass frames. Their services also include contact lenses for children to help ensure optimal vision correction that will fit each childs specific needs.

Eye and vision health affect a childs ability to learn, develop coordination, explore and feel safe in the world. Eye development, as well as vision and brain development, occurs together. If one component is affected, the ability to focus and develop hand-eye coordination can be impaired.

If there are issues such as refractive abnormalities, visual coordination problems or any type of improper eye functioning, the childs rate of development may be reduced. As a result, some children are even erroneously diagnosed as learning disabled. That's why childrens eye exams and pediatric eye exams are so important, especially during childhood and the student years.

A pediatric eye exam can identify and treat issues in the areas of close vision, distance, peripheral vision, focusing skills, hand-eye coordination. Farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism can be treated with corrective lenses such as glasses or contact lenses.

High quality designer frames are also available. Family Vision Associates carries the Miraflex brand of designer eyewear, which is specially made for children. The Miraflexs line of signature glasses have high-quality Italian construction without the use of metal parts. This makes them safer for children as well as flexible and durable. Miraflex glasses are latex-free, BPA Free and hypo-allergenic.

Dr. John P. Allen, O.D. explains, At Family Vision Associates, we care deeply about the vision health and development of our youngest clients. Healthy eyes and clear vision can set the stage for success during the school years and later in life. We encourage all parents to bring their children in for an annual back to school eye exam or pediatric eye exam.

Family Vision Associates is located at 5431 Everhart Road in Corpus Christi, Texas. Students and parents of students in the area who would like to receive more information about back to school eye exams or who wish to book an appointment may do so by calling (361) 854-1833. Additional information about this Corpus Christi optometrist is available on their website at http://familyvisionassociatescc.com/.
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DANBURY  Hundreds of music lovers rocked out at the Rendezvous Music Festival on Sunday afternoon at Ives Concert Park to support a Hamden organization that provides musical instruments for students.

The concert featured Reddings and Westports Pampalibros, YouTube hip-hop artist Felly, Boston reggae-rock group Spiritual Rez, the Massachusetts band Primate Fiasco, the Connecticut rock and roll funk trio Bobby Paltauf Band, and more.

The festival was the largest of the seven fundraisers Rock Cottage Studio in Ridgefield has held for Horns for Kids, a nonprofit that collects used instruments from across the country, fixes them and donates them to Connecticut schools in need.

Andrew Schur, a Redding 16-year-old, one of the managers of Rock Cottage Studio and the guitarist for Pampalibros, organized the event.

The whole idea for the festival is to promote musical awareness and musical availability, he said.

Schur and his bandmate Drew Sennett started Rock Cottage Studio last summer after they saw how expensive it was to record their album for Pampalibros. The studio provides an affordable place for young people to record music.

Nancy Schur, Andrews mother, said it is her sons and his bandmates passion and motivation that made Rock Cottage Studio and the festival possible.

I just feel very happy, she said. Happy that they actually have a passion, that theyve been pursuing it to such a level (that) theyve gotten to a point where they can really take it to a level thats going to change something. The fact that theyre doing this for charity, the fact that theyre maybe inspiring other musicians.

All of the festival artists started as kids or in college and, Andrew said, were fortunate enough to have access to instruments.

If they hadnt had access to that then maybe we wouldnt have Felly or Pampalibros or Bobby (Paltauf,) he said.

Thus, the festival connected well with Horns for Kids mission.

What were trying to do is make sure that as many people as possible can at least try music so maybe they can see it as a viable career option, Schur said.

Fred Rossomando and Lee Walkup started Horns for Kids in 2003 because, as former music teachers from Wallingford and Shelton public schools, they saw how frustrating it is when students want to play an instrument, but cannot afford one.

The group believes everyone deserves the opportunity to play an instrument to realize their musical potential, Rossomando said. He used the example of one North Haven student who received a trombone from the organization about 10 years ago. He fell in love with playing and went on to study music at UConn.

Why? Rossomando asked. Because we gave him a trombone.

Depending on the type, an instrument can cost hundreds or even more than $1,000, so many families rent, Rossomando said. But rental rates go up after a few months, meaning families can no longer afford it.

So the kid has to turn the instrument back in, Rossomando said. Now he doesnt have something to play. Meanwhile, that kid is the best one in the band and the music teachers are frustrated.

This is where Horns for Kids comes in. Teachers fill out an application to receive instruments from the organization for their students. The organization does not have enough instruments to give to every applicant, but determines who should get what based on need and which schools have not received a donation in a while.

If I had 100 instruments going out this October they would all go, Rossomando said. Because there is such a demand for instruments for kids, mostly of course because of expense. Theyre not cheap, theyre not Fisher Price toys.

Since its inception, Horns for Kids has donated about 1,100 instruments at a value of around $400,000 to about 400 schools in the state, Rossomando said.

Our goal is to help as many kids as possible with mechanically sound instruments, he said. Thats our biggest thing, we never hand out an instrument that doesnt play....The most frustrating thing is to give out an instrument that doesnt play because the kid will think its his fault and hell quit and if he quits he may never go back.

About 65 percent of Horns for Kids money goes toward fixing up instruments, while the rest goes to buying instruments. Almost every instrument needs at least $50 to $100 in repairs.

Rossomando said one needs tissues when the teachers come to pick up their instruments.

The stories, oh my God, they tug at your heartstrings, he said. And it makes us feel so good that the very next day some kid is going to be playing this trombone.
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FARIFIELD  While the protest was dubbed Love Trumps Hate, the opposition rally ahead of Donald Trumps Saturday night involved its fair share of animosity.

Connecticut residents planning to vote for Hillary Clinton questioned the Republican nominees mental heath. They compared his policies to fascism. Adolf Hitler was mentioned.

State Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, spoke to the crowd of around 60 people and told them that even his Republican colleagues are refusing to stump for Trump. He called the candidate dangerous.

(Trump) is a threat to the national security of the U.S. He (would) put people at risk, Tong said, with sweat on his brow. We still dont know his economic plan.

Activists with Hillary for President, the Brady Campaign and others organized the protest, defying a 103-degree heat index on the shady side of the Sacred Heart University campus at the corner of Park Avenue and Jefferson Street.

It turned out Trump supporters were sweating as well.

Lack of air conditioning in the William Pitt Center at Sacred Heart University caused some to leave, and a few to pass out.

When Trump supporters walked by, no one spoke on either side, as if they were on different planets.

One car, a Jeep filled with college-age men, heckled an anti-Trump sign-holder, with a chant: Donald Trump, Donald Trump.

At the street corner outside, mud was slung.

One person at the rally compared Trumps vocabulary and speech pattern to that of a brain trauma victim.

Thirty years of working in the psych field and I can identify crazy when I see it, said Dominic Cotton, 48, an independent. People dont know what I am (Democrat or Republican) but this year Im definitely not voting for Donald Trump.

Around a dozen people wore Hillary Clinton campaign gear along with their anti-Trump signs. Many of the placards accused Trump of xenophobia, racism and sexism while staking out support for gun control, LGBT rights and Clintons immigration policy.

On sign opposed both candidates.

Dump Trump and Hillary, read the handmade sign held by two supporters of the Green Party, whose presidential candidate, Jill Stein, is trying to get at least 5 percent of the national vote in November.

Im really supportive of the Green Party because I think they have the right thing in mind (on) climate, war and poverty, said one of the signs holders, Brittany Groat, 24, of Fairfield, a Democrat who voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary. I think both of these candidates are really evil ... vote your conscious.
ATLANTA, Aug. 14, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chiropractic treatment, tips and effective backpack safety can reduce the potential for back pain in developing children, reports Century Center Chiropractic. Children and teenagers benefit from chiropractic treatments to rebalance the spinal column as they grow and implement tips to reduce excessive pressure on the spine and attached structures from heavy backpacks. Dr. Jared Simon, chiropractor at Century Center Chiropractic, helps students maintain their spinal health with regular chiropractic adjustments that improve both posture and focus. Children and youth benefit from regular chiropractic treatments and improvements in biomechanical function for optimal development.



The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) found a disturbing trend. Back pain in young children is occurring earlier than in previous generations. It was also found that overweight backpacks contribute to this problem. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shared the finding that in 2014 alone, 3,203 school-age children went to the emergency room due to backpack-related injuries. Preliminary reports from France show a direct relationship between the length of time children wear backpacks to the length of time necessary for deformity or curvature of the spine to correct itself naturally. Children in Italian studies showed that 60 percent of participating children using heavy backpacks experienced resulting back pain. Legislation is underway in California and New Jersey to limit backpack weight to 10 percent or less of the body weight of a child and strongly recommend backpacks designed to be ergonomically correct.

Suggestions to parents include limiting backpack weight to less than 10 percent of a childs body weight, hanging backpacks no more than four inches past the waistline, and wearing both shoulder straps to equally distribute weight. Rollerpacks are an option for some; however the ACA recommends limited use. There are school districts that ban the backpacks on wheels due to the safety hazard they present by cluttering hallways and classrooms.

Chiropractic care is useful for children and teenagers using backpacks, said Dr. Simon. As an experienced chiropractor, I have noticed more children come in for chiropractic care due to back pain from overweight and unbalanced backpack use. I educate children and families on how to reduce pressure on the spinal column from backpack use and what exercises to perform as part of a comprehensive program to strengthen the back and improve spinal alignment and posture.

Dr. Jared Simon, an Atlanta chiropractor at Century Center Chiropractic, serves residents of the Atlanta metro area, Buckhead, Decatur, Chamblee, Brookhaven and Tucker for more than 20 years. Their staff offers a holistic approach for optimal results. Services include spinal and joint manipulation, hydro massage therapy, physical therapy, physiologic exercises and motion palpitation.

Call (404) 634-1669 to learn how chiropractic and education can benefit children as they return back to school or visit http://centurycenterchiro.com/ for details on their promotion for new patients.

https://www.bu.edu/today/2015/backpack-safety-101/
The U.S. Armys top technology official, Mary Miller, described her pursuit of a future force that includes high-powered lasers, self sustaining combat outposts, and autonomous deep learning machines.

US Army leadership showed support for the hoverbike program by displaying it at the services official booth. Called the tactical reconnaissance vehicle by the Army Research Laboratory, service officials see it serving a host of missions, including resupply, attack and personnel transport.

The U.S. Army is working on a futuristic hoverbike that could carry one to two soldiers up to ten feet off the ground at speeds around 60 miles per hour over land and water.

The Army Research Laboratory signed a contract nine months ago with SURVICE Engineering and Malloy Aeronautics to develop a hoverbike prototype for the Army to test in three to five years. SURVICE is based in Maryland and Malloy is based in Britain.

The two companies will first develop a commercial version of the hoverbike that can carry about 250 pounds and cost about $80,000 before the companies produce a military variant, said Mark Butkiewicz, SURVICE Engineerings manager of applied technology. He explained that the Army would like the bike to carry about 400 to 800 pounds to allow soldiers to pack their weapons and equipment on board.

The Army said the hoverbike doesnt necessarily need a soldier on board to steer as Timothy Vong, the project coordinator for the Army Research Laboratory, explained that the service wants the companies to develop manned and unmanned capabilities.

Butkiewicz compared the commercial and the military variants of the hoverbike to the differences between the Humvee and its commercial version, the Hummer. He didnt want to give many more details of the requirements and details of the contract signed with the Army.

In 2015 the hoverbike had a 1,170 cc four-stroke engine in a carbon fiber frame. It supports nearly 600 pounds of weight, which means both soldiers and their heavy gear could go for a spin.

Malloy Aeronautics is working on the hooverbike. Malloy has teamed up with SURVICE which has 400 employees. SURVICE is a specialty engineering firm that has been providing R and D support for the U.S. Department of Defense and other industry sectors for more than 30 years.

Quiet Motorcycle engine could be adapted to hoverbike

DARPA has several stealth motorcyble engines. They feature cutting-edge hybrid multi-fuel engines that can burn a variety of combustibles like JP-8, Jet A-1, gasoline, propane, etc.. When not operating in quiet mode, both are as loud as a garbage disposal, roughly 80 decibels. When operating in quiet mode, both rely on a lithium-ion electric battery, which keeps the noise down to around 55 decibels, about as loud as an indoor conversation.

The Silent Hawk motorcycles electric system is from Alta Motors. They have purpose built this battery pack to be of higher density  They have an active cooling system in it that insures that even if there is a cell failure that one cell will fail with no explosion.

The Military is also funding the liquid piston engine which is three to ten times smaller and lighter for the same power. LiquidPiston built a functioning engine and has demonstrated it powering a Go-kart. Shkolnik says the engine could see its first practical application, in a drone, within a few years. The liquid piston engine weighed 4 pounds and replaced a 40 pound engine.

Ultimately, the LiquiPiston engine will power exoskeletons, robots, drones, boats, electric cars, and generators. A typical 30 kilowatt-hour generator weighs 1,000 pounds or more, with military versions are closer to 3,000 pounds. Shkolnik says LiquidPistons engine could generate that kind of power in a unit that weighs less than 400.

More power and lighter weight could boost the military hoverbike performance to 100-200 mph. The hoverbike could have stealth mode engines or brief operations using high density batteries to allow stealth approach.

The go-karts conventional piston engine is on the left, the LiquidPiston rotary alternative is on the right

IEEE Spectrum interviewed Shkolnik

Many people immediately try to sell improved engines to the automotive and truck market, and I cant blame them, its a $300 billion market, Shkolnik says. But to bring a new engine to life in the automotive world takes at least seven years and costs, quite literally, $500 millionand thats for a piston engine, where the risk is low.

So hes looking first at markets that have an urgent need for very compact engineshand-held power tools, cargo-carrying drones for the likes of Amazon and FedEx, and most interestingly, range extenders for cars.

We have the concept of a 30-kilowatt engine operating on diesel, 30 lbs, in a 10 by 8 inch box, Shkolnik says. It could be part of an e-vehicle for masses, giving you the range youre accustomed to300 miles instead of 30and rapid refueling.
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Children should start receiving eye exams at six months and have their next exam at three years of age. Children should have additional eye exams before beginning elementary school and risk-free children need to be scheduled for eye exams every other year after starting school. Children with glasses or with vision issues need annual eye exams. An eye doctor will help correct vision problems in a child with the use of glasses or contact lenses when appropriate.

Regular eye exams are necessary for children with or without vision issues, said Dr. H. Kenneth Kopolow. As we know, any vision problems that go unaddressed can potentially result in poorer academic performance and become an issue when children want to participate in sports. Our back to school eye exams evaluate the vision of children and our eye doctors offer corrective eyewear designed for children that can address issues of near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism. Our new location at the Tropicana adds additional convenience for patients to come in with their children for their back to school eye exam.

Dr. H. Kenneth Kopolow, Dr. Steve Girisgen and their team of optometrists offer vision services at Kopolow & Girisgen Doctors of Optometry to the residents of Las Vegas and Henderson. Their skilled team focuses on meeting the vision needs of patients using the latest technologies and effective vision care procedures. Services include comprehensive eye exams for adults and children, contact lens exam including hard to fit contacts, designer eye wear and computer vision syndrome treatment.

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Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, says an army of corrupt people want to gag President Muha...

Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, says an army of corrupt people want to gag President Muhammadu Buharis attempt at resuscitating the comatose economy which he inherited.In a piece titled: In defense of President Buhari, Shehu said some Nigerians have been unfair in their criticisms of the current administration.He said Buhari had succeeded in trouncing Boko Haram, describing it as a feat that the UK and US could not achieve.Shehu appealed to Nigerians have to be hopeful, saying things will get better.The last couple of weeks have witnessed the heaviest public criticism of the Muhammadu Buhari administration since he came to power after inflicting a heavy defeat on the Peoples Democratic Party and their candidate Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, he wrote.Much of it has been on account of the unresolved social and economic problems facing the country.Unfair criticism of the Buhari administration especially on account of escalating prices of foodstuff and the liberalization of the currency exchange needs to be challenged before it overshadows the commendable job the president has done in fighting terrorism as part of overall effort to secure the country, reducing corruption and yes, arresting the economic slide before it sinks the the nation.Everyone living in Nigeria knows that there is a major movement against corruption as part of the ongoing change. This war has forced the return to the treasury of billions of naira and millions of dollars stolen by past officials.On account of this war, government suspects that the biggest trigger of the opposition to the change agenda is the army of the corrupt. With the enormous resources at their disposal; money that is unearned, these forces are ready to throw in everything to gag the Buhari administration.Shehu said while some Nigerians have not appreciated the efforts of the president, the same cannot be said abroad.He accused the media of giving more attention to the negative aspect of the government.Wherever they go these days, in London, Dubai, Beijing, Washington, New York or Tokyo, Nigerians get the good feeling of being asked the question, how is President Muhammadu Buhari? he wrote.The lavish praise the president gets abroad and the wide public support he enjoys among the lower segment of the local population is, by contrast, given a short shrift in the local press, mainstream and online.At its lowest point, this unambiguous media rebuke has created a wave of sympathy for anyone with a view that runs counter to the presidents.Boko Haram terrorist leader, Shekau or the pipeline vandal from the Delta region is more likely to get newspaper front pages today than the Minister of Labour, Governor Emeka Ngige or the Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun talking about jobs creation in the economy.I dont say that media criticism is not reflective of the feeling of the citizens.President Buhari has himself on numerous occasions admitted that the change mantra has brought with it pain and suffering which he likened to the pains of labor. It is a passing phase.When they ask the question, is this the change we voted for, the critic forgets how far we have come from the scam-tainted years of the PDP rule.How many people have given a thought to the possibility of Nigeria doing something that the combined strength of Europe and America have failed to do?There are many today who take for granted the declared victory over the Boko Haram terrorists, forgetting the reign of the bomber who made it almost impossible for regular attendance in Churches and Mosques in many of our cities, including the Federal Capital City, Abuja.
Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos state, says he reserves the right to back whoever he likes to emerge as candidate of the All Progres...

Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos state, says he reserves the right to back whoever he likes to emerge as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Ondo state governorship election.A force to reckon with in Nigerian politics, Tinubu played a remarkable role in the emergence of Olusegun Mimiko, outgoing governor of Ondo.He is also known to have made major contributions towards the opposition party forming government at the center  the first time in Nigerias history.Reacting to an open letter by Tunji Abayomi, a lawyer and an APC aspirant in Ondo, Tinubu said Abayomi would not have attacked him if he had endorsed his ambition.The aspirant had described Tinubu as a man who frustrates the democratic aspirations of Nigerians through his dictatorial tendencies.Tinubu denied the allegation, saying he has always been a democrat and would remain one.You have been a friend and will continue to be. Thus, I can dispense with needless formality so that we can get to the crux of the issue. Your career is that of a lawyer and activist. I appreciate all that you have done in the pursuit of a more just and democratic Nigeria. However, your letter to me is an impetuous display unbecoming a man of your status and a man seeking the highest leadership position in his state. And as a lawyer you well know that one cannot seek equity without having done equity, Tinubu said in his own letter.In writing the letter, you appear to have been bitten by a bug that often blinds the objectivity of a man. You have been bitten by an ambition that you fear you shall not be able to realize. In your pursuit of office, you have sought my support and influence. When you sought that support, you thought it proper and democratic to do so. If I had signalled my support for you, I am sure that you would never have written this letter alleging that I was undermining the democratic will of the people. You would have been pleased with me, I suppose.You said I seek to deny your democratic right. It is you who seeks to grab mine. If not mistaken, I believe I am a member of the APC. I reserve the right to support any candidate I wish because no one has the right to take this away from me. What your letter is really saying is that if I dont support you I should keep my mouth shut.Tinubu advised Abayomi to channel the energy being used to fight an individual to fight for votes in the primary.He said if the aspirant ends up winning the ticket of the party, he would congratulate him and work for the progress of the party.Tinubu also denied the allegation that Abayomi convinced him to support President Muhammadu Buhari in the election, saying if the aspirant has such influence, how come he is struggling to get his own attention in Ondo.Instead of fighting me who is but one man with no vote, you should be fighting for votes and support, he said.I have participated in elections for decades for myself and others. Some have been won. Some lost. Never, however, have I asked a friend for support than condemn for giving the very support I sought of them to another person. To do so is not to stand on principle but on bruised pride.You complain of a purported meeting I had to discuss the coming primary in Ondo. Do you deny me and other APC members now the right to assembly and talk? Had you heard that the meeting had anointed you, I doubt you would have written the first word of the letter you sent to me.But here I want to give you and others a clear assurance that you may rest more at ease. I will also do everything in my power to ensure the primaries are free and fair and that there will be no undue influence on the process.The candidate who can garner the most support and votes will win. Since its inception, the APC has run the cleanest and most transparent primaries in the history of this nation. The just concluded primary in Edo is further evidence of this. My dear friend I leave you free to run and win the primary. If you do, I shall congratulate you and support you in the general election.However, you must respect my rights as well and leave me to my own conscience to support who I will support. And to show interest in whom I wish.I also need to correct what appears to be a mistaken impression on your part about the 2015 election. Your letter seems to indicate that it was on your advice that I backed President Buhari. You assume too much credit and should be more guarded in your assertions.As a veteran in the political arena, I do not make important decisions lightly. I make final political decisions and calculations on my own after deep reflections and consultation with many people from many perspectives. I can assure you dear friend that I trust my own political counsel more than yours and that I have numerous other advisors whose advice I weigh more than yours.After all, had you so much influence over me in the presidential election, it would mean you surely should have greater influence over me when it comes to the primary in your state.
THE LAST COUPLE of weeks have witnessed the heaviest public criticism of the Muhammadu Buhari administration since he came to power aft...

THE LAST COUPLE of weeks have witnessed the heaviest public criticism of the Muhammadu Buhari administration since he came to power after inflicting a heavy defeat on the Peoples Democratic Party and their candidate Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Much of it has been on account of the unresolved social and economic problems facing the country.Unfair criticism of the Buhari administration especially on account of escalating prices of foodstuff and the liberalization of the currency exchange needs to be challenged before it overshadows the commendable job the President has done in fighting terrorism as part of overall effort to secure the country, reducing corruption and yes, arresting the economic slide before it sinks the the nation. The Hausa have a saying: Ba zomo na kashe ba, rataya a ka bani, meaning literally I killed no rabbit, I am helping to carry the prey. Wherever they go these days, in London, Dubai, Beijing, Washington, New York or Tokyo, Nigerians get the good feeling of being asked the question, how is President Muhammadu Buhari?It is a proud moment for many citizens that the country is being perceived differently now that it has a different kind of leader creating a positive buss abroad, the kind of sentiment that can lead to foreign investments when properly capitalized upon.The lavish praise the President gets abroad and the wide public support he enjoys among the lower segment of the local population is, by contrast, given a short shrift in the local press, mainstream and online.At its lowest point, this unambiguous media rebuke has created a wave of sympathy for anyone with a view that runs counter to the Presidents. Boko Haram terrorist leader, Shekau or the pipeline vandal form the Delta region is more likely to get newspaper front pages today than the Minister of Labour, Governor Emeka Ngige or the Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun talking about jobs creation in the economy. I dont say that media criticism is not reflective of the feeling of the citizens.President Buhari has himself on numerous occasions admitted that the change mantra has brought with it pain and suffering which he likened to the pains of labor.It is a passing phase. When they ask the question, is this the change we voted for, the critic forgets how far we have come from the scam-tainted years of the PDP rule.How many people have given a thought to the possibility of Nigeria doing something that the combined strength of Europe and America have failed to do? There are many today who take for granted the declared victory over the Boko Haram terrorists, forgetting the reign of the bomber who made it almost impossible for regular attendance in Churches and Mosques in many of our cities, including the Federal Capital City, Abuja.Victory over Boko Haram has brought peace not only to Nigeria but to the countries in the Lake Chad region. The world leaders are still at work trying to contain the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, ISIS, which threat sadly continues to become more potent.Everyone living in Nigeria knows that there is a major movement against corruption as part of the ongoing change.This war has forced the return to the treasury of billions of Naira and millions of Dollars stolen by past officials. On account of this war, government suspects that the biggest trigger of the opposition to the change agenda is the army of the corrupt. With the enormous resources at their disposal; money that is unearned, these forces are ready to throw in everything to gag the Buhari administration. When he assumed office, President Buhari said he understood the outcry of Nigerians and was determined to right those wrongs.I will remind you of his inaugural speech where he said: At home we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism.We can fix our problems.(Emphasis added). He has said times without number that his government is dedicated to the poor. As can be seen from the 2016 budget, this is a government that is determined to hugely empower the disadvantaged groups- the poor, the jobless, the widows and the orphaned children including those of the North-East.As a listening government, the President was prepared to open the door to additional food imports but given the processes involved, the turn around in any such import of commodities would have taken a long time as to coincide with the harvest of home grown grains and cereals now in progress.The market would have been deluged and the local grower given the short end of the stick. Calls on Hausa radio by a rabble-rousing section of the opposition for the reopening of borders to allow food come in are redundant and mischievous because all the countys borders remain open till date.Following the budget, the administration has begun rolling out several social welfare programs. The direct cash transfer to the poorest of the poor, the school feeding and the recruitment/skills training of about one million jobless citizens are such an example.In addition to hard work, all leaders need luck on their side to create what is sometimes seen as economic miracles. As leader, President Buhari never had the luxury of high oil prices as did his predecessors in office.When he first emerged as the military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari saw oil price, the mainstay of the nations economy sank to as low eight Dollars a barrel. He rolled up his sleeves, worked on diversification strategy of the economy only to be eased out of power just as they began to take hold. Thereafter, his successors abandoned these efforts. On his second coming, this time as a democratically elected leader, the collapse of oil prices has challenged President Buhari to quicken efforts towards the diversification of the economy with emphasis given to agriculture and solid minerals mining.Every crisis, it is said, is an opportunity. Not so in Nigeria. This is a county that inherited massive technological inventions from Biafra, yet failed to take it forward. We must not lose this opportunity to diversify the economy and our foreign earnings presented by the present oil crisis. As the country hopes for a bumper harvest this year, government is taking steps to ensure that no farmer will sell at a loss or fail to find markets for their harvests. Grain silos are being readied nationwide to receive excess produce for warehousing to ensure food security, avert market glut and price collapse.By this, government will ensure a minimum guaranteed price. In dealing with challenges of the economy, the administration is devoting attention to ridding the country of its notoriety as a difficult place of doing business.The government has been making quiet but significant progress in this area, thanks to the leadership given by the National Economic Council under the Vice President and the combined efforts of the Ministries of Trade and Investment, Finance, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Budget and Planning and the Customs under new leadership. Everyone in this sector is doing everything in their power to boost up Nigeria.President Muhammadu Buharis infrastructure initiatives will see country making progress with intractable projects such as the Second Niger bridge, the East-West expressway, the green field Lagos-Abuja expressway and important national railway projects, Lagos-Calabar and Lagos-Kano which had been on the drawing boards for as long as anyone can remember. These projects will be counted among the accomplishments of the administration alongside the 4,000 MW Mambila power plant which the President has declared a national priority. Government has also taken several bold steps to boost renewable energy.It has opened the door for a new conversation on the environment with decisive steps towards the clean-up the Ogoniland in the Niger Delta. The currency liberalization and the deregulation of the petroleum products sale will make President Buhari one of the best presidents till date.The removal of subsidies on the petrol products has saved the government more than two trillion Naira annual expenditure in this respect. President Buharis foreign trips have brought many things to the country. He has energized our foreign policy. Beyond the enormous goodwill reaped from resetting age-old but damaged relations with neighbors and distant partners and friends, the President has attracted foreign development assistance and direct investments (FDI).It is generally accepted that good foreign relations bring foreign direct investment. So much is currently being done one year into the administration.This is in spite of the world economy being sluggish and recession-stricken. It bears repeating that President is a different kind of leader, who just happens to be a victim of the tyranny of high expectations. He has brought positive intention, commitment, honesty and personal integrity into governance.This is why the countrys poor hold him so dear; this is why the world is in love with him. His knack for prudent spending and effective management of resources is in the belief that this country can only prosper when there is transparency, reduced corruption and a drastic cut in bureaucratic red tape.His decision to have a small cabinet, reducing government ministries from 46 to 24 has the effect of relieving the treasury of the burden of salaries, allowances and miscellaneous expenses now being counted in billions of Naira.President Buhari should be credited for the the unblemished record of his ministers. This is a government that has stayed above scandal for a year. If all of these are not desirable changes, to be appreciated and adored, it is hard to know or determine what some of our critics want.These reforms certainly represent major milestones in change which have led to a decline of corruption at the top. As to the question of these leading to a resurgent economy, it all means that in a democracy everything takes times. The President needs our support with understanding and patience.No matter how hasty a president wants to bring changes, there is no magic wand in that office to make everything change from bad to good or make all of us prosperous with a wave of the hand. This change is on course. It requires patience. The change is working for the nation and sooner than later, the testimony shall be given.
Sultan of Sokoto Saad Abubakar III has canvassed fair treatment for Muslims across the nation. According to him, Muslims want nothing...

Sultan of Sokoto Saad Abubakar III has canvassed fair treatment for Muslims across the nation.According to him, Muslims want nothing but a very peaceful and stable Nigeria.The Sultan spoke in Benin City at the General Assembly and Executive National Council Meeting of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).Muslims, according to him, were not asking for preferential or special treatment but given what they should have.He frowned against stereotyping criminals and terrorists as Muslims, saying the bad eggs in the faith would be given fresh orientation to have a change of heart.Abubakar praised the Pope for making a very strong statement defending Islam as a religion of peace.On the hijab controversy, the Sultan said: Hijab is our right not a privilege. It is not a favour to us. It is our right.And we hold on to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that guarantees freedom of worship.That is why we dont disturb anybody who wants to go and worship the way he wants.He added: Nigeria is a multi religious state, not a singular state. And being a multi-religious state, we must allow the various religions to go on but we must not trample on each others right, which means I must be allowed to practice my religion the way I believe as ordered me by the Holy Quran and nothing else.So when we get this done, the issue of hijab and so many other things affecting Islam I believe is our right, not a privilege unless the Constitution is changed.On bad elements in Islam, he said: Those bad people among us, like in other religions, we should pick them out and teach them the tenets of Islam.If they refuse to change, that is their own problem. We will meet with the creator on the judgement day.In any society, there are many terribly bad people. So many, who are not Muslims but carry out criminal activities with some Muslim organisations in America, France and even in Nigeria.Those people doing negative things should be called criminals or terrorists but not Muslims.Ive never heard of Christian terrorists but we have heard of so many Christians or followers of other religions who committed heinous crimes against humanity.But they didnt claim to do it for their religions and we did not hold them against their religions.Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, called for the re-introduction of teaching of religion in schools.This, he stated, would help to achieve peace and create a foundation for a fair and just society.
Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, this morning, confronted the Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie and Commanding Offic...





Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, this morning, confronted the Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie and Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Commodore Joseph Dzunye, asking them to come to the creeks of the Niger Delta, rather than stay in the cities and arrest sleeper agents, who they brand as NDA members to curry favour from their superiors.Spokesperson of NDA, self-styled Brig General Mudoch Agbinibo, threw the challenge in a statement rebutting the claim by NNS Delta commander on Saturday that two suspects, Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye, arrested by the navy, few days ago, were members of the militant group.NDA said that the two suspects were agents working in conjunction with security agencies and were paid N5 million by two leaders (names withheld) to give Nigeria military intelligence on the activities of the group.The statement read: We made it clear that the Nigeria military is using sleepers agents to track or checkmate the activities and operation of the Niger Delta Avengers. But the more they try, the more they run into crisis with their employed sleeper agents.Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye that were arrested and paraded by the Nigeria Navy Delta are few of the sleeper agents working for Nigeria Military in conjunction with (two leaders, names withheld) The suspects (Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye) was paid 5 Million Naira to give Nigeria military intelligent on the activities of NDA. On failing to deliver, the suspects were arrested and tagged NDA members, what a shame? the group said. It added: Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye are not members of NDA we do not know or have any connection with them.The Navy Commanding Office NNS Delta, Warri(Commodore Joseph Dzunve) is trying to impress his boss in Abuja, but arresting sleeper agents recruited by his predecessor.Any criminal arrested is now an NDA member. Since we (NDA) started the struggle, none of our operatives has been arrested. All those in detention in the name of NDA are not part of NDA, the world should know this.Nigeria military have not seen embarrassment. NDA will keep embarrassing you because the only thing you are good at doing in the Niger Delta region is arrest and killing of innocent citizens of the Niger Delta in the name of looking for NDA and illegal bunkering.If the Nigeria military is serious about arresting NDA let them come to the creeks of the Niger Delta, that is where we dwell not the city.If I (Brig.Gen Moduch Agbinibo) was the Commanding Officer NNS Delta (Commodore Joseph Dzunve) and Commander of the so-called Operation Delta Safe (Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie), I would have been in the creeks instead of sitting at the comfort of my air-conditioned office, NDA added.To the elders of the Niger Delta, the group asserted: Hope it clear to you our elders that the President Muhammadu Buhari- led government is not reliable, reasonable, responsible and not ready to dialogue.It said: Can you tell the world the government official you been dialoguing with? Is it the President? On the other hand, is there any committee that is set up for it?We respect you our elders, as such stop behaving, as the Niger Delta is a seized region and stop acting like you are begging the government for dialogue.The worse the government will do is to bombard our villages and towns in the name of looking for NDA. Therefore, our elders should tread carefully with the Nigeria government, it pointed out.Its words: The reason behind military harassment of towns and villages in the Niger Delta is because NDA have not confronted the Nigeria military in battle. We are not scared in confronting you.The creeks of the Niger Delta belong to us, so defeating the Nigeria military is not hard for us. We have made it clear in many occasions that our business is to cripple the Nigeria economy not to kill military.The Nigeria military should, not we, (NDA) avoiding them, that is a sign of weakness, the group added.
The Nigerian defense headquarters has issued a statement in reaction to a recent video released by Boko Haram which depicts the kidnapped ...

The Nigerian defense headquarters has issued a statement in reaction to a recent video released by Boko Haram which depicts the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.Here's the statement:The Defence Headquarters on Sunday said it was examining the latest video from Boko Haram group purporting to show some of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.Some girls wearing headscarves, in the video, were seen behind a Boko Haram militant who demanded the release of fighters in return for freeing the girls. The militant also claimed that some of the girls have been killed in air strikes.The Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar disclosed that the military is examining the video clip to verify its authenticity. He said: Currently we are studying the video clips to verify its authenticity and analysing the comments of the speakers in the video especially the terrorist member and the girl that spoke in mother tongue.General Rabe also disputed allegations in the video that some of the kidnapped girls were hit by an airstrike.He said: It is extremely difficult and rare to hit innocent people during airstrike because the operation is done through precision attack on identified and registered targets and locations. The Precision Airstrike is very effective at taking out targeted enemies because it is not a random operation. We are nevertheless studying the video clips to examine if the victims died from other causes rather from the allegation of airstrike.PRNigeria gathered that the Nigerian Airforce through its Component in Operation Lafiya Dole was focusing on sustaining air operations and providing support to ground troops of the Armed Forces strive to rid Nigeria of the Boko Haram insurgency.Airstrikes are controlled by professionally trained officers who coordinate the strike with friendly ground troops, after a lot of surveillance to limit casualty on the ground.A top airforce officer told PRNigeria that Nigeria Airforce employs precision guided weapons with modern Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance systems to reduce likely collateral damage from any airstrike. All the areas stroke throughout the operation were thoroughly monitored on intelligence surveillance and eye services before the attacks or shelling. Most of the targets areas were clearly identified before the air strikes to avoid collateral damages.Meanwhile the Defence Headquarters has promised to issue an update after its investigation.
Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Church, popularly called MFM, has denied that eight Nigerians arrested by Cambodian authorities...

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Church, popularly called MFM, has denied that eight Nigerians arrested by Cambodian authorities for alleged drug trafficking are its members.Eight Nigerians were on Tuesday arraigned in Cambodia for allegedly using the MFM premises to deal in illicit drugs.The accused were: Nnamezie Victor, 30; Francis Nnamdi, 30; Sunday Nwabuisi, 31; Tony Mmaduka Chukwuonye, 34; Okorom Kizito, 35; Favour Nnabuife Okorom, 36; Maduka Simon Ukandu, 37; and Izuchukwu Chukwuma, 40.Also charged along with them is a Cambodian, Mon Vinyong, 25.They may face life imprisonment if found guilty by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, in a case that began in January last year.A verdict is expected in September following a final trial last week.Reacting to the claim that the Cambodian branch of the church was used to trade in drugs, Chairman of MFM Media Committee Worldwide, Oladele Bank-Olemoh, told newsmen that the accused were not members of the church.He said linking the accused to the church was an attempt to drag the name of the church through the mud.The MFM church is not shut down. Our pastor is there and hes busy in the ministry. Those arrested are not members of the church. They are neither our missionaries nor workers in the church. The MFM church is the only African church in Cambodia that many black people attend.You know the country is a Muslim country. This could be a vendetta against the church. This case (of alleged drug trafficking) happened in 2014. The church was searched and nothing was found, though arrests were made outside the church. We employed a lawyer to prove the churchs innocence, Bank-Olemoh said.According to The Cambodia Daily, during the hearing, Vinyong claimed that she received mobile phone boxes from Chukwuonye in 2014 but did not know the boxes were filled with drugs.The Cambodian publication noted that the eight Nigerians operated out of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Church in Meanchey district in 2014 and early 2015.The court heard that the pair became friends after meeting at the church.At the end of October and early November, I delivered the goods two or three times, and in December I delivered them one more time, she said, adding that she was paid $100 per day for acting as a courier.
Ex PDP Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, has slammed popular politician Jimi Agbaje for contesting the party chairmanship again...





Ex PDP Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, has slammed popular politician Jimi Agbaje for contesting the party chairmanship against him.According to Bode George, Jimi Agbaje should've stepped down for him.I am very disappointed but not angry. Vengeance is not mine, it is Gods. I want to quote the book of Ecclesiastics, which says that there is a season for everything. Whatever you sow in your lifetime, you will reap.Our Lord Jesus Christ said that one of his disciples would betray him. The disciples started looking round. Judas Iscariot, the traitor, has been around from time immemorial. Its a shame. That is his (Agbajes) choice. I just pray that God would continue to direct this country. God has told us that it is only Him we can trust, not human beings.George added, Agbaje knows what is right. My advice is that he should step down. He should obey his elders. As a Christian, we should have the fear of God. If he insists on contesting, I cannot stop him. Let the decision be made by the delegates at the convention.Agbaje however denied the accusation, saying he did not betray Bode George.Agbaje never betrayed Chief Bode George. He is not a betrayer. He has all the respect for George but this is beyond true allies; this is beyond Lagos State. He is contesting in the national interest. The party has created a level playing field. Let the best man win," he said.
ATLANTIC CITY -- Atlantic City's top casino had its best month ever even as the soon-to-close Trump Taj Mahal casino faltered amid a month-long strike that helped prompt its billionaire owner to decide to shut it down.

The Borgata won nearly $85 million from gamblers in July, its best month ever and a 12.1 percent increase over July 2015.

That came as the Trump Taj Mahal casino posted an 8.2 percent revenue decline amid a strike by the city's main casino workers' union. The casino opened by Donald Trump in 1990 is now owned by his friend and fellow billionaire Carl Icahn, who plans to shut it down Oct. 10, citing multimillion-dollar monthly losses due in part to the strike.

Overall, revenue at Atlantic City's eight casinos was up 6.9 percent in July, to $275.2 million.

But the biggest news came from the Borgata, which was recently fully acquired by MGM Resorts International, which formerly owned half of it. It won $84.7 million from gamblers in July.

"While we expected a good month with five full weekends, we are very pleased with a record-breaking month 13 years after opening," said Joe Lupo, the Borgata's senior vice president.

The news was much bleaker at the Trump Taj Mahal. The strike began July 1 and is ongoing.

Figures released Friday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show the Taj Mahal won $17.5 million from gamblers in July, down from the $19.1 million it won in July 2015 when there was no strike. The results likely would have been worse had there not been an extra Saturday and Sunday this July compared to last July.

Revenue from table games was up 11 percent, to $75.7 million, and slot machine revenue was up 3.1 percent, to $182.2 million. Internet gambling revenue continued its steady growth, up 38.6 percent from a year ago, to $17.3 million.

Local 54 of the Unite-HERE union went on strike against the Taj Mahal after being unable to reach a deal restoring health insurance and pension benefits that the casino's former owners terminated in bankruptcy court.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, no longer owns the casino, having cut most ties with Atlantic City in 2009. His lone remaining 10 percent ownership stake in the Taj Mahal's parent company was wiped out during its most recent bankruptcy when Icahn took over in March.

The Tropicana, Atlantic City's other casino owned by Icahn, posted the biggest increase among brick-and-mortar casinos, up 14.2 percent, to $36.4 million.

The Golden Nugget was up 9.7 percent, to $25 million, and Caesars, another Boardwalk competitor to the Taj Mahal, was up 7.6 percent, to $31.2 million. Resorts, the nearest functioning casino to the Taj Mahal, saw its revenue increase by 6.2 percent in July compared with a year ago, to $17.8 million.

Harrah's was down 5.2 percent, to $34.2 million, and Bally's was down 4.8 percent, to $21.6 million.

Friday's figures also revealed how all five companies involved in internet gambling in New Jersey are staking out increasingly similar equal shares of the market, which used to be dominated by the Borgata. The Borgata; Caesars Interactive-NJ; the Golden Nugget; Resorts Digital; and the Tropicana posted internet gambling revenue of $3 million to $3.9 million in July.
"Neither Snow nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service"



By Devin Leonard

(Grove Press, 288 pp, $26)

A history of the post office sounds like a "Jeopardy!" category. "I'll take topics designed to stultify for $200, Alex."

The delightful surprise here is that Devin Leonard's book is a treasure; one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. The Maplewood journalist brings history to life, fleshes out bureaucrats and makes us deeply care about the post office.

An admission: I am predisposed to the topic. I love mail and grew up watching the mailman flick letters into the slots in the building where I grew up. Call me a dork, but stamps are fascinating. And, though I have fallen into the abyss of email, for years I was an enthusiastic letter writer. I maintain the only proper way to thank someone is with a handwritten note.

So, yes, Leonard was talking to an interested party. Still, he could have lost me. His book is magnificent and more so because most of us rely on the post office yet know little about it.

The book begins and ends with a man whose hobby is visiting post offices around the country. Evan Kalish of Queens knows he's in a race against time: Post offices are closing and he does have a full life outside of this peripatetic hobby. Kalish knows how special these buildings can be.

Many are the focal points of towns; in some remote places where the economy or a disaster claimed other businesses and homes, the post office survives. It's where people meet their neighbors and foster a much-needed sense of place. When they're shuttered, it's a huge loss.

Devin Leonard, of Maplewood, used his skills as a journalist to research and write an excellent history of the Post Office.

Leonard's definitive book traces the history of mail delivery, yet concentrates on the USA.

"Almost as soon as the written word appeared, people began sending mail. Archaeologists have determined that by 1900 BC, the ancient Assyrians had established one of the first postal services. Merchants used it to exchange messages written in cuneiform on tablets sealed in clay envelopes, and they trusted it enough to send each other currency."

He dispenses with the ancient world quickly -- though King Darius of Persia had an enviable system, according to Herodotus. Then Leonard settles in to tell how men on horses, then later trains, trucks and planes traversed the country to deliver mail.

The story of mail's evolution is the story of the United States; we can chart how and what our country is doing by mail. From Benjamin Franklin, who, naturally figured out how to improve the nascent system to today's computerized behemoth where tons of packages are delivered, Leonard walks us through the post office's transformation.

Before nine-digit zip codes, carriers, particularly those who made several deliveries a day within a neighborhood, knew customers so well that one was able to find this person:

"For C.M. Underhill, who is in the coal business in one of those streets there, and is very respectably connected, both by marriage & general descent, and is a tall man & old but without any gray hair & used to be handsome. Buffalo, N.Y. From Mark Twain. P.S. A little bald on the top of his head."

Good thing, too, since the envelope contained a Twain manuscript.

Leonard spends time on how some presidents interacted with the postal system; the one who most understood and enjoyed it was Franklin Roosevelt, a stamp collector who became involved in the architecture of some post offices and ensured many were graced with WPA murals.

The book is loaded with serious research that yields delicious tidbits such as this abuse of franking privileges:

"It was bad enough that members of Congress used the post office to freely blanket their districts with copies of speeches that no one paid attention to in Washington. Politicians also sent their dirty laundry home to be cleaned without paying, simply by signing their packages with their names. One congressman reportedly sent a piano through the mail without paying."

Leonard details the battles between various entrepreneurs who dared to start their own delivery businesses - whether by pony or airplane - and the post office, which fought to retain its monopoly. He details political appointees who became postmaster general and delves into workers' rampages of mass shootings, giving way to the term "going postal."

Leonard's book ends with the first female postmaster general; a woman taking the reins when the system is in flux. Will electronics make mail obsolete? Perhaps, people argue that about books, too. That's inconsequential; whether you read this by swiping or turning, just read it.
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 14, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Richmond Heights and St. Louis Chiropractor McIntyre Chiropractic & Acupuncture Centre is pleased to make The Standard Process 21- Day Purification Program available to their clients. It is a premier purification and detoxification plan that assists people in nourishing and purifying their bodies to restore health and maintain ideal weight.



The Standard Process 21-Day Purification Program has been referred to as a lifestyle strategy that can be customized and modified for each client. New foods and menus help each individual learn more about the ideal ways to eat for optimal health. Detoxification and purification are key to ideal health and well-being.

People who experience The Standard Process 21-Day Purification Program report feeling clearer, lighter and brighter. Toxins are expelled and the body is supported in rebuilding from the inside out. The program is structured, yet flexible in meeting individual needs. Standard Process supplements as well as key vitamins and minerals are provided in addition to the nutrients ingested from whole foods.

Everyone is exposed to toxins in their environment on a daily basis, and those who live in cities are exposed to even higher levels. Toxins may include air pollution, water pollutants, pesticides and chemicals. Cigarette smoke, ingredients in personal care and cleaning products, and heavy metals in the environment can all have an effect.

Ammonia, carbon dioxide and free radicals along with trans fats, additives and preservatives found in foods all play a role. The human body produces waste byproducts in the normal course of metabolic functioning; however, it can become overburdened.

The signs of high toxin levels can include fatigue, stuffy or foggy head, low libido, insomnia, reduced clarity, indigestion, joint discomfort, cravings, dull skin and weight gain. Toxins can affect the immune, nervous, endocrine and reproductive systems.

Dr. Brian McIntyre explains, Detoxification and purification is crucial to removing harmful toxins so that health and clarity can be restored. We highly recommend The Standard Process 21-Day Purification Program to anyone looking to feel better and live healthier.

Theres even a mobile app that can be downloaded for support in conjunction with this Richmond Heights chiropractor guidance. The app offers tips, recipes and food and exercise tracking. Clients can chart body measurements and vital statistics, monitor energy levels and receive reminders.

McIntyre Chiropractic & Acupuncture Centre is a full-service wellness center offering chiropractic care, rehabilitative exercises and acupuncture in addition to nutritional counseling. They are located at 1415 South Big Bend Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. This St. Louis chiropractor also serves Richmond Heights, Webster Groves, Creve Coeur, Laude, University City, Brentwood, Maplewood and Clayton. Those in the public who wish to learn more about this program or book an appointment may do so by calling (314) 643-9438. Additional information is also available on their website at http://www.mcintyrechiro.com/.

McIntyre Chiropractic & Acupuncture Centre, (314) 643-9438
N.J. Home Makeover is a new feature on NJ.com. To submit your renovation for consideration, email home@starledger.comwith your full name, email address, phone number and town/city. Attach "before" and "after" photos of what you renovated.

Katie Dudziec was moving into a new home in Sussex County. The whole house would be updated for her comfort and safety, but she wanted a master suite that would reflect how her tastes had changed since she moved into her first adult home nearly 10 years before.

Where she had previously selected a bold blend of hot pink and equally intense orange, green and yellow, she now wanted a more grown-up scheme with only touches of vibrant color. And she wanted to integrate an orange storage ottoman and a framed floral print from her previous bedroom.

Her mother, Evelyn Dudziec, is the kind of woman who can bring a lot of people together to make things happen, so she helped by calling in Holly George, an interior designer who had previously combined the colors Katie loved.

"Katie chose raspberry red and deep purple," George said, discussing the new room. "We added gray and the design took off from there. The concept was 'Coco Chanel meets thoroughly modern Katie.'"

Katie, 30, was born with oral-facial-digital syndrome, a developmental disorder that prevents her from speaking and limits her physical and intellectual development. It does not, however, prevent her from making friends; holding part-time volunteer jobs at a theater, a thrift shop and a childcare center; or from appreciating the beauty and benefits of a space designed for her needs.

Katie shares her four-bedroom, three-bathroom house with one roommate, and they hope to bring in another young woman. They have a live-in caretaker who supervises their activities and shuttles them to part-time jobs, activities and appointments.

The 2,000-square-foot house, built in 2001 in Stillwater Township, is called Katie's Place. It's now a residence for young adults with developmental disabilities. Katie's adoptive parents, Conrad and Evelyn Dudziec, founded the nonprofit organization behind the house in 2001. In the year's since, they've raised funds, marshaled volunteers and rolled up their own sleeves to help grow a network of three houses where young adults like Katie can socialize with peers of their own age, interact with their community and live with dignity.

"Our goal is to allow as much independence and freedom as possible while still providing full-time oversight," Evelyn Dudziec writes on katieshouse.org, a website about the organization and life with Katie. Residents, she writes, "are invited, but not required to help with meal preparation, grocery shopping and simple house cleaning."

The Dudziecs adopted Katie as infant who was not expected to live beyond her first birthday. When she reached age 11 despite numerous medical issues, Katie was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and she beat it with treatment. At one point doctors thought she would lose her ability to walk, but she proved them wrong.

In their advancing years, Katie's parents wanted to ensure that a young woman who continues to overcome obstacles would never be housed in an institution. To give Katie and others like her the best, most independent lifestyle possible, they bought the first Katie's Place in 2007, and Katie moved in at 21.

The renovation

The Dudzeics selected Katie's new house in the event that mobility problems would require her to live on one level, her father said. "We felt that we had to find a house that if she had problems walking, she could live on the first floor." The new house has a lower level with a bedroom, bathroom and recreation area that Katie can move down to, if needed.

The original Katie's Place was renamed Dan's Place after one of its two new residents. It joins Richard's Place, opened in 2012, as a residence for young men with disabilities.

The New Jersey chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers outfitted the first Katie's Place in Newton as a community service project, and members have worked on each of the houses since then.

Holly George has been involved with all three houses, fully designing the interior of Richard's Place. While other commitments prevented her from taking on Katie's new house in full, she had enjoyed working with Katie and wanted to work with her again.

"About a dozen people provided labor in the bedroom, and everyone donated time," says George, who called in friends, family and business associates to help with the project. She negotiated donations of paint, fabrics, furnishings and more. She even sat down at the sewing machine to make the gathered skirts and draperies that, with coats of white and pale gray chalk paint, transformed a donated vanity and nightstand into chic additions.

"I was amazed at what she did with all of that unwanted furniture," said Evelyn Dudziec. "Even more than the furniture, I was especially surprised and happy with the transformation of the bathroom. It was really ugly before."

The bathroom, which flows into the bedroom, now has a complementary design that involves new light fixtures, window treatments, a bit of Victorian gingerbread trim and a vibrant accent wall in a Sherwin-Williams red called Radish.

"By painting the walls surrounding the shower area a deep, bold color, the plain white fiberglass shower enclosure needed nothing more than a thorough cleaning to make it look brand new and much nicer," George said.

In the bedroom, the focal point is the bed with its tailored canopy of pleated black and white houndstooth print and red insets. The fabrics were donated by Kravet and Duralee, with workmanship donated by Alan Schatzberg & Associates, which also produced the matching bed skirt and shams.

Design Consign, a high-end charitable consignment shop in Fairfield donated the bed, a dresser and a chair for the vanity, all were refinished in complementary chalk paint by Periwinkle Skies of Morris Plains.

The completed house, whose redesign was managed by Heidi Mountford, was opened to the public last May as a show house fundraiser. It was advertised as a house "remodeled for $8,000 in one month" using repurposed, recycled and donated goods.

Some professionals were paid for their work, but George said the goal was to work with as many donated materials and as much volunteer labor as possible. Expenses for the bedroom totaled $1,250, she said, but the design would have cost at least $15,000 under normal circumstances. The donors and volunteers who worked on the bedroom and the entire house are too numerous to mention, ranging from big box stores to community members who just wanted to help.

And Katie loves her new house, Conrad Dudziec says. "Especially her bedroom. Her bedroom is fantastic."

What they renovated?

An entire house with special emphasis on the master suite for Katie, a young woman with disabilities.

Why they did the work

"The new house would provide living quarters for Katie and two roommates, but it needed more than fresh paint before they could call it home," says interior designer Holly George. "It needed to be adapted for the use and safety of developmentally disabled residents." Also, in the bedroom, walls were stained and the carpet ruined from an earlier furnace malfunction, she said.

Who did the work?

Holly George of Holly George Interior Design in Fredon managed the bedroom redesign with help from numerous other volunteers.

How long it took

Less than 8 weeks from mid-March to May 2016

How much it cost

Expenses were $1,250, but this was a pro bono project that benefited from the generous efforts and donations of the local community, Katie's family, the designer's friends, business associates, design industry partners, retailers and several fabric wholesalers.

Where they splurged

On the floral drapery fabric. "Although it was very deeply discounted, it was the only fabric that wasn't 100 percent donated," George said. "It was a challenge to find a fabric that combined the 'right' red and purple colors of the fabrics previously donated and being used for the bed."

How they saved

The donated dresser, night table, vanity, chair and bed were found in a consignment shop and a barn, George said. They were all repaired and painted.

What they did themselves

All of the bedroom labor was done by volunteers. Katie's sister, Tracey deWaal, painted the wisteria branch mural under the canopy.

What they like most

"Katie loves her 'new' bed, it is just the right height for her," says Evelyn Dudziec. "She tells us when she sleeps anywhere else that the beds are way too high."

What they'd have done differently

"Since Katie is 4-feet-4-inches tall, we would have liked to replace the bathroom sink cabinetry and counter with a lower unit to make its use a little more comfortable for her to reach," George said.

Kimberly L. Jackson may be reached at home@starledger.com. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook.
The bid to unionize non-professional workers at a Morristown nursing home four years ago failed by a single vote - but produced a lengthy legal case just decided by a federal appeals court panel.

That three-judge panel agreed with the National Labor Relations Board that Care One, the chain of nursing homes that operates 20 facilities in New Jersey, engaged in unlawful behavior during the run-up to the vote.

It cited several missteps: Two days before the vote, the manager of Care One at Madison Avenue held a mandatory meeting for employees who were eligible for the union, emphasizing the company was a "family."

They had to watch a slideshow in which photos of some of them - happily interacting with patients and each other, smiling at the camera - were depicted as the Sister Sledge hit "We Are Family" played.

However, the photos had been taken at a Valentine's Day party for patients, or other company events. Using them - without employees' permission - to imply those smiles conveyed support of the company's anti-union stance was ruled an unfair labor practice.

Moreover, the company announced just three weeks before the union vote that it would restore some benefits it had recently cut, but only to the employees who weren't eligible for the vote. The NLRB ruled that, too, was unfair.

Care One appealed the NLRB ruling, arguing that it was impractical to tell a company it couldn't change its benefits package for the duration of any unionizing campaign.

The U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit denied the petition for review, finding the way the company went about the benefits change - restricting it to non-unionizing employees - tipped their hand as to their true intent.

"When workers begin to organize, their employer may take many steps to convince them not to form a union. But no employer has completely free rein," the ruling said.

The ruling was a victory for the 1199 SEIU United Health Workers East.

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
With news that New Jersey is second among the top 13 states where tap water may be contaminated by so-called "Teflon" chemical compounds has people asking how they can protect themselves.

The chemicals, called PFASs, are suspected of causing testicular and kidney cancer, along with throwing off the body's metabolism to produce obesity and elevated cholesterol.

Scientists at Harvard T.H. Chan School Public Health mapped which watersheds were likely to have some contamination from the chemicals, based on where tests of drinking water had revealed their presence. Because of New Jersey's industrial background, much of the state could in theory be at risk.

We asked Laurel A. Schaider, an environmental health researcher with the Silent Spring Institute, and one of one of the authors of the study, some questions about ways that people can steer clear of these problematic compounds:

Q. How can people learn if these chemicals are in the water they drink at home? Is there a home test available, or would they have to arrange for commercial testing?

There are no home tests for measuring PFASs in tap water.

From 2013 to 2015, the EPA required large public water departments that serve over 10,000 residents to test for six different PFASs. This testing occurred as part of a broader nationwide screening for unregulated contaminants called "UCMR3."

If you want to find out if your public water was tested, contact your local water supplier or board of health and ask. Results from UCMR3 testing may also be included in the annual Consumer Confidence Reports from your water supplier, which are sometimes available online.

There are a couple of limitations to the UCMR3 testing. First, the detection limits were relatively high, and in addition, the vast majority of small water supplies (serving under 10,000 people) were not included. Nor were private wells, which are relied upon by one-third of Americans.

Q. Do those filters you attach to your faucet filter out PFASs?

Filters that have activated carbon are effective at removing PFASs. Activated carbon is used in filter pitchers that contain granular activated carbon and in filters that have solid carbon block filters, such as some faucet mount and under-the-sink filters.

Reverse osmosis filters are also effective at removing PFASs.

As with any filter, it's important to change the filters according to the recommendations to prevent chemicals that have accumulated on the filter from leaching back into the water.

Q. Would a higher-grade filter do the job?

In general, solid carbon block filters are more effective at removing contaminants than granular activated carbon filters.

Q. Is there any danger from bathing in water that has some level of PFASs? For example, would there be any risk to giving a child a bath if this compound were an issue in your water supply?

In general, drinking tap water is likely a much larger source of exposure than bath water. PFASs, like PFOA and PFOS, are not volatile, so you're less likely to breathe them in during showering. Nevertheless, if your tap water contains high levels of PFASs, you may want to take steps to reduce ingestion of water while bathing or showering, especially for children, who are particularly sensitive to health effects of PFASs.

Q. What do you advise people to do if they're worried about PFASs?

People can learn where their drinking water comes from and find out whether any testing has been conducted on their water supply. Water supplies are more likely to contain PFASs if they're near industrial facilities where PFASs are used or produced, or if they are near airports and military fire training areas where PFASs are often used in foams to put out fuel fires.

PFASs are also present in many household products that have stain-resistant, grease-proof or waterproof coatings. Here are some additional tips for reducing our exposure to PFASs:

Avoid stain-resistant carpets and upholstery

Avoid "perfluor-", "polyfluor-", "PTFE" on labels

Select cast iron or enamel cookware

Eat more fresh foods to avoid fast food packaging

Minimize contact with fluorinated ski waxes

And a general rule of thumb is to ask yourself, do I need this product to have fluorinated chemicals?

Q. One final question: This study focused on chemical compounds in water. But what about non-stick cookware? Doesn't it expose you to the same stuff?

PFOA, also known as C8, is a chemical used in the production of Teflon, and can be formed from the breakdown of Teflon. PFOA has been associated with a range of human health effects, including kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and immune suppression. Because of concerns about health effects, U.S. manufacturers have phased out the production of PFOA, although it continues to be produced in other parts of the world.

Some cookware now contains labels such as "PFOA-free" or "PTFE-free" (PTFE is the chemical name for Teflon), although these products may contain other fluorinated chemicals. To avoid fluorinated chemicals in cookware, consumers can select pots and pans that are enameled or ones that are made of cast iron, stainless or carbon steel, or anodized aluminum.

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
anthem pool woman medical

Caution tape cordoned off a pool on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas after a woman had a medical emergency there on August 10, 2016, according to a passenger. Photo provided courtesy of passenger.

BAYONNE -- A 72-year-old woman on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas had a medical emergency in a pool earlier this week that caused the ship to speed up its return to Bayonne, according to the cruise line.

On Wednesday, guests witnessed the U.S. woman "having difficulty swimming in one of the ship's pools" and was "helped out of the pool," Royal Caribbean said today in a statement.

The woman "was initially treated by the ship's medical team, but required additional medical attention," so the ship "increased its speed for the earliest possible arrival into Cape Liberty, New Jersey for a medical evacuation," the cruise line stated.

Royal Caribbean spokesman Owen Torres said the 72-year-old was "debarked/medically evacuated" upon the cruise ship's arrival in Bayonne.

Torres didn't immediately answer inquiries about the woman's condition; the circumstances of her medical emergency; what facility she was taken to; which agency transported her; and what time the incident occurred.

"Royal Caribbean's Care Team provided support to the guest's family and our thoughts and prayers are with them," the cruise line said at the end of its statement.

A 29-year-old Philadelphia man who declined to be named said he and his wife were cruise passengers who witnessed part of what happened. He said the Anthem was about halfway through its return voyage from Bermuda to Bayonne at the time.

"When we arrived in the area, she had just been pulled from the water and was unresponsive and had a pale/purple look," he said in an email.

Port Authority police spokesman Joe Pentangelo said Anthem of Seas arrived in Bayonne at 4 a.m. on Thursday -- four hours earlier than expected -- due to a reported medical emergency on the ship.

Several area hospitals in Hudson County and Staten Island; the U.S. Coast Guard unit for the New York/New Jersey area; and the Bayonne Police Department said they don't have knowledge of any cases matching Royal Caribbean's description of the incident.

About a month ago, on July 2, an 8-year-old boy died at Staten Island University Hospital two days after nearly drowning in a pool on Anthem of the Seas.

The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that the cause of death in that case was drowning, with a contributing factor of seizure disorder, and that the manner of death was an accident.

Anthem of the Seas also made headlines back in February after it returned to Bayonne earlier than expected after sailing into a severe storm off the North Carolina coast.

Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
SECAUCUS -- Hundreds of Filipino Americans flooded the Exposition Center this weekend for the 18th annual Fiesta in America.

Dubbed the "biggest indoor consumer expo and cultural show of its kind," the trade show highlighted culture of the Philippines in Secaucus this weekend.

The two-day event featured food vendors, health and wellness tables, and international entertainers, including Paulo Avelino and Julia Montes. A worship service was also held on Sunday morning.

Scroll through the gallery above for some photos from Fiesta in America.
Despite the relentless heat gripping Hudson County for the last few days, residents have been taking care of themselves.

Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health has seen only a small increase in the number of people seeking treatment due to the heat, according to spokesman Mark Rabson.

"We are only up a very slight number of cases in the emergency department," he said.

According to weather.com, today's high in Jersey City is 95 degrees, with the temps only lowering slightly to 92 tomorrow. There is an excessive heat warning for the city until 10 p.m. tonight. The heat index means it will really feel like it's in the 100s out there for the next few days.

These dangerous temperatures could easily mean trouble for people if they aren't paying attention to the severity of the weather.

"I guess people are heeding the advice," he said, adding that information on how to stay safe during heatwaves is readily available through a number of resources, including in The Jersey Journal.

He said people should continue to follow the tips on keeping safe during a heatwave, from wearing light and loose-fitting clothes, to limiting strenuous activities to the early hours of the day.

"And if you have elderly relatives (without air conditioning), you can bring them to your house," he said. "But it's not like the old days. More and more people have air conditioners."

For those whose homes are not air conditioned, he said the hospital's cafeteria is open to people who need to come in and cool off.

Several Hudson County communities also have cooling centers open to the public.

Jersey City Medical Center provided the following tips for staying healthy and safe during a heatwave:
Jersey City cops tomorrow are honoring a Texas police officer who was injured during the July 7 Dallas massacre that claimed the lives of five police officers.

Cpl. Bryan Shaw was struck under his vest when gunman Micah Xavier Johnson shout out glass doors at El Centro College in downtown Dallas. Shaw is a detective with the college police force.

Shaw is visiting the area this weekend as the guest of Jersey City police. Yesterday the group took in a Mets game.

The Dallas officer will be the guest of honor at a gathering at O'Leary's Publik House, 788 Garfield Ave., tomorrow at 7 p.m. $35 pays for beer, wine and soda and appetizers.

Johnson killed five cops and injured nine others, during what had been a peaceful Black Lives Matter rally, before Dallas police used a robot bomb to kill him. It was the deadliest single day for law enforcement since the 9/11 attacks.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Bradley Beach

Emergency responders searched for a man reported missing off Bradley Beach Aug. 13, 2016 (Photo courtesy of Rocco Constantino)

( )

BRADLEY BEACH -- The U.S. Coast Guard was searching for a swimmer who was reportedly swept out to sea off Bradley Beach Saturday night, an agency spokesman said.

Crews responded around 7 p.m. to reports of a 31-year-old man in the water, according to Coast Guard spokesman Seth Johnson. The agency launched boats from Shark River and Manasquan along with a helicopter from its Atlantic City air station.

The man had not been located as of around 11 p.m., the spokesman said. A Coast Guard cutter was continuing search efforts through the night.

Police and water rescue teams from nearby communities also assisted in the search.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
shubhangi wrote:





and 1st statement says

patients in the United States do not have a greater need for surgery than do patients in Canada.

that means it is opposite of what passage says.. i am CONFUSED i dont know...how A is possible..it says in the passage that people in US undergo 40% MORE than canadaand 1st statement sayspatients in the United States do not have a greater need for surgery than do patients in Canada.that means it is opposite of what passage says.. i am CONFUSED

Here is an explanation, which may help you.

1. per capita surgeons --> for 1000 people, how many surgeons (it could be 100 people or 10000 people)

Assume (for the explanation purpose) in Canada, for 1000 people, 10 surgeons. So, in US, for 1000 people, 14 surgeons (33% more surgeons, rounded to 40%)



2. The conclusion of the argument is: Since per capita surgeons are more in US than in Canada, more surgeries (40% more operations) are happening in US. In my opinion these % numbers are not that important for the argument's conclusion. This conclusion is directly connecting per capita surgeons to the number of operations. If we bring in any new information that would make us believe that, yes more surgeons means more operations, then that choice is the 'assumption'.



A) if patients in US need more surgeries than do patients in Canada, then the total number of surgeries in US will be more than surgeries in Canada, so we can't directly correlate 'more surgeons to more surgeries'. If this is the case, then the conclusion is invalid. Correct answer

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Although the ratio of physicians to total population is about the same in the United States and Canada, the United States has 33 percent more surgeons per capita. Clearly, this is the reason people in the United States undergo 40 percent more operations per capita than do Canadians.The explanation given above rests on an assumption that:(A) patients in the United States do not have a greater need for surgery than do patients in Canada.(B) the population of the United States is not larger than that of Canada.(C) United States patients sometimes travel to Canada for certain kinds of surgery.(D) General practitioners in the United States do not as a rule examine a who is a candidate for surgery before sending the patient to a surgeon.(E) There are no unnecessary surgical operations performed in Canada.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New NOLA Media Group president Tim Williamson meets with the staff in the NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune newsroom at One Canal Place on the day his hiring was announced, June 23, 2016.
Interestingly, a ripe yellow banana appears to glow blue under ultraviolet light, which is likely due to the chlorophyll breakdown that occurs in the peel as the fruit ripens.A. which is likely due to the chlorophyll breakdown that occursB. a phenomenon likely due to the chlorophyll breakdown that occursC. because of the chlorophyll breakdownD. which is likely due to chlorophyll breakdown occurringE. a phenomenon that is likely because of the chlorophyll breakdown occursThis question should be solved in 20 seconds in the EXAM. B and E have appositive modifiers and hence a preferred construction. Answer has to be between B and E.E is wrong because of the wrong usage of BECAUSE OF. Hence mark B and move aheadNow detailed explanationa: COMMA + WHICH wrongly modifying UV light. Hence WRONG. Also, usage of DUE TO is wrong here. HOW TO CHECK THIS - If you can replace DUE TO with CAUSED BY and the sentence still make sense then usage of DUE TO is correct. Try to replace DUE TO here with CAUSED BY. Sentence would be non nonsensical. D is not correct for the same reasonb. CORRECT. Lets hold it for nowc. Slight change in the meaning as LIKELY is removed. The original sentence and all other option have LIKELY which is a possibility but C makes it CERTAIN. Hence wrongd. SAME AS AE We can not have a clause after BECAUSE OF. We must have a Noun after Because OF. Please remember that a clause can follow BECAUSE and a Noun can follow BECAUSE OF.RULE: 'Because of X' is an incorrect idiom when X is a clause. E.g. : Retailers reported moderate gains in their November sales, as much because of their sales of a year earlier being so bad as that shoppers were getting a head start on buying their holiday gifts.Because:By itself, the word because is a subordinate conjunction. What does that mean? It means that this word introduces a subordinate clause. A subordinate clause, like any clause, must have a complete [noun] + [verb] structure within itBecause of:The words because of are a compound preposition. Prepositions are designed to be followed by only a noun - because of the rain, because of the parade, because of the childs temper tantrum, etc. The object of this or any preposition can be a gerund or gerund phrase - because of waiting for the senator, because of limited parking,Hope it helps
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

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.
Today

Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 66F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 66F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Thunderstorms likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 76F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near an inch.
pi10t wrote:

The largest trade-book publisher in the United States has announced the creation of a new digital imprint division, under which it will publish about 20 purely digital works to be sold online as either electronic books or downloadable copies that can be printed upon purchase.



(A) works to be sold online as either electronic books or

(B) works to sell them online, either as electronic books or

(C) works and it will sell them online as either electronic books or as

(D) works, and selling them online as either electronic books or as

(E) works, and it will sell them online either as electronic books or

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Verb Forms + Grammatical Construction + Parallelism + Idioms

A:

Correct.

that are meant to be sold online

B:

for the purpose of selling them

itself

that are meant to be sold online

C:

itself

that are meant to be sold online

D:

itself

that are meant to be sold online

E:

itself

that are meant to be sold online

Hence, A is the best answer choice.

Dear Friends,Here is a detailed explanation to this question-Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that the trade book publisher will publish about 20 purely digital works that are meant to be sold online as either electronic books or as downloadable copies that can be printed upon purchase. neither A nor B and either A or B are idiomatic uses and are only used when referring to two elements; A and B must be parallel. Semicolons and the comma + conjunction construction are used to link two independent clauses; commas are used to link an independent clause with a dependent one; commas cannot be used to join two independent clauses. "will/would + base form of verb" is the correct simple future tense construction. If a list contains only two elements, they must be joined by a conjunction.This answer choice uses the phrase to be sold, conveying the intended meaning  that the trade book publisher will publish about 20 purely digital works. Further, Option A avoids the grammatical construction errors seen in Options C and D, as it features only one independent clause and no lists. Moreover, Option A avoids the verb form error seen in Option D, as it uses the infinitive verb form "to + be sold" rather than the simple future tense. Additionally, Option A maintains parallelism between A (electronic books) and B (downloadable copies that can be printed upon purchase) in the idiomatic construction either A or B.This answer choice alters the meaning of this sentence through the phrase to sell them online; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the trade book publisher will publish about 20 purely digital worksonline; the intended meaning is that the trade book publisher will publish about 20 purely digital works. Further, Option B fails to maintain parallelism between A (as electronic books) and B (downloadable copies that can be printed upon purchase") in the idiomatic construction either A or B; remember, neither A nor B and either A or B are idiomatic uses and are only used when referring to two elements; A and B must be parallel.This answer choice alters the meaning of this sentence through the phrase and it will sell them online; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the trade book publisher will publish about 20 purely digital works, and the publisherwill sell the books online; the intended meaning is that the trade book publisher will publish about 20 purely digital works. Further, Option C incorrectly uses conjunction (and in this case) to join the independent clauses The largest trade-book publisher in the United States has announced...works and it will ...purchase; remember, semicolons and the comma + conjunction construction are used to link two independent clauses; commas are used to link an independent clause with a dependent one; comma cannot be used to join two independent clauses. Additionally, Option C fails to maintain parallelism between A (electronic books) and B (as downloadable copies that can be printed upon purchase") in the idiomatic construction either A or B; remember, neither A nor B and either A or B are idiomatic uses and are only used when referring to two elements; A and B must be parallel.This answer choice alters the meaning of this sentence through the phrase and selling them online; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the trade book publisher will publish about 20 purely digital works, and the publisherwill sell the books online; the intended meaning is that the trade book publisher will publish about 20 purely digital works. Further, Option D fails to maintain the correct simple future tense construction "will + base form of verb", as it uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "selling" in this sentence); remember, "will/would + base form of verb" is the correct simple future tense construction. Additionally, Option D incorrectly uses the comma + conjunction (and in this case) construction to join two elements in a list - publish and "selling; remember, if a list contains only two elements they must be joined by a conjunction. Besides, Option D fails to maintain parallelism between A (electronic books) and B (as downloadable copies that can be printed upon purchase") in the idiomatic construction either A or B; remember, neither A nor B and either A or B are idiomatic uses and are only used when referring to two elements; A and B must be parallel.This answer choice alters the meaning of this sentence through the phrase and it will sell them online; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the trade book publisher will publish about 20 purely digital works, and the publisherwill sell the books online; the intended meaning is that the trade book publisher will publish about 20 purely digital works. Further, Option E fails to maintain parallelism between A (as electronic books) and B (downloadable copies that can be printed upon purchase") in the idiomatic construction either A or B; remember, neither A nor B and either A or B are idiomatic uses and are only used when referring to two elements; A and B must be parallel.To understand the use of punctuation on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~10 minutes):To understand the concept of "Either-Or" and "Neither-Nor" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):All the best!Team_________________
An imam and his assistant were both shot this afternoon in Ozone Park, Queens. One man is dead and the other is critically injured.

The imam, who has not been named, and assistant Thara Uddin were returning from praying at nearby mosque Al Furqan Jame Masjid at around 2 p.m. when an unknown assailant shot one man in the head and another in the chest near 79th Street and Liberty Avenue. Police said that both men were taken to Jamaica Hospital. One man succumbed to his injuries and the other is alive but in critical condition. Police have not yet clarified which of the men has died.

Police are reportedly investigating the shooting as a hate crime. Thats not what America is about, local resident Khairul Islam, told the Daily News. We blame Donald Trump for this ... Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia.

Kobri Chowdhury, the leader of the Masjid al Amam, echoed Islam's claim, telling the Post that the shooting was just point blank [a] hate crime, hating Muslims.

The NYPD was unable to provide more detail when contacted for comment, but we'll update when more information is available.
Key manufacturers like Apple, Acer, Samsung, and Toshiba have shipped drastically fewer units this year thus far compared to H1 2015.

4 Reviews

Market analysts from TrendForce have published their latest results on the global notebook market to show that sales are down by 4 percent YoY to 74.18 million units with more pessimistic predictions for the remainder of the year.

Interestingly, not all manufacturers are suffering equally in the stagnant market. Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Asus have all showed steady shipment numbers YoY and remain the top four notebook manufacturers worldwide in regards to market share. Lenovo has shipped 4.1 percent more notebooks YoY and now commands 21.8 percent of the market while HP has shipped 1.6 percent more units YoY with a 21.3 percent market share. Dell and Asus control 15.3 and 10.9 percent of the market, respectively.

The tail-end of the Top 8 list are Apple, Acer, Samsung, and Toshiba, all of whom experienced large declines in shipment numbers YoY in contrast to the top 4 above. Apple and Acer are down 23.4 percent and 22.2 percent, respectively, although their market shares are up YoY by fractions of a percentage point each.

Toshiba saw the biggest slump of all at a whopping 62.6 percent decline YoY for a final market share of just 1.8 percent. Early rumors were circulating to suggest that the Japanese company may withdraw from the notebook business, but the manufacturer recently announced plans to expand its business notebooks into more European territories.
The limited time promotion will run for approximately two weeks and will apply to select Surface Book SKUs with Nvidia GeForce GPUs.

4 Reviews

Gamescom 2016 is just around the corner and Microsoft is already jumping in with offers and bundles to attract the gaming crowd. From August 15th to the 28th, customers who purchase a new Surface Book will also receive the Surface Dock and an Xbox One wireless controller for free. Together, both extras retail for about 200 Euros or more depending on the region. The promotion applies to participating Microsoft Stores and retailer partners.

The following Surface Book SKUs apply for the bundle:

Surface Book with Nvidia GeForce, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, Intel Core i5

Surface Book with Nvidia GeForce, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, Intel Core i7

Surface Book with Nvidia GeForce, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, Intel Core i7

Surface Book with Nvidia GeForce, 16 GB RAM and 1 TB, Intel Core i7

Note that the cheapest Surface Book configuration with the Core i5, integrated HD Graphics, 8 GB RAM, and 128 GB SSD is excluded from this promotion. Thus, users must opt in for the costlier configurations if they wish to get the bundled extras.

Aside from also being compatible with the Xbox One console itself, the wireless controller will work with both Games for Windows and Xbox streaming. It's clear that the Redmond company is encouraging gamers to use their Windows 10 platforms as gaming machines in conjunction with their Xbox consoles.
As mosquito season ramps up local Zika-related anxiety, the city's reporting an uptick in complaints about empty swimming pools that are gathering standing water.

NBC News reports that these so-called 'zombie pools' have garnered about 491 complaints since June 15th of this yearlast summer, there were only 226 complaints. Though the mosquito that carries and transmits Zika to humans has not been found in New York, health officials have been urging residents to report stagnant water, since it can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitos.

Per the investigation, the majority of these empty pools have been found on Staten Island, particularly at foreclosed and vacant properties. The health department is unable to fully drain the pools and instead workers treat them with larvicide, a move residents claim is not enough to combat the issue.

"We've seen other municipalities around this region take measures to be able to drain pools," Councilman Joe Borelli told NBC. "It goes back to the notion of, look, the city is giving you a license, a permit to build your pool. With that license comes responsibilities, and if you're not able to maintain those, the city should have a right to kind of renege it and take measures in the most extreme cases."

The Washington Post reported earlier this summer that empty swimming pools at foreclosed homes have posed a major problem in the battle against Zika and mosquitos, particularly in states hard-hit by the 2008 housing crisis, like Florida.
Titans prop Ryan James has been charged with a grade two careless high tackle for his hit on Tigers fullback James Tedesco, one of three players cited by the NRL match review committee from the three Saturday games in Round 23 of the NRL Telstra Premiership.

James, who has one prior non-similar offence in the past two years, would serve a one-match ban if he accepts an early guilty plea or is found guilty at the judiciary.

2016 Titans - James Ryan



Fellow Gold Coast prop David Shillington (grade one dangerous contact  other) was also charged, but will escape suspension with an early guilty plea.

Rabbitohs prop Zane Musgrove (grade one shoulder charge) could also miss his side's next match, with an early guilty plea resulting in a week on the sidelines.
The Roosters have leapfrogged the Cowboys into second spot on the Holden Cup ladder with a convincing 42-24 win at Allianz Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

In what had been a round of missed opportunities for top eight sides, Anthony Barnes's men made no mistakes on their home turf to move one point clear of North Queensland with three games remaining.

Both teams butchered chances in the opening 10 minutes with Reuben Porter spilling the ball over the line for the Roosters, before North Queensland No.9 Brandon Smith followed suit from the very next set.

The Tricolours weren't so lucky five minutes later when Smith  who is set to join the Melbourne Storm next season - shot through from near halfway to position Ty Carucci for the afternoon's first points.

Not to be outdone, the home side hit back quickly with Bernard Lewis pouncing on a perfectly-weighted grubber from Jackson Hastings to level the scores midway through the first half.

Fresh from his NRL debut on Monday night, Grant Garvey showed his class to set up fullback Kiah Cooper with a deft grubber out of dummy-half to give the Roosters the lead.

After grabbing his side's first try, Carucci turned provider twice in the space of five minutes, first sending back-rower Cody Maughan over, before the Cowboys No.6 grubbered through for Enari Tuala to make it 16-12.

A see-sawing first 40 ended with Roosters lock Nat Butcher powering through some soft defence to crash over to give his side a slender two-point advantage at the break.

It took a bizarre passage of play to produce the first points of the second half as a Hastings chip kick appeared to be gathered in by Cowboys winger Nathan Traill, only for Jarred Anderson to strip the ball over the line to extend the Roosters' lead.

That try seemed to break the shackles as Garvey darted over to make it 30-16, only for Tahanui Tutavake to respond with his own effort from dummy-half to make it a 10-point game with 20 minutes remaining.

Any hopes of a North Queensland comeback were put to bed when Sukamanu Raki somehow reached out to score despite appearing to be held by three would-be defenders close to the line.

The visitors pegged one back through Nathan Traill but were reduced to 12 men for the final six minutes of the contest when Brandon Smith was sent to the sin bin for dissent.

Butcher crossed late for his second of the afternoon to complete the 18-point victory that puts the Roosters in pole position for a top-two finish.

NYC Roosters 42 (Nat Butcher 2, Bernard Lewis, Kiah Cooper, Jarred Anderson, Grant Garvey, Sukamanu Raki tries; Jackson Hastings 7 goals) defeated NYC Cowboys 24 (Ty Carucci, Cody Maughan, Enari Tuala, Tahanui Tutavake, Nathan Traill tries; Ty Carucci 2 goals) at Allianz Stadium. Half-time: 18-16 Roosters.
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How do you know if your local hospital provides safe, quality care?

The federal government is trying to making that question easier to answer.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently started rating hospitals on a five-star scale, though Northwest Indiana hospital officials say to take the ratings for what they're worth: a simple number based on more than 60 complex factors that are sometimes out of the facilities' control. Local hospitals' ratings ranged from two stars (Franciscan St. Margaret Health in Dyer) to five stars (St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago).

The rating system, which will be updated quarterly, is part of the federal government's effort to increase transparency in the health care industry and to reimburse hospitals based on quality and safety rather than the volume of services provided.

In general, hospital officials say, teaching and safety-net hospitals receive lower ratings (fewer stars) because they care for either complex cases or sicker patients, while specialty hospitals score better because they focus on one area of medicine.

In that sense, St. Catherine Hospital, which cares for a disproportionate share of uninsured and Medicaid patients, beat the odds. Out of the more than 3,600 hospitals rated, only 102 received a five-star rating.

"We're able to prove that regardless of our patient population, we're able to deliver great quality care," said Paula Swenson, St. Catherine's chief nursing officer. "Our patients don't have the support mechanisms that people in other places have, which affects health outcomes."

Hospital CEO JoAnn Birdzell notes that this is what makes the ratings tricky: The hospital can educate and follow-up with a cardiac patient about the dangers of eating salt, but if he eats a bag of potato chips and is readmitted who's responsible? But she adds that the ratings are about as objective as you can get.

"They're taking information off the patient charts," she said. "They're rating patients according to how we did."

The government also assigns a rating to nearly every hospital in the country, unlike some commercial ratings companies, which only include hospitals that pay for the service.

St. Catherine put programs into place that likely improved their rating, like analyzing every single stroke case to ensure the hospital delivers clot-busting medication in less than an hour.

Porter Regional Hospital in Valparaiso got four stars, in part, because of specific initiatives, like providing patients with oral care supplies and education, which reduced hospital-acquired pneumonia by 40 percent in 2015. Other programs at Porter aimed to increase hand hygiene among providers, check on patients at least once an hour and more effectively hand off patients at shift change.

But hospital CEO Steve Lunn said there are factors beyond the rating system patients should consider when choosing a hospital.

"It's an effort to raise the level of transparency and help educate the public on what's important in health care," he said. "But people need to keep in mind that these ratings systems are just one tool. Health care is still provided by physicians and clinicians, and those people are your best asset to figure out what's right for you and your health care needs."

Dr. Vincent Sevier, chief quality officer at Methodist Hospitals, noted the lack of consensus in the health care community of the utility of the ratings and that CMS plans to refine the system based on feedback it receives from hospitals.

"A preliminary analysis by Medicare found that teaching hospitals and hospitals with large numbers of low-income patients tended to score lower," he said. "And many of the highest ratings were received by smaller and more highly specialized hospitals."

Methodist Hospitals, which has campuses in Gary and Merrillville, got three stars, the most common score among hospitals nationwide.

A hospital's rating could also be affected by what the government doesn't look at. Dr. Matthew Teolis, interim president of Franciscan St. Margaret Health in Dyer and Hammond and Franciscan Health Munster, said the system doesn't consider bariatric surgery or behavioral health, two areas the Dyer hospital scores well at in other evaluations. St. Margaret in Dyer also got dinged because of high readmissions during the reporting period in question (though Teolis did note the hospital ranked above the national average in safety of care).

The remainder of the Franciscan Northwest Indiana hospitals (in Crown Point, Hammond, Michigan City and Munster) got three stars each. All the system's hospitals in Northwest Indiana with the exception of Munster, scored below the national average in patient experience (which is based on patient surveys).

"As a system we have focused on patient satisfaction across all the facilities and have had a 20 percent increase year-to-date that should help future star ratings," Teolis said.

Even if the ratings are controversial, they are the wave of the future, as hospitals are increasingly reimbursed based on factors such as how well they prevent infections and readmissions.

"We remain committed to continuous improvement and use the ratings system of CMS and others, even if they're imprecise, as a benchmark to strive toward," Teolis added.
Indiana University Northwest has announced the appointment of Michelle Dickerson as executive director of finance, a post she assumed in July. Dickerson will oversee the university's office of fiscal affairs and the office of human resources. She previously worked in finance, budget and audit roles at Building Better Futures (BBF) Family Services, Canteen Corporation and McDonalds Corp. She is a Gary native from the same Glen Park neighborhood where the university is located.

Aneesah Ali has been appointed director of the office of equal opportunity and affirmative action programs and deputy Title IX coordinator at Indiana University Northwest. She will coordinate IU Northwests compliance with nondiscrimination and affirmative action in educational programs and employment, including Title IX. She will also coordinate IU Northwests affirmative action plans for women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Attorney Brian Custy has graduated from the prestigious Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College in Dubois, Wyoming. The College is led by famed trial attorney Gerry Spence and dedicated to training lawyers who are committed to the jury system and to representing and obtaining justice for individuals.

Edward Jones Financial Advisor Brock Lloyd recently received the firm's Eagle Award for his "clear vision of both client and business goals" over the past year. Only 1,959 of the firm's more than 14,000 financial advisors received the award. He works out of the firm's Valparaiso office and lives in Chesterton.

Family practice physician Donald Phillips has joined the Community Care Network, Inc.  the physician group affiliated with St. Mary Medical Center and all Community Healthcare System hospitals. Joining him at his Hobart offices is nurse practitioner Melissa Dvorscak.

Nurse practitioner Lindsay Gordon has joined Dr. Christina Huynh in practice at the Portage Health Center II of St. Mary Medical Center. Gordon received her bachelor of science in nursing from Valparaiso University.

Nurse practitioner Ann Trapp has joined the physicians of Porter County Primary Care in practice at the Valparaiso Health Center of St. Mary Medical Center, in Valparaiso.
The Illinois State Police are investigating a shooting at 4 a.m. Sunday on the Bishop Ford Freeway at 115th Street that injured one man, according to a news release.

Two black males, the 21-year-old driver and his 18-year-old passenger, were driving north on Interstate 94 at 115h Street when a black SUV pulled up alongside their car and began firing multiple shots at their vehicle, police said.

The 18-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the right calf. Chicago Fire Department first responders transferred him to Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago with non-life threatening injuries, police said.

State police said no further information is being released at this time due to the ongoing investigation.
PORTAGE  Neighbors Educational Opportunities (NEO) Adult Education is holding open registration from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Aug. 29, 30 and 31 at its new facility, 5201 U.S. 6.

NEOs adult education classes are available to Indiana students, age 16 or older, who are not currently enrolled in high school and who wish to study for Indianas High School Equivalency Diploma, prepare for college or career, learn English as a second language, or study for the U.S. citizenship test.

NEO also offers help with Accuplacer testing for college as well as math, reading and language brush-up for the any apprenticeship training program classes.

NEOs free adult education classes are held from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

For more information about NEOs adult education classes, the HSE test, or New Vistas High School call (219) 850-4448 or go to neoadulted.org.
WASHINGTON  About 9 in 10 Americans now have health insurance, more than at any time in history. But progress is incomplete, and the future far from certain. Millions remain uninsured. Quality is still uneven. Costs are high and trending up again. Medicare's insolvency is two years closer, now projected in 2028. Every family has a stake.

Where they stand

Hillary Clinton would stay the course, making adjustments as needed to major government health insurance programs. She'd build on President Barack Obama's health care law, with one exception  a tax on generous coverage that she'd repeal. Medicare, the health care program for older Americans and the disabled, would get new legal powers to negotiate prescription drug prices with pharma companies. Clinton also would offer some relief from rising out-of-pocket costs, like deductibles and co-payments.

Donald Trump would repeal "Obamacare." But a recent study found his plan would make 18 million people uninsured. Stay tuned because Trump also said he doesn't want people "dying on the street." Similar to Clinton, he has promised not to cut Medicare. He agrees Medicare should be able to negotiate drug prices, unusual for a Republican. Trump's campaign has said he may revisit major health care programs once in the White House.

Gary Johnson takes a Libertarian view, of course, on health care. "Government has never managed any segment of the economy successfully. To expect that it can do so for health care  one of the largest segments  is insanity," Johnson wrote in his 2012 book, "Seven Principles." Johnson did, however, voice support for block grants to the states so they could make decisions on health care for the poor.

Why it matters

Patients from all over the world come to America for treatment. U.S. research keeps expanding humanity's ability to confront disease. But the U.S. still spends far more than any advanced country, and its people are not much healthier.

Obama's progress reducing the number of uninsured may be reaching its limits. Premiums are expected to rise sharply in many communities for people covered by his namesake law, raising concerns about the future.

The health care overhaul did not solve the nation's longstanding problem with costs. Total health spending is picking up again, underscoring that the system is financially unsustainable over the long run. Employers keep shifting costs to workers and their families.

No one can be denied coverage anymore because of a pre-existing condition, but high costs are still a barrier to access for many, including insured people facing high deductibles and co-payments. Prescription drug prices  even for some generics  are another major worry.

The election offers a choice between a candidate of continuity  Clinton  and a Republican who seems to have some core beliefs about health care but lacks a coherent plan.

If the presidential candidates do not engage the nation in debating the future of health care, it still matters.

Even if you're healthy, deeper national debt affects the economy and in some way everyone's standard of living, especially the next generation. If the government has to spend more on health care, it comes at the expense of more debt, cuts in something else or higher taxes.

America's problem with health care spending can't be ignored or wished away. Political leaders can postpone hard choices, but that will mean consequences even more wrenching when the bill comes due.

This story is part of AP's "Why It Matters" series, which will examine three dozen issues at stake in the presidential election.
MICHIGAN CITY  The Lakefront Safety Committee here intends to install 25 life rings along the lakefront in an effort to enhance safety.

The rings, each with 100 feet of rope tethered to the ring for retrieval, will be placed along the East Pier, Millennium Plaza and the south side of the Franklin Street Bridge, as well as along the Trail Creek channel, according to a press release issued Friday from Mayor Ron Meer. The rings can be tossed to struggling swimmers in an emergency.

In addition, they will add signage, improve safety equipment and increase public awareness about the potential dangers of Lake Michigan. The safety improvements will be funded through a $13,000 grant from the Arcelor Mittal Foundation.

The Lakefront Safety Committee, formed last year following the drowning of a Napanee man, is comprised of Michigan City first responders and representatives of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard.

We are often called to Washington Park for rescues, but many of them are at this pier, and unfortunately there have been a number of fatalities, said Fire Chief Randy Novak. A life ring is one of the easiest ways to save a drowning victim, especially off a pier. We repeatedly warn the public on the dangers of pier jumping, but we continue to see them do it.

Meer urged the public to heed the existing safety warnings posted at all of the public beaches and to respect Lake Michigans powerful currents. Meer called the recent drowning of a 14-year-old boy a tragedy for our community.

Flags are posted at the park entrance to inform visitors of the swim conditions. In addition, rip current warning signs in English and Spanish are posted at access points to beaches and include recommended action for a swimmer if caught in a rip current.
EAST CHICAGO Environmental law and housing experts met with West Calumet residents Saturday to advise them of legal rights as they face relocation from the lead-contaminated public housing complex.

We want to work with the families in this process of relocation. Ive seen it go well. Ive seen it go horribly  We want to provide our expertise to you for free, said Katherine Walz, director of housing justice with the Chicago-based Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.

Residents learned from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency earlier this summer the soil within the complex is highly contaminated with lead and arsenic toxins. In a separate letter, East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland advised it would be in residents best interest to leave.

Since that time, the city has been working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to relocate residents with the use of tenant protection vouchers and possibly demolish the decades-old public housing complex.

Walz told a crowd of about 150 that the East Chicago Housing Authority is required to pay for actual and reasonable moving expenses, such as moving van rentals, relocation security deposits, transfer or hookup fees for landline phone and utilities, Walz said.

Vouchers can be used to move to any unit or single-family house that accepts the voucher and passes an inspection by the housing authority. That includes anywhere in the U.S.

Still, there remains several unknowns, she said.

The other thing we have to fight for is a high rent (voucher amount), so that your vouchers are worth a lot in the private housing market. Weve been trying to get information out of your housing authority as to how much they are going to give. We dont have that information but we need to demand it, Walz said.

Amid rumors of residents going on a rent strike, Walz told the crowd that while she believes it unfair and immoral, residents must continue paying rent to ECHA to qualify for relocation vouchers.

Over the last week or so, Ive heard many people say Why do I have to continue to pay rent? Im living in housing that is poisoning me and my children, she said. And you have every right to feel that way  But heres the thing. Federal law says you have to keep paying rent.

The complex and Carrie Gosch Elementary School occupy the first of three zones within a Superfund site that the EPA has targeted for cleanup.

In fall 2014, federal officials reached a settlement with Atlantic Richfield and DuPont for a $26 million cleanup of two of three zones within the neighborhood. Zone 1  which covers the complex and school  is covered under the consent decree. The other zone covered under the agreement is Zone 3, which is located between the Elgin and Joliet Railway Line and Parrish Avenue.

Zone 2, which is not covered under the decree, is bounded by E. Chicago Avenue to the north, 151st Street to the south, McCook Avenue to the west, and Elgin-Joliet and Eastern Parkway to the east. It also includes a segment just north of Carrie Gosch Elementary School and west of McCook.

Debbie Chizewer, an attorney specializing in environmental advocacy issues with Northwesterns Pritzker School of Law, turned her attention Saturday to families within other neighborhoods within the EPAs Superfund site.

Chizewer said she was informed Friday by the EPA that the agency is rapidly conducting testing soil in the federal agencys Zone 2.

You may have seen the trailers and the work they are doing, she said.

The EPA informed her that the agency tested 25 properties recently and will test appropriately 200 properties within Zone 2.

The legal experts were invited Saturday by a coalition of Calumet neighborhood residents, state Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, Greater First Church Bishop Tavis Grant and environmental activist Thomas Frank with the Duneland Environmental Justice Alliance.

A member of the Gary-based Black Lives Matter organization and a representative from National Nurses United also were present.

*This story has been changed.
CEDAR LAKE  The Town Council has passed on first reading an ordinance governing residential sales, more commonly known as garage or yard sales.

The approval was not without controversy. Town CouncilmanGreg Parker thought the ordinance should contain more specifics, such as what might be exempted from the ordinance, estate sales, for example.

The ordinance passed on first reading 4-2, with Parker and Town Council President Randall Niemeyer voting no. Parker thought it should have been deferred for fine-tuning. The ordinance will not become law until it passes on second reading at a later meeting.

Niemeyer said before the vote the ordinance had been developed at the request of town residents who objected to residential sales which are conducted more like untaxed businesses, he said, rather than specific events.

The new ordinance lays out parameters, including a time limit, three days, per sales. Whats more, each applicant is allowed three sales, or nine days, a year. There will also be a $5 permit fee attached.
[UPDATE BELOW] The NYPD is searching for the man who shot and killed two Muslim men in broad daylight yesterday in Queens. Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, had just finished praying at the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Ozone Park when an unidentified gunman approached them from behind and shot them both in the head, police said.

Police found Akonjee and Uddin lying on the corner of 79th Street and Liberty Avenue just before 2 p.m. Saturday. They were rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where both men died of their injuries. Akonjee was an Imam leader at the mosque, and Uddin was his assistant.

Al-Furqan worshipper Misba Abdin, 47, told the Times that both men had been praying at the mosque just before they were shot. Witnesses told the Post that Akonjee and Uddin were neighbors and they lived nearby. The pair were murdered on their walk to their apartments on 102nd Avenue. Police say the shooter was last seen running from the area, still holding his gun and wearing a dark-colored polo and shorts. There is video that shows the suspect trailing the victims, though so far none of the actual shooting. The NYPD is working to obtain surveillance video from nearby businesses. No arrests have been made.

"This is 100 percent a hate crime," Akonjee's son-in-law Momin Ahmed told the Post. "My father-in-law was an imam, he wore traditional garb all the time." Both Akonjee and Uddin were Bangladeshi Muslims, and the surrounding Ozone Park neighborhood is home to many families from the South Asian nation.

In the hours after the shootings hundreds of worshippers and nearby residents gathered in the streets outside the Al-Furqan mosque, shouting demands for justice and denunciations of Islamophobia. "That's not what America is about," Khairul Islam told the Daily News. "We blame Donald Trump for this...Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia." Sources told the tabloid that Akonjee had had plans to return to Bangladesh later this month to attend his son's wedding.

"We are devastated," Kobir Chowdhury, president of another Ozone Park mosque told the News. "We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to know if they did this just because of our religion...[Akonjee was] a role model as an imam, as a father, as a community member. He didn't have any disputes with anybody." A police source told the News both the men had been carrying several hundred dollars at the time of their deaths, and that investigators have not ruled out the possibility of a botched robbery.

The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the murders, but police have been hesitant to declare a motive. "There's nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," Deputy Investigator Hank Sautner said Saturday. Police have reportedly increased patrols at all mosques throughout New York, the Post notes.

"The perpetrator of these senseless killings must be swiftly apprehended and face the full force of the law," CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher said yesterday. "We ask anyone with information about this attack to contact appropriate law enforcement authorities."

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

UPDATE: Surveillance video that shows the double murder has been recovered.
HAMMOND  Edward Gail closed his eyes for a short nap beneath a shaded tree Saturday in Harrison Park, a pair of hiking boots, sunglasses, his backpack and a small book of Polish Catholic Scriptures by his side.

The 47-year-old Justice, Illinois, resident wasnt alone. An estimated 6,000 or more people  mostly Polish Catholics  were there for a similar purpose: to rest up in the midst of a two-day, 33-mile pilgrimage.

The trek takes participants from St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church on Chicagos South Side to Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine in Merrillville.

Gail, who was born in Poland but moved to the U.S. 25 years ago, said the pilgrimage is deeply spiritual for him. The long, sometimes grueling walk allows him time to contemplate life.

I use this time to think, Gail said. You need the quiet to walk, to pray.

Many families on Saturday spread out blankets, yoga mats or tarps on the grounds of Harrison Park to rest up before taking off again.

The participants were set to depart later that same afternoon for Munster, where they would spend Saturday night at the Carmelite Shrine Monastery, 1628 Ridge Road. Tents have been pitched there for those to sleep.

The Rev. Bronislaw Jakubiec, of Merrillville, said those making the pilgrimage are observing the Catholic Churchs Aug. 26 feast day for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The pilgrimage is held earlier in the month so young children can participate before school begins.

This year is Jakubiecs 21st year participating in the pilgrimage.

Everyone goes with some discontent in his heart, Jakubiec said. Through his pilgrimage, we walk through it together and ask Jesus to change our world, our family, our hearts.

Cecylia Jablonska, of Chicago, said walking with strangers and loved ones alike brings her closer to God.

When you walk, you are tired, and when you are tired, you suffer, and feel closer to God, Jablonska said. This is like my offer to the Holy Mary, to be closer to her. Its a chance to have thanks for her, my family, my friends.

The final stop is at Our Lady of Czestochowa Shrine and Salvatorian Fathers Monastery in Merrillville, where they will see an iconic painting of the Black Madonna.

The pilgrimage is largely centred around the original painting of the Black Madonna, which is in Czestochowa, Poland.
MICHIGAN CITY  The Artspace Uptown Artists Lofts will continue to present arts programs to encourage the community to visit the newly re-purposed Warren Building.

On Thursday, the Michigan City Chamber Music Festival (MCCMF.org) will hold an open rehearsal of one of Beethovens most famous works for strings, the String Quartet in a minor, Opus 132.

The program starts at noon and will last until 2, but people are encouraged to come and go as they please. Children are welcomeas they are to all Chamber Festival Events during the entire week.

This informal experience enables listeners to see how a performance is perfected among the four musicians who work together to articulate and flesh it out to the highest degree, said Judy Jacobi, who is hosting the program with Artspaces support. One of the benefits of chamber music is its intimacy and the emotional drive that these gifted musicians put into it. Its a chance to hear how each moving part works to contribute to the final performance. The musicians will be available to talk with the attendees after the program.

The open rehearsal is free and cold refreshments will be served throughout.

For more information, contact Judy Jacobi at (219) 873-4560.
With the presidential and county elections upon us and everyone making promises; I want to bring to everyones attention that this year in America, more than 2.5 million children and their parents will experience homelessness. For a great country such as ours, this figure not only saddens me but gets me motivated to make a difference.

Its difficult to really see homelessness in and around our city. People couch surf, they sleep in their cars and they hang out for a few hours in the wee hours of the night in 24-hour restaurants.

While everyone is home in their warm, cozy beds, the homeless settle in for a very wakeful, uncomfortable night for one reason or another. Family Promise wants to help put an end to that in Porter County.

Family Promise is a national, nonprofit organization that serves children and their families in need. It has been in operation almost 30 years with 200 affiliates; 5 of those right here in Goshen, Hendricks County, two in Indianapolis and in the Greater Lafayette area of Indiana. There are two such affiliates in the midst of developing in Lake and right here in Porter County.

The first network opened in New Jersey on October 27, 1986. In 1988 the program went national and became the National Interfaith Hospitality Network and then in 2003 they became Family Promise to emphasize the promise of keeping a family together during homelessness. They help over 50,000 persons in need a year with over 170,000 volunteers throughout the network. Family Promise networks with church congregations in the area which enable them to provide 24 hour/7 day a week services to the families in the program. Their goal is to alleviate homelessness by fostering the development of Affiliates that provide shelter, meals and assistance for homeless families.

They help find employment, reconnect with society and restore the dignity that was lost during homeless time. More than anything though, Family Promises vision is to end family homelessness in this country.

The next meeting for the Family Promise Steering Committee is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 2715 McCool Road. This is the house just south of the Portage United Methodist Church and will be used as the Resource Center once the affiliate is up and running. Please try to come out; many hands and feet lessen the work. If you cant stop by the meeting for one reason or another, come out this Saturday to the front lawn of Nativity of Our Savior Catholic Church, 2949 Willowcreek Road where Family Promise of Porter County will be hosting a fundraiser/awareness event called Box City from 5:30 pm to 6 a.m. the next morning.

For more information on Family Promise of Porter County, call Jill Hostetler at (317) 450-7229.
VALPARAISO  Bethesda Lutheran Communities with 19 thrift shops  in eight states, is taking part in National Thrift Shop Day on Wednesday. Shoppers will be able to visit the Valparaiso store at 50 Marks Road which has clothing, household items and brand new furniture. They will be supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community.

Bethesda is a Christian organization that provides homes and other services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live the lives they want.

Paul Gieschen is the Corporate Director of Retail Operations with Bethesda. He feels that National Thrift Shop Day is a way to promote the missions of Bethesdas 19 stores in each of the communities.

Our thrift shops, along with the staff and volunteers really are the face of Bethesda in each of those areas we serve, said Gieschen.

Brian and Janet Olson have been volunteering with Bethesda in its thrift shops since 1993 and have put in nearly 20,000 hours. After seeing an advertisement in their church bulletin the couple began volunteering in the Hopkins, Minnesota store as managers nearly every day of the week.

We were supposed to retire and go on vacation back in 1993, but it didnt happen, said Janet Olson.

Seventeen years later when the store moved to Minnetonka, they decided to move with it. Today, they continue to volunteer, Janet sorting clothes and Brian doing maintenance work. Theyre still putting in about 10 to 15 hours a week.

We think its important to give back to the community and believe in Bethesdas mission of serving others.

To get a list of the stores and to find out more about the promotions, deals and treasures happening as part of National Thrift Shop Day, including brand new furniture at discount prices, visit Bethesdas Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BethesdaLutheranCommunities/?fref=ts
Why it Matters is a new series starting today in The Times and other newspapers that examines issues of importance in the presidential election.

It comes at a great time, as undecided voters start paying closer attention to Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate.

These stories, prepared by Associated Press writers who specialize in the topics, will run in print and online three or four times a week up to the Nov. 8 election. Today we start with health care, and tomorrow youll read about world concerns.

The stories, labeled with this logo, will explain how these issues shape our lives and summarize where the candidates stand.

Originally written to include Republican Trump and Democrat Clinton, weve added Johnson to give you a full picture. Count me with those who hope the former governor of New Mexico polls enough to be invited to the debates.

Im hoping these Why it Matters stories running every Sunday in Forum, every Monday, and another day during each week will spark discussions around the Region. Voters who have not yet decided deserve a focus on issues.

The frequency will increase in October when we publish four Why it Matters stories each week. These will be supplemented with fact-checking reports whenever we have them for the national race.

All of the Why it Matters stories will become part of a slideshow online that can be shared easily on social networks.

Moving forward, well soon begin a weekly issues focus for the Indiana gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races.

Nostalgic goodbye

It didnt take long after I arrived in the Region that I attended a show at the Star Plaza Theatre.

Ive attended several memorable ones, including the Oak Ridge Boys Christmas shows that have been a staple in Northwest Indiana.

Reaction came quickly last Tuesday once the news was posted that the Star Plaza would close in April 2017.

The Oak Ridge Boys, the popular country and gospel quartet, tweeted, Wow  A lot of dear friends and memories. It makes this one very special.

Theyll be back at the Star Plaza Dec. 18 and no doubt will reminisce about the many trips to Merrillville, in snow and ice, to entertain loyal fans.

Readers started sharing memories in conversations and on social media, and we encourage you to continue sharing them in a way that many in the Region can enjoy.

Send special memories  text, photos, videos, ticket stubs  to starmemories@nwi.com. Well post them online and print some of them in the coming weeks and months as the Star Plaza hosts its last shows.

If sharing on social media, we suggest using the hashtag #starmemories.

Thanks for reading us. Please contact me with any questions about The Times or our many publications.
Sometimes change is painful  but necessary nonetheless.

Since reporting about the impending demolition of Merrillville's iconic Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza and the famed Star Plaza Theatre, we've heard an outpouring of shock and nostalgic remembrances from readers via phone calls, emails and social media.

We're right there with you on the fond memories.

But no amount of nostalgia suspends the need of corporations to continuously adapt and evolve to remain relevant in an ever-competitive lodging and tourism industry.

White Lodging, a longtime major business and investor in the Region economy, deserves credit for taking the path of relevance in its plans to demolish the old and replace it with the new.

The company is planning to build a new upscale, nationally branded hotel with 215 rooms and 12,000 square feet of meeting space, including a massive ballroom for weddings and other large gatherings.

We'll miss the old hotel, where many of us attended  or participated in our own  weddings and other special events.

Some of us will miss the A-list music, comedy and family shows and region high school graduations hosted at the theater over the years.

But we all should be glad the corporation behind the facility, which began as a Holiday Inn in 1969, recognizes a need to evolve  and wants to continue its Region investment by staying put and building anew.

With new construction will surely come new opportunities.

Until then, the Star Plaza Theatre is slated to continue its scheduled acts through April, while the old hotel will shutter in January, according to the owners.

And White Lodging has offered its 140 hotel employees and 100 mostly part-time theater employees the opportunity to transfer to other jobs within the company, which is one of the nation's largest in its field.

When the new hotel opens  reportedly in 2018  employment, event and lodging opportunities will re-emerge in a facility that's hopefully prepared to thrive for as many decades as its predecessor.
An imam and another man were shot to death near a Queens mosque on Saturday, according to the city police department.

Police found Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and a 64-year-old man shot in the head at 79th Street and Liberty Avenue around 1:50 p.m.

Police said Akonjee, seen above, and the 64-year-old man, Thara Uddin, died from their injuries.



Akonjee and Uddin were walking home from prayers at their local mosque and were wearing religious attire.

The suspect, a man who wore a polo shirt, approached the men from behind on Liberty Ave., according to the NYPD's preliminary investigation.

Immediately after the victims were shot, the man fled the scene on 79th Street. Witnesses said he had a gun in his hand.

No arrests have been made, the investigation is ongoing, and police said they are looking for surveillance video and additional witnesses.

People in the community said they believe the victims were targeted because of their Muslim faith. Police have not confirmed that.

Akonjee was well known in the community, as many people said they had gone to him for advice.

They said he had no enemies and was a man of peace, so a lot of people in the area said they found it hard to believe bias or discrimination did not play a part in the shooting.



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 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.
"Political language -- and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists -- is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."

-- George Orwell, Politics and the English Language
Elizabeth Ventress Arkema, a daughter of Christine E. Bishop and Dr. Paul H. Arkema of Weston, Mass., was married Aug. 13 to Karl Mikael Olof Hakansson, a son of Caroline A. Sjoberg and Sven Mikael A. Hakansson, both of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The Rev. Anne Bancroft, a Unitarian minister, officiated at Stonehurst, the Robert Treat Paine estate, in Waltham, Mass.

Ms. Arkema, 33, is keeping her name. She is an assistant professor of epidemiology in the department of medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, where she also researches autoimmune disorders. She graduated from Princeton and earned masters and doctoral degrees in epidemiology at Harvard.

Her father, a psychiatrist, is the associate medical director at Westwood Lodge Hospital in Westwood, Mass. Her mother is an economics professor at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis, where she also researches the economics of health services for elderly people.
Emma Wilder Boyd Gleason, a daughter of Jennifer N. Boyd and Wilder G. Gleason of Norwalk, Conn., was married Aug. 13 to Jeffrey Scott Aser, the son of Patricia Clark Aser of Greenwich, Conn., and the late Thomas M. Aser, at Hildene, a museum in Manchester, Vt., that was once the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln.

Maureen D. Dennis, the brides godmother, who is a judge on the Bridgeport Superior Court in Connecticut, received authorization to officiate from the State of Vermont.

Ms. Gleason, 28, who is keeping her name, is the senior associate director of strategic initiatives in Brooklyn for Uncommon Schools New York City, part of a network of 22 public charter schools. She works on school growth in Brooklyn. She graduated with honors from the University of Chicago.

Her father is a real estate and land-use lawyer in Darien, Conn., and is on the board of Person to Person, a nonprofit organization based there. Her mother is a lawyer in Norwalk.
Jean Lauren Woroniecki, the daughter of Colleen M. Woroniecki of Wall, N.J., was married Aug. 13 to Alan Paul Roberts, a son of Mary P. Roberts and Bruce I. Roberts of Knoxville, Tenn. The Rev. Theodore J. Roman, a priest affiliated with CITI Ministries, officiated at Doolan's Shore Club in Spring Lake, N.J.

Mrs. Roberts, 33, is a vice president at Leerink Partners in Manhattan, a health care investment firm, where she manages a team of research analysts. She graduated from Cornell and received a doctorate in strategic management from the University of Pittsburgh.

Mr. Roberts, 40, is a systems administrator at Acadaca in Manhattan, which designs and hosts websites for clients. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University and served in the Army National Guard in Jamaica, Queens, from 2006 to 2012, achieving the rank of captain. He was deployed to Afghanistan from 2007 to 2008, where he earned a meritorious service medal; he is now a member of the Individual Ready Reserve.

The bride said she wanted to meet Mr. Roberts after receiving a message on the Hinge dating app, in which he quoted the author John Green: Nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff. Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like, jump-up-and-down-in-your-chair-cant-control-yourself love it.
Dr. Katherine Liu, a daughter of Yan Liu of Flushing, Queens, was married Aug. 13 to Dr. Joshua Adam Heller, a son of Dr. Debra S. Heller of Closter, N.J., and Dr. Allen N. Heller of Tenafly, N.J. Susanna Macomb, a minister ordained by the New Seminary for Interfaith Studies, officiated at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan.

Dr. Liu, 34, is keeping her name. Last month, she completed her residency in anesthesia at University Hospital in Newark. Next month, she is to begin work as an anesthesiologist and the medical director for New York Metro Anesthesia, a clinic in Flushing that is owned and managed by her mother.

The bride graduated from Cornell and received a masters in science and a medical degree from the Newark campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Dr. Heller, 33, is a cardiac anesthesiologist in Manhattan at Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Lukes Hospitals. He graduated from Columbia and received a medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, also in Manhattan.
Sofia Elizabeth Vargas, a daughter of Elizabeth R. Weiner and Heriberto Vargas Jr. of Manhattan, was married Aug. 13 to Noah Gabriel Nielsen, a son of Isabel Weinger Nielsen and Lars Nielsen of Northfield, Vt. Rabbi Benjamin H. Spratt officiated at the West Mountain Inn in Arlington, Vt.

Ms. Vargas, 26, will keep her name. She is a kindergarten teacher at the Rodeph Sholom School in New York, which is part of Congregation Rodeph Sholom, where the officiant is a rabbi. She graduated from City College of New York and has completed requirements for a masters degree in early-childhood education at Hunter College.

Her father is the director of labor relations for the New York State Department of Labor. Her mother is the senior policy adviser, working in Brooklyn, for Clearesult, an Austin, Tex., consultancy on energy efficiency.

Mr. Nielsen, 28, is a business-development and account manager at Bernard Nickels & Associates, a temporary staffing and recruitment firm in Manhattan. He is also a guitarist in a band, the Cosmic Coronas. He graduated from the University of Vermont.
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin activated the Wisconsin National Guard on Sunday to assist local law enforcement following a night of violence in Milwaukee that began hours after a police officer fatally shot a fleeing armed man there.

Angry crowds confronted the police in Milwaukee on Saturday night, setting fires and throwing rocks following the shooting that afternoon. One fire, at a gas station in the Sherman Park neighborhood, burned unattended while gunshots kept firefighters from extinguishing it. Other fires burned at an auto-parts store, a beauty supply company and a bank branch.

One police officer was hospitalized with a head injury after a brick was thrown through the window of his patrol car, Mayor Tom Barrett said at a news conference early Sunday morning. The police reported just before 3:30 a.m. that order was being restored to the area.

In a statement, Governor Walker praised volunteer clean-up efforts on Sunday morning.

This act of selfless caring sets a powerful example for Milwaukees youth and the entire community, he said. I join Milwaukees leaders and citizens in calling for continued peace and prayer.
The Disappearance is a European missing-child mystery, and if youve seen the pillars of the genre (The Killing, The Missing) you know what to expect. It has some regional flavor  with much of the action centered on a corner cafe in Lyon, France, run by the family of the disappeared girl  but its mostly menu typique.

There are several ways, beyond the language everyone is speaking, for Americans to tell that the eight-episode series (online starting Monday on Acorn TV) is French. When interrogation subjects receive a drink, its not water or Coke but espresso. A succession of men lie about their actions, and each turns out to be covering up or covering for a girlfriend or ex-lover.

The missing-child formulas set in right away, with the person in question: Shes a teenage girl (Camille Razat) who doesnt come home from a music festival and who  surprise!  was having more sex and doing more drugs than any of the adults in her life knew. Then theres the crazy guy who claims responsibility; the young male suspect with rich parents; and the grumpy detective (Francois-Xavier Demaison) with daughter issues of his own.

Most tellingly, theres the father (Pierre-Francois Martin-Laval), whos essentially rational, despite his violent outbursts and obsessive behavior, and the mother (Alix Poisson), whos ruled by her emotions and at one point hires a clairvoyant. This gender-typing was committed by two female writers (Marie Deshaires and Catherine Touzet) and a female director (Charlotte Brandstrom).
Before the action starts, the Bollywood movie Mohenjo Daro assures us that no animals were harmed during its making. More unusual, a note tells us that the film doesnt support or dispute any specific interpretation of ancient Indian civilization. This disclaimer probably isnt necessary. From its first scenes, the movie, set in 2016 B.C., makes its intentions known: This is a heros tale, not history.

In those opening scenes, Sarman (the green-eyed pinup Hrithik Roshan) has a David-like victory over an enormous crocodile, whose superior strength is no match for Sarmans cunning, courage and well-placed trident. All in a days work: We soon learn that Sarman is his villages go-to man in life-threatening crises.

Like all good heroes, Sarman is an orphan (he lives with his aunt and uncle). He doesnt have a lightning bolt on his forehead, but he has a dream  of a unicorn, which is a clear sign of something ominous, as we see in the worried eyes of his aunt and uncle.

Our country boy soon goes off to the big city, Mohenjo Daro, a place he is told is ruled by greed. There he partakes of the polyglot marketplace, witnesses injustice, sees magnificent beasts (horses, brought by traders from Bukhara) and meets  a girl, the Chosen One, played by Pooja Hegde. (Chosen for what, you may wonder: her role consists of being fought over by men.)
The lawsuit, filed on Friday by MFY Legal Services and the law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady in United States District Court in Brooklyn, is the latest tussle over how the government turned to Wall Street to help sort through the wreckage of the 2008 financial crisis. The mortgage sales are part of an effort by HUD to reduce the burden on its insurance fund that backstops home loans to lower-income borrowers who have gone into default.

This lawsuit exposes that the historic racism that has kept our communities segregated, that has blocked African-Americans from sustainable homeownership, and that increases the racial wealth gap in this country is still alive and well, said Elizabeth Lynch, a supervising attorney at MFY Legal Services.

The sales to private investors had already been under criticism in Washington, leading the housing agency to put in new protections for homeowners whose federally backed mortgages change ownership. One new rule announced in June would require the private investors to consider reducing the total amount owed on a homeowners mortgage, known as a principal reduction.

But these new rules will not apply to the more than 100,000 mortgages already sold by HUD in a series of auctions.

The battle over the mortgage sales has exposed a conundrum that the housing agency faces over its Federal Housing Administration mortgage program, which started in the 1930s. By selling the mortgages to the highest bidder  in this case private equity firms  the agency can bolster its insurance fund that had been eroded by the flood of foreclosures in the immediate aftermath of the housing crisis. The more flush the insurance fund, the more mortgages to lower-income borrowers the department can backstop.

But housing advocates say that the agency is contradicting its mission by selling mortgages to investors that they say are pushing homeowners closer to foreclosure with loan modifications that offer little relief.

In some cases, the modifications can leave borrowers in even more financial distress. For example, according to the lawsuit, the terms of one typical offer of relief from Lone Stars servicing arm require a large balloon payment five years after the modification that can, lawyers say, significantly increase a homeowners mortgage costs.
The lunch group in Monessen, Pa., is evenly divided between Donald J. Trump supporters and Trump opponents. But the dark mood across the whole room suggests why this working-class town might end up favoring him in November.

Monessen, once a steelmaking hub, has steadily lost plants, jobs and population over the decades. Along Donner Avenue, there are more boarded-up buildings than open stores. Mayor Lou Mavrakis points out one that has clearly been inhabited by birds for decades and not cleaned.

The mayor assembled a group of residents for lunch at Felicias Restaurant and Lounge, where they discussed the problems they see at home and abroad. Im tired of being a 911 for the world, said Kevin Iacovangelo, who fixes and sells computers.

Mr. Trump is a welcome protest vote for many in the hard-pressed communities of southwestern Pennsylvania. At the Monessen lunch, even some of his supporters said he was a blowhard. They did not object when others called him a bigot.
CHAH-I-ANJIR, Afghanistan  As Taliban fighters push toward the southern city of Lashkar Gah, members of Afghanistans elite forces are trying to hold their ground here, about 10 miles from the city, the capital of Helmand Province and a critical link in the defense of the entire region.

The Afghan governments need to rely on the special forces, highly trained for commando raids, to guard the perimeter of the city exposes a stark reality. As Helmand, the largest province in Afghanistan and the center of its opium production, endures intense enemy fire this summer, the regular police and army forces have failed to stand firm, raising the possibility that the Taliban could overrun Lashkar Gah.

The police, as soon as they were inflicted with some casualties, gave up about 27 posts one after another without a fight, and our posts were surrounded by surprise, said Col. Nematullah Khalil, the commander of the Afghan Armys Third Regiment, 215 Corps, whose soldiers are trying to help the special forces hold the line in Chah-i-Anjir, in the Nad Ali district. The enemy planted a lot of mines wherever they reached, and that slows us down.

Lt. Col. Mohammad Omar Jan, the police chief of the Nad Ali district, rejected that assessment. The army is blaming the police to cover up its own weakness, Colonel Jan said, adding that the army was responsible for Chah-i-Anjirs security because his forces were busy trying to secure the district governors compound.
Generations of Chinese have been taught that the Tibetan people are grateful to China for having liberated them from feudalism and serfdom, and yet Tibetan protests, including self-immolations, continue to erupt against Chinese rule. In Tibet in Agony: Lhasa 1959, to be published in October by Harvard University Press, the Chinese-born writer Jianglin Li explores the roots of Tibetan unrest in Chinas occupation of Tibet in the 1950s, culminating in March 1959 with the Peoples Liberation Armys shelling of Lhasa and the Dalai Lamas flight to India. In an interview, she shared her findings.

Youve drawn parallels between the killings in Lhasa in 1959 and the 1989 military crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing.

China was better able to cover up its actions in Lhasa in 1959, before the advent of instantaneous global media coverage, but the two have much in common. In both, the Chinese Communists used military might to crush popular uprisings, and both involved egregious massacres of civilians. But for Tibetans, what sets the Lhasa massacre apart is their bitter sense of China as a foreign occupying power. The Tibetans were subjugated by force, and they are still protesting today.

What happened in 1959?

The crisis began on the morning of March 10, when thousands of Tibetans rallied around the Dalai Lamas Norbulingka palace to prevent him from leaving. He had accepted an invitation to a theatrical performance at the Peoples Liberation Army headquarters, but rumors that the Chinese were planning to abduct him set off general panic. Even after he canceled his excursion to mollify the demonstrators, they refused to leave and insisted on staying to guard his palace. The demonstrations included a strong outcry against Chinese rule, and China promptly labeled them an armed insurrection, warranting military action. About a week after the turmoil began, the Dalai Lama secretly escaped, and on March 20, Chinese troops began a concerted assault on Lhasa. After taking over the city in a matter of days, inflicting heavy casualties and damaging heritage sites, they moved quickly to consolidate control over all Tibet.
BANGKOK  A series of bombings that killed four and injured dozens in Thailand at the end of last week was committed by a widespread network that followed the instructions of a single person, a police official said on Sunday, although he declined to identify the perpetrators.

The acts were carried out by a group in many locations simultaneously, following orders from one individual, Pongsapat Pongcharoen, a deputy national police chief, told reporters.

Mr. Pongsapat did not present any evidence, but ruled out the involvement of Islamic separatists who have been battling the government in three southern provinces for more than a decade.
BEIRUT, Lebanon  Fighting in Aleppo, Syria, killed dozens of civilians over the weekend, a high toll even for a city that has been the scene of intense fighting recently, a monitoring group said on Sunday.

Government and Russian airstrikes and artillery bombardment of opposition neighborhoods and the outskirts of the city on Saturday killed 46 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in Britain, and nine were killed by opposition shelling in government-held areas of western Aleppo.

Another 20 people were killed in rural villages in nearby Idlib Province after 26 airstrikes on Saturday, the group said. Activists and journalists in Idlib also confirmed the airstrikes.
SAN FRANCISCO  Officials say a woman is in critical condition after a large tree branch fell and hit her on the head while she and her children were visiting a San Francisco park.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the 36-year-old woman was inside Washington Square park with her two small children Friday afternoon when she was hit by a 100-pound tree branch.

San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Lt. Jonathan Baxter says the branch fell on the woman from a distance of about 50 feet. He says paramedics rushed her to a hospital where she is in critical condition with a head injury.

Baxter says the Department of Public Works was sending an arborist to the park in the North Beach neighborhood to investigate why the branch gave way.
Old in error, writes historian Kevin Starr, California remains an American hope. Historically, our state has been a beacon to outsiders seeking a chance, from gold miners and former Confederates to Midwesterners displaced by hardship, Jews seeking opportunity denied elsewhere, African Americans escaping Southern apartheid, Asians fleeing communism and societal repression, Mexicans looking for a way out of poverty, counter-culture emigres looking for a place where creation can overcome repression.

Yet, this notion of California as a land of outsiders is being turned on its head, our states dream repackaged  often with the approval of its ruling hegemons  as something more like a medieval city, expelling the poor and the young, while keeping the states blessings to the well-educated, well-heeled and generally older population.

Some boosters of the current order, such Gov. Jerry Brown, contend that the affluent and the educated are still coming, while the less-educated and well-heeled are leaving. They cite this as evidence that the declinists are wrong. Yet, the reality remains that California is losing its allure as a place of opportunity for most.

Coming and Going

California has been bleeding people to other states for more than two decades. Even after the states comeback, net domestic out-migration since 2010 has exceeded 250,000. Moreover, the latest Internal Revenue Service migration data, for 2013-2014, does not support the view that those who leave are so dominated by the flight of younger and poorer people.

Of course, younger people tend to move more than older people, and people seeking better job opportunities are more likely to move than those who have made it. But, according to the IRS, nearly 60,000 more Californians left the state than moved in between 2013 and 2014. In each of the seven income categories and each of the five age categories, the IRS found that California lost net domestic migrants.

Nor, viewed over the long term, is California getting smarter than its rivals. Since 2000, Californias cache of 25- to 34-year-olds with college, postgraduate and professional degrees grew by 36 percent, below the national average of 42 percent, and Texas 47 percent. If we look at metropolitan regions, the growth of 25- to 34-year-olds with college degrees since 2000 has been more than 1.5 to nearly 3 times as fast in Houston and Austin as in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. Even New York, with its high costs, is doing better.

In fact, the only large California metropolitan area which has seen anything like Texas growth has been the most unlikely  the Inland Empire. The coastal areas, so alluring to the media and venture capitalists, are losing out in terms of growing their educated workforces, most likely a product of high housing prices and, outside of the Bay Area, weak high-wage job growth.

The location of migrants tells us something about where the allure of California remains the strongest and where it has been supplanted. Almost all of the leading states sending net migrants here are also high-tax, high-regulation places that have been losing domestic migrants for years  New York, Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey. In contrast, the net outflow has been largely to lower-cost states, notably Texas, as well as neighboring Western states, all of which have lower housing prices.

And, finally, there is the issue of age. Historically, California has been a youth magnet, but that appeal is fading. In 2014, according to the IRS data, more than two-thirds of the net domestic out-migrants were reported on returns filed by persons aged from 35 to 64. These are the people who are most likely to be in the workforce and be parents.

Class and Ethnic Patterns

Upward mobility has long been a signature of California society. Yet, 22 of the states large metro areas have seen a decline in their middle class, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. Los Angeles, in particular, has suffered among the largest hollowing-out of the middle-income population in the country. In places like the Bay Area, theres a growing upper class, while in less glamorous places like Sacramento, its the low end that is expanding at the expense of the middle echelons.

The economy, too, has been tending toward ever more bifurcation, with some growth in tech and business services, largely in the Bay Area. Elsewhere, the overwhelming majority of jobs created since 2007 have come from lower-paying professions, such as health and education and hospitality, or, recently, from real estate-related activities. Overall, traditional, higher-paying, blue-collar jobs  such as construction and durable goods manufacturing  have continued to lose ground. Most California metropolitan areas, most notably Los Angeles, lag most key national competitors  including Texas metro areas, Phoenix, Nashville, Tenn., Charlotte, N.C.-S.C., and Orlando, Fla.  in higher-paid new jobs in business services and finance.

But the biggest losers of egalitarian aspirations have been the constituencies most loudly embraced by the states progressive establishment: black and brown Californians. Nowhere is this disparity greater than in home ownership, the signature measure of upward mobility and entrance into the middle class. Overall, Latino homeownership in California is 41.9 percent; nationally, its 45 percent, and in Texas its 55 percent. Similarly, among African Americans, homeownership is down to 34 percent in California, compared to 41 percent nationally and 40.8 percent in Texas. In Los Angeles, which has the lowest overall homeownership percentage among the nations largest metro areas, only 37 percent of Hispanics own their own homes, compared to 50 percent in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Californias road forward

One popular progressive theory for how to address the economy lies in trying to emulate places like Massachusetts, a state whose per capita income ranks among the highest in the country. But, this approach fails to confront the huge demographic differences between the states.

Lets start with ethnicity. Eighty percent of Massachusetts population is comprised of non-Hispanic whites or Asians, who traditionally have higher incomes, while in California whites and Asians constitute only 52 percent. Some 80 percent of the Boston metropolitan area is non-Hispanic white or Asian, compared to only 46 percent the population in the Los Angeles-Orange County area, and 40 percent in the Inland Empire. California has a poverty rate, adjusted for housing costs, of 23.4 percent, while Massachusetts, with its lower share of more heavily disadvantaged minority populations, registers just 13.8 percent.

California could only resemble Massachusetts if it successfully unloaded much of its disadvantaged minority and working-class population. Although some might celebrate the movement of poorer people out of the state, our poverty rate is unlikely to decrease, since historically disadvantaged ethnicities (African Americans and Hispanics) account for 58 percent of the under-18 population in California, and only 25 percent in Massachusetts.

Simply put, California faces the gargantuan challenge of generating a better standard of living for a huge proportion of its population. To be sure, both the San Francisco and San Jose metropolitan areas can thrive, like Massachusetts, in a highly education-driven economy. But states like California, Texas and Florida are too diverse, in class and race, to follow the Massachusetts model. We need good blue-collar and white-collar middle-income jobs to keep a more diverse, and somewhat less well-educated, population adequately housed and fed.

This should be the primary concern of our state. But the governor and legislators seem more interested today in re-engineering our way of life than improving outcomes. True, if you drive up housing and energy prices, some of the poor will leave, but so, too, will young people, the future middle class. Though our largest coastal metropolitan counties  Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and San Francisco  have long been younger than the rest of the country, soon they will be more gray than the nation as a whole.

The demographic future of California seems increasingly at odds with the broad hope that Starr and others evoke so powerfully. We are headed ever more toward a state of divided realities, of poorer, downwardly mobile people, largely in the interior and in inner-city Los Angeles and Oakland, and toward a rapidly aging, wealthier, whiter enclave hugging the coast. For those with the right education, inheritance and a large enough salary, the California dream still shines brightly. But for the majority, it seems like a dying light.

Joel Kotkin is the R.C. Hobbs Fellow in Urban Studies at Chapman University in Orange and executive director of the Houston-based Center for Opportunity Urbanism (www.opportunityurbanism.org). Wendell Cox is principal of Demographia, a St. Louis-based public policy firm, and was appointed to three terms on the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission.
This train wreck has been coming for a long time for the GOP. They have nothing or no one to blame this on but themselves. Trump wants to shift blame for his Make America Great Again campaign on the Kenyan Muslim president and Crooked Hillary when they can blame the mess they are in on two words: Bush and Cheney.

Heres the thing, though: Like many of us, I remember. We watched two towers explode while Bush was protecting us, watched two foolish wars collapse into a bloodbath of folly as the treasury was looted, watched the budget surplus be given away to rich people by way of ruinous tax cuts, watched lawfully-produced subpoenas be ignored by the highest office in the land, watched torture become mainstream, watched the dark wings of total surveillance unfold over the nation entire and watched Dick Cheney say the vice president was not part of the executive branch because he didnt want to give his official papers to the National Archive as required by three different laws.

Denny Osborne

Irvine

  

Re: Keeping our intellectual honesty during the election [Opinion, Aug. 11]: Interesting analysis covered in John Phillips column. This election is like no other in recent memory and has actually boiled down to whom we dislike the least. Truly sad commentary for a nation as great as ours. Like Mr. Phillips, I am also voting for Donald Trump. And yes, he is a narcissistic, arrogant, thin-skinned bloviator who always has to have the final word. But having said that, he is what the people have been clamoring for. He is a patriot who loves this country and has the tools to get things done which will reflect the real and positive change people want. On the other hand, there is Hillary Clinton. If shes elected, our nation is toast. Her socialist leanings and continual lies should be an ominous indicator of another less-than-transparent Clinton administration. Moreover, this election is pivotal to our countrys economic health and well-being and will determine the freedoms, or lack thereof, future generations will experience going forward.

Steve Noble

Huntington Beach

  

The Register has become the Los Angeles Times lite. The controversy surrounding the Clinton Foundations unlawful association with the State Department for pay to play is only the latest illegal issue that Hillary Clinton is faced with. However, nowhere is that topic discussed in todays Register. Your paper has aligned itself with the mainstream media to get Hillary Clinton elected, but those of us who follow the candidates and issues are not naive. It is time for Americans who care deeply about this country to unite against the main stream media and crooked politicians and throw the bums out. Trump is not my ideal candidate, but he is not a career politician who has made millions of dollars selling his government office of influence to the highest bidder.

Ron Williams

Irvine

  

Re: Critics say emails show mixed duties [News, Aug. 11]: This is a story in which it is revealed that Hillary and her State Department have been involved in favors to Clinton Foundation donors. The new emails reveal that the State Department helped contributors to the Clinton Foundation in a pay to play scheme, which is corruption and illegal. Doug Band and Huma Abedin both held jobs at the State Department and Tenco Holdings simultaneously. Tenco consults with international clients. That State Department employees hired the employees of the Clinton Foundation. That 171 of these new emails related to the Clinton Foundation were not turned over to the State Department when Hillary claimed she turned all over all work-related emails.

James Comey said the FBI found several thousand work-related emails.

Do you think Bloomberg and the Register would have used the same unspectacular headline if this article was about Trump? Did you know only 30 percent of the Clinton Foundation millions make it to charity? That almost all of the Clinton charity donations and tax deductions go to the Clinton Foundation  the other 70 percent of the foundation funds is a slush fund to employ Clinton friends and family? That the FBI has asked the Justice Department to investigate the Clinton Foundation and Loretta Lynch has refused?

James Haynes

Irvine

  

We need a leader who understands and is motivated to manage globalization and not just abandon it. We need a leader who we can trust not to be motivated by personal financial gain or by personal ego. Neither of our current two party candidates offers us the necessary security and trust in their character and history. In our past we have had candidates with whom we favored more than others, but never have we had two candidates so undeserving of the office they seek. They got there not only because of the flawed system, but also because they may reflect our own personal flaws. To modify an old cliche, do politicians imitate the people, or do the people imitate the politicians? Either scenario may be a call to take a look deep into our own character and reassess our values and priorities. Doing so just might make the world richer with more tolerant results where different hues and faiths can get along. Globalization is here to stay, and we need to make it work.

Jeff Morgan

Newport Beach
Its late in coming, but some good might finally come of the ongoing low-intensity campaign against the Islamic State. That conflict, which critics have charged has been too slow and too narrowly drawn to defeat the self-proclaimed caliphate, led military planners to pursue unconventional forms of conflict at a distance, including new forms of cyberwarfare. Now U.S. officials have cleared the way for the White House to approve elevating Cyber Command to the highest organizational level. President Obama can  and should  do exactly that.

To be sure, America is behind Russia, and perhaps others, in the race to operationalize permanent structures that recognize the increasing centrality of cyberwarfare and cybersecurity. The outsized role cyber plays in Russian military and foreign policy has only recently made waves in news and policy circles, but Moscow has orchestrated sophisticated, groundbreaking cyber campaigns for years. Beginning most notably with a wave of disabling attacks on Estonia in 2007, and a hybrid cyber and conventional war against Georgia in 2008, Russian operatives have honed their craft to the point where, today, the U.S. must endure humiliating hacks against its political parties (and perhaps even its presidential candidates).

But the U.S. has a deep advantage in cyber, reaching back decades to the internets creation on American soil and, even further, to the National Security Agencys founding in the early 1950s. That long lineage has supplied the U.S. with the infrastructure and institutional memory cyber commanders need to be effective in a dramatically changing world. But more is needed  the efficiency, flexibility and resources that will flow toward Cyber Command if President Obama approves the new plan.

There is more at stake than prestige or even independence. Elevating Cyber Command will, of necessity, clearly separate it from the NSA. Currently, Admiral Michael Rogers heads both Cyber Command and the NSA; going forward, if Cyber Command is elevated, the NSA will no longer be headed by a military official at all, and there would be fewer concerns about the two agencies missions being conflated and convoluted. As a result, the task of orchestrating offensive and defensive cyber capabilities be cabined off from the NSAs task of managing surveillance capabilities  good news for those concerned those two missions could be conflated and convoluted. Whats more, Cyber Command will not have to rely on NSA work to achieve its objectives  a plus for military commanders who have not always been satisfied with how the cyberwar against ISIS has been prosecuted.

Not just in a strategic sense is this the perfect time for a new and improved Cyber Command to receive the mandate to elevate its game. Its also true in a more nakedly political one. Amid the fallout from the administrations unsatisfactory first steps against ISIS, House Republicans probed reports that Central Command had cooked the books on military intelligence concerning the strength and danger of the jihadist regime, casting the U.S. effort as more successful than, in fact, it was. The investigating task force has now concluded in a brief report that Central Command officials did, indeed, alter intelligence reports that way; although the changes may have influenced White House decision-making in an ancillary way, the ordeal is a significant institutional setback for the armed forces.During a time when Central Command has been tarnished over revelations that it cooked the books on military intelligence regarding the strength and danger of the jihadist regime and the success of U.S. efforts to combat it, there is strategic wisdom in the politics of handing Cyber Command the opportunity to shine.

Of course, a bureaucratic restructuring alone will not make up for Americas belated struggle to destroy the latest iteration of global jihadist violence. Nor will it, by itself, make the U.S. safer from attack. But in this case, it will align Americas military capabilities much more closely with the reality of threats many officials have been much too slow to take seriously.
RIO DE JANEIRO  The last time Anthony Ervin won an individual Olympic gold medal, the thing helped nearly sink his entire life.

Doesnt sound like that will be a problem this time.

On Friday, the Hart High graduate, at age 35, won his second individual gold, claiming the 50-meter freestyle.

A day later, Ervin reflected on the difference between this medal and the one he took home as a teenager from the 2000 Sydney Games and the people who helped him earn both.

Thats what got me here, the people, he said. When I was younger, I dont think I understood that. I was still wayward with my ego, thrusting forward. The weight of this gold feels much lighter knowing that its being carried by a lot of people.

Soon after Sydney, Ervins career and life derailed. He suddenly retired from swimming and started down a path that included, among other things, drugs, a suicide attempt and an extensive search for his own identity.

He even eventually sold his gold medal and donated the money to charity. At one point, Ervin said he stopped talking about being Anthony, the Olympic swimmer, and instead began introducing himself as Tony, just another regular guy.

Do you remember 19 that candidly? he asked when the subject of his first gold medal came up. Its fuzzy for me, too, bewildered as I was when thrust into this world, largely unprepared. Now, I feel a little more prepared.

He then talked about his comfort in addressing the assembled media and openly discussing his past. Ervin told his story in great and graphic detail in his autography Chasing Water that came out this year.

His perspective, like the man himself, certainly has grown up, Ervin named as a captain for the U.S. swim team in Rio.

This isnt me up here, Ervin explained during his day-after news conference. Thats swim. It was what, 37 strokes in the water? Thats all it was. It took an enormous amount of people who love me, care about me, who wanted to see me succeed and wanted me to be happy doing it, to get here.

His Rio Games started when he helped the Americans win gold in the 4100 freestyle relay by swimming a leg in the preliminaries. That was a race the U.S. was expected to win.

Ervins victory in the 50-meters, conversely, wasnt anywhere near a sure thing and came by the slimmest of margins, a hundredth of a second  21.40 to the 21.41 of Frances Florent Manaudou.

The win also occurred on a night otherwise dominated by what could have been the end of Michael Phelps individual Olympic career.

Phelps, at 31, has left only the slightest of openings about continuing to swim competitively beyond Rio.

Ervin, however, left no doubt about his plans. He will continue competing.

If you have things you need to go do or you cant muster the will to train, then sure, retire, let it go, he said. For me, I just love the lifestyle. I love swimming. Being in the water, thats a sanctuary.

Im not going to give that up, whether Im the best in the world or competitively irrelevant.  Im not going to retire. I dont want to go back to that place. That can be a dark, lonely place when you get stuck there.

Contact the writer: jmiller@scng.com
CAIRO  U.S. 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 Sirte, held by 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 150miles of Libyan coastline.

The two new victories against Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, could have a significant effect on the groups efforts to penetrate the West.

Manbij controlled 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, Turkey, has been the route by which foreign jihadis have come to join Islamic State in Syria, or to leave again for European destinations. It is also the largest city the group has lost in Syria.

Britains Channel 4 News broadcast images of jubilant residents burning their veils and cutting off their beards as the militants fled.

The battles in Syria and Libya had significant involvement from the United States. In Manbij, which had a prewar population of 100,000, many of the more than 300 U.S. Special Forces advisers in Syria monitored the battle from makeshift command posts several miles away, and the U.S. military launched more than 100 airstrikes in the city, sometimes as many as 20 a day.

In Sirte, in the first eight days of August, U.S. warplanes and armed Reaper drones carried out at least 28 strikes on Islamic State positions, which the Libyan militias said played a major role in their victory there.

Officials had worried about Islamic States access to Sirtes long coastline a short distance from Europe.

In Manbij, residents reached by telephone and Skype confirmed U.S. military reports that the extremists were on the run.

The city is Daesh-free now, said Adnan al-Hussein, an activist originally from the area. A convoy of about 2,000 cars managed to leave Manbij and reach Jarabulus, of Daesh fighters, some of their families and civilians used as human shields to protect them from any attack, he said.

Al-Hussein said residents had reported airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition against the fleeing fighters.

The remaining Islamic State fighters appeared to be using civilians as human shields, said a senior U.S. military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential battlefield assessments.

The official said the use of human shields could not be confirmed until the U.S.-backed Syrian opposition fighters were able to secure once-contested parts of the city. The official said the city center was booby-trapped with explosives and that fighters might have been left behind as suicide bombers.

That was also a concern in Sirte, where pro-government militias said there was an unknown number of Islamic State fighters still in the city, along with thousands of booby traps and bombs.

The official said the rebel force assaulting Manbij had several thousand Arab and Kurdish militiamen, with Arab fighters taking the lead in many parts of the predominantly Arab city.

Manbij went wild with celebrations on Saturday as Islamic State fighters departed. Come and see how women are ululating in the city, said Farouk Hussein, a member of the Syrian democratic movement and of Manbijs local government. Joy is everywhere in Manbij, Hussein wrote via the messaging service WhatsApp.

The victory there, however, came at a high cost, with 203 civilians, including 105 children, killed in airstrikes, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in Britain. The observatory also said 1,019 Islamic State fighters had been killed.
Boko Haram appears to have released a video purporting to show dozens of the 276 girls who were kidnapped from the Nigerian town of Chibok more than two years ago. The video was released on social media by a Nigerian journalist who is in contact with a faction of Boko Haram that split from the main Islamist militant group after its leader was removed by the Islamic State.

In the video, one girl, identified by the news agency Reuters as Maina Yakubu, makes a plea for help and says recent Nigerian airstrikes have killed some of the girls.

Oh you, my people and our parents, you just have to please come to our rescue: We are suffering here, the aircraft has come to bombard us and killed many of us. Some are wounded. Every day we are in pains and suffering, so are our babies. Some of our husbands that we married also are injured, some dead. No one cares for us, she says, according to The Associated Press.

Please go and beg the government of Nigeria to release the members of our abductors so that they, too, can free us to let us come home. We are really suffering, there is no food to eat, no good water to drink here.

Nigerias air force has carried out near-daily strikes on Boko Haram camps in the countrys north. They accompany ground raids that authorities say have freed thousands of captives, though none of the Chibok girls, who are thought to be held deep in a forested area.

Some of the girls in the video are shown holding babies. The girl who speaks in the video says 40 of the girls have been married.

If our members in detention are not freed, let the government and parents of the Chibok girls know that they will never find these girls again, a Boko Haram fighter says in the video. He portrays the government as the villain and says his group is keen on a prisoner swap  the girls in exchange for Boko Haram fighters held in Nigerian jails.

Nigerian Information Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed released a statement indicating his government thinks the recent rift in Boko Haram leadership may have provoked the release of the video.

We are on top of the situation, he said. But we are being extremely careful because the situation has been compounded by the split in the leadership of Boko Haram. We are also being guided by the need to ensure the safety of the girls.

Recent proof of life videos such as this one have reinvigorated groups pressuring the Nigerian government to engineer the girls release.

Earlier this year, President Muhammadu Buhari said, I assure you that I go to bed and wake up every day with the Chibok girls on my mind.

But efforts to free, or even locate, the girls have proved futile, as thousands of other Boko Haram prisoners have been released and most of the land occupied by the group has been retaken.
CHAH-I-ANJIR, Afghanistan  As Taliban fighters push toward the southern city of Lashkar Gah, members of Afghanistans elite forces are trying to hold their ground here, about 10 miles from the city, the capital of Helmand province and a critical link in the defense of the entire region.

The Afghan governments need to rely on the special forces, highly trained for commando raids, to guard the perimeter of the city exposes a stark reality. As Helmand, the largest province in Afghanistan and the center of its opium production, endures intense enemy fire this summer, the regular police and army forces have failed to stand firm, raising the possibility that the Taliban could overrun Lashkar Gah.

The police, as soon as they were inflicted with some casualties, gave up about 27 posts one after another without a fight, and our posts were surrounded by surprise, said Col. Nematullah Khalil, commander of the Afghan armys 3rd Regiment, 2015 Corps, whose soldiers are trying to help the special forces hold the line in Chah-i-Anjir, in the Nad Ali district. The enemy planted a lot of mines wherever they reached, and that slows us down.

Lt. Col. Mohammad Omar Jan, police chief of the Nad Ali district, rejected that assessment. The army is blaming the police to cover up for its own weakness, Jan said, adding that the army is responsible for Chah-i-Anjirs security because his forces are busy trying to secure the district governors compound.

The police are fighting in the front line and suffer heavy casualties more than any other forces, he said.

In the scorching heat on the front lines near Chah-i-Anjir, members of regular police and army units looked tired on a recent day as they gathered in small clusters, resting in the shade of some buildings mud walls.

The main road that separates the Afghan forces from the Taliban, who have been striking more forcefully and relentlessly this fighting season, is heavily mined. The waist-high cornfields around the largely abandoned homes look calm, but at night the forces regularly clash with the Taliban. The troops have managed to retake only about a mile in the 10 days since they lost much of the Chah-i-Anjir area, said Khalil, the Afghan army officer.

The area held by government forces in Helmand has shrunk in recent months. Four districts, including Musa Qala and Nawzad  that were the focus of thousands of U.S. and coalition troops during the 2010 surge are under Taliban control. Frequent airstrikes and reinforcements are required to keep many of the other 10 districts, some only nominally in government control, from falling.

While Afghan officials insist that Lashkar Gah will not be allowed to fall, their helter-skelter strategy seems unsustainable against an enemy that has proved to be mobile and resilient. Defending the district centers that have not fallen to the Taliban has required a delegation of senior generals and officials sent from Kabul to shuttle back and forth to monitor developments.

Late Sunday, the convoy of the provincial police chief, Gen. Aqa Noor Kentoz, struck a roadside bomb on the main road. The general and three of his guards were wounded, a spokesman for the provincial governor said.

Why are the Afghan forces, who local security officials say outnumber the insurgents at least 5-1 and receive air support, struggling so badly in a strategic province? Helmand was a center of President Barack Obamas surge, in which tens of thousands of U.S. and coalition troops were sent to try to secure the area, with hundreds of NATO military advisers still aiding the Afghans in the province.

Some of the most senior members of the original Taliban are from Helmand, but they now operate from across the border in Pakistan, enabling them to move back and forth and often out of the reach of coalition forces.

Beyond its symbolic value, Helmand remains a focus of their attacks not only because it is the gateway to other southern provinces but because its fields produce the highest amount of opium in Afghanistan and its vast deserts sit on the main opium trade route. Increasingly, the Taliban have come to resemble a drug cartel as much as an insurgency, relying heavily on the profits from the opium trade to fund their fight.

Further complicating the situation, officials in Helmand say, is that local strongmen are said to be using their influence to plant their own men in provincial security jobs in outposts on the drug-trade route. Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahman, deputy minister of interior, said more than 90 percent of the police officers in Helmand were residents of the province and thus vulnerable to meddling and conflicting loyalties.

For example, if a commander is replaced because of incompetence or abuse, security officials say, he is apt to take hundreds of his men with him, leaving a hole in the areas defense.
Homeowners and travelers beware: The city of Anaheim is targeting homeowners who allow paying guests to spend the night in their homes. Responding to the growing popularity of websites like Airbnb and Homeaway, powerful hotels and vocal neighbors are successfully urging cities to ban or severely regulate home-sharing, which hurts local tourism and violates peoples rights.

Anaheim officials havent just imposed massive penalties on homeowners who rent their homes; they have also enacted ordinances that force websites like Airbnb and Homeaway to police homeowners who use their websites.

Rules like these go beyond restricting property rights. Punishing people for sharing information treads on free speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, as well as the federal Communications Decency Act, a law that bars government from holding website owners accountable for things other people say on their websites.

Yet, officials lament that they must resort to such extraordinary measures because home-sharing, they say, is responsible for the lack of affordable housing in California.

Rather than blaming property owners, city officials should point the finger at themselves. It isnt home-sharing thats driving up the cost of homes; its having to ask the government for permission to build on and improve property. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, builders explained that excessive regulations are responsible for the high cost of new homes. Among others, the article cites a recent report from the National Association of Home Builders, which showed a 30 percent increase in the cost of complying with regulations in just the last five years.

In fact, rather than increasing the cost of housing, home-sharing helps Americans afford to keep their homes in the face of soaring costs. Airbnb reports that in 10 of Americas largest cities, over half of its hosts would not be able to pay their bills without the extra money earned from home-sharing, and 13 percent would have faced foreclosure. In New York City, 76 percent of Airbnb hosts use their home-sharing income to stay in their home.

Destroying property rights in an effort to make housing more affordable isnt just misguided  its immoral. Officials are arguing that government should strip owners of their rights to use their property as they see fit in order to artificially decrease home values. True, destroying property rights can make homes cheaper, but where does that end? If government makes property unusable, it can make homes virtually free.

Meanwhile, the costs to taxpayers and homeowners of enforcing bans on home-sharing are astronomical. Last year, Santa Monica estimated that it would spend nearly half a million dollars to create a full-time task force to enforce its ban on home-sharing in the first year. It took longer than that for the city to convict just one homeowner. Officials fined him $3,500 and put him on probation for two years for renting his home. New York lawmakers recently decided to crack down on online advertising for home-sharing, punishing people who allow guests to spend the night in their apartments with $1,000 fines. And homeowners in Honolulu face fines of $10,000 per night if they allow people to stay in their homes. Officials have even dispatched investigators to local beaches to interrogate tourists about where theyre staying.

These nationwide crackdowns on home-sharing inflict untold costs on communities, destroying new opportunities for homeowners to keep up with their mortgages, maintain their houses and improve their local economies by renting out their homes. And they harm consumers by subjecting them to fewer choices and higher prices when they travel.

Fortunately, not all states are turning homeowners into outlaws. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey recently signed legislation that stops local governments from passing blanket bans on home-sharing. Communities can still enforce nuisance rules that protect quiet, clean and safe neighborhoods, but they cant impose one-size-fits-all prohibitions that cause more problems than they solve.

California should follow Arizonas example rather than limiting choices, making travel more expensive and depriving people of the right to safely use their property as they see fit. If cities are serious about alleviating high housing costs, they should embrace our changing economy, respect property rights and protect the ability to buy in to the American Dream.

Christina Sandefur is the executive vice president of the Goldwater Institute, where she crafted the legislation recently signed in Arizona, and has defended short-term rental owners in court.
Shah Rukh Khan, the Indian actor known as the King of Bollywood, said he was detained for a few hours at a U.S. airport Thursday. Again.

To detain one of Indias biggest celebrities would itself attract international headlines, but this, he said, was the third time that he had been held then released while traveling in the United States.

His treatment at U.S. airports was already a sore point among his fans as well as critics of U.S. security procedures, with each episode sparking outrage and discussion. Khan was estimated to have a net worth of $600 million in 2014, making him one of the richest actors in the world, just after Jerry Seinfeld.

Kahn did not name the airport or say why he had been held, but Rich Verma, the U.S. ambassador to India, said in an apology on Twitter that the incident had happened at Los Angeles International Airport.

Khans previous interactions with immigration officials followed a similar pattern of being held for a few hours before being released.

In 2009, Khan, 50, was detained in Newark, New Jersey, while in the United States to promote his film My Name is Khan, which was about racial profiling of Muslims after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In the movie, his character insists he is not a terrorist when he is searched at the San Francisco airport.

Then in 2012, he was held in White Plains, New York, on his way to address students at Yale University.

Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to America, he later told the students.

With humor, he relayed his frustration Thursday to his 20.7 million Twitter followers. (For reference, he has roughly the same number of followers as Eminem, Nicki Minaj and Kourtney Kardashian.)

Nisha Biswal, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, tweeted: Sorry for the hassle at the airport, @iamsrk  even American diplomats get pulled for extra screening!

Khan responded to her tweet: No hassle mam. He said he respected the protocol and did not expect special treatment. Its just inconvenient.

A spokeswoman for Customs and Border Protection said she could not discuss individual cases, citing privacy laws.

On Twitter, the incident prompted condemnation and accusations of racial profiling.

Khans immediate response to Thursdays episode, complete with a Pokemon Go joke, is in line with how he has spoken about his past detentions. In his address to Yale students in 2012, he made light of his interaction with immigration officials.

They always ask me how tall I am, and I always lie and get away with it and say 5 feet 10 inches, he said. Next time I am getting more adventurous. What color are you? I am going to say white.

In 2013, he 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 U.S. airports.

I wonder, at times, whether the same treatment is given to everyone whose last name just happens to be McVeigh (as in Timothy)? he wrote, referring to the Oklahoma City bomber.
Re: Protecting the right to vote [Opinion, Aug. 11]: Why are some laws unconstitutional pertaining to minorities but not for the rest of us? It is my understanding that it is the law to possess a photo ID if you are 18 years old and in public. When I was a police officer in 1972 and asked for your photo ID, and you did not have it in your possession, I could arrest you for vagrancy. Is this another of our countrys laws that is selectively enforced, or not enforced at all? Can I refuse to show my photo ID when asked for it by a merchant or police officer, stating that the Supreme Court has ruled it is unconstitutional? Can I sue a club or bar if they refuse to let me in for not showing a legal photo ID when asked? No, the law is on their side, except when you want to vote for our president  then it is unconstitutional.

Larry R. Wilson

Santa Ana

  

Erwin Chemerinsky correctly asserts that voting is a right under the Constitution reinforced by the Supreme Court, but he wrongly labels voter ID laws as blatant attempts to harm minority voters by his usual culprit Republican legislatures. Should we not guarantee election integrity by insuring that only eligible voters cast a ballot? How do people without ID buy liquor, open a bank account and obtain medical services? I get asked for an ID to do any of these everyday simple activities.

Chemerinsky notes that the Fifth Circuit Court recently struck down the provisions in the Texas law requiring a photo ID. Texas has a famous precedent for requiring voter IDs and imposing other regulations. In 1948, Lyndon B. Johnson was losing the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate to a popular governor. With millions of dollars from Brown & Root combined with election fraud, LBJ overcame a 20,000 vote deficit and won by 87 votes. Luis Salas, an election judge in Jim Wells County, later acknowledged that Johnson received votes of the dead, the missing and those unaware an election was going on. Please note, Mr. Chemerinsky, these were all Democratic party votes which directly affected U.S. history. Having proper laws in place helps insure our election integrity.

Oliver Watson

Orange

  

Because gun ownership has been found by the Supreme Court to be a fundamental constitutional right, one can assume that Erwin Chemerinsky will soon be writing a column about how Californias gun laws have a disparate impact on minority gun ownership and are thus unconstitutional.

If a $15 driver license or state ID is a cost-prohibitive requirement when it comes to minorities voting, surely the cost of the same ID, when combined with the cost of a background check ($25), a handgun safety test ($25) and sales tax (on, say, a $400 handgun, about $32) must be cost-prohibitive to minorities and therefore a violation of their Second Amendment rights.

Alas, I have the feeling Chemerinsky will remain silent on this issue. At least he respects the Fifth Amendment.

Anthony Maenza

Huntington Beach
A bill being considered in Sacramento about stormwater management funding might not sound like the most exciting topic, but it is the latest in a long line of battles between government officials who want to raise taxes and taxpayers who keep trying to limit their power to reach into their wallets.

While California taxpayers at the state and local levels have approved many tax increases and bond measures over the years, there is a limit to their generosity. Proposition 13, passed by voters in 1978, famously limited increases in property taxes, required a two-thirds majority of lawmakers in each chamber of the Legislature to approve new state taxes and required a two-thirds majority of voters to approve local special taxes.

State and local governments attempted to get around such restrictions by labeling their revenue-enhancing measures fees or assessments. Voters responded by closing this loophole with the passage Proposition 218, the Right to Vote on Taxes Act, in 1996. The initiative amended the California Constitution to prohibit local governments from imposing, increasing or extending taxes without the approval of a majority of voters for a general tax, whose revenue can be used for any general government purposes, or a two-thirds majority for a special tax, which is imposed for a specific purpose.

The provisions of this act shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes of limiting local government revenue and enhancing taxpayer consent, the measure stated.

Yet, the tax-grabbers are once again playing semantic games by trying to change the definitions of the things covered by Prop. 218. Senate Bill 1298, introduced by state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, would redefine sewer service, which is exempted from the voter approval requirements for tax increases, to include stormwater works, property or structures. As staff columnist Susan Shelley explained in a recent Los Angeles Daily News column, That would allow local governments to charge property owners for stormwater management projects without voter approval.

This is no small change. The implications could be huge and expensive, David Wolfe, legislative director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said in a statement. Increased costs against ratepayers  could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

If additional funding truly is needed for such projects, there is already a means of obtaining it. Local governments just have to sufficiently convince the public that it is necessary, and that taxpayer dollars are, and will continue to be, spent prudently. Or they could opt to attempt to amend the states Constitution. But trying to get around a constitutional provision with a statutory change in the definition of terms not only flies in the face of the plain meaning and intent of the law, it is also sure to trigger costly lawsuits for any municipalities that attempt to take advantage of it.

The Legislature should heed the California Constitution and voters repeated and insistent commands that they not be taxed for such projects without their consent, and flush SB1298 out the storm drain.
NEW ORLEANS  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. Were 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 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 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 Governors Mansion, where chest-high water had filled the basement and electricity to the building had to be cut off.

Thats 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 Sheriffs 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 its the highest shes seen the creek in the 48 years shes 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.
Mother Teresa will be formally canonized on Sept. 4 by Pope Francis in Rome. Widely known as the Saint of Calcutta, she founded religious orders of women and men that serve the poor in more than 130 countries. Even for a woman who is an icon of modern saintliness, the Roman Catholic Church requires that someone must gather evidence of miracles and present a case that she is worthy to be admitted to the pantheon of saints.

That someone is the Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk, a Canadian priest and member of the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, a religious order founded by Mother Teresa. Soon after she died in 1997 at age 87, he was made the postulator  the main promoter of her case for sainthood. Kolodiejchuk, who divides his time between Rome and a Missionaries of Charity house in Tijuana, Mexico, is also the editor of a new book, A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve, drawn from Mother Teresas teachings and testimony about her life. He was interviewed in August before leaving for Rome to prepare for the canonization ceremonies. This interview has been edited and condensed.

Q. How did you meet Mother Teresa?

A. My sister  were only two of us  joined the Missionaries of Charity Sisters in 1976, and a year later my parents and I came from Winnipeg to see her in Rome. During a Mass with the first group of contemplative brothers, Mother Teresa pinned a cross on a priest and six laymen. The male branches of the MCs wear a cross over the heart, and the sisters wear a cross on the shoulder, which serves the purpose of holding the sari together. After the Mass, as we were saying goodbye, Mother Teresa said to me, Oh, I would like to pin a cross on you, too. I was only 21, and this was Mother Teresa talking, and I was just so shocked, I didnt say anything. The next morning after Mass, in the convent of San Gregorio, I was brave enough to go up to Mother and ask her, what did she mean. She invited me to join the brothers. So I did.

Q. There are usually two miracles required to establish sainthood  one for beatification and another for canonization. How do you go about finding the two miracles?

A. Its more like waiting and hoping for people to report something. The first one, the miracle for the beatification, was Monica Besra in Bengal, in India. Monica had a tumefaction, like a tumor, in her abdomen, and it was 16 or 17 centimeters  roughly the size of a woman six months pregnant. Her family had tried different things, and nothing was working. They took her to the sisters, who took her to the doctor, who sent her home on the 31st of August of 1998. Pretty much, she was dying. On Sept. 5, the first anniversary of Mother Teresas death, the sister superior took a medal of Mary that had been touched directly to the body of Mother Teresa at the time of the funeral, placed it on Monicas stomach and made a very simple prayer: Mother, todays your day. You love the poor. Do something for Monica. That was about 5 p.m. on Saturday. At 1 a.m. when Monica got up in the middle of the night to go to the washroom, she discovered that her stomach was flat. Sunday morning, the sisters saw her up and sweeping with a broom, and they said, whoa, what is up with Monica?

Q. But what proof is there that this was really a miracle, and that there was no medical or scientific explanation?

A. Theyre quite strict on these things. In Brazil, a postulator I knew on another sainthood cause received the news that the miracle case he had put forth was rejected, so its not automatic. In the India case for Mother Teresa, there were 11 doctors consulted, and only one was Catholic. The rest were Hindu. You dont ask the doctors whether they think its a miracle. You only ask them, Can you explain this medically?

Q. Why were there 10 years between the first miracle and the second miracle?

A. There were other cases, but when we had the documentation, I would ask the doctors I knew at Scripps (Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California) or in Tijuana, and usually the doctor would say, It could happen naturally. I had another case, everything looked like it was checking out fine, except the mother-in-law wrote me a letter and said the whole year she was praying to Padre Pio. And that was the end of that. Whose miracle was that, Mother Teresa or Padre Pio?

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.

Q. 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?

A. 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.

Q. In India, there is some resentment that Mother Teresa made Calcutta synonymous with poverty.

A. 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.

Q. 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?

A. 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.

Q. It must be satisfying for you to see her declared a saint.

A. 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.
In the towering glass and steel lobby of UC Irvines Merage School of Business, a small media scrum  two television correspondents, two cameramen, a producer, a newspaper reporter and a photographer  laid in wait last week for Donald Trumps ubiquitous economic champion.

It had been a crazy few days for 67-year-old UCI professor Peter Navarro, what with nonstop interviews on CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, BBC, NPR, Fox & Friends and a shouting match with Chris Matthews on Hardball.

Was he enjoying the limelight?

No, he insisted, as he wound up a three-hour session with PBS NewsHour, a 15-minute interview with a local CBS station and a photo shoot on the rooftop terrace of the school.

So why do it?

Because it matters, said the man who calls himself a Reagan Democrat and a Trump Democrat abandoned by my party.

With a doctorate in economics from Harvard University, Navarro is the only academic on Trumps 21-member economic advisory council, which is heavy with real estate moguls and Wall Street financiers.

As such, he was tapped to defend the economic speech delivered by the GOP presidential candidate last week in Detroit, at a time when few of Navarros economist colleagues endorse Trumps protectionist views on trade and the candidates proposed tax cuts are criticized as benefiting the wealthy.

I have been predicting a Trump victory for many months, Navarro said in an interview. He is running on the trade issue  stopping Mexico and China from cheating. That resonates with voters, even if most academics and policymakers embrace globalization.

After Hillary Clinton delivered an economic speech in Michigan on Friday, the professor was back on the airwaves declaring, Under Trumps plan, everybody gets a tax cut. Under Clintons plan, everybody gets a tax hike. Thats a recurring Trump assertion that nonpartisan fact checkers dispute.

With his shock of white hair, rugged good looks and crisp sound bites, Navarro is a media-savvy advocate on camera. But his style  interrupting interviewers and combatively questioning them  has critics, too.

Of all the people Ive debated on TV on trade, hes the most strident, the most unyielding, Dan Ikenson, trade policy director at the Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, told Politico last week.

NAVARROS CAMPAIGN ROLE

Navarro has never met Trump in person. And as for speaking with him by phone, he acknowledges, I have never had the pleasure.

The economist was in Cleveland for the GOP convention, but busy doing media interviews from dawn until midnight, he said.

I am not the kind of person who needs to kiss the ring, Navarro said. I have great respect for him and I have worked with his team.

Asked about Navarros campaign role, Stephen Miller, a Trump senior policy adviser, emailed, He is one of the top trade experts in the world. Navarro is a champion for the American worker.

Navarros connection dates to 2011, when he sent a snail mail letter to Trump Tower in New York. Navarro had written a book on what he saw as the dangers of Chinas economic aggression, and his views dovetailed with Trumps.

Eventually, the real estate developer offered a complimentary blurb to promote a 2012 Navarro documentary, Death by China: One Lost Job at a Time, narrated by Martin Sheen and posted on YouTube. Nucor Corp., the nations biggest steelmaker, contributed $1 million to a nonprofit group to fund the film, which supported industry efforts to battle Chinese imports. Navarro said some of the funds also helped pay for a sequel, and he worked pro bono.

In addition to media appearances for Trump, Navarro said hes written numerous articles with the candidates team. In one, he helped the campaign challenge a June analysis by Moodys Analytics that asserted the candidates economic proposals would cause a lengthy recession and result in a loss of 3.5 million jobs.

It was garbage in and garbage out, Navarro said, claiming the authors made flawed assumptions about Trumps trade, tax and immigration policies.

On last months Labor Department report, which found the U.S. added 225,000 new jobs, he said, Theres all this happy talk about the recovery. But our trade deficit went up. Mr. Trump is one of few who understands that trade deficits reduce GDP growth.

Navarro also assails President Barack Obamas and the Federal Reserves post-recession economic stimulus initiatives for boosting the federal debt: Thanks to easy money, the federal reserve balance sheet looks like a page right out of a Stephen King novel.

AN EARLY CAREER IN POLITICS

Over the years, the professors political views seem to have evolved. Long before his alliance with Trump, and before moving to Laguna Beach, Navarro had been a high-profile Democratic politician in San Diego.

Between 1992 and 2001, while he was on the UCI faculty, he ran for mayor, City Council (twice), the county Board of Supervisors and Congress, losing all five races. In those years, Navarro described himself as pro-environment, pro-choice and pro-gay rights, and had little use for the GOPs economic programs.

On the economic agenda, the Republican leadership is more likely to cook up tax schemes to further enrich the rich, he wrote in a 1998 memoir published serially in the San Diego Reader, an alternative weekly.

On the environmental front, I do not trust the Republican Party to do anything but trash the environment under the phony banner of economic progress.

After elective politics, Navarro, whose academic research had hitherto focused mainly on electric utility regulation, launched into writing popular books and newspaper op-eds and into making films  endeavors that kept him in the public eye.

A 2001 volume, If Its Raining in Brazil, Buy Starbucks: The Investors Guide to Profiting From News and Other Market-moving Events, touted macrotrading for ordinary investors. It was followed in 2003 by When the Market Moves, Will You Be Ready?

By mid-decade, Navarro had shifted his concerns to what he sees as Chinas predatory trade practices and its expansionist ambitions. His 2006 book, The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought, How They Can Be Won, was followed in 2008 by Death By China: Confronting the Dragon  A Global Call to Action, the basis for his later documentary.

ALL IN FOR TRUMPS AGENDA

Unlike Trumps tax-cut program and his opposition to government regulations, which follow a traditional GOP playbook, the trade issue is one where both Trump and Navarro find allies on the left. For years, labor unions have battled both Democratic and Republican support for what they see as unfair trade policies that fail to curb Chinas currency manipulation and export subsidies.

Navarro takes the argument further. His most recent 2015 book, Crouching Tiger: What Chinas Militarism Means for the World, poses the provocative question: Will there be war with China? A 10-part Crouching Tiger film series is planned, with the first five episodes already posted on YouTube.

Navarro is not just in sync with Trump on trade. When asked about the candidates expressed doubts on man-made climate change, the economist launches into an attack on the Obama administrations efforts to limit global warming.

Climate change regulations should not be self-imposed on this country when India and China keep emitting, Navarro said, adding that the Paris agreement negotiated by 195 nations last year pays China to clean up its environment while it steals our jobs. That fries me.

And despite his onetime suspicions of Republican tax cutting, he favors Trumps proposal to repeal the estate tax, which currently applies to inheritances over $5.5 million for individuals and $11 million for married couples.

Trumps proposed restrictions on Muslim immigration are reasonable too, in Navarros view. What do we want 2,000 Syrian refugees coming into our country when the State Department cant properly vet them? he asked a radio interviewer last week.

And Trumps Mexican wall? Navarro suggests it might end up being a digital wall, despite Trumps assertions that it will be a real wall.

Navarro praises his candidates wonderful family  so loving, so compassionate  and his personal qualities. Even though Mr. Trump is a billionaire he is still able to relate to average working men and women. The billionaire gets along with the bricklayer.

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AN ACADEMIC INNOVATOR

Navarro said none of his faculty colleagues or students have expressed criticism to him about his work for Trump. It should be an honor to have a member of the UCI faculty serving in a senior role for a presidential candidate, he said.

Administrators praise Navarro for expanding Merages online learning curriculum, a trend in MBA programs. Peter was one of our earliest pioneers of distance learning, said Associate Dean Mary Gilly. He took advantage of the first online-meeting software in the 1980s and 1990s.

During a tour of the schools recording facilities last week with journalists, Navarro flipped on a monitor to show himself delivering an animated lecture in a macroeconomics course available to tens of thousands of students in dozens of countries.

Some see Navarros defense of Trump as a step toward a new career in Washington.

Given that relatively few academic economists have embraced the Trump candidacy, Navarro is plausibly a leading candidate for a top job in a Trump administration, wrote Tyler Cowen, a George Mason University economist, in Bloomberg View.

Navarro demurred: Not looking for a job. This is a pure pro bono exercise designed to help this country.

And if serving in a Trump administration would help the country? Such a loaded question, he replied. Too funny. But its just not my goal.

Contact the writer: mroosevelt@ocregister.com or on Twitter @MargotRoosevelt
Take a ride on board the L.A. Rams fan bus, hear the stories of lifelong fans and check out the tailgate scene as the Rams returned to play in Los Angeles after a 22-year absence.

Saturdays preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys was their first game at the Coliseum in nearly 40 years.

Video by Jonathan Khamis and Drew A. Kelley for Southern California News Group.
Names and faces

Lisa Nelson is a new consumer loan officer for the Helena market of Opportunity Bank of Montana. Nelson most recently held the position of the Neill branch manager for Opportunity Bank. Shes been employed with the bank for 27 years, starting her career as a teller. Nelson has also volunteered with various organizations and currently sits on the board of directors for the Florence Crittenton Home.

***

Ron Zelenka will be serving as the acting director of field operations at Integrated Water, Inc. for the next several months. As a U.S. Navy veteran, Zelenka has an understanding of water and its energy and force. His experience with the Army Corps in the operation of major hydroelectric dams translates to a solid understanding of hydraulics and other water facilities. He understands the dynamics of pumps, pipes, and their capabilities or shortcomings. Zelenka is a senior Montana state certified water operator and has been on staff at Integrated Water, Inc. for nearly a year. Call Zelenka at 442-2949.

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Jillian Newton is joining the Helena Music Makers Conservatory. Her performing career includes concerts with the three-time Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale, Solis Camerata, and chamber choruses in the Arizona Bach Festival. She has performed on both international and national stages, and is trained in classical, jazz, operatic, and musical theater styles.

Originally from Michigan, she earned her bachelors degree in music education from Western Michigan University. She is entering her fourth year of teaching, having previously held the high school and middle school choir director position in Wickenburg, Arizona. Newton recently moved to Helena and accepted a music teacher position at C.R. Anderson Middle School.

***

Stahly Engineering & Associates has added three employees to the Helena team: Survey Technician Rylan Stahly, Construction Inspector Geoff Streeter and Senior Transportation Engineer Jim Nallick.

Stahly is a recent graduate of Flathead Community College with an AAS degree in land survey. He has spent his two prior summers training alongside Stahly Engineering land survey department staff and now joins the team as a full-time member.

Streeter, E.I., attained a B.S. in construction engineering from MSU in 2016; he has served as a laboratory technician tasked with testing a variety of construction materials. Streeter will serve Stahly Engineering clients by providing construction administration, inspection and testing.

Nallick, P.E., whos served Montana communities as a professional engineer for nearly two decades, now divides his time between Stahlys Bozeman and Helena offices. Previously employed at the Montana Department of Transportation, Nallick serves primarily as a hydraulic specialist, integral to the firms transportation projects.

Awards and honors

Sand & Gravel employee honored

Dodge Wallace, production superintendent at Helena Sand & Gravel, has won the H.L. Boling Above and Beyond Award. The award is presented to a person, mine support organization or company that demonstrates an outstanding dedication to safety and health excellence, leadership skills as part of achieving an exemplary safety, or has made an outstanding contribution assisting the mining industry with safety issues such as program development, training, monitoring and related safety procedures. Boling is considered a founding father of the International Society of Mine Safety Professionals. Wallace received the award in July at ISMSPs annual meeting in Reno, Nevada.

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Helena Industries recognizes employees, partners

Every year, Helena Industries presents service awards to outstanding employees and community partners. Through a nomination and selection process, employees and partners who have gone above and beyond to support the mission of Helena Industries are recognized for their exceptional work. This year, Helena Industries recognized Paul Kindt, Helena Industries vocational counselor and executive director of PEERS Unlimited; David Fulkerson, Helena Industries Thrift Store team member; Bill Pohjola, Helena Industries Anaconda-based case manager; Sheila Hogan, director of the state of Montana Department of Administration; and Paula VanderJagt, Vans Thriftway.

Guidelines

The IR welcomes reports of hiring, promotions, awards, recognition, learning opportunities and other news from local companies and nonprofits. We accept press releases and photos (digital images at 300 dpi or more are preferred, but we can also use regular photos; we dont guarantee return of these).

There is no charge for items appearing in the Business Briefcase. Items are run on a space-available basis, and we reserve the right to edit and use information as we see fit.

The deadline is Tuesday at noon to be considered for publication the following Sunday.
SACRAMENTO  The latest twist in the ongoing snitch scandal involving Orange Countys district attorneys office and sheriffs department further reinforces critics fears about problems in the nations criminal justice system.

If allegations are right, then prosecutors often try to win at all costs, even if it means playing fast and loose with rules. Prosecutors and cops rarely admit errors or mete out punishment against their own. And, most significantly, based on the latest news, they are slow to reform bad practices even after they are exposed by judges and reporters.

The latest: On Aug. 4, Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders sent a 10-page letter to two of the countys top prosecutors. It is a call for additional discovery in the case of People v. Scott Dekraai. Dekraai pleaded guilty to the 2011 murder of eight people, including his ex-wife, at a beauty salon in Seal Beach. The question now is whether he gets the death penalty.

But this case sparked a scandal about the way Orange County law enforcement used information from jailhouse snitches to gather evidence against defendants. Its a fascinating, complex, and at times, disturbing tale  but constitutes must reading as law enforcement behavior comes under increasing national scrutiny.

A New York Times editorial from 2015 captures the gist of the scandal: Among other things, the defense argued, deputies intentionally placed informants in cells next to defendants facing trial  and hid that fact. Using snitches is prohibited once someone has been charged with a crime. Even when using an informant is allowed, defendants and judges must be told of the arrangement. That did not happen in Orange County, according to the Times. It came to a reasonable conclusion: [T]he Justice Department should conduct a thorough investigation.

Sanders new letter is significant because he alleges the countys top law enforcement officials are still withholding information from defense attorneys. Local law enforcement denies it and claims reforms are being implemented, but the allegation should renew interest in additional oversight.

Regarding the overall scandal, the district attorneys office insists that no one withheld information on purpose and that it didnt prejudice a client who already pleaded guilty. The office called the latest letter a publicity ploy because it said the department actually approached Sanders to tell him about the additional information he then references in the letter.

That Times quotation from above was in a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch last November by UC Irvine law-school dean Erwin Chemerinsky and former California Attorney General John Van de Kamp. It was co-signed by 29 former prosecutors and law professors. They, too, called for a federal investigation.

In turn, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas issued a statement that criticized Chemerinsky. Sheriff Sandra Hutchens defended her department. Combine this lackadaisical response with the public defenders latest concerns, and its reasonable to at least wonder how much of substance has changed within the D.A. and sheriffs departments regarding the handling of informants and the production of evidence in criminal cases.

The revelations during the past several months further corroborate a remarkable disdain for the Sixth Amendment right to counsel, the statutory and constitutional guidelines requiring the disclosure of favorable evidence, the laws limiting access to confidential information and the laws that require all witnesses to tell the truth and not obstruct justice, Sanders wrote in his missive.

Last year, Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals recused the entire district attorneys office from prosecuting the Dekraai case. Because of the scandal, at least six cases have unraveled. So its hard to take anything related to this case lightly.

The D.A.s office is buoyed by the fact that the California attorney generals office appealed the recusal order and is still handling the case as the appeal proceeds. But Chemerinsky told the ABA Journal in May: Im worried that the California attorney general has such a close relationship with the D.A.s office that [the investigation] might not happen.

Even Rackauckas own oversight committee declared his office a rudderless ship and calling for a deeper investigation into the use of jailhouse informants, reported the Registers Tony Saavedra in January. If Sanders is right, then after seven months, problems remain. Even the D.A.s office has told the feds it welcomes an investigation. What is the U.S. Justice Department waiting for?

Steven Greenhut is Western region director for the R Street Institute. He was a Register editorial writer from 1998-2009. He is based in Sacramento. Write to him at sgreenhut@rstreet.org.
BERLIN  Police in Switzerland say a Swiss man set a fire and stabbed people on a train in the countrys northeast, wounding six people as well as himself.

Police in St. Gallen canton say the incident happened 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 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 ages 17, 34 and 43, and two men ages 17 and 50. Some of the injuries were said to be serious, but there were no further details immediately.

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 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 ax and knife attacked passengers on another train in Germany, injuring a score of people. He also 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.
Its been a bad month for Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton has pulled away in the polls. Theres no apparent strategy to compensate. And the competition is heating up. Evan McMullin, the chief policy director for House Republicans who recently announced an independent bid for the White House, has joined Gary Johnson in the race to rally anti-Trump Republicans to a banner outside the party. As Trumps cross-party appeal continues to decline, his opponents grow ever more apoplectic with each new outlandish remark.

But rather than an unprecedented degree of vitriol and unpopularity around their partys nominee, the threat Republicans should likely fear most is something else  something they havent seen yet, but could be right around the corner: Trump fatigue.

Of course, in the literal sense, Trump himself seems increasingly fatigued. Gone are the days when he tore up the primary race with a visceral novelty and an in-the-zone performance level. Back then, Trump could dispatch opponents in a few news cycles  and did, one after the next. As scattershot and unscripted as that campaign was, it matched formidable improvisational skill with a preternatural native intelligence about what powerful constituencies the established candidates couldnt or wouldnt serve. Today, however, Trump appears to have lost that volatile magic. Although Hillary Clinton is, in many ways, an even weaker candidate than some of Trumps primary opponents, she is a single candidate with a vast constituency behind her, united in lockstep  thanks to its fury toward Trump  with her partys elite. Trump already appears tired of bashing his head against this monolithic wall. While Clinton, who clearly suffers from fatigue of her own, can lean on a focused, almost maniacally disciplined campaign apparatus, Trump himself has almost no one he can rely on. And the insider rumor mill suggests even those precious few have ceased to believe the man will let them provide much help.

But if Trump looks to be running out of gas, his act  once such a sensation  has begun to wear thin as well. Such is the fickle favor of public opinion that a slight dimming of Trumps cultural radiance was to be expected. Never one for half-measures when it comes to publicity, however, Trump is on track to snuff his own light, shutting down the fevered interest in his every word by maxing out Americans  and even the medias  appetite for all things Trump. Yesterdays searing takes and policy surprises have taken on the character of a monotonous, thudding drumbeat: more tweets, more gaffes, more dog whistles and further unforced errors. Stop anyone on the street, and they can give you a reasonably spot-on impression of Trumps exaggerated, exclamation-mark-laden mini-diatribes. Hes pulled out all the stops; what can he do for an encore? Indeed, after this kind of show, does anyone want an encore? Or is the electorate  increasingly including people who would sigh and vote for Trump after all  more in the mood to go home and close their eyes until their ears stop ringing?

It all adds up to a reasonable inference about the next, and possibly final, phase of the presidential campaign: Non-die-hard Trump supporters and Republicans wavering on Trump are more likely to be tipped away from pulling the lever in November out of sheer exhaustion than animosity or fear. However nostalgic for past greatness, Trumps campaign promised above all a new way out of an old box  a dead end created by established elites whose business-as-usual politics had become detached from reality and corrosive to national greatness. What Trump has delivered instead is, sadly, a new box, tighter and more uncomfortable than the old. He had multiple opportunities to follow through  even just a little bit  on the animating idea that upended the GOP so swiftly and completely. He blew them all. As maddening or terrifying as the worst of Trump can be, the fundamental emotion surrounding his candidacy is disappointment, and the primal reaction stemming from that emotion is just walking away.

The fact is, its easier to vote for someone you dislike when at least theyre consistent. Just look at Clinton, who has successfully dragged along the many sharp critics to her left. They know what theyre getting in Clinton, and if that includes some stuff they dislike, fine  at least shes a known quantity, with all the bedrock reliability that implies. But Trumps inability to sustain his captivating novelty is a terrible mark of inconsistency. Its possible he could soldier on at long last as an ex-sensation, someone who capitulates to his partys remaining influential operatives, simply going through the motions until its all over. Or, we must suppose, Trump might simply snap under the pressure. The preponderance of the evidence on the campaign trail suggests that neither of these outcomes will define the rest of the race. Instead, hell just keep on keeping on, as growing numbers of Republicans quietly file out of the metaphorical stadium. The danger for Trump is now the danger for the GOP as a whole: that people who were prepared to take a chance on him will instead tune out today  and drop out on Election Day.
For years after President Richard Nixon resigned in scandal, journalists in the nations capital would receive anonymous phone calls from conspiracy buffs who fashioned themselves as another Deep Throat. It was always a version of the same story: They had the goods on a scandal bigger than Watergate.

As a well-known White House correspondent at the Washington Post, the newspaper that uncovered many of the abuses that drove Nixon from office, my father, Lou Cannon, received his share of such calls. In response to these crackpots, Dad espoused a simple rule: If they say, Ive got a story that will make Watergate look like a picnic, I hang up on em.

Far be it for me to suggest that Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party leadership have gone off their collective rocker. But using the Russians as foils to deflect attention from the embarrassing content of hacked Democrats emails was bad enough even before Pelosi played the Watergate card. But the 2016 presidential campaign has now officially entered the silly season.

The Russians broke in, Pelosi told reporters who inquired about a report in the New York Times on the cyberattack of the Democratic National Committee. Who did they give the information to? I dont know. Who dumped it? I dont know.

I do know that this is a Watergate-like electronic break-in, added the highest-ranking House Democrat in Congress. And anyone who would exploit, for the purpose of embarrassment or something like that, is an accomplice to that.

Although she could have been referring to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, its clear that Pelosi was alluding to Donald Trump. How did The Donald get in the middle of this mess, you ask? Thats an interesting tale, one that tidily illustrates both the Democrats cynicism and the Republicans corresponding haplessness  the two traits that best epitomize the 2016 election cycle.

On July 22, three days before the opening of the Democrats nominating convention in Cleveland, Hillary Clinton had a problem, and it wasnt necessarily one of her own making. Wikileaks, the international whistleblowers, made a document dump of 19,000 internal Democratic National Committee emails. Those messages bolstered the long-standing suspicions of Bernie Sanders and his supporters that the DNC had been sabotaging Sanders to aid Clinton.

DNC officials tried to tar Sanders, who is Jewish, as an atheist; the DNC had installed moles loyal to Clinton in the Sanders campaign; it had secretly paid Clinton supporters to troll Sanders on social media. The Clinton campaign responded by seeking to divert attention from the substance of the emails toward the motives and identity of the hackers.

Its troubling that some experts are now telling us that this was done by the Russians for the purpose of helping Donald Trump, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in an artfully worded smear to ABCs This Week host George Stephanopoulos. To the viewer at home this seemed a stretch. Russians? How did they get in this little passion play? Whats that got to do with Trump, anyway?

The answer would unfold in short order. The line about Russian hackers, presumably in league with Russian authorities (meaning President Vladimir Putin), was soon being floated by Democrats ranging from President Obama to mainstream media sites that reported it as fact, sometimes without bothering to cite anonymous FBI sources.

Did the Russians really do this? I have no firsthand knowledge that its true, and I doubt Nancy Pelosi does, either. But the Democrats went with that line from day one. As for the Trump angle, this was planted that first day, too.

I think that whats troubling is how [Trump] praised Vladimir Putin, Mook told Stephanopoulos.

Trumps man-crush on Putin is troubling, and not only to Democrats But lets be fair  it unfolded in a context having nothing to do with hacking. What was actually disturbing about the DNC emails, and not only to Republicans, was that they suggested that the DNC had manipulated its own nominating process. Bringing Putin into the conversation was misdirection, pure and simple, and the Clinton campaign did it by using the classic McCarthyite tactic of guilt by association. It should have been an easy thing for Trump to bat away. Republican Party chief Reince Priebus showed him how.

I dont know if we can definitively say who has them and whos taken them, Priebus told Hugh Hewitt in an interview. But the point is, the Russians didnt write the emails. And neither did the Wikileaks people.  The DNC wrote those emails so they have to answer for what those emails say.

But this is not how the story played out. For one thing, much of the media latched onto the Democrats dubious tactic of blaming Russia. Then Trump stepped into the trap. Instead of channeling Reince Priebus, Trump was distracted by gleeful speculation on right-wing social media that maybe Wikileaks had the 33,000 missing emails that Hillary Clinton and her lawyers had deep-sixed  you know, the ones the FBI couldnt find and didnt view as sinister or troubling.

China, Russia, one of our many, many friends came in and hacked the hell out of us, Trump told a raucous crowd at a rally in Roanoke, Va. on the first day of the Democrats convention. I guarantee well find the 33,000 emails.

Trump later backtracked, claiming he was being sarcastic, and perhaps this was true. But he also said at a press conference, I will tell you this, Russia: If youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.

This must be the Democrats fear, too, which is where Nancy Pelosi re-entered the stage. Her goal is to inoculate Clinton against damaging revelations in the release of future hacked material. She did so by tainting the source. Yes, the Watergate analogy is a stretch: Although the 1972 burglary did target Democratic National Committee headquarters, it wasnt done by a foreign power. It was carried out on the orders of President Nixons re-election committee. It would be as if Trump or Priebus ordered the DNC hacking. Then again, MSNBC floated this very idea when the scandal first broke.

Why werent you guys hacked? one MSNBC anchor asked Priebus, as though that was evidence of Republican collusion with the Ruskies.

The moral of the episode is that Team Clinton is clever, the media compliant and Trump clueless. But what kind of conspiracy theory is that? I think Ill call my dad with an anonymous tip. Ive got a story that will make Deep Throat look like a piker: Trump is a Clinton mole.

Carl M. Cannon is executive editor of RealClearPolitics.com.
Was Donald Trump calling for Hillary Clintons assassination when he spoke Tuesday in North Carolina? Some people sure seem to think so.

This was Trumps apparently offensive quote: Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment. By the way, and if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is. I dont know.

Suppose the phrase Second Amendment people had been replaced with any other special-interest group. Would there be any claims that Trump was threatening assassinations?

In a Newsweek interview Monday, Hillary Clinton excoriated the lobbying power of these very same Second Amendment people. We need to elect leaders with the courage to stand up to the gun lobby, she declared. It is a remark that she has made time and again. But, presumably, Clinton isnt suggesting that standing up to the gun lobby takes a special kind of courage because this lobby has a particular capacity for violence.

Based on her stand, shouldnt Clintons response be that Trump is encouraging Second Amendment people to lobby to block her appointments? Why would anyone claim that he is encouraging her assassination?

The reaction to Trumps statement comes across as a type of political Rorschach test for liberals, revealing their own biases more than anything else. Are people up in arms over Trumps statement because the right to self-defense has been conflated with being able to go around shooting people? Have people been conditioned to take everything literally?

Lets take a brief test.

During his 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama said, If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun. Were you really worried that Obama was talking about real weapons being brought into the U.S. Capitol?

Trump said in January, I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldnt lose voters. Do you think the police should have surrounded Trump to make sure he didnt start shooting people?

In 2008, Hillary Clinton justified staying in the Democratic nomination contest past the end of May because we all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. Was Clinton really suggesting that someone assassinate Obama?

Does anyone seriously believe that Obama or Trump or Clinton was literally threatening actions with a gun?

For those who argue that Trump should have been more careful in making his statement Tuesday, did Obama and Trump need to specify that they werent literally talking about real guns being used? Should Clinton have made it clear she wasnt claiming NRA members have been actually physically threatening politicians with violence?

Trump was clearly right about what a Clinton presidency would mean for the Second Amendment. Until 2008, Washington, D.C., had a complete handgun ban. It was also a felony to put a bullet in the chamber of a gun. This effectively constituted a complete ban on guns. In District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court struck down these laws.

In June, ABCs George Stephanopoulos asked Clinton about the Heller decision. She said: I think that for most of our history, there was a nuanced reading of the Second Amendment until the decision by the late Justice Scalia, and there was no argument until then that localities and states and the federal government had a right, as we do with every amendment, to impose reasonable regulation.

Clinton went on to talk about her push for expanded background checks as though the Heller decision was a natural segue. But Heller only concerned complete gun bans. Clinton needs to explain what made those bans reasonable. Why was it reasonable to imprison someone for five years for defending his family?

If Trump had referred to a group other than Second Amendment supporters Tuesday, its unlikely that anyone would have taken these extreme interpretations seriously. But the media mischaracterize Trumps statements at every opportunity and malign individuals who believe in the right to self-defense.

John R. Lott Jr. is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author of The War on Guns.
The U.S. is now conducting air strikes in Libya at the invitation of the government, an announcement accompanied by a Pentagon spokesmans unpersuasive assurance that [W]e dont envision this as being something thats going to be too long.

We were at war in Vietnam for more than a decade, and weve been at war for 15 years in Afghanistan and Iraq. Will we have the same grim outcome in Libya, or can we learn anything from our own history before its too late?

We should have learned by now that freedom is made of more than a vacant palace and a quick election. Its built from specific, concrete elements: accountable and transparent government, limited power, checks and balances, an independent judiciary, and individual rights that do not depend on membership in any group, sect, tribe, party or faction.

The United States has written the blueprint for freedom at least three times, starting in 1787. At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, delegates created an original structure, a representative government of limited and divided power. For the first time in human history, a nation was founded on the idea that governments are instituted among men to secure the fundamental rights of individuals: life, liberty and property.

It wasnt perfect. The nation was ruptured by the Civil War some 70 years later, and after the war, freedom had to be constructed again, this time for the freed slaves.

Congress stepped in to abolish Black Codes, state laws adopted for the purpose of keeping former slaves in a condition as close to slavery as possible.

In Mississippi, for example, blacks were required to contract for a years work, risking the forfeit of their full years wages if they quit early. Workers who deserted could legally be recaptured. The law banned blacks from owning land.

Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to guarantee to former slaves the absolute rights of individuals: the right to life, or personal security; the right to liberty, or freedom of movement; and the right to own property. The terms of the law were also made part of the Fourteenth Amendment.

It wasnt perfect, but it created a foundation on which progress could be built.

The United States built freedom again after World War II, when General Douglas MacArthur led occupying forces in an effort to rebuild and rehabilitate the defeated nation of Japan. Beginning in September, 1945, MacArthur dismantled the Japanese army, banned former military leaders from leading the new government, introduced land reform to help small farmers and worked to transform the economy to a free-market, capitalist system.

The U.S. State Department should know this formula for freedom, which is posted on its own website. It tells us that in 1947 Allied advisors essentially dictated a new constitution to Japans leaders. The emperor was made a figurehead, and power was vested in a parliamentary system. Womens rights were promoted. Military action was renounced except for purely defensive forces.

By 1950, Japan was politically and economically stable. The U.S. occupation ended in 1952.

It wasnt perfect, but 10 years after Pearl Harbor, Japan was a free country.

Compare that to the outcome in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the U.S. did not write the new constitution, establish a free-enterprise economy or insist on the protection of fundamental rights for individuals, including women.

Why doesnt our government explain and advocate the structure of freedom? Is it because it doesnt want to offend our new friends in places like China and Iran, where restless populations have demonstrated for freedom at the risk of their lives?

Thats not a very good reason to fight an endless war for nothing.

Susan Shelley is an author, a former television associate producer and was two-time Republican candidate for the state Assembly.
Agricultural News

Record Corn and Soybean Crops Headline the 2016 August USDA Crop Production Report

The Friday USDA Crop Production Report resulted in record-breaking production for corn and soybeans as USDA pegs the corn crop at 15.15 billion bushels and soybeans at 4.06 billion bushels. In both cases, the USDA numbers are very aggressive compared to the pre report estimates, with both forecasts above the range of pre report trade guesses. Click here for the complete USDA Crop Production report that includes predictions for corn, soybeans, wheat, grain sorghum, cotton, peanuts and several more crops.





Predicted yields for corn and soybeans were also at record levels- which was the key component for the production records. USDA now believes that US farmers will harvest an average of 175.1 bushels per acre of corn- up seven bushels from the July forecast of 168 bpa. The soybean yield was increased 2.2 bushels per acre from July- and now is predicted at a record 48.9 bushels per acre.





Corn ending stocks for the 2016-17 crop year are projected at 2.4 billion bushels and if realized would be the highest since the 1987-88 crop year. The stocks-to-use ratio would hit 14.7%, compared to 12.5% for the 2015-16 crop.





Farm gate prices for both crops reflect the huge crops- USDA put the national average farm-gate price for the 2016-17 marketing year between $2.85 to $3.45 per bushel which is a 25-cent drop on both ends from the July estimate. The average farm-gate price for the 2015-16 crop was lowered to $3.60 per bushel. The farm price for soybeans for the 2016-17 marketing year will range from $8.35 to $9.85 per bushel, which is 40 cents lower than earlier projections. The soybean price for the 2015-16 marketing year is estimated at $8.95 a bushel.





Right after the reports were released on Friday morning, corn and soybean futures traded lower- about ten cents lower on corn and as much as twenty cents down on new crop soybeans. But, by the end of the Friday trading session- corn had recovered and December contracts settled at $3.33, up a penny and a quarrter. Soybeans trimmed their lossed as well- settling down just 2 and a quarters cents on the day for the November contract at $9.81 3/4.







For corn, the state by state breakdown provided some amazing numbers, with Illinois expected to see a two hundred bushel per acre corn crop on average this fall, and Iowa close behind at 197 bushels per acre. Closer to home- the Kansas corn crop is expected to yield 145 bushels per acre, Missouri 166 bpa, Oklahoma 135 bpa and Texas at 130 bpa.





For soybeans- the top states are all expecting yields in the mid to upper fifties. Nebraska comes closest to achieving that eleusive state average of sixty bushels per acre- with Nebraska predicted to produce 59 bushels per acre and will end up with the fifth largest state production total of 309 million bushels of soybeans. The two top states- Illinois and Iowa- will produce 560 and 550 million bushels of total production- and USDA pegs them both with a 57 bushel per acre yield. Yields in our region include Arkansas 47 bpa, Kansas 40, Missouri 48 bpa, Oklahoma 27 bpa and Texas 28 bpa.







Beyond the corn and soybeans- other crops of importance to our region:





WHEAT





Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.66 billion bushels, up 2 percent from the July 1 forecast and up 21 percent from 2015. Based on August 1 conditions, the United States yield is forecast at 54.9 bushels per acre, up 1 bushel from last month and up 12.4 bushels from last year. The area expected to be harvested for grain or seed totals 30.2 million acres, unchanged from last month but down 6 percent from last year. Hard Red Winter production, at 1.05 billion bushels, is up 1 percent from last month. Soft Red Winter, at 372 million bushels, is up less than 1 percent from the July forecast.





Kansas is easily the largest producer of winter wheat and hard red winter wheat, as USDA ups their expected bushels per acre forecast to 57 bushels per acre compared to the July forecast, which is a record for the state- and with 8.1 million acres harvested results in a 461.7 million bushel crop in 2016. Oklahoma estimates are the same in August as they were in July- with the state expecting a record 40 bushels per acre on 3.3 million harvested acres- that results in a 34% increase in production over 2015.



Wheat production for Texas is forecast at 95.2 million bushels, down 11 percent from last year. Yield per acre is expected to average 34.0 bushels, up 4.0 bushels from 2015. Harvested acreage for grain, at 2.80 million acres, is down 21 percent from the previous year.





You can view details of the Oklahoma and Texas wheat crop production by clicking here to review the NASS report on wheat production in the two states.





GRAIN SORGHUM





USDA predicts a total grain sorghum crop of 474.68 million bushels, down from 596.75 million bushels produced in 2015, a twenty percent smaller crop in 2016 versus a year ago. The reduction is largely the result of eighteen percent fewer acres this season expected to be harvested at 6.456 million acres versus the harvest total of 7.851 million acres in 2015. Kansas remains the largest grain sorghum producing state, even with 300,000 fewer acres expected to be harvested this season versus last. The Kansas yield per acre is forecast by USDA to be down four bushels per acre this year compared to 2015, resulting in a 243.6 million bushel crop. Texas is the second largest milo producing state, with also a three hundred thousand acre drop in expected harvested acres this year at 2.15 million acres to be harvested in 2016- the Texas yield is actually expected to be four bushels better than in 2015 at 65 bushels per acre- with a final crop estimated at 139.75 million bushels.



Oklahoma is a distant third behind the two largest producing states- with 380,000 acres to be harvested this season versus 410,000 a year ago- with yields in 2016 expected to come in at fifty bushels per acre and a total production of 19 million bushels.





COTTON



All cotton production is forecast at 15.9 million 480- pound bales, up 23 percent from last year. Yield is expected to average 800 pounds per harvested acre, up 34 pounds from last year. Upland cotton production is forecast at 15.3 million 480 - pound bales, up 23 percent from 2015. Georgia, Mississippi and Arkansas all are predicted to have huge increases in total production versus a year ago- and most other cotton producing states look to have a bigger crop than a year ago as well.





Texas is easily the major producing state for cotton in the US, with roughly forty percent of the US production occuring in the Lone Star State. Texas is expecting a big jump in harvested acres this season, with 600,000 more acres expected to be havested this season in Texas versus the 2015 crop. The number of pounds of lint per acre is expected to be seventeen pounds less than in 2015- with the total production of cotton in 2016 predicted to be up ten percent than a year ago to 6.332 million bales.



According to the August USDA estimates- Oklahoma Upland Cotton production will total 510 thousand bales, 36 percent higher than 2015. Yield averaged 874 pounds per acre, compared with 876 pounds last year. Acreage harvested, at 280 thousand acres, is up 37 percent from last year.





You can read more about other crops produced in Oklahoma and Texas and their USDA projections based on August first data by clicking here.















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Top Agricultural News
Corn and bean crops shatter records

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 world's 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.
Two and a half years after a discarded cigarette sparked a dorm fire on campus, the University of Nebraska at Omaha is going smoke-free.

Under the new policy approved last year, smoking and the use of tobacco will be banned on campus. The ban goes into effect when fall classes begin Aug. 22.

Patrick Davlin, UNOs student body president, said the change supports healthy living. It also supports sustainability and cleanliness on campus.

It provides the opportunity for people to live healthier, he said.

UNO is joining a growing number of campuses opting for more health-minded environments. About 1,500 campuses across the nation were smoke-free as of April 2016, according to the American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation.

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 17 out of 100 U.S. adults age 18 and older smoke, according to 2014 data from the CDC.

Both Creighton University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center ban tobacco from their campuses. Creighton became tobacco-free in July 2008, while UNMCs ban was effective in 2009.

Under Creightons policy, tobacco is prohibited in or on campus property, both owned or leased. UNMC prohibits the use of tobacco at indoor and outdoor properties owned and maintained by the university, including leased properties and parking lots.

At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, no tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, may be used in university facilities or vehicles. Tobacco use is allowed on UNL grounds as long as its at least 10 feet away from any building perimeter. Some buildings, such as the International Quilt Study Center and Museum, and Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center, have a 25-foot limit.

Earlier this month, the University of Nebraska at Kearney expanded its policy to ban tobacco on all campus grounds, except parking lots. The policy went into effect Aug. 1.

Previously, UNK banned tobacco use in UNK facilities or vehicles and within 10 feet of entrances or work sites on campus.

About a dozen receptacles for smoking or tobacco materials will be placed in UNK parking lots, said Kelly Bartling, assistant vice chancellor for communications and community relations.

We think most of our students, the rest of the campus community and our guests will see this as a positive step, she said. It was initiated by students, for students.

UNOs effort also was led by students. Eta Sigma Gamma, a public health and health education honor society, in 2014 pushed to get two smoking-related questions on the student election ballot to see whether students would support a smoke-free campus.

Chancellor John Christensens cabinet approved the change after a recommendation by UNOs student government, faculty senate and staff advisory council.

The change comes after the February 2014 Scott Village dorm fire that destroyed the apartment-style building and displaced about 50 students.

UNOs previous policy prohibited smoking in all university buildings and state-owned vehicles. Smoking was allowed outdoors at least 10 feet from public entrances.

The policy involved all tobacco products, from cigarettes and cigars to clove and electronic cigarettes.

The new policy applies to the universitys Dodge, Scott and Center campuses, as well as the First Christian Church and St. Margaret Mary Church parking lots.

Under the change, smoking and the use of tobacco products and smoking instruments are prohibited both indoors and outdoors at UNO.

The use of tobacco products is allowed in some instances, including research or educational purposes with prior approval, for ceremonial purposes permitted in designated spaces for traditional ceremonies in accordance with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, and for other educational, clinical, or religious ceremonial purposes with prior approval.

The Baxter Arena also will have a small restricted area designated for smoking outside the building accessible during arena events.

If someone violates the policy, they will be asked to stop. If a violator refuses, faculty may be referred to Academic Affairs, students to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, and staff to Human Resources. Visitors may be escorted off campus.

Contact the writer: 402-473-9581, emily.nohr@owh.com
HAVANA  Ramses Fernandezs most cherished possession is barely larger than a refrigerator, with the legroom of an economy airplane seat and a little more horsepower than a riding lawn mower.

Thats my second baby, said Fernandez, smiling proudly at the 39-year-old automobile purchased about the time his 10-month-old son was born. My wife says that car is my child.

A humble two-cylinder Polish-made hatchback, the Fiat 126p was forgotten by most people after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Decades later, the car lovingly known as the Polski is basking in a Cuban revival.

Buses and taxis are in short supply as Cuba struggles with cutbacks in subsidized oil from Venezuela. The average salary is about $25 a month, but government-controlled car and gasoline prices are among the highest in the world.

With around just 24 horsepower, depending on exactly how each one has been altered, the half-ton Polski offers families a shot at independent mobility for a few thousand dollars, a sum within reach of those able to save from private jobs or family sending money from overseas.

So the self-taught mechanics whove kept Cubas famed American sedans running for decades are turning their talents to this automotive artifact from the Cold War, equipping Polskis with stronger suspensions, more powerful motors, even high-end sound systems and upholstery.

2016 has been the year of the Fiat Polski 126p, said Hendy Coba, president of Friends of the Car, an officially sanctioned Havana car owners club.

An estimated 10,000 Polskis are registered in Cuba, according to aficionados. Although many are out of service, thousands of others buzz along Cuban roads, literally overshadowed by the 1950s American behemoths known as almendrones, and even by the rattling Ladas and Moskovitches imported from the Soviet Union.

Fernandez, an auto mechanic, said he sold his motorcycle around the time of his sons birth and bought his Polski with the proceeds, about $5,000.

Hes equipped it with disc brakes, new tires, an upgraded gearbox and a water-cooled engine nearly twice as powerful as the one it came with.

The normally air-cooled Polski is so prone to overheating in Cuba that many owners drive around with the rear hatch open in an attempt to suck hot air away from the engine. Fernandezs closed hatch, and his cars relative nimbleness, makes him the object of constant admiring comments from other drivers at red lights.

People love my car, he said. Everybody says, What a beautiful vehicle! 

Raul Seoanes family saved years of remittances from relatives working in Spain and spent $2,000 for a well-worn red Polski manufactured in 1986.

Seoane, a 32-year-old computer technician, said the family mainly uses the car to run errands, get to work and take older relatives to doctors appointments.

Hes been surprised by the number of tourists who ask to pose with the family vehicle.

Foreigners take photos as if theyve never seen something like this, he said. For being an economical car, the Polski has really caught on.
Parents have a few tools to trim the cost of child care.

 Some employers offer a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account in which parents can set aside up to $5,000 in pretax income each year to help pay for child care. The Labor Department said 54 percent of state and local government workers and 36 percent of private-industry workers had access to this benefit in 2014.

 The federal Child and Dependent Care Credit repays some of the cost of care. Parents can claim expenses of up to $3,000 for one child or $6,000 for two or more children. The tax credit is a percentage of qualifying expenses  up to 35 percent, depending on adjusted gross income.

However, allowable expenses are reduced by any money withheld on a pretax basis. So a family putting $5,000 pretax into a dependent care account could claim only up to $1,000 in allowable expenses for the dependent care credit and might end up with only a few hundred dollars in tax credit.

 A Nebraska family with income up to 130 percent of the federal poverty level  $2,633 a month  can qualify for subsidized child care, which may require a copayment depending on income. Families with incomes over 100 percent of the federal poverty level are expected to contribute.

 The Legislature made a change in 2015 to help Nebraska parents continue to receive subsidies if they get raises. Families qualifying initially at 130 percent or less can still receive benefits up to two years if their income grows to between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level, capping benefits at a monthly income of $3,746.

Aubrey Mancuso, executive director of Voices for Children in Nebraska, said Nebraska used to set the initial eligibility threshold at 185 percent of the poverty line, but slashed it in 2002 during a budget crunch.

Child care has gotten more expensive, and the public support programs we have in place that help defer the cost havent kept pace with that increase in cost, Mancuso said.

Some new tools may be on the horizon.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump have proposed policy changes to help families pay for the cost of care. The Washington Post last week described both plans as ambiguous and noted that neither candidate has said how costs would be covered.

Clintons plan would cap child care costs at 10 percent of household income, the government threshold for affordable care. Her campaign said the candidate would increase the federal governments investment in child care subsidies and provide tax relief to working families for the cost of child care through tax credits.

She also said she would push for policies to give child care workers a raise and fund child care centers on college campuses.

Trump said he would exclude child care expenses from taxation by allowing parents to fully deduct the average cost of child care in their state from their taxes.

In further comments to CNNMoney last week Trumps campaign said people who still end up owing income taxes could take the benefit even if they dont itemize their deductions.

Economists said the plan would mostly benefit middle- and upper-income families, as lower-income families dont owe enough taxes to see the benefit of a deduction.

Meanwhile Trump said low-income taxpayers who owe no income tax could take the deduction against their payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare.

Family advocates await more details from both campaigns.

Tax credits alone are unlikely to help lower-income families, said Mancuso, with Voices for Children. Families living paycheck to paycheck cant wait until tax time to receive a lump sum to help defer child care costs.

Tax credits can be a help to middle-income families, yet they should include either a cap on the amount that is deductible or an income limit, Mancuso said, to be sure taxpayer resources are going to the families that really need assistance. She would like to see state subsidies grow, and said Nebraska should consider increasing its income qualification threshold to 200 percent of the poverty line, up from todays 130 percent.

Several Omaha-area families hit by the cost of child care said they havent studied any proposals carefully, but believe change is due.

Sarah Kuntz, an Omaha mother of two, said she would support bigger government subsidies for child care because I know how we struggled to make it work.

Shannon Vondra, a Bennington mother of three, said she would like to see an increase in the $5,000 cap for Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts.

Her husband, Paul Vondra, took a different view of the debate: If you choose to have children, you should be taking responsibility for providing for them, he said. You shouldnt have to rely on others.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1336, barbara.soderlin@owh.com
Recordings of 911 calls with a mortally wounded man in an Omaha double homicide shed new light on the inadequate system for finding wireless callers in emergencies when they cant say where they are.

The recordings also painfully illustrate the issues raised in a Nebraska Public Service Commission investigation into why it took 40 minutes to pinpoint the callers location.

Douglas County 911 released nine minutes of recordings Friday in response to public records requests.

They include seven calls that occurred over a span of 22 minutes on Feb. 12 with a man who had been shot in what turned out to be the home of Kenneth Clark, near 140th and Miami Streets in unincorporated northwest Omaha.

The caller was believed to be John Edwards of Papillion. He and his brother Jason were helping their sister Julie Edwards move out of Clarks home.

Clark shot and killed John and Jason Edwards. Clark took Julie Edwards hostage and held her for nearly four hours, then continued to have a standoff with law enforcement officers for eight more hours before fatally shooting himself.

Authorities have said since the beginning that locating the people sooner would not necessarily have changed the outcome.

But the inability of the Douglas County 911 Center to find them because of wireless phone technologys limitations raised alarms about technology and training.

The 911 recordings show the human effect of the flawed system in which common mapping applications  even with a video game such as Pokemon Go  can pinpoint the location of a person with a mobile phone, but 911 call centers cannot.

A dispatcher grew increasingly frustrated, and the mortally wounded man increasingly despairing. Dispatchers eventually used information gleaned from the calls  Clarks name  to search county property records, determine the address and get first responders to the house, but it took longer than anybody thought it should.

The caller tried multiple times to say Clarks name before the dispatcher heard it correctly. The first time, the dispatcher asked if he was at a park.

The first call came into Douglas County 911 a little after 10 a.m. on Feb. 12. There were a few seconds of silence, then a hang-up. An operator called back and tried tones for the hearing-impaired, but there was no response.

Another call came in a few minutes later. The caller said he had been shot. The operator connected him with a fire and rescue dispatcher, who tried in vain to talk with the caller, who did not respond.

The dispatcher asked the operator if she had whats called Phase 2 information on the cellphones location. Wireless companies must provide such information under federal standards, which are supposed to be within 400 meters of the phone call placed from outdoors. There are no standards for locating callers from inside buildings.

The operator said yes but had the wrong location of that Phase 2 information: 150th and Blondo Streets, more than a mile away. The actual Phase 2 location near 137th and Lake Streets was within about 400 meters.

Mark Conrey, interim Douglas County 911 director, said a character was missing from the Phase 2 location readout, which is transmitted in latitude and longitude. He said that led dispatchers to mistakenly conclude that a cell tower at 150th and Blondo was the closest location information they had.

The dispatcher started police toward 150th and Blondo, then hung up and tried to call again.

The Public Service Commission report, done by a consultant, Mission Critical, said that by hanging up and calling back the call center gave up its ability to refresh the callers location. Its only possible for a dispatcher to get location data on a phone on an incoming call, not when a dispatcher calls it.

The people who took the call also did not ask the callers name.

Our consultant said that was not consistent with best practices, said Crystal Rhoades, a Nebraska Public Service Commission member from Omaha.

In ensuing calls, the dispatcher sounded gruff as he asked, over and over, for the callers location.

Where are you? the dispatcher asked at one point.

Caller: I dont know.

Dispatcher: Well, I need to know something, I dont know where to send you help at. Are you by yourself?

Caller: No.

Dispatcher: Oh, let me talk to someone who might know where you are.

Caller: Theres a guy with a gun.

Dispatcher: Are you at a house, or in a business, or where are you?

Caller: Im at a house.

Dispatcher: OK, well, find a piece of mail or step outside and look at the house number.

Caller: Im on the ground, shot.

The Public Service Commission report recommended more training on the use of location information, on asking questions that will give first responders more information about what kind of situations they will face, and on projecting empathy toward callers.

The dispatcher tried to the very best of his ability to help this man, Rhoades said, (but) as we have had more active shooters, and as people have more experiences with these kinds of incidents, the best practices change. Its very clear to me that we need to do a very serious evaluation of what training is given to dispatchers, and at what intervals.

Conrey said some additional training has since been given to dispatchers, and more is planned.

Were going to have to find a way to expand our thinking beyond the common ways that you find addresses, he said.

As for the dispatchers tone, Conrey said he doesnt condone it, but he can understand it happening under the pressure of trying to find the injured caller. The focus, Conrey said, had to be on finding him.

Conrey noted that the dispatcher kept trying and eventually figured it out.

Even though it (the dispatchers tone) seemed rough and everything else, he didnt give up until he got him, Conrey said.

Asked what he thought people who are moved to action by the tragedy should do, Conrey suggested pushing the Nebraska Legislature and Public Service Commission to see if theres any way they can stop this nonsense and start getting us the accurate information.

He said he and other Nebraska 911 officials have complained to the Public Service Commission and wireless companies about the poor quality of location information.

Rhoades said Douglas County 911 in this incident received the location information that the wireless services were required to provide.

But she said that information is far short of what technology could make possible.

Rhoades said she hopes attention attracted by the 911 recordings will lead to public education and involvement on the issue.

The technology definitely exists, Rhoades said. Uber and Lyft do this. Your Fitbit does it. ... What doesnt exist is the regulatory framework that allows us to set rules and regulations and enforce them.

* * *

WARNING: This audio clip contains material that may be disturbing to some listeners. The two-minute clip was drawn from nine minutes of 911 calls from a Feb. 12 incident in which two brothers were found dead after an 11-hour standoff between law enforcement officers and Kenneth Clark at Clark's house. Clark fatally wounded the two brothers. One of the victims, believed to be John Edwards, placed emergency calls from a cellphone from a home in an unincorporated part of west Omaha but was unable to tell where he was. It took rescue workers nearly 40 minutes to pinpoint his location. A consultant for the Nebraska Public Service Commission used the audio and other information to help recommend improvements to Douglas Countys emergency system.
Interim Douglas County 911 Director Mark Conrey takes issue with some parts of a communication consultants report on a Feb. 12 double homicide, but he and his staff are trying to glean lessons from it.

He believes the scope of the report was beyond the authority of the Nebraska Public Service Commission. The agency initiated an investigation into the incident in which two brothers were found dead after an 11-hour standoff between law enforcement officers and another man at that mans house. Conrey also thinks the report did not delve enough into technical issues.

Conrey wants to use the report to improve operations at the center, but he and his staff are still trying to figure out how.

Theres a lot of things in that report that are not (feasible), he said in an interview last week. We are kind of in a quandary as to what we do with it.

It took authorities 40 minutes to find the brothers, and the report, released July 30, details ways in which Douglas Countys 911 call center might have located the scene more quickly. Authorities have said from the start that finding the brothers sooner would not necessarily have changed the outcome.

The major emphasis of the report ... should have been the technical implications of the 911 call, Conrey said in a statement. We ended up with an incomplete report.

Conrey criticized several aspects of the report, compiled by Mission Critical Partners, a public safety communications consultancy. One of the issues it raised was that the initial call taker, following county procedure, did not ask for specific location information from the caller before transferring him to a rescue dispatcher. In a recording of the 911 calls released Friday, the call taker can be heard advising the victim as she transferred the call that he should have his address ready.

The consultant said the call center should consider following national guidelines that say the initial call taker should obtain location information and the circumstances of a shooting.

Conrey said the Omaha Fire Department tries to meet National Fire Protection Association standards, meaning the center has a short amount of time to get the call dispatched. If the call taker requested an address, it would take more time, he said, because the dispatcher would also have to ask for it.

The report, Conrey said, also does not address the lack of location information received by the dispatch center.

Many of todays smartphones can track their users to within a few feet. But 911 operators must rely on older technology provided by wireless companies that, in the best case, gives the longitude and latitude of the center point of a nearby street or a triangulated estimate within a few dozen yards of where a person might be.

The majority of time when there is an emergency we have to count on the information the caller gives us, Conrey said. We get a dot in a neighborhood.

Another criticism in the report was that the dispatcher disconnected one of the calls and called the victim back. It is not possible for a dispatcher to get location data from a phone when the dispatcher calls it.

Conrey said normal procedure is to not disconnect, but the caller had stopped talking and the dispatcher had no other option.

There are no absolute procedures, Conrey said. If he hadnt hanged up on him, he wouldnt have gotten any information.

Conrey acknowledged some issues from the report. He wants to train dispatchers to ask broader questions, for instance, when a caller is unsure of his or her address.

Douglas County Board members said they are taking the report seriously and want to use it to improve the call center.

Board member Mike Boyle said the report needs to be publicly discussed at a board meeting.

I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned, Boyle said.
An Omaha woman struck by a car Aug. 8 near 90th Street and West Center Road has died.

Cheyla Pettett, 29, was critically injured about 6 a.m. when she was crossing West Center at Paddock Road while walking her dog. She and her dog were struck by an eastbound 2007 Volvo sedan driven by Jon Thompson, 64, of Omaha. Pettetts dog died at the scene.

Pettett was taken in extremely critical condition to the Nebraska Medical Center. She died there on Friday, Omaha police said in a Sunday morning press release.

Police said the accident did not involve excessive speed or alcohol use.
MILWAUKEE (AP)  The black man whose killing by police touched off an outbreak of arson and rock-throwing in Milwaukee was shot by a black officer after turning toward him with a gun in his hand, the police chief said Sunday.

The chief and the mayor gave the account as Wisconsin's governor put the National Guard on standby in case of another round of violence like the one that rocked Milwaukee's mostly black north side Saturday night.

Police Chief Edward Flynn cautioned that the shooting was still under investigation and authorities were awaiting autopsy results, but it "certainly appeared to be within lawful bounds."

Mayor Tom Barrett said a still image pulled from the unidentified officer's body camera clearly showed the gun in Sylville K. Smith's hand as he fled a traffic stop Saturday.

"I want our community to know that," Barrett said. But he also called for understanding for Smith's family.

"A young man lost his life yesterday afternoon," the mayor said. "And no matter what the circumstances are, his family has to be hurting."

Flynn refused to identify the officer who shot Smith but said he is black. The police chief said he wasn't sure what prompted the stop but described Smith's car as "behaving suspiciously."

After watching the officer's body camera footage, Flynn said the entire episode took about 25 seconds, from the start of the traffic stop until shots were fired. He said Smith ran "a few dozen feet" and turned toward the officer while holding a gun. He said it was unclear how many rounds the officer fired.

Earlier Sunday, Gov. Scott Walker activated Wisconsin's National Guard, and 125 Guard members were reporting to local armories to prepare for further instructions. Flynn said they would not be deployed unless the chief decided to do so.

"I'm hopeful that will not be necessary," the mayor said. "But if it is necessary, we will do so." Flynn said 150 department officers specially trained in managing big protests had also been mobilized.

Six businesses were burned in the unrest that spilled past midnight Sunday. Seventeen people were arrested, Flynn said, and four officers were hurt, none seriously.

Milwaukee Alderman Khalif Rainey, who represents the neighborhood that erupted, said the city's black residents are "tired of living under this oppression."

"Now this is a warning cry. Where do we go from here? Where do we go as a community from here?" he asked.

Flynn said Smith had a lengthy criminal record with Milwaukee police. Online court records showed a range of charges against Smith, many of them misdemeanors.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Smith was also charged in a shooting and was later charged with pressuring the victim to withdraw testimony that identified Smith as the gunman. The charges were dropped, but it was not immediately clear why.

"My son is gone due to the police killing my son," Marilyn Haynes told the Journal Sentinel. "I am lost."

On Sunday morning, about three dozen volunteers swept up glass and filled trash bags with rocks, bricks and bottles at the intersection where a gas station burned to the ground. One volunteer picked up a bullet casing and handed it to police.

Darlene Rose, 31, said that she understands the anger that fueled the violence, but that it doesn't help.

"I feel like if you're going to make a difference, it's got to be an organized difference," Rose said. "The people that came and looted, you're not going to see them here today."

The anger at Milwaukee police is not new and comes as tension between black communities and law enforcement has ramped up across the nation, resulting in protests and the recent ambush killings of eight officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dallas.

Nearly 40 percent of Milwaukee's 600,000 residents are black, and they are heavily concentrated on the north side.

Milwaukee was beset by protests and calls for police reform after an officer shot and killed Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill black man, in 2014.

In December, the U.S. Justice Department announced it would work with Milwaukee police on changes.

Critics said the police department should have been subjected to a full Justice Department investigation like the one done in Ferguson, Missouri, after the killing of black 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014 touched off violence there.

The officer involved in the Milwaukee shooting was 24 and has been an officer for three years, according to the department.

At one point Saturday evening, as many as 100 protesters massed at 44th Street and Auer Avenue, surging against a line of 20 to 30 officers.

The Journal Sentinel reported that some in the crowd started smashing a squad car's windows. Another police car was set on fire. The newspaper said one of its reporters was shoved to the ground and punched.

In addition to the gas station, a bank, an auto parts store and a beauty supply shop were burned. Firefighters held back from the gas station blaze because of gunfire.

Copyright 2016 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb.

Assets

$783,000 to $2,198,000. Much of those assets are in various mutual funds. His largest assets, however, were a checking account and a banking account each worth between $250,000 and $500,000.

Liabilities

None. He reported that by the end of 2015 he had paid off a 10-year mortgage taken out in 2013 that was worth between $250,000 and $500,000.

Notable transactions

He sold a rental residence in Alexandria, Virginia, for between $500,000 and $1 million.

Travel

Sasse reported two trips on someone elses dime for speaking engagements. Club for Growth paid $1,602 to fly him to San Diego in October. Yale University paid $1,034 for a trip to New Haven, Connecticut, for the senator and his family.

Income

Sasse reported receiving $81,304 in 2014 salary and $2,092 in health benefits from Midland University, where he was president before being elected.

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.

Assets

At least $2.31 million, but Nebraskas senior senator could be worth substantially more. She reported her own stock in the familys Sunny Slope Ranch worth between $1 million and $5 million. She reported her husbands stock in the ranch worth more than $1 million  a broad category that can be used for assets in a spouses name.

Liabilities

Fischer reported three mortgages totaling between $1.25 million and $2.5 million. The mortgages are through Cedar Rapids State Bank in Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, Farm Credit Services in Valentine, Nebraska, and TD Bank in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

Income

Her husband was paid a salary from the family ranch business.

Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb.

Assets

$2,121,000 to $5,710,000

Liabilities

Home equity line of credit between $50,000 and $100,000 with American National Bank

Travel

The American Israel Education Foundation, affiliated with lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee, sent Ashford and his daughter for a weeklong trip to Israel last August. The cost of that trip for both of them was $24,352.

Income

His wife received a salary from Nebraska Medicine and a bonus from Private Practice Associates LLC.

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb.

Assets

$1.4 million to $1.78 million

Liabilities

$1.54 million to $6.215 million. The largest liabilities are personal guarantees of real estate loans for a shopping center he has invested in. He also has a mortgage and home equity line on his Lincoln home totaling $150,000 to $350,000.

Notable transactions

His wife bought a 9 percent stake in a restaurant, Piedmont Bistro. Her share is worth between $45,000 and $90,000. The couple own 20 percent of the shopping center where the restaurant is located.

Travel

The Aspen Institute paid for a trip to Montreal for the congressman and his wife that totaled $6,986, while the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation paid for a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, that cost $187.

Income

His wife collected a salary from C. Gregory Write Inc., an editing and research business she founded in 2014. The congressman earned $2,180 lecturing on leadership and ethics at Catholic University of America.

Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.

Assets

$184,000 to $635,000. His largest asset is a storage unit business called My Other Garage in Gering, Nebraska, worth between $100,000 and $250,000. That produces somewhere between $5,000 and $15,000 a year in rental income for Smith.

Liabilities

He has a mortgage on his Gering residence between $15,000 and $50,000. He reported a commercial real estate loan from Valley Bank and Trust between $50,000 and $100,000. And he has another mortgage between $500,000 and $1 million.

Income

His wife received a salary from the Aspen Institute and from CarterBaldwin Executive Search.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa

Assets

$221,000 to $798,000, almost entirely in retirement accounts and mutual funds.

Liabilities

Two mortgages totaling $300,000 to $600,000. A loan for a camper, listed as between $15,000 and $50,000, was paid off in 2015.

Income

Her husband received a salary from the City of Red Oak. She received $16,064 from the Iowa Army National Guard. She recently retired from the Guard.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa

Assets

$1.809 million to $4.864 million, much of that represented by farmland in Butler County, Iowa

Liabilities

None

Income

His wife earned a salary from Chambers, Conlon and Hartwell, a lobbying firm, and received retirement income from an IRA. Grassley received $34,300 from an IRA. His net income from farmland was $123,372.

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa

Assets

$105,000 to $401,000, including investments in various funds and two life insurance policies worth up to $50,000 each

Liabilities

PNC Bank mortgage on a personal residence in Washington between $100,000 and $250,000

Travel

The Heritage Foundation paid for his trip to Middleburg, Virginia, in January 2015 that cost $902. The German Marshall Fund paid for a trip to Germany in April 2015 at a cost of $11,888.

Rep. David Young, R-Iowa

Assets

Young reported only one asset: a loan to his campaign worth between $250,000 and $500,000. A recent Federal Election Commission report indicated the campaign has obligations of $267,400.

Liabilities

A Wells Fargo home mortgage between $250,000 and $500,000

Travel

The Heritage Foundation paid for his trip to Middleburg, Virginia, in January 2015 at a cost of $786.
Resign for your constituents sake

Today, again, we live in sad times for leadership in government. Nebraskas Legislative District 2 is in meltdown on this measure.

Bill Kintner is my state senator. Hes made some mistakes, but I am not here to rehash what he did. The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission has deliberated at length on this matter and has ruled. Kintner broke the law. He has been fined.

The delay in bringing this issue to the publics attention has created the likelihood that whoever succeeds Kintner will be appointed by the governor. Appointees do not owe the same allegiance to the voter as an elected representative.

I am here to advocate for the right of voters in Legislative District 2 to select who will represent them for the next two years. Even if Kintner was allowed to serve out his term, his ability to work with his peers in the Legislature to advocate for his voters would be fatally compromised.

There is still time to place names on the November ballot for this seat. It wont cost tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars for a special session or a special election. It wont devour hours of debate in the next legislative session. It requires only a timely resignation by Kintner.

Resign, Bill. Then petition your name onto the ballot.

Do not thumb your nose at the citizens from whom you derive your authority as a senator. Do not squander the integrity of the democratic process. Resign now, and allow the process to work. Let this be a government by the people in deed as well as word.

Mary Harding, Plattsmouth, Neb.

Kintner an embarrassment

For Papillion State Sen. Bill Kintner to stay in the Legislature after being caught in a cybersex scandal is just a joke  whether his wife has forgiven him or not. He is an embarrassment to his family, his neighbors, district and the Legislature. He should just say goodbye.

Ken Wilson, Plainview, Neb.

Why the outrage?

Enough already with the public excoriation of State Sen. Bill Kintner. Lets move on. The man is a repentant sinner.

Let whoever is without sin cast the first stone. Remember those words?

What exactly is the misdeed that has caused all this uproar? It must be the use of his government computer for personal reasons, right? It cant be because of any claims of immoral sexual behavior.

In the human growth and development curriculum that Omaha Public Schools will be using to teach students, there is no mention of immoral sexual behavior and a great deal of emphasis on making sure that sexual acts are both consensual and safe.

So are state senators held to a different standard than what is being taught to middle and high school students?

Maris Bentley, Omaha

We dont need more trash surveys

Unbelievable! The City Council voted to spend an additional $75,000 to find out what residents think about how their trash is being picked up (Expanded study to look beyond yard waste, Aug. 10 World-Herald).

What are these city officials thinking? Stop wasting public money and just pick up the trash. We have a contract until 2020 with Waste Management, which it has been unable to live up to, and yet it has been given a pass.

Ridiculous.

Daniel Martinez, Omaha

VA able to scrape up $20 million for art

The VA is strapped for cash so VA Secretary Robert McDonald came to town with some local politicians to beg for donations from taxpayers so it can build a new clinic in Omaha (New clinic may be model for others, VA secretary says, Aug. 5 World-Herald).

I have a question: Did anyone ask, if the agency is so strapped for cash, why the Department of Veterans Affairs spent $20 million for lavish artwork?

Jim Sanford, Blair

It worked for Dallas

My sister read me the article regarding residential senior care (As the older set demands a new style of living, developers take note, Aug. 7 World-Herald). I live in the Dallas area, and we have had these facilities for several years.

When they were first introduced, residential neighbors protested the concept. They voiced their concerns about increased traffic and disruption in their peaceful neighborhoods.

No such occurrences have taken place. You cannot tell one of these homes from all the others. I have several friends who have had loved ones living in this type of setting, and they have nothing but rave reviews to offer.

The elderly can enjoy a family setting with devoted caregivers on duty 24/7. There is no comparison to the care of a run-of-the-mill nursing home.

Im sure if residential care homes are allowed in Omaha, the outcome will be the same.

Linda Young, Richardson, Texas

Sasse forgets who elected him

Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse is young in his political career. His success riding the economic wave while at Midland University quickly ignited his career.

Perhaps his landslide victory in 2014 gave him a sense of immunity. Sasse has ignored the cardinal rule in politics: You represent your voters, and you have to give them what they want.

His outspoken disdain for, and public condemnation of, Donald Trump is a slap in the face to Nebraskans who put Sasse in office. His negative opinion of Trump is an insult to the Republican Party.

The people who elected Sasse were counting on him to represent us and to represent our party. But it is too late for that. It is too late for Sasse. He is simply not yet mature enough to hold any office and should resign immediately for his condemnation of Trump. Sasse cannot be trusted.

We need leadership, conservatism, smaller government, Obamacare repealed and other important changes that Trump will bring to us. We dont need more politicians who cant represent their people or their party.

Erik Albertson, Valley

A senator who listens to all voices

Im writing to clear up a false perception some have about U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (Sasse tries to change subject in Nebraska, Aug. 7 World-Herald).

Sasse has made no secret about his reasons for opposing a Trump presidency, including the danger presented by Trumps willingness to stray from constitutional adherence and his embrace of big-government authoritarianism.

There are no questions to be answered in that regard, only angry Trump supporters looking to vent personal frustrations and hijack these town hall sessions.

Sasse represents all Nebraskans, including those who do not support Trump. These constituents attend the senators town halls to discuss actual policy concerns without being shouted down by a vocal minority.

I appreciate Sasses leadership and his ability to keep his town halls on topic. I also appreciate the fact that he welcomed discussing the Trump issue after his town halls so the majority of his constituents wouldnt have to sit through the nonsense.

Id like to thank Sasse for representing all Nebraskans, for being willing to address all issues and concerns and for respecting the valuable time of all of his constituents.

Bryan Baumgart, Omaha

former chairman,

Douglas County Republican Party

Clintons are part of the 1 percent

Hillary Clintons campaign is based on rich Americans giving to people with less by applying more regulations and taxes on the rich.

Clinton comes to Omaha and is wined and dined by one of the richest people on Earth (Warren Buffett), and they bash Trump together. Its hypocritical for one rich business person to criticize another when they both use the same loopholes and tactics to make their money.

The Clintons have made millions from speeches to groups of billionaires, but they pretend theyre against that rich Wall Street crowd.

Bill Allen, Blue Springs, Neb.

Going above and beyond

I was alerted by my mail carrier of a mentally challenged lady walking in the heat and humidity on Thursday in my neighborhood. I gave her some water and gave her a ride home. I wish to thank my mail carrier, Jeanie, for the alert. She is a blessing to the neighborhood.

Diane Holmes, Omaha

An emotional dedication

What a patriotic morning at the SumTur Amphitheater when VA Secretary Bob McDonald, along with all of the top Nebraska elected officials, dedicated the new Omaha National Cemetery to the veterans of our region. It was very somber to hear the first taps rendered by the Offutt Air Force Base Honor Guard, with the Patriot Guard Riders lined up nearby.

Majorie Stevens, Ralston
The writers are the nephew and sister of President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. They wrote this for the Washington Post.

On April 4, 1968, the day the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed, Robert Kennedy was campaigning for the presidency in Indianapolis.

Bobby conveyed the news of Kings death to a shattered, mostly black audience. He took pains to remind those whose first instinct may have been toward violence that President John F. Kennedy had also been shot and killed.

Bobby went on, What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.

That speech has crystallized into the single most enduring portrait of Bobbys candidacy. Because it was extemporaneous, it conveyed directly, and with raw emotion, his own vulnerability, his aspirations for his country and a deep compassion for the suffering of others.

Bobby concluded his remarks that night by urging those listening to return home and say a prayer for our country and for our people. Those words mattered. While there were riots in cities across the nation that night, Indianapolis did not burn.

Today, almost 50 years later, words still matter. They shape who we are as a people and who we wish to be as a nation.

In the white-hot cauldron of a presidential campaign, it is still the words delivered extemporaneously, off the cuff, in the raw pressure of the moment that matter most. They say most directly what is in a candidates heart.

So it was with a real sense of sadness and revulsion that we listened to Donald Trump refer 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.

Political violence is a terrible inherent risk to any free society. Dictators and strongmen like Vladimir Putin have an answer. They are surrounded and shielded by force at all times. They do not brook dissent.

In democracies, we expect our leaders to be accessible and, by and large, they want to be. Inevitably, that makes them vulnerable, and the loss of a leader at a crucial time impacts family, country and even the world, for generations.

Anyone who loves politics, the open competition of ideas and public participation in a free society knows that political violence is the greatest of all civic sins. It is not to be encouraged. It is not funny. It is not a joke.

By now, we have heard enough dark and offensive rhetoric from Trump to know that it reflects something fundamentally troubled, and troubling, about his candidacy. His remarks frequently, if not inevitably, spark outrage, which is followed by a clarification that, in lieu of an apology, seeks to attribute the dark undertones of his words to the listeners twisted psyche.

This fools no one. Whether you like what he is saying or, like a growing segment of the electorate, you reject it, it is easy to grasp Trumps meaning from his words.

But what to make of a candidate who directly appeals to violence, smears his opponents and publicly bullies a Gold Star family, a decorated prisoner of war and a reporter with a disability, among others?

To borrow the words of Army Counsel Joseph Welch, directed at another dangerous demagogue: Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?

The truth remains that words do matter, especially when it comes to presidential candidates. On that basis alone, Donald Trump is not qualified to be president of the United States.
TRS, BJP are two sides of same coin: Rahul Gandhi in Telangana

Four found dead inside manhole in Hyderabad

Hyderabad

oi-PTI

Hyderabad, Aug 14: Four persons including three sanitary workers were today found dead in a manhole in Ayyappa society in Madhapur area here with the civic officials suspecting that the toxic gases caused their deaths.

An employee of 108 Ambulance service, who tried to rescue them fell ill after inhaling the poisonous gas, said R Kalinga Rao, Madhapur Police Inspector.

"The workers were cleaning the manhole. As three of them did not come out after entering, a local resident named Srinivas also climbed down to rescue them but he too did not come out," the police official said.

All four were found dead inside the manhole and their bodies were sent for post-mortem, Rao added. A Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation official said these four persons might have died due to inhaling poisonous gases.

Deputy Mayor Fasiuddin and civic body officials rushed to the spot. The 108 employee was rushed to hospital, Kalinga Rao said adding police are yet to register a case in this regard.

PTI
Tuesday is now No Meeting Day in Haryana and officers to be with people on Friday

9 cows destined for slaughter rescued in Haryana

India

oi-PTI

Jind (Haryana), Aug 14: Haryana Police on saturday 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.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, August 14, 2016, 11:01 [IST]
BJP MP scolds official for cleaning Yamuna with 'poisonous chemical' ahead of Chhath

BJP is anti-Dalit: AAP

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 14: 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.

PTI
Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is tough enough.

Scaling the worlds tallest freestanding peak just a year removed from a heavy regimen of cancer treatment, guided by a fellow cancer survivor with only one lung, seems a lot tougher.

But Helena native Jake Dirks, first diagnosed with stage three brain cancer in 2014, returned from Africa early this month no worse for the wear.

In fact, the 29-year-old called the all-expenses-paid climbing and safari trip -- sponsored by the Colorado-based Cancer Climbers Association -- a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

It was amazing, Dirks said. It took us five days to climb up and a day-and-a-half to climb back down.

I feel very blessed and lucky things worked out the way they did.

Dirks, a 2005 Capital High School graduate who now lives in Denver, underwent 16 hours of surgery in a 36-hour period after he collapsed from a seizure and was diagnosed with cancer two years ago.

He then weathered 14 months of energy-sapping radiation and chemotherapy treatments before his cancer was finally declared in remission.

Dirks and his wife Tiernay got hitched at city hall on his way to receive those treatments at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Two months ago, not long before Dirks trip to Africa, the pair held the wedding ceremony they had to put off while he underwent treatment.

Nine months earlier, they brought home the daughter, Della Catherine, doctors said they might never be able to have on account of Dirks radiation and chemo regimen.

Given the odds against those outcomes, topping Kilimanjaro doesnt seem so unlikely.

Dirks credited support from friends and family, especially his wife, for helping tilt the scales in his favor.

It was pretty brutal, he said of his cancer ordeal, but Id say I got off easy, just because theres a lot of people that dont make it through.

(Piernay) was amazing throughout the whole thing, just because she was there, by my side when I woke up from every surgery, Dirks added. She really was the rock that helped me get through it.

Dirks, along with Cancer Climbers one-lunged founder and Ironman competitor Sean Swarner, now helps promote and raise funds for the nonprofit group that brought him to Africa.

He hopes to one day return to that continents highest peak.

In the meantime, Dirks plans to keep collecting cash that will allow others to take the groups annual grant-funded trip to Kilimanjaro.

For more information on the group, visit cancerclimber.org.
C'garh: 22 cows die in shelter home; Jogi alleges cover-up, govt orders probe

India

oi-PTI

Raipur, Aug 14: In yet another incident of neglect in cow shelters, at least 22 cows died of "starvation and lack proper care" at a facility getting state aid in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, prompting the BJP government to order a probe and weekly inspection of all shelters in the state.

Former state Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, who recently floated a new party Chhattisgarh Janata Congress, alleged that over 200 cows died in the government-aided shelter home in past three-four months and that the matter was being covered-up.

He also sought a high-level probe. The incident comes close on the heels of a similar case coming to light in BJP-ruled Rajasthan, where it was alleged that 100 cows had died in state-run Hingonia cow shelter due to "mismanagement and lack of facilities".

Chhattisgarh's Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal ordered an inquiry into the death of livestock at 'Kamdhenu Gau Sewa' centre at Karramad village in Durgkondal development block of Kanker, an official said here today.

The directive in this regard was issued last evening following which the probe team today visited the cow shelter home, he said.

Agrawal has also asked animal husbandry department officials to conduct inspection of all cow shelter homes across the state every seventh day and ensure proper sanitation and hygiene there.

While Jogi's party claimed that over 200 cows died at the shelter home in last three-four months, Kanker district Collector said 22 cows died there since August 1. "I have received information about death of 22 cows as of today morning since August 1 at Kamdhenu Gau Sewa shelter home," Collector Shammi Abidi told PTI.

Taking a serious note of the incident, Agrawal spoke to veterinary services director, Kanker collector, secretary and registrar of state Gau Sewa Ayog, besides other officials, and decided to send an investigation team to take stock of the situation at the shelter home, the official said, adding that the minister has asked for a probe report at the earliest.

Agrawal has also said that stern action will be taken against those found guilty for the death of animals after the inquiry, he mentioned.

According to Abidi, the inspection team was at the shelter home for investigation while four-five veterinary teams have also been pressed into service to take care of the other ailing cows there.

The exact cause of the deaths was yet to be ascertained as the blood samples of the carcasses have been sent to labs and reports are awaited, she further said.

However, prima facie it appears that the cows died of starvation and lack proper care as they were not fed properly, she said. The shelter home was overcrowded as it has a capacity of around 80 animals against which nearly 300 animals were kept there, she said.

PTI
Visakhapatnam: More than half of Jana Sena workers released but situation still tense

Congress MP demands funds for Polavaram project

India

oi-PTI

Visakhapatnam, Aug 14: Congress Rajya Sabha MP T Subbarami Reddy today demanded the NDA government release sufficient funds for the Polavaram project and for construction of Andhra Pradesh's new capital city Amaravati.

Reddy said he had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting for grants for the Polavaram project.

He told reporters that under Section 90(1) of the AP Reorganisation Act, the Polavaram project had been declared as a national project to compensate for the loss incurred by AP to some extent due to bifurcation.

"Under Section 90(2) of the Act, the Centre was mandated to take under its control the regulation and development of the Polavaram project. As on date the project cost was about Rs 16,000 crore and if it was to be completed in time, Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore had to be provided by the Union government every year in the Budget," he added.

As per the MP, only Rs 850 crore had been disbursed by the Centre till June 2016 whereas the state government had already spent Rs 1,804 crore.

He further claimed that under section 46 (3) of the AP Reorganisation Act, the Centre was supposed to give grants and ensure adequate benefits and incentives in the form of special development packages to backward districts of AP.

PTI
Who is Yasin Malik? The Kashmiri separatist sentenced to life in terror funding case

Should Kashmir be given to Pakistan: Row erupts after this question appears in MP civil service exam

From hijab to Kashmir, Zawahiri was Al-Qaeda's voice for everything anti-India

Muslim body expresses concern over students made to sing Hindu religious songs in Kashmiri schools

Winter makes an early entry in Kashmir with snowfall, heavy rain

Curfew, restrictions imposed across Kashmir

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Srinagar, Aug 14: Authorities on Sunday imposed curfew and restrictions across Kashmir to prevent separatist programmes to commemorate Pakistan's Independence Day.

The separatists have asked people to offer special prayers for Pakistan on its Independence day that falls on August 14.

Authorities gave instructions to all security forces deployed here to ensure that no Pakistani flag is hoisted anywhere.

Ever since separatist violence in Kashmir in the early 1990s, separatists have been hoisting the Pakistani flag and holding parades.

Broadband internet connections were suspended since Saturday evening. Mobile and internet services were suspended on July 9 and have not been restored till date.

Police said curfew and restrictions will remain in force in all the district headquarters in addition to all major towns.

All separatist senior leaders remained under preventive detention.

So far, 57 people including 55 civilians and two policemen have been killed in the ongoing violence.

Over 3,500 people including security personnel have been injured during the unrest that started on July 9, a day after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

IANS


Havildar Hangpan Dada honoured with Ashok Chakra posthumously

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, It was sheer grit and determination displayed by Havildar Hangpan Dada, who killed four intruding terrorists before laying down his life at the height of 13,000 feet in the harsh and icy Himalayan range of North Kashmir, that won him the Ashok Chakra.

He was honoured posthumously, with the government announcing the highest award to an army man during peace-time operations today on the eve of the Independence Day.

36-year-old Dada, who laid down his life for the country on May 27 this year, valiantly fought in the treacherous Shamsabari range in North Kashmir eliminating four heavily- armed terrorists who had infiltrated into North Kashmir from Pak-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

Hailing from Boduria village in far-flung Arunachal Pradesh, the Havildar, who was popularly known as 'Dada' among his team, was posted at the high mountain range since late last year. Enrolled in the Assam Regiment of the Army in 1997, Dada was posted with the 35 Rashtriya Rifles, a force carved out for counter-insurgency operations.

In the last week of May, he along with his team spotted the movement of terrorists in the area and lost no time in engaging them in a fierce encounter that went on for over 24 hours.

Taking the enemy head-on, he charged at the spot where terrorists were holed up and killed two terrorists on the spot and later the third one after a hand-to-hand scuffle as they slid down the hill towards the Line of Control. Dada was badly injured in the encounter as the terrorists who crossed over from PoK had a slight height advantage.

He displayed raw courage, unflinching grit, presence of mind and with utter disregard to his personal safety and despite bleeding profusely, discharged his duties and made supreme sacrifice for the nation.

The presence of mind of Dada, who is survived by his wife Chasen Lowang, 10-year-old daughter Roukhin and six-year-old son Senwang, saved the lives of his team members who came under heavy fire from the terrorists.

PTI
Himachal BJP launches 'Yaad Karo Kurbani' fortnight

India

oi-PTI

Shimla, Aug 14: The Himachal Pradesh unit of the BJP on Saturday 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 Himachal Pradesh 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 today 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.

PTI
Independence Day: Red Fort, adjoining areas under unprecedented security cover

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 14: Red Fort, the 17th century monument from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on the 70th Independence Day on Monday, and adjoining areas have been put under an unprecedented air-to- ground security cover with hawk-eye vigil being maintained across the entire national capital.

Thousands of security personnel, including 5,000 men from Delhi Police, have been deployed to ensure foolproof security in and around the historic Mughal fort which will see the presence of senior ministers, top bureaucrats, foreign dignitaries and common people.

A multi-layer security has also been thrown around Rajpath where a seven-day-long cultural festival 'Bharat Parv' is underway. All the government buildings, including North Block and South Block, are being illuminated after sunset in the run up to August 15.

At Red Fort, a special team of NSG snipers and commandos will form the inner layers of the security cordon while anti-aircraft guns have been deployed to thwart any aerial intrusion by objects like drones and projectiles, senior police officials said.

Delhi Police has already prohibited aerial activities, including para-gliding, flying UAVs and hot air balloons, across the city till October 10. 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.

Entry and exit to Metro stations near Red Fort will be closed till the Prime Minister is present at the venue.

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. 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, officials 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.

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.

PTI
NEET-UG to be conducted in 13 languages for first time; exam centre opened in Kuwait: Dharmendra Pradhan

India-Bangladesh gas pipeline on the anvil: Dharmendra Pradhan

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kolkata, Aug 14 India is planning to build an oil and gas pipeline with Bangladesh for boosting mutual cooperation in the energy sector, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said here on Sunday.

Interacting with media persons at the launch of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana' (PMUY) in West Bengal, Pradhan said he had a very fruitful discussion on energy cooperation with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his recent visit to the neighbouring country.

"The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has started the process for a pipeline from Contai in West Bengal via Haldia to Duttapulia on the India-Bangladesh border for supplying oil and natural gas," Pradhan said.

"We have discussed with our Bangladesh friends and have agreed to take the pipeline to Bangladesh. There are also talks to bring the pipeline back to India through Siliguri," he said.

"A lot of energy cooperation is building up with Bangladesh. During my recent visit, I had very fruitful talks with the Bangladesh Prime Minister and their Energy Minister. We have started supplying diesel now, there are plans to supply natural gas as well," he said.

The minister also said there are plans to set up a pipeline from Numaligarh refinery in Assam which has been supplying diesel to Bangladesh.

"The Bangladesh Prime Minister is slated to visit India later, but before that my Bangladeshi counterpart (Nasrul Hamid) is coming. Together we will create the ground for more energy cooperation so that the Prime Ministers of both India and Bangladesh can ink more deals," said Pradhan.

He also said India was augmenting its natural gas terminal capacity.

"We have booked substantial gas in several parts of the world including America, Australia, Mozambique. We have long term contract with Qatar and are also discussing with Iran. So we have plenty of gas bookings and India as a whole is augmenting its LNG terminal capacity," added Pradhan.

IANS
Infantry Day: When Indian Army chased Pak out and saved Jammu & Kashmir

The Biodiesel Sector projected to accelerate sustainable growth across India

India's steel industry now 2nd biggest, target is to double crude steel output in 10 years: PM Modi

India rejects Pakistan's note verbale on Kashmir

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Aug 14 India on Sunday rejected a note verbale issued by Pakistan's Foreign Ministry to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad regarding sending essential supplies from Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir.

"I can only characterize its (note verbale) contents as absurd," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

Swarup said India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistan's trademark exports of "international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency".

"We completely and categorically reject this purported communication from the Pakistan Foreign Ministry," he added.

Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's foreign policy chief, said on Friday that Islamabad wanted to have an exclusive dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir with New Delhi and that the Pakistani Foreign Secretary would write to his Indian counterpart about this.

India responded that it would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues only.

India-Pakistan ties have become frosty after largescale violence broke out in Jammu and Kashmir following the killing of Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani on July 8.

On July 25, Indian authorities arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Bahadur Ali in Jammu and Kashmir who officials said had sneaked in from Pakistan.

Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar summoned Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit on August 9 and issued a strongly worded demarche protesting against cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.

IANS
No comment on Pranab Mukherjee book before reading it: Former Union Minister

Pranab memoirs: PM Modi must speak more often in Parliament

India will grow, only when all of India grows: Pranab Mukherjee

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Aug 14: President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday denounced "forces of divisiveness and intolerance" as well as attacks on weaker sections, saying they must be dealt with firmly.

In his Independence Day eve address to the nation, the President also came out strongly against groups and individuals who pursue a divisive political agenda that leads to Constitutional subversion.

In his fifth August 14 address, Mukherjee said that in the last four years he saw "with some disquiet, forces of divisiveness and intolerance trying to raise their ugly head.

"Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly.

"The collective wisdom of our society and our polity gives me the confidence that such forces will remain marginalized," he added.

India will celebrate its 70th Independence Day on Monday.

Democracy, the President underlined, was not just about elections.

"Disruptions, obstructionism and unmindful pursuit of a divisive political agenda by groups and individuals lead to nothing but institutional travesty and Constitutional subversion," he said.

"Polarizing debates only deepen the fault lines in public discourse."

The President, however, made no specific reference to the attacks on Dalits, communal tensions or the Kashmir unrest in his speech.

A unique feature of India, he pointed out, was "our respect for each other's cultures, values and beliefs.

"The very essence of plurality lies in cherishing our heterogeneity and valuing our diversity.

"In the network environment of today, a caring society can only be developed by harmonizing religion with modern science," Mukherjee added.

Calling for the promotion of scientific temper, he said: "We often celebrate the achievements of our ancient past but it would be wrong to rest on our laurels.

"It is much more important to look to the future," he said.

Indians, the President said, "must learn to challenge the status quo and refuse to accept inefficiency and slipshod work.

Polarizing debates only deepen the fault lines, says Pranab Mukherjee

"In a competitive environment, a sense of immediacy and some impatience is a necessary virtue."

Mukherjee said that backed by a strong political will, the country must create a future which would economically empower 600 million youth, build a digital India, a start up India and a skilled India.

"India will grow, only when all of India grows. The excluded ones will have to be included in the development process. The hurt and alienated have to be brought back into the mainstream."

He said India has had remarkable growth in recent times, often growing above 8 per cent per annum over the last decade.

"We must build on our strengths so that, this lead can be sustained and furthered."

He said a normal monsoon this year gave reason to cheer unlike the past two years when below normal rains led to agrarian distress.

The President emphasized the importance of India's "neighbourbood first policy". South Asia must carve out a common destiny to march together.

Mukherjee denounced a rise in terrorism across the globe, with its roots in radicalization of people on the basis of religion.

"These forces apart from killing innocent people in the name of religion also threaten to disrupt geopolitical divides, which could prove disastrous for world peace.

"The inhuman, mindless and barbaric modus operandi of such groups have been visible in France, Belgium, United States, Nigeria, Kenya and closer home in Afghanistan and Bangladesh recently.

"These forces now pose a danger to the entire comity of nations. The world will have to fight them unconditionally and in one voice."

IANS
Maternity leave: Maneka Gandhi receives queries from expectant parents

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 14: Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi's inbox was flooded with over 200 e-mails from curious and expectant parents a day after Rajya Sabha revised the maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.

Women at various stages of pregnancy, expectant fathers and adoptive mothers were among those who wrote to the minister to find out if they will be benefit from the passage of the Bill passed by the Upper House last week.

Maternity Benefit Amendment Bill 2016 was passed in Rajya Sabha on the penultimate day of the Monsoon Session. The following day, the last day of the session, the Bill was not scheduled listed in the Lok Sabha's order paper.

Maneka Gandhi expressed her dismay and told PTI, "To our utter disappointment and much irritation the Bill did not come into Lok Sabha. So, now we will have to wait for Winter Session."

Meanwhile, parents started writing to the minister inquiring about the bill and voicing their concerns.

A mother wrote to Maneka, "I am 8 months pregnant and I need to avail maternity leave from 5th September, 2016. When I asked my company for maternity leave benefit, my company management replied that the bill has not been passed. I was also told that even if it is passed it will be implemented from March 2017."

Another e-mail read, "As my wife is about to deliver a baby I am curious to know when will this Bill be implemented."

A mother of two daughters wrote to the minister expressing her gratitude on behalf of "future mothers".

She wrote, "I may not be able to avail the benefits but I am happy for future mothers."

The amended bill allows adoptive and surrogate mothers to avail 12 weeks' maternity leave.

However, an adoptive mother wrote in to say that it was not sufficient. In her letter she wrote, "Just wanted to bring to your notice the need for leave for women who adopt children. It's almost impossible to adopt a baby within three months. We all know that when a child is adopted we need time to bond. Could you please review this ma'am."

Maneka Gandhi wrote back, "I had said that the adoption leave should be as much as the normal birth leave. Unfortunately, the Bill is not in my ministry and the minister did not agree."

Apart from extending maternity leave, the amendment also makes it mandatory for an establishment with more than 50 workers to provide for a creche.

PTI
NDRF wants to set up its own air wing, sends request to govt

India

oi-PTI

Ranchi, Aug 14: Director General of NDRF O P Singh today said the department has requested the Centre to set up its own air wing and expressed hope the appeal would be granted soon.

The National 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.

NDRF teams were also at Deoghar and Ranchi, he said and added such teams are stationed at nine places following flood situation in neighbour Bihar.

PTI
Only 33,000? Atheists cannot believe the census count

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Aug 14 There's a new minority to contend with and, at a little over 33,000, they are fewer in number than the Parsis. But the unbelieving atheists -- counted separately for the first time in Census 2011 -- just cannot agree with the figure.

To be precise, only 33,304 of India's 1.2 billion citizens have declared themselves as atheists in the census -- a minuscule 0.0027 per cent.

In an overtly and fervently religious country, this low figure may not come as a surprise, but atheists are simply not buying it. They accuse the powers that be of everything from "dishonesty" to "unscientific" methodology -- all aimed at "mischievously" skewing the data.

"There are millions of people in India who don't subscribe to any caste or religion. They call themselves atheists, rationalists or non-religious people," says G. Vijayam, Executive Director of the Atheist Centre in Vijayawada.

"When you say there are only a few thousand atheists, it's a distortion of reality," Vijayam told IANS. "This is mischief done by orthodox people and the Census authorities, and it must be corrected."

As far as Prabir Ghosh of the Science and Rationalists' Association of India is concerned, the very reason for the skewed numbers are these "orthodox people" who dominate those tasked with conducting the census -- the enumerators.

And he speaks from experience. When the enumerator who visited his house failed to ask him his religion, Ghosh questioned him, "What have you written in the religion column? He replied, 'Why... Hindu. You are a Hindu, aren't you? You have a Hindu surname'."

"I protested and told him to write 'atheist' against my name. He got cut up, and said that it would involve a lot of rewriting. I took the paper from him, and crossed out the word 'Hindu' from the column," Ghosh told IANS.

"In India, the Census is not conducted scientifically or honestly," added Ghosh, who was born in a god-fearing Bengali family but took to rationalism as an adult. He is now General Secretary of his Kolkata-based association.

There are quibbles as well over the numbers at the state level. The Census data, for instance, puts the number of atheists in Tamil Nadu -- a state with a strong rationalist tradition -- at a mere 1,297, a figure that "does not reflect the actual position", according to Suba Veerapandian, General Secretary of the Dravida Iyyakka Tamizhar Peravai.

"Our organisation itself has around 2,000 members. Moreover, we have the Dravida Kazhagam, the mother organisation for all the rationalist movements in Tamil Nadu, having a large membership," said Veerapandian, who was influenced by his father Subbiah, a staunch follower of Periyar.

A good number of active atheists believe the low numbers may be a result of lack of awareness about what can and cannot be said in the Census form.

"Many Indians are not aware that they have an option to say 'no caste' or 'no religion'," says Vijayam, whose father founded the Atheist Centre that has fought many battles on behalf of those who wrote 'nil' in caste and religion columns of various government forms.

Veerapandian concurs, but adds that it is up to atheists and rationalists to power change -- the matter hardly being a priority for the government. "It should be made known to people, and organisations like ours will have to do that before the 2021 Census."

In fact, many atheists and rationalists want the government to entirely remove the caste and religion columns from not only the Census forms, but all forms.

"We are a secular state and there is no necessity to write caste and religion. When people say we don't have property, you are accepting that. Similarly, accept when they say they don't belong to any caste or religion," says Vijayam.

Are atheists playing it safe by not declaring themselves openly? It is a legitimate question as three prominent rationalists -- Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M.M. Kalburgi -- have been killed in the last two years for challenging obscurantism, allegedly by religious hotheads.

But Ghosh and Veerapandian dismiss the idea. "Why should they try to hide their belief? Even in a Muslim area, Hindus announce their religion, and vice versa. So why should atheists be afraid," Ghosh queried.

Given that there are nearly 2.9 million people who did not tell enumerators their religion -- though they did not declare themselves as atheists -- there may well be many more atheists than the declared number.

In any case, the non-believers are upbeat. Ghosh, for instance, contends 22 per cent of the world population is now atheist, and that the number is growing. He believes the trend will be replicated in India as well.

Adds Vijayam: "Atheism has come to stay. It's a worldwide phenomenon and when opportunity comes they all will come out of religion."

IANS


Pakistan to continue to support Kashmir's 'freedom'

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 14: In provocative remarks, Pakistan today said it is dedicating its Independence Day to Kashmir's "freedom" and will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state.

The comments by Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit came during the country's Independence Day celebrations at its embassy here. India had yesterday virtually turned down Pakistan's offer for a dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir seeking an end to Pak-supported cross-border terrorism.

Basit's comments came on a day when Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. "As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we are dedicating this year's Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir. And we firmly believe that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir will not go in vain.

"The ongoing unrest should be ended. Pakistan will continue to extend its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self determination," Basit said.

Basit said that no matter "how much" force is used, the political aspiration of people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be suppressed, and that the "freedom movement" will reach its logical conclusion. In his address, Basit said Pakistan has always strived for better ties with India on the basis of sovereign equality and peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes.

However, he said no one can "belittle" or wish away the "legitimate struggle" of the Kashmiri people and it was incumbent upon the international community to ensure implementation of the relevant UN resolutions to settle the dispute. "Today our nation faces several challenges, but no power can cause any damage to Pakistan.

People who want to trouble Pakistan, they should know that our people, be it Muslim, Hindu or Sikh, we are together and will not hesitate to make any sacrifice for Pakistan's well-being," he said.

India had yesterday 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 had said.

PTI
Patient dies due to traffic diversion in Delhi

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Aug 14: A 50-year-old man died on way to hospital here on Saturday because his vehicle had to take a long detour due to diversions caused by Independence Day preparations, his family said.

Kailash Chandra of Gandhi Nagar in east Delhi suffered a heart attack around 7.30 a.m. His sons hired an autorickshaw to rush him to Lady Irwin Hospital in central Delhi, about six kilometres away.

"Usually it takes around 10 minutes to reach the hospital from Gandhi Nagar but it took us over one-and-a-half hours due to diversions," Arvind Kumar, one of the sons, told IANS.

He alleged that police turned down his desperate pleas to let him take his father to the hospital through the shortest route.

Police said this was not possible as the full dress rehearsal for the Independence Day parade was on, he said.

"Today I lost my father because of Delhi Police and their security arrangements," Arvind Kumar said. "Security is meant for the safety of the people. I did not expect such inhuman behaviour."

According to Arvind Kumar, 24, the autorickshaw was stopped soon after they crossed Geeta Colony bridge in east Delhi and again on Vikas Marg due to which they had to take a 22-km diversion via Sarai Kale Khan.

"The doctors in the hospital told us that if we had reached 30 minutes earlier, they could have saved my father," he said.

Although in distress, Arvind Kumar thanked the autorickshaw driver for not refusing to take his father to the hospital despite the diversions and police harassment.

"At least the auto drivers are more sensible than our police," he said.

Arvind Kumar, a salesman with a private firm, said his family comes from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and his father was a caretaker of a building in east Delhi.

Sandeep Goel, Special Commissioner (Traffic), told IANS: "It is very unfortunate such an incident happened. We came to know about it through the media."

He said traffic was indeed restricted on the stretch from Geeta Colony towards Shanti Van on Ring Road but the police had allowed an ambulance to cross it in the morning on the same route.

The police would have directed them towards the diverted route as the family was in an autorickshaw and not in an ambulance, he said.

IANS

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Story first published: Sunday, August 14, 2016, 10:51 [IST]
TRS, BJP are two sides of same coin: Rahul Gandhi in Telangana

Pramukh Swami will remain a guide to humanity: L K Advani

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 14 Senior BJP leader L K Advani today condoled the death of spiritual guru Pramukh Swami and said that the creator of Akshardham temples will remain a guide to humanity.

Describing him as a teacher and scholar, Advani said his message of compassion and service will remain an inspiration and he will be remembered for his wisdom and vision for humanity.

Swami was the head of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha. "I deeply mourn the sad demise of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharajji. He was a spiritual guru and head of the Swaminarayan Sect," Advani said in a statement.

Advani said that Pramukh Swami created and consecrated many temples and a giant cultural complex known as Swaminarayan Akshardham in his lifetime and was a "guide for humanity".

Advani said that though Akshardham was first created in Gujarat, soon similar temples were set up around the world. "Swamiji was a teacher, a scholar, a sage, a companion of the needy. He was a pleasant, soft spoken individual and had a magnanimous personality.

"His message of compassion and service will remain an inspiration. We will always remember him for his wisdom and vision for humanity. I pay my heartfelt homage to the departed soul," Advani said.

Advani also remembered accompanying Pramukh Swamiji to UK where the first such overseas temple was constructed in Neasden near London. Later on, similar complexes have been set up in the US and other parts of the world, he said.

Pramukh Swami, who was ailing for some time due to old age-related problems, breathed his last in Sarangpur in Gujarat's Botad district yesterday. He was 95.

PTI
Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India

Security tightened up in Srinagar ahead of Independence Day

India

oi-PTI

Srinagar, Aug 14: Security has been beefed up in the curfew-bound summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Independence Day celebrations on Monday.

Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers across Srinagar as Bakshi Stadium, the venue of the Independence Day celebration event in the state, has been turned into a virtual fortress.

"All the roads leading to Bakshi stadium have been sealed and heavy deployment of security forces has been carried out enroute to ensure peaceful celebrations tomorrow," a police official said.

Although there were no inputs about the possibility of militant attacks to disrupt the celebrations, the security grid is not taking any chances, he said.

"The usual security drill is being followed but some extra measures have been put in place to ensure no mob violence takes place around the venues in Srinagar or elsewhere in the Valley," he added.

Due to the ongoing unrest in Kashmir that began on July 9 following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, mobile telephone and internet services have already been snapped.

In the past, the mobile phone and mobile internet services used to be disabled for few hours during the Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations as a precautionary measure to prevent militants from using these devices to trigger explosions.

PTI
Two sides of Kashmir must be part of dialogue: Ved Pratap Vaidik

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Aug 14: 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.

PTI
WB: 5 missing fishermen dead, 15 rescued

India

oi-PTI

Kolkata, Aug 14: Five fishermen from the Sundarbans in West Bengal, who went missing following the August 8 cyclonic storm and heavy rains in deep sea, have been found dead while 15 of them were rescued in a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and Bangladeshi Navy.

Another 10 are still missing in the Bay of Bengal operations are on for rescuing them, officials said today.

Five fishermen who were in 'FB (fishing boat) Mahagouri', which is feared to have been capsized in the high sea, were found dead by the Coast Guard while two of them have been rescued, Coast Guard officials said.

"The other boat 'FB Prosenjit' has been located along the international waters and 13 fishermen have been found to be safe," South 24 Parganas District Magistrate P B Salim told PTI.

Two Indian fishing boats had drifted to the Bangladesh side and Indian Coast Guard and the Bangladeshi navy are conducting a joint operation for rescuing them.

On the intervening night between August 7 and August 8 about 200 trawlers from South 24 Parganas had ventured to the high seas and eight of them went missing in the cyclonic storm, Salim said.

"Team from the Coast Guard, district rescue teams and the fishermen associations are running a search and rescue operations and we could find six trawlers to be safe," he said.

The Bangladeshi naval ships and Indian Coast Guard ships along with a Dornier aircraft are doing a joint search and rescue operation constantly.

"Most of the operations are now going on near the International Maritime Boundary Line area," a Coast Guard official said.

One fisherman was rescued and bodies of five others were found floating in the Bay of Bengal this morning about 130 km off Jambudwip in the Sundarbans, West Bengal Fishermen Association chairman Joykrishna Haldar said.

Another six fishermen were rescued by Bangladesh coastal police and handed over to the Association last night near Kendo near the maritime boundary with Bangladesh, he said.

Halder and the Association secretary Bijon Maiti claimed the fishermen were among the 30 who went missing after going out in four trawlers and the Association had launched an independent search using ten trawlers.

The rescued fisherman, who was identified as Nirmal Jana, was found floating in a life jacket, they said adding the five bodies were brought to the hospital here by the Association.

Coast Guard had earlier rescued over 250 fishermen in 18 fishing trawlers in one of the biggest search and rescue operations in the Bay of Bengal. The fishermen had ventured out to catch Hilsa in the sea on August one.

"We have been saying that four more trawlers with 30 fishermen are still missing. Had the search been conducted by us and Coast Guard together we could have provided timely help," Halder and Maiti said.

Two of the four missing trawlers have been identified as 'FB(fishing boat) Mahagouri' and 'FB Pallabi', he said. Three of the fishermen whose bodies were found today had gone out to the sea in 'FB Mahagouri'.

Another body was identified as that of the 'sareng' (the main fisherman) Haripada Das of 'FB Pallabi'. All the four hailed from Kakdwip.The person who was rescued was a fisherman in 'FB Mahagouri'.

Sundarbans development minister Manturam Pakhira said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia to the kin of each of the five dead fishermen. The government, she said, will pay for the treatment of the rescued fishermen.

PTI

PTI
Thief calls cops for help after being caught by mob

Bangladeshi imam, assistant shot dead in New York

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New York, Aug 14: A widely respected Bangladeshi imam and his assistant were shot dead in broad daylight by a lone gunman as they walked home after Saturday prayers in the Queens borough here, with the local community blaming the Islamophobia fanned by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for the attack.

Imam Maulana Akonjee and his assistant Thara Uddin were dressed in traditional Muslim attire when the killer approached them from behind and shot them at point-blank range, a New York police officer was quoted as saying by the New York Daily News.

Akonjee, 55, was shot in the head and died on the spot, while Uddin, 65, was died in hospital four hours later, the report said.

Many worshipers from the local Bangladeshi community mosque gathered at the murder scene to denounce the shooting as a hate crime.

That's not what America is about," Khairul Islam, a local, was quoted as saying by the report.

"We blame Donald Trump for this . . . Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia."

Sources told the New York Daily News that the hate crimes task force of the city police would be investigating the shooting, but that it was "too early to say" it was indeed a hate crime.

CCTV camera images showed the shooting taking place at 1.55 p.m. The duo were approached from behind and shot by the gunman who then ran away, leaving his victims lying on the ground, close to Al-Furqan Jame Mosque from where they were returning home.

Police said witnesses who saw the killer said he still had the gun in his hand when he escaped after the killing.

Witnesses described the shooter as tall and Hispanic, carrying a large handgun, and wearing a dark blue shirt and short pants.

According to the report, local residents described the imam as a pious, well-regarded member of the community who was set to leave for Bangladesh in 10 days to attend his son's wedding. Both victims had three children each.

IANS
Pak committing atrocities against people in PoK, will have to bear consequences: Rajnath Singh

Pakistan to accord "warm welcome" to Jaitley at SAARC meet

International

oi-PTI

Islamabad, Aug 14: Pakistan has decided to play a "good host" and avoid a repetition of the tense atmosphere that prevailed during Home Minister Rajnath Singh's recent visit by according a "warm welcome" to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at the SAARC ministerial conference later this month.

Jaitley is likely to attend the SAARC Finance Ministers' Conference to be hosted in Islamabad on August 25 and 26 and there are chances of "gracious handshakes" between Pakistan finance minister Ishaq Dar and his Indian counterpart, finance ministry officials said.

The government has finalised arrangements for the upcoming SAARC meet, a finance ministry statement said, adding that Dar chaired a meeting to review arrangements for the conference.

Pakistan would play the role of a "good host" and try to keep the overall ambiance positive, the statement added.

The ministerial conference comes in the shadow of home minister Singh's visit to Islamabad earlier this month where barbs were exchanged between Singh and Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who only had a tense and uneasy handshake during the SAARC meeting.

The duo exchanged repartee over issues of terrorism and violence in Kashmir. "The hostilities were at peak during the Home Ministers' Conference and Dar does not wish a repetition," finance ministry officials were quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

They further said that all regional countries except Bangladesh have confirmed participation of their finance ministers. "Bangladesh has so far only confirmed the participation of its deputy finance minister. Dar will personally call his Bangladeshi counterpart and urge him to attend the conference," they added.

However, the Ministry of Finance did not comment on whether a bilateral meeting would be held between the finance ministers of India and Pakistan.

The meetings are taking place ahead of the SAARC Summit to be held in November in Islamabad wherein Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to participate.

"All SAARC countries have a lot of potential to develop together utilising each other's potentials and energies. The cooperation is necessary in promoting the welfare and improving the quality of life of the people of the region," said Dar.

"The upcoming conference is an important event in this regard," he added. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation. Its member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

PTI
Montanas GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte has qualified for the Duck Dynasty Hall of Fame. Not because of that scruffy beard. Not from all those old grainy photos of him in camo gear that he has imposed upon us with the TV ads he spent over $1 million of his personal fortune on.

Gianforte makes Duck Dynastys Hall of Fame by moving at a record pace from a self-proclaimed straight-talking businessman to becoming a world class evasive political ducker.

This spring, some Butte workers asked Gianforte a straight-forward question, expecting a straight answer. Would he support, sign or allow to become law any form of so-called right-to-work which hurts workers and wages. Did they get a straight answer? Yes? No? What they got was its not one of my top priorities -- a totally evasive non-answer. A classic duck.

Hes done that time and again. Earlier this week, the ducker-in-chief was at it. A young woman at a Missoula forum asked Gianforte whether he, as governor, would defund Planned Parenthood in Montana, where she and thousands of others get their health care. Did she get a straight answer? Yes? No? She got another world class Gianforte duck: I havent put any specific proposals out.

Had he been in Montana a few years back, out-of-stater Gianforte might have known of Ted Schwinden, elected governor two times with a campaign of Straight Talk  Good People. Perhaps we should forgive the California/Pennsylvania import for not knowing how important straight talk is to Montanans. So, Gianforte ducks and dives trying to evade his way into the governorship. Montanans are not fools and Montana women deserve straight talk, not ducking.

In reality, Montana women already know that Gianforte is not with us. Gianforte has strongly held social beliefs in which he has been willing to heavily invest. And those investments show that a Gianforte governorship would bring his private choices into Montanas public policy and our lives.

Gianforte wants to ban abortion, a Constitutional right in America. Hes helped fund anti-abortion campaigns. He doesnt support Montana women making our own, private, and personal health care decisions about our bodies and about the tough choice of possibly ending a pregnancy. He wants the government to make that choice for us. While the anti-abortion group, Susan B. Anthony List, endorsed him he still tries to duck Montanans who want straight answers.

Gianforte supports Donald Trump, who would defund Planned Parenthood, and even advocated shutting down the entire federal government just to block people from accessing care at Planned Parenthood. Trump has said that women should be punished for having an abortion and that he would appoint Supreme Court judges to overturn Roe v. Wade. Gianforte stands by Trump, but ducks Montanans who want straight answers.

And the Gianforte Family Foundation contributed thousands of dollars to crisis pregnancy centers or CPCs -- anti-abortion organizations that attempt to dissuade women from making their own health care choices. A report showed that 89 percent of Montana CPCs were providing women biased and incorrect information. Gianfortes foundation straight-up gave thousands of dollars to them, but he bobs and weaves and ducks to avoid straight talk to Montana women.

Gianforte is avoiding straight talk for the thousands of women, men, and young people who rely on Planned Parenthood of Montana for birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment and more. They need straight talk, not ducking. Evasion isnt good enough for to those who go to Planned Parenthood in Montana for over 33,000 birth control visits, over 4,300 live-saving breast exams, nearly 3,000 pap smears, and over 9,200 STI tests. Gianforte owes them answers, not ducking.

Thankfully Montanans have another choice. Governor Steve Bullock has stood with Montana women, over and over -- with his support and his vetoes when necessary. He stands with us because he understands that millions of people across the country and in Montana rely on Planned Parenthood health centers to provide critical, often lifesaving reproductive health care.

Because Gianforte ducks legitimate questions from Montanans, hes now made it to the duck dynasty Hall of Shame. But thats as far as hell get as Montana women will make sure he never makes it to the Governors Office.

Tess Carlson is a young professional in Missoula and a graduate from the University of Montana in Philosophy. A political volunteer and strong advocate for womens health care, she currently serves as the board chair for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana and board member of the Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana PAC.
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Peel back the thin religious veneer and people can easily see his living out the faith vision is limited to his narrow brand of religion. Here are some examples. He has called President Obama a secret Muslim and questioned whether he was born in the United States; labeled the Mormon Church a cult; praised Vladimir Putins suppression of gay and lesbian people; condemned Islam as a wicked religion; and been so insensitive about recent white-on-black police violence that some church leaders have called his remarks crude, insensitive, and paternalistic.Graham has criticized Pope Francis for saying all religions seek peace. Graham, by the way, proposed banning Muslims from the United States before Donald Trump suggested the idea. He has also likened Trump to Moses and David. He is certainly paid handsomely. The Charlotte Observer revealed that he received $880,000 in 2015. CEOs at the top 50 U.S. charities, including Samaritans Purse, earn in the neighborhood of $350,000 to $450,000, according to the Religion News Service (RNS). All of this information is available at RNS archives and other reputable places.
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[This Day] Maiduguri -- Another abducted Chibok schoolgirl has emerged with two children, seven years after Boko Haram kidnapped..
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[Premium Times] Over 100 of the girls were still missing as of April 14, 2021, seven years after the initial kidnapping.
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Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence and fear to achieve an ideological aim. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war against non-combatants. The terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" originated during the French Revolution of the late 18th century but became widely used internationally and gained worldwide attention in the 1970s during the Northern Ireland conflict, the Basque conflict, and the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. The increased use of suicide attacks from the 1980s onwards was typified by the 2001 September 11 attacks in the United States.
iSoftBet Slots New to bgo for August

Published August 14, 2016 by Mike P

Platoon Wild and Cloud Tales are just two of the many iSoftBet slots to release at bgo this August.

iSoftBet has been building its profile as a slot developer for a few years, and now the company has taken a major step forward after completing a content distribution deal with bgo. Moving forward, the online gambling operator will be able to share iSoftBet slots with its current player base.

From August 2016, bgo will have the right to distribute iSoftBet content via HTML5 and Flash software. This will ensure bgo has an even larger and more competitive slot library, which is already comprised of gaming content from third-party software providers. iSoftBet Managing Director Nir Elbaz believes the developers innovative slots will appeal to players.

Famous Slot Titles

iSoftBets growth has become more and more evident from the developers ability to secure licensing agreements for famous films, which is an accurate gauge for success in the software sphere. One example is the 1996 Vietnam war film Platoon, which recently spawned a sequel with a progressive jackpot.

Alongside Platoon, there are several other Hollywood films that have received the slot conversion treatment. For instance, fans of action films can turn to slots based on popular franchises like Rambo and the Warriors. Of course, players can also seek out lighter, more playful experiences with the Love Guru and 90210.

Original Slot Creations

In addition to branded content, iSoftBet is also striving to create original slots that can find an audience. From the more recent releases, Spin or Reels is slot game based on retro machines, but players have the added appeal of playing to unlock a spinning reel with a potential 300,000-coin jackpot.

Cloud Tales is another charming option, with players encountering a fantasy slot with cute, colourful creatures and a place called Mushroom Island. Where Spin or Reels is a more adult experience, Cloud Tales showcases iSoftBets diversity by creating a game to conjure memories of childhood.
A half-page long article in the August 12 WSJ illustrates how the media is forced to distort every development in a given story in order to be consistent with the original narrative. Having claimed in 2014 that Russia had invaded Ukraine, and having repeated this 'fact' whenever any incident involving Ukraine and Russia takes place, the message must each time be massaged appropriately.

English-language Russian on-line journals such as Russia Insider or The Durand report that Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko has announced a campaign to retake the rebel eastern territories, now known as the Republics of Lugansk and Donetsk, and also, that Russia foiled a terrorist attack on Crimea from Ukrainian territory, in which two of its soldiers died, http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/ukrainian-terror-squads-break-through-crimean-border-liquidated-fsb/ri16009 . Meanwhile, RT reports that Russia's Black Sea Fleet command announced a three-day anti-sabotage drill to counter potential underwater attacks on naval installations in Crimea. https://www.rt.com/search?q=Black+Sea+fleet+drills.

Dealing with these same issues, the WSJ headlines; "Kiev Puts Military on Alert over Crimea". claiming that: "Since annexing Crimea in 2014, Russia has fomented a pro-Russia rebellion in eastern Ukraine, aiming to keep the former Soviet republic off balance and stymie its overtures toward the West."

First of all the WSJ chronology is wrong: Novorossiya, as the two regions of Donetsk and Lugansk refer to themselves, was declared in April 2014, after the Crimean referendum had been held and recognized in March. The WSJ inversion not only fails to mention the referendum, it implies that Russia annexed Crimea by force, then encouraged a rebellion in the east, when in fact, the rebellion came first, led by local Russian-speaking inhabitants, and inspiring the referendum in Crimea.

Regarding the most recent news, supposedly the subject of the article, it doesn't come until the next to last paragraph which reads:

The head of the Ukraine's National Police, Vadim Toyan, said his office has opened a criminal proceeding regarding the possible abduction of Yevhen Panov, a Ukrainian resident named by the FSB (Russian military intelligence) as the main perpetrator of one attempted attack (on Crimea). Mr Panov was shown in handcuffs and with abrasions on his face on Russian television.

Pentagon officials said they have noticed Russia troop movements lately in the Crimea region, but it wasn't clear as to whether they are reinforcements or units rotating in and out.

Note that the Ukrainian story implies that for some mysterious reason, one of its citizens was abducted by Russia, when in reality, the man was arrested for sabotage.

https://www.rt.com/politics/323422-crimea-launches-sabotage-case-against/

By referring to troops rotating in and out, the WSJ implies that the Crimea had been newly occupied, when in fact, Russia's continued possession of its Black Sea naval bases was part of the 1997 Partition Treaty between Russia and Ukraine that established two independent national fleets after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. At that time, Ukraine also agreed to lease major parts of its new bases in Sevastopol to the Russian Black Sea Fleet until 2017.

Further according to Wikipedia:

The Agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine, widely referred to as the Kharkiv Pact(Ukrainian: degrees degrees)[1][2]or Kharkiv Accords(Russian: degrees degrees),[3][4][5]was signed on 21 April 2010 in Kharkiv, Ukraine, by Ukrainian PresidentViktor Yanukovych and Russian PresidentDimitry Medvedev, whereby the Russian lease on naval facilities in Crimea was extended beyond 2017 until 2042, with an additional five-year renewal option in exchange for a multiyear discounted contract to provide Ukraine with Russian natural gas.[6]and ratified by the parliaments of the two countries on 27 April 2010.

Following the February 2014 coup, the Ukrainian government declared that the lease would not be extended and that the fleet would have to leave Sevastopol by 2017.Shortly after the March 2014 accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation, [7]Russia unilaterally terminated the treaty on 31 March 2014.[8][9]

The WSJ devoted half a page to a simplified version of what is in fact a complicated history, continuing the narrative begun in 2014 of evil Russian machinations to prevent Ukraine, an independent country, from joining the European Union and eventually, NATO. In the two and half years that have passed since the Ukraine coup, planned and financed by the US and headed State Department Assistant Secretary of Eastern Europe Victoria Nuland, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26079957NATO https://www.google.com/#q=victoria+nuland+ukraine NATO forces have moved into Poland and the Baltics, trying to provoke Russia after failing to get a rise over the Ukraine.

WARSAW: NATO leaders agreed on Friday to deploy military forces to the Baltic states and eastern Poland for the first time and increase air and sea patrols to reassure allies who were once part of the Soviet bloc following Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine.

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Reprinted from Common Dreams



'Shaping up or shipping out your members of Congress can be our great national civic hobby,' Nader writes.

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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% of people approve of what Congress does and does not do. In April a poll registered a 14% 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.

Even when Senators and Representatives are in Washington, Congressional leaders expect them to spend about 20 to 30 hours per week dialing for campaign 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 fund-raising 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.

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.

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Running the Streets

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In my country, political leaders incorporate the word "democracy" into almost every speech. They wear flag pins on their lapels announcing to all, their pride and devotion to our system. Their audiences, made up of the politically misinformed, ignorant and lazy, eat the phony patriotism and hyper nationalism up as if devouring candy.



The adoring crowds pump the egos of narcissistic and psychopathic serial liars and killers, who tell us we are the exceptional nation -- defenders of democracy, globally admired heroes, all powerful, the wealthiest in the world and chosen by God, for our unique abilities in leading the planet.



In their arrogant, cherry-picked memories and megalomania, absent is the mention of the pro-democratic countries we have destroyed; innocents we kill for more power and resources which are not ours; or the radicalized hatred we have created and which continues to consume the globe.




Joelle Ben Simone protested corruption of the family courts in front of the office of Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, demanding to speak with the Minister. Finally, Minister Shaked talked with her for a few minutes, resulting in Ben Simone's compulsory psychiatric hospitalization. California attorneys, who protest judicial corruption, face similar predicament, typical of repressive regimes...



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Figure 1: Joelle Ben Simone -- protested family court corruption -- ended in compulsory psychiatric hospitalization in Jerusalem

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Figure 2: Social Worker Hadas Weiss July 27, 2016 fax

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July 27, 2016 fax by Social Worker Hadas Weiss, the Gush Etzion regional council

Social Worker Hadas Weiss's fax to the Jerusalem District Psychiatrist stated that Weiss had been contacted by "Ms Yael Kutik", and urged action by the District Psychiatrist regarding Ben Simone.

Since there was no claim of violence, the danger was fabricated by the fact that the Ministry of Justice is located in East Jerusalem, and therefore -- security risk for Ben Simone to stay there. However, the Ministry of Justice complex was and is under high level security 24/7...

"Ms Yael Kutik" turned out to be Attorney Yael Kutik, Freedom of Information Officer of the Ministry of Justice. How she came to be the coordinator of Ben Simone's abuse remains unclear...



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To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here.
MATTOON -- The Mattoon school board approved a resolution pushing forward a proposed 1-percent county school facility sales tax referendum to be placed on the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election at its meeting last week.

According to the school district, an estimated $2.5 million annually for Mattoon schools would be generated from the tax if it were to be approved by voters.

The board approved the measure 6-0 Tuesday. Board member Colleen Garner was absent.

These funds would be used exclusively for maintaining and improving facilities, along with paying off current school district facility debt as required by state law, Mattoon Superintendent Larry Lilly said.

The resolution states that the funds would be used to pay off the remaining facility debt on Riddle and Williams elementary schools; pay off facility debt on the middle school and high school roofs; and begin improvements to district facilities as identified in life-safety and building needs plans.

This would include work on security and safety improvements, flooring replacement, roof repair and replacement, electrical upgrades, HVAC system updates, outdoor lighting, facility upgrades, window replacement, disabled access, plumbing infrastructure, ceiling tile and lighting replacement and parking lot repair.

Cars, trucks, ATVs, boats, RVs, mobile homes, most groceries, medicine, farm equipment and parts and farm inputs would be exempt from the tax.

Lilly said the district has lost about $1 million dollars in state funds per year during the last six years, for a total of $5.8 million.

To offset these reductions in general state aid, officials have had to cut staff positions and have had to defer needed maintenance.

Those facilities include Mattoon High School, Mattoon Middle School, Riddle, Williams, Hawthorne School, Franklin School, Humboldt School, Grant Park School, the Adult Education Building, the Administration Building and the Operational Services Center.

Many of these buildings, aside from the Riddle and Williams schools, which were constructed 13 years ago, were constructed in the 1950s.

Kent Metzger, facilities engineer for Mattoon schools, said in one particular example, the electrical and plumbing at the high school, middle school, Franklin, Humboldt and Grant Park date back to the 1950s.

Galvanized plumbing, once considered modern, needs to be replaced, the release states, and because the buildings were built around the same time, issues arising in one building often arise in others.

Lilly said these repairs and maintenance of the schools are often big-ticket items, and the school district cannot count on state revenue.

The referendum still needs to be certified by Regional Superintendent, Bobbi Mattingly to Coles County Clerk Sue Rennels.

Lilly said a 2014 proposal for a countywide school facility sales tax for the Mattoon, Charleston and Oakland districts failed to win voter approval, but this referendum was placed on the ballot during a primary election. He said the general election will have a much larger turnout to potentially vote on the referendum.

Nearly 40 counties in Illinois have adopted similar sales taxes for school funding, including local counties like Douglas, Shelby, Champaign and Macon counties, Lilly said.
EFFINGHAM -- Stocking a rural medical facility with the latest technology isn't going get any easier, but plenty is being done to make sure the rural population isn't forgotten when it comes to health care.

Dr. Gregg Davis said smaller practices, because of lower volume and access to fewer physicians, will have the biggest adjustment to merit-based payment incentive systems, the present and future in how the government pays out Medicare and Medicaid claims.

Davis, the Illinois Rural Community Care Organization chief medical officer, was speaking at the Illinois Rural Health Association (IRHA) Educational Conference, held at the Keller Convention Center in Effingham last week.

"There's going to be a significant reduction in purchasing capability," Davis said.

Davis said the answer is finding more efficient ways to serve patients and to increase patient satisfaction, an important yet sometimes tricky measure that can greatly increase or reduce government payout.

"Quality is difficult to quantify," Davis said. "And when you're talking about the ER and you're giving patient satisfaction surveys five minutes after they leave, a lot of it becomes, 'How many Vicodin would you like?' "

To become more efficient, Davis said, doctors and patients would have put up with something they don't often like: teamwork among medical staff.

"Physicians like to be the ones in control -- it's what they're taught in med school -- and patients like to have one provider they see," Davis said. "But now there are better ways to utilize doctors and allow them to work at the top of their training and let mid-level providers take care of the rest."

Davis said to keep patients happy, wait times have to be low and time patients spend with providers needs to be high. In the current way many rural doctor's offices are run, wait times are high and time spent is low because, in an area where there's already a shortage of primary care physicians, a doctor's time is limited.

Davis said even in practices that have a doctor and two or three mid-level providers, the severity of illness isn't always taken into account when appointments are assigned.

Davis said having a team-based system where activities that can be performed by support staff and mid-level providers is taken out of the doctor's hands is a more efficient way to handle a practice.

"The patient gets more time per visit and less wait, and it frees up the doctor to take care of other things he should be doing," Davis said. "Patients do identify with single providers, but they're showing us by the numbers going to walk-in clinics that the provider isn't as important as the access."

Keith Bull of Anders CPA + Advisors said Davis' presentation was the kind of information he's looking for when he comes to health conferences.

"I like to hear the trends and hot topics," Bull said. "There's a lot of talk about the ACO (accountable care organization) models and the new trends that come with it, and what they're going to do to the delivery of health care."

The viability of rural health centers in the current health care climate was a major topic, but only one of many covered during the two-day conference. IRHA Executive Director Margaret Vaughn said there were 170 attendees and 33 vendors and exhibitors.

Vendors spanned the medical field and included multiple telehealth services along with advocates for specific diseases and medical associations. There was WellTrackOne, which allows organizations to risk-stratify their patient population and helps administer Medicare Annual Wellness Visits, promising to increase revenue and decrease costs.

Another company, Anders CPA + Advisors out of St. Louis, helps medical facilities with traditional accounting and complying with new financial regulations.

"We do a lot of work with rural hospitals and clinics," Bull said. "We come here and try to build some relationships and find new clients we can help with whatever their problems are.

"There are so many different rules and regulations healthcare providers are having to deal with. It's hard for them to keep up with it, so we try to fill that void."

Topics for conference sessions included best practices for avoiding common deficiencies in rural health clinics, meeting the needs for older rural adults, policy and procedure, managing multiple chronic conditions, molecular diagnostics, compliance in both cost reporting and HIPPA, dental care and health care cybercrimes.

One session focused on the difficulty in reaching 80 percent by 2018, an American Cancer Society goal for colon cancer screening, and the problems in reaching that number in rural settings.

With advances in testing, colon cancer rates and deaths are dropping. But there are three "hot spots" in the U.S. in which colon cancer rates aren't declining: One of them covers 16 Southern Illinois counties, including Clay and Edwards.

A panel that included the American Cancer Society Health Systems Manager Caleb Nehring, Southern Illinois Healthcare Community Benefits Manager Angie Bailey, SIU School of Medicine Clinical Coordinator Brooke Miller and the American Cancer Society's Linda Schulz discussed how medical facilities could spread the word on cancer screening.

The top reasons people don't get colon cancer screenings are: affordability, lack of symptoms, no family history, perception of unpleasantness, lack of doctor recommendation, and other health issues taking priority.

"I can understand all those except one -- the doctor didn't recommend it is the surprising one," Miller said.

Miller said people should understand colonoscopies aren't the only method for colon cancer testing; stool tests can also be effective and much cheaper and less invasive.

"It also saves time for the gastroenterologists because they're doing fewer colonoscopies. You don't need them to do stool tests," Miller said.

Bailey said to raise colon screening rates, medical facilities should monitor the screening rates of their patients.

She said they should also send reminders to patients and educate them on why it's important.

Patrick Bean, a lab technician for the Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services, said he was especially interested in the colon cancer screening presentation.

"I wanted to get some information on FIT (fecal immunochemical test) to some of the doctors I work with, so this was a session I had targeted," Bean said. "Compared to some of the old tests, I'm a firm believer that FIT is the way to go, especially with the specificity and sensitivity of the testing, and also fewer restrictions for patients."
The Isabella Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will be hosting a rededication of its Monument commemorating the First Public School of Isabella County on the Aug. 20. The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at the Salt River Park in Shepherd.

The monument was first dedicated in 1941 and stood on Old U.S.-27 at of the south end of Shepherd. Shepherd resident John Williams approached the Isabella Chapter about moving the monument to the park so people could see it. He also asked Larry Noyes to research the actual location of the original school.
EDITORS NOTE  OWI means operating while intoxicated. DWLS means driving while license suspended. (MC) is for Judge Michael D. Carpenter. (L) is for Magistrate Gerald Ladwig. (SC) is for Circuit Judge Stephen P. Carras. Sentences may vary based on previous offenses committed by the defendant. Some sentencings include other fees imposed by the state.

Alma

Joshua James Wilk, 21, impaired driving on April 4, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $775 fines and costs, six months probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Bay City

Lois Denise Brooks, 20, second-degree retail fraud on April 20, 180 days in jail with credit for 16 days, $436.56 restitution (MC).

Chad Russell David, 41, DWLS and attempted driving without insurance on June 3, $600 fines and costs (MC).

Justin Scott Griswold, 31, DWLS and no proof of insurance on May 20, $350 fines and costs (MC). Lenny James Walters, 40, OWI on March 24, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for two days, $875 fines and costs, $380 restitution, one year probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Tyler James Weiss, 22, no proof of insurance on April 5, $210 fine (MC).

Freeland

Austin Lee Salter, 22, no valid license on July 1, $250 fines and costs (L).

Hope

Roland Linn Colvin, 58, OWI on April 16, 93 days in jail with all but seven days suspended and credit for one day, $400 fines and costs, one year probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Midland

John Edward Faccio, 61, Whisper Ridge, DWLS on May 23, one weekend in jail (MC).

Melvin Claude Florey III, 33, North Waldo Road, domestic violence on March 31, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for 51 days, $400 fines and costs, one year probation, attend mental health counseling and Anger Management, not to be involved in any assaultive, threatening, intimidating, violent, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, no contact with the victim, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

James Lynn Holtz, 22, Highland Drive, no proof of registration on April 28, $80 fine (MC).

Lisa Maureen-Cookenmaster Jungman, 56, Haley Street, impaired driving on April 16, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $300 fines and costs, nine months probation, attend substance abuse program and mental health counseling, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Dianna Lynn Overzet, 44, Cottonwood Street, DWLS on July 1, $300 fines and costs (L).

Mark Edward Schroeder, 52, Judith Court, open intoxicants and impaired driving on May 8, 93 days in jail with all but 10 days suspended and credit for one day, $1,125 fines and costs, one year probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Joanne Marie Shelton, 27, Eastlawn Drive, attempted assault and battery on April 27, 46 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for 18 days, $500 fines and costs, one year probation, 20 hours community service per week, not to be involved in any assaultive, threatening, intimidating, violent, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, no contact with the victim, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Kevin Garrett VanMeter, 26, Cheryl Lynn Lane, allowing DWLS on March 23, $200 fines and costs (MC).

Mount Pleasant

Shad Dion Traver, 38, second-offense DWLS and illegal plate on March 1, 76 days in jail with credit for 72 days, $700 fines and costs (MC).

Autroia Denise Washington, 46, expired plate on June 15, $100 fine (L).

Sanford

Megan Rilley Sokolowski, 17, impaired driving on April 9, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $775 fines and costs, one year probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol or be in the company of anyone who does, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed, obtain a high school diploma (MC).

Elsewhere

Randy Sean Magee, 39, Farmington, DWLS on July 1, $350 fines and costs (L).

Paul Michael White, 33, Big Rapids, allowing DWLS on May 20, $250 fines and costs (MC).
To the editor:

Each day I am more and more amazed at how low the Republican Party has sunk and become the champion of racism, bigotry and lies.

Any political party is disgusting that can choose as a presidential candidate a completely despicable person who tries to vilify whole groups of people identified by race and religion, who has never held any political office, has never been elected to anything, who has used people throughout his career walking away from his debts with multiple bankruptcies, who has no concept of government, economics, taxes, foreign policy, the military, climate change and how we are making it worse, or the problems of poorer segments of our population and the roles of education, infrastructure and research in stimulating the economy.

Donald Trump does not have the knowledge, character or temperament to hold any elective office, let alone the presidency.

So what does that say about the people that have propelled Trump into the nomination? They also dont understand how government works, are ignorant of economics and the other issues government must confront, and how to interact with other countries. But worse than that, they apparently buy into the racism and bigotry and insults that Trump spits out. For a country built on religious freedom and equality that is disgusting.

Midland Republicans voted for Sen. Ted Cruz over Trump, yet two of Midlands favorite sons, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and U.S. Congressman John Moolenaar, have endorsed Trump.

U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, Flint Township, said that Schuette, in speaking at the Republican convention podium, is endorsing all that Donald Trumps Republican Party now stands for. How Bill Schuette can look himself in the mirror and defend such divisiveness and hate baffles me.

Schuette has been chasing one political office after another though his career, and in each has done very little to help the majority of his constituents, opting for conservative grandstanding: fighting affirmative action, fighting anti-discrimination laws, fighting against voter rights. Suddenly he has become energized about bringing legal action in the Flint water crisis, as he senses he can gain a lot of publicity. Everything Schuette does is based on self-interest and potential political gain.

And Moolenaar quoted in the Midland Daily News shows his complete lack of understanding of national and international issues when he says I look forward to working with a Republican president on important proposals that will reform taxes and health care, reduce regulatory burdens and rebuild trust between the federal government and the American people. I always said I would support the Republican nominee for president of the United States and for these reasons, I endorse Donald Trump.

Notice there are no real proposals or policies mentioned coming from that Republican president, because there are none.

It has been the do-nothing Republican Congress that has resulted in an unprecedented lack of legislation over the last four years. They even shut down the government. They wont even consider the Supreme Court nominee of a sitting president as the Constitution requires them to do. That is how Republicans build trust in the federal government when they are in the majority in Congress? I dont think so.

Maybe Moolenaar should look in the mirror and question his own morals and ethics if he can support a person who is so morally bankrupt, ignorant of government and deceptive as Trump.

Moolenaar was the state senator who voted against the Michigan Medicaid expansion, supported by Gov. Rick Snyder and former Majority Floor Leader of the Michigan House Jim Stamas, that helped 476,000 people get medical care that had none. And it did not cost the state anything for three years, and after that only 10 percent of the cost. And Moolenaar questioned whether it was sustainable. That argument had no merit. Who does Moolenaar care about? Moolenaar.

Schuette and Moolenaar are career politicians that will do anything to stay in office or try to advance. If that means sucking up to whoever is in power in the Republican Party regardless of the morality or who gets hurt, so be it.

I was allowed to spend a half hour with Moolenaar, asking for his support of legislation on mental health expansion and asking him to do something about the predatory pricing of many prescription drugs. I also asked him for his positions on several issues. All I ever received from him was a wishy washy non-committal letter on climate change, in which he did not even acknowledge that climate change existed. That is after I provided him National Geographics complete analysis of climate changes effects and how to deal with them.

In that letter he also agreed drug prices were too high, but had no proposals. He said he would look at expanding mental health care, but again had no proposals. As to my other requests for his positions, no response. That is not leadership.

The list of people not supporting Trump begins with Cruz. More power to him for not supporting a person that attacked his wife and accused his father of being involved in Kennedys assassination. But the list of non-Trump supporters has many more people with way more character than Trump like Mitt Romney, the Bush family, Lindsey Graham, John McCain (who have served their country their whole lives). Among those people were the presidential candidates of the Republican Party for the last two elections and the past Presidents George W. and George H.W. Bush.

How low has the Republican Party sunk? An all-time low.

RON PARMELE

Midland
New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
As their 2014 wedding approached, Shannon Monte, 28, and Randy Johnson, 30, reviewed their to-do list. Flowers? Check. Venue? Check. Food? Check. Ceremony officiant? Um ...

A member of the clergy was not an option, said the Kenosha, Wis., couple, because they didn't know a pastor well. So they asked a friend, Claire Zautke of Milwaukee.

The Johnsons are not alone. Forty percent of couples used a friend or relative to officiate their 2015 wedding ceremonies, according to The Knot Real Weddings Study. That's up from 29 percent in 2009, when online wedding resource The Knot started keeping track. Most of the other couples used a "professional," such as a cleric or a professional wedding officiant.

Zautke, who works in community relations and on a school board, was ordained through the Seattle-based, nondenominational Universal Life Church, which issues free officiant licenses.

The Johnsons chose Zautke because she knew them well. In the ceremony, Zautke recounted the day she knew they would marry. "Shannon and I were leaving for a weekend, and Randy was so sad. He didn't want to say goodbye to her, even for a few days."

Couples choose nonclergy officiants (some call themselves "celebrants") for several reasons, say those who do this for a living. The couples want their wedding and reception in the same place. They subscribe to different religions. Their church will not marry the partner who was married before. Or they are among the growing number of nonchurchgoers.

Thirty-five percent of millennials (born 1981-96) are "religious nones," reported a 2014 Pew Research Center study, and describe themselves as agnostic, atheist or not affiliated with an organized religion. In 2007, 25 percent were "nones."

"We both grew up Catholic but were lapsed, agnostic adults," said Tim Ritz, 29, who married his wife, Kolleen, 29, in 2015. The Chicago couple were disenchanted with Catholic ceremonies they had attended because "they seemed dedicated to extracting a promise to produce lots and lots of babies," he said.

While the Ritzes eschewed the church, they wanted "someone with the gravitas and authority of the clergy," Ritz said. They chose the Rev. Anne Styx of New Lenox, a nondenominational officiant.

Unlike a friend who gets ordained just for your wedding, a professional can predict pitfalls because she's seen it all, Styx said.

Guests look to the officiant to take charge when a problem occurs. "Sometimes I've had to stop the ceremony, like when a bridesmaid fainted," Styx said. "But usually it's a matter of 'stay calm and carry on.'"

Work with your officiant to write a ceremony script. "Then, on your wedding day, you'll be prepared, so you can be in the moment and enjoy it," said the Rev. Phil Landers, an Addison officiant.

No need to start from scratch; there are plenty of templates online.

"Traditional enough to consider the relatives but fresh enough that it's not like every other wedding" is how most couples envision their ceremonies, Landers said.

There are certain elements most couples want, Landers said: a welcome, a processional, readings, vows, a ring exchange and a declaration of the couple as married. But it's the couple's story that makes it personal.

Landers' present-tense delivery injects humor into the ceremony. "She wants a ring for her birthday," he said at a recent ceremony. "He gets her a crockpot."

Many couples incorporate cultural traditions in their nuptials, such as jumping the broom or participating in a Chinese tea ceremony.

When Emily Guevera, 23, married Manuel Ramirez, 27, in 2015, the Aurora couple included a lasso ritual that was familiar to their families. Wrapped loosely around the couple, the lasso formed the figure eight, symbolizing infinity.

Some couples honor deceased loved ones with candle lightings, said Wexford, Pa., officiant Pat Carver, whose website lists ritual ideas.

Don't let your script run longer than a half-hour, warned the officiants. "After that, your guests' eyes glaze over," Carver said.

Heed wedding license rules and officiant requirements, which vary state to state and even county by county. In Colorado, for example, you can be your own officiant.
NORMAL  The pride of knowing he made a tasty beer all by himself is what has Normal resident Kevin O'Leary hooked on brewing beer at home.

"It's a fun hobby where you create a recipe and brew your beer," said O'Leary. "There is a ton of chemistry. It's always a learning process. You can relate it also to cooking, where you're adding different ingredients and trying to see how it turns out."

Everything from cocoa powder, coffee and mangoes to peaches, chili peppers and habaneros are some of the ingredients home brewers are adding to give their beers a more distinctive flavor.

"Once it's done, you get to taste your finished product and have that pride and share it with your friends and family and whoever else stops by," said O'Leary. "Whenever I am brewing, usually one of my neighbors always comes over and checks out what's going on."

Samples of home brews made by Association of Bloomington-Normal (Abnormal) Brewers members, including O'Leary and Chad Bevers, will be available during the Bloomington-Normal Jaycees' Bruegala charity fundraiser Aug. 26-27 at the Corn Crib in Normal.

Club president O'Leary said they hope to pour four different beers each night, which could include pilsner, Saison ale, Hefeweizen, Russian Imperial stout and nut brown ale samplings.

The 31-year-old computer programmer began home brewing after his mom gave him his first brewing kit as a gift seven years ago.

It was the standard, basic kit most beginners use to learn to brew, he said.

You get a box and inside it has your extract malt and then you combine that with some water, said O'Leary. You boil it up, add your hops, cool it off and put it in your fermenting bucket. You top that off with some more water and add some yeast. That's like the real basic level of brewing.

It didn't take long for him to advance to an all-electric system that he built himself in his garage for between $4,000 and $5,000. He's able to brew up to 10 gallons at once with it.

It has three different vessels. I have a huge control panel that controls the heating temperature for everything and it has pumps, too," said O'Leary.

"There's tons of ways you can brew," he added. "You can be as advanced as I am or just use a pot on your stove."

Having home brew supply stores in Bloomington-Normal "are a big help because you can drive there and get what you need," said O'Leary. "When you're buying online you're dealing with shipping and you might not necessarily know how fresh the product that you're getting is."

Kyle Karraker, owner of Twin City Homebrewing, offers 42 types of specialty grain as well as base malts, extracts and other ingredients.

"Don't get me started because I could go through all (of the grains)," said Karraker. "When I start talking about them, it's a lot of fun."

O'Leary grows three variety of hops on vines stretching up the side of his house to the roof.

Karraker had a friend who was one of the original members of Abnormal Brewers, and when he went over to watch him brew one day, it looked like a lot fun.

"(My friend) took my wife to a shop that used to be in town to get me all of the equipment for Christmas," said Karraker. "I started soon after that."

That was 25 years ago.

To start, it will cost on average of between $80 to $90 to buy the equipment. Ready-made recipes with ingredients will cost another $30 to $40.

"My first batch I thought was pretty good. I did it basically myself," said Karraker. "You can continue to experiment. You can add things to your recipes."

Making a batch can take up to a month.

"You're looking at a brew day of three to five hours depending on what you're making," said Karraker. "And then a week to 10 days to ferment and then another two or three weeks to carbonate in the bottles.
Morning performances kicked off just after 7 a.m., with Eureka High Schools band being the third to march onto Hancock Field to compete among 41 other bands.
Naturalists group plans bus trip

BLOOMINGTON  The Illinois Grand Prairie Master Naturalists group is accepting registrations for a bus trip Sept. 26-29 to four Midwest wildlife preserves.

Participants will visit North American Bear Center and International Wolf Center, both in Ely, Minn.; Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Duluth, Minn.; and International Crane Center, Baraboo, Wis.. They also will visit Duluth, Minn., and the Wisconsin Dells.

The cost is $385 for double occupancy and $555 for singles. Registration deadline is Aug. 22; space is limited. More information and registration is available at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lmw/ or contact Reid Young at ryoun@illinois.edu or 309-663-8306.
The sun sets July 29 behind the air traffic control tower at New Braunfels Regional Airport.
Editors note: An earlier, shorter version of this Page from Our Past column ran on May 2, 2010.

Bloomingtons streets were eerily quiet for several weeks in late November and early December 1872. Missing from the normally bustling downtown and surrounding neighborhoods were horses, and in the age before the internal combustion engine and the automobile, it was difficult to get from here to there without flesh-and-blood horsepower.

The Great Epizootic, which had already ravaged the East Coast and major inland cities such as Chicago, had reached Bloomington. Nearly every horse, mule or donkey for miles around was sick or dying, relegated to barn or stable until the highly communicable strain of equine influenza burned through the area.

Until it was over, it was difficult to shuttle passengers and goods from railroad depot to factory, store or home, since omnibus and dray lines (respectively, taxis and delivery trucks of the day) had no healthy animals. Public transportation also came to a halt, given that horses in Bloomington-Normal and hundreds of other communities were needed to pull street railway cars (this was before the electric era).

The equine influenza was known as the horse flu or, more popularly, the horse epizootic (a word for a non-human epidemic). It is spread among horses, and exposure to manure and urine in tight quarters common in 19th century stables made for an ideal environment of widespread exposure. Symptoms included a fever, cough and heavy mucus discharge from the nose and mouth. For several days or more, infected horses would be listless, with heads cast down and little interest in either food or water, unable to pull or carry loads.

The 1872 North America epizootic was the largest recorded outbreak of its kind in history.

The first case appeared outside of Toronto, Canada, in late September. By Oct. 10, it had crossed the international border and reached Detroit. The epizootic then swept through the U.S., eventually reaching Cuba, Mexico and even into Central America. It was still sweeping through Arizona Territory settlements as late as March 1873.

The percentage of horses infected in the continental U.S. is placed anywhere from 80 percent to the high 90s. Mortality rates were highest in urban environments, reaching 10 percent in some cities, though more often than not the 1872 outbreak killed between 1 and 2 percent of the horse population in any given community.

By Nov. 12, Bloomingtons anxious residents were all abuzz with talk of the looming epizootic then raging on the East Coast. Has it come? Have you got it? How are your horses? These are the common salutations nowadays, related The Pantagraph. The Daily Leader, a long-defunct Bloomington newspaper, advised residents to brace for the worst and lay in a good supply of fuel; and otherwise prepare to get along without the aid of horses.

The equine scourge reached Bloomington the third full week of November. The Leader reported on Nov. 22 that nearly all the horses in the downtown Ashley House stable had a suspicious cough. There were other ominous signs as well. One of General [Asahel] Gridleys horses is down, and is pronounced a clear case, added the paper. Dr. [Asa P.] Tenney, also, has a horse that is not expected to live.

The Pantagraph agreed with its competitor that the epizootic was here. It is now estimated that about 200 horses have been attacked in this city within three days, announced the papers Nov. 23 edition.

Oxen, unaffected by the epizootic, were drafted into service. Accordingly, The Leader announced that the gentle ox had made his appearance on our streets, with a team of the burly beasts pulling a coal wagon. Once common during the early pioneer era, many of Bloomingtons younger residents marveled at the singular sight  as though it was a team of elephants or camels. Concluded The Leader: Though not much for pretty, the ox is surefooted, and good for pull, and, above all, can bid deviance to the dreaded epizootic.

During these two long weeks human muscle also supplanted horsepower. Many of the grocery merchants are delivering groceries with wheelbarrows and handcarts, reported The Leader, adding that in some instances wagons are hauled through the streets by men. Marion Chuse, chief engineer of the Bloomington Fire Department, announced that horses of engine company No. 1 were out of commission, and in the event of a fire, he called for volunteers to man the ropes.

By Nov. 26, the epizootic had spread to every corner of Bloomington, with The Pantagraph noting that scarcely a horse in the city is free of it entirely. The few horses still able to work were seen blanketed and bandaged on the citys tranquil streets and alleyways. Many ludicrous scenes occur during the day, it was noted, such as toting the mails to and from the depots by handcart.

The influenza was also called a horse catarrh, a term especially popular in the 19th century for inflammation of mucous membrane and congestion and soreness of the nose and throat. A panoply of dubious patent medicines and harsh treatments promised to cure equine influenza. Many so-called remedies, such as bloodletting, purging, drenching and blistering, did more harm than good. The Pantagraph, to its credit, ran an editorial urging humane and common-sense care centered on things like rest.

Influenzas grip on the local horse population began to loosen in early December. Street railway service was up and running by Dec. 7, and once again the horse enjoyed dominion over Bloomingtons thoroughfares. Thankfully, local fatalities were rare, probably numbering no more than a few dozen in the city.

During the early days of the outbreak, the Leader commented on the prospect of life  if only for a week or two  without horses. The people of this city, the paper stated, will have an opportunity to learn the real value of the noble horse, and how much we are all dependent upon mans best friend among the brute creation for comfort and convenience.

During the height of the local outbreak, The Pantagraph ran a humorously resigned poem about the epizootic titled Hors De Combat This poem, which appeared earlier in the Boston Commercial Bulletin, begins and ends with these stanzas:

Upon my sole Ive walked so much,

Since horses have been hoarse,

I feel like some pedestrian sport

In training on the course.

Then let us hope that horses may

Be freed from all their woes,

And running on their feet again,

Instead of at the nose.
Congressman Rodney Davis says he is still supporting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, but he has some advice for the candidate.

Thats the sort of wishy-washy support that many Republicans are facing these days, as Trump continues to embarrass himself and the party.

Davis told the Champaign News Gazette recently that he is going to give Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the benefit of the doubt. He noted that Trump is new to politics.

I hope that he heeds advice from me and others that he needs to get a thicker skin, Davis said. He needs to be able to withstand criticisms that we take on a daily basis and focus on the issues that are important so that you dont have those involved, like Mr. Morell, in the national security arena worried that youre not going to have the temperament to put homeland security issues first over picking fights with Gold Star families.

Michael Morell, a former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency who worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations, wrote in the New York Times that Trumps campaign suggests he would be a poor, even dangerous, commander in chief. Trump also has been criticized by many in his own party for criticizing the appearance of Khizr Kahn at the Democratic National Convention. Kahn's son was killed in Iraq.

Davis did say that Trump is running out of time, to improve his candidacy and said he cannot support Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

I think Hillary Clinton has proven time and time again ... that she cant be trusted and is dishonest. ... I hope they both begin to focus on telling the American people what they plan to do rather than focusing on personal issues, and I havent seen that out of either side lately.

Davis is running for re-election in the 13th Congressional District against Democrat Mark Wicklund of Decatur. Dr. David Gill, who ran as a Democrat in 2012 and lost a narrow race to Davis, has attempted to get on the ballot as an independent, but its been ruled he has too few valid signatures. Gill is challenging that decision in court. Davis has a campaign war chest of more than $1 million, while his challengers are struggling to raise funding.

But Davis refusal to step away from his party and the Trump campaign is troubling. Davis cant really believe that after nearly two years of a campaign that features consistent name-calling, temper tantrums and wild accusations that Trump is going to change his ways in the next 100 days.

By supporting Trump, even timidly, Davis is putting himself on the same side as the candidate the referred to Mexican immigrants as rapists, believes Muslim should be banned from entering the country and thinks its appropriate to criticize the mother and father of a son who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Weve often thought of Davis as reasonable and well-informed, but this decision has us questioning that.
As farmers, we work hard to protect our most valuable resources. But despite our hard work, we still expect to lose some nutrients from our fields. And once those nutrients land in the states waterways, they can affect the water quality both close to home and downstream.

To help protect water quality for our families and our neighbors families, Illinois Farm Bureau is urging farmers to take part in the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS).

Agriculture groups and organizations, including the Illinois Farm Bureau, worked with the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to develop the strategy to addresses water quality here in Illinois and outside our borders.

NLRS builds on practices farmers already are using to keep nutrients on their farm fields. Further, it promotes increased partnerships, research and innovation by farm groups, conservation groups, and others.

To learn more about the newest nutrient management practices and how they can affect water quality, 20 Illinois Farm Bureau members, leaders and staff traveled to Iowa in early August to participate in a Nutrient Issues Tour.

Like Illinois, Iowa was tasked with reducing nutrient losses to Iowa waterways, and is two years ahead of Illinois in implementing their strategy.

By visiting Iowa, our farmers had an opportunity to see where collaboration between agricultural and non-agricultural partners is working  like at some of Iowas great watershed projects  and where its not working, in the case of lawsuits.

Participants also visited demonstration farms where traditional and non-traditional best management practices for reducing nutrient loss are being researched. They also learned about unique partnerships that have pulled in additional funding for farmers.

Farmers across the state also are adding their conservation stories to the Conservation Story Map, which can be seen on the Illinois Council for Best Management Practices website.

The interactive map features pictures and videos from farmers across the state, allowing the featured farmers to tell their conservation stories and helping them encourage other farmers to adopt similar practices.

The map also lets farmers know about local and regional funding programs and about agriculture groups, conservation groups and government agencies that support their sustainability efforts within their specific watershed.

Protecting water quality isnt just the responsibility of farmers, but were in an excellent position to lead the way toward improved water quality, and show that voluntary changes can make all the difference.

Its time for us all to pitch in. After all, the future of our farms and our water depend on it.
Less than a month and fans of "90 Day Fiance" will be able to follow five new couples as they try to beat the 90-day deadline to get married before the foreign partner is forced to return to his or her home country. A sneak peek is out and it looks to be another season packed with drama.

The preview shows Narkyia, 36 years old from Pennsylvania, who reveals that she has been catfished by her own fiance. "But I want to marry him anyway," she said. That is despite her being concerned that her fiance's family is also polygamous. According to People, they met on a Facebook group called "Beautiful Big Women." Her 28-year-old fiance, Olulowo, pretended to be living in Alabama. As it turned out, the Nigerian native is living in Vietnam. The clip showed Olulowo showing off the ring Narkyia gave him.

The preview shows Nicole, 21 years old and a single mother from Florida, traveling to Morocco to meet her fiance in person. "Where is Morocco?" she said in the clip. Nicole has a 20-month-old daughter, and it would her first time to travel outside of the United States. Her fiance is Azan, 23 years old from Taroudant, Morocco. These two would have to be Season 4's Danielle and Mohamed. There are several red flags already, but Nicole seems to be blinded by Azan's "hotness."

Other couples include 42-year-old Matt from Kentucky and 30-year-old Alla from Ukraine. Starcasm reported that Alla would be Matt's fourth wife. She also has a 7-year-old son. Jorge, 25 years old from Los Angeles, and Anfisa, 20 years old from Russia, could one of the most talked about couples this season. Jorge's family thinks that Anfisa is only after his money. Since they met, Jorge has already spent $70,000 touring Anfisa in Europe.

The trailer clip also showed the hottest couple this season, 25-year-old Chantel from Atlanta and 24-year-old Pedro from Dominican Republic. Pedro was supposed to be teaching Chantel Spanish, and her parents have no idea that they're getting married in 90-days.

Now that is promising exciting new season of "90 Day Fiance," which is set to premiere on Sept. 11 at 9/8c, to be followed by its spin-off, "90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After."
There is no doubt that no other book makes a buzz as loud as "The Winds of Winter." For those waiting for the sixth book of "A Song of Ice and Fire," reports have it that the book will be out in 2017. Are you excited for the arrival of "The Winds of Winter?"

It's been over five years since George RR Martin released, "A Dance With Dragons," the fifth book of the "ASOIAF" series. For years, fans are clamoring for "The Winds of Winter." Many believe that "TWOW" is long overdue but Parent Herald previously reported that the book is still not late. Given Martin's phase and speed, it will not take until 2017 to finish the book.

The Verge reported that a popular theorist suggested that "The Winds of Winter" will be ready by 2017 the earliest. Actually, the release date of "The Winds of Winter" no longer matter to most fans as their concern now is the quality of the book.

George RR Martin's fans understand that it takes time to finish a great book. They are expecting too much from Martin's "The Winds of Winter" and if reading an impressive book suggests that the New Mexican author has to scribe it for more than five years, then it is fine for them.

So what can fans expect in "The Winds of Winter?" International Business Times suggests that the upcoming book will confirm the real parents of Jon Snow, who are rumored to be Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen.

Meanwhile, Parent Herald previously reported that George RR Martin will be killing Lyanna Mormont and more Stark in "The Winds of Winter." In a separate report from Parent Herald, some sources claim that Arya and Bran will face their demise in "The Winds of Winter."

Do you agree that "The Winds of Winter" is still not late? Are you hopeful that "The Winds of Winter" will arrive in 2017? How do you feel about the rumors that more Stark will die in the upcoming book? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
"The Winds Of Winter" by "A Song Of Ice And Fire" saga creator George R.R. Martin may be one of the most discussed books yet for release. However, the sixth "ASOIF" may only see the light of day once HBO's "Game Of Thrones" series concludes at Season 8.

Parent Herald cites reports that George R.R. Martin has no further details to give "TWOW" fans on "The Winds Of Winter" until the sixth "ASOIF" book is released. Not only is George R.R. Martin keeping mum on any new target release date for "The Winds Of Winter," but is also opting for silence on his creative journey to completing "TWOW."

King in the North or breaker of chains?

Cast your #GoTParty vote at https://t.co/LHYWscLpuo & watch campaign videos: https://t.co/OfKmITjZMi  Game Of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) August 12, 2016

Is part of the reticence George R.R. Martin has on talking about "The Winds Of Winter" due to a heavily stalled progress for "TWOW?" Could George R.R. Martin have decided to delay "TWOW" further until after the "Game Of Thrones" Season 8 finale?

According to The Independent, when George R.R. Martin missed his December 2015 deadline on "The Winds Of Winter," his publishers remarked that "TWOW" will be done when the sixth "ASOIF" book is done. To date, "The Winds Of Winter" publishers have no clarity on when George R.R. Martin will deliver "TWOW."

In the past, George R.R. Martin admitted that the more successful the "Game Of Thrones" series became, the more slowly the "ASOIF" author progressed toward completing "The Winds Of Winter." Parent Herald cites conjectures that the "Game Of Thrones" series may have been causing George R.R. Martin to constantly reevaluate his storytelling effectively keeping him from completing "The Winds Of Winter."

If this is the case, then George R.R. Martin releasing "The Winds Of Winter" only after HBO airs the "Game Of Thrones" Season 8 finale may not be farfetched. Which bets have you hedged: is George R.R. Martin released "The Winds Of Winter" before "GoT" Season 7 airs in 2017 or will GRRM give "TWOW" fans his sixth "ASOIF" book after the "Game Of Thrones" Season 8 finale?
and what will it look like?

I wrote on Friday about the Gallup poll reporting a huge rise in the number of people identifying themselves as current marijuana users, from 7% in 2013 to 13% in 2016.

Thats a startling increase.

Unfortunately, its difficult to compare this figure internationally, since the standard metric is percent of respondents who have used pot at some point in the past year, such as in this set of Wikipedia statistics, which reports that, in 2009, 13.7% of adults reported having used pot in the past year. For comparison, in the Netherlands, famous for its de facto legalization, in 2005 (seeming the most recent year available), that figure was 5.4%.

A separate prevalence survey in the U.S., published in the JAMA, reported that in 2001  2002, the annual usage rate was 4.1%, and this climbed to 9.5% in 2011  2012.

What accounts for these different prevalences  13.7% vs. 9.5%? The 9.5% figure comes from face-to-face interviews, so perhaps a certain number of interviewees were more hesitant to acknowledge use.

Now, the sales pitch, if you will, for de-criminalizing pot is that, at present, white middle-class kids get away with it and poor black kids land in jail, so, in order not to ruin young lives with jail sentences, we need to end the penalties. That, minus the race issue, is the premise of many of the articles now defending Malia Obama, such as Why Should Malia Obama Face No Consequences, and a Poor Black Kid Face Jail? at HeatSt.com, and Malia Obama Allegedly Smoking Pot Isnt a Big Deal, President Obamas Foot-Dragging on Marijuana Reform Is, at Reason.com.

But were clearly not seeing stable use of pot  the rationale that theyre going to do it anyway isnt seeming to be credible. Perhaps one can argue that rates were always high, and only in recent years are people willing to admit to pollsters that they smoke pot. But ever-increasing numbers of people tell pollsters they believe alcohol is more harmful to ones health than pot  70% in a recent Pew study.

Are these growing rates temporary? Is this youthful experimentation on a national scale?

The experience of the Netherlands is often cited (such as in this Washington Post article, and its comments) to make the claim that, if only we decriminalized pot, it would no longer be a forbidden fruit, and thus the vast majority of Americans would lose interest. But I just dont see many people being attracted by the criminality of the endeavor.

Its a matter of culture. The Dutch culture is, well, very middle-class. So far as I understand, the various, ahem, urban pathologies we have in the U.S. arent as much of an issue as there is a strong cultural push to, well, behave. Heck, this is the Dutch, who ride their frickin bikes everywhere, regardless of weather. Fun fact about the Dutch: we got a speeding ticket, via a speeding camera, for going two miles over the speed limit. And there is, I think, a clear stigma against using pot  the Amsterdam coffeeshops are frequented primarily by tourists, not by the locals.

Whats happening in the U.S. is not just legalization but more of a removal of the stigma, the cultural message that theres anything wrong with it  coming at a time when the stigma is being simultaneously removed from so many other things. Sure, no ones out there saying, we should welcome and celebrate our pot-smoking brothers and sisters but I suspect a message of tolerance is being heard with respect to pot in the same way as it is for same-sex marriage, transgenders, and everything else now put in that good category, even as smoking cigarettes comes in for an extra dose of stigma. (Heck, there was even an article in the Washington Post the other day that pot is better for your sex life than alcohol, and there are further articles popping up suggesting wed all be better off if alcoholics were potheads instead.)

So my question is this:

if pot is fully or de facto legalized, and if there is a cultural shift in the United States towards an acceptance of pot-smoking as a perfectly fine activity for ones spare time, is there a natural upper limit on the number of pot smokers in the U.S.?  Consider too, increasing concerns about young people adrift, and the extended adolescence that seems to be increasingly the norm, with seeming perception among young people that, so long as you havent unintentionally procreated, your 20s are a time for enjoying yourself.

Heres an upper bound: in Yemen, according to Wikipedia, 70  80% of men chew khat at least occasionally, and 60% daily.

image from pixabay.com; https://pixabay.com/en/foliage-cannabis-marijuana-lush-1157792/
In 1998, the Guatemalan government murdered Bishop Juan Jose Gerardi of Guatemala City in his house two days after the Bishop presented an official report compiled by the Archdiocese detailing years of right-wing government and military oppression towards the indigenous population.

In 1991, two young Franciscan Polish priests, Blessed Michele Tomaszek and BlessedZbigneo Strzalkowski, were brutally murdered in my home country of Peru by the Shining Path, a Maoist Guerrilla, since the friars did not agree with their revolutionary ideas.

In 1984, the Polish communist party murdered Father Jerzy Popieluszko in an attempt to silence his harsh and public condemnation of communist authorities.

In 1981, an American missionary from Oklahoma, Father Stanley Rother, was killed in his parish rectory by the conservative Guatemalan military because he was ministering to the indigenous people. He was considered subversive for teaching his parishioners how to read and write, and for organizing their farming efforts.

In 1980, the Archbishop of San Salvador, Blessed Oscar Romero, was shot while celebrating Mass at a hospital by government agents, right after he concluded the homily. His call to soldiers the previous Sunday to stop murdering their fellow countrymen was unacceptable.

On August 9th, 1942, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also known as Edith Stein, was sent to the gas chamber in Auschwitz with over 200 Dutch Catholics when Nazi authorities retaliated against the Archbishop of Utrecht for condemning the treatment of the Jewish population of Europe.

And on a day like today, seventy-five years ago, August 14th, 1941, a Franciscan priest, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, died in Auschwitz after freely volunteering to die in place of another prisoner. Saint Maximilian died along with over 3,000 Polish priests who were murdered by the Nazis during World War II. The preaching of the Gospel was a threat.

I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

Many throughout the centuries have wondered what exactly Jesus meant when he uttered these puzzling words. If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, if Jesus has come to reconcile us to the Father, how can Jesus say that he brings division and that he has not come to establish peace on earth?

Todays readings point to the reality that the preaching of the Gospel causes deep tensions in the world. Considering these twentieth century martyrs also reminds us of this reality. Many do not want to hear the Gospel, and even wage war against it. In the preaching of the Gospel, we do not have to go looking for enemies. We do not have to go looking for division. The Gospel itself has enemies, and will cause a negative response from hearts that are distant from God.

Consider also the recent gruesome murder of Father Jacques Hamel, killed in France while he celebrated Mass. The preaching of the Gospel led to his death at the hands of ISIS militants.

The puzzling words of Jesus become understandable when we consider the persecution that has existed throughout the history of the Church, beginning with the execution of Jesus himself.

The prophet Jeremiah was called by God to preach repentance at a time when many Jews had turned away from God. He warned them that if they did not repent, Jerusalem would fall into enemy hands and be destroyed. Nobody listened, he was persecuted, many wanted him dead. We heard in the first reading how he was put into a cistern because people found him bothersome.

The truth Jeremiah preached was not welcomed. His divine message divided people and did not bring peace, and eventually, it is believed, led to his death. Just as many waged war against the words of Jeremiah, many have, and continue, to wage war against the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel in itself is not a divisive or conflict-ridden message. Conflict does arise because it is impossible to remain indifferent to the Gospel. Some accept it joyfully and transform their lives for good. Others reject it with great hatred and scorn. We all know individuals; they may be co-workers, family members, even friends, who become enraged at the mention of Jesus Christ and his message.

As disciples of Christ, we must strive to remain united. When conflict arises among us, we are doing it wrong. We already have enough enemies; we should not make fellow Christians the enemy!

As we remember the countless men and women who have lived their lives as faithful disciples of Christ, giving witness to the Gospel they received, we pray to remain steadfast in our own discipleship of Jesus Christ.

The world rages against our message, a message that does not belong to this world.

We are aware that the world has time and again rejected what we preach, waging an irrational war full of hatred and malice towards the Church. May God the Father, who gathers us together at this Holy Eucharist, help us to live united through the one baptism that we share, and through the one body of Christ that we receive. May we remain steadfast like those before us, despite contempt and scorn, knowing that Jesus Christ remains with us always.

All the pictures are mine, all rights reserved. Featured image from public domain.
Patna: With water level continuing to rise in the Ganges due to moderate to heavy rain in the last few days, flood water entered into Bind Toli in Kurji area in Patna on Saturday forcing people to abandon their homes and belongings to seek shelter in higher areas.

According to reports, at least 20 household in the western end of Bind Toli were inundated with flood water as residents fled on boats and makeshift dinghies to save their lives.

Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal earlier visited the area on Friday night to review the situation that he later described as grim.

Agrawal assured the flood victims of full help in their rehabilitation saying the administration was doing everything in its power to save the lives and properties of the victims and the government would compensate them for their losses.

The administration has made temporary shelter arrangement at the ITI in Digha, Agrawal said.

Meanwhile, after holding a high-level meeting with top officials of the Disaster Management, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas and concluded things were well within control and no district in Bihar was currently under any kind of immediate threat.
A new study released last week rebuts claims that Californias 46-year-old environmental protection law bolsters frivolous litigation and crimps homebuilding.

The study, sponsored by Oakland-based Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, found theres no evidence that the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, has a retarding effect on the states economic prosperity.

Bay Area-based BAE Urban Economics, which conducted the study, found also that less than 1 percent of projects under CEQA review face lawsuits. Direct costs caused by CEQA, the report concluded, typically range from 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent of a developments total budget.

The report used quantitative analysis to clarify that anti-CEQA rhetoric really has no basis in fact, said Janet Smith-Heimer, BAE president. After extensive analysis, we found that CEQA does not have an actual dampening effect on Californias economy.

The study comes amid growing criticism of CEQA, with critics arguing that the law contributes to a severe housing shortage in the state, especially for affordable homes.

Gov. Jerry Brown is backing a plan pending in the state Legislature to allow urban multi-family housing projects to bypass local environmental reviews if they meet current zoning requirements and set aside a portion of the units for low-income families.

Opponents of the plan have been staging protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere, arguing that Browns proposal undermines CEQA.

In addition, the study follows two reports by international law firm Holland & Knight claiming that CEQA is responsible for frivolous litigation thats harming rather than protecting the environment.

The Holland & Knight study, based on a review of CEQA lawsuits filed from 2010 through 2012, concluded that nearly half of all such litigation targets taxpayer-funded projects and that transit is the most frequently challenged type of infrastructure project.

Last month, the law firm reported that CEQA lawsuits targeted nearly 14,000 Southern California housing units. Seventy-one percent of the challenged Southern California housing units were in multi-family projects, the law firms study said.

The environmentlist-backed study rebuts that argument.

Despite rapid population growth and development, the number of CEQA lawsuits statewide has remained constant over the past 14 years, a news release said.

The study cited construction of the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, or ARTIC, as an example of CEQAs success. Despite an environmental impact report citing unavoidable traffic impacts from the new, space-age looking transit center, the city concluded the benefits outweigh the impacts.

The $190 million ARTIC was finished in 2014. The CEQA review cost about $1 million.

The ARTIC CEQA process demonstrates the role of CEQA in prompting a critical review of the benefits and liabilities of projects, the study said.

Contact the writer: jcollins@scng.com
After years of struggles, San Jacinto Mayor Andrew Kotyuk spoke of what he called the citys bright future during the State of the City breakfast Friday.

Kotyuk said there are now a lot of positives in the city of 45,000 residents, which was mired in scandal when he joined the council in 2010 and was deep in debt just two years ago.

Were turning the corner right now, Kotyuk said after his address to 200 people at the Country Club at Soboba Springs. All of a sudden, everything has been breaking loose. This is the time to invest in San Jacinto.

Kotyuk encouraged the crowd with his talk.

It seems like the city is moving in the right direction, said Mike Van Der Linden, president of the San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the event. (The talk) was forward thinking. Its what the valley needs. Its what the city needs to hear.

During his talk, Kotyuk shared how the city was able to balance its budget this year, albeit following some tough decisions. After San Jacinto spent years digging into reserves, jobs were cut, police coverage was reduced and parks and a fire station were closed, although they since have been reopened.

We committed to balance our budget, he said. That hadnt been done since 2008. We knew we couldnt keep borrowing from savings for daily costs.

After voters twice rejected a utility users tax to raise money for public safety contracts, Kotyuk said the city had to figure out how to live within its means.

Revenue from programs such as parking tickets and a new paramedic fee raised money to put the fire station on the citys west side back in use last month.

Reopening Station 78 was one of our goals, Kotyuk said. We had to find a way to get there within our budget.

The mayor listed a number of reasons why he said people should move to or invest in San Jacinto. He spoke of affordable real estate, improving infrastructure and strong partnerships between the city and entities such as schools and the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians.

San Jacinto has a wonderful future ahead of us, he said. We are so excited about what is around the corner.

A levee project is expected to open development opportunities near the 79 and the Ramona Expressway, as will the planned Mid County Parkway, linking the city to Perris.

Were going to change very quickly overnight, Kotyuk said.

Van Der Linden was happy to hear solutions, and not just talk of new taxes.

He told us, This is what we have to do to move forward, he said.

But everything isnt rosy, and the city continues to look for change in every seat cushion. In November, voters will be asked to raise the hotel tax and approve a tax on marijuana growers and businesses if state voters legalize recreational pot use.

But Kotyuk reiterates a bright future he sees.

The last 12 months, were feeling the rockets move up, he said. We have many things in this community that are propelling us forward.  San Jacinto is healed and repaired. Were going in a new direction.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9086 or cshultz@scng.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 report can be found here and 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.

The Inland facilities heavily using prescriptions are:

Loma Linda University Medical Center: State data show a cluster of the highest prescribers of antipsychotics to foster children had a link to the university and hospital, including Dr. William Murdoch,the chair of the psychiatry department and associate professor. Murdoch was surprised to see his name so high on the list of California prescribers, saying his philosophy on prescribing is cautious, especially among young patients.

Oak Grove Center: In Murrieta, Dr. Harinder Grewal oversees care for troubled youth experiencing psychological, social, emotional and behavioral problems. Between 2010 and 2013, Grewal received $471,665 for drug company research, according to company disclosures compiled by ProPublica. The group homes website describes Grewal as a spokesperson for pharmaceutical companies such as Bristol Myers, Squibb, PfizerInc., AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson.

Shanti Clinical Trials: This office in Colton until recently housed a clinic that ran medication trials for childhood depression, attention deficit and bipolar disorder, among other research sponsored by some of the biggest names in the pharmaceutical industry. Two of the highest prescribers of psych drugs to foster children are listed as investigators at the clinic, including Dr. Warris Walayat and Dr. Salvador Lasala. Walayat, who was a staff psychiatrist with the Riverside County Mental Health Department, was the highest prescriber of 2009-2014.

Rancho Damacitas: 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. Tisha Ortiz spent two years of her childhood at this group home in Temecula.
Retired Corona Police Department Officer Tim Mott went from chasing bad guys and nabbing car thieves to a life dealing with partial paralysis.

The 61-year-old was forced to retire in 2002, when he got a diagnosis of young-onset Parkinsons disease. In March, 14 years into his retirement, multiple injuries that Mott had suffered on the job caught up with him, and he lost the use of his legs. His doctors havent been able to figure out what exactly caused Motts sudden partial paralysis, but they dont believe its a result of Parkinsons.

The biggest lifestyle change Mott has been forced to adapt to has been his limited transportation options. He requires a wheelchair lift to get into a vehicle. Mott and his wife hoped to buy a van with such a lift, but with minimal workers compensation and their fixed incomes, they didnt figure it was possible.

That was until Motts daughter, Alison, started a gofundme.com campaign July 19 to raise money for such a van. In less than a month, benefactors from around the world donated more than $20,000.

Though the Motts still are trying to find a van they can afford, they feel blessed that so many people  many of whom they have never met  donated so much money.

Martha Mott said that over the years, the couple have donated to several organizations benefiting veterans, police officers and firefighters. They never thought they would be on the receiving end of such donations.

Its very humbling, Martha Mott said. Were not used to being the ones asking for help.

Lifelong service

Tim Mott started his public service career at age 18, when he joined the Riverside Police Departments Explorer program. Shortly afterward, he volunteered to join the Navy and served in the Vietnam War.

After a six-year military career, Tim Mott returned to Riverside and became a paramedic.

I was an adrenaline junkie, Tim Mott said. I liked the lights and sirens.

In 1985, he became a Riverside County sheriffs deputy. After three years, he took a job at the Corona Police Department, where he spent the remainder of his career.

As a Corona police officer, Tim Mott was known for recovering stolen vehicles. One year, he recovered 15 stolen cars worth a total of about $75,000.

I liked chasing, catching the vehicle thieves, Tim Mott said. There were a couple times we had a stolen vehicle reported at 6 a.m. and we would recover it by 5 p.m. that day.

He also was dispatched to a lot of incidents that required medical aid since he was a trained paramedic. In some cases, he gave people medical attention before EMTs arrived at the scene.

Sometime in the mid-90s, he suffered a painful injury on the job. After Tim Mott pulled someone over for a routine traffic stop, the driver sped away, catching Tim Motts belt and dragging him about 150 feet on the asphalt.

The incident hospitalized him, but he returned to work. He became a training officer, training many of the officers who are on the force today.

Unexpected retirement

In 2002, Tim Mott learned he has Parkinsons disease, a progressive central nervous system disorder that affects movement and coordination.

Tim Mott lived with the disease for about three years before getting the diagnosis and never noticed any symptoms. The symptoms typically include dizziness, hunched posture, masking of the face, trouble walking and trouble moving, according to the National Parkinson Foundation website.

My jaw hit the ground when the doctors gave me the diagnosis, Tim Mott said. It was something I never thought would happen to me; I have no family history of it.

Martha Mott also retired early from her career as a nurse to take care of Tim Mott full time.

Then, this year, their lives again were disrupted.

After undergoing spinal surgery, Tim Motts lower-body strength weakened. He became paralyzed from the waist down.

Living in a home built in the 1970s, Tim Mott struggles to maneuver the wheelchair through it.

Transportation has been the biggest struggle.

He cant go out, Martha Mott said. Every time we want to go somewhere, we have to make arrangements far in advance. We missed a family reunion in Murrieta. We usually go to the (Riverside National) Cemetery for the Fourth of July, but had to miss that this year.

The Motts decided the only way to regain their ability to get around freely would be to get a wheelchair-accommodating van. However, Tim Motts workers compensation from the city of Corona wouldnt cover the cost of one, let alone other things like a more comfortable wheelchair.

Weve been fighting the city tooth and nail, but they dont want to pay for anything they dont have to, Tim Mott said. It makes us feel like second-class citizens, like we did something bad.

Efforts to reach Corona City Manager Darrell Talbert for comment were unsuccessful last week.

By Thursday morning, the gofundme campaign had surpassed its goal of $20,000 by $100.

Next step is getting dad a van, Alison Mott said in an update on the campaign page.

But that could be easier said than done. Martha Mott said they are considering buying a used one from someone who contacted them on the campaign page. The person offered the van for $20,000; but even with the money garnered from the campaign  the website takes a 5 percent cut and the company that distributes the money takes a 3 percent cut  they still have to come up with the balance as well as travel expenses to bring it home. The van is in Idaho.

Though his road to freedom may be longer than expected, the success of the gofundme.com campaign left Tim Mott hopeful.

Im just amazed what people will do for people they dont know, he said. All I can say is thank you.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9284 or atadayon@scng.comTwitter: @PE_alitadayon
After winning the third round of play on Saturday to get back on the fringe of medal contention, Murrieta native Rickie Fowler came back down to earth in Sundays final round.

After entering the day at 17th on the heels of his seven-under-par 64 on Saturday, Fowler carded a three-over-par 74 Sunday in Rio de Janeiro to fall back into a tie for 37th place with an overall score of 284.

Fowler shot even par over the first nine holes, bogeying the third and getting a birdie on the fourth. On the back nine he had three bogeys and a double bogey to offset birdies on the 10th and 16th holes.

Briton Justin Rose carded a 256 overall to claim the gold medal. Stenson Henrik of Sweden and American Matt Kuchar took silver and bronze, respectively.
The womens organizer for New Patriotic Party(NPP) in the Lower West Akim in the Eastern region, Comfort Boadu is dead.



The sad incident confirmed by some family members of the deceased occurred last night.



The deceased reportedly, the wife of Seth Oduro Boadu, the National Treasurer of NAGRAT was said to have complained of illness, but died on the way to the Asamankese Government Hospital.



The NPP constituency Secretary, Michael Asante described the death of the Womens Organizer as a big blow to the party in the area.



The receiving of the news was more than a shock to all the party members at all levels-from polling station to the national level. Its a great lose indeed. Her work is beyond definition and what she had on hand to do ahead of the elections is so great that its unfortunate this has happened; well feel her absence, he told Accra-based Citi FM

Source: kasapafmonline









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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Chief of Agona, Nana Akwasi Brumiah Sekyeresu, has said the people of the area are tired of continuously voting for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).



The Presidency is not for one man or one party. After eight years, every party must leave for another to take its place, so they can also show Ghanaians what they can do. We have suffered for too long, we are hungry and there is too much hardship in the country. We know that when Nana Akufo-Addo wins, he will help Ghana and bring prosperity to Ghanaians, Nana Akwasi Brumiah Sekyeresu said on Saturday August 13, adding: I am saying this to the hearing of everybody. This year, Amenfi Central will vote for Nana Akufo-Addo. I am saying this because of what we have all been witnesses to (over the last 24 years). Be rest assured, Nana, we will vote massively for you.



The chief made the comment when the three-time flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, paid a courtesy call on him on day 4 of his 5-day tour of the Western Region.



The Agona Chief noted that his constituents, since the advent of multi-party democracy, have voted for the NDC and their respective candidates, without any commensurate development of the town and the livelihood of its citizens.



Meanwhile, Nana Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians to have hope in Ghana despite the misery they are going through under the Mahama administration.



Ghana and Ghanaians have become too miserable. However, I am urging you to have hope. God did not create us to be poor, neither did He put us on this rich land to be poor. It is bad leadership that is making us poor. Have hope that a good government is on its way coming to bring development, progress and prosperity to every part of the country without discrimination, the three-time presidential nominee said.



The NPP flagbearer noted that many Ghanaians, in the face of severe economic hardships, rising cost of living, high utility tariffs, widespread and rampant corruption, amongst others, have lost hope in the ability of the nation to provide them with a decent standard of living.



Nana Akufo-Addo said in spite of the myriad of problems confronting Ghanaians under the John Mahama government, he is coming into office to create jobs for the teeming masses of unemployed Ghanaian youth, ensure access to education to all school-going children, and provide quality healthcare delivery for all citizens.



The industrial development of Ghana will be my main project when, God-willing, I come into office. Helping to establish one factory in every district across the country will be a priority, which will create jobs for our unemployed youth. Additionally, free SHS is also coming to Ghana. The revival of the collapsed NHIS to ensure year-round, affordable access to quality healthcare will also be done, he said.



With particular reference to the people of Agona, whose mainstay is cocoa farming, he indicated that we are coming to restore the cocoa industry back to where it ought to be, explaining that after President Kufuor left office, the cocoa sector is in decline.



Nana Akufo-Addo reassured citizens of Agona, and Wassa Amenfi, that when I win this years election, I am coming to increase cocoa production again and raise up the standard of living of cocoa farmers. Mass spraying brigades will be formed again, to ensure that everyone involved in the cocoa sector is put back into employment. The timely and proper supply of fertilizer to enable farmers increase their yields will also be done.



Citing the example of Ghanas western neighbour, which has the same acreage of land under cultivation as Ghana, the NPP flagbearer noted that, Cote dIvoire in the 2014/2015 crop season produced 1.7 million tonnes of cocoa, with Ghana struggling to produce 700,000 tonnes of cocoa.



This, Nana Akufo-Addo, noted does not bode well for Ghanas development, stressing that the time has come to change these statistics and bring prosperity to all parts of the country.

Source: classfmonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Following the shooting deaths of two Muslim men walking from a mosque in New York, social media users have offered to accompany members of the faith through their neighbourhoods with the #IllWalkWithYou hashtag.

Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, both of whom were wearing Islamic garb, were shot yesterday following their afternoon prayers. The shooter has not yet been identified.

In a statement, the New York City Police Department said they couldnt yet determine a motive for the killings, but they will be investigating all possibilities.

Seperately, Afaf Nasher, leader of the Council on American-Islamic Relations NYC arm, said 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.



That call for collective vigilance seems to have been adopted by Twitter users from every corner of the nation, who have offered their time to join Muslims in public if they feel unsafe doing so alone:

Muslim friends in DC  hmu if youd feel even a little bit safer having company in public. #IllWalkWithYou.  Natalie (@fruitbatalie) August 14, 2016

To my Muslim neighbors in Birmingham, Alabama #IllWalkWithYou anywhere, any time.  Zelda Hallman (@zeldahallman) August 14, 2016

Atlanta, anywhere I am. I will walk with you! #ILLWalkWithYou  Danelle Gibson (@DanelleGibson) August 14, 2016

If youre in Chicago, please know that #illwalkwithyou  Casselle (@casselle) August 14, 2016

To any Muslim friends in South Florida, #IllWalkWithYou proudly. I am sorry for any hatred or ignorance to which you may have been exposed.  Felicia (@Felicia81477149) August 14, 2016

phoenix, az. real tall white guy who loves walking. #illwalkwithyou  Jakems (@JakeTheOliveira) August 14, 2016

Of course, the hashtag echoes #IllRideWithYou, which was spawned from the story of a Muslim woman removing her hijab on Sydneys public transport to avoid conflict with other passengers.

That movement was referenced by Twitter user Lexi Alexander, who kickstarted the campaign this morning.

Australians offered Muslims #IllRideWithYou, Id like to offer my Muslim neighbors #IllWalkWithYou to & from mosque https://t.co/Kf6M2U4S9W  Lexi Alexander (@Lexialex) August 13, 2016

RIP Maulama and Thara.

Source: Reuters / ABC.

Photo: Roy Rochlin / Getty.
By the numbers

By the numbers...

Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center operated by Polaris, has received reports of 14,588 sex trafficking cases inside the United States.

In 2014, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimated that 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported to them were likely sex trafficking victims.

The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 4.5 million people trapped in forced sexual exploitation globally
Gaylord council opts not to consider rezoning of city-owned property

Gaylord
Poland replacing Russia's Urals oil with Iranian oil



Oil reshuffle in Poland - Urals out, Iran in

MOSCOW

Petroleumworld.com 08 15 2016

Poland is replacing Russian oil with Iranian oil and unsold Urals crude is being redirected to Asia, industry sources told Reuters.

Trader Mercuria, once the largest seller of Urals in Poland, is closing down and emptying Russian oil out of its tanks in the port of Gdansk. Mercuria will use a tanker bringing in Iranian oil to transport out its unwanted Urals.

Mercuria is sending more than 250,000 tonnes of Urals to Asia via super tanker Atlantas (VLCC), which will arrive in Gdansk with two million barrels of Iranian oil on board, said two industry sources familiar with Mercuria's plan.

A Mercuria spokesman told Reuters that the company was still interested in the Polish market and will continue working and developing its business there in the coming years.

"Unloading of Urals from tanks in Gdansk is just the company's response to market changes and that does not mean Mercuria plans to stop working in Gdansk and in Poland," he said.

Urals lost its position on the Polish market in the past year due to the increased activity of Middle Eastern producers, which boosted supplies to the Baltic Sea area, forcing Russian companies to cut prices. The considerable reduction of pipeline oil prices in Poland since the start of 2016, combined with Gdansk imports, squeezed out Mercuria's supplies. Polish refiner Lotos bought 2 million barrels of oil from National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and the cargo will arrive in Gdansk in mid-August.

Mercuria's lease contract for shore tanks in Gdansk with PERN, the Polish operator of trunk oil pipelines, expires in August, sources say.

The contract will not be extended, Mercuria refused to pay higher rates, and the trader will empty tanks before the end of August, sources say.

"Storing oil in Gdansk lost its point for Mercuria this year. In March, the company practically exited the Polish market," a trader said.

DIRECT CONTRACTS

Mercuria had a leading position on the Polish oil market. The company bought Urals pipeline supplies, provided by Russian producers through the Druzhba oil pipeline system, under long-term contracts and then resold the oil to Polish refiners PKN Orlen and Grupa Lotos.

However, in recent years Russian producers began to sign direct contracts with refineries, and Mercuria's share in the Polish market began to fall.

Rosneft and Tatneft were the major suppliers of Urals pipeline supplies to Poland this year. The companies supplied crude oil under direct contracts with PKN Orlen and Grupa Lotos.

Rosneft has a contract to supply 25.2 million tonnes of Urals to PKN Orlen between 2016 and 2019. Rosneft also has a contract with Lotos to supply 2.7 million tonnes of Urals per year till the end of 2017.

Tatneft's contract is for the supply of 100,000-200,000 tonnes a month of Urals to PKN Orlen and up to 200,000 tonnes to Grupa Lotos.

In June 2016, Rosneft and PKN Orlen signed a contract for the supply of up to 15.8 million tonnes of oil to the Czech Republic, which receives oil through the southern branch of Druzhba oil pipeline, from July 2016 and June 2019.

In late 2015, Surgutneftegaz signed a contract with Mercuria on oil supplies to Poland in 2016, with the volume planned at the 2015 level of about 3.6 million tonnes.

However, lower purchasing prices from Polish refiners forced Mercuria to cancel its only oil contract with Surgutneftegaz in 2016.

COMPETITION INCREASING

Russia intends to fight for its share on the European oil market, said Rosneft head Igor Sechin, with "flexibility and ingenuity", even if it means increased discounts for Urals.

In Poland, for now, the reverse is happening Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer, started supplies of crude oil to Poland at the end of September 2015. The volume and range of imported crude grades have only increased since then.

In July, ten tankers were unloaded in Gdansk, including six with oil brands other than Urals, data from the ship tracking system in Reuters terminal showed.

"Since the beginning of summer, there is almost no Urals in Gdansk. PKN Orlen buys Kirkuk and Arab brands, Lotos started working with Iran, not to mention some unusual purchases like African crude or Azeri light, said a major Russian oil trader, Urals is going through the pipeline, it has its own economy there, but supplies by sea are almost pointless."

In recent years, Poland has been actively working to increase energy security and reduce its dependence on Russian oil imports. In April this year, Gdansk's tank farm capacity, owned by PERN, increased from 300,000 to 677,000 cubic meters. Petroineos, Shell and Total have leased tanks in the port, said traders

Several sources in the industry said that Poland may use the freed capacity in Gdansk to build up oil stocks.

"They wanted to allocate part of the tanks for a strategic oil reserve," the source told Reuters.








Andres Lopez Obrador in 3rd bid to lead Mexico, vows to reverse energy reform if elected



In 3rd bid to lead Mexico, fiery leftist puts oil reform in crosshairs

MEXICO CITY

Petroleumworld.com 08 15 2016

Aug 12 A firebrand leftist who twice narrowly missed becoming Mexico's president is riding high with a fresh bid for election in 2018, vowing to upend a landmark energy sector opening championed by President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Pledging to root out graft and undo several other Pena Nieto policies, populist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known by the moniker AMLO, leads most opinion polls for the presidential race.

While AMLO has long railed against the energy reform, the combative 62-year-old would take a series of concrete measures to disrupt it if he wins, said his top energy advisor Rocio Nahle. She said AMLO would seek to wean Mexico off of cheap fuel imports, produce more at home at new refineries and bolster ailing state oil giant Pemex.

In 2006, Lopez Obrador came within less than a percentage point of winning. Six years later he lost by about 6 percentage points to Pena Nieto, who is now deeply unpopular for a series of conflict of interest scandals, a lackluster economy and grinding drug gang violence.

Several recent polls show AMLO leading all likely rivals, with a 36 percent approval rating according to a recent poll by leading newspaper El Universal, which could be enough to win in Mexico's raucous multi-party democracy.

Nahle is the leader of Lopez Obrador's new political party, Morena, in the lower chamber of Congress, and also the party's top energy advisor. She detailed how AMLO plans to cripple Pena Nieto's oil opening.

She said Lopez Obrador, mayor of Mexico City a decade ago, would immediately call for a public referendum on whether oil companies should be allowed to develop projects alone, as Pena Nieto's reform envisions.

AMLO would require that Pemex take minimum stakes in all future oil contracts, and may also seek to revoke two dozen contracts already signed with oil companies.

"The contracts that they're signing are not backed by the Mexican people, and when you don't have that support it's a risk," said Nahle.

An AMLO-led executive branch would directly assign more leases for new oil fields to Pemex, instead of putting them up for auction as Pena Nieto planned, she added.

"When we talk about strengthening Pemex, that's what we're talking about," Nahle said.

In a possible shift in AMLO's approach to energy, Nahle said Morena favored a "responsible opening" of the oil and gas sector, and even praised the longstanding Deer Park refinery joint venture between Pemex and Royal Dutch Shell in Texas.

Lopez Obrador and his allies are unlikely to win majorities in Congress needed to repeal the energy reform, which is enshrined in the constitution. Still, he would not be obliged to implement it.

In 2013, a month before Congress passed the constitutional changes that paved the way for the landmark opening, Lopez Obrador sent letters to chief executives at 10 international oil companies, ExxonMobil and Chevron among them, warning them against signing new contracts in Mexico.

So far, the biggest oil companies have mostly steered away from bidding on new contracts, but that is expected to change with the first-ever deep water auction scheduled for December.

More than two dozen major companies have already begun the process of pre-qualification, including Britain's BP and France's Total.








Eastman, GA, police officer Tim Smith was shot and killed Saturday night. (Photo: GBI)

An Eastman, GA, police officer responding to a call of a suspicious person was shot and killed Saturday night about 9:30 p.m.

Officer Tim Smith, 31, was shot when he got of out his patrol car. Though Smith returned fire, the suspect, later identified as Royheem Delshawn Deeds, got away. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the manhunt and investigation.

Royheem Delshawn Deeds is wanted for the killing of a Georgia officer. A manhunt is under way. (Photo: GBI)

Smith, who joined the Eastman Police Department in February 2011, died from his wounds at a nearby hospital. He is survived by his three children, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Authorities released a photo of Deeds, 24, asking for the publics help in locating him. He should be considered armed and dangerous.
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Americans would be right to wonder  and worry about  Donald Trumps end game. His campaign is hurrying toward disaster in November. His rate of saying stupid things seems to grow exponentially, racing the rate at which our sea levels are rising. And he has predicted his own failure, not as a result of the incredibly stupid things he has said and continues to say, but because of an imagined plot to keep him out of office.

Im afraid the election is going to be rigged, he said last week in Ohio. On Friday, he added to this dystopian scenario the claim that,

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. 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.

In truth, this is more likely a sign of cognitive dissonance: He cant lose because, as he claims, he speaks for the silent majority. A defeat when numbers make it impossible to lose, can only mean the election was rigged.

Katrina Pierson, when asked on CNN Saturday morning for evidence of a rigged election, claimed that a lack of evidence is somehow evidence:

There is no evidence because the election hasnt occurred yet. This is not far-fetched. Election fraud has been a concern for a very long time.

On the other hand, it could be argued that Trump knows he is going to lose and is just making excuses ahead of time. Hes even added a cry for help on his website:

Help me stop crooked Hillary from rigging this election.

Presumably, the people whose help he wants are the same people he is asking to employ Second Amendment remedies in case of a Clinton win. If they cant help him now, they will right the scales later. And his supporters  who have already demonstrated a propensity toward violence  have not been shy talking about armed insurrection.

His Second Amendment remedies for a Clinton victory come to mind.

So what does Donald Trump think will happen when he loses? Trump clearly sees himself surviving the experience (if not Hillary Clinton) so he will reap the whirlwind, whatever the result is. But does Trump see it as being good, or bad?

Bernie Sanders found good in his own defeat. He moved the Democratic Platform (and Hillary Clinton) further to the left, and he has created a movement he intends to survive him. Trumps movement seems to lack any viability beyond his own person.

Pat Buchanan wrote in a column Thursday that he agrees with Trump about his rigged election theory, asking, if Clinton defeats Trump, would that not suggest there is something fraudulent about American democracy, something rotten in the state?

Well sure, maybe, if Trump was right about the silent majority thing or if there were as many angry Americans as he claims. But

A big reason things aren't working out for Donald Trump: Americans aren't as as angry as he thinks. https://t.co/DphdleGBsp  Luke Brinker (@LukeBrinker) August 13, 2016

If you look at their respective poll numbers and Trumps crazy rhetoric, you would think if Clinton defeats Trump that Trump lost because he was perceived as too erratic and too crazy to run the country; a Trump defeat would follow logically from his campaign.

According to Buchanan,

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.

Trump himself is all about privileges and perks of power but Buchanan isnt about to mention that. Instead, he presents Trump as an opponent of the establishment:

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, Sen. 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?

A more obvious explanation is that as Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman write in The New York Times today, the effort to save Mr. Trump from himself has plainly failed.

And then Buchanan introduces the Second Amendment remedy:

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?

He asks, 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?

Buchanan gives us his answer to that question in a quote from John F. Kennedy:

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

It is perhaps all wishful thinking, this dream that if Trump loses it proves their conspiracy theories accurate and they can, in good conscience, act. Perhaps nothing of the sort will happen, and theyll all go home and put their tinfoil hats back on and tune into Fox News to wait for the next demagogue.

If not, America could be looking at a wave of violence at the hands of a bunch of deluded, heavily armed Trump supporters who see violence as the only alternative to a completely legitimate and unsurprising Clinton win in November.
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*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*

It is typical, although dishonest, for some politicians to stretch the truth or use nuanced rhetoric during a campaign, but Republicans just plain lie pathologically. This is particularly true regarding the last two Republican candidates for the presidency. All the attention at the moment is on entertainer Donald Trumps non-stop lies, but remember; Willard Romney had his own serious distaste for honesty and a raging penchant for mendacity; but Willard is not running for office.

Of all of Donald Trumps lies, and they are getting more difficult to keep up with, there is one that he continues parroting with impunity with hardly any challenges. Trump, like tens-of-millions of Americans and tens-of-thousands of businesses, has benefitted greatly from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and yet he pledges to abolish it. As a perceived weapon against Hillary Clinton, Trump continues swearing that NAFTA was conceived, pushed, negotiated, and signed by then-president Bill Clinton; that is simply not true and any American with rudimentary calendar skills knows its a lie; including Donald Trump.

The origin of NAFTA dates back to 1990 as a trade pact among the three nations. Three leaders, American President George H. W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas were each responsible for spearheading and promoting the agreement in their home countries and each participated in ceremonial signing in their respective capitals on December 17, 1992. Bill Clinton was sworn in as the 42nd President thirty-four days after George H.W. Bush signed the NAFTA trade pact.

The day after George H.W. Bush, not then-Governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton, ceremoniously signed the NAFTA trade agreement, president-elect Clinton reiterated his campaign assertion that there would have to be new job and environmental protections, and safeguards against sudden trade surges, but they could be settled without renegotiating the entire treaty with Mexico and Canada before he submitted implementing legislation. In a statement, still Arkansas Governor Clinton said, I will pursue those other things that I think need to be done in the public interest, then I will prepare implementing legislation and try to pass it in Congress. Those job protections, like job protections today, never materialized in Congress because Republicans.

Where the Clinton administration did in fact have an impact on NAFTA was negotiating a side agreement on the environment with Canada and Mexico: the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC). That NAFTA amendment led to the creation of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) established in 1994.

In a survey of leading economists, 95% supported the notion that on average, every American citizen has benefited from NAFTA. Job losses, except those from the GOP economic disaster of 2008, came from Republican tax policies that reward corporations and companies that shipped Americans jobs overseas for dirt-cheap labor and tax-free profits; policies President Obama and Democrats have attempted to eliminate. Their efforts have been unsuccessful because Republicans blocked the Democrats legislation insourcing American jobs from overseas. NAFTA contains no clause or section rewarding or encouraging American companies to relocate their operations overseas to avoid taxation or Americas pathetically low minimum wage.

During the primaries two candidates harped on the idea that NAFTA destroyed the middle class, wiped out jobs, and decimated businesses, particularly small and medium businesses. That is just not true. As noted earlier, GOP tax policy killed jobs with subsidies and tax-freedom from foreign profits. In fact, according to real economists, many small American businesses existences are dependent on exporting their products to Canada or Mexico under NAFTA. As reported by the U.S. Trade Representative, this expansion in trade due to NAFTA supports over 140,000 small and medium-sized businesses in the United States.

It should be glaringly apparent that Donald Trump is persistently lying about former President Bill Clinton concocting the idea for NAFTA and pushing it down Americans throats to besmirch Hillary Clinton. She was still the first lady in Arkansas when NAFTA was proposed, pushed, and ceremoniously signed by George H.W. Bush a month before Bill Clinton was sworn in as president.

There is no such thing as a perfect trade agreement and only a fool would believe otherwise; its why Bill Clinton sought legislation to protect jobs and the environment. Unfortunately, Republicans oppose protecting Americans jobs as is their wont but Mr. Clinton did win some environmental protections. Donald Trump will never talk about those aspects of NAFTA because it means he would have to tell the truth; something that is beyond his comprehension and ability as a pathological liar and a Republican.
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A new poll of Millennials reveals that Donald Trump is getting historically low levels of support as voters under age 35 are flocking to Hillary Clinton.

USA Today reported on the USA Today/Rock The Vote poll of millennials:



The survey shows Clinton trouncing Trump 56%-20% among those under 35, though she has failed so far to generate the levels of enthusiasm Sanders did  and the high turn-out that can signal  among Millennials.

.

In the new survey, half of those under 35 say they identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party; just 20% identify with or lean toward the Republican Party. Seventeen percent are independents, and another 12% either identify with another party or dont know.

Trumps weakness among younger voters is unprecedented, lower even than the 32% of the vote that the Gallup Organization calculates Richard Nixon received among 18-to-29-year-old voters in 1972, an era of youthful protests against the Vietnam War.

Oh, and those Bernie Sanders supporting millennials who some in the media claimed would never support Hillary Clinton are supporting the Democratic nominee 72%-11% over Donald Trump.

The Republican Party is already getting historically low levels of support from Latino and African-American voters, but what is even worse is that Donald Trump may be creating a generation of Democratic voters with his campaign.

Until the Republican Party gets in step with the rest of the country and stops embracing discriminatory and bigoted positions on immigration and LGBT issues, the votes of many millennials will be off the table for them. Republicans are on the wrong side of so many issues that millennials care about like jobs, wages, and college affordability that it is amazing that Trump has any millennial support at all.

Millennials care about the issues, and on the issues, Hillary Clinton is on their side more than Donald Trump will ever be.

The media had it wrong. Millennials are supporting Clinton because she is the best choice to address the issues that matter most to them.
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The one thing that Donald Trump and the Republican Party fear more than anything else is a large and diverse electorate. Hillary Clinton is taking steps make those fears a reality by launching a nationwide voter registration drive featuring DREAMers.

The Clinton campaign announced:

On the four- year anniversary tomorrow when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) enrollment began, Hillary for America is launching a national voter registration program, Mi Sueno, Tu Voto (My Dream, Your Vote), to organize DREAMers to mobilize their communities and ask voters to consider what is at stake for their families in November. DREAMers have played a pivotal role in our campaign, advocating for families who constantly live in fear of deportationso weve created a program that aims to turn these stories into action, said Lorella Praeli, National Director of the Latino Vote. The program calls on DREAMers across the country to join the campaigns grassroots efforts to secure commitments from their community to vote for their future in November.

We founded this program on the premise that, one by one through friends, families, co-workers or classmates DREAMers futures would be considered on Election day,  stated Praeli. We may not have the right to vote, but Mi Sueno, Tu Voto will help ensure that our stories are heard and it will send a clear signal to Donald Trump that we cannot be silenced, said Astrid Silva, Nevada DREAMer and immigrant rights activist. Hillary for America will be holding events across the country this week, including in Florida, Nevada and North Carolina, to unveil the program. Mi Sueno, Tu Voto will also serve to remind voters of Donald Trumps hateful and dangerous agenda, highlighting his pledge to eliminate DACA and deport millions of DREAMers and immigrant families.

When Trump and Republicans warn that the election is rigged and that the nation needs voter ID laws, they arent trying to protect the integrity of US elections. What Republicans are really up to is an effort to make it more difficult for non-white conservatives who typically support Democrats to vote.

The polls show Hillary Clinton leading Trump, but the Clinton campaign not taking anything for granted.

In an election year where Republicans have demonized immigrants and DREAMers, the Clinton voter registration drive is sending a powerful message that Democrats are going to fight against voter suppression at every level. Trump already has historically low support among Latino voters, and the voter registration drive will take the message into communities around this country that the Democratic Party is the place for Latino voters to be.

The combination of Donald Trumps bigotry and Hillary Clintons voter outreach could lead to a devastating result for the Republican Party on Election Day.
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During an interview on Fox News Sunday, Mike Pence fell apart when confronted with the reliably conservative program turned on his running mate Donald Trump.

Video:

https://youtu.be/uAokvqEx1-w

Transcript via Fox News Sunday:



WALLACE: You and he spent a day defending his remarks, saying that they were serious. Now, Trump says that he was being sarcastic.

So, Governor, which is it?

PENCE: Well, I think he was being very serious, and he was making a point that needs to be made, that there is no question that the failed policies of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in the wider Middle East, created a vacuum within Iraq in which ISIS was able to arise. Theres essentially no question 

WALLACE: So then why is he saying he was sarcastic?

PENCE: Well, he was making a very serious point, and look 

WALLACE: Forgive me, why did he say he was being sarcastic?

PENCE: Well, he was making a very serious point. Donald Trump has a way of talking to get peoples attention, and its drawn attention to a very important issue.

There was a time when any Democrat president knew where the buck stopped in the White House. And the responsibility for the failed policies in the Middle East that created the environment where ISIS developed belongs to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the American people know that.

WALLACE: Governor, those are all perfectly legitimate points to make, but that isnt what Trump said. He said that Obama and Clinton were the most valuable players of ISIS, that they were the co-founders of ISIS. Then he said, well, I was just being sarcastic about that, just as he said he was just being sarcastic about inviting Russia to come in and release e-mails of Hillary Clintons.

Isnt the sarcastic excuse getting a bit old?

PENCE: Well, no, I dont think its getting old at all, Chris. Donald Trump made his way through a very competitive primary because he spoke not like your typical politician, but just plainly like an every day American. And speaking plainly is exactly what the American people will anticipate in the course of this election, but more importantly, theyre going to have a president who tells them exactly whats on his mind, and the American people are going to hear and hear him loudly.



Gov. Pence was a deer in headlights during this interview as Fox News Sunday turned on his running mate on national television. Fox News personalities like Sean Hannity have been defending on a nightly basis, but the daytime programming has seen a noticeable change in tone on Trump.

Pence couldnt defend Trumps comments, and the line of questioning that Chris Wallace pursued on Fox News Sunday suggests that the reports that the Republican Party is preparing to dump Trump are credible. The tone of Fox News programming tends to follow the Republican Party.

Trump is clearly in trouble within the Republican Party. Fox News Sunday had let favored Republicans off the hook in the past when they didnt want to answer a difficult question, so it is revealing that Chris Wallace wouldnt let the Republican nominee for vice president off of the hook.

Fox News appears to be preparing their viewers for a big letdown. There is no talk of skewed polls on Fox this time around. Fox News isnt repeating their 2012 attempt to create a false narrative of a Republican victory in November. Signs are growing that not only is the Republican Party preparing to dump Trump, but Fox News and Fox News Sunday are too.

Mike Pence was supposed to be the reason for Republicans to vote for Donald Trump, but Fox News Sunday just threw out Gov. Pence along with the Trump trash.
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Donald Trump cant handle the fact that he is losing to Hillary Clinton, and he is blaming the media for his unpopularity in the polls.

Trump tweeted:

My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

What Trump isnt telling his supporters about the cameras at his rallies is that he controls where the cameras are positioned. A report in March of 2016 confirmed that the Trump campaign dictates the specific details of where the cameras are placed at his rallies. It is Donald Trump who has insisted that the crowds not be shown and that the cameras be focused on the stage and him at all times.

Trump is supposed to be an expert deal maker, but after negotiating a bad deal for himself, he has chosen to lie, and misrepresent the facts.

The Republican nominee has never had high approval ratings with the American people. Before he won the Republican nomination. polls suggested that Trump would be the most unpopular nominee in US political history. Instead of getting more popular as the campaign goes on, Donald Trump is getting less popular.

His declining popularity has nothing to do with media coverage.

Trump doesnt understand that the primary is different from the general election. The Republican nominee has refused to change his tone to appeal to the general electorate. Donald Trump is still running the same campaign that won him the Republican nomination, and he doesnt get why he is being beaten by Hillary Clinton.

The broader electoral market isnt buying Donald Trumps product. The media isnt ruining Trumps campaign. The only person responsible for Trumps growing failure as the Republican nominee is Donald J. Trump.
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Donald Trump is now threatening to abolish First Amendment press freedoms if he is elected president.

A New York Times article about the fact that Trump is running out of time to right his sinking campaign set the Republican nominee off.

Trump tweeted:

Crooked Hillary Clinton is being protected by the media. She is not a talented person or politician. The dishonest media refuses to expose!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

I am not only fighting Crooked Hillary, I am fighting the dishonest and corrupt media and her government protection process. People get it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

It is not "freedom of the press" when newspapers and others are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2016

The first two tweets were the standard rantings of a candidate who is losing, but trying to work the media refs. It is the last tweet that has Constitutional experts and journalists concerned.

Trump doesnt understand that the First Amendment gives the press protection to publish any information or opinion that they desire. If Donald Trump thinks that the press has published something false about him, he is free to sue for libel. In May, Trump held a press conference where personally attacked members of the media.

CNNs Dana Bash responded by explaining live on the air, the role of a free press in our society,  Number one, it is our jobs to ask questions particularly of public figures especially somebody who wants to be the leader of the free world when they make a promise, and they do it in a very public way like he did with this big rally for veterans, it is our job to say wheres the money? Where did it go? How much did you raise? It is a fundamental requirement of a free press. Its what makes us different than North Korea or other places. And he hasnt had to answer questions like this in his prior life, hes been a public figure for decades, and he hasnt had to answer questions because hes been a public figure in the press if you will, but hes been a private citizen. Its a different ballgame now, so it is up to us to ask the questions.

Donald Trump doesnt believe in the free press. He wants state run media who lavish unquestioning praise on him like the regimes in Russia, China, and North Korea receive from state-run media.

Trump has already promised to launch a full-fledged assault on the free press. In February 2016, Trump said that he was gonna open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money.

The Republican nominee is making his intentions clear. If he is elected president, America will no longer be a free society, and the first target for elimination will be the free press.
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich.  Michigan authorities say they have recovered the body of a 30-year-old Winona man from Lake St. Clair.

Macomb County sheriff's officials say they located the body of Craig Moir on Friday night in about 10 feet of water near the Clinton River and off the shore of Macomb County's Harrison Township.

Divers searched a large area of the lake for several hours after being notified that the man was missing. He was one of two people on a boat who decided to swim, but the other person returned to the vessel that had drifted away.

Authorities say the boat's owner, a 32-year-old St. Clair Shores man, was arrested on a charge of operating while under the influence. The two other passengers were interviewed and released.
We have reached many milestones and witnessed plenty of success stories at the Guam Department of Labor during my current tenure, but I will b Read moreGDOL wants to be a part of your employment solutions
In the civilized world, summer camp means hiking, swimming, campfires, maybe learning how to tie knots. But in Gaza, where Hamas rules, summer camp means learning how to murder Jews. MEMRI has pictures of the camp activities that are going on under the supervision of Hamass Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades.

We learned how to use knives at Boy Scout camp, but this was never part of the training:

You often read about Arabs carrying out attacks with machetes. This is what they are talking about:

Firearms, of course, are an important part of a childs training, but its not exactly an NRA firearms safety course:

Summer camp training in Gaza isnt only about weapons and techniques of terrorism (use of tunnels is another class); it is also ideological:

According to Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam officials, the goal of the camps is to stoke the embers of jihad among the generation of liberation, to inculcate Islamic values and to prepare the army of victory for liberating Palestine.

Would someone please to Hamas that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism? Somehow they never seem to get the message.
Last week I took a look at the modern folk supergroup Cry Cry Cry. I hoped to inspire interest in the songs or the performers. Over the next few weeks I thought I would post videos of some of the same kind of lesser known songs that have hit me with the force of revelation at various points in my life. To me they feel like stones in the road.

This is inherently personal. If the idea rubs you the wrong way and you dont have something good to say in the comments, please dont say it. As Kenny Loggins puts it in Peace of Mind  one of the songs that probably belongs here  Blessed be the one who can understand why people have to act that way Ill add a personal note or two about the song and/or the performer to try to pique your interest.

Richard Thompson made a name for himself in the British folk group Fairport Convention. He subsequently met and married Linda Peters, with whom he released a classic series of albums. The series of albums with Linda Thompson culminated in Shoot Out the Lights, chronicling the breakup of their marriage. If a limited vocalist, he is nevertheless a terrific guitarist and songwriter.

Thompson wrote the song Persuasion with Tim Finn, formerly of the group Crowded House and a talented musician in his own right. In the video below, Richard performs Persuasion with his son, Teddy Thompson. I think Teddy inherited the vocal gifts of his mother. The father-son version of a song inviting the renewal of a relationship hits home in a special way, as you can observe watching the audience in the video below. The video quality is not good, but the sound is terrific.

I love the folk artist Jonatha Brooke. She teamed up with her Amherst classmate Jennifer Kimball to form The Story for her first few albums. One of the highlights of her work with Kimball is Jonathas song So Much Mine, a song about a wayward daughter told from the point of view of the mother. The live solo version below lacks Jennifer Kimballs moving harmony part, but Jonatha brings out all the feelings in the song in this live performance. Wheres the heart in me that made the one in you so cold? What a superb song.

As a folk duo, Jonatha and Jennifer must have studied up on Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Indeed, Jonatha contributed the Paul Simon tribute to the excellent out-of-print compilation Bleecker Street: Greenwich Village in the 60s. Jonatha leads off the compilation with a knockout version of Simons Bleecker Street (below), from the first Simon & Garfunkel album. Its a young mans song; Simon was still finding his voice and quickly perfecting his craft. Its a long road to Canaan on Bleecker Street

Venturing out on her own, Jonatha has pursued a successful solo career. We went to see Jonathas autobiographical one-woman show My Mother Has Four Noses in New York two years ago. Jonatha wrote the book, the music, and the lyrics. We left with tears in our eyes. What a moving show.

I wrote about the show in Jonatha Brooke gets it down. I even posted a picture of myself with Jonatha in the lobby after the show. Hey, I said these are personal notes.
Milwaukee is the latest scene of anti-police rioting. Yesterday, rioters set fire to a gas stations, a bank branch, a beauty supply company, and an auto parts store. Three people were in the gas station. All managed to escape unharmed.

The rioters also attacked a line of police officers who had been dispatched in response to the lawlessness. When the officers got in their cars to leave, some in the crowd started smashing the windows and side of a squad car. Another vehicle was set on fire.

Officers returned to the scene, this time with more in riot gear. At that point, as many as seven gun shots were heard.

The rioting occurred after a police officer shot and killed an armed male. Reportedly, two officers stopped two suspects in a car at around 3:30 p.m. The suspects took off on foot.

One of the suspects was armed with a semi-automatic handgun. An officer ordered this suspect to stop and drop his gun. When the suspect did neither, the officer fired several times hitting him twice. The suspect reportedly had 23 rounds in his gun.

The police department says the officer was wearing a body camera that it believes was operational during the stop and chase. If so, we may be able to get a clear and unfiltered understanding of what happened.

We already know that the dead suspect was an African-American. In addition, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that sources say the officer who killed him was also African-American.

If so, whatever else turns out to be true, we can say that the shooting was not the product of white racism (though I suspect there are unhinged left-wing professors who would argue otherwise).

It also appears that the dead suspect had a lengthy arrest record. The police department says the handgun he was carrying when he was killed had been stolen in a March burglary. The owner reported that 500 rounds of ammunition also were stolen.

Two African-American politicians, Aldermen Russell W. Stamper II and Khalif Rainey, promptly blamed the rioting on alleged oppression of blacks in Milwaukee. Mark Hale, a 52 year-old African-American who has lived in Milwaukee all his life, had a different take. He attributed the fires to businesses and squad cars to a lot of idiots who dont have jobs and dont want to have jobs. By way of contrast, Hale said that his four children all are training or studying to be in law enforcement.

Rainey called Milwaukee the worst place to live for African-Americans in the entire country. Rectify this immediately, he demanded.

Rainey may be exaggerating about life for African-Americans in Milwaukee. In some areas of the city, though, life certainly is no picnic.

Take the area near where the police tried to stop the now-deceased suspect. According to the Journal Sentinel, one block away, there was a homicide the previous day. Four blocks away, there was a double homicide Saturday morning. Five people died in shooting-related homicides during a nine-hour stretch in Milwaukee on Friday night and Saturday morning.

This is the sort of area that the U.S. Department of Justice apparently believes the Baltimore police force pays too much attention to.

It seems likely that when the two Milwaukee police officers stopped the two suspects, including the one armed with a semiautomatic pistol and 23 rounds of ammunition, they were trying in their small way to rectify that which makes Milwaukee such a dangerous place for African-Americans to live.

It might even be that the officers prevented more homicides. I doubt that the dead suspect who refused to comply with the officers instructions was carrying the stolen gun and ammo for a a benign purpose.

With riots in the streets of Milwaukee and the U.S. Department of Justice already sniffing around, the upshot may well be less policing of dangerous Milwaukee neighborhoods, more thugs on the loose, and even more black homicide victims.

UPDATE: Four Milwaukee police officers were injured during the rioting. Each was hospitalized but has been released.

The worst injury was to a female police officer. She was hit by a piece of concrete, suffering a concussion and lacerations that required seven stitches.

It could have been worse for her, and presumably those who hurled concrete at police wanted it to be.

On Sunday, several gunshots were fired near a police station. However, it did not appear that the building was hit.
Todays Star Tribune carries yet another story celebrating this past Tuesdays primary victory of Somali American Ilhan Omar over 22-term incumbent Phyllis Kahn for the DFL nomination to represent District 60B in the state legislature. How did she do it? Ilhan Omar dominated among students, rivals analysis show.

In Ilhan Omar: Her back pages we raised the question whether Omar married her brother in 2009 for dishonest purposes. If so, she may have committed bigamy as well as participated in immigration fraud of one kind or another. Whether she did or not is certainly a matter of legitimate public interest with respect to a politician seeking higher office. If I didnt have it right, I didnt want to write about it. I still dont.

Posing the relevant questions to the Omar campaign  both its campaign manager and its press spokesman  we received a response on Omars behalf from a criminal defense attorney. Now I should think that is newsworthy all by itself.

Yet the response was also newsworthy for what it said, or rather didnt say. It didnt deny any relevant fact. Rather, it falsely disparaged my motives as bigoted. I find that disgusting.

This is the response of the Omar campaign to my questions provided by Minneapolis criminal defense attorney Jean Brandl:

There are people who do not want an East African, Muslim woman elected to office and who will follow Donald Trumps playbook to prevent it. Ilhan Omars campaign sees your superfluous contentions as one more in a series of attempts to discredit her candidacy. Ilhan Omars campaign will not be distracted by negative forces and will continue to focus its energy on creating positive engagement with community members to make the district and state more prosperous and equitable for everyone.

If the Star Tribune were to ask any of the questions I posed to the Omar campaign, it would not receive  dare I say it?  such a superfluous response. Will the Star Tribune ask the question? That is my question of the day.
It was when the red mound of earth landed on the casket with a thud that I realized my sisters 39-year sojourn in this life had finally come to an end.

And what an agonizing end it was.

Her husband handed over the shovel to the grave digger, stood aside, and watched silently while the priest raised a hymn for a peaceful journey to the after-life.

The voices of the other priests, about half a dozen of them, rose in chorus as the grave diggers, perspiring profusely under the noon sun, began heaping the red earth back into the grave, every motion gradually taking the white casket out of our view.

My elder brother, eyes bloodshot, watched silently as more earth hit the casket. My youngest siblings shoulders heaved and ebbed in between sobs. My two sisters couldnt summon enough courage to stand at the graveside.

I stood under a tree, a few metres from the rest and watched, a wave of exhaustion gradually sweeping over me.

The past three months had been the most tortuous moments of my life; and tears had become a coping mechanism for the anguish I felt.

The tears had been what had kept my sanity.

That day in March when my sister arrived Lagos for cancer treatment and I had gone to Festac to see her; the sight of her shrunken frame as she stood patiently under the sun waiting for me to park the car, her wig barely covering her apparent baldness, brought tears to my eyes.

But little did I know I would be swimming in my own tears in the coming weeks.

The morning we got to oncology section of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and I saw cancer walking on two legs and immediately realized what we are up against, I cried.

One day we were at the bank so she could withdraw money and the bank teller refused because her signatures didnt match the one in their system.

The bank manager intervened, but only after I had began creating a scene in the banking hall. Later, at night, when the days events began flashing through my head, and I remembered how she struggled to hold the pen so she could sign on the bank slip, the look of frustration on her face as she tried to hold down her trembling right hand with an equally trembling left hand: the reason for her irregular signatures, I wept.

I cried the day the doctors at Eko Hospital fired the first shots of radiation rays into her that effectively confined her to a wheelchair.

I cried the day I discovered she could no longer chew solid food, and we had to mash her meals for her.

I cried the day the pains were so much she could no longer lift her hand to eat and we had to be begin spoon-feeding her.

I cried all the way home from the office the day my younger sister called to say the doctor had advised we bring over the five-year old son to come and spend some time with his sick mother: the import of that advice hit me so hard.

During those days, I tried to bury myself with work, laugh a lot with friends and colleagues, so I could shield the hurt inside. At night, I prayed long and hard.

One Sunday, the doctor at the private hospital wed moved her to after her radiotherapy treatments invited myself and my brother-in-law into his tiny, cramped office to break the news to us.

Medically, he began, my sister had reached the end of the road. The cancer had spread all over her body, including her lungs, and the only thing he could do was administer end of life care.

I felt myself gasping for air as I clutched tightly to my chair for support, my head spinning over what Id just heard.

It was the most devastating thing Id ever heard.

Just 24 hours earlier, when we were looking for a solution to her persistent cough, wed taken her for an x-ray, on the doctors advice, and the result came back that her chest was clear. My brother-in-law had high-fived me as we savoured what seemed like the first streaks of light at the end of this cancerous tunnel.

That victory, however, was short-lived.

Your only option now is for God to heal her. The doctor continued.

And we turned to God.

A frantic preparation was begun, to move her to a healing ground, any healing ground, and after a couple of days we secured an appointment at a church on Thursday.

Three days later, at night, the doctor summoned me to the hospital. I arrived an hour later to see my sister lying lifeless, a white crisp cloth pulled over her entire frame.

That night, nobody listened to my pleas.

I held the lifeless body tightly, crying and begging her to wake up, she didnt listen.

I turned to the doctor and nurses, tears clouding my vision, pleading that they do something to revive her, they didnt listen.

I pleaded with God to bring her back; if He heard me, He did not show it.

It was a police officer that listened to me.

As I drove home around past midnight, tears still rolling down my cheeks as all our fond memories played back in my brain, I ran into a police checkpoint.

Oga, where you dey go or come from by this time. The police officer waved at me as he swung his baton from his right hand into his left armpit.

I stopped and put on my inner light.

Oga, I say where you dey come from by this time? He repeated, adjusting the battered cap on his head as he peered into my face, and then over my head to the rear of the car.

Why you dey cry? Who beat you? His gaze returned to my face.

I told him I was returning from the hospital where I had just lost my sister.

Ooooh. Sorry to hear that. God go console you.

I thanked him and begged him to let me be on my way.

He listened. But after he had inquired: Do you have anything for us?

As I eased my foot off the brake pedal and continued my journey, my thoughts returned to my sister.

A lot of questions begged me for answers.

How could this happen? After everything wed done, the lengths we went, the sacrifices we made.

What did we do wrong? Where did we go wrong?

Why did this happen?

It was in 2014 when my sister noticed three unnatural lumps in her left breast. Quickly, she informed the doctors at the hospital where she worked. She wanted them removed.

Against her insistence, the doctors removed two of the lumps, telling her the third, smaller one, was normal and its removal would disfigure her breast.

She insisted that it be removed nonetheless.

Are you teaching us our job? The doctors fired back.

And the typical doctor-nurse argument ensued.

Nine months later, that third, smaller lump had disintegrated into several tiny particles that made them impossible to remove.

Surgery became inevitable.

In January, 2015, she had a mastectomy at a private clinic in Surulere, Lagos, followed by a six-course chemotherapy that left her bald.

When it was time for the post-mastectomy radiotherapy, there were brick walls.

The Teaching Hospital where she worked did not have the equipment, so she went for the one at the neighbouring Teaching Hospital in Enugu; the machine had broken down.

It was the same story at the Teaching Hospital in Benin and the National Hospital, Abuja.

She spent the subsequent 6  8 months criss-crossing the entire country searching for the equipment for her chemotherapy. From Enugu, back to Benin, then to Abuja, back to Benin, then Enugu again.

By January, this year, we learnt the radiotherapy equipment at the Usman Dan Fodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, was working. As she prepared for the long journey to Sokoto, another news came that the one in LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital) had become operational again.

She returned to Lagos.

The LUTH equipment broke down days later, before it got to her turn.

We decided to go private, and turned to Eko Hospital.

But it was too late.

Maybe if we had turned to private clinics all the while she was hopping from one federal hospital to another, the outcome might have been different.

Maybe if she had just gone ahead and done double mastectomy last year, it would have saved everyone these emotional trauma.

Maybe if she had gone to another doctor to have that third, smaller lump, removed, she might still be calling me today to know how Im surviving in Lagos.

Exactly four weeks after she began her radiotherapy treatment at Eko Hospital, she breathed her last.

Dear sister, even though the battle was lost, you were dogged and determined till the very end.

Adieu.
Kano lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, on Saturday called on anti-corruption agencies in the country to probe widespread acts of money laundering in the House of Representatives, saying the pattern has become entrenched in the lower chamber.

Mr. Jibrin said there was no better time for the authorities to revive pending money laundering cases than now.

The money laundering issue has become a pattern over the years in the House, Mr. Jibrin said in an email to PREMIUM TIMES. It is time for the anticorruption agencies to move in decisively!

PREMIUM TIMES had in December 2015 reported that between 2009 and 2015, the management arm of the federal legislature led by the Clerk, Salisu Maikasuwa, his predecessor, Yemi Ogunyomi, and their representatives, extensively violated the Money Laundering Act (2004, 2011) in banking transactions leading to the withdrawals of about N42 billion of public funds.

PREMIUM TIMES redistributed the report on Twitter and Facebook on Saturday.

The investigative report said members of the lawmaking arms of the legislature  Senate and the House of Representatives  were also involved in the violation of an Act they laboured for months to enact.

Mr. Jibrin, who has been in open war of words with the leadership of the House since he was removed as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation last month, also said Speaker Yakubu Dogara was responsible for the allegations of corruption being reported about him in the media.

Some reports on Saturday suggested that Mr. Jibrin was trying to restrain security agencies from prosecuting him for his alleged corrupt practices.

But Mr. Jibrin in his statement said Nigerians should dismissed the report because they were being sponsored by Mr. Dogara and others who might not be comfortable with his campaign against corruption.

Speaker Dogara and his internal and external corrupt group have embarked on a very expensive media campaign to damage my reputation, I urge them to rather prepare for their imminent prosecution.

No amount of media propaganda, blackmail or intimidation can stop me. They are very bitter because I have turned down a family resolution to the crisis, Mr. Jibrin said.

Mr. Dogaras spokesman, Turaki Hassan, said he would call back in a minute to comment for this story. He is yet to do so.
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Sunday said Nigerians were suffering under the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Muhammadu Buhari because the country is in the hands of wrong managers who do not know what to do and out of nepotism, not ready to be assisted by those who know.

Nigerians are suffering, hungry and angry because the APC federal government has run the country aground, Mr. Fayose said in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka. Nigeria has gone beyond recession, the economy has collapsed completely and painfully, those who should revive the economy do not have any clue as to what to do.

The governor argued that Nigeria was experiencing the worst form of nepotism in the history of government in the country, saying, nepotism is the reason our President discarded competent people in his party that should be running the government with him and opted for his relatives, friends, in-laws and very close associates.

The only qualification to hold key positions in the Presidency is to know a certain nephew of the President or be a member of his family, thats is nepotism and what nepotism breeds is incompetence.

The most influential person in the Presidency today is said to be one

Mamman Daura, who is a nephew of the President. Personal Assistant to President Buhari is said to be the son of Mamman Daura while the State Chief of Protocol is said to be married to Mamman Dauras daughter.

It is also the height of nepotism that apart from just two, all security chiefs and heads of all the paramilitary agencies in Nigeria, as well as all the political-heads overseeing all the military and paramilitary arms and agencies are from the North of Nigeria.

He said President Buhari was obviously being tormented by fear of the unknown, which he described as the main reason people take to nepotism.

As a leader, you dont need to fear anything. But the moment a leader peeps into the future, realising that his lack of capacity could have consequential effects on him, such a leader will definitely resort to nepotism to protect himself.

Also, the moment a government is unable to guarantee the existence of the people, it must resort to nepotism to protect itself and that is exactly what is being witnessed in Nigeria, especially with the lopsided appointments of security Chiefs and key functionaries of the Federal Government, he said.

While lamenting the parlous state of the countrys economy, Governor Fayose said, Most of those people that aided the emergence of President Buhari must be having a rethink now, but it is too late!

Interestingly, political affiliation has nothing to do with hunger, poverty and lack.

Exchange rate was less than N200 to $1 when President Buhari took over power, as at today, it has gone beyond N400 to $1 and Naira is still undergoing a free fall. One bag of rice was less than N8, 000 as at May 2016, it is now N20, 000. Kerosene is now beyond the reach of the masses.

Nigerians voted for change because the APC promised them solutions to the countrys problems, but all we hear every day from the APC Federal Government are complaints upon complaints as if Nigerians elected a government of complaints.

Obviously, the APC government has failed Nigerians and the President has resorted to putting his immediate family members and close associates in key government positions to protect himself from the fear of the unknown that has enveloped him.
A week after the commencement of 2016 Hajj airlift in Nigeria, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has announced the airlift of about 20,000 Nigerian pilgrims to the Holy Land.

The Commission on Sunday said already, the first batch of Zamfara state contingents are preparing to leave Medina for Makkah.

An official of the Commission, Adamu Abdullahi, informed PREMIUM TIMES that airlift of pilgrims from the various departure centres is progressing steadily with records of little hitches.

Mr. Abdullahi said the first batch of Zamfara pilgrims whose flight was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in Sokoto on August 8, would leave Medina for Makkah after staying the prescribed eight day in the second holiest city

He said with the steady progress made so far, coupled with the number of aircraft made available for the operation by the airlines, the airlift of pilgrims may be completed before the closure of Saudi Arabia airspace.

Ilorin Zone which comprises Kwara, Ondo and Ekiti states with a population of over 2000 pilgrims is expected to conclude its operation early morning on Monday with the airlift of remaining 454 pilgrims and officials made up of Ekiti 178 , Kwara 258 and Ondo 18, he said.

The Chairman of NAHCON, Abdullahi Mukhtar, had promised during the flag off ceremony in Sokoto last Monday to ensure the completion of hajj airlift before the September 4 deadline set by the Saudi General Authority on Civil Aviation, GACA.
Eighty-six students of Bauchi origin who are on state government scholarship at Igbinedion University, Edo State, risked being sent out from the university due to Bauchi governments inability to pay their fees.

Sixty-four of the 86 students are studying medicine and medical-related courses such as pharmacy, nursing, medical laboratory sciences, and microbiology.

The scholarship programe was initiated by the past administration of Isa Yuguda, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

The affected students, in an email sent to PREMIUM TIMES, said the university management informed them that the school was tired of their indebtedness, and might no longer allow them to continue attending lectures.

We have been subjected to all kinds of humiliation, embarrassment and psychological trauma because every day we are being told we are defaulters who are reaping from the tuitions paid by other students especially those not under any scholarship, the students said in the mail sent on their behalf by one Aliyu Musa.

Although the scholarship programme covers their welfare as well, the students said they resorted to begging on campus for survival, since they had not received upkeep allowance for two years now from the Bauchi government.

Please we need help. We want Nigerians to help us beg Bauchi state government to pity our conditions and save us from being pushed out of the campus, and also save our future, the students pleaded.

The Registrar, Igbinedion University, Eddy Okoro, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the affected students had not paid their tuition fees for three years now.

Mr. Okoro said, For God sake, this is a private university and not a charity organization.

The university may soon take the ultimate option of sending the students away from the campus, the registrar said.

He said the school had approached the Bauchi government several times on the issue, without getting any positive response.

It is not a normal thing to allow students seat for examinations without paying their fees. But we gave that consideration to the state governments candidates because they are from corporate outfits.

Our private students are not allowed to write examinations when they dont pay their fees. We have students from the federal government amnesty programme, they pay.

Of course you cant treat corporate clients like you treat the private students; a government is a government. But on this case, the government has just refused to act; nobody is talking to you despite several entreaties to them.

Usman Abdulwahab, 21 years old pharmacy student, ranked as the overall best student in the university, will be among those to withdraw from studies, when the university eventually decides to shut its door against the affected students.

The school registrar, Mr. Okoro, who confirmed Mr. Abdulwahabs excellence academic performance to this newspaper, said the scholarship programme wasnt a bad investment at all for the Bauchi government.

The students are really doing well, Mr. Okoro said.

Besides Mr. Abdulwahab who the registrar said is classified as a scholar, the other Bauchi students have also excelled in their respective classes.

One of them, a female sophomore student of medicine, Rahmat Minkael, tops her class as overall best.

Also, 16 of the students have so far made it to the First Class level, while many of them are within the Second Class Upper region.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the Permanent Secretary, Bauchi State Ministry of Education, Nasiru Yalwa, he said the problem was inherited from the former administration of Mr. Yuguda.

Mr. Yalwa explained the effort the government was making to settle the problem.

Last time, about two months ago, the officials of the Igbinedion University came to Bauchi and we discussed with them and my Honorable Commissioner, and since then we have processed the case, and we are just waiting for the release of the fund which I believe will be very soon, he said.
Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, has responded to growing criticisms of President Muhammadu Buharis handling of the nations economy, saying people were just being unfair to the president.

Mr. Shehu, in an opinion articled sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, said the last few weeks had witnessed the heaviest public criticism of the Muhammadu Buhari administration since he came to power.

Mr. Shehu said much of the criticisms against the president were based on unresolved social and economic problems facing the country.

When they ask the question, is this the change we voted for, the critic forgets how far we have come from the scam-tainted years of the PDP rule, Mr. Shehu said in the article titled In Defence of President Buhari: Is This The Change We Voted For? Yes, It Is!

Mr. Shehu said, Unfair criticism of the Buhari administration especially on account of escalating prices of foodstuff and the liberalization of the currency exchange needs to be challenged before it overshadows the commendable job the President has done in fighting terrorism as part of overall effort to secure the country, reducing corruption and yes, arresting the economic slide before it sinks the nation.

The presidential spokesperson mentioned the achievement of Mr. Buhari to include the victory over Boko Haram and the ongoing war against corruption in Nigeria, which he said has earned the country international respect.

It is a proud moment for many citizens that the country is being perceived differently now that it has a different kind of leader creating a positive buss abroad, the kind of sentiment that can lead to foreign investments when properly capitalized upon.

Wherever they go these days, in London, Dubai, Beijing, Washington, New York or Tokyo, Nigerians get the good feeling of being asked the question, how is President Muhammadu Buhari?

Mr. Shehu said the removal of subsidies on petrol products had saved the government more than N2 trillion annually, adding that The currency liberalization and the deregulation of the petroleum products sale will make President Buhari one of the best presidents till date.

Comparing the fight against Boko Haram with the war against the global terror group, ISIS, Mr. Shehu said, How many people have given a thought to the possibility of Nigeria doing something that the combined strength of Europe and America have failed to do?

There are many today who take for granted the declared victory over the Boko Haram terrorists, forgetting the reign of the bomber who made it almost impossible for regular attendance in Churches and Mosques in many of our cities, including the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

Victory over Boko Haram has brought peace not only to Nigeria but to the countries in the Lake Chad region.

On the economic front, Mr. Shehu said the president has been affected by ill-luck in the drastic drop in oil prices.

In addition to hard work, all leaders need luck on their side to create what is sometimes seen as economic miracles. As leader, President Buhari never had the luxury of high oil prices as did his predecessors in office.

When he first emerged as the military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari saw oil price, the mainstay of the nations economy sank to as low eight Dollars a barrel.

He rolled up his sleeves, worked on diversification strategy of the economy only to be eased out of power just as they began to take hold. Thereafter, his successors abandoned these efforts.

On his second coming, this time as a democratically elected leader, the collapse of oil prices has challenged President Buhari to quicken efforts towards the diversification of the economy with emphasis given to agriculture and solid minerals mining.

Every crisis, it is said, is an opportunity. Not so in Nigeria. This is a county that inherited massive technological inventions from Biafra, yet failed to take it forward. We must not lose this opportunity to diversify the economy and our foreign earnings presented by the present oil crisis.

As the country hopes for a bumper harvest this year, government is taking steps to ensure that no farmer will sell at a loss or fail to find markets for their harvests. Grain silos are being readied nationwide to receive excess produce for warehousing to ensure food security, avert market glut and price collapse. By this, government will ensure a minimum guaranteed price.
The Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, on Sunday said the inability of health officials to access remote areas held by Boko Haram insurgents is the reason for the resurgence of polio in the state.

Mr. Shettima said the two areas in the state where the recent outbreak occurred could not be accessed from December 2013 to early 2016.

The recent detection of polio in Borno means Nigerias hopes of having no polio cases in three consecutive years has been dashed.

The governor spoke on Sunday in Mainok Village, Kaga local government area where he launched a million dollars food and farming aide donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The food and farming programme targets some 40,000 victims of the Boko Haram insurgency who are being resettled to their communities.

Back in November, 2013, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation even awarded Borno State for being the most committed to fighting polio in the northeast despite our insurgency, Mr. Shettima said. The basis of the recent outbreak of polio is largely due to the unimaginable condition we found ourselves.

From December 2013 to the end of 2015, we had hundreds of communities in 20 local government areas seized by Boko Haram. Many roads were practically under their command; citizens including young children wondered for months around the deserts and forests, scampering for safety in the wake of attacks by Boko Haram on their communities.

Thousands of citizens were trapped in communities around the Sambisa, around the shores of the Lake Chad and around territories being administered by Boko Haram. Thousands, including pregnant women and children, were held captive by Boko Haram while hundreds of children were even born in captivity.

Everyone can bear testimony that it was impossible for the Government to have sustained its wide reach in polio immunization under such an atmosphere of war. Now under the current administration, most communities have been freed and this made it possible to diagnose the health of children held captive and those hitherto trapped.

The Borno governor, however, gave hints that the disease would soon be eradicated.

Our communities are mostly free and this makes room for a critical round of aggressive polio eradication campaign in Borno, he said. Unlike before, we dont envisage the killing of health workers administering polio and other preventive vaccines in most of our communities which they couldnt access since 2014.
The Borno State government has Sunday flagged off a food distribution programme using $1 million cash donation recently made by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The programme involves direct distribution of rice and beans as well as helping displaced communities cultivate farms in safe locations.

Flagging off the programme in the liberated village of Mainok, 65km away from Maiduguri, the state capital, Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, said the intervention became necessary with the emerging peace in the state.

Hundreds of villagers gathered in the village primary school where the food items were being shared.

It is in this regard that we are gathered here today to flag off the distribution of a key intervention of $1 million food and farming aide donation by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said Mr Shettima.

The governor said the donation was the first cash donation received by the state government since the floodgates of donations opened in the state.

He said, It is the state government that is carrying out procurements in the implementation of this particular intervention, which is targeting returning and resettling communities by giving them food aide and also helping them return to their family ways of producing food themselves and commercial purposes.

The intervention from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is being used for food supplies and to fund farming activities for households.

Speaking earlier, the state commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Babagana Umara, under whose ministry the programme is being implemented, said as a preliminary stage, beans is being cultivated in a 100 hectares of land acquired by his ministry.

Half hectare of land is being allocated to a farm-family with a target of reaching 200 households, he said. Adding that each household may have from 2 to 10 families members.

He said the farms have been established in Konduga and Damboa Local government areas and each household is allocated fertiliser and other improved seeds and a support service of farm extension officer.

The targeted beneficiaries of the direct food distribution are expected to get a 25 kilogram bag of rice and a 10 kilograms bag of beans.

The intervention is expected to reach 40,000 insurgency victims.

Representatives of the UN system in Maiduguri, Cesar Mbav Tshilombo, who is the Head of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Maiduguri, commended the state government for its passion in ensuring that the displaced people of hidden state.

I have been in the humanitarian services for over 22 years and I have visited 42 African countries, but it is the first time I have seen Africans taking care of their own population by dealing with the crisis like the way I have seen in Borno. I am also commending the ways things are being fixed in Nigeriawe know the times are hard but the government is trying. We in the UNHCR are to lend our helping handing to what the government is doing.

For us as a protection entity we will like to say that this crisis is a protection crisis and the food distribution that is going to be in place today is also provide a solution to the problems that is why we commend the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and also the government of Borno State for making the project a reality.
Mgbaleze Isu community in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State was in a mournful mood weekend as a 36-year-old man, Chijioke Ani, and his wife were found dead in their farm.

Mr. Ani was found dangling from a tree in the farm and his wife battered, in a manner locals suspected to be murder.

According to a local chief, Sylvanus Ani, the couple was seen last on their

way to the farm.

Mr. Ani said, Both of them went to the farm and did not return home; at a time everyone was disturbed so we informed other villagers that helped and mobilized themselves and went in search of them and finally found the wife, Ngozi Chijioke, lying dead in her pool of blood with marks of violence all over her body while Chijioke Ani was found hanging on a tree.

Another villager, Okechukwu Jude, said the mysterious death had given room for insinuations.

We urge the relevant authorities to ascertain the cause of their death and

ensure that such does not in the area again.

It will take us a long time to recover from this shock because the incident is gory and unprecedented, he said.

Police spokesman, George Okafor, confirmed the incident.

He said the man may have killed the wife and hanged himself.

Yes, it is true that the couple died at the farm but I am thinking that may be one thing led to another and the man killed his wife and hanged himself because the area is peaceful, no any dispute in the community, he said.

He assured that the police will get to the root of the incident as investigation into the matter has commenced.
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.




SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DressLily is the ultimate destination for men and women who want to shop for the latest fashion apparels, footwear, accessories, jewelry and lingerie items. The company is constantly looking to upgrade service and 11 August 2016 company management is proud to announce the launch of a new Order Review Function.

According to the management, the order review function will shower redeemable reward points upon the shoppers who leave feedback. The buyers' feedback will be aggregated and analyzed by the company's market analysis team. Feedback drawn will be used to make changes in everything from the purchasing process, payment method, and product return policies. It will also help the company in analyze the quality of their products and better determine future manufacturing partnerships. The points awarded to customers can be used as redeemable cash discounts. Upon checkout customers will be offered to use their points to save some extra cash while helping to improve a company they shop at.

"It was a decision taken by the higher management in order to compile and collate user feedback and use it effectively for betterment of the products we offer and our customer service. Customers who will review the ordering process, shipping, logistics, delivery and all other aspects of our services that directly affect our customers will earn reward points for their time. The reward points are redeemable on the next purchase," told the marketing head of DressLily during a press conference.

"The main objective is to improve our after sales services and customer services. The reward points would encourage our existing customers to leave their valuable feedback. This will help us in a great way to serve them better from the next purchase onwards. It may take some time, but it is worth the time and effort," added the marketing head.

The Marketing Director of DressLily shed more light on the Order Review System during the press conference. He explained the system in its finer details to the press. "We are seeking user feedback for six different aspects of sales and customer service. Customers who are willing to rate our service need to review our shipping, product, payment, customer service, return service, and our website. Customers are also requested to give us an overall rating. We would love to hear from our customers," the Marketing Director added.

http://www.dresslily.com/

SOURCE DressLily
RZESZOW, Poland, LONDON and HONG KONG, August 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Journalists attend the launch of G2A Direct

G2A.COM recently held their third Regional Media Day for journalists who requested an opportunity to visit the company and see its practices up-close in one of their offices in Rzeszow, Poland. G2A's Regional Media Day seeks to explain in detail how G2A works hard to serve some of the 2 billion gamers in the world. Journalists were given an up-to-date picture of G2A innovations for them to share with their readers or viewers in their respective regions. They were given an opportunity to interview key department heads, thus enabling them to strengthen the relationship that they have with G2A.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160814/397905 )



(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160814/397906 )



(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160814/397907 )





The journalists were given a full tour of the G2A premises, providing them with an eye-opening experience of how G2A operates. The journalists learnt of the G2A story - from its humble beginnings in 2010 to the multi-award winning organization that it is today. They experienced a ride through G2A Land (using the famous virtual reality technological device, Oculus glasses), as well as enjoying the company's recreational games-room and gym.

They attended a series of detailed presentations about various aspects of the G2A product offering, including, among others, G2A Pay: the dynamic payment ecosystem that offers online businesses a payment solution with over 150 payment methods; 3D Printing, recent VR Oculus developments, and they were present at the ground breaking launch of G2A Direct for developers.

The most anticipated part of their visit were meetings with both CEO Bartosz Skwarczek and CMO Dawid Rozek, co-founders of G2A, as this gave them an exclusive opportunity to ask questions concerning G2A and its role within the gaming industry. The journalists gained a deeper insight into the workings of the company, its open-doors policy for co-operation with developers and producers and the measures it takes to secure the digital gaming marketplace for all concerned - while at the same time enhancing the user experience.

The Journalists toured Rzeszow, a city famous for its innovation and rapid growth, sampled traditional Polish meals in the Rzeszowski Rynek, the charming historic market square in Rzeszow, as well as enjoying a historic tour.

As the world's fastest growing digital marketplace, G2A welcomes feedback from all corners of the gaming community and is committed to further improving the user experience for their 10 million customers. Journalists interested in knowing more should contact: gpr@g2a.com

Author: Jacqueline Purcell - jpurcell@G2A.com

SOURCE G2A.com
Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump watch as he speaks during a campaign rally Aug. 5 in Green Bay.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Adviser to the Saudi Defense Minister and Spokesman for the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen Brigadier General Ahmed Hassan Asseri said that the Saudi-led coalition bombed a Houthi training camp yesterday. General Asseri strongly refuted charges that the coalition had attacked a Yemeni school.

"The aircraft has bombed a training camp for the coup militias called Huda in Saada," said Gen. Asseri. "Why would children be at a training camp?" he questioned.

The bombing resulted in the deaths of militia fighters, including Houthi leader Abu Yahya Abu Rabaa, who was responsible for training at the camp, at which the rebels had been training child soldiers.

The Houthi practice of recruiting or coercing children for combat and combat-support roles has been well documented by the coalition and humanitarian groups. The Houthis have been recruiting or impressing children into their ranks and using them as scouts, guards, messengers and even fighters.

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office
New Delhi : Title: Sleepwalking to Surrender - Dealing with Terrorism in Pakistan; Author: Khaled Ahmed; Publisher: Penguin Random House India; Pages: 470; Price: Rs 599 A Quetta hospital on August 8, a Lahore park in March, a Karachi bus in May 2015, a school in Peshawar in December 2014, the Wagah border crossing in November 2014 and many more bombings and shootings on all kind of targets - terror attacks have become endemic in Pakistan with no segment of the population left untouched and the country now unpredictably lethal. And what has the state done in response?

Precious little, says political analyst and columnist Khaled Ahmed, who contends here that the Pakistani state has, in the last decades or so, weakened in face of non-state actors (and their extreme terrorist manifestations), which it had once sought to use for its own ends, and saw severe rollback of its governance powers, especially the monopoly on violence and revenue collection, to them.

Furthermore, in this series of uncompromisingly polemical but incisive essays on the situation on Pakistan, he shows how the country has long put its faith in proxy wars to retain regional significance despite being embroiled in two itself - one religiously sectarian and one ideological (this one voluntarily) - and their insalubrious consequences that linger on to this day.

Also, given due emphasis is the considerable denial among the elite - and large sections of people - about the reasons for their maladies, usually "antagonistic foreign powers" - not only India but also long-time ally and aid-giver, the US.

The thirty-odd essays in this volume derive from Ahmed's writings for Newsweek, of which he is the consulting editor for Pakistan, from 2013 to 2015 and his columns for the Indian Express, most dating from 2014, through there is one each from September 2013 and February this year.

However, there insight and detail saves them from being dated, even when overtaken by consequent developments, to provide a look into how the unholy and toxic mess that Pakistan now finds itself in was brewed, festered and defies efforts to dissipate.

He hits his pitch right from the introductory essay, "Terrorism, Ideology and the Crumbling Stat"", a no-holds-barred critical look at the Nawaz Sharif government's moves in early 2014 for""peace talk"" with the Taliban, and goes to attack religious parties, which""unable to win elections, have always drawn their strength, not from elected assemblies, but from Al Qaeda and the Taliban, as the latter kill in the name of Islam". (He acerbically adds the exceptions being the Shia and Barelvi Sunnis "who are routinely butchered by the Taliban as deviants from the faith").

But it is not only a diatribe as Ahmed seeks to find the reason in the Islamist attitude to education and science and technology, and the different world views on a range of issues, including the scope of criminal law.

Other pieces continue in this vein, sketching the tortuous onward journey of Pakistan, focussing on issues like then army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani's reluctance for operations in North Waziristan (subsequently undertaken by his successor Raheel Sharif), the protests by Imran Khan and Tahir-ul Qadri (with an account of some of Qadri's peers and predecessors), the situation in Karachi (and how it funds the Taliban) and its dacoits, the Lal Masjid siege and its Chinese angle, and the worrying amount of penetration of the armed forces by Jihadi elements and sympathisers (and how revealing this may have led to journalist Saleem Shahzad's murder).

Then, there is a harrowing piece on the plight of the Hazaras in Quetta - and its roots in an episode of the Afghan civil war in the late 1990s, of fortunes of former President Musharraf, how Pakistan somehow managed to avoid entanglement in the Yemen quagmire, on judicial intervention throughout South Asia, and more.

Some of these pieces may deal with matters overtaken by later events or policies that have changed, but there are some that escape time's rigour - especially "Seven Furies that Torment Pakistan" where Ahmed profiles seven female authors who have written path-breaking books on Pakistan (including journalists Emma Duncan, Christina Lamb, Carlotta Gall, Carey Schofield, but also Benazir Bhutto) as well as on veteran politician Syeda Abida Hussain.

Also make this a valuable read are assessments of Jamaat-e-Islami's former leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad (long-considered Pakistan's uncompromising Islamist face but actually pragmatic and empathetic), of generals like Hamid Gul and how 'big' leaders may be a liability for South Asia.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
Chandigarh, Aug 14 : The Punjab government directed the Advocate General office to examine and "take appropriate action" against the Punjab and Harayan High Court order quashing the appointment of legislators as Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs), officials said on Sunday.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said the state government would appeal to the Supreme Court against the high court verdict that the appointment CPSs in the state was "unconstitutional".

"The state government is examining the verdict given by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and an appeal would be filed in the pex court against this decision. The Chief Minister has asked the Advocate General of state to study the entire judgement and take appropriate action as per legal provisions within the ambit of law," the officials said.

A division bench of Justice S.S. Saron and Justice Ramendra Jain gave the ruling on the appointment of the Chief Parliamentary Secretaries on Friday while hearing the two petitions filed four years ago.

The petitioners, both lawyers, contended that the appointment of CPSs by the Badal government was "unconstitutional".

They pointed out that the state was spending lakhs of rupees of public money for paying the salaries, perks and facilities of the CPSs.

The high court order setting aside the appointment of 18 CPSs came six months ahead of the assembly elections in Punjab and has left the state government embarrassed.

The CPS is a post one step lower than a minister, and the ruling party legislators are appointed to these posts by various state governments to accommodate legislators since all cannot be made ministers due to a statutory ceiling allows only 15 per cent of members of the assembly to be given ministerial berths.

The CPSs appointments were made by the Badal government four years ago after it assumed office in Punjab for a second five-year term in March 2012.

The petitioner lawyers contended that the appointment of CPSs by the Badal government was "unconstitutional". They pointed out that the state was spending lakhs of rupees of public money on paying for the salaries, perks and facilities of these CPSs.
New Delhi, Aug 14 : The Jamia Millia Islamia University authorities on Sunday demanded an action against police personnel who entered the campus premises without permission.

"Taking exception to the plain-clothed police personnel entering Jamia Millia Islamia premises without permission, the authorities have written to Delhi Police demanding suitable action against them," the university said in a statement.

Scores of students staged a protest and alleged on Saturday evening that some "raids" were conducted by Delhi Police inside the university hostels.

The police officials told the university that it was a "routine check up" ahead of the Independence Day.

"They (police) conducted the raids to harass the students," a protester, who wanted to remain anonymous, told IANS.

The students also accused Chief Proctor Mehtab Alam of allowing the police to enter the campus premises.

The authorities have appealed to the students to maintain "calm".
Kinshasa, Aug 14 : At least 45 people were killed in a terror attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, an official said on Sunday.

The assailants on Saturday attacked the village of Rwangoma, Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.

DR Congo President Joseph Kabila termed the attack as "pure terrorism".

"The terrorist massacre in the east is not different from what happened in Mali, France, Somalia and other corners of the world," Kabila said.

Suspected militants of the Allied Democratic Forces -- an armed group of Ugandan origin -- were responsible for the attack, the official said.

Several military operations were underway against the militants active in various parts of North Kivu.
Hyderabad, Aug 14 : A teacher died on Sunday and four students were seriously injured when they received an electric shock while preparing for the Independence Day function in their school in Telangana, police said.

The incident occurred in a government-run school in Medikonda village in Koduru mandal of Ranga Reddy district, near here.

Teacher Prabhavati and the students were preparing for the Independence Day function. She was rehearsing flag hoisting when a live electric wire fell on the iron flagpole. She was electrocuted when she came in contact with the pole.

Four children, who tried to save her, sustained critical injuries and were taken to hospital in Vikarabad for treatment.
Mumbai, Aug 14 : The colourists who worked on period drama "Mohenjo Daro" have said the main challenge was to maintain a radiant skin tone for the lead characters while keeping the mood of warm surroundings.

After "Jodhaa Akbar", filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker has gone even further back in time for Hrithik's "Mohenjo Daro".

Media services company Prime Focus delivered Digital Intermediate (DI) Services for the 154-minute film, which is a period adventure drama set during the Indus Valley Civilization, read a statement.

"The main challenge was to maintain a radiant skin tone for the lead characters, with bright sunshine and clear blue skies when the city itself had turned swampy and was engulfed in muddy water," said Prime Focus colourist Makarand Surte.

"We worked hard to create a balance between warm, desaturated surroundings and the sharp, bright atmosphere," Surte added.

Talking about his experience of working with Prime Focus, the film's director of photography C.K. Muraleedharan, said: "I've had a very comfortable and long working relationship with Prime Focus. After '3 Idiots' and 'PK', this is my third time working with Makarand, and yet again I am very pleased with the output we were delivered."

Muraleedharan went through a lot of different looks for the film. Works of different painters were referred to during the setting of the grade for the film, and the team eventually settled on three different colour palettes for three key phases during the film.

Lush greens were used to enhance the beauty of the village from which Sarman (Hrithik's character) sets out in search of Mohenjo Daro. The city of Mohenjo Daro itself was treated with hues of indigo and brown to achieve a warm earthy tone, whereas a wet and muddy look was designed to enhance the flood sequence during the climax of the film.

The film written, produced and directed by Gowariker released on Friday. It also stars beauty queen Pooja Hegde and Kabir Bedi.
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday commended the efforts of the Indian armed forces in tackling terrorists in the Kashmir Valley and thwarting the attack on the Pathankot airbase in Punjab at this year's beginning.

"Your strong and daring response against terrorists who came fully armed from across the border to attack the Pathankot airbase was an inspiration to the nation. I commend the efforts put in by our air warriors and security forces to thwart this attack," Parrikar said in his message to the armed forces on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.

The minister further said: "Our armed forces have shown utmost restraint in tackling terrorists in the Kashmir Valley despite grave provocations. You have also effectively repulsed all ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir from across the border and attempts of terrorists to infiltrate into the country with nefarious designs."

"I deeply mourn the martyrdom of seven of our bravehearts who laid down their lives for the cause of the nation in the counter action," he added.

Parrikar also stressed on the need to "constantly upgrade and modernise our weapon systems and equipment".

"The government has taken many steps to streamline the procurement process and make it faster and transparent. I am sure this would help you in getting the best weapons and defence platforms in the shortest time," he said.

Parrikar said: "Considering the hardships and long separation of jawans from their families when serving in forward and high altitude areas, I have asked the Defence Ministry to complete the Married Accommodation Project on priority."

"This will provide nearly two lakh dwelling units for the married personnel near their places of posting. The third and final phase of MAP is soon expected to be implemented providing 71,000 more dwelling units," he added.

He also shared the pain of the families of the defence personnel on board the AN-32 aircraft which went missing in the Bay of Bengal.

"Recently, one AN-32 aircraft on way to Port Blair went missing in the Bay of Bengal. It was a courier service operated by the IAF (Indian Air Force0 from Tambaram to Port Blair thrice a week. The aircraft had a crew of six and was carrying 23 defence service personnel," he said.

He said the next of kin of the crew and passengers on board are being informed and regular updates on the search operations given to them by nominated officials.

"Inputs from all sources are being thoroughly investigated by ships and aircraft, but it is very unfortunate that no concrete evidence with respect to the missing aircraft has emerged so far."

He assured that the government is making all possible efforts to locate the missing aircraft.

Parrikar thanked the armed forces for being in the forefront of the relief and rescue operations, both in India and abroad.

He thanked them for their daring efforts to douse the massive forest fires in the hills of Uttarakhand.

"My thoughts are with the near and dear ones of all those who laid down their lives protecting our nation. We are forever indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice," Parrikar said.
Bengaluru, Aug 14 : About 100 activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on Sunday protested against the anti-India slogans allegedly raised at a human rights event in a college here.

"We demand the arrest of all those who raised slogans against our country and the Indian Army and action against the organisers (Amnesty International India) for holding an anti-national event here," BJP's Parliament member from Mysuru and ABVP leader Pratap Simha told reporters later.

Accusing the police of inaction on Saturday's incident, Simha said they (police) had refused to register an FIR (first information report) even after the activists filed a complaint against the culprts on the event at the United Theological College in the city centre.

"It is shocking that the local police allowed such an event and the state intelligence agency was unaware. The state government should order an inquiry into the event where pro-azaadi and anti-national elements from Kashmir participated," the ABVP leader reiterated.

The ABVP activists, some of whom were present at the event, alleged that a group of Kashmiri youth raised slogans claiming atrocities by the army.

"Such an anti-national event ahead of the Independence Day vitiates the peaceful atmosphere in the city and sends wrong signals to the people about the army," Simha lamented.

The 90-minute event was held to interact with some Kashmiri families who were victims of alleged human rights violations in the strife-torn Valley and hear their struggle for justice.

"For years, these families have been waiting for information from the government about the status of their respective cases (of enforced disappearances, fake encounters and killings) and grant of sanction," Amnesty said in a statement on the event.

Admitting that some persons at the event had raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for 'azaadi' (freedom), Amnesty India programmes director Tara Rao said it was important that the conduct of some should not distract attention from the denial of truth and justice to those who have suffered in Jammu and Kashmir.

"As a matter of policy, Amnesty International India does not take any position in favour of or against demands for self-determination. It, however, considers that the right to freedom of expression under the international human rights law protects the right to peacefully advocate political solutions," Rao said in the statement.

"We have received the complaint and will investigate the charges made in it. We will also look into the compact disc the activists submitted on the event's proceedings," Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) T.R. Suresh told reporters.
Mogadish, Aug 14 : The US Special Forces have killed more than 30 Al-Shabab militants including senior commanders during two separate operations in southern Somalia, a source said.

Sources close to the government army told Xinhua news agency on Sunday that the operations which took place from August 10 to 13 targeted insurgents in Sakow town in Middle Jubba region.

"The US backed by Somali commandos hit Al-Shabaab targets in Sakow town, killing 30 militants in separate security operations that took place on August 10 and August 13. Senior members of the terror group were killed," the source said.

He said Al-Shabaab leader, Abu Ubeida was suspected to be either killed or captured during the operation. Three of his deputies including the spokesman of the group, Abu Mus'ab and another identified as Abu Omar were among those killed.
WAUNAKEE - Mel Herbrand, age 91, a proud World War II veteran, loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, peacefully passed away on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at a Madison hospital.

He was born Sept. 14, 1924, to Anton and Frances Herbrand, on Herbrand Road in Roxbury Township, in Dane County, Wis. Mel was one of 11 children and went to school at St. Norberts in Roxbury.

Mel was drafted into the U.S. Army in July 1943 and volunteered for paratrooper training in Fort Benning, Ga., then on to Auxierre France and joined the 13th Airborne, which became part of the 82nd Airborne. After two close calls with jumps in Germany and Japan, he got his orders to go home in June 1945. Mel proudly displayed his ETO (European Theater of Operations) ribbon with two stars (for two alerted jumps) in his shadow box in his living room. After the war, Mel worked on a farm and then at Oconomowoc Canning company's Waunakee plant.

Mel married Casey Ziegler in 1947, and the next year they moved to Main Street in Waunakee. In 1957 Mike Simon built them a house on North Division Street. He and Casey had eight children, three of whom are veterans: Brian in Desert Shield/Storm and 13 years Army Reserve, Rick was Active Army and Full Time Army Reserve, and Jack was Active Army during the Vietnam War. Mel also has 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He was commander for the Waunakee Legion Post 360 in 1966, was Sergeant at Arms, and the Legion's bar manager for many years. Memorial Day had long been a favorite holiday for Mel and his family - the parade, roll call, a few refreshments, a nice lunch, and a game of softball. Mel was also a Knights of Columbus member, and donated nine gallons of blood - a small repayment to the American Red Cross for their kindness when he was overseas.

Mel retired after 38 years at Stokely, then worked another 10 years at Germania including eight years with Meals on Wheels before officially retiring.

Mel lost his wife, Casey, after 56 years of marriage to cancer in 2004, and their son, Jim, died as a result of a car accident in 1966. Mel leaves behind to cherish many great memories, his family, Jack and Leslie Herbrand, Katie, Damien, Taylor, and Aubrey; Dan Herbrand and Cheryl O'Keefe, Danielle, Kristopher, Katie and Sloane; Rick and Kathy Herbrand, Michael, Michelle, and Amanda; Diane Herbrand, George, and Ava; Marie Lange and Tighe Bronaugh, Samantha, Cidney, and Maxim; Mag and John Larson; and Brian Herbrand and Kim Olson, Josh, Karissa, and Adam; in-laws, Lucy Herbrand, Marge and Vic Piffl, Ken and Aggie Endres, Joe Ziegler, Don Heyroth, and Jerry Haglund; as well as many other close family and good friends.

A special thanks to Drs. Dowling and Thompson at the Dean Clinic-Waunakee for all of their care when Mel had a mild stroke in February 2009 and since; Dr. Matsumura and his team at the UW Hospital for saving Mel's life in January 2013 with emergency AAA surgery; the staff at St. Mary's Hospital and Comfort Keepers; and our sincere thanks and appreciation to Sarah Thoman from Excellence in Care for her amazing care and friendship the past three and a half years.

We will truly miss Mel's sense of humor and wit, cheering on the Packers, Badgers and Brewers, and the trips with him to the Roxbury Tavern for Roxburgers and to the Waun-a-bowl for Waunaburgers. He will also be missed at the Herbrand and Ziegler family reunions.

Dad, you were an amazing father and you are an outstanding role model. Rest in peace, you've earned it.

Funeral services will be held at ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, 209 South St., in Waunakee, on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016, at 11 a.m. Family and friends may call at the church on Tuesday from 9 a.m. until the time of the services. A reception will be held at the LEGION HALL in Waunakee following the services. Burial will take place in the church cemetery with full Military Honors. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. John the Baptist church in Waunakee.

Please share your memories at www.CressFuneralService.com.
Michael Jacksons influence on the world of music has been as far reaching as the vast oceans themselves. It would be difficult if not impossible to imagine the world of pop music without Michael Jackson. In a culture where to copy another is to demean oneself, to copy Michael Jackson, to in some way come close to reaching his level of artistry in song or dance is instead an achievement.

Michael Jacksons songs were special because he was special. From his voice sprang hope and his music brought forth the unconditional love that united a planet full of Michael Jackson fans of all ages, colors, genders and faiths.

So vast, is his legacy which climaxed with Thriller (which is in many ways the greatest album of all time) to this day many of the our greatest music artists proudly declare themselves Michaels Disciples:

The Weeknd, Usher, Justine Timberlake, Neyo, Kanye West, Chris Brown, Jason Derulo, Maroon 5, Janet Jackson. The list is literally unending.

Katherine Jackson with Rych Kydd Producer Greg Coleman Each year in memory of his great achievements, his devoted mother, Katherine Jackson presides over the weekend long gala, the Annual Michael Jackson Tribute held in Gary, Indiana, the birthplace of Michael Jackson in the hometown of the Jackson Family. Now in its seventh year, the 2016 7th Annual Michael Jackson Tribute kicks off August 26th and 27th and features performances by Tito Jackson and special celebrity guest performances and appearances.
EXACOM, an industry leader in advanced communications recording solutions, has recently deployed a multi-site, multi- agency, enterprise recording solution for Sarasota & Manatee Counties, Florida. This project and solution incorporates the recording of VoIP 911 audio and data, legacy audio from multiple sources, including P25 trunked radio voice communications. The Exacom system is part of the Airbus DS-Communications VESTA Radio solution being provided to the counties.

We selected the EXACOM Hindsight-G2 system for its ability to effectively support and record multiple platforms, including the VESTA Radio system states Gerald Wheeler, Manager-Public Safety Communications for Sarasota County Government. We needed a system that would meet the needs of multiple agencies utilizing the 911 systems and radio system, he added. Capturing the relevant data that would make searching for calls more effective as well as ease of use was key for the solution that we selected, summarized Gerald.

This project took careful planning and working closely with Sarasota and Manatee Counties and Airbus DS Communications, to ensure a successful implementation that will meet the needs of the counties for years to come, added Mark Woody, EXACOM Product Manager.

As the prime contractor for the Sarasota-Manatee two-county radio system, Airbus DS Communications recognizes that the right technology partners are critical to delivering a high performance, high quality system. We are proud to be working with Exacom as our supplier for recording solutions for Sarasota and Manatee Counties, said John Szpak, General Manager VESTA Radio Products, Airbus DS Communications.

About EXACOM

EXACOM, Inc., based in Concord, New Hampshire, is a leading manufacturer of communications recording solutions for public safety, government and DoD applications since 1986. EXACOM provides audio, video, data and text to 9-1-1 recording solutions for communications and dispatch centers in many countries, including some of the largest centers in the U.S. and Canada. EXACOMs solutions are designed to meet the demanding needs of todays complex, rapidly advancing and mission critical communications environments. For more information, visit: http://www.exacom.com.

About Airbus DS Communications

Airbus DS Communications Inc., an Airbus Defense and Space Inc. company, is a global leader and trusted source for mission-critical communications technologies. The VESTA product suite provides Next Generation 9-1-1 call processing systems, land mobile radio solutions and emergency notification applications, creating smarter ways to keep all our communities safe. For more information, visit: http://www.Airbus-DSComm.com.

EXACOM, Hindsight-G2 Logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of EXACOM. Airbus DS Communications logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of the company.
State policymakers might easily believe so-called advanced industry jobs are purely a Madison or Milwaukee phenomenon and not really all that relevant to the rest of Wisconsin.

A recently released report from the Brookings Institution, a respected national think tank, dispels that myth by highlighting the importance of such jobs to cities outside Wisconsins Big Two metros.

Wisconsin is the nations 20th largest state by population and 18th on the Brookings list of states with the highest share of advanced industry jobs. Advanced industries were defined by Brookings as the top 50 industries in terms of spending on research and development and with the largest share of employees in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. The top 50 includes 35 manufacturing, three energy and 12 service industries.

On size alone, its no surprise Milwaukee (9.9 percent of all jobs) ranked in the top 100, although the study noted some choppy waters ahead for Wisconsins largest city. Likewise, the tech-based foundation and light manufacturing expertise in Madison (11 percent) scored high in the Brookings study in terms of intensity and recent progress.

More surprising to many would be the relative standing of Wisconsins next tier of metropolitan areas  and how much advanced industries in those cities contribute in terms of jobs and wages.

Advanced industry jobs account for 8.6 percent of direct Wisconsin jobs, or 257,770 overall, based on Brookings 2015 data.

They pay nearly $30,000 more per year on average: $74,486 as compared to $45,184 for all industries.

About 130,000 of Wisconsins advanced industry jobs are clustered in Milwaukee and Madison, which means a nearly equal number are spread across the state.

Heres a summary of other Wisconsin metros studied by Brookings for Americas advanced industries: New trends:

Appleton: Home to 8,972 full-time, advanced industry jobs, or 7.1 percent of all jobs in the region. Advanced industries in Appleton produce $1.3 billion in annual economic output, which accounts for 11.4 percent of the regional total. Average advanced industry pay is $60,088 versus $45,009 for all industries. Employment share ranking among 250 U.S. small metros: 106th.

Eau Claire: 5,334 advanced industry jobs; 6 percent of all jobs in the region. $800 million in annual economic output; 10 percent of the regional total. Average advanced industry pay is $55,309 versus $40,957 for all industries. Employment share ranking: 145th.

Green Bay: 11,598 advanced industry jobs; 6.5 percent of all jobs in the region. $1.8 billion in annual economic output; 10.8 percent of the regional total. Average advanced industry pay is $66,397 versus $47,090 for all industries. Employment share ranking: 123rd.

Janesville: 4,619 advanced industry jobs; 6.7 percent of all jobs in the region. $800 million in economic output; 13.4 percent of the regional total. Average advanced industry pay is $58,797 versus $42,769 for all industries. Employment share ranking: 116th.

La Crosse: 3,003 advanced industry jobs; 3.8 percent of all jobs in the region. $600 million in economic output; 9 percent of the regional total. Average advanced industry pay is $83,917, more than double the $41,508 average for all industries. Employment share ranking: 233rd.

Oshkosh: 11,309 advanced industry jobs; 11.7 percent of all jobs in the region. $1.6 billion in economic output; 18.5 percent of the regional total. Average advanced industry pay is $80,159 versus $49,293 for all industries. Employment share ranking: 30th.

Racine: 9,736 advanced industry jobs; 12.4 percent of all jobs in the region. $1.4 billion in economic output; 20.8 percent of the regional total. Average advanced industry pay is $82,142 versus $46,737 for all industries. Employment share ranking: 24th.

Sheboygan: 4,521 advanced industry jobs; 7.2 percent of all jobs in the region. $600 million in economic output; 12.4 percent of the regional total. Average advanced industry pay is $62,39 versus $45,666 for all industries. Employment share ranking: 98th.

Wausau: 4,607 advanced industry jobs; 6.1 percent of all jobs in the region. $600 million in economic output; 9.8 percent of the regional total. Average advanced industry pay is $65,444 versus $44,545 for all industries. Employment share ranking: 138th.

Six of the nine Wisconsin small metros ranked in the nations top half for employment share in advanced industries. All nine showed economic outputs that exceeded the employment share, usually by wide margins. Likewise, average advanced industry salaries in all nine small metros exceeded overall salaries, often dramatically so.

Wisconsins prosperity is tied to creation of more high-value industries and jobs. As the fall election season draws closer, candidates for state office should be asked what policies they believe will best support that vital process.
DURHAM, N.C. -- Chloe, a white pit bull with big ears, had one of the worst starts to life a dog can have.

Shed been chained in a yard, and her first owners never changed the collar. Chloe grew, and by the time she ended up in the Wake County Animal Center, the collar was embedded in her neck, and her head was swollen horribly.

Luckily for Chloe, she ended up in Lauren Carberrys house, and a bleak story took a bright turn.

She came to me as a cruelty case, says Carberry. We had her probably four or five months to recuperate, and now shes actually a service dog.

Today, Chloe has been trained to respond to panic attacks and hypoglycemia, and she goes everywhere -- airplanes included -- with her owner, wearing the pink vest that denotes her special job.

She owes this turnaround to the practice of animal fostering, which Carberry and her boyfriend, Jason Coffman, do out of their Durham home. Similar to any foster home, their place is an extension of the shelter. Other rescue organizations, some of which have no physical address or central location, rely exclusively on foster homes.

Rescue groups desperately need fosters such as Carberry  people emotionally invested enough to welcome a string of animals into their homes, yet rational enough to let them go when its time.

Save hundreds

If you adopt, you save one animals life, says Jill Walters. If you foster, you can save hundreds.

Walters wears many hats at Alley Cats and Angels: Shes the foster coordinator, medical coordinator, vice president and webmaster for the North Carolina all-foster cat rescue organization, which has rehabilitated and adopted out hundreds of cats in its eight-year existence. Some of them, including Walters own cat, started their lives in feral colonies.

Without an organization such as Alley Cats and Angels, Dexter faced a dire future -- a short, scrappy life behind a mechanics shop just outside downtown Raleigh. Yet, this rescue group takes in cats domestic and feral, provides veterinary care and socializes the animals by rotating them among foster homes. The more reliable fosters the organization has, the more cats they can help.

My ideal foster family can follow instructions, does not need to be hand-held much past the new stage, says Joanne Duda, foster coordinator at WCAC.

Similar to Walters, Duda knows that fostering is a numbers game: Last year, WCAC fostered 900 kittens; by June of this year, it already was nearing 600. Duda fostered before she took the job, so she gets the emotional attachment, but she also knows exactly how many kittens die for every one thats kept by a foster family instead of adopted out. As a government-regulated shelter, WCAC simply cannot turn away animals.

Fostering is a Band-Aid, Duda says matter-of-factly. Hers is a tough job, requiring empathy and hope in the face of an unending flood of unwanted animals, but shes tough: Before her WCAC position, Duda was a sergeant at Central Prison in Raleigh, where she worked 14 years.

I live for the day I do not have to come to work anymore, she says. Were seen as the bad guys, as the killers, but we cant euthanize animals that arent brought to us. So she takes the ones she can -- everything from cats and dogs and livestock to rats, rabbits and reptiles -- and puts them in foster homes. That frees room on the adoption floor.

Carberry admits shell foster fail one day -- the term for adopting one of your foster pets -- but her plan is to socialize, train and adopt out as many dogs as she can until then.

Sandra Cyr is another of Dudas fosters, and she thinks similarly: She can help one cat for 15 years or 15 cats every year, Cyr says. For her, its a family affair: In the house are Cyr, her husband and two little girls, who are 2 and 4 years old. Theres one permanent cat and one WCAC foster at any given moment.

Happy stories

Both WCAC and Alley Cats and Angels have closed Facebook groups, specifically as support groups for their fosters: Cyr, Carberry, Duda and Walters all said such forums are essential to foster families mental well-being. And, as Cyr is sure to point out, there are more success stories than horror stories by far.

There are stories such as Chesters. The cat was old and severely underweight when he came to Cyrs house. Then, after a checkup, Cyr was told Chester was in renal failure. The news hit Cyr hard -- one of her personal cats had just died of renal failure, and she was not prepared for a hospice foster. Yet, they went with it.

Chester was a sweet, people-loving cat -- and his story ended well. At his next appointment, the vet determined his levels were high but not critical: He was merely on the verge of serious medical issues. Soon after, he was adopted by a man who preferred senior cats with health problems, and voila -- Chester got a second shot. Plus, his adoption opened a slot at Cyrs house for whichever cat came next.

Interested in fostering?

If youre interested in fostering, reach out to your favorite local rescue group and learn about its needs. Here are some things about fostering to keep in mind.

-- Pay attention: Your job as a foster parent is to learn what their personalities are and market them, says Duda. The animals you foster are more likely to get adopted -- and to get adopted by the right people -- if you understand their personalities. Beyond that, you need to look out for health problems, particularly in kittens.

-- Dont overburden yourself: Or, ultimately, dont be a hoarder. You arent helping if you have more animals in your house than you can reasonably feed or care for -- in fact, this can exacerbate the problem.

-- Put in the work: Fostering is fulfilling, but it isnt easy, so dont be picky and be prepared to work. When you think of a shelter animal, the first thing coming to your mind should not be, It has to be house-trained or I wont take it, Duda says. The reason we need you to do this is because someone else didnt take care of this. Also, there already are more than enough people willing to foster small, hypoallergenic dogs. Come willing to foster a 50-pound or heavier bully-breed dog, and youll be of more use.

-- Foster at college: Fostering may be a good fit for college students with pets at home, Walters says. The short-term nature of fostering can work out quite well for people who dont live in the area full-time.
AURORA, Ill. (AP)  Police in Aurora say grand jurors have indicted 16 men on drug and firearm charges after a long-term gang investigation.

The Aurora Police Department says the Kane County indictments were unsealed Friday and 14 of the 16 men are in custody. The three-year investigation was a partnership between Aurora police, the FBI and Kane County prosecutors. Police say 96 felony charges were filed against men accused of being members of the Latin Kings street gang.

The investigation included undercover work, confidential informants and narcotics and weapons purchases.

Police said Friday that 90 Aurora officers and FBI agents went out Thursday and executed arrest warrants. Seven men were arrested Thursday and five men were already arrested and charged in connection with the investigation. Two were already in custody and two are at large.
The Baraboo River has seen a resurgence in its fishery since the last dam was removed from the river in 2001.

The removal of the Linen Mill Dam, downstream and east of Baraboo, helped restore and rejuvenate 120 miles of the river. The removal allowed fish migration and a river with free-flowing water for the first time in well over 100 years.

Now fish such as lake sturgeon, catfish, walleye, sauger, smallmouth, and freshwater drum can migrate and reach the upper reaches for spring spawning.

The Baraboo is a major tributary of the Wisconsin River and many fish that reside in the Wisconsin can now travel freely up the Baraboo, too. The Baraboo is no longer the fragmented, slow, and sluggish waters created thanks to the dams. Silted in and warm water areas have now opened up and the fishery has improved dramatically in the past fifteen years.

The Baraboo River contains a varied fishery with most warm-water species present. Since the river is narrow in most locations, most fishing is done from shore or from a small boat or canoe. The two most abundant species for anglers are catfish and smallmouth bass.

I talked to Tim Larson, the retired Department of Natural Resources fish manager for the area, and Dan Fuller, another retired DNR fish technician, who shocked the Baraboo River regularly for fish surveys. They had high marks for the catfishing on the Baraboo and Wisconsin rivers and they suggested a few areas for catfishing.

One good location for catfish that was recommended by Larson is south of Portage, where the Baraboo River enters and meets the Wisconsin River. The other prime catfish area is the stretch of the Baraboo River that runs right through downtown Baraboo. Highway 12 crosses the river just south of town and there is good catfishing below the bridge and behind the Gander Mountain store. DNR shocking from Baraboo to the Wisconsin River has shown excellent catfish populations that just seem to get better since the river has been opened up and is now free of all dams.

I suggest you go fishing for catfish toward sunset and plan on staying into the night. As it gets dark, catfish move up on the feeding shelves, rock bars, and into shallow water and remain there much of the night feeding. The areas you should be fishing are near wood and downed timber, deep holes, river bends, rock bars, and the mouth of bays and backwaters off the main river channel.

Shore fishing for catfish is common on Wisconsin rivers and the Wisconsin and Baraboo rivers offers a chance of catching many eating size cats and the opportunity of catching a 30-pound-plus flathead catfish. Most of the catfish you catch will be channel catfish, but theres always the chance for a big flathead. Fish an area for 30 minutes or so and keep moving until you contact fish.

For equipment, use a sturdy 7-foot rod with a Garcia Ambassador 6500 reel spooled with 20- to 30-pound Berkley Trilene XT or some of the new braided lines like Power Pro. The XT line is necessary in the snag-filled areas where you will be catching fish. On the end of the mono, put on an egg sinker from  ounce to 1 1/2 ounce, next tie on a barrel swivel, and finally tie on a two to four foot leader of fluorocarbon line to a No. 2/0 red catfish hook or a circle hook to complete the rig.

Bait varies from nightcrawlers, to cut-bait, and stink baits. Talk to some locals and watch what they are fishing with to learn the bait of choice. Ive talked to some old-timers that swear by bluegills and chubs for catfish bait. There are many local concoctions of stink bait that work and many of them contain cheese, chicken livers, fish, and shrimp that are cured a few days for odor and consistency.

This past weekend, I ran into catfish expert Mike Booth, who was on the Wisconsin River catfishing. Booth knows the Wisconsin River from Sauk City to Spring Green as well as anyone, but due to the recent death of his father and a few health problems of his own, he has not gotten on the Wisconsin River as much lately.

The late Jerry Booth knew the Wisconsin River as well as any river rat in the area and passed on this information to sons, Mike, Junior, Dan, and Brad. The sons are all excellent anglers and have been fishing the Wisconsin River their entire lives.

Mike Booth and son Craig were out last weekend and got into some great fishing for catfish. If they can catch some roughfish like skip jacks or mooneyes then this is their bait of choice. The Booths will go out before starting to fish and catch some skip jacks on red worms for bait.

The skip jacks should be kept alive or cut into strips and pieces of the fish and put on ice, so that they dont become mushy.

The equipment should be much like what I mentioned earlier with a sturdy, muskie type rod, a baitcasting reel spooled with 30-pound monofilament or braided line.

Use enough weight to keep your rig on the bottom of the river and use a fluorocarbon leader and a 2/o catfish hook. The hook is then baited with strips and pieces of the mooneyes and skips jacks to complete the catfish rig. Cast the rig out, put it in a rod holder, and wait for the catfish to bite. Fish a location for a half an hour or so and if you dont get any action move to another good looking spot.

Hopefully, youll have a nice catfish start pulling on your reels drag and then youll be in for a good fight. Fish the same type areas that I mentioned earlier and you should find some good action. The warmer the water the more catfish seem to bite.

Also, give the Baraboo and Wisconsin rivers a try as the summer warms up and during the dog days of August and September. You wont be disappointed in either water for catfish.
LeCLAIRE  For three minutes, it was chaos.

"Pull!" "Tug!" the crowd shouted, as the eruption of cheers and screams swelled. Before them, a team of 20 men leaned and pulled the rope with all their might. Guttural noises rang out from the tug pit as they dug their feet deep into the dirt for leverage, their bodies at a 45-degree angle from the ground.

It was the 30th annual Tug Fest, and thousands flocked to the banks of the Mississippi River on Saturday for the action.

Some of the onlookers in the crowd stood and craned their necks for a better look. Boats gathered on the river with their anchors down for the best seat in the house.

After a few-second break, the men pulled again, wincing and growling along. In their hands was a thick rope that spanned across the river. The 2,400-foot-long, 680-pound rope dragged and pulled at the murky water in the center of the river, and appeared in the air again on the Illinois side, where 20 men pulled back.

Soon, the clock ran out. Amid the shouts and cheers was the verdict: The Illinois side had won the Alabaster Eagle trophy again.

After 11 heats, Illinois emerged victorious  11 to zero.

But that didn't put a damper on the Iowa side's festival.

Tuggers gathered near the pit in preparation for a Budweiser toast of sorts, relishing the fun and their hard work.

"It's a really tough three minutes," said Lisa Roberts, of LeClaire. "Let's just put it that way."

This year was Ms. Roberts' fourth Tug Fest, and she said that it was great.

"We have a great team," she said.

It didn't matter whether they won or lost, or how difficult the tug was. "The whole thing's fun," she said. "That's why we keep doing it."

To prepare for the tug, Ms. Roberts said her team has practiced two or three times a week all summer for the event. Many members of the team also work out regularly at the gym.

Ms. Roberts said she'll continue to participate each year  "however long my body will handle it."

Adam Ellis, of Bettendorf, was recovering from tugging in three contests with three different teams Saturday, he said, standing in one team's T-shirt with another draped over his shoulder.

"That was brutal," he said, the eye black lines on his cheeks smudged from sweat. But "it was the best time I've had in a long time."

It was Mr. Ellis' first time competing Saturday, but it won't be his last.

"I'll be in it until I can't do it anymore," he said. "I'm hooked."

Mr. Ellis said he not only was pulling for Iowa, but for his stepsister, Alex Black, of Port Byron, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia earlier this year.

"It's intense," he said, of the competition. "You just gotta dig deep, and keep pushing. (The) hardest thing is keeping that grip."

Barry Long, Tug Fest secretary on the Iowa side, was pleased with this weekend's turnout.

"The crowd has been amazing all weekend," he said.

The three-day-long fest included Saturday's tug, food and craft vendors, carnival rides, live music, fireworks, a parade, and more.

Mr. Long estimated that some 6,000 people attended the Iowa side of the festivities.

"I like the three-day event that brings so many people from LeClaire and the surrounding communities" together, he said.

"Illinois can have all the wins," Mr. Long said. "We'll take the biggest party."
When Evan McMullin said on Monday that he would challenge Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in their quest for the White House, the 40-year-old former CIA operative quickly learned what third-party freakers could have told him decades ago: Running for president isnt something that you can wake up one morning and just do.

Getting on even one state ballot is a signature-gathering, deadline-maneuvering pain in the posterior. This latest Never Trump fantasy had already missed the boat in 26 states before the first official news release, and that number will likely increase to 34 plus Washington, D.C., by the end of the week, as a raft of new filing deadlines turns a protest gesture into a total joke.

Not that getting his ducks in a row would have necessarily made a difference. Better-organized outsiders who complete the necessary drudge work of ballot access, like Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Partys Jill Stein, still face a major pothole on the way to the highest office in the land: debate access.

Late last week, District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer threw out a Libertarian/Green lawsuit alleging that the Commission on Presidential Debates, whose board members are appointed equally from the Republican and Democratic National Committees, violates anti-trust laws and the 1st Amendment by setting an unreasonably high bar for third parties to compete.

Stein is now effectively hosed, and the only way Johnson can qualify is by vaulting up in the next four weeks or so from around 9 percent in the polls to the required 15 percent.

Things seem pretty hopeless  unless the commission feels pressure to crack open the duopoly.

And theres a chance that will come to pass.

On Monday, commission co-chair Mike McCurry, the former Bill Clinton White House press secretary, semi-confirmed to Politico that the commission is telling debate venues to make contingency plans for a third podium. With Gary Johnson polling in some places more than double digits, McCurry said, some of our production people may have said, Just in case, you need to plan out what that might look like.

The commissions Republican co-chair, Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., went even further in an interview with CNN: If someone came in and lets say he was (polling) at 14.5 percent and the margin of error in five polls was three points, we are going to have to sit down and look at it.

The commission and its overlords are right to ponder a tweak to the rules, if for no other reason than to fulfill its mission to ensure that debates, as a permanent part of every general election, provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners.

You cannot do that by limiting the debate to Trump and Clinton -- the two most disliked presidential nominees in modern history. Besides, even with our seemingly inevitable two-party sorting process, 20 percent of registered voters consistently indicate they will not be pulling the lever for either D or R. Johnson and Stein, meanwhile, have combined for the same national polling percentage -- just a tick below 13 -- before and after the major-party conventions, suggesting that the traditional halving of third-party polls between summer and election day might not be happening.

Just as important, both major-party candidates back policies that are uncommonly extreme in an American context. Trumps hostility toward the free movement of human beings may get the most ink, but Clinton has embraced an economic agenda arguably to the left of anything weve seen since George McGovern, with giant college-tuition giveaways, a major ratchet in the federal minimum wage, expansions to the actuarilly suicidal entitlement state, and a batch of new taxes to magically pay for it all. The last three presidents spent considerable oxygen talking about the urgent need to reform Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid before the Baby Boom generation retires; the next one decidedly will not, unless its Johnson.

So what would a fairer debate system look like? The tossed-out lawsuit suggested an elegant solution: If you qualify for enough ballots to have a mathematical possibility of winning the electoral college, youre in. That would mean Trump and Clinton plus Johnson and Stein: At press time, the Libertarian Party had confirmed access to 39 ballots with an expectation of 51, while the Greens have 27 with the expectation of surpassing 2012s 37.

Of course, that doesnt mean Stein and her 4 percent in the polls will get an automatic 25 percent of the speaking time, but rather that American voters will at least be exposed to viewpoints and characters they might not loathe.

And the sheer pain of ballot access will ensure that the number of trial balloon candidates will be kept to a minimum. Better luck next time, Evan McMullin.
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It was never going to be easy for the husband of the first woman president to take on the role of first gentleman  or whatever becomes the moniker for the male version of first lady.

Yet the idea of Bill Clinton, a former U.S. president, assuming this secondary role makes the task even more complicated. Mr. Clinton has never easily faded into the background, and, its difficult to imagine him just embracing a feel-good cause such as nutrition or literacy (the focuses for Michelle Obama and Laura Bush) and watching his wife adoringly from the sidelines.

Yet if Hillary Clinton is elected president in November, then Mr. Clinton should do his best to embrace the role of first gentleman in the model of the traditional first lady.

There can be no sense that America is getting two presidents, rather than one. The first female president cant be seen as relying in a special way on the expertise of her husband. She needs to be seen clearly as standing on her own two feet and to be indisputably the leader of the free world.

This surely wont come naturally to Bill Clinton, who thrives on the spotlight and must hunger to regain the attention that came with the presidency. But in a way, having the first first gentleman be a former president could help in creating a role model for future men whose wives serve as president.

If awkwardness lingers about any husband whose wife is more successful professionally than he is, then this could have been an issue for the first first gentleman. His manliness might have seemed threatened, and he might have seemed diminished in what has traditionally been a ceremonial, even decorative, position.

This wont be an issue for Bill. Hes had his turn in the Oval Office. No one can question his own achievements. And, in fact, his wifes potential success will add to his legacy: Bill Clinton may also go down in history for having played an integral role in encouraging Hillarys success and helping bring about the historic moment of finally electing a woman into the presidency, a culmination of a century-long quest for womens equality.

Given these stakes, it will also be especially important for Mr. Clinton, who is notorious for betraying his wife, most infamously with a White House intern while he was president, to appear publicly as entirely supportive of his wife. The last thing a President Hillary Clinton will need when she is grappling with our faltering economy, skyrocketing Obamacare health insurance costs, and international threats from ISIS to Iran, is to be rocked by another personal scandal from her philandering husband.

Bill Clinton owes it to his wife to do everything possible not to distract from or diminish her authority. That means affairs must be an absolute no-no for as long as she is president.

Bill Clinton should be thinking carefully about a cause he can embrace if his wife becomes president. It should be something that follows the model of other first spouses  something fairly apolitical, but that speaks to an important societal need and that is largely embraced by both the left and the right.

While first lady Michelle Obama has received blowback from what many see as advancing an overbearing federal push to dictate what kids eat for lunch, her cause  childrens nutrition  was a good example of the type of cause a first spouse should embrace.

Discouraging drug use, helping children learn to read, improving treatment for mental illness  these are worthy causes that most people can agree are a good use of the first spouses time, without stirring up political controversy. Its notable that Hillary Clinton is probably not the model that her husband ought to follow, if he wants to serve her interests, since she mishandled her cause of health care reform and created numerous political headaches, contributing to her husbands rocky first term.

If Bill Clinton becomes the first first gentleman, he should take his job seriously. His actions will create an important precedent for future first gentlemen who are sure to come after him. And that starts with recognizing that his most important job is to support his wife, and not upstage her.
The threat environment in Northeast Asia has been shifting in recent years as China's military modernization and assertiveness, North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, and Russia's turn towards hostility against the United States are fueling a rise in the risk of armed conflict between major powers. Confronting threats as varied as ISIS, al-Qaeda, Iran, and Ebola, some might wonder if the United States has the resources and will to stay engaged and shape the future of security in the Asia-Pacific, including offering extended deterrent guarantees to its Japanese, South Korean, Filipino, Australian, and Thai allies. Others are asking whether U.S. allies are even worth defending. Are they?

I believe that the answer is yes, the United States has the resources to shape the future of the Asia-Pacific, and yes, its allies are worth defending. To abandon U.S. alliances would not only be more costly but also ultimately make America less safe at home. While U.S. defense budgets will remain constrained for some years to come, the U.S. military still retains very substantial hardware, training, doctrinal, operational experience, and human capital advantages. In addition, the United States enjoys the support of major allies who provide basing and access, logistical support, and critical enabling capabilities that ultimately make them important force multipliers for the defense of the U.S. homeland as well as its overseas interests and core values.

To abandon U.S. alliances would not only be more costly but also make America less safe at home.

As the largest status quo power allied with the United States in East Asia, no country plays a more important role than Japan in supporting the rule of law-based international order. If the United States wants to meet the challenges posed by increasingly well-armed, hostile and autocratic governments bent on intimidating the free world, it needs to continue to broaden and deepen its defense cooperation with Japan and states like it. Below I suggest four urgent priority areas for continued improvements: planning and joint training for a variety of contingencies; additional types of military hardware to bolster deterrence; addressing the basing of U.S. forces in Okinawa; and closer cooperation on innovative thinking about deterrence and war-fighting concepts.

Forward, Together

To date, the two allies have taken a number of important steps both separately and together, but much more work remains to be done. Japan, under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has reinterpreted Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution to engage in collective self-defense. The Abe administration has also established a National Security Secrets Act; set up a National Security Secretariat to assist with decisionmaking; lifted restrictions on defense exports; shifted the focus of defense planning scenarios from a ground invasion from the north to an air and naval threat from the southwest; and increased the country's defense budget to approximately $40 billion. It has added critical hardware to the inventory of its Self-Defense Forces, including RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, and advanced F-35 Lightning II fighters. Tokyo has also inducted helicopter carriers into the Maritime Self-Defense Forces, brought on-line new P1 maritime patrol aircraft, and expanded its submarine fleet from 16 to 22 boats, all while developing a 4,000-man rapid reaction amphibious capability and emplacing radar and anti-ship cruise missiles along the coasts of remote islands in the country's southwest. In November 2015, it announced plans to send 500 Ground Self Defense Force troops to one of these islands, Ishigaki, and in March it activated a radar station on another, Yonaguni Island, to be staffed by 160 Ground Self-Defense soldiers. Both islands are close to the Senkakus that China claims and is seeking to undermine Japanese control over. Ultimately, Tokyo plans to station approximately 10,000 troops across the southwest islands chain to meet this threat.

For its part, in 2011 the Obama administration announced that it would rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region (PDF), a policy whose military component aims to create a more geographically distributed, operationally resilient, and politically sustainable force posture across the region. The United States is also improving the capabilities it forward deploys in Japan, and has moved up many of its most advanced capabilities, including the F-22 Raptor, MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to replace the more dated CH-46 Seaknight, an additional AN/TPY-2 radar, Global Hawk UAVs, and P-8 maritime patrol aircraft for submarine tracking. In late 2015, the 7th Fleet replaced the aging USS George Washington with the much newer USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier.

Bilaterally the allies have also taken important steps together. During his 2014 trip to Japan, President Obama noted that the United States would regard an attack on the Senkakus as triggering Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan mutual defense treaty. Following this, in April 2015, the United States and Japan signed new defense guidelines (PDF) that establish the basis for more effective coordination between the allies, including by establishing a new bilateral planning mechanism, an alliance coordination mechanism, and beginning discussions about cooperation in gray zones at sea, in outer space, and in cyberspace. And in December 2015, Tokyo agreed to increase its annual contributions in support of U.S. forces stationed in Japan, promising up to $8 billion over the next five years. The Department of Defense has calculated that this makes Japan the cheapest nation in the world in which to station U.S. forces, cheaper even than bringing them back to the United States

The remainder of this commentary is available at nationalinterest.org.

Scott W. Harold is associate director of the RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy, a political scientist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

This commentary originally appeared on The National Interest on August 12, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Al Jazeera, August 10, 2016

Afghanistan has one of the worst healthcare systems in the world, with many having little or no access to medical treatment.

Years of civil war have devastated the healthcare infrastructure, and unlike other countries in the region, Afghanistan has seen increasing rates of preventable diseases such as diarrhoea and respiratory infections.

According to The World Bank, about one in 10 children will die before reaching the age of five, and there are about 396 deaths per every 100,000 births - well above the 2015 world average of 216.



A child cries in the inpatient war of Boost Hospital in Lashkargah, Helmand province. A study by medical NGO Doctors Without Border (MSF) found that 80 percent of patients here faced conflict-related delays in reaching the hospital, including checkpoints, landmines, and fighting almost every day. (Photo: Karishma Vyas/Al Jazeera) A child cries in the inpatient war of Boost Hospital in Lashkargah, Helmand province. A study by medical NGO Doctors Without Border (MSF) found that 80 percent of patients here faced conflict-related delays in reaching the hospital, including checkpoints, landmines, and fighting almost every day. (Photo: Karishma Vyas/Al Jazeera)

And as fighting rages in the south of the country, there are growing fears of a new humanitarian crisis as the young, sick and elderly flee advancing Taliban fighters.

So far, around 30,000 people have sought shelter in Kandahar, but Al Jazeera has learned that the provinces poorly funded hospitals are struggling to cope with the sudden influx.

"We lack accommodation and don't have enough personnel," Ali Ahmed Qani, a surgeon at the Mirwais hospital, said. "If the hospital's capacity was increased, then we would have one bed for one patient. We could also offer good hygiene and provide proper services to our patients."

As many as 29,000 people are believed to visit Mirwais each month, but staff and patients have said the facility can't offer basic treatment.

"This hospital has many problems," Gulaba, who brought her two-year-old granddaughter to the hospital told Al Jazeera.

"There are a few doctors and they cannot treat patients as there are many sick people. There are four patients lying on a single bed. It is very difficult to feed, give medicine or take care of patients."

Wahid Majrooh, a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health, told Al Jazeera that the government understood the problem and had earmarked areas it was looking to improve.

"In Kandahar province we need to increase healthcare facilities in pediatric, obstetrics and gynaecology," he said.

"We are also trying to invest in districts and rural areas where they need basic health facilities to ensure primary healthcare is being provided to the local population," Majrooh added.

The Taliban currently controls or contests 10 of the 14 districts in Helmand, the deadliest province for British and US forces in Afghanistan over the past decade, and recent fighting there has made the roads unsafe for those seeking help in neighbouring Kandahar.

"Some patients are dying trying to reach the hospital," Doctor Hayatullah told Al Jazeera.

"There are no hospitals in the neighbouring provinces and no clinics in some districts."
First, Trump completely botches the history of ISIS: The group was founded in 1999 and really grew up after the US invasion of Iraq. If any US president could be blamed for ISIS's "founding," it would be George W. Bush, not Barack Obama.
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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
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In an effort to extend the right to medical care to those who cannot afford it, students at the University of Georgia have founded a chapter of the Partners in Health Engage organization, a global health organization with that goal.
Living independently for the first time away from family and friendsoften in a new town and without anyone to confide incan be daunting, particularly for students who opt not to participate in Greek recruitment.
For many students, not voting is way of letting his party know that he does not approve of their choice of candidate, but these students should still vote.
The recent hack of Democratic National Committee servers, as well as the increased reliance on technology in our election process, has many security experts concerned that the U.S. election could be vulnerable to hackers and undue influence by foreign interests.

While I want to stress that there is no evidence of tampering or hacking of the electronic voting process, it's clear that technology could impact the election.

In mid-June 2016, news began to break that the Democratic National Committee's servers had been hacked and data about the party compromised. Hackers stole private email, opposition research and campaign correspondence, and then provided them to WikiLeaks which published the information online.

In the weeks that followed, two cybersecurity firms  Fidelis Cybersecurity and Mandiant  independently corroborated the findings of Crowdstrike, the security firm hired by the DNC to investigate the server breach, that Russian hacker groups were behind the attack.

The DNC hack was perpetrated using malware and methods identical to those used in other attacks attributed to the same Russian hacking groups. In early July, Thomas Rid, a professor at King's College in London, discovered a command-and-control address hardcoded into the DNC malware that was identical to one used to hack the German Parliament in 2015, malware that originated from Russian military intelligence.

Also consider that the practice of gathering embarrassing or socially damaging material about a public figure for the sole purpose of releasing the material to the public in an attempt to discredit a competitor or target is commonplace in Russia and China.

"The release of emails just as the Democratic National Convention (was) getting underway  has the hallmarks of a Russian active measures campaign," David Shedd, a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told The Daily Beast.

It's important to consider the ramifications of a foreign nation or entity using technology and hacked access to private servers to influence the U.S. election, and as a means to effect policy. These hacks give outside "players" access to private internal election data, which could allow them influence over our nation's leaders and governing process.

And we should expect these state-sponsored hacks meant to "weaponize" information to continue, if not worsen in years to come. With the surge in social media, public figures are expected to share personal details about their lives, and this creates an even larger pool of potentially damaging or embarrassing information available online.

More concerning, in 2015 the Federal Office of Personnel Management revealed that hackers had broken into its computer system and stolen large quantities of data gathered for security clearances and background checks. The data included details of government employees' sex lives, relationships, finances and contacts with foreign governments, and had been compiled so that American counterintelligence officers could assess employees' vulnerability to blackmail. That catalog of information could now be used for just that purpose.

Perhaps more concerning than using private information to influence public opinion, analysts at the security firm Symantec presented some troubling vulnerabilities in the electronic voting process at the recent Black Hat Security Conference in Las Vegas. CNN's Richa Naik spoke with Brian Varner, a senior researcher at Symantec, about their attempts to hack two "smart card" voting machines they purchased on eBay. Researchers engineered a handheld device that allowed them to vote hundreds of times using the same voter information smart card. The device was inconspicuous enough to accompany a voter into the booth, and worked quickly enough to allow "up to 400" votes using a single smart card in a matter of minutes.

Varner also hypothesized that the transfer of data from voting machine to county server could be compromised, depending on how the information was transferred over the Internet. The movement of data online is a likely point of vulnerability  if the data can be intercepted and modified between the point of origin and wherever it's being sent, then the whole process is compromised.

It's important to remember that each county uses the voting platform they deem most appropriate. Not all machines are like the ones Symantec hacked, and about 75 percent of American voters will still vote on paper in this year's election.

Readers may wonder why a security firm would make public a vulnerability that they discover in a voting machine or the voting process. The benefit of these sorts of pre-election hack attempts by security professionals is that they expose vulnerabilities in time for voting machine makers and government technicians to address them. And making them public puts pressure on those in charge of overseeing the security of electronic voting  simply sending over their findings isn't as likely to elicit an immediate response and work toward securing the system like alerting the public to the issue. Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely that they've uncovered an issue that would have been overlooked by a hacking group dedicated to disrupting the voting process.

Despite potential data vulnerabilities, there are certainly benefits to making the voting process more streamlined. Paper ballots can be damaged, lost or falsified as well, so continuing to use traditional paper ballots is not without issue. The use of technology will surely play a part in improving the American voting process, but these studies indicate that there is work yet to be done to ensure that the transition away from a paper ballot won't further complicate the way we vote in the United States.

Nerd Chick Adventures is written by Andrea Eldridge and Heather Neal from Nerds On Call, an onsite computer and laptop repair company in Redding. They can be reached at nerdchick@callnerds.com.
SHARE Christina Rae Coulter, date of birth, April 24, 1983. Vitals: 5 feet, 4 inches; 190 pounds, blond hair, blue eyes. Charge: Burglary Damien Avery Elliscort, date of birth: Sept. 2, 1995. Vitals: 6 feet, 150 pounds, brown hair and blue eyes. Charge Assault with a deadly weapon. Ronald Gene Gill, date of birth: Dec. 21,1977. Vitals: 5 feet, 9 inches; 150 pounds; brown hair and brown eyes. Charge: Termination of probation David Eugene Mote, date of birth: Jan. 16, 1985. Vitals: 6 feet, 2 inches; 210 pounds; brown hair and green eyes. Charge False imprisonment with violence.

Shasta's Most Wanted, featured in the Record Searchlight in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, targets people who have failed to show up in court for sentencing after being convicted.

More than 665 arrests had been made through the Most Wanted program since it began in September 2013. Authorities say they have seen an increase in criminals failing to appear in court since the onset of Assembly Bill 109. Also known as prison realignment, the state program shifted certain state prison inmates to county supervision.

Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti said court appearances have been going up since the rollout.

Five new people are added each week. Those caught will be held until at least their next court appearances. Shasta County Secret Witness is offering a reward of up to $250 for information leading to an arrest. Tips can be provided anonymously at 530-243-2319 or at www.scsecretwitness.com/home/submit-a-tip.

Anyone with information also can call SHASCOM at 245-6540. The feature appears Sundays in the Record Searchlight's Northern California section and on Redding.com.
Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight City of Redding Code Enforcement Supervisor Steve Willkomm, left, speaks with Nick Kunkler at his Redding home. Willkomm was responding to a complaint about furniture and appliances in the front of Kunkler's home. Kunkler said he wasn't surprised by Willkomm's visit and plans to comply.

SHARE Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight City of Redding Code Enforcement Supervisor Steve Willkomm investigates a stairway built without a permit to replace the original that was hit by a car at an apartment complex across from Home Depot. Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight City of Redding Code Enforcement Supervisor Steve Willkomm follows up with two businesses on Fell Street in Redding.

By Jenny Espino of the Redding Record Searchlight

The man got out of the white city pickup with a camera in hand to take pictures of the dead, crispy weeds and old couches and appliances in front of the house.

Steve Willkomm, Redding's new code enforcement supervisor, was making an outdoor inspection to a home on Wilsey Drive. The eyesore had prompted a complaint to his office. This one was the first of several checks he planned Thursday through shops in the industrial zone to apartment complexes.

After taking photos for evidence, he made his way to the front door to talk to anyone who was home.

"I had a free sign on the couch but I don't know what happened to it. I was just trying to get rid of them," Nick Kunkler explained. "I moved the appliances right there so that I could eventually load them to a van or a truck or something."

But months had passed and nothing had moved  whether it had to do with his hours as a courier or personal setbacks. So, he had been expecting at some point he would get a visit from a city official.

Willkomm gave him until Monday to get rid of the junk and until Aug. 22 to fix up the yard.

Redding's code enforcement is on pace to match the 595 calls it received last year about hazards and nuisances, including people who break into vacant buildings, in or around neighborhoods and businesses. As of Thursday, there were more than 350 calls.

They keep Willkomm hopping from place to place. He'll knock on as many doors as he has to in order to find someone who knows when and how a problem started and who he needs to have a chat with to fix it. "It's just like Dragnet," he joked.

"He's not in the office very much. But that's where he needs to be (outside), to be effective," said Larry Vaupel, development services director.

He helped hire Willkomm two months ago from the Los Angeles suburb of El Monte. A 30-year veteran in what he calls "voluntary compliance" and addressing quality of life issues, Willkomm, 56, was looking to move to Redding.

He'd stayed in touch with friends in law enforcement who have moved here for retirement. For a city kid who has lived all of his life in Southern California, this area still is like God's country, he said.

And his plan is to live here a long time, Willkomm said.

During his interview, he talked about his experience dealing with illicit massage parlors, an area where city and police officials are trying to rein in prostitution.

To get Willkomm started, Vaupel drew up a list of dilapidated buildings that have been attracting drug activity and trespassers. Getting those places turned around is crucial to economic development, he said

"I prioritized those and within the first month, one was demolished," Vaupel said. "People want to be where property values will increase. Code enforcement is part of that."

The property in the 5800 block of Cedars Road on the city's south side was damaged during a fire. As a result, it had been deemed dangerous, was tagged and was in foreclosure.

"We had struggled to get a hold of the property owners so they could step up," Vaupel said. "He reached the property owner and convinced them to tear it down."

In an attempt to get the attention of a batch of property owners who have not paid for nuisance abatement actions, the city ran notices Aug. 2 on 10 properties.

On that list was the fire-damaged house at 2353 Court St., where police officers found a body last year. The property, under the estate of Douglas Esmond, has been accumulating daily fines. The city has unsuccessfully tried to collect its administrative costs. But Esmond's surviving children told staff a year ago they did not want to have anything to do with the property.

Also receiving a notice was Chris Daniels and All Nations Church of Christ at 1550 Chestnut St. That is the site of an abandoned church that has been vandalized and broken into by homeless people.

The combined cost for abatement actions at the 10 properties totaled $149,823.33 on Aug. 2. The figure changes daily as new fines get added. Special assessments will be placed on each property owner's property taxes.

Kunkler, the 24-year-old who lives on Wilsey Drive, took Willkomm's visit in stride, acknowledging his difficulty mustering the energy to fix a messy yard when on his days off he is watching his 1-year-old daughter.

We are only interested in getting people to voluntarily comply, Willkomm said.

"Most people want to do the right thing," he said. "The community demands the improvements."
I am Kerry Burgess. This is what I think.
Rick Michael Forbes

SHARE Forbes' semi truck

Free bus rides for students

Shasta College students will be able to ride the bus for free in the upcoming school year.

Officials announced Thursday that the Redding Area Bus Authority and the college have partnered to provide the free bus service for students and staff to get to classes.

The service applies to all of RABAs routes from Cottonwood to Shasta Lake. Riders must present their student identifications for the fall 2016 and spring 2017 semesters to the bus driver for each trip. The free rides program does not extend to the Burney bus route.

For more information, call Zach Bonnin, city associate planner, at 245-7112, or Chuck Aukland, assistant public works director, 245-7156.

Trucker found dead inside rig

Shasta County Sheriffs investigators are seeking information on the murder of a 64-year-old Oregon man whose body was found at the TA Travel Center south of Redding, they said Saturday.

But theyre not releasing much information on the death of Rick Michael Forbes.

Deputies on Friday afternoon went to the truck stop at Knighton Road and Interstate 5 where they found Forbes body inside his truck.

Forbes arrived at the truck stop Thursday night at after 11 p.m., Sheriffs Sgt. Brian Jackson said.

The circumstances of his death, which deputies are not releasing, led to the determination of a homicide, Jackson said. Investigators also wont say where Forbes was heading.

Detectives havent identified suspects in Forbes killing but ask anyone with information to call 245-6540, 245-6135 or email mcu@co.shasta.ca.us. Additionally, anonymous tips can left with Secret Witness of Shasta County at 243-2319.

Avoiding scams is topic of seminar

Rep. Doug LaMalfa and the Contractors State License Board will host a workshop for seniors on identifying and stopping scams next week in Anderson.

The session is slated 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Frontier Senior Center, 2081 Frontier Trail.

Seniors, their families and caretakers are invited to this free seminar. For more information or to register, call LaMalfas office at 223-5898. Learn more about stopping scams at SeniorScamStopper.com.

Redding council deadline extended

The deadline to submit final paperwork to run for one of two seats on the Redding City Council has been extended a few more days.

New candidates have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to return nomination papers to the City Clerks Office. The extension is prompted by Mayor Missy McArthurs decision not to seek re-election this fall.

Incumbents had until Friday to return their paperwork. In the order that they were received by the City Clerks office, Julie Winter, Lea Tate, Adam McElvain and incumbent Gary Cadd have turned in their forms and made their candidacies official.

Redding resident Don Kirk took out papers, but he emailed the Record Searchlight to say he will not be returning them.

Prospective candidates should call the clerks office at 225-4044 to schedule a time to receive information on how to get on the ballot and meet filing requirements.

Shasta Lake votes on new water rates

An ordinance hiking tap water prices will have its second and final reading before the Shasta Lake City Council on Tuesday.

The hikes, which amount to about $25 per bill for an average household using 1,300 cubic feet of water, were passed 5-0 at the councils previous meeting.

The city initially contracted with Raftelis Financial Consultants to study special rates for water shortages amid one of the worst droughts in Californias recorded history.

Water cutbacks meant revenue plummeted even as the price for water rose five times, city staff have said. That, and an aging infrastructure supported by a capital fund established about seven years ago, prompted the city to look at raising all rates.

If approved, the rates would take effect in October. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Shasta Lake council chambers, 4488 Red Bluff St.

Man arrested after pot raid

Authorities arrested a man and seized more than 100 plants from an outdoor grow just east of Mountain Gate.

The Shasta County Sheriffs Office said the arrest of Dillon Rubio, 23, followed a search warrant served on a property at 14257 Old Oregon Trail. He was booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of marijuana cultivation, felon in possession of a firearm, and probation violation.

The sheriffs office said deputies eradicated 131 plants and found evidence of marijuana sales, a semi-automatic rifle, 2.2 pounds of processed marijuana and processing equipment.
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By Joe Szydlowski of the Redding Record Searchlight

As the possibility of legal recreational marijuana via Proposition 64 looms, so does the fear of more stoned drivers on the streets and how to prevent impaired drivers.

But those concerns, at least ones about the lack of a reliable way to identify those drivers, are misplaced, say officers with state patrols in Shasta County and in Washington, which voted to legalize marijuana in 2012.

"We've always been prepared to identify drug impairment. Marijuana wasn't new to us," said Lt. Rob Sharpe with the Washington State Patrol, which has dealt with stoned drivers and legal weed for almost four years.

Proposition 64 on the November ballot would legalize marijuana possession and personal grows among all adults over 20, set up a regulatory framework for businesses and allow local governments to select which businesses, if any, can operate in their jurisdictions. It also sets aside a minimum of $3 million a year for anti-impaired driving research, according to the 62-page document.

But with marijuana more available, many worry about stoned drivers and how police can catch them.

What Sharpe's department has seen, and what California Highway Patrol Redding office spokesman Jason Morton worries about, aren't problems ID'ing stoned drivers.

"A lot of them will admit to smoking it," Morton said.

It isn't clear whether the data show an uptick in DUI crashes alongside legal marijuana. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne L.M. Chang changed an argument submitted for voter guides by the Yes on 64 campaign from DUIs decreased with legal marijuana to "it has not been definitively proven that impaired driving has increased in those states with legalized marijuana" on Friday, according to the Sacramento Bee.

CHP officers receive basic training to identify behaviors associated with impairment, he said. They, and the Washington State Patrol, also have drug recognition experts, officers with special training to spot specific signs, some of which are involuntary or can't be hidden, Sharpe said.

And those signs are more numerous than many realize.

"For marijuana, look for bloodshot eyes, the odor of marijuana, impaired distance and depth perception, a green coating on the tongue, relaxed, reduced inhibitions. They may have debris in the mouth," Morton said, listing some signs officers look out for before and during sobriety tests.

That is the key to DUI prosecutions, despite that many think the breath test is definitive, Sharpe said. That has to do with how the 0.08 blood alcohol level threshold was determined, he said.

"Everyone with a 0.08 level, no matter how often you drink, even if you can drink yourself to a 0.4 or 0.5, which would be fatal for most people, you're still impaired at 0.08," Sharpe said, adding that level has been reduced over the years from 0.15 to 0.10 and then 0.08.

That's why, he said, 0.08 isn't as important as the officer's judgment  many get impaired before they reach that level, so it's more of a fallback, he said.

But because there's no agreed limit on how much THC is too much and officers lack a reliable mechanical field test and other tests may take too much time to capture drivers' impairment, a similar level can't be established yet, he said.

Though businesses have tried.

"When it first came out, I'd get calls constantly about new techniques to identify marijuana use roadside. What does it mean? I'd hear blood, spit, brain scans, eye scans," Sharpe said. "... Many of these systems could have flaws, and some do. ... If they use this test device and it says no drugs involved, do they not arrest because it says no drugs or trust their training and ability to discern impairment?"

Morton fears the number of drivers high on marijuana will rise alongside the availability of marijuana. Sharpe said he did not have statistics available on DUIs, though law enforcement officers in Colorado have reported increases in fatal crashes tied to marijuana and a slight decline in DUI arrests.

But people are more often mixing small amounts of marijuana, alcohol and other substances, thinking none will be able to put them over the limit or they'll cancel each other out, Sharpe said. A few counteractive effects, such as pupil dilation, may not be as obvious. Typically, though, one substance is more dominant at any given time, he said. Officers also look for contradictory symptoms, such as a rapid heart beat but low body temperature.

"Cocaine and heroin, one jacks up the system and the other calms. One is more psychoactive than the other, one has a faster onset or longer duration," he said. "You're seeing the stimulant side and then the depressant side."
Rick Michael Forbes

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Shasta County Sheriff's investigators are seeking information on the murder of a 64-year-old Oregon man whose body was found at the TA Travel Center south of Redding, they said Saturday.

But they're not releasing much information on the death of Rick Michael Forbes.

Deputies on Friday afternoon went to the truck stop at Knighton Road and Interstate 5 where they found Forbes' body inside his truck.

Forbes arrived at the truck stop Thursday night at after 11 p.m., Sheriff's Sgt. Brian Jackson said.

The circumstances of his death, which deputies are not releasing, led to the determination of a homicide, Jackson said. Investigators also won't say where Forbes was heading.

Detectives haven't identified suspects in Forbes' killing but ask anyone with information to call 245-6540, 245-6135 or email mcu@co.shasta.ca.us. Additionally, anonymous tips can left with Secret Witness of Shasta County at 243-2319.
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By Amber Sandhu of the Redding Record Searchlight

High speed Internet could do wonders for a city like Redding, and it's an idea Adam McElvain, a Redding City Council contender, hopes to turn into a possibility with the backing of downtown business owners and community members.

McElvain will hold a community forum Monday afternoon at Redding Library, to further discuss the idea and detail how high-speed Internet could positively impact Redding businesses and help drive jobs to the city while benefiting the technology, educational and health industries.

"It's a huge economic driver," McElvain said about high-speed Internet. "We have opportunities in Redding, and we need to take advantage of those opportunities."

McElvain's interest in high-speed Internet for the city was sparked when Google Fiber, a connection that provides Internet at 1,000 megabits per second, was first introduced in 2010. At the time, McElvain said he knew "chances were slim" to bring such a connection to Redding, but he wondered whether the possibility existed for the city to do something similar on its own.

He said he began working on a proposal around two years ago and decided to go public with it in January.

Having sat on the now-disbanded Electric Utility Commission, McElvain said he's got "keen insight on how utility works" in Redding. And by providing Internet through the electric utility, which the city already owns, much like the way Chattanooga in Tennessee does, local businesses would pay a fraction of the cost for gigabit speeds, McElvain said.

"This would enrich our current businesses, community, and attract new businesses to town," he said.

McElvain intends to pilot the project in the downtown. But first, he intends to determine a demand among downtown businesses and raise funds privately before he takes his plan up to the City Council.

He estimates it could cost between $2 million to $5 million to put the infrastructure in place to support high-speed Internet, once the city grants permission to do so.

McElvain clarified that the money would not be coming out of the city's general fund, but would instead be raised through state and federal grants and with the help of sponsorships.

Joining McElvain at the forum will be a panel of four local experts  Development Group Inc. vice president Jason Eatmon; Andy Main, who is the chief executive officer of Shasta.com and Shasta Beam; Claudia Escobar, a Thomson Reuters marketing consultant and Faye Hall, founder of Build It and Code IT.

If you go

What: Community internet forum hosted by Adam McElvain

When: 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday

Where: Redding Librarys Community Room, 1100 Parkview Ave.

Contact: Todd Jones at 530-355-2860
Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Western Regional Director of the Guardian Angels Sean Rodgers, from left, and Northern California Coordinator Eliazar Aquilar, list to questions and comment form Redding resident Kay Wilson Saturday at Library park in Redding.

SHARE Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Guardian Angels member Manuel Rodriguez, from left, Western Regional Director Sean Rodgers and Northern California Coordinator Eliazar Aquilar speak to around twenty people Saturday at Library Park in Redding.

By Sean Longoria of the Redding Record Searchlight

Tom and Shawn Sparks, like many in Redding, are growing frustrated with increased crime as police are spread precariously thin.

That's why they want to join the Guardian Angels, a nonprofit focused on citizen safety patrols.

"The main thing and my concern is, I just want to see this be a better community," Tom Sparks said Saturday after listening to three members of the Angels' Stockton chapter address a crowd of about 20 in downtown Redding's Library Park.

The Guardian Angels, first established in New York City in the 1970s, are looking to open a Redding chapter after increased interest from citizens.

"We're looking out for the community, that doesn't mean we're going to put ourselves in harm's way," said Sean Rodgers, the Angels' western region director. "Who's our first call? It's to the police department."

Rodgers, along with fellow Stockton Angels Eliazar Aguilar and Manuel Rodriguez, spoke with the potential recruits, all pulled to the park from a larger group first established earlier this month on Facebook.

The recruits filled out applications and if selected, they'll undergo safety training and receive the Angels' procedures manuals.

"We're not going to be a vigilante group. We're going to do things the right way," Rodgers said.

Once they're trained  and training is ongoing  they could don the Angels' trademark red berets and jackets to form Redding's first safety patrol group.

They've also drawn the attention of other community groups, including Shasta Support Service, which cleans up areas of known homeless camps.

"My closet's got room for more than just one T-shirt," said Shasta Support Service co-founder Dale Ball, who attended the meeting in his group's signature bright yellow shirt. "I think most people feel the same way."

Rodgers said the Angels will return to Redding next month, with a town hall meeting tentatively scheduled for Sept. 10.

Visit guardianangels.org, the Facebook group Volunteer Redding Guardian Angels or call 844-451-6893 for more information.
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We're losing the war on heroin in Shasta County, and it's time to bring in some serious reinforcements.

The county's top health official told the Record Searchlight Friday he favors bringing a methadone clinic to the community  a strong statement, to be sure. We applaud Donnell Ewert, director of the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, for stepping up. But it's his partner in pitching the plan that may be the unlikelier, and most powerful, voice on the subject.

That would be Redding Police Chief Rob Paoletti. We've had our differences with the chief on the Public Safety Blueprint and other questions related to quality of life in our fair town. But he has our unequivocal support on this one.

His willingness to help bring a methadone clinic here is refreshing, clear-eyed and exactly the kind of leadership the community needs from someone with the tough-on-crime credibility to pull it off. He's likely to encounter some skepticism from others in law enforcement, but Paoletti came out swinging on the issue, explaining what it will take for a provider to earn his trust and why methadone and similar drugs must be part of the solution to addiction and its devastating impacts.

Here's why this matters so much.

The last time a local methadone provider was prominent in the news, he was losing his license to practice medicine. James Gregory White surrendered his status as a doctor almost a year ago, in September 2015.

A spokeswoman for the Medical Board of California, Cassandra Hockenson, said he'll never practice again. "He's done," she said succinctly.

It was Redding police who arrested him in 2013.

To be sure, White was prescribing pain medications, not just methadone. His case revolved around allegations of gross mismanagement of his patients' health.

But methadone was specifically referenced in the criminal complaint filed against him.

If you think any legitimate doctor offering chemical-based treatments like methadone is going to move to town without an invitation after that ... well, we'll sell you the Sundial Bridge.

The current state of things is awful.

Heroin, as we've been reporting, has featured prominently in a string of recent robberies. The desperation addicts feel to avoid crashing from a high into a tortuous detox makes you less safe. Drug dealers don't give away their product, and most heroin addicts can't legally raise the $150 a day it takes (that's a national average). That $150 might be in your pocket, or in your business's cash register.

So crime is rising, especially the type related to heroin addiction. So, too, is the rate of overdose death and the secret tragedy so many families try to keep behind their doors. Many of those doors are in our finest neighborhoods.

Heroin addiction is no joke for the addict. A mature addict stays dosed up not because it feels good anymore but because it physically can feel like dying to come down. Yet the nearest methadone clinic is more than 70 miles away.

If methadone (and related drugs that have a similar impact) could be handed out safely in 30-day bottles, that would be one thing. But it has street value, so patients have to go in every day to get a single dose. That means a round-trip to Chico every single day.

Today, 66 Shasta County residents already make that trip. In many cases, parents or grandparents or partners drive their loved one. It's a commitment to personal recovery, but it's also a service to our whole community  these are the folks who are doing the right thing.

The results are impressive. Among Butte County patients, only about 18 out of 267 are facing new criminal charges, Aegis regional manager Judson Lea told the Record Searchlight. Of Shasta County patients who made it to Aegis in Chico, 95 percent stayed off opiates for at least 90 days, Lea said.

Getting that help shouldn't be that difficult.

There may be more than one potential provider seeking to come to Shasta County, and Ewert said county supervisors may have a role in approving any new clinic here. We hope they're paying close attention to what he and Paoletti are saying, because our community needs to send a strong, unified message.

We need it. And we need it as soon as possible.
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Kent Snider Jr., Redding

Be careful when asking for common ground among our political candidates.

Donald Trump is accused of sending a coded message that Hillary Clinton and/or her Supreme Court nominees should be assassinated if she wins when he suggested that "Second Amendment people" could take care of the problem of a Hillary win.

Hillary's campaign responded: "This is simple  what Trump is saying is dangerous. A person seeking to be the president of the United States should not suggest violence in any way."

In May 2008 Hillary Clinton was being pressured to end her campaign against winning candidate Barack Obama. Her response, "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it."

Candidate Obama's campaign responded by saying her remark was "unfortunate and has no place in this campaign."
Arshell Dennis Sr. talks about the shooting of his grandson, Arshell Dennis III, a junior at St. John's University in New York. He was the son of Arshell Dennis Jr., a Chicago police officer. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

The 19-year-old son of a Chicago police officer was shot and killed Sunday morning, hours before he was due to return to college in New York, police and family members said.

The shooting took place in the Wrightwood neighborhood on the Southwest Side just after midnight, according to police.

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Neighbors in the 2900 block of West 82nd Street reported hearing several gunshots. Police arrived to find 19-year-old Arshell Dennis and another man, age 20, wounded by gunfire.

Dennis and a hometown friend were hanging out on the front porch of a residence when a gunman approached, possibly from a vehicle, and opened fire, police officials said.

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Dennis was hit in the chest and taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour after he was shot, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The 20-year-old man was shot in the arm and side. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious condition.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 10 Chicago police Sgt. Arshell Dennis, right, listens to Detective Brendan Deenihan at police headquarters May 5, 2017, as he gives details of the charges against Anthony Moore, the teen accused of shooting and killing his son Arshell Dennis III the previous summer. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed that Dennis' father is a Chicago police officer. Officer Arshell "Chico" Dennis and Superintendent Eddie Johnson once worked together as patrol officers in the Gresham District, Guglielmi said.

"Officer Dennis dedicated his life to make this city safer, and his son Arshell was a good kid, making his parents proud and studying for a promising future as a journalist," Johnson said in a statement. "As always, the men and women of the CPD will stop at nothing to find who was responsible and bring a sense of closure and justice to Officer Dennis and all families affected by violence.

"But in order to address the root of this violence, we must change the way the criminal justice system treats the reckless, repeat gun offenders who are causing this violence and send a clear message that when you are involved in gun crimes you will be held accountable."

Dennis' slaying added to the mounting violence this year. As of Thursday, 436 people had been slain in the city and 2,534 had been wounded by gunfire, according to a Tribune analysis.

The younger Dennis, whom relatives called "Trey," was a student at St. John's University in New York City, according to his grandfather.

The teenager was about to start his junior year as a journalism major at St. John's, relatives said. He arrived in town Thursday to see his mother before starting the school year and was planning to leave for New York on Sunday afternoon.

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"He was a beautiful young man, full of laughs and always teasing us," said his grandfather, also named Arshell Dennis. "It's a deep loss, and it hurts. I wish this senseless killing would stop."

Dennis' death is being investigated as a case of mistaken identity, based on what detectives know about Dennis' family, about that block and about the neighborhood, according to Guglielmi.

Arshell Dennis III, 19, of Chicago. Dennis, a junior at St. John's University in New York and the son of a Chicago police officer, was fatally shot Aug. 14, 2016, along the 2900 block of West 82nd Street. (Family photo)

"There was nothing in the victim's history that would suggest he is involved or associated in gangs, and he had no criminal record. Neither of the victims have criminal history or gang history or history with the CPD," Guglielmi said.

Additionally, Dennis' father was known to everyone on the block as a Chicago police officer. A motive or any idea of who the assailant was trying to target remained unclear, Guglielmi said, adding that there was nothing to suggest anyone else was with Dennis and his friend when the shooting happened. It was not known if Officer Dennis was at work or home at the time of the incident.

Detectives are canvassing the area, looking for video surveillance that could have captured the shooting. There is no description yet on the gunman, but authorities will be speaking to the 20-year-old friend who remains hospitalized. No arrests have been made.

"Hopefully within the next few hours there will be leads in the case," Guglielmi said Sunday afternoon.

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About a half-mile away, Denzell Mickel was shot multiple times Aug. 8 while driving a Lexus near 83rd Place and Kedzie Avenue before running off the road into a nearby yard. Guglielmi said it was too soon to say if Mickel's death had any connection to Dennis' slaying.

As a high school student, Dennis belonged to a college preparatory program called Upward Bound, according to director Gerald Smith. Last summer, he came back to work for Upward Bound as an ambassador.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 12 Members of the Illinois State Police work the scene where two people were wounded in a shooting on the Eisenhower Expressway on Aug. 13, 2016, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

"He was one of my better students, he really was," Smith said. "Arshell was a fun time. He was real easygoing, real quiet, laid back, mild-mannered  he wasn't a problem at all. It's a tragic loss."

Smith said it was Upward Bound students who reached out to him Sunday morning to tell him about Dennis' death.

"I got the phone call, and my heart just fell to my stomach," he said. "So, so unexpected.  I'm still in disbelief."

Neighbors, whether they've lived on the block for decades or only a few years, said they were shocked by the violence.

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Gloria Samaniego said the neighborhood has escaped violence for the 38 years she has lived in her home. Sunday morning she was returning from her shift at Rush University Medical Center, where she had spent the day watching the aftermath of gun violence unfold.

"I thought, 'Oh, my God, another shooting,'" she said. "Then I came home ... and someone had died two doors down."

Pat Williams, who also lives on the same block as the Dennis family, said she had specifically chosen the neighborhood for its safety and community. She said she heard six shots from her gangway, then watched as dozens of officers and first responders swarmed the sidewalks and front yards of her neighborhood.

"The reason we moved here was to get away from the hustle and bustle and the violence," Williams said. "I'm just confused. I'm hoping it's an isolated thing. I hope there's not more other violence."

Carol, who lives at the end of the block and asked to be identified only by her first name, said she heard eight or nine gunshots.

When she called 911, she was told that 10 or 20 others had reported the gunfire.

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"They had gotten an enormous amount of calls," she said.

She looked out her window to see blue flashing lights and someone lying on the ground.

The neighborhood is tight-knit, she said. The lawns are kept neat, and the block club is active. Carol heard the bad news from the person above her on the neighborhood phone tree: The son of their neighbor, just home from college, had been shot dead, she was told.

"I'm so tired of this," she said. "I'm so tired of hearing about our kids getting killed, shot."

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Another neighbor, who would only identify herself as Brenda, said she also heard the shots, followed by the sound of Dennis' mother.

"You do not want to hear a mother's cry for her son," she said.

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Brenda described Dennis as a considerate and respectful boy who took the time to learn his neighbors' names and to travel back to surprise a mother, who had fallen ill a few months back.

"He always stayed on the block," Brenda said through tears, "and he got killed in front of the house."

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com

rsobol@chicagotribune.com

mrenault@chicagotribune.com
The four gaushalas or cow shelters will work on improving productivity of Indian cows up to 10 times

Days after declaring a war against foreign goods, Baba Ramdev on Saturday announced a mission to save cows. Patanjali Ayurved will invest Rs 500 crore in four mega shelters for cows across the country.

The four gaushalas or cow shelters will work on improving productivity of Indian cows up to 10 times. We are setting up four scientific cow shelters. The first one will come up at Uttarakhand, Ramdev said.

Baba goes bullish Rs 500 crore investment on 4 mega shelters for cows across India 5 food parks in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Assam Nagpur food park to focus on dairy products and protection of cows 10,000 tonnes capacity addition for food products To invest Rs 750 crore in research on ayurveda Meanwhile, Patanjali said it will file defamation case against Advertising Standards Council of India

Apart from investing in research on cows, Patanjali has spent Rs 250 crore for research on usage of ayurveda in modern life. It will spend another Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) on research, Ramdev told reporters on Saturday.

To ramp up its production capacity, Patanjali is setting up five mega food parks. Land parcels have already been identified and work will start within this year.

We have bought 230 acres of land in Nagpur and 200 acres in Andhra Pradesh. We will set up three food parks in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, he said.

Ramdev said his dream it make Patanjali the largest player in fast-moving consumer goods segment with annual revenue of Rs 50,000 crore (Rs 500 billion).

The food park at Nagpur, which is expected to become operational in next couple of months, will focus on dairy business and cow protection. While Patanjali already sells dairy products such as ghee, Ramdev wants to expand both the portfolio and reach.

Taking a dig at the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) - the self-regulatory body in the field of advertisement - Ramdev alleged it is targeting Patanjali because it is run and controlled by multinationals. He said Patanjali will soon file defamation case against ASCI. Patanjali has received 27 show-cause notices in recent months from the advertising body.

Its governing members constitute firms like the Hindustan Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and PepsiCo, among others. ASCI is deliberately targeting us as we have become a major concern for multination firms. When we decided to take legal action against ASCI, it offered us a membership. We are writing a letter highlighting all their wrong-doings to the government of India, Ramdev said.

Photograph: PTI Photo
Indian Railways suffers from a massive revenue deficit; the burden of which will be transferred to the finance ministry after the merger

Putting an end to a 92-year-old tradition of the colonial era, the railway Budget will be merged with the general Budget from 2017-18 onwards.

The move will come as a relief to the national transporter, which, until now, has been reeling under an additional burden of Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion) from higher salaries, following implementation of the 7th Pay Commission. It also has to bear close to Rs Rs 35,000 crore (Rs 350 billion) of subsidy burden. If the merger goes through, the Railways will get rid of the annual dividend it has to pay for gross budgetary support from the government.

Challenges ahead The move will come as a relief to the national transporter, which, until now, has been reeling under an additional burden of Rs 40,000 crore from higher salaries, following implementation of the 7th Pay Commission The idea was recently mooted by a committee headed by NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy, as part of the restructuring of the Railways The rail Budget was separated from the main Budget, following recommendation of a panel headed by British railway economist William Acworth in 1920-21 The largest employer in the country with the largest rail network in the world now accounts for a meagre 15 per cent of the total Union Budget

Ashok Lavasa, finance secretary, told Business Standard, a five-member joint committee has been constituted with joint secretary in-charge of the Union Budget in the ministry of finance coordinating the functioning. "The committee will go into what is required for merging the two Budgets. It will submit its report for consideration within a month," he said. When contacted, a senior railway official said the Railways, too, was keen on the merger.

The Union finance ministry has its given a go-ahead to the proposal and set up a five-member committee, confirmed a railway official. When contacted, another railway official said, The Railways is keen on the merger. However, there has been no official confirmation from the finance ministry as yet.

Currently, the Indian Railways suffers from a massive revenue deficit; the burden of which will be transferred to the finance ministry after the merger.

The idea was recently mooted by a committee headed by NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy, as part of the restructuring of the Railways. The Railways has structural problems. It needs rapid modernisation and reforms. The government is taking steps towards that now, Debroy told Business Standard last week.

The largest employer in the country with the largest rail network in the world now accounts for a meagre 15 per cent of the total Union Budget. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Rail Minister Suresh Prabhu said, I have written a letter to the finance minister, saying we are willing to merge. In fact, I had suggested the same last year. Its not as if I want to present a Budget; I am looking at the larger national interest. The merger should happen in a way the Railways becomes a part of the overall Budget, and the capital expenditure, revenue deficit, etc, can be taken care of, he said.

According to Prabhu, the Railways was overburdened with Rs 60,000 crore worth of public service obligation. He added the Indian Railways has the potential to contribute around 2-2.5 per cent of the gross domestic product but it needs investment. The rate of dividend of Railways for 2015-16 was four per cent, compared to five per cent in 2014-15.

The Rail Budget was separated from the main Budget, following recommendation of a panel headed by British railway economist William Acworth in 1920-21. Every year, the rail Budget is presented in Parliament a few days ahead of the general Budget.

The Rail Budget has had a separate existence from the general Budget since 1924 when the British spun it off for a better focus on Indias most important infrastructure network. The Railways then accounted for 70 per cent of the total Budget.

Off the rails

Since many politicians use the railway Budget to improve their vote bank, the national transporter is now facing a paucity of funds for expansion and replacement of worn-out tracks.

The merger may transform the Railways to just another government department, as it may lose its commercial character. Through the merger, the railway revenue as well as expenditure will also become a part of the general revenue.

It needs to be seen the strategy of the finance ministry would be, in case of revenue shortfall. Moreover, the finance ministry will also have to suffer the constraints on raising passenger fares, as it is not considered a populist move. This may also slow the pace of privatisation plans of the Railways.
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.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana: More than 228 million bank accounts opened; 24 per cent 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 per cent 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 per cent from 174 million in 201524 per cent of these accounts (zero-balance accounts, in officialese) 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 accountsas they called themfor the poor over five years, but most were never used, IndiaSpend reported in October 2014.

Swacch Vidyalaya Abhiyan: Claim of 100 per cent 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 200,000 and 62 thousand such schools where more than 425,000 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 per cent 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.

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.

LPG subsidy saving 10 per cent 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.

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.

Electricity to villages: Govt says 98.1 per cent 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 per cent) 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.

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 per cent of the total number of households in the village.

The first threshold for electrification should be at least 50 per cent 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 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 per cent of electrified households get electricity for 20 or more hours; 81 per cent do not get four or more hours in the evenings, while 60 per cent 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.

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 the parliament indicates that 3.04 million Indians have registered under APY as on July 20, 2016.

Rural India: Agriculture budget increased by 44 per cent, 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 per cent of farmers control 32 per cent 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 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.

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 cent 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.

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.

Devanik Saha is a freelance journalist and MA Gender and Development candidate 2016-17 at Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.

Photographs: Reuters, PTI Photo
The 36-year-old havildar displayed raw courage, unflinching grit during his encounter with the terrorists in which he was fatally injured.

Havildar Hangpan Dada, who killed four intruding terrorists before laying down his life at a height of 13,000 feet in the harsh and icy Himalayan range of North Kashmir, has been bestowed with Ashok Chakra, the countrys highest peace-time army award.

Dada 36, was honoured posthumously with the government announcing the award on Sunday on the eve of 70th Independence Day.

Dada, who laid down his life for the country on May 27 this year, valiantly fought at the treacherous Shamsabari range in North Kashmir eliminating four heavily-armed terrorists who had infiltrated into North Kashmir from Pak-occupied-Kashmir.

Hailing from Boduria village in far-flung Arunachal Pradesh, the havildar, who was popularly known as Dada among his team, was posted at the high mountain range since late last year.

Enrolled in the Assam Regiment of the Army in 1997, Dada was posted with the 35 Rashtriya Rifles, a force carved out for counter-insurgency operations.

In the last week of May, he along with his team spotted the movement of terrorists in the area and lost no time in engaging them in a fierce encounter that went on for over 24 hours.

Taking the enemy head-on, Dada charged at the spot where terrorists were holed up and killed two terrorists on the spot and later the third one after a hand-to-hand scuffle as they slid down the hill towards the Line of Control. A fourth terrorist was also killed by him.

Dada was badly injured in the encounter as the terrorists who crossed over from PoK had a slight height advantage.

He displayed raw courage, unflinching grit, presence of mind and with utter disregard to his personal safety and despite bleeding profusely, discharged his duties and made supreme sacrifice for the nation.

The presence of mind of Dada, who is survived by his wife Chasen Lowang, 10-year-old daughter Roukhin and six-year-old son Senwang, saved the lives of his team members who came under heavy fire from the terrorists.
The death of 10 soldiers earlier this year in an avalanche in the critical Sonam post, located close to the Line of Control with Pakistan, was due to global warming.

Climate change is making the life of the soldiers posted in the worlds highest and arduous battlefield -- Siachen Glacier -- not just tough but also dangerous, as temperature rises and the snow melts faster.

Siachen, which has the dubious distinction of having seen more soldiers dying due to extreme weather (temperatures at times drop below -50 degree Celsius) than the enemy bullet, is feeling the heat of global warming.

The death of 10 soldiers earlier this year in an avalanche in the critical Sonam post, located close to the Line of Control with Pakistan, was due to global warming.

The entire incident (at Sonam) was because of climate change only. Because, we generally dont have ice avalanches. Avalanches are generally snow avalanches.

What happened in Sonam was that a hanging glacier, which was stuck to the ice wall had fallen off. That was just because in the last 15 or 20 days (prior to the accident), the temperature had been rising, Lieutenant Colonel S Sengupta, Commandant of the Siachen Battle School said.

Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, who was rescued after being buried 30 feet below snow for six days at the Sonam Post, located at about 19,600 feet, could not be saved.

Sengupta said that climate change actually makes the glacier break, due to which a lot of crevasses, one of the deadliest enemies of the soldier in Siachen, keep coming up.

It (rising temperature) is making life tough, he said. The army has now taken some precautionary measures and even moved some of the posts a little.

Keeping ice avalanches in mind, the army is buying special radars that can detect humans buried under ice, unlike the earlier ones which could detect only through the snow.

The army is also equipping its men with Avalanche Buoyance Systems - air bags that can be triggered remotely - which prevent burial in an avalanche by providing extra buoyancy.

The effect of the climate change is such that the snout of the Siachen Glacier has actually receded back by about 800 metres in the last one decade or so.

Over 41 soldiers have lost their lives on the Siachen Glacier since 2013, even though not a single shot has been fired since the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in 2003.

At least 1,013 Indian soldiers have lost their lives in Siachen since 1984.

The studies carried out by Indian Space Research Organisation, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology Dehradun and other institutions have revealed that majority of the glaciers in India are retreating (melting) at varying rates from 5-20 metre per year.

The situation is such that at this time of the year, more than the pristine white snow, what you find more is black snow (often called moraine).

The river Nubra, which flows through the Base Camp, is actually black in colour rather than blue it was once.

Global warming is definitely having its side effects on the glacier but things are different during summers. During the winters, the pristine white snow will be back and the waters will again become blue, a senior officer said.

Explaining the impact of climate change in Siachen, officers said that over a decade ago, rains were never seen here. However, the area now witnesses light drizzle in between over the past few years.

Earlier one could not see any greenery over 12,000 feet. Now one can even see some green at even 15,000 feet which shows how temperatures have risen over the years, another officer said.
After a lull of over four months, the ceasefire on the Line of Control was violated again with Pakistan Army firing at two places and shelling mortars in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Indian troops retaliated to the firing which was still going on when last reports came in.

The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said Jammu.

He said the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy mortar, small arm and automatic weapon fire in Poonch sector since 3 am.

Our troops are responding appropriately and no casualties or damage to our troops was reported till the report last came in. The firing was still going on, the spokesman added.

Today's ceasefire violation comes after over four months as the last such incident took place on April 10, this year in Poonch sector.

Earlier Pakistan had violated ceasefire on September 18, 2015 in Balakote sector of Poonch district.

Last year, 16 civilians were killed and 71 others injured in 405 incidents of cross-border firing by Pakistan, the officer said.

While 253 incidents of ceasefire violations took place along the International Border, 152 incidents were reported along the LoC, he said.

Around 8,000 people were temporarily affected due to the ceasefire violations and had to be shifted to safer locations.

Image used for representation only.
The MEA spokesperson said that New Delhi already received enough of trademark exports like international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency.



India on Sunday rejected Pakistans absurd offer to send aid to violence-hit Kashmir and stated that New Delhi has already received enough of trademark exports like international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency.



Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that the Indian high commission in Islamabad had received a note from the Pakistans ministry of foreign affairs on August 12 regarding a proposal to send supplies to Kashmir.



A communication was apparently delivered to our high commission in Islamabad on August 12. I can only characterize its contents that propose sending supplies to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir as absurd. India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistans trademark exports -- international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency, Swarup said.



He further asserted that India completely and categorically rejected this purported communication from Pakistan.



This development comes after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had earlier this month vowed to provide medical help to those injured in the Kashmir violence and called on the international community to ask India to provide access for treatment of victims.



Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called upon the international community to immediately help arrange medical treatment for the victims in Kashmir, especially for treatment of eye injuries resulting from use of pellet guns by the Indian forces. The prime minister conveyed Pakistans unequivocal support in arranging best available medical facilities to these injured people, anywhere in the world, a Pakistan Foreign Office statement said.



Indian security forces have also been targeting hospitals and ambulances providing healthcare to the peaceful and defenceless protesters. Being blinded has severe consequences for the victims and their families; some victims of the pellet guns may never see light again. Still, they are resolute; they are guided by the light of freedom for the realisation of their right to self-determination. The world should realize this. Pakistan will continue to support them morally, politically and diplomatically, Sharif maintained in the statement.



Earlier on Sunday, Islamabad continued to provoke India as Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit said that his nation has dedicated the 70th Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir.



Basit said Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India.



As far as the relation of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we dedicate this years Independence Day to Kashmirs freedom. We are confident that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be successful, Basit said.



He asserted Pakistan has always given moral support to Jammu and Kashmirs freedom struggle and would continue to do so.



Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom; sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain, he said.



Basit was reiterating Nawaz Sharifs statement dedicating the day to the freedom movement in Kashmir.



I dedicate this years 14th August to the freedom of Kashmir, the Express Tribune quoted Sharif as saying.



Pakistans provocation comes just days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singhs assertion that there is no power in the world, which can take Jammu and Kashmir away from India.
A 55-year old Bangladeshi-American Imam at a mosque in New York and his associate have been shot and killed from point blank range by an unidentified gunman in broad daylight amid growing concerns across the country over rising Islamophobic rhetoric.

Police said Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, 64, were walking home from afternoon prayers on Saturday when they were approached from behind by a male with medium complexion who was dressed in a dark polo shirt and shorts.

According to witnesses and video surveillance, immediately after the victims were shot, the same male was seen fleeing from the scene with a gun in his hand. Both victims were dressed in Islamic attire at the time of the shooting. The lone gunman still remains at large.

Responding to multiple emergency calls, police found Akonjee and Uddin with gunshot wounds to the head. They were both taken to a local hospital, where Akonjee died as a result of his injuries. Uddin was also in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries.

Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said that currently a motive has not been determined and theres nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith.

He said the police is conducting an extensive canvass of the area for video and additional witnesses.

No arrests have been made so far and the investigation is ongoing, Sautner said.

The New York Chapter of Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organisation Council on American-Islamic Relations said it has reported an unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide since Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trumps bigoted call for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The group called for the perpetrators of the killings to be immediately brought to justice.

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.

Akonjee, a father of three, was a respected religious leader who had arrived in Queens from Bangladesh less than two years ago.

Sarah Sayeed, a member of Mayor Bill de Blasios staff, was quoted by Fox News as saying that she understands the fear the community is facing because I feel it myself. I understand the anger. But its very important to mount a thorough investigation.

Shahin Chowdhury, a worshipper at the mosque, said members of the community had felt animosity lately and he had advised fellow community members to be careful walking around, especially when in traditional clothing.

Another individual Millat Uddin said Akonjee had led the mosque for about two years and was a very pious man.

The communitys heart is totally broken. Its a great misery. Its a great loss to the community and its a great loss to the society, he was quoted as saying.

Image: Members of the New York City Police Department establish a crime scene at the spot where Imam Maulama Akonjee was killed in the Queens borough of New York City. Photograph: Stephanie Keith/Reuters
Pakistan on Sunday once again raised the Kashmir issue while celebrating its 70th Independence Day with Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain saying the country will continue to support Kashmiris in their bid for the right to self-determination.

Hussain addressed the people during the special flag hoisting ceremony in Islamabad and mostly talked about internal challenges and importance of eliminating militancy.

He, however, also touched upon the Kashmir issue and asked the people that they should not forget the people of Kashmir on the Independence Day.

Pakistan cannot forget Kashmiris and would continue to support them to get right of self-determination in light of the United Nations resolution, he said.

The president urged the people to shun differences and work hard for the prosperity of the country.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif too echoed similar sentiments, saying that they were dedicating today to the freedom movement in Kashmir.

I dedicate this years 14th August to the freedom of Kashmir, the Express Tribune quoted Sharif as saying.

Remembering Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, he said that Pakistans creation was impossible without the formers leadership.

When we remember the Quaid, leaders and workers of Pakistan Movement, our hearts are enlightened with the memory people who have become immortal by sacrificing their lives for the country, he said.



Pakistans High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, on Sunday also voiced same feelings, saying Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India.



As far as the relation of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we dedicate this years Independence Day to Kashmirs freedom. We are confident that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be successful, Basit said.



He asserted Pakistan has always given moral support to Jammu and Kashmirs freedom struggle and would continue to do so.



Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom; sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain, he said.

Basit said that no matter how much force is used, the political aspiration of people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be suppressed, and that the freedom movement will reach its logical conclusion.

-- With inputs from ANI

Image: A man walks past a Pakistani flag display along a roadside in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Photograph: Faisal Mahmood/Reuters
Lieutenant Colonel Niranjan E K, head of National Security Guards bomb disposal unit who was killed while sanitising a terrorists body during the Pathankot air base terror attack in January, has been honoured with the Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry medal of the country, on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.

Niranjan, an officer of the armys corps of engineer, was part of the special NSG commandos unit that was rushed to the Indian Air Force base in Punjab after four terrorists entered the high-security military facility on the intervening night of January 1-2.

NSG had said it lost the experienced and brilliant counter-IED officer to a deadly booby trap as the terrorists had used an innovative technique whose antidote was not included in the Standard Operating Procedure of the black cat commandos force.

Niranjans lungs got punctured due to the impact of the blast of a grenade that was kept in the pocket of a slain terrorist and the officer died before being taken to hospital.

NSG Director General R C Tayal, had maintained that Niranjan, an experienced and highly trained Commanding Officer of the Bomb Disposal and Detection Unit, had followed all laid down SOPs while sanitising the bodies of the four terrorists, killed in the attack on IAF base on January 3.

Niranjan was probably the only officer who had a wide-range of experience in conducting back-to-back anti-sabotage and sanitisation checks on live bombs, including defusing IEDs found in Patna and Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Bangalore and Burdwan in West Bengal.

The DG had said a grenade that took the Federal Bureau of Investigation-trained officers life was concealed very cleverly by the terrorists.

The brave officer had sanitised two bodies and was working on the third when the fatal blast claimed his life.

The Pathankot attack claimed the lives of seven security personnel while four terrorists were killed by NSG and other security personnel.

While the NSG has maintained six terrorists were involved in the attack, including two in the airmen billet which they brought down using heavy explosives, according to the National Investigation Agence, it so far has proof of presence of only four militants whose bodies were later recovered.

I-Day: 948 police, paramilitary personnel awarded medals

Meanwhile, a total of 948 central and state forces police personnel were also awarded gallantry and other service medals on the eve of Independence Day.

The top honour of Presidents Police Medal for Gallantry has been given to three Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel for thwarting terrorist attacks at Indian consulates at Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad in Afghanistan early this year.

One PPMG has also been given to Central Reserve Police Force Inspector Gulam Nabi Bhat and an official of the Intelligence Bureau and three policemen from Telangana for undertaking daring operations.

The list of braves also include three Home Guard jawans who laid down their lives in the line of duty during terrorist attack in Punjabs Dinanagar police station last year on July 27.

Also, four fire service personnel from Maharashtra who died while combating a massive inferno in Mumbai last year have been decorated with the Presidents gallantry medals.

Presidents Police Medal for Gallantry has been awarded to seven personnel, Police Medal for Gallantry to 170 personnel, Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service to 88 personnel and Police Medal for Meritorious Service to 683 personnel.

Police personnel who have been awarded the PMG include 24 from Telangana, 16 from Odisha, ten from Maharashtra, eight from Jharkhand, nine each from Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, among others.
Red Fort, the 17th century monument from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on the 70th Independence Day on Monday, and adjoining areas have been put under an unprecedented air-to-ground security cover with hawk-eye vigil being maintained across the entire national capital.

IMAGE: Security men stand guard near India Gate in view of beefed up security arrangements ahead of upcoming Independence day celebrations. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI

Thousands of security personnel, including 5,000 men from Delhi Police, have been deployed to ensure foolproof security in and around the historic Mughal fort which will see the presence of senior ministers, top bureaucrats, foreign dignitaries and common people.

A multi-layer security has also been thrown around Rajpath where a seven-day-long cultural festival Bharat Parv is underway. All the government buildings, including North Block and South Block, are being illuminated after sunset in the run up to August 15.

At Red Fort, a special team of National Security Guard snipers and commandos will form the inner layers of the security cordon while anti-aircraft guns have been deployed to thwart any aerial intrusion by objects like drones and projectiles, senior police officials said.

IMAGE: Thousands of security personnel, including 5,000 men from Delhi Police, have been deployed to ensure foolproof security. Photograph: PTI

Delhi Police has already prohibited aerial activities, including para-gliding, flying UAVs and hot air balloons, across the city till October 10.

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.

Entry and exit to Metro stations near Red Fort will be closed till the prime minister is present at the venue.

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.

IMAGE: A man gets his picture taken in front of the Illuminated Defence Ministry, Presidential Palace and the home ministry ahead of Independence Day celebrations. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

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.

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, officials said.

Security along the route to be taken by the prime ministers cavalcade from 7 RCR to Red Fort will be monitored with the help of hundreds of CCTV cameras.

IMAGE: Children participate in a full-dress rehearsal ahead of Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI

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.

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.
Photo courtesy of the Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox got contributions across the board in a 6-3 come-from-behind win over the Diamondbacks at Fenway Park on Saturday night., making a spot start, went 4.1 innings holding Arizona to three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out one. Certainly nothing to make you want him back on the mound in five days, but face it - it could have been a LOT worse given what we've seen from him this year.technically didn't get credit for the save (that went towith a 1-2-3 ninth), but he certainly did his part coming into a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the top of the eighth and striking out the side.started the Boston scoring with an RBI single to drive in(pictured) in the bottom of the third.After the D-backs took a 3-1 lead in the fifth, Boston scored three times on a solo home run by's RBI double, and a run-scoring single byHolt added to the lead with his sixth home run of the year in the bottom of the sixth, driving in Leon.finished things up the ninth inning, allowing one run. Click here to find more by Jim Monaghan on Red Sox Life . Follow him on twitter - @Monaghan21
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.
SUNDAY

Trade Days of West Texas

Trade Days of West Texas will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2501 E. Highway 80. Crafts, antiques, food trucks and more will be available.

Other ...

Out & About Group LGBT AA Meeting, 6 p.m. Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, Lower Level Parish Hall, 602 Meander St.

MONDAY

Auditions

Open auditions for an upcoming production of 'Deadwood Dick' will be 7-9 p.m. at Abilene Community Theatre, 809 Barrow St. The show will run Sept. 29 through Oct. 8.

Other ...

AARP, 10 a.m., Rose Park Senior Citizens Center Room B.

Cancer Services Network's Auxiliary meeting, 10:30 a.m., 100 Chestnut St., Suite 100. 325-672-0040.

Overeaters Anonymous, noon, Hinds Square Building, 100 Chestnut St., Room 112.

Schizophrenia Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300.

Blood drive, 1-6 p.m., Shoppin' Baskit, De Leon.

Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St.

Anorexics Bulimics Anonymous, 6 p.m., Shades of Hope, 402A Mulberry St., Buffalo Gap. 800-588-4673.

Central Texas Gem & Mineral Society of Abilene, 7 p.m., 7607 Highway 277 South. 325-692-0063.

Abilene Toastmaster's Club 1071, 7 p.m., Conference Center, Texas State Technical College, 650 E. Highway 80. 325-692-7325 or abilene.toastmastersclubs.org.

Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007.

Mid-City Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Christian Church. 325-670-4304.

Memory Men (4-part a cappella singing), 7 p.m., Calvary Baptist Church, 1165 Minter Lane. Park on east side, enter through kitchen. 325-676-SING.

Those Left To Cope, 7-8:30 p.m., First Baptist Church Ministry of Counseling and Enrichment, 1502 N. First St.

Abilene Community Band rehearsal, 7:30 p.m., Bynum Band Hall, McMurry University. 325-232-7383.

South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave.

Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Avoca United Methodist Church. 325-773-2611.

Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Group. 325-676-1400.

TUESDAY

Big Country CASA information

Big Country CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) will conduct an informational meeting at 6 p.m. at the CASA office at 400 Oak St., Suite 218. For more information, call 325-677-6448.

Movie at the library

A free showing of a recent PG-13 rated sci-fi adventure movie will begin at 6 p.m. at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Admission is free.

TxDOT hearing

RANGER  TxDOT will conduct a public hearing on proposed reconstruction on Interstate 20 at Ranger Hill at 6:15 p.m. in the Ranger High School cafeteria.

Square dance workshop

TYE  The Key City Squares will conduct a square dancing workshop at 6:30 p.m. at the Wagon Wheel.

Auditions

Open auditions for an upcoming production of 'Deadwood Dick' will be 7-9 p.m. at Abilene Community Theatre, 809 Barrow St. The show will run Sept. 29 through Oct. 8.

Other ...

Mission on the Move Soup Kitchen, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Southwest Drive Community United Methodist Church, 3025 Southwest Dr.

Abilene Southwest Rotary Club, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St.

High Noon Al-Anon, noon, Southern Hills Church of Christ, 3666 Buffalo Gap Road (south end; follow the yellow signs).

Stroke/Aphasia Recovery Program support group, 1:30-2:30 p.m. West Texas Rehabilitation Center boardroom, 4601 Hartford St. 325-793-3535.

Dystonia Support Group, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Not Without Us, 3301 N. First St. Suite 117.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), 5:30 p.m., Brook Hollow Christian Church, 2310 S. Willis St. 325-232-7444.

Legacies Al-Anon Family Group, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-280-7584.

Family (of Mental Health Consumers) Support Group, 6-7 p.m., Mental Health Association in Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300.

MHAA Bipolar/Depression Peer Support Group, 6-8 p.m., Ministry of Counseling & Enrichment, 1502 N. First St. 325-673-2300.

Free certified nurturing parent class (pregnancy to toddler), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398.

Abilene Star Chorus, 6:15 p.m., Wisteria Place Chapel, 3202 S. Willis St. 325-829-1470.

Overeaters Anonymous, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Exodus Metropolitan Community Church, 1933 S. 27th St.

Family Support Group for parents with special needs children, 6:30-7:30 p.m., West Texas Rehabilitation Center boardroom, 4601 Hartford St. 325-793-3500.

Alzheimer's Association  North Central Texas Chapter, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Chisholm Place, 1450 E. N. 10th St. 325-672-2907.

Al-Anon Parents Group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. Use Church Street entrance.

Al-Anon, 7 p.m., Doug Meinzer Activity Center, Knox City. 940-658-3926.

Brigadier General John Sayles Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 366, 7 p.m., American Legion Building, 302 E.S. 11th St.

Abilene Society of Model Railroaders, 7-8:30 p.m., 2043 N. Second St.

Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St.

WEDNESDAY

Dog Days at the Mall

Dog Days will continue from 5-8 p.m. at the Mall of Abilene. Participants are encouraged to bring their dog for a dog walk. The Abilene Animal Shelter and the Taylor-Jones Humane Society will offer dogs for adoption.

Square dance workshop

TYE  The Wagon Wheel Squares will conduct a square dancing workshop at 6:30 p.m. at the Wagon Wheel.

Other ...

Overeaters Anonymous, 8 a.m., Hinds Square Building, Room 112, 100 Chestnut St.

Abilene Cactus Lions Club, 11:45 a.m., Cotton Patch Cafe, 3302 S. Clack St.

Abilene Wednesday Rotary Club, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway. $12 for lunch. Jo Ann Wilson, 325-677-6815.

Kiwanis Club of Abilene, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway Blvd.

Clearly Speaking Toastmaster Club, noon, Westgate Church of Christ, 402 S. Pioneer Drive. 325-795-5570.

Blood drive, noon to 5 p.m., La Voz 93.3, 209 S. Danville Drive.

Alzheimer's Association Caregiver Support Group, 2-3 p.m., Western Hills Healthcare Residence, Comanche.

Alzheimer's disease support group, 5:15 p.m., Cedar Crest Care Center, 1901 W. Elliott, Breckenridge. Assists those who have a family member with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. 1-800-272-3900 or 254-559-3302.

Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St.

Veterans Peer Support Group, 6 p.m., 765 Orange St. 325-670-4818.

Mid-week Al-Anon Family Group, 6-7 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-698-4995.

Advanced Square Dancing, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wagon Wheel.

Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007.

DivorceCare support group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. 325-691-4200.
Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News Cherry Gleason volunteers in the "Granny Squad" at the Law Enforcement Center in this file photo from last year.

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By Loretta Fulton, Special to the Reporter-News

The invitation to Cherry Gleason's birthday party said her 100 years comes out to more than 3 billion seconds.

What the invitation didn't say was that Gleason has lived every one of those seconds to the fullest. Friends and relatives who gathered Saturday in the fellowship hall of Potosi Baptist Church believe in another year those numbers will have to be adjusted.

"She's going to outlive us," said H.T. Gleason, one of three Gleason brothers who attended the party. H.T. was 12 when his father, Howard Gleason, and Cherry were married.

As guests stood in a long line Saturday, waiting to greet Cherry Gleason, she was taking it all in with pleasure and gratitude. Seated in a chair at the back of the fellowship hall, sporting a beautiful dress and a wrist corsage given her by her Sunday School class, Gleason looked like a queen, patiently answering questions from her adoring public.

"I don't hurt anywhere," she said in answer to a question about her health, "except the bottom of my feet."

"Get a job after retirement," she replied in answer to a question about her longevity. "Don't stay home and be a couch potato."

Everyone who knows Gleason  and that includes a sizeable portion of Taylor County residents  can attest to her own refusal to stay home. Even today, despite suffering a broken leg a few years ago and a few other ailments, Gleason is active in the Taylor County Historical Commission and she still occasionally goes to the Abilene Police Department where she is "timekeeper" for the Granny Squad.

The 13 "grannies" volunteer through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program to help process paperwork at the police department to free up officers. Gleason keeps track of their volunteer hours to report to RSVP.

Keeping meticulous records is a skill Gleason learned as a student at Draughon's Business College in Abilene in the 1930s. She perfected her skills at Camp Barkeley, an Army camp located southwest of Abilene during World War II. She got a job at the camp, first as a secretary and later as chief clerk over the executive supply office.

After the camp closed, she worked for the Abilene Public Library and the U.S. Postal Service, retiring in 1981. Since then, she hardly has sat down long enough to become a couch potato. A favorite pastime is volunteering with the Taylor County Historical Commission, keeping records and helping in the commission archives.

In 2005, she received the Perini Award, given annually by the commission. Anita Lane-McBride, chair of the commission, was one of several commission members present for the birthday party Saturday. She said Gleason's contributions to the commission can't be replicated.

"She has lived most of what we are trying to preserve," Lane-McBride said. "When we talk about Camp Barkeley, she worked there."

Gleason was born Cherry Minga on Aug. 13, 1916. When she was 12, the family moved from Abilene to Littlefield, where her father ran a tourist court, the forerunner to today's motel. After graduating from Littlefield High School in 1934, she left for Draughon's Business College and remained in Abilene after graduating.

Saturday's party was hosted by her family and by members of her Sunday School class at Potosi Baptist Church. Judy Favor, teacher for the Praying Class, said Gleason adds a dimension to the class that is unequaled.

"She has a lot of good wisdom to pass along to everybody," Favor said.

Shirley Goldston isn't a member of the class but a friend who was helping Saturday. Gleason used to have a friend, now deceased, who called her every day at 9 a.m. When the friend died, Goldston took over the calls.

"Cherry outlives everybody," Goldston said, but there always is someone happy to step in.

Ozelma Stratton has been a member of the Praying Class at Potosi Baptist Church for years. Gleason isn't content just to come to the church on Sunday mornings, Stratton said. This summer, Gleason helped register children for Vacation Bible School, not showing any signs of slowing down.

"I told her we're going to see her next year," Stratton said.
FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2016, file photo, an Aedes aegypti mosquito is photographed through a microscope at the Fiocruz institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. A field trial releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida would not harm humans or the environment, according to documents released Friday, March 11, 2016 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency's Center for Veterinary Medicine released a preliminary finding of no significant impact for the trial of a method that aims to reduce populations of the mosquito that spreads dengue, chikungunya and the Zika virus among humans. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

By Brian Bethel of the Abilene Reporter News

Concern about the Zika virus continues both abroad and domestically, while state and local officials say they are ready in case of an outbreak here.

On Tuesday, an infant in Harris County died shortly after birth because of the virus, the first Zika-related death in Texas. There is no vaccine available for the virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes and can be passed by a pregnant woman to her fetus.

The child's mother had traveled to Latin America during her pregnancy, and the baby was born with microcephaly. The condition is a rare neurological condition in which an infant's brain does not develop properly, resulting in a head size much smaller compared with other children of the same age and sex.

Though there have been no local cases, the city of Abilene has already taken a proactive approach, said Victor Cantu, public health preparedness coordinator. The city has crafted a "Zika coalition" consisting of the city and local community and distributing "Zika kits" to neighborhoods that may be at higher risk of contracting mosquito-borne illnesses.

"We have also attended public events to make our kits available to anyone who would like to obtain one," Cantu said, a strategy that the city plans to continue while also continuing to coordinate with various organizations to strategically target at-risk communities.

The Zika kits include "a can of mosquito repellent, a mosquito dunk, literature in both English and Spanish on how to avoid mosquito bites, and a coloring book with crayons," Cantu said.

"These areas include: areas of lower socioeconomic status/lower income  households that are less inclined to take the preventive steps, i.e., no door screens, broken window screens, no mosquito repellent," Cantu said in an email.

Also included are areas that reside near standing water such as creek beds or streams.

The city plans to reference the Department of State Health Services' Zika response plan in the event of cases here, he said.

"Though this specific disease has not been encountered in our region, we have experienced similar threats in the past; therefore, protocols are in place to address (similar) diseases," Cantu said. "The public health department is in regular contact with regional, state  the Texas Department of State Health Services  and federal partners  the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  to maintain awareness."

Residents should continue to monitor the Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District Facebook page as well as Texaszika.org for information regarding the illness, he said.

Anyone who wants a "Zika kit" can pick one up at the Public Health District's headquarters, 850 N. 6th St.

Chris Van Deusen, a press officer with the Texas Department of Health Services, said that the entity has done "tabletop" exercises with local jurisdictions, health departments and governments, with a purpose of "talking through what the response to Zika would look like, particularly if we started to see local transmission in their areas."

"We've got federal funds to support that and had a statewide conference that was down in McAllen a few weeks ago to try to talk through some of those issues and get ideas and kind of get some of that out on the table," Van Deusen said.

The department also hosted a conference call a few weeks ago with county judges to update them on the evolving situation, he said.

"That's really a major part of the effort at this point is to kind of keep that communication flowing, sharing the info we get from the CDC and other states as far as what the situation is elsewhere and what we're finding here," Van Deusen said. "We haven't seen any local transmission in Texas but it's still a possibility, so we want to share our plans with local governments."

Cause for concern

According to the CDC, Zika can be spread through mosquito bites, from a pregnant woman to her fetus, through sexual contact and  likely  blood transfusion.

A significant number of people with the virus won't have symptoms or will experience only minor symptoms.

Warning signs include fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), muscle pain and headache.

"The CDC is recommending that every woman who is pregnant at each visit with her OB-GYN physician, they go over whether or not she has potentially been exposed," said Gaye Hay, director of performance improvement and accreditation with Hendrick Health System.

"They are now also seeing cases that they believe are sexually transmitted, so now we are also educating women who are pregnant or who hope to become pregnant," said Hay, who is a registered nurse and has a master's degree in nursing.

Women should make sure that both they and their partners are protected, Hay said.

Condoms or other barriers against infection can reduce the chance of getting Zika from sex, according to the CDC.

Though not well documented, the virus may be passed sexually by a person who carries it but displays no symptoms. Studies are presently underway to see how long the virus stays in semen and vaginal fluids and how long it can be passed to sexual partners, according to the CDC.

"Once the mother contacts (Zika) and its' passed along to the baby, there's not a lot that can be done but supportive care," Hay said.

In addition to microcephaly, the illness can also cause severe fetal brain defects, including defects of the eye, hearing deficits and impaired growth, according to the CDC.

There have also been increased reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome, an uncommon sickness of the nervous system, in areas affected by Zika.

Diagnosis is based on recent travel history, symptoms and test results. A blood or urine test can confirm an infection, necessary because Zika can mimic other illnesses spread through mosquito bites.

The formula for protecting oneself from being infected by mosquitoes is relatively simple, Hay said, and includes wearing long sleeves and pants if possible, using mosquito repellent containing the chemical DEET, removing standing water, and making sure heating and air conditioning systems have new filters and no way to let in pests.

The edict about standing water is perhaps the most serious.

"It only takes a bottle cap of water to be enough space for mosquitoes to lay their larvae and reproduce," Hay said. "So even a small amount of standing water is prime breeding ground."

Those worried they have been exposed to Zika virus should talk to their primary health care provider, she said, to determine if testing should be ordered.

"There's really no need to do it if you haven't had the potential for exposure," she said. "It's not something everyone needs to run to the emergency room to get done."

Tips for travelers

As of Aug. 3, the most recent CDC statistics available last week, six Zika cases in the United States had been locally acquired from mosquitoes, while a comparatively massive 1,818 cases were acquired through travel.

Texas had 89 cases contracted through travel, though no locally-acquired cases.

Obviously, then, the most important concern presently, Van Deusen said, still rests with travelers who may go to areas deeply affected by the virus.

If you do travel to such areas, "do everything you can to avoid mosquito bites so you don't get infected and bring it back to Texas," he said.

Right now, "there's a vanishingly small chance that someone walking around in Texas is going to be infected with Zika in the immediate future," Van Deusen said.

"But that may not always be the case," he said. "So it behooves us to obviously make the preparations that we've been making at the state level and local governments have been making at their level."

And it makes sense for individuals to prepare themselves to avoid mosquito bites or otherwise transmitting the virus, Van Deusen said.

"Fortunately, the same precautions that are going to protect you from Zika are going to protect you from West Nile virus, which is spreading in Texas and something we see every year," he said. "That's something we also keep an eye on and want people to avoid getting. Every year in Texas, people die from West Nile."

The city only sprays for mosquitoes if there has been a positive test for West Nile virus, Cantu said.

Those who do plan to travel in affected areas  Latin America, the Caribbean and certain Pacific islands that have ongoing Zika transmission  should make it a priority to protect themselves, he said, including wearing mosquito repellent at "all the time."

Those precautions "go double" for pregnant women or women planning a pregnancy, he said.

"Certainly, if you're considering a trip, please talk to your doctor about how you can protect yourself and consider delaying that trip," Van Deusen said.
The Parker Wing of Hendrick Medical Center should be back to normal by Monday after an early morning fire Saturday caused smoke damage to its top three floors, Hendrick CEO Tim Lancaster said.

The incident, which involved only smoke, caused the evacuation of 63 patients from the fifth, sixth and seventh floors to other parts of the hospital, he said, adding that there were no injuries caused by either the smoke or from moving the patients.

'I'm very, very proud of the way people responded,' Lancaster said at a press conference Saturday morning. 'Hospital staff work with the fire department and everyone responded admirably.'

According to a press release from the Abilene Fire Department, the alarm at Hendrick was activated around 2 a.m. Hendrick personnel reported heat and smoke on the sixth floor, which sustained the heaviest damage. Firefighters discovered the fire venting through the roof above the sixth floor. It was quickly extinguished.

Fire investigators were able to determine that the fire started on the roof of the Parker Wing, where work was being done to repair damage done by the hail storm in June 2014. Inspectors said roofers have been using a propane torch to install new flashing between the space between two wings of the hospital and that the wooden substructure that enclosed the top of the space had been smoldering for several hours.

Lancaster said the air conditioning in the Parker Wing shut down as part of the safety mechanism and that kept smoke from spreading to other floors in the Parker Wing.

Hendrick Public Relations Coordinator Lynn Bruton said the hospital will begin moving patients back to seventh floor Sunday afternoon and to the fifth floor on Monday. The sixth floor will be last.

Lancaster said it would be business as usual at Hendrick as the patients who were evacuated were moved to other rooms. Incoming patients were still able to receive services in the emergency room and would be admitted into the hospital if hospitalization was required. No internal healthcare services in the hospital were disrupted, and Hendrick had resumed taking transfer patients from other hospitals by the 7 p.m. Saturday.

Hospital staff worked Saturday to wipe down the floors and the equipment on the floors. Lancaster said the infectious disease department of the hospital would make the decision when the floors could be used again.

In addition to the 63 patients, the evacuation also included about 25 nurses and staff, Bruton said.

Lancaster said the roof would be monitored every half hour to ensure the fire didn't reignite. He said he was confident there was no more danger.

'We think we're very, very safe,' he said.

Lancaster said that staff trains on evacuating patients in case of emergency.

'They did a great job,' he said.
Travel agent Susan Crowder, who co-owns Travel Leaders with her husband, said that once news initially broke about the Zika virus, her agency notified anyone who had previously booked a trip to one of the heavily affected areas.

'The airlines and the tour companies were all being very agreeable,' she recalled. 'If someone was pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, they could cancel without penalty. We notified everybody. We felt like that was our due diligence.'

Agents still warn travelers, honeymooners especially, but customers of all ages, of potential hazards, she said.

'Most are well aware of it,' she said.

Latin America, the Caribbean and certain Pacific islands have had high instances of Zika infection, while a recent outbreak in Florida has caused concern there.

Crowder noted she did hope that the Florida outbreak is given high priority by health officials, as that may discourage some from traveling there.

But she noted that the election  as it traditionally has  seemed to have a greater effect on people curtailing travel plans recently than concerns about the Zika virus.

Crowder said she wasn't completely sure why that seems to be the case.

'But it really does,' she said. 'Almost everyone in travel talks about it. When business is more than a little skewed, we blame it on the election.'
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In the wake of an unexpected federal appeals court decision, a Texas federal judge Wednesday eased the restrictions of the state's 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 new 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 nonexistent 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 soon will 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."

Email Carl P. Leubsdorf,former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News, at carl.p.leubsdorf@gmail.com.
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Donald Trump has the GOP trapped in not one Catch-22, but two. Call it a Catch-44.

The first Catch-22 has been the subject of widespread conversation over the last few weeks. As GOP pollster Glen Bolger summed it up for The New York Times: "Do we run the risk of depressing our base by repudiating the guy? Or do we run the risk of being tarred and feathered by independents for not repudiating him?"

"We're damned if we do and damned if we don't," he added.

Lots of Republicans adore Trump  just consider the enthusiasm at his massive rallies  and will turn on the establishment Republicans who betray him.

But roughly one out of five Republicans do not support the nominee. College-educated married white women  a major part of the GOP demographic coalition  are abandoning him. Trump is behind by huge margins in key swing states. His standing in the national polls is flirting with the catastrophic.

It's only early August and already Republican strategists are speculating that down-ballot candidates will have to cut and run from the nominee.

"If I were advising a candidate, and I used to do that for a living, the first thing I'd tell them is, 'Don't put yourself in the middle of other people's races.'" Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole said on MSNBC.

That brings us to the second Catch-22. Republican candidates at this stage have no excuses to offer if they decide to repudiate Trump other than naked self-interest.

Let's assume Trump cannot mount a comeback and becomes an albatross for countless Republican candidates across the country. And let's say they jump ship. Then every Democrat in the country  not to mention almost every pundit  will say, "You guys were fine with Trump as the nominee when he was a racist, but now that he's hurting the whole GOP's chances, he's suddenly unacceptable?"

And there will be some truth to the accusation.

It's instructive to look at what prompted the flop-sweat panic of recent days. After leaving the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Trump climbed the rhetorical jackass tree and then hurled himself earthward, hitting every branch on the way down.

There's not enough space here to recount in any serious detail all of the self-destructive statements and bizarre rabbit holes he spelunked into  from attacking the parents of Capt. Humayun Kahn, a soldier who died serving our country, to "jokingly" inviting the Russians to muck about in our elections, to reviving past controversies about Sen. Ted Cruz's father's alleged complicity in the Kennedy assassination.

And yet GOP establishment leaders stuck with their man  just as they'd stuck with their man when he threw NATO under the bus, and ridiculed our treaty obligations with Japan, and attacked American-born Judge Gonzalo Curiel for an alleged conflict of interest between his professional duties and his Mexican heritage. (Sure, House Speaker Paul Ryan and others criticized Trump's comments, but they did not officially distance themselves from him.)

GOP leaders contemplated pulling the emergency brake on the Trump Train only when the nominee said he wouldn't endorse Ryan or Sens. John McCain and Kelly Ayotte.

The message was clear: Only his willingness to endanger top Republicans' re-election was truly unacceptable behavior. Nothing else Trump said or did until then was beyond the pale.

In fact, the message was so clear that even Trump heard it. After an intervention his campaign denies took place, Trump grudgingly fell in line, reading a statement endorsing Ryan, McCain and Ayotte with all the enthusiasm of an adolescent boy forced to apologize for shoplifting.

There are no good options left for the GOP. However its leaders pivot to boost the party's chances in November, they risk revealing that winning is their only sacred principle  that is to say, admitting they have no sacred principles at all.

Email Jonah Goldberg, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review, at goldbergcolumn@gmail.com.
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Eighteen men said to be members of an extremist religious group that sought to provoke mass unrest in order to seize power went on trial beginning on August 4 in Baku's Court for Serious Crimes.

They face charges including murder, terrorism, inciting religious hatred, organizing mass unrest, and illegal possession of weapons. All of them without exception reject those charges as fabricated; several say they have been subjected to torture in an attempt to induce them to incriminate themselves, fellow defendants, and respected opposition leaders.

The two most prominent defendants are Taleh Bagirzade (also known as Bagirov), a young Shi'ite cleric who heads the unregistered Movement for Muslim Unity, and Fuad Qahramanli, deputy chairman of the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AHCP).

Bagirzade, who studied theology in Iran, has campaigned to uphold believers' rights and openly criticized Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. He was apprehended in late November 2015 together with 13 other men during a raid by police on a house in the village of Nardaran on the outskirts of Baku. where they were attending prayers.

Nardaran has for decades been a bastion of conservative Shi'ite Islam. Its estimated 8,000 residents regard as their supreme religious authority not Muslim Spiritual Board of Azerbaijan Chairman Sheikh-ul-Islam Allakh-Shukur Pashazade, but Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Seven people, including at least two police officers, were killed and several others wounded during the police raid, the precise details of which remain unclear. According to a joint statement by Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry and Prosecutor-General's Office, the men opened fire and hurled Molotov cocktails at the police. The accused, however, insist they were unarmed. One of them, Bahruz Asadov, was quoted as saying in court on August 11 that he heard police warning each other to aim carefully so as not to risk injuring their colleagues.

That joint statement also says that Bagirzade created the Movement for Muslim Unity with the aim of overthrowing the constitutional order and establishing "a religious state under Shari'a law." He and his associates are said to have recruited supporters in Baku and other parts of the country and provided them with various types of weaponry, and to have conducted "illegal meetings" in Nardaran to discuss mobilizing the population in a violent uprising against the authorities.

According to the statement, the November raid was undertaken to neutralize "an armed criminal group that acted under the cover of religion and was seeking to destabilize the social-political situation and organize mass unrest and acts of terrorism."

Oqtay Gyulaliyev of the public group Azerbaijan Without Political Prisoners says there is no evidence to support the allegations of terrorism. Why, he asks, if Bagirzade and his associates were indeed terrorists, were rank-and-file local police deployed to detain them, rather than a specialized counterterrorism force? Why were civilian lives endangered, and why did the police open fire immediately rather than call on the group of men to surrender?

Bagirzade's lawyer Elcin Sadiqov said after the preliminary court hearings last month that many points in the indictment remain unclear. He too claimed there was no evidence that it was the accused who fired on the police, or even that the two dead men identified as police officers were indeed such.

Bagirzade himself stresses that he has never advocated violence. He suggested that the police action to detain him was "carefully planned" in retaliation for the criticism voiced by the Movement for Muslim Unity of blatant falsification during the parliamentary elections on November 1.

Qahramanli, who was nowhere near Nardaran at the time of the raid, was detained at his home two weeks after it took place for comments about it that he posted on Facebook. He was initially charged with antistate propaganda and inciting racial or religious hatred and remanded in pretrial detention. Six months later, a further charge was brought against him of calling for civil disobedience and mass unrest.

Testifying on August 11, Qahramanli said he was being tried solely for having expressed a critical opinion of the Azerbaijani authorities. "The authorities want to frighten those people who come out against corruption [and] arbitrary [reprisals], which is why they fabricate political cases [against such critics]," he affirmed.

Gozyal Bayramli, who like Qahramanli is an AHCP deputy chairman, is on record as saying he is convinced that despite the total lack of any supporting evidence, the Azerbaijani authorities are determined to prove a connection between the party and the purported Shi'ite insurgent group in order to discredit the AHCP in the eyes of the international community.

Bagirzade says investigators tortured him to induce him to incriminate AHCP Chairman Ali Kerimli and Camil Hasanli, the head of the opposition National Council of Democratic Forces, but that he refused to do so.

Up to 50 other persons were apprehended in Nardaran on the day of the police raid. Some were subsequently released; others have been tried individually or in small groups on less serious charges such as illegal possession of weapons.

Since the events of last November, the Azerbaijani authorities have made a concerted effort to placate, if not win the hearts and minds of, Nardaran's population, broadening streets and repairing schools, a clinic, and other infrastructure. Attending the formal inauguration of that infrastructure two months ago, President Aliyev announced that villagers' collective unpaid debts for electricity over the past decade, amounting to 42.2 million manats ($27.7 million), had been written off.
Kurdish militia fighters in Iraq's Kurdish region have launched an offensive as part of the effort to capture the city of Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

The August 14 offensive began shortly after a campaign of intense artillery shelling and air strikes by the U.S.-led international coalition.

A commander for the Peshmerga, the armed forces of Iraq's Kurdish region, said six villages had been captured in the first hours of the offensive.

Mosul, some 400 kilometers north of Baghdad, is the largest urban area under IS control and is considered the group's de facto capital.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has vowed to retake the city by the end of this year.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Russian authorities have lifted a "countererrorsim regime" they had imposed in a village in the North Caucasus region of Daghestan in the morning.



Authorities had imposed the special regime after killing a suspected militant on the outskirts of the village of Tagirkent-Kazmalyar and surrounding a house they said he had been headed for, where they suspected others were hiding.



Late in the evening, however, they lifted it without specifying what had happened in the meantime.



Daghestan has been at the epicenter of a wave of violence by armed criminal groups and by militants seeking to establish an Islamic caliphate in the North Caucasus.



Organized crime, business turf wars, political disputes, and clan rivalry also contribute to the bloodshed in the region.

Based on reporting by RIA Novosti and TASS
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said there is no "standoff" in relations between Russia and the West, predicting improved relations between Moscow and Berlin in the coming years.

Speaking at a university in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg ahead of talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Steinmeier said there are still opportunities to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine and that the Minsk peace process should remain the focus of such efforts.

He also urged Russia and the West to take advantage of "the opportunities of the Russia-NATO Council" in easing tensions during "particularly difficult times."

Steinmeiers remarks came one day after Lavrov told journalists that Russia was not to blame for strained relations with Berlin.



"We are paying top-priority attention to relations with Germany and it is not our fault that they are enduring a difficult period," Lavrov said at a meeting on August 14 with the governor of Russia's Sverdlovsk region in its capital, Yekaterinburg.



Lavrov and Steinmeier were scheduled to meet there on August 15 for an energy-related event.

Before the meeting, Sergei Lavrov urged progress on the Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline project, saying it "fits into the program of developing the gas infrastructure that exists in the EU."

Earlier this month, Russia's Gazprom and its European partners withdrew their application for merger approval in Poland after regulators expressed opposition to a planned amalgamation that could restrict competition.

Gazprom, Anglo-Dutch group Shell, Austrian OMV, and German Uniper and Wintershall plan to build a pipeline from Russia under the Baltic Sea that would bypass Ukraine and deliver natural gas directly to Germany.

The companies said on August 13 that the project remains alive despite the application withdrawal.

While in Yekaterinburg, Lavrov and Steinmeier are expected to hold talks focusing on issues including the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.



Russia's seizure of Crimea and support for separatists in a war that has killed more than 9,500 people in eastern Ukraine have badly damaged Moscow's ties with the European Union.



The position of EU powerhouse Germany has been crucial to maintaining sanctions against Russia over its interference in Ukraine in place.



Tension over Crimea increased last week when Russia accused Ukraine of trying to send "saboteurs" into the annexed peninsula to carry out attacks. Ukraine calls the allegations preposterous.



Western countries say they see little evidence supporting Russia's accusations, which some analysts believe were a move by Moscow to gain the upper hand in geopolitical maneuvering over efforts to end the war in eastern Ukraine.



Germany helped broker a February 2015 cease-fire and political settlement deal that has fallen far short of full implementation.

The two leaders are also expected to discuss the crisis in Syria.

Steinmeier told a German paper on August 13 that 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.

In an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, Steinmeier said that Germany was in talks with the United States, 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 air strikes to allow in humanitarian aid, there has been no letup in the violence.

With reporting by TASS and Reuters
A Russian lawmaker's son who U.S. prosecutors say orchestrated a hacking scheme that resulted in about $170 million in fraudulent credit-card purchases goes on trial this week in the state of Washington.



Jury selection starts on August 15 in the federal trial of Roman Seleznyov.



Prosecutors say they will present evidence that he stole credit card information by hacking into the records of Washington pizza restaurants and other U.S. businesses.



Defense lawyers, for their part, contend that prosecutors have not drawn sufficient links between Seleznyov and the computer hacks that affected more than 200 businesses over several years.



They also say the U.S. Secret Service agents who arrested Seleznyov in the Maldives in 2014 mishandled his laptop and may have compromised evidence. Seleznyov was flown to Guam for an initial court appearance, and then to Seattle.



Seleznyov was initially indicted in 2011, but he suffered a brain injury in a terrorist bombing in a cafe in Morocco a month later. A previous lawyer said he was in a coma for two weeks.



His father, Valery Seleznev, is a member of the State Duma, Russia's lower parliament house, from flamboyant ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky's party.



Russia has contended that Seleznyov was kidnapped by U.S. authorities.

Based on reporting by AP and the Christian Science Monitor
As state legislators prepare to interrogate University of Virginia administrators over a new $2.2 billion investment fund, congressional committees already are scrutinizing the sizable endowments of two of the states top private universities.

The University of Richmond and Washington and Lee University were among 56 private schools with endowments exceeding $1 billion that were told in February to submit details on how they manage and spend their wealth.

Like 1 percenters caught in a populist backlash, wealthy universities are finding their fortunes can be a source of pride and of contention.

The schools are being told to account for the incongruence of rising endowments, rising tuition and preferred tax status under federal law, said Peter F. Lake, director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy at Stetson University College of Law in Florida.

Institutions are feeling pressure to release endowment to reduce student costs, but its much more complicated than going to the ATM, he said. Its all very, very complex, given private and public restrictions on the use of endowment, and accounting guidelines.

Steven G. McAllister, treasurer and vice president for finance for Washington and Lee, said he wont argue that a large endowment can be a public relations problem  but it also underwrites what makes a W&L education distinctive and accessible.

He said he understands the demand for more transparency, but W&L has used its endowment to accomplish many of the priorities that the public expects from higher education.

Its hard to reconcile with the notion that we simply have these dollars we can use in any way we want, he said. W&L has more than 1,300 individual endowments, and each one has its specific purpose for what its to be used for.

U.Va.s Strategic Investment Fund is something different, something extraordinarily unusual in todays philanthropic world, as email exchanges between members of the board of visitors described it.

Free of donor restrictions, the new fund represents only a fraction of the total wealth of the university and related foundations. U.Va.s investment pool has a current value of $7.9 billion, according to the university. That includes the Strategic Investment Fund, which has had a value that fluctuates up to $2.3 billion.

The investment fund alone nearly matches the market value of URs endowment and is greater than Washington and Lees.

The NACUBO-Commonfund endowment study for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2015, ranked U.Va.s endowment as 18th among more than 800 institutions, with a value of $6.18 billion. UR was 37th at $2.37 billion.

W&Ls $1.47 billion endowment was 67th, smaller than Virginia Commonwealth Universitys endowment.

VCU and its foundations have followed U.Va.s lead in consolidating assets into an investment portfolio, which has grown to $1.638 billion and was ranked 56th in the endowment survey. The total includes the Glasgow endowment, worth $47.95 million and entirely restricted in its use.

***

For wealthy universities, the focus is more about increasing the value of the education to the student than on lowering tuition, Lake said.

When you look at elite institutions like U.Va. and Harvard, value always dominates the discussion, just like it does in any elite shopping experience, Lake said. Its critical to have the best facilities, labs and professors.

All of that comes at a tremendous cost and may not end up reducing tuition but certainly improves the value of the education, he said.

U.Va.s Strategic Investment Fund was approved formally in February by the board of visitors. Rector William H. Goodwin was clear in his vision for the fund:

The BOV wants the efforts to result in U.Va. again gaining the No. 1 ranking for public universities, Goodwin said in an April email to Patrick D. Hogan, U.Va.s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

In a January email to U.Va. President Teresa A. Sullivan and others, Hogan said the fund had been established as a result of the efforts over the past 18 months to restructure our balance sheet, including our approach to liquidity, variable rate debt and cash management.

The Strategic Investment Fund is managed by the University of Virginia Investment Management Co., or UVIMCO, which also invests the endowment and long-term funds held by the university and its related foundations, as well as short-term pools with near-term liquidity needs.

According to the university, a new liquidity policy approved by the board last fall allowed for the transfer of about $480 million of operating cash for investment with UVIMCO, which was done in consultation with rating agencies to preserve U.Va.s AAA rating.

The fund also includes reserves that have accumulated since 2009 and invested with UVIMCO, including about $620 million in unrestricted funds and related earnings; about $385 million in operating reserves for the Academic and Health System divisions; and $700 million in investment earnings.

***

The university received authority from the General Assembly in 2006 to consolidate assets and invest them for longer-term returns, but now some legislators are outraged by the results.

Emails released under the state Freedom of Information Act show the discussion among administrators about the best way to publicize the new fund, including a message June 10 from Hogan about our approach to possible discussions with Richmond.

But the Strategic Investment Funds public debut came last month in an online opinion column in The Washington Post by former rector and Sullivan nemesis Helen Dragas.

Writing after her second term on the board of visitors ended June 30, Dragas called the Strategic Investment Fund a slush fund for pet projects to enhance U.Va.s national reputation.

The investment fund is expected to generate as much as $100 million annually in earnings, which are to be awarded as grants to finance new initiatives for the university and its medical center.

As yet, no Strategic Investment Fund grants, which require approval by the board, have been awarded. The fund is on the agenda for the boards retreat Monday, but the awarding of grants is expected later in the fall.

The (Strategic Investment Fund) represents over $2.0 billion of funds that for the first time can be devoted to investing in the university, board member Frank M. Rusty Conner III said in a May talking points email sent to Goodwin.

The funds are in effect unrestricted and can be used for a broad array of strategically significant uses that can be transformative for the universitys future, he wrote.

In the philanthropic world of today it is extraordinarily unusual to have such a significant amount of funds available for use without specific and oftentimes detailed parameters and directions, wrote Conner, the vice rector.

As a consequence, the board must exercise an unusual degree of oversight in determining how the investment returns are used.

The emails were included in nearly 2,000 pages of records the university sent to a group of lawmakers questioning how the fund was put together and why the money was not spent to lower tuition.

U.Va. administrators are to answer some of those questions Sept. 19 in a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee in Richmond.

***

Meanwhile in Washington, responses from UR and W&L remain under review, a spokesman for the Senate Finance Committee said.

Both universities sent the requested information March 31 to the chairmen of the Finance Committee; the House Ways and Means Committee; and the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight.

W&Ls McAllister said he has received no congressional feedback yet.

A gift of James River Canal stock valued at $20,000 from George Washington was one of W&Ls first endowment gifts, McAllister wrote to the congressional committees.

In his letter to the committees, UR President Ronald A. Crutcher describes the history of the university dating to 1830 and the transformative gift of $50 million in 1969 from grateful alumnus E. Claiborne Robins.

For fiscal 2015, endowment funds provided 37 percent of URs operating revenue, nearly equal to the total amount of revenue generated by net tuition and fees, Crutcher said.

Fifty percent of the endowment is restricted in its use by donors; the remaining half is unrestricted and used to support operations and financial aid. The university financed $66 million in grants and scholarships for the past academic year, he said.

The W&L response says the university has direct oversight and management of more than 1,300 individual endowments, of which all but 100 have donor restrictions, with a market value of $1.047 billion for fiscal 2015.

W&L also benefits from 46 trust funds that are held by others with an aggregate value of $423.5 million. The funds are considered part of the endowment, though the university has no oversight or responsibility for them.

According to McAllister, 45 percent of the endowment under the universitys control is dedicated to student financial aid and scholarships.

In short, we are sympathetic to the topic you are addressing and the concerns you have expressed, he wrote.

The congressional letter pointed out that despite large endowments, universities have raised tuition far in excess of inflation.

In their responses, both Virginia universities emphasized their generous financial aid programs  UR pointed to its need-blind admission policy and a program that covers full tuition and room and board to any admitted undergraduate Virginia resident whose parental income is $60,000 or less.

W&L said it guarantees any family with an income of $75,000 or less a minimum of a full-tuition scholarship.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) - Authorities say three people were shot at the Magnuson Hotel in Newport News.

The Newport News Police Department says officials responded to the shooting early Sunday and found a woman on the first floor of the hotel with a non-life threatening gunshot wound.

Police say the woman was delivering pizza to a room on the first floor when gunfire broke out. Police say that after shots started firing, the woman delivering the pizza was pulled into the room and the door was closed.

They say a second woman and a man also suffered what appear to be non-life threatening gunshot wounds.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe recently said he was in very serious negotiations with the Washington Redskins about building a stadium in Virginia. In plain English, the literal translation of that statement is: Hide your wallet.

When it comes to taking money from the poor and giving it to the rich, McAuliffe is like his predecessors, only more so. Since 2010 Virginia has ladled out nearly $700 million worth of economic incentives trying to lure businesses to the commonwealth. Such handouts have nearly tripled in the past decade. In his first year alone McAuliffe handed out more than $68 million  then went to the General Assembly and asked for more.

Those efforts have not always gone well. In one instance, the commonwealth shelled out $1.4 million to help a Chinese subsidiary ramp up operations in Appomattox. The project  which McAuliffe had lauded as transformational  turned out to be vaporware, and 300-plus jobs that had been promised never materialized.

In another instance, the state paid Norfolk Southern $2 million to shift jobs from Roanoke to Norfolk, in defiance of a state law prohibiting the use of incentives for relocation projects.

Lately the governor has been offering subsidies to companies like Dollar Tree ($9 million) and Motley Fool ($350,000). But such figures are chump change compared to the funds shelled out for sports teams, which routinely fleece the public out of huge sums for fancy new arenas.

Over the past two decades, taxpayers have been forced to fork over more than $7 billion to build or renovate NFL stadiums. In some cases, taxpayers are still paying off the bonds for stadiums that have since been abandoned.

***

Civic boosters routinely claim that new stadiums will generate all sorts of ancillary economic benefits. But multiple studies have debunked that talking point. A survey of the literature, by scholars at the Brookings Institute, found no discernible positive relationship between sports facility construction and economic development.

Most evidence suggests that sports subsidies cannot be justified on the grounds of local economic development, income growth, or job-creation. In fact, after 20 years of academic research on the topic, peer reviewed economics journals contain almost no evidence that sports stadiums or franchises measurably improve local economies.

This seems to be Richmonds experience. Some of the citys schools are crumbling, to the point that a ceiling tile fell and hit a student on the head  not once but twice. Yet four years ago the city took money from schools to build a new $10-million practice field for the Redskins training camp. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell kicked in another $4 million. The citys Economic Development Authority agreed to guarantee the Redskins another $500,000 per year.

But fan attendance is down and much of the spin-off economic activity that was supposed to materialize has not. As one Arbys owner near the training camp told The Times-Dispatch last year, We thought wed get a bigger impact with all those people right across the street. (Things do seem to be going a bit better this year.)

Small wonder, then, that last week a survey showed three-fourths of respondents think the citys investment in the training camp has not paid off, and it should stop forking over a half-million dollars a year to the team. Thats true even of Redskins fans who have attended a training session  72 percent of whom also think the annual fee is a lousy deal.

And really, can you blame them? According to Forbes, in 2015 the Redskins were worth $2.85 billion, and the year before enjoyed revenue of $439 million. The average value of an NFL team rose 38 percent last year, thanks in part to $4.4 billion in TV broadcast revenue.

Collectively, the NFL is worth about $62 billion, which makes it considerably more valuable than Ford Motor Company ($48 billion). The average Redskins player salary is $1.7 million, the median around a half-million  and owner Dan Snyder is worth about $1 billion.

Median household income in Virginia is about $63,000. The Redskins current home, FedEx Field in suburban Maryland, is only 19 years old. If the team wants a newer one, thats fine  it should certainly build one. At its own expense.
If youre looking for an issue that now unites members of both major political parties, youd best start with our nations flawed criminal justice system. In a sign of progress, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has promised that Congress will consider a package of criminal justice reform bills when lawmakers return in September.

My generation in particular needs to see this effort succeed  and were counting on Virginia lawmakers to make it happen.

You can see why theres bipartisan agreement: The United States imprisons more people than any other nation by far  we have nearly five percent of the worlds population and almost 25 percent of its prisoners  and over recent years it has only gotten worse.

The number of inmates in our federal prisons has surged 735 percent since the 1980s. Our federal corrections institutions now house more than 200,000 people, with Millennials making up nearly 40 percent of that population.

But make no mistake, most of these arent violent criminals; the overwhelming majority are non-violent offenders. In fact, violent crime has been on a steady decline for the past two decades.

Rather, its our criminal code that has exploded. Well over 4,500 federal statutes carry federal penalties. There are also at least 300,000 more possible ways to get locked up, including penalties for violating regulations.

At the same time that our criminal code has expanded, so too have some of our sentencing laws.

In particular, the number of mandatory minimum sentencing laws, which force judges to issue minimum sentences for many non-violent crimes, has more than doubled since 1991. This increase in mandatory minimums has contributed to overpopulation in our federal prisons, according to the Congressional Research Service.

***

The effects of mass incarceration have drastically affected our economy. Not only does our federal prison system cost nearly $7.5 billion to maintain each year, but it makes life much harder for the least advantaged.

One recent Villanova University Study found that had mass incarceration not occurred, poverty would have decreased by more than 20 percent.

The economic costs can also be seen once offenders are released from prison. Many former inmates face difficulties finding work, and when they do, it doesnt really pay. Former male inmates make 40 percent lower annual earnings than the rest of the population, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.

For young people who are just starting out college or their careers, the repercussions from incarceration can be even greater. After all, two-thirds of colleges and universities ask applicants about their criminal history, and nearly 90 percent of employers require prospective employees to complete criminal background checks.

***

Congress can  and must  fix this broken system.

The bills that will be up for consideration by Congress this September would reform mandatory minimum sentences, refocus our prison system on rehabilitation, and reduce the likelihood of repeat offenders. This would reduce the number of people we put behind bars, cut costs, and put justice back in the criminal justice system.

Given the benefits, its no wonder criminal justice reform also has overwhelming support from the public: A recent poll found 75 percent of Virginia voters agree that the prison population is costing us too much money and that our prisons should prioritize rehabilitation.

They have good reason to believe that this is an important issue, too. Over the past decade, 21 states have enacted reforms to their criminal justice systems, illustrating just how widespread this problem has become.

While local lawmakers should consider reforming our states broken system  one of every 89 Virginia adults was incarcerated, as of 2013  its federal lawmakers who have the opportunity to enact immediate reform. And September is their last chance to do so this session.

We need smart, sensible, and responsible criminal justice reform. Congress can make this happen next month. For the sake of my generation  and future generations  they shouldnt delay any longer.
By Harry D. Bear

How often have you left a doctors office or clinic and asked yourself, Now, what did the doctor say? Or maybe you had family members ask you the same question, but you couldnt answer the question to their satisfaction?

Communication among physicians and other providers with patients and their families seems like it ought to be a simple matter, but with the increasing complexity of modern health care and the proliferation of choices to be made, making sure that we understand each other seems like it gets harder all the time.

In 2001, the U.S Institute of Medicine identified patient-centeredness as one of six primary aims for improving the quality of health care in the 21st century. This has become a quality indicator for health-care providers. Achieving this goal depends on physicians understanding the patients perspective, and empowering them to make choices and treatment decisions that fit with their own outlooks and situations.

This is a far cry from the old-fashioned, top-down approach of doctors telling patients what was wrong with them and what should be done about it, and patients just doing what they were told. This paternalistic relationship is no longer appropriate for modern times. But explaining complex medical conditions and the rationale behind specific recommendations and choices is not always easy.

Too often, in the rush to get through the day and see all the patients, doctors give short shrift to taking the time to explain and explore all the options. We as physicians must recognize our obligation to be sure that our patients and their family members get it when we are talking to them, and we must recognize that our biases may not match a patients own desires and expectations.

***

By encouraging patients to participate actively in their health-care decisions, we increase the likelihood of reducing anxiety, increasing satisfaction with their care, and increasing the likelihood of compliance with the ultimate plan. As physicians, we should welcome patient participation in making treatment decisions, and patients should expect us to encourage this collaborative behavior. If we are not doing so, then patients should speak up, and if that doesnt work, try another doctor.

How can patients and their families do a better job of becoming actively engaged in their health-care decision-making and not leave the visit feeling confused and uncertain?

First, when preparing for a visit or consultation to discuss a new diagnosis or the results of recent tests, it is useful to get organized by writing down a list of questions ahead of time and bringing the list to the appointment.

It is also useful to have someone else, either a family member or a friend, go with you and listen in. I frequently hear from patients that once they heard the first few words the doctor said (especially if it involved a life-altering diagnosis like cancer), everything that was said after that seemed to come through a fog. Someone else may hear the rest of the explanations more clearly.

Do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask questions or to ask the doctor to repeat what she said or to record the conversation to review later. If you ask if recording the discussion is OK, the doctor should not object.

It can be useful to explore the Internet for information, but be careful about the sources of information. Not all are reliable or accurate, and some are wrong! It is best to stick to professional society or governmental websites (e.g., the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, or the American Heart Association).

***

How might your doctor improve his or her communications?

First, it is useful, particularly for a new diagnosis or a first visit with a doctor, to take the conversation out of the examination room to a separate room meant for discussion, and with all your clothes on. Its amazing how being half naked makes your brain malfunction!

It also helps for the doctor to explain the options in small bites and not blurt out the whole sequence of treatments and choices all at once. Stopping at intervals to allow for questions to come up a few at a time can help make the information more digestible.

Another method that I and others have used is to write out a few lines of information or to draw an explanatory cartoon for the patient to take home. And of course there are loads of pamphlets, brochures, and books that doctors can provide or are available in a hospitals patient information library.

Another helpful tool thats been shown to be useful is the Question Prompt List. This is a simple list of somewhat generic pre-written questions, either on paper or an electronic tablet, that suggests what the patient might want to ask during the visit. Research shows that this encourages patients to ask questions about their care and improved outcomes; of course, this has to be coupled with the physicians encouragement and openness to answering questions.

***

One of the thorniest subjects for patients and physicians to tackle is the patients wishes for their care near the end of life. This can sometimes be harder for the doctor to bring up than it is for the patient.

Dr. Tom Smith, formerly at Massey Cancer Center and now at Johns Hopkins, recently gave a talk on palliative care at Virginia Commonwealth University and showed us a transferrable temporary tattoo that doctors can put on their arms with a list of questions that helps to explore patients wishes for their care. Sounds silly, but apparently it works!

Indeed, one of the Richmond Academy of Medicines most important programs, Honoring Choices Virginia, in collaboration with the areas three major health systems, seeks to train providers to be able to help patients specify what their preferences are, in the form of Advanced Directives.

Health care today has become much more complex, sophisticated, and sub-specialized compared with the past. This means that the information is harder to understand, even for physicians, let alone for patients and their families. The choices are much more numerous for any given diagnosis or condition. As with any other field, effective communication is key, and we all are responsible for making sure it works for the patient.
By Adrienne Cole Johnson, L.T. Moon, Ram Bhagat and Trey Hartt

Justice is a common theme throughout American history, with varying perceptions of goals and definitions along the way. While some may feel as though justice is alive and well, many, many citizens with a close pulse on the diverse communities of our country are identifying with a growing perception of the divide regarding just and fair treatment for individuals within the intersection of race, class, and culture.

Attempting to manage perpetual ongoing social problems that plague our communities, we struggle and have relegated to external institutions  which may be completely unfamiliar with the idiosyncratic characteristics of each community  the power to impose sanctions. This has ultimately led to community decline and to destabilization.

Blame it on social media, blame it on increased access to information, or simply blame it on reality  the microscope is narrowly focused on our society and we are forced to accept that there is still so much work to do. Richmond is no exception to these issues and it is important that we as citizens rise to the challenge of changing our approach.

Our belief is that justice is harder to achieve if the communities most affected are not involved in defining what justice is and actively working with policymakers to ensure it is achieved.

***

At its root, community justice encourages and supports community inclusion and partnership in all aspects of crime-reduction and prevention. More broadly, community justice is critical to positive growth and the development of strong, viable neighborhoods and should always be the preferred approach. It can facilitate a sense of empowerment, community care, and social cohesion among the members themselves who clearly have the greatest investment.

It is important to mention that community justice is not a new concept, just a newer name. As philosopher Paulo Freire described in his classic work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, published in 1968, the culture of violence must be changed by victims, the oppressed, who must not become perpetrators, but rather uplift the community through a process of self-healing. This healing is a soft yet very important piece of community justice.

Leaning to individuals, groups and organizations that are doing authentic work in our communities around restorative justice, we know that each cultural community has the healing capacity to counteract social ills.

Drumming, dancing, spoken word, and many other creative outlets can reconnect, revitalize, and synchronize community in the most organic and authentic of ways. Community justice involves perpetrators and survivors of trauma-causing events and experiences engaging in trauma-healing circle processes, whereby participant communities can vigorously engage in the process of unpacking the experiences they have had, or are still experiencing.

We are also careful to mention that community justice is far more than political elections and involvement during the election process, even with the current state of electoral affairs for our city and our nation. This is just a portion of the aim of community justice. It is much more deeply rooted in the truest sense of democracy and equity, the concept that by listening to and developing policies, systems, and behaviors that sustain all parts of our community, we all benefit.

***

So how do we radically re-imagine what justice looks like in our communities? From whom should those ideas generate and how do we truly know when we have arrived at justice? While there is no singular approach to answering these questions, there is a multitude of work that can be done to get our journey started.

The City of Richmond Department of Social Services just hosted the first Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Community Resilience Summit of 2016, and while it is amazing to know this was the first, it is quite encouraging to know that it is finally happening now. There is no better time.

This fall, we will debut a new film series entitled the Community Justice Film Series. This series is aimed at activating the everyday citizen to take steps toward community justice.

Focused on six themes  education, whole body and well-being, public safety, housing, transportation, and job-creation and wealth-building, the Community Justice Film Series will be a conduit for us to reflect, share, discuss, and take steps toward understanding what community justice looks like in Richmond and how we can hold each other and those in positions of power accountable.

You, as a unique member of the community, are encouraged to join us through film presentations and real dialogue as we work together to ensure that we are all engaged in defining what justice looks like for ourselves and for our neighbors.

We recognize that justice is a goal whose finish line is forever changing, and the process of action, reflection, and transformation is the ongoing approach that we must use. For in the end, community justice is not for the benefit of a few but, rather, the power of us all. We cannot move toward community justice without the participation of everyone.
In January 1961, the American embassy in Cuba was abruptly closed as the U.S. State Department recalled all of its personnel and President Eisenhower formally severed relations with the island nation.

Within a few weeks of that decision, the only Americans remaining on the island were U.S. troops stationed on the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay. For 55 years, relations between the two nations remained more combative than cordial.

But in December of 2014, President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced simultaneously that the two nations were going to pursue a new course in their relations.

Obama assured the American people that the outreach would be in line with U.S. interests and would help make the lives of ordinary Cubans a little bit easier, more free, more prosperous.

On July 20, 2015, American and Cuban diplomats stood side-by-side in Washington as Cuban soldiers raised their national flag over the Cuban embassy. Shortly after the ceremony, Secretary of State John Kerry met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez at the State Department.

Rodriquez presented a list of his governments long-standing requests that included compensating Cuba for human and economic damages imposed by the American economic embargo on the island nation, ending that embargo, and returning to Cuba the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

***

The ceremony at the Cuban embassy drew reaction from both pro- and anti-Cuban activists and politicians. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican who was born in Cuba, claimed the newly opened embassy in Washington would serve as a spy hub for the Cuban government. Today is a sad day for national security and human rights around the world, she noted.

Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, tweeted that engaging politically with the socialist nation will only serve to further legitimize (the) repressive regime. Sen. Marco Rubio and former Gov. Jeb Bush, both Florida Republicans, also vehemently opposed the new relationship status.

Supporters of the new engagement included Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat from Vermont, and James Williams, president of Engage Cuba, just one of many groups that for years has demanded Congress end the economic embargo. Most activists continue to insist the long-standing policy only worsens human-rights abuses in Cuba.

In March of this year, President Obama and his family flew to Cuba for a historic three-day visit. Just hours before Air Force One touched down at the Havana airport, more than 50 dissidents who were marching to protest human rights abuses were rounded up and arrested  right under the noses of dozens of international journalists.

The president and his family were greeted at Jose Marti Airport by the Cuban foreign minister and other government officials. Noticeably absent among the welcoming committee was President Raul Castro. Whether the elderly dictators absence was planned in advance due to weather conditions or was a deliberate snub remains unclear.

***

So one year later, whats changed and what hasnt? What has happened with tourism, trade, and Cubas disturbing history of human- rights violations?

On July 20, a senior official at the State Department held a briefing on the status of re-established diplomatic relations. According to that individual, both nations have engaged on a range of economic, security, cultural and social issues. ... We remain convinced that our shift from a policy of isolation to engagement is the best course for supporting the aspirations of the Cuban people and the emergence of a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Cuba.

Yes, there have been noticeable signs that trade, tourism, and diplomacy have greatly increased between the two nations. Cruise ships regularly visit the island and numerous U.S. government officials have also visited. Unfortunately, all of this increased activity seems to have benefited only the Castro regime. There has been little benefit to the average Cuban citizen.

In fact, as President Obama must know full well, the lives of ordinary Cubans have not become a little bit easier, more free, more prosperous. If anything, things have gotten worse.

The State Department briefing was held just one day after The Miami Herald published a less-flattering news story: Cubas human rights abuses worse despite U.S. ties. The story by Andre Oppenheimer notes that in the past year and a half, the Obama administrations outreach to Cuba has been generous and Castros regime has eagerly accepted the proffered hand.

But, says Oppenheimer, while much has been offered, little has been given in return. He shares a recently released report from the Havana-based Cuban Commission for Human Rights and Reconciliation.

The report says that the number of political arrests and detentions has greatly increased from a monthly average of 718 in 2015 to nearly 1,100 a month since January of this year. The Cuban government continues to imprison, torture and even execute individuals for whatever it may consider to be an act of civil disobedience.

Protests and assemblies by groups such as the Ladies in White (a group of relatives and wives of political prisoners) more often than not result in beatings, intimidation or trips to jail. There are no protections for free speech in Cuba.
The Fall Forestry and Wildlife Field Tours will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in style this fall with bus tours planned for Essex, Lee, Prince William and Dinwiddie/Nottoway counties.

While the overarching goal is to help landowners better understand sustainable forestry management, participants also learn about wildlife habitat, land conservation and invasive species while visiting private industry and public lands that center on multiple-use management opportunities and practices.

Participants also will have the opportunity to meet with landowners and hear their stories and ask questions.

This years tours are offered by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program in Virginia Techs College of Natural Resources and Environment. Partners include natural resources agencies such as the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Virginia Department of Forestry, as well as companies and associations.

The tours arent designed only for large landowners and are an excellent resource for anyone interested in the habitat in their backyard or in local public parks and other areas they may visit.

Beginning in 1976, the Fall Forestry and Wildlife Tours have promoted science-based forestry and wildlife management practices on private forest lands. In the 40 years, more than 11,500 participants have taken part in tours covering nearly every county in the state.

The tours are great for people who are visual learners, said Jennifer Gagnon, Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program coordinator. They get to see the properties and have the opportunity to have the full attention of an expert and discuss their land with them.

The one-day tours will be held in Essex County on Oct. 7, Lee County on Oct. 11, Prince William County on Oct. 14, and Dinwiddie and Nottoway counties Oct. 20.

The Essex County tour includes a discussion on how natural disasters impact forests and financial risk, a stop at a historical lumber mill as well as Blandfield Plantation. Additional stops include education on preparing forest sites for planting, longleaf pines, as well as improving hardwood forests.

On the Lee County tour in Southwest Virginia, participants will watch as hardwood logs are cut into lumber in the sawmill and learn how high-quality logs are graded for the veneer export market as well as hear about the challenges of managing public lands for multiple users. There also will be a stop and a discussion geared around managing forests for wildlife.

The Prince William County tour includes a trip to the Manassas National Battlefield Park and stops at a family tree farm and Merrimac Farm, a Wildlife Management Area.

Finally, the Dinwiddie/Nottoway Tour includes information on using prescribed burns to manage timber and wildlife habitats as well as informational stops covering pollinators and invasive species.

More information
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Japan will on Monday release preliminary Q2 figures for gross domestic product, highlighting a modes day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

GDP is expected to add 0.2 percent on quarter and 0.7 percent on year, slowing from 0.5 percent on quarter and 1.9 percent on year in the three months prior.

Japan also will see final June numbers for industrial production, with little change expected from the previous reading that showed an increase of 1.9 percent on month and a decline of 2.4 percent on year.

New Zealand will see July data for its Performance of Services Index; in June, the index score was 56.7.

Singapore will release June figures for retail sales; in May, sales added 1.4 percent on month and 3.0 percent on year.

Indonesia will provide July data for imports, exports and trade balance. In June, imports were worth $12.02 billion and exports were at $12.92 billion for a trade surplus of $900.2 million.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car

I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ...
FLORENCE, S.C.  A charity event for injured Florence County Paramedic Tessie Odom-Smith will be held on Saturday, Aug. 27, to help the family build a suitable home for Odom as she continues her recovery.

In March, crew chief Odom-Smith and EMT crew member Pvt. Joshua Craig were injured in a head-on collision with an impaired driver on the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge on Church Street in Florence. Craig was released shortly after the crash, but Odom-Smith spent another 22 days in intensive care with life-threatening injuries.

Odom-Smith endured numerous surgeries during her recovery, including an amputation of her right leg above the knee. She returned home from the hospital on March 31 and has since relied on a wheelchair to get around. Organizers of the charity event, titled #TessieStrong Charity Ride, hope to raise enough money to help Odom-Smith and her family build a home compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Howe Springs Fire Chief Billy Dillon is helping to organize the event. Dillon said building a new home is the familys only option, since Odom-Smiths current home cannot be remodeled.

Since Tessie has been released from the hospital, her family has been living with her mother, since their home was not suitable for a wheelchair, Dillon said. Building this home will allow for Tessie and her family to get back to being independent and make life easier for her on a day-to-day basis.

The charity ride will start at Black Jack Harley-Davidson, with registration from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The registration cost is $20 with additional passengers costing $5. A meal and a T-shirt are included with the price of registration. The event is open to the public, and a motorcycle is not required to participate.

From there, participants will ride to multiple stops, including Mikes Corner Bar, 1720 Burger Bar and Shiners Bar and finish at Village Green in Lake City. Participants will receive a colored ticket at each stop, and those tickets will be collected in order for individuals to win prizes at the end of the ride.

Dillon said all of the proceeds from the event will go toward building material and other costs for Odom-Smiths house.

This new home will give her the ability to move around the entire house and also take care of her family and herself, Dillon said. The plans are being finalized, and we hope to break ground this October.

For more information about the #TessieStrong Charity Ride or to make a donation, call Billy Dillon at 843-992-5644 or Roger Tilton at 843-373-6168.
Besides the insanity and inanity of loud and frantic political expressions that Im hearing are frequent denunciations of the press (broadcast as well as print) by some people who sometimes are erroneously taken seriously.

Since we have a tradition of negativity in South Carolina, denunciations are much of the political conversation. But when clueless people have emotional outbursts about the press, I take it personally. At such times, my thoughts leap back decades to 1958 when I heard explanations of shortcomings of my paper that make me automatically doubt most press critics.

In the spring of 1958, a U.S. Air Force bomber somewhat carelessly dropped an atomic bomb on Mars Bluff, just across Highway 301 from where Francis Marion University is now. Although the TNT-like charge that could have triggered an atomic explosion created a big hole and destroyed the Walter Gregg home approximately 100 yards away, it did not have attached the device that could have triggered a much greater nuclear explosion. This was a good thing, because if armed that thing would have torn up stuff for miles around and there would have been deaths and casualties far greater than the very minor injuries the Gregg family children who were playing nearby suffered.

It also turned the spotlight on Florence, as this was an international news event, so there was a rush here of journalists from all over. My future wife, at the time a writer for what the Morning News then called the Womens Section, came to work the next morning to find a guy from the London Times at her typewriter.

They poured in from all over, and the Morning News newsroom temporarily became an international press center. But it was that night that I heard what convinced me that people who loudly denounce the media seldom know what they are talking about.

That night a few staffers went down to the hallowed Eat More Lunch on East Evans for a midnight snack. The place was packed with people, and the A-bomb, of course, was the main topic of conversation. Some people were looking forward to arrival of the Morning News to read about it.

This one guy, I have no idea who he was, had the floor. He loudly explained that in the local paper they could learn a little about goings on around town after the bomb dropped, but to find out any of the bigger national and international angles, they would have to wait for out-of-town papers.

The Associated Press, he patiently explained to his audience, does not come any closer to Florence than Columbia, so you have to get an out-of-town paper to learn the national and international angles of the story. We were giggling in our booth but did not dispute this. I mean, who were we to question someone so well informed?

Then a bunch of us went out on the Marion Highway to the Boers Head, a place of relaxation. After all, we had had a long, tough day. There, we found another knowledgeable critic of the press, spreading a message of what he mistook for facts.

When they got the Morning News, he explained to his listeners, they could learn something about the Washington and international repercussions of the Mars Bluff incident, but you wont find anything local about what was happening around here, because they dont do any local reporting. All they have is stuff from The Associated Press.

So there you have it. We both didnt have The AP and we printed only AP stuff. Both guys, of course, were 100 percent wrong.

It was on another occasion but at the same Marion Highway place that we heard another lecture about the Morning News. There was nothing good to say about the Florence paper, this guy explained, but one reason it was so un-American and liberal was that they take their orders from the International Paper Co. Actually, that company makes paper it sells to print newspapers on but does not issue editorial instructions. And that guy probably considered anything named international to be commie connected.

There are people now who really believe that South Carolinians are being subjected to constant leftist propaganda from very liberal local dailies. Far wrong again.

Thom Anderson is a former editor of the Morning News. Email him at thidbit@aol.com.
Press Release

August 14, 2016 Include drug rehab funds in the 2017 budget -Angara Funds for the rehabilitation of hundreds of thousands of drug dependents must be included in the 2017 national budget as the absence of such would "leave a gaping hole" in the government's war against drugs, Senator Sonny Angara said today. Angara said the P3.3-trillion national budget for next year, which President Duterte is scheduled to send to Congress on August 15, should carry "appropriations for the treatment" of drug addicts who would like to turn their back on substance dependence. Angara said a strong national drug rehabilitation program is "the logical next step to the administration's drive to suppress widespread use of illegal drugs." "It is not enough that we have a budget for the 'jail the pusher' part. We must also fund the 'save the user' component of the anti-drug campaign," Angara said. "We should help addicts turn over a new leaf. They need help. Without intervention, there's a strong chance they'll backslide to their old ways. If that happens, then we're back to square one," he added. Angara lamented that there is a very little amount in the current 2016 national budget which funds drug rehabilitation centers or programs. "There's none in the P154-billion budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and a measly P634.4 million for the Operation of Dangerous Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers of the Department of Health," the senator said. "For a problem so big, treatment of drug addiction has very, very small footprint in the national budget. This should not be the case in the 2017 national budget," he stressed. He said drug prevention funds could even extend to providing TESDA training to vulnerable youth. "For addicts who have dropped out of school, we should increase funding for Alternative Learning System programs." Angara said the number of the country's drug rehabilitation facilities is not enough to handle the multitude of drug addicts who have surrendered to the government. "There's a national shortage. The demand for rehab is way, way bigger than available facilities," he said. From July 1 to 20 alone, 114,833 illegal drug suspects had given themselves up to the police, an official report from Camp Crame said. It predicted that surrenderees will eventually reach more than a million. Angara said like any war, the campaign against drugs has created its own refugees. "Thousands are fleeing the drug trade. We can't leave them stranded. We need to process them and then help them." In calling for a multisectoral and holistic approach to solving the drug menace, Angara said agencies, outside those whose primary mission is to combat drug abuse, must also have an assigned part. The lawmaker has filed Senate Bill 311 that includes a National Anti-Illegal Drug Campaign and Research (AIDCARE) Fund under the annual budgets of the DILG, Department of Education, Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority in addition to the appropriations of these agencies under the General Appropriations Act. Under the proposed measure, such exclusive fund will be used to 1) establish a nationwide education and awareness program on illegal drugs; 2) implement a mandatory training for local government unit personnel involved with the enforcement, research, and policymaking on illegal drugs; 3) conduct a nationwide study on the nature and extent of drug abuse; 4) put up a national helpline for drug abusers; and, 5) create a public registry of drug dealers, pushers and traffickers. "We must acknowledge that while the government has declared war against illegal drugs in order to maintain peace and order, it must also provide an opportunity for drug abusers to reform their lives, as they are merely victims as well of drug lords who control the massive illegal drug trade in the country," Angara said.
Press Release

August 14, 2016 Cha-cha hearing to start in September

Drilon: Road towards Cha-cha should be consultative and transparent The Senate will begin public hearings on various proposals to amend or revise the 1987 Constitution by the first week of September, Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin M. Drilon announced on Sunday. Drilon, who chairs the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, said that the committee is set to commence a series of public hearings and consultations on proposals to review the country's 29-year old constitution. The first hearing is set ?on September 6, 2016, Drilon disclosed. "The committee understands the importance of this undertaking as part of the agenda of the Duterte administration and has therefore decided to give it the highest priority," Drilon said. He said the committee has decided to tackle the proposal before the 2017 proposed national budget is brought to the Senate floor by the mid-November. "We have a really big task ahead of us," said Drilon, stressing that "an undertaking as monumental as revising the Constitution needs the active and direct cooperation and participation of every Filipino." He vowed that his committee will make the road towards constitutional reform "exhaustive, thoroughly consultative, and transparent." "As its chairman, I guarantee that all views and opinions will be heard and taken into consideration, and that no one will be left in the dark," Drilon assured. "We will be consultative. We will try to cover as many sectors as possible," he added. The committee will invite as resource person representatives coming from various sectors such as the business community, labor, academe, civil society, sectoral and religious groups, as well as respected Constitutional and legal experts and former Supreme Court justices, he noted. Drilon also revealed plans to hold a series of public hearings outside of Metro Manila "in order get the sentiments and views of local government officials and the public towards amending or revising the constitution." Initially, the committee is looking at holding public consultations in the cities of Baguio, Cebu and Davao. He said thorough consultations are necessary in light of the recent survey showing that Filipinos are divided on the question of whether or not to amend or revise the Constitution. The Pulse Asia survey conducted on July 2 to 8 showed that 44 percent of Filipinos are against the proposal to amend the Constitution, while 37 percent said they support the proposal and 19 percent are undecided on the matter. "We need to inform and educate our countrymen on Charter change. The people should be involved and must fully understand how this proposed constitutional reform will affect their lives in the years to come," Drilon said. "At the end of the day, it is our people who will ultimately decide whether to ratify or not the proposed changes to the Constitution," Drilon stressed. Drilon, a lawyer and former justice secretary, explained that the initial public hearing will seek to answer the most basic question: is there a need to amend or revise the Constitution? "We should resolve this fundamental issue before we even discuss the mode of amending the Constitution - whether through a constitutional convention or through Congress sitting as a constituent assembly," Drilon said. Drilon said he expects to hear strong arguments for and against the plan to shift from a unitary-presidential to a federal-parliamentary form of government, and the proposed shift from a bicameral to a unicameral legislature. He also said the business sector has been pushing for some amendments in the economic provisions of the Constitution to attract more foreign direct investments. "The committee will consider all proposals and study if the proposed changes to the Charter will require an overhaul of the Constitution," said Drilon, emphasizing "that the extent of the amendments will help the committee in determining the best mode." Drilon is the author of Resolution of Both Houses No. 1 calling for a constitutional convention to amend or revise the 29-yearl-old Constitution.
Press Release

August 14, 2016 Hontiveros: No hero's burial for "enemy of heroes" "Hindi matatawag na bayani ang taong pumaslang sa marami nating mga bayani." This was the remark made by Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros as she joined today a multisectoral rally protesting the government's plan to bury the remains of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB). Braving the rain and mud, Hontiveros joined a broad coalition of Martial Law victims, youth groups and people's organizations as they converged at the Lapu-lapu Shrine located at the Rizal Park. They jointly appealed to the Duterte administration to listen to the "call of the people and history." "We cannot consider a hero the very man who caused the incarceration, torture and deaths of those who fought for justice, freedom and democracy. Maraming napatay noong Martial Law, gaya ng mga student leaders, community organizers at journalists na siyang ating mga tunay na bayani," Hontiveros said. "Marcos went down in history as an unrepentant enemy of our heroes. To honor the man a hero and bury his remains in a place reserved for the brave and martyred is an inimitable political abomination. President Duterte must not commit this atrocious mistake," Hontiveros added. Hontriveros, who is the author of the lone Senate Resolution opposing the planned hero's burial for Marcos, welcomed Duterte's recent admission that the late strongman was not a hero. This is even as the Chief Executive remained firm in his decision to bury Marcos at the heroes' cemetery claiming that he was a soldier and former president. "I see this as a small victory in our constructive engagement with the President on this issue. I hope in the coming days President Duterte will continue to listen to undeniable facts disproving Marcos' soldier credentials and highlighting his moral turpitude offenses. These facts ultimately disqualify him from being buried at the LNMB," Hontiveros said. Last week, Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution No. 86, expressing the sense of the Senate that Marcos is "unfit to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani."The resolution underscored Marcos' numerous crimes, including being liable to 10,059 plaintiffs for acts of torture, summary execution, and disappearance.
Press Release

August 14, 2016 Legarda: Climate Vulnerable Nations to Convene in Phl Senate Members of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) will convene at the Philippine Senate on Monday, August 15, 2016, 9:30 am, for a High-Level Climate Policy Forum and to turnover the CVF Presidency from the Philippines to Ethiopia. Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, and the Climate Change Commission, headed by Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman, will lead the event that will be attended by CVF Troika Plus and CVF-V20 member ministers and senior officials, CVF expert advisors, legislators, high-level policymakers, and resource experts. "What does the Paris Agreement mean to vulnerable countries? Why do we need to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals? This forum will tackle how we can improve climate action and how we can keep our international commitments. As nations whose development are greatly affected by the warming climate, we must look at a low carbon economy as our future," said Legarda. Lectures in the forum include how vulnerable countries can influence the climate negotiations; the impact of climate change on agriculture; enhancing cooperation on climate action among CVF members; and the political and development opportunity of climate action. The CVF is also expected to launch the Low Carbon Monitor, a global report on the impacts of a warming climate and the crucial path towards low-emissions development. The CVF is a group of 43 developing countries that are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of climate change. It is the primary international cooperation body where developing countries from any region collaborate in order to advance their common issues at international level. The Philippines, which was the Chair of the CVF during the 21st Climate Change Conference in Paris last December, was among the most influential countries that helped craft the Paris Agreement, which seeks to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and possibly not more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Press Release

August 14, 2016 STATEMENT OF SEN. PANGILINAN ON PRES. DUTERTE APOLOGY

FOR CHIEF JUSTICE SERENO We welcome President Duterte's public apology for his "harsh words" meant for Chief Justice Sereno. It shows that he is willing to admit when he is wrong and this is laudable. We appeal to the President to exercise greater restraint and to choose his words carefully when he speaks out on various matters now that he is President of the entire nation and no longer just the Mayor of Davao City. As President of our nation, he represents all 100 plus million Filipinos both here and abroad, including myself, my wife, and my children. Thus every time he speaks in public, depending on what he says and how he says it, all of us Filipinos can be affected either positively or negatively.
POE SEEKS P1B FUND FOR POOR WITH CANCER

Sen. Grace Poe is seeking the establishment of a P1-billion assistance fund aimed at providing financial aid to poor cancer patients.

Under Senate Bill 874, or "An Act to Assist Indigent Cancer Patients and their Families," which Poe filed, an annual appropriation of P1 billion is recommended as seed fund for the government's medicine and treatment assistance program to cancer victims.

"Napakahirap na sakit ng kanser dahil hindi lamang ang mismong maysakit ang apektado nito, kundi ang buong pamilya," Poe said, "Let's give the poor an opportunity to fight. Huwag natin silang pabayaan."

A study conducted by the University of the Philippines' Institute of Human Genetics, National Institute of Health showed that 189 per 100,000 Filipinos are afflicted with cancer, killing four Filipinos every hour or 103 cancer patients every day. Cancer remains one of the top causes of death and sickness in the country.

"We want to ensure organized and sustained specialized care and preventive measures against cancer which has afflicted thousands of poor Filipinos," Poe said as she urged the government to implement a system of providing premium care and assistance to indigent cancer patients and their families.

Under the bill, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation will administer the cancer assistance fund, assisted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Interior and Local Government, in consultation with the private sector.

"Sa panahon ng pagsubok at kagipitan dahil sa pagkakasakit, malayo ang nararating ng bawat tulong. Sa pamamagitan ng Cancer Assistance Fund, nais nating ipadama sa ating mga kababayan na may pakialam ang pamahalaan sa kanilang paghihirap," saad ni Poe.
Press Release

August 14, 2016 TRILLANES PUSHES FOR GOVERNMENT PHYSICIANS' SALARY HIKE Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, chairman of Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, led the hearing and pushed for the passage of Senate Bill No. 526, or the bill seeking to increase the salary of government physicians and additional incentives. "There has been continuous exodus of Filipino physicians abroad to seek better paying jobs. Some even gave up their license to become nurses abroad. This outflow of doctors, which has resulted to an alarming ratio of one doctor to 1,429 Filipinos, could get worse if we do not provide them a better working condition, and decent pay and benefits commensurate their qualifications," according to Trillanes, author of SBN 526. At present, the minimum salary grade for government physicians, Medical Officer I, is Salary Grade 16, which is equivalent to Php28,417.00. Trillanes seeks to address this alarming outflow of doctors and its repercussions by increasing their base pay to not lower than Salary Grade 27, equivalent to Php73,937.00. In addition, government physicians will also be entitled to monthly allowances for transportation, representation, food and medical needs. Aside from this, those who have rendered three years of government service will also receive an annual loyalty service pay of Php 50,000, and those who spent at least five years of continuous government service will also be qualified for an educational grant. "Consistent with our aim of uplifting the welfare of our government workers through providing them with decent pay and benefits, we hope that this measure would also entice our doctors to practice in the country, especially in rural areas, and eventually improve the delivery of basic health services in the country," Trillanes added.
Press Release

August 14, 2016 'Helicopter money' for Filipino families coming

Zubiri's call for withholding tax cut means big jump in take home pay In step with President Rodrigo Duterte's pledge to lessen personal income taxes, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri has proposed to splash out tons of "helicopter money" on Filipino families via new concessions that would cut in a big way the taxes now being automatically withheld from everybody's paycheck. "Filipinos have endured for far too long one of the most burdensome personal income tax rates in Southeast Asia. It has become absolutely imperative for Congress to reduce individual tax rates and enlarge personal exemptions at the same time," Zubiri said. "Families deserve stacks of 'helicopter money' by way of a broad-based withholding tax cut to enable every household to spend more and achieve a superior quality of life," the senator said. Economists around the world use Nobel laureate Milton Friedman's parable of a helicopter dumping piles of money from the sky - for everybody to freely collect and spend - to refer to cash injections as a potent stimulant to consumption and growth. Zubiri said his proposal to decrease tax rates and increase exemptions all together would instantly raise the standard of living of Filipinos, create jobs and drive inclusive economic expansion. The senator has introduced Senate Bill 124, which seeks to double from P50,000 to P100,000 the basic personal exemption being enjoyed by every taxpayer, and to raise twice as much the additional exemption for each qualified dependent child, from P25,000 to P50,000, up to a maximum of four children. He has also filed Senate Bill 121, which proposes to cut down to just 25 percent the country's highest individual tax rate of 32 percent. Here's how Zubiri's twofold proposal would effectively raise household incomes by double digits. Let's assume we have a husband and wife who are both employed and who have two dependent children. They have a combined annual compensation income of P480,000, or P40,000 monthly. Under Zubiri's proposal, the couple would pay 68 percent less in withholding taxes every year. They would have to pay only P23,500 in withholding taxes, or P50,500 less than the P74,000 they are currently shelling out. As a result, the couple would enjoy an additional take home pay of P50,500, or "helicopter money" as Zubiri puts it, that translates to a 12.5-percent jump in the household's annual disposable income. Here's how it works. Right now, the couple is allowed only P150,000 in exemptions - P50,000 for each spouse (or P100,000 for both spouses) plus P25,000 for each dependent child (or P50,000 for both children). After deducting the P150,000 in exemptions from their P480,000 in earnings, the couple winds up with a combined net taxable income of P330,000. Applying existing tax rates, the P330,000 is hit with P74,000 in withholding taxes - a flat P50,000 plus P24,000; or P50,000 plus 30 percent of the excess over P250,000 (with P80,000 being the excess taxable at 30 percent). As proposed by Zubiri, the couple would be allowed P300,000 in exemptions - P100,000 for each spouse (or P200,000 for both spouses) plus P50,000 for each dependent child (or P100,000 for both children). After deducting the P300,000 in exemptions from the P480,000, the couple would end up with a combined net taxable income of only P180,000. The P180,000 is then slapped with only P23,500 in withholding taxes - a flat P7,000 plus P16,500; or P7,000 plus 15 percent of the excess over P70,000 (with P110,000 being the excess taxable at 15 percent). Zubiri did not indicate the absolute amount of "helicopter money" that he wants to drop on Filipino families every year with his dual tax benefits. But in the 2016 election campaign, he had vowed to sponsor tax privileges that would deliver as much as P250 billion in new money at the disposal of Filipino families every year. According to the senator, the extra spending money would immediately boost consumption, create new wide-ranging demand for goods and services, push domestic industries to raise output and employ more workers, and spur faster overall economic growth. In his first State of the Nation Address, Duterte had vowed to reduce personal as well as corporate tax rates. "My administration will pursue tax reforms towards a simpler, more equitable and more efficient tax system that can foster investment and job creation. We will lower personal and corporate tax rates," the President said. Zubiri's proposed lower individual income tax brackets under SB 121 If taxable income is: Tax withheld/due is: P20,000 but not over P70,000 10% Over P70,000 but not over P200,000 P7,000 + 15% of the excess over P70,000 Over P200,000 but not over P500,000 P26,500 + 20% of the excess over P200,000 Over P500,000 but not over P1M P86,500 + 22% of the excess over P500,000 Over P1M P196,500 + 25% of the excess over P1M Current individual income tax brackets If taxable income is: Tax withheld/due is: Not over P10,000 5% Over P10,000 but not over P30,000 P500 + 10% of the excess over P10,000 Over P30,000 but not over P70,000 P2,500 + 15% of the excess over P30,000 Over P70,000 but not over P140,000 P8,500 + 20% of the excess over P70,000 Over P140,000 but not over P250,000 P22,500 + 25% of the excess over P140,000 Over P250,000 but not over P500,000 P50,000 + 30% of the excess over P250,000 Allowable personal & additional tax exemptions under SB 124 Zubiri's proposal Existing For every individual taxpayer P100,000 P50,000 For every qualified dependent child up to 4 P50,000 P25,000 Zubiri's SB 121 proposes the adoption of the following decreased individual income tax rates: P10% for those earning P20,000 but not over P70,000;

P7,000 plus 15 percent of the excess over P70,000, for those earning more than P70,000 but not over P200,000;

P26,500 plus 20 percent of the excess over P200,000, for those earning more than P200,000 but not over P500,000;

P86,500 plus 22 percent of the excess over P500,000, for those earning more than P500,000 but not over P1 million; and

P196,500 plus 25 percent of the excess over P1 million, for those earning more than P1 million. Under the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, the current individual income tax rates are as follows: 5 percent for those earning less than P10,000;

P500 plus 10 percent of the excess over P10,000, for those earning more than P10,000 but not over P30,000;

P2,500 plus 15 percent of the excess over P30,000, for those earning more than P30,000 but not over P70,000;

P8,500 plus 20 percent of the excess over P70,000, for those earning more than P70,000 but not over P140,000;

P22,500 plus 25 percent of the excess over P140,000, for those earning more than P140,000 but not over P250,000;

P50,000 plus 30 percent of the excess over P250,000, for those earning more than P250,000 but not over P500,000; and

P125,000 plus 32 percent of the excess over P500,000, for those earning more than P500,000.
LOWER LAKE, Lake County  A fast-moving wildfire that has ripped through rural Lake County, destroying homes and forcing thousands to flee, accelerated Sunday, burning into historic downtown Lower Lake.

MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: More than 100 homes and businesses destroyed in Lake County fire

While fire officials confirmed Sunday that 10 homes had been consumed by the Clayton Fire, many properties were visibly ablaze by Sunday afternoon, and commercial structures in Lower Lake were in flames before dusk.

This fire is going to have a very long-term, devastating impact on this community, said Lt. Doug Pittman, a Marin County sheriffs spokesman working on behalf of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

It went from one side of town to another. At one point, we couldnt see one square block down the road because of the smoke. It turned day into night, and it rode like a wave through town, bringing mass destruction.

By Sunday evening, Cal Fire said the fire was only 5 percent contained and had consumed at least 3,000 acres since igniting Saturday evening. As the smoke began to clear over Lower Lake, firefighters turned their efforts north, doing what they could to keep the blaze from marching into the larger community of Clearlake.

About 5,000 to 6,000 people were evacuated from Lower Lake and parts of Clearlake, Pittman said. For these residents, fleeing menacing fires has become an unwelcome routine. Recent wildfires include the Valley Fire of 2015, the third most destructive in state history, which burned about 15 miles south of the current blaze.

What I witnessed here today was the exact same thing, but the only difference was that it was in broad daylight, Pittman said. The Valley Fire struck at night.

If you were to stand on Main Street here in Lower Lake and turn in a circle, the devastation would be exactly the same as the devastation you saw in Middletown last year.

Winds that fanned the Clayton Fire overnight had been expected to be calm throughout Sunday, but by afternoon, blustery winds and high temperatures had the fire flaring up along Morgan Valley Road.

Evacuation orders were extended to residents on Bonham Road and Quarterhorse Lane, which branch off from Morgan Valley, as well as farther north in Clearlake for the tract east of Highway 53. As a precaution, St. Helena Hospital in Clearlake was evacuated as well, Pittman said.

On Sunday afternoon, Rick Davis, 40, stood on a rooftop in the Morgan Valley area with his garden hose as flames surrounded him on three sides and huge walls of smoke wafted up. I dont know what to do, he said. Im just trying to keep the roof wet so if an ember hits, it wont all go up.

Davis had gone to lunch in Lower Lake when the fire was calm and the threat of his home burning was low. When he heard that flames had started up again, he rushed home to try to do what he could.

Im just scared, he said. The wind can just change.

A short distance east of Davis home, Garrett Reed, 43, watched the flames grimly.

If I see embers and ash rain down, I will turn the sprinklers on the roof and get out, he said. But this is my grandfathers house and Im not going to lose it.

The Clayton Fire is being fueled by the dry brush and trees left behind by major fires that recently tore through Lake County. The Rocky and Jerusalem fires scorched the region northeast of Davis and Reeds homes, while the Valley Fire claimed the area to the southwest.

I grew up here, Reed said. These are all my friends houses that are burning, All you can do is pray for the best.

Four helicopters and three air tankers made repeated passes over the head of the fire as it made its way toward Morgan Valley in dry brush and grassy oak woodland that is difficult for firefighters to access. More than 1,000 firefighters were in Lake County attacking the fire, Pittman said.

Marty Gifford, 51, who was forced to evacuate Saturday, and his mother were staying at the evacuation shelter at the Highlands Senior Services Center in Clearlake on Sunday waiting to learn if their homes were still standing.

I dont remember this many fires. Something is going on, he said.

Hes lived in Lower Lake for 25 years and was at work when the fire ignited. He said he got a call to go home and gather his belongings but was stopped by local sheriffs deputies from entering the evacuated neighborhood.

His mother, Beverly Gifford, 84, made it out of the familys property with her two dogs, Gizmo and Szasza, before the fire got too close.

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.

Im absolutely concerned, but theres not much I can do about it, she said of the recent fires. Sometimes I feel like were in the latter days.

Joyce Overton, executive director of the Highlands Senior Services Center, said shes converted the building into an evacuation center six times in just over a year. Its scary and a little eerie, she said of all the fires. But were a community here. Last year, we werent prepared for it. Now to everyone that comes in I say, Are you OK? and I give them a big hug.

Evan Sernoffsky and Vivian Ho are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com, vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky, @VivianHo

California wildfires

More than 7,500 firefighters are battling 11 large wildfires across the state.

In Monterey County, the Soberanes Fire, the states largest, remains just 60 percent contained. Some residents have been cleared to return home after being evacuated from the fire, which has burned more than 72,000 acres since being started by an illegal campfire last month.

Because of the Soberanes Fire, authorities closed Highway 1 from Point Sur Lighthouse to North Coast Ridge Road on Sunday afternoon, but reopened it by 8 p.m.

In San Luis Obispo County, the Chimney Fire near Lake Nacimiento burned 20 structures and grew to 4,300 acres Sunday.

Source: Chronicle staff and news services
The city will review the condition of all trees at Washington Square after a limb from a pine tree fell and hit a woman Friday, sending her to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, Mayor Ed Lee said over the weekend.

The 36-year-old was walking with her children, ages 5 and 6, at the North Beach park around 3 p.m. when a roughly 100-pound branch dropped on her head from 50 feet above, authorities said.
Ron Chapple/Getty Image

At least two Hayward police officers were injured Saturday in an incident in which police fired into a black Mercedes they suspected of being stolen.

Officers possibly struck one of the cars occupants, according to a news advisory.
Ron Chapple/Getty Image

A woman suspected of abducting her 7-year-old son from his home in Dublin was found in Reno and taken into custody, according to the Alameda County Sheriffs Office.

The child, who also was in Reno, was safe, according to the Sheriffs Office.
Cal Shakes You Never Can Tell starts off slowly. But be patient.

For if at first some directorial choices fail and even surefire comic moments fall flat, before long director Lisa Peterson brings out the rambunctiousness, the anarchy in one of George Bernard Shaws wilder scripts.

Written in 1896, Shaws feminist romance was astonishingly progressive for its time. One character, Mrs. Clandon (Elizabeth Carter), apologizes for her daughter Gloria (Sabina Zuniga Varela) thus: Women have to unlearn the false good manners of their slavery before they acquire the genuine good manners of their freedom. Perhaps an even stronger testament to the plays feminism is not in what Mrs. Clandon says, but in what she doesnt do. Though shes a principal character in a comedy who isnt married and whose romantic history is discussed, Shaw does not dictate that she end the play wedded!

The script, which Shaw called one of his Plays Pleasant, is also forward-thinking in its treatments of social class and of parenting: Mrs. Clandon, a famous social reformer, advocates, in treatises, for answering all your childrens questions yet for not prying into their affairs. In her own child-rearing, thats resulted in an impertinent set of twins, Dolly (Khalia Davis) and Philip (Lance Gardner). Dolly, in particular, feels no compunction about saying to Valentine (Matthew Baldiga), her new dentist, about his impatient landlord, Oh, tell us. How long has he given you to pay?

If Davis makes this delivery wonderfully brassy, the ensemble merely hoofs through many other lines in the first scene  whose whole point, to be fair, is to force an improbable group of characters, including the three childrens long-lost father, Fergus Crampton (Michael Torres), to have lunch together in the second scene. Part of the problem, also, is Petersons choice to set the show in California. Shes making a noble effort to make Shaw feel less stuffy, but that means a central source of the scenes humor  the notion that, as Valentine says, There's one thing you must have before anybody can afford to be seen going about with you, and that's a father, alive or dead  doesnt translate.

Beginning in the second scene, Danny Scheies performance as the Waiter, whos at once solicitous and all knowing, able to subtly lampoon the others even as he anticipates their every need, should dispel any quibbles with the production. Can Bay Area theater just canonize Scheie now and get it over with? Even when he simply repeats characters beverage orders, he does so with such relish, such vocal range  he sounds, variously, like Snidely Whiplash and a leprechaun  that the word Chardonnay becomes a brilliant punch line, sans set-up or context.

Shaw is sometimes derided as writing talky drawing-room plays, but as sexual tension between Gloria and Valentine builds, Peterson finds delightful ways to amplify it with kinetic staging. Philip skips and bounds offstage at one point; the Waiter exits with a balletic leap at another. Glorias a Victorian new woman who abjures sentiment and is mortified to feel it, and Valentine is her match in intellect and wit, though his ends are less pure; if she wants to champion ideals, he wants sex and money  but from a woman strong enough to quarrel with him.

Ultimately, You Never Can Tell exposes enlightened and unenlightened ideologies as equally silly. For Shaw, all systems of belief that are willed into being through logic or tradition are helpless, floundering, before matters of the heart  much like members of the privileged class without the aid of a certain Waiter.

Lily Janiak is The San Francisco Chronicles theater critic. Email: ljaniak@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LilyJaniak

You Never Can Tell: Written by Bernard Shaw. Directed by Lisa Peterson. Through Sept. 4. Two hours 30 minutes. $20-$84, subject to change. California Shakespeare Theater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda. (510) 548-9666. www.calshakes.org

To see a video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROpEoiPrWUE
Fun facts about other badass early English queens:

Empress Matilda (1102-1167): Betrothed to the Holy Roman Emperor at the age of 8, this granddaughter of William the Conqueror never actually made it to the English throne; at that time, no woman had yet been deemed a viable heir. She kept trying for about two decades of civil war, though, on the belief that as the only living legitimate child of Henry I (he had about 22 illegitimate kids and a legitimate son who died), she was the only true successor.

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204): Known for her pluck, for outliving eight of her 10 children and for being imprisoned for 16 years after allegedly encouraging three of her sons to overthrow their father, King Henry II, she was also an avid equestrian; as a septuagenarian, she rode across the Pyrenees to fetch a wife for her son John.

Queen Isabella of France (1295-1358): She became queen of England at age 12, but at her coronation  her first public appearance as queen  King Edward II had a man in her place at his side: a nobleman named Piers Gaveston (who was likely his lover). She didnt balk, though. Throughout her queenship, she was known as a Machiavellian figure; at one point, she got her three sisters-in-law imprisoned for adultery, two of them with life sentences, on the evidence that purses shed given them were being held by men who werent their husbands.

 Lily Janiak
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria  The mother of one of the Chibok girls kidnapped more than two years ago by Nigerias Islamic extremists Sunday saw the first proof her daughter is alive  a video of her begging Nigerias government to exchange detained militants for the girls freedom.

Chibok community leader Pogu Bitrus said the video was being watched at the weekly rally of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign at Unity Fountain in Abuja, the capital.

Some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have been killed by Nigerian military air strikes, according to a new video appearing to come from Boko Haram, which shows one kidnap victim pleading for authorities to bow to the extremists demands that they release detained militants in return for the girls.

Its not clear how many girls have died among the 218 who remain missing.

The video posted Sunday on Twitter shows a young woman, covered in a hijab, identified as one of the students abducted from a remote school in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014. She says some of her kidnapped classmates died in aerial bombardments by the Nigerian Air Force. She also says 40 have been married to fighters.

The video shows a militant warning in the Hausa language that if President Muhammadu Buharis government battles Boko Haram with firepower, the girls wont be seen again.

Presently, some of the girls are crippled, some are terribly sick and some of them, as I had said, died during bombardment by the Nigerian military, the fighter says, appearing before a group of more than 40 young women in hijabs, some holding babies.

If our members in detention are not freed, let the government and parents of the Chibok girls know that they will never find these girls again, he said.

The video, cited by the SITE Intelligence Group, was posted by Ahmad Salkida, a Nigerian journalist known to have good contacts in Boko Haram.

The mass abduction brought Boko Haram to the worlds attention and even got the participation of U.S. first lady Michelle Obama in the Bring Back Our Girls social media campaign, promising her husband would do all in his power to help liberate them.

The government came under increased pressure from parents and Bring Back Our Girls campaigners after the May escape of one young woman, a proof of life that they said should encourage the military and government to redouble rescue efforts. The escapee said some of the girls had died but scores remained in captivity under heavy guard. Sundays video is another proof of life.

The girl in the video spoke in the Chibok language and identified her mother by name. Her mother has now seen the video and identified her daughter, Chibok leader Pogu Bitrus told the Associated Press.
BANGKOK  Critics of Thailands military government accused it Sunday of taking advantage of last weeks spate of deadly bombings and arson attacks to crack down on its opponents.

The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, better known as the Red Shirts, issued their criticism as Thai authorities said they were keeping security high after attacks Thursday and Friday killed four people  all Thai  and wounded dozens in seven tourist destinations. Injured foreigners came from Austria, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

Reports by Thai PBS television and other media said at least three people identified as Red Shirt leaders or supporters have been detained since Saturday at army camps, apparently for questioning about the attacks. All were reported to have been held under special laws enacted by the junta after it seized power in May 2014 from an elected government. Article 44 and other laws allow the temporary detention of suspects without due process or accountability.

Officials have hinted that political opponents of the junta were responsible for the attacks, but Thai and foreign terrorism experts have suggested they were carried out by Muslim separatists from southern Thailand. It is widely understood that the authorities were casting suspicion upon supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who include the Red Shirts.

The Sunday before the attacks, a national referendum approved a new constitution proposed by the military government that is supposed to lead to an election next year. The Red Shirts were among the critics of the charter, calling it undemocratic and saying it was fashioned to keep the military in control for at least five more years even if a free election is held.

Deliberately causing chaos that would give the NCPO an excuse to keep control and sovereignty for a longer time, and it is not the way to solve any problems of this country, the Red Shirts said in a statement Sunday. The juntas official name is the National Council for Peace and Order.

They accuse us of being responsible for the violent acts without any evidence or claim to support the accusations. Their intent is to destroy their competitors so that support would be given to a government that came into power from force, the statement said.

The tactics of the bombers were similar to those used in Thailands south, where a low-level Muslim separatist insurgency has killed more than 5,000 people since 2004. Several experts have speculated that southern militants could be using the attacks to pressure the government for concessions in on-again, off-again peace talks.

Anthony Davis, a writer for Janes Defence Weekly, said the Patani-Malay National Revolutionary Front separatist group was the sole opposition force that could carry out such a well-planned, well-coordinated operation in Thailands southern region.

With the Red Shirt movement being closely monitored by the security forces, the theory that they could have organized such a complex operation under the noses of the military government makes no sense, he said.
MANILA  Hundreds of Filipinos rallied in stormy weather Sunday against President Rodrigo Dutertes decision to allow dictator Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in a heroes cemetery, but Duterte remained firm in his stance despite growing opposition.

About 1,500 protesters carrying a large streamer that read Marcos not a hero braved the rain, wind and mud at Manilas Rizal Park to call on Duterte to reconsider his decision. They launched a signature campaign to try to stop the burial, tentatively set for next month.

Loretta Ann Rosales, who formerly headed the governments Commission on Human Rights, said she was tortured and molested along with thousands of other detained left-wing activists under Marcos during a dark era that shows why the brutal leader does not deserve to be accorded any state honors.

Is that not enough evidence? ... Is Marcos a hero? Rosales asked, with the crowd yelling back: No!

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who was among the protesters, said she has filed a Senate resolution opposing a heros burial for Marcos, adding that Duterte should not commit this atrocious mistake of bestowing honors to the dictator.

Marcos went down in history as an unrepentant enemy of our heroes, Hontiveros said. To honor the man a hero and bury his remains in a place reserved for the brave and martyred is an inimitable political abomination.

Burying a dictator accused of massive rights violations and plunder at the heroes cemetery has long been an emotional and divisive issue in the Philippines, where Marcos was ousted by a people power revolt in 1986. He was flown to Hawaii, where he lived with his wife and children in exile until he died in 1989.

His remains were later returned to his northern Philippine hometown and displayed in a glass coffin. His wife, Imelda, and two of their three children gradually regained political influence after being elected to public office.

Duterte, who was sworn in as president in June, argues that Marcos is qualified to be buried at the military-run cemetery as a former soldier and president. He has disclosed that he once voted for Marcos and that his late father, a politician, served in Marcoss Cabinet.

Dutertes communications secretary, Martin Andanar, said Sunday that the presidents position remains firm, arguing that military rules allow Marcos to be buried at the cemetery as a former president and soldier.
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.
BERLIN  The man who attacked passengers on a crowded Swiss train with a knife and burning liquid died of his wounds Sunday, as did one of his victims, a 34-year-old woman, Swiss police said. Three others remain hospitalized with serious wounds.

Police are searching for a motive but said theres no indication the suspect, identified only as a 27-year-old Swiss man, had ties to extremist groups.

A 43-year-old woman and girls ages 6 and 17 girl remained hospitalized Sunday with serious injuries, one in critical condition, said St. Gallen canton police spokesman Hans-Peter Kruesi. A 17-year-old youth and 50-year-old man wounded in the attack have been treated and released, he said.

Gian Ehrenzeller/Associated Press

Kruesi said all the victims lived in the St. Gallen canton.

Swiss police searched the suspects home after the Saturday afternoon attack on the train as it neared the station in Salez, close to the border with Liechtenstein. Kruesi would not comment on what evidence was seized at the home, but said so far there are no indications this was a terrorist or politically motivated crime.

Police were not able to question the suspect before he died, Kruesi said, adding that the man had no criminal record and was not previously known to police.

According to a video of the attack evaluated by police, the assailant acted alone, attacking passengers on the train with a knife and then burning liquid, which is now being analyzed by a police forensics team.

The train driver was being credited with quick thinking, continuing into the Salez station before stopping, a move that allowed police and rescue crews to get on board easier.

Five passengers on the train were wounded in the attack and a sixth person on the train platform, the 50-year-old man, was wounded as he pulled the burning suspect off the train, police said.
Wellington's airport runway extension initiative fails on the grounds that lower North Island and South Island travellers are already flying to long-haul destinations through Auckland or Christchurch and the region is not a magnet for tourists, who are more likely to favour Auckland and Queenstown as an arrival point.

That's the conclusion of a study commissioned by the lobby group for international airlines, including Air New Zealand, lodged in opposition to Wellington International Airport's application for a resource consent to lengthen the capital city's runway by 350 metres.

The new study, by Australian-based Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consultants for the Board of Airline Representatives in New Zealand, said the likelihood of airlines establishing new long-haul services to the capital is "extremely remote, implausible at best".

It contests the findings of a study by rival aviation industry consultants, InterVistas, which APAC said has over-estimated demand for long-haul services to and from Wellington, which it said has not benefitted from the boom in international tourism that has boosted arrivals, particularly to Auckland and Queenstown, in recent years.

"Visitor demand growth from long-haul markets to Wellington has lagged not only the New Zealand average but also other airports in New Zealand without long haul international services," said the APAC report.

Using Australian Bureau of Statistics and International Air Travel Association (IATA) data, APAC concluded that Wellington's strongest growth has been in short-haul traffic between the capital and Australian cities and the Pacific Islands, where most of the growth in new routes to Welllington has been in recent years.

"Presently, Wellington has no markets with sufficient origin-destination demand beyond New Zealand, Australia or the Pacific Islands that could support non-stop services with adequate frequency."

The report makes almost no mention of improved export freight-forwarding opportunities that might arise from a longer runway - the main benefit cited by Wellington Chamber of Commerce head John Milford, who called for support from local businesses ahead of last Friday's deadline for submissions to the Wellington Regional Council on WIAL's application for a resource consent to undertake the $350 million project.

WIAL is seeking to make Wellington an alternative long-haul destination to Auckland, the country's dominant airline gateway, the existing second gateway Christchurch, and Queenstown, which is increasingly connected by direct flights from Australia.

WIAL is owned 66 percent by Infratil, the NZX-listed infrastructure company, and 33 percent by Wellington City Council. It is seeking the majority of the runway extension cost from central government and Wellington ratepayers, arguing the benefits would accrue more to the country and the region rather than the airport owner, which cannot justify the expansion on purely commercial grounds.

APAC disclosed in its submission that it has undertaken work for key opponents of the Wellington plan, Air New Zealand, Auckland International Airport, and Queenstown airport, in which AIA has a shareholding, but says its analysis is independent.

"The simple fact is that Wellington International Airport's catchment region is too small and too slow-growing to warrant non-stop long-haul services," said APAC, which makes serious accusations about the quality of the InterVistas analysis undertaken for WIAL.

"InterVistas .. have either failed to accurately reflect the nature of demand at Wellington International Airport when benchmarked against neutral and industry-accepted data sources, including data sources InterVistas purports to rely on, or appear to have reinterpreted the data to support a case for long-haul demand," the APAC report said.

In a submission on the runway extension application, the New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association said there was increased risk of a serious accident or incident, especially from larger planes using Wellington Airport, unless an adequate Runway End Safety Area (RESA) of 240 metres or a recognised equivalent solution is used.

NZALPA president Tim Robinson said despite his members having the most to gain from the runway extension, they were opposed to it unless it included the RESA. He suggested an alternative though known as Engineered Material Arresting System in use globally, which is a crushable material installed on an existing RESA to declerate an aircraft in an emergency.

Earlier this month, the association filed an appeal against the High Courts decision to turn down a review of the runaway's 90-metre safety area.

(BusinessDesk)

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As funeral services for Daniel Fitzpatrick, 13, were scheduled over the weekend, condolences for the family were posted on the funeral home website by strangers from as far as Belgium.

"God bless you and your family, I send you all my thoughts and my courage," wrote Eveline Beautemps, of Brussels, Belgium.

"Rest in Peace Danny, did not know you, but your story broke my heart," signed anonomys.

Fitzpatrick committed suicide earlier this week, after writing a letter in which he said his school ignored his complaints about bullying.

FUNERAL SERVICES

Funeral services will include viewings from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., Monday and Tuesday at Harmon Funeral Home in West Brighton. The funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Scared Heart R.C. Church in West Brighton.

Fitzpatrick hanged himself in the attic of the family's Davis Avenue home, where his older sister found him dead around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, his family told the Daily News.

He reportedly penned his letter in early July, detailing his experiences.

"The teachers [at Holy Angels Catholic Academy] ... they didn't do anything," he wrote of being bullied at the Brooklyn school.

"My son shouldn't have to die to be heard," Daniel's mother, Maureen, told the Daily News. "There's something wrong with the adults in authority positions when kids can't go to them for help."

The Diocese of Brooklyn could not confirm any complaints of bullying, the report said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in Fitzpatrick's memory, seeking to give him "a proper memorial, as well as shine a bright light on the bullying that killed him."
UPDATE: The victim's injuries were not fatal, he remained in stable condition as of Sunday morning and the investigation is ongoing, according to a spokesperson for the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A man was shot and injured by the Park Hill apartments in Clifton Saturday night.

At around 8:36 p.m., emergency units arrived to the corner of Sobel and Park Hill Avenues where they found a male shot and wounded behind Home Depot, according to an FDNY spokesman.

According to a law enforcement source on scene, the man was shot at least once in the arm.

The victim was transported to Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, the spokesman said.

However, the spokesman could not provide any information in regard to the male's injuries at this time.

According to a law enforcement source on scene, the victim's injuries did not appear to be fatal.

The NYPD could not confirm whether or not a suspect was in custody at this time.

A black sedan could be seen run off the road and into a woodland area near the apartment building.

Police on seen confirmed the car wreck was related to the shooting.

It remains unclear what prompted the gunplay.

Stay tuned for more information as it is made available.
Imam Shot

Sandals mark the crime scene, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, not far from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, New York, where the leader of a New York City mosque and an associate has been fatally shot.

(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

NEW YORK -- The leader of a New York City mosque and an associate were fatally shot in a brazen daylight attack as they left afternoon prayers Saturday.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his 64-year-old associate, Thara Uddin, were shot in the back of the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens shortly before 2 p.m., police said.



Both men were pronounced dead later Saturday, an administrator at Jamaica Hospital said.



Police said no motive has been established and there is no reason to believe the men were shot because they were Muslim. No suspects are in custody.



"There's nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," said Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner of the New York Police Department.



But a man who worships at the mosque is blaming the shooting on anti-Muslim rhetoric from some political figures.



Millat Uddin said the shooting "could be a net result of the politics that is going on."

Other members of the mosque also labeled it a hate crime, the New York Daily News reported.

"That's not what America is about," local resident Khairul Islam, 33, told the News. "We blame Donald Trump for this ... Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia."

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 Saturday night and chanted "We want justice!"



The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, held a news conference near the shooting scene, where Kobir Chowdhury, a leader at another local mosque, said, "Read my lips: This is a hate crime" directed at Islam. "We are peace-loving."



Naima Akonjee said her father didn't "have any problems with anyone."



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."



Members of the community had felt animosity lately, with people cursing while passing the mosque, said worshipper Shahin Chowdhury. He said he had advised people 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.

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.

Neighbors also described 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 National Desk contributed to this report.
2323-16 Reckless Endangerment 121 Pct 8-13-16.jpg

Police are seeking information about two people seen in surveillance photos at Staten Island Mall immediately prior to when fireworks sent patrons fleeing the scene. (Courtesy NYPD)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are asking for the public's assistance in identifying two people wanted for questioning in connection with a reckless endangerment incident at Staten Island Mall in New Springville.

An unknown person or people set off fireworks in the food court at the mall at about 5 p.m. on Saturday, which caused patrons to run from the scene, said police. The incident resulted in multiple minor injuries, according to a written statement from the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner for Public Information.

The NYPD distributed surveillance images obtained from inside the Staten Island Mall of the people wanted for questioning. The two males were caught on video approaching the incident location immediately prior to the fireworks being set, according to the deputy commissioner's office.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hot line at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or 888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish; visit nypdcrimestoppers.com or send text tips to CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577.

Police say all calls will remain strictly confidential.
Screen Shot 2016-08-13 at 7.33.24 PM.png

Assemblyman Ronald Castorina was harassed by a woman last week, authorities allege.

(Advance file photo)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The woman arrested for allegedly sending a series of bizarre mailings to the private homes of Assemblyman Ronald Castorina Jr. volunteers for his primary opponent, Castorina revealed on Saturday.

Marylynn Cellamare, 55, of Port Richmond, was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree aggravated harassment and fourth-degree stalking after, authorities allege, she sent the packages, many of which contained a sheet of paper with the word "greetings" on it, to the Republican's private addresses.

Castorina said the defendant was a campaign volunteer for Janine Materna, who is mounting a primary challenge on the Republican line for his South Shore Assembly seat in September.

Castorina said he believes Cellamare sent the letters to his private homes in an attempt to prove he lives out of district. He said he received the letters in his Richmond Valley home, his summer home in the New Jersey shore and his parents' residence.

"It is shocking that Ms. Materna would have a woman that is so emotionally disturbed and mentally unstable work on her campaign," said Castorina. "This woman not only made phone calls on her behalf, but also, she was part of a round table discussion on heroin -- one of the most important issues facing our district."

He said Materna's inability to recognize her mental illness "is demonstrative of a total lack of judgement," and if she did notice and "fanned the flames, then it's indicative of a total moral corruption on her behalf."

"I hope that this emotionally disturbed person gets the help that she desperately needs, and that my family is left alone," he said.

Cellamare was arraigned Saturday and released on her own recognizance. She also was issued an order of protection from any type of contact with Castorina.

When reached by the Advance Saturday evening, Materna confirmed the woman was a volunteer for her campaign, but had not heard about the arrest until informed by a reporter and was unable to comment on the suspect's alleged motive.

She said Cellamare reached out to her because she felt "very disgruntled" over what she felt was Castorina's lack of "compassion" about the death of her son to heroin addiction a few years ago.

As for Castorina's remarks that Materna brought on an "emotionally disturbed" volunteer, Materna said:

"This woman lost a son to heroin, and to close the door on her and show no compassion when there's a heroin epidemic here on Staten Island is disgusting. Instead of closing his doors to families who have lost something in this community, he should be opening his doors asking people how we can help them in times of need. The loss of a child is a pain that no parent should have to deal with."

Castorina maintains he had never met or spoken to Cellamare before.

The incidents began around 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, when Castorina 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.
2016 SkS Weekly Digest #33

Posted on 14 August 2016 by John Hartz

SkS Highlights... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... He Said What?... SkS Spotlights... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

SkS Highlights

Rejection of experts spreads from Brexit to climate change with 'Clexit' by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus-the 97%) drew the highest number of comments among the articles posted on SkS during the past week. As nuclear power plants close, states need to bet big on energy storage by Eric Daniel Fournier & Alex Ricklefs (The Conversation US) attracted the second highest number of coments.

Toon of the Week

Quote of the Week

Professor Matthew England, a climate researcher at the University of NSW, says "John's work is all around securing Australia's future. His work could lead to saving billions of dollars of poor investment in infrastructure around the coast, billions of dollars securing coastlines."

If the cuts to Australian climate research were crafted on the basis that we can leave the heavy lifting to other nations and then piggyback on their findings  as many experts suspect  we've got another think coming, England says.

"Why do we keep harping on about southern-hemisphere capacity? Because a North American climate team is not going to be looking at those corners of the model nearly so much as they do the regional US climate. The US Government is funding them to do the best possible research for their region."

The whole way the CSIRO is framing science costs and pursuing profits is out of whack, England argues. "The benefits of John Church's work will far outlive his lifetime."

John Church and the rising ocean by Jo Chandler, The Age, Aug 13, 2016

He Said What?

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Thursday there could be some impact from a changing climate, but I dont believe its a devastating impact.

In an interview with The Miami Herald, Trump reiterated hes not a big believer in manmade climate change, and while he acknowledged problems such as rising sea levels, he attributed them to a change in weather patterns, and youve had it for many years.

I would say it goes up, it goes down, and I think its very much like this over the years, he said. Well see what happens. I mean, well see what happens. ... Certainly, climate has changed.

Trump: Climate change won't be devastating by Devin Henry, The Hill, Aug 12, 2016

SkS Spotlights

The Climate Institute (Sydney, AU) makes progress in tackling climate change possible.



We are principled pragmatists. We get things done.



We are can do: We are not just a think tank, were also a "do tank". We connect people who can make a difference with the resources, evidence and ideas that will make a difference. We solve problems.



We are will do: We are prepared to talk and share the table. We build bridges between people - experts, investors and decision-makers. From grassroots groups to big banks. From the ACTU to the Business Council of Australia. We bring them together to deliver collective impact.



We are know how: We are clear, credible and authoritative. We have the expertise and the experience. We provide actionable direction. We know how to get things done.



Our work has never been more important.



The science and data are compelling. The evidence is in. We know that climate change is real and its physical and economic impacts are scarring our environment and our way of life.



We also know that policy is not adequately responding to the challenge and that this will only change when public, business and investor sentiment creates the pressure for change.



For 10 years we have been tackling this, with a focus on three vital areas where the potential impact is game changing.



We have bold and ambitious goals. But we have a track record of getting difficult things done. The reputation and authority we have today are based on this track record.

Coming Soon on SkS

Climate urgency: we've locked in more global warming than people realize (Dana)

(Dana) Piecing together the Arctics sea ice history back to 1850 (Florence Fetterer)

(Florence Fetterer) Guest Post (John Abraham)

(John Abraham) State of the Climate 2015: global warming and El Nino sent records tumbling (Andrew King)

(Andrew King) Climate-related disasters raise conflict risk, study says (Robert McSweeney)

(Robert McSweeney) 2016 SkS Weekly News Roundup #34 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2016 SkS Weekly Digest #34 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week

SkS Week in Review

97 Hours of Consensus: Peter Gleick

Peter Gleick's bio page

Quote derived with permission from author from:

"...we know that humans are raising the temperature through the emissions of greenhouse gases. We're beginning to change the climate. Among the things that we're going to see when it gets warmer is that more of what we get in the hydrologic cycle is going to be rain, and less of it's going to be snow. As it gets warmer, the snow line is going to move up. What does fall as snow is going to melt earlier, and runoff faster."

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Coles has urged its German rival Aldi to sign up to a new tax transparency code that will lead to more big businesses, particularly multinationals, releasing detailed information about the tax they pay.

Aldi has yet to sign up to the Voluntary Tax Transparency Code, which targets more than 1500 businesses with turnover of more than $100 million and follows public anger over large multinationals engaging in aggressive tax avoidance.

The government is "encouraging" all companies to adopt the code this financial year, and will make it mandatory if too few companies come forward.

Wesfarmers, the owner of Coles and other retail chains such as Bunnings and Officeworks, has signed up. Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney told Fairfax Media: "I would encourage all supermarket operators to do so."
"The government's day-to-day spending should be wound back in line with funding," says Glenn Stevens, the highly respected outgoing governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia.

During his governorship Stevens has seen Australia successfully through serious crisis. He is a man not know for hyperbole and his calm and sensible demeanour has been a great comfort to markets and the community. Unfortunately, as Stevens points out, winding back expenditure is unlikely to happen short of a crisis. Specific proposals are greeted by claims of unfairness and self-interest prevails. The treatment of the report of the National Commission of Audit is a classic example.



Modern Australian politics, like much of the Western world, is ruled by populism. The baby boomers continue to mortgage the future, leaving the bill in terms of mounting national debt to their children and grandchildren. If government has to wait for a crisis before it has a mandate to act, the problem will only become worse and the correction required will become more drastic. Experience shows that emergency responses in times of economic crisis inevitably have the biggest relative impact on the most vulnerable members of the community.

Although the budget trend is very concerning, we are in relatively good shape now from a national debt perspective. It is far better to undertake reform when you have capacity and some room to manoeuvre.





A crisis that compels the government to act could be triggered by global or domestic events. We live in a volatile world both politically and economically. We are still heavily reliant in terms of our national prosperity on commodity exports mainly to China and Japan. Neither country is expected to grow any faster in the foreseeable future. The growth in LNG exports will peak by 2018 and given the naysayers on developing our abundant coal seam gas reserves that is unlikely to change.



In terms of a domestic crisis, the possibility of a ratings downgrade for Australian sovereign debt has already been raised by ratings agency Standard & Poor's. A ratings downgrade is an early warning. S&P assesses that there is a one in three chance in the next two years of a downgrade if concrete measures are not taken to improve the budget position. Our AAA rating is highly prized and sets us apart from many other modern economies.
Anyone who does not know where their 10-year-old child is on any night of the week, especially in Perth, is not fit to be a parent.

More and more people in Perth are, like I am, becoming completely fed up with the continual myriad of excuses given as to why the Western Australian Police is forced time and again to become babysitters to this sad sub-culture that has been created in our city and state.

Some parents just don't care about their children roaming the streets at night.

There will always be the terribly sad cases where young children feel they are safer on the streets than in their own homes. But the majority of children being picked up and looked after by police are roaming the streets because their parents just do not care enough and are more interested in their own social lives than their actual children.

WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan says that when it comes to the issue of kids roaming Perth's streets, his officers could encounter three types of parents.
Authority and respect for trusted institutions in Australian society should never override reports of danger to young people, the chair of the royal commission into child sexual abuse will argue on Monday.

Justice Peter McClellan will use a speech to the Association of Children's Welfare Agencies in Sydney to call for allegations made by children to be appropriately heard and investigated, regardless of where they originate, and without institutions or their leaders being able to diminish the preparedness of adults to act.

Justice Peter McClellan has emphasised the importance of children reporting sexual abuse. Credit:Nick Moir

The speech comes days after human rights groups called for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to investigate Australia's immigration detention centre on Nauru amid leaked reports of sexual violence, abuse and self-harm by refugees and asylum seekers detained at the facility.

The commission says investigating alleged child abuse on Nauru or Manus Island is outside its jurisdictional powers, and the speech does not cite immigration detention abuse allegations.
Some of the Party for Freedom members who entered the Gosford Anglican Church dressed as Muslims. Credit:Party for Freedom/Facebook "Using a loud speaker, starting to abuse me in particular for the work we do  they violated our sacred space," Father Bower said. "It was typical rhetoric from the extreme right, vilifying Muslims and multiculturalism as a whole. Gosford Anglican Church's the Reverend Rod Bower. Credit:Marina Neil "[They said] Muslims are taking over, they had some prayer mats and mock prayed; they had a recording of the Koran being sung."

In video footage of the incident, the intruders can be heard speaking sarcastically of the "rich tapestry of Islam", claiming "the Western world is living in denial". The rally is being organised by Sydney-based Nick Folkes. His Party for Freedom uses Pauline Hanson's image on its Facebook page. As the group left the church a few minutes later, they warned the congregation: "Do not promote Islam." Some parishioners could be heard laughing afterwards, although Father Bower said some were left "deeply traumatised", especially older people, parents of young children and asylum seekers.

"People were confused and I had to reassure them," Father Bower said. The incident was reported to police, and has prompted a security review at the church. Video on the Party for Freedom Facebook page shows members of the group dressed in mock Muslim attire and boasting about the incident afterwards. "We just went into Father Rod Bower's church and let him know we're not happy with his  nonsense about sponsoring Islam and multiculturalism," one man said. In another video apparently filmed nearby, a member of the group says, "Keep voting Labor and Liberal and this will be the future. This is the future of Australia with cultural diversity, with mass Muslim immigration into Australia. You voted for it."

The man continues: "You are being replaced, your government is at war with you. With mass Third World immigration and Islam coming into Australia to take over, when will the Australian people wake up? It is time to wake up, Aussies." Such sentiments echo that of Senator Hanson, who is pushing for a royal commission into Islam, wants the intake of Muslim refugees and other migrants to cease and would ban the burqa and niqab in public places. Australian Federation of Islamic Councils president Keysar Trad said Party for Freedom members were "creeps" who committed "a low act, and caused a lot of angst for a lot of people". "Pauline Hanson has inspired these people, she has to come out clearly and unambiguously  to condemn their behaviour, tell them to pull their head in and tell them to be respectful to fellow Australians," he said. 'What they did was wrong, they should apologise to everyone in that congregation."

Father Bower said the rise of the One Nation Leader, whose party has snared four Senate spots, was "symptomatic of a group of people feeling marginalised". "Pauline Hanson is a very clever manipulator of those people and  will exacerbate their fear," he said. The incident follows reports that several senators, including those from One Nation, want to strike section 18C from the Racial Discrimination Act. The section makes it unlawful to publicly "offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people" on the basis of race. Opponents say the measure restricts freedom of speech. Father Bower said the incident at his church "highlights the need for 18C".
Customs is cracking down on shipments of life-like child sex dolls that paedophiles are importing into Australia.

Border force officials have seized 18 consignments of child sex dolls sent from overseas since 2013.

The life-size dolls resemble children as young as five.

The life-size dolls, which resemble children as young as five and are sold wearing lingerie, have movable joints and come with heating instructions.

A child sex doll manufacturer claims they can be used to help paedophiles control their urges.
A 95-year-old woman has suffered smoke inhalation after being rescued from a fire in her Auburn home on Saturday afternoon. The blaze kindled in a Samsung washing machine in the woman's bathroom.

Firefighters from Lidcombe and Silverwater responded to a neighbour's call about a smoking unit on the corner of Perry Way and Mary Street at 2.10pm. Two concerned neighbours entered the unit to alert the elderly resident after hearing smoke alarms.

The 95-year-old resident was taken to hospital by ambulance along with one of the neighbours who came to her assistance, a 78-year-old woman. Both were treated for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire quickly. Damage was confined to the unit's bathroom.
It started with a defamation battle over two emails. Now the plaintiff has been given a suspended jail sentence for threatening a witness.

In a twist in a long-running defamation stoush, NSW Supreme Court judge Michael Adams sentenced a prominent member of Newcastle's Indian community, Shashikanth Mallegowda, to nine months' imprisonment after he admitted his telephone call to a witness was "kind of a threat".

Mallegowda launched a defamation case in the District Court in 2012 over two emails sent to members of the Indian Association of Newcastle. He complained the emails painted him as a "villain" and a "false accuser".

A cross-claim was brought against him by one of the defendants over an anonymous email allegedly sent from an account assigned to Mallegowda at his workplace at NSW Roads and Maritime Services.

The Supreme Court heard Mallegowda called a witness to the defamation case and threatened to report them to the Australian Taxation Office and the immigration department unless they withdrew their evidence against him.
Five months after the Baird government moved to close a loophole in the state's electronic ticketing system, people are still "Opal running" between light rail stops to gain free travel on public transport.

And the Opal run of choice remains 300 metres between stops on the inner west light rail line at the Star and Pyrmont Bay in central Sydney.

University of NSW student Lawrence Lo spends up to four hours on Mondays walking between the two stops to swipe his Opal card in order to qualify for free travel later in the week.

"It is a challenge that rewards," he said. "It is how the system is programmed and we are just using one of the provisions in it."
Labor councillors will be forced to attend ethics training seminars within three months of being elected in response to a string of scandals and brawling over preselection for local government.

The announcement by NSW Labor general-secretary Kaila Murnain was made during a forum held on Saturday for candidates preparing to contest September's council elections.

The edict is similar to that imposed on new Labor MPs following the historic 2011 state election loss after the party endured numerous scandals in the weeks leading up to the poll.

It comes amid an inquiry into Auburn council involving its former independent deputy mayor Salim Mehajer, a raid by corruption authorities on the offices of Liberal mayor of Liverpool Ned Mannoun and fierce infighting over Labor preselection for Fairfield council.
NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner is refusing to say whether she knows how widespread the practice of issuing unapproved doses of restricted powerful antibiotics is in the state's hospitals as the opposition ramps up calls for an investigation.

On Saturday Fairfax Media reported that an analysis showed doctors at Royal North Shore Hospital have been issuing tens of thousands of doses of restricted antibiotics without approval, undermining the regime designed to combat the rise of superbugs.

A leading infection control expert described the practice as "throwing fire on the superbug problem" and says the revelations are a rare insight into what is probably an Australia-wide problem.

Documents revealed compliance with the Northern Sydney Local Health District's system through which approval to prescribe the powerful antibiotics is sought, called eASY, was at just 35 per cent.
A man has been charged after allegedly assaulting a taxi driver and bystander in Caboolture on Sunday morning.

It will be alleged about 12.30am the accused arrived at Matthew Terrace in a taxi and refused to pay his fare, which escalated into a verbal and physical dispute with the driver.

A taxi driver was assaulted by a passenger who refused to pay his fare and stole the driver's phone in Caboolture on Sunday morning. Credit:Michelle Smith

Police said the man then stole the 49-year-old taxi driver's mobile phone and punched him in the face.

A male bystander came to assist the driver and it will be alleged the accused also assaulted him before damaging the taxi.
Sunshine Coast based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue attended a motor vehicle accident at Amamoor near Gympie at 3:30pm this afternoon.

The accident occurred when a rare Shelby GT American Muscle car left the road and collided with a tree on the passenger side of the vehicle.

A Shelby GT muscle car hit a tree on the Sunshine Coast, injuring three people. Credit:RACQ LifeFlight Rescue

Three occupants inside the vehicle sustained multiple injuries and were trapped until Queensland Fire and Emergency Services along with Queensland Ambulance Services freed them.

RACQ LifeFlight Rescue airlifted the front passenger, a 26 year old male who sustained suspected chest and leg injuries, to Nambour Hospital in a stable condition.
By Tatsam Mukherjee: Recently, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah ruffled a few feathers by calling late superstar Rajesh Khanna the face of Bollywood's mediocrity. He said that Khanna was not the most alert individual he had come across, and that his taste ruled the industry during the early '70s. Naseeruddin Shah also went on to add another statement: How Khanna was merely a puppet in the hands of filmmakers who used him to make 'super-hits' while they could, and then canned him into a life of a has-been.

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ALSO READ: I've never heard Naseeruddin Shah praise someone successful, says Javed Akhtar

Shortly, after the whole Rajesh Khanna-Naseeruddin Shah incident, a website went on to do what some would call a 'take-down' piece on actor Hrithik Roshan. For the uninitiated, a 'take-down' piece is where a writer pretty much writes the obituary of a professional actor's career. In this piece entitled, Hrithik Roshan: A fading star, the writer cites how Roshan's latest release Mohenjo Daro is a live example of how out of touch the actor is with his fans. The writer goes on to point out how other stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar are 'in touch' with their fan base, even being able to make a profit with their silliest films.

A particularly interesting name in that list is that of Akshay Kumar, whose film Rustom came out the same day as Hrithik's Mohenjo Daro. It really doesn't matter if Rustom is as terrible as Mohenjo Daro, an Akshay Kumar doesn't get a nasty piece of literature thrown at his face because he still brings in the moolah. And similarly, it really doesn't matter if his filmography boasts of films from the Housefull franchise, Gabbar Is Back, Brothers, Rowdy Rathore and Singh is Bling. They're all your 100-crore (or nearly so) films, sadly.

For all social media fan clubs with spelling impediments, yes, there was an Airlift, a Baby and a Special 26 once in a while. But those films were the brilliance of their directors Raja Krishna Menon and Neeraj Pandey, more than the star going home with his rumoured Rs 100-crore paycheck. Yes, Akshay Kumar brings in the audience for films like those and that is his credit, and for some, that might be the justification of the insane paychecks. However, what it doesn't justify is the manipulation of history (in films based on 'real-life' stories) to spread misinformation about real-life incidents, 'cause the facts wouldn't be enough for the makers to leverage on Akshay Kumar's on-screen heroic persona, would it?

ALSO READ: Akshay Kumar's Rustom is unintelligible and vapid





The buzz surrounding Akshay Kumar's Rustom has been slowly built, thanks to celebrities like Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh, Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and many others, who took time out to show support for their colleague's upcoming film. Now before anyone mentions how the 'fraternity is coming together to celebrate their fellow actors' work', let's ask, what happened to the 'fraternity' in case of Hrithik Roshan's Mohenjo Daro? Some might say the pouring support was for a film they considered to be on its way to become a commercial success. Isn't that hypocritical? That an actor's shelf-life is still determined by the numbers he brings in?



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Akshay Kumar is just another face who sells the mediocrity in Bollywood, as Naseeruddin Shah would have said. So, he knows he can tide through another decade before anyone points a finger at him, because he will still be bringing in the numbers via films like Entertainment, Desi Boyz, Boss. Should it be a cause of concern for us that actors like Hrithik Roshan, with slightly more pedigree get lynched publicly for their inability to bring in the numbers with their last film? While someone like an Akshay Kumar gets to parade with his mind-numbing films since they apparently have an audience?

Hrithik probably has moved on from his 'experimental' phase considering his last few releases like Krrish 3, Bang Bang; and his next being Sanjay Gupta's Kaabil. And yes, he's looking to consolidate his position in an industry inundated with a younger, more capable and an edgier lot like that of Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh. But that begs the question - when did Akshay Kumar ever experiment? When was the last time Akshay Kumar did a performance-oriented role which had the potential to blow your socks off? Yes, he chose a few smart scripts which he was fortunate to get his hands on thanks to his star status, but that's about it.

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ALSO READ: It is hard to take Hrithik Roshan's Mohenjo Daro seriously

Is it our shortcoming as an industry that despite being the oldest film industry on the planet, we use the words 'star' and 'actor' synonymously and interchangeably? And that we might scoff at the ambition of a Mohenjo Daro because of its spectacular failure, but celebrate the blatant lies twisted to suit a Bollywood hero's narrative in Rustom?

Essentially, what we're trying to determine here is has Akshay Kumar earned his place as an actor? And if close to 25 years of work cannot do that for him, then what will? He might continue to remain the star he is all his life, all that's being said is that no one should grab us by the collar when we call him just another tool to feed the Bollywood film machinery to churn out 'hit projects'. Not an artiste, not an actor, not an inspiration. Just a tool.

--- ENDS ---

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Three men have been charged following a shooting and arson at a property south-west of Gladstone.

Police will allege three men went to a rural property at Cedar Creek Road at Diglum on Friday night and began threatening a man and a woman at the property.

Three men allegedly destroyed a rural home on Friday night. Credit:Steve Cassell

A shot was then allegedly fired by one of the men before the trio set fire to the house and a nearby caravan, police say.

The house was destroyed but no-one was injured.
In The Pirates of Penzance, Frederick is the victim of "a most ingenious paradox". Apprenticed to the pirate band until his 21st birthday, he repudiates them at 21 but is told he was born on February 29 in a leap year and thus, by birthdays, is only five and a little bit over. It's clever, but not a genuine paradox, which has been defined as "a statement that, despite apparently sound reasoning from true premises, leads to a self-contradictory or a logically unacceptable conclusion". The paradoxes in Christianity. Credit:Aaron Sawall A famous mind-bending example is the liar's paradox, most simply expressed as "a liar says 'this statement is false'." If "this statement is false" is true, then the statement is false, but if the statement is false, then it is true. Paradox is sometimes unpalatable to the logical mind, but life is not entirely logical. Perhaps one needs a certain sort of mind to appreciate paradox, and that should certainly include the Christian mind  the entire faith resides within a collection of paradoxes in which apparently contradictory truths are held in tension.

First and foremost is the logical contradiction between justice and mercy  if God is just, how can he pass over sin?  which he resolves by his self-sacrifice in Jesus. There are paradoxes in the heart of divine ontology, that God is fully three and fully one, that Christ is fully human and fully divine. Another deep paradox lies in the twin truths of God's sovereignty and human free will: both are true. This tension is equally found in secular philosophy between determinism and free will, and it is not a simple question. Jesus loved to reveal truth by paradox. For example, we save our lives by dying to self; the last will be first and the first last; those who rule are to be servants of all; the path to exaltation is humility; and our weakness is the source of our strength. English Catholic thinker G.K. Chesterton, was first drawn to Christianity because its critics went to paradoxically opposite extremes: its view of reality was too bleak or too hopeful, it was too timid or too violent, it was too austere or too filled with pomp and panoply. He believed that the paradoxes at the heart of Christianity allowed it to offer answers to deep moral and philosophical problems.
More than 750 registered sex offenders in Victoria have attempted to travel abroad or succeeded in doing so in the past five years, according to new data obtained exclusively by Fairfax Media.

The previously unseen data is the most comprehensive overview yet of the movements of predators at risk of abusing minors.

It provides a rare insight into the extent of overseas travel by paedophiles.

The Australian Federal Police figures reveal Victorians make up about a quarter of the 2767 Australian offenders who travelled to another country, or were turned back by foreign immigration authorities, since August 1, 2011.
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says he is delighted with the proposed changes to the GST distribution system and claims the opposition is peeved he has succeeded for the state.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced at the Liberal state conference on Saturday he wanted to put in a floor to how low a state's share of the GST could fall, after WA's take dropped to about 30 cents back for every dollar it generated.

WA Premier Colin Barnett is certain the changes to the GST share may help reduce debt. Credit:Philip Gostelow

Mr Barnett told reporters at the conference on Sunday the floor would provide long-term security and stability in revenue, which would allow the state government to plan for health, education, roads and other issues.

"We will then be in a position also to stabilise and reduce state debt, so that gives me great confidence that we can continue all the programs and services of the state government," he said.
Lagos: A video that appears to be from Boko Haram says some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have been killed in Nigerian air strikes and shows one of the alleged victims pleading for authorities to release detained militants so the girls can be freed.

In the video, one of the girls identifies herself as Maida Yakubu and says in the Hausa language of northern Nigeria: "What I can say is that our parents should take heart. Talk to the government so that we can be allowed to go home."

Speaking under obvious duress, she adds: "Oh you, my people and our parents, you just have to please come to our rescue: We are suffering here, the aircraft has come to bombard us and killed many of us. Some are wounded. Every day we are in pains and suffering, so are our babies. Some of our husbands that we married also are injured, some dead. No one cares for us."

The girl adds: "We are really suffering - there is no food to eat, no good water to drink here."
The scheduled execution is Wood's punishment for the 1996 death of a man he did not kill - and, by some accounts, did not know was going to be killed. Legal experts say his case is rare, even in Texas, the execution capital of America - and a state that allows capital punishment for people who did not kill anyone or did not intend to kill. Wood was convicted and sentenced to death under what's called the law of parties, which has been in effect in Texas since the 1970s. It states that a person who "solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit an offence" is also criminally liable for that offence. Under the law, prosecutors are not required to prove that a defendant had any part in committing a crime, or even intended to commit it. Jurors only need to find that there was a plan to commit a crime and that the defendant should have anticipated that the crime would occur. In Wood's case, he was sitting in a pickup truck outside a Texaco convenience store in Kerrville, Texas, in January 1996, when Daniel Reneau went inside and shot and killed the store clerk with a .22-calibre handgun.

Wood's supporters say he was under the impression that Reneau, a drifter he had met months earlier, was only going to buy food and drinks. But they also agree that Wood is not completely innocent. Court records say he was involved in a scheme with Reneau and the store's assistant manager to steal a safe that they believed contained thousands of dollars. While the others had backed out, Reneau took it upon himself to steal the safe, court records say. Based on testimony from Wood's then-girlfriend, he asked Reneau to not bring his gun before the two drove to the convenience store that day. Reneau did anyway, without Wood's knowledge. Wood's attorney, Jared Tyler, said his client could not have anticipated the death of the clerk, Kris Keeran, and was unfairly held responsible for Reneau's actions and decisions.

Both men were convicted of capital murder. Reneau was put to death in 2002. Wood has been on death row since 1998, when his daughter, Paige Rowan, was a toddler. If executed this month, Wood will be the "least culpable person executed in the modern era of death penalty," said Scott Cobb, president of Texas Moratorium Network, a group that advocates against capital punishment. Tyler has filed a writ of habeas corpus - used to review the legality of someone's imprisonment - asking the state's highest court for a new sentencing hearing for Wood, saying punishment should be proportional to culpability. Wood's death sentence, Tyler said, was based on "false and misleading" testimony from a psychiatrist who did not personally examine his client.

Bruce Curry, the Kerr County district attorney whose office prosecuted Wood's case, said he could not comment because of the pending court decision. A spokeswoman for the Texas Attorney General's Office, which is handling the case, also declined to comment. Tyler is ultimately asking the court to declare the state's death penalty unconstitutional "because of its arbitrariness and inability to ensure that only the worst of the worst receive death sentence," according to court records. That raises a question for Terri Been: How is her brother, a man without a violent criminal history, the worst of the worst? A child in a man's body At 12, Wood was described as a "highly impulsive" and "very troubled" youngster who often had negative opinions of himself.

When he was 15, he frequently asked how he was doing at school, often assuming he'd flunked, according to the writ of habeas corpus. By the time he reached high school, he was spelling at a fourth-grade level and reading at a fifth-grade level. He is borderline mentally disabled with an IQ of 80. His mother described him as an "eight-year-old in a man's body." These "debilitating emotional and intellectual impairments" made Wood vulnerable to Reneau's manipulation and rendered him unable to comprehend what Reneau was capable of doing, court records say. Because of those impairments, his attorney argued, Wood should have been declared incompetent to stand trial. And he was - at least initially.

Wood was committed to a mental health hospital after he was found incompetent. A neuropsychologist had testified that Wood was delusional, unable to grasp the issues about his case and the reality facing him. But Wood was released after 15 days in the hospital. Court records say the hospital tested his factual understanding of legal proceedings but not his ability to be rational. This time, he was deemed competent to stand trial. A jury, not knowing about the neuropsychologist's assessment of his mental state, found him guilty of capital murder. The writ of habeas corpus, filed in July, spotlights something else the jury did not know: the troubled history of a forensic psychiatrist whose testimony resulted in Wood's death sentence. James Grigson was no stranger to capital murder cases: By the time Wood went on trial, in 1998, Grigson said he had testified in 163 such cases.

Prosecutors often sought his testimony to secure the ultimate punishment for defendants. Often, they were successful, earning Grigson a nickname: "Dr Death." Grigson didn't personally examine Wood. But during the sentencing phase of the trial, the forensic psychiatrist told jurors that Wood would "most certainly" commit violent crimes in the future, according to court records. The prosecuting attorney elicited that response by describing a hypothetical situation that laid out the facts of the case. What jurors didn't know was that Grigson, so beloved by prosecutors, was reviled in his own field.

In 1995, three years before Wood's trial, Grigson was expelled from the American Psychiatric Association and its Texas branch at that time, the Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians, for predicting a defendant's potential threat to society based solely on a hypothetical. The expulsions followed an investigation by the Texas association's ethics committee, which cited Grigson's "willfully narrow rendition of psychiatric knowledge." In a profile published after Grigson's death in 2004, the Houston Chronicle cited his unusual willingness to testify against capital murder defendants. A former prosecutor who used Grigson in several trials told the newspaper that he was an "outstanding communicator who really connected with a jury." But the psychiatric association saw Grigson as a threat to the profession. In the writ of habeas corpus, Tyler asked the Texas court to find that Grigson's testimony about Wood was false and misleading. A controversial law

Since 1976, there have been 1437 executions in the United States. More than a third of them have taken place in Texas, which has executed 537 people over that period, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre. Oklahoma and Virginia have the next-highest figures, with 112 and 111 executions respectively since 1976. Executions of people who did not directly kill the victim are extremely rare: The Death Penalty Information Centre lists just 10 such instances that didn't involve contract killings. Half were in Texas under the law of parties. In recent years, there have been efforts to reform Texas law so that someone who didn't kill won't be executed. So far, those efforts have failed.

Last year, state Representative Harold Dutton, a Democrat from Houston, introduced a bill that would ban the death penalty in law of parties cases. The bill, however, did not get a vote on the floor. Tim Cole, a former Texas prosecutor and defense attorney, said the law of parties erases the distinction between an accomplice and someone who pulled the trigger. "The legal argument is that, obviously, if you look at moral culpability in terms of who's most culpable, it's the person who actually committed the crime," Cole told The Washington Post. "In most circumstances, most people would think the other person who pulls the trigger should be subject to a higher level of punishment than the other person." Cole echoes what the US Supreme Court has said in the past. In a 1982 case involving the robbery and murder of an elderly Florida couple, the high court threw out the death-penalty sentence of a man who was in a getaway car when the killings happened. Someone who participated in the robbery shouldn't be treated the same as the person who committed the killings, the court said.

But there are exceptions, Cole said. One example is a murder-for-hire case in which the triggerman was following orders from someone else. Wood's looming execution comes as prosecutors are seeking the death penalty less frequently than they used to, partly because of budgetary reasons. The public's attitude toward the death penalty also has dramatically shifted, as shown by Gallup's documentation of public opinion. Thirty-five per cent opposed capital punishment in 2013, up from 16 per cent in 1994. In 1998, the year Wood was condemned to death, 295 people were sentenced to death in the United States, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre. Last year, 49 death sentences were handed down nationwide. Executions are down, as well: In 1999, nearly 100 condemned prisoners were executed in the United States. That number was down to 28 last year, according to Death Penalty Information Centre data. Had Wood been charged today, he wouldn't have been facing the death penalty, said Cole, who now teaches Texas criminal procedure at the University of North Texas.

"I really don't think that this case would be prosecuted under today's standards and under today's climate - even in Texas," he said. "It's just not the type of situation in today's climate for the death penalty where most prosecutors would seek the death penalty." Wood's case also has attracted attention from those outside the criminal justice system. Earlier this month, 16 Roman Catholic bishops from across the state wrote a letter to Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, urging him to grant a stay on Wood's execution. "Mr Wood has never taken a human life in his own hands," the letter reads. "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 was sent not long after relatives and supporters of Wood gathered outside the Governor's Mansion in Austin and called on Abbott to call off Wood's execution and commute his sentence.

Some wore T-shirts that said "Punish action. Not affiliation," the Texas Tribune reported. In 2007, then-Governor Rick Perry granted clemency to Kenneth Foster jnr, who, like Wood, was convicted and sentenced to death under the law of parties. Wood's legal team recently submitted his petition for clemency to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. An online petition supporting Wood has garnered nearly 2500 signatures. He turns 42 on August 19, a few days before his scheduled execution. Been, a science department chair at a middle school in Dilley, Texas, said her brother has always believed he will be spared.
Welcomes 82 new first formers

CUL DE SAC:--- St. Maarten Academys academic campus will open its gates for all students registered at Forms 1 to 5 on Monday (August 15, 2016). Only sixth form students in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) programme will not commence classes on Monday. They begin on September 5.

As the new school year begins, Principal drs. Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool has high expectations for all  students, teachers, and parents, alike. Just Thursday (August 11, 2016) at the orientation for new students, she reiterated the principles taught to her by her father, the late educator Camille Baly.

Know who you are, do your best, and do the right thing even if no one is around to see you do it, Drs. Baly-Vanterpool stated. This has been her mantra since taking over the helm of the institution in 2014.

At Thursdays orientation, all parents and new students of Forms 1 and 2 met their mentors and other subject teachers, and received vital information and materials to help with the smooth transition into the school. Traditionally, orientation is held the Thursday evening before school starts, but this year the Management and staff thought it better to move the event to an earlier time to give parents and students a better view of the school environment.

All parents are also being reminded that their responsibility does not end when their children have enrolled in high school. In fact, they must be more engaged to ensure their children's success. I encourage you [parents] to walk the talk of education and to be a champion for your child, the principal said.

On Monday, students must be in full school uniform, as dictated by the schools dress code found online in the Handbook for Parents and Students. Additionally, they must have all their materials as classes will begin on day one. Boys are reminded that they must wear their hair low (business cuts only and no designs in the hair), and girls must sport only natural hair colours. Make-up, long nails or acrylic nails, colour hairstyles, cuts/designs in eyebrows, designer haircuts, visible tattoos, and wristbands will not be permitted.

St. Maarten Academy expects every student to show a sense of pride for self and school, have a positive attitude towards schooling, proper respect for the staff, and a willingness to help develop the institution. The staff will continue to assist students with any matter related to school life or personal development. All students, especially those who are new, should consult staff members about any challenges they may experience.

School will begin at 7:30am with an assembly, where students will be welcomed by the principal and introduced to new staff members. School ends at 1:30pm on the first day for all students.

The Foundation of Academic and Vocational Education (FAVE), under which St. Maarten Academy falls, together with the Management, teachers and other staff, wish all a successful, stress-free, and solution-oriented school year.
Alala Uddin Akongi and Thara Uddin were leaving prayer service

A Queens, NY Imam was shot in the head and his assistant was shot in the chest by an unknown gunman in broad daylight as they left prayer services at the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in Ozone Park.

Around 1:50 pm EST, the two men were walking together when a strange man approached them, pulled out a large handgun, and started firing. The shooter, who fled the scene, was described by witnesses as tall and dark-skinned, possibly Hispanic, wearing a dark blue shirt and short pants.

Emergency services rushed the victims to Jamaica Hospital.

Imam Alala Uddin Akongi, aged 55 and the married father of three, was pronounced dead on arrival. Akongi had been a revered religious leader since his arrival from Bangladesh about two years ago.

His assistant Thara Uddin, 64, died about four hours later at the hospital.

Congregants gathered outside the mosque to grieve.

"That's not what America is about," resident Khairul Islam said to the New York Daily News. "We blame Donald Trump for this...Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia."

"For no reason," said neighborhood resident and leader at a nearby mosque, Kobri Chowdhury. "He had finished his prayers...Somebody else with him. Just a pure, blind, hate crime."

Residents described the Imam as a pious and well-respected member of the local community.

His nephew, Rahi Majid, was stunned by the shooting.

"I'm not sure what kind of an animal would kill that man," he said. "He would not hurt a fly. You would watch him come down the street and watch the peace he brings."

Chowdhury described Akongi as "a very sweet, soft-spoken, humble man."

An Imam is an Islamic leadership position. Among Sunni Muslims, he may lead local prayer services, and provide general religious guidance to members of the community. Sunni is the largest religious denomination in the world, and includes majority populations in countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

As contrast, among Shia Muslims, an Imam is considered to be free of sin and appointed by God. Among Shia, an Imam must be a member of the house of the prophet ahl al-Bayt, and is considered infallible. He should be obeyed without question. Shia make up the majority populations in Iran and Iraq, but only about 10% of the Muslim population of the world.

Imam Akongi and his daughter.

Sunni and Shia have a historical conflict somewhat similar to historical conflicts that have arisen between Catholicism and Protestantism.

While both groups base practices on the words and teachings of the Prophet Mohammed, Shia are also guided by the wisdom of Muhammad's descendants through his son-in-law and cousin, Ali. In countries with a Sunni majority, Shia are often among the poorest residents, and generally feel persecuted. The Iranian revolution of 1979 overthrew a majority Sunni government and launched a radical Shia Islamist agenda against Sunni governments in neighboring countries.

Many westerners might be surprised to learn that the basis of much of the conflict in the Middle East had little to do with either Christianity or Judaism, but was instead a rebellion of Shia against Sunni.
Lonnie Franklin Unlikely to actually be put to death, since California put a hold on the death penalty

On Wednesday, the so-called "Grim Sleeper" serial killer, was sentenced to death by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy. The sentence followed a 6-month jury trial for former city sanitation worker Lonnie Franklin, Jr, 63. In her sentence, Kennedy agreed with the jury's June recommendation of the death penalty.

Franklin was convicted on May 5 of all 10 counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders. He is believed responsible for the gruesome murders of at least nine women and one teenage girl over a 22-year period, from 1985 to 2007. Prosecutors presented evidence during the penalty phase that suggest he could be responsible for an additional five killings. In the course of the trial, a German woman testified that Franklin and two other U.S. Army men kidnapped and raped her in Stuttgart in 1974. Prosecutors believe Franklin may be ultimately responsible for the murders of up to 25 women.

Investigation of the serial murders was hampered for years for a variety of reasons. The victims, frequently culled from drug addicts and prostitutes, were all initially unidentified, making it less obvious that the crimes were connected. In addition, several other serial killers were operating during the same time period in the late 80s, such as Michael Hughes (convicted of 7 murders) and Chester Turner (convicted of 14 murders). Some blamed the police for simply lacking motivation to find the killer of young black women in South Los Angeles.

"Grim Sleeper" Serial killer Lonnie Franklin Jr. is sentenced to death

Franklin reportedly remained unmoved during the verdict and entire trial. The moniker "Grim Sleeper" was attached to his persona because the police believed he'd gone inactive between 1988 and 2002. Now, however, prosecutors do not believe he ever stopped killing.

At his house, investigators discovered more than 1,000 photos and hundreds of hours of videos of women, many nude and in sexually graphic poses, some appearing to be unconscious. A high school ID card of one victim, the driver's license of another, along with other morbid items were stuffed inside his garage refrigerator. Franklin's victims were often dumped naked or in humiliating positions along roadsides or in dumpsters.

Franklin was arrested on July 7, 2010 by the Los Angeles Police Department.
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.
By PTI: From Yoshita Singh

New York, Aug 14 (PTI) A 55-year old Bangladeshi-American Imam at a mosque here and his assistant have been shot dead from point blank range by a lone gunman in broad daylight amid growing concerns across America over rising Islamophobic rhetoric.

Police said Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, 64, were walking home after midday prayers at Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque yesterday when they were approached from behind by a male with medium complexion who was dressed in a dark polo shirt and shorts.

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According to witnesses and video surveillance, immediately after the victims were shot, the same male was seen fleeing from the scene with a gun in his hand. Both victims were dressed in Islamic attire at the time of the shooting. The lone gunman still remains at large.

Responding to multiple emergency calls, police found Akonjee and Uddin with gunshot wounds to the head. They were both taken to a local hospital, where Akonjee died as a result of his injuries. Uddin was also in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries.

Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said that currently a motive has not been determined and "theres nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith."

He said the police is conducting an extensive "canvass of the area for video and additional witnesses".

No arrests have been made so far and the investigation is ongoing, Sautner said.

The New York chapter of Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organisation Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it has reported an unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide since Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trumps "bigoted call for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States."

The group called for the perpetrators of the killings to be immediately brought to justice.

"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."

Scores of worshipers from the mosque gathered within hours at the murder scene to denounce the cold-blooded ambush as a hate crime.

"Thats not what America is about," said local resident Khairul Islam. "We blame Donald Trump for this. Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia."

Akonjee, a father of three, was a respected religious leader who had arrived in Queens from Bangladesh less than two years ago.

Shahin Chowdhury, a worshipper at the mosque, said members of the community had felt animosity lately and he had advised fellow community members to be careful walking around, especially when in traditional clothing. PTI YAS ASK AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---

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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
This fall, a new specialty cheese shop will join the bustling activity near Findlay Market. The Rhined , owned by Stephanie Webster and her husband Dave, will offer gourmet cheeses; charcuterie, including preserves, pickles, olives and condiments; and beer and wine for retail sale. A full rehab of the 636-square-foot space, located at 1737 Elm St., is currently underway.Once renovation is complete, the space will feature a cheese counter with seating for 12. The counter will give patrons an opportunity to enjoy a gourmet cheese flight paired with a glass of wine or local craft beer.A lot of people dont realize that cheese pairs well with beer, Webster says. The carbonation cuts through the fat of the cheese.The shop will primarily carry local beers, paying homage to Cincinnatis rich brewing history.Commitment to promoting local products extends beyond the beer offerings. The shop is particularly focused on exposing customers to the many world-class cheeses that are produced throughout the Midwest. The Rhined will carry a selection of 50 cheeses, including options sourced from Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Pricing will run from $12-30 per pound.Pricing reflects the hand-crafted nature of the product being sold.That might seem expensive to some people, Webster says. Were doing this for the cheesemakers, and we want to make sure they get a solid price for the amazing product that they make. And once they taste the cheese, theyll know that its worth it.In the past year, the Websters have gotten familiar with many of the family, artisanal cheesemakers that The Rhined will ultimately promote.Weve been visiting cheese shops in other cities, tasting a lot of cheese, meeting cheesemakers, talking to people in the industry, and trying to do our homework and research, Webster says. We want to make sure that we do this right for our city, and for our neighborhood.The Rhined is expected to open by October, just in time for holiday gift-giving and entertaining.It will be a welcoming place that anyone can come into to learn about cheese, Webster says. Once you have the cheese, youre going want to buy it.Follow The Rhined on Instagram @therhined for updates and all things cheese.
What you need to know about Powerball and the $825 million jackpot
British adventurer Bear Grylls describes how he and his team dealt with the day after a hellish night on the Atlantic Ocean.

By Mail Today: EXTRACT: Reprinted with the publisher's permission

Dawn seemed never to arrive. It was the blackest night I had ever seen. Mick and I would imagine the dawn ahead of us, to the east. We would then be convinced we could see it. But it was always an illusion; or worse, another wall of white water.

We knew that dawn would bring the light with it, and that would mean we would be able to read the seas once more.

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Finally, though, the night sky began to brighten in the east. Together, shoulder to shoulder, Mick and I watched as dawn crept slowly over the distant horizon. The wind was just as strong, and the waves were just as menacing; we were still in danger, but we knew that our greatest enemy, the darkness, was disappearing before us.

As the early morning of Friday, 8 August 2003 dawned over the Denmark Strait, it was indeed a new beginning.

Bear Grylls is a British adventurer and author. Photo: Mail Today

I asked Mick to get all the guys up and huddle round. I wanted to encourage them. We could get through this now. There was hope. We had been through hell together, but I felt we were emerging out the other side.

Also read: Amitav Ghosh's new book is about the alarming issue of global warming



So we cramped together, all of us freezing cold, the others squatting behind us on the edge of the sardine tin. I felt the cold chill of dawn on my face as I turned to them. It was 5.15 a.m. We were all exhausted and bedraggled, wearing full gear and helmets, squashed on this small boat in the midst of a still-heaving ocean.

"OK, guys," I began, shouting again to make myself heard. "First of all, I am sorry that I broke the rota. I found a way of handling the boat, using the bucket to control her, so I wanted to keep going rather than stop in the middle of the night and have to explain how we could each do this."

"I know it's been a tough and bloody cold night for everyone, but we're going to get through this. It's daylight now. The sea has just lost its greatest ally - the darkness. There is no reason why we shouldn't make it out of this. We're going to reach Iceland."

Two All-Action Adventures: Facing Up- Facing the Frozen Ocean by Bear Grylls, Pan Macmillan India; Rs.950. Photo: Mail Today

"Only two things will stop us. The first is that we run out of fuel. But there is no need for this to happen. Andy has control of this, and we have enough to reach Iceland. But, Charlie, help him. Look out for him. Get him something to eat. Help him manage the fuel systems. Andy, we need all your skill and attention for these last few hundred miles."

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Andy nodded.

"The second is that we flip the boat. But I am telling you, we will not flip her if we concentrate and helm her correctly. We will flip if anyone loses concentration. Whoever is helming needs to be 120 per cent alert. There was margin for helming error before; that does not exist in this sea state."

"From now on, we go back to the rota. Everybody will helm for only half an hour at a time now, and we must help each other. We must all dig deeper than ever before. If we do this, we will reach Iceland before nightfall."

Together, we had survived our longest night.

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Merrick Garland and Hillary Clinton agree on so many policies that according to Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid if she is elected president, she will push for him to be the next Supreme Court justice.

About one month after the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, President Barack Obama nominated Judge Garland as his replacement. Despite being liked by both parties, the Republicans in Congress announced that they had no plans to confirm him, and some went as far as refusing even to meet with him.

The Supreme Court has been forced to take a long list of decisions on voting rights, abortion, contraception, immigration, and affirmative action with only eight sitting Justices. Many wondered, would Mrs. Clinton nominate a younger left-leaning judge or stick to Garland.

This week, retiring Democratic Senate Minority Leader Reid said that Judge Garland would likely be Clintons pick for the open seat if she wins in the fall. He said:

I am convinced that she would move forward with Garland. He is a fine man, and I dont need to repeat all the fine things about him. I would think that she and all the people around her would say, Why do we need to rock the boat here? Lets get him confirmed quickly.

Asked if he was certain of his comments, he added:

I think that I can say that with some degree of credibility.

During the interview, Reid also took a shot at Senate Republicans. He claimed:

They are improperly obstructing Garlands route to the Supreme Court. GOP politicians are holding a seat open in case Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wins the election.

He concluded by:

Senate Republicans, even those who have tried to separate themselves from Trump  those who say they wont vote for Trump  remain vigilant in the quest to hold open a Supreme Court seat for him.

The Clinton campaign has not commented on the Garland idea being pushed by Democratic leaders. In a recent Fox News interview, Clinton seemed noncommittal about Reids proposal.
Montreal, August 14, 2016 (SPS) - The International Alliance of Women has reaffirmed its support and solidarity with the struggle and resistance of the Saharawi women for freedom and independence.

At a workshop held under the theme "Women's resistance during wars and armed struggles" in the World Social Forum held in Montreal, member of the International Alliance of Women, Ms. Rita Acosta, stressed that all freedom-loving women must support the Saharawi women in their struggle for freedom and independence.

"Colonialism is one. And all the oppressed women in Western Sahara, Palestine, Kurdistan, Philippines and Canada or other countries share the same oppression and suffering," said Rita Acosta, calling on women to unite their efforts for peace, justice and a better world.

For her part, Secretary General of the National Union of Sahrawi Women (NUSW), Fatma El Mehdi, spoke about the recent developments in the Western Sahara issue and the serious violations of human rights perpetrated by the Moroccan occupation authorities against the Saharawi civilians in the occupied territories, including the Saharawi women.

She also addressed the resistance of the Saharawi people, the role of vanguard played by Saharawi women in the refugee camps and the occupied territories and its struggle against the Moroccan policy of intimidation, persecution and deprivation of all fundamental rights.

She urged all participants to support the Saharawi women in their struggle against the Moroccan occupation, participate in the international campaign to raise awareness about the Saharawi question throughout the world, demand the release of all Saharawi political prisoners, protection of Saharawi civilians, and end the suffering of the Sahrawi women through the holding of a free, fair and impartial allowing the Saharawi people to exercise their right to self-determination and independence.

The participants welcomed the presence of the Saharawi delegation and the work of Sahrawi women as part of that organization. (SPS)

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Shaheed El Hafed, August 14, 2016 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, on Wednesday sent a congratulatory message to his Ecuadorian counterpart Rafael Correa Delgado, on the occasion of the First Cry of Independence.

"I have the honor to address Your Excellency, on behalf of the Sahrawi government and people and on my own behalf, to express our sincere congratulations on the occasion of celebrating the anniversary of the Proclamation of the First Cry of Independence of the Republic of Ecuador, expressions which I extend to your government and all the people of the sister Republic of Ecuador." said the President of the Republic in his message to his Ecuadorian counterpart.

The President of the Republic expressed the gratitude of the Sahrawi government and people to the government and people of Ecuador for "the firm position of support and solidarity with the Saharawi people in their just struggle for self-determination and independence."

He reiterated the will of the Saharawi government in strengthening ties and excellent relations of friendship and cooperation between the two brotherly countries and peoples. (SPS)

062/090/TRA
The ABVP alleged that Bengaluru Police have taken no action against those, who raised slogans against the Indian Army at discussion forum in the city.

By Mail Today Bureau: Unrest prevails in several parts of south Karnataka as activists of the ABVP took out protest demonstrations on Sunday to condemn alleged slogan-shouting against the Indian Army by Kashmiris at a panel discussion in Bengaluru on Saturday.

The ABVP alleged that Bengaluru Police have taken no action against those, who raised slogans against the Indian Army at discussion forum in the city.





'ANTI-ARMY SLOGANS RAISED'







A human rights organisation had organized a discussion on "Denied: Failures in accountability for human rights violations by security force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir". The event was well-attended by Kashmiris residing in Bengaluru. Some family members of those who were killed during clashes with security forces in the Valley were also present and they reportedly narrated their experience.





CLASH BETWEEN TWO GROUPS





An office-bearer of the Bengaluru Kashmir Pandits' Association, who was present at the venue, however, praised the India Army for its role in ensuring peace in Jammu and Kashmir and rest of the troubled-regions of the country. This led to commotion at the event as some of the participants stood up in opposition and allegedly raised slogans against the Indian Army. They also raised slogans demanding "Azadi". Sensing trouble, police personnel present at the venue asked those raising slogans to leave.





ABVP TAKES TO STREETS





A few activists of the ABVP present at the venue staged a demonstration outside. They demanded those raising slogans be arrested. The ABVP followed it up on Sunday with demonstrations not only in Bengaluru but in Mysuru as well. The police took some of the ABVP protesters into custody in both the cities.

ALSO READ:

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STAMFORD  Seven years after the end of the recession, the extent of Main Streets recovery continues to spark debate.

The drop in loans to small businesses in the aftermath of the economic crisis has not escaped the attention of the nations top politicians, including Hillary Clinton. The Democratic presidential nominee has described an arduous lending environment for small-business owners  an assessment that has provoked mixed reactions in Connecticut.

State officials said that they still see access to capital as a concern, but bankers said that they never wavered in support of local firms. When someone comes in with an idea, we consult with them, said Steven Ferguson, assistant vice president and business development officer at First County Bank and a former small-business owner. We hear them out. Every request that we have is judged on its own merits.

Access to capital

In the wake of the recession, small-business lending significantly declined. Nationwide, lending institutions loans outstanding to small businesses totaled about $712 billion in 2008, according to the most recent Small Business Administration report. That total dropped to about $585 billion in 2013, the latest year for which data is available.

In her acceptance speech for her partys presidential nomination last month at the Democratic National Convention, Clinton suggested that she was not satisfied with small businesses access to capital.

We will give small businesses like my dads a boost, Clinton said. Make it easier to get credit. Way too many dreams die in the parking lots of banks.

Clintons assessment of banks willingness to lend drew mixed responses among Stamford bankers. Ken Neilson, president and CEO of Patriot Bank, described the comments as political talk that did not recognize banks ongoing support of small businesses.

Patriot and probably most of the other banks want to lend to small businesses as much as they safely can and have always wanted to, Neilson said. What we need is more small businesses being started. And the best thing that government can do to foster that is to ease up on regulations and taxes and give people an incentive to start businesses.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump did not specifically mention small-business financing in his acceptance speech at the Republican convention or in an economic speech last Monday in Detroit.

At Patriot, the total value of loans outstanding has grown from $479 million last December to a current total of about $527 million. Data on its small-business lending levels were not immediately available.

In the aftermath of the recession, First County also maintained its commitment to small-business financing, said Chairman and CEO Reyno Giallongo Jr.

First County never really stopped lending to small business during that time, Giallongo said. What we did is start asking more questions. ... But it was really all around business confidence. The market in small business was soft because they really didnt know at the time what the next turn of events would be in the marketplace.

Statistics on First Countys lending levels in recent years were not immediately available.

Professional advice

More than ever, small businesses need to develop cogent business plans to position themselves for financing, said Tony Peters, a business adviser with the Connecticut Small Business Development Center based at the University of Connecticut in Stamford.

At the end of the day, will the idea make money or sense? Peters said. It sounds simple, and it is simple. But you need to lay it out and think about it and be clear. Is this something people are willing to pay for? And if the answer is no, it could be the greatest idea in the world, but its just not bankable.

Many local business owners said that they have banded together more to share advice and direct each other to promising leads for financing.

We always advise people: Dont take any actions until you get professional advice, said David Yika, who runs a pet grooming business, K-9 Coiffures, and serves as a vice president in the Greater Stamford Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. We always want to direct people to the right institution so they can get customized information.

In Hartford, state officials have sought in recent years to create new funding sources to supplement banks support of small businesses. The state launched in 2012 the Small Business Express program, which provides loans and grants to businesses that have operated for at least a year and have fewer than 100 employees.

Its surprising how frequently we still hear from small businesses that they cant get access to capital from their bank, said Catherine Smith, the states economic and community development commissioner. Theres still a need for Small Business Express to be filling gaps for companies that cant get quite enough capital or cant get any additional capital.

Small Business Express has distributed about $8 million in grants and loans to 50 Stamford businesses in the past five years. The state conditioned that aid on those firms together retaining 475 jobs and creating another 200 positions.

Long-term strategy

Bankers and state officials said that they will continue to make small businesses access to capital a top priority in coming years.

Assuming the economy continues to improve, Small Business Express might not carry on indefinitely, though it would likely keep running in the next few years.

Its on the list of programs that we say lets keep it going and moving forward, Smith said. Its been very successful.

State officials should not overlook other funding sources, said Gary Breitbart, director of The Business Council of Fairfield Countys growth advisory services initiative.

There are a number of favorable programs that ought to be continued and grown, but we also want to see other forms of support to grow the roster of investors, Breitbart said. There is more that can be done to expand the number of venture capital funds and private equity funds that are active here in Connecticut.

But banks will remain a dominant source of funding for small businesses. First County Banks Ferguson, who once owned a trucking and car hauling firm, said he wants to strengthen First Countys relationships with business organizations and help more small businesses to develop plans.

Being a business development officer, Im out there a lot  talking to them, looking at their business models, looking at the way they handle their payroll and their staffing model, Ferguson said. There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to a business  not just a loan.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott
By Rohini Swamy: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) today made public the details of encroachments of storm water drains (rajakaluves) in the city.

Breaking it down into three different segments based on location, Bangalore East, Bangalore North and Bangalore North Add, the BBM has uploaded 83 folders that list the areas that can be classified as encroachments along with survey numbers.

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The BBMP plans to upload details of each ward by August 15 so that the residents can get a clear idea of whether they are living on an piece of encroached land or not.

The BBMP special commissioner R Manoj said, "We have uploaded details of 1,923 Rajakaluves maps on the BBMP website. We will also be uploading geographic information based maps which will help the residents of Bangalore get clarity on the storm water drain networks across the city."

The map will not only help the residents who have built or bought houses but also future buyers who can also refer to the details of the property such as survey number, land location and encroachments .

The details can be found in the BBMP website.



THE DEMOLITION DRIVE

BBMP on August 4 began a demolition drive to remove encroachments from primary storm water drains (SWDs) in the city to prevent flooding during rains.

Unauthorised buildings that had come up on the SWDs resulted in flooding of low-lying areas in Bommanahalli, Silk Board junction, Hosur Road, BTM Layout, and Yelahanka when rains lashed the city earlier this month. Hundreds of people in low-lying areas had to be evacuated by disaster relief teams.

Also Read



Bengaluru demolition: BBMP uses British-era map, citizens fume

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P olice are hunting two men who threatened a terrified cashier at a betting shop before making off with 800 in cash.

The two men struck at about 9am last Sunday morning at a branch of Paddy Power on Hertford Road in Enfield.

The shop assistant opened the door to allow an elderly man into the shop, and the two suspects followed the customer inside.

Once inside the shop, one of the men forced the cashier into her kiosk, while the second thief attempted to dismantle the CCTV system.

Suspects: Detectives have released CCTV images / Metropolitan Police

The terrified shop assistant was then threatened with violence and forced to open the safe.

The men left the shop with 800 in cash, and ran off towards Cleveland Road.

However, the robbers' attempts to destroy the CCTV system had failed and police have released clear images of two men they wish to trace.

Robbery: the men made off with 800 in cash / Metropolitan Police

Officers said the suspects are described as two black men, aged around 18-years-old.

One of the men was wearing a very distinctive patterned jacket at the time of the robbery, and was carrying a rucksack.

Detective Constable Ross Moultrie, of the Met's Flying Squad, said: "Despite the attempted destruction of the security CCTV at the venue we are able to release images of the men we wish to speak with.

Teenagers: both said both suspects were aged about 18 / Metropolitan Police

"I urge anyone who recognises these men to contact police or Crimestoppers immediately.

"This was a frightening and distressing experience for the victim who was roughly handled and threatened with further violence."

Anyone who can name either or both of these men should call the Flying Squad on 020 8345 435 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A young man has been stabbed to death in an horrific knife attack in the clubbing resort of Ayia Napa.

George Low, 22, from Dartford in Kent, is said to have been stabbed in the neck during a night out last night.

A friend he was with was also knifed several times in the back, the Evening Standard understands. He is expected to make a full recovery.

The pair are believed to have been ambushed by two men after an argument about two women earlier in the evening. Police said the suspects were still at large today.

Friends today paid tribute to the young man, who worked at the resort last summer but had moved back to Kent and was visiting pals when he was attacked.

Stabbed to death: George Low was killed in Ayia Napa / Facebook

One, who asked not to be named, told the Standard: "He was such a nice guy. It just all happened so quickly; his friends are all in bits.

"He never had a bad word to say about anything. It's so heartbreaking that this could happen."

Jason Woods, who is believed to have spent time with Mr Low in Ayia Napa this week, wrote on Facebook: "Words can't describe what you meant to me. I was lucky to have you as a brother and I am truly heartbroken by this tragedy!!

Knife attack: Friends paid tribute to George Low after the stabbing / Facebook

"Just looking back at the first time we met and I was lucky enough to meet one of the best guys in my life  Love you so much."

Another friend added: "Feel so sick, one of the worse things I've ever heard. Was the.cheekiest, funniest character in Napa".

Cyprus Police are now said to be hunting two men over the attack.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are providing support to the family of a British National who sadly died in Cyprus on 14th August and will remain in contact with the local authorities who are investigating."
A man has been arrested after hurling flammable liquid into the front office of a north London police station.

The reception area of Wembley Police Station has been closed while officers investigate the incident.

Metropolitan Police confirmed that the man threw the liquid inside the station yesterday afternoon.

It was not ignited.

London Fire Brigade was also called to the station in Harrow Road.

No one was injured and the incident is not being treated as terrorist-related, police confirmed.

A Met Police spokesman said: The front office to Wembley Police Station is currently closed whilst officers continue to deal with the incident.
A 48-year-old has been charged with grievous bodily harm following an assault that has left a man fighting for his life in hospital.

Akos Varga, 48, of Enfield was arrested yesterday and charged today in relation to the incident, which took place the Enfield Lock area.

The 34-year-old victim was found lying unconscious in Green Street, at its junction with Hertford Road, in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Police said he had been the victim of an assault and he was rushed to hospital with head injuries.

The man was still fighting for his life this evening in an east London hospital.

Varga is due to appear in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court tomorrow.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police in Enfield on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
S cotland Yard is set to spend almost 2 million on a new police team to target internet trolls.

The Online Hate Crime Hub will include a dedicated team of officers who will support victims and receive technology-training to identify those who target others online.

The Home Office will fund 450,000 of the Metropolitan Police project which will cost 1.7 million over two years.

The London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime said a consultation on crime reduction had identified the increasing role that online hate played in targeting individuals and communities.

The consultation found that social media provided anonymity for sick trolls, making it harder to bring them to justice.

It also found that the police are not equipped to tackle online hate crime.

The team, including one Detective Inspector, one Detective Sergeant, and three Detective Constables, will use technology to hunt down the location of online criminals.

They will also aim to develop links with volunteers who will report both criminal and non-criminal online hate incidents.

However, some critics have slammed the initiative, dubbed the thought police, claiming it will stop people expressing their opinions online for fear of arrest.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron told MailOnline: 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, added: 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.
F irefighters rescued four people, including two children, from a house fire in south-east London.

Six fire engines were called to the scene of the blaze close to Forest Hill station.

Fire crews led a man, a woman and two youngsters to safety after the roof of a house in Standstead Road, Lewisham, burst into flames just after 10.30am this morning.

Dramatic images show fire crews in a cherry picker working to extinguish the blaze among plumes of thick, grey smoke.

The man was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service and the woman and two children were assessed on the scene by ambulance crews.

Metropolitan Police officers were also called to direct traffic.

A police spokesman said no one was believed to be seriously injured.

Police cordon: Parts of Stanstead Road are closed due to a house fire / Phil Rowan/Twitter

The road was cordoned off for around two hours while emergency services dealt with the fire.
A video that was shared on Twitter on Sunday shows that few girls kidnapped by Boko Haram from Chibok were killed during Nigerian airstrikes.

A video that appears to be from Boko Haram says some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have been killed in Nigerian air strikes and shows one of the alleged victims pleading for authorities to release detained militants so the girls can be freed. The vid

By AP: A video that appears to be from Boko Haram says some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have been killed in Nigerian air strikes and shows one of the alleged victims pleading for authorities to release detained militants so the girls can be freed.

The video posted Sunday on Twitter shows a veiled girl identified as one of the 276 students abducted from a remote school in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014, saying some classmates died in aerial bombardments and 40 have been "married" to Islamic extremist fighters.

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The video, posted by a Nigerian journalist, shows a fighter warning that if the government battles Boko Haram with firepower, the girls will be killed.

It says the Chibok girls are held by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau. Some 218 schoolgirls remain missing.

Also Read

Will blow up every church, kill all Christians: Boko Haram's new leader, announced by ISIS



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T he doors have closed for the final time on British Home Stores flagship branch on Oxford Street.

The department store is one of 58 closing over the next eight days following the chains collapse earlier this year.

By the weekend there will be no stores left across the UK, leaving 11,000 out of a job and affecting 22,000 pensions.

Employees faced their last-ever shift on Saturday.

Maira Estupinan, 39, told Press Association: 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."

The shop was littered with scores of red and yellow "everything must go" style signs advertising as much as 80 per cent off.

Hundreds of bargain-hunters 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.

Last day: Staff have worked their last shift in BHS's flagship Oxford Street store / PA

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 was 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.

Brendon Cabey, 34, from Islington, has worked at BHS for 12 years and said that if he saw Sir Philip he would "say nothing at all 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 added of Sir Philip: "Just leave it to Karma. It will come round to him."
T he Duchess of Cambridge has given her passionate support to the launch of a series of podcasts on children's mental health today.

She issued a statement backing the initiative from The Anna Freud Centre National Centre for Children and Families, of which she is patron.

Her statement said: "One in three adults still say they would be embarrassed to seek help for their child's mental health.

"No parent would fail to call the doctor if their child developed a fever, yet some children are tackling tough times without the support that can help them because the adults in their life are scared to ask.

"It doesnt need to be like this," she said.

Wills Kate and Harry try their hand at boxing launching Heads Together campaign 1 /10 Wills Kate and Harry try their hand at boxing launching Heads Together campaign The Duchess of Cambridge showed off her boxing skills by throwing a few punches at the launch of the Heads Together campaign on mental health Jeremy Selwyn Trainer Duke McKenzie called out "beautiful" as the Duchess threw several punches Jeremy Selwyn Kate threw two flurries of punches Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry launching the Heads Together campaign on mental health Jeremy Selwyn Prince William had a go at the pads at the charity event Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry tries his hand at boxing Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry launching the Heads Together campaign on mental health. Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry launching the Heads Together campaign on mental health. Jeremy Selwyn

"Throughout my work with family and child support organisations, one thing that has stood out to me time and again is that getting early support for a child who is struggling to cope is the best possible thing we can do to help our children as they grow up.

"Knowing this, both William and I feel very strongly that we wouldnt hesitate to get expert support for George and Charlotte if they need it.

"I hope that this excellent series of podcasts by the Anna Freud Centre will go some way to help families overcome that fear of what happens next if they look for professional support.

"They illustrate that many of the therapies are actually very simple and practical steps that include the whole family to help children make sense of the world around them.

Kate Middleton boxing for mental health charity Mind

"They show how with the right help, children have a good chance of overcoming their issues while they are still young, and can have the bright future they deserve.

"Please do listen, and share them with your friends and family and let's change the way we all talk to each other about our mental health."

The podcasts are available via the Anna Freud account on iTunes and Soundcloud, and can be accessed via the Anna Freud Centre Homepage: www.annafreud.org.
A French court in Nice has upheld a ban on so-called burkinis.

The court said the ruling imposed by the mayor of Cannes was legal but many religious groups were outraged.

Authorities in the glamorous seaside resort and nearby villages voted to ban full-body swimsuits from the end of last month.

The court said the ban was legal under a law which bans people neglecting common rules on "relations between public authorities and private individuals" on the basis of religion.

The judge noted the ban came "in the context of the state of emergency and recent Islamist attacks, notably in Nice a month ago", according to the BBC.

The Collective Against Islamophobia in France said it would appeal against the decision in France's highest administrative court.

CCIF lawyer Sefen Guez Guez, said he would lodge an appeal with Frances highest administrative body, the Council of State.

He added: "This decision opens the door to a ban on all religious symbols in the public space.

France is on high alert following a series of incidents including July's truck attack in nearby Nice.

Anyone caught breaking the new rule could face a fine of 38 (33). They will first be asked to change into another swimming costume or leave the beach.

Nobody has been punished for wearing a 'burkini' in Cannes since the rule came into force.

In 2011, France became the first country in Europe to ban the full-face Islamic veil, known as the burka, as well as the niqab, a partial face covering.

Earlier this week, a private waterpark near Marseille cancelled a 'burkini-only' day after it sparked outrage among French citizens and politicians.
A young British woman has drowned off the coast of Thailand.

The 19-year-old, who is thought to be a student, is said to have drowned while swimming off the coast of Ko Chang.

Her death comes just a day after a 55-year-old German man drowned while swimming off the island.

A Foreign Office spokesman said after the teenager's death this morning: "We are supporting the family of a British National who sadly died in Thailand on 14th August."

Ko Chang is a popular tourist destination thanks to its sweeping sandy beaches and peaks covered by jungle.

It is also known as a popular party destination.
Border Security Force and Pakistani Rangers today exchanged sweets at Wagah Border to mark Pakistan's Independence Day despite the prevalent tensions between two countries.

By Ashwini Kumar: Amid shelling and firing between Pakistani troops and Indian soldiers along the Line of Control in Jammu's Poonch Sector, both the countries exchanged sweets and greeted each other on the occasion of Pakistans Independence Day.

Border Security Forces sources said that Pakistani Rangers on Sunday expressed their desire to give sweets to the Indian Jawans, and so the officers met at Octorai post in Ranbir Singh Pura and greeted each other.

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According to sources BSF jawans will also share sweets with their Pakistani counterparts tomorrow morning.



Also Read

Grenade attack in Poonch market, 11 injured



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With Yamuna's water level coming to 205 metres, the Delhi police has asked people in parts of east Delhi to evacuate the low-lying areas.

Yamuna water level is currently between 204 to 205 metres, flood control official confirmed on Saturday night. Photo: PTI

By Anindya Banerjee: Several places in Delhi and NCR, including Lal Quila, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad will continue to witness light to moderate rainfall. Thunder storm with heavy rain is predicted over Ballabhgarh and nearby areas today morning.

Heavy rain is likely to worsen the situation. Traffic and rail line came to a standstill at Loha Pul on Saturday night after the water level went up. Delhi traffic police and Delhi police asked people to avoid route on the spot.

The water level crossed the danger mark of 204.8 m last night itself after water was released from Haryana. This morning the water level reached 208.9 M before it started to receded slowly. The water minister of Delhi Kapil Mishra warned last night, "Water level (is) increasing in Yamuna. Nearing Danger mark.(But) No need to panic. Team (is) on alert."

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RESCUE OPERATIONS



According to the Delhi government, people had to be rescued from Burari in the outskirts of Delhi, sources estimate the number to at least 25. People from low lying areas of East Delhi also evacuated.

Five teams of Delhi government's disaster management and flood department were kept on standby as a precautionary measure. One centralized control room has been made functional as of now.



Delhi Police is working with Railway ministry officials, but they face the challenge of reluctant slum dwellers adjoining Yamuna that are hesitant to leave.

All low lying areas were alerted and instructed to vacate as soon as possible, with regular announcements made by patrolling officers. Tents in certain areas have been put up put up to accommodate the affected, and boats have been kept ready as a part of rescue operation.

Delhi government has 5 district teams on standby, and evacuations plan ready if needed.

All trains between Old Delhi and Ghaziabad railway stations have been cancelled or diverted due to Yamuna's rising water level. Though the situation so far is under control, another spell of heavy showers can mean problems for the people of Delhi.



- With inputs from Pankaj Jain

Also read: UP making millions from Taj Mahal yet unable to protect it: NGT



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Lots of new high school graduates will be heading off to college this month. It will be their first time managing money on their own, and most will do just fine.

Some, however, will dig themselves into a deep financial hole.

So, lets look for ways to keep your 18-year-old out of money trouble when hes finally cut loose.

For help, well turn to two people who know a lot about students and financial messes. Rob Weagley is chairman emeritus of the personal financial planning department at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Angela Whitlow counsels low-income students bound for college at Boys Hope Girls Hope in Richmond Heights.

By now, families have their student aid packages, and they figure they can afford the school theyve chosen. But a clueless teen can still foul things up.

The first step is to hand the student a paper and pencil. Youve got to have a budget, says Rob Weagley.

Break the budget into two parts  needs and wants. The needs are food, shelter, tuition, books, transport and a phone. Everything else is a want. Holes in your jeans are a fashion statement. So is a head in need of a haircut.

Add up the needs, and compare it to the amount of money available for the year. Anything left is pizza, jeans and haircut money.

Some colleges offer help with this. Mizzou has a one-credit online course called Financial Survival, designed for students managing their own money for the first time. It goes beyond paying for college into things such as apartment leases and credit. Webster University has a similar Money Talks program.

Low-income students should ask if theres a TRiO program on campus, says Whitlow. It provides counseling and academic help, along with the chance of a scholarship for the sophomore year.

For your first few weeks on campus, try to spend only on things you really need, says Weagley, just to make sure you can cover them within your budget. Learn to cook  it can save you plenty.

This is tough for some new students to handle. They often start the year with fat bank accounts stuffed with money from student loans. They see richer  or dumber  students wearing fancier clothes and hitting the burger joints.

That is peer pressure. Spending money for status is a seriously bad idea, says Weagley. Thats where everybody loses it.

The temptation is to borrow more money, and that gets us to perhaps the most important lesson about credit. Borrowing makes sense when it buys something that will pay you back. An education is the best example: It brings bigger paychecks for life.

Dont take out a loan for a piece of pizza! says Whitlow. Youll be paying for it, plus interest, until you spot your first wrinkle. The idea is to keep student loans to an absolute minimum.

Parents, listen up. There is a grand debate over whether students should have credit cards, and parents usually get to make the choice. Federal law says that people under age 21 must have either a parents permission, or sufficient income, to get a card.

On the plus side, a credit card is instant money in an emergency. If the jalopy breaks down on a lonely road, the kid can get a hotel room for the night. Thats why Weagley let his own children use credit cards in college.

Credit cards also establish a credit record, and a good record makes it easier to get a car loan or an apartment after graduation.

On the other hand, a credit card is like magical money. Its a terrible temptation in the hands of an 18-year-old. Even adults lose track of their plastic spending, and jaws drop when the bill arrives.

So, parents should peer deeply into the soul of their young genius. If she forgot her homework in high school, will she remember to pay the credit card bill on time? If the boy parties hardy now, will he turn responsible come September?

Skipping card payments turns a credit record rotten, which can sabotage a job search.

Banks love to get cards in student hands, trusting that Mom and Pop will pay the bill if students get in trouble. Banks have cards designed just for students, and some come with booby traps.

Take the Journey Student Rewards Card from Capital One. It offers 1 percent cash- back on purchases, boosted to 1.25 percent if the student pays the bill on time. However, it charges horrific 20-percent interest on balances not paid in full each month. Thats an express lane to financial hell for a feckless student.

The alternative is a debit card that sucks payments directly from a bank checking account. Debit cards dont help establish credit, but they can limit spending to the amount in the account.

Just dont sign up for overdraft protection. That protection means the bank will cover your debit card overdrafts at a cost of $30-plus for each. It enables irresponsibility and charges big for it.

If youre short on pizza money, get a job instead. Weagley, a professor who has spent 32 years observing students at Mizzou, thinks a part-time job can actually improve a students academic performance. Students working 10 or 15 hours a week learn to budget time better. They buckle down and study. Ive seen students do better  but only if they dont work too much, says Weagley.

Look for work on campus. Professors often need go-fer help with their research, and pay for it. Those are the real plums. They learn so much doing it, says Weagley, and professors make great job references.

The worst thing to do with overdue bills is ignore them. As soon as you think youre in financial difficulties, seek help, says Weagley.

Head for the student counseling center. Mizzou, for instance, has a program in which seniors majoring in financial planning help fellow students in trouble.
Offsetting losses in other manufacturing sectors, the St. Louis economy continues to benefit from military aerospace production dating to the first prototypes that rolled out of McDonnell Aircraft Company hangars in the mid-1940s.

Since then, McDonnell and its eventual corporate partner, the Douglas Aircraft Company, were absorbed by Boeing; aircraft design and technology has advanced in ways the engineers recruited by James S. McDonnell could never have imagined; and the customers for the Boeing F/A-18 fighters are spread across the globe.

Through it all, one constant has remained: A military jet manufactured in St. Louis has yet to fly without a human in the cockpit.

Now, more change is afoot as the U.S. moves steadily toward a point where Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAVs) missions will one day surpass reconnaissance and combat operations flown by human pilots.

For St. Louis, the gravitation toward a defense system capable of destroying targets from remote locations brings another question into focus: Will the local production of traditional, manned fighter jets wind up as collatoral damage?

A top Boeing official, two key area members of Congress and the analysts are emphatic that Boeing's future here remains solid. UAV production, they maintain, poses no threat to 2,500 local Boeing manufacturing jobs -- the majority of which are dedicated to the assembly of Super Hornets.

"We intend to be in St. Louis for a long, long time," said Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft. "We want it to be strong, and we are always looking for opportunities to make it stronger. I am very bullish on St. Louis."

In addition to its $5.2 billion contract to supply Super Hornet carrier jets to the U.S. Navy, the St. Louis production arm of the Boeing Defense, Space and Security is poised to fill standing orders for the governments of Singapore and South Korea.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. hinted in an interview last week that possible near-term agreements with Brazil, Japan and Australia are in the offing.

"A lot of industries would die for that strong a backlog," said Chadwick, predicting Super Hornet production will continue through 2020 if not later (Boeing also manufactures missile systems at factories in St. Charles).

Analysts concur that the outlook for Boeing production in St. Louis, at least for the short-term, remains bright.

"At this point, it's premature to sound the death knell for any program or particular factory," said David Berteau, the director of the Defense Industrial Initiatives Group with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

UNMANNED FUTURE

Though Boeing's role in the future of unmanned flight remains murky, the Pentagon's intent to move in that direction is clear.

Defense and aerospace analysts with the Teal Group anticipate annual global spending on unmanned aircraft to balloon from current yearly expenditures of $5.9 billion to $11.3 billion in 2020.

The forecast estimates the United States will account for 77 percent of that spending. The Teal prognosis supports a 2010 Defense Department report that projects a 177 percent increase in UAV inventory from 2011-2020.

"Let's just say, in heavily defended airspace, there will be increasing interest in ... unmanned vehicles," said U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Because they require less air and ground support, UAVs are less expensive to fly. The absence of a cockpit and pilot instrumentation also means the vehicles are smaller and therefore not as costly to produce. Unmanned combat platforms have the additional appeal of keeping American military personnel out of harm's way.

Boeing receives mixed grades from analysts for its UAV research, development and production programs.

The "huge competition" for unmanned vehicles has pitted Boeing, Northrop Grumman and other prominent defense contractors against upstarts like AeroVironment Inc., a trailblazer in UAV design and production, said Michael Blades, an analyst with Frost & Sullivan, a San Antonio marketing and research firm.

And Boeng, he contends, was "late to the party" in developing unmanned aircraft.

As evidence, Blades points to Boeing receiving only two percent of Department of Defense funding for unmanned vehicles in 2010 - a percentage that Blades notes had doubled through September of this year.

Philip Finnegan, the director of corporate analysis for the Teal Group, estimates Boeing currently spends approximately $750 million annually on its unmanned program.

Finnegan argues that Boeing picked up its game with the 2008 purchase of Insitu, a comparatively small UAV developer located four hours south of Seattle in Bingen, Wash.

The acquisition "broadened what (Boeing) can address in unmanned systems," he said.

Insitu produces the unmanned ScanEagle, NightEagle, Integrator and Inteceptor lines already used by the Navy and other branches of the service.

Boeing engineers in St. Charles and St. Louis are currently designing prototypes for the next generation of the company's unmanned fleet, the line of Phantom Works aircraft.

POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY

Ultimately, the fate of unmanned programs at Boeing, and indeed all defense contractors, depends on what the Pentagon wants and the amount of money Congress sets aside to meet those demands.

Akin said the 2011 budget that remains on hold after the Congressional Super Committee failed to reach a consensus on the federal deficit may portend what lies ahead for Pentagon allocations.

The sequestered budget calls for mandatory cuts in defense spending.

"It's just hard to say where the ball is going to bounce," said Akin.

Berteau believes defense contractors large and small will proceed cautiously until - or if - the budget issues are resolved.

"The big companies face the same issue as everyone else today," he said. "They are not getting a clear signal about future demand from their customers (the government)."

Chadwick nonetheless stresses that Boeing will never stand pat with the hand it is holding. "We don't always know where we are headed, but we generally know and are able to target our investment," he said.

Chadwick foresees Boeing bumping up its commitment to unmanned platforms while maintaining the company's support of its existing lines, including F/A-18 production.

Chadwick joins defense analysts and the Pentagon itself in envisioning a future with airborne manned platforms supporting unmanned technology on surveillance and combat missions.

The strategy includes ongoing development of U-Class vehicles designed for aircraft carrier launches and landings.

"I don't know of anyone in the military who doesn't think unmanned carrier jets are somewhere in the future," said McCaskill, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The upshot: "It's not going to shock me if, because of budget constraints, the Pentagon says it (may) forgo another (manned) carrier jet."

The "Aircraft Investment Plan" supplementing its 2011 budget, the Defense Department supports that conclusion by noting that within 30 years "today's 'legacy' force" - Super Hornets included - will be mothballed.

Frost & Sullivan analyst Blades says long-range Pentagon planning places Boeing production in St. Louis on a collision course with change - probably not for the better - as the legacy force gradually fades away.

Even if they do manufacture the Phantom Works unmanned aircraft in St. Louis, "there won't be a lot of them," Blades said. "Those things can stay in the air for ten days. How many would you need?"
Many of us look back at those wasted years of our youth and wish we had done at least a few things differently.

Thats been supported by a recent survey by Allianz Life Insurance Co., which said 32 percent of those polled say they regret major life choices. The biggest regrets were not following their dreams (39 percent), not taking more risks with their careers (38 percent) and not taking risks with their lives in general (36 percent).

But there is another big regret that many people have, and thats that they did not do enough to prepare for retirement.

By now you should know the numbers. Surveys show that people have not saved enough. And they are worried. According to PwCs 2016 Employee Financial Wellness Survey, 37 percent of those interviewed were worried that they would not be able to retire when they wanted. That survey tracks the financial well-being of full-time-employed U.S. adults nationwide.

Another survey, by the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council, says a quarter of Americans are worried about running out of money in retirement.

But the biggest regrets arent always financial.

Some folks say I wish I had enjoyed life a little more when I was working, said Aaron W. Smith of A.W. Smith Financial Group in Glen Allen, Va. Now that they are older, their health is not allowing them to do some of the things theyve always wanted to do in retirement.

Retirement is hard, as is preparing for retirement. So heres some help from people who, for the most part, have done it.

Not starting earlier

People always talk about how they wish they would have started sooner, put more away, said Tim McGrath at Riverpoint Wealth Management in Chicago. A lot of times, clients wish they would have gotten organized regarding finances. If they had done it earlier, they would have changed their habits.

Not retiring sooner

This may surprise people, but it comes up with financial planners more often than you think.

My clients dont always retire when they say, said Ken Moraif, a senior adviser at Money Matters. Faced with actually retiring, it is stressful. So they delay it. After they do (retire), they say, I dont know why I waited. They endured at work a little longer than they needed to.

Kirk Cassidy, co-president of Senior Planning Advisors in Farmington Hills, Mich., said people worked longer than they needed to because they didnt have a customized income plan. They have regrets afterward when they find out they didnt need to, he says. They were working for their children rather than themselves. Working did not change their quality of life. It only changed their childrens quality of life in their death.

NOT GETTING HELP FROM A FINANCIAL PLANNER EARLIER

One of the biggest is, I wish I had come to see you, or someone like you, years ago, Smith says. I didnt come to see you because it wasnt important at that time. I was intimidated, or I was embarrassed at where I was.

Another regret is they take advice from the people they love, he says. We all do that. They wish they didnt get that advice from a friend or a co-worker.

NOT CONSIDERING

the surviving spouse

Smith says clients often wish they had made better decision on their pension distributions. Thats a biggie, he says. A lot of retirees, if they work for a government agency or corporation that offers a pension, and theyre married, find we should have made a better decision with the pension.

Pensions offer a larger monthly benefit for a single-life benefit than they do with a survivor annuity. But the single-life benefit ends when the pensioner dies, leaving the surviving spouse without a benefit.

Some of the folks who have taken the single-life benefit werent in that great of health, Smith said. But the loved one was in better health. It leaves the loved one without a pension for the remainder of their life.

Not considering taxes when PULLING from retirement accounts

Retirement planning, especially withdrawal, can be like a Rubiks Cube, Cassidy said. You can solve the blue side; then you have a problem with the orange side. It can be complex. We want to make sure we take distributions from the right source at the right time at the right ages.

Not understanding when your strategy changes from saving to spending

When we are younger and accumulating wealth, we are making decisions in isolation, Cassidy said. We are buying this mutual fund, buying this life insurance and taking Social Security at this time. We are making decisions in a vacuum as opposed to looking at it holistically. A holistic approach is not a one-size-fits-all retirement plan. Each one will be custom and individual, based on age, wealth, net worth, assets they have.
The market will be held on weekends where farmers can sell their farm produce in the open market.

Fadnavis held talks with the farmers who had come from different parts of the state to sell their produce.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Like a typical Mumbaikar who spends his Sunday morning shopping for vegetables in weekly markets, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis went shopping for vegetables at a specially arranged market in South Mumbai.

OPEN MARKET INAUGURATED

The occasion was the inauguration of the Sant Saavta Mali Farm Produce weekly Market. The initiative by the State government's co-operative department and the State Agriculture Marketing Corporation is aimed at providing fair remuneration to farmers, so that they can directly sell their produce in open market without middlemen.

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The first weekly market under the Savta Mali Weekly market program was organised in the Vidhanbhawan campus today. "It's very important that farmers get a good value for their produce. At the same time even the consumer should get fresh vegetables and fruits at reasonable rates. This can be achieved by avoiding the middlemen. It's important for farmers to get freedom from the middlemen. The state government is aiming at forming a cluster of farmer groups, agricultural companies to make life better for farmers", Fadnavis said while inaugurating the program.

FARMERS GIVEN A FREE HAND

Fadnavis then held talks with the farmers who had come from different parts of the state to sell their produce. Fadnavis himself brought vegetables known for medicinal benefits. He bought Taakla (Cassia tora/ Senna tora), Kurdu (Celosia argentea), Bharangi (Clerodendrum serratum) grown around Mumbai in the monsoons.

The market will be held on weekends where farmers can sell their farm produce in the open market. The nominal cost of the venue, cleaning, parking , electricity etc will be borne by farmers. The Agriculture Produce Marketing Corporation will help in organising such weekly markets. Farmers will have the right to decide the rates for their produce.

Farmers will also be imparted required training by the Marketing department of the state government. Farmers will have to sell their produce through an electronic weighing machine, which will also be beneficial for the consumer.

Farmers will not be allowed to sell raw, rotten, extra ripe produce in these weekly markets.

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DUNKLIN COUNTY, Mo.  Conveyor belts teem with peaches inside the packing facility at Bader Farms, where fruit is prepared for shipment from its Bootheel source to stores across a nearly 500-mile radius.

Harvest season is in full swing, and although its always hard work  demanding 18-hour days  this time of year usually affords the farms owner, Bill Bader, a gratifying sense of relief.

But apprehension and worry weigh on him this year.

Right outside, Bader can hardly stand looking at the 900 acres of peach trees that fill his orchards. Some have limbs that are almost entirely defoliated, while countless others have tufts of leaves that are crinkled and yellow, or remain green but are full of holes.

Thats why you come out here and look at them early in the morning, cause you dont wanna think about them at night, Bader said, surveying a field of peach trees.

While investigators from the state Department of Agriculture continue to search for an official diagnosis, Bader believes he is one of many area farmers victimized by dicamba, a drift-prone herbicide suspected of causing widespread damage to crops in southeastern Missouri and beyond.

The problem has reached a fever pitch in the Bootheel, where more than 100 complaints of drift have been reported since late June  exceeding the Department of Agricultures usual statewide caseload for an entire year. Kevin Bradley, a professor of plant sciences at the University of Missouri and a lead agricultural extension scientist, said that everything hes seen suggests dicamba is responsible for crop damage on farms across the area, though he has not observed Baders case firsthand.

Baders farm, in Campbell, Mo.  situated in rolling hills just west of the Bootheels level expanses of soybeans, rice, corn and cotton  is Missouris largest producer of peaches, accounting for more than half of the states harvest. But even with much of this years crop still to be picked, Bader is bracing for production to take a dramatic hit.

He says the farms typical harvest of 5 million to 6 million pounds may be reduced by 40 percent this year, as trees with withered or missing leaves have borne smaller fruit. Bader reports that almost 10,000 other trees mustered only walnut-sized peaches not even worth picking. He says the shortfall will amount to a loss of produce of $1.5 million to $2 million.

And it could get worse. By next spring, Bader worries that he may lose up to 450 acres of trees  half his total  from suspected drift. He has already determined that 200 to 250 acres are irreparably damaged and need to be removed, and hell see whether another 150 to 200 acres of trees can improve by spring. If not, theyll get pushed with a bulldozer.

Bader blames the problem on people he calls dicamba outlaws  area farmers suspected of unauthorized or off-label use of the herbicide.

Though dicamba has been around for decades, new technology is bringing it to the fore as weeds develop greater resistance to glyphosate-based herbicides such as Roundup.

To combat them, Monsanto, the Creve Coeur-based biotech seed company, released genetically modified cotton that is resistant to dicamba in 2015 and, this year, started selling a variety of dicamba-resistant soybeans. But the companys corresponding dicamba herbicide is still awaiting approval from the Environmental Protection Agency  leaving farmers without a complete package of products.

Despite clear warnings forbidding use of dicamba substitutes, its believed that a number of farmers went ahead and sprayed other forms of the herbicide, hurting nearby farmers with non-resistant crops.

The dicamba volatizes and drifts, said Bader, referring to the chemicals tendency to form vapor that can cover a wide area. It damages pretty much all non-GMO crops.

Monsantos dicamba formulation seeking approval is supposedly less volatile, aiming to minimize drift. But at present, suspected drift from older, more volatile dicamba mixtures has plagued farmers around the region.

Soybeans are highly sensitive, with their leaves cupping on contact with the chemical, and symptoms resembling dicamba exposure have surfaced in tomatoes, melons and a range of other crops. The leaves on Baders peach trees seem to be no exception.

When you lose 40 to 60 percent of your leaves, thats when you lose on size (of the fruit), because you dont have enough leaves to feed the peach correctly, Bader said.

He says affected trees cant adequately produce both leaves and fruit as they try to recover.

Were trying to grow peaches and leaves at the same time, and thats whats killing us, Bader said.

Bader says he first began to notice warning signs of dicamba damage on his farm about June of last year  the same year that dicamba-resistant cotton was introduced. He says the damage was lighter and much more limited that summer.

After harvest, trace amounts of dicamba turned up in the results of an insurance companys investigation into a separate instance of crop damage involving non-dicamba herbicides, conducted in April 2015.

The farmer fought aggressively to save the 150 acres of trees that showed symptoms in 2015, treating them with micro-nutrients such as zinc, calcium and dextrose.

I spent $200,000 last year trying to get trees healthy, said Bader. You cant just give up.

By June of this year, he thought he had it beat, as what looked to be a bumper crop of peaches was taking shape. But dicamba symptoms came back with a vengeance in June and July  when drift complaints started pouring into the state Department of Agriculture and when hot temperatures enable the herbicide to vaporize more easily.

This years experiences have bolstered Baders conviction that dicamba drift is to blame. Besides the distinctive damage to his trees leaves, exposed parts of the orchard  away from windblocks or in small valleys where vapor may settle  seem to be where the damage is concentrated.

Bader recognizes that hes not alone.

With the farm economy what it is, its going to put a financial burden on not just me, but several other farmers in the area that they wont be able to recoup without some financial help, Bader said.

Courts may have to determine where that help comes from. With insurance companies refusing to compensate for crop loss caused by illegal herbicide applications, farmers around the region are lawyering up as they prepare for the dispute to spill from the fields into the courtroom.

The bad thing about this whole deal is you got farmers against farmers right now. You got neighbors against neighbors, Bader said. Its a small percentage (of farmers) that dont care about no one except themselves and theyve created a big problem.

For Bader, that problem is much more than a one-year nuisance. It takes five years for peach trees to reach maturity and the ability to turn a profit, meaning he could feel the pain from this setback for years.

Bader feels that a harsher fine  which currently is only $1,000 needs to be put in place to discourage illegal spraying.

But even if less-volatile dicamba is made available and steeper fines are put in place by the legislature, Bader questions whether it will be the cure-all that farmers are counting on.

He expects that some of these outlaws are gonna buy the cheap form if the new dicamba proves to be more expensive.

Asked what hell do if dicamba worries persist, Bader is unsure.

Its kind of a question I dont want to answer, he said. I just hope we can get it worked out.

His wife, Denise Bader, puts the situation in starker terms.

We cant take another year like this, she said, adding that suspected dicamba use threatens to unravel their business that has been a generation in the making.

We might lose all of (our trees), she said. We dont know what the outcome will be.

The EPA's review process for Monsanto's new form of dicamba is expected to conclude by late summer or early fall. When used appropriately, the agency states that dicamba does not pose health risks to humans and does not cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. Bader also reports that he has tested his peaches and confirmed that they are safe for consumption.
LITTLETON, N.H.  He knew he was in trouble even before he read the text message: Did u hear what hapnd 2 ed?

Ed Martin III had been found dead in the restroom of a convenience store. He had mainlined fentanyl, an opioid up to 50 times more powerful than heroin.

Michael Millette was sad that his friend, just 28, had died. But he was scared, too. Hed sold him his final fix.

Millette fled to Vermont but quickly returned to sell more drugs to support his habit. Now, though, police had a tip that he had been Martins dealer. After Millette sold drugs to an informer, they arrested him.

Thats when Millette joined a growing number of dealers around the nation to face prosecution for the fatal heroin and fentanyl overdoses of their customers. He was charged not just with drug dealing, but with causing Martins death.

Maximum penalty: life behind bars.

New targets

In many states, including Ohio, Maine and New Jersey, authorities grappling with an alarming surge in opioid abuse are filing homicide, involuntary manslaughter or related charges against dealers. They argue that fatal overdoses should be treated as crimes, and that stiff sentences deliver justice and may deter others.

We need to send that message that you cant sell things that are the functional equivalent of poison, said New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster, whose state has witnessed an explosion in drug-related deaths in recent years.

Millette said he had always feared hed get caught but never expected anyone would die.

I think about Ed every day, he says, sitting in his new home, the New Hampshire State Prison for Men.

Rising crime

Littleton is the essence of New England charm, with a white clapboard inn and 19th century opera house. But beyond the postcard image is a crime blotter where the overwhelming majority of major crimes are tied to drugs.

Last year, a convenience store was hit four times by different armed robbers seeking money for drugs. There was a common theme: Im unemployed. Ive burned all my bridges. I cant afford the drugs anymore, says police Capt. Chris Tyler. People are just that desperate.

In New Hampshire, drug-related deaths have soared to a projected 478 this year from 163 in 2012. Fentanyl is increasingly the culprit.

Long-standing problems

Millettes and Martins connections to drugs were known to police.

Martin had been jailed for about five months in 2013-2014 for forgery. His father, who owns a home and commercial cleaning company, went to police after his son cashed thousands of dollars of his business checks, presumably to buy drugs or pay off debts.

Millette had been linked to another fatal fentanyl overdose, but the witness wasnt credible, so police didnt pursue the claims.

Millette says he didnt know he was selling Martin pure fentanyl and insists he was no big-time dealer, just a desperate addict. But Tyler notes he peddled fentanyl, heroin and cocaine to more than 30 customers.

His strongest stuff was dubbed the fire.

Millette got hooked long ago.

After being seriously injured while working as a logger, he became dependent on Percocet. When the painkiller became too expensive, he turned to heroin, which offered a cheaper, faster intoxication.

Millette quit several times but always relapsed. I hit rock bottom. I lost everything, he says, including custody of his daughter, now 17. His three older children stayed away. Nobody wanted nothing to do with me, he says. Theyd given me enough chances.

Millettes life turned into a dead-end cycle of dealing dope, then buying drugs for himself.

For Ed Martin III, drugs also were all-consuming.

Erika Marble, Martins fiancee and mother of their two young sons, said he had tried to stop but something always got in the way  no insurance, no room in treatment centers.

Being jailed for fraud made him better, strangely, she says. He was clean. He had a clear conscience.

Marble says Martin was a caring, big-hearted man and she hoped the presence of her and their children would inspire him. He was a great dad, she says, and I knew that he was better with me than he was without me.

On Nov. 30, 2014, she reluctantly gave him $180 after he told her Millette was threatening him if he didnt pay.

Hours later, Martin was dead. His father says he had tried to warn him months earlier that he risked losing everything.

I wanted him to be happy, the elder Martin says. I wanted him to be a good father and husband. And most of all  I wanted him to be my best friend.

New push

The prosecution of Michael Millette was part of a new thrust against opioid dealing in New Hampshire.

Last spring, the U.S. attorneys office and states attorney general formed a task force to pursue dealers who sell opiates that result in fatal overdoses. So far, 56 cases are being investigated, says Benjamin Agati, senior assistant attorney general.

The strategy has divided legal experts.

I find it so counterproductive that they think sending these people to prison for long periods of time is going to have any deterrent effect, says Marcie Hornick, who was Millettes public defender. Its an easy fix and perhaps it satisfies part of the population.

But James Vara, who prosecuted the case and now is the governors special drug adviser, rejects such criticism. Say that to a family who lost their child ..., he says. Say that to Ed Martins two children who are without their father as a result of this.

Millette stood in court last October, crying as he apologized to Martins family.

He was ordered to serve 10 to 30 years in prison, and will be eligible for parole in 2022.

Martins fiancee and father say theyve forgiven Millette. But they both think he deserves to be locked up.

Marble visits Martins grave often; she has placed two ceramic plates there embedded with their sons tiny hand prints.

Back at the prison, Millette, who has reconciled with his own children, ponders eventual freedom.

Do I believe I should have gone to jail? Yes. Absolutely, he says. Do I believe I should have gone to jail for as long as I have? Maybe not.

Hes grateful for his second chance, but skeptical about this strategy.

I could have died. Anybody could have died. And people are dying every day. Its the chance we take when we do drugs, he says. I dont know whats going to work with this epidemic. I really dont.
For too long, St. Louis has lived in an either/or world.

City or county.

North or south.

Republican or Democrat.

Missouri or Illinois.

Black or white.

Protester or police.

Its killing us.

Political rivalries, arbitrary geographic boundaries and multiple sorts of divisions cause this region to often appear to be less than the sum of its parts.

The debate over the future of transit is one of the greatest examples of this. Last week, the citys parking commission committed $2 million to update the design of the long-planned Northside-Southside Metrolink route. If built out, at an approximate cost of more than $2 billion, the route would run through the spine of St. Louis, connecting South County to North County right through the heart of the city. It would connect the dense and diverse south side of Gravois and Benton parks to the promised new high-tech jobs of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency being built on the north side of the city. It would bring hope to the federally designated Promise Zone that straddles the city-county border on the North Side.

When St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay elevated talk of finding a way to fund the new transit route earlier this summer, his counterpart in the county, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, responded with a typical either/or response. He refused to sign a letter supporting a federal grant to update the study and instead announced for the second time in a year plans to study three county routes.

It was a missed opportunity.

As it was a year ago when Stenger first said he planned to spend some of the countys growing transit fund to take a look at three different county routes. Actually, what the county did was run an online poll on its website asking voters to pick among three routes, one serving South County, one serving the Westport area and one going north from Clayton.

Many respondents to the survey  89 of them  noticed what was missing: The Northside-Southside Metrolink route.

Why is the Northside/Southside corridor left out? wrote one in a comment on the county website. This is a misguided and sophomoric way for government to make a billion-dollar decision.

Wrote another area resident: We need to work with the City to figure out how to move the Northside/Southside corridor ahead.

And so it went, on and on. More than the regions politicians, its residents are seeking AND solutions.

These are all sort of fine, wrote one person, but really the county (AND city) should invest in Northside-Southside.

I suspect that by now Stenger regrets the temper-tantrum letter he sent opposing the citys request for federal money to study Northside-Southside. It served little purpose other than to sow division.

The federal government, like the regions transportation experts at East-West Gateway Council of Governments, already knows that a Northside-Southside route is a top priority, with the other Metrolink expansion options considered tier 2 possibilities. Thats what the regions long-range transportation plan calls for, and it will continue to be the case after East-West Gateway updates its current studies on the various routes.

When those studies are done, if one of the three county routes seems feasible and rises above the others, heres what Slay and Stenger need to do:

Take an AND approach.

Why not build Northside-Southside AND one of the other county routes?

Why not build a robust transit system that gets as many people to as many jobs as possible?

Slay visited Denver this summer to take a look at that citys growing transit system.

Denver takes an AND approach. Five counties in the region work together to tax themselves when they want to grow transit, or build stadiums, or invest in the arts or their zoo or their downtown core. Denver just finished an expensive transit expansion to its airport even in the era of diminished federal funding because the region worked together rather than against itself.

St. Louis already has transit going to and from its airport, but it needs to connect that airport to its North and South sides. It needs to connect the city to the county, the people to the jobs.

City and county.

North and south.

Slay and Stenger.

Add an AND to the conversation and St. Louis can get where it wants to go.
NORMANDY  The sound of keys in his lock and the jangling of the security chain on his door awakened Chris Sudlik.

It was 6 a.m. July 19, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis student had fallen asleep just a few minutes before.

At his door were FBI agents and police who suspected him of being a member of the "Anonymous" hacker group  thought to have brought down a business website with a flood of attacks.

"It was pretty terrifying," Sudlik told a reporter in a recent interview. While "they didn't quite kick down the door," he said, he was forced to the floor after he let the officers into his ground-floor apartment on Marietta Drive, just east of the university.

The officials forced his fiancee to wait outside as he was questioned, and agents grabbed and carted away computers, CDs and other equipment.

"They said I had evidence that I was part of some DDoS attack," he said, referring to what's known as a "distributed denial of service." It is when computers are used to overwhelm a website with page requests.

The search of Sudlik's apartment was one of 12 raids in mid-July related to an attack on Koch Industries, based in Wichita, Kan., according to recently unsealed court documents. Dozens more targeting the "hactivist" group have gone on this year, according to media reports, and more than a dozen alleged hackers were arrested in a separate case in July, accused of attacking PayPal.

Anonymous is a leaderless group that "relies on the collective power of individual participants," Gordon M. Snow, assistant director for the FBI's Cyber Division, said in remarks before Congress in April. "Its members utilize the Internet to communicate, advertise and coordinate their actions."

The FBI says the group has launched DDoS attacks against various businesses, individuals or organizations for perceived wrongs. It also is said to have hacked into the emails and files of a government contractor whose employee had boasted of identifying its members.

More recently, the group has either claimed credit for, or been blamed for, threatening to shut down the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, attacking the county website of a Texas judge featured in a viral video physically disciplining his daughter, and busting a child porn ring.

Court documents show that a computer linked to Sudlik was supposedly on a list of machines that attacked Koch websites, including toilet paper brands Angel Soft and Quilted Northern, on Feb. 27, Feb. 28 and March 1.

Neither Sudlik nor anyone else has been charged with any crime in the Koch case. He denies having any role in it.

Koch was targeted, according to a press release from Anonymous, because of owners David and Charles Koch's attempts to "usurp American Democracy." The final straw, the Feb. 25 statement says, was the Kochs' involvement in attempts to eliminate collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin workers.

Virginia Bauer, 83, described the arrival of 10 FBI agents and local police at her house in Sebastian, Fla., at 7 a.m. July 19.

"They're out there screaming, 'Someone in this house has committed a federal crime,'" she recalled. "I felt very ... violated. The way they went through everything. I couldn't even go to the bathroom without someone guarding me."

Bauer's grandson, who is in high school, later told her that he and a friend had an online conversation about Koch.

"Whoever was online said the Koch brothers were cheating people. They didn't hack into anything," she said. "They just pushed a button that, what does it do? It ties it up for while. It crashes them."

Clifford Neuman, a computer security expert and director of the University of Southern California Center for Computer Systems Security, said he does not believe authorities are targeting small players in Anonymous attacks.

"I'm not aware of them going after the one person who clicks the button  the small actor," said Neuman, He added that any one person would have little effect on a website.

Although Neuman cautioned that he has not been tracking the specifics of investigations, he speculated that agents may be looking for evidence on seized computers that could lead to those who coordinated the attacks.

Sudlik said he had advocated a boycott of the company  not an attack  and suspects he was targeted for being in a chat room in which both boycotts and attacks were discussed.

He called the documents that supported the search "relatively accurate but very misleading." He said an attack is temporary and causes little damage, based on the research that he has done since the raid, certainly not rising to the level of a felony. "If there's damage, it's only lost business. How much business does a toilet paper site get at 3 in the morning?"

Since the raid, agents have refused to return an expensive computer, Sudlik complained. "It took me months to even find out who I needed to be talking to."

A reporter's call to Special Agent Richard Anderson in the Kansas City office of the FBI was returned by spokeswoman Bridget Patton, who would only say, "Based on the fact that it is an ongoing investigation, we would not be at liberty to make any additional comments."

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Kansas, which documents show is running the investigation, declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for the St. Louis office of the FBI.

Sudlik said the loss of his computers ruined a planned sale of an invention. Without money to replace them, he has been forced to buy parts to repair old computers he had lying around.

Federal court records show that no one in the nationwide raid has been charged or has sued to recover equipment.

Sudlik suspects the others probably are "as poor as I am."

Since the raid, Sudlik said, "basically, I'm just constantly afraid that the FBI is going to come knocking on my door and arrest me for something."
St. Louis Police and hospitals in the area had their hands full Saturday night with shooting victims found across the city. Two of the victims were killed.

The bloodshed began at 7:14 p.m. Saturday at West Florissant Avenue and North Kingshighway. Police found a man, 24, who had been shot in the back but was breathing and conscious. He was taken to an a hospital where he was listed as stable.

Police did not release any details in that shooting, nor in the other shootings and homicides from overnight.

Three hours later, at 10:13 p.m. Saturday at Northland Avenue and Union Boulevard, police responded to a scene where a woman had been shot in the leg. She was taken to a hospital by a private vehicle.

Shortly after midnight Sunday, police were dispatched to the 5000 block of Martin Luther King Drive where a man in his 30s was found shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. About an hour later, at 1:08 a.m., a man and a woman were shot near St. Louis Avenue and West Florissant. They apparently drove to 14th Street and Washington Boulevard where authorities pronounced the man dead. The woman was taken to a hospital where she was listed as stable.

At 2:36 a.m., police were dispatched to a hospital where a man arrived in a private vehicle with a gunshot wound to his head. Police said the man might have been shot in the 1900 block of St. Louis Avenue. He was listed as critical and unstable.

About 3 a.m., police arrived in the 2600 block of Caroline Street where a man in his 20s had been shot in the leg. He was taken to a hospital, where he was listed as critical but stable. A second victim in this incident, another man in his 20s, arrived at St. Louis University Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his leg and was listed as stable.

Shortly after 3:30 a.m. a man suffering from a gunshot wound arrived at a hospital by private vehicle. Police believe the shooting happened somewhere on Hall Street. A woman arrived at a hospital at 3:35 a.m., by private vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound to her leg. Police said she also was shot on Hall Street.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Defense Department says an Army sergeant from southern Illinois has died in a noncombat- related incident in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon announced Sunday that 36-year-old Staff Sgt. Christopher A. Wilbur of Granite City died Friday in Kandahar. The exact cause of Wilbur's death wasn't revealed.

According to the Pentagon, Wilbur was involved in operations connected with tamping down terrorist activity in Afghanistan dubbed Operation Freedom's Sentinel, which was launched in 2015.

Wilbur was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson, Colo.
UPDATED throughout at 3:15 p.m.

A last wave of storms is expected to bring another 1/2 inch or more of rain to the metro area Monday evening, not enough for a repeat of the early morning's flash flooding.

Through Monday afternoon, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport recorded 2.4 inches Monday and nearly four inches since the storms arrived Friday night. But many areas, especially to the south, were pounded with downpours of as many as six inches just since Sunday.

In De Soto in Jefferson County, firefighters and police rescued about three dozen people before dawn Monday who live along Joachim Creek. The creek already was over its banks by 4 a.m. and quickly rose several more feet. The Joachim had returned to its banks by early afternoon.

One of their rescues was a woman who was nine months pregnant and began having labor pains. De Soto assistant fire chief James Maupin said paramedics transported her to a hospital.

Whether she delivered her baby by Monday afternoon could not be determined.

Other De Soto residents rescued by boats were taken to two churches to wait out the flooding. "The creek rose rather quickly this time and a lot of people were still home sleeping," Maupin said.

Power outages continued to plague parts of St. Louis County on Monday morning. In the predawn hours, Ameren reported about 15,000 customers without power. By 2:30 p.m. it was down about 1,600, mainly in the area between Park Hills and Farmington, Mo., about 60 miles south of St. Louis.

In Granite City, waist-high water covered several stretches of Maryville Road Monday morning, police said. Parts of downtown also were impassable to cars.

In State Park Place near the Cahokia Mounds historic site, residents packed sandbags Monday on low spots along Canteen Creek at Fairview Boulevard.

In Southeastern Missouri, St. Francois, Iron and Reynolds counties had five or six inches of rain Monday. Ameren Illinois had about 770 customers scattered throughout southern Illinois still without power.

In the metro area, power outages hit Ladue, Rock Hill and Fenton areas the hardest. Ameren said it lost its Rock Hill substation because of the storm.

Charley Kelly, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Weldon Spring, said the metro area could get another half-inch to inch of rain when another band of showers moving up through southern Missouri arrives in the early evening.

"We are not going to have the flooding problem we had this morning," Kelly said Monday afternoon.

By Tuesday afternoon, the rain is expected to clear. No storms are back in the forecast until the weekend.

On Monday morning, one of the trouble spots for flooding in St. Louis County was around Rock Hill and Brentwood, where the notorious Deer Creek rose again from its banks.

The Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning at 4 a.m. Monday.

Bob Holthaus of Holthaus Technologies, 8410 Manchester Road, scrambled when he woke up at 4 a.m. to the sound of the Weather Service's alert. He went to his office to move televisions, stereos and automation equipment onto higher shelves.

"The garage has 24 inches of water in it," he said by telephone at about 8 a.m., noting that the water was just starting to recede quickly.

The creek, which runs behind his business, backed up and flooded his and neighboring businesses -- just as it did just after Christmas, when nearly nine inches of rain fell for three days beginning Dec. 26.

"To have it happen twice in one year is unheard of," Holthaus said. "You can't beat mother nature."

Some stores at Brentwood Center, 8500 block of Manchester Road, were sweeping water out Monday morning.

"They have a new saying: It is what it is," said Paul Johnson, owner of Kings and Queens Barber and Beauty. "It could have been a lot worse. Other than a little elbow grease, I'll be okay."

Last December, firefighters took him out of the same store by boat. He said the road often floods. He'd like to move but business is good.

Nearby, Brentwood Boulevard near Marshall Road was closed because of water on the road. Some Metro bus lines are using different routes because of the road closures.

Tommy Bahn, 61, owner of Cousin Hugo's in Maplewood, said water rose within one inch of the last step inside the restaurant early Monday.

"I am always on pins and needles when it rains like that," said Bahn, who doesn't have flood insurance for his business, which abuts Deer Creek Park.

The Weather Service said more than six inches of rain fell in Mapaville, between Hillsboro and Herculaneum in Jefferson County from 2 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday. Other rain totals include nearly 4 inches of rain in the last 24 hours in Eureka, about 5 inches in Jennings since midnight Sunday, 4 inches in Edwardsville, 3 inches in Freeburg and 4 inches in Pontoon Beach.

The morning commute in the St. Louis metro area was slow-going, and a handful of vehicle crashes were blamed on standing water and vehicles hydroplaning. Highway 141 beneath Interstate 44 was flooded and shut down. St. Louis fire officials said they rescued a motorist trapped in high water in the 8000 block of Hall Street.

The Weather Service issued a flood warning along Dardenne Creek in St. Charles County. It rose six feet in three hours early Monday but began falling after staying below flood stage.

The area rivers are rising but aren't expected to repeat anything close to last December. The Meramec River at Valley Park was expected to crest Wednesday one foot over flood stage after a 17-foot rise. But flood stage is of little consequence Valley Park's levee was completed.

The Meramec was expected to stay below flood stages at Pacific, Eureka and Arnold. The Big River at Byrnesville was expected to crest at 21.8 feet Wednesday, or nearly six feet over flood stage, after a 19-foot rise. The Big flows into the Meramec near Eureka.

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District reported that the storm Monday morning overwhelmed the final treatment process at its Fenton plant. The first two primary cleaning processes continued to function, but the district warned people not to go into the Meramec from Fenton to the Mississippi River -- or wash thoroughly with soap if they do.

The December flood knocked out that plant for three months.

MSD also reported about 200 scattered residential sewer backups on Monday.

The precipitation is connected to the same storm system that pounded Louisiana with record amounts of rainfall, causing devastating flooding. Kelly says the low-pressure, tropical storm system extending north from the Gulf of Mexico is merging with a separate front south of the St. Louis area. But without the ocean to supply moisture and other factors, inland rainfall will not be nearly as severe.

People out there really want to pay attention, especially with the flash flood potential of this event, said Kelly. If you live near rivers and streams, be very vigilant, especially as we get into the evening.

Jesse Bogan, David Carson, Kim Bell, Bryce Gray, Leah Thorsen and Tim O'Neil of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
MILWAUKEE  One person was shot and wounded during a second night of violent unrest in Milwaukee to protest the fatal shooting of a black man by police, but there was no repeat of the widespread destruction of property.

On Sunday night, two dozen officers in riot gear confronted protesters who were throwing rocks and other objects at police near where Sylville K. Smith was fatally shot a day earlier. Police tried to disperse the crowd and warned of arrests.

The city's police chief said Smith, 23, was shot and killed by a black police officer Saturday afternoon after he turned toward the officer with a gun in his hand. The officer's identity has not been released. The killing touched off violence that led to the destruction of six businesses on the city's mostly black north side Saturday night. Wisconsin's governor put the National Guard on standby to protect against further violence.

TV footage showed a small group of protesters running through the streets Sunday night, picking up orange construction barriers and hurling them out of the way. Police posted on Twitter three locations where they said shots were fired. Police said an injured officer was taken to a hospital after a rock broke the windshield of a squad car.

Police said early Monday that an 18-year-old Milwaukee man was seriously injured when he was shot during the unrest Sunday night. Officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve the man and took him to a hospital. Police did not say who shot the man, but that they continue to look for suspects.

There were no other reports of injuries and no major destruction of property.

Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said at a press conference earlier Sunday that Smith turned toward an officer with a gun in his hand. Flynn cautioned that the shooting was still under investigation and that authorities were awaiting autopsy results, but that the officer "certainly appeared to be within lawful bounds," based on video from his body camera.

He said the officer told Smith to drop the gun and he did not do so. It was unclear how many rounds the officer fired. Smith was hit in the chest and arm, Flynn said.

At the same news conference, Mayor Tom Barrett said a still image pulled from the footage clearly showed a gun in Smith's hand as he fled a traffic stop Saturday.

"I want our community to know that," Barrett said. But he also called for understanding for Smith's family.

"A young man lost his life yesterday afternoon," the mayor said. "And no matter what the circumstances are, his family has to be hurting."

Flynn declined to identify the officer who shot Smith but said he is black. The police chief said he wasn't sure what prompted the stop but described Smith's car as "behaving suspiciously."

In addition to the businesses that were burned to the ground Saturday night, 17 people were arrested and four police injured.

Gov. Scott Walker put Wisconsin's National Guard on standby Sunday, and 125 Guard members reported to local armories to prepare for further instructions, although they were not deployed.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke said Smith had been arrested 13 times. Online court records showed a range of charges against Smith, many of them misdemeanors.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Smith was also charged in a shooting and was later charged with pressuring the victim to withdraw testimony that identified Smith as the gunman. The charges were dropped because the victim recanted the identification and failed to appear in court, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern told the newspaper.

Speaking at a Sunday night vigil, Smith's sister, Kimberley Neal, told The Associated Press that the family wants prosecutors to charge the officer who shot him.

The anger at Milwaukee police is not new and comes as tension between black communities and law enforcement has ramped up across the nation, resulting in protests and the recent ambush killings of eight officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dallas.

Nearly 40 percent of Milwaukee's 600,000 residents are black, and they are heavily concentrated on the north side.

Milwaukee was beset by protests and calls for police reform after an officer shot and killed Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill black man, in 2014.

In December, the U.S. Justice Department announced it would work with Milwaukee police on changes.

Critics said the police department should have been subjected to a full Justice Department investigation like the one done in Ferguson, Missouri, after the killing of black 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014 touched off violence there.

___

Associated Press writers Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee and Kyle Potter in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
47-year-old Hasnat Reza Karim a teacher of North South University has been identified as the prime accused of Dhaka's Holey Artisan Bakery attack.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: 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.

47-year-old Hasnat Reza Karim a teacher of North South University has been the named as the prime accused of Dhaka attacks. His lawyer Mahbubul Alam Dulal sought cancellation Hasnat's remand. The court overruled the order.The police filed a case under the terrorism act against an unknown number of people , two days after the attack.

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HASNAT HARASSED IN CUSTODY

Hasnat was one of the rescued hostages on the day of the attack. He was questioned in a commando vehicle for his militant connection. After hearing an unsatisfactory answer, the police arrested him a month later and placed him in custody for 10 days which Monirul Islam, Chief of Counter terrorism unit confirmed.

The investigating officer Humayun Kabir sought custody for Tahmid Hasib Khan, the son of Fazle Rahim Khan Shahriar the Managing Director of Altaf Multipurpose Farms who was also arrested under section 54 and placed under police custody.

TAHMID BEING INTERROGATED

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.

The 11-hour standoff ended after commandos stormed into the cafe and killed the hostage-takers.

When asked for clues, the police remained mum. The detectives doubted his etiquette and the relationship he had with his former NSU student Nibrash Islam. The detectives were suspicious of his movements during the attack.

DHAKA ATTACK AFTERMATH

32 people along with 13 rescued from Holey Artisan Bakery were brought to Detective Branch a day after the attack. After interrogating all the witnesses, all were let go with the exception of 2. Hasnat and Tahmid did not return to their families. Their families confirmed this.

After the Gulshan attack many people posted their opinions on social media about the Hasnat and Tahmid's militant connection. A number of Facebook users quoted from mass media stated ,Hasnat was sacked from NSU in 2012 for having connections with the banned militant outfit Hijbut Tahrir.

Though IS claimed responsibility of the attack and published photos of five militants in social media, police in Bangladesh claimed the militants were home-grown.

Also Read: Dhaka attack: Another Gulshan cafe attacker identified

--- ENDS ---
WASHINGTON  Tempers are rising in America, along with the temperatures.

Two decades ago, the issue of climate change wasnt as contentious. The leading U.S. Senate proponent of taking action on global warming was Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. George W. Bush wasnt 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.

When it comes to science, theres more than climate that divides Americas leaders and people, such as evolution, vaccination and genetically modified food.

But nothing beats climate change for divisiveness.

Its more politically polarizing than abortion, says Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Its more politically polarizing than gay marriage.

Leiserowitz says his surveys show 17 percent of Americans, the fastest-growing group, are alarmed by climate change and want action now, with 28 percent concerned but viewing it as a more distant threat. But theres an often-vocal 10 percent who are dismissive, rejecting the concept of warming and the science.

Sometimes dismissiveness and desire for action mix in one family.

Rick and Julie Joyner of Fort Mill, S.C., are founders of MorningStar ministries. Most of the people they associate with reject climate change. Their daughter, Anna Jane, 31, is a climate change activist.

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.

Theyre both stubborn and equally entrenched in their positions, says Julie, who is often in the middle. It doesnt get ugly too often.

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.

Now we see partisan polarization or ideological polarization, says Matthew Nisbet, a communications professor at Northeastern University. The split with science is most visible when it comes to climate change because the nature of the global problem requires communal joint action, and for conservatives thats especially difficult to accept.

Climate change is more who we identify with politically and socially, Nisbet adds. Liberals believe in global warming, conservatives dont.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). Theyd meet monthly at Inglis home for Bible study, and were in agreement that global warming wasnt an issue and probably was not real.

After seeing the effects of warming first-hand in Antarctica and Australias 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.

I was seen as crossing to the other side, as helping the Al Gore tribe, and that could not be forgiven, Inglis says.

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.

In 1997, then-Vice President Gore helped broker an international treaty to reduce heat-trapping gases from the burning of coal, oil and gas.

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 todays environment where climate change is now one of the most polarized issues in America.

Consider 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 didnt 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 shes felt the wrath of extreme weather and rising heat. But to her, its not quite as big an issue as the economy.

Scott Tiller, a 59-year-old underground coal miner in West Virginia, has seen mine after mine close, and says coal is getting a bad rap.

I think weve 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?

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 that most of the extra warming comes from humans, instead of nature. Dozens of scientific measurements show Earth is warming. Since 1997, the world has warmed by 0.44 degrees (0.25 degrees Celsius).

Repeatedly explaining science and showing data doesnt convince some people to change their core beliefs, experts say. So instead some climate activists and even scientists try to build bridges to communities that might doubt that the Earth is warming but are not utterly dismissive.

The more people connect on a human level, the more people can overcome these tribal attitudes, Anna Jane Joyner says. We really do have a lot more in common than we think.
Apparently weve 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 dont 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. Hes the founder of ISIS. Hes 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, youd 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 hes the founder of ISIS, I do, Trump said. He was the most valuable player.

Hewitt suggested this line of attack was a mistake. Trumps reply: No, its no mistake. Everyones liking it. I think theyre 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 doesnt 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 hes 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 isnt logic, of course. Its 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 Trumps enablers.

Eugene Robinson

Copyright the Washington Post
At the end of the month, the state of Missouri will end its economic cease-fire and resume trying to poach employers and jobs from Kansas using special tax and economic incentives. A study by Kansas Citys Hall Foundation found the dueling incentives had cost the two states a total of $217 million in the shuffle of jobs back and forth across the state line.

The economic border wars are a big deal on the western side of the state. Business leaders negotiated a truce in 2014, but only Missouri was willing to sign on. Now Missouris agreement is set to expire on Aug. 28. It is expiring because Kansas never agreed to the cease-fire and made a counteroffer that Missouri rejected as inadequate.

Why should anyone on this side of the state care? Because Missouris principal economic incentive tool, the Missouri Works program, allows employers to keep 95 percent of the states withholding taxes that otherwise go to fund education, social services and other basic state obligations.

A study done by Kansas Citys conservative Kauffman Foundation found that in 2013-14, 89 percent of the Missouri Works incentive dollars went to large corporations. The better way to promote job growth is to encourage small companies, the foundation says.

The folly of state tax giveaways to entice companies into moving or staying is something that both the left and the right agree on. The left calls such incentives corporate welfare. The right says the free market, not government, should determine which companies succeed.

But politicians like them. State politicians can brag about their states economic climate. Local politicians like the jobs that are brought to town. Ford Motor Co. took advantage of $150 million in state incentives in 2010 and kept its Kansas City-area assembly plant open. That was a big hit with its unions. For 10 years, those Ford workers will basically pay their state income taxes directly to the company.

The Hall Foundation, funded by the family that owns Hallmark Cards, found that Missouri had paid $103 million to lure nearly 4,000 jobs from the Kansas side of metro Kansas City. Meanwhile, 5,700 jobs left Missouri for Kansas in return for $159 million in incentives. The net job gain to metro Kansas City was zero.

After Missouri agreed to the cease-fire in 2014, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback  facing economic and budgetary woes after eliminating the state income tax  never followed through. Last spring he offered a modified version, but the Missouri Legislature rejected it.

The gloves can come off again soon, but since Missouri followed Kansas lead and cut its state income tax, neither state can really afford these ineffectual incentive policies any more. Our guess is that it wont stop them from trying.
A police force that picks and chooses the laws it will honor probably doesnt deserve to call itself a law enforcement agency. The St. Louis Police Department behaves as if Missouris Sunshine Law doesnt apply uniformly to departmental records and the fees it charges to access them.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last month in St. Louis Circuit Court claiming that an ACLU staffer was quoted substantially higher fees than allowed by law after he requested 138 arrest reports. The total fee quoted by the police department came to $1,377, which included $897 for the reports and $480 for estimated staff research time to read and redact information.

The department cited a copying fee of $6.50 per report. State law limits the fee to 10 cents per page; typical police arrests are just a few pages long. The fee cited by the department appears designed to create financial disincentives and discourage public inquiries that might shed light on police policies and actions. The citys litigation department didnt respond to a request for comment.

Department officials appear to be trying to avoid compliance by making public information requests prohibitively expensive. In practice, its exactly the opposite of what the Sunshine Law was designed for: to increase accountability by allowing taxpayers better access to information about how their government operates and how our money is being spent.

ACLU staffer Mustafa Abdullah filed his information request to determine whether homeless people might be subject to discriminatory targeting by police. Police Chief Sam Dotson had earlier tweeted praise for a new mobile app as having led to the trespassing arrest of a panhandler.

For the department to charge $6.50 per report, each would have to total an absurd 65 pages. What officer has the time to generate that amount of paperwork for a single incident? The department also sought to charge staff time for redacting information from the reports, even though the law imposes specific limits on what information may or may not be redacted. Police dont have automatic redaction powers with incident and arrest reports.

The ACLUs lawsuit addresses a bigger point about the many ways that government agencies and officials try to discourage public involvement by erecting roadblocks to information access. Some use dubious justifications to ban the public from meetings or to evade accountability.

There are legitimate, but very limited, reasons for public officials and police departments to keep certain documents and proceedings secret. But the law plainly reads that it is to be liberally construed  when in doubt, public officials must err on the side of openness.

Democracy isnt just about voting; its about getting involved, keeping tabs on office holders and providing an extra layer of scrutiny to check the power of public servants.
Can we be assured that the plant will not pollute our land or water supply so that we are not discovering something decades later like so many areas in Missouri?
After booking her first JetBlue flight recently, Kathie Baker was stunned by the confirmation email.

First dates can be a little awkward, it declared. But that seems impossible with someone like you. Just to be safe, lets start with the basics.

The airline then proceeded to describe its in-flight amenities:

Favorite color: Blue

Favorite song: Leaving on a Jet Plane

Relationship status: Single & ready to show you 85+ amazing destinations.

It was creepy, says Baker, a translator who lives in Pittsburgh. Almost stalkerish.

The missive is part of a series of welcome messages sent to new customers. And it isnt happening in a vacuum. Companies are struggling to find the right tone to take with their customers, particularly in the travel industry, which is having one of its most challenging summers in recent memory. The messages they send range from slick to robotic, and decoding them isnt difficult.

JetBlue wasnt finished emailing Baker. The airline next offered to send her special deals, adding, We can skip the mushy stuff and start delivering great offers to your inbox ASAP. Sample subject line: Were all in! Are you?

Baker wanted the emails, which she said were in poor taste, to stop. I contacted JetBlue on her behalf. The next day, the airline fell silent. With any luck, they have permanently ceased sending these emails to me, Baker says.

Perhaps. JetBlues confirmations are part of a series of marketing emails that all new passengers receive when they buy a ticket, and unless Baker opts out of future emailings, it is likely that she will see more like them.

We went with the unique approach to drive engagement and understand customer preferences, while introducing customers to the brand, says JetBlue spokesman Morgan Johnston. As youve no doubt seen over the years, JetBlue has a long history of fresh, witty, fun, inclusive and occasionally tongue-in-cheek marketing.

To be fair, some customers approve of the tone. Bilal Kaiser, who teaches digital marketing in Los Angeles, recently received a JetBlue email with the subject line: Fares from $59  we literally couldnt fare less!

Hilarious, he says. Made me open the email even though I wasnt planning to travel anywhere at that moment.

Thats a sentiment Jean Tang, owner of a New York copywriting agency, seconds. JetBlues irreverent dispatches leverage a familiar construct, create instant intimacy, and theyre funny as heck, she says. And theyre well written.

But this summer, is witty prose enough? This hasnt been an easy travel season. Lines are long. Prices are high. Tempers are flaring. Is an informal love letter from a travel company going to make everything right?

Jay Baer says theres a lot at stake. Finding the correct words might mean the company gets to keep you. In his latest book, Hug Your Haters, he found that simply answering a complaint was enough to keep 7 in 10 customers.

After all, no answer is an answer, he says. Its an answer that says, We dont care about you as a customer at all. 

Instead of trying to cozy up to a customer and potentially making some of them feel uncomfortable, most successful companies deliver more standard and predictable responses to any troubles that may arise, says Marilyn Suttle, co-author of Taming Gladys! The Busy Leaders Guide to Creating Fierce Customer Loyalty.

Rather than saying, Im sorry if you were upset, which only aggravates the passenger because its obvious theyre already upset, its better to say, Im so sorry you were unhappy with your experience, she says.

Experts say that the correct, and prompt, mix can make the difference between the right words and ones that fall flat.

Sincerity is crucial, says Taylor Davis, a manager at Litmus, an email analytics firm based in Cambridge, Mass. Especially if youre apologizing. You never want your customers to feel like they are talking to a robot. A simple way for customer service teams to remain sincere is by adding a human element and style when communicating with customers. They should feel like theyre having a comfortable conversation.

The line between comfortable and overly casual is easy to cross. Consider Spirit Airlines promotional emails, which have been heavily criticized for a lighthearted tone laced with sexual innuendo. For example, during the sexting scandal of then-Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., in 2011, the airline infamously launched a Weiner Sale with fares  direct quote here  too hard to resist. Some of its other promotions are so risque they cant even be described euphemistically without offending readers of this publication.

Double entendres arent limited to airlines. The Modern Honolulu hotels award-winning Friends With Benefits guest loyalty program, for instance, provocatively invites guests to come back by saying, Weve always got room in our beds for another friend.

Heres the problem: Although promotional pitches may be amusing or suggestive, the travel companies side of individual email conversations with customers usually is of the cut-and-paste style, delivered mechanically and dispassionately. When a company initiates a conversation  as it did with Baker, the JetBlue customer  its amusing and engaging. When you start the conversation, not so much.

And, of course, words arent always enough. If something has gone wrong, nothing says Im sorry like a refund or a ticket credit.

This summer, travelers expectations arent that high. They want a relatively problem-free experience, dont want to spend too long waiting in line and  if possible  theyd like their luggage to travel with them. Theyd prefer not to pay too many fees and not to get service with a snarl.
The four-year-old Mahesh was diagnosed with bone cancer just weeks after his birth.

The four-year-old Mahesh was diagnosed with bone cancer just weeks after his birth.

By Ashish Pandey: In a heart-rending episode, a poor couple knocked the door of court seeking euthanasia for their little son.

The couple of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh submitted the petition to the Punganur court seeking mercy killing for their son suffering from bone cancer.

The four-year-old Mahesh was diagnosed with bone cancer just weeks after his birth.

HIGH COST OF TREATMENT

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Since then, 30-year-old Buttaiah and his spouse have been putting efforts to keep Mahesh healthy and alive.

During the course of treatment they traveled to Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai to save their son.

The couple spent almost Rs 15 lakh after disposing off all their properties, but now are left with empty hopes only. They can no longer afford the treatment and can no longer bear to see their son suffer.

HOPES ON CM

On Saturday Buttaiah took the four-year-old to the local court in Punganur town, 60 km away from the district headquarter Chittoor, and submitted a petition seeking euthanasia for the child.

However the judge at Punganur court turned down the petition.

Buttaiah, native of Dinnepalle village of Ramasamudram mandal, earns his livelihood by playing traditional instruments at functions.

Now, the hopes of the couple are pinned on the Andhra Pradesh government and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu who is a native of Chittoor district as well.

Only recently, CM Naidu had sanctioned Rs 50 lakh relief money to a couple whose eight-month-old daughter was suffering from liver alignment.

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ALBANY, N.Y.  In fall 1825, John Henry Hopkins traveled from Buffalo to Albany on the Erie Canal just days after the 363-mile waterway had opened. Along the way, the Episcopal minister from Pennsylvania drew scenes of what was then considered a marvel of modern engineering.

This month, the co-founder of a Vermont history museum is traveling by tugboat on the canal, stopping at about 30 communities over the next six weeks as he discusses the waterways impact on the nations growth in the 19th century and hands out prints of Hopkins artwork, many of them never published and rarely seen by the general public.

He left us an incredible series of images of the communities, of the canal, that fill in a tremendous amount of information, Arthur Cohn said in a telephone interview from aboard the C.L. Churchill, a 52-year-old wooden tugboat owned by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes.

Cohn and his fellow crewmembers are visiting communities along the canal as far west as Rochester, giving public talks about the waterway and presenting copies of Hopkins artwork to local museums and historical societies. Cohn met with state Canal Corp. officials to iron out the details of his itinerary, which will be posted on the museum and canal agencys websites.

The voyage is aimed at bringing attention to next years 200th anniversary of the beginning of construction of the Erie Canal, with events planned each year through 2025, according to Canal Corp. spokesman Shane Mahar.

The waterway was officially opened in October 1825 by Gov. DeWitt Clinton, who traveled on the canal by boat from Buffalo to Albany, then on to Manhattan. Once there, he dumped a cask of Lake Erie water into New York Harbor to signify the wedding of the waters linking the Great Lakes to the East Coast.

Around that time the Irish-born Hopkins, then a 32-year-old newly ordained clergyman from Pittsburgh, began his own voyage by canal boat from Buffalo to Albany, eventually headed for Manhattan to attend a religious conference. A talented artist and architectural illustrator, he created 37 watercolor and pencil sketches of canal scenes. They include a rendition of the Genesee River falls at Rochester and the elevated towpath built over the Cayuga swamp in central New York. The 1,300-foot-long timber structure was replaced by an aqueduct in the 1840s.

Its a priceless document as well as a wonderful painting, Cohn said.

He came across the Hopkins collection last year while doing research at William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

One Erie Canal expert said he was blown away when Cohn showed him prints of the Hopkins drawings, considered some of the earliest images of the waterway before the invention of photography in the late 1830s.
Adam and Barbara Fox

SCREENWRITERS Adam and Barbara Fox, from Stratford-upon-Avon, are returning to the RSC's The Other Place to continue their series of screenwriting workshops, being held for the first time in the UK.

The couple wrote their first script for the BBC, in 1989, have produced international bestselling series for series for Channel Four and have recently returned from five years working in Hollywood on television and film projects. They have been writers, directors and producers for more than 25 years.

They held their first screenwriting workshop at The Other Place, in May, which was based on the 1969 American Western film Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid.

Adam and Barbaras next workshop is being held on Saturday 20th August, illustrated by clips from the 1985 American science fiction adventure comedy film Back to the Future.

Adam told the Herald Arts: There will be six workshops in total and they gradually get more complicated. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid has a naked script, with no back story.

He explained that the film worked as a great introduction to screenwriting, demonstrating all the basics and fundaments. Back to the Future is more sophisticated, moving between worlds.

The workshops are a unique opportunity for anyone looking to start their screenwriting career, as the couple share how to structure, write and craft a compelling story for the screen.

Each workshop in the series focuses on a different movie genre with a different type of script to uncover what makes a good film great.

Each workshop stands alone, but together they build into a complete course on the art and craft of screenwriting, telling the inside story of screenplay.

So what makes a good script great? We asked Adam and Barbara to give us their Top Five Tips on getting that screenplay started.

1. Where do I start? The answer is always at the end. Starting at the end tells you where you're going, it gives you a creative destination to head for, a place to write towards. It gives you confidence to go back to that daunting blank page at the beginning.

2. Start with your hero. At the beginning of every movie there is one question in the mind of the audience, What's this about? and the answer is always, "Its about the hero." This is the person we are going to follow for a couple of hours. This is their story. So waste no time, go on the B of bang and start with your hero, in their world, doing what they do.

3. Create a strong inciting incident. This is the event that gets your story going. Something has to happen to throw your hero into their adventure, so it has to be dramatic. Make it a strong impulse and you give the audience a strong reason to follow your story.

4. Let the three-act structure help you. Aristotle identified it as the way we tell stories and the way we like to hear stories. We all love them told this way and it's how we expect them to be told. Even small children respond to stories with a clear beginning, middle and end.

5. The first ten pages. These are crucial: they're your big chance, your opportunity to get your script read. If the reader keeps going past page ten, there's a good chance they'll keep going. Write them, edit them, craft them. Every scene and every word of dialogue has to move the story forward. Make those first ten pages count.

Places for the workshop on Saturday 20th August are limited to 30, so anyone who is an aspiring screenwriter, a novelist, or simply wants to know how film works from the inside out, can book tickets on screenwriting-workshops.eventbrite.co.uk
The sun shone down on the 1 Shipston Rainbows Summer Fete on 7th August helping the group raise around 400.

The event, which took place at Shipston Scout Hut on New Street, featured a tombola, raffle, coconut shy, ice cream stall, mobile bar and a cake stall.

The highlight of the day for many was a performance by two members of the band Undercover, who entertained the audience with an eclectic acoustic mix of songs old and new.

Money raised at the fete will pay for the 14 strong group to visit the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham in December for a special performance of the Roald Dhal story Georges Magic Medicine.

The group have planned a number of activities about the author this autumn to mark the 100 anniversary of his birth.

Rainbow leader, Diane Wildish, said: It was brilliant weather on Saturday, really hot, and we had a steady stream of people coming by to visit all day. This was the first summer fete we have held and we think it went very well. Hopefully we will hold another next year when the Rainbow movement celebrates its 30 anniversary and our group celebrates its 10.

The live music at the fete was great they played all sorts from Patience by Take That to Eric Clapton.

The raffle raised around 280 just on its own on Saturday and we had some great prizes like a day out at Bird Land, tickets to the Butterfly Farm, to see Oxford United, and theatre tickets. I would like to thank all the local businesses that donated prizes.

The 1 Shipston Rainbows for girls aged between 5-7, meets every Monday between 5.30-6.30pm at the scout hut.
Gowtham claims that his father now wants to separate him from Preetha and threatens to kill them citing that girl was from a different caste.

By Pramod Madhav: A couple was admitted to Coimbatore Government Hospital in a critical condition as they attempted suicide fearing honour killing.

Gowtham and Preethi were from Pollachi, a small town next to Coimbatore, were in love for the past three years. They eloped two months back and got married in a police station, though he was a minor at that time.

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After a huge protest, Preetha's family agreed to their marriage and accepted them. But Gowtham claims that his father now wants to separate him from Preetha citing that she was from a different caste. Gowtham, depressed by his father's actions decided to commit suicide but Preetha, instead of stopping him decided to kill herself with her husband. On 12th August, the they drank rat poison but the unconscious couple was discovered by neighbours who rushed them to the hospital. They were admitted to the ICU and are now out of danger.

Coimbatore area has always been a hot belt for honour killing which got exposed by Sankar's killing in broad daylight by his wife's family near the city last year.

ALSO READ:



Couple asked to strip by fake forest officer

Muslim couple faces social boycott for protecting Hindu temple

Father of sexually harassed girl commits suicide, girl sets herself ablaze





--- ENDS ---
Four men were today arrested in Lucknow for allegedly gangraping a dancer who performed at a private function.

By Abhishek Rastogi: Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday arrested four men for allegedly gangraping a dancer at an event in a hotel in Lucknow.

According to sources, Dabur India Ltd on Saturday was said to have organised an event at Hotel Exotica where female dancers were called for a performance. Dabur has denied organising any such event.

The accused men allegedly took one of the female dancers to one of the hotel rooms and gangraped her. The accused, who worked as sales executives, were identified as Satvir Sharma, Faresh Tomar and Rashtrabhushan Bharti and Devraj Singh.

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UP Police arrested the hotel manager in connection with the case.

However, Dabur India Ltd today came clear on the case and said that no company function was held in the hotel at the time of the incident. Dabur said that the heinous crime took place at a private party that was organised by the accused.

The company also said that they had terminated the employment of the four accused.



--- ENDS ---
Tauranga sailor Sam Meech will go into the Olympic Laser medal race wellplaced for a bronze after winning the final fleet race in the mens single-handed fleet at Rio 2016.

Fellow Tauranga sailor Peter Burling and his sailing partner Blair Tuke retain the overall lead going into the scheduled reserve day for skiff sailors.
Port companies are battling for cargo by setting up "inland ports" next to each other.

But are they just duplicating expensive facilities, often at the cost of ratepayers?
A shortage meant avocados were a black-market item, but now there are more than ever.

Earlier in the year, avocados were stolen in bulk from growers in the eastern Waikato and the Bay of Plenty as short supplies drove up demand and prices.
Tauranga Olympic kayaker Mike Dawson may not have got a podium finish, but thanks to Great Britains Joe Clarke, he will get a free helicopter ride.

The duo spent three days filming for energy drink company Red Bull on the South Islands Whataroa River at the start of 2016 and were flown into the area by helicopter company Glacier Country.
On 26 May 2016, Late Havildar Hangpan Dada and his section chased four terrorists in the inhospitable snowy terrain of Kashmir, three of whom he singlehandedly killed.

By Manjeet Negi: Army Havildar Hangpan Dada, who led an operation to kill four terrorists at 13,000 feet in the harsh and icy Himalayan range of North Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC) in May, will be awarded India's highest peacetime military decoration - the Ashok Chakra - posthumously on August 15.

Havildar Dada was posted to 4 Assam Regiment on 24 January 2008. The NCO served with the regiment at Barrackpore, Kargil, Lucknow and Multuk (Manipur).

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In Kashmir, the late Havildar was serving with 35 Rashtriya Rifles (Assam) - a force carved out for counter-insurgency operations - from 11 March till the date he made the supreme sacrifice for the country.

The presence of mind of Dada, who is survived by his wife Chasen Lowang, 10-year-old daughter Roukhin and six-year-old son Senwang, saved the lives of his team members who came under heavy fire from the terrorists, even as his raw courage and utter disregard to personal safety led to the killing all four Pakistan-backed terrorists.

The Independence Day gallantry awards list includes one Ashok Chakra and 14 Shaurya Chakras.



HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED

In the last week of May, Dada and his team spotted the movement of terrorists in their area.

Havildar Dada and his section were tasked with chasing and trapping the fleeing terrorists.

Displaying ingenuity and remarkable understanding of the high-altitude terrain, the soldier led the team with incredible speed in the inhospitable snow-bound area.

The soldiers managed to block the escape route of the terrorists and surprised them.

Taking the enemy head-on, he then charged the spot where terrorists were holed up and killed two of the terrorists on the spot.

In the exchange of fire, he was grievously injured.

Undeterred, the soldier went after the remaining terrorists. In the process, he came face to face with the third terrorist and a hand-to-hand scuffle ensued as they slid down the hill towards the Line of Control.

However, despite bleeding profusely, the brave Havildar managed to kill the intruder.

After Hangpan Dada had taken three terrorists single-handedly, his actions led to the elimination of the fourth terrorist as well.

WATCH:



--- ENDS ---
Vidya Mandir Senior secondary from Chennai, Sunbeam School Lahartara of Varanasi and Mumbai's Cathedral And John Connon School tested their news quotient on the show hosted by veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai.

With 1150 points, Sunbeam students now advance to the next stage of the show.

By India Today Web Desk: The fourth episode of India's top news quiz show News Wiz saw a dramatic win by Varanasi's Sunbeam School, taking them to the next stage. The hour-long show aired on India Today Television at 11am today with young Congress leader Sachin Pilot and India Today news anchor Padmaja Joshi as the special guests.

Vidya Mandir Senior secondary from Chennai, Sunbeam School Lahartara of Varanasi and Mumbai's Cathedral And John Connon School tested their news quotient on the show hosted by veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai.

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In the first round, Sunbeam School took the early lead with 400 points while Vidya Mandir and Cathedral and John Connon secured 300 points each.

While the second round, which was based on recent top news stories, saw Chennai's Vidya Mandir coming out on top with 700 points, Sunbeam could not capitalise on its early lead after the first round and was in second place with 450 points. Cathedral And John Connon School was at 400 points at the end of the second round.

After the third round -- match making-- Vidya Mandir stayed on top, while Cathedral And John Connon School jumped to the second position with 750 points and Sunbeam was at the bottom with 650 points.

However, the fourth and last round produced dramatic results leading to a tie at the top with Vidya Mandir and Sunbeam School securing 1050 points each just before the last question. And, Sunbeam, in a fantastic comeback, got the answer right for the last question. With 1150 points, Sunbeam students now advance to the next stage of the show.

News Wiz is aired every Sunday at 11am, with repeat telecasts at 2 and 8 pm the same day and on Monday at 4 pm.

Watch the full episode here:





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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Call Saturday's thunderstorm the great equalizer for all concertgoers who saw Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa at Lakeview Amphitheater.

No matter what fans paid for their tickets, pavilion seating opened up to the entire crowd once the lightning storm hit Geddes.

In the middle of opener Jhene Aiko's psychedelic set, a stampede of thousands descended into the shell close to 8 p.m., as people fought for front-row seats.

When rain started to pour around 8:30 p.m., a Lakeview staffer interrupted Kevin Gates with an announcement. The crowd booed immediately, expecting the concert to end early. Instead, he invited the rest of the lawn crowd to fill the remaining seats or stand under the pavilion.

Ohhhhhh boy. They just invited everyone under the @LakeviewAmp pavilion pic.twitter.com/DJKHmsmYm3  Katrina Tulloch (@katrinatulloch) August 14, 2016

Concertgoers with pavilion tickets, momentarily, looked horrified. The man next to me shouted he had paid $90 for his pavilion ticket and this was unfair.

"I'm going to bitch about this so much," he ranted. "I'm going to get my money back."

By the time Kevin Gates launched into his summer hit "2 Phones," though, he didn't seem mad anymore. He took a few puffs from his partner's vaporizer and spent the rest of the night dancing on his chair.

Gates certainly appreciated the massive crowd. "I've never performed for so many people in my life; I would die for you people."

The 5,000-seat pavilion wasn't exactly equipped to hold the estimated 7,500 in attendance. People bulged out on the sides and pushed into aisles, making it hard to leave for a bathroom run.

Where I was seated, tensions spiked, then cooled quickly. Perhaps it was a contact high from the dozens of smokers in the crowd. People with pavilion tickets stood their ground, while lawn ticket holders marveled at how close they were to the stage.

Some continued to complain about being packed in like sardines, but were mostly drowned out by the nonstop thumping bass. As far as keeping people safe and dry, the decision seemed to be an overall success. If the crowd had been at capacity, with 17,500 people, things would not have gone as smoothly.

The show continued without a hitch. Snoop and Wiz took the stage around 9:30 p.m., both tall, skinny men with comically fat blunts in hand. They smoked three or four throughout the night. Uniformed police stood next to the stage, smirking. At one point, Wiz threw giant, inflatable joints into the crowd.

"I like to wear all white: white shirt, white hat, white jeans," Wiz once told The New York Times, for a fashion story last June. "I look like a little scoop of ice cream."

That's exactly how he dressed on Saturday night, with his gaping white shirt nearly all the way buttoned down, revealing a fully-inked torso. His white cap read "Don't Pass Trump The Blunt." Snoop wore a T-shirt over crisp, pressed slacks and tied his long dreads into pigtails.

It's been almost a year since Snoop canceled his much-anticipated Chevy Court show at the 2015 NY State Fair. He was worth the wait.

Snoop played the proud elder to Khalifa's high-energy, pop-laden rhymes. The duo rotated on and off-stage at first, then collaborated on hits (like "See You Again," "Black and Yellow" and "Young, Wild & Free") and covers (like "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled and "Gangsta Party" by Tupac).

Few can make the art of rap look this effortless. Khalifa's consistent precision carried the night, while Snoop's calm, marijuana-minded lines reminded the audience why he's been America's most reliable icon of relaxation since the early 1990s.

Though, when Snoop's debut album, "Doggystyle," topped charts back in 1993, some of these concertgoers weren't even born. This was one of the youngest crowds I've seen at the Lakeview Amphitheater. When DJ Drama asked where all the 80's kids were, a weak holler responded.

When he yelled "Make some noise, 90's kids!" the majority of the crowd roared. DJ Drama didn't bother with any Baby Boomer shoutouts.

Annoyed pavilion ticket holders may disagree, but putting the whole crowd under the shell may have saved the evening in a way. Wiz and Snoop put on a loud, rowdy party, but they rely heavily on an engaged crowd to keep their energy high.

Their songs use plenty of call-and-response techniques which wouldn't have been as effective with a fragmented, far-away audience. The full sea of screaming fans helped Snoop and Wiz make the best of a wet, stormy night.

The next show at the Lakeview Amp is Blink-182 on Aug. 23.

Katrina Tulloch writes music and culture stories for Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact her: Email | Twitter | Facebook
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Wisconsin's governor put the National Guard on standby Sunday in case of another outbreak of violence in Milwaukee, after a deadly police shooting touched off a night of arson and rock-throwing in a mostly black neighborhood.

At least four businesses were burned and an officer was hurt by a thrown brick in the unrest that erupted on the city's north side Saturday night a few hours after the killing of a black man who authorities say was armed and fleeing a traffic stop.

A Milwaukee alderman called the melee a warning from black residents that they are "tired of living under this oppression."

With the city on edge, Gov. Scott Walker activated the National Guard, saying it would be in position to help upon request. He called for "continued peace and prayer."

A Guard spokesman, Lt. Col. Gary Thompson, said 125 soldiers were being notified to gather at their local armories and await further instructions.

The dead man was identified by his mother as Sylville Smith, 23. The name and race of the officer who shot him were not immediately released.

"My son is gone due to the police killing my son," Marilyn Haynes told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I am lost."

Online court records showed a range of criminal charges against Smith, many of them misdemeanors, but also a 2015 felony charge of witness intimidation that was eventually dropped by prosecutors.

Authorities respond near a burning gas station as dozens of people protest following the fatal shooting of a man in Milwaukee, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Gretchen Ehlke)

On Sunday morning, about three dozen volunteers swept up glass and filled trash bags with rocks, bricks and bottles at the intersection where a gas station burned to the ground. One volunteer picked up a bullet casing and handed it to police.

Darlene Rose, 31, said that she understands the anger that fueled the violence, but that it doesn't help.

"I feel like if you're going to make a difference, it's got to be an organized difference," Rose said. "The people that came and looted, you're not going to see them here today."

Three protesters were arrested in the violence.

The anger at Milwaukee police is not new and comes as tension between black communities and law enforcement has ramped up across the nation, resulting in protests and the recent ambush killings of eight officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dallas.

Milwaukee Alderman Khalif Rainey, who represents the neighborhood that erupted, said the city's black residents are "tired of living under this oppression."

"Now this is a warning cry. Where do we go from here? Where do we go as a community from here?" he asked.

Nearly 40 percent of Milwaukee's 600,000 residents are black, and they are heavily concentrated on the north side.

Milwaukee was beset by protests and calls for police reform after an officer shot and killed Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill black man, in 2014.

In December, the U.S. Justice Department announced it would work with Milwaukee police on changes.

Critics said the police department should have been subjected to a full Justice Department investigation like the one done in Ferguson, Missouri, after the killing of black 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014 touched off violence there.

The weekend shooting in Milwaukee is under investigation. The mayor said the officer was wearing a body camera.

Mayor Tom Barrett said police stopped the motorist for what the mayor described only as "suspicious activity." Police said the man was carrying a gun that had been stolen in a burglary in March.

"There were 23 rounds in that gun that that officer was staring at," the mayor said. "I want to make sure we don't lose any police officers in this community, either."

The 24-year-old officer was put on desk duty. He has been with the Milwaukee department six years, three as an officer, authorities said.

At one point Saturday evening, as many as 100 protesters massed at 44th Street and Auer Avenue, surging against a line of 20 to 30 officers.

The Journal Sentinel reported that some in the crowd started smashing a squad car's windows. Another police car was set on fire. The newspaper said one of its reporters was shoved to the ground and punched.

In addition to the gas station, a bank, an auto parts store and a beauty supply shop were burned. Firefighters held back from the gas station blaze because of gunfire.
India has responded to Pakistan's invitation for talks by putting out conditions for dialogue, saying talks can happen on "contemporary and relevant issues" only.

By India Today Web Desk: India and Pakistan may be inching closer for another round of talks. A day after Pakistan sent feelers for talks, the Ministry of External Affairs said that it was ready for talks but only on "relevant issues." The "relevant issues" seem to have undergone a major change after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for talks on PoK and raised the human rights violation issues in Pakistan's Balochistan at an all-party meet on Kashmir in New Delhi on Friday.

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In response to Pakistan's invitation for dialogue, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations."

ALSO READ: Modi's call resonates in Pakistan's Balochistan, activists appeal to PM to take the matter to UN



Swarup further added that the list of relevant issues include "infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali, incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan."

THE MODI DOCTRINE

Releasing a book on Modi Doctrine on Saturday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj emphasized that the terms of negotiation with Pakistan have changed. Swaraj said, "Unlike in the past, we can't agree that dialogue with sponsors and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard".

Swaraj underscored that the "addressing terrorism is central to our engagement" with Pakistan.

PAKSITAN'S DOUBLE SPEAK

On one hand, Islamabad sent a concilliatory note by extending invitation for comprehensive talks while on the other, its High Commissioner in Delhi, Abdul Basit toed a line that has the potential to derail talks. Basit said, "Is saal ki Jashn-e-Azadi hum Kashmir ki Azadi ke naam karte hain" (We dedicate this year's Independence Day celebrations to Kashmir's freedom).



BALOCHISTAN ANGLE

After PM raised the issue of violation of human rights in Balochistan, several Baloch activists have spoken out against the atrocities committed by the Pakistani establishment there. Leader of Baloch Republican Party Brahumdah Bugti said, "Not a single week passes by without a mysterious disappearance, abduction or recovery of dead bodies. People who protest are harassed, so, they migrate from Balochistan."

ALSO READ | Modi's new Pakistan plan



The founding chief of the Baloch Republican Party further said, "Their (Pak Army) aim is to gradually bring in Chinese companies for deep drills in Balochistan. This operation is only gaining momentum since past many years."



PAKISTAN MUST LOOK WITHIN: PARRIKAR

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday slammed Pakistan for fomenting terrorism on Indian soil and for bombing its own people in restive Balochistan.

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"Pakistan is facing the problem of terrorism to such an extent that while they push 10 jihadis into our side, there is a bomb blast that kills 70-80 people somewhere in Pakistan," Parrikar said.

'HURRIYAT IS JUST ONE STAKEHOLDERS'

Refuting the Hurriyat Conference's claim to be the sole representative of the Kashmiri people, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that it is not "more important" than other statkeholders in Jammu and Kashmir. Singh said, "Hurriyat is as important as the other stakeholders. It is not more important than those in Jammu or Ladakh or the Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs or those in PoK and the West Pakistan refugees. They are members of the civil society and nothing more."

Responding to a querey on government's policy in dealing with terrorists in the Valley, Singh said, "Terrorists would be strongly dealt with, the way they are dealt with, whichever place they come from or whichever ideology they belong to."

'INVOLVE BOTH SIDES OF KASHMIR IN DIALOGUE'

Noted journalist and an expert on Pakistan, Ved Pratap Vaidik, whose meeting with Hafiz Saeed had created a huge controversy two years back, has suggested a new formula for resolving Kashmir issue. Vaidik said, "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- India, Pakistan and both sides of Kashmir."

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ALSO READ:

Teaching a lesson to those causing unrest in Kashmir is Centre's top priority: Kailash Vijaywargiya

Culture Ministry removes Independence Day video featuring Pakistan jet



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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.
Journalists equipped on consumer protection

A training workshop was held Thursday, October 25, 2012 at CESAL Tokoin for media professionals on consumer protection and quality culture. The training was organized by the ATC (Association of Togolese Consumers) and the objective of the training was to create a permanent and effective partnership between the association and journalists on issues related to protection of consumer rights.

According to the president of ATC, journalists are selected for the training, because, for ATC, "it has become imperative to explore ways and means through which the media professionals will be able to focus not only on political and economic affairs, but also on consumers rights". On his part Augustine Sinzing, president of the OTM (Togolese Media Observatory), this training is a good opportunity. He stressed that it is important for journalists to monitor the QMS (quality management system) introduced by some companies in order to ensure these companies comply with quality standards.

The training was divided into two sub-themes. The first was "United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection (UNDP-PC) and 8 fundamental rights" presented by Professor Adossou, legal consultant on consumers protection legislation. The second : was "Culture of Quality", presented by Dr. Seraphin Kazia, a quality auditor from UEMOA.

For the first sub-theme, Professor Adossou emphasized on the importance of the eight basic consumers rights. He made it clear that in Togo apart from the general principles of the United Nations, in terms of consumer protection, there is no law devoted exclusively to the protection of consumers. However, he pointed out that there are various legislations that contain clauses referring to consumer protection including legislation N  99-011 of 28 December 1999 on competition in trade. According to him, the law takes into account certain consumer rights, among others, consumer safety through the rights to be informed and to choose. Professor Adossou concluded by saying that these pieces of legislations had inherent weaknesses that have resulted into creation of monopolies and excessive competitions in the market hence the need for enacting a specific law on consumption and consumer protection.

With regard to the second sub-theme, the presenter Dr Kazia explained that "Quality is the set of characteristics of a product that gives the ability to satisfy explicit and implicit needs of users." Thus, a product is said to be of good quality when it meets the three conditions defined quality, namely performance, acceptable taste and availability. In addition, he drew the attention to the role of the State in quality control. According to him, the State should establish a national quality control infrastructure through national or international standards in order to control businesses.

R.A, Lome (Telegramme228)
Promotion 2011 project Atens received his certificate of completion

The hall of ECOWAS CASEF hosted Wednesday 14thnovember a ceremony certificate of completion HEC Paris to promote 2011. Conducted by Djossou Koumondji, Minister to the President of the Republic responsible for the planning, development and planning, it is part of the building project management skills of the Togolese government Atens (Moving Forward All together) in partnership with HEC-Paris (Group Haute Ecole Commerciale de Paris). Recipients are a total of 179 out of 200.

According Djossou Koumondji, Minister to the President of the Republic responsible for the planning, development and planning, "Atens training program concerns primarily managers and administrative officers Togo to familiarize them with new managerial techniques. It covers the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 and is intended to promote and develop a culture of results in our administration" The project is at his second time after that of 2010. About 200 were trained in Lome through seminars and 612 government employees have been sensitized through mega-workshops within the country, from all twenty-four (24) ministries and institutions.

R.A, Lome (Telegramme228)
Rehabilitation of Avenue Maman Ndanida officially launched

Located on Avenue Maman Ndanida between the Dove of Peace (colombe de la paix) and the lagoon at Amoutieve, this section does not give a lot of nightmares as well as riparian users will be fully refurbished in eight months.

The launching ceremony was officially worked yesterday morning, the Prime Minister Seleagodji Ahoomey-Zunu. Are we going to the end of a nightmare for users of the segment commonly known lagoon Be-Dove of Peace ? The answer to this question is yes, insofar as prayer issued by the Togolese people and especially those wearing the path that is in disrepair for more than a year, is being exalted. In fact, last Thursday, October 11, this section, for his rehabilitation, was officially handed over to the company "GER" by the Prime Minister, Seleagodji Ahoomey-Zunu in the presence of the Minister of Public Works, Ninsao Gnofame and other members of the government, during a ceremony to launch the work.

These rehabilitation and modernization of said channel will be executed at a cost of two billion five hundred million FCFA and must be completed within eight months, to stick to what the contracting parties. The section consists of three main components : This is Maman Ndanida Avenue, the Avenue de France and ramp space furnished. It will be done with a modern architecture, according to reports.

Moreover, according to the Togolese authorities, this section will be refurbished as part of the comprehensive project of rehabilitation, strengthening and modernization of road infrastructure implemented in recent years by the government.

D.A, Lome (Redaction Telegramme228)
The Government asked to rush the implementation of social claims

Public Administration : a tool for development." Under this theme the 4th Constitutional Convention of SGAP (General Union of Public Administration) was held on October 25-26 2012. At the close of work on Friday, October 26, a new office of 11 people was established whose General Secretary is Essi Christine Ekpetsou. Recommendations were also made to the government, unions and all workers in Togo.

This opportunity allowed the new chief of SGAP to express her gratitude to her peers for the confidence placed in her and her office, but she emphasized that the task is immense, so that their cooperation will be appreciated. According to her, the needs and problems of Togolese workers have not been properly addressed, for example : the wage level is still very low. For this, she made it clear to the Togolese government, through the Ministry of Public Service ; it is high time that the leaders do their duty. She concluded her speech by reminding the audience that the task ahead for the new team is to make sure wage increases across all public sectors of employment.

Indeed, this conference follows two seminars workshops, first in March 2012 in Cote dIvoire and Togo in August 2012. If the first meeting laid the groundwork for the necessary unity of union action, the second has, in turn, laid the groundwork for new trade union coordination. Since it has been criticized in Togo, "some central trade unions, the thrill-seeking, have felt obliged to conduct isolated actions" on the status of the general public. But, the statement said, other plants are controlled mission to prevent a successful outcome of the claims. These are structures that union to appropriate 10% increase on wages made in February 2012. To answer these critics, the SGAP let them know that the issue of the status of the general public, his "vote is not an end in itself" because it is necessary "to identify all the edges to make requests "when one defends the cause of the workers.

First, regarding the status of the general public, the SGAP notes that not only fight for its adoption by the National Assembly, but also for its promulgation by the time the Head of State. Next t is the pay scale ; it is called on the government to compensate those who have been raising the age of starting to retire in April 2008 to the year 2013. Hence it must return to the law on cancellation of allowances retirement ; importantly, these allowances should no longer be the case of CRT (Togo Retirement Fund), but Public Finance.

Finally, the SGAP mainly invites all unions to get together before the 1st November, as they did in 2012. However, before he urged the government to a rapid implementation of the workers demands, making organize social elections in Public Administration for he said, "to complete the process."

R.A, Lome (Telegramme228)
The USET landed in Togolese parliament with his bag problems

The 2011-2012 academic year has been eventful in Togo because of certain claims of the faculty. To ensure that this new school year announced its colors since October 8, tipping into the same as the previous one, the leaders of the USET (Trade Union of Teachers Togo) met yesterday with the President of the National Assembly, Alhaji Abass Bonfoh. The purpose of their visit is to bring their concerns, including the issue premium at the parliament vote budgets.

According to the spokesman of the USET, their hope is that this academic year has subsided and that solutions will be found to their concerns. To help smooth the reports in order to get concrete results would require all stakeholders are informed of our efforts", said the spokesman of the USET. "You know that it is the parliament which passes laws. We dont want to be told that the budget has already been passed and that is why we cannot discuss. Thats why we came to tell the president to take an account the problems of the world teacher. Of course, discussions continue in government. And this is to allow the government to reassure parliament that it would support, when it will be the world teacher, "he reassured.

D.A, Lome (Redaction Telegramme228)
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
Bangladesh Coast Guard's Mongla Zone chief Captain Mehedi Masud said the five bodies were found on Sunday morning on the sea, around 30 km away from the Hiron Point of the Sundarbans.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Authorities have found five bodies and rescued two people alive from the Bay of Bengal on Sunday after two Indian trawlers sank the previous day with at least 17 people on board. They are all Indian citizens.

Bangladesh Coast Guard's Mongla Zone chief Captain Mehedi Masud said that the five bodies were found early morning on the sea, around 30 km away from the Hiron Point of the Sundarbans.

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Indian authorities had informed that two fishing trawlers sank around 2 pm on Saturday due to poor weather conditions, with 17 to 20 people on board.

Two Bangladesh naval ships and a patrol aircraft were deployed to trace the missing fishermen.

ALSO READ:

Jayalalithaa urges Modi to ensure release of Tamil fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy



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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is waging a drug war, resulting in the killing of hundreds of suspected drug dealers and the arrest of thousands more, packing overcrowded jails

Ten prisoners in the Philippines were killed when a suspected jailbreak and attempt to kidnap the warden went wrong in a Manila suburb, authorities said Friday.

The prisoners, including two Chinese, were meeting with the warden of the Paranaque City jail in his office when the explosion occurred on Thursday evening, killing the inmates and wounding the warden, said national jail service spokesman Senior Inspector Xavier Solda.

The blast comes as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wages a drug war, resulting in the killing of hundreds of suspected drug dealers and the arrest of thousands more, packing overcrowded jails.

Preliminary investigations showed the explosion was caused by a grenade, with a pistol also recovered from the scene, Solda told reporters.

"The initial investigation is that it was a possible jailbreak and hostage-taking," he added.

Solda described the dead men as high profile inmates, adding that eight of them, including the two Chinese, were linked to illegal drugs while the two others were jailed for robbery.

He said the inmates had asked to meet the warden but it was unclear why he did so without personal guards.

"The only one who can clear this up is the warden but he is in the hospital and may need an operation," Solda said.
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond arrives for a meeting of the ''Cabinet Committee on Economy and Industrial Strategy'' at Number 10 Downing Street in London, Britain August 2, 2016.

Britain will fill a gap of as much as 4.5 billion pounds ($5.8 billion) in funding for agriculture, universities and its regions that will open up when Britain leaves the European Union, finance minister Philip Hammond said.

Scientists, farmers and others who got EU funding were facing uncertainty after Britain voted on June 23 to quit the EU. Hammond reassured them on Saturday that the British 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. Companies are expected to put off investment and consumers to cut their spending as Britain and the EU work out their new relationship.

Hammond told reporters that Britain needs about 4.5 billion pounds a year to fill the gap left by the end of EU funding, although Britain's actual exit date may be some way off. Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will not start the two-year process of leaving this 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 in a statement.

According to Full Fact, an independent fact-checking agency, the British government paid about 13 billion pounds to the EU last year, after its automatic rebate, and got back 4.5 billion pounds in funding.

"Clearly if we stopped making contributions to the European Union there will be money available to be invested in our own economy," Hammond said when reporters asked about Britain's funding arrangements after Britain's departure from the EU.

Britain's opposition Labour Party said Hammond had made the right move in giving the guarantees but added that it was important for the government to also ensure that Britain remained a member of the European Investment Bank.

The EIB, a provider of long-term financing on favorable terms to projects that support growth in the bloc, in 2015 invested 7.8 billion euros ($8.7 billion) in Britain in transport, water and other projects.

Hammond's funding guarantee, which covered structural and investment funds and Horizon research funding, was also welcomed by organisations representing recipients of EU funding and by the employer organization, the British Chambers of Commerce.

"I hope that this short-term certainty will help to deliver longer-term confidence and this is exactly what farm businesses need now," said Meurig Raymond, the president of the National Farmers' Union.

The Royal Society, a London-based group of scientists, said the reassurance on EU grants would help Britain-based research continue to attract the best talent.

"Today's announcement sends a strong message that Britain remains open and collaborative," Royal Society president Venki Ramakrishnan said.

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.
Police inspect the body of an alleged drug dealer with his face covered with packing tape, with a cardboard sign on him reading "I'm a pusher" in Manila

The Philippines has vowed to investigate reports of a wave of extrajudicial killings, the government said Sunday, after Washington warned military aid to its Asian ally was dependent on respect for human rights.

According to media reports, nearly a thousand people have been killed since President Rodrigo Duterte won a landslide election victory in May largely on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of criminals.

The US embassy warned the Duterte government on Friday that millions of dollars of military aid alloted to the Philippines was tied to adherence to the rule of law, due process and respect for human rights.

"We are concerned by reports regarding extrajudicial killings of individuals suspected to have been involved in drug activity in the Philippines," it said.

"We strongly urge the Philippines to ensure its law enforcement efforts are consistent with its human rights obligations," the embassy added.

A Philippine foreign department statement sent to AFP on Sunday said that it took note of US views on the issue, adding Manila was focused on the eradication of drugs in society.

Rodrigo Duterte rose to the nation's top job after spending most of the past two decades as mayor of Davao, earning a reputation as a ruthless leader willing to forsake human rights to enforce law-and-order.

"Nevertheless, while pursuing this objective, the Philippine government is committed to the rule of law, and the protection of human rights for all."

It added: "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."

Philippine police said Friday they had killed 550 drug suspects while arresting nearly 8,000 others since after the May election.

However, ABS-CBN, the country's largest broadcaster, said more than 400 other people have been killed since then by shadowy assassins who leave cardboard signs beside their victims accusing them of narcotics crimes.

Police said that while it was investigating these other killings, no suspects had been arrested.
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 August 13, 2016.

Six people were injured in an attack aboard a Swiss train on Saturday by a man armed with a knife and flammable fluid, St Gallen cantonal police said.

Three adults, two teenagers and a child aged six were hurt, according to a police statement. Five were stabbed or burned. A sixth suffered smoke inhalation as he came to the aid of the others. The assailant, a Swiss citizen, was also injured.

"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," the statement said.

Authorities did not yet know the motive for the attacks but a crime of passion was one possibility, Bruno Metzger of the St Gallen cantonal police said in an interview with welt.de.

"A terrorism background still seems very, very far-fetched," Metzger said.

The assailant was in police custody, he said, but none of those injured - including the assailant - was responsive, so they could not be questioned.

A display reading ' Do not enter' is seen after a 27-year-old Swiss man's attack on a Swiss train at the railway station in the town of Salez, Switzerland August 13, 2016.

The police said a criminal inquiry was under way.

Both a woman and the attacker were in critical condition, according to Swiss broadcaster SRF, citing the St Gallen police. The cantonal police did not respond to a request for further information by email and could not be reached by phone.

The attack occurred at 2:20 p.m. (08:20 a.m. EDT) as the train neared the Salez station on a trip between Buchs and Sennwald in St. Gallen, a canton in the northeast of the Alpine republic, the police statement said.

It was the first attack of its kind in Switzerland in recent memory. In December 2015, a 33-year-old Swiss man broke into his neighbors' house in Rupperswil and killed four people before setting the house on fire, an incident that shocked the country.
Pakistan High Commissioner while celebrating the Independence Day of Pakistan today said that they will be continuing with their support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

By Maha Siddiqui: During Pakistan's Independence Day celebrations at its embassy in New Delhi, Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit today said his country will extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to Kashmir's "freedom" struggle.



"The struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for "right to self determination" was legitimate and it cannot be suppressed, " he said.



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On relations between Pakistan and India, Basit said that Pakistan had always desired and endeavoured to have cooperative relations with India on the basis of sovereign equality and peaceful resolution of the bilateral disputes.

Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India: Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit pic.twitter.com/zlTHwGPDWV&; ANI (@ANI_news) August 14, 2016

The High Commissioner stressed that the political aspiration of the people of Jammu and Kashmir could not be suppressed nor could anyone belittle or wish away their legitimate struggle and enormous sacrifices.



It was incumbent upon the international community to ensure implementation of the relevant UN resolutions to settle the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

Based on NIA probe, Indian Foreign Secretary summoned the High Commissioner Abdul Basit on August 9 to convey that the arrested LeT terrorist Bahadur Ali is a Pakistani from Lahore

PAKISTAN PRESIDENT ON KASHMIR ISSUE

President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday had said that Pakistan would continue to support the just struggle of the people of Indian held Kashmir, who were striving to attain their right of self-determination in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

Also read:

India summons Pakistan envoy, lodges protest against Islamabad for backing cross-border terror





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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, toward their stronghold of Jarablus near the border with Turkey, a Syrian from Manbij who is in touch with relatives there said.

A Syria Democratic Forces fighter comforts a civilian who was evacuated with others by the SDF from an Islamic State-controlled neighbourhood of Manbij. The SDF has said Islamic State was using civilians as human shields.

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 neighborhoods 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.

A man cuts the beard of a civilian who was evacuated with others by the Syria Democratic Forces fighters from an Islamic State-controlled neighbourhood of Manbij, in Aleppo Governorate. The SDF has said Islamic State was using civilians as human shields.

The SDF, which had already cleared over 13,000 mines, was sweeping some neighborhoods 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.

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.
U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 29, 2016.

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."
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.
Army spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said Pakistan army used small arms and automatics to target our positions while Indian army jawans retaliated using same caliber weapons.

By Ashwini Kumar: Ahead of the 70th Independence Day celebrations in the country, Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions near the Line of Control (LoC) today in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The firing and shelling took place in Shahpu Kandi area in Poonch district of the state.

Army spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said Pakistan army used small arms and automatics to target our positions. The Indian army jawans retaliated using same caliber weapons.

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WOMAN INJURED



Following heavy shelling and firing on the Line of Control, 50-year-old Qasam Jhan was seriously injured when she was hit by a shell in Kasba village in Poonch today. She was admitted to Poonch hospital for treatment.

Defence sources said that Pakistani troops targeted our six villages and border out posts in Shahpur, Kasba and Gautrian villages in Poonch district.

Four Pakistani posts Nezapir, Mochi Morcha And Dhakni Dhok targeted our civilian areas and defence posts.

Sources said mortar shelling and firing is still continuing from Pakistan side and our troops are retaliating with heavy fire to silence enemy guns. Initially, Pakistani soldiers fired medium machine guns(MMG) and now using mortar shells, sources said.

ATTACK ON AMARNATH PILGRIMS

A senior police officer on Saturday said that "11 yatris of Baba Budha Amarnath Yatra were injured near the shrine, when three men hurled a Grenade."

Two suspects were nabbed while they were escaping in a vehicle, but a third suspect was still at the large.

Tensions have mounted near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir during the Independence Day celebrations of India and Pakistan.

Pakistan army has been resorting to unprovoked firing at Indian positions around August 14 and 15 ever since the armed violence started in the state in early 1990s.

ALSO READ:

Army foils infiltration bid in Nowgam, 2 jawans, 2 militants killed

WATCH: Here's how IAF, Army jawans brave rough Siachen terrains to guard our mainland



--- ENDS ---
About 1,000 stranded motorists were evacuated from Interstate 12 by late Sunday night, many having spent more than 24 hours without food and water, after historic flooding made parts of the roadway impassable, Gov. John Bel Edwards said.

Most of the marooned had spent Saturday night stuck on dry stretches of the interstate, including a Lafayette woman headed to her father's funeral in Slidell, which she missed.

And state officials did not expect to re-open the roadway entirely for another day or so, said State Police Superintendent Col. Michael Edmonson. Vehicles, which are still on the roadway, will have to be moved. Many of the evacuees were taken to Hammond and Baton Rouge shelters, he said.

Also, nearby residents whose homes have flooded have now moved onto the high ground from where most of the motorists were evacuated, he said.

Cant see the video? Click here.

Throughout the day, those stranded said they were plagued by a lack of water, food and information.

"It is hot and humid and there is no place for anybody to go," said Julie Cobb, who with her husband Jason and sons Nathan, 8 and Charlie, 5 are headed for Destin, Fla. from their home in Spring, Texas.

"People are not prepared for this situation," she said in a telephone interview. "You just don't realize what is going on."

Cobb said helicopters and the Red Cross have tried to get supplies to the marooned, with mixed success.

She said food has been dropped from helicopters, including meals ready to eat, or MREs, but there was no organized distribution.

"Everybody just takes off with it," Cobb said.

A nearby convenience store allowed five people in at a time.

However, shelves cleared quickly.

A church allowed the marooned access to a single bathroom, but the mass of people made access difficult.

The family tried to sleep in their Nissan Murano, and stay as cool as conditions allowed.

"We would just turn the car on for about 30 minutes, cool down and then turn it off," Cobb said.

Small babies and even nursing mothers are among the stranded.

"Dogs are everywhere that need food," she said.

By early afternoon there was talk that eastbound I-12, but not westbound, would be open soon.

"It will be mass craziness getting out of here," Cobb said.

Some eastbound traffic was being allowed to proceed to I-55 or continue on I-12 east late Sunday afternoon, said Sgt. Jared Sandifer, a spokesman for State Police.

"The traffic is thinning out as we speak," Sandifer said.

Asked why motorists were complaining about a lack of food and water despite aid efforts he said, "It is such a spread out area."

Another stranded on I-12 earlier was Edna Dugas and her family, who ground to a halt at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, with no food and water from aide workers in the meantime.

What 's worse is that Dugas  whose own home suffered flood damage  was headed to Slidell from Lafayette for her dad's funeral, said Deanna Lamz, Dugas' sister and the wife of Slidell city judge Tim Lamz.

By late Sunday morning State Police were trying to aid the stranded family because one of the passengers has a medical condition, Lamz said.

She said she thought the group was being transported to Hammond.

When motorists can expect relief is unclear.

Pockets of drivers are stranded on islands surrounded by water on Interstate 12 near Albany, Louisiana State Police Major Doug Cain Sunday morning.

High water on the interstate led to I-12 being closed Saturday afternoon. The interstate runs through the Florida parishes from Slidell to Baton Rouge.

About 200 motorists west of Albany were evacuated Saturday night, but the remainder are in areas where the water is too deep to be accessed with rescue vehicles and are inaccessible with boats, he said.

Cain said the motorists have fresh water and efforts are being made to get them food.

Interstate 12 is likely to remain closed for another couple days.

State Police also reported a fatality in a wreck on Interstate 10 near Grosse Tete. I-10 is open but traffic is down to one lane.

Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, the adjutant general for the Louisiana National Guard, said he was assisting State Police with helicopters, high water vehicles and boats to distribute supplies to the stranded.

Michael Dunlap, photo editor for The Advocate, got stuck on I-12 when he went out on Saturday afternoon to take pictures.

"It was horrific," Dunlap said. "When I got out of my car and walked to the front of the convoy to see what was going on there was water almost overtopping the construction barriers in the median of the interstate," he said.

"Water was just colliding over them in waves," Dunlap said. "It was scary for a lot of folks."

Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller said Sunday afternoon state and local officials are coordinating efforts to assist motorists stranded on I-12 near Albany.

C & S Wholesale Grocer of Hammond is also helping as part of efforts to distribute food, water and other supplies to those stranded in Livingston Parish, including via a Blackhawk helicopter.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office was also helping motorists stuck on I-12.

Mark Ballard of The Advocate's Capitol News Bureau contributed to this report.
A cloud of sulfuric acid rises from a leak at the Honeywell plant in Geismar Saturday evening.St. Gabriel Police Chief Kevin Ambeau said it was a sulfuric acid leak and advised people living in the area to stay indoors, keep their windows closed and turn off their air conditioners.
Earlier this summer, all signs pointed to a larger incoming class for LSU this fall.

The school saw a 4 percent uptick in applications over last year and a corresponding increase in the number of new freshmen accepted to LSU for the upcoming year. These indicators suggested LSU was on track to see a freshman class that was as much as 350 students larger than last year.

But with classes beginning in about a week, freshman orientation numbers aren't reflecting the same growth. The orientation event for new students is typically a good indicator for LSU of how many accepted students will actually attend in the fall.

Now, instead of an increase in freshmen, LSU expects its new class will be slightly smaller or about equal to last year's incoming class of about 5,400 students.

Freshman orientation was down 3 percent, or 162 students, from last year. But there's still a late orientation event right before school starts that could close the gap slightly.

So why the dip in interest?

For months, education and elected leaders have feared that several months of uncertainty and talk of doomsday scenarios for higher education funding in Louisiana could hurt the schools. This year, for the first time ever, students won't receive their full TOPS awards because the state could afford to fund only 70 percent of the scholarships.

And most recently, the state's flagship university has had to battle the perception that Baton Rouge is unsafe and racially torn, as headlines across the world have featured the high-profile shootings of Baton Rouge police officers, the emotionally charged death of Alton Sterling, a black man killed by white police officers, and several days of protests met by officers in riot gear.

At a community forum to discuss the shootings in Baton Rouge, the Rev. Joe Connelly, of Wesley United Methodist Church, said he'd heard rumors LSU was losing students. "Parents were afraid to send their children back to Baton Rouge because of what's been reported and what's been seen," he said.

LSU officials shared the fears. But ultimately, they said, the recent events aren't having a significant impact on enrollment.

"We expected the numbers to uptick a little," said Jason Droddy, LSU's executive director of policy and external affairs. "The size of the class seems to be the norm for LSU, so there are not alarm bells going off. We obviously would like to see that number inch up, but there are really no surprises in the data."

Droddy said LSU has fielded some calls from parents concerned about the recent shootings in Baton Rouge. But even though parents are asking questions about safety, he said early out-of-state student admissions numbers appear to be in line with last year, which suggests that the shootings ultimately were not a deciding factor for students and families.

The big concern this year was whether the unprecedented reduction in TOPS awards would change students' plans. About half of LSU's students receive TOPS, more than at any other Louisiana college or university. And LSU is also the most expensive public university to attend in the state, so its officials were especially worried they would lose students.

The larger concern was whether TOPS would put a dent in admissions by preventing lower-income students from being able to afford to attend and by pushing the highest-achieving students out of state.

Because of dramatic shortfalls in the state budget, the Legislature left the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students  a program that traditionally has covered the full cost of tuition at public universities for its recipients  partially funded for the first time.

Students will get only about 70 percent of their tuition covered this year. But the Legislature divided up the payments so the TOPS award covers 93 percent of tuition in the fall semester and less than half of it in the spring.

Droddy said LSU students do not appear to be deterred by the TOPS cut, based on the preliminary enrollment data, but he said it's possible the reason is that the Legislature didn't officially cut the program until late in the summer.

"We believe that the final decision on TOPS coming around July 1 made it too late for students to opt to go out of state," he said.

James Caillier, executive director for the Taylor Foundation, which started TOPS, agreed that students may have been locked into their school choice for the fall. But that could change in the spring, when the TOPS cut will be fully realized, or next fall, when students will have more time to think about options.

"If TOPS awards continue to go down, more students  our best students  will be leaving the state or going to less expensive schools," he said.

While LSU is expecting flat enrollment, officials have been working toward increasing the student population for years as they lean more on student tuition and fee dollars for operations. Last year, LSU had a total enrollment of about 31,000, but university President F. King Alexander has said he would like to see the school get closer to 35,000 or 36,000 students.

Classes for students at LSU begin on Aug. 22, and official enrollment isn't tallied until the 14th day of school.
After more than two days of rain punished the Baton Rouge area, parish officials across the region braced Saturday for more flooding as rivers swell to record levels.

One area under close watch is the Amite River at Port Vincent as Ascension Parish officials wait and hope that the National Weather Service is wrong about just how high the river is expected to rise.

After the massive devastation in Ascension from the much-remembered 1983 storm, the parish built a levee and pump system, but designed it with the 14.6 foot level seen at Port Vincent that record-breaking year.

The NWS is forecasting the river to get above that level Sunday afternoon on the way to 16.1 feet, which could mean the water overtopping the levee and flowing to the pump station, potentially overwhelming the system. This in turn could lead to significant flooding in the southern part of the parish, including Gonzales and parts of Sorrento, explained Bill Roux, director of drainage in Ascension Parish.

Even if it doesnt climb as high as currently forecast, but gets over the 14.6 foot mark, people could see worse flooding than in 1983 because of the increase in development that reduced the natural water-storage ability and the sinking of the ground that occurs all over south Louisiana.

The only thing I hope for is that the National Weather Service overestimated, Roux said.

Parish officials have been meeting and reviewing spots that could flood and will release information Sunday morning about what, if any, evacuations will be necessary, Roux said.

Video: Aerial footage of flooding in Zachary area Saturday The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office took helicopter footage of the flooding throughout the

Yesterday, I was guardedly optimistic. Right now, I just dont want to think about it, Roux said.

Two-day rainfall totals around the capital city ranged from 8 to 12 inches through Saturday afternoon, although some areas had recorded twice as much, said Danielle Manning, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Slidell.

Public reports from the Monticello and Brownfields areas showed 24.02 and 26.83 inches of rainfall, respectively, over the two-day period since Thursday, Manning said Saturday afternoon. The town of Livingston saw 21.86 inches, and the Baton Rouge Airport registered 16.21 inches, according to official NWS readings.

Those higher numbers are well over 100-year averages.

We think theyre going to be somewhere in the 500- to 1,000-year range, Manning said.

The rainfall has resulted in unprecedented water levels on the Comite, Amite, Tickfaw, Natalbany and Tangipahoa rivers  all of which surpassed their crests from the flood of 1983. The Comite and Amite continued to rise Saturday evening.

With more rainfall on the way - an average of 1-3 inches through Sunday, though some areas could see more - predicting the extent of the flooding yet to come is no easy task, Manning said.

The problem with trying to give specific impact is that were above a record; its never happened before, she said. We dont know what the impacts are going to be.

Several officials have said they were hoping the wind would not counteract the rivers attempts to drain into Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain, as sometimes happens during hurricane events, where southeast winds drive more water into the lakes and act as a dam against the downward flow.

With the winds coming from the south now and the lakes at normal levels, that dam has not been built this time around, Manning said. But with record levels of water moving down the rivers, its impossible to say with any certainty how much more flooding might occur.

Two rivers in the region were predicted to crest Saturday  the Tangipahoa and the Natalbany  and the Tickfaws ascent slowed and appeared to crest by late afternoon, but the Comite and the Amite continued to rise.

The Comite River measured 33.52 feet at Joor Road by 5:15 p.m. Saturday, headed for a projected crest of 34.5 feet overnight Saturday.

The Amite River was projected to crest a day later, hitting an estimated 46 feet at Denham Springs by late Sunday evening and staying in major flood stage through early Tuesday morning. The river had hit 44.96 feet by 5 p.m. Saturday.

The Amite River at the Bayou Manchac Point was at 15.5 feet Saturday afternoon but was projected to get to 21.5 feet by Monday morning - almost 2.5 feet above the record set in 1983.

Meanwhile, the Tangipahoa appeared close to topping out around 27.4 feet at Robert on Saturday evening, before beginning a slow descent toward normal. The river was projected to remain in major flood stage - above 21 feet  until about midday Wednesday.

The Natalbany was projected to crest Saturday at 24 feet in Baptist, although at 3 p.m., the most recent reading for the river was from 8 a.m., when it hit 22.2 feet. The river was to remain in moderate flood stage only through Sunday morning.

The Tickfaw River also appeared to have crested late Saturday afternoon, measuring 22.14 feet at Holden around 12:45 p.m. and only 22.04 feet five hours later - well shy of the 26.5-foot crest NWS continued to predict for midday Sunday.
Cars, pedestrians and canines work their way along flooded Center Street in the Village of Tangipahoa, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, as water ripples across the roadway during flooding after heavy rains Thursday night and Friday morning.
Members of the Kapil Sharma Show were recently in Abu Dhabi where they entertained their audience to no end.

By India Today Web Desk: The team of The Kapil Sharma Show recently performed in Abu Dhabi and the response to their presence was as one would expect it to be.

Welcomed and acknowledged graciously, the Kapil Sharma brigade sent out waves of laughter as they enthtralled those in attendance.

Also Read: Hrithik Roshan on The Kapil Sharma Show: 5 best moments from the episode

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Accompanied by seasoned comedians Sugandha Mishra, Ali Asgar and Chandan Prabhakar, the show was reportedly a huge hit as Kapil's UAE fans reveled in the spontaneous and witty humour that came their way.

Also Read: Jacqueline Fernandez 'marries' Kapil Sharma on the sets of TKSS

Held at Abu Dhabi's Al Raha Theatre on August 12, the show was reportedly a part of Abu Dhabi Summer Season's celebration of Indian Independence Day that is celebrated on August 15.

Aside from all the fans of the Kapil Sharma Show, the event was also attended by His Excellency Suhail Mohammed Al Zarooni from the Royal Family of Dubai.



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When more than 20 inches fell in parts of East Baton Rouge and nearby parishes Thursday to Saturday, all that water tried to start its journey
When John Bel Edwards and John N. Kennedy find themselves on the same page these days, the cause they both espouse must be pretty compelling.

And so state Sen. Troy Brown, accused in two different incidents of domestic violence against two different women, his wife and his girlfriend, should take a joint call for his resignation from the Democratic governor and Republican state treasurer  who just happens to be frequent Edwards critic  as a strong hint.

Even aside from the disturbing charges Brown faces, the River Parishes Democrat isn't exactly a boy scout. In 2014, he pulled a badge and reportedly threatened another driver with arrest during a Baton Rouge road rage incident. And when he was arrested for allegedly punching his girlfriend at the Hyatt Hotel in New Orleans a year later, he gave police a home address that is not in his Senate district.

Brown's attempts to cling to his career following yet another arrest have made life complicated for his fellow politicians and his 2nd District constituents.

As a representative of the public, Brown's both distracted by his personal travails and badly damaged as a figure of authority, particularly on the many issues affecting domestic violence victims on which the Legislature has jurisdiction. Plus, Senate President John Alario has suspended his committee assignments  the most Alario has sole authority to do  and that alone puts the people he represents at a disadvantage.

Yet Brown, who's being represented in court by well-liked former state Sen. Ed Murray, has not been convicted of a crime, and has every right to the presumption of innocence in the eyes of the law. And he's hardly the first politician to claim the same standard should apply to holding public office.

After federal authorities raided his home but before he was indicted and convicted on public corruption charges, former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson of New Orleans was stripped of his seat on the House Ways and Means Committee. Instead of resigning, as Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi clearly hoped, he ran for re-election and won. And U.S. Sen. David Vitter, whose phone number was found in a Washington, D.C., prostitution ring's records, stuck around too, with the help of supportive Republicans who didn't want then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco to replace him with a Democrat. The records were discovered after the statute of limitations had passed, and Vitter was never charged with a crime.

The truth is that there's no hard and fast rule in these situations, that standards evolve and shift, and that political considerations often factor in. That makes calls that Brown step aside tricky, and probably explains the delayed  and in some instances, pretty restrained  reaction from some of his peers.

State Sen. and Democratic party chair Karen Carter Peterson, who coincidentally lost that bitter 2006 election to Jefferson, issued a lengthy statement arguing that Brown should resign, but it amounted to more of a strong suggestion than a demand. The Legislative Black Caucus, of which Brown is a member, has not taken a position.

Two New Orleans Democrats who focus on domestic violence issues, state Sen. J.P. Morrell and state Rep. Helena Moreno, did call for his resignation, but not until the governor spoke out. And that itself didn't come until several weeks after Republicans started calling out Brown's fellow Democrats for their silence, which was indeed discomforting to many who were appalled by the allegations.

If his fellow politicians worry about going after Brown too hard, they also have reason for concern that they might be appear to be letting him off easy.

Last spring, St. Francisville Rep. Kenny Havard's dumb joke about a bill to mandate a minimum age for strippers drew widespread condemnation, in part because he was making light of legislation aimed at reducing human trafficking among a vulnerable population, and in part because it offered a peek into an off-putting boys-will-be-boys legislative environment. Forcing domestic violence victims and their advocates to petition a man twice accused is a lot worse.

A politician who understood that, one who actually prioritized the people he represents and the institution he serves, would take the hint and go. That Brown has shown no sign of doing so is yet one more strike against him.
There were no boos for Hayden Ballantyne on Sunday as Dockers fans made it clear they would rather their club give the pesky small forward a multi-year contract extension than finish his career elsewhere.



"That goal is yours Ballas" one member yelled after Ballantyne helped engineer Fremantle's best passage of play in the first half against Adelaide and a major for Ed Langdon.



"We're flying high," one wag sung in reference to Ballantyne's reported request for a trade to arch rival West Coast.

The biggest cheer of the 72-point loss to the Crows came in the final term with the game out of reach, as Ballantyne sidestepped an Adelaide defender and slotted his only goal of the afternoon from an acute angle.



Ballantyne has another year to run on his Dockers deal but wants a multi-year deal rather than the single year Fremantle has apparently offered him. He has been linked with Essendon but would prefer to stay in WA.



In his first appearance since the trade rumours broke, Ballantyne appeared fumbly and nervous early on.



He spent several opportunities before they really arrived and dispensed of his protective headgear mid-way through the first term.



The lack of boos for crowd favourite Ballantyne were as good as it got for Freo in a game where the Crows were totally dominant and, to be truthful, treated their hosts like witches' hats in the third term.

Adelaide kicked 21 goals and had more behinds (16) than the Dockers did scoring shots (15).



The 14th loss of a miserable season caps a tumultuous week for Fremantle.



Speculation about Ballantyne's future at the club went into overdrive this week, with rumours the 29-year-old wanted out of the club after a disastrous season.

Ballantyne has been linked to a number of clubs, including West Coast and there is even chatter the Bombers will offer him a three-year-deal.
Danish conglomerate A. P. Moeller-Maersk, which owns the world's largest container shipping company, is voicing concern as a potential shift in US policy threatens to reduce global trade.

While Maersk assumes that no matter how the U.S. presidential election ends, it probably "won't have an effect on the contracts we have and the employment exposure we have in the US," Trond Westlie, its chief financial officer, said any steps in a more protectionist direction would clearly hurt global economic growth.

Maersk transports about 15 percent of the manufactured goods that are sent across the globe each year, making it the world's biggest container shipping line. Credit:Stephen B. Morton

"In general, trade barriers weaken global growth," Westlie said in a phone interview on Friday. "Low trade barriers not only help trade growth, but also economic growth."

With real-estate-magnate-turned-politician Donald Trump blaming China and Mexico for American job losses, the tone in the US presidential race is more anti-trade than it's been in decades. Democratic party nominee Hillary Clinton is also toughening her stance on globalisation, and has criticised the Trans-Pacific Partnership for failing to do enough to support American jobs. Trump has gone so far as to call the pact a "disaster" for the US.
Mansi, a labrador and her handler Bashir Ahmed War were gunned down by infiltrators in Kashmir when they tried to stop them.

By Ashwini Kumar: 'Mansi', a four-year-old labrador and a member of Army's tracker dog unit, has become possibly the first canine to have been selected for a posthumous war honour, after she and her handler Bashir Ahmed War laid down their lives to prevent an infiltration bid by terrorists in north Kashmir.

Defence Spokesman Northern Command, SD Gowswami said that Mansi was today honoured with the 'Mention of Despatches' certificate. Her name will appear in the Gazette of India for making supreme sacrifice for the nation.

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MANSI FOILED INFILTRATION

He said that Bashir Ahmed War, her handler and a resident of Kupwara, was also posthumously awarded the Sena Medal as he died fighting for the nation while challenging a group of infiltrating militants in Tangdhar, 150 kms from Srinagar.

The duo had had a successful season last year with three kills to their credit. They were involved in the killing of a terrorist at Kaisuri ridge in Tangdhar area, followed by the gunning down of two militants on July 21 last year.

Mansi and War, of the 160 Territorial Army, were gunned down by infiltrating terrorists in August last year when they were posted in the dense forests where terrorist from Pak-occupied-Kashmir made an infiltration bid in Tangdhar sector.

Part of the Army's Tracker Dog unit, Mansi sensed a movement and started pulling War towards an area in the high mountainous jungles where the clouds where low.

HER HANDLER WAS SHOT DEAD

As Mansi started barking at the intruders, she got shot by an enemy bullet, something which was enough to provoke her handler who started firing relentlessly at the intruders, besides calling for reinforcement.

Death could not part them, as War also soon fell to the enemy bullets, but not before the reinforcements had arrived and an operation mounted to kill the infiltrators.

Maintaining the highest tradition of Indian army, "when a dog is injured on the battlefield, the army jumps into action in much the same way as it would do in case of an injured soldier. Here we had two casualties - the handler as well as the dog," recalled a senior officer.

DOGS, UNSUNG HEROES

Mansi's body was recovered and after documentations and post-mortem, a wreath was laid on her body. The mortal remains of the valiant friend of the Army were laid to rest at her unit lines at Trehgam in north Kashmir.

Dogs have been the unsung heroes in the war against terror in Kashmir and have helped the army eliminate many dreaded militants. Their bravery has won them battle honours, ranging from the Chief of Army Staff's commendation cards to the General Officer Commanding's commendation cards.

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Dogs attached with different counter-insurgency units have varied responsibilities in Kashmir. For example, trekker dogs are meant to help troops in anti-insurgency operations, guard dogs are responsible for guarding garrisons during the nights, while infantry patrol dogs help in bomb and IED detection.

--- ENDS ---
Recently I was helping a male friend fill out a dating profile and I told him to write he is sensitive. His reaction floored me. "Nah that makes me sound like a pussy," he said. "It's a compliment!" I replied. "It should be but it's actually not," he countered. "Think about it."

And so I did and realised that to an extent my friend is right. The word has been sabotaged over the years, sullied with connotations of the unhinged, thin-skinned and that other low blow of a term, hysterical [thanks for bringing that one up again Steve Price].

Winona Ryder: "I am supersensitive, and I don't think that that's a bad thing." Credit:Vera Anderson

I have been called sensitive by a boss who did not like me. He intended it to wound, which it did. Because it is true, I am sensitive. But I'm proud to be so. Wouldn't want to be any different even if I could be. Because to me the term means feeling. And in this one go I have at life, I want to feel everything.

And so far I have  acutely. I have suffered from bouts of debilitating depression and had my heart not so much broken but obliterated. On the contrary, I have felt so high on happiness I might take flight and I have loved and been loved deeply and completely. I regret nothing. It all has shaped who I am today.
For years I've been wanting a bag that said, "Hilary is a grown-up lady, not a bike courier or a scruffy backpacker." I did online research. I visited shops. I rejected bag after bag because they weren't practical, or beautiful enough, or "me" enough. It had to be perfect.

A few weeks ago, I finally found The One. I went back to the shop a few times until I was sure. I tried it on with different clothes. I spent 15 minutes in the change room. I had had enough of chewing over my spending decisions and feeling that vertigo of disappointment in myself that said, "You have been silly, and immature, and reckless. You are not an adult." This time I knew I was right.

Hunting for the perfect bag... Credit:

I even waterproofed the damn thing, in all its sensual pastel-green leathery beauty. Like a grown-up. I took it out a few times and it was perfect. Stylish, practical, comfortable, a bit funky, and lovely to hold. When I do events for work, I thought, this will mean no one looks and me and thinks, "What on earth have the ABC been thinking all this time? This is a bogan in disguise!"

Then I took it to a children's party and it got ginger beer spilt on it.
Burns and stroke victims, students and the elderly will be among those to benefit from a $1.1 billion development on the site of an old children's hospital, the Queensland government says.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk unveiled health and financial services company Australian Unity as the preferred tenderer to develop the former children's hospital site at Herston, alongside Health Minister Cameron Dick on Sunday.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk unveiled the plans on Sunday. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

A new Specialist Rehabilitation and Ambulatory Care centre would provide 132 beds for patients including burns and stroke victims, Mr Dick said.

There are also plans for aged care, retirement living and student accommodation.
A toddler has had a narrow escape after a vehicle crashed into a Gold Coast supermarket on Sunday.

A man and a young girl were lined up to pay for some groceries at the Currumbin Fair IGA just one minute before a vehicle smashed through the shopfront off Bienvenue Drive at 8am.

The male driver, 81, had been parked at the shopping centre carpark when he accidentally hit the accelerator, causing him to drive straight through the supermarket wall and into two fridges.

No-one was injured, however the driver was transported to hospital to be treated for shock.
Bendigo Street squatters in front of the Supreme Court on Sunday afternoon. Credit:Daniel Pockett The order includes Bendigo Street in Collingwood, Manningham Street in Parkville and Alexander Parade in Clifton Hill. Twelve of the residents attended court on Sunday, each giving evidence about what would happen if they were thrown out of their squat homes. Lucie Spectre in front of a house on Bendigo Street. Credit:Justin McManus Rudi, who has a son with autism, told the court he had been on the public housing waiting list for 10 years and had lived in caravan parks, private accommodation and crisis accommodation.

His son has "very high needs" and said if he were to be evicted from Bendigo Street "I would have to go back into crisis accommodation and I would not be able to see my son". Protesters and homeless people in Bendigo Street in April. Another squatter, John Alexander, said being thrown out would severely impact his mental health. "I have a sense of love and community that I've never experienced before, before coming to Bendigo Street it was the worst I have ever felt," he said. One resident, who asked not to be named, said the ruling was good news.

"The court heard from residents and recognised the impact that evictions would have, unlike the state government," they said. Homeless Persons Union of Victoria member Joel Bynon, who has been residing on Bendigo Street as a political protest to Victoria's lack of public housing, said Sunday's outcome provided a "moment of relief". "For a lot of people, the eviction notices triggered trauma of isolation, of ending up back on the streets," he said. "Ideally, the state needs to bear in mind that power actually means responsibility and they're responsible to act in a way that doesn't negatively impact a person's human rights." Mr Bynon said it was important to remember human rights must be protected for people who are homeless, just as they are for those who are not experiencing homelessness.

The group did not have time to find legal representation before appearing on Sunday, but they were assisted by barrister Claire Nicholson. They are hopeful they will be connected with a lawyer through Justice Connect before Monday's hearing. Ms Nicholson told the court the "balance of convenience" was very much in the favour of the squatters and "there may be an existing right for the residents to live there". She said one of the group's submissions was that they were not given enough time to find accommodation. The applicants were in the midst of seeking legal advice when the notices were served, Ms Nicholson said.

Justice Croft noted that the eviction notices were not dated and it was unusual for residents to be given less than 14 days' notice. However, he also noted that the Bendigo Street applicants were not "usual tenants," as they were not paying rent at the properties they were living in. Justice Croft said possession was something common law had recognised for centuries, and those rights should be recognised in this case. "You would hope a matter of relocation would be a process and not simply a matter of throwing people out into the street," he said. The properties were acquired by the state for the East West Link project, which was scrapped when Premier Daniel Andrews won power.

The government plans to use the homes for public housing. Victoria Police warned the squatters last week they could be guilty of trespass if they refused to leave the homes and that police could use "reasonable force" to evict them. Neither Victoria Police or the state government were represented in court. Families, including those with children who have started attending the local school, are worried about the impending eviction. One woman said she had fled her home with three young children to escape a violent partner she feared would kill her. "I've been to every single housing service. All that they can offer us is a room in a motel, which is extremely dangerous for me, because if I'm alone my partner could find me," she said.
Victoria's critical Guide Dogs charity fears it will lose millions of dollars in donations due to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Guide Dogs Victoria chief executive Karen Hayes told Fairfax Media the organisation was "extremely" worried people will wrongly believe it to be fully funded.

Vision-impaired man Mark Birkett with his guide dog Lester. Credit:Pat Scala

The organisation will lose 8 per cent of government funding under the NDIS.

And with only half of its client base of more than 2000 people qualifying for NDIS funding, donations remain crucial.
A man has been charged with dangerous driving after his car collided with a pole and oncoming traffic in Melbourne's east.

The 39-year-old driver and three people in the other car were taken to hospital, with the 30-year-old female driver of the other car suffering life-threatening injuries.

A driver lost control, hit a pole and crashed into an oncoming car, police say. Credit:ABC News

The accident happened on Ferntree Gully Road on Friday night.

A resident who heard the crash rushed to help the victims.
Each week nine-year-old Billy* has to find the words to speak about stuff he'd rather just not think about.

Talking to a stranger about how he was sexually abused makes him feel worried.

But with his friend Coop, an 18-month-old black labrador, by his side, his counselling sessions have become a little bit easier.

"Coop has enabled this child to do counselling for sexual assault with far less anxiety  it has been reduced by half," said Centre Against Violence chief executive Kerry Burns.
At the age of 16, Mlisho Karega ran for his life.

He fled the Democratic Republic of Congo's civil war by boat with his nine-year-old brother and then spent three years in a "miserable" refugee camp in Tanzania.

He won't talk about what happened to the rest of his family  "it is too sad," he said.

But in a rundown house in the camp, with a plastic sheet for a roof, he dreamt of becoming a doctor.
A Perth woman whose son has Down syndrome voiced her disgust over some "d---head" who threw a bottle through the window of a bus carrying disabled children in the southern suburbs of Perth last week.

The mother of the nine-year-old boy who didn't want to be named, said her son was on the School Bus Services bus in Hammond Park on August 5 when a bottle came flying through the window, shattering glass all over the children.

A bottle was thrown through the window of a bus carrying disabled children last week. Credit:Tony McDonough

"A lot of the kids have high sensory triggers and luckily they didn't have a meltdown because of their carers, but it's amazing they didn't freak out more," she told WAtoday.

"I can't believe no one was hurt.
She was put on a flight back by the security forces.

Jhanvi, who was wearing a suit in Tricolour for the occasion, said she was disappointed that she was not allowed to complete her mission. Photo: ANI

By Indo-Asian News Service: A 15-year-old girl from Ludhiana, who had vowed to hoist the Tricolour at Srinagar's historic Lal Chowk, was turned back by security forces from the airport there on Sunday.

Jhanvi Behal, who landed at the Srinagar Airport on Sunday with other people supporting her cause, was stopped at the airport itself after which she raised pro-India slogans.

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MISSION UNACCOMPLISHED

Jhanvi, who was wearing a suit in Tricolour for the occasion, said she was disappointed that she was not allowed to complete her mission of hoisting the Tricolour at the Lal Chowk in the heart of the Srinagar city.

She was put on a return flight by security agencies and sent back. She was told that she cannot step outside the airport as curfew was imposed in the Valley.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME

Jhanvi had earlier challenged Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union President Kanhaiya Kumar to a debate after the anti-India slogans on the JNU campus earlier this year.

Similarly, at the border of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, Hindu leader Swami Chakrapani was stopped by security agencies at the Madhopur barrier.

He was leading a group of people, carrying the Tricolour, saying that he will hoist it in Srinagar.

--- ENDS ---
Milwaukee. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker called in the National Guard on Sunday after an angry crowd set fire to buildings and attacked police cars in Milwaukee after police shot and killed a black man.

Officers pulled over a "suspicious vehicle" on Saturday afternoon, according to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and two people fled the vehicle and ran in different directions.

A Milwaukee officer who had been with the department for six years chased one of the men, identified by family members and police union officials as Sylville Smith.

The officer "ordered that individual to drop his gun," Mr Barrett said at a news conference.
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
Washington: For nearly 10 months, a Muslim congregation in the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, pleaded with township officials to allow the construction of a mosque, paying for expensive traffic studies, repeatedly explaining Islamic practices, revising and re-revising design plans, and then receiving the final word: No.

Then last month, the Justice Department stepped in, charging that the Bensalem Township zoning hearing board had violated federal religious land-use laws by denying the congregation's application after it had granted zoning exemptions for other religious construction projects.

"We were just asking for our mosque, and we just wanted to be treated like everyone else," said Imtiaz Chaudhry, a physician and member of the Bensalem Masjid congregation.

As anti-Islamic rhetoric and discrimination surges this presidential election year, the Justice Department is emerging as a bulwark for embattled American Muslims. Vanita Gupta, who heads the department's civil rights division, said terrorism abroad and at home had led to "an uptick in hate-related incidents against the Muslim community", a surge not seen since the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
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Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 14/08/2016 (2266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jared Hiebert didnt want this. He didnt want to plant another church in Steinbach, a city that has, in his assessment, lots of them.

It just nagged at me and I fought doing this, said Hiebert of launching another place of worship. The more I thought about it, prayed about it, looked around, the more I began to realize, instead of me thinking about going into a church and  not fitting in and finding myself struggling, I want to respect the churches that are here, he said.

He strove to start a Christian church from a mindset the city lacks.

IAN FROESE | THE CARILLON Pastor Jared Hiebert launched what is believed to be Steinbachs first ever Reformed church last Sunday. The Covenant Reformed Church intends to offer a theological perspective different from the places of worships already present in the city.

What youre not going to find in this area is a reformed theological perspective that is coming from a church explicitly committed to it, he said.

Steinbach did not have a Reformed church until Covenant Reformed Church held its first service Sunday, likely because the citys heritage hasnt fostered that belief. The region is historically Anabaptist, and, in turn, Steinbachs earliest settlers founded Mennonite churches that reflecting their teachings. Often referred to as Calvinism, Reformed theology is an understanding of faith that recognizes the Bible as the inerrant word of God. They focus on expository preaching, investigating the meaning of passages in Scripture by explaining what the Bible means by what it says.

Reformed theology is perhaps most commonly celebrated and argued against for what it says about Gods sovereignty. While other denominations believe that God saves people based on their decision to follow him, adherents to the Reformed faith believe it is Gods decision alone who is saved; human effort does not matter.

This blunts the criticism that Christians have to look or act a certain way, believes Hiebert.

Listen, youre part of our body no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, no matter who you are, but understand this: Gods grace is going to change you, he said.

The Reformed church also holds the view of complementarianism, which means men take leadership roles in the church and the family unit.

Hiebert, who lives in La Broquerie with his wife Tanya and his two children, says he didnt hide his Reformed beliefs when he spoke to his former congregation at Cornerstone Bible Church in Steinbach, where he pastored for a decade.

After leaving the church earlier this year, the Hieberts wanted to become part of a church together, where they could be a pastoral couple again. They took time off to determine their next step, when the idea of embarking on a new church took shape.

All the while I was fighting this thought of planting another church because Steinbach has a thousand of them, it seems like, said Jared Hiebert.

Its only been in the last two or three months when I felt really strongly that this would be the right thing to do for the right reasons.

In the months after he and Cornerstone mutually parted ways, Hiebert thought about forgoing the pastoral life completely, but he realized he couldnt. He felt called by God to not only keep preaching but continue his ministering in Steinbach.

One of the things I realized in my six months away is that this is what Ive been put on this Earth to do, said Hiebert.

He said he was excited to see the new church materialize. The first service, held at the Pat Porter Active Living Centre, attracted about 40 people to their gathering space, the Fireside Room.

When asked where Steinbachs first Reformed church will be in a couple years, Hiebert said he tries to avoid deliberately thinking about it.

The belief that I have in the sovereignty of God and his commitment to building the church is that if God is in this, he will build our church, he will make it look how he wants it to.

Covenant Reformed Church meets Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. on 10 Chrysler Gate.
By India Today Web Desk: In a major development in the Kerala youths ISIS case, the Mumbai Police crime branch has arrested Islamic preacher Mohammad Hanif from Kerala. He was wanted for radicalising and persuading youths to join ISIS. This is the third arrest in the case, and the first by the Mumbai police.

The man had taken classes for 11 of the 21 persons from Kerala who are missing and are suspected to have joined the IS, police said.



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Hanif was arrested based on a case filed by alleged ISIS member Ashfaq's father, Abdul Majid. Ashfaq went missing from Kasargod last month and messaged his sister that he was in the Islamic State. Majid had filed a complaint in Nagpada police station under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). In his complaint, he named Arshi Qureshi of Zakir Naik-led Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and his friend, Rizwan Khan for instigating his son and sending him to ISIS.

Qureshi and Khan are currently in the custody of the Kochi police.

With Hanif's arrest, the Mumbai police are probing his connection with Zakir Naik's IRF. He will be brought in to the city on Sunday.

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.



ALSO READ:

Mumbai Police releases Zakir Naik case report, CM Fadnavis to press for extradition



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In 2013, a Vietnam veteran named Michael Walli and two other nonviolent activists went on trial for breaking into the Y-12 National Security Complex, a nuclear weapons site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, that has been nicknamed the Fort Knox of Uranium. The incident had made national headlines the previous year, and Walli did not deny that hed taken part. Once inside, the protesters spray-painted idealistic graffiti (The Fruit of Justice is Peace) and spattered the premises with human blood. When a prosecutor asked Walli to explain himself, he said he and his friendsGreg Boertje-Obed, a housepainter, and Sister Megan Rice, a Catholic nun who was 82 at the timewere simply frail vessels fulfilling a divine obligation: God wanted the work done, and we were the three manual laborers who accomplished the mission.

That mission is the focus of Dan Zaks Almighty: Courage, Resistance, and Existential Peril in the Nuclear Age, a perceptive and important history of Americas nuclear weapons program, as told through the prism of a few people whove devoted their lives to challenging its existence. When the activists were arrested, their average age was nearly 70, Zak writes. The ease with which Boertje, Rice, and Walli breached Y-12s outer barriers raised all sorts of questions about the security of the nations weapons facilities (not to mention those of the eight other countries that possess nuclear arms).

Speaking from D.C., Zak, a Washington Post reporter, talked about the safety concerns inherent in Americas nuclear program, the effectiveness of zealous activism and the very different positions that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have taken on nukes.

Its July 28, 2012, when these three activists break into Y-12. They were affiliated with the Plowshares anti-nuclear weapons movement. What were they carrying with them?

They were carrying an assortment of items that were both symbolic and practical. They had bolt cutters to get through fences, flashlightspractical. They also had Bibles with them, baby bottles with human blood in them, and three hammers, which they used to chip away at the base of this building they were trying to get to.

Why hammers and blood?

With Plowshares actions, which are a tradition of very intrepid civil resistance going back to 1980, carrying blood and some kind of hammering implement is pretty standard in terms of props. Its rooted in the Book of Isaiah. Since (peace activists Daniel and Philip) Berrigan and others made the first Plowshares action, the intent was always to do something really boldto actually break into a weapons site, and then once there, to symbolically begin the disarmament process that the prophet Isaiah is decreeing: They shall beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks and they shall study war no more. It was a marrying of symbolic action to criminal actions that would make people pay attention, at least for a little bit.

In the book, you talk about how Sister Rice believes that this is just part of a decades-long journey that began in her youth.

She says she feels guilty for waiting till she was 82 to do this. She was born in 1930 in Manhattan, grew up during the Depression, came of age as World War II was getting started. She lived those formative years in Morningside Heights, near Columbia University. Her neighbor across the hall was a biophysicist at Columbia who was privy to the Manhattan Project, part of which was conducted at Columbia. There were murmurings in that neighborhoodthat there was secret work going on, secret work on the atom. She draws a direct line from that unease, and that confusion over the secrecy, to this action that she would take decades later.

In the interim, she went to Africa and taught, joined a religious order, so you cant really say she was resting on her laurels in terms of serving humanity. But instead of retiring and coming back home to the U.S. and taking it easy, she said: Well, Im done teaching in Africa, now I can do this type of anti-nuclear work that has been on my mind since childhood.

And her uncles experiences as a Marine also shaped her.

Her uncle Walter was deployed to Nagasaki after the second atomic bomb was dropped by the U.S. He was changed by that experience. He saw firsthand the devastation wrought by an atomic bomb, and he came back with what Sister Megan described to me as the terrible weight of knowing. He seemed to be haunted by it.

The Y-12 siteit was selected for this action because it was iconic in the history of World War II and the Cold War?

It was one of those places that was built from scratch really quickly during the Manhattan Project as part of the effort to develop an atomic weapon before Hitler. Scientists at the time knew that in order to make an atomic bomb, you needed to use uranium. The U.S. needed a giant factory, essentially, to enrich uranium so that it could be used in a nuclear weapon. It was such an industrial effort then that the U.S. had to build an entire city in East Tennessee, and that ended up being Oak Ridge. One of the plants in Oak Ridge was Y-12. This giant machinery enriched uranium that was used in the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. Y-12 is still in operation todayits no longer enriching uranium, but processing it, storing it, and doing lots of machine and engineering work for nuclear weapons.

How would you characterize security at Y-12 before this incident? You write about how it could be found on Google Maps, which was surprising.

I would describe it as somewhat spotty, or at least not prepared for activists who were trying to get in that way. There have been both safety and security incidents essentially since the creation of Y-12. There was a strengthening of security after 9/11, but it was in preparation for some kind of massive terrorist attack, which left some holes in terms of dealing with other kinds of threats.

People tend to blame this wobbliness on the U.S. just kind of taking its eye off the ball in terms of nuclear weapons after the Cold War. Oversight and investigative people often say that a culture developeda culture of complacency, a culture of tolerating 1,000-plus false alarms every day that are due to glitches. That can condition someone to think that the next alarm is likely a false alarm, which is exactly what happened in this incident.

Has this incident changed the culture at these nuclear facilities? How secure are these places?

Things have changed since the break-intheres more concertina wire, there was some retraining for their security force. Now, maintenance issues have to be fixed in a certain number of hours instead of lagging because of paperwork and bureaucracy. This cut down on false alarms. You could argue that the incident did tighten up security there.

But then I go back to your second questionwell, you can tighten it up as much as you want, but if human beings are involved, something is fallible. Its never going to be 100 percent.

The Y-12 break-in led to congressional hearings, but they didnt seem to accomplish much. You write that members of Congress arrived lateif they arrived at alland left early, after delivering a statement of general outrage. Is Washington doing its job when it comes to oversight of these sites?

I was a little chagrined by my experience going to nuclear weapons-related hearings, just because they do seem like theatrics and performance art rather than a dutiful nonpartisan inquiry into what may be going on. Theres just not a depth of knowledge in much of Congress. There used to be, especially during the Cold War. But today congressmen are so much more wrapped up in parochial concerns and conventional weaponry and terrorism. Theres a lot of discussion about funding certain sites and programs, but no discussion about strategy and what were doing with them and why.

Im guessing the quality of the oversight linked to the fact that these nuclear sites are massive job creators.

Its hard to un-create an economy around something. The U.S. has been aware of this ever since Eisenhower articulated it as the military industrial complex. You have senators and congressmen who have nuclear weapons labs in their districts, or ICBM silos and airbases in their districts, or shipyards in their districts, or plants like Y-12. And they are job creators and job maintainers.

President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in part because he talked about trying to reduce the number of nuclear weapons. Whats his legacy going to be on this issue?

His presidency is a very challenging one to assess in terms of this. He has had nuclear weapons on his mind since he was a student. His first major speech abroad was about seek(ing) the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. And then you have his visit to Hiroshima this past May, which was huge. In between, he has essentially signed off on a trillion-dollar overhaul and modernization of this arsenal.

I think he has done more than recent presidents to keep this issue at the forefront. Hes had four Nuclear Security Summits, to get world leaders to talk about securing nuclear material around the planet. His administration accomplished the deal with Iran, which is controversial but lengthens the amount of time it would take Iran to make a nuclear weapon. But at the same time, activists look at him and say: Theres an inherent paradox here, because youve just recommitted to a nuclear arsenal for generations.

Where are Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on this issue?

Hillary Clinton has said that Donald Trump is not someone who should ever have the nuclear codes. She makes it an issue of temperament and recklessness. But she said during her previous presidential campaign that the nuclear deterrent keeps the peace. And famously, in a back-and-forth with Obama in 2007, she didnt rule out using nuclear weapons on terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan. So I think that should be remembered.

And Trump has kind of been contradicting himself a little bit. He said that I will be the last to use nuclear weapons. Hes also said, in the context of nuclear use, we need unpredictability. Most alarmingly, he suggested that proliferation is going to happen anyway, whether or not we do anything about it, so that maybe it would be good if Japan and South Korea and Saudi Arabia had their own nuclear weapons. Which is anathema to decades of nuclear nonproliferation strategy.

There are nine nuclear-armed nations. In light of what happened at Y-12, what do we know about security at such sites in other countries?

A lot of people make the argument that if U.S. security of nuclear weaponswhich is probably the best in the worldis occasionally compromised in this manner, who knows what is vulnerable in places like India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan are what make most nuclear weapons experts nervous, just because of inherent tensions and security that may not be up to snuff.

One thing you can say for the U.S. is that were pretty transparentits a highly classified realm, but we publish our stockpile numbers, we make our budgets publicly available. China is not as transparent, Russia is not as transparent. North Korea is the most opaque. Theres intense concern. It would be very, very, very difficult, if not impossible, for a terrorist organization to make their own fissile material. But it is perfectly conceivable that that material could be stolen, and if U.S. security occasionally comes across as Swiss cheese-like, who knows what its like in China, India, Pakistan, and Russia.

So at the trial in 2013, Boertje-Obed, Sister Rice, and Walli were all convicted. But theyve since been freed?

They were released in May of last year, after a three-judge appeals court vacated their most serious conviction: intending to endanger the national defense. By that time they had served enough time for the conviction that stood, which was destruction of government property, so theyve been out for just over a year.

Whats your thinking about this kind of zealous activism after spending so much time reporting and writing about it? Is it sometimes necessary to show us that we tend to grow complacent about these big, important issues?

Listen, that kind of activism is what made me pay attention. I think whether or not they want to admit it, that is part of their strategy: In order to wake people from their complacency or non-concern, they have to do something really outrageous that will get them headlines. It worked. I admit that I would not have written about this if they had stayed on the other side of the line and held some signs.
ORENSE, Spain  She was called Nieves, and he, Gregorio. They fell in love in torrid, romantic Andalusia. She had had her eye on him, it was said, since they were teenagers and she was an aspiring nun. Now he was 56 and they could confess their mutual adoration. It would be one of those beautiful love stories that plays well on daytime television, and nothing more, had Nieves not spent years digging into certain scandals surrounding the Palmarian Catholic Church, and were Gregorio not Gregorio XVIII, said by the several thousand followers of the schismatic sect to be the one true Catholic pope.

Since May there has been a new pope, Peter III, in the would-be Spanish Vatican, because Gregory XVIII "lost his faith, he said, and eloped with Nieves. She had uncovered plots against him, according to various reports. And, having left the fold, he decided to tell all he knew (or said he knew) about this sect and the millions of dollars in donations the Palmarian Church receives each year.

If you have never heard of it, you are forgiven.
WARRI, Nigeria  The so-called Islamic State has different strategies in different parts of the world, but in Africa and in Europe, certainly, its core objective is becoming clear: to kill Christians. Its long-term goal: to provoke a new Crusade, reviving the holy wars of many hundreds of years ago in the belief that this time around Islam will win.

In practical terms, this focus on a single pervasive, easily targeted enemy is useful to a caliphate under pressure that is trying to keep its troops in line.

The way ISIS has handled its Nigerian disciples in the terror organization called Boko Haram, best known for kidnapping girls and using women and children as suicide bombers, is a perfect case in point.

Earlier this month, a man named Abu Musab al-Barnawi announced that he had taken over the infamous Boko Haram organization. And his first message as Boko Harams leader was as clear as it was conciseon his watch, the groups main focus will be killing Christians.

According to an interview published this month by the self-proclaimed Islamic State group (ISIS), al-Barnawi threatened to bomb churches and kill Christians, but will no longer attack places used by Muslims.

The man described as the new wali, or governor, of ISIS West Africa Province (as Boko Haram wants to be known), said there is a plot by the Western nations to Christianize the region and also claimed that charity organizations are being used to achieve this, according to an interview published in the Islamic State newspaper al-Nabaa and translated by SITE Intelligence Group.

"They strongly seek to Christianize the society, he said of these charities. They exploit the condition of those who are displaced under the raging war, providing them with food and shelter and then Christianizing their children.

The man who now runs Boko Haram said the group will deal with Christians by booby-trapping and blowing up every church that we are able to reach, and killing all of those who we find from the citizens of the cross.

Not only were al-Barnawis intentions clear, his agenda for Boko Haram also appears to be a clear script written by ISIS, to whom he answers. The new leader will be expected to deliver results that his predecessor, Abubakar Shekau, failed to achieve.

When Boko Haram under Shekaus leadership pledged allegiance to ISIS last year, it looked like the group would adopt ISIS modus operandi and embrace its ultimate goal to lead Muslims toward an apocalyptic battle against infidels, and eventually create a unified, Muslim territory where it would enforce its extremist beliefs. But that didnt turn out to be the case.

While ISIS, with a precise goal of gaining and inspiring its followers, developed strategies of achieving its aim, including citing the Quran in shaping its vision, and referencing the words of the Prophet in its statements, most of which it released on its well packaged online magazine, Dabiq, Boko Haram on the other hand showed it was a loosely organized group with militants lacking in strategy and erratic in behavior as it began to focus its attacks on the same Muslims it needed to inspire and recruit.

In recent months, rumors began to fly that Shekau had run into problems with the leadership of ISIS for his failure to obey its guidance.

In June, U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the nominee to lead the U.S. military's Africa Command, told a congressional hearing that Boko Haram have fractured internally, with a big group splitting away from Shekau over his failure to heed to instructions from ISIS, including ignoring calls to stop using children as suicide bombers.

"He's been told by ISIL to stop doing that, Waldhauser said, using the U.S. governments preferred acronym for Islamic State at his nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. But he has not done so. And that's one of the reasons why this splinter group has broken off.

"What concerns me is the breakoff group of Boko Haram who wants to be more ISIL-like, said Waldhauser, and consequently buy into the ISIL-brand of attacking Western interests.

Boko Haram has lost ground to a more determined Nigerian military in recent months, and without territory it loses some of its draw for new recruits, but al-Barnawis anti-Christian focus is tried and tested by his mentors in the caliphate, who want to keep the Nigerian conflict turned up to a full boil.

Al-Barnawis anti-Christian rhetoric is already the focus of ISIS in Europe. On the day he was announced as Boko Harams new leader, ISIS used the latest issue of Dabiq to paint Christianity as a false religion and Christians as cross worshippers. It encouraged Muslims to attack churches in a ways similar to the atrocity in France last month, where two men entered a Catholic church in small town Normandy, slit the throat of an 86-year-old priest, and gravely wounded a nun.

ISIS has proven in the past that it is capable of following up on its warnings, and determined to do so, is why the threats by the leader of its so-called West Africa province must be taken seriously.

Before the Normandy attack, ISIS, in the fifth issue of its slick French-language magazine, Dar al-Islam, which came out last summer, listed French churches as targets in a campaign "to create fear in their hearts," according to a CNN report last month.

The groups planned attack on a church in Villejuif in the Paris area in April 2015 was thwarted by French police after the man who was supposed to carry out the operation accidentally shot himself in the leg. But after failing in Villejuif, it returned to carry out the murder in Normandy, showing it can hit where it said its going to hitat a church. It is threatening to do the same in cities like London and Washington, D.C., and now in West Africa. With the Normandy attack, it was trying to prove to the world that it can do what it says it will do.

The Christians of the Middle East, though a minority, and a dwindling one in many places, are targeted as well. In June, an Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the murder of a priest in the Sinai Peninsula where it operates, describing him as a disbelieving combatant, in a way ISIS often describes non-Muslims.

ISIS has set an ambitious goal of fighting until disbelievers accept its options of conversion, submission by paying the infidel tax (jizyah), or death, and its removal of Shekau as Boko Haram leader is a clear indication that it wants its jihad to expand until it covers all eastern and western extents of the Earth, as it puts it in the fifth issue of Dabiq. In its home base straddling parts of Iraq and Syria, ISIS has persecuted all supposed infidels, including Yazidiscondemned as pagans and murdered or sold into slaveryas well as Christians.

This new global emphasis on cross worshippers is a return to the groups jihadist roots, harking back to the 1998 declaration by Osama bin Laden, Ayman Zawahiri and others that they would wage war on Crusaders and Jews around the world. A return to fundamentals is often the strategy of an organization trying to regain focus and rationalize its structure.

It wouldnt be easy for al-Barnawi to operate in the state at which Boko Haram is at the moment, said Ushie Michael, a prominent Nigerian security analyst who has been following the activities of the group right from inception. Shekau still has his faction, and there is most likely going to be a clash between both groups.

As ISIS seeks to reposition Boko Haram, Shekau disagrees with the new arrangement, and as a recording purportedly from him suggests, the former leaderwho described al-Barnawi as an infidel preaching false creedssees the announcement of a new head of the sect as a coup.

At the beginning of these exchanges [with ISIS], I was deceived. I was made to articulate my beliefs in writing, but this was rejected, Shekau said.

As things stand, Shekau has lost control of what remains of Boko Haram, and whether or not he agrees with this new development, it doesnt change what ISIS intends to do. To achieve its ultimate ambition of securing a global caliphate through a global war, it must keep its recruitswhether in the field in the Middle East, or fighting as part of subsidiaries in Africa, or as lone wolves in Europefocused on the enemy thats at hand: Christians.
Stranger Things, Netflixs buzziest binge hit of the summer, has a lot going for it: the cool-girl majesty of Winona Ryder, a Tumblr crushworthy turn from David Harbour, a terrific new talent in Millie Bobby Brown, and a palpable, nerdy enthusiasm for all things 80s, sci-fi, and horror.

But the single best thing about Stranger Things, with all due respect to poor Barb, is Dustin, aka Toothless. Hes a curly-haired, lisping, cinnamon bun of a human brimming with spunk, vital X-Men references, and a passion for chocolate pudding. He is indisputably the best. You could argue against this but then youd have to argue against this smile and then youd lose.

Played by 13-year-old Gaten Matarazzo, Dustin is the shows most quotable characterWhy are you keeping this curiosity door locked?and the glue that holds his friend group together when inter-tween politics get tough. Hes the voice of reason among his friends, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) the skeptic, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) the leader, and Will (Noah Schnapp), whose disappearance into a monstrous netherworld sparks a wave of supernatural phenomena in the boys tiny Indiana hometown.

When a girl with deadly telekinetic powers named Eleven (Brown) takes up residence in Mikes basement, its Dustin who realizes shes basically Professor X and helps advocate for her as an invaluable ally and friend. Hes a diplomat, in other words, and also a man of scienceor at least, he knows a lot about magnetic fields. And although hes not really all that brave, Matarazzo says, he is courageous in his own way.

I like how hes loyal to his friends and hes always there to keep trying to get people to get along, even if it doesnt work out all that well. Hes always trying his best to keep everyone in line.

And, he adds, importantly, his characters funny! I like the funny characters. Like in Harry Potter, I always loved Ron Weasley when I read the books.

Matarazzo was the first child actor cast in Stranger Things, five years after he said yes on an optimistic whim to a talent rep at a showcase hed tagged along to with his big sister. (I didnt know the first thing about acting but I was like, Yeah! And my mom went, Really? And I was like, Uh-huh! Lets just do it, its probably cool.) By 12, hed toured with two Broadway shows, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Les Miserables. He took a bit part on an episode of The Blacklistand then came the call for Stranger Things.

The shows creators Matt and Ross Duffer admit that before casting Matarazzo, they had little idea how to write a character like Dustin. Initially, theyd envisioned him as a flatter, more stereotypical nerda far cry from the adorable Nilla wafer truther who made it to screen. I dont think we really understood who that character was, says Matt, and then we met Gaten and basically tailored the show to him.

Indeed, like Dustin, Matarazzo is upbeat and often funny. More than once, our conversation turns to food. And his cleidocranial dysplasia, a condition that primarily affects the development of bones and teeth, was also written into the show for him, hence Dustins nickname, Toothless, and a scene in which he exasperatedly re-educates a pair of ignorant town bullies.

Its a very rare condition and not many people have it around the world, he says. When they wrote it into the show, I [started] getting a lot of messages and emails online from people who have the condition, saying that it really helps them come out of their shells a little bit. Because a lot of people have it much worse than I do and it affects them much worse than it does me.

Ive always liked to embrace the condition but other people dont feel the same way, he continues. They say that because this was in the show and this is the first time theyve heard of it outside the doctors office, it made them feel really good and it inspired them. Those messages really inspired me and made me feel good and appreciate the Duffers even more. I look up to them like theyre my older brothers. I mean, theyre just great guys. They inspired a lot of people to come out of their shells and embrace what they have.

Matarazzo perks up whenever I mention the Duffers, and gushes delightedly about how flattering and really cool it is that they chose to model so much of Dustin on himand his love of snacks.

I would always say that lunchtime was like, yay, my favorite time of the day, and there you go, with the chocolate pudding and the vanilla wafers not long after that. And the whole bag of food right before the adventure. It was great, recalls Matarazzo.

No actor in the history of television has bellowed so loudly over chocolate pudding, the way Matarazzo does in a pivotal school gym scene in The Bathtub. I was enthusiastic, he says. I thought it was real pudding! But it was this odd meat product and I had no idea. It smelled like cat food.

Matarazzo and the rest of the casts junior membersMcLaughlin, Schnapp, Wolfhard, and Brown, Americas most adored child actors at the momentbecame close friends over the course of production. All four were tutored on set together and still get together like crazy, though some warmed up to Matarazzo more quickly than others.

He met Wolfhard at a callback in Los Angeles, where they stayed at the same motel, hung out, and had good chemistry from the start. Schnapp, he says, is super sweet and McLaughlin, who also has a Broadway pedigree, had befriended Matarazzo years ago in New York. (Matarazzos a Jersey boy.)

And I had met Millie also at the audition, he continues, but she was very shy there and I didnt know why. It was weird because shes not a shy person. But when I got to know her and we started shooting, she was much more energetic, which I was pretty happy about because I feel like I can be a pretty outgoing person.

It took all of one scene on their first day for the actors to break the ice, accidentally bonding over a time-old epidemic plaguing kids their age: contagious, uncontrollable laughing fits.

Its not good, the first day, to have a big case of the giggles, Matarazzo says solemnly, recounting the Duffers first attempt at shooting the shows raucous Dungeons & Dragons opening scene. All the kids had it. It was a very early day, we had to be there at dawn and, I dont know why, but we would start cracking up over the littlest things.

The memory, of course, makes him start giggling. I remember Finn was really serious and doing his lines, and he did a sneeze that he tried to recover from. But the way he did ithe just sneezed and looked up really quickly and got right back into the scene. But for some reason, it made Caleb start laughing. And him trying to hold it in made Noah start laughing. And Noahs laugh started making me laugh. So then we were all laughing. It was great.

Trips to the local multiplex to watch Star Wars and a wave of impossibly cute group selfies soon followed. Even now, as they await word on a Season Two renewal, the kids keep in touch via FaceTime and a group chat called, appropriately, The Coolest of Stranger Things.

Were just like brothers and sisters, its just a great bond, Matarazzo says. We had so much fun on set together.

For now, hes busy keeping cool for the summer, hitting up Six Flags with his brothers friends, playing video games, and hanging out with his neighborhood pals. Hes a normal kid, after allthe quality that makes him and his young co-stars so believable as best friends onscreen.

Well, that and the glorious goofiness of this face.

Long live the Coolest of Stranger Things.
UPDATE 8/15/16: This article has been updated with comment from Man of Steel writer John Byrne.

The self-destructing vortex of orange-tinted lunacy known as Donald Trump has earned apt comparisons to a cartoon villain since the nascent days of his presidential campaign. Like Supermans arch-nemesis Lex Luthor, Trump is known for his business acumen and inflated sense of self-importance. Both are often guided by grudges and bottomless ambition. Both are damaged, shriveled souls lacking in empathy and sound judgment.

And, most strikingly, both have run for president on platforms pandering to paranoia and a fear of aliens. There are differences, of course: Luthor, for instance, has never taken to live television to confirm the size of his dick. And for all his unhinged plots, Luthor does have a slightly firmer grasp on reality and the nuances of the English language. Still, both campaigns thrive on xenophobia, militarism, misinformation, and outlandish promises neither can keep. (A big, beautiful wall along the Mexican border! Flying cars for every household!)

Parallels between Trump and Luthor began only incidentally. In 1986, DC Comics rebooted the entire Superman mythos in part to better reflect the anxieties and preoccupations of modern America. Instead of a mad scientist, Luthor was re-envisioned as a rich and powerful businessman, an idea hatched by writer Marv Wolfman and realized in the comics event of the century, writer and artist John Byrnes Man of Steel miniseries.

It was a time when anti-corporate public sentiment against real-life Wall Street villains like Michael Milken and Barry Minkow was on the rise (the film Wall Street, featuring the partly Milken-inspired Gordon Gekko, was released one year later). But unsurprisingly, one wealthy 80s mogul in particular inspired the new Luthor: "Of course, Donald Trump was our model," Byrne tells The Daily Beast.

As a foil for Superman, no villain now felt more antithetical to truth, justice, and the American way than Luthor, a ruthless criminal capitalist. He was now more sinister than ever, seemingly ready to walk right off the page and into corporate boardrooms, the way Bob Batchelor puts it in The Man from Krypton: A Closer Look at Superman.

He had an inflated ego and a penchant for naming every company subsidiary after himself (LexCom, LexTel, Luthor Technologies, Luthor Industries, and on and on). But if the parallels to Trump werent clear enough yet, the cover of 1989s one-shot Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography crystallized them. Seem familiar?

Eric Petersons cover art evokes Trumps Art of the Deala tasteful enough title actually, compared to Luthors memoir, Simply Brilliant. The graphic novel, written by James Hudnall, detailed Luthors new backstory through the eyes of a nosy fictional journalist, Peter Sands. We learn that Luthors sociopathy manifested itself early: as a child he was cruel, especially to girls (an egotistical maniac with a lifelong history of misogyny, weird!). And, horrifically, he engineered the deaths of his own parents to use their life insurance as a nest egg for his fortune.

The Smallville fire that killed Luthors parents destroyed a vital part of Luthors humanity. He never coped with his own pain, instead suppressing it and twisting it into the evil that came to define him. As a soulless adult, he arrives in Metropolis, founds LexCorp, and uses his wealth and power to break into politics.

Of course, these then-new biographical facts are only vaguely similar to the story today of Trumps rise to power. For starters, Trump hasnt killed anyone (that we know of) and the humble beginnings he loves bragging about equate to a small loan of $1 million (or so he claims) from his fathernot a childhood of abuse and neglect, as with Luthor.

Even when Luthor ran for and was elected President of the United States in 2000, few could have imagined his real-life counterpart TrumpDonald Trump, the reality star, the sentient Caps Lock buttonwould also one day clinch a nomination. "Art imitating life becomes life imitating art," Byrne says today.

Having already reached the peak of his powers in the private sector, Luthor decides to become the one person in America to whom Superman must defer: POTUS. 2000 was an infamously fraught election year for real-life America; in the comics, Luthor exploited this to become a viable third-party candidate. As part of his campaign, he promised to bring fantastical leaps in technology (aka flying cars) to every household in Metropolis, turning it truly into the City of Tomorrow.

After being voted into office however, he turns his attention to more sinister ends: turning public opinion against Superman through strident anti-alien rhetoric and underhanded, world-threatening aggression. In Jeph Loebs Superman/Batman, Luthor takes to live television to blame the biggest threat facing Metropolisa world-ending meteor he knew was coming but chose not to preventon Superman.

He is an alien. A curse upon this planet, he says. As they say in our great nations farmlands, curses are like chickens. They always come home to roost.

Luthor tempts the worlds supervillains with a $1 billion reward for delivering Superman to federal authorities, to face charges of crimes against humanity. (Who wants to bet Trump blames an incoming meteor on Obama before November?)

The story ends as youd expect: Luthor descends irrevocably into madness, nearly self-destructing in his tunnel-vision quest to destroy a perceived enemy. But in a separate iteration of the President Luthor story, another Trump parallel emerges.

There are those who, in their desperate attempt to make sense of the dystopian mayhem that is the 2016 presidential election, believe that Trump isnt running for president at all. Instead, they think, hes running simply for a brand boost, part of the worlds most toxic PR campaign, and he doesnt want to be president at all.

In the animated DC Comics show Justice League Unlimited, Luthor runs for president with no intention of ever taking office. Detective-hero The Question confronts Luthor, intending to kill him before he gets elected and dooms the Earth (again). Then Luthor makes a chilling revelation:

My campaign is a farce, a small part of a much larger scheme, he scoffs at Question. President. Do you know how much power Id have to give up to be president?I spent 75 million on a fake presidential campaign, all just to tick Superman off.

The idea of Trump summoning enough foresight and restraint to pull off an entire fake presidential campaign is mostly laughablehe cant apply enough foresight to finish his sentences coherently half the time. Trump seemingly also has no real, deep-held beliefs, not any he upholds consistently, anyway. And if Luthor is one thing, its consistent in his undying grudges.

But both Trump and Luthor do have a firm understanding of one ugly truth, that which carries campaigns built on hate so far. If mankind has one common emotionits fear, Luthor tells Superman in Superman/Batman #6. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what they cant control.

If theres one idea that over 80 years of Superman stories have tried to instill in readers, its that hope must trump fear for the sake of the future. This isnt Bizarro world, where everything is backward and upside down; this is 2016, and yet here we are. Lets try not to let the Man of Steel down.
After the age of 21, your body slowly stops releasing an important hormone known as HGH (Human Growth Hormone), which covers everything from gray hair to sex. Its all downhill from therethats all I have to say.

When I was recently invited to speak on Aging Successfully, I agreed, then hung up the phone in shock. Apparently I was old. Old enough to be asked to talk about how to grow old, which meant other people thought I was old. Heck, I thought, should I get a face lift or a new saddle for my horse? I meditated on that for a week, then figured a pair of those big rubber bands you use to bind manuscripts would just fit around my face if I really needed a lift once in a while. And I really needed a new saddle more.

The great literary critic Groucho Marx once said, Outside of a dog, a book is a mans best friend. Inside of a dog, its too dark to see. It makes you wonder, doesnt it, why I would begin with dogs and booksperhaps my subject is to be canine and hardbound or paperback.

If there is one concern all writers share, it is how to invoke, instill, reintroduce the element of wonder into our readers, and sometimes even our loved ones. I for one, would like my husbandoh, never mind. If characters in fiction are bound by the three Ds (dreaming, desiring, damning), why is it that we end up so often only experiencing the lastdamning?

Gabriel Garcia Marquez said that his novel 100 Years of Solitude leaves a margin to the readerand therefore he did not wish to see it made into a film, although he himself began life as a screenwriter.

It is that margin, that sometimes minuscule, sometimes vast landscape of the imagination where our readers often dwell without us. Or just as often cannot enter, fail to find the door, or have lost the key for entry.

Writers define their job in various ways: To inform, to introduce certain material, to persuade, to give solace, to put order in chaos, to entertain. Novelist Brent Spencer says, I started to write to try to get the world to listen to me. Wright Morris said that writers have an island, a center of refuge, within themselves. It is the minds anchorage, the souls great good place.

If we wish then to both provide the means to be heard, and the means for the reader to discover the refuge within ones self, how are we to begin our task? A task which seems to grow more difficult as we grow older, when its not that we necessarily grow wiser, we just grow more careful. As writers age, they ask themselves if their work has been worth it, has it made a difference, and later, is anyone out there still listening? How do I speak to younger readers?

As a writer, I go toward the mystery, hoping to take readers with me. Writing a thing has to be just beyond your ability to do to keep it interesting. Because of difficulty, its more satisfying then. One of the ongoing arguments I have with myself as a teacher of literature and writing concerns the difficulty of the work Im assigning, often wondering if its possible even to teach some of my favorites like William Faulkner or Flannery OConnor or Louise Erdrich to todays students because so much is required in terms of explanation and background. I know other writers who worry that their work is too hard, too arcane, too outside popular culture to attract younger readers. Have we simply aged out, like cartons of half-spoiled milk or softening strawberries in the fridge? Does art have an expiration date? Plenty of writers have thought so before me, Tolstoy and Chekhov, for example, but I dont think I can quit. Ive done this for so long, it would leave this huge emptiness in my day. What the heck would I do with all that time? And I come from a very long lived family where the women especially last into their hundreds. I just cant imagine watching that much television.

One lesson I have learned as a writer is that readers want to encounter the real thing. They may have to learn how to grasp complexity, how to confront difficulty, but regardless of age, they know when the experience has the concreteness of the real. It seems odd that as a writer concerned with aging and relevance, I would choose to go back in time to recast and re-vision our countrys history rather than embrace contemporary culture in my novels. What Ive discovered is that the younger readers are searching for a way to see, to frame the past that helps them make sense of their present.

In my novels, I work to introduce readers to the notion of wonder and mystery underlying the difficult. I want to teach them about Marquezs margin, where their own imaginations can come to create, and about the larger landscapes where they can invent for themselves. In going back historically, I rediscovered the wonder in myself, and approached areas Id personally been afraid of for years, and began reading in biology, astronomy, physics, and mathematics, for instance. As an aging artist, I feel the urgency as never before to gather facts, to learn, to absorb, to embrace the world, to try to finally understand.

Edward O. Wilson says that people must belong to a tribe, they yearn to have a purpose larger than themselves. We are obliged by the deepest drives of the human spirit to make ourselves more than animated dust, and we must have a story to tell about where we came from, and why we are here.

As a writer then, my job is to wake the sleeper in myself, as well as in others. Because as Sophocles said in the 5th century BC, Numberless are the worlds wonders. But as we age, we are posed with the problem of shrugging off the known, the familiar.

All human evil comes from this, mans inability to sit still in a room. Pascals words are great advice to the writer of fiction. The most accurate description of plot and action you could ask for. What hes also suggesting, of course, is that the human mind cannot stand enclosure for very long without inventing some kind of larger landscape for itself.

Since consciousness is the spinner of narratives about the self, stories we continually edit and which edit ourselves, stories are where my narrator meets yours, it is up to all of us to enlarge that meeting place.

Arthur Koestler in The Act of Creation says that like the universe in which he lives, (man) is in a state of continuous creation. The exploratory drive is as fundamental to his nature as the principle of parsimony which tends towards the automatization of skilled routines 

Here is another example of what Im speaking about: One of my oldest friends and writing companions, who just turned 60 and teaches at a private university, recently told me that he had a new plan for his life. His goal was to go in the opposite direction of achievement in terms of points gained for salary increase, merit pay, recognition. What he wanted was to become middlingmiddle of the roadto achieve a modest life, one that allowed him to sit and talk and read and think, to enjoy those pleasures which initially led him to reading and teaching literature. So he was going to go to the chair of his department and say, Dont give me any more superior or outstanding ratings. Give me average from now on. Please, give the merit and money to the younger teachers, they need it. Im fine. Stop praising me. Stop asking me to serve on committees, to give expertise, to pretend. I wont do all that. Im just a middle-of-the-roader now. Not worth your attention. I wont screw up, I promise, but I wont work as hard either. You can count on that and me. Ill be there. Ill meet my classes, dont worry.

My friend had gone to sleep being outstanding. He had to turn his life around, much like Thoreau, and go to a place, a landscape, which was new to him, where he could explore and create again.

Hes become my model. We all have models for agingcomplaining relatives half-destroyed by time, or the other, luckier ones like my friend Nancy, who tells a story of a hot afternoon encounter with a small airplane swooping down and buzzing their farm in the Berkshires of Massachusetts until finally she yanked up her T-shirt and in her words, waggled my bare breasts at him. She was 75 at the time.

To paraphrase American poet Galway Kinnell: To build the biggest fires, sometimes you have to throw yourself in.

What is the mystery locked in each human heart? What is the mystery each of us is destined to confront and attempt to understand? This is the subject of our lifes endeavor, the state of wonder that drives us, the effort it takes to free the mind. Whether successful or not, it is in doing that we achieve honor and worth. Like Icarus, whether we burn up in the suns heat or not, at least we have attempted to free ourselves to imagine another landscape.

Albert Einstein said, The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and science. He who knows it not and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle.

Thus, not only must we wake the sleeper in our self, we must help her enter and reenter the state of wonder.

Fiction writer Lorrie Moore in an essay titled, Better and Sicker, says, Art has been given to us to keep us interested and engaged, rather than distracted by materialism or sated with boredomso that we can attach to this life, a life that might, otherwise, be an unbearable one  so much of art originates and locates itself within the margins, that is, the contours of the human self, as a form of locating and defining the self.

In facing the challenge posed by our aging selves, we are forced to become searchers, forced to reconfigure, reconstruct, reimagine the place we inhabit, the locus of our own psyche. Searchers are not purely researchers. We are not necessarily trying to confirm theories, preconceived notions, or plans. Sometimes we are trying to eliminate possibilities, but mostly, we are looking for possibilities, opportunities to which we can respond. The act of imagining, as much as the act of creating writing and reading, requires living in a prolonged state of psychic discomfort. Wonder, the most essential ingredient for the searcher, makes the familiar strange, even unknown, wonder cleanses memory along with eyesight, wonder makes our encounters raw and new again so that we see for the first time, hear words, the names of things in all their oddness so that they reverberate, ringing across time to become specifically our owndelivered to our sensual doorstep with a note: This is yours. Regardless of age, the reader has two choices: to close the book and refuse to enter the unknown, or to enter the state of wonder and travel as searchers into the strange new land.

I used to mock the caravans of RVs and campers filled with older people crowding the roads while I traveled. Now I recognize them as a tribe.

An 86-year-old friend recently told her daughter, I dont invite you to my dinner parties, though my guests are sometimes your age, because you make me feel old. When youre here, Im just your mother.

What is necessary for us as we age is often unpredictable, and requires that we free ourselves to encounter what actually is of importance, rather than being told. We need to follow the advice of poet Richard Wilbur: Step off into the blank of your mind, something will come to you.

Everything has potential in a state of wonder, and thats a difficult place to spend much time in. Sight is the last sense to develop. You can only see what you know. There is so much weighing against our wonder. Our inclination is to fill in the gaps with what we do know when confronted with the unknown, rather than to sit for any amount of time in wonder:

A young New York editor recently traveled to Nebraska for a visit, and when she returned home, and was asked about her trip, she reported that she hadnt realized there were so many round barns in the Midwest. Silos, her audience finally realized, she was talking about the grain silos.

We often see round barns, it seems, when something takes us to an unfamiliar landscape, and we have to resist the urge to settle for that. We have to learn that wonder is an excellent travel companion, then we can discover the beauty of new languages.

The real voyage of discovery, says Marcel Proust, consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

I leave you with my best advice for aging, which is also one of the primary Rules of Scientific Research: Make your mistakes quickly. In other words, dont dwellmove on!

Jonis Agee is the author of numerous stories, essays, screenplays, and novels, the most recent of which, The Bones of Paradise, was published this month. She lives in Nebraska and owns 20 pairs of cowboy boots.
Sen. Jeff Sessions seemed exasperated from the get-go during an interview on This Week on Sunday morning.

Youve had this whole morning talking about nothing but negative on the Trump campaign, he said to host Martha Raddatz, when asked to respond to a less than complimentary story in the New York Times.

He wasnt wrong.

Across the Sunday morning talk shows, a series of guests used their airtime to plead with, criticize and outright bash Donald Trumpand these were just the Republicans.

Its not that Hillary Clinton had a stellar weekshe didnt. Another batch of her State Department emails released by Judicial Watch seemed to hintat best Clinton Foundation donors attempting using their connections to get meetings at the State Department orat worstpay to play.

But what normally would have been a tough week for Hillary took a backseat to Trumps latest bout of self-destruction.

The Republican nominee began the week seeming to encourage second amendment people to take matters into their own hands if Clinton won. By midweek he would declare multiple times that President Obama and Clinton were the founders of ISIS and wrapped it all up by telling a rally in Pennsylvania that the only way his campaign could lose the Keystone state would be because of massive fraud.

Yes, that was all in one week.

Sessions, a steadfast Trump supporter, tried to explain why Trump has failed to switch his message to appeal to a general electorate but eventually settled on an argument that Trump is wrestling to stay on message.

He had a lot of fun in the primaries. He was really charging away. And he enjoyed that, Sessions said. But it is a different thing to run a presidential election. You're dealing even with a different constituency. And so he's got to wrestle in his own heart, how does he communicate who he is, what he believes, the change he thinks he can bring to America, why what he's doing is fulfilling the desires of the American people.

Those desires do not extend to top GOPers two of whom openly disavowed their partys nominee on Sunday and discussed their search for other options.

On CBS, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Mainea moderate, deal-brokering, well-liked member of the Upper Chambersaid Trumps attacks on the Khans were inexplicable, and that she may vote libertarian.

She announced her non-endorsement of Trump last week, but used Sundays appearance to reiterate her decision.

She said she gave a heads-up about her decision to a number of prominent Republicans before going public, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and leaders at the Republican National Committee. And she said none of them tried to talk her out of it.

Now, shes says shes mulling a vote for libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, or potentially writing in her choice.

I know that it is appealing to people that Donald Trump has jettisoned the politically correct stilted campaign speeches that frustrate voters, she told host John Dickerson. But the problem is that theres a big difference between that and treating people with respect and common decency. And theres where, in my judgment, Donald Trump has failed.

Then George W. Bushs secretary of commerce during his second term, Carlos Gutierrez, hit the Republican nominee during an interview on CNNs State of the Union

Gutierrez is not on the Trump Train. He said he decided he couldnt back Trump two months ago, when Trump bashed Judge Gonzalo Curiel for his Hispanic ethnicity and then referred to a rally attendee as my African-American.

That, for me, was the end of it, he said. I dont want to go back 50 years. I dont want to see kids being bullied at school because they have a Spanish last name. I dont want people talking about my African-American. I dont want people making fun of handicapped people.

Instead, hes voting for Hillary Clinton.

I think that a Trump presidency, in spite of the fact that hes a Republican, is dangerous, he said.

And, he added, Clinton could make a darn good president.

Gutierrez isnt alone. Over the last few weeks, a host of Republican insiders -- including top Jeb Bush advisor Sally Bradshaw and former presidential national security advisor Brent Scowcroft -- have said they wont back their partys nominee and may support Clinton. Richard Armitage, George W. Bushs deputy secretary of state, also said hell back Clinton.

On Fox News Sunday, Trumps own vice presidential pick had trouble staying completely positive about him. Though the Indiana governor emphasized that hes honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with Trump, he also hinted at frustration over the moguls media blacklist -- which The Daily Beast is on.

When host Chris Wallace pressed him on his efforts to get the campaign to provide media credentials to outlets that have criticized Trump, Pence demurred.

Well keep our private conversations private, but thats an ongoing discussion in the campaign, he said. And Ill -- I do believe in the publics right to know, whether its about these latest allegations about Hillary Clinton or otherwise, and well continue that -- well continue to advance that principle.
After Bihar Police officers' threat to go on mass leave, Lalu Prasad Yadav comes out in support of CM Nitish Kumar and imposition of prohibition in the state.

By Rohit Kumar Singh:



First Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and now RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav has warned Bihar Police officers, who find themselves incapable of enforcing prohibition in the state. Lalu has dared the cops to quit their jobs if they are not confident of implementing the new prohibition law.





Earlier, Bihar government suspended 11 SHOs, who were found guilty of not enforcing prohibition in their jurisdiction. Giving a warning to such police officers, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had then challenged them to quit and sit back home.





Talking to media-persons, Lalu said that the move of the Bihar government to suspend 11 SHOs was a step in the right direction.





"The police officers should vacate their posts if they cannot enforce prohibition. There are several unemployed youths waiting in the queue for recruitment", said Lalu.





POLICE OFFICERS ARE SKEPTICAL





Ever since the state govt has suspended 11 SHOs, over 200 SHOs from across the state have voiced their support to their punished colleagues. They demanded that their suspension be revoked failing which they would go on mass leave from 28th August.





These 200 police officers have also written to their respective SPs that they should be relieved from their duty as SHO as they feared suspension if prohibition law was violated in their respective areas.





WHY DOES LALU'S SUPPORT TO NITISH MATTER?





After suspension of 11 SHOs, Nitish had said, "Prohibition law is applicable for all. I am not bothered if cops want to quit their post. It would be better that they not only quit their post but also their job and sit home."





But, officers of Bihar Police openly came out in support of their suspended colleagues putting enormous pressure on the Chief Minister. Lalu's support to Nitish's decision to suspend those SHOs, under whose jurisdiction prohibition is violated is an attempt to neutralise police officers' posturing.





Lalu's support to Nitish also settled the controversy that was brewing up for some time that the two leaders were not on the same page on the issue of prohibition in the state.

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ALSO READ:

Quit job and sit at home if you can't enforce liquor prohibition in Bihar: Nitish Kumar tells cops

Bihar: 10 police officers suspended for not implementing prohibition law







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Since his death over a century ago, Vincent van Gogh has become something of a poster child for tormented artists.

His life was troubled and tragic, plagued by mental illness and anxiety that resulted in his now notorious act of madness, cutting off part of his own ear and mailing it as a gift to one (un)lucky lady. But this anguish also fed his immense artistic talent.

The more I become dissipated, ill, a broken pitcher, the more I too become a creative artist in that great revival of art, he once wrote in a letter to his brother Theo.

But following his death (by either suicide or murder, the verdictand gun in questionare still out) at the age of 37, his genius finally began to gain the external recognition it deserved. So, too, did the nearly 900 paintings he created in his lifetime (a stunning feat considering he only began painting at the age of 27).

These works have been honored to the tune of multimillion-dollar price tags at auction.

But theres such a thing as being too coveted. Rather than living peaceful lives of luxury hanging in distinguished museums and regal mansions, several of Van Goghs works have become the targets of art thieves, proving that the curse of beauty is real.

The list of museums that have fallen victim to these art-loving bandits is long and distinguished.

But one museum in Egypt has faced the indignity of having the same Van Gogh painting stolen not once, but twice, and it remains missing to this day.

Van Gogh painted Poppy Flowers, also known as Vase and Flowers, in 1887, three years before his death. It is not one of his most famous works, but it is a quintessential Van Gogh, a post-impressionist masterpiece depicting vibrant yellow flowerswith three red blooms thrown insitting in a dark vase against a dark background.

From 1886 to 1890, Van Gogh tried to capture in oils the vibrancy of the poppy flowers that bloomed in the fields of the south of France every year in the late spring. He started by painting still lifes while in residence in Paris, before he moved on to landscapes of the flower-filled fields while on location in the southern countryside.

The painting in question was one of the formera still life the artist created while living with his brother in the Montmartre neighborhood of the French capital.

Sometime following the artists death, Poppy Flowers made its way from Paris to Cairo, where it was installed as one of the prized works in the impressive collection that made up the Mohamed Khalil Museum. It was here that the luck of the poppy first took a turn for the worse.

On June 4, 1977, Poppy Flowers went missing. It is impossible to discover what actually happened given that the Egyptian government has never disclosed details of this feat, but it is thought that the painting went missing sometime during the museums move between two palaces.

While the government has kept mum to this day, they have suggested that the culprits were a trio of Egyptians. Whoever these bandits might have been, the painting was eventually found and recovered from a non-disclosed location in Kuwait.

One can imagine the officials at the Mohamed Khalil Museum breathed a sigh of relief when their resident Van Gogh was installed back in its rightful home.

But it seems they got a little too comfortable with the return of their prodigal painting.

On a Saturday in August of 2010, Poppy Flowers was stolen once again, this time in broad daylight. In just the first in a series of stunning revelations about the crime, it was reported that the suspect (or suspectswe still dont know) pushed a couch up to the wall in order to cut the painting out of its frame, and then casually left the museum.

None of these actions attracted the attention of the museum staff or raised any sort of alarm.

Given the prominence of some of the museums collectionincluding works by the likes of Monet, Renoir, and Degasone would think an epic failure of security on such an extreme level would be impossible.

But the negligence goes even deeper. According to Egyptian officials, at the time of the theft, only seven of the museums 43 security cameras were operational and none of the security alarms were actually active.

An Egyptian prosecutor, Abdel Meguid Mahmud, described this situation as offering merely a facade of security. In addition, the roster of possible suspects was slim, as only 10 people are reported to have visited the museum on the day in question.

As soon as the frame with the gaping hole was discovered, the country scrambled into action. The Egyptian Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, ordered the airports and seaports on high alert, while museum officials faced an official inquiry into the disastrous security situation, which resulted in several high-profile arrests.

Soon after the robbery was reported, officials announced that they had detained two Italians as they were boarding a flight home. The Italians had been visiting the museum with a tour group and had roused officials suspicionsafter the factafter someone remembered spotting them entering the bathroom and then quickly exiting the building.

Hosni initially announced that the painting had also been recovered, but was embarrassed to learn this information was false, and he was forced to quickly retract his statement.

While there was a frenzy of excitement in the days following the theft, the Italians quickly disappeared from news reports (one presumes they were eventually allowed to fly home).

Its unclear if any concrete leads remain, but a month after the fateful August day, the Egyptian Interior Minister, Habib Al-Adly, told the Daily News of Egypt that the likeliest scenario was that the Van Gogh nabbing was an inside job.

There are many circumstances around the theft of the Poppy Flowers that point to the fact that a museum employee participated in the theft or stole it himself, Al-Adly said. The location and placement inside the museum confirms this.

Whoever now possesses the Van Gogh has kept this nefarious acquisition a deeply buried secret, which must be a tough feateven tougher than the casual theft itselfgiven the works current value of around $50 million.

Each year, the poppy flowers continue to bloom in the south of France, just as they did when Van Gogh captured them on canvas over a century ago. But, for the past six years, his Poppy Flowers has remained silently absent, having vanished without a trace.
Days after an Indian elephant strayed into Bangladesh after being washed away by flood waters, a massive operation has been launched to help the elephant reunite with its herd in India.

The Indian elephant reportedly travelled over 600 miles after being separated from its herd due to the floods.

By Maha Siddiqui: Over a month ago India witnessed the heart-warming story of Delhi boy Sonu re-uniting with his family 6 years after being kidnapped and landing up in Bangladesh. And now there is a story of an Indian elephant washed away by floodwaters and landing up in Bangladesh, making his journey back home.

It is believed that flash floods on the Brahmaputra resulted in the jumbo being washed down almost 1500 kms and landing up in the neighbouring country.



The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh V Shringla who posted this incredible story on Facebook said, "the wildlife team from India that came to rescue him opined that given his complete lack of familiarity with humans, he was likely to be from Kaziranga or even Arunachal Pradesh." The jumbo has been trying to head back home on its own.

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It has been walking down for over a month and a half traversing five districts in Bangladesh heading north towards India in search of its herd. Some officials suggested that it was 'weak and dehydrated' while making the effort to look for its home.



FULL-FLEDGED OPERATION TO SAVE JUMBO

A full-fledged operation has been launched to help the elephant come back to India but is proving to be slightly tough. The Indian wildlife team from Assam that went to Bangladesh could not tranquilise the elephant as it was in an inundated area and could drown if it fell in water. It was later tranquilised by the Bangladesh wildlife vets after the Indian team left.

In a query by India Today, Indian High Commissioner said, "the current plans are to stabilise the elephant where he is and then take him to the Safari Park in Gazipur for complete recovery before deciding on the next step."

The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh V Shringla with the Indian wildlife team.

The High Commissioner has thanked the Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Bangladesh Kamaluddin Ahmed who is overseeing the jumbo's journey back home.

He also expressed India's appreciation for the dedicated team of forest officers who have been provided the elephant with salt and sugar cane and trailing him in the inhabited areas and inundated farmland that it has been traversing. The earlier plan was to transport it to Garo Hills of Meghalaya from where it could join the wild elephant herds.

Also read:

Siliguri: Wild elephant goes on rampage, damages 100 houses



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Police, emergency rescuers respond to reported mall shooting in North Carolina. No suspects or shell casings found at the spot.

By AP: Police in North Carolina have responded to a shooting at a busy mall in an affluent area of Raleigh.

Several news outlets report that police in Raleigh were working to secure Crabtree Valley Mall on Saturday afternoon after gunshots were fired inside.

Multiple shots were reportedly fired in the premises of Crabtree Valley Mall. Police rushed to the spot after they received calls complaining about the gunshots.

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According to the police, no shooter nor any shell casings were found on the spot. The police confirmed that the people heard gunshots and that they were evaluating all possibilities.

NO SUSPECTS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY

The station says no suspects have been taken into custody.

The number of injured is unknown, although emergency personnel apart from police were called to the scene. Helicopters buzzed overhead.

John Riggleman and Kristin Warring told The Associated Press that they were heading to a video game store 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.

Warring said she heard an additional series of shots. Police told them they could leave the store at about 3 pm. An interstate exit to reach the mall was closed.



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



New York: Imam among two Muslims shot dead while returning from mosque





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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.

By Reuters: A Muslim cleric and a second man were fatally shot by a lone gunman on Saturday while walking together following afternoon prayers at a mosque in the New York City borough of Queens, authorities said.

The gunman approached the pair from behind and shot both in the head at close range at about 1:50 p.m. EDT (1750 GMT) on a blistering hot afternoon in the Ozone Park neighborhood, police said in a statement, adding that no arrests had been made.



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TARGETED DUE TO FAITH



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. Even so, police were not ruling out any possibility, she added.

The victims, identified as Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Tharam Uddin, 64, were both wearing religious garb at the time of shooting, police said.

The NYPD declined to describe the connection between the victims but the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Uddin was an "associate" of the imam.

"The perpetrator of these senseless killings must be swiftly apprehended and face the full force of the law," Afaf Nasher, executive director of the Muslim advocacy group's New York chapter, said in a statement.

The men were transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and died "while life-saving procedures were being performed," said Andrew Rubin, a hospital spokesman.

LONE GUNMAN

The suspect was described by police as having a medium complexion and dressed in shorts and dark polo shirt. He 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," Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said in a statement.

Akonjee 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."

SUSPECTED HATE CRIME

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 we're looking for the justice."

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A Boones Mill man died Friday evening when his pickup truck was struck by a car on Coles Creek Road.

John Wilton Pendleton III, 59, was traveling west on Route 643 in a 1983 Toyota SR-5 when the pickup was struck head-on by an eastbound 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, driven by Ryan Patrick Flipper, 27, of Bassett, that crossed the center line, according to Sgt. Rick Garletts with the Virginia State Police.

Pendleton was not wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene, Garletts said.

Flipper was not wearing a seatbelt and was transported by EMS for treatment of his injuries.

The Virginia State Police Crash Team assisted Trooper W.G. Rorrer with the scene reconstruction.

The crash occurred about 5:10 p.m. Friday on Route 643 (Coles Creek Road), approximately 2 miles west of Hopkins Road.
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.
Na Muthukumar, two-time National Award-winning lyricist and winner of most Filmfare Awards for Best Lyricist (Tamil), passed away on Sunday.

By Pramod Madhav: Two-time National Award-winning Tamil poet and lyricist Na Muthukumar passed away in Chennai on Sunday (August14).

Na Muthukumar was a very well-known lyricist in the Tamil cinema industry. He won the National Award for his song Anandha Yazai Meetugiral which depicted the most sacred relationship between a father and a daughter. The song became an anthem to all fathers who want to express how much they love a daughter.

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ALSO READ: Is Kamal Haasan planning to make Panchathanthiram sequel?

ALSO READ: Dhanush's Thodari to clash with Vikram's Iru Mugan



He also penned the lyrics for the famous song, Azagu, Azagu, Yedhuvum Azagu, which illustrated how a young child saw the world as a resemblance of beauty in every small and large thing with innocent eyes.

Na Muthukumar was a very well-known lyricist in the Tamil cinema industry

The lyricist has written nearly 500 memorable songs in his carrier and was known as a gentle person. His songs gave importance to human values and relationships depicting friendship and love.

He death is believed to be due to acute jaundice attack and is a shocker to Tamil cinema industry and fans. His is survived by an 11-year-old son.

Many prominent stars and personalities took to Twitter to express their grief on learning about Muthukumar's death.



Rest in peace na.muthukumar. Very shocked and saddened. Strength to the family. Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) August 14, 2016

I cannot believe Na.Muthukumar is no more. Too young to die. God give his family strength. What a loss! Sad sad day. Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) August 14, 2016

Can't believe this #namuthukumar is no more ...He's written more than 200 songs in my films A huge loss May god give strength to his family G.V.Prakash Kumar (@gvprakash) August 14, 2016

Shocked by the news of lyricist NaMuthukumar's demise ! Such a terrible news , a national award winner , too early to go ?????? #RIP Shanthnu Buddy (@imKBRshanthnu) August 14, 2016

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More Living 11 odd things to know about Connecticut

Snopes is the land where urban legends go to die. Among their most popular urban legends right now are articles debunking the theory that Americans are immune to the Zika virus and a story reassuring anyone who fell for the "Mr. T is dead" hoax circulating on the internet.

Snopes tackles some Connecticut myths like Milford banned Halloween and UConn is segregating its students.

Click through the slideshow above to check out some Connecticut legends and myths - both true and false.

While most myths are all in good fun, unfortunately, Connecticut has been targeted by hurtful conspiracy theories that the Sandy Hook tragedy never happened. Many people know all too well that the events of December 14, 2012 were real and continue to cause pain. Thankfully, Snopes debunks all theories of the shooting being a hoax.
By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: A Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Pune has issued summons to NCP's Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan in connection with a two-year-old case related to animal cruelty against. The complaint was filed by Chavan's neighbour professor Vijay Navdikar.

Navdikar had alleged that one of his pet cats was permanently disabled because of the cruelty inflicted on him by Chavan.

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Navdikar and Chavan stay in the same building in Pune and Navdikar had alleged that Chavan found the cats a nuisance. In July 2014, Chavan allegedly hit one of the cats with an iron rod, permanently disabling it.

Chavan had filed complaints with the Pune Municipal Corporation and the Police about the nuisance. Navdikar alleged that the NCP leader used her influence as a politician to invoke action against him.

CHAVAN SUMMONED AFTER TWO YEARS

But now 2 years later, a local court has issued a summons to the Rajya Sabha MP in the case.

Speaking to India Today, Vandana Chavan out rightly denied all the allegations saying she is yet to receive the notice as she is in Delhi.



"It is an obnoxiously false case - we the residents, total seven flat owners in all, had filed complaint with the municipal corporation, police and executive magistrate two years ago about the public nuisance. Court had held in our favour citing that our health was at stake. He has hence filed this case against us. Also, when the alleged incident took place I was in Hospital with my daughter, who had delivered a baby then," said Chavan.

The next date for hearing is October 4, when Chavan will have to appear before the court.

Also read:

Doggone Hyderabad: Canine shot dead, puppies burnt alive in two animal cruelty cases





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"The safety and security that we provide to our women and children, determines the well-being of state and society," said Pranab Mukherjee.

By India Today Web Desk: In his annual pre-Independence Day address to the nation, President Pranab Mukherjee called for dealing strictly with forces that attack weaker sections of society, Dalits, women and children.

On the eve of the70th Independence Day, the President said, "The safety and security that we provide to our women and children, determines the well-being of state and society. We cannot call ourselves a civilised society if we fail to protect our women and children,"

The safety and security that we provide to our women and children, determines well being of state and society: President Pranab Mukherjee

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President Mukherjee also called for strong action to be taken against anti-Dalit forces. "Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly," said President Mukherjee.



Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly: President Mukherjee ANI (@ANI_news) August 14, 2016

Mukherjee further said, "Collective wisdom of our society and our polity gives me the confidence that such forces will remain marginalized."

The President also welcomed passage of the GST Bill by Parliament, which is hailed as the second biggest economic reform since liberalisation. "Passage of GST constitutional amendment bill is reason enough to celebrate our democratic maturity," said President Mukherjee.

Watch the video here





VIBRANT FOREIGN POLICY

The President praised Modi government's foreign policy. Mukherjee said, "Our foreign policy has shown considerable dynamism in recent times. Indias focus in foreign policy will remain on peaceful co-existence and harnessing technology and resources for economic development".

TERRORISM DANGER TO ENTIRE WORLD

President Mukherjee denounced rise of terrorism across the globe terming it a danger to the entire world. He said, "World has witnessed a spate of terror activities having their roots in radicalization of people on basis of religion. These forces pose a danger to entire comity of nations; world will have to fight them unconditionally and in one voice."

DEMOCRACY IS NOT JUST ABOUT ELECTIONS

In his fifth pre-Independence Day address, Mukherjee underscored that democracy was not only about participating in elections. He said, "Disruptions, obstructionism and unmindful pursuit of a divisive political agenda by groups and individuals lead to nothing but institutional travesty and Constitutional subversion."

Also read:

Home Ministry prohibits use of plastic flags on Independence Day

Terror alert ahead of Independence Day, Red Fort possible target



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This election is not over.

True, Hillary Clinton is the heavy favorite. She leads Donald Trump by an average of 8 points in national polls, and shes well ahead in key states Trump needs to win, like Pennsylvania and Michigan. The Republican Party remains fractured, and some GOPers are already dumping Trump and jumping ship.

But these developments obscure some critical factors that cloud the Clinton candidacy. As one realistic Democrat told The Washington Post: We are sailing into spectacular headwinds. Here are four reasons that Democrats should keep worrying about November.

There are only two slogans in politics: Its time for a change and You never had it so good. Trump has it easy: He can run forcefully on the first slogan. Its strong and simple and fits neatly in a bumper sticker or TV ad.

Clintons message is far more complicated  a combination of the two. Times are good, but not good enough. Democrats have done well, but can do better. At its core, its a mixed signal, a balancing act that lacks punch or clarity.

Listen to Hillary Clinton, reports The Wall Street Journal, and it can seem like the best of times and the worst of times all at once.

As a proud member of the Obama administration, she bristles with positive statistics: 15 million new jobs, 20 million more people with health insurance. But then she quickly adds, The economy is not working the way it should for everyone ... We cant be satisfied with the status quo. Im not.

Put another way, shes running for Obamas third term at a perilous time. The presidents personal popularity is healthy, but two-thirds of Americans say the country is headed down the wrong track. Fifty-six percent told the Journal that they wanted major changes from the next president, while only 41 percent favored a steady approach.

A steady approach, however, is exactly what Clinton is selling. When her husband, Bill, told the Democratic convention that she is the best darn change-maker around, even party loyalists had to wince at his description.

The second problem for Clinton is her flaws as a candidate. Shes not in Barack or Bills class as an inspirational speaker. Her gender injects an important element of excitement, and she enjoys a huge advantage with female voters, but shes dragging a long chain of controversy behind her.

Only 1 in 3 voters calls her honest and trustworthy in a CBS poll, and she continues to feed that narrative with astoundingly inept responses to questions about her handling of classified emails during her tenure as secretary of state. Her latest blunder, saying she short-circuited her answers in an interview with Fox, has handed Trump a verbal bomb to plant under her campaign bus.

Clintons third enemy is history. America has never had a female president, and while her gender is an asset with many voters, it is a drawback with others  particularly less-educated white men. When Trump says she doesnt look presidential, hes clearly making a coded appeal to their sexist impulses.

Moreover, she faces an extremely difficult task: heading a party that has held the White House for two or more terms. Since the end of the Roosevelt-Truman administration 64 years ago, only one candidate, George Bush 41, has won under those circumstances. And he lost his re-election.

Six others have tried and failed: Adlai Stevenson in 1952, Richard Nixon in 1960, Hubert Humphrey in 1968, Gerald Ford in 1976, Al Gore in 2000 and John McCain in 2008. Add Jimmy Carter, who was defeated after one term, and the challenge is pretty obvious.

An essay in The Federalist, a conservative journal, explains why: Governing exposes a coalitions internal tensions and, as the saying goes, friends come and go, but enemies accumulate. The longer you are in power, the more people come up with reasons to blame you for things and consider giving the other guy a chance. The natural American distrust of our political class and distaste for permanent ruling parties is also an ingrained factor.

Finally, Clinton is battling uncertainty. The election is still three months away. The debates will command huge audiences. Outside events, like a major terrorist attack, could alter the campaigns trajectory. Trump shows few signs of becoming a disciplined, credible candidate, but hes been counted out before. Many times.

Today, Clinton holds a clear lead. But anyone who thinks the outcome is guaranteed doesnt understand the headwinds that are blowing right in her face.
Before you write off millennials as a self-centered, spoiled and altogether entitled generation, meet my good friend Jessica Wiens.

Shes changing the world on others terms  and their turf, too.

The Grand Island Central Catholic graduate has parlayed her psychology degree in May from Creighton University into a critical job as a health clinic educator.

As right-out-of-college-first-time gigs go, hers is rare.

Wiens commutes 10 minutes to work on foot. She has no running water in her concrete home. She must speak Portuguese tinged with local tribal inflections.

She pulls in living expenses and a little walking-around money. If she finishes her two-year contract, shell earn less than $10,000 and become eligible for postgraduate scholarships.

Her job? Trying to reduce substantial incidences of HIV and malaria.

Jessica Wiens is a Peace Corps volunteer in Mozambique, teaching good health habits in a nation in need of them.

With an HIV prevalence of nearly 12 percent among Mozambicans age 15 to 49, the country faces what the World Health Organization considers an epidemic.

Malarias prevalence in Wiens province of Nampula is more than 40 percent, which is why shes required to take malaria prophylaxis and sleep with a mosquito net.

Wanted to do more

While Wiens may appear to be swimming upstream, shes undaunted and equipped with a solid philosophical foundation.

I guess it started at Creighton, where I liked the Jesuit idea of being service-oriented, taking a broad perspective of the world because there is so much going on, she said.

Wiens was a regular on many Creighton weeklong service and justice trips, but she couldnt shake the idea of feeling like a tourist.

She wanted to do more, to live among those in need, to be there and of service.

Jesuit values fostered that spirit in me, Wiens said.

Her devotion to public health is more familial, but no less intense.

I have a huge passion for the health and well-being of others. It allows them to be whole, Wiens said. I probably got that from my mom (Carol Meyer). Shes a nurse. I want to find the best way to care for a person, to make them have a better life.

But why nearly 10,000 miles away?

Aside from listening to a strong and compassionate inner voice, Wiens knows the journey can be a great teacher.

Someone (at Creighton) asked me why I would want to help people I didnt even know. They dont understand. But I dont fully understand either, she said.

The difference? Wiens is willing to find out.

Teacher remains the student

Shes had encouragement, too.

Jeff Peak is the assistant director at Creightons John P. Schlegel Center for Service and Justice. He helps students navigate post-graduation uncertainty when, like Wiens, a call from within moves someone.

My role is to let (students) know there are more than just the two options, he said, adding that in 2016, 25 out of 1,000 or so newly minted Creighton alumni chose service over work or graduate school.

Peak said Wiens is well-suited to her calling.

Jessica did a phenomenal job as a (service and justice) leader, meeting students where they were. She is a real leader on a one-on-one level and knows how to build relationships, which should serve her well in the Peace Corps, he said.

Adjusting to Mozambique has challenged Wiens.

Living with a host family for three months was the toughest part about being here, but also kind of the best part, too, she said.

While she has made good friends, she said she has had to overcome cultural, language and social barriers. Its very frustrating to be unable to express yourself.

Nor is anonymity an option.

Im pale and have red hair, so I stick out like a sore thumb, Wiens said. She added that Mozambicans know about America and the rest of the world from pop culture, especially music and Brazilian telenovelas.

The Peace Corps trains volunteers to be safe and secure, and Wiens humble home has metal bars and double padlocks.

Even so, courage is surely part of the equation for a Peace Corps volunteer

That, plus her brains, ingenuity and experience, will help Wiens when, after Mozambique, she pursues a graduate degree or a job in public policy emphasizing public health.

Meanwhile, for world-changing millennial Jessica Wiens, the public health teacher in Mozambique remains the public health student as well.

I want to find out what they need, not what I think they need, she said. Im not the expert. I see that unfolding every day.

George Ayoub can be reached at ayoubcolumns@gmail.com or via Twitter @georgeayoub.
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Linkedin Setiono Sugiharto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

To everybodys dismay, former culture and education minister Anies Baswedan, also a former rector of Paramadina University, was among those ministers replaced by President Joko Jokowi Widodo in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

Anies was replaced by Muhadjir Effendy, former rector of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang and a Muhammadiyah-affiliated figure.

Despite having made no significant educational breakthrough during his administration, Anies has left an exemplary legacy to teachers and schools nationwide: grassroots pedagogy  the pedagogy of engagement with the grassroots (teachers and students) who have long been sidelined because of the highly centralistic bureaucratic system.

Anies continual engagements with teachers and students made him familiar with the practical hitches faced by the grassroots. It thus comes as no surprise that his policies were made from the ground up, accommodating down-to-earth matters related to what teachers and students encounter in their daily practices.

An education expert and practitioner himself, Anies knew perfectly well that the goal of elementary and secondary education is not solely the pursuit of intellectual excellence, but is more importantly to help students develop dignified characters.

Most of the educational policies issued during his administration were aimed at developing students critical practice rather than merely their critical thinking.

While the former stresses the importance of affective aspects, social sensitivity and the positive character-building of the students, the latter exclusively emphasizes reasoning and is thus cognitive-oriented.

Quite interestingly, whereas most educational models adopted by his predecessors tended to extol rationalism, Anies opted for an educational model that is grounded on social orientation.

Students affective aspects and character-building become central in his policy.

It is still fresh in our minds that through his Ministerial Regulation No. 23/2015, schools nationwide were obliged to allow their students to spend at least 15 minutes prior to the start of class participating in a free-reading activity.

This in-class reading activity was initiated by Anies because he believes that free reading instills positive traits in schoolchildren.

What is really unfortunate is that Anies free reading program was short-lived. Instead of allowing and assisting their students to read for pleasure, many teachers were hard-pressed to catch up with the teaching materials needed to fulfill the targets required by their school syllabi.

Apparently, despite the immense pedagogical benefits offered by the free-reading program, not many teachers understood that the program also encourages students self-esteem and attitudes toward school.

Empirical research has shown that pleasant in-school activities the students enjoy correlates positively with their self-esteem, confidence and attitude toward school.

Prior to being appointed a minister, Anies was a noted figure in education. He was known as the brain behind Gerakan Indonesia Mengajar (GIM), the Indonesia Teaching Movement, a movement that promotes inclusive education in the country.

Through this national program, he managed to recruit, train and send young graduates to teach in remote regions in Indonesia.

The newly appointed minister must make sure that free-reading activities are part of every schools program. It is advisable that they be included in the schools curriculum. Amid the high academic expectations of students, reduced pleasant activities like in-school pleasure reading may hinder students emotional and social dimensions.

At the macro level, Muhadjir needs to sustain Anies vision of providing access to equal education to children, especially those living in poverty in remote regions. He ought to ensure that these children get quality education and access to educational infrastructure, such as proper school buildings and well stocked libraries.

This is especially important because a literacy crisis has been considered prevalent in remote regions untouched by the governments programs of equal education. In fact, it has been cited by many as a pressing problem that needs an immediate solution.

People earnestly hope that issues related to character building through literacy development and equal access to education will be parts of the new ministers educational program and, more importantly, his policy will bring fresh winds of change for the improvement of quality elementary and secondary education in the country.

___________________________________

The writer teaches in the English Department, School of Education and Language, Atma Jaya Catholic

University, Jakarta.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, August 14, 2016

The internet broke this week over the disappearance of Palestine from Google Maps. Allegations arose of Google deliberately removing Palestine from Google Maps, with many claiming that Palestine was previously clearly labeled on the tech giants map.

However, Google said in a statement that a territory labeled Palestine had never been included on its map, only the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the latter two had only disappeared due to technical errors.

(Read also: Google Earth, Google Maps update provides sharper images)

There was never a Palestine label on Google Maps, a Google spokesperson said to Fortune as quoted by KompasTekno on Friday

However, we found a bug that erased the West Bank and Gaza Strip labels. We are working to get the two labels back.

Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said Google adhered to UN membership in making its maps services. In the UN, Palestine is still an observer, not yet a full member, he said on Wednesday.

The Indonesian governments stance [on recognizing Palestine] is clear. But I have checked, [Google] adheres to the United Nations. (asw)
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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung  Fri, August 12, 2016

Liquor sellers in Bandung, West Java, have agreed to the monitoring and control of alcoholic beverages as long as the government does not totally prohibit them from selling such drinks.

Leni, 50, a member of Communication Forum of Indonesia Alcohol Drinks Sellers said alcohol control was important for sellers like herself that earn a living selling beers. I dont mind regulations. But dont apply a total ban because it will kill my business. If you want to regulate selling, I would be ready to comply, she told The Jakarta Post after a meeting of alcohol drinks seller recently.

About 20 alcohol drink sellers attended the meeting.

The head of the forum in West Java, Simon Petrus, said he objected to raids on sellers who had liquor licenses. The factory is legitimate, they pay tax. Their products are delivered to us but we feel uncomfortable selling them, like we are always under scrutiny, Simon said.

Obtaining a license is not easy, he said.

Leni and Simon said a total ban would see bootleg liquor sales rise. They said bootleg liquor could kill people, but beer could not.

The forum complained about a House of Representatives plan to endorse a prohibition bill. The latest draft obtained by the Post showed the bill would totally ban the production, distribution and consumption of alcohol with few exceptions. They said the bill should only impose control, not totally ban alcohol.
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Linkedin Maggie Tiojakin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, August 13 2016

I was seventeen when my first short story was published. The honorarium was about Rp 90,000 (US$6.84) and it was sent to me via a postal money order. I remember signing the receipt and handing it over to the mailman, and feeling like I was the richest person on the planet.

I also remember spending it on lunch at Wendys with my father, who refused to order anything but a cup of strawberry sundae, and who beamed with pride when he learned of how I got the money. This was the same man who, when he saw how I had often spent my pocket money on collecting books, warned me of a time in the near future when I wouldnt be able to feed myself because all of my money had been spent on piles and piles of books.

Youre like that person in some silly joke, he said, who sold his TV set to buy a VCR. I laughed, but he wasnt kidding.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Kupang  Sat, August 13 2016

An autopsy performed on a migrant worker has revealed nothing untoward. Yufrinda Selan, 19, died in Malaysia, before her body was repatriated and buried on June 16 and later exhumed.

The police have fulfilled the request of her family for an autopsy. Based on our observation, her organs are intact, local police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. I Ketut Adnyana Putra told the press on Friday.

The autopsy was performed on Thursday.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

With the public standing behind it in opposition to the possible prosecution of its leader for defamation, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has pushed for a thorough investigation into allegations that law enforcers had been involved in drug smuggling.

Kontras on Friday called on President Joko Jokowi Widodo, who cited an alleged illegal drug emergency as the reason to carry out executions of drug convicts, to create an independent team to dismantle the entire network of the executed drug dealer Freddy Budiman, who reportedly claimed to have been working with high ranking officials in the National Police, the Indonesian Military and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN).

Jokowi needed to establish an independent team to ensure officials involved with Freddy in the smuggling of 1.4 million ecstasy pills from China to Indonesia in 2012 would be revealed, said Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar.

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Linkedin Jon Afrizal and Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Jambi/Bandung  Sat, August 13 2016

Sarolangun Legislative Council (DPRD) Speaker Muhammad Syaihu and seven other people were apprehended by Jambi Police personnel on Thursday night for allegedly using drugs at a house in Kotabaru district, Jambi.

Syaihu, who is also chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggles (PDI-P) Sarolangun chapter, is being held at the local police office along with the other suspects.

Jambi Police spokesperson Adj. Comr. Sri Kurniawati confirmed Syaihus arrest, saying he was among eight people arrested for drug use.

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Linkedin Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

As the race for Jakartas top post heats up, gubernatorial hopeful Sandiaga Uno visited City Hall on Monday to meet with his biggest opponent, incumbent Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama.

Sandiaga, who has been nominated by the Gerindra Party, visited Ahoks office in his capacity as chairman of the Indonesian Market Vendors Association (APPSI).

He said he wanted to convey his concerns about the hike in beef prices in the capital.

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Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain during the presidential address on Independence Day said that

By Indo-Asian News Service: Pakistan government will avenge every life lost to terrorists in Quetta, President Mamnoon Hussain said on Sunday.

"We are shocked at the Quetta terrorist attack and we stand with the bereaved families," Hussain said whiled addressing the country on Independence Day.

A suicide bomber killed 74 people in a Quetta hospital on August 8.

"Every Pakistani feels the pain," Hussain said. "The blood of the innocent people will not go waste.

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"I announce here, the government will take revenge for the blood of the innocent people."

The Islamic State and a Pakistani Taliban group claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. Most victims were lawyers.

"Every visible and invisible enemy will be chased and crushed in order to establish durable peace in the country," said the President.

He said the menace of terrorism would be eliminated from the country with decisive actions and renewed determination.

Also read

93 killed, over 120 injured in bomb attack at hospital in Pakistan's Quetta



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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, August 14, 2016

Among dozens of tourists passing by the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, more than a hundred parishioners of two Protestant churches, GKI Yasmin and HKBP Filadelfia, solemnly sing hymns to praise God and pray for Indonesia.

Undisturbed by the noise of vehicles in the background, the congregation conducted its Sunday service on the pavement outside the west gate of Monas, as a public reminder of its struggle for religious freedom.

This Sunday service was held to commemorate Independence Day [which falls on Aug. 17], GKI Yasmin priest Santi Manurung told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Both churches have been unable to build permanent places of worship in their respective places following pressure from Islamic groups and the administrations failure to follow court decisions in their favor.

GKI Yasmin is located in Bogor and HKBP Filadelfia in Bekasi, both in West Java.

Indonesian independence also pertains to the independence of its citizens, and in this case, the freedom of religion for all Indonesian people, Erwin Marbun, a priest from HKBP Filadelfia, told the Post.

Besides members of the two church congregations, several Ahmadis, Shiites and Buddhists were at the same location to support the parishioners.

Husna, one of Ahmadis, said that she would fight for religious freedom with others to eradicate discrimination of religious minorities in the country.

Meanwhile, Taqi, a Shiite, said that small groups like theirs, and members of the two churches that were not granted the right to pray in their own houses of worship, should jointly urge the government to end discrimination of minorities. (wnd/evi)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

The relocation of Javanese fishermen from the northern coast of Java to Natuna, Riau Islands, is a national effort to strengthen Indonesian fisheries in the province, the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister has said.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said the fishermen his office had talked with in Pati regency, Central Java, had welcomed the policy.

Their concern is that they want to sell their catches back in Java and asked the government to build a fish auction market in their hometowns, Luhut said during a recent Bank Indonesia regional meeting to increase maritime industries in Batam, Riau Islands.

The relocation of fishermen aims to make energy-rich Natuna a world-class fishing center to increase Indonesia's sovereignty over the area, even though some local communities disagree with the policy, deputy minister Ridwan Djamaluddin said.

Please do not see it as Riau Islands versus Java. It is a national effort, increasing the dominance of Indonesian fishermen there to keep foreign fishermen away, he said.

Ridwan said that only 20 percent of Natunas fishing potential was being exploited whereas the northern coast of Java was already overfished. (dan)
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Linkedin Margaid Quioc (Associated Press) Cannes, France  Sun, August 14, 2016

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."

(Read also: Italian-themed cruise set to provide halal food)

A City Hall official said the measure, in effect until the end of August, could apply to burkini-style swimsuits. Violators risk a 38 euro ($42) fine.

The mayor calls the burkini "the uniform of extremist Islamism, not of the Muslim religion." In an interview published Friday in the Nice-Matin newspaper, Lisnard said 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 outside 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 organized the event for women, girls and boys, asking swimmers respect the Islamic notion of "awra," a reference to parts of the body to be hidden.

(Read also: Lombok named best halal tourism destination)

French law already 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've deepened the religious divide, and Islamic State extremists say the laws are justification for attacking France.

The local branch of the Human Rights League warned that Cannes' burkini ban could further alienate French Muslims.

The Collective Against Islamophobia in France said it's filing a lawsuit challenging the legality of the Cannes measure. It urged tolerance, noting that Muslims made up about a third of the 85 victims of the July 14 truck attack on the Nice seafront. Two weeks later, after extremists killed a Catholic priest near Rouen, Muslims across France attended Mass in a symbol of solidarity and a denunciation of terrorism.

___

Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.
Ranveer Singh blended into the crowd in Switzerland and spent time with an Asian couple who were unaware of Ranveer's identity the entire time!

By India Today Web Desk: Ranveer Singh is having a heck of a time vacationing in Switzerland. Head on to the Bajirao Mastani star's Instagram account and you'll see how the actor is really enjoying taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the place. However, unintentionally, Ranveer's non-starry side came to the forefront when an Asian couple shared an Instagram post where they are seen together in Switzeland. Now, wait for it.

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ALSO READ: Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor ooze fearless love in the new Befikre poster

ALSO READ: Ranveer Singh and Chak De! India director Shimit Amin to team up together



The picture was clicked by Ranveer and the couple had no idea that they ended up spending time with a superstar.



Instagram user boram.han.lovely shared the picture thanking Ranveer Singh for clicking it. The post said, "Ranveer Singh took pictures of us. We didn ' t recognise he is a superstar. what a hilarious situation. Appreciate for takings pictures."

Ranveer Singh, meanwhile, has been making headlines back in India because of his new ad Ranveer Ching Returns directed by Rohit Shetty. Ranveer stars with Tamannaah in the ad for Ching's Secret noodles which is inspired by the look and feel of the Mad Max franchise.

On the film front, he will be seen in Aditya Chopra's Befikre opposite Vaani Kapoor. The film is scheduled to release on December 9 this year.

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Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, earned 23rd career Gold, leading USA to a record win in men's 4x100 medley relay.

By AP: Michael Phelps closed out the Rio Olympics in the only way imaginable. (Rio Olympics - Full Coverage)

Golden.

Phelps put the United States ahead to stay on the butterfly leg of the 4x100-meter medley relay and Nathan Adrian finished it off, giving the most decorated athlete in Olympic history his 23rd career gold medal Saturday night. (Rio 2016: I'm ready to retire, says Michael Phelps)

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If that was the end, and Phelps insists it is, what a way to go out.

He has 28 medals overall, having won five golds and a silver at these games. (Rio 2016: It's crazy, says Joseph Schooling after beating Michael Phelps eight years since iconic photograph)

As Nathan Adrian touched the wall to finish off the victory, Phelps gathered the other relay swimmers, Ryan Murphy and Cody Miller, in his arms. One night after his only setback in Rio, an upset loss to Joseph Schooling in the 100 fly, Phelps was back on top.

In the stands, his fiancee, Nicole Johnson, bounced along to the music with their son, 3-month-old Boomer, cradled in her arms.

Phelps is eager to spend a lot more time with them. He plans to marry Johnson after the Olympics and said he's eager to watch his son grow, maybe even dole out a swimming lesson or two.

Most of the U.S. swim team was in the stands to watch Phelps' finale, including the biggest female star of the games, Katie Ledecky, decked out in a matching USA white jacket and cap.

The 19-year-old Ledecky joked that she was proud to be part of Phelps' final Olympics - twice. He initially retired after the 2012 London Olympics, only to decide about a year later to return to the pool.

This time, the 31-year-old sounds much more adamant when he says there will be no more comebacks.

Two-time gold medalist Murphy put the Americans out front with a world-record split on the backstroke - it counts since he was leading off - but Britain surged ahead on the breaststroke with its own world-record holder, Adam Peaty.

Phelps dove into the pool in second place.

He wouldn't be for long.

On the return lap, Phelps powered through the water with his whirling butterfly stroke, surging ahead of James Guy to pass off a lead to the anchor Adrian.

It wasn't in doubt after that. Adrian pulled away on the freestyle to win in an Olympic-record time of 3 minutes, 27.95 seconds. Britain held on for silver, with Australia nabbing bronze.

The victory came just minutes after the women's medley relay gave the United States its 1,000th Olympic gold medal at the Summer Games.

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Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Dana Vollmer and Simone Manuel led the American triumph. The winning time was 3:53.13.

Australia earned silver, while Denmark took bronze.

For Manuel, it was her second medal of the night - she also won silver in the 50 free - and second gold of the games. She became the first African-American woman to win an Olympic swimming title with her win in the 100 free.

Connor Jaeger gave the U.S. another silver in the 1,500 free, leaving the American with 33 swimming medals in Rio matching the highest total since the boycotted Los Angeles Games in 1984.

The U.S. also won 33 medals at Sydney in 2000.

The final two individual golds of the games went to Pernille Blume of Denmark in the 50 freestyle, her country's first swimming victory since 1948, and Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri in the grueling 1,500 free.

After posting the top time in both the preliminaries and the semifinals, Blume came through again on the final night of swimming at the Rio Games. She finished in 24.07.

After her landmark victory in the 100 free, Manuel settled for silver this time in 24.09. Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus earned the bronze in 24.11.

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It was another huge disappointment for sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell of Australia. They were shut out of an individual medal again, with Cate finishing fifth and Bronte seventh.

Blume was the third Danish swimmer to capture a gold. Greta Andersen won the 100 free and Karen Margrethe Harup took the 100 backstroke at the 1948 London Olympics.

Paltrinieri pulled away from the field and was under world-record pace much of the race before fading a bit at the end. Still, he won comfortably in 14:34.57.

Jaeger claimed silver in 14:39.48, while bronze went to another Italian, Gabriele Detti, in 14:40.86.

Detti rallied over the final laps to pass American Jordan Wilimovksy, who settled for fourth.

Wilimovksy will get another shot at a medal in an even more demanding event the 10-kilometer open water race at Fort Copacabana on Tuesday.

The night, though, belonged to Phelps. For the last time. Phelps said he's all done.

In the only way imaginable.

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Storm weather, heavy rain in Phuket, Andaman provinces and upper Thailand regions until August 18: Thai Met

PHUKET: The Thailand Meteorological Department (MET) has issued a storm weather alert from today through to Thursday (August 18) for multiple provinces across the kingdom, including Andaman Sea provinces of Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Ranong and Trang.

weather

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Sunday 14 August 2016, 05:13PM

According to the Thai Met, a low pressure system may bring excessive rain in the coming four days and will affect Myanmar, Northern Thailand, Laos and upper Vietnam.

According to the alert, Thai provinces to be affected include Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Payao, Nan, Lamphun, Lampang, Tak, Utturadit, Phetchabun, Loei, Nong Bua Lamphu, Udon Thani, Nong Kai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Sakhon Nakhon, Mukdahan, Chanthaburi, and Trad.

Meanwhile, the storm weather alert also covered four Andaman Sea coastal provinces of Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga and Ranong, citing prevailing southwesterly monsoons expected to bring heavy thundershowers and strong waves to both the Andaman Sea and the upper part of the Gulf of Thailand.

Wave heights are expected to be between two-to-three meters high and even four metres and higher within storm systems.

All ship captains are advised to monitor the weather forecast closely and proceed with caution, while smaller vessels are advised to stay ashore.
Thais should prepare for Tokyo 2020

Sport >> Phuket

Thailand

World Thais should prepare for Tokyo 2020

SURFING: Welcome to another week of surf action. Firstly, big fist bump and high fives all around as surfing has been officially accepted into the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.



By Tim Campbell

Sunday 14 August 2016, 10:00AM

Phukets beaches have had a consistent surge of swells this week and even though the wind was up it gave surfers plenty of fun.

This is very exciting news for surfers globally, and it now means Thailand can start grooming its very own to qualify for what will no doubt be a memorable occasion for the sport that has petitioned this for many years now. Now on to local news, Phukets beaches have had a consistent surge of swells this week and even though the wind was up it gave us plenty of fun. As the wind is coming from the Southwest, try and find those southern corners which will be more protected and have cleaner waves. Word around the camp fire is that there will be at least two more surf contests this year, so keep practising and stay tuned for more details. Tims Tip: Look for the rip currents to paddle out on as the waves wont dump on you and the current will help take you out the back.
Following his support to Kashmiri separatists, Shiv Sena has demanded that Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit be sent back to Islamabad within 24 hours.

By Anil Kumar: Responding to Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's provoking statement on Kashmir at Pakistan flag hoisting ceremony at Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, the Shiv Sena today asserted that Basit should be sent back to Islamabad within 24 hours.

Speaking to the media, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, "Such a person, who spews venom against India while sitting in Delhi, should to sent back to Islamabad within 24 hours. He is making such statement a day before our Independence Day and I'm sure the government will take action against him."

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'SHUT DOWN PAK HIGH COMMISSION'

Senior Shiv Sena leader demanded that the the Pakistan High Commission office in New Delhi and the consulate in Mumbai should be closed.

Taunting Pakistan for its handling of terrorism, Raut said, "Don't know why Pakistan is celebrating Independence Day as it is observed by nations and Pakistan is not a nation, it's a hub of terrorists."

CONGRESS CONDEMNS BASIT'S STATEMENT

The Congress also condemned Basit's statement and demanded an apology from the envoy. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi called for introspection by the Centre on how they have failed to get Pakistan isolated globally. He further added that Islamabad's 'wish' of claiming Kashmir is destined to go unfulfilled in 100 crores years.

"I think normally one would not give importance to such comments, but when it comes from the High Commissioner of a nation it has a full official flavour and colour to it. Pakistan will of course have to wait for millennia to even consider its wish being fulfilled, which they have expressed as the year of Kashmir 'Azadi'," he said.

WHAT DID BASIT SAY?

On the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day, Basit raised the issue of Kashmir saying that Pakistan extends support to Kashmir's 'Azadi'.



"As far as the relation of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we dedicate this year's Independence Day to Kashmir's freedom. We are confident that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be successful," Basit said.

Basit was reiterating Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statement dedicating the day to the "freedom movement" in Kashmir.

"I dedicate this year's 14th August to the freedom of Kashmir," Pakistani News Paper The Express Tribune quoted Sharif as saying.

Also read:

Will continue to support Kashmir's 'freedom': Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit

India ready for talks with Pakistan but only on 'relevant issues', says MEA



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11AAA semis will be awesome and more from HS football quarterfinals
Five people were stabbed or suffered burns during an attack by a Swiss man on a train nearing Salez station in St Gallen in northeast Switzerland.

By Reuters: One woman died and two girls were in serious condition a day after an attack on a Swiss train by a man armed with a knife and flammable fluid which also claimed the suspect's life, local police said today.

SUSPECT DEAD

The 34-year-old woman and the 27-year-old suspect died from their injuries on Sunday, St Gallen cantonal police said.

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Five people were stabbed or suffered burns during an attack by a Swiss man on a train nearing Salez station in St Gallen in northeast Switzerland.

A sixth person suffered smoke inhalation as he came to the aid of the others.

MOTIVE UNCLEAR

Three victims remained in hospital, including the two girls in serious condition who are aged six and 17-years-old.

Police searched the home of the suspect, who lived in a neighbouring canton. They said they had found no indication of a politically or terrorist motivated act. "The motive remains unclear," they said in a statement. "There is currently none that can be found."

Police have not released the suspect's name.

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From partying in costumes at Las Fallas de San Jose, to shopping at the Mercado Colon, there's way too much to do at Valencia.

By Kalpana Sunder: Spain's third largest city on the Mediterranean Coast was in its chequered history occupied in turn by Romans, Visigoths, Moors, and then Christians. Valencia is still an underrated and hidden Spanish gem that has lingered in the shadow of Madrid and Barcelona.

Party at Las Fallas de San Jose

Time your visit to see the most spectacular Spanish Festival during March, for around five days, the festival is pagan in origins, but was later continued by the Catholic church. Named for San Jose or Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, the festival began back in themiddle Ages and celebrated the end of the cold working days of winter when carpenters burnt old scraps of wood as a kind of spring cleaning. All over the town you can see towering, beautiful paper, Styrofoam and wood cartoonish mannequins (called ninots) arranged in a tableau that illustrates social themes, popular culture and issues, both local and regional with a healthy dose of satire, humour and even erotic elements!



Is there anything more enjoyable that getting dressed in costumes and going to a party with a whole city? Photo: Mail Today

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Get back to nature

To feel far away from civilisation, spend some time at the tranquil Albufera National Park, located just 10km out of the city and home to a sprawling palmfringed lagoon and sand dunes. Here youll be able to see a huge variety of wildlife, including rare species of wading birds, as well discover the rice field ecosystems.

Marvel at its architecture

Valencia has a mix of old Gothic and Renaissance architecture as well as cutting edge modern architecture. Dont miss the National Ceramics Museum, housed in a rococo palace said to be Valencia's Versailles in miniature. I was awed by its over-thetop faade with alabaster carvings and doorway flanked by two muscular figures, with a statue of the virgin. Valencias love of avant-garde architecture is evident in the new Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of the Arts and Sciences): this complex of public buildings, pools and elevated walkways includes a science museum, a planetarium, and an aquarium.



Visit Mercado Colon, a market housed in a Modernist building with stained glass and bricks and elegant stalls, cafes and restaurants. Photo: Mail Today

Also read: Croatia to Spain: Exotic filming locations of Game of Thrones are beckoning Indian travellers



Explore its markets

Visit the cavernous Mercado Central or the Central Market, one of Europes oldest food markets, which is an amazing Art Nouveau structure of brick, stone, iron, wood, ceramic and glass.. Enjoy the sensory overload of vendors selling everything from fresh fruits and juices, to breads, nuts, vegetables, meats, and an overwhelming supply of fish and seafood! Follow it up with a visit to Mercado Colon, a more upmarket market housed in a Modernist building with stained glass and bricks, with a Gaudi inspired faade, and elegant stalls.

Whet your appetite

The classic Spanish dish paella originated in this city and includes an array of meat, seafood, and veggies that intermingle in a fluffy bed of saffronspiced, slow-simmered rice. For authentic paella head to La Pepica founded in 1898 and a favorite of Ernest Hemingway. Wash it down with a glass of sangria. Dont forget to try horchata-a special milky drink made out of tiger nuts and eaten with doughnut like fartons.

Hit the beach

Soak up the sun at La Malvarrosa Beach, next to a spanking new marina that was renovated for the arrival of the America's Cup to Valencia in 2007, with its beach cabanas, sand sculptures and loungers. Indulge in a spot of beach volleyball or head to Sagunto Beach to see the old Roman ruins.



Take in the mix of old Gothic, Renaissance and cutting edge modern architecture. Photo: Mail Today Take in the mix of old Gothic, Renaissance and cutting edge modern architecture. Photo: Mail Today

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Go back in time

Start at the imposing Torres de Serranos, built in 1394 for defense, and a cultural landmark of the city. Visit the majestic 13th-century cathedral- a mish mash of styles like Gothic, baroque and Renaissance built on the site of an old mosque. Its main claim to fame is the "Holy Grail", a chalice dating to at least Christ's time; two Goya paintings, and the windows they are made from fine alabaster. Dont miss the La Lonja e la Seda a UNESCO site which is a gothic chamber of commerce built to impress visiting merchants in the 16th century.

Take a walk in the park

Valencias Jardins Del Turia is a unique park that runs along the bed of a dried-up old river ( which was diverted to prevent flooding) filled with grassy lawns, palm trees, fragrant orange trees, benches for lounging and art installations. You can walk, jog or cycle your way through looking at the impressive water sculptures, bridges, and fish ponds.

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By PTI: Shimla, Aug 13 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today endorsed the stance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and said the people of the region were living in pathetic conditions and lurking fear.

"Not only those in PoK, even the Baloch community is being persecuted and atrocities are being perpetrated on them. The neighbouring country (Pakistan) should not eye the Indian territory," he said after inaugurating a childrens park and residential facilities for priests at Jakhu temple here.

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The Congress leader though took a jibe at Modi on the issue of Dalit atrocities in the name of cow protection.

Referring to assaults on Dalits engaged in removing the hides and skins of dead cattle at Una in Gujarat, he said the issue has agitated the community across the country and instead of making public statements, the Prime Minister should have spoken about it in Parliament.

"Removing the hides and skins of cows, buffaloes and other animals is the age-old profession of the community and we should be thankful to them and not assault them," Singh said.

He said the state government was sensitive towards cow protection and has constituted the Gauvansh Samvardhan Board for this purpose, adding that it would open more shelters for stray cattle.

Defending the sweeping changes in the Town and Country Planning Act, Singh said the government had relaxed the norms for regularisation of unauthorised structures in accordance with suggestions from the people. PTI PCL RC ZMN RC

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The train stands at 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)
Pakistani authorities detained an Indian boy who reached Lahore without travel documents and handed him over to counter-terrorism officials for questioning, police sources said.

The boy, who gave his name as Mohammed Aslam, reached Lahore from India by Samjhauta Express and was arrested at the Lahore railway station, sources said.

Only Indian currency was recovered from Aslam's possession. An official said it was being probed how the boy, whose age was not given, reached the Punjab capital despite high security at various posts.
Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee, on Saturday filed a police complaint against a man who sent her obscene messages on Facebook and demanded his arrest.

In her complaint to the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police, Mukherjee said the messages sent to her were "totally distasteful and vulgar, posted with an intention of being extremely foul and intimidatory and were highly offensive in nature".

She asked the police to apprehend the person at the earliest and pursue legal action against him.

Earlier, Mukherjee named the pervert, Partha Mandal, for sending her obscene messages on Facebook.

"It was shocking to see such messages. And this kind of situation is being faced by thousands of women every day," Mukherjee told IANS.

She said all the messages landed on her account on Friday from the account of 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 politics in order to get suggestions and complaints from people.

"I don't want any special attention from the police for being the daughter of the President," she added.

"The police must have many such cases. I just want the police to be strict with such people."
If you haven't 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  it's 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 Trump's remark that gun rights activists could stop her from nominating liberal U.S. 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 Clinton's 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.

"There is an adage in politics: Don't 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.

Clinton's 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.

Trump's campaign declined to comment for this story, but the New York real estate developer has accused the national media of bias toward Clinton. He re-posted a supporter's 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 Clinton's many shortcomings.

"He's sucking all the oxygen out of the room to his own detriment," said Republican strategist and Trump supporter Ford OConnell. It's not enough to dominate media coverage, he needs to "win" it, O'Connell 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 family's global charity, the Clinton Foundation, and the State Department.

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 Clinton's campaign stops there and Trump's events has been stark.

"Clinton's campaign seems to have the more disciplined approach," Corbella said. "The roll-out that day is on a specific event she's attending, a message she's trying to deliver. Whereas on the Trump side, it's what crazy thing did he say today and the response to that."

After Clinton's 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.
A Muslim cleric and an associate were fatally shot by a lone gunman on Saturday while walking together following afternoon prayers at a mosque in the New York City borough of Queens, authorities said.

The gunman approached the men from behind and shot both in the head at close range on a blistering hot afternoon in the Ozone Park neighborhood, police said in a statement, adding that no arrests had been made.

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. Even so, police were not ruling out any possibility, she added.

The victims, identified as Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, were both wearing religious garb at the time of shooting, police said.

The men were transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Centre where they died, hospital spokesman Andrew Rubin said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group known by the acronym CAIR, said Uddin was an associate of the imam.

"These were two very beloved people," Afaf Nasher, executive director of the New York chapter of CAIR, told Reuters. "These were community leaders.

"There is a deep sense of mourning and an overwhelming cry for justice to be served," Nasher said. "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."

The organisation held a news conference on Saturday evening in front of the mosque, the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid, where the two men had prayed.

"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," Nasher said. "You cant go up to a person and shoot them in the head and not be motivated by hatred.

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," Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said in a statement.

Eric Phillips, a press secretary for New York City Mayor Bill de 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.

Akonjee 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 television in 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."

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 gunman who called himself an "Islamic soldier" killed 49 people in an Orlando, Florida, nightclub on June 12.
In a revelation which could send shock waves along the corridors of Buckingham Palace, a former bodyguard of Princess Diana revealed that she had kept a sex toy and carried it with her on all her foreign trips.

[File] Princess Diana | AFP

Ken Wharfe, Diana's former royal protection officer, claimed in his new book that the princess had nicknamed the 'secret mascot' as 'Le Gadget'.

The vibrator was apparently purchased during a 'wild staff night out' in Paris in 1992 and was put in Diana's handbag by her sister Sarah McCorquodale.

The Princess of Wales had given an "almost superstitious" importance to the sex aid and carried it on all her foreign trips, said Wharfe in his book titled as Diana: A Closely Guarded Secret, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail.

He explained how the princess once forgot it on a Nepal trip and left it behind in a drawer at the palace. She later had it flown over in a diplomatic bag to the British Embassy in Nepal, he said.

It arrived in a sealed packet - delivered on a silver tray by a gurkha aide to the King of Nepal - during a press reception at the ambassador's official residence, Wharfe said.

Captain Ed Musto of the Royal Marines opened it in front of all the guests leading to a stunned silence. 'Oh, that must be for me,' said the princess and laughed.

Diana, the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, died in a carcrash in Paris in 1997.
The leader of a New York City mosque and an associate were fatally shot in a brazen daylight attack as they left afternoon prayers Saturday.

The police said 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and his 64-year-old associate, Thara Uddin, were each shot in the back of the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens shortly before 2 p.m.

Both men were pronounced dead later Saturday, an administrator at Jamaica Hospital said.

No one is in custody.

Police said no motive has been established and that theres no reason to believe the men were shot because they were Muslim.

Theres nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith, said Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner of the New York Police Department.

But members of the Bangladeshi community served by the mosque said they want the shootings to be treated as a hate crime.

Scores of people attending a rally at the shooting site Saturday night chanted We want justice!

Shahin Chowdhury, a worshiper 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.

Another worshiper, Millat Uddin, said he felt the community had been targeted.

Somebody has taken the law in their own hands, said Uddin, who is not related to Thara Uddin.

Uddin said Akonjee had led the mosque for about two years and was a very pious man.

The communitys heart is totally broken, he said. Its a great misery. Its a great loss to the community, and its a great loss to the society.
Fidel Castro thanked Cubans for their well-wishes on his 90th birthday and criticized President Barack Obama in a lengthy letter published in state media. He appeared but did not speak at a gala in his honor broadcast on state television Saturday evening.

I want to express my deepest gratitude for the shows of respect, greetings and praise that Ive received in recent days, which give me strength to reciprocate with ideas that I will send to party militants and relevant organizations, he wrote.

Modern medical techniques have allowed me to scrutinize the universe, wrote Castro, who stepped down as Cubas president 10 years ago after suffering a severe gastrointestinal illness.

Just after 6 p.m., he could be seen in footage on state television slowly approaching his seat at Havanas Karl Marx theater, clad in a white Puma tracksuit top and green shirt. He sat in what appeared to be a specially equipped wheelchair and watched a musical tribute by a childrens theater company, accompanied by footage of highlights from his decades in power.

He sat alongside his younger brother, President Raul Castro, and President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, along with Cubas highest-ranking military and civilian officials.

In his letter, 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. He touched on his fathers death shortly before his own victory in overthrowing U.S-backed strongman Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

Castro returns at the end to criticize 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. A week after the trip, Castro wrote a sternly worded letter admonishing Obama to read up on Cuban history, and declaring that we dont need the empire to give us anything.

In Saturdays letter, he criticizes Obama for not apologizing to the Japanese people during a May trip to Hiroshima, describing Obamas speech there as lacking stature.

The Cuban government has taken a relatively low-key approach to Castros birthday, in comparison with the large-scale gatherings that had been planned for his 80th. Along with the Saturday evening gala, government ministries have held small musical performances and photo exhibitions that pay tribute to the former head of state.

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 normalization with the U.S.

The need for closer economic ties with the U.S. has grown more urgent as Venezuela, Castros greatest ally, tumbles into economic free-fall, cutting the flow of subsidized oil that Cuba has depended on the South American country for more than a decade. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Cubans are migrating to the United States, hollowing out the ranks of highly educated professionals.

The brightest spot in Cubas flagging economy has been a post-detente surge in tourism that is expected to boom when commercial flights to and from the United States, Cubas former longtime enemy, resume on Aug. 31.

(AP)
New York State Police say four people have been injured in a lightning strike in the resort town of Lake George.

The lightning strike Saturday happened the day after five people were struck by lightning in Poughkeepsie. One of the Poughkeepsie victims died early Saturday. The 50-year-old mans name was not immediately released. The other four victims were hospitalized.

The Poughkeepsie victims were at Mansion Square Park when a fast-moving thunderstorm hit around 4 p.m. Friday.

Few details were available about the Lake George lightning strike.

Lake George is at the base of the Adirondack Mountains about 60 miles north of Albany.

(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 partys 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 its not without precedent. Nevertheless, its a jolting prospect now, with roughly three months still left before the Nov. 8 vote and weeks before the three presidential debates.

Republicans who have devoted their professional lives to electing GOP candidates say they believe the White House already may be lost. Theyre exasperated by Trumps divisive politics and his insistence on running a general election campaign that mirrors his approach to the primaries.

Based on his campaign record, theres no chance hes going to win, said Sara Fagen, the political director for former President George W. Bush. Hes losing groups of people he cant get back.

Trumps campaign says things are moving in the right direction, a position that itself feeds the discontent among his GOP detractors. The billionaire businessmans 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  its him being distorted, said Trumps campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. For the last week or so, hes 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 partys 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 cant simply continue to preach to the choir and think hes 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. Hes 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.

Ill just keep doing the same thing Im doing right now, he told CNBC on Thursday. And at the end its either going to work or Im going to you know, Im 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 Trumps 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.

Theyre 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 dont 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.

Thats 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, its 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 candidates 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.

Weve always found its wise to have people traveling with him, because its an opportunity to have him engaged and not just sitting there, Manafort said.

Some credit that strategy for Trumps 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 its hardly foolproof.

After several error-free days, Trump caused a major stir Tuesday when his comments about supporters of the Second Amendments 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 presidents 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.

Its those kinds of moments that lead experienced Republicans to think Trump cannot be saved from himself.

Hes almost like someone with an addiction who cant stop, Fagen said. Until he gets help and admits it, he wont be able to change.

The dissension in the Republican ranks hasnt affected Trumps 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 cant afford with growing security threats. She urged Trump to stick with his playbook.

Why be fake? she asked.

Others arent so sure.

Mike Dedrel, a UPS driver and Trump supporter whos also from St. Cloud, said he hoped in the coming months that Trump wouldnt speak off the cuff as often and stick to pre-planned answers. If he doesnt, Dedrel said, hes 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 hell be a great president  if he can win.

(AP)
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First Direct offers a 250 interest-free overdraft.

M&S Bank offers a 500 overdraft facility with 100 interest-free.

Nationwide Building Societys FlexDirect account offers an interest-free overdraft for a year.

Customer service

Banks commended for their customer-focused approach include First Direct, Metro Bank, Nationwide and Handelsbanken.

Challengers

New digital bank Atom  managed via a smartphone app  is one to watch.

Virgin Money has 74 branches around the UK and seven stores with lounges providing refreshments, wi-fi and the use of iPads.
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

Skyscanner: Free

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.
Morrisons will close its head office today and tomorrow to send the 1,000 staff to stores to help with a rush of customers during the heatwave.

A spokesman for the supermarket said it was braced for shoppers stocking up on products such as ice cream after a summer that has so far proved lacklustre.

Supermarkets are increasingly organising business to react to sharp rises in demand.

The supermarket said it was braced for shoppers stocking up on products such as ice cream

The directive from chief executive David Potts will add an extra 8,000 hours of service.

The spokesman said it would be the first time Morrisons had closed the Bradford office as part of such a strategy.

Directors, lawyers, IT specialists and buyers will all be asked to help.

The spokesman said Potts himself would be in a store somewhere in Yorkshire, with only a skeleton crew at HQ.

Morrisons expects ice cream sales this week to rise 75 per cent, ice lollies by 250 per cent and meat for barbecues by 150 per cent.
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.
About Me

Name: Carl in Jerusalem Location: Jerusalem, Israel

I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com

View my complete profile
There is nobody so irritating as somebody with less intelligence and more sense than we have. - Don Herold

Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane. - Phillip K. Dick

In the fight between you and the world, back the world.- Frank Zappa
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By William Lewis

This years presidential campaign is very unusual to say the least.

Beginning in January the Republicans had a field of 17 candidates, which was reduced to one, Donald Trump, after six months of party primary campaigns.

The Democratic Party was expected to give the nomination to Hillary Clinton, but 74-year-old independent Bernie Sanders came out of nowhere to challenge her.

Sanders attracted a large group of young supporters and did well in a number of primaries. However, Clinton prevailed. This years campaign has seen a constant number of political attacks and name calling from both sides. It started in the Republican Party primaries and continued in the Democratic and Republican Party conventions.

There doesnt seem to be anything like it in any recent presidential campaign. The closest thing to it may have been Democrat Harry Trumans race against Thomas Dewey for president in 1948. Harry Truman especially was very outspoken in his criticism of Dewey. But he did not resort to name calling and severe personal attacks.

In addition, Truman attacked the Republicans in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate for not supporting his government programs. Trumans actions were not comparable to the 2016 campaign.

When we consider the issues of this years campaign there is a wide difference in how the two major political parties view them.

First of all, the issues this year are much different than in previous years. Terrorism and immigration have become primary concerns. With terrorist actions taking place in the United States, Europe and parts of the Middle East, there is increasing concern. American and European citizens are becoming deeply worried. The issue of immigration especially from our southern border is being debated constantly as never before. Both major political parties are taking different positions in terms of allowing immigrants to enter our country.

Free trade also has become a major issue, which has brought discussion and debate, far more so than in previous campaigns. It is good this is happening so that the voters get an opportunity to participate in government policy. The two major political parties continue to disagree on almost all major issues.

There is a high negative rating given to both candidates by the people. It seems that some voters will be choosing a candidate when they dislike both of them. This is not what our founding fathers wanted.

Increasing job opportunities has become a major consideration among the voters.

There seems to be a lot more interest in this years presidential campaign than in recent past presidential campaigns.

However, two major considerations which were mentioned before seem to strongly influence the campaign. That is the high negative ratings of the two candidates and the increasing personal attacks by each of the candidates. It would be helpful if the personal attacks would stop and the candidates would deal with the very serious issues facing our country.

The issues will be handled differently after the election depending upon which political party comes into power.

The Conservative Party State Committee will be meeting on Sept. 7 to endorse their candidate for President. They are expected to designate Donald Trump. There is a possibility that Trump may attend the meeting.
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By Philip Newman

A 28-year-old Jamaica man has pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident in which his car fatally struck a 48-year-old man who was standing next to his car on a Richmond Hill street.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said a joint investigation by an NYPD Collision Investigation Squad and the Queens DA Homicide Investigations Bureau revealed evidence, including video surveillance, which led to identification of the defendant.

Brown identified the defendant as Aftab Safdar, 28, of 143rd Street in Jamaica. Safdar pleaded guilty before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Dorothy Chin-Brandt Aug. 4 to charges of leaving the scene of an accident without reporting a death, the DA said.

Safdar was immediately taken to Rikers Island where he will await sentencing Aug. 30, when he is to be given six months in jail and five years probation. Resolution of the case was reached after consulting with the victims family, members of whom will have the the opportunity to address the court and the defendant.

Brown said that, according to the charges, Safdar was driving a 2008 blue Nissan Sentra about 4:40 a.m. Feb. 28 when he struck the victim, Besik Shengelia, who was standing next to his 2015 Toyota Highlander in the vicinity of 107-42 11th St. Shengelia was taken to a Queens hospital where he died from severe head trauma.
Ambridge music museum to close & go up for sale; items to be relocated
The relentless attack on oil, natural gas and coal by the Obama administration continues while regulators in Texas conducted a study that resulted in developing 12 ideas to reduce regulatory costs.

The White House announced recently that it has instructed all U.S. federal agencies to analyze their policies and directives as for their impact on climate change.

Already, agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Interior and others have implemented new regulations impacting fossil fuels.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed by industry and states regarding federal over-regulation. Just last week, the state of Texas filed suit against EPA regarding the new methane emission regulations.

Meanwhile, Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick announced 12 initiatives that would reduce regulatory costs.

Some of the ideas include deferring agency reports and filings that will have no negative environmental impact and save operating costs. Other ideas would reduce requirements for reporting gas well deliverability, revise 'active oil and gas well' definitions to keep more wells in active status, and review RRC forms in an effort to consolidate and prevent waste.

The oil and gas industry's pain continues. The law firm Haynes and Boone announced that it has tracked 90 North American oil and gas producers that have filed for bankruptcy since the beginning of 2015, involving approximately $66.5 billion in cumulative secured and unsecured debt.

The firm stated that 48 producers have filed bankruptcy from January to Aug. 1 this year with approximately $49.3 billion in cumulative secured and unsecured debt.

Another example of the desperate times in the oil and gas industry is the recent announcement that one of the leaders in the development of oil and gas production from shale, Chesapeake Energy, has transferred some 2,800 wells on 215,000 acres in the Barnett Shale to Saddle Barnett Resources LLC, a Dallas company backed by a global private equity firm.

The Barnett Shale includes primarily 13 counties surrounding Fort Worth, which became Texas headquarters for Chesapeake. From 2004 until the price collapse in 2008, Chesapeake was a competitor for acreage in the Barnett Shale including acquiring drilling rights at DFW Airport and near downtown Fort Worth.

Former CEO Aubrey McClendon, who died in a traffic accident earlier this year, became a leading advocate for natural gas as a clean burning energy source. However, McClendon was forced out of the company when prices failed to recover and Chesapeake's bottom line grew thinner.

Chesapeake CEO Doug Lawler said he hoped the 170 employees working in the Barnett Shale will transition to Saddle Barnett Shale.
On 3-5 October 2017 Kyiv is going to host the Space and Future Forum to network international experts and youth, many of whom will also participate at the first CosmoHack in the world. Joinfo provides media coverage of the Forum, and some of its topics were already discussed ...
Texoma has a big heart.

Every day, we see examples of tremendous generosity and empathy toward those around us.

From our commitment to children, to our veterans, to the homeless, to the elderly, to the dying, Texoma gives extraordinarily of time and treasure to, in many cases, complete strangers.

Only those with a stone-cold heart could fail to see just how much Texoma Gives.

Texoma Gives, a campaign we hope you've seen throughout North Texas and southern Oklahoma of late, is a one-day event championed by the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation to spur much-needed funding for nonprofit organizations in our area.

During 16 hours on Sept. 15, Texoma Gives provides donors a one-stop spot to donate to their favorite charities.

From 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. on that day, www.texomagives.org will accept unrestricted donations for area nonprofits in Texoma.

Some 145 nonprofits are included on the Texoma Gives website, showcasing such focuses as arts and culture, education, health, animals, community improvement, environment and hunger. While the nonprofits come from 24 Texoma counties, 99 organizations come from Wichita County alone.

If you're like most of Texoma, a number of these nonprofits tug at your heart and appeal to your generosity.

All donations to Texoma Gives become eligible for 'prize money,' outstanding awards given throughout the day, randomly and on the hour. Made possible by generous sponsors listed on the website, the prizes include such treasures as the 'Jackpot' given to the nonprofit with most number of unique donors within the 16-hour period. That award is worth $3,333 to the winning nonprofit.

Between 3 p.m. and 3:15 p.m., the nonprofit with most unique donors in this 15 minutes will get  wait for it -- $15,000. Whoa!

Wait for it, the opportunity for another $15,000 comes during the 8- 8:15 p.m. donation period.

The generosity continues after the event, with an award given to the Best Marketing Campaign. The website includes a form to be completed after Sept. 15. That award is worth $5,000 to the winning nonprofit.

The WFACF, which partnered with all the nonprofits to give this phenomenal boost to their fundraising, will also bestow an Agency Award to the nonprofit receiving most gifts and has an agency fund at the Community Foundation.

The fundraising event promises to be so successful, the Texoma Gives website is already alerting nonprofits not included in the 2016 campaign to get their applications in for next year.

There is so much more to tell. Visit the website, www.texomagives.org.

There is so much more we can give.

Mark your calendar. Earmark your favorite nonprofits. Be a part of the generosity this community always displays.

Give, Texoma.
Phillip M. Coheley, Wichita Falls

As I read the article about the United States Justice Department and its investigation of the Baltimore Police Department in the Aug. 11 TRN, I cannot help but wonder  I wonder if the Justice Department is really worried about the citizens of Baltimore, especially when they ignore daily terrorism in the neighborhoods of the poor, the elderly and weak. These people are preyed upon 24 hours a day by the gangs and thugs who inhabit their neighborhoods. Crimes such as rape, murder, intimidation, beatings, robbery, theft, burglary, etc., are committed as a daily routine.

The way the Justice Department describes the police department is derogatory and intentionally inflammatory. I say the United States Justice Department should be pursuing the real threat to the citizens and their families, the criminal gangs and thugs who rule the neighborhoods.

These gangs have been routinely unlawful, used excessive force and targeted mostly black residents in low-income African American neighborhoods. This would also include the cities of Chicago, Cleveland and Ferguson, Missouri. These very words in this paragraph are the words the Justice Department used to describe the Baltimore police department.

How can we have respect for the current Justice Department when they fail to address real and ongoing terror in our cities. They then turn on the very officers and police department that had all officers either acquitted or the charges dropped in the incident, which brought the Justice Department to Baltimore. Additionally, the judge admonished the prosecutor's office for bringing charges against these officers with no evidence.

For the sake of the citizens in these and all similar cities, I recommend that the United States Justice Department seek, investigate and prosecute the ongoing and very real terrorism that causes the police to have such presence in these communities. Power to the people.
Lois Reilly, Wichita Falls

Donald Trump warning America of the grave danger to our future as a nation and to our individual rights provided by our Constitution were another liberal, anti-constitutional, Supreme Court justice be appointed, gets his warnings totally misinterpreted by the left, liberal, anti-America leadership and press. Only a moron would see a death threat in what Donald Trump really said. Do not accept as fact what the lying liberal media wants you to think.

Dear God, please bless Mr. Donald Trump as he runs for president.
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, will be on September 5 this year. According to the U. S. Department of Labor, Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the 'social and economic achievements of American workers and to workers' contributions to the United States.' Labor Day did not become a national holiday until 1894. There was a time when Americans actually paused to honor the work of the people who built this country, the real 'makers.' Now, it seems to be just another three-day weekend, the end of summer with no thought given to the meaning of the holiday.

Business opposed labor organizing from the beginning. Organized labor would push for better wages and safer working conditions which business saw as an added expense, and would decrease their profit. The death of 146 young women in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire 100 years ago finally got the public's attention. Pictures of young women, on fire, leaping from the upper floors of the building where they worked made it impossible to ignore working conditions of garment workers. Knowledge that the building had a single fire escape, which collapsed before many could escape and that exits were locked or blocked, incensed the public.

Organized labor fought for better wages, safer working conditions and for health insurance for workers. The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) was not passed until 1970. Although some people complain because OSHA is seen as an unnecessary intrusion, many lives have been saved and many workplace injuries have been prevented by OSHA rules. We have certainly seen the deadly consequences when workers fail to follow training guidelines and workplace safety requirements.

Organized labor successfully fought for health insurance. One of the earliest examples was a group of Dallas teachers who established a plan with Baylor Hospital in 1929 to provide hospital care for a prepaid monthly payment. In 1942, Congress passed the Stabilization Act to limit wage increases during World War II. There were also price controls to prevent excessive wartime profits. Since manufacturers could not increase wages in order to attract quality workers, unions negotiated health insurance as part of their contracts with manufacturers. Congress passed laws enabling business to deduct worker health insurance cost as a business expense and workers did not have to count the health benefit as income. Workplace health insurance continued as a standard part of union contracts after World War II. Since then, health insurance has become a common fringe benefit for many workers.

Perhaps, the benefits most associated with labor organizations are better wages and limits on the number of required hours worked per day and week. In 1890, the average workweek for full-time manufacturing workers was an astonishing 100 hours. In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) limited the workweek to 44 hours and in 1940 reduced that to 40 hours. FLSA also limited the hours worked by children younger than 16 except for children employed in agriculture.

The share of income going to the top 10 percent is inversely correlated to union membership. After World War II, wages and working standards for both union and nonunion workers increased until about 1958. The proportion of income going to the top 10 percent declined as union membership increased. Since 1958, union membership has declined steadily and the percent of total income going to the top 10 percent has increased just as steadily. In 2013, union membership dropped to 11.2 percent and the share of income going to the top 10 percent was 47.0 percent. The average CEO made 20 times as much as the average worker in 1965. By 2013, the average CEO made 295.1 times as much as the average worker.

An individual worker, negotiating alone, has little power compared to a large, wealthy, now often multinational corporation. If you earn a living wage, have a safe workplace, a pension or 401K, paid leave (sick leave or vacation) and health insurance, thank organized labor. Happy Labor Day!
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 still 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 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. Readers may email him at speaktojay@aol.com.
This Sunday at 2 a.m. is the start of daylight saving time, which means clocks will spring forward an hour.

Whether you love it or hate it, this year's daylight saving could be California's last. A bill to scrap daylight saving time made its way through another Senate committee last August, which means California may be closer to standard time year round.

In an interview with the Sacramento Bee, Assemblymember Kansen Chu (D-San Jose)  who authored the bill  said, "Daylight saving time is an institution that has been in place largely without a question for more than half a century." Chu continued, "I think we owe it to the general public to be given the opportunity to decide for themselves whether or not daylight saving time ought to be continued."

Chu presented Assembly Bill 385 to the State Senate Appropriations Committee on August 11, 2016. The bill was initially introduced in 2015 and written to put an end to daylight saving time as we know it.

Chu also cited statistics in the bill that link daylight savings time to a higher heart attack rate, traffic accidents and fatalities and energy waste.

After several amendments last year, the bill made its way to the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee in June and eventually to the State Senate Appropriation Committee this past week.

More for you Why daylight saving time should last forever

After clearing the Senate committee, the bill is now headed to the Senate floor. If the bill passes and receives Gov. Jerry Brown's approval, California voters will see the bill on the ballot no later than 2018.
Standing Rock Reservation, N.D.

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, 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 500,000 barrels of crude daily from North Dakota's rich Bakken oil fields more than 1,000 miles to Illinois  transformed last 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.

Tribal members and their supporters vow 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 hurt the environment.
SELKIRK  Eleven freight cars were back on the track Sunday afternoon after they were derailed at CSX Transportation's Selkirk yard in an incident caused by a train traveling from Chicago to New Jersey.

No injuries, leaks or spills were reported after the train bound for North Bergen, N.J., sideswiped a group of cars that were adjacent to the track around 7 p.m. Saturday, CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle said Sunday.
MALTA  Responding to a 911 hang-up call, police arrested a Malta man they said threatened them with a knife Saturday afternoon at his home on Faracone Drive.

John T. Perry, 55, was accused of intentionally placing an officer in fear of injury and was charged with menacing and criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies, the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office said.
Malta

A Malta man who allegedly threatened a police officer with a knife was arrested on Saturday afternoon, Saratoga County sheriff deputies said.

Deputies said they were responding to a 911 hang-up call from the home of John T. Perry, 55, on Faraone Drive. Upon arrival, Perry displayed a knife and threatened the officer, deputies said.

Perry will be arraigned in the Malta Town Court on Saturday night.

 Wendy Liberatore
BRUSSELS -- The hacking of Democratic Party computer systems, widely thought by U.S. intelligence officials to be the work of the Russian government, may be giving Washington a new taste of unconventional Kremlin tactics that have long been employed to influence politics in neighboring European countries.

Russia has tried hard in recent years to tug Europe to its side, bankrolling the continent's extremist political parties, working to fuel a backlash against migrants and using its vast energy resources as a cudgel against its neighbors. Two-and-a-half years into the Ukraine crisis, President Barack Obama's administration officials say that the Kremlin may now be engaging in similar trickery in the U.S. presidential campaign in an effort to boost Russia-friendly Republican nominee Donald Trump.

The alleged effort would be an unusually blunt challenge to the U.S. political system but one familiar to Europe, where officials and analysts see Russian fingerprints on a wide spectrum of initiatives designed to split Western unity and encourage acceptance of Kremlin policies. European leaders say Russia has been involved in such actions as an April referendum in the Netherlands that rejected a European Union trade deal with Ukraine and the strengthening of cross-border bonds among Euroskeptic parties.

With many U.S. and European voters feeling left adrift by the tides of globalization and threatened by migration, the Russian efforts have played on existing Western weaknesses and found a receptive audience.

"The Russians have been trying for years to destabilize Europe," said Alexander Pechtold, a Dutch lawmaker who was a leader of the losing effort to persuade voters to support the Ukraine deal. The referendum was triggered by anti-EU activists who said they want to stop the expansion of the bloc and improve relations with Russia.

"Over a long period of time, Russia has been stoking unrest in Europe, an unrest that already exists because we find ourselves in a vulnerable period," Pechtold said. "It uses that weakness to deteriorate the situation to its advantage."

In Europe, Russia has been pressing hard to roll back sanctions imposed after it annexed Crimea in 2014, a task that could succeed with the support of just one of the 28 EU nations, which need unanimity to prolong the measures. Even before that conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin was working to build support for his vision of the world, which seeks to preserve his domestic power by favoring authoritarian leaders over democratically elected ones and by gaining for his country the deference once accorded to the Soviet Union.

Of course, Russia did not create the British Euroskepticism that led voters to opt to pull out of the EU nor did it set in motion the conflagration in Syria, whose refugees have taxed European unity in a way that little else has. But at each turn, the Kremlin has sought to exploit and exacerbate the vulnerabilities of the EU and the NATO military alliance, leaders and analysts say.

"They try to benefit the most out of these messes, but I wouldn't say they are creating them," said Peter Kreko, director of the Political Capital Institute, a Budapest-based think tank that has studied links between European political parties and the Kremlin. He said he had found deepening ties not just to parties on the extreme left and right, but also to mainstream groups such as the center-right Republicans in France, where both houses of Parliament voted this spring in favor of rolling back sanctions against Russia.
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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Five years ago, Steven Boles received a call. His friend had died after overdosing on "Rated R," a batch of heroin laced with fentanyl. A group called the Fisher Organization was selling "Rated R" from a cellphone store on Main Street in his home town of Poughkeepsie. The heroin, boosted by fentanyl, proved incredibly potent. Police reported nine heroin overdoses in one week, with officers finding heroin bags marked with the "Rated R" label at the scene of several of them.

The death of his friend on "Rated R" immediately spurred Boles to action. Boles had a long history with heroin and fentanyl and knew the dangers of a bad batch. Within 30 minutes, Boles found for himself a bag of "Rated R," the same batch that killed his friend.

"As soon as I got wind, 'oh there's something that's killing somebody,' I'd want it right away, just because it's that good," Boles said at an Albany treatment facility in July.

The paradox of the heroin epidemic is the more people know about the potency  and potential lethality  of a specific supply, the more some are drawn to its call. Numerous law enforcement officials said when a killer batch of heroin enters a community, a chain reaction often occurs.

More Information State Police processed 99 lab reports indicating fentanyl at its main lab in Albany from from July 6, 2015 to July 6, 2016. These numbers are a snapshot of fentanyl prevalence by county. County# of Lab Reports indicating Fentanyl Albany County2 Allegany County3 Broome County6 Cattaraugus County6 Cayuga County4 Chautauqua County4 Chemung County4 Chenango County1 Cortland County1 Delaware County3 Dutchess County7 Erie County1 Essex County4 Fulton County1 Genesee County1 Greene County3 Jefferson County3 Madison County1 Montgomery County1 Oneida County2 Onondaga County5 Orange County9 Oswego County1 Rensselaer County3 Rockland County3 Saratoga County4 Schenectady County6 Suffolk County4 Tioga County1 Tompkins County1 Ulster County3 Washington County1 Total99 Death toll Opiate-related deaths in Albany County in 2015. The District Attorney's Office believes the death dates show clustering whenever hot batches enter communities. Days after Date of deathprevious deathage 01/07/15-33 01/10/15336 01/15/15535 02/01/151721 02/01/15032 02/02/15124 02/06/15432 02/15/15932 02/22/15735 03/16/152248 03/26/151022 04/03/15822 04/03/15024 04/15/161225 04/22/15744 05/03/15959 05/04/15126 06/01/152838 Days after Date of deathprevious deathage 06/01/15034 06/04/15353 06/11/15755 06/17/15634 06/24/15729 06/24/15056 07/04/151047 07/05/15147 07/09/15427 08/07/152931 08/24/151745 09/27/153430 09/27/15048 09/27/15027 09/29/15234 10/08/15931 10/16/15848 12/15/156035 See More Collapse

First, a user, unaware of the potency of the batch, overdoses. Then, fellow users, drawn by word of the batch's strength, seek some for themselves. The drug dealers in turn push, eager to unload their product before the cops catch them. The results can be deadly.

"It is one of the most counter-intuitive processes that we engage in," Albany County District Attorney David Soares said. He said the unique challenge of potent batches has already changed some of the ways his office works.

"If you alert the public about a hot batch, then what you are in essence doing is driving more clients to that deadly batch," Soares said, "and the consequences there are real."

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, sold and prescribed more than six million times a year for pain management. In March, the Drug Enforcement Administration warned fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and that ingestion of as little as 0.25 milligrams can be fatal.

Law enforcement officers have found more of the drug in New York recently. In 2013, agents seized half a kilo, or about a pound, of fentanyl in the state, James Hunt, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's New York division, said. In 2014, agents seized two kilos. In 2015, they seized 21 kilos. Already, midway through 2016, the agency has seized 35 kilos, Hunt said.

Boles first took fentanyl when he was 18 or 19. He said his friend's mother had a prescription, and he and his friend swiped the patches from her.

For much of his early years, Boles had been drifting on his own, doing a bit of everything, he said. Cocaine, alcohol, meth.

Fentanyl numbed him. After sniffing or injecting the drug, he'd lie back, drifting in and out of consciousness, as his body tingled, and as his heart and lungs slowed. Someone could hit him with a hammer and he wouldn't feel a thing, he said. "It's kinda similar to meditation," Boles said. "It's just a little bit more extreme."

Boles said he first took heroin when he was 24 or 25 and soon learned heroin mixed with fentanyl was more powerful. "It's a way to save money," he said. "A good batch, and you don't need as many bags to reach the same potency."

When fentanyl is mixed into heroin, it's hard to know the potency of the mixture. Addiction experts say those who overdose are usually not taking more than normal, but are overwhelmed when their usual dose is more potent than expected.

Boles said he overdosed on fentanyl three times and on heroin about 12 times, but fentanyl is unique, Boles said. The first time he overdosed on boosted-heroin, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he was in the back of an ambulance, with a breathing mask wrapped around his face and wires taped onto his chest. He threw up bile, he said. He later learned paramedics needed triple the usual dose of the lifesaving opiate antidote Narcan to save him.

For dealers, mixing fentanyl into their heroin is smart business. Fentanyl is like an extra spice that lets them water down a soup and still sell it at the same price.

"Dealers are no different than any other business," Hunt, from the DEA, said. "They're fighting over that customer base. Whatever they can do to make that product stronger, that's what they'll do. If they have heroin that's a little weak, and they want to spice it up, they can add fentanyl."

Making fentanyl would take about half an hour, said Boles, who was a small- time dealer to support his habit. He'd take a razor blade, scrape the fentanyl gel from some purloined patches, and then heat the gel and turn it into a powder. Fentanyl can be absorbed through the skin, but Boles said he never wore gloves and was always high as he'd cut the powder with his heroin and baby formula.

"You basically would double your money," Boles said. "Say you have an ounce of dope, a quarter ounce of baby formula, and then an eighth of an ounce of fentanyl. Mix it all together, and now instead of five grams, you're making 10 grams."

The goal is to get people to come back, not to kill them, he said. If people start overdosing on bags, he'd add more baby formula, Boles said. He'd test on his friends and the avid users who were "basically test dummies."

He'd say: "Hey come over, we've got a new batch."

Much of the fentanyl comes into New York through Mexico, Hunt said, although some fentanyl comes in from China and from home-grown labs.

"Unfortunately, these guys are not real chemists, and fentanyl is so powerful that a very, very small amount is enough to kill you," Agent Hunt said.

Boles said no one ever died from his batches  to his knowledge.

A fentanyl-boosted heroin overdose is a particular kind of overdose. Fentanyl can cause chest wall rigidity, where the person who used the drug cannot move his or her chest wall to breathe, even though he or she might be conscious and trying to do so, the New York Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services said.

Boles said he has personally seen three deaths from overdoses, and 30 overdoses where the person survived.

"Most of the time, you just have to breathe for the person," Boles said, which is something he learned watching emergency workers. Just keep them level until the "people who really know what they're doing arrive there."

Boles recalled a day when he and another friend were getting high in a pickup truck, when all of a sudden, his friend slumped over. Boles saw his lips were blue. Boles said he pulled his friend out of the truck, called 911, and gave him CPR.

He saved his friend's life that day, Boles said, but his friend would die from his addiction one year later. Boles continued using.

Other addicts interviewed said overdoses did not deter their addiction, adding that deadly batches were chased for their potency.

Still, not all users are seeking the next highest high, said Stephanie Lao, associate executive director at Project Safe Point in Albany, which runs a needle exchange program among other services. Lao said when a potent batch enters a community, responsible users will warn others and share information about the deadly batch.

"The majority are using to maintain, not push the envelope," Lao said. "They're not chasing the high, they're avoiding the pain, and they need it in order to just be OK. If they don't have it they'll get very sick."

In 2013, another potent batch of fentanyl-laced heroin labeled "Breaking Bad" hit Boles' hometown of Poughkeepsie. Three people were found dead as a result. In 2014, a drug task force arrested a Dutchess County man, Dennis Sica, 38, of Hopewell Junction.

At Sica's sentencing for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl resulting in death, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said Sica continued to sell even after a man died. "Sica chose again and again, to sell lethal heroin laced with fentanyl for profit, even after realizing that his 'Breaking Bad' branded drugs were killing people," Bharara said in a 2015 news release.

Once a dealer finds their product is killing someone, their next step is to get the product out as soon as possible, Boles said. "Usually the dealers who have the stuff that's potent and killing people, they try to get rid of it quick," Boles said. "Honestly, just try to get rid of it as quickly as possible."

Death can be good for a dealer's business, according to the Albany prosecutor.

"If somebody dies, your main objective is making everyone know that the person who died took a certain product with a certain name, that way your reputation is building," Soares said. "That's your marketing campaign. It takes death to really launch your marketing campaign on the street."

Soares showed video of Robert Vickers, 66, of Saratoga Springs, a man arrested for heroin dealing in Albany. On hidden camera, Vickers gave tips on the trade to an informant. The gray-bearded man compared the boosted heroin of today with the incredibly pure but deadly "Blue Magic" of the '70s.

"You want it up there where Blue Magic was," Vickers said. "When it first came out, (people) were dying, and now that's OK! Because that's what we look for."

On camera Vickers appears jovial. When someone dies, he said, the first question people ask is "Where'd they at?"

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Vickers was convicted of six counts of selling heroin in 2015 and sentenced to 21 years. One of his bags tested positive for fentanyl, Soares said.

Earlier this year, Soares was in informal talks about building an alert system for hot batches. The idea was once there's an overdose or information about a hot batch, the prosecutor's office and other authorities would warn the public. Addiction specialists, however, were clear that the idea could have deadly consequences.

"The only thing that we would be doing with a public education campaign is drawing more customers to that deadly product," Soares said, "and that is just not something I'm willing to risk."

At the DEA, Hunt similarly called the paradox of boosted heroin "a double-edged sword."

"By alerting the public on batches of deadly high potency heroin, we are able to save people's lives," Hunt said. "However, some opiate addicts will seek out the brand. The cost benefit analysis of saving lives by warning the public on fatal batches outweighs the chance that some addicts will chase their high."

Another challenge Soares noted was one echoed by many in law enforcement: there just isn't enough data.

In Colonie, police reported 286 overdose calls in 2015, a number which includes alcohol incidents. Of these, 77 overdoses were opiate-related. Of the 12 fatal overdoses, eight definitely involved opiates and the rest are undetermined, Lt. Robert Winn said.

These numbers, however, may not reflect the true prevalence of overdoses, Winn said.

"Most overdoses, if they're not deemed to be suspicious or criminal," Winn said, "sometimes it's not reflected in the file."

Records still have to be searched by hand for analysis, Winn said.

Hunt noted that until recently, coroners were not even testing for heroin, let alone fentanyl.

"The fentanyl phenomenon is not old enough where all these health departments are testing for it," Hunt said, "and that's the only way to show an accurate number."

In the fall, Soares said his office plans to begin a public information campaign, in conjunction with other agencies, highlighting New York's Good Samaritan laws. The law gives people who call 911 for help with an overdose a limited shield from prosecution for possession of narcotics.

The project has been a year in development, Soares said. It was delayed as experts sought how to inform the public responsibly, without serving as promotion for the dealer.

"We've just never dealt with anything like this before," Soares said. "We're taking a very cautious approach in the way we approach this message."

Boles was arrested on a Monday afternoon in 2012, when he was stopped by New Paltz police and told to go either to treatment, or to prison. Boles completed a year of treatment, then relapsed. He is now 30, the father of a 5-year-old boy, and back at Addictions Care Center of Albany, Inc. The hard-core Yankees fan said he loves hiking, kayaking and rebuilding cars, and he hopes to get clean soon.

The men who sold the "Rated R" batch of heroin, Shabari Fisher and Shateek Parker, were sentenced to 15 years and 135 months in prison, respectively.

Still, there's always potent batches, Boles said. The demand is such that when one runs out, another takes its place.

"Once the word spreads," Boles said, "it basically sells itself."

jlawrence@timesunion.com  518-454-5467  @jplawrence3
It's seriously hot out there.

You can tell just how seriously when as a state we start approaching record amounts of energy consumption. According to the governor's office, the record usage in a single day was on July 19, 2013 when it reached 33,955 megawatts. By Thursday, we were up to 32,076 and rising. You don't have to know a thing about what those numbers mean to get the gist of it. Many of us have lived through brownouts and power outages when the state power grid was too stressed to deliver 100 percent of the electricity all of us and our appliances needed. It was not pretty.

New Yorkers pay the highest energy rates in the nation. California is second, Hawaii third. While cost matters, especially for business, the absolute bottom line for most of us is reliability, as the current situation underscores.

Yet if we aren't associated one way or another with the energy industry in New York, extreme weather is one of the few occasions when we're forced to pay attention to what makes the lights go on, the air conditioner hum, or the furnace kick in. With extreme weather events happening more and more, I suppose we'll be thinking along these lines more and more, or at least ought to be.

I know our highest elected officials, who will reap the fallout if there's a collapse, are nervous about it.

So inevitably, politics and energy are intertwined in strange ways.

For reasons that are entirely political and not driven by market forces that would give us the cheapest, most reliable energy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced renewable energy sources  solar, wind, hydro and a host of others  will provide half of our statewide electrical needs by 2030. Which, incidentally, is only a shade over 13 years away. Practically tomorrow. The governor wants to be a national environmental hero, a leader in dealing with climate change, and really, it is a laudable goal. Social benefit  reducing carbon emissions  trumps market forces.

But how realistic is it? How high a price are we willing to pay? Right now, after a concerted effort for years by several New York state administrations to lure investment in various renewables through a host of subsidies, a quarter of our electricity comes from renewables.

Simple math tells us in 13 years we have to double the amount of renewable energy we produce to meet the governor's political goals. That is some lift. And oh, the political expectation is this can be done with minimal apparent fiscal impact on the public, the ratepayers. The operative word is "apparent." Will more subsidies, for existing as well as new facilities, be needed to even come to close to the 50-by-'30 goal? Of course. And what about that all-important reliability? You need wind to make wind power. I'm told the big dreams of wind farms out in the ocean, where wind is nearly constant, are very expensive propositions. Solar doesn't make electricity at night. Hydro, at least, unless something freakish happens, does seem entirely reliable.

But if half our energy is to come from desirable renewables, we need to be clear-headed about the rest. We should not rule out cheap natural gas generation plants, for example, as a sensible, doable low-carbon bridge to no carbon.

And nothing incites more irrational political thought than nuclear power. Cuomo wants to close Indian Point because it's a nuclear plant near the huge downstate population, whatever vague threat that poses, even though the feds are entirely satisfied it is safe. And even though without Indian Point, now or anytime in the foreseeable future, metropolitan New York City would be in a heap of discomfort. Indian Point is critical to New York City's energy needs, and its proximity is an advantage for the transmission  the delivery  of energy, which is just as important as generation, sometimes more so. That's a key element to reliability. Because of the difficulty in getting it done, New York has not approved a new bulk transmission line in 30 years.

Meanwhile, in upstate, the governor has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep open three nuclear plants, including negotiating the sale of one of them, FitzPatrick on Lake Ontario, a facility its owner, Entergy, wanted to close because it's a money pit.

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I commend to you a story on Syracuse.com by Mark Weiner detailing the back story to that sale. It's an eye-opening read. The motivation over FitzPatrick is all about jobs. It's a facility too big to fail  for Oswego County. More than 600 high-paying jobs, a $74 million annual payroll, and the linchpin of the region's tax base.

What has come out of that arrangement is a unique approach for rewarding nuclear power in the state, a carbon-emissions-free energy source, to the tune of nearly $8 billion in state subsidies over the next 12 years to be paid by every electricity user in the state.

The governor has gotten a fair amount of grief from critics over this arrangement with nuclear power, but frankly the prospect of losing such an important economic engine upstate in my view gives him a pass. So does his formally extending a predictable revenue stream for nuclear energy investors.

I wish the governor felt the same way about Indian Point. It's realistic. We need nuclear now, and will continue to need it well beyond his anticipated phase-out of this critical energy source by 2030.

flebrun@timesunion.com  518-454-5453
Nearly two dozen black-and-white panels hang in the Hillestad Textiles Gallery, moving as people walk near them and in the breeze from the rooms air conditioning.

As the layered sheets of printed silk organza move, they trigger the moire effect -- a wavy, watery appearance of lines in the fabric. That creates a psychedelic op art effect up close.

From a distance, the multiple panels and four sculptural vessels dramatically fill the room, a powerful installation from Massachusetts-based textile artist Elin Noble.

Vox Stellarum grew out of a 2007 exhibition in which Noble was one of the artists invited to create a response to the copperplate engravings in Physica sacra, an early 18th-century book by Swiss natural scientist Johann Jakob Scheuchzer.

Done during an age of scientific discovery, the book and the image Noble responded to (on view in the gallery) teeter between the spiritual or mystic and the revelations of scientific observation -- a balance that is captured in Nobles work.

Noble uses hand-dyeing and clamp-resist techniques to create the panels on the transparent fabric. In that process, the dyed fabric is placed between tightly clamped blocks of wood, then immersed in either a dye or discharge bath. A dye bath adds to the coloring of the fabric, a discharge bath removes the color on the exposed fabric while the fabric under the clamps remains unchanged.

A master of dyeing, Noble has a good idea of what patterns will emerge from the process. But there is still some chance, or accident left in the process.

The 23 panels, each made up of at least two, hang from ceiling to floor, smartly arranged by Noble, who hung the show in July, near walls and in broken lines and creating, on the east side of the gallery, a small room-like space where the viewer is surrounded by the wavering panels -- looking forward at one and seeing multiples to each side.

That makes for a captivating environment, a study in abstraction taken to a different, very fresh level by the moire effect.

Adding to the feel of a contained environment are the four sculptural pieces made of a piece of the dyed fabric that was formed around a basket that is placed inside a small metal base and strikingly lit from above.

The final element in Vox Stellarum is a collaboration between Noble and Lincoln artist Michael Burton, who traveled to Nobles New Bedford, Massachusetts, studio to shoot a video of her work.

Projected on the west wall of the gallery, the video is made up of close-up views of the moire effect, taking the micro elements of the visual phenomenon and blowing them up to wall size. That adds another dimension to the installation -- something that cant be seen by looking at the panels themselves either up close or from a distance.

The video, which is shown via two interlocked projectors near the gallerys ceiling, is the most immediately seen aspect of the renovation of the Hillestad Gallery.

That reworking of the space, completed just before the opening of Nobles show included a renovation of the gallerys storage and staging room and, importantly, the removal of the carpet-like fabric that had covered the walls in the space.

The drywall that replaced the fabric allows the painting of the entire gallery, a requirement for effective installations.

And the gallery couldnt have chosen a more effective installation for its reopening than Vox Stellarum. I spent the best part of an hour in the gallery becoming immersed in Nobles created environment, captivated by the moving panels and the moving lines inside them.

Vox Stellarum is a certainty to be on my list of the best Lincoln art exhibitions of 2016 and is on view through Sept. 16 at the gallery on the second floor of the Home Economics Building on the University of Nebraska-Lincolns East Campus. Dont miss it.
Leakage of water from the network is a serious problem on a national scale and that is reflected in Co. Tipperary. Lost water is estimated at 47% nationally based on figures from the national metering programme, and 39% in Co. Tipperary. Figures just released to the end of March this year have shown that 649 householders in Co. Tipperary benefited from Irish Waters First Fix Free scheme as the utility responsible for the countrys water and waste water management urges more householders to avail of the free service.

Irish Waters First Fix Free scheme launched in early 2015 across all metering regions in Co. Tipperary and throughout the country. To the end of March, 75,974 properties were identified with customer side leaks, 3,955 of which have been found in Co. Tipperary.

In 2014 it was estimated that water leakage levels could be as high as 49%. This figure was based on limited data, estimated customer use and varying methods of calculating leakage around the country. As a single utility, Irish Water is able to standardise methods of calculation of leaks and properly understand how much water households use through our domestic meter dataset of approximately 850,000 connections.

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. Under the scheme Irish Water notifies customers where suspected leakage is occurring within the boundary of the property outside the home and offer a free leak investigation and repair if appropriate. The vast majority of leaks are underground so go unnoticed and undetected.

To avail of the scheme, customers must have a confirmed leak on their external supply pipe; have water meter installed on their property (so the leak can be verified); and have a working and accessible inside stop valve.

Irish Waters Water Conservation Strategy Specialist Kate Gannon, welcomed the number of householders in Co. Tipperary who are availing of First Fix Free while encouraging greater uptake of the scheme:

Leakage of water from the network is a serious problem on a national scale and that is reflected here in Co. Tipperary. Lost water is estimated at 47% nationally and 39% in Co. Tipperary. 3,955 households in Co. Tipperary will have already received a letter indicating a potential leak on their property and these householders should contact Irish Water, if they havent done so already, to request a free leak investigation. We will then issue them with a First Fix Repair Scheme offer detailing the terms and conditions of the repair. This really is a great opportunity to potentially avail of a free fix and 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.

Almost 30,000 customers have already contacted Irish Water to avail of a free leak investigation including 1,332 in Co. Tipperary. If you contact us about requesting a leak investigation one of the Irish Water team will contact you within 10 working days to arrange a convenient time to visit. Under the First Fix Leak Repair Scheme 143 households in Co. Tipperary have had leaks fixed for free, but there is much more work to do and we need Tipperary customers to get in touch by telephoning LoCall 1850 278 278 or through our website water.ie.

More information about the First Fix Leak Repair Scheme for Domestic Water Customers is available at water.ie/water-supply/first-fix/
[August 14, 2016] G2A.COM Hosts Regional Media Day

RZESZOW, Poland, LONDON and HONG KONG, August 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Journalists attend the launch of G2A Direct G2A.COM recently held their third Regional Media Day for journalists who requested an opportunity to visit the company and see its practices up-close in one of their offices in Rzeszow, Poland. G2A's Regional Media Day seeks to explain in detail how G2A works hard to serve some of the 2 billion gamers in the world. Journalists were given an up-to-date picture of G2A innovations for them to share with their readers or viewers in their respective regions. They were given an opportunity to interview key department heads, thus enabling them to strengthen the relationship that they have with G2A. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160814/397905 )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160814/397906 )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160814/397907 )



The journalists were given a full tour of the G2A premises, providing them with an eye-opening experience of how GA operates. The journalists learnt of the G2A story - from its humble beginnings in 2010 to the multi-award winning organization that it is today. They experienced a ride through G2A Land (using the famous virtual reality technological device, Oculus glasses), as well as enjoying the company's recreational games-room and gym.



They attended a series of detailed presentations about various aspects of the G2A product offering, including, among others, G2A Pay: the dynamic payment ecosystem that offers online businesses a payment solution with over 150 payment methods; 3D Printing, recent VR Oculus developments, and they were present at the ground breaking launch of G2A Direct for developers. The most anticipated part of their visit were meetings with both CEO Bartosz Skwarczek and CMO Dawid Rozek, co-founders of G2A, as this gave them an exclusive opportunity to ask questions concerning G2A and its role within the gaming industry. The journalists gained a deeper insight into the workings of the company, its open-doors policy for co-operation with developers and producers and the measures it takes to secure the digital gaming marketplace for all concerned - while at the same time enhancing the user experience.

The Journalists toured Rzeszow, a city famous for its innovation and rapid growth, sampled traditional Polish meals in the Rzeszowski Rynek, the charming historic market square in Rzeszow, as well as enjoying a historic tour. As the world's fastest growing digital marketplace, G2A welcomes feedback from all corners of the gaming community and is committed to further improving the user experience for their 10 million customers. Journalists interested in knowing more should contact: [email protected] Author: Jacqueline Purcell - [email protected]



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[August 14, 2016] Invisible Sentinel Launches Additional Detection Tools for Breweries

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Invisible Sentinel, Inc., a global molecular solutions company providing first-in-class microbial detection tools, has developed, validated, and commercialized two new detection tools powered by the Company's proprietary Veriflow technology for breweries. brewMAP, for the detection of Megasphaera and Pectinatus species, and brewLAP, for the pan detection of lactic acid producing species were developed and validated with the support of key partners who have successfully implemented Veriflow technology at their breweries. Invisible Sentinel will showcase the technology at the World Brewing Congress, hosted by the American Society of Brewing Chemists and the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, to be held in Denver, Colorado from August 13th to 17th. The Congress is held every four years and attracts brewing industry professionals from all over the globe. "brewLAP has been invaluable in determining the presence of lactic beer spoilers with our low bitterness and low Alcohol brands. We utilize some of those brands for spirit barrel aging, and the ability to rapidly diagnose issues gives us peace of mind. Using brewLAP with brewPAL has really helped us troubleshoot any micro issues we may come across in our brewing and barrel-aging processe," said Rick Blankemeier, Quality Assurance Manager at Stone Brewing in Escondido, CA.



"The tremendous reception of brewPAL has led to strategic partnerships with many of the industry's most respected breweries," said Nick Siciliano, Ph.D., Invisible Sentinel's CEO. "These ongoing partnerships allow us to better understand the microbial detection needs of brewers and industry quality professionals. We have received multiple requests for brewMAP and brewLAP, and we are proud to have rapidly addressed those needs with the launch of these products." Since launching their brewing product portfolio in April 2015, Invisible Sentinel now works with industry-leading breweries around the world to address their microbial quality concerns. Over 100 breweries in more than 15 countries are now using Veriflow technology to protect their brand and ensure their beer meets the most stringent quality standards.

brewMAP and brewLAP will both launch globally in August 2016. About Invisible Sentinel Invisible Sentinel, Inc., a global molecular solutions company, is dedicated to providing first-in-class microbial detection tools. The company's core technology, Veriflow, is a patented, game-changing platform that integrates molecular diagnostics, antibody design, and immunoassays. Veriflow technology is currently applied across multiple industries including food safety and beverage quality. Each solution requires specific design elements, but retains the inherent advantages of Veriflow, technology: simplicity, accessibility, and affordability. For more information, visit http://invisiblesentinel.com or contact Jermaine Lindsey, Director of Brewery Sales directly at [email protected] Contact: Darby Rowe

717-824-6314

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/invisible-sentinel-launches-additional-detection-tools-for-breweries-300313182.html SOURCE Invisible Sentinel, Inc.

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JD England reflects on time as Mayor of Mitchell before stepping down

JD England reflects on his time on the Mitchell police force, his first term election by just four votes and his accomplishments in office.
By 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.
Authorities are investigating a Friday altercation in the death-row unit at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution that sent convicted killer Roy Ellis to a local hospital.

Sources familiar with the incident identified Ellis, 62, as the injured inmate, and said he was attacked by three others on death row.

He was treated for non-life threatening injuries at Johnson County Hospital and returned to the prison later that night, said Dawn-Renee Smith, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, without confirming Ellis was the inmate involved.

Ellis was convicted in the 2005 abduction and murder of Omaha 12-year-old Amber Harris.

He was the first person sentenced to death after the Nebraska Supreme Court banned the electric chair as the state's method of execution.

An investigation of Friday's assault is ongoing. Smith said the Corrections Department will also complete an internal critical incident review.

Nebraska's 10 death-row inmates are all housed at Tecumseh. While their unit is segregated from others at the prison, they are not generally kept in solitary confinement and are allowed to interact with others in the unit, including at mealtimes.

While reports of violence on death row are rare, the Tecumseh prison was the scene of a deadly riot on Mother's Day 2015, which triggered an extensive review of the prison system's staffing and procedures.
TKC SUNDAY SPECIAL QUESTION: WHICH ONE OF THESE PUBLIC OFFICIALS DESERVES THE MOST BLAME FOR THE HORRIFIC RISE IN KANSAS CITY VIOLENCE AMID BLOODY SUMMER 2016!!!

DOES CHIEF FORTE DESERVE BLAME FOR RISING KANSAS CITY CRIME???

Council Lady Jolie Justus Leads The Citizens Task Force On Violence That Has Been The Biggest Running Joke Of 2016

Should Mayor Sly Shoulder Blame For The Deadly Kansas City 2016 Crime Wave???

s

HOLDING LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF KANSAS CITY SHOULDN'T BE CONTROVERSIAL DESPITE THE UNWILLINGNESS OF THE MEDIA TO CONSIDER THEIR RESPONSIBILITY!!!

This weekendamid an ongoing spate of violence that has pushed the murder count in Kansas City to record highs for this time of year.Typically, social media chatter blames guns, poverty, Trump and or any social ill that's mostly beyond the control or influence of Kansas City residents.Sadly, in the ongoing discussion of rising violence in Kansas City the responsibility of public officials is seldom a topic of public discussion. Until now . . .To wit . . .Here are the nominees with just a bit of background to better inform a decision from our blog community . . .He's not an elected official but he still answers to the public trust and a board appointed by elected officials. Recently, the Chief has endured a. Mainstream news reported that supportand the community prove his effectiveness. However, budget problems and rising crime numbers amid discord with this colleagues provide reason to question his culpability in the current crime spike.The ongoing silence from this group led by Council Lady Jolie is one of the clearest signs that public participation in anti-violence initiatives is ultimately a waste of time. Members have dropped out, the anti-gun bent of the group has been hotly debated and during the primary the meeting served as nothing more than a series ofpolitical rallying functions for Democratic Party candidates . . .Worse still . . . Midtown Kansas City in the 4th District has endured one of the worst upticks in local crime and Council Lady Jolie hasn't saidabout this tragic trend. Instead, we've heard more about her supporters pushing her to run for Mayor.Mayor Sly is great at expressing anger, empathy and frustration at so many local killingbut his legislative efforts toward the problem have been mostly unimpressive. Yes, there a great many anti-violence programs City Hall funds but if we think about local government in terms of allocations . . . Look at all theMayor Sly has helped direct toward taxpayer funded development schemes for the benefit of local corporations and weigh that against the funding of so many anti-crime groups -- Only then will the priorities of his administration become clear.And so . . .Nevertheless, politicos, civic boosters, consultants and hacks of all kinds would rather the public focus on esoteric issues decided in faraway places, if at all, then looking toward people in power locally to take responsibility for the jobs they have sworn to uphold.Accordingly . . .Pick one of these folks and tell us why you think they deserve the blame for so many people and kids getting gunned down this year...
New York Times: Kansas City Bishop Convicted of Shielding Pedophile Priest

Where's Former Bishop Finn Now???

Next month marks the five year anniversary of the first of a bunch of civil lawsuits vs. Fr. Shawn Ratigan and the Kansas City Catholic diocese. Ratigan is the priest whose crimes led to the resignation of Bishop Robert Finn . . .





Next month is also the one year anniversary of Finns pilgrimage to Spain.





After Finn stepped down, another Midwestern bishop did so too. That prelate, generated controversy last month when he showed up at a fancy hotel in Californias wine country for a gathering of conservative Catholics.





And wheres Finn now? Living in Nebraska with a small group of nuns. Dont be embarrassed that you didnt know this, because for the most part, KC area media havent disclosed this fact.

He was the 1st Catholic Bishop disgraced before the world with headlines like this:And now, a denizen of our blog community wants to play catch-up . . .#########
Riots and clashes with police have been reported in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which began after a man was shot dead by an officer during a chase on foot on Saturday

Riots and clashes with police have been reported in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which began after a man was shot dead by an officer during a chase on foot on Saturday. Police say the victim was armed with a handgun.

Scores of angry African American protesters gathered near the scene of the police shooting at Sherman Boulevard. What at first seemed like a Black Lives Matter-style gathering soon got out of control, however. Several vehicles, including a police car, were set on fire, and the crowd of rioters then proceeded to break into and loot a gas station, which was then seemingly set alight as well.

An eyewitness nicknamed EX414 livestreamed the escalating violence on his Ustream channel. hots were being fired near the gas station, preventing police from extinguishing the fire, the Milwaukee Police Department said on its Twitter account. Police had said earlier that they were responding to the disturbance in the Sherman and Auer areas, tweeting that officers working on peacefully dispersing [the] crowd.

Source: RT.com

Read more here.

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Cindy Lange-Kubick Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick has loved writing columns about life in her hometown since 1994. She had hoped to become a people person by now, nonetheless she would love to hear your tales of fascinating neighbors and interesting places. Follow Cindy Lange-Kubick Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

On her last night at home, Linda Jackson slept in the attic.

The wedding was the next day and the big house on North 44th Street filled with relatives, so the bride-to-be gave up her room to bed down with the Christmas decorations and filing cabinets.

The unfinished attic of a turn-of-the-century clapboard, where the year before shed written two names on a pink wall in foot-high letters: JIM AND LINDA.

And where her little sister Cherie would soon add her own commentary: Jim married Mrs Pigel Wiggel.

Linda (aka Mrs Pigel Wiggel, for reasons unknown) and Jim Hoke wed at Warren United Methodist down the street on Aug. 27, 1966, the summer after she graduated high school.

The young lovers began a life of adventure and, after 1989, when her parents moved out and Dave Miller moved in, Linda never returned to the house.

Until Thursday morning.

When promptly at 9 a.m., Linda and Jim knocked on the door of the two-story yellow home and headed for the attic before the heat of the day set in.

Theyd called Dave first to set a date and to make certain he hadnt painted over Lindas youthful declaration of love.

He had not.

I havent had any reason yet to do anything up there, said Dave, who over the years had added on a family room, gutted and remodeled the kitchen and bathroom, skimmed and drywalled and repainted nearly every inch.

And gladly given tours to several members of the Jackson family.

So he was happy to have Jim and Linda in -- and up -- to have a look.

Which they did, just a few weeks shy of their 50th anniversary.

Linda declaring: Oh, there it is!

Jim answering: You were love-crazed.

Linda explaining: It was just a kind of teenage girl thing to do, it was probably an impulsive thing, but he was the one I was waiting for.

She wrote the prophetic proclamation eight months after the pair met at Kings drive-in on South Street, when she and two girlfriends noticed Jim and a buddy in a 64 Impala.

Linda had her eye on the driver, but not for long. The other guy was handsome, and he had a motorcycle.

Put that down, Jim says. She picked me up.

Linda was 19 when they married, Jim was 18.

Even though we were both teenagers, we had a terrific commitment to the marriage, she says.

We argued the whole first year, Jim says, explaining he grew up with a mother who did everything, and Linda wasnt made in that mold.

But they talked it all out and figured out what worked for them.

Linda taught Jim to appreciate classical music.

Jim taught Linda to love history.

And one thing they never fought about was money. They were a thrifty pair with the same goal: Save and travel to Europe.

They put it in the budget: $20 a month.

As it turned out, Jim joined the Air Force in 1967, and later became a Lutheran minister and an Army chaplain, and they spent 24 years living overseas in England and Germany.

They raised a son and a daughter, Linda getting her bachelors degree at 38 and her masters a decade later and going to work for the University of Marylands European division.

In 2008, they packed up and came back to Lincoln.

And Thursday, they spent an hour in the past, peeking in rooms, marveling at Daves remodeling skills.

In those days you werent allowed up here if you were dating a girl, Jim says, touring the second-floor bedrooms.

Oh, those days.

We both simply cant believe were 69 years old and married 50 years, Linda says. Its been fun and its gone by fast.

In September, the couple will fly to Europe and stay a month, visiting old haunts and old friends.

And before they go, their kids and grandkids will help host an anniversary party, held in a Lutheran church basement.

Their son is putting together a slideshow of a half-century in the lives of Jim and Linda, including one of a pink attic and the writing on the wall.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades tweeted on Sunday that todays anniversary marking Turkeys second invasion on the Republic serves as a landmark for unity and struggle to terminate the occupation

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades tweeted on Sunday that todays anniversary marking Turkeys second invasion on the Republic serves as a landmark for unity and struggle to terminate the occupation.

42 years ago today, on August 14, 1974, Turkeys military launched a second offensive against the Republic of Cyprus, in full contravention of international law, including the UN Charter, and despite the fact that an agreement for a ceasefire was in place.

Anastasiades tweet, written in Greek, translates to: 42 years later, let the anniversary of Turkey`s second invasion serve as a landmark for unity and a struggle to terminate the occupation.

The Turkish army initially invaded Cyprus on July 20, 1974, and launched its second phase on August 14, occupying Mesaoria, Famagusta, Karpasia and Morphou.

Three weeks after the ceasefire of July 22, and despite the fact that talks were still being held and just as an agreement seemed to be within reach, the Turkish army mounted a second full-scale offensive.

As a result, Turkey increased its hold to include the booming tourist resort of Famagusta on the eastern coast and the rich citrus-growing area of Morphou on the west.

All in all, almost 37 per cent of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus came under Turkish military occupation.

UN-led talks between Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci resumed in May 2015 aiming to reunify the island under a federal roof.

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
Construction work on Phase 1 of the Deerat Al Oyoun project, an ambitious housing project, kicked off today (Aug 14) at Diyar Al Muharraq, a unique master planned city in Bahrain.



Deerat Al Oyoun project is spearheaded by the Ministry of Housing in support of the governments efforts to alleviate the housing needs of the kingdom.



Top officials from Diyar Al Muharraq, one of the leading urban developers in Bahrain, joined key management representatives from the Ministry of Housing, to witness the start of work.



Diyar Al Muharraq is responsible for undertaking the financing and construction works on 3,100 units, its associated primary and secondary infrastructure and community centres.



Dr Maher Al Shaer, chief executive officer of Diyar Al Muharraq, stated: Commencing construction on Deerat Al Oyoun marks a significant milestone for both Diyar and the Ministry of Housing. Work on the project is now in full swing and we are determined to meet the construction schedule and agreed targets.



We are also committed to implementing the highest construction standards to deliver a high quality project as per the Ministrys mandate. Deerat Al Oyoun is one of the largest housing developments currently taking shape in the kingdom and we are proud to be part of this ambitious initiative that will ultimately serve to benefit our fellow citizens and enhance the quality of life, said Dr Al Shaer.



Located in the heart of Diyar Al Muharraq, the Deerat Al Oyoun community will span across 1.2 million sq m and will comprise an ideal residential community with integrated community service centres and green park spaces. Its strategic location also places it in close proximity to schools, shopping malls, public beaches, recreational facilities, mosques, medical facilities, and a modern transportation network.



The residences of Deerat Al Oyoun will be constructed to the highest specifications to include thermal insulation, large living areas to allow the flow of natural light, parking space for two cars and provisions for future expansions. The overall design of the project has been inspired by the Bahraini neighbourhood, and aims to establish a close-knit community. The project also offers diverse styles of villas ranging from traditional, modern, Spanish, and Mediterranean, designed to maintain the expected level of privacy. - TradeArabia News Service




Bahrain is gearing up to host a major medical forum which will discuss a relatively new class of medicines which has revolutionised the treatment of chronic diseases, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.



To read further, please visit GDNonline.






Iraq has signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to upgrade the water network for Sulaimaniyah City, a report said.



The Governorate and people of Sulaimaniyah have generously welcomed and supported displaced and refugee families, UNDP resident representative and UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, Lise Grande was quoted as saying in the Iraq Business News report.



The citys infrastructure is under enormous pressure because so many people need services. Were very pleased that we can support the Governorate by helping to repair a key component of the water system.



UNDPs Iraq Crisis Response and Resilience Programme (ICRRP) and the Governorate of Sulaimaniyah will rehabilitate and restore the Dokan-Sulaimaniyah water network  the primary water pipeline for over 1.1 million residents, refugees and displaced people in Sulaimaniyah City, the report said.



The strain of the humanitarian crisis upon the infrastructure and services of the Governorate renders our partnership with UNDP as vital, said the Governor of Sulaimaniyah, Dr Aso Faridoon Amin.
Iran is expected to undertake mega oil and gas projects in collaboration with foreign companies before March 2017, Iran Daily News quoted the countrys deputy oil minister for trade and international affairs as saying.



The new model of oil contracts improves opportunities for cooperation with major global companies, Amir-Hossein Zamani-Nia was quoted in the report, which cited Shana.



"For the time being, the framework of such a model of contracts has been approved by the cabinet. Once the contract is confirmed by the parliament and the draft is ready, the tender will be held for the purpose, he said.



Iranian oil projects will be offered by the next two months and major projects will be signed in the oil industry March, he noted.



European and Asian companies are also willing to participate in Iranian oil projects, according to the minister.
Airlines will likely suffer more disruptions like the one that grounded about 2,000 Delta flights this week because major carriers have not invested enough to overhaul reservations systems based on technology dating to the 1960s, airline industry and technology experts told Reuters.



Airlines have spent heavily to introduce new features such as automated check-in kiosks, real-time luggage tracking and slick mobile apps. But they have avoided the steep cost of rebuilding their reservations systems from the ground up, former airline executives said.



Scott Nason, former chief information officer at American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O), said long-term investments in computer technology were a tough sell when he worked there.



"Most airlines were on the verge of going out of business for many years, so investment of any kind had to have short pay-back periods," said Nason, who left American in 2009 and is now an independent consultant.



The reservations systems of the biggest carriers mostly run on a specialized IBM (IBM.N) operating system known as Transaction Processing Facility, or TPF. It was designed in the 1960s to process large numbers of transactions quickly and is still updated by IBM, which did a major rewrite of the operating system about a decade ago.



A host of special features, ranging from mobile check-ins to seat selection and cabin upgrades, are built on top of the TPF core, or connected to it.



"They have surrounded that old industry infrastructure with modern technology," said Bob Edwards, United Continental Holdings Inc's former chief information officer until 2014. "Those systems have to always reach back into the old core technologies to retrieve a reservation or to figure out who flies between Dallas and New York City."



When a power outage shuts off that reservations system - as happened on Monday to Delta Air Lines Inc's "Deltamatic" system - TPF falls out of sync with the newer technologies that passenger service agents use to assist travelers, Edwards said.



Airlines are then forced to cancel flights as demands from stranded customers flood their employees - who meanwhile are handling bookings on an older platform without their familiar, modern tools, he said.



Several years ago, it took United six hours to recover from a test shutdown, thanks to complications with the many add-ons built atop TPF, Edwards said.



Other recent disruptions include one in July that prompted Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) to cancel over 2,000 flights and two outages last summer at United Continental.



IBM Senior Vice President Tom Rosamilia said in a statement that TPF "was not named as the source or issue in any of the recent outages" and that it "is one of the most modern and reliable systems in the airline infrastructure."



Rosamilia added that the vast majority of airlines use TPF "to process up to a million complex transactions per second, uninterrupted by frequent feature updates or the failure of other systems."



PRESSURE FOR PROFITS



Delta spokeswoman Kate Modolo said in a statement that a small fire on Monday resulted in a "massive failure" at the airline's technology center. Delta was forced to cancel flights because critical systems did not switch over to backup power as intended, she said.



Reuters sent Delta and other major carriers detailed questions on TPF infrastructure and their technology investments.



Modolo did not answer whether Delta relies on TPF, but said "the functionality of the IT programs we use" was not an issue. She had no comment on whether Delta had decreased or increased its spending on back-end technology over the past decade.



"We have a new CIO who has a go-forward plan to ensure Delta is on the cutting edge of customer service technology while strengthening our IT infrastructure so that it is reliable, redundant and nimble," she said in a statement.



Most big airlines, including the four largest in the United States - American, Delta, United and Southwest - rely on TPF in some form, industry experts said.



In response to questions from Reuters, those airlines did not answer whether their aging systems put them at risk of future disruptions, but all stressed that they are upgrading their technology and are focused on reliability. Southwest, for example, said it is in the process of replacing its reservations system.



Earlier this week, in a video statement, Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian said: "Over the last three years, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars on technology infrastructure upgrades and systems including backup systems to prevent what happened yesterday from occurring. I'm sorry that it happened."



U.S. and Canadian airlines are projected to spend an average of 3 percent of their revenue on information technology this year - compared to 8 percent by commercial banks and 4 percent by healthcare firms, according to Computer Economics, a firm that tracks IT spending.



Nason cautioned that comparing technology spending by airlines to some other industries, including banking, can be tricky. Banks have lower capital costs and they rely more heavily on information technology for their core business.



Still, technology experts say that level of spending by the major airlines is not sufficient, pointing to the recent failures as evidence.



Part of the challenge is that U.S. airlines are under pressure from investors to top recent record profits and boost stock prices, even as economic troubles overseas have reduced travel demand.



Delta, for example, is looking to boost its operating profit margin to between 17 percent and 19 percent by 2018. That's up from last year's margin target of 14 percent to 16 percent.



FEAR OF FAILURE



Airlines have also held off on making major network upgrades out of fear that systems could fail during the transition, making them feel that they cannot afford to take them down to add equipment, install patches and perform other maintenance, said Gartner analyst Mark Jaggers.



Some consumer groups have called on airlines to do a better job at planning for disruptions like the one this week at Delta, which affected hundreds of thousands of passengers over four days.



"It is unfair to the traveling public that the cost of under-investment in needed equipment be shifted and placed on the back of air travelers," said travel consumer advocates Paul Hudson and Charlie Leocha in a letter to the heads of the U.S. Transportation Department and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday.



Henry Harteveldt, founder of the travel consultancy Atmosphere Research Group, said some airlines are choosing to risk outages that might cost them $20 million to $40 million rather than invest, for example, $100 million on technology upgrades. He believes investors and the general public will apply increasing pressure on airlines to avoid outages at any cost.



"We cannot afford, as a nation, for any of our airlines to be rendered useless by a technology failure," Harteveldt said.



Yet it can be hard to convince airline management that the cost-benefit analysis justifies the major investments to make their computer systems truly fail-safe, said Edwards, the former United chief information officer.



"When fuel prices are low and there's extra cash on hand, they want to spend it on the cool shiny things like planes and mobile apps," he said. "Nobody gets excited about the data center."  Reuters
More than 600,000 pilgrims are expected to arrive in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, this week before Haj, the Ministry of Haj and Umrah has announced.



Saudi Arabias new post-oil economy plan as outlined in Vision 2030, is receiving a huge boost from the tourism sector with the influx of tourists visiting the Kingdom for their Haj pilgrimage, starting this week.



Among the initiatives outlined in the Vision 2030 is to increase the number of Haj and Umrah pilgrims to 30 million annually. Reports show that the number of people visiting to Makkah to perform Haj is increasing year by year, estimating the growth from 12 million in 2012 to almost 17 million by 2025, further strengthening the religious tourism sectors contribution to the national economy. At present, the segment concerning tourism for religious purposes contributes up to three per cent in the countrys gross domestic product (GDP).



Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, CEO, Elaf Group, said: The continued growth in religious tourism is a positive development that signals that the kingdom is on the right track in its national economic plan. Religious tourism will significantly contribute to the countrys shift towards the post oil era. There is a huge room for growth in tourism, not only for religious pilgrimages.



Industry data shows that Saudi Arabia has the most rooms under construction for hotel development in the region with 35,770 rooms in 81 hotels, with 24,133 rooms being constructed in Makkah alone.



In line with our commitments to support the tourism sector, especially the segment of tourism for religious purposes and the kingdoms national economy, we are providing a wide range of services to facilitate and guarantee a comfortable stay in our hotels in Makkah and Madinah while performing Haj. Our hotels have been equipped with the latest facilities to accommodate Haj performers where they will enjoy both a relaxing and a religious ambience throughout their stay, Mahfouz added.



We continue to innovate with our service offerings for our guests such as extended and all-inclusive packages for all our hotels in Saudi Arabia, so that they can explore other parts of the country before or after their Haj or Umrah performance, he concluded.
UAE-headquartered Time Hotels has appointed Laurent Barelier as its new corporate director of revenue management and e-distribution as the company looks to develop its strategy and implement growth plans.



A graduate of the American College of Greece and holder of an MBA in International Hospitality Management from Cornell University, Paris, French national Barelier has over 17 years corporate hospitality experience having worked for a number of successful international hospitality chains both in the Middle East and globally.



His career includes senior management roles with Intercontinental in Athens, Greece, Accor Hotels, Dubai, Wyndham Hotel group, Dubai and latterly as a management consultant for the Majestic Tower Hotel, Dubai.



Laurent has a wealth of experience and an in-depth understanding of the requirements of a hotel chain of Time Hotels stature combined with the technical ability from a corporate revenue perspective. These skills, paired with good knowledge of pre-opening strategies and implementation, will be crucial as we look to add to promote our business in Q4 2016 and throughout 2017, said Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, Time Hotels.



Its an extremely exciting time to join the Time Hotels team as growth plans for the region are gaining momentum as the company looks to expand into new markets. In line with the aspirations of the CEO, I want to support our goals of becoming a major player within the hospitality industry by making the transition into new key gateway destinations in the UAE and across the Middle East easier, said Barelier. - TradeArabia News Service
Poll results released Sunday by death penalty supporters suggest a majority of Nebraska voters favor repealing the bill that ended capital punishment in the state last year.

In the poll of 600 likely general election voters conducted Aug. 7-10, 47.8 percent said they would definitely vote to keep the death penalty and another 10.5 percent said they probably would vote to keep the death penalty, Nebraskans for the Death Penalty said.

Combined, voters favoring a vote to repeal the bill outpaced voters in support of the bill eliminating the death penalty by a 58.3-30.3 percent margin. The poll's margin of error is 4 percent.

If the election were held today, Nebraskans would vote in overwhelming numbers to repeal LB268 in order to keep the death penalty, Don Stenberg, honorary co-chair of Nebraskans for the Death Penalty, said in a news release.

Stenburg is a former Nebraska attorney general and current state treasurer.

The survey by Florida-based Global Marketing Research Services came on the heels of a cable television and radio ad campaign funded by death penalty opponents, the release said.

Of those surveyed, 24.2 percent said they would definitely vote to retain the bill eliminating the death penalty, with another 6.2 percent saying they would probably vote to retain the bill.

In a response to the poll, a spokesman for Retain a Just Nebraska said residents of the state are tired of spending millions of dollars on a failed government program.

This is a flawed poll and should not be viewed as an accurate measurement of how Nebraskans view the death penalty," Dan Parsons said. "Its a push poll that misleads Nebraskans into thinking they have no other option than getting rid of the death penalty. When in reality, the question that will appear on the November 8 ballot asks voters if they wish to replace the death penalty with life in prison.

"Our polling and numerous others across the country show that when given that choice, voters chose life in prison.

Poll respondents included 325 registered Republicans, 187 Democrats and 88 Independents, with the party sample and gender makeup of the poll reflecting expected turnout for the general election based on historical voting patterns.

According to the survey, support for the death penalty is strong among men and women, across all of Nebraskas congressional districts and among members of different political parties.

The Legislature passed LB268 last year over a veto by Gov. Pete Ricketts, but a successful petition drive last summer blocked the law until voters have their say in November.
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When we decided to travel to Albania, we had absolutely no idea what to expect. Wed heard a little about bad roads and transportation challenges and a few vague assertions that it was an inexpensive place to visit  nothing to help us form any good ideas about what we would see. It was a completely dark place on our mental maps. That made it that much sweeter when we uncovered so many unexpected highlights and beautiful places to visit in Albania.

The beautiful flowers of Kruja

What we found in Albania was a mix of remarkable natural beauty, deep history, tempting food, and some of the nicest people youll meet anywhere. Its like Italy with limited public transportation and the French Riviera with more partially-constructed buildings and less attitude. Albania is like its neighbor to the south, Greece, but with far fewer tourists and a whole lot of Cold War bunkers. In a lot of ways, its probably like other parts of Europe were 30 or 40 years ago, which gives it a feeling all its own. You wont find a McDonalds or Starbucks here. And, yes, it is cheap. And safe.

Our week visiting some of the best cities in Albania gave us a chance to scratch the surface of all that this lovely country has to offer. In our brief time, we uncovered some of Albanias highlights.

Table Of Contents Ksamil

Butrint

Gjirokastra

Tirana

Kruja

Durres

Ksamil

The seaside in Ksamil, Albania, is just about as pretty as it gets

Ksamil is a dream. Turquoise water, fresh seafood, hospitality beyond compareand all at an absurdly affordable price. This little sea village just an hour from Greece was the most beautiful place we visited in Albania.

If you cant stay on the beach all day, explore Ksamils nearby islands

Part of the Albanian Riviera, Ksamil echoes some of the best parts of Europe. It has the seas of the South of France, the beaches of the Italian Riviera, and the food of the Mediterranean, minus the people. Most of the coves and small beaches are privately owned, but you can rent a chair and umbrella for about $4 USD a day. Because a lot of the spots are connected to restaurants and bars, theyre just a few steps from amazing fresh fish and even a mojito or two.

If lying on the beach all day isnt your style, you can do what we did and rent a boat to visit the three nearby islands. An hour in the boat  plus a captain to drive us  was only $30. You can also rent wave runners, paddle boats, and all manner of other water equipment.

We hear that it can get busy in Ksamil during the summer season, which is roughly mid-July through August. But, in early July, there was just a handful of people taking advantage of the beautiful scenery.

The seafood along the Albanian Riviera is as fresh as it can be

Butrint

The early Christian basilica at Butrint

We had no idea what to expect when it came to historical attractions. It turns out that some of the history of this little-known country mirrors that of the rest of the regionits Greek and Roman. Our first stop was Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage Site less than 10 minutes from Ksamil.

The sites Greek amphitheater is amazingly intact

Unlike many ruins, Butrint hasnt been overrun by a modern city. Instead, it has been mostly undisturbed. It is also bordered by hills and a lake, making it a unique combination of nature and an archaeological park

A colony since prehistoric times, Butrint (then known as Buthrotum) was controlled by Greeks until the Romans took over in the 1st century BC. By the 5th century AD, it was an early Christian center. It was then briefly occupied by the Venetians before being abandoned in the Middle Ages. Remarkably, evidence of each civilization is still clear as you walk around the massive site.

We were lucky to find the baptistry mosaic partially uncovered

The most interesting remnant of the Greek era is the well-preserved amphitheater that dates from the 4th century BC and still hosts yearly events. One of the other most recognized features of Butrint is a Greek monument that was adapted by the Christians into a baptistery. Its floor is an intricate mosaic that is only uncovered every few years in order to protect it. We were fortunate that the mosaic had been partially revealed just a few days before our visit because its one of the best things to see in Albania.

Gjirokastra

The cobbled streets of Gjirokastra

Another of the countrys UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the town of Gjirokastra is situated in the Drinos river valley in southern Albania. Wherever you look around the stunning landscape, unique buildings coat the hillsides. From the towns 13th century castle to its slate-roofed houses, the effect is nothing short of magical, especially at sunset.

Gjirokastras castle is now a military museum

There has been a settlement in Gjirokastra for 2500 years, but it is the towns 17th-century homes that have put it on UNESCOs list. The houses from the Ottoman period are designed to look like small castles with stone roofs and whitewashed stone walls. One is now open as an ethnographic museum.

Tirana

Skanderbeg Square is the center of Tiranas historic sites

The capital city, Tirana is one of the top places to visit in Albania. Unlike many European capitals, Tirana is not full of traditional monuments and an overwhelming list of things to see. Instead, it is a vibrant city still finding its footing in post-Communist times.

The main thing to do at Tiranas Pyramid is climb it

There is an interesting mix of historic and modern sites to see in Tirana. The primary historic sites are concentrated near Skanderbeg Square. They include the intricate decorations in the 18th century Ethem Bey Mosque as well as Tiranas Clock Tower and the National History Museum.

On the more modern end of things is the citys crumbling Pyramid. Built as the Enver Hoxha Museum, a monument to Albanias former Communist leader, the building is now mostly a curiosity for visitors who want to climb to the top of its steep peak.

There is also the unusual Bunkart. The massive bunker, which was built to house the Albanian government during the Cold War, is now a fascinating exhibit space featuring unique contemporary art as well as artifacts from the Communist period.

Bunkart, a recently-opened bunker from the Communist era

The most energetic part of Tirana is the Ish-Blloku (ex-Block) neighborhood. Formerly the home of the Communist elites, the neighborhood is now filled with cafes, coffee shops, and cocktail bars. From listening to live music to visiting the rotating bar at Sky Tower, theres something going on there pretty much every hour of the day.

Kruja

Krujas Ottoman-style bazaar has just about anything you could want to buy

Just 45 minutes outside Tirana, Kruja (Kruje in Albanian) is a small medieval village perched at the foot of Mount Kruja. Its position on the hillside gives it a rustic ambiance and sweeping views of the nearby valley and the Adriatic Sea.

In addition to its natural beauty, Kruja also has enormous historical importance. In the 12th century, it was the capital of the first independent Albanian state. Later, it became the place from which Skanderbeg, Albanias national hero, defended the country from the invading Ottomans for over 25 years. Kruja Castle is now the Skanderbeg Museum and features exhibits about the sieges. A few steps away, the excellent ethnographic museum shows how people lived in the mid-18th century, long after the Ottomans finally gained a foothold in Albania.

Krujas castle is now a museum

But its not just about mountainous views and important history in this charming town. One of tiny Krujas central features is its old Ottoman-style bazaar. Down the ancient cobblestone lane, its possible to find all manner of souvenirs from coffee mugs to handmade kilims (old style rugs) being weaved on-site. There is also a wide variety of antiques and crafts.

Durres

The beach is one of the most popular attractions in Durres

About 30 minutes west of Tirana is Albanias first city  Durres. One of Albanias oldest cities, Durres has a rich, 3,000-year-old history. The strategic location of the citys port was recognized by early Greeks, Romans, and Venetian explorers throughout antiquity.

The compact city center is easy to explore on foot. The Durres amphitheater is one of the largest Roman amphitheaters in the Balkans, accommodating over 20,000 people. The site is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site status, but it is also one of the most endangered cultural sites in Europe because of its crumbling stone work. The buildings surrounding the amphitheater are covered with beautiful murals and street art depicting important events in the towns history.

Nearby, part of the old town wall and fortress still exists. The wall leads down to the port where the Venetian Tower stands guard at the entrance to the city. This fortification dates back to the 5th century when it was the anchor of the Durres Castle.

The Venetian Tower dates from the 5th century

Most people coming to Durres head to the broad sandy beaches south of the city. This is where people from Tirana come for the weekend to soak in the sun and cool in the water. The beaches are some of the largest weve seen anywhere.

We visited Albania as guests of JayWay Travel, specialists in custom tour packages across destinations in Central and Eastern Europe. All opinions of the ancient and beachy are our own.
Its a credit to the stamina and optimism of the American public that the decades-long failure of Congress to do anything about the countrys broken immigration system fails to discourage advocates from trying.

The latest attempt includes a 40-page study that is chock-full of information about the positive impact that immigrants have on Nebraska. Its one of 51 such reports from the Partnership for a New American Economy.

The facts are a welcome antidote to some of the anti-immigrant rhetoric spewed about during the presidential campaign.

Did you know?

--Immigrant Nebraskans paid $616 million in taxes in 2014. An estimated $227.5 million went to state and local taxes; $389.1 million went to federal taxes.

Immigrants also contributed to entitlement programs -- $71.9 Million to Medicare and $292.2 million to Social Security.

--Undocumented immigrants were among the hard-working Nebraskans paying taxes. The study estimated that undocumented immigrants paid $26.8 million in state and local taxes and another $31.7 million in federal taxes.

--About one in three immigrants in Nebraska already has become a naturalized citizen. If the legal immigration system included a reasonable path to citizenship the number would probably be higher.

In a narrative section of the report Dan Mulhall, co-owner of Mulhalls Nursery in Omaha and the son of an immigrant from Ireland, talked about the importance of immigrants to his business.

As I remember, growing up, our workforce was all locally born and educated, Mulhall says. Sometime in the early 90s, employees became harder and harder to find. It was at that point that guys who grew up speaking Spanish started to apply. . . . in the 00s, far fewer people who grew up speaking English were applying for our jobs, which typically pay between $10 to $18 per hour, plus health insurance and paid vacation.

Today two-thirds of Mulhalls 80-to-90 landscapers were born in another country. And yet its this core labor force, says Mulhall, that helps make the other 160 jobs at the nursery possiblein sales, marketing, purchasing, and so on.

As Jim Partington, executive director of the Nebraska Restaurant Association told the Journal Star, We need Congress to update our antiquated immigration laws in order to grow Nebraskas economy, drive innovation and keep our communities strong.

The evidence clearly shows that immigration is a positive, powerful force in Nebraska. Updated and modernized immigration policies  including a streamlined process for hiring workers and a path to citizenship with stringent safeguards -- could unleash even more energy in the states economy.
It's always fascinated me how elections bring out expressions of polarized opposites about the candidates. The first national election I was aware of as something other than news stories in the background of my childhood was John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon several decades ago.

Some of our teachers wanted the various classes to "vote" in class for their choices. Discussion and arguments ensued. "Which one would I want for a friend or neighbor?" I asked myself.

I came away from that with the understanding that anybody can occupy a status of being respected and disrespected by different groups of people, no matter who they are or what they've accomplished in life.

Both groups, the likers and the haters, will have what they consider proof of why they feel the ways that they do. They'll gather their facts and quote their favorite sources in doing so.

I don't see any difference at all this time around. The likers and haters are out in full strength, with a well-oiled news media and social networking system to promote their love or hate along nicely.

Let's see who wins the compost slinging contest we have now. It stinks, as always but a winner does eventually emerge. Perhaps a different title is in order rather than "President of the United States." How about, to paraphrase a song, with apologies to the group The Platters, "The Greatest Pretender?"

So, let's get out and vote. I always do. We'll crush the wannabe greatest pretender. We'll be sure to hang on tight to the pretense that our pretender is not pretending.

Jerry Basham, Lincoln
Crawford Public Schools staff and students are mourning the death of their superintendent.

Richard Taedter died Aug. 7 of cancer. He was 51.

Wyomings 2012 Principal of the Year, Taedter was a graduate of the University of Wyoming who spent several years teaching biology and chemistry before becoming director of staff development and federal programs for the Carbon County School District in Rawlins, Wyoming. He later was named principal of the districts alternative schools, offering non-traditional programs for students facing challenges obtaining their high school degree.

He joined a district in Crawford in 2013 that was facing similar challenges. Crawford Elementary was placed on the states persistently low-achieving list of schools in 2010.

Testing done during Taedters first year at Crawford showed immediately improvement. During his tenure, Crawford implemented a three-tiered bonus pay incentive based on 25 targets.
Beijing, August 13

Shanghai General Motors Wuling will recall over 12,000 SUVs over faulty transmission control modules, Chinas 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 news 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.  PTI
Nitin Jain

IT was three years ago that the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the government to examine the feasibility of establishing such a mechanism and take decision thereupon within a period of six months from today. Till that is done and in order to sort out the issue as to whether the hike in fees by the schools is proper or not, we would like to follow the same path as done by the High Court of Delhi, namely, setting up a committee with the task to go into the accounts of the schools and find out the reasonableness of increase in fees by the schools. Accordingly, we appoint three committees, one each for Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, with the following constitutional members

But the report of the said committee is yet to see the light of day.

However, taking suo motu notice of what it claimed was a flood of reports about how some schools fleece parents, who have no other option but to bend backwards to meet the demands raised by schools, so that their children are able to study in good schools and are treated well there, the UT Administration has formulated a policy to regulate fees and other charges in private schools in Chandigarh.

The first-of-its-type policy, which is being vetted by legal eagles before being implemented, proposes a complete ban on admission and re-admission fee, supply or sale of books, stationery items and uniforms by the schools. The schools will be allowed to charge tuition fee up to 115 per cent of their expenditure. There will be a common formula in place to work out the fee to be charged per student by the schools. And any violation, which will also be treated as a violation of the Estate Rules, will lead to withdrawal of affiliation, imposing penalty and even resumption of school site.

But interestingly, though ironically, neither most of the school heads nor parents seem fully convinced of the workability of the new mechanism. But a case for putting in place such a mechanism remains as solid as ever. For, education having been enshrined as Fundamental Right in our Constitution, the powers-that-be have to ensure that no child is deprived of quality education on account of the financial constraints his/her parents are beset with.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 14

A schoolteacher and resident of Sector 41, who nabbed two thieves while they were stealing her sons bicycle, will be awarded the Commendation Certificate on Monday.

Seema (43), who is a teacher at Ajit Karam Singh International Public School, Sector 41, was leaving home on July 6, when she noticed that her sons bicycle was missing which she had seen only a few minutes earlier.

Without wasting time, Seema climbed down the stairs and saw two youngsters carrying the bicycle on their shoulders.

She fearlessly ran behind the accused and managed to nab one of the accused while the second one fled from the spot leaving the cycle behind as the wheel lock of the bicycle could not be broken.

Seema raised the alarm and handed over the youth to the passersby who gathered at the spot. Along with another passerby, she started chasing the second youth and intercepted him in Sector 42. Both the accused were apprehended and handed over to the police. When contacted, Seema said she was happy as her brave act had been acknowledged. I want to say that its important for every woman to believe in herself, she added.
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 14

Indian and Pakistani delegates unanimously decried confrontational approach of governments on both sides of borders during a seminar organised on Indo-Pak relations: Problems and expectations as a part of the 21st Hind-Pak Dosti Mela here today.

The mela is jointly organised by Folklore Research Academy (FRA), South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) and Punjab Jagriti Manch for peace and friendship between the people of India and Pakistan.

Rise above politics on religion, caste and race

Mark Tully, a senior journalist, called upon people of both the countries to reject political parties seeking votes in the name of religion, caste and race.

Among others, Lahore Press Club president Shahbaz Ahmad, former Minority Commission member, Prof Bawa Singh, social activist Jatin Desai, and former Delhi Press Club president Pushpendra Kulshreshta addressed the participants.

They were unanimous in their opinion that reluctance of natives of both the countries to go to war prevented them to resort to a full scale battle.

Rich tributes to people who died in Partition

They also paid tributes to 10 lakh people, who were killed at the time of the Partition, due to communal frenzy. Homage was also paid to all those, who became victims of communal and terrorist violence, in both the countries in the past. Delegates also condemned all activities of terrorists, besides communal violence.

Solve Kashmir issue through peaceful dialogue

While expressing concern on mounting tension between Indian and Pakistan on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, they appealed to the India-Pakistan governments to solve the issue peacefully through mutual dialogue and without giving direct or indirect assistance to forces adopting violent means and encouraging conflict on the issue.

Attacks on security forces condemned

While expressing sympathies with families of all those killed or injured in clashes during the recent tension in the Kashmir Valley, the participants appealed to security forces to exercise restraint while tackling such situation. They also condemned attacks by terrorists on security personnel and expressed sympathy with families of those killed or injured in attacks.

They appealed to the Union and Jammu and Kashmir governments to find political solution of problems through dialogue.

Set up visa centres in Amritsar, Lahore

They demanded visa office at Amritsar and Lahore to promote trade, cultural exchange and cooperation in other fields in East and West Punjab. It would ensure proper use of buses running between Amritsar-Lahore and Amritsar-Nankana Sahib, they added.

Empower SAARC

They said governments of both the countries should take initiative to empower SAARC, besides ensuring speedy implementation of resolutions adopted at its various summits.

Thwart evil designs of terrorist outfits

They appealed to all people of South Asia to come forward for a strong peace movement in the area and strengthen mutual unity for thwarting evil designs of Al Qaida, ISIS, Taliban, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen and other such terrorist outfits in the area.

Tributes were paid to social activist Abdul Sattar Edi of Pakistan, who passed away recently. They exhorted people to keep in mind his slogan No religion is higher than humanity.

Later, the Indian and Pakistani delegates released annual magazine Panj Pani to mark the 21st Hind-Pak Dosti Mela.

Participants also held a candle vigil on the intervening night of August 14 and 15 at the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post.
GRAND ISLAND  Lindsey Koepke's first job with the Nebraska State Fair was a temporary, three-month internship.

Now, more a decade later, Koepke remains connected to the State Fair through her job as executive director of the 1868 Foundation.

Koepke said that her intern job  which included running games and activities in the Family Fun Center  was to end shortly after the conclusion of that year's Nebraska State Fair. "I went through the fair and I just knew I had to be a part of this. I love this place. So, I just kept showing up for work. They never gave me an end date."

Her temporary internship turned into a year-round job as the fair's special events coordinator. When the executive director of the 1868 Foundation resigned, she became part of a team that took on the foundation's work on an interim basis.

Koepke's duties included handling the donor letters, sending out the annual appeal and thank-you letters, mailing tickets and getting to know donors. "These folks are incredible, they are passionate, they genuinely care about their state fair  I did too, that's what I want to do," she said.

Koepke said she applied for the executive director job and was hired 10 years ago in January. That meant she was part of the transition of the State Fair from Lincoln to Grand Island.

The fair needed an upgrade in facilities, which is something that could have happened in either Lincoln or Grand Island. Another need was to boost attendance.

Koepke said that from her perspective, a good portion of the attendance when the fair was in Lincoln was people who came out for the midway and carnival.

With the move to Grand Island, people continue to come out for the midway and carnival. In addition, many more people are interested in getting into the livestock and other exhibition buildings and seeing the 4-H entries and open class exhibits.

"Clearly, out here, we have a much different clientele: Families who come out and cover every corner of the fairgounds, not just an afternoon on the midway rides. Even my aunt who lives here in town enters seven, eight, 10 different flower entries in the open class exhibits."

Koepke said moving the state fair from Lincoln to Grand Island was traumatic for many people. "We heard time and time again how as kids, folks would come to the fair, they would eat their lunch under the same tree and 'We're not going to have those memories anymore when the fair moves.' So people were understandably upset with that."

Koepke said backers of the move would respond that "It's time we rebuild and have people start creating new legacies with the State Fair."

Perhaps one reason Koepke so loves the fair is that she grew up on a farm and remains a small town girl at heart. She lives in Hickman and travels to Grand Island about two times a week, sometimes more, for work. Other days, she works out of Lincoln.

Koepke said she and her husband have a 5-year-old son. As a former farm girl, that partly explains why they live in Hickman. Koepke said they wanted their son to grow up near family, noting she has nephews who live "just two houses down" from their home "so they get to spend quite a bit of time together."

Hickman also has strong 4-H groups, and the Norris school district has a very strong FFA program. Because of the involvement, Koepke said, she is always getting comments from Hickman area residents about their State Fair experiences.

Jayne Mann of Aurora, chairman of the board for the 1868 Foundation, praised the work that Koepke has done as executive director. Just as the State Fair has been reinvigorated with the move to new facilities, so has the foundation, Mann said.

The 1868 Foundation, which takes its name from the first Nebraska State Fair in 1868. has taken on bigger and bigger projects. One was raising money to put the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system into the Fonner Park concourse. Mann noted that by far the biggest capital project is the Open Air Equine Arena. She said Koepke worked with a grant writer on successful applications.

Koepke said it was thrilling to have The Thompson Foods Company say, "I believe so much in what you're doing, I want to put my name on that facility."

Koepke said she and the foundation board would like to expand board membership to every corner of the state. She noted the 11 days in Grand Island is a "state" affair, which means people can feel pride in it no matter where they live.

"The first year the Nebraska State Fair was here, I was seven months pregnant and I bought a paver that said, 'Baby Koepke,'" she said. During the fair, "I come out here and look at it and think about what was going on and what was going through my brain at that moment, the first year the fair was in Grand Island."
Ravichandran Bathran

With the present government under the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, caste Hindus are adopting the tactic of organising violence under the garb of militant organisations affiliated to Hindutva that are close to the ruling BJP. It is for the first time that ruling party members are openly advocating violence. For example, a BJP member, Rajasingh, took to Facebook to support the violence perpetrated on Dalits in Gujarat. Violence is perpetrated on anyone who opposes or differs from the government's political views. In this context, it is important to take a relook at the recent Una violence and the subsequent Dalit protests.

For the first time, Narendra Modi condemned the gau rakshaks who had attacked the seven Dalits in Gujarat. The Dalits saw this as an act of caste Hindu violence. However, many including the Opposition reduced the root of the violence to certain rabble-rousing gau rakshaks, the state BJP, and the central government. The condemnation failed to persuade the protesters in Gujarat or members of the Rohith Vemula movement. The Prime Mintser's reaction, however, is not unique to this protest. In the past too, he has engaged with the Dalit question. On Rohith Vemula's suicide, he said: Mother India has lost a son and he felt the pain. Although he took a broom and cleaned the streets for the Swachh Bharat campaign as part of the cleanliness drive, nothing has changed on the ground. One gets the nagging feeling that all of these gestures are aimed at the media.

In the past, Modi has eulogised Dalits and their sufferings and once he also described manual scavenging as a spiritual experience. Even as he makes emotional appeals to the masses, on the ground gau rakshaks engage in violence and murder. It is the involvement of a BJP minister in the students' affairs of the University of Hyderabad that led to Rohith Vemula's suicide. Apart from emotional appeals, neither the Prime Minister nor his party have shown any regret. Modi's emotional appeal is not unique to the BJP. In the past, Rahul Gandhi, the Vice-President of the Congress party too has reached out to Dalits in Uttar Pradesh many times. Even before this, Mahatma Gandhi himself stayed in a Balmiki colony to persuade Dalits that there was no discrimination. He took to cleaning his own toilet. It only shows that concerns were expressed and appeals were made only to avoid implementing the law, leaving the core issue intact. The recurring trend of approaching the caste issue through symbolic gestures and without implementing the rule of law, continues even now. As a result, most of the appeals are directed towards the victim and the accused is protected. Most political parties in India have been addressing caste violence through similar symbolic gestures.

It is this politics that led to the reservationof a few seats for SCs and the lack of attention to the violence faced by Dalits on a day-to-day basis. It is precisely due to this that Babasaheb Ambedkar had argued for a social revolution even before we got Independence.

The Una violence and various other atrocities perpetrated on Dalits in recent times need special attention, and in this context, we need to look at spaces provided by the Internet as well. Internet spaces are imagined as enclaves shielded from caste discrimination. Incidents such as those in Una, where Dalits were dragged from their village to a town, tied to a vehicle in front of a police station, video recorded, and their videos uploaded online force one to rethink about these spaces. Such violence on Dalits is usually situated within villages where they are variously subjected to violence, including being dragged to a public place, tied, burnt, lynched, harassed, and raped only to threaten and send a warning to Dalits who want to move away from caste subjugation.

In most such cases, the police offers covert support to the culprit. The recent video is intended as a message of threat to Dalits  to those who are present in social media and actively participate in discussions against the caste system but imagine that cities and universities are secluded from caste discrimination and violence. There is a consistent pattern to the images and videos of Dalit bodies that are being circulated.

We hear and read about caste organisations such as those of the Patels of Gujarat and the Jats in Haryana protesting for reservation and bringing the city to a standstill while breaking public properties and harassing the public  this makes one realise that caste organisations are increasingly becoming more violent. We also regularly see pictures of Dalit bodies which are being stripped, beaten, fed cow dung, and hung after being raped being circulated online without any scrutiny. Even television channels circulate these pictures without much introspection. We, however, do not hear of any interventions made by the police or any state agencies as a result of this circulation. With this background in mind, one has to think what impression such pictures can make on Dalit men/women.

The video of Una shocked me and made by body tremble, and I was forced to ask if we were living in a country which respects the rule of law. At least, in this instance, Dalits came out in protest and dumped dead cows in front of the bureaucratic offices, declaring that they will not remove the carcasses. But all incidents are not met with the same kind of response.

Different techniques are used to police different communities in India. If Dalits are physically controlled through mob violence, adivasis are termed supporters of Maoists and Muslims are connected to terrorism. If earlier Dalits used to mobilise and organise rallies, talks, and discussions, in recent times they have been increasingly adopting new methods to express their protests. In 2012, Osmania University Dalit-Bahujan students organised a beef festival. This created fierce public debates about the undemocratic food practices in India, especially in university hostels. They argued that if a student runs the daily affairs of a mess then the choice of food should be with the students' collective rather than on some religious sanctions. Also, in 2010, Dalits in Savanur, Karnataka, smeared human excreta on themselves and protested against their forceful evacuation by the municipality.

If in the 1980s and 1990s, Babasaheb Ambedkar's statues showed him holding a Constitution in his hands, it was also the period during which Dalits mobilised and rallied against the state and the judiciary. In recent times, there is a tendency to depict Babasaheb without the Constitution and there is a likelihood that the present imagination of Ambedkarites is likewise depeleted.





The writer is a Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla.

There has been a rise of crimes against Dalits

According to National Crimes Records Bureau, crimes against Dalits rose almost steadily from 2009 to 2014:

2014 47,064

2013 39,408

2012 33,655

2011 33719

2010 32,712

2009 33,594

Rapes of Dalit women

2014 2,233

2013 2,073

2012 1,576

2011 1557

2010 1349

2009 1346

Kidnappings and

abductions too went up, barring in 2012 which saw a marginal decline.

2014 755

2013 628

2012 490

2011 616

2010 511

2009 512
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 13

Scores of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) students today staged a protest alleging that surprise checks were made by the Delhi police in their hostels.

While the students dubbed them as raids, the police officials maintained that they were part of routine checks being conducted in that area ahead of the 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, said a protesting student.

The students gheraoed the Chief Proctor Mehtab Alams office and shouted slogans against him for allegedly allowing police at campus.

Deputy Media Co-ordinator, JMI, Dr Saima Seed clarified that it was not a raid. It was a routine check that the police conducted before the Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations.

Actually the main road divides the JMI in two parts. The road also leads to New Friends Colony, Zakir Nagar, Noor Nagar, Batla House, Abul Fazal Enclave till Kalindi Kunj Park that makes easy for any unwanted

element to enter the university campus. The police makes routine checks to assure that no unwanted element hide at the campus, she said.
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 13

The Delhi police have made tight security arrangement in the national Capital and conducted over a dozen mock drills every day in and around the Red Fort area to thwart possible terror threats during the Independence Day celebrations on August 15.

Other security agencies have also participated in the mock drills.

The security of the Red Fort has been completely taken over by Prime Ministers security units, both Delhi police and the Special Protection Group (SPG), and the Ministry of Defence from the CISF.

The Red Fort has been completely locked out and closed for public till the Independence Day event, sources said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unfurl the tricolour at the historic Red Fort and will also address the nation. The security agencies are keeping a strict vigil in that area, said police sources.

The security agencies have deployed an assortment of over three dozen sniffer dogs and sophisticated gadgets to ensure that the event is conducted peacefully.

About 40,000 security personnel are deployed to keep vigil in the national Capital. Of them, 12,000 have been deployed in and around Red Fort. Sharpshooters of the National Security Guard are being deployed near the fort.

Additional CCTV cameras have also been installed on the routes that will be taken by the Prime Minister and other dignitaries. About 500 cameras have been installed in and around the Red Fort.

Besides, the police have announced to close the roads including Netaji Subhash Marg from Delhi Gate to Chatta Rail, Lothian Road from GPO Delhi to Chatta Rail, SP Mukherjee Marg from HC Sen Marg to Yamuna Bazar Chowk, Chandni Chowk Road from Fountain Chowk to Red Fort, Nishad Raj Marg from Ring Road to Netaji Subhash Marg, Esplanade Road and its Link Road to Netaji Subhash Marg from 5 am to 9 am on the Independence Day.

Those vehicles which do not have parking labels for the rehearsal may avoid Tilak Marg, Mathura Road, BSZ Marg, Subhash Marg, JL Nehru Marg and Ring Road between Nizammuddin Bridge and ISBT bridge.

Geeta Colony Bridge will be closed towards Shantivan. Similarly, traffic will not be permitted on lower Ring Road from ISBT Kashmere Gate towards Shantivan and from IP flyover towards Rajghat.

Metro services will be as usual. General public may use Delhi Metro and reach Chandni Chowk Metro Station or Kashmere Gate Metro Station to further reach Red Fort, said a senior police officer.
Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 10

The Medical Education and Research Department has written to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to make government affiliation mandatory for all private medical educational institutes and deemed universities of the state to bring uniformity in fee structure. The department reportedly received numerous complaints about private institutes charging excessive fee.

The proposal submitted by the Medical Education and Research Minister Anil Vij stated that the private institutes were working with the sole aim of minting money forcing several students to shell out huge amounts. Some of them, who met Vij recently, alleged private institutes where they studied charged lakhs from them under various heads without providing basic facilities like quality education and infrastructure.

Cabinet minister Anil Vij confirmed he had submitted a proposal to the CM to make the government affiliation mandatory for all medical education institutes and deemed universities across the state. Vij said private institutes had their own fee structure, which was wrong.

Speaking to The Tribune, Vij said, The government is actively discussing all aspects of my proposal. It may take some time, but I am hopeful of positive outcome.

A student at a private medical institute in Karnal said, Its a welcome step and we request the state government to accept the proposal. Private medical education institutes are charging huge fee without providing quality education.

Sources said Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, which was established in June, 2008, had only six medical education institutes affiliated with the university. Its colleges have total 550 MBBS, 153 MD/MS and 29 PG Diploma seats. In dental, total 9 institutes are affiliated with the university. Nearly 760 BDS and 139 MDS seats under its jurisdiction. The university has a total of 390 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) and 70 Masters of Physiotherapy (MPT) seats in 7 colleges.

However, the number of medical aspirants across the state is much higher than available seats in university affiliated colleges.

Government should accept the proposal immediately said Dr Rajesh Sheokand, general secretary of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA).
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, August 14

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today announced that the electricity charges would not be increased for the next three years in the state. Addressing a rally at the new grain market in Gohana, the CM reiterated that his government was committed towards ensuring the welfare of farmers in Haryana.

He claimed the state government had disbursed Rs 2,300 crore as compensation for the crop loss due to natural calamities during the last two years, in comparison to Rs 1,200 crore distributed as compensation in the last 48 years.

The CM also held the previous Hooda government responsible for the decline in quality of education in the state. Khattar announced that 50,000 vacant posts would be filled on regular and merit basis very soon.

Referring to the demands raised by Ram Chander Jangra, chairman of the Haryana Backward Classes Nigam, the CM ensured that the development of Gohana would not be compromised. He accepted demands involving an investment of Rs100 crore.

Among those present on the occasion included Krishan Lal Pawar, Nayab Singh Saini, Manish Grover, MP Ramesh Kaushik, BJPs state media head Rajiv Jain and district president Dr Dharambir Nandal.
Abhinav Vashisht/ Dipender Manta

Kullu, August 14

In what can be termed as a homecoming to reap political benefit, Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) chief Maheshawar Singh today formally merged his party with the BJP in the presence of senior leadership, including former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Maheshwar Singh, a former BJP state president and MP, declared the official merger of his party with the BJP in the presence of supporters at a function held at the Dhalpur Ground, in the town here today.

The Kullu MLA, who along with other BJP rebels had floated the party just before the 2012 Assembly elections, stated that all differences had been ironed out and everyone would work unitedly to strengthen the BJP.

Ironically, Maheshwar, who had left the party owing to his difference with Dhumal on the issue of corruptuion, said the HLP workers, who were returning to the BJP fold, would leave no stone unturned to ensure BJP victory under the leadership of the former Chief Minister. He, however, hoped that all HLP workers would get due respect on their return to the saffron party.

He said the HLP rebels, who disagreed with his merger move, were free to take their own decision.

Dhumal said with the merger of the HLP, the BJP would get new strength. There is no denying that whenever there are divisions or split in the party, the organisation gets weakened but on uniting together the party is bound to benefit, which will become evident in the next Assembly elections, he remarked.

Replying to another query, Dhumal indicated that the party was in no hurry to give any big organizational post to Maheshwar Singh and a decision will be taken by senior leaders in due course of time. The function was attended by Mandi MP Ram Swaroop Sharma, Seraj MLA Jai Ram Thakur, Jogindernagar MLA Gulab Singh Thakur, Manali MLA Govind Thakur and former minister Khimi Ram.

During the function, all representatives of the HLP, including their district presidents, were accorded warm welcome by BJP leadership. The prominent HLP leaders who were present included senior leader Shyama Sharma from Sirmaur district.

Addressing the gathering, Maheshwar Singh and Shyama criticised Virbhadra regime saying that the days of the Congress Government were numbered as Enforcement Directorate was tightening its noose on Chief Minister and his family over serious corruption charges. The BJP leadership, including Dhumal, Jai Ram and Ram Swaroop, lambasted the state government and alleged that during the Congress regime progress of state had come to a standstill and corruption increased many fold.

Senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar, Union Minister JP Nadda and BJP state president Satpal Singh Satti could not join the event.

Meanwhile, HLP state spokesperson Mahender Nath Sofat contested the merger of the party by Maheshwar Singh with the BJP. He said four of the eight members of core committee of HLP were not present in the ghar wapsi event. He added that state general secretary Dharam Chand Guleria, Subhash Sharma and Rama Guleria and district presidents of Kangra, Hamirpur and Chamba were also not in favour of merger with the BJP.
Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 14

On the eve of Independence Day, the President has posthumously awarded Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime award for gallantry, to Havildar Hangpan Dada of the Assam Regiment (35th Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles).

Havildar Dada showed exemplary courage, selfless devotion and gallantry beyond the call of duty during an encounter with a group of terrorists and killed three of them before attaining martyrdom.

On May 26, when terrorists managed to break contact with the Army in the Nowgam sector of Kupwara district, Havildar Dada along with his section was tasked to chase and trap the fleeing terrorists.

Displaying ingenuity and understanding, the ex-commando moved with incredible speed in inhospitable snow-bound high-altitude terrain. This move blocked the escape route of terrorists.

In the ensuing firefight, when his section was pinned down by heavy and accurate fire, he moved to a flank and closed in with terrorists sheltered in rocks and boulders, resulting in saving the lives of his colleagues.

He displayed exemplary courage and presence of mind and killed two terrorists at close quarters. In the exchange of fire, he was grievously injured. Undeterred, the NCO went after the remaining terrorists.

In the process, he came face to face with the third terrorist, whom he killed in hand-to-hand combat before making the supreme sacrifice.

Meanwhile, bravehearts of the Army deployed in the Northern Command were given gallantry awards on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.

The grateful nation honoured eight bravehearts, five of them posthumously, of the Northern Command with Shaurya Chakra, the third highest gallantry award for acts of valour in peacetime.

The list included award of Sena Medal (gallantry) and mention-in-despatches for Operation Rakshak and Operation Meghdoot.

Major Rahul Dev Singh was conferred the Shaurya Chakra for exceptional courage under fire and exemplary leadership leading to elimination of two A++ terrorists in Anantnag on October 4 last year. Shaurya Chakra was announced for Capt Gaurav Sharad Jadhav, who led an operation resulting in the elimination of two terrorists in the Gurez sector on September 17 last year.

Three martyrs who led the operation in Pampore to clear the EDI building with minimum collateral damage were awarded Shaurya Chakra.

Lance Naik Om Prakash displayed exemplary camaraderie and unparalleled resilience while killing a terrorist by drawing fire onto himself. Capt Pawan Kumar led a high-risk mission despite receiving injuries and made the supreme sacrifice after eliminating a terrorist.

Capt Tushar Mahajan eliminated a terrorist while evacuating a wounded colleague, thereby preventing further casualties.

Naib Subedar V Subba Kankara Reddy, who was part of the operation at Drabgam in Pulwama district, was awarded Shaurya Chakra. He displayed raw courage under fire and swift action that led to the elimination of a terrorist and injuring the second terrorist at close quarters.

Shaurya Chakra was announced for Naik Shinde Shankar Chandrabhan, who killed two Pakistani terrorists at close range in Kupwara district on February 12 despite being fatally wounded. Sepoy Hari Chettri was awarded Shaurya Chakra for killing the most wanted Pakistani terrorist operating in the Valley after engaging him in battle on October 29 last year.
Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 14

Pakistans flags and posters of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani appeared in various parts of Srinagar on Sunday as the Valley remained on edge and under curfew a day before India marked its 70th year of independence.

Law enforcement authorities later removed flags and posters that were seen in downtown Srinagar as well as Natipora and Pantha Chowk.

This is the first time Pakistans flags have been seen flying in the Valley since violence began in the state after Wani was killed on July 8, although protesters have been spotted holding them aloft during protest demonstrations.

Their appearance in the Valley coincides with Pakistans Independence Day, celebrated a day before India celebrates its own.

Separatists in Kashmir have called a two-day referendum march to Lal Chowk on Saturday and Sunday.

Lal Chowk  a historic location in the city that has traditionally been a place for political meetings  has been cordoned off to stop the separatists, who also plan a sit-in at the location to protest the deaths that had occurred in the protests.

Curfew remained firmly in place in many parts of the city, as well as other major towns such as Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Awantipora towns in south Kashmir and Kupwara and Sopore towns in the north. Restrictions also continued in other areas of the Valley, officials said.

At least two civilians were injured in new protests and clashes that broke out in Malangpora area of Awantipora in south Kashmir on Sunday morning. Protests were also reported from other parts of the Valley.

Kashmir has been on edge since the killing of Hizbul Mujaideen militant commander Wani in an operation by security forces on July 8. Some 58 people have been killed and more that 6,000 have been wounded on all sides in the protests that followed the killing.

India accuses Pakistan of stoking the violence.
Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 14

The Kashmir valley remains on the edge amid the continuous shutdown, curfew and protests while silence cloaked Srinagar, the states summer capital, on the eve of Independence Day, which will be celebrated tomorrow amid tight security cover.

All major markets were shut and roads deserted on Sunday, a day ahead of Independence, as the unrest triggered by killing of militant commander Burhan Wani shows no sign of an immediate end.

Srinagar city, where the main official event commemorating I-Day will be held at Bakshi Stadium amid the multi-tier security cover, remains reduced to a ghost city. Police and paramilitary personnel had sealed off most roads in Srinagar as curfew and shutdown continued in the region while pedestrian movement was almost missing.

It looks like a garrison, a police officer posted in Lal Chowk area remarked while patrolling along the empty Residency Road, an otherwise busy commercial market area in the city.

The only sound that broke the silence around the city centre during the unusually strict phase of restrictions was the call for prayer blaring from mosque loudspeakers. At times during the quiet day, militant songs blared out from the same loudspeakers.

At Budshah Bridge, a tense Central Reserve Police Force man keeping vigil at a roadblock described the situation as very bad. We have orders not to allow anyone, he said.

The Kashmir valley is in the midst of an unprecedented unrest sparked by the killing of the militant commander last month. More than 50 civilians have died and several thousand injured in police and paramilitary action against protesters.

The state governments appeal for calm has so far made little impact in easing the situation as the region continue to remain tense.

According to the police, curfew remained imposed on Sunday in six of the 10 districts of the Kashmir valley while restrictions were in place across all districts.
A new effort to reduce violence and panhandling in Whiteclay is slowly taking shape, but some people say they won't be satisfied until the tiny village stops selling beer near an Indian reservation plagued by alcoholism.

Activists who want to close the town's four beer stores said they're grateful that lawmakers and Gov. Pete Ricketts are trying to address the problems. However, they argue that some of the new proposals would force taxpayers to pay for a situation caused by the stores.

"Any solution that does not involve the closure of those four beer stores is wholly inadequate and immoral," said John Maisch, a former Oklahoma alcohol regulator who filmed a documentary about Whiteclay.

Whiteclay sold the equivalent of 3.5 million cans of beer last year despite having a dozen residents. The northwest Nebraska village sits on the border of South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where alcohol is banned but alcohol-related problems run rampant. An estimated one in four children on the reservation is born with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Maisch said the state should never have granted four liquor licenses in a village with no full-time law enforcement.

State alcohol regulators have said they can't revoke a beer-seller's license without proof the business is violating liquor laws.

Ricketts has said he wants a solution to come from Whiteclay residents and business owners. In June, a task force that formed at his urging came up with six ideas.

The list includes placing full-time law enforcement in the area; creating a detoxification and treatment center; getting rid of abandoned buildings; developing a village economic development plan; seeking authority from lawmakers to enact ordinances aimed at panhandling, vagrancy and other problems; and improving the state's relationship with the Oglala Sioux Tribe, whose members live on the reservation.

Whiteclay grocery store owner Lance Moss, who serves on the task force, argued that even if the beer stores closed, people would still congregate in the area and drink alcohol sold by people who buy it elsewhere.

Moss said many of the alcohol containers scattered on sidewalks and in nearby fields are mini-liquor bottles, which none of the stores sell. The town's residents and business owners want to reduce the violence and panhandling, he said, but a long-term solution will take time.

"I'm hopeful, very hopeful, that some things will change," said Moss, whose store does not sell beer. "But if you think that by closing these four (beer stores), one less can of beer would be drank, you're not living in reality. That's my opinion, but I grew up here. I've lived here 47 years. I know all of these people. I know how things work around here."

Moss said Whiteclay used to only attract four or five regulars, but the number has grown to about 60 a day. Many are younger, angrier and more violent, he said, and his employees have to shoo panhandlers out of the grocery store's parking lot at least 100 times a day.

The task force's ideas closely resemble proposals floated by state Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, who visited Whiteclay earlier this year and was threatened by a man with a rock.

Pansing Brooks said she'd like to see job-training programs in Whiteclay as well as broadband service for distance learning programs and telehealth services.

Fixing the problems will require a "multi-faceted approach" that focuses on more than just the beer stores, she said.

"I think there's a movement afoot right now to do something about Whiteclay, and it's partly due to people who are so passionate about it," Pansing Brooks said.

Frank LaMere, who has fought to close the beer stores since the 1990s, said the burden of paying for social services should fall on the beer stores.

"I think I know who will foot the bill, and it certainly will not be those who have made millions over the decades," said LaMere, a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

A spokesman for Ricketts said the governor's task force was planning to meet again to discuss specific ways to move forward with its recommendations.
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 14

Governor NN Vohra has appealed to the public that restoration of peace and normalcy should be our first and most immediate priority.

He urged leaders of all mainstream parties to ensure against delay in commencing a purposeful dialogue to pursue a sustained political initiative with the support of New Delhi.

The political leadership, he said, was facing a momentous challenge of taking every required initiative to reach out and win the hearts and minds of the youth and this endeavour must be supported by the entire administrative machinery.

Greeting the people on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day, the Governor observed that the countrys liberal democratic framework allowed unfettered opportunity for the pursuit of diverging ideologies.

He said our pluralistic foundations encouraged and enabled the resolution of all differences through dialogue and discussions instead of through confrontations and violence.

In his I-Day message, the Governor observed that he was saddened by the continuing disturbances in the Valley in the past several weeks that led to several dozen young men, and even women and children, getting killed and seriously injured.

He said daily incidents of stone-throwing and recurring attacks on forces in uniform and their establishments had left thousands of civilians and security forces personnel seriously injured.

The Governor observed that it was distressing that our responsibility to look after, educate and groom the youth and enable them to compete and succeed in every walk of life had been paralysed due to the continuing disturbances.

The Governor said it was urgently necessary for the government and leaders of civil society to ensure that all educational institutions reopened immediately.

He observed that despite varied constraints in recent years, boys and girls had been doing extremely well in the toughest all-India competitive examinations.

He said it was the duty of the state to ensure that our students did not face any disadvantage which might adversely affect the successful pursuit of their goals and aspirations.

The Governor observed that in the centuries past, Jammu and Kashmir has been known for high traditions of communal harmony, secularism and pluralistic belief.

He said it should be our collective endeavour to take all required steps to revive and protect the composite identity of the state.

He said the political leadership would need to take varied initiatives to strengthen communal harmony among people of all regions based on principles of mutual respect and accommodation of each others sensitivities, concerns and beliefs.

To achieve peace, progress and prosperity, it was imperative that leaders of all political, social, cultural and religious organisations and other stakeholders in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh urgently joined hands and worked closely together to restore and preserve harmony.

He said they should work unitedly to see that the state achieved speedy progress and secured its rightful place as the vanguard of the nation.
Shahira Naim

Despite promises of employment by both the youthful Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state of joblessness among the educated youth is going from bad to worse by the day, making them desperate to apply for any opportunity that comes their way.

Pointing to a deeper malaise is the growing tendency of highly over-qualified candidates applying for government jobs way below their educational profile.

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The latest example of this mismatch was visible in Agra. Here, as many as 80,000 candidates, including graduates, post-graduates and BEd degree holders, applied for 1,778 Class IV posts of safai karamchari (sweepers) on a contractual bases in the Municipal Corporation.

The notification mentioned that the candidate needs to be literate, not requiring any formal educational qualification.

Last week, Kanpur experienced a much worse situation when the Municipal Corporation received an overwhelming five lakh applications for 3,275 posts of 'safai karamchari', including graduates and post-graduates.

A similar case was reported in January this year when 17,000 highly qualified youth applied for 114 posts of sweeper in western Uttar Pradesh's Amroha district.

Even MBAs, BTechs, BSc candidates had applied and were ready to work as a sweeper on a contractual monthly salary of Rs 17,000.

In September last year, 23 lakh applications were received for the 368 posts of peon in the state secretariat.

While the post required merely class fifth pass and the ability to ride a bicycle, there were 255 doctorates, over two lakh graduates and even candidates having BTechs, MSc and MCom degrees.

The then Secretary, Department of Secretariat Administration, Prabhat Mittal, had defended this tremendous response by claiming that the better reach of higher education, laptops and smartphones was the reason for information getting more democratically disseminated.

However, the entire selection process had to be scrapped as the administration could not arrive at a consensus as to how to go about selecting 368 persons from 23 lakh applicants.

These desperate measures of job aspirants corroborate the findings of the 66th round of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), which had projected a whopping 1.32 crore unemployed youth in Uttar Pradesh in the age group of 15-35 by 2017. This is more than the total population of countries like Cuba or Belgium!

Cow politics

A day after Prime Minister Modi came down heavily on gau rakshaks (cow protectors), Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asked people and politicians to abstain from politics over the cow which he claimed was derailing the Uttar Pradesh development agenda.

Yadav, belonging to the traditional caste of cowherds, claimed that there were some who cared for cows and nurtured them and there were others who used it as a political tool to draw electoral mileage.

"You can visit the homes of these leaders who cry hoarse supporting the cause of the cow. I can bet that you will not find a single cow they tend to. On the other hand, visit any of our homes and you will see what really loving and taking care of cows is all about."

Speaking during Question Hour in Parliament in May this year, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav had claimed that he had been rearing 1,600 cows.

Mulayams younger son Prateek and daughter-in-law Aparna are animal lovers and are actively involved in the protection of stray animals.

Aparna, who has been declared the SP candidate from Lucknow Cantonment against sitting Congress MLA Rita Bahuguna Joshi, recently took to the social media to make her stand clear on the raging beef controversy.

Gai humari maa ke saman hai, aur iska maas khana jayaz baat nahi. Garibon ke beech gai ko katne par jo log aag bharkatey hain, yeh wohi ameer hain jo apni thali mein gau maas paroste hain. (Cow is like our mother and eating its meat is not justified. Those who fuel tension among the poor in the name of cow slaughter are those elite who themselves consume beef), she wrote on her Twitter handle.
New Delhi, August 14

Terming as absurd Pakistans proposal of sending supplies to Jammu and Kashmir, India on Sunday strongly retorted that it along with others in the region have already received enough of trademark exports from that country, including terrorism and infiltrators.

Indias sharp reaction came after it received a note verbale from Pakistans Foreign Ministry on Friday proposing to send supplies to Jammu and Kashmir. External Affairs Ministry completely and categorically rejected the communication from Pakistan.

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A communication was apparently delivered to our High Commission in Islamabad on August 12. I can only characterise its contents that propose sending supplies to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir as absurd, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistans trademark exportsinternational terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency, he said.

Indias reaction came on a day when Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier in the day, Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit made provocative statements over Kashmir and said his country will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state.

Basit made the comments during the countrys Independence Day celebrations at its embassy here.

In Islamabad, President Mamnoon Hussain, while addressing a gathering at a flag hoisting ceremony, also raised the Kashmir issue, saying the country will continue to support Kashmiris in their bid for the right to self-determination.

India and Pakistan have been engaged in a war of words over Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs statements on the situation in Kashmir which has been witnessing unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Wani was described as a martyr by Pakistan, which has also tried to internationalise the Kashmir issue while India has been maintaining that Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the Valley is the root cause of the turbulence.  PTI
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 14

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today asked the armed forces to maintain all-round vigil on the nations borders and said the assets be kept in a state of readiness allowing mobiliaation of troops to forward positions at short notice. Assets is euphuism for all military hardware like planes, guns, missiles and tanks.

Parrikar made the comments during his customary broadcast to the armed forces personnel over All India Radio on the eve of the 70th Independence Day today evening.

The Defence Minister said, There is a need to constantly upgrade and modernise our weapon systems and equipment. The government has taken many steps to streamline the procurement process and make it faster and transparent.

He went on to talk about indigenous 155mm Howitzer gun Dhanush. This advanced gun has now been handed over to the Army for user trials. This will enhance the firepower of our Army to a great extent, he said.

Addressing the issue of the missing Indian Air Force AN 32 transport plane, Parrikar said all next of kin of crew and passengers on board were being informed and regular updates on the search operations were being given to them by nominated officials. The plane is missing over the Bay of Bengal since July 22.

Parrikar commended the daring response against terrorists who came fully armed from across the border to attack the Pathankot Airbase. He lauded the role of Armed Forces for showing utmost restraint in tackling terrorists in the Kashmir valley.
Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 14

In a major embarrassment to the Medical Council of India (MCI), the Supreme Court-appointed panel monitoring its functioning has overruled the Councils decision denying permission for the establishment of 86 new medical colleges for the current academic session starting September 30.

The three-member panel headed by former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha, upon review of MCIs rejections, has granted permission to 26 new colleges out of the 86 rejected earlier. The panel yesterday sent its recommendations to the Health Ministry, paving the way for the establishment of these colleges, which will be added to the existing 400.

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Among the newly approved institutions are Ananta Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajasthan; NIMRA Institute of Medical Sciences, Andhra Pradesh; Saraswati Medical College, UP; Sri Sakshi Medical College, Madhya Pradesh; World College of Medical Sciences, Jhajjar, Haryana; Kerala Medical College; NC Medical College, Panipat (Haryana); Local Medical College, Saharanpur and Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow.

Sources said blanket rejection to new medical colleges is not the order of the day and even the Supreme Court has in the past revised MCIs rejections on a range of grounds.

After the MCI rejected 86 applications, the SC appointed oversight panel (OC) comprising ex-CJI Lodha, former CAG Vinod Rai and renowned liver expert SK Sarin opened a fresh window from June 15 to 22 asking applicants to apply afresh and show compliance.

The OC received 39 applications from institutions promising compliance by September 30 when the new session starts. The panel after considering these cases has granted a go-ahead in 26 cases, a Health Ministry source said.

Lodha panels approval, however, comes with three strict riders. These 26 institutes will have to give an undertaking to the MCI that they wont remain deficient when the new session starts on September 30; they will have to give to the MCI bank guarantees worth Rs 2 crore each; thirdly, the OC has reserved the right to inspect these new colleges before or after September 30 to see if they are complying with norms.

If the OC is not satisfied, it has reserved the right to debar new colleges from admissions for the subsequent two years. This is the practice the SC has followed in granting approvals to new colleges, a Ministry official said.

The 26 new institutes will however get MCI's letters of permission for new campuses after they submit undertakings from state governments that they will remove the deficiencies by September 30 when the new batch of MBBS students comes in. State governments routinely give such undertakings to seek MCI clearances for state-run medical institutions.
New Delhi, August 14

Security forces were on high alert in the National Capital ahead of Independence Day celebrations on Monday, with some 45,000 personnel deployed across the city, officials said on Sunday.

Besides securing the Red Fort and its environs, security has also been stepped up all across the Capital, in particular shopping areas, malls and places where people gather in large numbers.

A ground-to-air security apparatus is in place around the 17th century Red Fort from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation for a third time, the officials said.

Police barriers have come up on scores of roads in Delhi to check vehicles and motorists.

Residential areas facing the Red Fort have been sanitized, an official said. Both in Delhi and neighbouring areas, the police have checked hotels and guest houses.

The Mughal monument and areas within a five-kilometre radius is being covered by about 9,000 security personnel from Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and the National Security Guard (NSG).

On Monday, scores of VVIPs will attend the Red Fort event. They will include senior political figures, diplomats and military personnel besides thousands of civilians including school students.

Besides ground personnel, an air defence mechanism has been put in place in and around the venue.

The main event during India's 70th Independence Day celebration on Monday will be held at the Red Fort.

Over 500 CCTVs have been installed in and around Red Fort. High-resolution cameras have been mounted on the sprawling monument.

The police have got some 3,000 trees trimmed in the venue keeping security considerations in view.

Security officials have also been deployed at major markets, airport, railway stations, the inter-state bus terminals, Delhi Metro stations and places of strategic importance.

Road leading to Red Fort  Netaji Subhash Marg, S.P. Mukherjee Marg, Chandni Chowk Road, Nisad Raj Marg and Link Road  will be out of bounds for general traffic for four hours from 5 a.m. on Monday. -- IANS
Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 14

The police today detained rebel Akali leader Inderbir Singh Bolaria, Congress leader Harjinder Singh Thekedar and about 35 local residents who were protesting against the setting up of a solid waste management plant during Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badals visit.

The protesters were taken to Chheharta police station and released in the evening.

Residents of the localities around the Bhagtanwala garbage dump yard, where the plant is to be established, are demanding that both be shifted outside the city. The site falls under Amritsar South constituency, represented by Bolaria.

The protesters, led by Bolaria and Thekedar, started marching towards the Chattiwind road, but the police stopped them at the nearby Tarn Taran road intersection. They raised anti-government slogans and stopped traffic for over an hour.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of a railway overbridge to be constructed on the Tarn Taran-Amritsar road at a cost of Rs 130 crore. He also inaugurated mechanical sweeping machines, the new building of the MC office and the solid waste management project  costing Rs 460 crore.

He said the SAD-BJP government had completed several development works in the city, including the Rs 200-crore Entrance Plaza at the Golden Temple and the renovation of the Gobindgarh fort at a cost of Rs 95 crore.

Others present at the inauguration included Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi.
Chandigarh, August 14

Ludhiana girl Jhanvi Behal, who vowed to hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk, on Sunday received dejection as she was stopped at the Srinagar airport.

The police told the 15-year-old that she cannot step outside the airport as Section 144 was imposed in the city.

The girl, who was dressed in a tricolour suit, was later sent back on the same flight from Srinagar.

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Jhanvi, who made headlines after challenging JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar to a debate on freedom of speech and expression, had last month said she would hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on the occasion of Independence Day.

I had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to allow all his MPs to hoist the national flag in their respective constituencies. He accepted my request and I am happy about that. Only a best' Prime Minister like him could have done that, Bahal had told ANI.

I would hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on August 15 because that is a place where the national flag was insulted. I challenge all those, including the separatists and the Pakistanis, to stop me if they can, she added.

Jhanvi, a student of DAV Public School, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Ludhiana, is an active member of an NGO Raksha Jyoti Foundation and was honoured on Republic Day for her contribution in many projects including Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

In an open challenge, the 15-year-old challenged the JNUSU president to meet her wherever and whenever' for the debate.

It is very easy to criticise someone while sitting at home. Kanhaiya should concentrate on working like PM Modi, Jhanvi had said.  ANI
Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 14

Violating the instructions of Director General School Education (DGSE), thousands of teachers have been deployed to verify the process of setting up toilets in villages under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen.

While across the state as many as 6.5 lakh toilets were listed in a two-year old survey, in Jalandhar, 900 villages and 22,000 toilets were listed. Teachers across these villages (an average of three to four teachers/principals per village) have been deputed to carry out the task of validating the current toilet need in villages and subsequent building of these toilets. Notably, even though the DGSE, in a letter issued to all DEOs time and again had asked them not to depute any teachers on any non-teaching job, or non-educational duties, hundreds of teachers have been asked to verify the toilet beneficiaries and even send pictures of their dug-up pits to the department. They shall also submit a final report to the SDM 2 on the issue.

The DEO, Jalandhar, issued a letter to these principals and teachers on August 9 last, asking the school heads to conduct duties under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Teachers have been asked to visit houses to verify whether the listed beneficiaries qualify for toilets under the scheme and to mobilise them to dig up pits in their homes for toilets. While the beneficiaries shall be paid for 20 days worth of daily wages under the MGNREGA for digging the pit, they will eventually be paid Rs 15,000 for building a toilet. The entire process from the verification of homes to allocation of first instalment of Rs 5,000 is being carried out by teachers/principals.

A principal of a senior secondary school said, When the DC or SDM tells you to do something, you cant say no. We were put on Census duties, Aadhaar- linking duties and now this. After school, we spend three to four hours daily visiting homes. Our task includes sending a picture to the administration whether a certain house has dug pits or not. Though we are not supposed to do non-educational work, when we are told to perform such duties, teachers silently obey. Neither the DC nor the DGSE ever says their teachers cant be spared for such work. Maybe they are too busy.

While teachers had earlier been given deadline up to August 12 for getting pits dug, now it has been extended up to August 18. The teachers were apprised of the process at meetings in respective BDPO offices.

XEN, Public Health, Jalandhar, Kuldeep Singh Saini said, We have deputed motivators for the job, teachers will just be spreading awareness at schools etc. He said the toilets were being made in 900 villages of the district.

Assistant Sanitation Officer Gagadeep Singh Walia said, No teachers have been deputed this year though they were deployed last year. This time BDPOs, CDPOs, administrative officers and motivators are doing the job.

Varinder Singh Bajwa, SDM-2 and nodal officer from Jalandhar, said, Some teachers and some principals have been deputed for the job. We hope the scheme will work for better sanitation in villages. DEO Jalandhar, Harinder Pal said, Its just a way of helping the society. This job does not interfere with school work.
Pithoragarh, August 14

A high alert has been sounded at the borders with Uttar Pradesh to check the entry of anti-social, criminal or anti-national elements as the country celebrates its 70th Independence Day on Monday.

Security personnel have been deployed at the international borders adjoining the Pithoragarh, Champawat and US Nagar districts in Kumaon region.

We have asked police superintendents from Pithoragarh, Champawat and US Nagar districts to maintain tight security at borders so that no anti-social elements enter from Nepal or Tibet. We are also in close cooperation with the ITBP and the SSB to ensure security at the borders, said Ajay Rautela, DIG, police Kumaon region.

According to the DIG, the state borders with UP in US Nagar district are also being patrolled intensely to prohibit the entry of criminals from UP. Intelligence agencies are exchanging information with security agencies in Nepal and Uttar Pradesh to maintain tight security for peaceful Independence Day celebrations, the DIG added.  OC
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 didn't begin there.

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 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 the opening weekend. She picked up her first win there atop Necessary Party.

Im getting the rides. Thats what I want because it gives me more experience, she said.

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 closer to home, back in Saratoga and in Florida, while chasing the Triple Crown she learned about as a young girl.

One day, she said, thinking about her ride into the future.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 14

Security has been stepped up at all sensitive places in the city ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat is scheduled to unfurl the Tricolour at the state-level celebrations at Parade Ground on Monday.

An additional police force has been deployed at busy markets, crowded places and near the Parade Ground to ensure foolproof security arrangements for the celebrations.

Two ASPs, seven circle officers, 16 SHOs, 39 sub-inspectors, nine head constables, 143 constables, 35 women constables, three traffic Inspectors, six traffic sub-inspectors, five traffic head constables, 21 traffic constables, and one company of Provincial Armed Constabulary have been deployed outside the Parade Ground.

Patrolling had been intensified at railway stations, main bus stations, markets and tourist destinations to keep an eye on suspected activities. Circle Officers and Station House Officers have been instructed to remain vigilant to avoid any untoward incident during the celebrations.

Vehicles entering the city from neighbouring states are thoroughly checked at the Asharodi and Assan police check posts. Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) are put on stand-by at important places in order to act swiftly in case of any emergency.

SSP Sadanand Datte said SHOs had been instructed to carry out a verification drive in slums, hotels and inns and immediately detain if anyone found suspicious. The road leading to the Parade Ground is under high security surveillance. The police would thoroughly check vehicles passing near the Parade Ground area.

Datte said vehicles parked at places other than parking lots would be towed away to avoid traffic jams near the Parade Ground.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 14

Tejit Pabari, a Class XII student of The Doon School, has recently published a research paper titled A study on the solar illumination provided by a water bottle in an International Peer-Reviewed Open-Access Journal called - Journal of Basic and Applied Engineering Research (JBAER).

He presented his paper in the international conference on Natural/Applied Sciences, Environmental Engineering and Clean Energy Technologies for Sustainable Development (SYNERGY-2016) organised by Krishi Sanskriti Publications at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

He studied how a water bottle attached to a rooftop helps in scattering light inside a house. His study proved that a transparent water bottle was a better option than just covering the hole in the ceiling with a glass plate for providing free solar illumination in accommodations which were otherwise very dark even during daytime.

He was the only school student to present a paper in a conference where other presenters were usually MTech students from Delhi University and even IIT, Delhi.

Pabari also becomes a regional finalist (one of the top 100 to be selected from thousands of entries from all over the world) in the Google Science Fair 2016. He could not make it to the Global Finalists (top 16 in the whole world) for which the Grand Prize winner received $50,000 in the scholarship funding.
SMA KAZMI

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, Aug 14

The indecision regarding fighting the coming Assembly poll and growing dissensions in the state unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have already clipped the wings of the fledgling party. Although AAP has a modest beginning, a large number of people have joined the party. It undertook many grassroot programmes with an aim to building the party.

Party workers in sizeable numbers participated in these programmes aimed at highlighting the alleged corruption and misgovernance of the state government. The party also undertook many dharnas and agitations against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led Central Government.

The state party unit under the leadership of Anoop Nautiyal, a former technocrat, was moving steadily until the directions came from the party's central leadership that it would not contest the Assembly poll in Uttarakhand.

Party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reportedly told state party leaders that AAP would only contest the poll if the party had fifty-fifty chances of winning it. Since the party was new in the state and trying to get a foothold at the grassroot level, the announcement by the party chief had came as a dampener on the morale of the party rank and file.

The party chief reportedly was of the opinion that the party should only focus on Punjab and Goa polls where they had a fair chance of winning than jumping into the Uttarakhand poll battle.

More than the decision of not contesting the Assembly polls, the differences between Anoop Nautiyal and party state in-charge Vivek Yadav has divided the party. Vivek Yadav insisted on expelling some party workers on the charges of indiscipline which Anoop Nautiyal opposed it. The issue of taking up cudgels against the alleged corrupt practices of Managing Director of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited SS Yadav by Anoop Nautiyal did not go well with the party in-charge.

Anoop Nautiyal wanted to go full steam against the alleged corruption in the UPCL and wanted to take the case to the CBI for investigation but the in-charge suggested that the matter should be first taken to the Vigilance Department of the state government.

The differences led to Anoop Nautiyal being sidelined from various important committees of the party leading to his resignation from his position of president of the state working committee. The last week visit to senior party leader Ashutosh also did not clear the air on the issue of contesting the poll.

On the insistence of party workers, he promised to convey their feelings to the party leadership. Many party leaders and workers who were aspiring to contest the coming poll are disappointed. Many of them believe that the political upheaval in the past five months has disillusioned the common people from two main parties, Congress and BJP, and AAP doing a different kind of politics could have caught their imagination.
New York, August 14

A 55-year-old Bangladeshi-American Imam at a mosque here and his assistant have been shot dead from point blank range by a lone gunman in broad daylight amid growing concerns across the US over the rising Islamophobic rhetoric.

The police said Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, 64, were walking home after mid-day prayers at Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque yesterday when they were approached from behind by a man who was dressed in a polo shirt and shorts.

According to witnesses and video surveillance, immediately after the victims were shot, the man was seen fleeing from the scene with a gun in his hand. Both victims were dressed in Islamic attire at the time of the shooting. The lone gunman still remains at large.

Responding to multiple emergency calls, the police found Akonjee and Uddin with gunshot wounds to the head. They were both taken to a local hospital, where Akonjee died as a result of his injuries. Later, Uddin also succumbed to his injuries.

Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said at present, a motive had not been determined and theres nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith. No arrests have been made so far, he said.

The New York chapter of Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organisation Council on American-Islamic Relations called for the perpetrators of the killings to be immediately brought to justice.  PTI
New York, August 14

A 55-year old Bangladeshi-American Imam at a mosque here and his associate have been shot and killed from a point-blank range by an unidentified gunman in broad daylight amid growing concerns across the country over rising Islamophobic rhetoric.

The police said Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, 64, were walking home following afternoon prayers at a mosque on Saturday, when they were approached from behind by a male with medium complexion who was dressed in a dark polo shirt and shorts.

According to witnesses and video surveillance, immediately after the victims were shot, the same male was seen fleeing the scene with a gun in his hand. Both victims were dressed in Islamic attire at the time of the shooting. The lone gunman still remains at large.

Responding to multiple emergency calls, the police found Akonjee and Uddin with gunshot wounds in the heads. They were both taken to a local hospital, where Akonjee died as a result of his injuries. Uddin was also in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries.

Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said that currently a motive has not been determined and theres nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith.

He said the police are conducting an extensive canvass of the area for video and additional witnesses.

No arrests have been made so far and the investigation is on, Sautner said.

The New York Chapter of Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organisation Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it has reported an unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide since Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trumps bigoted call for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The group called for the perpetrators of the killings to be immediately brought to justice.

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.

Akonjee, a father of three, was a respected religious leader who had arrived in Queens from Bangladesh less than two years ago.

Sarah Sayeed, a member of Mayor Bill de Blasios staff, was quoted by Fox News as saying that she understands the fear the community is facing because I feel it myself. I understand the anger. But its very important to mount a thorough investigation.

Shahin Chowdhury, a worshipper at the mosque, said members of the community had felt animosity lately and he had advised fellow community members to be careful walking around, especially when in traditional clothing.

Another individual Millat Uddin said Akonjee had led the mosque for about two years and was a very pious man.

The communitys heart is totally broken. Its a great misery. Its a great loss to the community and its a great loss to the society, he was quoted as saying.  PTI
Islamabad, August 14

Pakistan on Sunday commemorated its Independence Day with national zeal and fervour.

The day dawned with 31-gun salute in the federal and 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals, Radio Pakistan reported.

The main ceremony of Independence Day was held at the Convention Centre in Islamabad, where President Mamnoon Hussain along with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hoisted the national flag.

Flag hoisting ceremonies were also held at the provincial capitals and district headquarters besides other important national institutions.

Meanwhile, all major public and private buildings, roads and avenues were decorated with illuminations, national flags, portraits of the national leaders and banners.

In Lahore, a Change of Guard ceremony was held at Mazar-e-Iqbal earlier in the morning, Radio Pakistan reported.

A contingent of the Pakistan Army took charge as guards of the Mazaar from Punjab Rangers.

Independence Day celebrations officially began with fireworks at parade ground Shakarparian in Islamabad after midnight.

The ground and the surrounding areas were lit with thousands of colourful fireworks.

Punjab IT Board draped an exclusive 100ft long and 120ft wide national flag on Arfa Software Technology Park, the tallest building in Lahore, the Nation reports.

Mobile phone services remained suspended in several parts of Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, and other high-security areas in major cities - a step taken to ensure security on the occasion of the countrys Independence Day.  IANS
BANGKOK: A series of bombing and arson attacks in southern Thailand that killed four persons and wounded dozens was orchestrated by a single person, Thai police said on Sunday, while a man has been arrested in connection to one of the attacks. Reuters

3 killed, thousands rescued in Louisiana floods

Baton Rouge: Emergency crews worked through the night to rescue scores of south Louisiana residents and stranded cars as flooding continued to inundate large swaths of the region on Sunday. Three persons have died in flood-related incidents. AP

45 killed in Congo terror attack

Kinshasa: Fortyfive persons were killed in a terror attack in the Democratic Republic of Congos Kivu province. The assailants attacked Rwangoma village on Saturday, an official said. DR Congo President Joseph Kabila termed the attack as pure terrorism. IANS
Weather the past two breeding seasons has been tough for Oklahomas endangered least terns, but it turns out the smallest of North Americas gull species has some toughness of its own.

The birds, which locally rely on barren sandbars in the Arkansas River for nesting, were basically out of luck for all of flooded 2015. This summer hasnt been much better, with torrential rains to the north continually pouring into the Kaw and Keystone reservoirs, leading to high flows in the river downstream.

However, as young birds take wing and the birds prepare to head south this month, a biologist who monitors the least tern population said the Oklahoma population seems to be doing well and that the future looks good for the birds, especially with help from some manmade structures.

Tonya Dunn, with the Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has surveyed the river each year since she started as a summer hire in 2008.

Each summer, she is part of a crew that travels the river by airboat noting the numbers and successes  or failures  of the birds.

Numbers are not yet final for 2016, but Dunn estimated about 100 young terns took wing from the Tulsa area this season and another 100 or more took wing from stretches downstream to Muskogee.

They did very well this year for what they had to work with, she said.

Tern nesting colonies  which might be just one pair or might be 50 pairs  are found throughout the river and in different locations each season, she said. There are about six known colony sites on the river between Zink Dam and the Memorial Drive Bridge, she said.

The surveys are mandated under the federal Endangered Species Act for the terns, listed in 1985 after much of their habitat was covered up by reservoirs or destroyed by water diversion projects. After three decades on the list for the birds, the most recent five-year review showed increased populations and recommended taking steps toward delisting the terns, after further study is completed, Dunn said.

Even if they are delisted we will still be monitoring them, she said.

Boating the Arkansas River regularly through the summers and being aware to watch for the birds, she has witnessed the weakness and resiliency of the birds.

They nest on those barren sandbars, preferably islands, to avoid predators. Their nests are not much bigger than a heel print in the sand. The small speckled eggs can be easily mistaken for small rocks, and the chicks, likewise speckled, rely on camouflage and remaining motionless to avoid predation.

But when waters rise, the birds lose nests or chicks to the elements.

Dunn described the situation for birds on a small mid-river island near downtown Tulsa that weathered the mid-July storm that drenched Tulsa and ripped trees out by their roots. It was just a little rock island out in the middle of the river, she said. Some of the nests didnt make it but the chicks did make it, so that resiliency is there.

Tern nesting success, or lack thereof, for 2015 is unknown. Because the rivers flooded in May and stayed at flood stage for most of what would have been the terns nesting season, the birds never had a chance to lay eggs that would have been washed away.

They may have moved on to other places to nest, she said.

Dunn did find a nest in Jenks, however, where the FlyTee Driving Range was under construction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked with the contractors.

When the workers were made aware they helped as much as possible, Dunn said. There were a couple of chicks fledged from there.

While it has not been documented in the Tulsa area, Dunn said terns have been found nesting on rooftops during high-water conditions in Arkansas. I know theyve done it, I dont know how successful theyve been, she said. The heat on a rooftop would be a problem.

Another benefit of the big floods of 2015 was the moving and shifting of great volumes of silt. Dunn said terns nested on a sandbar near the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge this summer that, in previous years, would have been under water.

The terns get a lot of help from humans, as well.

The Corps monitors several man-made islands it has in the river from Tulsa to Muskogee. In the past, the islands have been rebuilt after floods and sprayed with herbicides if they became too brushy.

Now, a new kind of island is in the offing  one that could become a permanent island  is slowly coming to shape in the river at the Margaritaville Casino.

Its a very interesting and exciting project, the first application Im aware of, of the OSU in-stream island design in a full-scale setting, said Gaylon Pinc, senior environmental program manager for Program Management Group/PMg Native.

The Muskogee Creek Nation Project is using a plan developed by the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department at Oklahoma State, he said.

The theory has it that arrangements of large rocks anchored mid-stream in the shapes of chevrons will cause silt to collect on the downstream side and create a self-building, self-sustaining sandbar  the more flow, and the more silt, the more it will build to create an island.

The project is under a five-year monitoring program, as it relies on high water and silt flows to develop, and that will take time.

So far this summer, the relatively high flow in the Arkansas has make it a good one, and the builders are encouraged that silt already is beginning to collect at the structure.

Its really exciting that it seems to be working already, Pinc said. Its really very encouraging.
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.
A Turkish hospital currently under construction in Palestine will open its doors in 2017, an official working on the project said Friday.

Funded by the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), the Palestine-Turkey Friendship Hospital will be Gaza's largest when it becomes operational, according to TIKA's Palestine Coordinator Bulent Korkmaz.

Korkmaz told Anadolu Agency that the cost has so far reached $40 million. "The hospital will include cancer and heart research and treatment departments as well as a prayer room and library," he added.

The facility is just one of hundreds of TIKA-funded projects in Palestine, ranging from vocational training for the disabled to water wells in the Gaza Strip.

The latest influx of Turkish aid to Gaza was made possible by way of a deal signed last month between Turkey and Israel in which the two nations agreed to restore diplomatic relations following a six-year hiatus.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Tel Aviv had met all of Ankaras preconditions for normalizing ties, which were severed in 2010 after Israeli commandos stormed a Gaza-bound Turkish aid vessel.

The attack resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish activists and left 30 others injured, including one victim who succumbed to his injuries nearly four years later.

At the time, Turkey demanded Israel officially apologized for the attack, compensate the families of the victims and lift its longstanding blockade against the Gaza Strip.

In 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his regret to Turkeys then-prime minister and current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the deadly ordeal.

Under the terms of last weeks agreement to normalize relations, the two countries will exchange ambassadors and Israel will pay $20 million in compensation to the families of the flotilla attack victims.

Israel has also agreed to Turkeys request to maintain a "humanitarian presence" in the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Anadolu Agency
Ties with the United States will be impacted if the U.S. does not respond favorably to Turkey's extradition request for Fethullah Gulen, the country's foreign minister said Saturday.

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 U.S. does not respond Turkey's extradition request for Gulen, who is head of the FETO organization and has been living in U.S., 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 U.S.

The U.S., 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.

Anadolu Agency
RACINE  Simeon Lazaris arrived at the Racine County Housing Authority a few minutes before it opened at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Lazaris, a 44-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, was excited to meet with Kim Zamecnik, the public housing coordinator and person in charge of the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers.

For the past several days, he had spent the night at the Homeless Assistance Leadership Organization shelter at 2000 DeKoven Ave. Before that, he was sleeping in his Jeep Liberty.

This is the lease; I havent signed it yet, Lazaris said to Zamecnik, handing her the paperwork.

Good, Zamecnik said inside the housing authority at 837 Main St. Because we can possibly lease you up before the 1st.

Lazaris face was bright with anticipation. If he were able to get into some housing that week, instead of Sept. 1, it would save him from spending three weeks at HALO or in his Jeep.

About the vouchers

At the end of June, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development granted the Racine County Housing Authority $39,000 for 10 VASH vouchers, giving the authority a total of 52 vouchers to help homeless veterans. The extra vouchers were distributed throughout the nation, with Wisconsin receiving 81 additional vouchers. In the state, there are about 600 vouchers with 550 currently being used, according to officials at the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Milwaukee.

Our main priority is serving chronically homeless veterans, said Melissa Wiese, HUD/VASH coordinator at Zablocki. Its an income-based program and its able to help people afford decent housing.

For veterans in the program, the requirement is that one-third of the monthly income be used for rent and the difference is made up with the voucher. Veterans with some employment are generally prioritized above those with no income, Weise said; however, its possible for veterans with no job to get a VASH voucher.

Ive had a situation where someone had a job and lost a job, Weise said. We have had people with no income  its harder (to fund) because not everything is covered.

Veterans are referred by the Zablocki VA to the Housing Authority to help them get into housing. The vouchers can be used by individuals, couples and families.

For chronically homeless

To obtain a voucher, Weise said, the veteran must be eligible for VA health benefits and be considered chronically homeless, which means theyve been homeless for a more than a year or multiple times in the past three years, according to HUD.

Originally from Philadelphia, Lazaris served in the Navy from 1994-97 as a corpsman. He said that since being honorably discharged, hes had a number of different jobs, but has also been homeless several times.

He had recently lived with a girlfriend in the Kenosha area, but that didnt work out.

Once you have the voucher in your hand, thats like gold, Lazaris said. I hate looking for a place; thats a lot of work. Its a lot of driving. Its a lot of resources. Its like looking for a job  only a little more important because thats where youre going to stay and be healthy.

The RCHA is working in partnership with the Zablocki VA and the VAs Union Grove Community-Based Outpatient Clinic, which is located at the Southern Wisconsin Center, 21425 Spring St., Dover.

Theres quite a few actually living in Union Grove with a VASH voucher who are there for the medical support, Zamecnik said.

Zamecnik said she thinks all 52 vouchers might be taken by the end of September.

Helps vets with substance, mental health issues

Aside from finding housing, the voucher also requires veterans to meet with case managers on a regular basis to work on any major issues.

Its really designed to help support the veterans when they get in that housing, Wiese said. Many of the people we work with have mental health issues.

Lazaris said he has severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Thats kind of hindered me my whole life, Lazaris said.

Each veteran can have the VASH program customized.

Its designed to be tailored to their individual situation, Weise said, adding they focus on individuals with mental health, substance abuse or other issues that keep them from housing.

When counselors are no longer needed, veterans can still use the vouchers. Additionally, Weise said, the Housing Authority has been able to create space for more veterans by helping VASH-voucher veterans move to Section 8 housing choice vouchers.

Although she hasnt been in the VASH position very long, Zamecnik said it has opened her eyes to a harsh reality some veterans face when they come home.

When people say we give a lot to the vets, I really dont think that we do, Zamecnik said. I believed that when our veterans came back, that they were continually paid or given some kind of something until they got back on their feet, which isnt the case.
More than 81,000 people have been suspended or dismissed from work over suspected links to the group behind the July 15 attempted coup, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Saturday.

In a speech to media figures at Cankaya Palace in Ankara, he said 76,597 had been suspended and 4,897 dismissed. Of those sacked, more than 3,000 were military staff, judges and civil servants.

Yildirim said the government would distinguish between those willingly involved in the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) behind the coup and those who were caught up in the movement by chance.

We have difficulties in detection, he said. What will we do? We have set certain criteria. I think we need to distinguish between the ones who were involved in this organization voluntarily and intentionally and the ones who had some connections with them by chance.

Yildirim hosted scores of media figures at his official residence to acknowledge the role played in helping defeat the coup bid. TV stations in particular were instrumental in revealing the coup attempt in progress and one broadcast President Recep Tayyip Erdogans call for people to take to the streets to resist.

He also mentioned communication networks established by FETO involving more than 50,000 people. There are more than 50,000 names on this communication infrastructure, he said. These will be searched.

Yildirim expressed his disappointment in the Western media's post-coup coverage, criticizing them for discussing "what the coup plotters did wrong" immediately after July 15.

"Instead of saying 'Turkey defeated the coup plotters and democracy won', they said 'They [coup plotters] would be successful if they hadn't done this and that', discussing the faults of the coup attempters. They suggested to be more careful next time," Yildirim said and added: "It must be a joke, but no."

Yildirim said the West started seeing the realities and changing their stance following the big democracy rally on Aug. 7 in Istanbul .

"They wanted the coup attempt to be like in Egypt, but it is not Egypt, it's Turkey. That was what they couldn't estimate," he said.

Asked about Turkey's strict stance regarding the U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen's extradition process, Yildirim said: "There is no other way to compromise than to bring the terrorist leader [Gulen] to justice in Turkey."

"After the price Turkey had paid... We have 240 martyrs, 2,195 injured, apart from other damages, social, psychological and financial damages. While everything is so obvious, there cannot be a compromise," Yildirim added.

Yildirim also urged that if the U.S. remained impassive to Ankara's demands, then "it failed to understand the common feelings of 79 million [Turks]."

Yildirim went on to say that the U.S will send a technical committee and lawyers on Aug. 22 before U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's arrival in Turkey on Aug. 24.

Anadolu Agency
Rabaa symbol has gained international fame after Egyptian security forces violently cleared protesters camping out against a military coup against President Mohamed Morsi in Cairos Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in mid-2013, killing hundreds.

A four-fingered hand gesture, the sign has become a world symbol for anti-coup protesters around the globe.

As demonstrations broke out against the Rabaa killings, the sign gained worldwide fame, becoming a symbol for anti-coup demonstrators in the world.

At first, the Rabaa sign started as a symbol for resistance against the military coup in Egypt. It emerged by time to symbolize resistance against coups in the world.

The hand gesture gained a further prominence when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used it during rallies.

The Rabaa symbol has also been used by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Israel-occupied West Bank to protest violations by Jewish settlers in East Jerusalems flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In Turkey, after the July 15 failed coup by Fethullah Terrorist Group (FETO), the symbol was not forgotten. At the night of the coup attempt, President Erdogan waved to the people at Istanbul Ataturk Airport.

That time after Erdogans call, the people flooded to the streets across Turkey. That time the symbol was not in solidarity against the coup in Egypt, but was used to demonstrate refusal of the coup attempt.

Anadolu Agency
An imam and a second man were fatally shot Saturday as they left a mosque in Queens, New York.

The two were shot at approximately 2 p.m. local time (1800GMT) near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in Ozone Park while walking home from prayers.

The imam, identified by police as Maulama Akonjee, 55, was reportedly shot in the head as was his companion, an unidentified 64-year-old male.

Witnesses told police the male suspect fled the scene with a gun in his hand, New York Police Department Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said.

The suspect remains at large and Sautner said no motive has yet been established.

A local resident told the New York Post newspaper that it appeared the gunman picked his targets before fleeing the scene on foot.

There was a carload of people across the street, and a girl across the street, and he just targeted these two guys, the resident said.

NBC4 New York reported that a preliminary investigation indicated that the men were shot during the course of a robbery, but added that authorities said they may have been targeted.

Afaf Nasher, executive director of the New York chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations said in a statement that the perpetrator must be swiftly apprehended and face the full force of the law.

Anadolu Agency
ABC marks the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in Vietnam and Vietnam Veterans Day this Thursday with special coverage from Canberra and Vietnam.

Thursday August 18:

ABC News Breakfast

6.00-9.00am on ABC & iview / 6.00-9.00am AEST on ABC News 24

Michael Rowland will co-host News Breakfast from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

ABC News Special

9.30am on ABC & iview / 9.30am AEST on ABC News 24

Long Tan Preview hosted by Michael Rowland, ahead of the Commemorative Service at the Vietnam Memorial on Anzac Parade.

Vietnam Veterans Day Service

10.00am on ABC & iview / 10.00am AEST on ABC News 24

On Vietnam Veterans Day, a special Commemorative Service from the Australian War Memorial to mark 50 years since the Battle of Long Tan. For Australians, it was the Vietnam Wars most costly battle and most famous victory. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrave are expected to attend.

ABC News will cross Live to Southeast Asia correspondent Liam Cochrane, filing from Long Tan across the day and night.
Late last week Showtime renewed Ray Donovan for a fifth season comprising 12 more episodes.

The Liev Schreiber-led drama is currently in the midst of its fourth season and has increased US ratings, whilst recently attracting five Emmy nominations, including a best actor for Schreiber, and best supporting actor mention for Jon Voight.

Season four, currently airing in Australia on Showcase, concludes in September with production on the fifth season is set to begin next year.

Source: Hollywood Reporter
On Tuesday, the day of the primary election, at several Mount Pleasant polling places residents were not only greeted with signs stating Vote Here. Close to those signs, there were others saying Vote Paul Nehlen  a show of support for the opponent of incumbent Paul Ryan in the 1st Congressional District Republican primary.

In some cases, those signs were posted. In other locations, people conspicuously held the signs while parading around sidewalks.

Its important for candidates to get their messages across to voters before they get to the polls. But whatever way that is done, it should be done respectfully and, even more importantly, legally. Leading up to the Aug. 9 primary, there were a number of things done that werent done by the books.

Signs were posted in Mount Pleasant property without the permission of the village, for example. There also were reports of pro-Nehlen signs posted around Racine County without permission of property owners.

As for supporters walking in front of the polls with signs, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, supporters can walk and hold the signs outside the polls as long as they are not within 100 feet of the doors into the polling location. In that case, it appears the walking billboards were legal. But that is pushing the limit and the campaign should have been more respectful of voters.

In addition, Nehlens campaign reportedly paid these supporters. A 19-year-old Texas man, who said he was flown in by the Nehlen campaign, walked around with a sign at Mount Pleasant Village Hall Tuesday morning. He said he was paid in food and travel expenses, among other things, to walk around with the sign at the polling place Tuesday, according to reports from the day of the primary.

Mount Pleasant wasnt the only place where concerns were reported.

The state Elections Commission also received Nehlen-related electioneering complaints in Janesville. In Burlington, City Clerk Diahnn C. Halbach reported that several Nehlen campaign signs were posted Tuesday morning near a polling place at United Methodist Church, 857 W. State St., Burlington.

It is not surprising that the primary ended up getting ugly. Nationally, many tried to make the Wisconsin 1st District primary election a referendum on Republicans who have criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

In the week leading up to the primary, for instance, Trump gave a shoutout to Nehlen and said he wasnt quite ready to support Ryan in the primary  using a phrase Ryan had earlier used, with regard to Trump, against him. By the time Tuesday came, Trump had endorsed Ryan, just as Ryan had come around and given support to Trump. But the 1st District primary still got unnecessarily ugly.

In the end, the GOP primary ended as expected. Ryan advanced to the Nov. 8 general election and Nehlens campaign was left to collect its signs.

Some observers have tried to make the primary results out to be something bigger, interpreting Ryans overwhelming victory as an indication voters support Ryan over Trump-style politics because Nehlen supported Trump without reservation.

More than likely, it shows that locally Ryan is trusted and respected. In the end, his clean campaign  which did not involve pestering at the polls or illegal sign posting  won.
College is a very exciting time. There are so many people to meet and so many adventures to embark on. It would definitely seem overwhelming to new students.

One way to keep one's self from blunders is to be aware of them. U.S. News gathered tips from their Twitter followers and from experts on what common mistakes every freshman should avoid.

1. Being uninvolved.

New college students should make time to explore their interests and make connections. Freshman year is the best time to start building your resume.

2. Overloading your schedule.

While it is not good to stay cooped up in your dorm, make sure that you don't overburden yourself with courses and extracurricular activities.

3. Skipping class.

Remember that you're in school to actually learn something. Twitter user S. Turgeson, Ed.D., advised that your attendance has a high correlation with your grades.

4. Putting off tasks.

Procrastination is a bad habit developed by students and will eventually have a negative impact on your professional life. Students need to learn how to manage their time as early as their freshman year.

5. Forgetting the importance of sleep.

It's so easy to get lost in the pressure of projects and exams that freshmen students usually forget to take time off for their health and well-being. Remember that our minds work better when our bodies are well-rested.

6. Binge-watching on Netflix.

Yes, you need to take time to unwind but spending more hours on Netflix than on your studies is never a good idea. Use that time, instead, to exercising.

7. Unhealthy eating habits.

There are studies that prove that eating healthy and working out can help students do better in school. Developing a healthy lifestyle as early as freshman year can help students decrease stress and focus better.

8. Not asking for help.

Don't be afraid to talk to others about your struggles. If you're having a difficult time with your classes, talk to your professor. If you feel as if you're too stressed out, meet with one of the school counselors. Find people who can help you.

9. Too much partying.

Going to parties in college is fairly common as well as excessive drinking. However, just because it's common does not mean that it's beneficial to your success in the future. Drink responsib.

10. Impractical spending.

Majority of students leave college with student debt. Managing your money well and avoiding credit card debt can ease your financial burden in the long run.
More than 120,000 fewer Wisconsin residents are using food stamps than two years ago, and up to $197 million less will be spent on food stamps this year than what was spent in 2014.

Gov. Scott Walkers administration attributes much of the drop to an improving economy recovering from the Great Recession of 2008. But food pantries arent seeing a similar decline in the number of people seeking meals and groceries, their administrators say.

In fact, they say demand is up in some areas as lawmakers have scaled back the value of food stamps and as recipients are kicked out of the states FoodShare food stamp program for not actively seeking work  a new state requirement for able-bodied food stamp recipients.

Poor people havent gained employment, they have simply been disappeared from our view by these statistics, said Sherrie Tussler, executive director of the Hunger Task Force, a supplier of food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters with emergency food.

According to data from the Department of Health Services, the number of Wisconsin residents using food stamps has dropped from 842,335 to 719,070 from May 2014 to May 2016.

David Lee, executive director of Feeding Wisconsin  an organization that advocates on behalf of food shelters and oversees a network of pantries in the state, said that decrease is in line with a national downward trend, and is reflective of an economic upswing. But he also noted that in Wisconsin, about 43 percent of that decrease is a result of a new state law that requires able-bodied FoodShare recipients without children at home to seek employment.

If within three months those recipients do not seek employment, they lose benefits.

If you do the math in raw numbers, that suggests about 53,000 have lost their FoodShare benefits (and) the remaining 67,000 reflects more of a natural retraction, said Lee.

Dan Stein, president of Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, said staff at food pantries in southern Wisconsin have reported a flattening or an increase in number of meals distributed. Last year, the food bank distributed the equivalent of 1.3 million more meals than it did the year before for a total of 13.7 million meals  the most the organization has ever distributed, he said.

It appears the group that were serving is the last one to see a lot of recovery, Stein said. Even though (theyre) working, they are still in need because they are not making enough to make ends meet for themselves.

Since the start of the recession, the number of Wisconsin residents seeking help in paying for food through FoodShare hit its peak in August of 2013, when enrollment was 861,200 individuals, according to DHS, which administers the FoodShare program.

Since 2013, the number of residents in Wisconsin and other Midwestern states using food stamps has fallen. Between 2015 and 2016, Wisconsin saw a 4 percent decrease in FoodShare participation. Ohio saw a similar percentage decrease, while Minnesota saw a decrease of about 8 percent, Indiana saw a decrease of about 7 percent and Michigan saw a decrease of about 6 percent. Food stamp use in Illinois increased by about 1 percent, however, in that time period, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Julie Lund, spokeswoman for DHS, said its difficult for state officials to pinpoint specific reasons for the change in recipient numbers because of the variety of factors contributing to whether a resident is eligible to receive benefits. But in general, she said, when more people are working, fewer people are dependent on programs like FoodShare, and more people are working in Wisconsin.

Looking at just the number of FoodShare recipients does not provide a complete picture of residents needs when it comes to food, however, Lee said.

As a network (of food banks), our service rates are going up  we are continuing to serve more people more frequently, said Lee.

Stein said even though the number of recipients is decreasing, there are still a significant number of people in Wisconsin who are potentially eligible for food stamps but do not sign up. Lee estimated there are likely between 50,000 and 70,000 people who could receive benefits but do not enroll in the FoodShare program because of lack of awareness or to avoid the stigma that comes with using food stamps.

While the number of FoodShare recipients has decreased, it doesnt mean the state is saving money because the benefits are paid for with federal dollars. Elizabeth Goodsitt, a spokeswoman for DHS, said the state issued $1.1 billion in benefits in 2014 and is on track to spend between $185 million and $197 million less in 2016.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said through a spokeswoman that while he is optimistic that the reason for the decline in recipients is due to the improving economy as indicated by DHS, he would also like to see a more detailed analysis of the factors that may have contributed to this change.

A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca and a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos did not respond to requests for comment.

Tussler has criticized the states new work requirement for some FoodShare recipients, which resulted in 41,000 recipients losing benefits in its first year.

The 2013-15 state budget created a rule: If youre an able-bodied adult without children living at home, you must work at least 80 hours a month or look for work to stay in the program.

That rule went into effect in April 2015, and since July 2015, more than half of the eligible FoodShare recipients were dropped from the program for not seeking employment, according to the most recent DHS data.

Participants can get three months of FoodShare benefits before being removed from the program if they dont look for work.

But it also created a job training and placement program that has led to 12,000 recipients finding jobs in that time period, which Tussler has said is an abysmal rate compared to the number of people who lose benefits.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a correction. The original version understated the number of meals Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin distributed last year. The food bank distributed the equivalent of 1.3 million more meals than it did the year before for a total of 13.7 million meals.]
College education is very expensive, this has always been the statement heard from enrollees, graduates and parents as well.

As tuition fees continue to increase, the burden of studying in colleges becomes heavier and heavier. As these offers for free colleges amplify the hope in the minds of students who are not capable of supporting their college education arises.

But is free education really free? As the cost of running a university becomes more expensive, how can free college tuition fees be so true?

Nico Cloete from the Centre for Higher Education Transformation in South Africa stated that there is really no truth in free college education. Students may see it as a form of generosity on the part of the government but the society is actually the one shouldering it.

The center also added that the question should not be about the reality of the free college tuition fees but where the fund is coming from and how it is being handled, The Eye Witness News reported.

Colleges in the Anglophone nations are the proof that college education is indeed very expensive. A recent study conducted showed that students will graduate from their respective universities with a huge amount of student debts.

England college graduates will graduate leaving the highest student debt of 44,500.

Although there are part-time works available in the universities, they are not enough to cover all the college education expenses. Another factor is that not all students can be accommodated for part-time employment while studying as there are limited slots available.

The expensive college education is felt even after graduation as the struggle in paying for debts arises. The availability of entering into a job is one thing and the opportunity to find a high paying job is another thing.

In reality, not all student immediately finds their way out of the expensive college education. Some may take months and even years to be totally debt free, The Tony Bates reported.

Watch this video find out more.


Have you ever been amazed at how fast Google apps are penetrating the universities and even is making its way to the k through 12 schools?

Behind all these speedy penetrations of technology to the education system, are people tirelessly laboring to make it happen. One of them is Jaime Casap, Google Education Evangelist calling out for cultural change in schools and universities to consider technology as helpmate in equipping the young minds.

He is also a member of the Google Education Team working with other Google teams to help improve the education system, The Business Innovation Factory reported.

Casap's principles in doing his job as an education evangelist are not only driven by the call of his profession. His passion for making education accessible and upgraded for every learner is highly influenced by his childhood battles and struggles.

Casap was born in Hell's Kitchen, New York during the time that the city was not yet fully developed and opportunities for earning were not enough for all. His mother is from Argentina who went to America in the 1960s to escape poverty. His mother is from Syria whom he did not grow up with as he was considered as an unplanned pregnancy.

Being raised by a single mother, Casap had to live on food stamps and welfare which is a common thing in their place as it was not an urban place that time. Growing up in a place where poverty is a part of everyday life, he wanted to find a way out. He concentrated well on his education hoping that this will be an avenue for him to be free from scarcity and eventually change his future.

His hope did not fail him for after years of labor, his life finally changed.Now the Google Education Evangelist wants to use the tools he acquired to make education easier and interesting to the next generation.

By working on strengthening the STEM education by making more and more students work on Chromebooks in their classrooms, Casap believes that these children will be ready to not just answer but give solutions to more futuristic questions such as "What problem do you want to solve?", The NBC News reported.

Watch this video for more of the story.
WASHINGTON  I knew the calls were a scam.

Like so many, I've been getting calls from people pretending to be from the IRS. A few times a week, I get an automated message telling me that I need to call back a number in reference to money I owe.

I called the number once. A man identified himself as an Internal Revenue Service employee. Then he asked a question that was, I guess, meant to frighten me.

"Do you have a criminal defense attorney?"

"No, why?" I asked.

"This is an important matter with the IRS and you need an attorney," he said.

I told the man I knew this was a scam. He immediately hung up on me.

Before I share my next would-be swindle story, I need to tell you that I sometimes call the number back because I want to see what the scammers are saying to get people to send money. Don't do what I did. Don't engage these criminals. If you get one of these calls, hang up immediately.

But this week, I got a call that had me stunned with the brazen and bizarre way the guy tried to con me.

The caller identified himself as Frank Cooper. I checked caller ID and the number came up "Jamaica 1-876-387-5721." The man first claimed he was calling on behalf of Publishers Clearing House. I had won $2.5 million, he said. Oh, and I would also be getting an S Class Mercedes-Benz  "Champagne white."

In an effort to persuade me the prize was real, he even gave me a check number  5122285365. He told me to repeat the number, which I did as I played along.

By the way, I could hear other scammers in the background spinning a similar tale. Anyway, I was told a "licensed merchant banker" was near my neighborhood ready to hand me my check, which was in a locked briefcase. The caller gave me what he said was the combination code  4981776. Again, he asked me to repeat the number.

And then came the ruse.

"But you can't get the money unless you register with the IRS and pay a fee of $8,000," he said.

"Wait, if this is a prize, why do I have to pay a fee?"

"Ma'am, do you want your money or not?" he said, raising his voice with an indignant tone as if I were the fool. "How do you not know that you must register with the IRS?"

Then he switched his language to appear as if he was actually representing the IRS. I was instructed to withdraw the cash from my bank account, split it into two bundles of $4,000 and put the money in envelopes that I should then wrap in newspaper. Then I should make my way to the nearest FedEx office parking lot and call when I got there to get the address to mail the money overnight express.

"That hardly seems safe," I said. "What proof do I have that you have received the cash?"

"Get insurance on the mailing," the guy said.

I clearly was asking too many questions so this Cooper guy put his "general manager Ray Kingston" on the line.

"Are you ready to send the money," he asked.

Tired of this foolishness and fraud, I said, "Now, you know this is a scam."

The next thing I heard was a dial tone.

The sad thing is lots of people are falling for schemes like these. In many cases, the scammers threaten people with arrest to try to scare them into paying. Some of the latest scams even ask people to put money on iTunes cards. The IRS would never ask you to pay your taxes using a gift card or prepaid debit cards.

The IRS, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and the Federal Trade Commission are feverishly trying to get the word out to keep people from falling for these tricks.

The amount of losses in IRS impersonation cases from October 2013 through Aug. 1 amount to $44.5 million involving close to 8,000 victims, according to TIGTA. California ranks first in the number of IRS impersonation scams with 1,404 reported victims who have lost about $8.8 million. Every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have reported people being victimized. And that's just the reported cases.

"The losses keep mounting despite our best efforts," a spokeswoman for TIGTA said.

If you get such a call or if you've fallen victim, go to www.treasury.gov/tigta. Click the link for "IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting." Or go to ftc.gov/imposters. Become more informed by watching some videos at http://ow.ly/LGyS3039GnS.

I'm sure you work hard for our money. Don't be fooled by fraudsters.

Readers can write to Michelle Singletary c/o The Washington Post, 1301 K St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071. Her email address is michelle.singletary@washpost.com. Follow her on Twitter (@SingletaryM) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/MichelleSingletary). Comments and questions are welcome, but due to the volume of mail, personal responses may not be possible. Please also note comments or questions may be used in a future column, with the writer's name, unless a specific request to do otherwise is indicated.
COLLEEN CASON/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Counselors at Wildwood Day Camp in Thousand Oaks get campers going with a rousing morning camp song.

We've all heard a lot of nonsense syllables uttered out on the campaign trail this summer, but when it comes to sheer verbal silliness, I doubt anything tops what echoed through the arroyo behind my Conejo Valley home over these past weeks.

I heard plenty of "Itchy itchy scratchy scratchy/Think I got one on my back-y." And a whole lot of "chugga, chugga, chugga." Not to mention "boom chicka boom."

Oh, yeah. Uh-huh. This patter can mean only one thing. It's summer camp song season, and the young people of Thousand Oaks are representing loud and proud.

Pretty much everyone raised from the Eisenhower Era to present day has attended summer camp at some point in their youth. Except, of course, The Husby. He has a supernaturally patient mama who would not come unhinged as the fridge door opened and the screen door slammed for the 27,000th time.

Myself, I'm an alumna of Girl Scout Camp Nati Nic Nic  Cincinnati turned inside out.

Now, in 2016, the Pokemon Go generation is trying to catch the lyrics pulled from a rhyming dictionary twisted inside out.

On Friday morning, five dozen or so Wildwood Day Campers gathered in the shade of the old pepper tree on an expanse of green lawn adjacent to Wildwood School. One dressed as a banana; another was cloaked in a purple velvet Harry Potter conjuring cape. The girls and boys ranged in age from 6 to 12.

The first difference I detected from the camp of my girlhood was not the songbook but the smell. The scent of sunscreen floated in the air. In my day, we slathered on baby oil to enhance the sun's cancer-magnetizing superpower. Good to know we humans can evolve.

The songs are designed to shake campers out of their morning torpor, Avery Akers told me. They also serve to help the shy kids find their inner extrovert, said Akers, a 28-year-old recreation coordinator with the Conejo Recreation and Park District.

"If we counselors are acting the fool, it lets the kids know they can be a little silly," said Akers, who admits to a mean rendition of "Calamine Lotion" or the "itchy, itchy, scratchy, scratchy" number.

Counselors started the day asking the youngsters what they ate for breakfast. Some responded with an economy of words. Others blogged theirs. And it did remind me there must be a special place in heaven for those who care for the children of others. Thank you, counselors.

The whole scene changed, though, when a counselor announced what he had consumed.

"Bazooka bubble gum," he bellowed.

Let the tonsil splitting begin. The cry "Bazooka-zooka bubble gum/Bazooka-zooka bubble gum" blew through every hollow of Wildwood Park.

Soon another sweet shop stalwart had its turn: "Reese Peanut Butter Cup/We sing this song to pump us up/Wham bam choo choo train."

So even singing about candy jacks kids up.

And then came bears, and toads and frogs. Oh, my, how the campers were waving their arms with abandon.

I felt a twinge of sadness over the short shelf life of silliness in the human life span. In a few years, these kids would want to be all cool and stuff. I did, however, take some solace in Akers' confession.

"We counselors are a different breed. We are kids at heart. The experience we got through our summers stuck with us," Akers said.

A counselor who goes by the camp moniker of Orca says the songs stay with the kids long past the morning rally.

Later in the day, she told me, they will be out hiking and suddenly one will start a verse and the others will join in.

Parents always fear their kids will come down with one gross affliction or another at camp. In this instance, these campers caught a bad case of earworms.

The only cure: One more verse of "Calamine Lotion."

In another way, camp tunes are like rhetoric on the campaign trail. The less sense they make, the louder you sing them.

The difference is these songs are good-natured fun meant to be shared out on the camping trail.

Email Colleen Cason at casonpoint101@gmail.com.
JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Catherine Crowley, a teacher at Arroyo School in Simi Valley, sets up her classroom. Arroyo is transforming in FLAGS, an academy focused on languages and global studies. Crowley will teach Greek, Italian, French and Spanish to children in kindergarten through sixth grades.

SHARE JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Catherine Crowley, a teacher at Arroyo School in Simi Valley, sets up her classroom. Arroyo is transforming in FLAGS, an academy focused on languages and global studies. Crowley will teach Greek, Italian, French and Spanish to children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Crowley, a teacher at Arroyo School in Simi Valley, prepares. Several school districts are introducing innovations this year designed to level the playing field and attract more students. PHOTOS BY JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Catherine Crowley, a teacher at Arroyo School in Simi Valley, sets up her classroom. Arroyo is transforming in FLAGS, an academy focused on languages and global studies. Crowley will teach Greek, Italian, French and Spanish to children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Crowley goes over her materials inside her classroom in Simi Valley.

By Jean Moore of the Ventura County Star

Kids at a Simi Valley elementary school will learn Greek, Italian, French and Spanish.

Ninth-graders in Ventura will take a class getting them ready for their future, whether it includes college or not.

And Hueneme teachers will learn technology by playing games on their computers.

Those are just some of the innovations educators are introducing this year as students return to school over the next couple of weeks. In some cases, districts are trying to level the playing field for minority students and those from low-income households. In others, they hope to attract more students, particularly in districts where enrollment has fallen.

Most will use additional funding they're receiving from the state to fund their initiatives.

"As students and their needs evolve  and the demands of the community and the workforce change  schools need to respond to that," said Jason Peplinski, superintendent of the Simi Valley Unified School District.

Simi Valley's Arroyo School, which has about 240 students, most of them from low-income families, is transforming itself into FLAGS, an academy focused on languages and global studies.

FLAGS plans to build enrollment by attracting parents who want their children to learn another language young, Principal Aldo Calcagno said. The program also tells students who speak something other than English that their first language is valued, he said.

"The world is a small place," Calcagno said. "We need to get past language barriers, cultural barriers."

TAKING ON THE WORLD

Starting in kindergarten, students will get a taste of Greek, Italian, French and Spanish, studying each in turn for a couple of months throughout the year. Why did FLAGS choose those languages? They're what the teacher who is leading the language program speaks, Calcagno said.

Younger kids will explore the languages for about an hour a week. By the time they get to the upper grades, it will be 2 hours a week.

In each language, they'll learn words for food, family and familiar objects, building each year upon what they've already learned. They'll also do activities that make a new language more concrete and immediate, putting together menus or fashioning traditional costumes.

Beyond that, each grade will focus on a particular continent  which works out nicely as there are seven continents and seven grades. Among the topics they'll study: countries, cultures, history, environment, dance and current events.

First-graders will explore Africa, third-graders Australia. Sixth-graders will get Europe, which fits in with the history they're studying that year.

"This builds cultural literacy," Calcagno said. "We're recognizing and validating those cultures. ... We want kids to feel (their) culture is valued and respected."

ABOUT THE FUTURE

On the other end of the county, Ventura officials are introducing a class for freshmen called college and career seminar. The yearlong course replaces geography, which is being incorporated into social studies, and health, which will be incorporated into the new class.

In the seminar, freshmen will explore what careers might be a good fit for them, how they can prepare for those careers, and what they should expect for a salary, considering the lifestyle they want. They'll also learn about paying for college, if that's the path they take.

The class reflects the nationwide push to prepare students for their future, whether they're going to college or not, Superintendent Michael Babb said.

"The focus now is more on career," Babb said. "They'll be looking at what their interests and strengths are, what they like to do, and how that fits with what society needs."

A TECHNOLOGY GAME

The innovations aren't just for students. Teachers in the Hueneme School District will learn how to use technology in their classroom by playing self-paced games that give them points and prizes for each mission they accomplish. There's a further incentive: Teachers who hit certain marks will be first in line to get new technology for their classroom.

The program builds on technology workshops that the district already offers for teachers, but provides flexibility, said Dave Ragsdale, chief technology officer.

"There's a real range of abilities," Ragsdale said. "Some teachers are real comfortable with technology; some are just starting to get their feet wet."

But all teachers must get comfortable using technology because it's incorporated into the new Common Core standards, he said. Students are doing their own research, for example, so they must know how to navigate the internet.

"Technology used to be considered a way to enhance learning," Ragsdale said.

"Now using technology is required."

The push is critical in a district like Hueneme, where 80 percent of students come from low-income families, he said.

"They may not have access to this technology at home," Ragsdale said. "I think it's extra important that we do a good job with this."

VENTURA COUNTY KIDS GO BACK TO SCHOOL

Students will be returning to school across Ventura County over the next couple of weeks. The Oak Park Unified School District was the first to start on Tuesday. The last districts to start will be the Hueneme School District, Oxnard Union High School District and Pleasant Valley School District on Aug. 30. To see when other local districts start and their holiday schedules: http://bit.ly/2bpZIOt
JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Ventura County Star reporter Tom Kisken clowns it up at the Ventura County Fair's rodeo on Saturday. He shadows Matt Merritt, veteran rodeo entertainer.

SHARE JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Rodeo entertainer Matt Merritt helps Ventura County Star reporter Tom Kisken with his clown paint. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Matt Merritt (left) talks with Ventura County Star reporter Tom Kisken on Saturday at the end of the first of four weekend rodeos at the Ventura County Fair. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Ventura County Star reporter Tom Kisken helps Matt Merritt get his props into the rodeo arena at the Ventura County Fair. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Bullfighter Logan Blasdell (from left), Ventura County Star reporter Tom Kisken and entertainer Matt Merritt get ready for the rodeo.

By Tom Kisken of the Ventura County Star

Wearing red face paint, shorts that swallowed my legs and a cowboy hat that wouldn't stay put, I stood in a rodeo ring in front of hundreds of people.

And I danced.

The guy standing next to me wore what I did: blue and gold shorts, a jersey that said "Ridin' Dirty" and face paint, his marked with a cross and the initials of his daughters and his wife.

I asked Matt Merritt to show me what it takes to be a clown Saturday at the first of the four weekend rodeos at the Ventura County Fair.

I told him I wanted to experience life in the ring. I told him I didn't want to get hurt.

He nodded.

"That's my thing  not to get hurt," he drawled.

Before the Flying U Rodeo Co. rolled into action, we sat in a trailer next to a bullfighter wrapping layers of tape around his legs. He was getting ready to pull on the flak jacket needed to protect him from the angry bulls he has to coax back into a pen.

Merritt neither wrestles runaway bulls back to safety nor dives into a barrel for safety. His gig is making people laugh, and he's been doing it since he was a teenager.

It's why he's careful with his words. He's not a rodeo clown. He's an entertainer, working 150 shows a year, traveling from Oklahoma to Nebraska to California to Dallas to Louisiana, then back to California.

"This is what we call cowboy Christmas," he said of the summer months. "There are so many events."

Clown paint on, Merritt knelt in prayer under a ramp used to launch motorcycles over the bull. A parachute jumper circled high in the sky before landing in the dirt arena.

It was show time.

The ring filled with cowboys wrestling steers and then women in long, flowing dresses riding sidesaddle. Men were catapulted off saddled broncos.

Merritt stood in the ring, jumping on a railing to avoid a runaway horse while I watched from safety.

He waggled a finger. We were on.

The former high school shortstop shimmied through a dance called the posthole digger, then told me to do the same. I gyrated like snakes were slithering up my calves, finally doffing my hat just to make it end.

Merritt did the bicycle. He milked the cow. After each dance, he handed the baton to me. I thrashed like a 54-year-old reporter with no rhythm.

He teased me and kept asking if I was nervous. He said I moved like Woody in "Toy Story," like seaweed at the bottom of the ocean.

The crowd laughed.

It was time for the punch line. Merritt reached down and dropped his shorts to reveal long green bloomers. He did the coffee dance, first grinding, then percolating.

I was supposed to brew, too. But I couldn't get the shorts off, though I kicked my legs as if I was fighting a Charley horse.

Finally, I stood in front of the crowd in lacy white bloomers that reached nearly to my knees. I tried to dance like Merritt, instead moving like a shorted-out coffee maker.

We ran off. The crowd cheered.

The rodeo galloped on, through roping, more bronc riding and a demonstration on training wild mustangs by a 58-year-old Texan named Bobby Kerr.

Between acts, Merritt and announcer Steve Goedert swapped punch lines. He led cheers, some aimed at a guy launching himself from the bungee jump across the fairgrounds. He danced to AC/DC's "TNT."

He filled in the gaps.

Merritt grew up in Louisiana and now lives in North Carolina with his wife and two kids. He calls before and after every show  sometimes during, too.

He's been to New Zealand, Guymon in Oklahoma's Panhandle and pretty much everywhere in between. And while he likes the travel, he likes coming home more.

For him, the rodeo and bull-riding shows are about adrenaline and connecting with people. When they cheer, he soaks it in.

"I think all human beings look for proof that they're succeeding in something," Merritt said. He said he wanted me to feel that appreciation.

"I want you to marinate in it," he said.

I ran back into the ring. I held an inner tube for one of Merritt's bits. People picked from the crowd dove through the tube while wearing vision-distorting goggles that are used to teach kids how alcohol affects their bodies.

Then the bulls came back. This time, I stayed in while the cowboys rode and wrestled them. Merritt told me to stand near the wall, where I could leap up the railing.

When a bull broke free on my side of the ring, the crowd yelled the same thing. I scrambled up and the bull moved on.

When Merritt and I ran off for the last time, people cheered. Later in the fairgrounds, they shook my hand and clapped me on the back.

I marinated.

The PRCA rodeo continues Sunday in the fair grandstand at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
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Calabasas

Show spotlights mountains, coast

Photographer Jazan Kozma will have images of mountains and the coast on display through Sept. 11 at the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center, 26876 Mulholland Highway.

The exhibit, titled "Keep It Wild," shows Kozma's work in and around the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

The visitor center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Call 370-2301 for more information.

Ojai

Performances to provide preview

The Ojai Library will host a set of short performances courtesy of the Ojai Art Center at 1 p.m. Saturday and Aug. 27 at 111 E. Ojai Ave.

The performances will serve as a preview of the center's next production "One Act Laugh Track."

Attendance will be free. Call 218-9146 for more information.

Oxnard

Church organizes cleanup effort

Oxnard City Manager Greg Nyhoff will join members of the local World Mission Society Church of God in Oxnard in their Worldwide Cleanup Campaign on Sunday morning, according to the church.

About 40 people from the church and the city are expected to attend the cleanup from 9:30-11:30 a.m. near the intersection of Pleasant Valley and Butler roads.

The church said an empty lot and fence that separate Pacific Coast Highway from Butler Road are cluttered with trash that has accumulated over several months, becoming trapped in the fence and under nearby trees. Participants in the cleanup plan to neaten up the area within a few hours.

The World Mission Society Church of God has conducted similar cleanups in Los Angeles, Kern, and Orange counties, but this is the first one in Ventura County, organizers said.

The church said it hopes to partner with the city in more volunteer efforts in the near future.

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.

Go online to http://heritagesquareoxnard.com for more information.

Santa Paula

Acclaimed play set for theater center

The Santa Paula Theater Center will present Irish playwright Conor McPherson's "The Night Alive" from Aug. 26 to Oct. 2 at 125 South Seventh St.

Performances will begin at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays.

Adult admission is $20 and $18 for seniors and students.

Visit http://www.santapaulatheatercenter.org or call 525-4645 to make reservations.

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.

Ventura

Free mammograms to be available

Community Memorial Health System's Healthy Women's Program will host a Community Outreach Day on Aug. 27 with free mammograms and health care education to the first 35 women who qualify.

Women will arrive early at 120 N. Ashwood Ave., where they will be transported to the Breast Center at Community Memorial Hospital and then back.

Visit http://www.cmhshealth.org/healthywomen for more information. Call 651-2661 to find out if you qualify.

Therapist to talk on dating etiquette

Vondie Lozano, licensed marriage and family therapist, will discuss "First Date Dos and Don'ts With Live Demonstrations" from 1-3 p.m. Saturday in the Topping Room at the E.P. Foster Library, 651 E. Main St.

Attendance will be free.

Visit http://www.drvondie.com/first-date-dos-and-donts or call 648-2716 for more information.

PFLAG welcomes families to meeting

Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays will meet at 7 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura, 5654 Ralston St.

PFLAG provides education and support when a family member comes out as gay or transgender.

Email pflag.ventura.ca@gmail.com or call Gary at 650-3327 for more information.

Staff reports
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By Staff Reports

The Ventura County Emergency Medical Services Agency has received an award from the American Heart Association for their treatment of heart attack patients, according to the agency.

The division of Ventura County Public Health received the 2016 Mission Lifeline EMS Gold Level Recognition Award at a breakfast reception Thursday in Oxnard. The agency was one of 11 pre-hospital emergency health care agencies to be recognized, officials said.

The Mission Lifeline program developed by the American Heart Association consists of guidelines and best practices to treat heart attack patients and was created to improve the outcome of such patients.
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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 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 2000-07, 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 its homeowners "underwater"  owing more on the mortgages than their homes were worth.

Today, only 24 percent still 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 Trump's 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 isn't: 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 re-election races: Arizona's John McCain, New Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte, Pennsylvania's Pat Toomey, Ohio's Rob Portman, Missouri's Roy Blunt, Wisconsin's Ron Johnson and Illinois' 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 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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It's time for an intervention. Make that a pair of interventions. Friends don't let friends vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.

As someone who supports neither of the above, I spend every day on the defensive.

I'm told I'm being foolish and irresponsible, and that by not voting for the better candidate, I'm helping elect someone who will be a disaster in domestic and foreign policy, lacks the integrity and temperament to lead and can't be trusted to keep the country on track and Americans safe from harm.

And that's just what I hear from Trump supporters. Come to think of it, Clinton supporters tell me the same thing.

The pro-Trump and pro-Clinton forces make it seem as if there is something wrong with that wide swath of America that doesn't want to vote for either. It was really striking that at both of the national conventions, you heard partisans  the kind of people who put party before country  talk about how voters had to "get over it" and accept the reality that they're faced with a "binary" choice between a Democrat and a Republican.

Although let's be honest, in this election, there have been days when you can't tell which is which. Trump has said things right out of the liberal playbook, such as protectionist policies and opposition to free trade. Likewise, Hillary Clinton has appeared at various times more conservative than liberal firebrands Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

After Donald Trump appeared to allude to the assassination of a President Hillary Clinton, with an off-the-cuff remark about the Second Amendment, former CIA Director Michael Hayden made reference to the seriousness of the matter.

"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 told CNN.

Clinton supporters cheered those remarks, outraged that those in serious contention for the Oval Office are often held to different standards than the rest of us.

This argument sounds familiar. Where were these folks a few weeks ago, when Clinton beat the rap on the handling of sensitive and classified information on a private email server? Republicans complained at the time that Clinton got preferential treatment because of her White House bid.

Something is broken here. A reader who says he is a lifelong Republican and prepared to vote for Clinton to stop Trump asks what many of us are wondering: "How did we get to the point of having to make this choice?"

Some people claim the "Never Trump, Never Hillary" people are making a mistake, and that we're going to sway the election to the wrong candidate.

That assumes there is a right candidate. Besides, Trump and Clinton both seem capable of losing this race without help from anyone.

What if the partisans are the ones making the big mistake? What if they are being fooled by their candidate?

Trump's brand, as created by Team Clinton, is all about being unstable, unhinged and unreliable. Clinton's brand, as generated by Team Trump, is that the former secretary of state is untruthful, untrustworthy and undependable.

During the primary campaign, when hammered by Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio for flip-flopping on difficult issues such as trade and abortion, Trump argued that in politics, as in business, flexibility is a good thing and a refusal to compromise can be a liability.

And this is the person who many conservatives claim to support because, among other things, he promises to appoint a strict constructionist to the Supreme Court? His promises are worthless.

As for Clinton, it's a good thing lying isn't an Olympic sport. She's been caught in lies frequently and rarely admits failure, mistakes, errors or gaffes. This is one big reason why many everyday Americans can't relate to her.

And this is the person who immigration reform advocates support because she promises to stop President Obama's policy of endless deportations and legalize the undocumented? I wager this isn't the truth, either. She'll take care of the unions, who support a hard line on immigration.

In the battle of the brands, it'll come down to "unstable" vs. "untruthful." But no matter which one ends up in the White House, betrayal is unavoidable.

Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group.
Las Vegas favorite authentic Southern Brazilian Steakhouse, Fogo de Chao, is pleased to announce they are donating $8,400 to Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada (JA).

The funds were raised through a joint effort between Fogo and JA, where Fogo allowed JA to invite their supporters in for a $50, prix-fixe dining experience on April 25 and all proceeds from those meals went directly to the local charity.

We simply could not serve the youth of our community like we do without generous partners like Fogo de Chao, said Alan Diskin, President of Junior Achievement. We look forward to investing the money right back in the schools of Clark County.

Each April, Fogo restaurants from across the country host benefit dinners in honor of Financial Literacy Month. 2013 celebrated the 2nd annual giving event at the Las Vegas Fogo de Chao location. For more information on Fogo de Chao visit www.fogodechao.com. For more information on Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada visit www.jalasvegas.com.
Taliban militants fighting Afghan security forces in southern Helmand province are being strengthened by an elite new commando force called 'Sara Khitta' - the Red Brigade in the Pashto language.



Afghan officials say Taliban advances have been boosted by the several hundred fighters of the unit, including a large number of foreign nationals fighting with them.



Helmand has now become a target of international terrorists agenda, Helmand governor Hayatullah Hayat told VOA. Foreigners who are fighting for the Taliban include Pakistanis, Chechens, Azerbaijanis, and Turkmens. We have strong evidence to prove our claim.

The existence of the unit was first reported by VOA and wire agencies early last week.



Helmand, which borders Pakistan, has been one of the most restive provinces during the past few years.





The largest Afghan province has been the scene of fierce battles between the Taliban militants and Afghan troops in recent weeks.

Residents say the Taliban has made rapid advances and lately the fighting has been taking place in districts around the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, effectively besieging the city.

The fight is increasingly drawing well-equipped and trained foreign mercenaries, Afghan officials say.



Foreigners have been present in this strategic province for many years; they receive support from neighboring countries, Mohammad Karim Atal, head of the Helmand provincial council, told VOA. Pakistani Punjabi fighters, along with other foreigners, are fighting in the current battles in Helmand.



The provincial council head added that some battles are led by the outside commanders. In some places, foreigners lead the fight, Atal said. They have all the resources, they plan and lead the fight. They possess modern weapons and sophisticated maps. They use advanced technology and techniques.



According to the provincial council head, foreign fighters cross into Helmand from neighboring Pakistan through remote districts controlled by the Taliban. Most of the militants come through southern districts of HelmandThey transport their wounded fighters to Pakistan through the same route.



Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nafees Zakrya, who spoke to VOAs Deewa service, accused the Afghan media of spreading baseless reports and being unreliable. He did not comment on the recent Afghan claims.



But experts in both Afghanistan and Pakistan say foreign fighters have participated in militant groups in various parts of Afghanistan.



Foreign fighters are undoubtedly present in the Taliban ranks, said Kabul-based Taliban analyst, Wahid Muzhda. Militants from Pakistan, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and some Tajik nationals have been with the Taliban in Afghanistan.



According to Muzhda, Pakistan-based militants provide substantial manpower to their Afghan counterparts.



He said many militants from Central Asian nations pledged allegiance to and joined the Islamic State groups Khorasan chapter after the Taliban announced that it did not have an international agenda. But, he added, that a significant number of foreign militants still fight alongside the Taliban.



Khadim Hussain is a Peshawar-based security analyst and author of the book "The Militant Discourse"  Religious Militancy in Pakistan. He told VOA that several militant groups previously affiliated with al-Qaida in Pakistan have joined forces to carry out militant activities inside Afghanistan.

He said the highly organized umbrella network was brought together last year after the death of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar was confirmed, and includes internationally designated terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Haqqani network.



In addition to the current battle in Helmand, Hussain said, the network reportedly played a major role in the fall of northeastern Kunduz province to the Taliban last year and participated in several attacks in eastern Nangarhar and in the capital, Kabul.



Hussain said a number of Pakistan-based militant groups have abandoned their activities in Pakistan to focus on Afghanistan. The Moawia Taliban splinter group in Punjab publicly denounced fighting the Pakistani state but said it was legal to fight against Afghanistan, said Hussain.



The presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan reaches its peak during summer months, partly because of the seasonal Taliban  madrassa or religious seminary students from Pakistan who join Afghan militants during their summer vacations, according to Muzhda.



That has been the trend for many years. The madrassas that support the Taliban ideology send their students to Afghanistan to participate in 'practical jihad' as an encouragement and incentive to the students, said Hussain, adding that the students are sent to put the theory into practice, after being taught the importance of jihad.



He added that it is very likely that students from madrassas in Karachi, Punjab and Pakhtunkhwa province have participated in the Helmand battle.



Afghanistans northeastern province of Kunduz briefly fell to the Taliban last year. Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry said around 1,300 foreign militants, most of them members of the Pakistani Taliban, had participated in the assault on Kunduz.
Australia is being accused of ignoring the mistreatment of refugees held on an island in the South Pacific as part of a policy to deter other asylum seekers trying to reach its territory by boat. The claims are being made in a report by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which secretly traveled to Nauru to document the conditions at an Australian-funded detention facility. The government has yet to specifically respond to the allegations.

Asylum seekers intercepted while trying to reach Australia by boat are sent to camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, a tiny South Pacific republic. The government in Canberra has previously insisted the policy was about saving lives at sea by convincing others not to make the same hazardous voyage.

But a new report by human rights groups claims that a failure to address the inhumane treatment of those held on Nauru appears to be a deliberate plan to inflict suffering to deter future migrants from arriving in Australia by boat.

Anna Neistat, senior director for research at Amnesty International, discussed what she saw on the island.

What I found on Nauru is what I can only describe as a deliberate, systematic abuse. We are not talking about individual cases; we are talking about patterns. And I think it is quite clear - and in fact I do not think the Australian government tried very hard to hide it - that essentially they are making an example of these people to prevent further arrivals by boat, said Neistat.



Watch related video by Henry Ridgwell:



Neistat travelled incognito to Nauru with a lawyer from Human Rights Watch. Since its last visit in 2012, Amnesty International says it has applied for permission to visit the Australian-sponsored detention center six times without success. Their allegations of abuse include violence and intimidation by locals and the denial of medical treatment.

The rights groups spoke to more than 80 of the 1,200 people transferred to Nauru after seeking asylum in Australia, including those from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan. Most have been recognized as refugees and live in the Nauruan community.

A spokeswoman for Australia's Department of Immigration and Border Protection said it had not been consulted by Amnesty International about its report.

Last month, a group of doctors challenged secrecy laws that have prevented them from speaking out about conditions they see inside Australias controversial immigration detention centers. Doctors for Refugees have argued the measures brought in last year breached constitutional rights to freedom of political communication. The case is currently being considered by Australias High Court.
Some European countries are rejecting asylum applications from Eritrean refugees, despite evidence they face imprisonment and torture if they are forcibly returned to the country, according to human rights group Amnesty International.



Eritreans are the third largest group of refugees arriving on Europes shores, after Syrians and Afghans.

Stefan Simanowitz of Amnesty says the vast majority are young men fleeing oppressive national service.



Children, from the ages of 17 or 16 are forced into conscription, which is meant to last 18 months, but in reality can go on for indefinite periods," he said. "We spoke to people who had left after being in conscription and national service for 10 or 15 years. Others who have had family members conscripted for over two decades.



Oppressive regime



A U.N. commission of inquiry earlier this year described Eritrea as one of the worlds most oppressive regimes. The Eritrean government denied the accusations made in the report.



Amnesty says the conscription amounts to forced labor and anyone trying to evade or escape it is detained in appalling conditions.



If they are seen or caught, they can be shot and killed. They can be arrested, they can be tortured," he said. "Many of them are locked up in cells underground or in shipping containers for long periods as punishment for trying to avoid conscription.



Amnesty says the same fate would likely face Eritreans who had fled overseas, but then forcibly returned.



Safe haven



Despite this some European countries, including Britain and Denmark, have begun rejecting the majority of Eritrean asylum applications. The British government changed its advice in March, claiming that Eritrea is safe for migrants to return to after leaving illegally. Simanowitz says they must change course.



The situation for Eritrean asylum seekers is a desperate one and they must be given safe haven, he said.



Speaking at last months EU-Africa Migration summit in Malta, French President Francois Hollande said the Eritrean regime must be confronted. He said the world needs to put maximum pressure on Eritrea, because what is happening is extremely serious. Nobody is talking about it. It is a country that is becoming empty of its own population.



Despite Britain and Denmarks approach, Eritrean refugees were among the first refugees to be relocated from Germany to Spain under the European Unions new migrant plan. Each European country sets its own rules on asylum.
For more than three months, it has been difficult to connect to social media sites in Chad. A few regular Internet users say they have been able to circumvent the restrictions through applications, but many have cried foul over what they see as a government crackdown on freedom of expression.

Critics say the move is a deliberate attempt by the administration of longtime President Idriss Deby to restrict the sharing of information about two key issues: the rape of a young girl that gained international attention and Chads recent elections.



If this isnt connected to politics, tell us clearly what it is, one Internet user in Chad told VOA. In my opinion, the government fears that these networks will be used to mobilize a demonstration against the electoral holdup; it must be linked to politics.



Crackdown on Internet, social media



The Chadian government has not made any statements on the matter. VOA tried to contact the minister of communication for this story, but he declined to comment.



In February, news surfaced that an 18-year-old girl, Zouhoura Ibrahim, was kidnapped and gang raped on camera as she pleaded for help. The incident galvanized public outrage on social media and protesters took to the streets demanding accountability. Some of the alleged rape perpetrators were said to be sons of government officials. Social media access was interrupted, according to reports.



Then, a few days before the inauguration of Deby and following a contentious presidential election held on April 10, 2016, Internet users again complained that they were unable to connect to sites like Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp or Viber.



The development angered many Chadians who count on the Internet to stay in touch with relatives and friends around the world.



We cannot understand why, in the 21st century, that Chadians would be the only ones on the planet denied access to knowledge, as is the case with the access to social networks, which allow people to communicate, says Daouda El-Hadj Adam, secretary-general of Chads Association for the Defense of Consumer Rights.



Users want access



El-Hadj Adam also said that if it is not the government blocking access, then it should prosecute the telecommunications companies for not doing their jobs and taking money from customers without providing appropriate services.



Tidjani Mahmat Guinassou, director of communications for the Chadian Internet-Governance Forum, said it is time for the government to clarify the situation and explain what is happening in order to calm rising frustration.



In matters of technology, you can always put in place measures and people will find a way to get around them, Guinassou said. I think the best policy is to use technology against opponents and not to prevent certain people from accessing it, he said.

Internet users in the country are running out of patience. In a country that calls itself a country of rights, you cant violate the rights of an individual. You must open the social networks to allow young Chadians to communicate with young people all over the world, a young Chadian told VOA.
On Aug. 14, 2013, Egyptian security forces opened fire on thousands of protesters at two sit-in camps in Rabaa and Nahda in Cairo. More than 1,000 protesters were killed, in what Human Rights Watch called 'one of the worlds largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history.' Thousands other were wounded. The protesters were voicing their rejection of a military coup that toppled Egypt's first freely elected civilian President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
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.

"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.


Milwaukee, Wisconsin Mayor Tom Barrett says the National Guard is being activated in the midwestern city and will be deployed if trouble breaks out after another fatal police shooting of an African-American man.

Overnight violence in Milwaukee left six stores burned, police cars destroyed and a teenage girl wounded by gunfire. Several officers were also hurt, including one who suffered a concussion after being hit in the head by concrete.

Seventeen people were arrested.

Barrett praised Milwaukee police for what he calls their "tremendous restraint," telling reporters that not a single police shot was fired during Saturday night's trouble.

He appealed to parents not to let their sons and daughters get caught up in violence and troublemaking, saying he will impose a curfew if necessary.

Milwaukee police chief Edward Flynn identifies Saturday night's shooting victim as 23 year-old Sylville Smith and says he had a "lengthy arrest record."

Smith was shot in the chest and arm. The officer who shot him is also black.

Flynn and Mayor Barrett say an image taken from the unidentified officer's body camera shows Smith had a gun in his hand and was a credible threat to the officer. Flynn says it appears to be a lawful shooting.

Police earlier said Smith fled from police after a traffic stop when his car was "behaving suspiciously." A second suspect was arrested.

Some witnesses say Smith was unarmed. Barrett said he would like to see video released as soon as possible and says the investigation must be transparent and carried out quickly.

Saturday's shooting took place in Milwaukee's Sherman Park neighborhood, an impoverished section with a reputation for crime.

Sherman Park residents say the city has been unresponsive to their needs. Alderman Khalif Rainey, who represents Sherman Park, says Milwaukee's black residents are "tired of living under this oppression."

Rainey says he does not condone violence "but nobody can deny that there are racial problems here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that have to be rectified.''

The Milwaukee shooting is the latest in a series of incidents in which black men died as a result of police action, including deaths in Baltimore, New York, Baton Rouge, Chicago, and Furgeson, Missouri.

The shootings have usually been followed by protest marches and sometimes violence.

The protesters say the killings prove what they believe to be racism at the hands of police and white government officials, even though some of the officers involved in the killings have also been black.

In July, eight police officers were killed in separate shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by gunmen who indicated they were angry about police violence against African Americans.
New York police are searching for the gunman who killed a Muslim cleric and an associate at close range on a city street as they left afternoon prayers Saturday.

Police released a sketch of the gunman, depicting a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses.

They have not announced a motive for the twin slayings, but activists near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens called it a hate crime.

"Please, read my lips," said Kobir Chowdhury, who heads the nearby Masjid Al-Aman mosque in Brooklyn. "This is a hate crime, no matter which way you look at it."

"It is hate against humanity, it is hate against Muslims," he said. "These are Islamophobes who are causing these kind of troubles."

Members of the Bangladeshi community served by the mosque say they want the shooting treated as a hate crime. About 100 protesters gathered Saturday at the scene of the shooting, chanting, "We want justice!"

Police say the gunman shot both victims in the back of the head and then fled the scene still holding the gun. The victims were identified as 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and his 64-year-old associate, Thara Uddin.
Hundreds of protesters braved heavy rain in the Philippine's capital Sunday, denouncing President Rodrigo Duterte's plan to honor the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos with a state burial in a heroes cemetery.

Protests were also held in other parts of the country, but Duterte is standing firm on his decision to move Marcos' body from his hometown to the National Heroes' Cemetery in Manila next month.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who joined the protest, said "Marcos went down in history as an unrepentant enemy of our heroes," and said Duterte should not commit what she called "this atrocious mistake."

Also among the protesters were victims of torture and imprisonment during Marcos time in power.

Marcos, who was elected president in 1965, declared martial law in 1972, and was later accused of massive human rights violations and plunder of the country's wealth for personal gain. He was ousted in a "people power" revolt in 1986, and lived in exile in Hawaii with his family until he died in 1989. His remains were later returned to his hometown and have been displayed in a glass coffin.

Duterte, who has said he once voted for Marcos, and whose late father served in the dictator's Cabinet, argues that Marcos deserves to be buried in the heroes cemetery as a former soldier and president.
Thai police say they know who was behind a recent series of deadly bombings, and that at least one man has been detained for questioning.

Deputy national police spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang told reporters Sunday in Bangkok an investigation is progressing. He declined to give any details.

Thai officials have been 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.

The military government's draft of a new charter was recently 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 former 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.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is set to say Monday how he would combat Islamic terrorism, just days after claiming President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton founded the Islamic State militant group.

Trump, a real estate tycoon seeking his first elected office, has for months said he would be tougher on jihadists in the Middle East than Obama, but has yet to spell out a specific plan of attack. Trump ignited a new round of criticism of his candidacy last week when he said, falsely, that Obama and Clinton created Islamic State.Trump, after repeating the claim, later said he meant the remark as sarcasm.

One of Trump's key supporters, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, told ABC television Sunday that Trump "is going to talk about how we restore credibility with our allies and friends in that region who also are hostile to and resist this kind of terrorism. He is going to talk about how you target your enemies and work with your friends, you do not overreach and destabilize countries like Obama-Clinton has done."

Trump's vice presidential running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, said Trump will offer "real specifics" about how he would combat Islamic State.



A Clinton supporter, former U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, said the Republican candidate needs to disclose his specific plan.

"I think what would be appropriate is for Donald Trump, instead of making some outrageous claim, that somehow President Obama is the father of ISIS (IS), which is a lie, he ought to present what strategy he would implement to defeat ISIS," Panetta said. "Instead, he says he has a secret plan, and nobody knows what that plan is all about."

Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state looking to become the country's first female president, has moved to roughly a seven-percentage-point advantage over Trump in national political surveys and also holds leads in several battleground election states where the outcome of the November 8 contest is likely to be decided.

In a series of comments Sunday on his Twitter account, Trump blamed the news media for his standing in the race against Clinton to replace Obama when he leaves office next January.

"If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and did not put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20 percent," Trump said.

In another, he said, "My rallies are not covered properly by the media.They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm."

Numerous former Republican officials, most of whom served in some capacity during the administrations of former President George H.W. Bush and his son, President George W. Bush, the last two Republican presidents, have said in recent days they could not support Trump's candidacy. They have often said that he is ill-prepared to lead the country or does not have the appropriate temperament.

The latest to reject Trump's campaign was the younger Bush's commerce chief, Carlos Gutierrez.

Republican officials in Washington have contemplated whether to drop their financial support for Trump and instead focus their efforts on Republican candidates running for Senate and House seats in Congress.Trump says he will stop raising money for the national party if it withdraws support from him.
A U.S.-backed coalition of Syrian fighters, fresh from driving Islamic State extremists from a key northern city, says it will now target another IS-held town near the Turkish border.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters backed by U.S. air power, announced on Sunday "the creation of the Al-Bab Military Council," with the aim of liberating the town and the region around it.

Al-Bab is lies on a key highway about half way between the embattled northern city of Aleppo and Manbij, which the SDF liberated from extremist forces last week. By capturing al-Bab, the rebels would tighten their grip on the area along the Turkish border, making it more difficult for the so-called Islamic State to infiltrate fighters and supplies.

The siege at Manbij, a key outpost on a jihadist supply route to the self-declared IS capital, Raqqa, ended Friday, when Islamic State forces abandoned the city after two months of fighting.

Saturday saw spontaneous celebrations from civilians returning to the wrecked city.

In other developments, monitors linked to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday that Syrian and Russian warplanes launched a new wave of airstrikes near the embattled city of Aleppo. In a statement, the SOHR said the overnight strikes had killed at least 45 civilians in and near the city, and at least 22 others elsewhere in Idlib province.

The monitoring group said the ongoing strikes were targeting areas held by a rebel coalition known as the Army of Conquest, an alliance of rebels and jihadist groupings seeking to break the months-long government siege of Aleppo.

The multi-sided Syrian civil war pits the government forces of President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian allies against a loosely knit coalition of rebels seeking to drive Assad from power. That coalition includes al-Qaida-linked fighters, making Western governments reluctant to send arms to the rebels.

The third major party to the five-year-old conflict, the extremist Islamic State, is seeking to establish an Islamist "caliphate" in large swaths of Syria and neighboring Iraq. The group has used widely circulated videos to show its fighters slaughtering hundreds of civilians as it seeks to expand its rule.

For its part, the Syria Democratic Forces, formed in 2015 with U.S. support, has focused on driving IS fighters from strongholds along the Turkish border.

The United Nations estimates more than 400,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians, since fighting first erupted near Damascus in 2011.
U.S. accident investigators are set to begin probing the "black box" from the doomed freighter El Faro, hoping data will show what happened aboard the ship in the hours before it sank last year in the Atlantic with 33 people on board. There were no survivors.

Search teams returned Friday to a U.S. naval base in Florida with the data recorders, which were recovered from a depth of 4,500 meters 10 months after the 240-meter ship sank in a hurricane east of the Bahamas.

Investigators say the recorder is designed to record and store 12 hours of communications from the bridge, and is also expected to contain valuable navigational data. But a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said it could take weeks to complete a the probe.

The U.S.-flagged ship was carrying cargo from Jacksonville, Florida, to San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it got caught October 1 in Hurricane Joaquin -- a powerful category 4 storm with 12-meter waves and winds as high as 215 kph.

The ship sent a satellite distress message shortly before land-based authorities lost contact with the crew of 28 Americans and five Poles.

In the days after the disaster, authorities speculated the ship may have lost power, leaving it defenseless and unable to navigate near the eye of the hurricane.
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11 cases of scrub typhus reported in East, two dead

At least two children have died of scrub typhus in the eastern region in the last 30 days and five, of the total 11 cases reported, are undergoing treatment for the disease at the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan.
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.
8 Dhading health posts receive pre-fab buildings

Nine health facilities in Dhading, which had been providing healthcare services from tents since the devastating earthquake last year, have shifted to pre-fabricated buildings, much to the respite of the general public as well as service providers.
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.
Brenner Breton, a second-grader at Hallsburg ISD, recently donated 83 pounds of food that he received from his birthday party guests to The Pack of Hope.

Pack of Hope is a local organization that works to erase child hunger in McLennan County by supplying school districts and their eligible students with backpacks filled with nutritious food to prevent hunger from Friday through Sunday while they are not in school.

Breton and his guests gathered enough food to feed a child for half of a school year.

Breton learned about Pack of Hope at his school in Hallsburg this past school year. This summer, he asked the guests attending his birthday party to bring food donations in lieu of presents. Breton and his parents delivered the food donation to Pack of Hopes packing center.

The Pack of Hope serves 17 public school districts and one private school in McLennan County. The all-volunteer nonprofit organization has steadily increased the number of children served and is increasing awareness through articles in newspaper and television interviews around McLennan County.

For further information, contact board member Lisa Wilhelmi at lwilhelmi@mclennan.edu.

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Pack of Hope photo

Brenner Breton, of Hallsburg, asked friends coming to his birthday day in June to provide food for Pack of Hope instead of gifts for him.
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.
Its a long trip from growing up on tenant farms to climbing high within the ranks of the U.S. military, but thats exactly what William Bill Henderson did beginning in World War II. Now 92, the retired lieutenant colonel, who lives near Oglesby, recalled his exciting time in the forgotten China-Burma-India Theater.

Henderson grew up near Belton. The family moved often as his father worked as a successful tenant farmer before the Depression. They ended up in Sommers Mill. Bill went on to graduate from Academy High School.

Kids were anxious to go to high school because of the Depression, Henderson said.

Graduating as salutatorian just before turning 17, he wanted to join the military, but his mother wouldnt sign his enlistment papers. Instead, he worked for a year, signing up in 1942 with the Army Air Corps because I wanted to fly, he said. He served in the reserves until being called to active duty in 1943.

He didnt become a pilot, like he wanted, nor did he get to attend navigation school, his second choice. Instead, he became a bombardier.

Nearly everyone that had been with me went to bombardier school, whether they wanted to or not, he said. He also went to gunnery school, earning his wings before going to Deming, New Mexico, for bombardier training. At 19 he earned his wings and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in 1944.

Henderson went to Nevada for crew training. There he met the 10 men he would form a strong bond with that lasted through the war. Once their training was complete, they left for Hamilton Field in San Francisco where they were assigned to a new B-24 Liberator bomber.

Scheduled to fly overseas, the men assumed they were bound for England, because they were issued winter clothes. They got quite a shock when they opened their orders  they were about to leave for India.

A long way from U.S. to India

After stopping briefly before leaving the States, they headed across the Atlantic, routing through the Azores, North Africa, Iran and Karachi (then still a part of India), before joining the 7th Bomb Group in Pandaveswar near Asansol where they spent the night. Two of the four squadrons of the 7th  the 9th and the 493rd  were there. They left the next morning for the headquarters unit at the Madhaiganj Airfield.

Hendersons crew was assigned to the 436th and hauled fuel for about three months, staying in tents in Luliang, China. Sometimes they flew over the dangerous area known as the hump where many planes were lost. Other times, they flew supplies into Japanese-held territories. We lost as many aircraft flying gasoline as we did in combat, Henderson said.

His first bombing mission wasnt with his crew. He served as a replacement bombardier on another plane. Eventually, his crew returned to Asansol and began to fly bombing missions, targeting Rangoon and other points in the Burma region, including railways, factories and other strategic structures.

Friendly fire disaster at night

There were many close calls, but none as harrowing as the time a night flighter  a P-61  radioed in and asked if there were any twin tails (B-24s) in the air. The response was no. But there were in fact two, including one carrying Henderson and his crewmates. The P-61 shot down the first plane it encountered.

We had a 50-50 chance because the other crew was shot down. It couldve been us, Henderson said. But for the grace of God and the quick action of one of the crew members, we couldve died 10 times . . . we shouldve died 10 times.

Only two men on the downed B-24 survived.

His most memorable experience was also one of the most well-known times about the Allies fight in the CBI theater. Many know it based on the book and movie of the same title, The Bridge on the River Kwai.

In the film, British prisoners of war are forced to build a bridge spanning the Kwai River to allow Burma to move supplies north. In reality, there were two bridges, one made of steel and the other of wood. These structures actually crossed the Mae Klong River, a portion of which was renamed the Khwai Tai River after the 1957 Oscar-winning movie came out to capitalize on the publicity. POWs were moved close to the bridges to make repairs as the Allies bombed them.

At the time of his service, Henderson had no idea his actions with his crew would become a part of history when they were assigned to bomb the wooden bridge. To him, it was just another target.

NEXT WEEK: Following World War II, Henderson would go on to a career in the U.S. Air Force, serving on secret missions in Laos during the Vietnam War before retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

Voices of Valor, featuring stories about Central Texas veterans, publishes every Sunday in the Waco Trib. To suggest a story about a Central Texas veteran, email voicesofvalor@wacotrib.com. Voices of Valor is proudly sponsored by Johnson Roofing.
Likely most Texas property owners were stunned last spring when they opened their tax appraisals to see a marked increase over last year. Texans are faced with a near-certain fact  year in and year out, their property tax bills go up. Rising appraisals usually get the blame, but, in fact, thats not where the fault lies.

Contrary to popular opinion, whether or not your taxes go up doesnt depend on your appraisal as much as it does on the tax rates now in the process of being adopted by local governments  cities, counties, school districts and special districts  all across the state.

Fortunately, the public has an opportunity to weigh in. Tax rates must be publicized beforehand and adopted in public meetings. Local governments are crafting their budgets for the next fiscal year and setting their tax rates at the level necessary to fund those budgets. Its simple math: the rate applied to the appraised value of the property in their jurisdiction (including your home) must raise enough revenue to pay for their budgets.

So if you want to keep your tax bill under control, making sure your appraisal is fair is only the first part of the job. The harder work for Texans is participating in the local budget process that drives their tax bills.

Thats no small feat. Texas has 254 counties, more than 1,000 school districts and over 1,200 cities. That means at least three processes to monitor and probably more because in excess of 2,000 special-purpose taxing districts have been created to fund a wide variety of local government services including junior colleges, hospitals, municipal utilities, groundwater conservation, levee improvement, navigation, county development, drainage and even mosquito control.

Consequently, a homeowner or business often has to pay taxes to as many as half a dozen taxing entities, making participation in the rate-setting process a time-consuming, confounding and overwhelming task.

The public is aided by Texas truth-in-taxation law, which provides transparency in how local taxing districts determine their tax rates. My organization, the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, has long supported an open budget and tax process and has worked to ensure that the public is provided relevant, accurate and understandable information by the various taxing entities.

It hasnt always been this way; as seemingly mysterious as the process is today, it once was much worse. For example, prior to the 1979 passage of truth-in-taxation legislation that created the modern property tax system, property was valued separately by each taxing jurisdiction. As a result, taxable values and tax rates could vary widely from one local governmental entity to another.

While todays process has provided a much-needed system of checks and balances in the setting of property tax rates by local taxing entities, it does not provide automatic protections for consumers.

The bottom line: For concerned taxpayers to effectively impact property taxation, they must do more than focus on or protest their appraisals. Theres no substitute for active participation in the local budget process. That means taking the time to attend hearings and communicate your position on proposed budgets and tax rates. You may decide some tax increases are justified for an important purpose of great value to your community, but you may decide others are not.

The only way to affect the outcome is to make your opinion known to local government elected officials before they finally adopt a tax rate.

John Kennedy is a senior analyst at the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association (www.ttara.org), a nonprofit, membership-supported organization of businesses and individuals interested in state and local fiscal policies in Texas and the way those policies impact the economy. TTARAs latest research report, Truth-in-Taxation: The Guide to How Property Tax Rates are Set, can be found on its website.
90 of 724 quake-struck health facilities rebuilt

103 health facility buildings were damaged in Kavre, 90 in Sindhupalchok, 89 in Kathmandu, 83 in Gorkha
Every couple of years or so, I feel the need to whine about the plight of newspapers. Its August. Im Trumped out. So todays the day.

Except that HBOs 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, its 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. Hes 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 dont 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 isnt 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 longish in the tooth.

That any newspapers are surviving, if not for much longer in any recognizable form, can be attributed 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 Globes stories under Barons leadership about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Its a good movie, not just because of great casting and acting but because its a great tale about a massive investigative effort that led to church reform and the beginning of healing for victims.

My point  shared by Oliver  is that only newspapers are the brick-and-mortar of the Fourth Estates 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, its 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, theres 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 reporters kudzu-draped mangrove  are more interested in a cat that looks like a raccoon.

And then theres Sam Zell, erstwhile owner of the Tribune Company, who summed up the sad trajectory of the nations 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 dont subscribe to a newspaper, you dont get to complain about the sorry state of journalism  and puppies you shall have.

Kathleen Parker is a politically conservative-leaning columnist for The Washington Post.
Trump: 2 views

The Aug. 4 Trib opinion page was a disservice to your readers. More than 80 percent of the page was an attack on Donald Trump with columns by George Will and David Schleicher, your editorial and the political cartoon. Keith Mikeskas brief letter was the only counter balance  but his plea regarding intense, politically correct attacks on Trump was only a fraction of the page.

It is a disservice to citizens of the United States that the media is presenting a one-sided attack on Trump based on tone. The amount of press on Trumps Trumpisms is many times that given to the grievous scandals of his opponent.

Trump is being viciously attacked about his own attack on the family of Army Capt. Humayun Khan. Yes, Trump was not the smoothest oily-mouthed politician in how he responded. Yet this is another case of the left standing on bodies of the dead and claiming moral ground on any issue they can. Why is nothing being said about why another persons only qualification for speaking at that same national convention concerning the future of our country is that she is the mother of a dead thug who attacked a policeman?

The death of one Muslim soldier in the U.S. Army does not negate that Trump is right that the continued ungated borders and arrival of millions of illegal migrants will destroy our country if something isnt done now. And Islamic terrorism is a threat to be addressed now. And Trump was not in government at the time and did not lie to the parents regarding the circumstances of their sons death  to address differences between the Khan death and the Benghazi deaths.

I would rather have a politically incorrect, rough-talking, egotistically flawed man who is a straight shooter and right on the main issues now destroying this nation than a sweet-talking, politically correct politician who is wrong on every one of those same issues. I only hope and pray, as Mr. Mikeska pleaded, that citizens will vote in December regarding real issues rather than heeding the phony moral high ground and politically correct attacks.

Herb Mayr, Eddy

n n n

As a veteran, Im outraged over the letter [Aug. 4] from the gutless wonder in Valley Mills who denigrated the combat death of our Army Capt. Humayun Khan of the Muslim faith with parents from the Middle East. To dishonor the bravery of this man who died protecting his fellow soldiers by comparing him to an Army Muslim psychopath who murdered soldiers is nothing but hate.

And to suggest that our Army captain, who died courageously against a Muslim enemy, could have been another sleeper, that he could have been another psychotic murderer of soldiers, is not rational. In truth, it is reflective of the same pathological disorder evidenced by Donald Trump of my own Republican Party.

Mike OBric, Marine Corps Mustang, Woodway
Battle to lead Nepalgunj Chamber gathers pace

Businessmen associated with the Nepalgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry are divided into panels aligned with different political parties in the ongoing election.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited is an eCommerce and Internet technology giant headquartered in the People's Republic of China. Its core platform, Alibaba.com, is the worlds 3rd largest eCommerce platform by sales. The company, through its vast network of subsidiary companies, provides the infrastructure and marketing to help merchants of all sizes develop their brands and to connect with customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company also aids other businesses with a vast array of digital and logistical solutions with a reach that spans the globe.

Alibaba was co-founded by Jack Ma in 1999 when it became clear the Internet and digitization were the future of commerce. Mr. Ma is a billionaire investor, businessman, and philanthropist who believes in an open and free-market economy. The company went public in September 2014 with an IPO on the NYSE. The IPO set a record with its valuation of $25 billion and the company is now worth more than $225 billion and ranked among the 10 most valuable companies by market cap. Alibaba is also ranked 5th largest globally in regards to its work in AI, and it owns the world's largest B2B, B2C, and C2C eCommerce portals. In 2022, Alibabas Singles Day event brought in $139 billion to set a new one-day record.

The principal purpose of Alibaba Group Holding Limited is to open the Chinese market and connect it to the world. The company operates through seven segments including China Commerce, International Commerce, Local Consumer Services, Cainiao, Cloud, Digital Media and Entertainment, and Innovation Initiatives and Others.

The companys eCommerce platforms include Taobao Marketplace, Tmall, Alimama, 1688.com, Alibaba.com, Aliexpress, Lazada, Trendyol, and Daraz. Taobao Marketplace is a social-media eCommerce platform while Alimama is a monetization platform for entrepreneurs. 1688.com and Alibaba.com are wholesale marketplaces where individuals and businesses can connect with bulk items and the remainder are eCommerce retail platforms and search engines targeting specific markets. In addition, the company also operated a retail chain called Freshippo and Tmall Global which is an import platform for eCommerce.

Other digital services provided by Alibaba include Taoxianda, which is a digital integration service for FMCG goods and grocery retailers, and Cainiao Network which is a logistical services platform complemented by Ele.me, a delivery and services platform.

Alibaba also supports the infrastructure of the Internet with a range of products and services that include computing, storage, network, security, database, big data, and IoT connectivity. This segment includes a suite of cloud-based services such as Alibaba Pictures and content platforms that provide streaming media.
Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. owns, operates, and sells advertising displays in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Americas and Europe. The company offers advertising services through billboards, including bulletins and posters; transit displays, which are advertising surfaces on various types of vehicles or within transit systems; street furniture displays, such as advertising surfaces on bus shelters, information kiosks, freestanding units, and other public structures; spectaculars, which are customized display structures that incorporate videos, multidimensional lettering and figures, mechanical devices and moving parts, and other embellishments; wallscape, a display that drapes over or is suspended from the sides of buildings or other structures. It also provides street furniture equipment, cleaning and maintenance services, operation of public bike programs, and production services; and a public bicycle rental program, which offers bicycles for rent to the general public in various municipalities. As of December 31, 2021, it owned or operated approximately 69,000 advertising displays in the Americas; and 430,000 advertising displays in Europe. The company was formerly known as Eller Media Company and changed its name to Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. in August 2005. Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.
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Classes in huts after Flood-hit take shelter in school

As many as nine families, who were displaced after a flooded Madi river swept away their houses in Parche-1 in Kaski a few days ago, have taken shelter in the building of Dudhpokhari Secondary School, forcing the school administration to construct huts to run classes.
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.

Read Article
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.
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.
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.
Constitution amendment is our bottom-line: Upendra Yadav

Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav has remarked that the agitating Madhes-based parties will not accept the constitution unless it is amended to address the grievances of Madhesi community.
An alleged milk truck thief has been charged with a string of offences, including ramming a police car, after evading capture for 5.5 hours in Perth while scattering milk and crates across the city.

The 28-year-old Camillo man is due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on Sunday charged with stealing the truck and $7500 worth of milk early on Saturday morning.

He allegedly stole the milk truck in Bentley about 4.30am and drove north before eventually being captured - after police deployed a tyre deflation device - back in the city's south about 10am in East Victoria Park.

- AAP
Washington: Donald Trump could have paid little or even zero income tax in recent years, despite valuing his own worth at more than $US10 billion ($13 billion), experts say.

The Republican presidential nominee has so far refused to release his tax returns even though every other candidate, both Republican and Democrat, has done so for the past 40 years.

As pressure mounted on Mr Trump to make them public, there were growing signs that the Republican Party was nearing breaking point with its nominee - with some insiders admitting they already believe the White House is lost.

It came after a week in which Mr Trump falsely and repeatedly claimed that President Barack Obama was the "founder" of Islamic State, appeared to joke about his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton being assassinated, and contemplated defeat for the first time, saying he would "take a very, very nice long vacation".
DPM Mahara set to leave for China tomorrow

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Finance Krishna Bahadur Mahara is leaving for China on Monday.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Aug. 13, 2016 | MURRAY, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 13, 2016 | 09:39 PM | MURRAY, KY

The Murray Police Department is cautioning the public about large group gatherings near the Murray State Campus that may include violence.



On Saturday, police heard of the possible threat of violence at a party in the Cambridge 2 subdivision, a multi-family residential area off-campus, in an area just off Bailey Road. Police say this gathering has typically been held on the first weekend students return, and has usually attracted a large number of people.



Police met with MSU's Public Safety, who said they had heard of the threats, too. Investigation determined the information apparently came from social media, but the validity of the threat can't be substantiated. However, they are taking it seriously, and want to make everyone aware of the potential for violence at the party.



Additional officers have been activated to be available over the weekend, as a precaution. Murray Police and other agencies will be enforcing ordinances regarding gatherings, nuisances and alcohol-related violations.



Police are reminding everyone to be aware of their surroundings, and recommend avoiding the Cambridge 2 area this weekend.



If anyone has information about these threats please contact Murray Police at 270-753-1621 or local law enforcement.
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By Jim Waters

Aug. 14, 2016 | LEXINGTON, KY

By Jim Waters Aug. 14, 2016 | 11:48 AM | LEXINGTON, KY

"Jesus is no free marketeer," social researcher Gregory Paul wrote in his On Faith column in the Washington Post.



Paul claims the early chapters of the biblical book of Acts confirm Christianity is a religion based on socialism simply because some early believers sold possessions and donated the money to help the less fortunate.



"Now folks, that's outright socialism," Paul trumpets about an effort that sounds more like a first-century version of Goodwill in Kentucky to me.



Paul claims "pro-capitalist Christians who are aware of these passages wave them away even though it is the only explicit description of Christian economics in the Bible."



Lexington Herald-Leader religion columnist Paul Prather wrote in a column released during the recent Democratic primary entitled "Why Bernie Sanders is the most Christian candidate" that the curmudgeonly senator's "positions sometimes sound a lot like Jesus and his disciples: feed the poor, love your neighbor, heal the sick, welcome the immigrant."



If, however, the researcher Paul was right in his assertion that the Gospels contain the seeds of socialism  which Sanders blatantly planted and helped grow during his failed presidential bid  then caring for the sick and poor would not have been done voluntarily and out of a sense of personal responsibility, but rather through coercion.



Those early believers chose to help their poor brethren.



There's strong evidence in the Gospels that Jesus not only doesn't endorse redistribution  taking from those who earn through work, saving and investment and giving it to those who want it but to whom it doesn't belong  he opposes it outright.



When Christ was approached by a man in Luke 12 wanting him to use his power to force his brother to share his inheritance, not only did Jesus refuse the man's request to equalize the wealth  asking "who made me a judge or a divider over you?"  he rebuked the man for his envy.



In his famous Good Samaritan parable, Jesus tells of a traveler who chooses to use his own resources to help a man who was beaten, robbed and left for dead alongside a road.



A socialist would have instructed the man to write a letter to the emperor or get in touch with the government to find out what program was available to help him.



Sanders' campaign was all about how he would compel productive, successful Americans to fund such programs by using the force of government, which is found at the end of a gun.



Lawrence Reed, president of the Foundation for Economic Education, concludes that if the Good Samaritan "had said this is not my responsibility, we need politicians to get involved here; we need some redistribution to get you some help, we wouldn't be calling him the Good Samaritan today, we'd be calling him the Good-for-nothing Samaritan."



How could anyone argue that socialism is working in Venezuela, where people face starvation as shelves empty, prices rise  a box of powdered milk (fresh milk is nearly impossible to find) currently costs $703 with a dozen eggs running $150  and desperation levels reach the point where Venezuelans are turning to their own pets for food?



Did Jesus and the early believers endorse an economic policy that results in starvation and slavery as families and children descend into the abyss of poverty while their own government threatens to force everyone to go into the fields and work?



Christian economics? Hardly.



Sanders refused to respond when asked by Univision about what's happening in Venezuela.



What a shocker.



Still, even the most committed atheist can come up with the right answer to: What's socialism good for anyhow?



All he has to do is look at every experiment of wealth redistribution in history, and he'll easily have the right answer: "nothing."



Jim Waters is president of the Bluegrass Institute; Kentucky's free-market think tank. Reach him at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com. Read previously published columns at www.bipps.org.
Going digital

Nepal should perhaps take a leaf out of Thailands book and establish a ministry for digital economy
Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world
World's Largest English Language News Service with Over 500 Articles Updated Daily

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How The Conspiracy Theory Label Was Conceived To Derail The Truth Movement

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August 14, 2016

Hillary Clinton Total Terror Descends Upon Disabled Mother Who Discovered Her Link To ISIS

By: Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers

A heartbreaking Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) report circulating in the Kremlin today details the total terror Hillary Clinton and her Obama regime allies have unleashed upon a disabled American mother of an autistic son who had inadvertently/mistakenly discovered an electronic document (email? photocopy?) written by the former US Secretary of State authorizing a massive weapons shipment from Benghazi , Libya , to Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/Daesh) terrorists in Syria . [Note: Some words and/or phrases appearing in quotes are English language approximations of Russian words/phrases having no exact counterpart.]

According to this report, earlier this spring the General Directorate of the General Staff (GRU) reported that they obtained a treasure trove of secret Islamic State documents from a Syrian village that had been retaking by Kurdish forces.

ISIS secret documents recovered by Russian intelligence: March, 2016, in Syria

Among these documents (now classified at the highest security level) obtained by the GRU, this report continues, were detailed arrangements between the Islamic State terrorists and the US Department of State on the transferring of weapons and other war materials to Syria from Libya in exchange for payment at the Turkish-Syrian border of oil stolen from by these terrorists from both Syria and Iraq.

Upon the SVRs examination of these Islamic State documents, as was requested by the GRU, this report continues, it was discovered that these terrorists had electronically sent (Twitter) a number of them to their global supporters via online social media as proof that they were being supported by the United States.

With Wikileaks having confirmed the validity of these documents proving Hillary Clinton armed these Islamic State terrorists, and US Senator Rand Paul, likewise, publically stating that she had shipped weapons to ISIS terror forces in Syria from Benghazi, and then lied about it, this report notes, none of Americas mainstream propaganda press organs have yet to tell the American people of these horrific facts.

With the vacuum of truth relating to Hillary Clintons grave crimes being created by Americas mainstream press, this report continues, it has been left to that nations independent journalists to keep the true facts flowingand whom the Obama regime, and its propaganda press supporters, now label as conspiracy theorists.

So terrified, in fact, has Hillary Clinton and the Obama regime become of these independent journalists they now call conspiracy theorists, this report documents, top Obama official Cass Sunstein co-authored, in 2008, a report titled Conspiracy Theories: Causes and Cures telling both Obama and Hillary Clinton how to move against themand that the secret US intelligence documents released by Edward Snowden proved was being implemented by covert American agents who had infiltrated the internet to manipulate, deceive and destroy the reputations of all dissidents considered as enemies.

To those independent journalists who couldnt be stopped by having Obama and Hillary Clinton destroy their reputations, this report continues, they turned to methods of total terrorsuch as is currently being used against a disabled 38-year-old mother of two named Safya Roe Yassin, one of whose children is autistic.

Hillary Clinton torture victim Safya Roe Yassin

Ms Yassin, this report explains is an American citizen born in the United States, who has never left her country, considers herself as an independent journalist, has never met a Muslim person, but was charged by the Obama regime with the grave crime of supporting ISISshe isnt accused of plotting a domestic attack or trying to travel overseas to join the terrorist group. she simply reported the news.

What made Ms Yassin terrifying to Hillary Clinton, however, this report says, was that she was investigating ISIS and resending to her readers/followers copies of electronic documents (Tweets) proving Clintons US State Department was funneling weapons to these terrorists from Libya.

This report notes that from US news reports Ms Yassin has been a longtime independent journalist investigator examining various controversial issues such as chemtrials, genetically modified foods, the dangers of vaccines as they pertain to autism, and was a frequent reader of longtime conspiracy theory reporters Alex Jones and David Icke.

Living as a shut-in with her father and two children in Buffalo, Missouri, this report continues, Ms Yassin rarely left home because she is severely disabled from a spinal injury and depends upon a catheter (inserted medical device for releasing urine from the bladder) in her daily lifebut whom when she began re-Tweeting ISIS documents showing Hillary Clintons crimes in arming them, was put under daily surveillance by the FBI with them charging her, on 11 January, and her trial scheduled to start on 19 September.

SVR analysts contributing to this report state that Mr Yassins motive/reason for investigating Hillary Clintons links with ISIS related to her Christian belief that the end times might be nearand that was explained by Audrey Alexander, a researcher at George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism, who noted that her postings might be confusing to other ISIS supporters due to her originality: She is questioning whether ISIL is the end of times army. Thats something that a lot of the community doesnt necessarily latch onto, which is why we believe her views are quite well informed.

Though Ms Yassins aunt, Sandra Mick, told US authorities The real story is, shes not a terrorist. She retweeted and reposted what other people had posted, thats the story. Shes never been outside this country. I doubt shes even met a real Muslim, her cousin, Janice Valenti, asserting that she is a Christian who teaches her two children Bible verses, and the US Federal Judge at her bail hearing stating when it comes down to it, she is a disabled woman who poses no physical threat [to] herself and to anyone else, this report sadly notes, Obama-Clinton forces have been able to keep her jailed and separated from her young children, and even worse, have still refused to turn over to her defense attorneys the evidence they claim to have against her.

To the fullest horror, however, of what Hillary Clinton has planned for Ms Yassin, this report says, is the Obama regime planning to silence her under what is called Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) that will deny her the ability to see any evidence against her, her attorneys not allowed to offer any defense of any kind, and is an exact duplicate of the Show Trials used to silence dissidents in the former Soviet Union.

Statement of Jeffrey Melhorn about his neighbor Safya Roe Yassin

To how the American people themselves are reacting to this disabled young mothers torture by Hillary Clinton, this report continues, cannot be known as the Obama regime supported press still remains silent about this case that puts all of these peoples lives in jeopardyas now any of them who re-Tweets, or in other way, forwards information the US considers subversive can now be jailed for the rest of their lives.

As to what Hillary Clinton is most fearful about, this report says, is the American people discovering the tens-of-millions of dollars she has been given by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, the over $165 billion in arms she gave them too while Secretary of State, as the Wikileaks Cablegate emails prove, and all for the single purpose of destroying Syria and Iraq in order for these Arab states to build natural gas pipelines across in order to achieve the ultimate goal of destroying both Russia and China.

To the only hope Ms Yassin, or for that matter the American people, has, this report concludes, is Donald Trumpwho this past week became the highest positioned figure in the US to join with the independent journalists truthfully telling these people that Obama-Clinton are, indeed, the founders of ISIS, and who, also, by the most accurate, and honest, accounting made yet of the upcoming presidential election, is showed to be winning by a landslide.

August 14, 2016  EU and US all rights reserved. Permission to use this report in its entirety is granted under the condition it is linked back to its original source at WhatDoesItMean.Com. Freebase content licensed under CC-BY and GFDL.

[Note: Many governments and their intelligence services actively campaign against the information found in these reports so as not to alarm their citizens about the many catastrophic Earth changes and events to come, a stance that the Sisters of Sorcha Faal strongly disagree with in believing that it is every human beings right to know the truth. Due to our missions conflicts with that of those governments, the responses of their agents has been a longstanding misinformation/misdirection campaign designed to discredit us, and others like us, that is exampled in numerous places, including HERE.]

Final Battle For America Begins, But Outcome Remains Uncertain

They Are Going To Come For YouWhy Are You Helping Them?

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Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It wasnt the first pop-up pipe ceremony on Main Street, held in the shadow of the CP rail yards and just steps from some of the citys most notorious watering holes.

And it wont be the last.

A group of North End youth and residents from Point Douglas brought indigenous ceremonies briefly to the pavement Saturday.

ZACHARY PRONG / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Michael Champagne, a community leader from Winnipegs North End, hugs Madeline Hatch, a.k.a. Thunderbird Woman, an elder who has lived in the North End for 27 years.

About 20 people, joined by chance passers-by, sat around a nylon comforter laid out just by the crosswalk at Main and Jarvis Avenue.

Four people smoked indigenous pipes, the kind most people might see at indigenous gatherings held outside the city, on a patch of ground in the boreal forest or the prairie parkland. Smoking a pipe this way is an indigenous form of prayer. One pipe made it halfway around the circle until it went out.

Three people brought personal hand drums, and the leader of the ceremony, a 23-year-old member of the Bear Clan volunteer safety patrol, brought a powwow drum from Ndinawe, a North End youth resource centre located on Selkirk Avenue.

It was the first time Ninondawah Richard had agreed to lead a pipe ceremony on Main Street.

For me, my mom taught me this way of life. Ive been going to sun dances and fasting ceremonies all my life. But here, in the city, were losing our way of life. So we are coming together in the city, on the street, to celebrate. Its about getting together and praying, he said.

The pipe ceremony Saturday was one of a series of such occasional events. They are partly the brainchild of Winnipegs Aboriginal Youth Organization and shared with half a dozen grassroots community groups.

We want to celebrate young men like Ninondawah who are pipe carriers who want to share our traditions with everyone, said North End indigenous community advocate Michael Champagne.

Ive been going to sun dances and fasting ceremonies all my life. But here, in the city, were losing our way of life Ninondawah Richard

This is a youth pipe ceremony, #prayers on Main, he quipped, but he wasnt really joking. Social media such as Twitter and Facebook are the communication networks for youth and grassroots leaders.

Champagne is best known for community-building, Friday evening gatherings at the Selkirk Avenue bell tower, called Meet Me at the Bell Tower.

Others who attended Saturday said bringing indigenous ceremonies to the streets is a way to counter the violence, addictions and despair in the heart of some of the citys most impoverished neighbourhoods.

The ceremony lasted about two hours, drawing curious stares from passengers in buses, friendly honks from motorists and more than a few people walking by who accepted handshakes and sat down on the pavement to take part in the ceremony. Strangely, nobody had to ask what to do, they just took it in.

The pipe ceremony began with a sage smudge carried around to participants who gathered in a circle, sitting on the bare pavement around the comforter where the pipes and drums were placed. Waving the smoke from the sage is done as a purification rite. One by one, people introduced themselves and said a few words, passing around a wooden talking stick, buffered and polished from being passed around hand to hand in countless sharing circles.

Only then were the pipes lit and the prayers said silently, the pipe stems pointed up, down and around to take everyone and everything into a sacred circle of life.

ZACHARY PRONG / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS People share food after the pipe ceremony.

I was just walking by, said a woman who introduced herself as Lisa.

I think its really good to bring these ceremonies out here.

Another was introduced as a man whod stopped a man from jumping off the Salter Street bridge.

Aaron Stevens drew smiles with his response, delivering a short speech in a strong voice about how discovering his ancestors culture was helping him stay sober and drug-free for the first time in his life.

I cant wait to hear what the judge has to say about all this, he added, drawing a burst of laughter.

Stevens faces break-and-enter charges and the prospect of jail time, another first in his life.

ZACHARY PRONG / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Wyatt Primrose, 4, plays on the sidewalk.

It was the police who told me I was a good person, the people I feared and hated the most. And they saved my life, Stevens said after the pipes were bundled back up in their bags of cloth and beaded leather.

Im 37, but I feel like Im a 13-year-old scared little kid whos growing up.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 14/08/2016 (2266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This is a perfect moment for the crisis in Ukraine to heat up, and worrying developments are afoot, prompting fears Russian President Vladimir Putin might be planning an invasion or some other kind of hostile action against Kyiv after all.

On Wednesday, Russias secret police, the Federal Security Service (FSB), said it had prevented a series of terror attacks in Crimea, and one of its operatives and a Russian soldier were killed in several shootouts with what the FSB says were agents of the Ukrainian defence ministrys intelligence directorate. The FSB didnt elaborate on the foiled attacks but said it had seized a cache of weapons and explosives and arrested a Ukrainian military intelligence operative named Yevgeny Panov.

The FSB announcement would normally be only moderately troubling. Russia has reported attempted Ukrainian terror attacks in Crimea before, though it has never directly blamed authorities in Kyiv. But it was Putins emotionally charged language that raised alarm bells.

ALEXEI DRUZHININ / SPUTNIK Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting of the countrys top brass Thursday to discuss boosting security in Crimea.

The people who seized power in Kyiv and who continue to hold on to it, he said, have moved on to the practice of terror instead of looking for paths toward peaceful resolution.

Putin called off a Normandy format meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany, tentatively planned during the G20 summit in China early next month. He called on western powers to exert pressure on Ukraine to make it more interested in a true peaceful settlement and warned Russia would not look on at hostile action against it.

This is the most aggressive rhetoric on Ukraine from Putin this year. It suggests he is no longer vested in the Minsk peace process brokered by German Chancellor Angel Merkel and French President Francois Hollande.

Under that process, Russia is supposed to return control of Ukraines eastern border to Kyiv once Ukraine grants amnesties to pro-Russian separatist rebels, agrees to elections in the areas they hold and gives these regions broad autonomy. Yet Kyiv has dragged its feet on the elections, claiming (with some justification) they would be impossible to hold fairly in areas under de facto Russian control. So the semi-frozen conflict continues to claim lives every day.

That stalemate seemed to suit Putin fine. The persistent threat in the east destabilized Ukraine, limited its European-integration ambitions and put enough economic pressure on the government so it might be expected to collapse in the foreseeable future. Yet the status quo means Russia remains under western sanctions, and Ukraine is learning to live as a partitioned country, even showing some timid economic growth. Putin may be tempted to give the situation a push.

This is a good time for him to do it. The U.S. is embroiled in a contentious presidential election campaign, and one of the candidates, Donald Trump, has stated his preference for not playing an active part in the Ukrainian situation. In France, which faces an election of its own in eight months, a series of deadly terror attacks has made domestic security the top priority for voters. Germany has faced several attacks, too, and though they were less severe than the French ones, Merkel is still preoccupied with security in addition to her Brexit-related concerns as Europes de facto leader. Ukraine is on the periphery of western leaders attention.

Besides, the Olympics are on, and thats an ominous sign. During the Beijing Games of 2008, Russia overran Georgia. During the Sochi Winter Games in 2014, the Crimea annexation was planned.

DAVID GOLDMAN / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES A woman wears a shirt reading Trump Putin 16 while waiting for Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump to speak at a campaign event.

In Ukraine, there has been a wave of angry denials of the FSB report. Oleksandr Turchynov, head of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, called it a hysterical lie. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared the report pointless and cynical and said Ukraine was dedicated to restoring its territorial integrity and sovereignty, including the cessation of the occupation of Crimea, exclusively by political and diplomatic means.

What actually happened in Crimea is not easy to figure out. The Atlantic Councils Digital Forensic Research Lab attempted to find digital traces of the shootouts that reportedly led to the two Russian deaths. It failed to find much evidence anyone in Crimea had witnessed the firefights and drew parallels between reports of armed Russian deserters on the loose in Crimea and the FSB information about Ukrainian saboteurs who, according to the Russian government-owned newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, had been planning to blow up a major highway.

Panov, the alleged Ukrainian operative arrested by the FSB in Crimea, has been identified as a truck driver who had served in the Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine. One of his friends, a businessman, claimed it was he who had sent Panov to Crimea to check on some real estate the businessman owned there.

Of course, one cannot entirely dismiss the possibility of Ukrainian attacks in Crimea. Last year, Kyiv looked on as Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian nationalists blew up transmission towers near the border to cut off power supply to the occupied peninsula.

But its just as easy to suspect Russia of staging the whole thing to establish a casus belli. False Russian accusations toward Ukraine to justify future retaliation? Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius wrote on Twitter. Vladimir Milov, a Russian anti-Putin politician, likened the incident to the Nazi false-flag operation in the Silesian town of Gleiwitz just before the Second World War began. A group of German intelligence officers dressed in Polish uniforms briefly seized a radio station in the town, which then belonged to Germany, to broadcast a message in Polish. The idea was to blame Poland for the attack and use it to justify an invasion.

Of course, Putin is talking rather than shooting or moving tanks, and that likely means no large-scale operation is imminent. Yet the Russian leader clearly wants Poroshenko and his western allies to worry. This is a signal Russia is getting restless with the current peace deal. It forced the first ceasefire in eastern Ukraine by helping the separatists defeat the Ukrainian army at Ilovaysk, and it forced its renegotiation on more favourable terms by assisting another rebel push in the Debaltsevo area. It wouldnt be unrealistic to expect a quantitative leap in fighting around Donetsk and Luhansk so Russia could reenergize the negotiation process and perhaps get even better terms.

RUSSIAN FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE PRESS SERVICE In an image taken from video, a handcuffed man identified as Yevgeny Panov, suspected of being involved in a group identified as Ukrainian saboteurs, is led by FSB officers.

Leonid Bershidsky, a Bloomberg View contributor, is a Berlin-based writer.

 Bloomberg
WASECA (AP)  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 hadnt 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.

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 Ive met has been a very agreeable person, LaDue said. I dont doubt their credentials at all, but I think theyre wrong. I think I know whats in my best interests.

LaDue said he doesnt go out much, but has run into some former teachers in the community and said he was greeted cordially. But he said hes not trying to win the hearts of everyone.

I dont really know people here so I dont 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.

LaDues father, David, told the newspaper his son had matured a lot and that the family was doing great. He didnt respond to a text message from The Associated Press.

Waseca is about 70 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
Along Third Street in downtown Winona, in front of a small storefront with purple curtains framing the windows, is a sign that hangs over the sidewalk with three words: New Beginnings Church.

On a stage lining the front of the church inside is a drum set, a piano, a bass guitar, speakers and a saxophone.

The man who plays the saxophone on Sundays is Pastor Warren Green. Today marks his 20th year anniversary in ministry.

To celebrate, Pastor Green and the church are hosting a block party along Third Street which will feature a Zumbathon, gospel singing, kids activities, and a huge water balloon fight. (Full disclosure: Im a part of the celebration, and attend the church with my family.)

Typically dressed in a pressed suit and tie  one of many hes kept in immaculate condition over the last few decades  Pastor Green and his two daughters, Latrisha Green and Zariyah Chude, begin each Sunday with heartfelt gospel music that has been known to bring listeners to tears.

After he steps out from behind the saxophone, Pastor Greens lively, interactive and sometimes unorthodox sermons begin.

During his sermons Pastor Green is the first to admit that walking in faith  as a pastor these last 20 years, and well before  isnt easy.

It has had its ups and downs, he said.

Sometimes its lonely

Being pastor is the loneliest job you can ever be in, Green said.

Pastors are held to a higher standard, he said, even though theyre growing as a person just like everyone else, going through their own spiritual challenges.

A lot of times people think pastors shouldnt go through anything because they are one-on-one with God, Warren said. Its really difficult to admit youre having a problem.

When mistakes do come to light, it can turn people away from the church, he said, which causes hurt in a deep place, because of how much of his heart is invested in his work.

You can do 10,000 things right as a pastor, but one thing people see as wrong, and they unassociate, he said.

Sometimes Gods company is apparent

God always shows up, Warren said.

But sometimes not when hed imagine  or even prefer.

He was taking a trip, the first time he was called out of state to preach.

New York City. A big church. The Big Apple.

Six weeks before the trip he sat down to prepare his sermon. Nothing came. No inspiration. His notebook sat blank.

Two weeks before: still nothing.

He got to New York and then the church, three stories high with a balcony.

Packed with people.

I am now going up to the podium, he recalled, and Ive got nothing.

He had always told himself if something like that happened, he wouldnt fake a sermon.

He would sing a song, give a testimony, sit down.

So he sang. And he gave his testimony. And he went to close his Bible before sitting down.

But just as he did, he looked down at the pages and a verse popped out at him. It hit his heart with inspiration and before he knew, people were clapping and jumping out of their seats.

It was probably the best sermons of my life, he said.

After that, he realized it wasnt his place to come up with a plan for his sermons.

I do not sit down and plan out a message two weeks in advance, he said. How can God work if youve already got the plan?

Sometimes its heartbreaking

In 1975 Warren fell in love with his high-school sweetheart in North Carolina.

By his description, she was five foot two on a bad hair day and cute as a button.

At 20, after a few years of courting, he borrowed his boss car to take her on a date to the carnival, engagement ring in hand. It was a beautiful night, he recalled, and they rode the Ferris wheel to the top, where it stopped for a moments view. The moon glistened off the ocean, the breeze blew gentle on their faces.

He turned to her and proposed. She said yes.

We were on top of the world, Warren said.

Even when the Ferris wheel came down, I was high.

Two months after they married, she was pregnant with their son, who was born in February 1979. Thats when his wife began suffering from unusual pain  so much so that when nurses brought their son in to see her, she asked them to come back later.

The next day she died, of a blood clot, without ever meeting her son.

Warrens world fell apart. For many months he didnt go to church.

I loved God, but I didnt want a lot to do with him, he said.

Sometimes it pieces the heart back together

In 1982, Warren remarried and had a daughter, Zariyah Chude. After her birth, doctors told the couple they wouldnt have any other children.

In their heart, they felt they were meant to have another.

For the first time in years, Warren took a step in faith. He asked the church in North Carolina he and his wife were in to pray over them.

They did.

The next year they bore their second daughter, Latrisha Green.

It was a turning point, he said, a moment when he started to walk again closer with God.

God answered that prayer, Warren said. I said he still do love me and he still hear my cry.

Sometimes Gods plan is apparent

In 2007, Warren was invited to a jail ministry board meeting  a program that brings Bible study into the Winona County jail.

Little did he know that the man running it, Roger Horning, was battling cancer and looking for someone to take over. A few meetings later Roger asked if Warren would be interested, and, honored at the thought, Warren said yes.

He was nervous his first time going into the jail. He had a certain perception of those in jail. But after talking with the inmates he began to see another side.

I just began to see these were just guys, he said. Guys who made mistakes. And you begin to look over your own life and say, I could have been here, too.

At a later board meeting, Warren asked the group what they were doing to help the men after they got out of jail.

How can we talk about the love of Jesus when theyre in jail, if we dont show them the love of Jesus when they get out? Warren said.

It was apparent the men getting out of jail needed a place to stay, guidance in getting back on their feet. It just so happened the building New Beginnings Church was in had an entire back half that could be made into apartments.

Church leaders had originally blueprinted it as a place for a church-run daycare.

God said, Oh, yes, itll be a daycare, Warren said.

Not that kinda daycare, though.

In 2009  after pouring all of his savings into the project, as well as nearly $25,000 raised from the community  Fresh Start of Winona was established as a halfway house to help men get on their feet through obtaining GEDs, going to church, helping them find jobs (and driving them to those jobs), and helping them get into college.

During a recent interview, Warren got up from his chair behind the Fresh Start desk and walked over to a file cabinet, where he pulled out a drawer packed with files, each with a name.

All these people have had life-changing experiences, he said with a smile. They went back to college, they got jobs supporting their families.

Sometimes, not so much

After closing the full drawer of files, he opened another right above it, containing just as many years of records, but only filling a quarter of the drawer.

In 2013 the rules attached to Fresh Starts program were changed. Instead of being titled a halfway house, Fresh Start was labeled as a hotel/motel, which meant the program wasnt allowed to require the men to seek GEDs or find a job or plan for the future.

I cant require them to do anything, he said. I cant even invite them to church.

The only authority he believes he has over them is enforcing a curfew.

Its left him feel at a loss. He wants to run his programs, not feel like at times hes running, in his words, a flop house.

The change has hit him hard, he said, because hes invested so much of his heart, life and money into the program to help men rebuild their lives.

Im kinda at a loss with my purpose, he said.

Sometimes the only way to get through is by praising

So when the 20-year anniversary of being in ministry arrived, Warren wasnt exactly ecstatic to celebrate.

Part of him wanted to wallow, to retreat.

Instead, hes forcing himself to do the opposite.

We learn our greatest lessons during our greatest battles, he said. And no matter what is going on in your life, God deserves glory.

So today at the block party, he plans to dance. To sing. To praise.

The best way to get out of the storm is by praising, he said.

Thats why he wanted to invite the public. Because if hes sure of anything, hes sure of this: Hes not the only one going through a storm.

Were going to praise our way through, he said.

A smile spread across his face.

Were going to Zumba our way through, he added enthusiastically. Water-balloon fight our way through.

Praise our way through.
He came, he saw, he left

A doctor, who is on the fugitive list of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) for possessing fake academic credentials, recently returned to Nepal, met with Speaker of Parliament Onsari Magar and left the country dodging the police.
Himalayas mistreated

Instead of conquering sacred mountains, we should be conquering our social and political ills
The Star Wars actor was known for playing R2-D2

British actor Kenny Baker, best known for his role as R2-D2 in the Star Wars franchise, passed away on August 13 at the age of 81. Baker was found dead on Saturday morning by his nephew.

His niece, Abigail Shield, told The Guardian: It was expected, but its sad nonetheless. 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.

She also revealed the actor could not attend the latest Star Wars premiere due to his ongoing illness.

She said: 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 LA 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.

While many predicted an early demise for Baker during his younger years, he actually managed to live a long and relatively healthy life.

Shield continued: 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. 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.

Baker had also appeared in other popular properties such as Time Bandits and The Elephant Man.
The actor says a girl should occasionally make the first move

Zac Efron believes that men should not always take the initiative in asking a girl out and would appreciate it if a lady ever made the first move.

The 28-year-old star  who split from Sami Miro earlier this year  told Heat magazine: I think its fine for girls to ask boys out. I actually prefer it.

The Hollywood hunk also admitted hes rather predictable when dating, as he cant easily hide his feelings toward a girl he likes.

He said: A girl can tell I like her when I blush or start telling bad jokes.

However, he has no problem disclosing his feelings and being upfront, saying: Im not afraid to cry. Not all of the time. But when Im watching a movie, Ill sometimes shed a tear.

The star was once embarrassed for mixing up someone elses fiance and mistaking her for his date.

He shared: I was walking behind somebody who I thought was the girl I Was at a party with, and I lifted her up and whirled her around and it was not my date.

It was somebodys fiancee and the guy in question was not amused. I had to apologize and everyone seemed upset. That wasnt fun.

The Baywatch actor also says that finding a suitable date isnt always easy, as they often lack the qualities he is generally attracted to.

You think you want a specific quality and you end up falling in love with somebody who doesnt have that at all. But you know, everybody is different and has qualities you need to accept, he stated.
Christy Lynn Jaski

By: Mahesh Sarin

(Scroll down for video) A mother of four girls will have to register as a sex offender after she admitted to molesting a boy she was in the process of adopting.

43-year-old Christy Lynn Jaski and her husband of North Carolina, were in the process of adopting a 14-year-old boy from the Philippines.

The incident came to light when Jaski told her friend in the Philippines, that she french kissed aher son.a

When asked if things between them went beyond kissing, the woman admitted that she groped the boy. When the boy was questioned, he said that Jaski lied down on top of him when he was in bed.

Jaski of Wilmington, pleaded guilty to three counts of misdemeanor sexual battery.

As part of her plea deal, she was sentenced to three years of probation, and she must also register as a sex offender for 30 years.

Jaski is married, and has four daughters between 11 and 18 years old. Two of the girls were adopted from China. Jaski travels with her husband who works for a non-profit organization that promotes Christianity on college campuses.
The suspect on fire

By: Mahesh Sarin

(Scroll down for video) A man attempted to burn down a store , but instead, he set himself on fire.

Police in Kentucky, are now looking for the man and a female accomplice, who was seen on video vandalizing the business.

Police said that the would-be arsonist was trying to torch a barbershop when he accidentally set himself on fire instead.

Surveillance videos around the store show a white van pulling up to the front of the business. A woman got out of the vehicle and used a tool to break a window.

When her job was done, the driver got out and threw a Molotov cocktail.

However, when launching the homemade device, the man set his legs on fire. He began running until the fire was out. He also kicked one of his shoes off during the ordeal.

The man then returned to his car for another Molotov cocktail. He only managed to set fire to the outside of the business before driving off.
India flags off 2 cargo vessels from Varanasi to Haldiya

India on Friday laid the foundation stone for an inland waterway terminal in Varanasi and flagged off a trial run of two cargo vessels from Varanasi to Haldiya Port near Kolkata which touches Nepals two major riversKoshi and Gandaki.
Johnny Depp shouts at Amber Heard?

A video has emerged appearing to show actor Johnny Depp arguing with his estranged wife Amber Heard. But those close to the actor claim the video is "heavily edited".
TIFTON, GA. (WTXL)-- The City of Tifton has filed a lawsuit against Tift County after the county decided to join the two fire departments.

According to reports, the city says the county is responding to city emergency calls, even after opting for the merger.

The lawsuit claims the county is breaking the law for providing services in the city without a contract.

In a statement released by Tift County they stated that, "GEORGIA LAW OBLIGATES TIFT COUNTY TO PERFORM THE SERVICES IN THIS EMS ZONE."
Kristen Stewart had panic attacks due to fame

Actress Kristen Stewart, who shot to fame in 2008 with popular franchise Twilight, says she used to get panic attacks while struggling to deal with the sudden fame she attained.
YAKIMA, Wash. -- A community center in Yakima will be renamed next week for a longtime activist and city official.
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Seven Jewish visitors were detained and removed from the Temple Mount after breaking the rules for visiting the holy site on Sunday morning, while over 300 Jewish visitors were allowed into the complex during the fast of Tisha B'Av.

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While police was removing the Jewish visitors from the site, Muslims started crowding around them and calling out insults. The police pushed back the crowd and accompanied the group to the exit from the complex. Several of the Muslim worshipers were also detained and removed from the site.

The Second Temple was destroyed and the people of Israel exiled from their home 2000 years ago. The Jewish people remember the death, destruction and devastation every year with a fast on Tisha B'Av (9th of the Jewish month of Av).

Jewish worshipers, including MK Yehoda Glick, praying outside the Temple Mount complex (Photo: Returning to the Mount)

Starting Saturday night and continuing throughout the day Sunday, worshipers at the Kotel have been reading the Book of Lamentations, as well as lamentations written following the destruction of the Temple. Because studying Torah is considered a joyous activity, it is not permitted on Tisha B'Av.

Thousands of people arrived at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Saturday night to mark Tisha B'Av by praying at the last remnant of the Second Temple, with thousands more expected to arrive throughout the day Sunday.

Worshipers mourn at the Western Wall (:  )

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"We've come to speak to the Holy One Blessed be He, ask for His forgiveness, and tell Him that we love Him and remember Him, and that we wish this would be the last time," said Eden from Jerusalem, who arrived at the Western Wall at the end of Shabbat. "Whoever mourns for Jerusalem will be meritorious and will see its rejoicing."

Eden said her prayers on that night were "for peace among the people of Israel, and for the end of all stupid disputes between us. Let us always know how to come together and be united, because this is what the Holy One Blessed be He wants. Fasting is not worth anything if it doesn't come from the heart."

"I wish for us to always be united and happy, and know how to accept the other," she added.

Tisha B'Av prayers at the Western Wall (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)

Hovav from Jerusalem comes to the Western Wall every year on Tisha B'Av. "It's a special feeling to see the entire people of Israel here every Tisha B'Av, coming to mourn the destruction of the Temple," he said. "We're glad for the fact we were blessed to be able to come here freely and pray for a new Temple to be built soon, in our time."

According to custom, worshipers sit on low chairs or on the floorwith some even sleeping on the floorto signify the suffering of the mourning. At the synagogue, the Book of Lamentations is read in low lighting, and at times even by candle light.

Tisha B'Av is considered the most difficult of the several fasts which are dotted on the Jewish calendar because it begins the previous night and is set in the summertime. It is the second most important fast of the yearsecond only to Yom Kippur. In addition to the fasting, it is customary to avoid bathing, wearing leather shoes, or having relations.

Since Tisha B'Av coincides with Shabbat this year, the fast was postponed to Sunday, as mourning is strictly prohibited on Shabbat.

The mourning is not limited to the Western Wall. Millions of Jews in Israel and all over the world mark the day by fasting.

On Saturday night, special gatherings were held across the country, bringing together people from different sectors in an effort to end gratuitous hatred, which, according to Jewish belief is what led to the destruction of the Second Temple. The most notable of these events was one titled "Tonight, We Do Not Study Torah."

Gathering at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

One such gathering has been taking place for three nights in a row at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, where notable figures have attended such as poet Erez Biton, former education minister Yuli Tamir, the head of the Otniel hesder yeshiva Rabbi Re'em Ha'Cohen, Natan Meirwho is the husband of terror victim Dafna Meirthe heads of religious youth group Bnei Akiva and secular youth group the Working and Studying Youth, as well as teenagers and adults from different parts of society.
MILWAUKEE - Protesters hurled bricks, fired gunshots and set a gas station on fire in Milwaukee on Saturday night hours after a patrol officer shot and killed an armed suspect during a pursuit that followed a traffic stop, authorities said.

Milwaukee police said a uniformed officer had opened fire while chasing the man after an afternoon traffic stop. Neither the race of the suspect nor the officer were disclosed by authorities, though the dead man's age was given as 23 years.

The incident occurred in one of the city's most impoverished, and predominantly African-American, neighborhoods.

The suspect, who the department said had a lengthy arrest record, was armed with a stolen handgun. It did not say whether the man fired any shots during the incident. Mayor Tom Barrett said the gun was loaded with 23 rounds.
A truck driver was questioned by police on Sunday on suspicion he fatally shot a man who allegedly tried to steal his vehicle.

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The 64-year-old driver recounted the incident that happened in the early hours of Sunday outside his home in Moshav Beit Elazari in central Israel, saying he came out of his house after hearing suspicion noises.

"I saw three figures and I shouted at them to leave. Instead they started talking in Arabic and then approached me and threatened me. I ran away and tripped as a result. I then fired several shots into the air and they ran away. I went back into the house and immediately called the police," he said.

Police forensics at the field where the body was found (Photo: Ori Davidovitz)

The driver claimed the three, who are suspected of trying to steal his truck, also threatened him with a crowbar.

A trail of blood led police to finding a man's body in a nearby field, but the driver said he was not aware of having hit any of them. Police suspect that the dead man, around 30 years old, was one of the would-be thieves.

The driver's lawyer, Ben-Zion Kevlar, said that "This is a peaceful and law abiding citizen who is going through the scariest and most Kafkaesque scenario possible. In the dead of night, someone tried to take his property and then tried to hurt him, and he defended himself. I'm sure the police will do their work well and see there is no room to suspect him of anything." Kevlar stressed the gun was licensed.

Police forensics at the field where the body was found (Photo: Ori Davidovitz)

Doron Shidlov, the head of the Brenner Regional Council where the incident occurred, said "residents in the regional council have to deal with burglary of their homes, their warehouses and their farmlands every daywhether by themselves or as part of an organized independent group. The residents risk their lives and stand as a human shield to protect their homes and property. The overall feeling is that of a lack of personal security. I call on the police to do everything in its power to protect the residents of Brener on a daily basis."

The truck driver might be able to use the "Dromi Law" in his defense. The law, passed in 2008, considers opposition to intruders as self-defense. The law does not apply, however, when this opposition was "patently unreasonable, under the circumstances, to stopping the intruder," or if one caused the intruders to enter the house.

The law was passed after an Israeli farmer, Shai Dromi, in an act of self-defense, shot and killed and intruder and wounded another in January 2007.
Several Muslim worshippers were removed from the Temple Mount complex and one held for questioning on Sunday after clashing with police and with Jews visiting the holy site on Tisha B'Av.

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Police dispersed the Muslim protesters after they started crowding around a group of Jewish visitors, calling "Allahu Akbar" and shouting insults at them.

After the confrontation, the site was closed for visitors. While police say the Temple Mount was closed at a scheduled time, right-wing activists claim it was closed earlier than planned and demanded to extend Jewish visitation hours for the day.

Clashes on Temple Mount

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"Terrorism must be defeated on the Temple Mount just like anywhere else, and the site should be open for Jews at all hours of the dayparticularly during the Tisha B'Av fast," the Joint Forum of Temple Mount Organizations said in a statement.

In addition, police arrested two Jews who broke the rules of visiting the site and detained for questioning 10 others. Police said 983 people visited the Temple Mount on Sunday morning, 400 of them Jews.

According to the Ir Amim NGO, which seeks to render Jerusalem a more equitable and sustainable city for the Israelis and Palestinians who share it, Muslim worshippers began shouting and threatening the Jewish visitors after the latter tried to pray on the Temple Mountsomething that is forbidden to Jews.

The NGO went on to say that when police officers tried to arrest one of the Muslim worshippers who were threatening the Jewish group, dozens of Muslims gathered around them, trying to disrupt the arrest.

"This morning's events show that the roots of the conflict remain on the Temple Mount," the NGO said. "Muslim worshippers are barely tolerating the fact Temple Mount activists visit the site. Meanwhile, it is not enough for the Temple Mount activists to just visit the site and they take advantage of their visit to challenge the police and the status quo. A month and a half before the High Holy Days, what happened today should serve as a warning."

According to Jewish belief, both the First and Second Temples were destroyed and the people of Israel exiled from their home after the destruction of the Second Temple 2000 years ago. The Jewish people remember the death, destruction and devastation every year with a fast on Tisha B'Av (9th of the Jewish month of Av).

Starting Saturday night and continuing throughout the day Sunday, worshippers at the Western Wall have been reading from the Book of Lamentations, as well as lamentations written following the destruction of the Temple. Because studying Torah is considered a joyous activity, it is not permitted on Tisha B'Av.

According to custom, worshipers sit on low chairs or on the floorwith some even sleeping on the floorto signify the suffering of the mourning. At the synagogue, the Book of Lamentations is read in low lighting, and at times even by candle light.

Tisha B'Av is considered the most difficult of the several fasts which are dotted on the Jewish calendar because it begins the previous night and is set in the summertime. It is the second most important fast of the yearsecond only to Yom Kippur. In addition to the fasting, it is customary to avoid bathing, wearing leather shoes, or having relations.

Since Tisha B'Av coincides with Shabbat this year, the fast was postponed to Sunday, as mourning is strictly prohibited on Shabbat.
Thousands came out overnight Thursday and the next evening to Mitzpe Ramon, to Timna Park and to other locations in the south of the country to watch the largest meteor shower of the summer. Tens of millions gazed to the heavens across the world.

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:  -AFP

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Dr. Igal Patel, head of the Israeli Astronomical Association and the Givatayim Observatory explained that the Perseid meteors are one of the most popular meteor showers. This is due to their concentration and rate that occur at the height of summer.

Mitzpe Ramon (Photo: AFP)

From Mitzpe Ramon (Photo: Reuters)

From Mitzpe Ramon (Photo: Reuters)

From Mitzpe Ramon (Photo: Shir Presser)

Kfar Hanokdim (Photo: Joni Gritzner)

Eshkol National Park (Photo: Israel Nature and Parks Authority)

The name of the comet that causes the Perseid meteors is 109P/Swift Tuttle. The last time that it reached its perihelion (the closest point in its orbit to the sun) was in 1992, resulting in rich meteor showers from 1991 to 2000 (with a rate of hundreds of meteors per hours).





Madrid (Photo: Reuters)

Bosnia (Photo: Reuters)

Austria (Photo: EPA)

Patel added that because of the rules of perspective, it appears that all the meteors appear to come from one spot in space, the radiant, just as railroad tracks seem to meet in the distance. Each meteor shower leaving from a certain point in space is named for the star cluster where the radiant is located. Hence, the August showers earned their name from the Perseus cluster.
Three sections of the state budget and Arrangements Bill have been approved by the government (with no "nay" votes or abstentions): the expenses section, the income section, and the "reforms" section.

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The expenses section, which is expected to become law after Knesset approval, includes a mix of cuts and additions. The most significant cut comes under the subsection called "prioritization of government ministry expenses ahead of budgetary discussions for the years 2017-2018, and meeting the totality of government obligations for 2016." Crystal clear, no?

But don't give up yet. The basic essence of this section is simple: A 2% cut in the state budget this year, and another 2% next year. Keep in mind, dear ministers, the fact that you agreed in practice to cut NIS 2 billion from the entire 2016 budget. That means you'll have to cut about 4%-5% of what you have left, since some of the budget was already used earlier in the year. And after this is done, you'll have to go right back and do it again. After all, you agreed to cut another 2% next year off the already-cut budget of this year.

Knesset vote on the two-year budget. (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

However, these longitudinal cuts are entirely unnecessary. Their cost is much higher than their benefit. The Finance Ministry claims the cuts are necessary to prevent the budget deficit from growing, but from a macroeconomic viewpoint there's basically no difference between a deficit that's 2.9% of GDP and one that's 3.1% of GDP. This is a small number decrease that will cause great social suffering.

In order to squeeze out the ministers' agreement to the longitudinal budget cuts, they were promised a number of unique additions. Most (but not all) of these are aimed at worthy social causes. The biggest winner here is Minister of Health Yakov Litzman: He gets to kill the lame idea of taxing advanced health plans, as well as receiving long-term sums to support the expansion of the state-subsidized medicine list, the shortening of waiting times, and the overall functioning of the public health system.

The biggest loser here is Minister of Education Naftali Bennett: The extended school-day idea is once again being pushed off into the possible future, ultra-Orthodox education institutions won't have to teach core subjects in order to receive state funding, and Israeli universities will continue to operate on borrowed time. In contrast to the prime minister and education minister's statements, this two-year budget features a grave lack of economic growth engines, especially when it comes to public investments. These are lower than their international equivalents, both as far as government goals and practical actions are concerned.

This budget was cooked in a dense political kitchen, filled with large clouds of accountant smoke. That's why we'll only know the bottom line of each ministry's budget, and the particulars of each individual project's statuswhose budget was reduced and whose was increased.

Health Ministe Yaakov Litzman. The biggest winner of the longitudinal budget cuts. (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

And still, it should be said that the expenses section does an excellent job as far as transparency, economic logic, and social attitude are concerned, compared to the incomes section, which seems like an improvised patchwork. The Finance Ministry outdid itself with the incomes section, and not in a good way.

The special tax levied on third apartments and over, given the intentionally-confusing name of "multiple asset tax" ("mas nechasim merubim" in Hebrew. -ed), has been slightly modified, but remains distorted. In the past, Finance Ministry higher-ups would fiercely fight the idea of taxing apartmentsand apartments alone, no other asset such as lands, office space, or financial investmentsaccording to their number rather than their value. This year, they bent their professional heads down in the face of popular will.

The same goes for the strange decision to reduce taxes on people with low and middle-range incomes, since Israel already taxes them at a rate that is one of the lowest in the West, if not the very lowest. The idea of forcing private companies to hand out dividends to shareholderseven if they don't want tojust so the state could tax said dividends (and, by the way, the fate of this idea is not yet known) seems like it was copied from some dictatorship's law book. Changing the way kibbutzim are taxed, if approved by the Knesset, will probably lead to a challenge in the courtsone that the state will likely lose.

And then there are proposals that are just shy of outright absurdity, such as collecting all municipal rates payments from government offices into a national fund, and distributing the collected money according to the needs of different municipalities, not the physical location of state structures. This idea flies in the face of the fact that municipal rates are distinctly locality-based taxes; there's no justification for turning it into a nationally-based funding scheme. You want to improve the state of smaller, isolated towns? Bring government facilities over there, just as the IDF is doing with its new large-scale training base in the Negev. But that's hard to do, while playing around with municipal rates is easy.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett. The biggest loser of the longitudinal budget cuts.of the longitudinal budget cuts. (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

And what of the many "reforms" that come in two different packages this yearthe Arrangements Bill and the budget proposal? The proposed changes to the communications field were included in the Arrangements Bill, but the changes in the relationships between health service companies and hospitals were included in the budget proposal, perhaps so that the Arrangements Bill won't seem too bloated.

Most proposed changes in both packages are reasonable and necessary, but their place is not in discussions about government budgets or in the Finance Ministry's office meetings, but in initiatives taken by different government ministries. The Ministry of the interior, for example, should have initiated the (miniscule) reduction in balancing giveaways to local Jewish municipalities in the territories, the Economy Ministry should have taken on the reduction in the market's emergency supply stores, and the Communications Ministry should have made the changes in its field on its own. The question arises: Why do you even need ministries and ministers in the state of Israel if the Finance Ministry and the person at its head eventually rule over all?

Finance Ministe Moshe Kahlon. (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)

And in general, all of the "reforms" detailed in the budget will place more burdensome regulations on the shoulders of the Israeli market. It's quite well known that when the government of Israel says "adding efficiency" what it means is "adding regulations." Because according to our government, efficiency means adding regulations, instructions, legislation, and clerks. The number of regulatory employees has grown by 300% in the past decade.

And in contrast to the fogginess of the actual budget, we can praise the section of macro-economic predictions by the Finance Ministry's head economist. It's a professionally written, deep-delving chapter that doesn't shy away from assessing the various risks facing the Israeli markets and their possible effects on the budget. I heartily recommend that people read it, if for no other reason than so that they may witness the fact that the 2017-2018 budget reflects a still-strong Israeli economy, but also one that is weakening.
Man commits suicide after killing wife

A person committed suicide after killing his wife in Baitadi district Sunday afternoon.
Kurdish Peshmerga forces launched a fresh attack on Islamic State (ISIS) forces early on Sunday as part of a campaign to capture Mosul, the militants' de facto capital in Iraq, Kurdish officials said.

The advance began after heavy shelling and air strikes by a United States-led coalition against IS forces, a Reuters correspondent reported from Wardak, 30 km (19 miles) southeast of Mosul. The militants fought back, firing mortars at the advancing troops and detonating at least two car bombs.

A Peshmerga commander said a dozen villages had been taken from the ultra-hardline Sunni militants as Kurdish forces headed towards Gwer, the target of the operation, 40 km (25 miles) southeast of Mosul.
Ministry set to sign PDA

The Ministry of Energy (MoE) is all set to sign Project Development Agreement (PDA) with Nepal Water and Energy Development Compa-ny (NWEDC) for the development of 216MW Upper Trish-uli-1 Hydroelectric Project.
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Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Education denied a request from the Center for Excellence in Higher Education (CEHE), a Utah-based chain of for-profit career colleges, to convert to non-profit status for purposes of federal financial student aid. The denial means that the colleges programs must continue to meet requirements under the federal Gainful Employment regulations.

This should send a clear message to anyone who thinks converting to non-profit status is a way to avoid oversight while hanging onto the financial benefits: Dont waste your time, said U.S. Education Secretary John B. King Jr.

The letter to CEHE is online here.

This denial does not directly affect the approximately 12,000 students who attend the four institutions owned by CEHE - Stevens-Henager in Utah and Idaho, CollegeAmerica Denver, CollegeAmerica Arizona, California College San Diego and CollegeAmerica Services - but it does mean that the Department will continue to limit the colleges to getting no more than 90 percent their revenue from Title IV federal student aid. It also means that the institutions must meet all federal regulations for for-profit colleges.

CEHE first applied for non-profit status with the Department in the fall of 2012. In reviewing that request, the Department determined that CEHE, which had been a small educational non-profit that did not provide educational services, acquired four for-profit college companies owned by the Carl Barney Living Trust. CEHE promised to pay the Trust more than $400 million dollars, and the colleges were merged into CEHE. When that happened, Mr. Barney became the board chairman of CEHE, and because of the way the transaction was structured, retained significant control of the colleges, despite the change in ownership to CEHE.

While CEHE is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit company, the colleges tuition revenue continues to flow to Mr. Barney through the Trust to pay off the debt that CEHE owes from acquiring the colleges, and through the rent that some of Mr. Barneys other companies receive as landlords for several of the college campuses. Under 34 C.F.R.  600.2 of the Higher Education Act regulations, non-profit institutions must be owned and operated by a non-profit where no part of the net earnings benefit any private shareholder or individual.

Schools that want to convert to non-profit status need to benefit the public, said U.S. Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell. If the primary beneficiary of the conversion is the owner of the for-profit school, that doesnt meet the bar. It's not even close.

Since 2012, the four institutions have continued participating in the Title IV financial aid programs on month-to-month agreements as for-profit institutions. In a letter to the companys CEO, Eric Juhlin, the Department approved the change in ownership that CEHE requested but continues to recognize Mr. Barney as maintaining significant control of the institutions and the Title IV revenue they produce.

During the review of the change in ownership request, the Department requested additional documentation from CEHE. The company provided information to the Department but marked much of it as confidential, and that information has been removed from copies of the letter made available for public review. Documents subject to CEHEs confidentiality designation would have to be requested for public review under the Freedom of Information Act.

During the time the applications were under review, risk factors identified in CEHEs financial statements - including a lawsuit against one of the institutions filed by the Colorado Attorney General - led the Department to require CEHE to provide a $42.9 million surety, which is 30 percent of the annual federal student aid funding for 2013 for the four institutions. That surety remains in place but is subject to adjustment based on CEHEs financial condition and other risks.

To qualify for federal student aid, the law requires that most for-profit programs and certificate programs at private non-profit and public institutions prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.
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Washington, DC - The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued an order late yesterday significantly expanding the opportunities for eligible Texas voters without specific forms of photo identification to cast valid ballots in upcoming elections

According to the order, eligible voters who face a reasonable impediment to obtaining specific forms of photo ID will be able to cast a regular ballot at the polls after signing a simple declaration and presenting a document from a more expansive list. This solutions echoes provisions already in federal law.

The order follows the outline of an agreement that the Justice Department reached with private plaintiffs and with the state of Texas. It implements changes in accordance with the July 20, 2016, decision by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, affirming an earlier ruling that the states 2011 photo identification law violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

Our democratic process depends on ensuring that eligible citizens can cast their votes without undue discriminatory hurdles, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. The courts interim remedy order is a very important step toward a process designed to provide that opportunity for hundreds of thousands of eligible Texans.

The challenged 2011 photo identification law allowed most registered Texas voters to cast a regular ballot at the polls only if they were able to show one of a few limited forms of photo ID, like a state-issued drivers license or a license to carry a handgun. The law also mandated that registered Texans could only use such ID if it was current or expired no more than 60 days beforehand. The federal court order now allows registered voters with the requisite ID to vote, even if that ID expired up to four years ago. It also allows registered voters who face a reasonable impediment to obtaining such ID to cast a regular ballot after signing a simple declaration and presenting a voter registration certificate, a certified birth certificate, a current utility bill, a bank statement, a government check, a paycheck or any other government document that displays the voters name and address.
Nepalis flocking to Tibetan haat bazaars

Chinese traders have set up annual haat bazaars on the Tibetan side of Hyajimar-Mugu and Kyatochhongra-Dolpa border points.
New York: A widely respected Bangladeshi imam and his assistant were shot dead in broad daylight by a lone gunman as they walked home after Saturday prayers in the Queens borough here, with the local community blaming the Islamophobia fanned by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for the attack.

Imam Maulana Akonjee and his assistant Thara Uddin were dressed in traditional Muslim attire when the killer approached them from behind and shot them at point-blank range, a New York police officer was quoted as saying by the New York Daily News.

Akonjee, 55, was shot in the head and died on the spot, while Uddin, 65, was died in hospital four hours later, the report said.

Many worshipers from the local Bangladeshi community mosque gathered at the murder scene to denounce the shooting as a hate crime.

That's not what America is about, Khairul Islam, a local, was quoted as saying by the report.

We blame Donald Trump for this . . . Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia.

Sources told the New York Daily News that the hate crimes task force of the city police would be investigating the shooting, but that it was too early to say it was indeed a hate crime.

CCTV camera images showed the shooting taking place at 1.55 p.m. The duo were approached from behind and shot by the gunman who then ran away, leaving his victims lying on the ground, close to Al-Furqan Jame Mosque from where they were returning home.

Police said witnesses who saw the killer said he still had the gun in his hand when he escaped after the killing.

Witnesses described the shooter as tall and Hispanic, carrying a large handgun, and wearing a dark blue shirt and short pants.

According to the report, local residents described the imam as a pious, well-regarded member of the community who was set to leave for Bangladesh in 10 days to attend his son's wedding. Both victims had three children each.
Washington: Republican Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence has a more positive image than Democratic Party pick Tim Kaine, a latest poll showed.

According to the Gallup poll released on Saturday, Pence is better known across the US as his image has grown significantly more positive over time than Kaine's. As of now, Republicans were embracing Pence more than the Democrats embraced Kaine, Xinhua news agency reported.

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

Pence, the Indiana governor received some nationwide media attention last year for signing a "religious freedom" law that the gay and lesbian community of that US state sharply criticised, 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 Pence 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 favourable ratings, Pence has gained substantially in net favourability, Gallup said.

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

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

The US senator from Virginia has a favourable rating of 33 per cent, up from 24 per cent before the convention. But his unfavourable rating has increased from 14 per cent to 30 per cent.

In the next three months, the country will continue to form opinions of Kaine and Pence, and their images may be affected by the forthcoming Vice Presidential debate on October 4 at Longwood University in Virginia, Gallup added.
Manila: Bangladesh`s central bank has said it is withholding findings of investigations into the cyber theft of $81 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) 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 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.

"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)


Bangkok: Thai police hunting the culprits behind a wave of deadly blasts that rocked tourist destinations and killed four said Sunday they "know who was behind" the attacks.

Police said two men have been held for questioning over the blasts in Hua Hin -- a resort town struck by four bombs -- with a third questioned over a suspected arson attack in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

Officers, who have ruled out terrorism, said the investigation was preliminary and refused to identify the detained as suspects, or offer a possible motive.

Some analysts suggest the blasts are most likely connected to a simmering insurgency in Thailand`s southern tip, pitting Muslim rebels against the state, but police have said foreign or local terrorist groups were not behind the attacks and have instead labelled them act of "local sabotage".

"Our investigation is progressing. We know who was behind it," deputy police spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang told AFP Sunday, declining to provide further details.

No one has claimed responsibility for at least 11 small explosives and series of suspected arson attacks that ripped across core tourist hubs Thursday night and Friday morning, killing four locals and wounding dozens, including European tourists.

Thailand has also been wracked by a bitter power struggle between a military-allied elite and populist forces loyal to the ousted government.

The recent blasts, many of them detonated by mobile phones, came as an affront to a junta that prides itself on bringing a measure of stability to Thailand since its 2014 power grab.

The attacks also came only days after the junta won a referendum vote on a new charter it drafted.

The document, which critics said would make Thailand less democratic, was approved by voters living in the bomb-hit provinces.

The only regions to reject it were the north and northeast -- strongholds of the ousted government -- and the three insurgent-torn provinces in the deep south.

The southern conflict zone -- the only Muslim-majority area in Buddhist Thailand -- sees regular bombings and shootings, but the violence seldom leaks outside the three provinces bordering Malaysia.

The insurgency has killed more than 6,500 in the past decade but rarely makes international news and falls on the sidelines of Thailand`s core political crisis.

Tourist hubs have also been spared turbulence from the kingdom`s two rival political factions, who have held repeated rounds of mass protests in Bangkok over the past decade, often marred by streetside gunfights and grenade attacks.

But the violence has not matched the coordinated nature of the recent bombings.

The attacks in tourist towns threaten a vital source of income for the country. Thailand 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.
Guwahati: At least seven wild buffaloes were found dead in the famous Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Sunday following the outbreak of deadly anthrax, a media report said.

According to CNN-News18, Kaziranga park authorities today confirmed the outbreak of the deadly bacterial infection among animals in Kaziranga following floods that hit the state recently.

Further details awaited.
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 Delhi's 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.
New Delhi: Security forces were on high alert in the Indian capital ahead of Independence Day celebrations on Monday, with some 45,000 personnel deployed across the city, officials said on Sunday.

Besides securing the Red Fort and its environs, security has also been stepped up all across the capital, in particular shopping areas, malls and places where people gather in large numbers.

A ground-to-air security apparatus is in place around the 17th century Red Fort from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation for a third time, the officials said.

Police barriers have come up on scores of roads in Delhi to check vehicles and motorists.

Residential areas facing the Red Fort have been sanitized, an official said. Both in Delhi and neighbouring areas, police have checked hotels and guest houses.

The Mughal monument and areas within a five-kilometre radius is being covered by about 9,000 security personnel from Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and the National Security Guard (NSG).

On Monday, scores of VVIPs will attend the Red Fort event. They will include senior political figures, diplomats and military personnel besides thousands of civilians including school students.

Besides ground personnel, an air defence mechanism has been put in place in and around the venue.

The main event during India's 70th Independence Day celebration on Monday will be held at the Red Fort.

Over 500 CCTVs have been installed in and around Red Fort. High-resolution cameras have been mounted on the sprawling monument.

The police have got some 3,000 trees trimmed in the venue keeping security considerations in view.

Security officials have also been deployed at major markets, airport, railway stations, the inter-state bus terminals, Delhi Metro stations and places of strategic importance.

Road leading to Red Fort -- Netaji Subhash Marg, S.P. Mukherjee Marg, Chandni Chowk Road, Nisad Raj Marg and Link Road -- will be out of bounds for general traffic for four hours from 5 a.m. on Monday.
No change in policy on Bhutanese refugees

A senior CPN (Maoist Centre) leader and former deputy prime minister and foreign minister has said that the incumbent government and his party stand by Nepals existing policy on Bhutanese refugees that only accepts repatriation and resettlement as viable options.
New Delhi: Delhi Police, which had earlier stepped up vigil around the Rashtrapati Bhavan after a tip-off about a suspicious bag outside the complex, has given all-clear after no such article was found following a thorough search of the area.

A high security alert was immediately sounded after an anonymous caller had alerted the police about a suspicious bag outside Gate No I of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

However, nothing was found there after a thorough search of the area, ANI reported.

The authorities had deployed a bomb squad and at least five fire tenders at the spot to manage the situation while an extensive search operation was carried out.

The security forces are on high alert in the national capital on Sunday on the eve of Independence Day, with some 45,000 personnel were deployed across the city.

Besides securing the Red Fort and its environs, security has also been stepped up across the capital, in particular shopping areas, malls and places where people gather in large numbers.

A ground-to-air security apparatus is in place around the 17th century Red Fort from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation for a third time, officials said.

Police barriers have come up on scores of roads in Delhi to check vehicles and motorists.

Residential areas facing the Red Fort have also been sanitized. Both in Delhi and neighbouring areas, police have checked hotels and guest houses.

The Mughal monument and areas within a five-kilometre radius is being covered by about 9,000 security personnel from Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and the National Security Guard (NSG).

On Monday, scores of VVIPs will attend the Red Fort event. They will include senior political figures, diplomats and military personnel besides thousands of civilians including school students.

Besides ground personnel, an air defence mechanism has been put in place in and around the venue.

The main event during India's 70th Independence Day celebration on Monday will be held at the Red Fort.

Over 500 CCTVs have been installed in and around Red Fort. High-resolution cameras have been mounted on the sprawling monument.
New Delhi: Central Board of Secondary Education is making interim arrangements by engaging retired teachers for teaching class XII students studying in five affiliated schools in Sringar affected due to curfews and disruptions in normal life.

With winters approaching fast many schools are left with a limited window for teaching and completion of the courses by October 2016 for class XII students who have to appear in board examinations in March 2017.

"Taking suo moto cognisance of the requests received from the schools, the board has decided to arrange for subject teachers for all five schools in the valley which may take help after assessing respective need," read a statement issued by Ministry of HRD.

It further stated, "the board is making efforts to engage and depute retired teachers from other parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Pathankot, Chandigarh and has even written to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for the same till the resumption of regular classes again."

The schools will rope in these former teachers after assessing their respective needs.
Udaipur: Patidar quota agitation spearhead Hardik Patel has alleged he has been "wrongfully" put under house arrest by the Udaipur police, which dismissed the charge saying it was acting as per the Gujarat High Court order.

Hardik, 23, is living in Udaipur after he was asked by the high court to stay out of Gujarat for six months while granting him conditional bail in two sedition cases.

In a complaint filed with a local police station in Udaipur, Hardik accused senior police officers, including the IG and the SP, of wrongfully confining him to his accommodation by misinterpreting the high court order.

Hardik forwarded the complaint to Pratap Nagar police station by post and it was received a couple of days ago.

"The police officers have blocked my freedom, restrained my free movements, confined me and put me under the 'house arrest'. They have wrongfully restrained me and prevented me to move in any direction beyond circumscribing limits of my house and confined me in the house by applying force," Patel wrote in the compliant.

He alleged the court order was being "deliberately, illegally and malafidely misinterpreted by Udaipur police."

Hardik is staying at the residence of former Congress MLA Pushkar Dangi in Srinath Colony since July 17. He has been asked by local police not to step out of the house, except for going to the local police station to mark his presence weekly.

"The complaint was received a couple of days back and was initially put up for a probe but since everything is going as per the order passed by the Gujarat high court, the complaint was disposed of," Deputy SP (Udaipur East) Bhagwat Singh said.

The complaint was against seven police officers including IG, SP, Additional SP, Deputy SP.
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi was on Sunday discharged after 11 days of hospitalisation after being treated for her illness and shoulder injury.

The Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where she was admitted on August 3, said her medical condition was stable and has been advised rest.

"Sonia Gandhi's medical condition at the time of discharge from the hospital is stable. She has been advised rest and continuation of medicines. Mrs Gandhi is likely to visit the hospital for further evaluation of her condition in the coming week," said D S Rana, Chairman of Board of Management of the hospital.

69-year-old Gandhi was admitted to the hospital after being taken ill during a roadshow in Varanasi.

She had undergone a surgery on her left shoulder on August 3 and doctors said she has recovered from the injury.

Gandhi was admitted under the care of Arup Basu, senior consultant, Department of Pulmonology and Chest Medicine and his team.

She was operated for her shoulder injury at the hospital by Prateek Gupta, senior consultant and his team from Department of Orthopaedics and Sanjay Desai from Mumbai.

Gandhi was shifted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital from the Army Research and Referral Hospital, where she was rushed soon after her arrival from Varanasi around midnight of August 2.

The Congress president had to cut short her roadshow in Varanasi after she was taken ill. She had fractured her left shoulder during the roadshow.
Jammu: Accusing Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit of repeatedly scuttling the peace process between India and Pakistan, the state BJP today demanded that the Union government declare the diplomat a 'persona non-grata'.

"The Government of India must declare Abdul Basit a persona non-grata and expel him immediately," party spokesman, Brig (retd) Anil Gupta said here.

The BJP leader said Basit's controversial statements on Kashmir and his act of dedicating Pakistan's Independence Day today "to the independence of Kashmir" are blatant breaches of diplomatic protocol.

"Basit has on earlier occasions also crossed the 'Red Line', which was ignored by the government. Yet he continues to misuse his diplomatic immunity by meddling in India's internal affairs," Gupta said.

He said the Pakistani diplomat has "thrown to wind all the diplomatic niceties and was behaving like a spokesperson of the Pakistani 'deep state' attempting to provoke the Indian government and such a person has no locus-standi to stay on the Indian soil."

"Basit was responsible for scuttling the commencement of the likely peace process when he insisted on consultations with Kashmiri separatist leaders despite India's objection just prior to the scheduled meeting of foreign secretaries of the two countries," Gupta said.

He said Basit has not only been interacting with the separatists but also issuing provocative statements.

"It is surprising that Pakistan is not seeing the writing on wall in its country which is heading towards disintegration with freedom movements having peaked in PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan and continues to dream of taking away Kashmir," he said.

Earlier in the day, Basit said Pakistan was dedicating its Independence Day today to Kashmir's "freedom" and will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state.

He made the comments at an event at the Pakistan High Commission to celebrate his country's Independence Day.
Chandigarh: Three home guards from Punjab are to be posthumously conferred the President's Home Guard and Civil Defence Medal for Gallantry for fighting Pakistani terrorists who attacked Dinanagar town in Gurdaspur district last year.

Bodh Raj, Desh Raj and Sukhdev Singh, who died fighting the terrorists, would be honoured during Independence Day celebrations on Monday.

The Dinanagar terror attack took place on July 27 last year when three Pakistani terrorists entered from the border belt.

Seven people, including a Punjab police officer, three home guards and three civilians lost their lives in the terror attack.

The terrorists had a 11-hour long gun battle with security forces at the Dinanagar police station complex. All three terrorists were killed by security forces.

The Army had last year honoured two railways employees who averted a major tragedy by spotting live bombs planted by the same terrorists on a railway bridge near Dinanagar town.

The railway brave-hearts were gate-man Darshan Kumar and Satpal.

The terrorists had planned more mayhem by wiring five live bombs on the railway track on a small bridge on the Pathankot-Amritsar railway section.

A tragedy was averted as alert railway staff detected the bombs five minutes before a train carrying about 250 passengers was to cross the bridge.
Itanagar: A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and a civilian were killed in an exchange of fire between police and anti-socials near Chayangtajo in East Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh, a police officer said on Sunday.

The incident occurred when DSP Bomto Kamdak was leading a police team to the area to arrest an alleged rapist Togyung Yangfo, who escaped from jail a year ago, at around 7 PM last night.

On seeing the approaching police team, Yangfo and his accomplices fired prompting the police to retaliate and in the gun battle the DSP and a civilian Sai Bagang were killed while a woman identified as Achang Cheda Yangfo sustained bullet injuries, the police officer said.

The body of the DSP was brought to district hospital at Seppa, while the woman with three bullet injuries in her chest was airlifted to Guwahati, he said.

The body of the DSP was sent to his native village at Basar in West Siang district today by a chopper after post mortem.
New Delhi: Calling Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's remarks on Kashmir as the greatest breach of diplomatic etiquette, the Congress on Sunday urged the Centre to embarrass Islamabad globally as the greatest exporter of terrorism.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said Pakistan declaring a part of this country to be searching for azadi is failure of the Indian Government's foreign policy, adding it is high time that the Centre send our ambassadors and representatives to each country of the world with concrete evidences to show Islamabad as the greatest exporter of terrorism.

"Pakistan will of course have to wait for crore of years, for millennia to even consider to its wish being fulfilled, which they have expressed as the year of Kashmir azadi. But we have to introspect and see how we have failed to get Pakistan isolated globally. We should send our ambassadors and representatives to each country of the world with concrete evidences of tape, videos and documents to show Pakistan as the greatest exporter of terrorism," said Singhvi.

"We need to embarrass them, isolate them and unfortunately I have to say this that this government, the government has been completely failing in this global ostracism effort and in the Indo-Pak bilateral effort. The statement is the greatest breach of diplomatic etiquette but it is also failure of Indian government`s foreign policy and Indo-Pak policy," he added.

Singhvi further advised the BJP-led Government at the Centre to stall its interaction with Pakistan until it tenders an apology for making such statements.

"Normally one would not give importance to such comments but when it comes from the Ambassador, the High Commissioner of a nation it has full official flavor and color to it. I think Pakistan is no business to be interacted with unless this official declaration is withdrawn; apologies are offered and on sovereign soil of this country to declare a part of this country to be searching for Azadi, said Singhvi.

"It is also vital that we repeat and reiterate our policy as for the Parliament resolution remains the same that whole of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladhak including PoK is ours," he added.Basit earlier today said Islamabad has dedicated the 70th Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir.

Basit said Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India."As far as the relation of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we dedicate this year's Independence Day to Kashmir`s freedom. We are confident that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be successful," Basit said.

He asserted Pakistan has always given moral support to Jammu and Kashmir`s freedom struggle and would continue to do so.

"Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom; sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain," he said.

India summoned Basit on August 9th amid growing tension between the two nations over the violence in Kashmir. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar called Basit to his office and lodged a strong protest over the issue as he made a specific reference to LeT terrorist and Pakistan national Bahadur Ali, who was captured recently in North Kashmir during an encounter.
Jammu: Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions near the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday in Poonch district of Jammu region.

Army spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta told IANS that Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked firing at our positions near the LoC in Poonch district early morning today (Sunday).

"They used small arms and automatics to target our positions. The Indian army has retaliated using same caliber weapons," he added.

The firing was still going on till the last reports came in.

A senior police officer on Saturday told IANS that "11 yatris of Baba Budha Amarnath Yatra were injured near the shrine, when three men hurled a Grenade."

Two suspects were nabbed while they were escaping in a vehicle, but a third suspect was still at the large.

Tensions have mounted near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir during the Independence Day celebrations of India and Pakistan.

Pakistan army has been resorting to unprovoked firing at Indian positions around August 14 and 15 ever since the armed violence started in the state in early 1990s.


Oli asks cadres to be ready for movement

Claiming that the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre) had toppled his government for obstructing constitution implementation, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli directed the partys schooling department to gear up for a movement.
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee will address the nation today on the eve of 70th Independence Day.

The address will be broadcast from 7 p.m. in the entire national network of All India Radio (AIR) and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in English followed by Hindi versions.

Broadcast of the address in English and Hindi on Doordarshan will be followed by broadcast in regional languages by regional channels of Doordarshan.

AIR will broadcast regional language versions from 8 p.m. onwards on its respective regional networks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be hoisting the national flag at the Red Fort on the occasion of India's 70th Independence Day on August 15.

In his last year's Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the resolve of 125 crore Indians, as 'Team India' to root out corruption and to make India a developed nation by 2022.

He stressed on the need for farmers' welfare and said that his government was focusing on raising farm productivity and providing electricity and irrigation to farmers and spoke on the welfare schemes launched by the Union Government.

The Prime Minister stated children's as the face of 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' and announced 'Start-Up' initiative.

Number of promises made by him last year took shape and this year also the eyes are set on the Prime Minister's speech that will be delivered from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
Ghaziabad: It's been nearly 3 days since unidentified armed assailants attacked senior BJP leader Brijpal Teotia in Ghaziabad but the criminals are still out of police net.

The attackers, who were chased by police, however, managed to escape from the spot.

Local police has recovered the vehicle used in the attack along with automatic weapons from "close to the place of occurrence" but the attacker are still out of police net.

Police said that at least 100 rounds were fired from AK-47 rifles between 7:20 PM to 7:22 PM on Thursday, Aug 11.

Here is what actually happened in those two minutes:-

7:20 PM

-Brijpal Teotia and his group of close aides and gunners were travelling in two scorpios on Rawli road.

-They were heading towards NH 58 to reach Kavi nagar in Ghaziabad.

-Two fortunner SUVs waylaid them from front and rear.

-The assailants shot at vehicles randomly with automatic weapons, AK 47, etc.

-Brijpal Teotia was seated in front seat of scorpio came under hail of gunshots.

-Brijpal Teotia's gunners responded to attackers with retaliatory firing.

7:22 PM

-Assailants fled from the scene after retaliatory firing.

-Brijpal Teotia and his injured aides were taken to the hospital.

Probe on

UP DGP Javeed Ahmad has said that police is investigating the crime from different angles and a team of forensic experts have been sent to collect evidences.

Teotia contested the 2012 state Assembly elections from Muradnagar seat but lost and was preparing for 2017 polls.
Ghaziabad: Police investigation into the attempted assassination of a BJP leader has revealed that AK-47 assault rifles or similar weapons are available for hire in Uttar Pradesh.

The problem is clearly more acute in western Uttar Pradesh, a traditional crime belt bordering Delhi.

Police officers probing the attack on Bharatiya Janata Party leader Brijpal Teotia say criminal gangs in the region are also into "sub-contracted killings" -- in a bid to derail investigations.

"A rough estimate is that over a dozen gangs possess weapons like AK-47s," one officer said.

These gangs include those led by the notorious Anil Dujana, Sushil Moonchh, Sunder Bhati, Dharmendra Kirthal, Udham Karnawal, Yogesh Bhadora and Mukeem Kala.

They are said to possess more than one assault rifle and other automatic weapons. When needed, the gangs buy or rent more.

The modern weapons these gangs possess are easily available along Uttar Pradesh`s porous border with Nepal. The weapons are smuggled from China via Nepal.

"All these gangs are now under police radar to ensure that they lose their weapons," the officer told IANS.

The cost of hiring an AK-47 is Rs 2 to 3 lakh. If the weapon is lost, the deposit is forfeited.

If the weapon is returned, a "rent" of Rs 50,000-60,000 is deducted per weapon.

The weapons are also available for outright purchase, revealed another police source.

At times, two gangs get together to carry out a hit, police sources say. A "supari contract" -- to kill a target -- is occasionally sub-contracted.

"New entrants are hired on daily wages," a source said, explaining how the killer gangs operate.

Dujana, whose crime history includes over three dozen cases of extortion, loot and contract killing, operates from Banda jail. His operational area is Noida and Greater Noida.

Bhati, who is on bail, is active in Loni area. He faces over 35 cases of killing and robbery.

Kirthal, who operates in Meerut and Baghpat, is now in Meerut jail. His specialised field is contract killing and robbery.

Karnawal is another criminal from Meerut who is notorious for contract killing. He has 40 cases of murder and robbery. He too is now jailed in Meerut.

Bhadora, accused of extortion and contract killing, is also lodged in Meerut jail. He has over 55 criminal cases registered in Meerut, Baghpat and Ghaziabad districts.

Kala operates in Muzaffarnagar, Bijnore and Shamli. He is caught up in over 60 criminal cases of extortion and contract killing.

Moonchh, out on bail, lives in his village in Muzaffarnagar and is known to enjoy political patronage.

Teotia, 54, was seriously injured when AK-47 wielding assailants fired at his vehicle off National Highway-58 last week.

Police put the number of attackers at four and said they also used 9 mm pistols. Teotia survived the attack but was injured, as were his guards. He is still in hospital.
New Delhi: Three BSF jawans have been accorded police medal for gallantry, including two posthumously, on the eve of the 70th Independence Day for effectively countering ceasefire violations along the Indo-Pak border and mounting heavy retaliation that led to silencing of enemy's guns.

While constable Devendra Singh made the supreme sacrifice when he was deployed on his border post in Jammu's Samba sector on January 5 last year, constable Ram Gawaria did so when he and his BSF patrol party were on zero line in the same area on December 31 in 2014.

Seeing Gawaria and his party in trouble, constable Arun Kumar went full throttle and fired from his Medium Machine Gun silencing the opposite Pakistani border post that led to the rescue of the trapped patrol party.

Singh, his citation said, took position amid heavy mortar shelling and fired back on Pakistan posts without caring for his personal safety.

"Due to his effective retaliation, Pak Post was forced to stop firing but adjoining Pak post started firing and targeting BSF locations. Constable Singh who was on camp guard duty kept on alerting/guiding other post personnel and engaging the Pak Ranger with firing.

"Soon after, a mortar bomb landed in vicinity of the camp guard morcha of BSF post where Singh has taken position and because of this he sustained a fatal splinter injury on his head but not before silencing the Rangers guns. Both Gawaria and Kumar too displayed conspicuous bravery in the face of ceasefire violations which had gained menacing proportions last year which led to the straining of ties between the two neighbours.

"Despite grievous bullet injuries Gawaria stood his ground and fired till he breathed his last, exhibiting highest degree of chivalry and courage under heavy odds.

"Owing to his timely action and retaliation, lives of other members of patrol party could be saved," the citation read.

Kumar, who is now a hero of his unit and is called 'giant slayer', displayed "exemplary courage, determination and professionalism" which resulted in killing of a Pakistani Ranger as well as in evacuation of the trapped patrol party of Gawaria and others from the danger zone along the International Border.

The country's largest border guarding force was accorded seven more police medals for gallantry with constable Ali Abbas getting it posthumously for effectively combating militants in Tripura in 2014.

The other men and officers of this 2.5 lakh personnel strong force got the medals for their dare devilry in anti-Naxal operations.

BSF was raised in 1965 and is tasked with guarding the two sensitive Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Bhopal: This video clearly tells us why people love PM Narendra Modi and voted him to power!

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Madhya Pradesh's Bhabhra (the birthplace and village of revolutionary leader Chandrashekhar Azad), was surrounded by hundreds of Muslim men.

The mob greeted the PM with 'Modi! Modi! Modi!' chants.

After this PM Narendra Modi took everyone by surprise, when he did this!

WATCH:-
Jammu: The Pakistan Army on Sunday targeted the Indian posts on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector, injuring a 50-year-old woman in a mortar attack.

Pakistan's fresh ceasefire violation comes after a lull of four months.

"Kasim Jan (50), a resident of Shahpur village, was injured when she was hit by the splinters of a mortar shell fired from across the border this morning," a police officer said.

She was immediately evacuated and shifted to District Hospital Poonch where her condition is stated to be stable, he said.

"Early morning, the Pakistan Army resorted to ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir," Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said here.

Mehta said the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy mortar, small arm and automatic weapon fire in the sector since 3 AM.

"Our troops responded appropriately and no casualties or damage to our troops was reported," he said.

Army sources said that first at around 3 AM, Pakistan Army's Doda battalion?fired small arms and mortars from their Dhakni-Dhok, Nezapir and Mocho Mohra posts, and later at 5 AM, the Banwat battalion of the army also began firing at Indian outposts.

Today's ceasefire violation comes after nearly four months after the last such incident took place on April 10 in Poonch sector.

Last year, 16 civilians were killed and 71 injured in 405 incidents of cross-border firing by Pakistan, the officer said.

While 253 incidents of ceasefire violations took place along the International Border (IB), 152 incidents were reported along the LoC, he said.

Around 8,000 people were temporarily affected due to the ceasefire violations and had to be shifted to safer locations.

(With PTI inputs)
Srinagar: Jhanvi Behal, the 15-year-old girl from Ludhiana was on Sunday stopped by the Jammu and Kashmir police from unfurling national flag in the city on Independence Day and was sent back from the Srinagar airport.

The Ludhiana student had announced last month that she'll hoist national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Independence Day.

I would hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on August 15 because that is a place where the national flag was insulted. I challenge all those, including the separatists and the Pakistanis, to stop me if they can, Jhanvi said.

The 15-year-old girl also used the opportunity to openly challenge Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed, saying that he must stop creating fear and divide among Kashmiris.

I ask you (Saeed) to stop creating divide among Kashmiris, otherwise crores of other nationalists like me would stand against you, she said.

Jhanvi, a student of DAV Public School, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Ludhiana, is an active member of an NGO Raksha Jyoti Foundation and was honoured on Republic Day for her contribution in many projects including Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Dumka: The Jharkhand Police on Sunday apprehended two people for possessing huge cache of explosives in Dumka district.

Following a tip-off, the 18th battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and police personnel in a joint operation on Saturday evening seized 1000 detonators, 116 gelignite sticks and ammonium nitrate.

Dumka Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar told ANI that the information was received during a security drive conducted in Jitpur village ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

"We were alert. Keeping in mind the Independence Day celebrations, we remained vigil. During the security expedition, we received information about the explosives being kept in a house. We launched a joint operation with SSB in Jitpur village and recovered huge cache of explosives, including 116 jell rods, around 1,000 detonators and ammonium nitrate," he said.

He further said a case has been registered under the Explosives Act, and the accused would be handed over to the National Investigative Agency (NIA) for further interrogation.
Kottayam: A week after his party parted ways with the Congress-led United Democratic Front, severing three decades old ties, Kerala Congress-Mani supremo K.M. Mani on Sunday reiterated his party will not align with any political front.

Besides the UDF, Kerala has the ruling Left Democratic Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance that opened its account in the Kerala assembly by bagging Nemom seat from the capital city.

"Even though our enemies have increased, we have nothing to fear as we have the full support of the farming community," Mani, a former state Finance Minister, said while addressing his party workers here.

Ever since Mani left the UDF fold, indirect invites from both the LDF and the BJP have come his way, but Mani has dismissed all speculations of joining the NDA, which his detractors say could fetch his son Jose K. Mani, a Lok Sabha member, a Cabinet post.

"We realised that some in the UDF along with our enemies were conspiring against us and that`s how we decided to leave. I am grateful to all of you for having accepted our decision," said Mani.

Six Kerala legislators, including Mani, have since decided to sit as a separate block in the assembly whereas two members of parliament from his party have been directed to offer issue-based support.
Raigad: Indian Navy divers on Sunday recovered two more bodies from Savitri river in Raigad district after a British-era bridge in Mahad collapsed due to floods.

As per the report, a Tavera SUV was also located inside the river with several bodies found to be stuck inside it.

"There is a likelihood of several bodies still trapped in a mangled car inside the river. They will recovered once the car is pulled out of the river," Indian Navy officials said.

Navy officials said that they have informed the administrative and NDRF officials about their findings.

The bridge collapse had also resulted in at least another four-five private vehicles apart from two State Transport buses being washed away in the river, 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.

A Maharashtra government official said at least 42 people are missing. Since the operations began, 26 bodies have been retrieved.

The search teams have not ruled out the possibility of other bodies being trapped in the submerged vehicles.
Philippine woman rescued from abusive husband

Local authorities in Chitwan on Saturday rescued a Philippine woman from her husband, who has allegedly been abusing her physically and emotionally.
Mumbai: An Islamic preacher, arrested in Kerala for his alleged links with terror outfit Islamic State (IS), was on Sunday remanded in the custody of Mumbai police.

The accused, Mohammed Hanif, was brought to the city and produced before a court which sent him to police custody till August 20, a senior police official said.

Hanif, who hails from Kambalakkad in Wayanad, was taken into custody at Panur in Kerala on Friday night, police said.

He was alleged to have radicalised 11 of the 21 persons from Kerala who have gone missing and are suspected to have joined the IS, they said. On August 8, police had said of the 21 gone missing, 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.

The father of Ashfaque, one of the missing young men, had recently lodged a complaint against Arshid Qureshi, an employee of controversial preacher Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation, Rizwan Khan, Hanif and another person.

Based on the complaint, Nagpada police had registered an offence under relevant sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967 and section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.

According to police, Ashfaque's father alleged that the accused brainwashed his son to join the terror outfit.

Qureshi and Khan had also been earlier arrested by Kerala police.

Police said another accused named in the FIR was still at large and efforts were being made to arrest him.

Investigation of the case is being carried out by the Crime Branch, CID and Mumbai police.

On July 21, Kerala Police and Maharashtra ATS had picked up Qureshi from Navi Mumbai on July 21 for allegedly radicalising youths.

The Kerala police traced Qureshi to Mumbai following a complaint lodged in Kochi by the brother of a young woman, who is suspected to have joined ISIS along with her husband.

In a similar operation, Khan, also allegedly instrumental in recruiting youths for the terror outfit, was apprehended from his residence at Kalyan in neighbouring Thane district on July 22.
Chandigarh: Wrestler Dilip Singh Rana, popularly known as 'The Great Khali' on Sunday extended his unconditional support to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Sajjan Singh Cheema in Punjab where assembly elections are due next year.

Earlier there were reports that Khali joined the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP.

AAP has emerged as an alternative in Punjab where Akali Dal and Congress have ruled for many years.

Another media report that Navjot Singh Sidhu, who recently quit as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Rajya Sabha MP, is also likely to join AAP on Independence Day.

Best known for his time with WWE, he became the World Heavyweight Champion in 2007. Before becoming professional wrestler, he was an officer for the Punjab state police.

Khali also became a household name with his stint on the reality show 'Bigg Boss' and for his support to controversial television actor Dolly Bindra in the show.
Etah: A woman in Etah in Uttar Pradesh has accused her husband of harassing and forcing her out of their house after she refused to heed to his demands for dowry.

Noorjahan in her police complaint has alleged that her husband tortured her for dowry.

She said there was no demand of dowry when she married Kasim. But after the marriage, he began to harass her and yesterday forced her out their house.

In another incident in the city, a woman, identified as Rama Devi, 70, died after she was hit by a tempo.

She was hit by the vehicle while she was crossing a road.

The driver of the tempo managed to escape.
North Kivu: At least 36 people have been killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the government said Sunday, calling it a massacre in revenge for military operations in the area.

Three days of national mourning have been declared following Saturday night`s mass killing, the latest in a series of massacres that have left more than 600 people dead in and around the troubled town of Beni since 2014.

Army spokesman Mak Hazukay said the attack was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a partly Islamist armed group of Ugandan origin.

The group has been present in DR Congo for more than two decades and is accused of copious human rights abuses.

Hazukay said the ADF rebels had "bypassed" army positions "to come and massacre the population in revenge" for military operations in the area.

The victims -- 22 men and 14 women, according to government spokesman Lambert Mende -- were found in Rwangoma, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Beni.

Mende said the government has previously sought to "alert the world to the jihadist threat" in DR Congo, adding: "In our country, the armed forces of the

DRC are alone in the face of the indifference of the international community".Around a hundred angry residents gathered in Beni to protest against the mass killing, carrying the body of one of the victims and shouting slogans against President Joseph Kabila, witnesses said.

Local human rights activist Jackson Kasereka said residents in north Beni were burning tyres in the streets.

"The police have just taken the body off us but we will continue to protest. It`s not normal that they slaughter us like goats," said demonstrator Georges Kamate, a motorcycle taxi driver.

"Our government is incapable of keeping us safe!" shouted another protester.

The killings came three days after Kabila visited the region, promising to do everything in his power to bring peace and security.

"It`s worrying because the president of the republic came here and then we were massacred," said Gilbert Kambale, a local civil society leader, adding that the attack took place between 7.00 pm and 11.00 pm on Saturday.

He added that there was a lot of anger over the government`s apparent inability to restore security to the area.

"It`s worrying because the president of the republic came here and then we were massacred," he said.

"There is a blatant lack of security, (the authorities) are not capable of keeping the population safe. That is why these people have come into the street."

Contacted by AFP, Beni mayor Edmond Masumbuko had no immediate comment, saying he was tied up "in a security meeting".

Government spokesman Mende said the three days of national mourning would begin from Monday.

"Flags will be lowered to half-mast across the country and media scheduling will be adjusted to the situation," he said.Beni lies on the edge of the vast Virunga national park, used as a hideout for some of the dozens of militant groups active in North Kivu.

The area has been badly hit by violence over the past two years, suffering a series of massacres which the Congolese government and the UN`s mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, have blamed on the ADF.

But in March, that allegation was recently questioned in a report published by the Congo Research Group at New York University which looked into the massacres around Beni, and claimed that soldiers from the regular army had also participated in the killings.

The government rejected the claims and said the ADF was "definitely" responsible for the massacres.

The ADF, opposed to Uganda`s President Yoweri Museveni, is thought to be deeply embroiled in criminal networks funded by kidnappings, smuggling and logging.

Despite efforts by the international community and the Congolese authorities, the region has remained mired in violence since the end of the second Congolese war (1998-2003).

On August 8, 11 Congolese soldiers and a UN peacekeeper were wounded in the Beni area during a confrontation with ADF forces, MONUSCO said.
Upper Corsica: Corsicans rallied Sunday as tensions remained high on the French Mediterranean island after five people were injured and three cars burned in clashes between young locals and families of North African origin.

Around 500 people gathered in the French Mediterranean island`s second city Bastia a day after the clashes in Sisco, on the north of the island.

The dispute erupted between members of "three families of North African origin and young locals", prosecutors said in a statement, adding that stones and bottles were thrown and three cars went up in flames before police managed to restore calm.

A girl who witnessed Saturday`s clashes, speaking to Sunday`s rally through a megaphone, said they began after tourists took photos of several women bathing in burqinis.

According to the girl, whose account could not be verified, a group of immigrant origin youths shouted insults, before several older North African men arrived, carrying hatchets, in support of the families on the beach.

They attacked a group of young Corsicans aged 15 to 18 on the beach, whose role in the incidents was not immediately clear.

The girl said the young Corsicans` families then took to the streets and clashed with the North Africans. Two of the locals were injured by a harpoon, she said.

North African women slashed several car tyres, while locals set fire to two cars and overturned another that belonged to immigrant families.

The clashes injured five people, all of whom were discharged from hospital by late Sunday, prosecutors said, adding that no arrests were made.On Sunday demonstrators held talks at the local government office late morning.

Afterwards, in tense scenes, the crowd called to be allowed to head up to the Lupino district of Bastia, which has a large North African community.

"We`re going up there because this is our home," they said. Police blocked them from entering the area.

Up to 100 members of the security forces were deployed to restore calm, police said.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve condemned the violence, and pledged a full investigation "to shed light on these intolerable deeds and to arrest those responsible".

The clashes come amid heightened tension in France after a string of attacks claimed by the Islamic State group, including the July 14 massacre in the southern city of Nice when a Tunisian ploughed a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day, killing 85 people.

In Corsica last December, angry protesters vandalised a Muslim prayer hall and trashed copies of the Koran after an assault on firefighters that was blamed on local youths of Arab origin.

The nearby French Riviera resort of Cannes has also sparked controversy by declaring a ban on burqinis -- a ruling which won a court backing at the weekend.

Islamic dress has long been a hot-button issue in secular France, where the full-face veil is banned in public places.

Last month Corsican lawmakers called on the French state to close down radical mosques on the island, hours after an underground separatist movement issued a threat against Islamic extremists.

A splinter group of the nationalist Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) warned Islamists that any attack on the island would trigger "a determined response, without any qualms".


Beirut: Syrian and Russian warplanes have launched a wave of air strikes in northern Syria, killing dozens in areas held by a rebel alliance battling to take control of second city Aleppo.

The air strikes, which began Saturday and continued Sunday, killed 45 civilians in and around Aleppo and 22 in neighbouring Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The raids came as the Islamist Faylaq al-Sham Islamist faction, part of the rebel alliance, said it had begun a new offensive "to liberate" the regime-held area of Zahra on Aleppo`s western outskirts.

The Britain-based Observatory and opposition fighters said a car bomb exploded in Zahra Sunday, but did not mention casualties.

Late Sunday, at least 15 rebels were killed and 20 wounded in a suicide bombing near their bus in Idlib near the Atme border crossing with Turkey, the monitor said.

It said Sunday`s air strikes targeted areas held by the Army of Conquest, an alliance of rebel, Islamist and jihadist forces that has mounted a major Aleppo offensive.

"The intensification of the strikes in Idlib is due to the fact that this province is the main source of fighters for the Army of Conquest," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

An AFP correspondent in rebel-held eastern Aleppo said the strikes were especially intense around the southern district of Ramussa, seized by rebels earlier this month in a major setback for forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Nine other civilians were killed in rebel shelling of regime-held western Aleppo Saturday, the Observatory said.

Aleppo, Syria`s former economic hub and a focal point of its five-year civil war, has been divided between a rebel-held east and regime-controlled west since mid-2012.Fighting for the city has intensified after regime troops seized control of the last supply route into rebel-held areas in mid-July.

After a nearly three-week siege, rebels took Ramussa on August 6, linking up with opposition-held neighbourhoods.

The Army of Conquest then announced an ambitious bid to capture all of Aleppo, which if successful would be the biggest opposition victory yet in Syria`s conflict.

Alliance fighters late Sunday began an assault southeast of Ramussa on an area containing a former cement plant turned into an army barracks, where a large amount of weapons and military vehicles are stored, the Observatory said.

The rebels "want to secure the supply line they opened" last week into rebel districts, Abdel Rahman said.

The increased fighting has raised concerns for the estimated 1.5 million civilians still in Aleppo, including some 250,000 in rebel-held areas.

The United Nations has called for regular 48-hour pauses in the fighting to allow aid into the city, which has suffered from severe shortages of food, water and medical supplies.

Russia began air strikes last September in support of Assad, helping the regime to consolidate its hold on loyal areas and regain some territory.

The defence ministry in Moscow said Sunday six long-range bombers from Russia had struck around Deir Ezzor, a stronghold of the Islamic State group.

IS controls large parts of Deir Ezzor city and most of the oil-rich eastern province of the same name -- part of the territory in Syria and Iraq that it seized in mid-2014.Russia said the Tupolev bombers carried out raids southwest, east and northeast of the city, wiping out two command posts, six arms depots, IS vehicles and "a large number of fighters".

IS emerged amid the chaos of Syria`s conflict, a complex and multi-front war that has killed more than 290,000 and displaced millions since beginning with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

A US-led coalition is also battling IS in Syria and Iraq, with air strikes and backing for the Syrian Democratic Forces, an Arab-Kurdish militia alliance, which on Friday took full control of the strategic city of Manbij after IS retreated.

The jihadists took some 2,000 civilians as they fled to serve as human shields. Hundreds were released on Saturday but the SDF said the fate of many remained unclear.

On Sunday, the SDF said they had established a military council to push IS fighters out of Al-Bab, the alliance`s next target in the same province.

In rare good news, a 10-year-old girl shot in the besieged town of Madaya was evacuated to a Damascus hospital where she was in a stable condition, the Observatory and a security source said.

Ghina Quwayder`s leg was shattered when she was shot by a government sniper in the southwestern town this month while buying medicine for her mother, Amnesty International said.
Kabul: At least nine policemen were killed in Taliban attacks on checkpoints in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan, while another two were killed in the east, security officials said today.

Gen. Noor Habib Gulbahari, police chief of Baghlan, said three police checkpoints in the Baghlan-e-Markazi district were attacked by insurgents yesterday night.

He also said five insurgents were killed and three wounded in the ensuing gun battles. Fighting was ongoing elsewhere in the region, he added.

In eastern Nuristan province, two police officers were killed and nine others were wounded in an attack on a district headquarters in the early hours today, said Gen. Akramudin Sareh, the provincial police chief.

Sareh said around a dozen insurgents were killed in the battle in Waygul district. "Afghan security forces repelled a huge attack," he said.

He also confirmed that sporadic gun battles are ongoing in the area. Nuristan is a remote, mountainous and largely impassable region bordering Pakistan; its population is known for their green eyes and red hair.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the two attacks, adding that the attackers had seized equipment from the police.

Taliban fighters frequently attack police checkpoints as they are easy targets and present opportunities to seize vehicles, weapons and ammunition.

Authorities want to reduce and consolidate the checkpoints, but local residents frequently say they feel safer with them.

In eastern Paktika province, more than 20 insurgents were killed by an air strike in Khoshamand district on Thursday night, according to Gen.

Khalilullah Ziayee, the provincial police chief. He said the insurgent base was targeted by ground forces backed by air strikes.
Hong Kong: Three leaders of Hong Kong`s "Umbrella Revolution" face possible jail sentences Monday over protests that sparked massive rallies in 2014, as fears grow that Beijing is closing its grip on the city.

Their conviction last month in the highest profile court case to emerge from the pro-democracy movement was slammed by rights group Amnesty International, which described it as an intimidation tactic and a "chilling warning" to the city`s activists.

All three, including the teenage face of the Umbrella Revolution Joshua Wong, could be jailed for up to two years when they appear for sentencing at district court on Monday morning.

They were convicted for their part in a small protest that saw students climb over a fence into the government complex forecourt, known as Civic Square, on September 26, 2014.

After their arrests, more protesters began to gather. The rallies then exploded on September 28 when police fired tear gas on the crowds.

The umbrellas used by protesters to protect themselves from tear gas and pepper spray gave the movement its name.

Thousands of demonstrators brought parts of the city to a standstill for over following two months, but failed to win concessions on political reform from Beijing.

Wong, 19, was convicted in July for taking part in an unlawful assembly over the Civic Square protest, as was fellow student activist Alex Chow, 25.

Protest leader Nathan Law, 23, was convicted for inciting others to take part.

All three are currently on bail.

Wong has always said the various protest-related charges against him and others are political persecution.

Since the failure of the mass rallies to win reform, a growing number of young activists have begun calling for Hong Kong to break entirely from Beijing.

Wong and Law recently founded a new political party, Demosisto, campaigning for self-determination for the city.

They have been in and out of court hearings for the past year after being charged with offences linked to various protest actions.

Both were acquitted in June over a separate anti-China rally in the summer of 2014.

Law is a candidate for the city`s upcoming legislative council election, but will not be able to stand if his prison sentence is more than three months.

In another high-profile case, activist Ken Tsang of Civic Party was sentenced to five weeks in prison in May after he was found guilty of assaulting and resisting officers during the rallies. He is currently on bail pending an appeal.

Hong Kong was returned to China by Britain in 1997 with its freedoms are guaranteed for 50 years, but there are growing concerns that Beijing is no longer adhering to the agreement.
New York: An imam and another unidentified male were both shot in the head and killed in New York, police said, in an attack with unclear motives.

Gunshots rang out just before 2:00 pm (local time) yesterday near a mosque in the Ozone Park neighbourhood of Queens.

Both men were taken to nearby Jamaica Hospital, where imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, was pronounced dead, a spokesman with New York's Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information told AFP.

The unidentified male, age 64, later succumbed to his injuries, the spokesman said.

Police said the motive is unknown.

"There is nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," police told journalists.

The two men were approached from behind by an at-large suspect, who witnesses saw fleeing from the scene with a gun after the shooting, according to police.
Kuwait City: Kuwait's Interior Ministry said on Sunday its coast guard detained 10 Iranian "infiltrators" trying to sneak into the country illegally.

An Iranian official, however, described them as fishermen whose detention was not related to any border violations.

One of the Iranian men was wounded after refusing coast guard orders to surrender, the ministry said in a statement published by the state-run Kuwait News Agency.

The Interior Ministry released a photo on its website showing nine of the men on their knees with their hands clasped behind their backs.

The arrests are likely to draw more accusations by Arab Gulf countries of Iranian interference in their affairs.

The largely Sunni bloc of oil-rich nations has consistently accused Shiite-led Iran of meddling in regional affairs, primarily in Bahrain and Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been bombing Iranian-allied rebels for more than a year.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency quoted Ali Hajatpour, deputy chief of Bushehr province's coast guard in southern Iran, as saying some Iranian fisherman were detained in Kuwait because of a "quarrel."

He was quoted yesterday saying the dispute happened on Kuwaiti soil and that "their detention was not related to a border violation".

The incident could further strain ties between Kuwait and Iran.

An appeals court in Kuwait recently upheld the death sentence for a Shiite citizen on charges of communicating with Iran and the Lebanese militant Shiite group Hezbollah to commit "hostile actions" against the country.

The case also includes an Iranian national tried in absentia and sentenced to death.

Kuwait has also staunchly aligned itself with Saudi Arabia in the kingdom's diplomatic spat with Iran.

Kuwait recalled its ambassador to Tehran in January after a mob there ransacked the Saudi Embassy in protest against the execution of a prominent Saudi Shiite cleric.
PM to expand Cabinet today

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday informed President Bidhya Devi Bhandari of his plan to expand the Cabinet on Sunday.
District of Columbia: The US state of Wisconsin activated its National Guard on Sunday to help maintain order after a fatal shooting by police sparked a night of angry protests and arson in the city of Milwaukee.

While an uneasy calm had returned to the affected neighborhood by Sunday afternoon, Mayor Tom Barrett said that the city still faced "a very volatile situation."

"One hundred twenty-five members of the national guard are on their way to Milwaukee as we speak," he confirmed in a news briefing Sunday afternoon.

But he said the uniformed troops, who were activated by the state`s governor, would not be deployed unless the city`s police chief, Edward Flynn, decided they were needed.

Violence broke out overnight as angry crowds took to the streets, throwing rocks and torching buildings in protest over the shooting.

The violence in the Midwestern city comes after several police officers have been targeted and shot dead across the nation in recent weeks -- including five in Dallas -- following an outcry over the deaths of unarmed African Americans at the hands of police.

However Barrett reiterated Sunday that the individual shot by police -- a 23-year-old local man named Sylville Smith -- had been holding a gun in his hand "without question."

The shooting occurred after two police officers stopped a car Saturday and two suspects inside, including Smith, had fled on foot, police said.

"During the foot pursuit, one officer shot one suspect, armed with a semiautomatic handgun" and the suspect then died at the scene, the Milwaukee Police Department said in a statement.

Flynn said Smith had ignored an order to drop his weapon and that the entire incident lasted no more than 25 seconds.

Police said earlier that the handgun he was carrying had been stolen during a burglary in March.

The officer who fired on Smith was black, Flynn said, adding that the policeman now feared for his safety and was staying with relatives out of town.

The officer, whom he would not name, has been placed on administrative leave, as is standard in such situations.Overnight, as police were trying to disperse the crowd of at least 200 protesters, individuals attending the rally fired dozens of shots, apparently in the air, authorities said.

But Barrett said that "police officers did not fire a single shot."

One officer was taken to the hospital after being hit in the head by a brick thrown through a squad car window. Protesters also broke the windows of an unoccupied squad car and torched another, police said.

The mayor said four officers had been taken to the hospital, but all had been released.

Flynn said one 16-year-old female had been shot -- possibly by a stray bullet -- and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

He said 17 arrests had been made overnight, and that all of those arrested had prior criminal records.

Six businesses were set on fire, including a BP gas station and auto parts store that were destroyed, he added."There are a lot of really, really good people who live in this area... who can`t stand this violence and they want order restored," Barrett told reporters, as he pleaded for calm.

He praised what he said were the scores of local people who came to the neighborhood Sunday to help clean up.

The United States has been on edge for weeks following shootings targeting police officers in several cities, among them Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Those attacks followed anger among the black community over the fatal shooting of African American suspects by white police in Minnesota and Louisiana.

In Milwaukee, local official Khalif Rainey, who represents the area where the disturbances took place, called the violence a "warning cry."

"This entire community has sat back and witnessed how Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has become the worst place to live for African-Americans in the entire country," he was quoted as saying.
Kathmandu: Nepal's new Prime Minister Prachanda on Sunday expanded his cabinet by inducting five more ministers taking its strength to 14.

The newly-appointed ministers include Janardan Sharma, Minister for Energy, Hitraj Pandey, Minister for Local Development, Ram Karki, Minister for Information and Communication, Dhaniram Poudyal, Minister without portfolio and Ajaya Shanker Nayak, Minister for Law and Justice.

The new ministers, all from the CPN-Maoist Centre, took oath of office and secrecy from President Vidya Bhandari at a function at Rastrapati Bhawan.

This is the third time that the cabinet has been expanded With this the strength of the cabinet has reached 14.

Four ministers of state were also appointed by the prime minister.

In total the number of cabinet ministers and ministers of state has reached 18.
Stockholm: Sweden`s government minister Aida Hadzialic announced resignation on Saturday after he was caught driving above permitted alcohol limit.

Hadzialic, 29, is minister for upper secondary school, adult education and training. She was caught by police on Thursday night when she was detected a blood-alcohol level of 0.2 grams per litre, which is just above the legal limit in Sweden, Xinhua reported.

Local media reported she would likely face a fine and a driving ban.

At a press conference on Saturday, Hadzialic said the incident was her "life`s biggest mistake".

"I understand that many people are disappointed with me and I am angry with myself and above all I am deeply regretful," she said.

Hadzialic explained that she had been to a concert in Copenhagen on Thursday night with a female friend and drank two glasses of wine early in the evening before setting off to cross the Oresund bridge over to Malmo, southern Sweden, four hours later.

She apparently believed the alcohol would have left her system by then.

However, the Social Democrat minister was then stopped at random in a police alcohol control on the Swedish side of the border.

Speaking to local media, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he had a long conversation with Hadzialic before she announced her resignation on Saturday.
Baton Rouge (US): Emergency crews worked through the night to rescue scores of south Louisiana residents from homes and stranded cars as deadly flooding continued to inundate large swaths of the region on Sunday, three days after rain-swollen water levels began rapidly rising.

Mike Steele, spokesman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said there was an overnight spike in flood rescues in the eastern part of Baton Rouge. He said two nursing homes in that area were being evacuated.

Police also were rescuing people from dozens of cars that were stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12, which was closed from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa Parish.

"It never slowed down last night," Steele said today morning. "For the last few hours, there has been just as much activity as at any point."

Steele said the flooding that started Friday has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 homes in Livingston Parish, and hundreds more in other areas, including St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

At least three deaths have been blamed on the flooding.

Steele said the Louisiana Nation Guard alone had rescued more than 3,000 people from floodwaters as of midnight, and that number was bound to continue rising today.

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.

The governor toured flood-ravaged areas by helicopter later yesterday after rivers and creeks burst their banks and warned Louisiana residents it would be too risky to venture out even after the rains start to subside.

In addition to the three confirmed deaths, Edwards said, at least one person is missing.

One of the worries, the governor said, is that as the rain lessens in the next several hours, people will become complacent and feel too at ease in areas 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."
Sanaa: Yemeni pro-government troops, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, on Sunday seized two large towns east of the port city of Aden from al-Qaida, officials said.

Maj. Gen. Ahmed Seif told The Associated Press that troops entered Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, and Jaar as al-Qaida militants fled into the mountains under heavy fire and airstrikes that killed more than 40 militants and destroyed several of their vehicles.

He said three soldiers were killed and two wounded. He spoke from the town of al-Husson, north of Jaar.

Military officials had earlier said that government forces entered the small town of al-Kawd after brief clashes.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

Residents of al-Kawd said army trucks with loudspeakers urged them to stay inside until the town is fully liberated.

Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, the residents said two civilians were killed and four others wounded when a warplane bombed a car carrying explosives.

Al-Qaida seized both Zinjibar and Jaar last year, exploiting the chaos of Yemen's civil war, which pits an array of pro-government forces against Shiite Houthi rebels.

The militants agreed to withdraw from the towns in May but maintained a presence in the area.
Ma`ariv, 5 May 1998 from Deutsche Presse Agentur; also , 5 May 1998 from Deutsche Presse Agentur; also Milliyet 5 May 1998

We took up the same question a while ago. The European Union is not against occupation as such. It is against Israel. But how about the United States? President Obama constantly tells Israelis that his intentions for Israel are better than those of Israel's own leaders. Does he want peace for Israel? How about previous presidents? That requires a whole essay. So let's hold the question in abeyance for a while. Yet we will keep on using the Cyprus Question, the occupation of about 35% of the island by Turkey since 1974, and the consequent flight/expulsion of some 200,000 Greek Cypriots from the northern Turkish-occupied zone of the island.Although Cyprus has been a member of the EU since 2004 the EU does not side with or work with the government of Cyprus to end the occupation. Indeed, it collaborates with that occupation while doingacts to indicate that it considers northern Cyprus occupied and that some solution should be found for the Cyprus Question. However, we would like to highlight here some expressions of the American attitude toward the Cyprus Question and the Greek-Turkish conflict, as well as the Greek-Turkish relationship in general.In 1974, the US State Department was not vocal in opposing the Turkish invasion. Moreover, the well-connected American "charity" and "peace" and "humanitarian" body, the American Friends Service Committee, an offshoot of the Quaker Church (the Society of Friends) appointed as its Middle East Field Representative John "Jack" Horner, who was living in what he described to me in 1975 as Girne, a city in the Turkish occupation zone, which the Greeks traditionally call Kyrenia. Apparently, he had no qualms about living in occupied territory and using the occupying power's name for an occupied town from which the Greeks had been driven out. By the way, Horner was a veteran of 29 years in the State Department, many of those years in Saudi Arabia.In 1997, the prestigious world affairs commentator of the(something of a house organ for the views of the Washington foreign policy establishment) expressed great resentment in one of his columns that I am now looking at, over Greek endeavors "to thwart Turkish efforts to draw closer to the EU and eventually join it." For Mr Reginald Dale, it was of paramount importance to keep Turkey happy, lest it be pushed "into the arms of the turbulent Middle East." Indeed, Turkey's "ultimate place should be within a united Europe's economic and security perimeter, inside both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] and the EU." The occupation of northern Cyprus by Turkey is not at all mentioned in Dale's commentary. Indeed, the word occupation does not appear in the commentary at all. Dale instead refers to "the Cyprus problem" and "the long-running conflict over Cyprus between Greece and Turkey" as well as "the still-festering dispute over Cyprus."However, Dale has a solution. The EU must take "a much tougher line toward Athens" [, 31 October 1997].Notice that Dale makes no demand that Turkey end its occupation forthwith --or later-- or make concessions to the Greek Cypriots. For Mr Reginald Dale, respected journalist with the IHT, owned by the New York Times, the occupation is no problem at all. And it isn't even an occupation. It is merely a "conflict over Cyprus between" two sides.Around the same time, US diplomat, Richard Holbrooke, sent to mediate between the opposing sides on Cyprus, also showed his favoritism for the Turks. He argued that the refusal of the EU to accept Turkey as a candidate for membership had led to a temporary --but serious-- dead end in talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots to resolve the dispute []. Now, on the surface Holbrooke is blaming the EU for failure of his mediating mission. But why is the EU to blame? Because it won't give Turkey candidate status --as of May 1998-- for the EU. He has nothing to say about the Turkish occupation and does not use the word. He does not say that he is trying to "end the occupation" which is what Israel hears from a wide variety of Western politicians and diplomats. Why no talk of "ending the occupation" on Cyprus which would "let the refugees go home," which are other slogans that Israel hears from diplomats? Anyhow, by 2005 the EU had begun negotiations with Turkey with a view towards eventual Turkish EU membership. These negotiations began without Turkey ending its occupation of northern Cyprus.It is obvious that there are occupations and "occupations" and these situations do not matter to the politicians or, if you like, the statesmen, or the diplomats. What they hate is not the alleged occupation but Israel. Given that what really moves them is hatred for Israel, not for occupation, one can easily imagine that they are not above inventing an "occupation" status for Judea-Samaria. Maybe their hatred for Jews and Israel makes it easy for them to find up to date reasons for hating Jews and Israel.

Labels: Cyprus, EU, European Union, occupation, United States, USA
Preferential treatment

This is what Nepal needs to do to gain from the recently announced US preferences
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SC orders govt to halt expansion of Dakshinkali-Chobhar road

The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday issued an order directing the government authorities to immediately halt the ongoing expansion of Dakshinkali-Chobhar road.
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Sponsorship laws to be replaced in Qatar in Dec

Qatar is expected to bring new Kafala sponsorship laws into effect from December in a move that is likely to make it easier for millions of migrantsincluding around half-a-million Nepalisto switch jobs and leave the country. Qatar became the second largest recipient of Nepali workers in the fiscal year 2015-16.
Two shot dead after leaving New York mosque

An imam and his assistant were shot dead as they walked along a street in the New York borough of Queens.
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.
The human gut is a complex and amazing system, and the more we learn about it, the more amazed we are. It turns out
Aug 13 (Reuters) - A third body has been found in the rubble from an explosion and fire this week in the Washington suburb of Silver Spring, Maryland, and others remained missing as authorities continued to investigate on Saturday, according to police statements.

An explosion and a fire ripped through an apartment complex in Silver Spring on Wednesday night. Police have not yet identified the three victims, Montgomery County Police Department said in a statement on their website posted Friday.

Search and recovery efforts were continuing over the weekend for several residents still missing. It remained unclear how many people were missing, though authorities earlier this week said some five to seven residents were unaccounted for.

The cause of the explosion remained unclear.

Federal agents from the U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) continued to help local fire investigators, Montgomery County Police said on Twitter (Frankfurt: A1W6XZ - news) on Saturday.

Washington Gas, a unit of WGL Holdings Inc (NYSE: WGL - news) , which provided service to the complex, said in a statement it was helping in the investigation.

The blast and fire Wednesday in the four-story complex injured 34 people, including three firefighters.

Local (Stuttgart: 19549987.SG - news) officials said residents reported smelling gas just before the explosion, which was felt over a mile (1.6 km) away and tossed debris as far as 300 feet (90 meters).

The bodies of all three victims were transported to the Chief Medical Examiner's office in Baltimore for autopsy and possible identification, the police department said on its website.

About 160 firefighters battled the blaze, which was brought under control after about two hours. Television footage showed flames and smoke pouring from the building as firefighters rescued a man from an upstairs apartment window. (Reporting by Chris Prentice in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)
DailyFX.com -

Yuan Holds the Range While Hopes of PBoC Rate Cuts Diminish

Fundamental Forecast for the Yuan: Neutral

This Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the PBOC de-pegging the Yuan from the US Dollar. The PBOC fixed the Yuan rate +0.41% stronger on the day and then guided it -0.43% lower and back to its earlier level on Friday. Over the past week, both onshore and offshore Yuan strengthened against USD: as of 10:30 EDT on Friday, the onshore Yuan (USD/CNY) climbed +0.32% to 6.6319 and the offshore rate (USD/CNH) rose +0.28% to 6.6458. The New Yuan Loans and monetary supply prints released on Friday further reduced the odds of the PBoC cutting rates in the near-term, which makes aggressive Yuan devaluation less likely in the near future. In the coming week, the Chinese economic calendar is relatively light; major event risk will likely come from trading counterparts, including the US July Consumer Price Index and the Minutes of FOMC meeting. Yuan rates could continue to test the level of 6.6500 as potential support, although the major resistance level of 6.7000 will likely remain in the focus of the PBOC.

Dollar/Yuan moves next week will eye any change in the outlook of Federal Reserve rate policy. Currently, the probability of Fed rate hikes in September and November are at extremely low levels with both at 18%. Recent U.S. data has sent mixed messages: Last Friday, the July Non-Farm Payrolls report indicated robust improvement in the labor market for the second consecutive month; and then just a week later, retail sales released this Friday came in well-below expectations. The July FOMC minutes to be published on August 17th could give additional clues on the Feds view of the U.S. economy and whether they might look to raise rates before the November presidential election. A changed tone from the Fed on rate hikes could bring elevated volatility to Dollar/Yuan pairs.

Story continues

The PBOCs monetary policy is on a much different track. The efficiency of Chinas monetary policy has dropped to a new low and therefore, further easing measures will probably not help very much in the economy other than to exacerbate price bubbles. The July monetary supply report shows that the gap between the growth in M1 and M2 has widened to a new all-time high: The growth in M1 increased to 25.4% from 24.1% in the prior month while the growth in M2 dropped to 10.2% from 11.0%.As we discussed last week, a widened gap means that the problem of lacking investment opportunities becomes even worse. Also, new Yuan loans in July dropped more than expected: The print came out to be 463.6 billion Yuan and was 1.01 trillion Yuan less than the same month last year. New Yuan loans issued to corporates surprisingly dropped in July on an annualized basis, which was rarely seen in the past. Moreover, private investment in fixed assets continued to shrink in July: The growth in private investment has dropped to 2.1% from 2.8% in the prior month and is far below the 11.3% level from a year ago. These all add proof to the weakened conditions in the investment environment of Mainland China.

Also, the risk of housing price bubbles continues to increase. New medium- to long-term loans issued to real estate sector, most of which are mortgages, hit 477.3 billion Yuan in July. This is even larger than the net new Yuan Loans issued in the month. The new Yuan loans gauge is composed of new loans issued to real estate sector, new loans issued to non-financial sectors and new loans issued to non-bank financial sectors. One component, such as new medium- to long-term loans issued to real estate sector, can exceed the total new Yuan loans when some of the other components are negative. The July reads show that mortgages have become the sole driver to bank credit, which could fuel more gains to housing prices. Exact housing price to income comparisons around the world are tricky, but according to Numbeo, a comparison website,Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou ranked among the top-10 global cities with the highest price-to-income ratio. Under such circumstances, the PBoC is unlikely to introduce additional easing measures as it would just make the condition even worse. Without an outlook of rate cuts on the horizon, the Yuan rate may avoid sudden and aggressive devaluation. More likely, the PBoC will guide the currency within a range before they agree on a break of the pivotal 6.7000-psychological level.



original source

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University Academy Keighley (UAK) in Utley (England) recently held a special day to learn Hinduism, complete with folk dancing.

A practicing Hindu dressed in traditional clothing explained about Hinduism and its deities. Students were also involved in dressing up in traditional Hindu clothing and taking part in dances and traditional greetings to show respect for each other. A question-answer session was also held for better understanding of Hinduism, reports suggest.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, described it as a step in the positive direction. He stressed the need of organizing Hinduism Day in all the secondary schools of United Kingdom (UK) where children could learn about basic concepts, symbols, art, music and traditions of Hinduism.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that awareness about other religions thus created by organizing such days would make the UK pupils well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow. It also made a good business sense to know the beliefs of others in a global community. Moreover, students should have knowledge of the entire society to become full participants in the society.

Rajan Zed urged the school authorities to declare Diwali as a school holiday.

UAK, which aims to promote the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of all students, is a mixed secondary school sponsored by University of Bradford and City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. Nadira Mirza is the Chair of Governors, while Bernie Addison is the Interim Principal.
The Ivy League Princeton Universitys Art Museum will showcase paintings of various Hindu deities and legends in an upcoming exhibition Epic Tales from India from November 19 through February five next.

This monumental exhibition of narrative art encompassing 91 paintings from 16th through the 19th century at Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM) will present images of Rama and Sita, Radha and Krishna, Hanuman, Churning of the Ocean, Krishna and Balarama, Abhimanyu, Rama-Sita-Lakshman, etc., and other paintings from Ramayana, Bhagavata Purana, etc.; reports suggest.

Epic Tales from India will subsequently travel to the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin (July nine, 2017 to October 15, 2017) and the San Diego Museum of Art (March 3, 2018 to June 12, 2018). A 156-page illustrated publication will accompany the exhibition, as will a slate of affiliated programs, including a lecture by the curator, family day activities and a film series. The exhibition is curated by Marika Sardar of San Diego Museum of Art and organizing curator at the PUAM is Zoe S. Kwok.

Commending PUAM for exhibiting Hindu deities and Hinduism legends, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged major art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee dOrsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Art Institute of Chicago, Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world.

PUAM, with history dating back to the 1750s, claims to be one of the finest university art museums in the world, whose collections of over 97,000 works of art spanning the globe range from ancient to contemporary art, and which welcomes over 125,000 visitors annually. James Christen Steward is the Director.

Source : From Our Correspondent
- The World Bank promised to return $321m Abacha loot when it can ascertain what Nigeria will do to the money

- Previous repatriations have reportedly been squandered especially during the Jonathan administration

- Nigeria has already submitted lists of projects it planned to carry out

It seems corruption which has bedevilled Nigeria is haunting it again as the repatriation of the $321m Abacha loot is being delayed until the World Bank can ascertain the projects Nigeria will carry out with the money.

During the administration of former president, Goodluck Jonathan 22.5 million Abacha loot was reportedly repatriated to Nigeria but the government could not explain what the money was used for.

READ ALSO: EFCC To Probe Okonjo-Iweala, Dasuki - Falana

The Punch reports that Switzerland explained that a bilateral agreement has to be reached on the projects Nigeria will carry out with the $321m before it will be returned. This was apparently done so a s to monitor the fund as a result of previous repatriation that ended up missing.

Daniel Cavegn who is the deputy head of mission at the Swiss embassy in Nigeria said the country was ready for the transfer of the fund once all the necessary World Bank protocol and agreements had been taken care of.

He said: Once the monitoring of the World Bank for the projects chosen by the Federal Government is finalised, we will proceed to a bilateral agreement for the restitution, which is the legal basis for the transfer of the money.

The Swiss forfeiture order provides for a return of $321m to Nigeria and foresees a monitoring of the use of the funds by the World Bank.

From the Swiss side, we are committed to begin the restitution of the money to Nigeria as soon as possible; we will proceed to a bilateral agreement for the restitution, which is the legal basis for the transfer of the money.

It is difficult to currently give a time frame for the start of the restitution as the finalisation of the proceedings will still need time.

Cavegn said the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice of Nigeria and the Swiss Foreign Minister signed a letter of intent regarding the restitution of the fund on March 8, 2016 in Abuja.

He explained this was to ensure transparency and accountability which was in accordance with international best practice.

This letter of intent confirms that the use of the funds will be monitored by the World Bank as foreseen in the forfeiture order issued by the Public Prosecutor of the Canton of Geneva.

The Swiss official said Nigeria had submitted series of projects it planned to carry out with the fund.

He said: We are awaiting more details regarding the proposed projects and, in particular, how the monitoring of the World Bank would be assured.

The Swiss government said it had repatriated $700 million Abacha loot to Nigeria in several tranches since 2005.

A source has said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will investigate a former minister of finance over missing 22.5 million from the family of late Abacha.

The Nation reports that the money which was recovered from the Island of Jersey could not be traced.

A source who pleaded anonymity said the investigation was borne out of the fact that there was communication between government of the Island of Jersey and a former minister of finance.

There was certainly a communication between the government of the Island of Jersey and a former minister of finance. The EFCC investigators are probing whether the cash was actually repatriated into the governments coffers or diverted into a personal account.

During the administration of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, the ex-minister was said to have declared that the money had been spent.

The records of the transactions are not just there at all. This development has created much suspicion on the whereabouts of the Abacha loot.The EFCC might interrogate the ex-minister if it cannot trace the records of the repatriation of the loot."

Source: Legit.ng
Legit.ng is #1 online trusted source of the latest news in Nigeria. We are covering Nigeria news, Niger delta, world updates, and Nigerian newspaper reviews. We guide our readers to the world of politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion, lifestyle and human interest stories.
- Avengers say group ready to face navy in the creek

- Group says men arrested by military, not part of NDA

- Issues strong statement

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) in the morning of Sunday, August 14 challenged the commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie and commanding officer, Nigeria Navy Service (NNS) Delta, Commodore Joseph Dzunye, telling both men to come to the creeks of the Niger Delta, instead of operating from the cities and apprehend sleeper agents, who they call as Avengers members to in order to get favour from their top officers.

READ ALSO: FG will empower Niger Delta youths to end agitation - minister

Image maker of the group, self-styled Brig General Agbinibo Mudoch, confronted both men in a statement refuting the claim by NNS Delta commander on Saturday, August 13 that two suspects, Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye, arrested by the navy a few days ago,were members of NDA.

Agbinibo stated that both Tonghan and Miyenminiye were spies working in collaboration with security outfits. He said both men were given N5 million by two leaders, whose names were not mentioned to give Nigeria military intelligence on the activities of the Avengers.

President Muhammadu Buhari and NDA

The statement reads: We made it clear that the Nigeria military is using sleepers agents to track or checkmate the activities and operation of the Niger Delta Avengers. But the more they try, the more they run into crisis with their employed sleeper agents.

Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye that were arrested and paraded by the Nigeria Navy Delta are few of the sleeper agents working for Nigeria Military in conjunction with (two leaders, names withheld)

The suspects (Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye) was paid 5 Million Naira to give Nigeria military intelligent on the activities of NDA. On failing to deliver, the suspects were arrested and tagged NDA members, what a shame?

Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye are not members of NDA we do not know or have any connection with them. The Navy Commanding Office NNS Delta, Warri(Commodore Joseph Dzunve) is trying to impress his boss in Abuja, but arresting sleeper agents recruited by his predecessor.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu has no ties with MEND, Avengers - Lawyers

Any criminal arrested is now an NDA member. Since we (NDA) started the struggle, none of our operatives has been arrested. All those in detention in the name of NDA are not part of NDA, the world should know this.

Nigeria military have not seen embarrassment. NDA will keep embarrassing you because the only thing you are good at doing in the Niger Delta region is arrest and killing of innocent citizens of the Niger Delta in the name of looking for NDA and illegal bunkering.

If the Nigeria military is serious about arresting NDA let them come to the creeks of the Niger Delta, that is where we dwell not the city. If I (Brig.Gen Moduch Agbinibo) was the Commanding Officer NNS Delta (Commodore Joseph Dzunve) and Commander of the so-called Operation Delta Safe (Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie), I would have been in the creeks instead of sitting at the comfort of my air-conditioned office.

The Avengers also sent words to the elders in the Niger Delta region stating that: Hope it's clear to you our elders that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government is not reliable, reasonable, responsible and not ready to dialogue.

Can you tell the world the government official you been dialoguing with? Is it the President? On the other hand, is there any committee that is set up for it? We respect you our elders, as such stop behaving, as the Niger Delta is a seized region and stop acting like you are begging the government for dialogue.

The worse the government will do is to bombard our villages and towns in the name of looking for NDA. Therefore, our elders should tread carefully with the Nigeria government, it pointed out.

The reason behind military harassment of towns and villages in the Niger Delta is because NDA have not confronted the Nigeria military in battle. We are not scared in confronting you.

The creeks of the Niger Delta belong to us, so defeating the Nigeria military is not hard for us. We have made it clear in many occasions that our business is to cripple the Nigeria economy not to kill military. The Nigeria military should, not we, (NDA) avoiding them, that is a sign of weakness.

On Saturday, August 13, two NDA members, who were said to be behind attacks on Chevrons facilities within May and July 2016, were apprehended.

Source: Legit.ng
- Dogara says he is ready for probing by anti-graft agencies

- Speaker is alleged to be involved in corrupt practices in the name of budget padding

- Recent statements are different from what Speaker had earlier said

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, on Saturday, August 13 rescinded on his statements that legislators could not be investigated for carrying out their legislative duties, in an unclear way to shield himself from the fallout of his claim based on the public outcry over the budget padding scandal.

As an Officer in the Temple of Justice, Dogara not only owes unalloyed allegiance to the judiciary but also to the institutions of law enforcement, the speaker revealed in a statement signed by his media aide, Turaki Hassan, adding that: He indeed swore to an Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Padding: Dogara will face the music if guilty - Presidency

Dogaras change of comments shows the effect of the scandal, which has remained in the media since it first broke about three weeks ago, has had on his political life.

The Speaker has made joint efforts to dismiss the allegations he fraudulently changed the 2016 budget to the tune of N40 billion, saying those leading the calls for his prosecution are not knowledgeable.

Recent efforts seeking to discredit the document are a consequence of inadequate knowledge of the legal framework governing appropriation in a presidential democracy, the Speaker stated at a forum Thursday, August 11.

The comments and others alike he made before, earned him public bashing from from all and sundry, with many saying his hardened heart was a sign he has something to hide.

However, in a recent statement,the Speaker tried to protect the rights of lawmakers while also reassuring the public that they are within the ambits of the law.

The Speaker stated: 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.

READ ALSO: Padding scandal: Dogara, others to be tried - AGF

The disclaimer showed a conspicuous difference from the earlier public statements by Dogara on the demands for a thorough investigation into the padding scandal, which he often waved away.

It doesnt even make sense and they have forgotten about Section 30 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, and others which says most of the things we do in the National Assembly are privileged, the Speaker stated while addressing the audience at an event that was put together by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre.

Dogara said: They cannot be grounds for any investigation on the procedure or proceedings to commence against a member of parliament, either the Speaker or the President of the Senate, once they are done in the exercise of their proper functions.

The Speakers stance has continued to change as the scandal evolved from what first appeared like a daily misunderstanding among lawmakers into a full-blown national disgrace, thereby generating persistent calls for his resignation from daily by Nigerians and social crusade groups.

The Speaker on Saturday, August 13 on his Twitter page wrote that he had initially chosen to remain silent, about the allegations, which came largely from Kano lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, but now speaking to Nigerians because he had suddenly realised that communication is key.

In a news report on Sunday, August 14, Dogara re-affirmed that no fund was misappropriated, stolen or missing in the 2016 budget.

Source: Legit.ng
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The Ministry has proposed that all private vehicle owners operating on National Highways pay monthly, half yearly or yearly charges which amount to INR 250, INR 1,400 and INR 2,500 respectively.

These amounts are approximately the same as private vehicle owners are now paying to avail discounts in toll charges. This proposal, which was initiated by Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport and Highways Minister has been put forth for ministerial comments and only includes private vehicles while all buses used for public transport have been excluded.

As compared to current rate, the newly proposed rates will result in the government incurring losses of upto Rs 3,000 crores annually. But, the time and fuel saved by travellers will result in even greater saving annually.

This relief on Toll Charges on National Highways will be applicable to vehicles whereon the FASTag has been installed, allowing seamless travel through toll plazas. While this relief will come in as a significant step in ensuring commuters convenience, the fact remains that despite having a smart tag, commuters still have to queue up at toll plazas for 10 to 15 minutes. This is because those commuters who do not have FASTags enter the ETC lane at toll plazas and delay those who have FASTags.

Travellers dont mind paying toll at highways, what irritates them is the huge waiting period. If the government can reduce the waiting period, it will result in huge savings of time as well as fuel. This new proposal from the Ministry is a step in this direction. With rates as low as just Rs 2,500 annually, every car owner in the country will be forced to install FASTag. Once everyone has FASTags installed, waiting period at toll booths will automatically reduce.

Apart from this, the government is also trying to reduce the number of toll plazas across India, which will also result in reducing waiting period while travelling. Recently, the Government had scrapped 61 toll plazas which were unviable or recovered the cost completely. Such steps from the government were welcomed by citizens.
As far as images reveal, this convertible version of Maruti Jimny seems good enough to be considered for factory production
Kristina and Eric Achilles had bought condos off plans before. So when they read a few negative reports online about home builder Urbancorp, they werent deterred from depositing $60,000 on a new, pre-construction semi three years ago.

The house would give them the space they needed for their growing sons at a price they could afford, she said.

I knew $600,000 for a home of my size and a modern design was a pretty good deal. I didnt expect it to be of super high quality, said Kristina.

Did I think they would take my money, and I would never get the house? No, I didnt think there was any foreseeing that.

She is among hundreds of disappointed home buyers stuck in limbo since Urbancorp revealed in April it was undergoing restructuring proceedings, including the proposed sale of some of its assets, under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

On Monday, bids close on at least four of those assets: the 1780 Lawrence Ave. W. site where Achilles bought; 177 Caledonia Rd.; 15 Mallow Rd.; and 425 Patricia Ave. Two other Urbancorp projects, Bridlepath and Woodbine, are also part of the court-supervised restructuring that was announced as a move to allow Urbancorp to complete the construction of 1,050 homes.

Achilles figures the best she can expect is a return of the deposit.

Ontarios new home warranty agency, Tarion, could provide some relief with deposit refunds of up to $40,000 for freehold home buyers, which covers most new homes except apartment condos. The maximum deposit protection for those is $20,000.

But even if she were able to recover her full $60,000 deposit, Kristina Achilles says her familys situation wouldnt change. Given the escalation of real estate prices in Toronto, it wouldnt be enough to start home shopping again, she said.

I really want the house. The chances of us all getting bigger houses at this point. . . . Its not going to happen, she said.

Although the Achilles family is not her client, one Toronto lawyer is holding out a sliver of hope that they and some of the other Urbancorp buyers could still get their houses, although they would likely have to pay more.

Its too early to know how the Urbancorp restructuring will play out, said Lisa Corne of Dickinson Wright, which has clients in four Urbancorp developments, including Lawrence Ave.

Its a long shot, she said. But her firm is asking the court to grant home buyers some representation in making sure the successful bidders on the Urbancorp properties honour the purchase agreements.

The law generally has permitted the purchase agreements to be disclaimed, but there is a development that is occurring in the law that is providing some hope for purchasers in terms of preserving their rights, said Corne.

A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31. If the court agrees, buyers could get a voice in reviewing the bids on the Urbancorp properties being sold. The motion also requests that the court order the Urbancorp estate to pay their legal fees and other professional expenses, arguing that it would be more efficient to have multiple buyers represented collectively by Dickinson Wright rather than individually.

As individuals, their unsecured claims are relatively small and do not factor in a significant way into the decision-making of the key players in these proceedings, according to court documents filed by Corne and her colleague David Preger, who argue that the home purchasers are a vulnerable group.

Many cant afford to hire lawyers because they put their savings into deposits worth millions collectively, said Corne.

And there is another element to the case.

Its not just the refund of the deposits that these purchasers should be entitled to, but the increase in the value of the property they bought which should go to them instead of being appropriated and stolen back by Urbancorp through this process. Thats something we will be fighting for, she said.

Builder insolvencies arent unique, but the scale of Urbancorps may be.

Normally you would have an isolated one project that would fail and here Urbancorp had 10 or 12 developments on the go at once, said Corne.

The Urbancorp office phone was not answered on Friday.

For Michela Meleca, who is living with her baby and husband in her father-in-laws basement apartment, the Urbancorp restructuring is all a disaster that hasnt fully sunk in.

The couple poured all their savings into a $60,000 deposit on a Lawrence Ave. semi. For Michela it was as much an investment as a home. She said she would have been happy living in a small bungalow. But the couple really wanted to stay close to the neighbourhood where they grew up and they didnt want to renovate or engage in the bidding wars that are common in Torontos housing market.

It took us such a long time to buy something because we wanted to stay within the area. When this came up it seemed perfect. It was perfect, she said.

If she gets her $60,000 deposit back  most of the couples combined savings  its going straight in the bank, said Meleca.

I am so scared to put my money anywhere, she said.

Kristina Achilles, who would have been her neighbour, acknowledges she is one of the lucky Urbancorp purchasers.

We have a house. Were not homeless, were not in a small apartment. We did consider selling our house when we bought and renting an apartment just to save up. Thank God we didnt do that. Other people are worse off, she said.

The Achilles have even figured out how to squeeze another room into their 1,200 sq. ft. home near Caledonia Rd. and Eglinton Ave. so their boys, 6 and 10, can have separate spaces. It will only be about 6 ft. by 9 ft.

Not sure a teenage boy fits in that space, but well see, she said.

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OTTAWAA new top commander admits that Canadas military is not as efficient as it can be and is pledging to push ahead with efforts to make it more cost-effective.

Vice-Admiral Mark Norman took over the job as vice-chief of defence staff this month promising to aggressively pursue efficiencies.

And in an exclusive interview with the Star, Norman said his goal is to expand whats been branded as defence renewal, the process of reforming the management of Canadas military.

The defence department has been criticized for having too many consultants, too many civilians and too many military personnel clustered in Ottawa rather than serving at front line units.

Thats all left the impression that the department is top heavy, criticisms that Norman acknowledges. No one likes to hear those characterizations . . . but the reality is were not as efficient as we could be, he said.

As good as the status quo may be, it can always be better, he said.

Norman, 53, is the veteran sailor who now talks like a corporate executive. No wonder. Hes gone from guiding warships to pondering organizational charts, management processes and the bottom line.

Its all a product of his new job, the second most powerful post in the military. Yet unlike the commanders of the air force, navy or special forces, vice chief of defence staff is not a role that is well understood.

As Norman likes to say, his new job is to look after the back end of the military.

Were all about operations in the military but at the end of the day, if we dont have the back end of the business sorted out, were potentially going to compromise the operations, he said in an interview.

Im not going to sea anymore. Im here to enable those who are and those who are flying and those who are in the field, the navy veteran said.

And as Canadas military looks to renew itself, Norman is the man who will help guide that transformation.

He takes over at a time when the military is trying to find efficiencies, search out savings in administration that can be redirected to front line efforts. Former prime minister Stephen Harper had complained about a serious imbalance in the defence department and urged cuts to overhead while preserving operational readiness.

The Conservatives launched a process in 2013 to find saving worth $1.2 billion a year by 2018. Norman said he wants to step up those efforts.

Its starting to deliver some results but . . . were going to focus on broadening the scope of the renewal and efficiency effort, said Norman, who was commander of the Royal Canadian Navy before taking on this job.

That includes looking at everything from paperwork to bureaucratic processes to new ways of doing business, he said, how we get things done. (Military) bases do different things, depending where they are in the country, and how we can rationalize some of that, he said.

Are we getting everything we possibly can out of every dollar and out of every person that we have in here, Norman said.

For example, he said the pending consolidation of defence department offices in Ottawa to a single site  a former Nortel office campus  is an opportunity to implement changes to defence administration.

It is significant . . . this is an opportunity for us to really lean into some efficiencies, Norman said.

As he passed the baton to Norman at the Aug. 5 change of command ceremony, Lt.-Gen. Guy Thibault, the outgoing vice-chief of defence staff, lamented the growing layers of scrutiny of the military by politicians and others in government.

But Norman suggested that zealous scrutiny within the military itself is a problem too. We tend to step on our own toes a lot. Theres a lot of internal checking, double-checking, triple-checking that isnt necessarily value added, Norman said.

Still, he knows that getting an organization as vast as the defence department, with 119,000 employees and an annual budget of $18.6 billion, to change its ways will not be easy.

Youve got to focus on those things you know you can get done . . . you show success in those, generate some enthusiasm about the changes, he said.

Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, told the change of command ceremony that while the role of the vice-chief appears less well-defined, the value of the post is immeasurable.

In other words, he does much, if not most of the heavy lifting that keeps defence running, Vance told the crowd of civilians and military personnel.

Vance said the vice-chief also often acts on his behalf, which usually means attending more meetings than anybody else, later and longer hours.

Like most navy veterans, Normans heart isnt far from time spent at sea, evident by a weathered, dirty pennant that hangs near his desk. Its the command pennant flown by the destroyer HMCS Athabaskan, which served as Normans flagship during his time as commander of the navys Atlantic fleet.

Indeed, during his own remarks at the change of command ceremony, Norman couldnt resist a naval analogy as he looked to the challenges ahead.

Fasten your seatbelts, hang on, secure for sea. Folks, were in for some high-speed manoeuvring over the next several months, Norman told the guests.

Weve got lots to do. Weve got a very busy few years ahead of us, he said.

Quick facts about Vice-Admiral Mark Norman:

Graduated from Queens University with a degree in economics.

Joined the naval reserve in 1980 and transferred to the navys regular force in 1985, specializing in above water warfare. His appointments include the commissioning and maiden deployment of the frigate HMCS Halifax, executive officer of the destroyer HMCS Iroquois, commanding officer of the frigate HMCS St. Johns, and commander of the Atlantic fleet.

Took over command of the Royal Canadian Navy in 2013.

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DHAKA, BANGLADESH  A University Toronto student detained in connection with a terrorist attack in Bangladesh will reportedly remain in custody for at least another week.

A number of media outlets have reported that a Dhaka court granted a request by authorities on Saturday to hold Tahmid Hasib Khan, 22, for up to six more days.

Khan was arrested earlier this month but hasnt been charged in last months attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery restaurant in Dhaka that left 20 hostages dead.

Bangladesh English-language newspaper The Daily Star reported on its website that police told the court that investigators need more time to question Khan and a 47-year-old British national who has also been detained.

Khan is a permanent resident of Canada who is studying global health at the University of Toronto. His friends and family say he travelled to Dhaka to visit family and has done nothing wrong.

The attack that began on July 1 ended the following morning after Bangladeshi security forces stormed the restaurant, killing five armed gunmen and rescuing 13 surviving hostages.

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Fabio Basso and his girlfriend lay in bed watching TV when they heard a knock on the front door.

It was about 10:50 p.m. on a Tuesday night.

Who could that be? his girlfriend asked.

They muted the TV and listened. Basso, now hearing the voice of his elderly mother talking to someone, moved closer to the bedroom door.

I opened it and he was standing right there, Basso would soon tell police.

The intruder reached into the front of his pants and pulled out a steel baton, wrapped in what looked like black tape.

Then he just started whaling, hitting me, Basso said.

Bassos sister watched from the hall, yelling that she would call 911, as the man pummelled Basso and his girlfriend. With each hit, she could hear a sound like a chain, she would tell investigators.

The attack was over in less than two minutes.

The assailant ran off, leaving his bloodied victims in the rundown bungalow where just three months earlier a video had been shot of then mayor Rob Ford smoking a crack pipe.

Using copies of investigators notes and the occurrence report obtained under freedom of information legislation following a 19-month battle with Toronto police, the Star has gleaned an inside account of the May 21, 2013, attack at 15 Windsor Rd.

Toronto police refused to release the records until they were ordered to by Ontarios information commissioner in early 2015. The Star could not publish this article until now because of a publication ban in the trial against Alexander Sandro Lisi, the former mayors friend and occasional driver, charged with extortion in relation to his attempts to retrieve the video.

The charge was withdrawn Thursday and the ban was lifted.

The Windsor Rd. home, which investigators called a drug house, was a recurring backdrop in the saga of Ford and his association with gang members, some of whom were later arrested for gun and drug offences.

In a now notorious image, Ford was photographed in the driveway with three alleged gang members, including one who was later gunned down outside a downtown nightclub.

The circumstances connected to this particular assault are not ordinary, nor is the house where it occurred, adjudicator Colin Bhattacharjee of Ontarios information and privacy commission said, in his decision finding that there was compelling public interest in disclosing the records.

Bhattacharjee pointed out that police included an excerpt of the police report in its information to obtain a search warrant for its investigation into Ford and Lisi.

The inclusion of the report suggests the home invasion and assault was seen by the police to possibly have some connection to their broader investigation that included the activities of Mayor Ford and his close friend, he said in his decision.

The police report and officers notes do not appear to contain any direct reference to Ford or Lisi, Bhattacharjee said.

The night of the attack, at least 18 Toronto police officers descended on the north Etobicoke home.

In the hours after the assault, investigators interviewed several family members. When the Star obtained the police notes in 2015, Mario Basso, Fabios brother, said the family had no interest in talking to the media.

Bassos mother was lying on the couch when the man arrived at her familys home. He asked for her son, Fabio.

I said, No, no home,  she told police.

The man then shoved the door with both hands and pushed past the woman, making a beeline straight to Bassos bedroom. He pulled the metal rod out of his pants, the steel tip glistening.

F--- you, Bassos girlfriend remembered the man telling Fabio.

The bungalow erupted in screaming. Bassos girlfriend, watching her boyfriend of more than two years get struck again and again, leapt over his body to protect him.

(The attacker) hit me across the left side of my head twice, then I put my arms up to protect my head and he hit my arms two more times, she told police.

Elena Johnson, Bassos sister, sprinted to the kitchen to call the police. As she spoke to a dispatcher, the attacker ran out the front door. Basso went to the porch and watched him run, jump a fence and head, police notes say, in the direction of a nearby Dixon Rd. apartment complex.

Throughout the beating, the attacker made no threats or demands, witnesses told the police. He did not take a thing.

Did you know who this man was? a constable asked Fabio.

No, no idea.

The questions and answers go on for another page in the officers notebook.

Do you owe any money, drugs or have any enemies?

No.

In police search warrant documents, investigators called the bungalow a crack house where Dixon Rd.-area gang members often went to chop drugs or hang out and get drunk. None of the allegations in the documents has been proven in court.

Just days before the attack, the Star and U.S.-based Gawker revealed that reporters had seen a video of the mayor smoking a crack pipe.

As part of Lisis attempts to recover the video, he visited Basso, a Star investigation found. Crown prosecutors dropped an extortion charge against Lisi on Aug. 11, citing frailties with the case.

There has long been speculation that the home invasion was over the secretly filmed video.

Around the same time, in wiretapped conversations played at one of Lisis pretrial hearings, Bassos sister decried the stupidity of one of the alleged gang members making the video in her home.

Hes the f---ing mayor of Toronto, Johnson said. Were going to feel the heat everywhere.

In their descriptions to police, residents at the Windsor Rd. home said the attacker was a black male, at least six feet tall, wearing a black vest, dark jeans and black shoes.

He was muscular. I could see muscles of his shoulders. The guy was wide, Johnson told police.

Everyone at the bungalow said the attacker was a stranger.

In the early evening of June 19, 2013, the cases lead detective contacted Basso.

Basso told the officer he had nothing further to add about the attack. The detective, as he would write minutes later in the police report, advised that the occurrence would be parked pending further information.

No one has been arrested.

How the Star got the records

In July 2013, the Star filed a Freedom of Information request for copies of the police report and officers notes from the home invasion at 15 Windsor Rd. as part of its investigation into then-mayor Rob Ford and his associates.

After the police refused to release the documents, arguing they contained personal, private information collected during an investigation of a crime, the Star appealed to the provincial information watchdog.

In September 2014, the information commission agreed with the Star that the records were of compelling public interest, and ordered they be released within 36 days with certain information removed. The day before the deadline, the police filed a motion asking the adjudicator to reconsider his decision because there had been a fundamental defect in the process.

In February 2015, the adjudicator reaffirmed his decision and 65 pages of records were released to the Star. In light of a publication ban in the recently resolved trial against Sandro Lisi, the Star could not publish a story based on the records until now.

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Amid years of uncertainty, the one constant in 10-year-old Marcel Wards life has been music.

At 5, Marcel, a spunky boy with dark curls, taught himself piano on a small toy keyboard his father gave him in Syria for his birthday. He played Beethoven and Mozart by ear  one hand and one song bit at a time, his tiny fingers flying.

Then the war came. The family left their home in Damascus a day after it was attacked in 2012, and landed in Dubai. They uprooted again in 2015, bouncing here and there, and temporarily joining family in New York and New Jersey.

They applied for refugee status with help from Marcels uncle, whod lived in Canada for two decades, and came to Burlington later that year.

The family of four  Marcel, his 12-year-old brother Eilia, a pianist, too, mother Elham and father Manar  are now settled in a cozy Hamilton home, where Marcel plays on a wooden Kawai piano at all hours of the day and night.

Their path is emblematic of the roots Syrian families are beginning to spread after years of upheaval  and how resilience shines through adversity.

Wednesday afternoon, Marcel completed a level 4 Royal Conservatory of Music exam at a church in Hamilton. The exam, which he passed, sets him on a path to becoming a certified musician, said Elaine Rusk, the conservatorys vice president.

I only had three mistakes, Marcel said, jumping out of the car and into his driveway afterwards. On the front door, a piece of paper ripped out of a notebook carries a message scrawled in blue crayon, warning people not to knock because hes on TV.

Inside he bounces up and down, from the piano bench where he launches into bursts of melody (Fur Elise, Minuet in G Major, Turkish March), to his family sitting on the couch, to unknown parts of the house to fetch different instruments (a recorder, a horn). He poses for photographs.

His dream is to play his own compositions to the world over, to get better and better, and better, Marcel says. To be famous.

My favourite part (of playing the piano) is to create my own songs. The composition of his he likes most is called Leil, Arabic for Night, and was inspired by Beethovens Fur Elise, his piano song of choice.

Rusk of the conservatory says, from what shes heard, its clear Marcel is bound to be a musician for life. Though she hasnt met Marcel, Rusk says the fact he taught himself and is already composing speaks to a natural ability. He has a wonderful ear, by all accounts.

Rusk says his age isnt completely unusual for the level of exam he took (an average age for a level 1 test is about his age, 10), but his passion and persistence throughout his journey stands out to her.

I play, like, anytime: afternoon, 12 a.m.  anytime. Im serious, 12 a.m., press the peddle so no one can hear me, Marcel said last week in his living room, giving an example of how the peddle slightly mutes his melody.

His father, Manar, confirmed the boys penchant for late-night playing. Yeah, sometimes he plays then, especially when he gets angry, Ward said, noting his son has the temperament of an artist.

Marcel says he prefers to play in minor. Because I like sad songs. Why? They make me feel happy.

So do sports, his blue hoverboard, green beans and playing with friends, he says.

In the middle of the Stars visit, theres a knock on the front door.

Hey, I saw you on CBC, a small voice tells Marcel and Eilia, who rushed to see who it was. He wanted to play with them. Stay around here  10-15 minutes, says Marcel, the master of his destiny.

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Jill Heinerth slips into her $16,500 state-of-the-art diving gear  electric dry suit undergarment, custom-made black outer dry suit, gloves, hood and boots and weight belt  as effortlessly as if she were pulling on an old sweatshirt and pair of jeans.

She scoops up her strobe lights and nine-kilogram Canon camera (housed in an Aquatica box), tanks and regulators, and strides purposefully towards the shoreline of Lake Hurons Little Tub Harbour.

A broad-shouldered five-foot-10, Heinerth breaks into a huge grin as she prepares to sink into the world where she feels most at home. Im more comfortable in the water than on the surface, floating free, and exploring places nobodys ever seen before, she says.

One of the worlds foremost explorers and cave divers, the 51-year-old has returned to this fishing port in Tobermory, where she first learned to dive, to explore several shipwrecks with a group of women on Womens Dive Day. The summer day is a gift. Clear skies. Still water. Perfect visibility.

Its a homecoming of sorts, as townspeople stop to say hello, as well as a chance for Heinerth to reflect on the deep connection she feels to what she calls the veins of Mother Earth. She has gone deeper into underwater caves than any other woman on the planet.

I spend my time swimming through dark places and exploring corridors filled with the very source of life, she says. So much of Canadas geography is about the water and so much is underwater and out of sight.

One of the days highlights is the Arabia, a wooden vessel from 1853 that is about 35 metres down, wheel and deck anchors still intact.

While todays dive is recreational, Heinerth made her name mapping remote cave systems all over the world, making television series for PBS and National Geographic Channel, and stunt diving for the likes of Hollywood director James Cameron. Her accolades include the Wyland ICON Award (an honour she shares with her heroes Jacques Cousteau and Robert Ballard); Scuba Diving magazines 2012 Sea Hero of the Year; and this years inaugural explorer-in-residence designation for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

Heinerth is also one of few women to excel in this high-risk sport, which requires just the right blend of curiosity, technical prowess and inner fortitude.

In the beginning I was told so many times that there wasnt a place for women in diving and here I am doing exactly what I love to do, says Heinerth. I hope some of that rubs off on other women.

She has certainly inspired Natasa Djermanovic, a diver and photographer based in Niagara Region, who describes Heinerth as a pioneer. You dont often equate women with the kind of diving Jill does. I was raised thinking it was a mans world underwater, Djermanovic says.

Jill is my most important role model.

Cave divers work in pitch darkness, moving through unpredictably tiny spaces and often freezing black pools filled with stalactites and stalagmites. In an emergency, they cannot swim vertically to the surface. The only way out is to swim back the way they came. Rescues are rare, though Heinerth has been involved in a few recoveries.

Some specialized cave divers use rebreathers  two hoses that attach to the mouthpiece and recirculate the gas in a loop, scrubbing out the carbon dioxide being exhaled. (Astronauts use a similar device when they go outside the spacecraft.)

Rebreathers allow divers to stay down longer, but there are many increased risks, including oxygen toxicity, carbon dioxide poisoning and hypoxia (or oxygen deficiency), which can all lead to unconsciousness and drowning. As well, divers who have spent time in deep water must decompress before they surface to avoid decompression sickness, which can be fatal.

It is no surprise, then, that 10 cave divers die on average every year, according to the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education.

My husband, Robert (McClellan, a former combat photojournalist in the U.S. navy) has attended more funerals since he met me than he did while serving in active combat duty, says Heinerth, who has lost more than 10 friends to cave diving accidents in as many years.

McClellan shakes his head and smiles, confessing that while he worries about his wife, he also understands she is doing exactly what the universe intended her to do. I appreciate that her work makes Jill who she is and the woman I fell in love with, says McClellan, who helps run Heinerth Productions, a business that offers underwater filmmaking and other creative services including writing, consulting and motivational speaking. The couple splits time between a home in Fergus, Ont., and one in High Springs, Fla.

Heinerth manages the sports risks by staying focused, she says, recalling a formative incident in her 20s that tested her mettle. She had just moved into a student house in Toronto, and on her very first night there, when she was alone, she heard an intruder.

My first instinct was to cower, but then I thought, no, I have to defend myself, she recalls. I heard him come up the stairs. I grabbed an X-Acto knife from my drafting table. He came into my bedroom and I yelled, Who are you? Identify yourself. He came after me. I slashed his chest and stood face to face with him. I felt like my head was going to explode.

The man fled, and Heinerth escaped out the front door. I had nightmares about it for years. But I learned that if you take the next step towards survival and do the next best thing, then youre going to make it. I knew in my heart I was going to be a survivor.

Does she ever worry about dying on the job?

I always enter the water prepared to deal with a worst-case scenario, she confesses. But I am more afraid of not living a full and authentic life. Thoughtful risk-taking is part of exploration, which ultimately drives society forward.

Chance encounter leads to risky profession

Born in Cooksville, now part of Mississauga, to a mechanical engineer and a schoolteacher, Heinerth grew up in a close family that celebrated maps, canoe trips and endless horizons. She loved Brownies, hiking the Bruce Trail and Cousteaus television series. My parents encouraged me to chase my dreams, she says.

An excellent swimmer, Heinerth also enjoyed building forts and burrowing in small spaces. After high school, she pursued a degree in visual communications design from York University and opened a graphic design business, inspired by her grandparents, who were professional illustrators.

The business flourished. But the water beckoned. I was always looking for ways to escape to Tobermory, she recalls.

In 1991, she took the plunge, selling her business and moving to the Cayman Islands. I didnt have a clear path of what I wanted to do, but I wanted to focus on getting more time in the water, and on my photography, she recalls.

Four years later, she met Bill Stone, an American engineer, inventor and caver, through a diving friend, and formed a friendship that would end up changing her life. Stone invited her on an expedition to Sistema Huautla, in Oaxaca, Mexico, the worlds deepest cave system, as a grunt, to support the base camp. Stone had spent years charting a route through the system, working in bone-chilling water, 15-metre shafts and unpredictable weather.

You start on a mountain in central Mexico in the cloud forest, go in through a hole, and work your way down through waterfalls and cascades that go on forever, Heinerth explains. You have to hike everything down through a slot canyon, dive in, then hike everything out. Tsunamis would come down the canyon, bringing six-foot-deep water, and wash our camps away.

It was arduous, technically challenging work, made more so by the lack of visibility. The year before, Stone had lost a colleague; it took his team five days to haul the body out of the cave system.

I fully intended to just carry equipment, Heinerth remembers. But then, one of the divers backed out. I would like to replace him, I told Bill. He was wary. I told him, loss of visibility in cave diving never alarmed me. So, he let me do it.

It was a pivotal moment: Heinerth was mapping a cave system nobody else had ever been in  an accomplishment akin to an Everest summit. She had won the respect of her colleagues. I started to feel a sense of purpose beyond myself, and understand the story I was meant to tell.

The story of water, she realized, is that everything we do on the surface of the land gets returned to us to drink.

Heinerth wanted to spend the rest of her life documenting waters journey, and so she moved to Florida  the worlds leading cave diving site.

Career lowlights

Some of Jill Heinerths most memorable experiences:

Wall mapping

In 1996, Heinerth co-led an expedition to Mexicos Mayan Riviera, where her team laid down 15,000 metres of guidelines, helping to open up this part of the world to cave divers. She also collaborated again with Bill Stone, this time on a project that tested his groundbreaking invention: a three-dimensional wall mapper. The 150-kilogram, two-metre-tall torpedo-like device permitted divers to assemble an accurate three-dimensional model of cave systems by bouncing sonar signals off cave walls in 32 directions four times a second.

We had to create a way to do deep dives that had never been done before because of the depth and duration we were planning, says Heinerth, whose 22-hour mission included being down at about 90 metres and decompressing for 16 hours, as together they mapped Wakulla Springs, a deep cave system in north Florida.

Antarctica

Heinerth was lucky to meet another key mentor along the way: Wesley Skiles, a diver and underwater photographer for National Geographic. Impressed by her images from Wakulla, Skiles proposed they work together, and in 2000, they went to the Antarctic to explore the caves inside the worlds largest iceberg  which was the size of Jamaica. We ended up getting trapped in the iceberg and almost didnt get out due to a ripping current, recalls Heinerth. When we finally escaped, mere hours later, the entire mass of ice exploded.

James Cameron

Through Skiles, Heinerth met James Cameron, who had long dreamed of making a 3D cave disaster film.

While the Hollywood director of Titanic and Avatar has a reputation for being prickly and hard-driven, Heinerth said his commitment to pushing the boundaries of ocean exploration and technology won her over. She took Cameron on his first cave dive in Florida, when they were shooting a pitch trailer for the thriller cave disaster film Sanctum.

He told her, Show me stuff that looks cool and scary, she says. I squeezed through restrictions, and pushed a double scuba tank through a narrow area and then breathed off the hose. I had the hose ripped from my mouth so I had to surface and put my lips to where the air pools were and suck up the air, she recounts. He said, How on earth did you figure out how to do that? I said, Thats the first time Ive ever done it.

The film, released in 2011, was dedicated to Skiles, who died in a diving accident the year before. More people have been to the moon than to the places Jill has explored deep inside our watery planet, says Cameron, in a quote on Heinerths website, intotheplanet.com.

Bell Island, N.L.

These days, Heinerth is exploring a forgotten chapter of Canadas history off Newfoundlands Bell Island. The island was the site of an iron ore mine that was used for the shipping industry during the Second World War. In 1942, German U-boats attacked the island twice, sinking four ships, killing 70 merchant marines and destroying the loading dock.

Heinerth is leading an effort to explore the inside of the mine, which was flooded, as well as to document the shipwrecks, and provide the Bell Island Historical Society with visual images of culturally significant artifacts. She recently recovered a sextant, an instrument used for celestial navigation.

She has already done as many as 60 dives on the site. But in classic Heinerth form, she feels she is just getting started.

Explorer-in-residence

As inaugural explorer-in-residence for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Heinerth will promote the societys traditional links to explorers and also promote geography, especially among young people, speaking in classrooms across the country. Heinerth hopes to inspire young people to live their dreams, and wants to connect the public to their water resources.

Everything we do to the surface of our land will be returned to us to drink. We need to fully embrace how water flows into and out of our lives, she says.

Correction  Aug. 17, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the name of Tobermorys Little Tub Harbour.

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Dale James talks slow and low and due to a childhood accident, he is partially blind in his left eye, which is milky white. On a hot day in June, he arrives late at his lawyers office and wears a Raptors cap and Tupac Shakur T-shirt, which hangs off his thin frame.

Hes lost weight, and has cut down on his trips to see a therapist for treatment of depression, even though its getting worse, he says.

It is a rare outing, he tells his lawyer, Osborne Barnwell.

After 16 years of being regularly stopped by police, for the past two months, James, 33, started staying home most days in a cramped apartment he shares with his mother, on Wilson Ave., near Bathurst St.

Either theyre going to get me in trouble, he says of the police, or theyre going to kill me  Im just trying to avoid them. I cant take it anymore.

In his latest legal battle, James and his brother are suing Toronto police. In a statement of claim filed late last year, they seek $2.2 million in damages, alleging an assault on James, racial profiling, arbitrary detention and search of James outside their apartment. They further allege police are terrorizing the entire family and have caused mental distress.

In a statement of defence, the two named officers and the police service deny all allegations, including the allegation of racial profiling.

There has already been one substantial settlement by Toronto police with James, the details of which cant be disclosed, says Barnwell. The settlement was the result of a 2013 lawsuit and a human rights complaint.

Despite the settlement, Barnwell says a message for police to leave his client alone doesnt seem to be getting through.

Last year, he and James visited a high-ranking officer in 31 Division. Its the division in northwest Toronto where many of the stops have happened. It was agreed, says Barnwell, that Jamess name would be flagged so officers would know the history.

But hes still suffering the harassment, says Barnwell.

Police spokesperson Meaghan Gray told the Star a mediated compromise that involved no admission of wrongdoing resulted in a confidential resolution. This included the meeting with police that was intended to develop a more positive relationship with officers at 31 Division and also provided James with resources to seek vocational and counselling assistance, Gray said in an email.

Unfortunately, given the latest statement of claim filed by Mr. James, our efforts seem to have been for naught, said Gray.

James is indeed a police magnet.

He provided the Star with details of 43 encounters with Toronto police from April 2006 to November 2015. They were gleaned from multiple freedom-of-information requests he made. He believes there are many more and says he is appealing to Ontarios Information and Privacy Commissioner.

A Star analysis of contact card data from 2008 to 2012 shows James is correct, finding 32 encounters that appear to involve him  15 more than what he obtained in his personal requests for that period. Of the 32 encounters, 16 were for vehicle stops or vehicle-related. Eleven were for general investigation.

Police say all responsive records would have been provided to Dale but the service was unable to confirm the exact number of encounters, since FOI requests and responses are purged after two years. However, the service does not dispute there may have been more contacts, Gray said.

Repeated Star analyses of Toronto police contact card data have shown black people are more likely than white people to be documented in each of the citys 70-plus patrol zones.

Carding  the capturing of personal details from non-criminal stops in a massive police database  was suspended in January 2015 by then chief Bill Blair. Community groups say the stops have not stopped. In January, provincial regulations, aimed at doing away with arbitrary stops, fully kick in.

Although James lives in 32 Division, many of his stops were recorded in neighbouring 31 Division, where he would often go to visit a former girlfriend.

Police, says James, make fun of how he talks  and describe him as having a stink eye, dead eye, one eye and glass eye, though he does have some sight in his damaged left eye, left untreated.

James says he has been arrested several times and handcuffed, and had police guns pointed at him 10-plus times. He says he was once charged with assault but says he was acquitted and has never been convicted of a crime.

He says hes been accused of stealing scrap tires, when collecting them was part of his work. He says hes had the licence plate on the family car run by police and been detained on false information, been followed, harassed and, in one encounter, was told by an officer that he must be a drug dealer because his hands dont look like you do any work.

Most of the time, he says he is questioned, documented and let go  and, according to his rights complaint that got settled, left feeling bullied, profiled and humiliated.

Many of the encounters involved officers from the controversial Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) unit, which is to be mothballed.

In police notations on Jamess contact card paperwork that he obtained, officers describe him as anti-police and confrontational. James told the Star he is not anti-police, but after all these years, does not trust them. He says he once aspired to become a police officer like his father, who served in St. Vincent, Jamess birth country.

The stops

The police paperwork shows Dale James has been stopped while walking and while driving in many parts of the city. Several contacts were for loitering in a vehicle  James says he was simply waiting on a friend.

For years, James documented encounters with a tape recorder. In one 2007 vehicle stop, police noted on a contact card that James was hostile and used recording device on police.

In another 2007 encounter, police noted in a traffic stop that it was a routine check and that James was known to police.

In a 2008 encounter, according to police contact card information, two TAVIS officers documented James for interfering with police while trying to arrest other male. James says he saw police roughing up a black man who was in handcuffs already and spoke up.

In a 2011 vehicle stop involving four TAVIS officers, police noted the reason was for not wearing a seatbelt, which James denies.

In another 2011 encounter, police paperwork shows they detained him for 13 minutes behind his apartment building after two officers observed that he was showing a characteristics (sic) of an armed person and would not take his hands out of his pockets. The only thing James was carrying was his health card.

On Dec. 22, 2015, in an encounter that led to his latest lawsuit against Toronto police, James and his younger brother were about to enter the back door of their apartment building, around the supper hour. They allege two officers in a cruiser confronted them and detained them for no reason.

Until that moment, says James, his younger brother had never had an encounter with police.

James states in the suit he did not hand over ID, said nothing and was pulled off the apartment steps and handcuffed by one officer, while the other was pushing his brother to the side of the cruiser. Police accused them of loitering outside their home, the suit alleges.

In their statement of defence, the two officers and the police service acknowledge the officers observed two males loitering behind the building, which they called a known area for drinking and drug use. They allege the brothers appeared to be seeking entry to the building without authorization.

Police allege James became hostile and belligerent and made threatening remarks and that one of the officers believed him to be an emotionally disturbed person. That concern led to an investigative detention and handcuffs.

According to the police statement of defence, after a computer check revealed the brothers lived at the building, the handcuffs were removed and James tried to punch one of the officers. The officers, according to the statement of defence, disengaged and left.

At that point, police allege James yelled at the officers to hit him with their cruiser and proceeded to kick the driver-side of the scout car. Throughout, police say no more force than was reasonably necessary was used.

James told the Star he has problems with the police version. He says he and his brother had just parked behind the building, his brother had the apartment key in his hand, and they should have been left alone.

As for taking a swing at one officer, James said he demanded badge numbers and stood in the way of the cruiser, blocking it from leaving. One officer got out and began pushing him, he says. At that point, James told the Star, he did take a swing at that officer, in an attempt to defend himself.

James told the Star he has been stopped several times this year and has lost friends over all the police contact.

No friends want to be around me because they just dont want to get harassed..

Carded by the Terminator

Of the many officers to stop and card Dale James, Const. Irwin Correa stands out.

A 2013 Star analysis of Toronto police contact card data obtained in a freedom-of-information request indicates an officer the Star believes to be Correa got credit on 6,600 contact cards from 2008 to 2012. Only one officer had a higher count.

Because he was with the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy unit, created after the gun violence of 2005, Correa and fellow TAVIS officers had many more contacts with citizens than regular patrol officers.

The Star identified the officer it believes to be Correa in carding data using court and other records that mentioned times of contact cards tied to Correa. The Star contacted Correa in 2013. The Toronto Police Association said he would not be commenting.

The Star is identifying him for the first time, in connection with those cards, because of his involvement with James.

Looking at the skin colour of the people stopped for general investigation by the officer the Star believes to be Correa , the officer is also a standout for another reason: he stopped many more black people, proportionately, than his peers.

A Star analysis found that the officer the Star believes to be Correa was the highest above his peer average  of all officers  for carding of black people.

James is not suing Correa, who stopped him three times. In material supporting his human rights complaint, James, who is black, said he felt harassed by Correa and his then partner.

While the citys black population is around 8 per cent, 58 per cent of the cards associated with the officer the Star believes to be Correa involved black people.

Data like these offer no proof that an officer is racist  or not. But patterns could be flagged with supervisors. Internal benchmarking is regarded by some police services as a way of flagging behaviour officers may not even be aware of.

The Star found hundreds of Toronto police officers who carded people of different skin colours at disproportionate rates when compared to their peers.

Toronto police have not looked at the data for peer-to-peer officer comparisons of the racial backgrounds of who they stop, as the Star has.

In 2013, Correa, through a police association lawyer, declined Star requests for his thoughts on carding and the patterns for the officer the Star believes to be him. He didnt confirm or deny that an electronic copy sent to him of 6,600 contact card details were from cards that involved him.

Speaking on Correas behalf, police association president McCormack said in 2013 that Correa had recently received a standard lateral transfer out of TAVIS.

Correa was a respected member of the TAVIS team and seized at least nine firearms and a number of pellet guns, replica guns, ammunition and drugs while with the unit, which is deployed to areas experiencing violent crime.

One of his contact cards, said McCormack, was instrumental in solving a string of armed robberies.

McCormack said he stands by those comments today. The Star again sought comment from Correa and received no response.

Correa has made headlines before.

In January 2013, a judge found he and two TAVIS partners were involved in an unlawful 2010 stop of a man riding a bicycle in the west end. Ontario Superior Court Justice Brian OMarra found that Correa pulled down Ohene Dartehs shorts and underwear.

Darteh testified that his pants were pulled down for about a minute, exposing his genitals in broad daylight, that he was beaten and that a small amount of cocaine was planted in a cruiser that he was placed in, handcuffed, while awaiting an ambulance.

The officers involved, including Correa, denied conducting a public strip search. Correa also denied a suggestion the drugs were not Dartehs.

OMarra believed Darteh, tossed out drug charges and called Correas conduct intimidating, overbearing and oppressive.

In August 2013, the provinces Special Investigations Unit cleared Correa of sexually assaulting Darteh, though the head of the SIU called his actions deplorable.

A disciplinary charge over the incident was withdrawn, according to a police document, because Darteh was not returning the police prosecutors calls and was no longer interested in proceeding. Police say Correa is facing a G20-related matter at the police tribunal.

Earlier in his career, in the 80s and 90s, Correa worked in Parkdale, earning the nickname Terminator.

Evidently a reference to the movie, it was a positive nickname that people in the neighbourhood used, Correa testified in the Darteh case.

I had some sunglasses and of course, I was a lot younger. I had a full head of hair. I could see my toes, Correa told court.

In 2009, he was quoted in a Toronto Sun feature article on TAVIS, as he walked from a highrise on Kipling Ave., in the words of the writer, looking disgusted.

A woman was challenging police who wanted the names of two teens  one of whom was her son  loitering near the front door.

Remarked Correa: No one has respect for the police anymore.

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A two-hour drive from the geographic centre of the United States sits a quiet farmhouse near Potwin, Kan. Joyce Vogelman Taylors grandfather built the house in 1902, and her father spent 85 years living in it.

She remembered a moment in 1942, the end of the Second World War not yet in sight, when he purchased a Delco electric generator, light bulbs and a toaster. It was a massive technological upgrade for the house.

More than 70 years later, technology made the 82-year-olds life  and those of her renters, James and Theresa Arnold  a digital age horror story.

For reasons soon to be explained, the little house in the centre of the country became the crossroads of the Internet, with unimaginable consequences, also soon to be explained.

The discovery was made by Kasmir Hill of the website Fusion, who broke the story in April.

Last week, the Arnolds filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Kansas against MaxMind, a digital company that maps IP addresses and who the Arnolds claim is responsible for turning their pastoral home into a digital age horror story.

The first time Taylor realized something was amiss was when she received a call in 2011 from a small-business owner who angrily blamed her for his customers email problems.

The conversation shocked Taylor. She owned a Gateway computer, which she used almost like a typewriter  for composing Sunday school lessons and letters. She barely browsed the Internet, much less used it to overload a small businesss email servers.

The first call I got was from Connecticut, Taylor told Fusion. It was a man who was furious because his business Internet was overwhelmed with emails. His customers couldnt use their email. He said it was the fault of the address at the farm. Thats when I became aware that something was going on.

After that initial strange call to Taylor, complaints started pouring in, often with distressing and sometimes criminal accusations aimed at the Arnolds, the Wichita Eagle reported.

In May 2011 police and sheriffs officers knocked on their door, looking for a stolen truck.

This scenario repeated itself countless times over the next five years, the lawsuit stated.

Officers would show up, accusing them of harbouring runaway children. Of keeping girls in the house to make pornographic films. Ambulances appeared, prepared to save suicidal persons. FBI agents, federal marshals and tax collectors have all appeared on their doorstep. So have angry Internet users, who claimed they were ripped off by the Arnolds.

Law enforcement officials came to the residence all hours of the day or night, the lawsuit stated.

At least once, the Arnolds were doxxed, meaning hackers posted their names and personal details across the Internet, Fusion reported.

One day, a broken toilet was left in the driveway without explanation.

Neither the Arnolds nor Taylor had any idea of what was happening.

The genesis of what actually happened was 2002, when a company called MaxMind was founded. It maps IP addresses, a notoriously unreliable practice. Many cant be directly linked to an address, only a state or even a country.

For its tech to work, MaxMind matched each IP address to a set of co-ordinates. This presented a problem when the company didnt have an exact location.

Sometimes, it could only determine that an IP address was in the U.S. In those cases, the company mapped that address to a specific set of co-ordinates: 38 degrees north, 97 degrees west or, in the parlance of digital maps, 38.0000,-97.0000.

That just happens to be the front yard of the house where the Arnolds resided.

More than 600 million IP addresses were mapped to that yard.

And no one connected with the farmhouse knew this until Fusions reporter Kasmir Hill, who had been investigating the practice of mapping IP addresses, searched through MaxMinds database, discovered the 600 million IP addresses at the Kansas location and gave Taylor, the owner, a call.

Mapping the digital world

To fully understand what happened, its important to understand how Internet Protocol addresses  colloquially known as IP addresses  work.

Most devices we use are connected to a network via Internet Protocol. To do so, they require an IP address. Thus every smartphone, computer, laptop, tablet and anything else that connects to the Internet has one.

The primary purpose of the IP address is to allow these devices to interact with one another. But the IP address of your personal computer is generally not seen by other devices.

Instead, that IP address is used to connect to a router, which then uses its own specific IP address to connect to the Internet.

Sometimes, that can mean your IP address is linked to just you (for example, if you live alone and use a personal, password-protected wireless router). It can also mean that your IP address is shared by many (for example, every user connecting to the wireless Internet at a coffee shop or in an office likely displays the same IP address).

Since networks can span buildings, blocks or even cities (in the case of public Wi-Fi), its not always simple to pin down the exact geographical address of an IP address. (The term address in IP address is a bit of a misnomer in that regard.)

Add in the fact that there are readily available, free programs that can mask IP addresses, and mapping them becomes an even murkier proposition.

Sometimes, MaxMind could only get information linking an IP address to the country.

The reason why it chose the Arnolds front yard as its default location in those instances is another can of worms. It was going to map them to the geographic centre of the U.S. That translates awkwardly into digital parlance, though, so the number was rounded off to 38 degrees north, 97 degrees west.

One blogger created a heatmap of Internet usage in the U.S. according to MaxMinds data from April 2011. Most might be shocked to find that Potwin, Kan., is responsible for more web usage than even New York City or Silicon Valley.

The default location in Kansas was chosen over 10 years ago when the company was started, MaxMinds co-founder Thomas Mather told Fusion. At that time, we picked a latitude and longitude that was in the centre of the country, and it didnt occur to us that people would use the database to attempt to locate people down to a household level. We have always advertised the database as determining the location down to a city or zip code level. To my knowledge, we have never claimed that our database could be used to locate a household.

Law enforcement and IP addresses

Though its not always possible to perfectly locate IP addresses, theyre often used (imperfectly) in different ways, from tracking analytics to advertising firms attempting to geotarget potential customers to record labels sending cease-and-desist letters to pirates.

Law enforcement also often uses IP addresses to link users to certain devices. A Montgomery County, Md., school bus driver was dismissed in 2011 after authorities linked him to an IP address that had downloaded child pornography. And, in February, a 12-year-old from Fairfax, Va., was charged with threatening her school after posting an Instagram message of a gun, bomb and a knife.

Again, though, its an inexact science. Many argue that IP addresses should not be used as any sort of evidence (particularly since adept digital criminals can mask them, which is likely what happened in more than a few of the cases that led police to the Arnolds door).

Following the original piece in Fusion, MaxMind shifted its default United States location to the centre of a lake, west of Wichita.

Users have to update their database for the shift to take effect, but the nightmare, in effect, was over for the Arnolds.

That wasnt quite enough for the family, though, who filed a lawsuit last week seeking compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $75,000, plus their costs.

My clients have been through digital hell, the Arnolds attorney Randall Rathbun told the Guardian. The most vile accusations have been made against them  such as that theyve been involved in child pornography. What impact would it have on your life if someone accused you of being in child pornography? Obviously, its horrendous.

MaxMind has not commented on the lawsuit.

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NEW YORKThe leader of a New York City mosque and an associate were fatally shot in a brazen daylight attack as they left afternoon prayers Saturday.

Police said 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and his 64-year-old associate, Thara Uddin, were shot in the back of the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens shortly before 2 p.m.

Both men were later pronounced dead, an administrator at Jamaica Hospital said.

Police said no motive has been established and there is no reason to believe the men were shot because they were Muslim. No suspects are in custody.

Theres nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith, said Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner of the New York Police Department.

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.

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 Blasios 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 its 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 Quran readings especially compelling.

Worshipper Millat Uddin said Akonjee had led the mosque for about two years and was a very pious man.

The communitys heart is totally broken, said Uddin, who is not related to Thara Uddin. Its a great misery. Its a great loss to the community and its a great loss to the society.

Neighbours 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 neighbour Mohammed Uddin, who is not a relation of Thara Uddins.

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ATLANTAA police officer in a small, central Georgia city has been shot and killed by a suspect who remains on the loose, authorities said Sunday.

Eastman Patrol Officer Tim Smith was fatally shot about 9:30 p.m. Saturday in a residential area of the city located about 100 kilometres southeast of Macon, Georgia Bureau of Investigations spokesman Scott Dutton said.

Smith, 31, was responding to a suspicious person call when he encountered Royheem Delshawn Deeds, exited his patrol car and was shot, Dutton said.

Dutton said Deeds, 24, then fled the scene. He is being sought by police.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigations said in a news release Sunday that it is offering a $10,000 (U.S.) reward for information leading to Deeds whereabouts.

Smith, who was not wearing a body camera, had been with the Eastman Police Department since 2011. He is survived by three children.

Smiths death came just hours before two 15-year-old suspects were arrested after exchanging gunfire with officers in the suburban Atlanta city of Marietta.

Meanwhile in Milwaukee, Wisconsins governor put the National Guard on alert Sunday in case of another outbreak of violence in Milwaukee, after a deadly police shooting touched off a night of arson and rock-throwing in a mostly black neighbourhood.

At least four businesses were burned and one police officer was hurt by a thrown brick in the unrest that erupted on the citys north side Saturday night a few hours after the killing of a man authorities say was armed and fleeing a traffic stop.

The races of the man and the officer who shot him werent immediately disclosed, but a Milwaukee alderman called the resulting melee a warning from black residents tired of living under this oppression.

Gov. Scott Walker activated the National Guard, saying it would be positioned to help upon request. He called for continued peace and prayer.

A Guard spokesman, Lt. Col. Gary Thompson, said 125 soldiers were being notified to gather at their local armouries and await instructions.

On Sunday morning, about three dozen volunteers swept up glass and filled trash bags with rocks, bricks and bottles at the intersection where a gas station burned to the ground and bus shelters were knocked over. One volunteer picked up a bullet casing and handed it to police.

In Atlanta, Officer Scott Davis was shot in the leg early Sunday, Marietta police spokeswoman Kelah Wallace said. Davis, a 10-year veteran, was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and is recovering after surgery.

The shooting occurred outside the Gallery Apartments when three officers responded to a call about people breaking into cars, Wallace said.

The officers approached two suspects who were inside a vehicle, Wallace said. One of the suspects from the vehicle started shooting at the officers, striking one of them.

Three officers returned fire, hitting one of the suspects. Both suspects were eventually arrested, Wallace said. The wounded suspect was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Davis and the two other officers will be placed on administrative leave as per policy standards.

With files from Gretchen Ehlke, The Associated Press.

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The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah group has accused the U.S. and President Barack Obama of creating Daesh, using the words of presidential hopeful Donald Trump as proof.

Quoting the Republican candidate, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also accused Trumps Democratic Party competitor Hillary Clinton of helping create the militant group, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

This American candidate, who speaks in the name of the American Republican party, has facts that can support this claim, Nasrallah said in a speech on Saturday, according to a transcript published by Al Manar TV.

The Hezbollah comments are the latest instance of rogue foreign leaders or groups making comments complimentary or supportive of Trump. In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin termed the Republican the absolute leader of the presidential race. An official mouthpiece of North Koreas government lauded Trump in June as a wise politician.

Trump called Obama and Clinton, who served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, co-founders of Daesh during a campaign rally on Aug. 10.

He has since downplayed the comments as having been meant as sarcasm, echoing his response to the outcry over earlier comments in which he exhorted Russia to hack Clintons e-mails. A White House spokesman declined to comment on the most recent remarks.

Republican vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence, in an interview taped on Aug. 12 and broadcast Sunday on Fox News, said Trump hadnt been joking.

He was being very serious, and he was making a point that needs to be made, that there is no question that the failed policies of U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in the wider Middle East, created a vacuum within Iraq in which Daesh was able to arise, said Pence, governor of Indiana.

Hezbollah, listed as a terrorist group by the U.S. and Israel, has backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his fight against Daesh and U.S.-supported rebel groups.

Who can imagine that the U.S. cant know who is behind sending money and arms to the terrorists in Syria and Iraq? Nasrallah said. Beyond quoting Trump, he offered no proof to back up his claim.

Nasrallahs remarks come after U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, along with Gulf Cooperation Council countries, labelled Hezbollah a terrorist organization in March, blacklisting companies and individuals with ties to the group.

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In early May, when Dr. Thomas Stossel told his wife, Dr. Kerry Maguire, of his plan to vote for Donald Trump in the general election, she hit him with an ultimatum.

If you vote for Trump, I will divorce you and move to Canada, she recalled telling him. He tried to laugh it off.

Im serious, Maguire told him.

Before this spat, through nearly 20 years of marriage, politics had never caused much friction between Maguire, a dentist who is the director of the childrens outreach program at the Forsyth Institute in Cambridge, Mass., and Stossel, a hematologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Then came the 2016 presidential campaign. A political season that has made for hot debates in the public arena has also seeped into private lives, complicating friendships, marriages, romances and relationships among family members.

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 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 Maguire, who said she will vote for Hillary Clinton, fell under the impression that her husband would no longer be supporting Trump. But in an interview July 28, 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 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 Trumps talk of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and banning Muslim immigrants, 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.

In a separate interview later that afternoon, Maguire seemed unaware of her husbands stance. She sounded confident that Stossel had been dissuaded from his support by friends, as well as her quasi-threat to leave him. When told by this reporter of her husbands intent to go through with voting for Trump, she seemed shocked, if not angry.

That is news to me, Maguire said. And Ill be calling my attorney.

After a pause, she went on: I dont think he will vote for him. But if he does, I hope he never tells me about it. For someone who is so reasonable in every other part of his life, and who expects people to have expertise, it doesnt really link with the Tom Stossel that I know.

I would just be disgusted on every level, she continued. And also a little fearful. Disgusted on the marriage level, but fearful for our society.

Anna Sproul-Latimer, an agent with the Ross Yoon Literary Agency in Washington, thought she knew the man she would marry. But that was before politics got in the way.

When she met Matt Latimer in 2008, he was a disaffected former speechwriter in the George W. Bush administration. Back then she considered herself something of a Libertarian, although she had supported Obamas first presidential run.

As the years went by and their relationship deepened, she found that she believed in things such as the Affordable Care Act and began to doubt the ideology of the Libertarian movement. With the Tea Partys insurgency in 2010, she learned that her husband held many Tea Party ideals in high esteem, especially when it came to limited government.

I loved him and still love him, said Sproul-Latimer, 31, but at the same time I had to resist my first instinct, which was to say, Gross. 

Despite their growing political differences, they went through with the wedding in 2012. Donald Rumsfeld, the former secretary of defense for whom Latimer had worked, attended. Today the couple share views on many social issues, especially when it comes to school choice and rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, but the Clinton-Trump contest has reopened old wounds.

They were especially at odds in the early part of the campaign, when Trump was a fresh character on the political scene.

I loved him when he first ran, said Latimer, 45, a founding partner of Javelin, a literary agency and communications firm. I thought he was hilarious. I loved the idea that he would drive everyone insane. I loved that he was pure chaos and total stream of consciousness.

As Trumps momentum grew, the household showed signs of strain. Latimer cheered the unraveling of the partys establishment. And while not ready to jump on the Trump Train, he said, he was willing to give Trump a chance.

One time he kept talking about how Trump was winning, Sproul-Latimer said, recalling a discussion they had one night just before bed. And I just flew off the handle, saying, Youre just trying to provoke me. And he said, Its just a discussion. Its reality. 

These days, they try to stay away from discussing the campaign.

We are treading a lot more lightly on our politics at home, Sproul-Latimer said.

In her view, a Trump presidency would be an utter disaster for the country. In his view, Sproul-Latimer has become an unofficial surrogate for Hillary.

Last month, as they watched the broadcast of the Democratic National Convention, things got tense.

When Bill Clinton spoke, I would make some jokes about it and she would laugh, Latimer said. She would make some jokes and I would laugh. And then it got to a point where maybe I was making too many jokes and suddenly she has to defend the Clintons. And then its not funny anymore.

Latimers decision is still up in the air. But he knows one thing: He will not be voting for Clinton.

But if she thinks by not supporting Trump Ill be moving in her direction, shes incorrect. Weve supported different candidates before and will continue to do so. That said, if for any reason I would join the Trump Train, it would disturb her. My joining it now is not impossible. But it is extremely unlikely.

Married couples arent the only ones who find themselves unable to discuss politics in this charged environment. The campaign has also had an effect on people looking for love, according to Maria Avgitidis, who runs the Manhattan matchmaking service Agape Match. She said politics has never been a big issue in her line of work, until now.

When she asks her clients to give her a list of their deal-breakers, she said, the first is smoking. The second, for the moment, is supporting Trump.

Hes creating obstacles that I havent seen in the last 10 years, Avgitidis said. Im having men saying, Im having a really great time with her, but shes a Trump supporter and Im not interested. Or, Shes Republican, and I feel like shes going to vote for Trump, and Im not interested in being with someone like that.

Im hoping this will all kind of dissolve after November, but what if it doesnt?

Soon after learning that her husband was not backing away from his decision to support Trump, Maguire picked him up at work. She was livid. In the car she asked him how he could actually vote for Trump after everything that has happened. And why did she have to hear about it from a reporter?

Stossel replied that checks and balances were in place that would keep a president Trump from putting the country in any real danger.

Following the talk in the car, they found themselves at an impasse. But the next few days saw Trump doubling down on his criticisms of Khizr and Ghazala Khan, who had appeared at the Democratic National Convention on behalf of their son, Capt. Humayun Khan, who died protecting his fellow soldiers in a 2004 car bombing in Iraq.

While that story dominated a news cycle, Stossel told his wife that, to salvage his intellectual reputation, he may have to change his mind. Soon after that, he told her he planned to vote for the Libertarian ticket  a vote that, in his view, would not matter in left-leaning Massachusetts, but one that his conscience and marriage could withstand.

The good news is, were not getting divorced, Stossel said.

As far as Im concerned, Maguire said, were in a better place both as a couple and as a country with one less vote for Trump.

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Three years ago today, on Aug. 14, 2013, Egypts Arab Spring era ended in extreme violence. Some 800 people who were protesting the ouster of a democratically elected president died in and around Cairos Rabaa Square, and more than 10,000 were arrested. They were collateral damage in a military coup that touched off one of the largest single-day killings of demonstrators in recent history.

Since then, there is little doubt that Egypts fledgling democracy has crashed and burned. The military-backed government of Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi has reportedly kidnapped, detained and tortured suspected enemies, and outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood. Former president Mohammed Morsi, leader of a Brotherhood-linked party, was arrested and, bizarrely, handed both a life and a death sentence in widely decried separate trials.

In spite of Egypts growing authoritarianism, its Western allies (including Canada) have been mainly silent. Under the Harper government, Sisi was credited with stabilizing the country, and Egypts troubling behaviour was secondary to its value as a bastion against terrorism in the Middle East.

Canadas current ambassador, Troy Lulashnyk, says on his website that the country is passing through a historic time, and Canada will continue to support Egypts transition to democracy, and the Egyptian peoples calls for freedom, human rights and the rule of law for all Egyptians. In June, Ottawa signed deals for $30 million in grants to Cairo.

That money is for economic and social development. And its a pittance compared with Washingtons annual $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt, which continues in spite of congressional concerns about human rights, including a blistering report citing Egypts hindrance of attempts to track the use of American-supplied weapons.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Egyptians have been subjected to mass trials, often on spurious charges. Journalists have been hunted down, detained and accused of subversion on little or no evidence. The body of Italian PhD student Giulio Regeni was found with marks of torture after he researched the role of Egyptian trade unions in defying the regimes crackdown on civil society, leaving unanswered questions.

Canadians have also been caught in the crackdown. Filmmaker John Greyson and emergency doctor Tarek Loubani were arrested and imprisoned following the Rabaa massacre. Former Al Jazeera English bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy was later jailed with two colleagues for more than a year.

It is particularly perplexing that Canadian permanent resident Khaled Al-Qazzaz  a University of Toronto graduate and former foreign affairs advisor to Morsi  is still trapped in Cairo under an Egyptian travel ban that has also devastated his Canadian wife and children. Their money and travel documents were confiscated, their bank accounts frozen. Although Qazzaz was detained for more than 18 months in brutal conditions, and suffered serious spinal injuries as a result, he was released without charge. But the authorities have given no explanation for refusing him passage to Canada.

More pressure from the Trudeau government is clearly needed to bring the family back to Canada, and to seek an explanation for their ill treatment. By now it should be clear that Egypts democracy is not in transition, but in tatters. And the best support Ottawa could offer for its citizens is an unequivocal statement that such violations of human rights will not stand. It should use its newly restored international image not only to reinforce the values that Canadians hold dear at home, but in its relations overseas.

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Late last fall, a small team of archeologists completed excavating an unremarkable parking lot near Toronto city hall, a painstaking process that had captivated workers in the commercial towers overlooking the site for months.

By the time the archeologists backfilled the site, located on Centre Ave. and designated to become the home of a giant new provincial courthouse, they had found the foundations of Torontos most important 19th century black church, as well as hundreds of thousands of artifacts from The Ward, the impoverished but vibrant immigrant neighbourhood that existed there from the 1840s to the 1950s.

Yet the evidence of this poignant past is in grave danger of disappearing because the two public agencies responsible for the site and its archeological treasures  Infrastructure Ontario and the City of Toronto  seem incapable of coming up with a dignified, accessible and sustainable plan to publicly interpret and commemorate these findings.

For the past eight months, officials with both bodies  Infrastructure Ontario is an agency of the province responsible for developing new public structures  have dismissed numerous ideas for acknowledging the discoveries, often for dubious or excessively bureaucratic reasons that reveal a troubling tone-deafness to whats at stake.

As I reported in the Star and Spacing, the crews unearthed everything from handmade toys to tools, commercial bottles, hat forms, and even an arrowhead  a reminder that the site, prior to European contact, stood on the table lands just south of a sacred indigenous river later known as Taddle Creek.

In one corner, archeologists found what they later described as the most extensive collection of 19th century footwear ever discovered in Canada, some of it the handiwork of an African-American cobbler who settled in Toronto in the mid-1850s. Elsewhere on the site, they dug up the foundations of a synagogue, old factory buildings, numerous outhouses, and several working class cottages.

Without question, however, the most enthralling and historically singular discovery was the British Methodist Episcopal Church (BME), a place of worship established on Chestnut Street in 1848 by five African-Americans who fled slavery and came to Canada via the Underground Railroad. The church evolved into the spiritual, social and political hub of the entrepreneurial black community, whose members lived in the area during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The remnants of the BME has been described by one expert, archeologist and historian Karolyn Smardz Frost, as the most important black history site in Toronto.

That it might not be preserved in some way is troubling. While Toronto has a long history of wiping away evidence of the low-income, newcomer communities, the mindless erasure of black history is a deeply corrosive force whose symptoms persist to this day, and not just in the U.S.

Consider the fact Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor John Tory pledged to do better with race relations when they appeared in July at a public forum held to air concerns raised by Black Lives Matter. Despite that gesture, their respective officials seem poised to eliminate the remaining physical evidence of the BME. The irony is both rich and troubling.

Its worth dwelling on the specific significance of the church. In the 1850s and 1860s, Torontos black community swelled as families fled not just slavery and civil war, but the violent bounty hunters dispatched by slave owners to retrieve their property. Those who settled in the cottages on Elizabeth, Chestnut and Centre likely gave thanks for their freedom during services in that church, which also ran a Sunday school and offered a meeting space for local abolitionist groups and the black self-help organizations whose members found lodging and work for refugees.

In early September 1863, Samuel Gridley Howe, a member of a fact-finding team established by President Abraham Lincoln, came to Toronto to learn how a free black society functioned; Howe almost certainly paid a visit to the BME. Decades later, the BMEs conferences, activities and expansion plans were carefully covered by Torontos daily newspapers, including the Star.

But perhaps the most intriguing detail about the BMEs history involves the man who owned the land where the church would be built. Lawyer, Family Compact scion and future chief justice John Beverley Robinson owned a narrow strip of land extending north from Queen St. In 1828, he sold six acres to the Law Society of Upper Canada to build Osgoode Hall; 20 years later, as he parceled off the rest of the land north of Osgoode, he sold the lot at 94 Chestnut St. (then Sayer) to those five former slaves, who sought to build a small church there. The price: 20.

Why did Robinson consummate this real estate deal? His motivations arent recorded, but it seems relevant that some years earlier, as solicitor general for Upper Canada, Robinson issued a legal opinion blocking the extradition of a black couple, Thornton and Lucie Blackburn, whod fled slavery in Kentucky and made their way to Toronto. U.S. authorities wanted them returned on trumped up charges. The legal reasoning that allowed them to remain in Canada, Smardz Frost explains in her book about the Blackburns, Ive Got a Home in Glory Land, forms the basis of Canadas current extradition laws.

Theres an elegant symmetry to the fact that a courthouse will rise on ground once occupied by the BME, an institution whose existence is linked directly to those most human cravings for freedom and justice, as well as the Blackburns legal saga.

Yet provincial officials appear to have ruled out options for either in situ preservation of the BME foundation, or some kind of memorial on the grounds of the courthouse. Why? Because of a long-standing policy that requires such buildings to be studiously neutral in design and free of any kind of political or partisan elements.

At an Innis College panel discussion earlier this year about the dig, University of Toronto constitutional expert Peter Russell roundly dismissed those policies, citing several international and domestic examples of courthouse design  including our own Supreme Court and South Africas Constitutional Court, which is filled with art depicting the oppression of apartheid  that are most assuredly not neutral.

City of Toronto officials, meanwhile, have shot down suggestions for using parts of the Nathan Phillips Square grounds or even space inside City Hall  built, it should be said, on the razed blocks of Torontos first Chinatown  for either commemoration, preservation or for the display of artifacts found at the dig site.

Given that the courthouse will be a privately developed, state-of-the-art complex with a price tag of well over $500 million, it seems increasingly clear that neither government wants to let historical preservation and interpretation get in the way of a massive development scheme, especially if theres cost involved.

Which is shocking, really, given that both governments share formal and legal responsibility for the stewardship of our collective heritage, including archeological findings. (As recently as last month, in fact, council approved a motion requiring the City to properly store archeological artifacts found within city limits.)

In the months since I initially wrote about this dig, Ive spoken to scores of curious people who may not know chapter and verse of the history of this long forgotten place, but instantly recognize its poignant symbolism and the critical importance of sharing these stories with current and future Torontonians.

Many ask: What will be done to honour these fascinating discoveries?

Unfortunately, the more pressing question seems to be: Why are our public officials trying to get away with doing virtually nothing at all?

Journalist John Lorinc is co-editor of The Ward: The Life and Loss of Torontos First Immigrant Neighbourhood.

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Last year the Wynne government made changes to the provinces ground-breaking Government Advertising Act that watered down the auditor generals authority to veto government ads she felt were partisan.

That was a mistake, and as the government proceeds with major reforms to election financing laws its becoming apparent just how wrong-headed it was to chip away at the auditor generals powers.

Its not too late for the government to reverse course and bring back the independent auditors authority over government ads. Its one flip-flop that would be applauded by opposition parties, taxpayer groups and voters.

Heres why the government might want to do that.

Its proposed campaign financing reforms include strict spending limits on advertising by political parties and third-party lobby groups for six months before and during elections. But there are no such restrictions on the government, as Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk pointed out last week.

That could potentially tilt the political playing field in favour of whichever party is in power. The government could produce ads designed more to promote its agenda or image than genuinely providing voters with unbiased information.

That would not be such a problem if the Wynne government hadnt gutted the strong provisions in its 2004 advertising act which prevented partisan pitches with taxpayer dollars by giving the auditor general a veto if she even smelled a whiff of self-promotion.

But the new rules only outlaw the name, voice or image of an MPP or cabinet member, the name or logo of a political party and the use of party colours to a significant degree. That leaves the government too much room to create feel-good ads that amount to self-promotion at taxpayers expense.

For example, this spring the government released an ad about climate change featuring environmental activist David Suzuki that Lysyk said was intended to create a positive impression of the government rather than providing people with information. As the Star argued then, she was right.

That incident should serve as a warning to Ontario voters that they should not trust this government, or any future government, to steer clear of partisan ads, especially in the run-up to an election. Theres too much temptation for any party in power to use government advertising to give itself an advantage.

The solution? The Wynne government should reintroduce the powers of the auditor general to veto partisan advertising. Voters shouldnt have to worry that the government  whatever its political stripe  will misuse the public purse at any time, never mind during an election season.

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When start-up incubator 1776 opened its doors in 2013 with the help of a grant from the D.C. government, it set out to provide real estate and tutelage to a budding technology community.

But the organization quickly expanded its horizons. It launched an international start-up competition in 11 cities, established outposts in Arlington, San Francisco, Dubai and soon New York, and created a $12.4 million fund to invest in promising young companies.

Now 1776 is getting in on the software game, and start-up hubs elsewhere are its market.

For the past 18 months, seven engineers employed by 1776 have been laboring away at an internal social network called Union, which the group hopes to start formally licensing to other incubators as soon as next year.

The move is one happening at many companies, as employees set out to develop software tailored for their work and realize it might have broader appeal to others in the same industry.

Executives at 1776 said they initially set out to serve their start-up members, but shifted gears when outsiders expressed interest.

The platform is not meant to be a massive revenue driver for us, said 1776 founder Donna Harris. Its more important that we create this connective tissue for start-ups and mentors.

The D.C.-based start-up incubator's "Union" software functions like a social media platform for start-ups. (Courtesy of 1776)

It functions like a social-media platform for start-ups, centered on a Facebook-like news feed. Every discussion is public to all of 1776s members, categorized into searchable subject headings, and individual users can customize their profiles.

Start-ups that pay 1776s membership fee can even use it to test early prototypes of their technology, drawing on a community of technology-minded peers for ideas and potential fixes. It includes a function where members can rate their mentors and vice versa, giving management a sense of whos excelling and who isnt.

The software is being tested by Austin incubator Capital Factory, with four more hubs planning to formally sign up by the end of 2016, including Baltimore-based Betamore and Mexico City-based Start-up Mexico.

Capital Factory first learned about the project when executive director Josh Baer, who is a part of 1776s formal mentorship program, used it to schedule his office hours.

He had been looking for software that could be a central repository to schedule meetings, host virtual discussions and list the background, interests and qualifications of participants.

The way we do that right now is very manual. . . . Its all kind of in my head, and thats not scalable, he said.

Baer said he was beginning to think Capital Factory would have to build its own platform when he saw 1776 was already working on a similar idea, so he talked to Harris about bringing a version of Union online for his own incubator.

Harris sees the platform turning into a virtual network of business connections, giving start-ups in far-flung corners of the world access to 1776s connections and resources. Incubators that bring their own start-ups into the fold will have virtual access to the same network as those in the District, perhaps cutting down on the role of geography as essential birthplaces of technology companies.

This is going to be even more significant for small communities, said Baer of Capital Factory. This is an example of the connectivity that makes it so that, more and more, it doesnt matter where you are.

Perhaps illustrating the trend, half of the engineering team that developed Union works remotely from Portugal.

Harris says she isnt worried about letting competing hubs take advantage of 1776s network. Others will contribute their own connections, she said, spreading 1776s influence through a worldwide community.

If hubs have become the infrastructure for how we create start-ups around the world, why are we not collaborating? she said. When you think about how to work with start-ups that arent in your backyard, technology is critical to that.
Kenny Baker, who played the Star Wars droid R2-D2  one of the most beloved characters in the space-opera franchise  died Aug. 13 in Preston, England. He was 81.

Mr. Bakers nephew and caregiver, Drew Myerscough, said he found Baker dead Saturday at his home in Preston, in northwestern England.

Myerscough told Britains Sky News that Baker had dealt for years with 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.

He was amazed that, even after 30-odd years, the fans still basically adored him, Myerscough said.

Mr. Bakers agent, Johnny Mans, confirmed the death.

Star Wars characters C-3PO, left, and R2-D2 arrive at a gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., in 2008. (Matt Sayles/AP)

Kenny was truly a great friend, one of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet and a fabulous and talented performer, Mans wrote in an email to the Los Angeles Times. He was a one-off. There will never be another Kenny Baker.

The British actor, who was 3-foot-8, first played the plucky droid in George Lucass 1977 blockbuster Star Wars, and he reprised the role in two sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and three prequels.

Emitting a never-ending stream of beeps and boops, R2-D2 was both a comic foil to his uptight counterpart, C-3PO, played by Anthony Daniels, and a key player in the Rebel alliances fight against the Empire, serving as a trusty courier of secret messages.

Mr. Baker, who before Star Wars worked as a circus performer and was part of a comedy troupe called the Minitones, endured stifling temperatures to squeeze himself inside the droid costume.

The problem was we had to get someone inside it, Star Wars art director Leslie Dilley, who helped design R2-D2, said in 2007. I eventually ended up with Kenny Baker, who was small with upper-body strength. Kenny didnt want to do this job. He and his buddy were on a talent show on TV. . . . I had to go around to his house and persuade him.

Kenneth George Baker was born Aug. 24, 1934, in Birmingham, England.

In addition to the Star Wars films, Mr. Baker appeared in the 1980 science-fiction film Flash Gordon and director Terry Gilliams 1981 fantasy film Time Bandits, and more dramatic films such as Amadeus and The Elephant Man.

But it was the role of R2-D2 for which Mr. Baker remained best-known. Mr. Baker was a consultant on last years Star Wars: The Force Awakens and attended the films London premiere.

Mr. Bakers wife, Eileen, died in 1993. The couple had two sons.


Timothy Johnson, 1st to the 45th . . . pantaloon to pantsuit, acrylic on canvas, at Touchstone Gallery. (Timothy Johnson/Touchstone Gallery)

The numbers look good for Donald Trump in Touchstone Gallerys powerful show Art as Politics. The Republican presidential candidate is portrayed in roughly twice as many pieces as his Democratic rival. But while some of the renderings of Hillary Clinton are flattering  or at least not patently contemptuous  theres not one positive depiction of Trump.

Does that mean the systems rigged? More likely, it means visual artists are not a receptive audience for Trumps worldview. In addition to the upcoming election, the shows topics include gun control, abortion rights, Black Lives Matter, immigrants and refugees. None of the analysis aligns with the Republican Partys platform.

Several hundred artists, a plurality of them local, submitted pieces; juror Jayme McLellan selected works by nearly 100 of them. The range of media and styles is wide, but the default mode is neoclassical realism. Thats the style of Byron Taylors graphic portrayal of a bloody victim of a back-alley abortion and Kevin Grasss portrait of Glenn Beck as a sort of latter-day alchemist, advised by a chimpanzee. Also realist, if looser, are Augustine Chavezs The Wall, showing construction along the Mexican border, and a dystopian vision of Trumplandia by 14-year-old Hallie Krost.



Antichrist, acrylic, by RAM (Rashad Ali Muhammad), at Touchstone Gallery. (RAM/Touchstone Gallery)

Michael Augers digital print Trumpty Dumpty. (Michael Auger/Touchstone Gallery)

Playful depictions of the electoral process include Cathy Wilkins photograph of a partly clothed woman with an I Voted sticker over one nipple, and Michael Richisons mash-up of a voting machine used in Florida in 2000 with a Roland TR 808 drum synthesizer. The stars and stripes appear often, usually in disarray  stuffed into a large test tube by Federico Ruiz or with its stars in free fall on Ron Beckhams distressed banner.

Another flag is among the works that address violence against black Americans, the shows rawest theme. Kelly Burke arrays the names of African Americans, some known for their accomplishments and others for their violent deaths. The only white person is another murder victim: Abraham Lincoln.

Other vivid pieces on the subject include Marla McLeans four prayer wheels, each with the image of one of the girls killed in the 1963 Birmingham, Ala., church bombing; Janathel Shaws ceramic bust of a man whose brow is defaced with a racial slur; and Ann Stoddards mixed-media figure whose arms  all 10 of them  indicate surrender. Instead of hands, this piece has miniature video monitors that show the person standing in front of them. Everyone is implicated, which is the sort of message youre more likely to hear from artists than from political candidates.

Art as Politics On view through Aug. 25 at Touchstone Gallery, 901 New York Ave. NW. 202-347-2787. touchstonegallery.com.



Anne Smiths  Something to Nothing, left, and Sarah Zuckerman Dolans Lengsel, right, at Hemphill Fine Arts. (Anne Smith and Sarah Zuckerman Dolan/Hemphill Fine Arts)

Pathways

There are only four pieces in Carroll Square Gallerys Pathways, but each suggests a passage that stretches beyond the room. The three artists also use outlines and gestures in ways that suggest built (or buildable) forms.

Anne Smiths Something to Nothing is a 27-foot-long swoop of handmade Japanese paper thats partly suspended in air and then dips to the floor. Along the wave is a strip of color, printed by wood block, whose color and width change. The effect is both monumental and ephemeral.

Sarah Zuckerman Dolans Lengsel is a length of copper wire that also begins (or ends) on the floor. A thin metallic circle twists into a tangle and then climbs the wall, in a dance of order and chaos.

A different sort of tumult informs Sarah Irvins pieces, made by using a squeegee to smear wet ink on nonabsorbent paper. The artist writes a word, and then obliterates it, leaving jagged smears that resemble sketches of architectural massing. What they actually represent is intellectual loss; each word is one thats slipping from Irvins grandfathers memory.

Pathways On view through Aug. 26 at Carroll Square Gallery, 975 F St. NW. 202-234-5601. hemphillfinearts.com/exhibitions/carroll-square-gallery/current-exhibitions.



Untitled by Sarah Irvin, at Hemphill Fine Arts. (Sarah Irvin/Hemphill Fine Arts)

Silverthorne & Stovall

There are many things to look at, but only one direction to look from, in the photographs at BlackRock Center for the Arts. Alexandra Silverthorne offers black-and-white views of vacation homes on a New Hampshire lake where motorized water vehicles are banned. D.B. Stovall observes, in rich color, the old-fashioned facades of commercial structures in burgs such as McKeesport, Pa. The two artists affection for places off the main roads may correspond to their dedication to film.

Silverthorne and Stovall look directly at their subjects, albeit from slightly different angles. The former shot from a kayak, for the low-in-the-water vantage of someone arriving by boat. The compositions are horizontal, but theyre not sweeping. They reveal secluded docks, cabins and boathouses, nestled into little slivers of wilderness. Each picture divulges a small secret.

Stovalls photos are of structures hidden in open view, under slices of intensely blue sky. Shot from tripod height, the large-format pictures have exceptional detail and saturated color. The glossy-faced buildings are ordinary, or once were, before so many singular local businesses were supplanted by ones with identical corporate countenances. Stovall calls the places he memorializes American vernacular, which is a half-forgotten dialect.

Alexandra Silverthorne: All the Ways In and D.B. Stovall: A Love Affair with Light On view through Aug. 27 at BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown. 301-528-2260. blackrockcenter.org/gallery.

Alison Lee Schroeder & Gerardo Camargo

Alison Lee Schroeder and Gerardo Camargo both imagine elaborate systems, but thats the extent of their similarity. The local artists, showing together in Hermitage Design + Gallerys The Illusion of Control, make intricate pictures with distinct characters.

Schroeders oil or watercolor paintings vary from literal landscapes to near-abstractions that hint at storm clouds, ocean currents or volcanic flows. Some pictures ask to be evaluated from different perspectives and distances. Night and Day, a diptych, considers the same scene under sun or stars. Thats a more direct way of showing how perception shifts, and understanding with it.

Camargos abstractions include some hard-edged geometric ones, but most are spiraling, pointillistic and seemingly inspired by nature. Theres nothing organic about the materials, however. Camargo arrays gold- or silver-enamel dots and dashes on sheets of vinyl, most often black. The contrast, like the media, is firm and sharp. Yet one of the most intriguing pieces, Mother, is silver on white. The distinction between pigment and ground becomes elusive, much like the line between air and vapor in Schroeders cloud close-ups.

The Illusion of Control: Alison Lee Schroeder & Gerardo Camargo On view through Aug. 22 at Hermitage Design + Gallery, 6831 Tennyson Dr., McLean. 703-827-0066. thehermitagegallery.com.
On Saturday at Wolf Trap, public radio host Ira Glass will present a new solo show to the largest audience ever to see him perform live.

At least, thats the plan, but it assumes that Glass can do two things: (1) Get at least 5,000 of his fans to head out to Vienna, Va.; and (2) present a performance that is truly a one-man show and not just a talk given by the man who co-created This American Life.

Ive done 3,000 and 4,000 people, but never 5,000, Glass said recently from the This American Life studios in New York. During a wide-ranging interview, the Baltimore native discussed his evolving onstage persona; his new show, Seven Things Ive Learned; and his recommendations for New York theater beyond Hamilton. (Hes already seen it, twice.)

Growing up in Baltimores northwestern suburbs, Glass, 57, performed in the musicals South Pacific and Damn Yankees at Milford Mill High School (now Milford Mill Academy). He also dabbled in theater at Northwestern University.

Glass then began a long climb up the public-radio ladder, starting as an intern in Washington in the late 1970s. He later worked as a reporter and host for several national shows, eventually moving to Chicago. In 1995, he and producer Torey Malatia created This American Life, which parlays quirky, slice-of-life stories into a thematically linked hour of radio every week. More than 500 stations now air the series, which has more or less launched well-known writers such as David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell and the late David Rakoff.

But in 1996, the attempt by Chicago station WBEZ to syndicate the show felt like something of a foolhardy stunt.

We had no money for publicity, and it was explained to me that once a month, you go out to a public radio station and give a talk, because then the station will run promos promoting the talk, Glass said. Just them saying your name over and over on the air is really good marketing, and they wont say your name over and over unless they have a reason. Basically, you are going out and giving speeches to support a promo.

First up was Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn.

I hadnt been onstage since college, Glass said. I was nervous about it, so what I tried to do was treat it like a radio show. . . . I would sit at a radio console and tell stories and basically mix the thing live for people.

That ended up being Glasss onstage modus operandi for more than a decade. Now, Im basically as comfortable in front of an audience as I am on the radio, he said.

Seven Things Ive Learned is just Glass onstage with his iPad. Glass debuted the show, which is full of personal anecdotes and beyond-the-studio stories, this month at Mountain Winery in California. Hell follow his Wolf Trap performance with dates throughout the year, although none of the venues will be nearly as large.

Glass credits the development of his ready-for-an-amphitheater stage persona to three things: press tours with comic Mike Birbiglia (with whom Glass produced the movies Sleepwalk With Me and Dont Think Twice); his ongoing tour with choreographer Monica Bill Barnes; and improv comedy classes in New York.

Each experience has taught Glass something different, but the show with Barnes was the most challenging.

For the dance show, everything was scripted, he said. I was listening to the music, knowing I had to finish the sentence on a certain word, because that was a cue for the dancers. That was an exercise in learning how to say things over and over, and make it feel like I was saying it for the first time. I have to say, of all the things Ive done onstage, that was the hardest.

Other challenges have included sharing a stage with Amy Schumer in 2014, which drove Glass to that New York improv class. It was there, he said, that he learned to let go of his interviewers instinct to propel a narrative forward.

Seven Things will be unscripted, but not off the cuff. For the first time, Glass is touring with video clips, including footage of 21 Chump Street, a short musical adapted by Lin-Manuel Miranda from a 2012 This American Life story about undercover cops at a high school. Miranda was workshopping Hamilton when that episode was recorded at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Glass is a big fan of the mega-hit musical, but lately he has been most interested in Bedlam theaters imaginative adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. (The Bedlam production opens Sept. 13 at Folger Theatre.)

Ira Glass as an Austenite who loves off-Broadway theater? Yes, thats a role he can play.

Its one of the best things Ive ever seen onstage, he said. Save your Hamilton dollars and go see it.

Dark Night fundraiser

In Synetic Theaters recent remount of Twelfth Night, Kathy Gordon and Philip Fletcher starred as the mismatched lovers Orsino and Olivia. They dont end up together in Shakespeares play, but offstage they are partners as producers and performers of Dark Night, an annual variety show and fundraiser that features other veterans of the Arlington-based physical-theater company.

The third Dark Night is Monday at Synetics Crystal City venue. Acts will include Gordons dance company, KG Dance, and works choreographed by Tori Bertocci and Chanel Smith, two other Synetic members.

The Dark Night project began two years ago, when Fletcher asked Gordon to create a solo piece he could perform in honor of his father, who had died of cancer. They soon realized that other company members also were interested in sharing short works, and so they put together a program. Instead of selling tickets, they put two donation boxes by the door: one for the American Cancer Society and one to cover the costs of renting the theater.

To their surprise, Gordon said, we collected enough money to cover the costs of the next year, too.

The two hope to expand the project next year, soliciting works from artists with an ethos similar to Synetics. There are other dance showcases in Washington, Gordon said, but most that accept genre-crossing artists require hefty deposits.

We never know what well get, Gordon said, but we have a really strong lineup.


The Bloody Mosa pairs nicely with bubbly. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

The Red-Eye is all about the beer. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

Editors note: When two Food section staffers each offered what they consider to be superior tomato cocktails that beat your standard bloody mary, we knew we couldnt choose between them. For readers, its a win-win.

For the past three summers, one of us (Kara) has been creating bloody mary mixes with fresh tomatoes, an array of pickle juices and spices, and input from friends. The ingredients and proportions always change, but in the interest of spreading the fresh-is-best gospel, a recipe was agreed upon and recorded.

Because the main ingredient is delicious, perfectly ripe, in-season tomatoes, this mix actually tastes like tomatoes  unlike some versions that, ahem, rely on store-bought tomato juice, steak sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

Yes, okay, fine. This does require more work. You have to cut the tomatoes  plus some cucumber and watermelon to balance the flavors  and puree and strain the whole shebang through a fine-mesh strainer, an activity that has the potential to be messy. But your efforts will be rewarded.

Pair this mix with a pop of bubbly, a trick learned from the Duck & Bunny in Providence, R.I., and youll have a Bloody Mosa, lighter and more refreshing than its traditional vodka-laden counterpart.

[Make the recipes: The Bloody Mosa; The Red-Eye]

But fresh tomatoes, as lovely and summer-sunshine-tasting as they can be from a community-supported agriculture (CSA) share, are not what the other one of us (Fritz) wants to deal with on those Sunday mornings when he is in need of a tomato-based cocktail  and when he is least likely to be patient enough to deal with straining and sieves.

Thats when he turns to the Red-Eye, the beer cocktail that was a staple of the late, lamented Sunday brunch at the Passenger, a bartenders bar near Mount Vernon Square. Its nothing more than a spicy bloody mary alternative made with 10 to 12 ounces of beer from a tallboy can of Schlitz.

Fritz says a cocktail based on beer neatly handles a common hazard of brunch: The best bloody marys expertly mask the fact that they can contain more alcohol than the average cocktail, and the next thing you know, Sunday afternoon slowly slips into a boozy replay of Saturday night. While a shot of vodka is usually around 40 percent alcohol by volume, your tallboy is only 4.7 percent. (As a bonus, the Red-Eye comes with a serving of beer on the side, which can be added to the drink or consumed neat.)

Some people  probably from Texas  will claim that beer + hot sauce + tomato juice = a michelada, and although the Red-Eye is similar, the two drinks are different. The latters steak sauce adds savory flavors and body, and its Old Bay spices provide a familiar whiff of the Chesapeake.

You can squeeze your own tomato juice for a Red-Eye; Fritz would never tell you not to. But he says it is delicious enough made with fresh organic juice from the supermarket.

Well let you decide.


Chef Michel Richard in 2006. He died Saturday at 68. (Susan Biddle/The Washington Post)

If youve ever had anything resembling a Kit Kat bar in a restaurant, thank Michel Richard. A lot of chefs see something fun in the world and make convincing copies. Richard  born in France but long a cheerleader for America  not only improved on the original candy bar, he turned it into something diners experienced as fine art and countless competitors tried to emulate.

[Obituary: Chef Michel Richard dies at 68]

To eat the commercial confection reimagined by Richard, a pastry chef trained by the legendary Gaston Lenotre in Paris, was to surrender to the glory of hazelnut chocolate enrobing chocolate mousse on a base of dried, crumbled crepes. No one-trick pony, Richard dazzled patrons over the years with creations that fused beauty and good taste. The tricks in his seemingly bottomless bag included pasta coaxed from onion and caviar created with Israeli couscous and squid ink. December brought tiny snowmen shaped from balls of meringue and filled with vanilla ice cream, and Breakfast for Dinner yielded a fetching tray of everything you expected  save for the fact the toast was poundcake and the egg was a dot of pureed papaya in shimmering almond custard.

One of Michel Richards signature dishes at Citronelle was caviar created from Israeli couscous and squid ink. (Citronelle)

The common bond: pure deliciousness.

Richard died on Saturday in Washington, following complications from a stroke. He was 68. He leaves behind a single restaurant, Central in downtown Washington, and legions of admiring peers and diners grateful to have tasted his signature magic. His flagship restaurant for many years was the now-closed Michel Richard Citronelle in Georgetown. After a genius meal there in 2002 that included escargots sheathed in spiky shredded wheat and a lemon meringue tart circled in a piercing basil sauce, one of my dining companions whispered, Michel took the place of God there for five minutes. Lots of us had such divine moments. Four years later, wine guru Robert Parker told The Washington Post that the chef was cooking at a level that far exceeds any Michelin three-stars in France.

Richard started his career as a maker of sweets but always yearned for more. Judging by his food alone, the nonstop tinkerer could have been an architect, a poet or another Thomas Edison. From his kitchen table at Citronelle, he sketched both recipe presentations and Christmas cards (numbering them, as an artist would). His whimsical, one-of-a-kind style sprang from science (gleaned as a pastry student) and instinct (honed as a savory chef).

Richard devoured the unexpected and incorporated it into his repertoire. His first taste of Kentucky Fried Chicken in this country was an audible revelation. Voila! Crunch became one of his trademarks.

For his 55th birthday in 2003, he invited a whos who collection of chefs from around the world  Alain Ducasse, Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller  to a charity dinner at Citronelle. The VIPs were expected to cook and serve the feast. But the highlight of the evening, according to Mark Furstenberg, the Washington baker and a pal of Richards, was when the culinary luminaries gathered around their host to watch him demonstrate his sleights of hand.



Revelers swirl around chef Michel Richard at his 2003 birthday party at Citronelle. (Rebecca D'Angelo/For The Washington Post)

This could never happen anyplace other than Washington, Eric Ripert, chef of New Yorks acclaimed Le Bernardin, said at the time. On Saturday, he added, Michel was a magnet.

He was also a flirt and a jokester, clever but never gimmicky. Who else but Richard could mince potatoes so fine youd swear you were eating risotto? After tasting the dish in 1993, Post food critic Phyllis C. Richman wrote, He is the best friend a potato ever had.

One of the dirty little secrets of the restaurant world? A lot of chefs dont really like to cook, preferring the managerial and perhaps marketing aspects of empire-building. Not Richard. He reveled in his glass-fronted kitchen at Citronelle, often showing up in the morning when the competition had yet to get out of bed, to work on an idea he might have come up with while watching late-night infomercials. He also shopped in unexpected places (such as Home Depot, for the miniature power rotary saw he used to cut egg tops with the precision of a wood carver).

That kind of joy is rare, said former Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl, who as food editor of the Los Angeles Times in the 1980s once invited Richard to Thanksgiving and watched in amazement as he carved a whole turkey in what she remembers as 10 seconds. I never saw him happier than he was at the stove. Indeed, the second of three cookbooks with his name on it is Happy in the Kitchen (2006). Of cooking, Richard once said, Its a religion. You have to love it.

As stunning as his dishes could be, in the end, the maestro understood its evanescent nature. Furstenberg remembers Richard telling him, Its supposed to be food.



Michel Richard with baker and friend Mark Furstenberg in 2002. (Michael Williamson/The Washington Post)

Despite the many accolades his work received, including the outstanding chef award from the prestigious James Beard Foundation in 2007, Richard never achieved the global renown of, say, Wolfgang Puck, the Austrian native famous for Spago in Los Angeles and gourmet pizzas everywhere. If there was a skill Richard lacked, it was a gift for business. His onetime establishments in Los Angeles, Atlantic City, Tokyo, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and elsewhere do not survive him. An attempt to return two years ago to Manhattan, where he opened a pastry shop for Le Notre in 1974, was met with a zero-star review from the New York Times for the Bistro at Villard Michel Richard.

In a 2006 profile of his then-employer, Cedric Maupillier, a veteran of both Citronelle and Central, told The Post: Failure is not a problem. Its not trying thats the problem. Thats what Michel tells us every day.

Richard tried. Boy, did he try! And more often than not, he seemed to get a kick out of doing so.
Its one of the most intriguing stories of the summer, a tale of sex, money, politics and corporate skulduggery that would seem especially ripe for coverage and discussion by the firebrands at Fox News.

Except Fox News barely seems to have noticed.

Ever since former Fox host Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment suit July 6 against the networks co-founder and chairman, Roger Ailes, Fox has been tight-lipped about telling its viewers about the allegations, which have turned the network upside down.

Fox mentioned the lawsuit and Ailess subsequent resignation July 21, but thats about all it has done since the news broke. It has not conducted a single on-camera interview with any person connected with the news, including Ailes, who built Fox into a clarion of the American conservative movement. According to Foxs news-clip archive, there have been no panel discussions, no diatribes from Foxs famously aggressive hosts, no follow-up investigations, no tributes to the Ailes era.

In all, Fox has devoted a total of about 11 minutes of airtime to the news about Ailes over the past five weeks, a review of the archive shows. Thats less time than Bill OReilly spent criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement on The OReilly Factor over a couple of days this month.

Roger Ailes has stepped down as Fox News chairman and chief executive amid a sexual harassment suit brought forward by former host Gretchen Carlson. (Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post)

Foxs last word on the subject was Sunday, when media reporter and analyst Howard Kurtz offered a minute-long synopsis of Fox boss Rupert Murdochs appointment of Ailess successors, Bill Shine and Jack Abernethy. (Fox Business Network on Friday aired an even briefer version of this news, without mention of Ailes or sexual harassment.)

Before that, Fox had gone 21/2 weeks without saying a word about the news unfolding down the hall from its newsroom, including any mention of allegations that Ailes had harassed multiple women over five decades and used corporate funds to settle other sexual harassment claims and to employ consultants and detectives to spy on perceived enemies, including reporters from other news organizations.

Before Sunday, Kurtz, the host of a weekly media-review show on Fox called Media Buzz, had devoted just one brief segment to Ailes on his program since the news broke. In that segment, on July 10, he summarized the basic elements of the news, aired Ailess lengthy written denial and concluded: Now, I understand why the media would jump on such allegations, but lawsuits by their very nature contain exactly that  allegations. With some outlets now quoting anonymous sources, well stick to the facts in covering this case.

Kurtz declined to comment on his or the networks coverage. He referred questions to a Fox spokeswoman, who offered a prepared statement from Kurtz: Ive often had to report difficult stories on my employers. In this case, Fox executives handled the situation with the utmost professionalism. I was able to cover the controversy how and when I wanted with no editorial interference.

News organizations embroiled in controversy, particularly TV networks, tend to be no more transparent about themselves than the people and institutions they seek to hold to account, said Mark Feldstein, a former network reporter and now a University of Marylan broadcast journalism professor whos writing a book about media scandals.

Often, he said, news media companies in such circumstances engage in the same sort of damage control as any other company, including Enron, the energy firm that collapsed in scandal in 2001. Typically, they start with silence or spin as [independent] reporters dig up new stuff, he said. Then they hunker down into crisis mode until the worst blows over.

Feldstein cites a long list of recent examples that he will use in his book: NBC Newss handling of allegations last year that anchor Brian Williams exaggerated some of his reporting exploits; Fox Newss response in 2015 to similar allegations against OReilly; ABC Newss reaction to revelations that anchor George Stephanopoulos had contributed to the Clinton Foundation in 2015, in contradiction of its internal policies; CBS Newss response to a false 60 Minutes report in 2013 about the attacks on an American facility in Benghazi, Libya.

Although its more the exception than the rule, news organizations sometimes offer self-reflection about their alleged errors. In the wake of a disputed report in 2004 by anchor Dan Rather about President George W. Bushs military service, CBS convened a panel to investigate flaws in its reporting and later made the panels results public, as did Rolling Stone magazine last year after it published a debunked article about a gang rape at the University of Virginia in 2014.

But there was no such public accounting from NBC about Williams, from Fox about OReilly, from ABC about Stephanopoulos or from CBS about its Benghazi report. (Fox Newss parent company, 21st Century Fox, has engaged a law firm to investigate Ailess conduct, but it has not said whether it intends to make its findings public.)

The most aggressive reporting about such scandals tends to come from reporters outside a news organization.

The biggest revelations about the long-running phone-hacking scandal at Murdochs now-defunct British newspaper, the News of the World, came from the rival Guardian newspaper, for example. Similarly, New York magazine has been dogged on the Ailes news, as have the New York Times, The Washington Post and Vanity Fair.

In contrast to Fox, CNN has talked at length about the Ailes news. On Sunday, correspondent Brian Stelter, the host of a weekly media show called Reliable Sources, interviewed Vanity Fairs Sarah Ellison about Foxs new management  which meant that CNN has discussed the changes at Fox News for longer than Fox News has.

Stelter has tackled stories even closer to home on his show. CNNs controversial hiring of Donald Trumps former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, as a network commentator was the subject of a nine-minute discussion segment in June that included criticism of the decision from commentators.

Covering ourselves is difficult, but covering ourselves is important, Stelter said in an interview. He added: I think transparency wins us readers and viewers. It doesnt lose us readers and viewers.

As for Fox, Carlsons attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, said she has done more than 100 interviews with news organizations all over the world about the lawsuit and has turned down a similar number of requests. But, she said, she has never been contacted by Fox.
When Mark Boal spent 25 hours interviewing accused U.S. Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl, he didnt plan on those hours of recorded interviews becoming part of a hugely popular podcast. He was just reporting, as he had many times before  whether for his magazine articles or his filmmaking.

But in collaboration with the producers of Serial, he and journalist Sarah Koenig teamed up. As a result, the story of the Army sergeant, who left his Afghanistan base in 2009 and was held captive by the Taliban for five years, became the basis of Season 2 of the spinoff of public radios This American Life.

Nor did Boal plan on his interviews becoming part of the prosecutions case in Bergdahls court-martial at Fort Bragg in North Carolina next February.

Thats what a military prosecutor has in mind, according to court papers. The former soldier faces life in prison if he is found guilty of the charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Bergdahl was freed in 2014 in exchange for five Taliban fighters being held at Guantanamo Bay.

Boal is trying to prevent the subpoena by asking a civilian federal court in Los Angeles to intervene on First Amendment grounds. After all, unaired recordings are not unlike a reporters notes, which news organizations have long objected to being used in court. The prosecutor, Army Maj. Justin Oshana, in a court filing, called Boals interviews relevant and necessary to the case; he said he shared a draft subpoena with Boals attorney. (The Justice Department, which is objecting to Boals request and backing the military prosecutor, would not comment for this column.)

The good news for journalists and citizens is that Boal has his own army behind him: a long list of news organizations, including National Public Radio, the Associated Press, The Washington Post, Fox and the other major network news companies.

This is a dream team of media  from across the political spectrum, Boal said when the friend-of-the-court brief was filed late last month. Boals films include The Hurt Locker (for which he won the screenwriting Oscar) and Zero Dark Thirty (which he also wrote).

It wasnt hard to find supporters, according to Katie Townsend, the litigation director for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, who wrote the brief.

People were eager to jump to Boals aid, Townsend told me. The reason is clear: News organizations dont want their newsgathering efforts to be drawn into legal battles. And in a new era, in which a podcast can be every bit as much of a news outlet as a TV broadcast, its important to make sure that the newer breed of journalists gets the same protection as more traditional media.

The news organizations fear the effect on other journalists if Boals material is successfully brought into the case.

This should all sound familiar for those aware of New York Times reporter James Risens fight against testifying in a government leak prosecution in the past few years. For a time, it looked as though Risens fierce resistance to giving up his confidential source would land him in jail.

After many years of Risens battling the Justice Department, then-Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said clearly that newsgathering needs to be protected and that no journalist should face jail for doing his or her job. President Obama has echoed that, as has Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch.

If courts  military or civilian  are able to subpoena reporters testimony and materials, and use them to prosecute crimes, interview subjects (also known as sources) will be much less likely to agree to speak.

Journalists conducting newsgathering need protection from being dragged into prosecutions, said Michael Oreskes, the news chief at NPR. The real protection isnt for journalists themselves, he said, but for the public and its right to know what journalists turn up.

After all, according to Boals lawyer, Jean-Paul Jassy, the prosecution already has more than 300 pages of sworn testimony from Bergdahl himself and 1.5 million pages of material from 28 different agencies.

Oreskes termed the military prosecutors plans just a fishing expedition. And it would be a harmful one.

After his dream team of supporters came together last month, Boal asked a rhetorical question: When was the last time Fox and NPR agreed on an issue? That they have done so is a clear signal that the stakes are high, not only for journalists but also for those they are intended to represent: U.S. citizens.

Whatever happens to Bergdahl at Fort Bragg, the recorded interviews shouldnt be part of the equation. The incremental value they might add to the prosecutions case wouldnt come close to being worth the eventual cost to newsgathering and to the publics right to know.

For more by Margaret Sullivan visit wapo.st/sullivan
THE DISTRICT

Police identify man shot in Northeast

D.C. police said Friday that they have identified a man who was fatally shot last week in Ivy City in Northeast Washington.

William Lassiter, 52, was pronounced dead at the scene in the 900 block of Mount Olivet Road near New York Avenue. Police did not provide an address for the victim. The shooting occurred about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday.

 Peter Hermann

Suspect is named in Northwest slaying

Police have identified a suspect in connection with a homicide that occurred in Northwest Washington on Monday.

D.C. police said Herman Lee Cook Jr., 45, is wanted on a second-degree murder charge in the slaying of Donald Stephen Johnson Jr., 45.

Johnson was found behind a recreation center suffering from gunshot wounds about 7:10 p.m. Monday in the 5700 block of Georgia Avenue, police said. Johnson was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police described Cook as armed and dangerous.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about this case to call 202-727-9099 or text an anonymous tip to 50411.

 Lynh Bui

MARYLAND

Three are wounded in fight at fairground

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.

Friday was the first day of the fair, which ends Aug. 20.

 Katherine Arcement

VIRGINIA

Six victims of Friday plane crash identified

The pilot of a private plane that crashed Friday at Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg, 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 of the 1969 Beech 95-B55 twin-engine, fixed-wing plane occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. and remains under investigation.

 Peter Hermann
Marion Christopher Barry, son of the late D.C. mayor Marion Barry and a former candidate for the Ward 8 council seat, died early Sunday, friends and authorities said. He was 36.

The younger Barry suffered an apparent drug overdose, those close to him said, although no official cause of death was confirmed Sunday. A D.C. police incident report said that just after midnight, Barry stepped outside of a residence on Pomeroy Road SE and smoked K-2  a type of synthetic drug  and PCP, a hallucinogen he had struggled with in the past.

Upon returning, the report said, Barry acted erratically, and then he suddenly dropped. 

Barry was found by his girlfriend. He was taken to George Washington University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:11 a.m.

The younger Barry had struggled with drug use, friends said. He ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 8 council seat last year after his father died.

In a statement, Cora Masters Barry, Christophers stepmother and the widow of Marion Barry, said she was devastated by the younger Barrys death.

My heart is broken, she said. I am in shock. The news of his death is beyond comprehension.

Barry is survived by his grandmother Polly Lee Harris.

Liz Matory, 36, the campaign manager in his run for the Ward 8 seat, said Barry was reflective in his final days and hours, trying to plot his next move. Coming off the election loss, reeling from the death of his father and that of close friend A.J. Cooper in 2014, and working to secure bids for his construction business, Barry was at a crossroads in life, friends said. He weathered it with support from friends but often felt alone, they said.

[For Marion Barrys son, filling dads shoes is a surprisingly uphill battle]

Saturday evening, Matory and Barry were rushing to return a rented truck after gathering his belongings from an apartment in Northwest Washington where he had been planning to move. The landlord apparently had decided that he didnt want new tenants.

Compounding Barrys frustration, friends said, hed recently lost the home of his late father because he was unable to keep up with the payments on it.

Theres so many things that are broken. Theres so much stress on his mind and spirit, Matory said. By losing the house, he felt another loss because that was his place that hed go to remember his dad.

Matory said Barry had made an effort to heal in recent months. The new apartment, near Rock Creek Park, was ideal for running along the trail, an activity that brought him peace. And hed made strides toward sobriety, she said. He talked about enrolling at the University of the District of Columbia to finish his architecture degree.

Ambitions and shortcomings

Those close to Barry saw shades of his father in his ambition and his shortcomings.

Friends rooted for his success, thinking he would overcome his missteps. They saw him as a leader whose life and career were on the upswing and never envisioned his story concluding so abruptly.

He was like a champion that we were all kind of rallying to see him win, Matory said. He took on the responsibility of everyone without having the foundation and strength to focus first on himself, you know.

She added: He was very strong. And he was able to handle a lot. And I think he inherited that from his father. But he also inherited the hubris, where he was like, I can handle this. 

Carl Thomas, a childhood friend who served as Barrys field director in his campaign for the council, said he perfectly embodied the spirit of his late parents, Effi and Marion Barry.

Effi was an amazing woman, full of character; Marion was an amazing man full of ambition, Thomas said. And they made a Christopher who was full of ambition and full of character and carried with him the beauty of his mother and the ills of his father.

Barry was 9 when was father was arrested in an FBI sting, thrusting the family into the national spotlight.

The elder Barry was arrested on drug charges on Jan. 18, 1990, after being videotaped smoking crack in an FBI sting.

That night, Effi Barry recalled in a series of earlier interviews with The Washington Post, I didnt know what to do. I ran into the room and I looked at my son. He was still sleeping soundly. I just stood there and cried.

[D.C. First Lady Braved Her Husband's Storms With Quiet Resolve]

His parents divorced in 1993, and Barry went to live with his mother. Brushes with the law ensued as he entered adulthood. He was charged with punching a police officer in 2005 after the officer, smelling marijuana, entered the apartment Barry was visiting.

Two years later, his mother died of cancer.

He was recognized for the powerful eulogy he delivered.

Upon his fathers death, Barry was drafted to carry the political torch. But he encountered difficulties getting organized, meeting campaign deadlines and staying out of trouble. Last year, his campaign for D.C. Council was thwarted by an outburst in a Chinatown bank in which he allegedly threw a trash can over a panel of security glass and threatened a bank teller who refused to withdraw $20,000 from his account, telling him it was overdrawn.

[Marion Barrys son charged with destruction of property]

That image was a departure from the Barry who had, little more than a month earlier, reflected candidly on his father before thousands. At 34, he had eulogized both of his parents.

Picture of a father

Barry described his father as sometimes absent but a gifted politician and theoretical gardener.

He sees a barren strip of land, he tills the soil, he chases the snakes away, he said. He planted seeds in peoples lives. He planted hope in people who didnt have hope.

Barry, the late mayors only child, said the legacy of his father was not limited to one person.

They say D.C. will never be the same because Marion Barrys gone, he said. Theyre right, because now theres thousands of  millions of Marion Barrys out there. Hell never die.

Trayon White, the Democratic nominee for the Ward 8 council seat and a protege of the senior Barry, called Christopher Barry a friend who will be missed.

Chris was like a brother to me. He cared about the community. He had a lot of things that he wanted to work on to better the community, White said.

White, the younger Barry and a dozen others had run to fill the council vacancy left by Marion Barrys death in November 2014. LaRuby May (D-Ward 8) won that special election. But in the election this year for a full, four-year term to succeed the former mayor, the younger Barry had endorsed White, who prevailed in the Democratic primary.

Christopher Barry had started a construction firm, he said in an interview with The Post in the fall. He said he was trying to form a community business enterprise, a minority firm that could compete for city contracts. Thomas said Barry sought to employ the disenfranchised  residents with little hope and narrow job prospects who hailed from Ward 8, the district he lived to improve, according to friends.

White said Barry was on the site of one of his construction projects in Southeast as late as Saturday.

D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) memorialized the younger Barry on her Twitter account.

Lets remember the brightest days! Rest in peace dear Christopher! she posted, along with a photo of the two of them.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said he was saddened to hear of Barrys death, putting it in the context of the late mayors life.

Christopher Barrys untimely passing is a sad ending to the Marion Barry legacy, he said in a statement. Christopher never asked for the burden that comes with being part of a famous politicians family. We know he cared deeply about our city  his hometown from birth to death. And that his parents cared deeply for him. My condolences to those whom he is survived.

May said in an interview that My relationship with Christopher extended before and beyond us being on the ballot.

One of the things I appreciated about him was his commitment to the people in our community, May said.  As a small-business owner Christopher continued the legacy of his father by many times offering job opportunities to people.

Fairley McCaskill, Barrys close friend, said his death was especially tragic because he was working to turn his troubled image around.

Chris is someone I grew up with and now hes gone, McCaskill said. This is surreal. Those who really knew Chris knew that he marched to his own beat, and we loved that about him. He had a big heart, she said. I think a lot of times he was misunderstood based on how he was portrayed in the media, which our goal was to shift that image and portrayal during his campaign run, and help people to get to know him the way we knew him. He was a one-of-a-kind type of guy and he will be missed tremendously.

Thomas, who attended Jefferson Junior High with Barry, recalled the pressure Barry faced as his father was rocked by political scandal.

Thomas said children pelted the young Barry with oranges and crack pipes and taunted him in the schoolyard.

Either people thought he was too good, people thought he was the child of a crackhead, people thought he was a waste  people had all types of perceptions of Christopher that were not okay, he said. None of us had to grow up with that.

Later in life, he said, Barry struggled to find a shoulder to lean on. Especially after the death of his mother.

No one could really understand what he was going through.

Aaron C. Davis and Luz Lazo contributed to this report.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) often ribs Comptroller Peter Franchot about how the veteran Democrat once called for his resignation.

At the time, Hogan was serving as appointments secretary for then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), and Democrats were asking questions about the administrations hiring and firing practices. Franchot was a young, progressive delegate representing Takoma Park in Montgomery County.

These days, the animosity between the two is gone. In its place is a bipartisan friendship that stands out in an increasingly polarized Annapolis  a bond they say is largely built on a mutual desire to rein in spending and improve the states fiscal climate.

People are just frustrated today with politics, Hogan said last week in Frederick, where he and Franchot appeared together, joking and laughing, to promote the states tax-free shopping week. They hate the partisanship, the name-calling and the fighting back and forth. They love the fact that we can put aside party politics and just do whats right for the people.

[Democrats snipe at Hogan over his new, heated walkway]

Never mind that Hogan is known to hurl an insult or two here and there  earlier this month, he called leaders of the state teachers union thugs.

Franchot, too, can be harsh when grilling officials over spending at public meetings.

But with each other, the two are warm and cordial.

They have formed a majority on the three-member Board of Public Works, which oversees major state expenditures. Until Hogans election, Franchot often found himself on the losing end of 2-to-1 votes, outgunned by fellow Democrats: then-Gov. Martin OMalley and state Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp. Now, it is usually Hogan and Franchot whose votes carry the day.

They have joined forces to withhold money from Baltimore City and Baltimore County schools over a dispute about air conditioning in classrooms, and they have banded together to criticize  and, at times, embarrass  state employees who come to meetings unprepared to answer questions about state contracts.

And they have moved to do away with sole-source bids and revamp the procurement process.

[Baltimore County accelerates school air conditioning]

Like Hogan, Franchot was an outspoken critic of OMalley during the former governors two terms in office. His opposition made him an outsider among the Democratic establishment, and his close relationship with Hogan  including his first dinner at Government House in a decade  has only widened that gap.

John T. Willis, a former secretary of state who mounted an unsuccessful bid for comptroller against William Donald Schaefer in 2002, said Franchot, 68, may have to watch out for a Democrat challenging him in the primary.

Theres grumbling that if he gets too close to the governor, that could give somebody an opening, said Willis, a political science professor at the University of Baltimore.

But Franchot  who won a third term with 62 percent of the vote in 2014  does not care.

He points to his work raising money for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and his early support of her presidential bid to prove his party bona fides. He describes himself as a loyal Democrat who is more interested in Maryland than a 24/7 effort to win back the governors mansion.

With Hogan, I appreciate the fact that I have an adult beside me who objectively listens, Franchot said. Sometimes he is with me, and sometimes he says, No I cant be with you. But we dont tear each other down.

Elected officials who have known Franchot for years said the comptroller has long wanted his role to be more than collecting taxes and has pushed for greater influence over spending and policy.

Now that he is working with a governor who shares his fiscal conservatism, that quest has become easier.

[Pr. Georges Countys Baker uses DNC lunch to blast Hogan]

Franchot says he remains committed to progressive stances and does not understand why pushing for air conditioning in schools, shoring up the state pension system and making government more transparent are not embraced by the Annapolis political machine.

Ironically, he captured the comptrollers seat in 2006 after winning a primary challenge against Schaefer, a Democrat whom Franchot cast as too close to Ehrlich and out of step with loyal, progressive Democrats.

Franchot, who served in the House of Delegates for 20 years, describes himself as independently elected. He says Hogan frequently reminds him that he represents all Marylanders. There are not Republican or Democratic taxpayers. They are just taxpayers.

Although he is often mentioned by political observers as a possible gubernatorial candidate, Franchot said he has ruled out a 2018 bid to replace his friend.

I like being comptroller, he said. I think I have brought the office to a new level. I take a lot of satisfaction that its not just collecting the money but how its spent.

Franchot said Hogan laid the groundwork for their relationship just days after his surprise victory in November 2014, when the governor-elect unexpectedly showed up at Franchots office.

The point was no one else knocked on my door for the previous eight years, Franchot said. Is it important? Yes, its important. It is respect.
When Pasadena, Md., native Brandy Leigh Scott was 7 years old, she brought home a school photo that made her parents notice something peculiar: an unusual circle indented her ring fingers knuckle.

My dad thought it was the picture until he looked at my hand, said Scott, now 41.

Her parents took her to a doctor, where they learned that Scotts fingers were retracting toward her palm. In the years that followed, she would spend Christmas breaks with her hands wrapped in gauze after surgeries while doctors worked to find a diagnosis.

At about age 10, Scott was diagnosed with Dupuytrens contracture, a rare disease that thickens the tissue of the palm, causing the fingers  usually starting with the ring and pinkie fingers  to fold into the hand and stiffen, limiting their use. In Scotts case, the disease, which most often affects European men 50 and older in at least one or two fingers, is rare and aggressive.

Her hands would gradually close into fists, which meant giving up softball and the guitar.

Now a resident of the Los Angeles area, Scott has lived with limited use of her hands for most of her life.

Its all Ive really known, she said.

But a new contest is challenging the world to change that.

Scott was the inspiration for the Within Reach design challenge, organized by MatterHackers, an Orange County, Calif.- based software developer and retailer of 3-D printers.

The contest, which began last month and runs through Sept. 6, invites professional designers, summer camps, classrooms and makerspaces  places where creative people share ideas, tools and materials  around the world to design 3-D-printed devices that can benefit people who have limited use of their hands. More than 50 designs had been submitted as of last week, according to Pinshape, the Canadian 3-D printing community and website where entries are submitted.

Mara Hitner, a friend of Scotts and the director of business development for MatterHackers, was the first to think of 3-D printing devices to help Scott with daily tasks.

Scott, who works as a post-production supervisor, can drive, although sometimes its hard to put the car in gear. She types with her thumbs and the big knuckles on her hands, and she uses paper clips to zip her boots. But many daily tasks, such as turning doorknobs (she has special wing-like devices that make it easier) and sliding her credit card into an ATM, can be grueling.

Pint glasses are the worst. Coffee cups are terrible. I cant pick either of them up, Scott said, noting that tools as simple as a special cup holder can make a world of difference.

A plastic cup sleeve with a handle from Bed Bath & Beyond was one of Scotts favorite tools. It slipped onto most cups and allowed her to get a better grip. But when she looked for more to buy, they were no longer in stock, she said.

We could just print you another one, Hitner, 39, remembers saying. It was a joke  but then Hitner realized it wasnt a bad idea.

She consulted Davy Gaylord, the director of marketing at MatterHackers. He measured Scotts hands and printed three devices  another cup sleeve, a clip that snaps onto beer cans to make them easier to hold, and a pair of forceps to help grip thinner items, such as credit cards. He even personalized the cup sleeve and the forceps with the logo of Scotts favorite team  the Baltimore Ravens.

The cup sleeve worked perfectly, Scott said.

The company shared the designs online and created a video about Scotts condition and the potential of 3-D printing.

Soon, another 3-D printing innovator took notice.

Jen Owen, creator of Enabling the Future, an online resource for 3-D printing of hand and arm prosthetics, contacted Hitner, and the two teamed up to organize the contest.

It gives an opportunity for end users to help design their own tools, especially if there are people out there who have grandparents, siblings and children  or even themselves  who have been wanting to get tools like this, Owen said. She said that crowdsourcing such designs makes it much easier to share them and bounce ideas off of others.

Contests like Within Reach also give the younger generation a chance to use technology to make a difference at a low cost, Owen said.

Because its 3-D printing and the plastic is so cheap to prototype with, it really gives them the opportunity to keep pushing the prototype and working it until its possible, she said.

Ultimaker, one of the largest 3-D printer manufacturers in the country, donated 3-D printers to be the contests grand prizes, for one adult and one youth winner.

Baltimore makerspaces and youth groups are already thinking of how they can contribute to the contest. Digital Harbor Foundation, which plans maker workshops, along with after-school and summer camp programs for youth, is one of them.

I imagine there will be attachment-type pieces, said Amber Grimes, the operation manager of the foundations makerspace.

This isnt the first time Grimes has helped students design tools for people with disabilities. In the past, shes led students in accessibility hackathons in which they designed sensor systems for wheelchairs, a game for the blind and devices that would help people survive if they lost a limb in a zombie apocalypse.

Maria Esquela, who serves on the STEM committee for the Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America, is prepping her Scouts and local volunteers for the challenge.

Its not just a way to practice leadership and communication. Its problem-solving, Esquela said.

In the contests promotional video, Scott and MatterHackers suggested that contestants wrap their hands in tape for an hour or two to envision what itd be like to lack full use of their hands.

Think about your grandma who has arthritis or your teacher who is a veteran and has challenges with their hands, Hitner said.

Heidi Miranda-Walsh, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist at Mercy Medical Center, recommends creating a personalized yet universal device to make gripping everyday items easier. People who have Dupuytrens contracture or forms of arthritis commonly use rubber or foam tubes that fit over jars, doorknobs, toothbrushes  anything that requires a tight grip  but it doesnt fit all of the nooks and crannies, of the hand, she said.

Scott will be one of the contests judges.

I dont really know what Im looking for, she said. I feel like somebody is going to design something that I didnt even think about.

Im excited to see what everybody designs, especially the youth, she said. They have no limitations to the imagination.

Hitner agreed, noting the potential impact of a younger generation learning about the democratization of medicine  or in this case, the ability to 3-D print custom items at home in a matter of hours for a fraction of the cost of expensive medical prosthetics.

For the next generation to be learning design and 3-D printing so early [means] when theyre adults, and they see something in the world thats not quite right, they can say Ill just design something to make it better. To have that be a native thought is going to absolutely change production and how quickly ideas can be brought into reality, Hitner said.

For Scott, the contest is a chance to bring awareness to Dupuytrens contracture and the need for more accessible devices.

Im glad this disease is doing good somehow, she said.

With all the useful devices she hopes will come out of the contest, she added, shes going to need one more thing: a giant purse to carry them.
Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, discusses the departments findings in an investigation of the Baltimore Police Department as Police Commissioner Kevin Davis and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake listen, on Aug. 10, 2016. (Brian Witte/AP)

Problems in the Baltimore Police Department that have allowed the agency to persistently violate the rights of poor, black residents run deep. They are, according to a federal probe, rooted in structural failures, longstanding, systemic and widespread.

Or cancerous, according to the lawyer for the family of the man whose fatal injury in police custody last year prompted the federal civil rights investigation.

Wholesale reform of a police department is a massive undertaking. But for an agency that faced a record number of homicides last year and is repairing relations with the community that were fractured after the death of Freddie Gray, 25, the job is even more daunting.

The very moment youre trying to press on the accelerator to deal with crime, youre pressing on the brake to deal with constitutional issues, said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, which has extensively studied such reforms. It really is a balancing act.

[See the Department of Justice report]

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta delivers a statement on the findings of a scathing Justice Department report on the Baltimore Police Department. (Reuters)

Judging by similar federally mandated overhauls of police departments across the country, the work ahead for Baltimore is formidable. The city not only will have to find the money to pay for reforms, but it can also expect to deal with low morale and difficulty hiring and retaining officers for a department that has been branded a failure. Such reform efforts often come late, go over budget and yield mixed results, according to a previous Washington Post investigation of federally ordered police reforms.

In its 14-month probe of Baltimores police, the Justice Department uncovered problems, detailed in a report released Wednesday, that pervaded nearly every aspect of the agency. Not only did officers unconstitutionally target and stop African Americans for minor crimes, but they also conducted illegal strip searches, failed to investigate reports of sex crimes and beat people who posed no imminent threat  all while department management ignored or covered up misconduct and allowed a poorly trained, overworked force to operate in antiquated conditions.

Wexler said the challenges in Baltimore may most closely mirror the widespread breakdowns the Los Angeles Police Department faced in the early 2000s, after scandal involving the departments anti-gang unit led the Justice Department to intervene. What was to have been a five-year process dragged on for 12 years and cost about $300 million.

But if done properly, say police leaders whose departments have successfully undergone federally mandated reforms, the transformations benefit police and communities alike.

Prince Georges County Police Chief Henry P. Stawinski III said that reform under a Justice Department consent decree is one of the largest and most intimidating tasks a police department can undertake. The Maryland county, 40 miles south of Baltimore, was under federal oversight for five years in the 2000s for concerns about the use of excessive force and the number of bites by police dogs.

We had so much to do in terms of the crime fight, how could we be expected to do something this labor-intensive at the same time? Stawinski recalled colleagues and other police executives thinking when the Justice Department introduced such police reforms. It touches everything the department does operationally.

Under two separate federal agreements, the department retrained its force, started using programs to track problem officers, installed 600 cruiser cameras, and rewrote the county polices policies and general orders. As a result, Stawinski said, Prince Georges police emerged more efficient and modernized, allowing officers to better fight crime and improve relations with the community.

At the end of this process, youre going to be better and safer, and the public will be more trusting, Stawinski said.

[Strip searches, lock up all the black hoodies: Excerpts from report]

After the Justice Department left Prince Georges, use-of-force complaints to the local NAACP declined from about a dozen each month to one or two. And even some of the departments biggest critics have noted improvements.

Timothy Maloney is a Maryland civil rights attorney who often represents victims in police-brutality cases, including winning an $11.5 million settlement for the family of a man who was fatally shot by a county police officer. He said that although the Prince Georges department still has flaws, it has improved substantially.

Baltimore, according to Maloney, is in a far worse position than Prince Georges was.

In Baltimore City, nearly every aspect of the policing system is broken, from the discipline system, to the culture of the command staff, to the relationships with prosecutors to the level of training for officers, Maloney said. Its very difficult to go in and clean up the bowels of an organization.



As a former commander in Prince Georges County, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis is one of the few police executives in the country who have worked for a department before and after Justice Department intervention. Not only can he better navigate the work, but he also can preach the benefits of the efforts, Stawinski said.

This isnt something that were doing to police officers in Baltimore, Davis said. Its something that were doing for police officers of Baltimore.

But Heather Mac Donald, author of the recently released The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe, worries that the Justice Departments report will do more harm to a community struggling to stem violent crime. Backing away from targeting loitering and general public disorder  which the Justice Department criticized the Baltimore Police Department for doing in a way that discriminated against black residents  goes against what families in high-crime areas often beg for in community meetings.

A pronouncement by the federal government that your police department is racially biased for trying to go where people are victimized is a real blow to morale, said Mac Donald, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. She said the costs to reform a department take resources away from more manpower and tactical training that really is a valid upgrade to officers skills.

[Officials in Baltimore, Justice Department promise sweeping overhaul of city police]

But targeting black residents who are simply standing outside or on a sidewalk has little to do with public safety, said Samuel Sinyangwe, a co-founder of Campaign Zero, which advocates for police reform nationwide.

The police have spent a lot of time, energy and resources on these types of low-level, nonserious offenses that hinder their capacity to work with the community to solve serious crime, Sinyangwe said. Theyre contributing to worsening the problem rather than preventing violence.

In the aftermath of the reports release, Gray family attorney Billy Murphy said that elected officials should expect a withering critical response if they do not do everything they can to reform city policing and other race-based problems confronting the community.

Gray died in April 2015 after suffering a neck injury while being transported in a police van, and his death sparked protests and rioting. Six officers were charged in the case, and after one mistrial and several acquittals, prosecutors dropped all remaining charges. But Grays death prompted calls for change.

The Rev. Glenna Huber, director of a community organization called BUILD Baltimore, said the police department has been trying to mend relations with residents. More officers have appeared in some of the most violent neighborhoods, and the department recently worked with the community to shut down a gas station that was a hub of drug activity.

Nobody has ever said we dont want the police to police, Huber said. What we want is constitutional policing. We want to be able to feel safe in our neighborhoods.

If reforms in Baltimore are not carried out correctly, Huber said, the problems that the Justice Department highlighted in Wednesdays report could persist. But Huber, who serves in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, is optimistic.

Im a priest, Huber said. We live in hope.

Kimbriell Kelly contributed to this report.
For a long time, police have urged people to lock car doors to prevent thefts of items inside. But in one of the Districts most affluent areas, thieves have been entering even locked cars, baffling owners and investigators.

Recently, police in the Northwest Washington neighborhoods west of Rock Creek Park said they have figured out what probably has been happening.

Thieves have been hacking into so-called keyless entry systems that permit many cars to be opened and closed remotely with the press of a button, police said this month on an email bulletin board.

Reports in Forbes and Wired magazines outline the technique.

They say an electronic device held close to a car prompts a recognition signal. Additional equipment amplifies that signal and sends it to the wireless key in the owners home, perhaps dozens of yards from the car.

The key then signals back, allowing the car to be entered. One authors suggestion: Wrap the key in tinfoil when at home, blocking the radio signal.
Correction: An earlier version of this article mischaracterized a federal program targeting immigration fraud. It is the Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Review that trains personnel to detect signs of fraud, not a multi-agency program that also seeks to prevent immigration fraud. Also, the multi-agency program was launched in 2011, not in 2012. The article has been corrected.

The leader of a Virginia organization for Latino immigrants faces a criminal trial this week for allegedly bilking dozens of clients out of thousands of dollars by pretending to be an attorney in federal immigration cases that went nowhere.

The case against Rose Sanchez-Canete is the latest example of what immigration attorneys and federal officials say is a growing problem: people from Latin America, Asia or Africa seeking to gain legal status through asylum or other forms of protection are turning to unscrupulous notaries public, tax preparers and nonprofit organizations promising affordable and fast results.

During the past three years, about 150 people in the Washington area have said they were tricked out of fees by a person not licensed to practice law or otherwise accredited to appear in immigration courts, said Anne Schaufele, an attorney with the Ayuda nonprofit group who works to prevent such cases of notario fraud.

That is just scratching the surface, Schaufele said. Were talking about hundreds and hundreds of victims just in the Washington area.

[Wonkblog: Obama administration offers immigrants reprieve, hucksters wait to defraud them]

Rose Sanchez-Canete (Fairfax County Police)

Sanchez-Canete, who has denied the allegations, is the director of the Latino Federation of Tenants Association (LAFEOTA), a group based in Alexandria that started during the 1980s. She faces four felony fraud charges and a misdemeanor charge of practicing law without a license, which could lead to as many as 40 years in prison.

Jury selection is slated to begin Monday in Fairfax County Circuit Court.

A dozen former clients are prepared to testify against Sanchez-Canete, who is not licensed to practice law, according to court documents.

Commonwealths Attorney Ray Morroghs office alleges that Sanchez-Canete led those clients and others to think that she is an immigration attorney, charging fees of as much as $5,250 for services that, in many instances, she didnt provide.

Sanchez-Canete did not respond to requests for comment. Her attorney, Andrea Mosely, called the charges nonsense and characterized the matter as a dispute over what people who arent attorneys should be allowed to do to help immigrants.

LAFEOTA is an organization that has offered much-needed assistance to an under-represented community, Mosely said in a statement. These low-cost services are vital to this community, but many organizations and individuals would prefer that the federal government limit these services so that only attorneys can charge for them.

[Championing Latinos, or preying on them?]

In court documents, Sanchez-Canete and her father, a former director of the tenants association who is now its president, contend that the organization contracted with an attorney whenever immigration cases arose.

The Sanchez-Canetes said the organization facilitates legal assistance by putting its members in contact with an attorney, according to a Virginia State Bar investigation that is part of the criminal case.

Rose Sanchez-Canete told the investigator that the fees she collected were membership fees for services that include landlord disputes, translation services and navigating government agencies for social services. She suggested to the investigator that her clients limited English and poor understanding of the complicated immigration process led to their being confused about her role.

Morroghs office and immigration attorneys who represent former tenants association clients contend that the group uses inexperienced lawyers to, essentially, sign off on legal strategies developed by Sanchez-Canete. Several of those lawyers eventually quit out of frustration, according to the criminal complaint.

In sworn affadavits, the former clients said they paid thousands of dollars in fees to the group and then either saw their immigration applications denied or never submitted.

In some instances, the association is accused of submitting applications for U.S. asylum on behalf of clients who were never qualified for that protection to fraudulently win temporary work permits for those people. U.S. immigration law allows asylum seekers to work while they await a ruling on their applications. If the applications are denied, the permission is revoked.

In one case, Sanchez-Canete allegedly sent a client to court alone after collecting $1,750 in membership fees.

The presiding judge asked me why I was not represented by legal counsel, the client, Carlos Andrade Garcia, said in an affidavit. The immigration judge kindly suggested that I try to recoup back the money charged by LAFEOTA.

Since 1996, the Virginia State Bar has investigated 10 fraud allegations against directors of the tenants association, a spokeswoman there said. All the complaints but one were dismissed because of lack of evidence and failure by witnesses to cooperate  a reflection, immigrant advocates say, of the fact that many victims in such cases fear reprisals over their illegal status.

In 1991, Sanchez-Canetes father, Jesus, was sued for using $20,000 in rent collected in a Washington tenants strike to pay for a $600 dinner, political contributions and other costs. The D.C. Superior Court case wound up with a court-appointed trustee administering the funds.

With the number of fraud allegations increasing, regulators are working to address the problem and to offer some relief to victims.

The Justice Departments Executive Office of Immigration Review, which oversees the nations 58 immigration courts, launched an anti-fraud team in 2011 with other federal agencies. Executive Office of Immigration Review trains immigration judges and law clerks to spot suspected cases of fraud.

That effort has led to 400 suspected fraud cases nationwide, said Juan P. Osuna, director of the review office.

The agency also proposed a rule that gives applicants who are suspected victims of fraud another chance at requesting legal status. It is tightening its accreditation standards for non-attorneys appearing before immigration judges.

Fraud is sometimes hard to detect, even for trained attorneys and trained judges, Osuna said.

Schaufele, of Ayuda, said the Washington area is fertile ground for immigration fraud because of the large number of immigrants in the region and a shortage of affordable legal options.

Even with quite a few of us in the nonprofit community providing immigration services, were having to turn people away every single day, she said. Filling that void are some well-intentioned attorneys who are making mistakes. But we also have ill-intentioned people who are putting consumers in harms way, and they are reaping a lot of financial benefits.
NEW MEXICO

Ohio murder suspect held in officer's death

An Ohio fugitive wanted on murder charges was arrested in the fatal shooting of a New Mexico police officer on Friday, while a second man is being held on a warrant.

Jesse Hanes, 38, is suspected of killing Officer Jose Chavez, 33, during a traffic stop in Hatch, 190 miles south of Albuquerque, in front of a fellow officer, authorities said.

In the car with Hanes was James Nelson, 36, who is also wanted in Ohio on suspicion of murder and is being held on a fugitive warrant. A hitchhiker in their car wont be charged, a sheriffs spokeswoman said.

Authorities said that Hanes fled on Interstate 25 and that he carjacked and shot a man at a rest stop. Hanes crashed after deputies deflated that cars tires.

 Associated Press

Gunfire scare at mall: Reports of gunshots ringing out inside the Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, N.C., caused chaos Saturday as shoppers ran and sheltered in stores. Raleigh police said hours later that they had not confirmed that shots had been fired. They said that no one was found wounded by gunfire but that several people had minor injuries from trying to flee. Police said they initially responded at 2:30 p.m. to the reports of gunfire.

Girl saved from cougar: A family camping in eastern Idaho scared off a cougar that tried to snatch their 4-year-old daughter Friday evening. Idaho Fish and Game said Saturday that the cougar dropped the girl and left after family members yelled at the animal. The child suffered a few scratches. The family was camping near Green Canyon Hot Springs. Agency officials tracked the cougar to a tree a few hundred yards from the camp about 2 a.m. Saturday. They said Madison County sheriffs deputies killed the animal.

 From news reports
Former president Jimmy Carter, 91, told the New Yorker recently that 90 percent of the arguments he has with Rosalynn, his wife of 70 years, are about hearing. When I tell her, Please speak more loudly, she absolutely refuses to speak more loudly, or to look at me when she talks, he told the magazine. In response, the former first lady, 88, declared that having to repeat things drives me up the wall. Yet after both went to the doctor, much to her surprise, I found out it was me! she said. I was the one who was deaf.

Age-related hearing loss is like that. It comes on gradually, often without an individuals realizing it, and it prompts a range of social and health consequences. You dont just wake up with a sudden hearing loss, says Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America. It can be insidious. It can creep up on you. You start coping, or your spouse starts doing things for you, like making telephone calls.

An estimated 25 percent of Americans between ages 60 and 69 have some degree of hearing loss, according to the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. That percentage grows to more than 50 percent for those age 70 to 79, and to almost 80 percent of individuals older than 80. Thats about 30 million people, a number likely to increase as our population ages.

Behind these statistics are disturbing repercussions such as social isolation and the inability to work, travel or be physically active.

Its not just about the inability to communicate, says James Battey Jr., director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. It has a broader impact on individuals lives. It makes them uneasy participating in activities where hearing is important, such as any kind of social interaction  going to parties or going out to dinner in a restaurant where background noise might make it difficult to engage in a conversation. It also can be dangerous  for example, not being able to hear a warning siren.

Studies have shown that hearing loss is associated with depression and the early onset of dementia and that it can increase by threefold the risk of falling, because you need your ears as well as your eyes and feet to maintain a sense of balance, says Charlotte Yeh, chief medical officer for AARP Services. Hearing is extraordinarily important to health and social well-being.

Most important, these effects could potentially be reduced with hearing-loss treatment, says Frank R. Lin, an associate professor of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins, who is designing a clinical trial to determine the extent to which treatment could forestall and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia among older adults.

In June, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine released a report describing hearing loss as a significant public health concern, and recommended removing barriers that make it difficult for people to receive care.

These barriers include the price of hearing aids, which can be very expensive and are not covered by Medicare or by many private health plans. The report also called on the Food and Drug Administration to remove the requirement that adults have a medical evaluation before buying a hearing aid, and to establish a new category of over-the-counter wearable hearing devices  separate from hearing aids  that could help people with mild to moderate impairment.

Individuals generally pay a single charge for hearing aids and all associated fitting services, according to Lin, who served as a member of the National Academies panel.

The average cost of two hearing aids is about $4,700, which is absurd . . . [because] hearing aids, when purchased in bulk, cost about $400 for a pair, Lin says. One possibility for a model of insurance coverage would be for insurance companies to routinely provide coverage of audiologic services and possibly just a set amount of reimbursement for the actual hearing aid.

Original Medicare has always excluded hearing aids and fittings, although the program does cover exams prescribed to determine whether a person needs medical treatment. Some Medicare Advantage plans, which often offer additional benefits and are alternatives to original Medicare, may cover hearing aids. Medicaid sometimes covers hearing aids, depending on state requirements.

Theres been an overwhelming tendency until just recently to view hearing loss as being an inevitable and hence relatively inconsequential part of aging, Lin says. This impression, as well as the lack of effective therapies for age-related hearing loss at that time, served as the rationale for excluding coverage from Medicare. . . . Both of these assumptions have now radically changed.

Many private insurers also exclude hearing aid coverage, although three states  New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Arkansas  require insurers to cover some related costs, according to AARP, which offers advice on getting financial help and sponsors a discount hearing-aid program for its members. The Hearing Loss Association of America also has a website with guidance on how to obtain financial assistance for hearing aids. The assistance is mostly available for children and low-income adults.

Fewer than a third of Americans older than 70 who could benefit from hearing aids have ever used them, according to Battey. In addition to the expense and the requirements for obtaining the devices, it is also a stigma, although I have never understood why the same stigma is not associated with putting on a pair of eyeglasses, Battey says. My own dad had significant hearing loss, and I could not convince him to use a hearing aid. He had plenty of resources to buy any device he needed, and he just wouldnt do it.

Battey and others believe that increased public awareness, including intervention by primary-care doctors, could encourage more people to seek help. There should be no shame, Battey says. Just like other things that deteriorate as we age, hearing is no different. Its a health issue. Its a safety issue, and its a quality-of-life issue.
Alabama

Plane crashes while trying to land, killing 6

Six people died when a small aircraft flying from central Florida to Oxford, Miss., developed engine problems and crashed Sunday morning while trying to land in Alabama, authorities said.

A pilot issued a distress signal about 11:10 a.m., and the aircraft went down moments later short of a runway at Tuscaloosa Regional Airport, said Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon during a joint news conference with Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox.

Firefighters made it to the site within three minutes of the crash but were unable to save the six people on board, Herndon said.

A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration said the Piper PA-31 departed Kissimmee Gateway Airport and went down in trees while approaching the Tuscaloosa airport.

The names of the victims were not immediately released, but WLBT-TV reported that Memphis defense attorney Steve Farese said his nephew Jason Farese and his wife, Lea Farese, both dentists in Oxford, were on the plane.

 Associated Press

California

1,200 told to leave as wildfire advances

Flames racing through dry brush destroyed at least four homes and forced more than 1,000 people to flee a Northern California lake community that was evacuated in a devastating wildfire last year.

Authorities ordered about 1,200 residents to leave 500 homes as the blaze surged south of the town of Lower Lake. The wildfire spread to more than two square miles by early Sunday, and crews faced hot weather and little cloud cover as they tried to get a handle on the flames burning largely out of control.

The fire activity could change in a moments notice right now, said Suzie Blankenship, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said more evacuations were ordered Sunday afternoon in the Copsey Creek subdivision east of Lower Lake.

More than 700 firefighters were battling the two-square-mile wildfire burning east and southeast of Highway 29 in Lake County, and many more were expected to join.

Californians braced for heat Sunday, as high temperatures were expected to soar 10 degrees above normal in the southern part of the state.

 Associated Press

Rumors of shots at JFK: Reports of shots fired at New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport appeared to be unfounded. Port Authority police said they did not find any firearms, ammunition, shell casings or other evidence of gunfire. Police evacuated Terminal 8 as a precaution after receiving reports of shots fired near the departures area about 9:30 p.m. Sunday. A short time later, police closed Terminal 1 after they said they received additional reports of shots there. According to the flight tracking company FlightAware, all inbound flights were being held at their origin until 11:30 p.m.

 Associated Press
CONGO

Suspected rebels killat least 36 civilians

Suspected rebels have killed at least 36 people in northeastern Congo, spurring residents to stage protests against the ongoing violence, officials said Sunday.

The Allied Democratic Forces, with origins in neighboring Uganda, is thought to have carried out the late Saturday attack after the army pushed its fighters from their bases, said Gen. Richard Kasonga, a spokesman for Congos army.

North Kivu provincial governor Julien Paluku said that the bodies of 22 men and 14 women are in the morgue and that the toll is likely to rise.

The area around Beni, the site of the attack, has been frequently targeted. The ADF rebel group has killed at least 500 civilians in the region since October 2014, according to a local rights group.

Scores of militia groups and rebels continue to destabilize eastern Congo more than two decades after the end of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, when many of those who carried out the killings fled across the border into Congo.

 Associated Press

SWITZERLAND

Train attacker, victim die of wounds

The man who attacked passengers on a crowded Swiss train with a knife and burning liquid died of his wounds Sunday, as did one of his victims, a 34-year-old woman, police said. Three others remain hospitalized with serious wounds.

Police are still searching for a motive but said there is no indication that the suspect, identified only as a 27-year-old Swiss man, had ties to extremist groups.

A 43-year-old woman, a 6-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl remained hospitalized Sunday with serious injuries, St. Gallen canton police spokesman Hans-Peter Kruesi said. A 17-year-old youth and a 50-year-old man wounded in the attack were treated and released, he said.

Swiss police searched the suspects home after the Saturday afternoon attack on the train as it neared the station in Salez, close to the Liechtenstein border. Kruesi would not comment on what evidence was seized at the home but said that there are no indications this was a terrorist or politically motivated crime.

Kruesi said the man had no criminal record and was not previously known to police.

According to a video of the attack evaluated by police, the assailant acted alone, attacking passengers on the train between Buchs and Sennwald with a knife and then burning liquid.

 Associated Press

YEMEN

Troops seize 2 towns from al-Qaeda fighters

Yemeni pro-government troops, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, seized two large towns east of the port city of Aden from al-Qaeda on Sunday, officials said.

Maj. Gen. Ahmed Seif said troops entered Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, and Jaar as al-Qaeda militants fled into the mountains under heavy fire and airstrikes that killed more than 40 militants and destroyed several of their vehicles. He said three soldiers were killed and two were wounded.

Military officials had earlier said that government forces entered the small town of al-Kawd after brief clashes.

Residents of al-Kawd said army trucks with loudspeakers urged them to stay inside until the town was fully liberated. The residents said two civilians were killed and four wounded when a warplane bombed a car carrying explosives.

Al-Qaeda seized Zinjibar and Jaar last year, exploiting the chaos of Yemens civil war, which pits pro-government forces against Shiite rebels. The militants agreed to pull out of the towns in May but maintained a presence in the area.

 Associated Press

Taliban attacks kill at least 11 Afghan police officers: At least nine police officers were killed in Taliban attacks in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan, security officials said. The police chief of Baghlan said insurgents attacked three checkpoints. He said five insurgents were killed and three were wounded in the ensuing gun battles. In eastern Nurestan province, two police officers were killed and nine were wounded in an attack on a district headquarters, the provincial police chief said.

Iraqi Kurds advance near city held by Islamic State: Iraqi Kurdish forces said they have retaken five villages east of the Islamic State-held city of Mosul. U.S.-backed Kurdish peshmerga forces aim to clear several more villages in one of many shaping operations that will increase pressure on the extremist group, the Iraqi Kurdish regions Security Council said. The council said the U.S.-led coalition is supporting the operation with airstrikes.

 From news services
Regarding the Aug. 9 letter A judicial coup detat in N.C.:

The integrity of our federal judiciary is essential to one of the oldest traditions of American jurisprudence: judicial review, which is the constitutional check on a legislature run amok.

A democratically elected legislature owes a duty to its constituency to enact laws that do not consistently get struck down when challenged on constitutional bases. North Carolina state Rep. David Lewiss (R) General Assembly colleagues raided taxpayer funds to defend their laws, which run roughshod over citizens rights. Mr. Lewis, Gov. Pat McCrory (R) and state Sen. Phil Berger (R) are in over their heads on voter-identification laws and the other embarrassments masquerading as North Carolina laws.

Cut your losses, and kindly stop enacting these humiliating laws.

Benjamin Woody, Springfield
In 1969, Hillary Rodham delivered a controversial student speech at her graduation that launched her from obscurity to national fame overnight. Here is the full audio of that commencement address. (Alice Li/The Washington post)

In 1969, Hillary Rodham delivered a controversial student speech at her graduation that launched her from obscurity to national fame overnight. Here is the full audio of that commencement address. (Alice Li/The Washington post)

Hillary Clintons moment of glory at Wellesley College came when she mounted the stage at her commencement ceremony and took on a powerful Republican U.S. senator, culminating four years of what her campaign now describes as social-justice activism on the burning issues of the time.

But the story not yet told is how out of character Clintons inflammatory Wellesley speech was. At a time when the country was questioning the system, Clinton was known for working squarely within it. She was a conciliator, not a bomb thrower.

On graduation day, the onetime Goldwater Girl reinvented herself as a provocative voice speaking for her angry generation. With the national media closely following campus upheaval that spring, Clinton stole the spotlight by rebuking a Washington symbol she had helped elect. She undercut Wellesleys president, once her ally in tamping down campus unrest.

Clintons remarks transformed her, virtually overnight, into a national symbol of student activism. Wire services blasted out her remarks, and Life magazine featured a photo of her, dressed in bold striped bell-bottoms. Clinton soon caught the attention of leading figures of the left, including civil rights activist Vernon Jordan and her future mentor, Childrens Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman. By the fall, when she entered Yale Law School, where she later met her future husband, Bill, her name was well known.

Clintons speech was an early illustration of political instinct, the ability to sense the moment for a strategic strike. Her performance surprised everyone, even her close friends.

Class leader Hillary Rodham of Wellesley College talking about student protests which she supported in her commencement speech. (Lee Balterman/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)

Were not interested in social reconstruction, she corrected the speaker, Sen. Edward Brooke of Massachusetts. Its human reconstruction.

Her impromptu attack was over in a flash, and Wellesley President Ruth Adams set out to repair the damage.

Adams fired off a letter to Brooke, then the nations highest-ranking black elected official, apologizing for Clintons intemperate remarks.

Courtesy is not one of the stronger virtues of the young, she wrote Brooke on June 5, 1969, in a letter The Washington Post recently discovered in his archived papers. Scoring debaters points seems, on occasion, to have higher standing.

[The apology letter from Wellesley College's president to Sen. Brooke]

How do we harness such youthful passion, Adams asked, without destroying the basic fabric of our democratic society?

The senator, who died in 2015, later remembered Clinton in his autobiography as a woman who knew where she wanted to go and how she wanted to get there.

In 1969, Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a controversial student speech at her graduation that shocked students and faculty alike. In her commencement address, she took on a Republican senator and overnight became one of the faces of late 1960's student activism. (Alice Li/The Washington Post)

Brookes speechwriter, Alton Frye, said the senator took note of the young student government president, bold enough to confront him.

We looked back on her impromptu remarks, said Frye, as an early indicator of the powerful ambition at the center of her personality.

Natural speaker

Clintons parents  she was known then as Hillary Rodham  dropped her off at tranquil Wellesley College in the fall of 1965. Hugh and Dorothy Rodham from placid Park Ridge, Ill., saw the campus  with its weekend curfews and restrictions on male visitors  as a place where we would be safe, recalled Clintons friend Constance Hoenk Shapiro.

Clinton thrived in the women-only setting. She became active in the Young Republicans and urged students to help Brooke become the first African American elected to the Senate since Reconstruction. The girl who doesnt want to go out and shake hands can type letters or do general office work, she told the Wellesley newspaper.

Clinton held up Barry Goldwater, the senator from Arizona who lost the 1964 presidential race, as an icon. Upperclassman Laura Grosch, a free-spirited artist, remembered getting a Goldwater talk as Clinton sat to have her portrait painted, a $30 purchase she planned to send to her mother.

I talked a lot about womens rights, civil rights, Vietnam; she was so for Goldwater, Grosch said.

The campus was alive with student protests, reflecting the growing unrest of the times. There was a string of student petitions demanding greater racial diversity in enrollment and faculty hiring, notices for meetings of national student protest groups, and mounting local opposition to the draft and the Vietnam War.

Clinton was not the leader in any of these efforts. Her name shows up on one of the many student petitions filed in Adamss archived papers, this one challenging a dorm assignment policy that students considered racially discriminatory.

Her knack for public speaking was obvious to anyone who saw her onstage at an outdoor demonstration in her sophomore year.

The topic that day appealed to Clintons wonkish nature. It focused on the curriculum and whether Wellesleys administration should adopt a pass/fail grading system.

Peoples faces were riveted on her, said Karin Rosenthal, who photographed Clinton for the student newspaper.

She had this formidable quality of poise, of self-control, of self-containment, which caused some resentment among the more bohemian and rebellious students, said Robert Pinsky, a former professor who was later poet laureate.

Turbulent times

The 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. rocked Wellesley, as it did campuses across the country. Clinton went to a memorial rally in Boston and contacted one of the five African American students in her class to offer sympathies.

Wellesleys black students were leading the way in social activism, using a newly formed group called Ethos to pressure the administration and the board. Their efforts  including a threatened hunger strike  helped ramp up Wellesleys student recruiting at historically black colleges and ensure minority representation on academic committees.

Ethoss first leader, Karen Williamson, who made friends with Clinton in her freshman year, said Clinton consistently supported the group, which had wide backing among the students. Williamson said she has no specific memories of Clintons involvement in its causes.

[A petition from the Ethos campus group with Hillary Clinton's signature]

Clinton climbed student government leadership ranks focused on educational reform. The interest occasionally took her off campus, where she met other promising student leaders. One was Robert Reich, then at Dartmouth.

She was not a rebel or a student revolutionary, said Reich, who joined Bill Clintons administration as secretary of labor. Hillarys shared interest in curriculum change, he said, was pretty tame stuff.

But Clintons worldview was broadening. She went with her friend Shapiro to Boston, where a Harvard professor ran a homework center for inner-city children.

Clinton, her friend said, became more aware of the importance of social action in shaping the minds of those in decision-making positions.

By Clintons junior year, her friends in the Wellesley Young Republicans sensed they were losing a champion. I saw it in discussions in political-science classes, said Rhea Kemble Dignam, then a fellow club member. The classes debated a wide range of issues, including Americas role overseas and domestic chaos. It was just clear to me that her political philosophy had changed, Dignam said.

In bucolic Wellesley, student protests spilled from campus into the village. Students carried signs demanding fair housing, black economic power and a common theme: Get Out of Vietnam NOW.

Back at Clintons dorm, Stone-Davis, the war had particular resonance. Down the hall from Clintons spacious suite, a fellow student was corresponding with a brother fighting in Vietnam. Clinton and a group of friends who have remained close ever since rallied around the dorm mate, and Clinton joined expeditions to New Hampshire to support Democrat Eugene McCarthys antiwar campaign.

But she did not lead the protest.

There were different strains of antiwar opinion, said Ellen DuBois, now a professor of gender studies at UCLA, who was devising draft-avoidance strategies. Hillary was working within a more electoral mode.

Clinton sometimes spent long evenings discussing race and poverty with Grosch and others. As a student leader, she took on a time-consuming role considered a steppingstone to the presidency, leading the Vil Juniors. She and other juniors helped orient freshmen in Wellesleys rules and traditions.

She was determined to make something of herself, recalled Sarah Malino. She was choosing leadership position after leadership position.

Clinton ran for student government president against two candidates  a member of Ethos and the junior class president. Clintons connections among younger students paid off. She won.

Even then, Clinton was a person who got what the system was, recalled Eleanor Eldie Acheson, granddaughter of former secretary of state Dean Acheson.

Clinton circulated a note asking students for ideas. She wanted to create an activist forum from which no ideas are excluded.

Her conciliatory style was too soft for some students who wanted more radical change. Hillary worked with the deans, recalled classmate Dorothy Devine, rather than circumventing the rules.

In her new role, Clinton met regularly with Adams and Wellesleys vice president, Philip M. Phibbs, a political-science professor. She was an honest broker for the students, Phibbs recalled, but didnt rock the boat.

She was concerned about the college, Phibbs said. She didnt want to see student concerns articulated in a way that was disruptive of the college.

Washington awakening

Clintons politics gelled after a summer internship on Capitol Hill in 1968, according to her thesis adviser, Alan Schechter, a Clinton supporter.

Clinton says in her autobiography that she objected to no avail when she was assigned to the House Republican Conference, led by Rep. Melvin Laird, a hawk on Vietnam. Phibbs and Schechter recall no such strong opposition.

She was still thinking and searching, Phibbs said.

In Washington, Clinton befriended a GOP conference member, New York congressman Charles Goodell. He invited Clinton and other interns to go to the GOP presidential convention in Miami to rally support for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, a long shot against front-runner Richard M. Nixon.

Clinton was disappointed when Nixon, her fathers favorite, won the nomination without supporting troop reductions in Vietnam. She returned home to Park Ridge and drove with a friend to Chicago to get a glimpse of the mayhem surrounding the Democratic convention.

As senior year began, Clinton had concluded that the Republican Party was drifting too far to the right. She marched into Schechters office and announced her intention to devote herself to social equality. Schechter said she was the most passionate Ive ever seen her.

Schechter helped her shape a thesis comparing the effectiveness of intervention models  the grass-roots approach espoused by Saul Alinsky vs. top-down government support. Clinton said later that she had a fundamental disagreement with Alinskys theory that change could come only from outside the system.

Clinton interviewed Alinsky twice to produce her thesis, There Is Only the Fight. Schechter gave the paper an A, and Clinton noted in her paper that Alinsky offered her a job working at his Chicago foundation, which she declined, to go to law school.

But Clintons focus on the social activist later proved controversial. In the early 1990s, Schechter was camping in Montana when the White House contacted him and asked him to help keep the first ladys early academic work under wraps.

Schechter viewed the move as a mistake. If you hide it people will use it against you, he said he argued to the staffer.

Ever since, the thesis has been cast by Clintons critics  including Ben Carson at the 2016 GOP convention in Cleveland  as evidence of her early association with radicals.

To Schechter, Clintons thesis showed an emerging policy junkie, not necessarily a budding politician.

He was among those surprised when she took the stage at commencement and showed she could sense the mood of the audience [and] nudge it in a particular direction.

Taking the stage

Brooke was overwhelmingly chosen by the Class of 1969 to serve as commencement speaker, Adams told him in an invitation letter.

[Sen. Edward Brooke's invitation to speak at Wellesley's commencement ]

In his talk, Brooke wanted to encourage and recognize that they should be free spirits, speechwriter Frye said, but realize that there has to be an anchor of order in order to make liberty durable and productive.

As commencement neared, Acheson led the effort that would win Clinton a place on the stage.

Adams initially refused to allow the first-ever student speaker, but Acheson argued that students had earned a voice. In her autobiography, Clinton suggestedthat she tipped the balance by meeting with Adams one on one.

She didnt see it as her speech, said Jan Piercy, a close friend who later worked in Bill Clintons administration. Piercy recalled Clinton tapping fellow students on the shoulder, asking, What should I say?

She was on a listening tour, said friend Ann Rosewater. Responses poured in.

Piercy recalled seeing Clinton surrounded in her dorm room by a skirt of paper notes. And she was like, Oh my God, how am I going to pull all this together? 

Clinton said she pulled an all-nighter to write her prepared remarks. She showed Schechter a draft and asked Acheson for comment. But not Adams.

The president tried to get Clinton to share, but Clinton wouldnt budge. Known for her wry wit, she later entertained friends by reenacting her meeting with the starchy Adams, recalled Mary Shanley, a Wellesley graduate who visited Stone-Davis.

Clinton by that point had little to lose. Her time at Wellesley was wrapping up, and she had already been admitted to Yale Law School.

She was engaged in a battle of political wits, Shanley said.

Overnight sensation

More than 2,000 people gathered on May 31, 1969, for the colleges 91st annual commencement. The program doesnt mention a student speaker, perhaps because the idea blossomed so late.

[The 1969 Wellesley College commencement program ]

Brooke gave what some considered a patronizing speech on student unrest. Clinton said in her autobiography that he seemed out of touch with the times. He illustrated social progress by citing a national decline in poverty rates, urging students not to mistake the vigor of protest for the value of accomplishment.

Adams then introduced Clinton as cheerful, good humored, good company, and a good friend to all of us.

Clinton took the stage. With a dramatic flourish, she set aside the text she had scrambled to prepare and turned to look at Brooke.

Were not in the positions yet of leadership and power, she began. But we do have that indispensable element of criticizing and constructive protest. She chastised Brooke for reducing poverty to a statistic. Thats a percentage, she said.

Clintons unexpected slap at Brooke (which is cut from a recording Wellesley posted online) was forceful.

Acheson watched from the front row. She avoided looking at Adams, knowing the president would feel betrayed.

When Clinton finished, the applause lasted 34 seconds, according to an audio recording. Students rose in an ovation. We were proud of her and proud of ourselves, Acheson said.

Some parents were miffed  and told their daughters so. Clinton suggested in her autobiography that Adams retaliated that day by having a security guard hide her glasses and clothes when she went for a dip in Lake Waban, the campus swimming spot.

Afterward, Clinton classmate Donna Ecton wrote Brooke to assure him that the majority of seniors were dismayed by Hillary Rodhams rude rebuttal. A graduate wrote, accusing Clinton of self-promotion. If she was looking to have her picture on the front page, the donor wrote, she got it.

Clinton was already on a path to national recognition. But theres one small sign  discovered years later in Life magazines archives  that she worried about how she might be perceived.

Lifes photographer attached a note to his files after visiting Clinton in Park Ridge.

The young student leader, now cast as an outspoken symbol of her generation, was quite concerned it read, that it be made clear she was not attacking Senator Brooke personally.
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.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is asking supporters to become election monitors, warning voters Friday night that cheating might rob him of a win.

At the same time, outside groups are readying to help the campaign watch the polls. Donald F. McGahn II, the Trump campaigns attorney, stopped by the Denver meeting of the Republican National Lawyers Association to plot the strategy and explain how the campaign could help the lawyers build a sophisticated election-protection network.

What they want to do is create a pretty select, Navy SEAL-type operation that takes the data were able to provide and deploy resources of the highest caliber, said Randy Evans, the chairman of the lawyers group, which he said does not coordinate its work with the campaign. If you have 7,000 lawyers on the ground, and 200 sophisticated election attorneys on call, you can move quickly. The message was: This aint your fathers Cadillac.

Trump, who has repeatedly speculated that the election might be rigged in favor of Democrat Hillary Clinton, is using that fear to recruit poll watchers. A form on the Trump campaigns website asks voters to help Trump stop crooked Hillary from rigging this election.

Anyone who fills out the form is added to a list of people who will be used to staff as many polling places as possible. Monitors will report any irregularities they observe to the strike force of lawyers, who, according to Evans, would be able to judge what was and was not a problem.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump told supporters in Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 1 that he worries the Nov. 8 election "is going to be rigged." (The Washington Post)

I hope you people can sort of not just vote on the eighth [but] go around and look and watch other polling places and make sure that its 100 percent fine, Trump told supporters in Altoona, Pa., on Friday. Were going to watch Pennsylvania. Go down to certain areas and watch and study, make sure other people dont come in and vote five times.

The effort reflects a key tension point between the parties, with Republicans warning of voter fraud designed to help Democrats, such as ineligible people casting ballots, and Democrats accusing GOP officials of exaggerating the dangers of voter fraud to justify new laws that Democrats say are designed to disenfranchise minorities and other Democratic voters. It has become commonplace for presidential campaigns to amass legal teams steeped in the intricacies of election law  but it is unusual for a candidate to so directly predict wrongdoing by an opponent.

In the past month, some conservatives have escalated their warnings about fraud as courts have struck down voter-ID laws in North Carolina, North Dakota and Wisconsin. The rulings were victories for Democrats and civil rights groups that few Republicans saw coming. A voter-ID law in Pennsylvania, which a leading Republican legislator there said could help the party finally win the state, was struck down in 2014  and the election of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf that year effectively ended attempts to pass a new law.

While Trump has worried Republicans in recent weeks with a string of controversies, there was no such angst about his voter-fraud comments.

I didnt know this was coming, but I was glad to hear it, said Rob Gleason, the chairman of Pennsylvanias Republican Party.

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican, said a surge of Trump-inspired poll watchers would be welcome, so long as they undergo training after the state receives their names.

We dont want anyone getting unruly, he said.

The number of influential Republican officials saying that they can't vote for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is growing as Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) pledges she won't vote for Trump. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

That is what worries Democrats and some election analysts. They say Trumps talk of the rigged system has almost promised that poll-watching volunteers will see fraud. During Nevadas GOP caucuses  run by the state party and thus lacking some of the controls of general elections  some Trump supporters showed up for election monitoring duty wearing campaign gear, panicking rival campaigns.

Its very common to have people at the polls, said Rick Hasen, an election law expert and professor at the University of California at Irvines School of Law. Whats different is that he is couching it in an incendiary way by saying crooked Hillary wants to steal the election. That seems to be an invitation to go and make trouble.

The Trump campaigns push for election monitors also comes at a time of weakness for independent poll watchers. A 2013 Supreme Court ruling limited the Department of Justices ability to deploy election observers with full access to polling places. Since the 1965 passage of the Voting Rights Act, Justice had sent hundreds of observers to states where tensions over elections seemed high. Now, observers may be sent only to five states where court rulings will allow election monitors. None of those states  Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana and New York  is seen as competitive in November.

That helps a lot, Evans said of the reduced Justice Department role. It takes away the suggestion that the Democrat machine is being supplemented by government officials.

For Democrats, the worry comes not from the specter of voter fraud, which is rare, but from Trump supporters intimidating legitimate voters. They have seen True the Vote, an outgrowth of the tea party movement, train poll watchers to challenge voters in every election since 2012, and preemptively challenge voters who listed commercial addresses or dormitories as their homes. In 2012, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) speculated that True the Vote was involved in a criminal conspiracy to deny legitimate voters their constitutional rights, a view that many Democrats still hold about election challenges.

John Fund, a conservative journalist and author of the book Stealing Elections, said he likens the problem to shoplifting. If you put a camera in the store, and signs that warn shoplifters of the consequences, you cut down on the habit by thirty-forty percent, he said. But, Fund added: I just dont think the evidence is there that a lot of monitors will be organized by what Trump said.

The Trump campaign is eager to prove that wrong.

They will help ensure lawful voters can vote, said Trump spokesman Jason Miller. Liberals love to throw out the voter-intimidation card. What were advocating are open, fair and honest elections.

Jenna Johnson contributed reporting from Washington.
The hacking of Democratic Party computer systems, widely thought by U.S. intelligence officials to be the work of the Russian government, may be giving Washington a new taste of unconventional Kremlin tactics that have long been employed to influence politics in neighboring European countries.

Russia has tried hard in recent years to tug Europe to its side, bankrolling the continents extremist political parties, working to fuel a backlash against migrants and using its vast energy resources as a cudgel against its neighbors. Two-and-a-half years into the Ukraine crisis, Obama administration officials say that the Kremlin may now be engaging in similar trickery in the U.S. presidential campaign in an effort to boost Russia-friendly Republican nominee Donald Trump.

[Clinton campaign  and some cyber experts  say Russia is behind email release]

The alleged effort would be an unusually blunt challenge to the U.S. political system, but one familiar to Europe, where officials and analysts see Russian fingerprints on a wide spectrum of initiatives designed to split Western unity and encourage acceptance of Kremlin policies. European leaders say Russia has been involved in such actions as an April referendum in the Netherlands that rejected a European Union trade deal with Ukraine and the strengthening of cross-border bonds among Euroskeptic parties.

With many U.S. and European voters feeling left adrift by the tides of globalization and threatened by migration, the Russian efforts have played on existing Western weaknesses and found a receptive audience.

The Post's Ellen Nakashima goes over the events, and discusses the two hacker groups responsible. (Jhaan Elker/The Washington Post)

The Russians have been trying for years to destabilize Europe, said Alexander Pechtold, a Dutch lawmaker who was a leader of the losing effort to persuade voters to support the Ukraine deal. The referendum was triggered by anti-E.U. activists who said they want to stop the expansion of the bloc and improve relations with Russia.

Over a long period of time, Russia has been stoking unrest in Europe, an unrest that already exists because we find ourselves in a vulnerable period, Pechtold said. It uses that weakness to deteriorate the situation to its advantage.

In Europe, Russia has been pressing hard to roll back sanctions imposed after it annexed Crimea in 2014, a task that could succeed with the support of just one of the 28 E.U. nations, which need unanimity to prolong the measures. Even before that conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin was working to build support for his vision of the world, which seeks to preserve his domestic power by favoring authoritarian leaders over democratically elected ones and by gaining for his country the deference once accorded to the Soviet Union.

Of course, Russia did not create the British Euroskepticism that led voters to opt to pull out of the E.U. Nor did it set in motion the conflagration in Syria, whose refugees have taxed European unity in a way that little else has. But at each turn, the Kremlin has sought to exploit and exacerbate the vulnerabilities of the E.U. and the NATO military alliance, leaders and analysts say.

They try to benefit the most out of these messes, but I wouldnt say they are creating them, said Peter Kreko, director of the Political Capital Institute, a Budapest-based think tank that has studied links between European political parties and the Kremlin. He said he had found deepening ties not just to parties on the extreme left and right, but also to mainstream groups such as the center-right Republicans in France, where both houses of Parliament voted this spring in favor of rolling back sanctions against Russia.

[E.U. agrees to extend Russia sanctions until January]

Ultimately, many of the Russian efforts have been unsuccessful. E.U. nations extended sanctions in June, for example. But the multi-pronged strategy has nevertheless given Russia an outsize global role at a time when its economy is stagnant and its long-term prospects look weak.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said the United States gets "no respect" from Russian President Vladimir Putin during a town hall event in Scranton, Pa., July 27. (The Washington Post)

Its a tool for Russia to maintain its influence when its much more difficult to do it via ordinary economic tools, Kreko said.

The efforts to pull Europe toward Russia go far beyond courting individual political parties, officials and analysts say, although those tools remain important. In Eastern Europe, leaders suspect the Kremlin of funding environmental groups that oppose measures that would make their countries less dependent on Russian energy. Across Europe, Kremlin-backed media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik News have made aggressive expansions into local-language European media markets in the past two years, pushing an aggressively pro-Russian line that sometimes has only a loose relationship to the truth.

In January, for example, Russias state-run First Channel reported that a 13-year-old Russian-German girl had been gang-raped by migrants in Berlin. German police found that the allegations were false, but the story  amplified by the German-language arm of Kremlin-run Sputnik News  sparked large protests by Germanys Russian community, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Germany of a coverup.

The strength of Russias push, of its political engagement, its approach to the E.U., is that it doesnt rely too heavily on a single instrument or a single tool to achieve its goals. Instead what it does is use different approaches at different times in different countries, said Andrew Foxall, the director of the Russia Studies Center at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank.

[After DNC leaks, Obama hints at possible motive for Russia to help Trump]

That propensity to cause mischief in other nations political systems may be behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committees computer systems, officials say. The hack caused an embarrassment for the party when leaked emails showed the partys chairwoman, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), and others favoring Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders in the primaries. Wasserman Schultz stepped down after the leak last month. Officials say it remains unclear whether the hacking was performed as part of routine foreign espionage or whether the DNC was specifically targeted to sway the election.

Trump, who told CNBC on Thursday that during his administration, Trump will be friendly with Putin, also invited the Kremlin to employ its tactics against Clinton.

Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, Trump said last month. He later said he was being sarcastic.

In Europe, the Kremlin has at times taken a far more direct approach to domestic politics. Its tightest ties have been to far-right parties that share Russias skepticism of the E.U. and NATO. In France, the anti-E.U. National Front party was able to draw on Russian financial resources at a time when it was being refused by French banks. National Front chief Marine Le Pen traveled to Moscow just weeks after the March 2014 annexation, at a time when Russia was being shunned by mainstream leaders across Europe. Later that year, the party took a $10.4 million loan from the Moscow-based First Czech-Russian Bank. Leaders say they may seek an additional $30 million ahead of the presidential election next year, in which polls suggest leader Le Pen is likely to make a strong showing.

I see quite a clear case, and perhaps quite credible one, that France could recognize Crimea, and that is my being the president of the republic, Le Pen told the Kremlin-controlled Russia Today broadcaster earlier this year. She and other National Front leaders say they are open to partnerships with any politician who shares their positions, but they deny that the Kremlin has any say in their platform.

Elsewhere in Europe, the Kremlin has struck alliances with extremist parties that are surging because of the many failures of the E.U. to ensure prosperity and stability for its citizens in recent years. In Greece, which has been struggling under years of crushing austerity measures following the 2008 global financial crisis, the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party has won seats in Parliament  and taken part in a host of Kremlin-funded conferences for similar lawmakers from around Europe. In Germany, where the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany party has surged in the year since a torrent of refugees arrived, the youth wing of the party has allied itself with Russias ruling United Russia party. The European Parliament lifted the immunity of a Hungarian lawmaker from the far-right Jobbik party, Bela Kovacs, so that he could be investigated for allegations that he was spying for Russia.

But mainstream politicians could be far more useful to the Kremlin than extremists, analysts say, since they still control most of the levers that could lead to an easing of sanctions, and Russia has courted politicians from Germany to Hungary to Slovakia to France.

Still, some see sharp limits to Kremlin influence. The interference in the false German rape case helped spark a backlash among an electorate that remained sympathetic to Russia. The E.U. sanctions have repeatedly been renewed. And in the United States, Donald Trump is trailing badly in the polls  with more anti-Russia Republicans peeling away from him every time he praises Putin.

The public efforts to sway politicians may themselves be an intimidation tactic to cover for a broader loss of influence, some analysts say.

Most of the cases that we have examined since the Ukraine crisis were showing that Russia is losing its control over the member states of Europe, said Kreko, of the Hungarian think tank. They want to show strength. It leads to an overestimation of the real power of the Russian regime.

Annabell Van den Berghe contributed to this report.

Read more

NATO allies respond to Trumps suggestion that the U.S. might not protect them from Russia

Russia offers plan to improve air safety over Baltics

Boris Johnson lied a lot, says French foreign minister

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Children play near the boat that Bassem Neima captains on the stretch of the Tigris River that runs through Iraqs capital, Baghdad on August 5, 2016. (Hugh Naylor/The Washington Post)

 This is a story about an extraordinary heat wave and how kids growing up in a war-rattled capital find relief in a great body of water.

Call them the Tigris River boys.

Just about every morning this summer, 16-year-old Mohammed Taqi has dashed to the cool waters of the river, which flows through the heart of Baghdad. Thats when the temperature starts rising and its already too warm (and boring) indoors. On most days, he hops into a small boat with 14-year-old Leith Ahmed.

The two are best friends. And perhaps like most kids, theyd prefer playing soccer or basketball together in air-conditioned gyms and sports clubs.

But this is Iraq. Theyre from poor families and live in a neighborhood with no such facilities. And just like millions of other people in this country stuck in the throes of conflict, they face hours-long power cuts at their homes each day.

Using The Post's Snapchat account, reporter Hugh Naylor shared pictures and videos from a camp for displaced people in Baghdad where record-shattering temperatures cause suffering. (Hugh Naylor, The Washington Post)

So the boys improvise.

We catch fish! Mohammed said, sitting across from Leith in their tiny craft.

Sometimes, if they land a big-enough carp, they sell it on the street for about $10, he said. But not before the heat tapers off at about sundown.

Thats because Baghdads streets are empty during the day as high temperatures across the region break records. Parents mostly seem to spend their time sweating at home. But their kids can be seen blowing off steam in the Tigris, which roughly splits this city of 7 million down the middle.

[An epic Middle East heat wave could be global warmings hellish curtain-raiser]

The 1,150-mile-long river, along with the nearby Euphrates, gave sustenance to ancient Mesopotamians here. Back then, kids probably also saw the river as a kind of giant water park during the summer.

And modern-day activities probably arent all that different from thousands of years ago  exploring shoals for submerged treasures, playing hide-and-seek in reeds and racing from bank to bank, a swim hundreds of feet long that is not for the faint of heart.

Home is boring! yelled Khaled Leith, a portly 15-year-old who seemed to enjoy body-slamming friends in the shallower areas of the river on a recent day.

He said hed rather not spend time with his parents during the daylight hours. Thats when the adults watch television news (if theres electricity, that is) about all the bad stuff happening in their country, such as religious strife and suicide bombings carried by Islamic State extremists.

[Two Middle East locations hit 129 degrees]

Essam Abbas, a scrawny 17-year-old, also prefers avoiding home from sunup to sundown. He stood on the shore quietly watching a gaggle of kids playing nearby. He seemed timid and even afraid to join in the horseplay.

Then, suddenly, he dashed into the river and came out clutching his prize: a small fish.

Look! Look! he yelled as the creature squirmed in his hand. The others seemed impressed with his show of skills.

Some, however, seem slightly annoyed by it all.

Bassem Neima, 35 and wearing a cowboy hat, is the captain of a small vessel that shuttles people from bank to bank. Not only does he have to contend with heat, which causes him to perspire profusely while he works, he said. He also has to keep an eye out for kids swimming in the path of his boat.

He hasnt hit anyone, he said, but there have been close calls.

Theyre everywhere in the water. They just suddenly pop up in front of you, Neima said. As he powered his vessel, groups of children tread water nearby, their heads bobbing up and down. Their laughter echoed far and wide, but they were difficult to spot.

The garbage here certainly isnt. The river is full of it. Discarded pop cans. Soggy cardboard boxes. Shoes and socks.

Boys from wealthier parts of town generally avoid swimming in the river, probably because of the potential health hazards. The Tigris has a reputation for being polluted. During the civil-war years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the stretch flowing through the capital even became a dumping ground for bodies, which often bore signs of torture.

Nowadays, though, the river is about the only place that friends like Mohammed and Leith have to pass the time in this hellish heat. And pass it here they do  every day, from morning to dusk, together.

We are always here! Mohammed exclaimed from the boat. Then he and Leith paddled off in search of fish.

Read more:

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Mustafa Salim contributed to this report.
Swedens Prince Carl Philip kisses his bride, Sofia Hellqvist, in a carriage after their wedding ceremony in Stockholm on Saturday, June 13, 2015. (Image via Pontus Lundahl / TT via AP)

Sweden is the land of meticulous recordkeeping that dates back to 1749, which makes it the perfect place to pull off large scientific studies. (The country recently discovered that for the first time in those nearly 300 years it has more men than women.)

Related: 6 Reasons Why You Should Sleep Naked

Now the Swedish government has decided to investigate the sex lives of its citizens in an attempt to get a more complete picture of the countrys sexual health, reports the BBC. Health Minister Gabriel Wikstrom, who is 31 and an outspoken proponent of loud sex, says that studying only negative aspects of sex risks distorting health policy.

Related: Man Jailed for 6 Months Over Loud Sex

"Sex is an area that strongly influences peoples health, so we cant just talk about things like, for example, venereal disease, but also things that are positive and lust-filled about sex.

To be conducted by the Swedish Public Health Agency, the three-year study will span social, cultural, and biological aspects of sex, reports the Digital Journal. In an opinion piece for Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, Wikstrom says the study is in part a response to tabloid newspaper surveys suggesting that Swedes are having less sex than they used to, reports the Guardian: Its important to investigate whether that is the case and, if so, what the reason is."

Related: Heres How Often Happy Couples Have Sex

Too much stress, or some other factor that would lead people to get it on less frequently, "is also a political problem, he adds, saying it is paradoxical that, while our whole society seems permeated by sex, in everything from advertising and social media to much of daily life, the topic is still shrouded by shame  and absent from the political debate. (Meanwhile, researchers have a new theory about the female orgasm.)

Story continues

By Elizabeth Armstrong Moore

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This article originally appeared on Newser: Sweden to Study How Good Sex Is in Sweden
Goma (DR Congo) (AFP) - At least 42 civilians have been killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official said Sunday, in what the government described as a massacre in revenge for military operations in the area.

Three days of national mourning have been declared following Saturday night's mass killing, the latest in a series of massacres that have left more than 600 people dead in and around the troubled town of Beni since 2014.

Speaking to a local radio station, Beni mayor Edmond Masumbuko said 42 people had been killed. The government had earlier put the death toll at 36.

Army spokesman Mak Hazukay said the attack was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a partly Islamist armed group of Ugandan origin.

The group has been present in DR Congo for more than two decades and is accused of copious human rights abuses.

Hazukay said the ADF rebels had "bypassed" army positions "to come and massacre the population in revenge" for military operations in the area.

The victims were found in Rwangoma, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Beni, according to government spokesman Lambert Mende.

Mende said the government has previously sought to "alert the world to the jihadist threat" in DR Congo, adding: "In our country, the armed forces of the DRC are alone in the face of the indifference of the international community".

- 'Slaughtered like goats' -

Around a hundred angry residents gathered in Beni to protest against the mass killing, carrying the body of one of the victims and shouting slogans against President Joseph Kabila, witnesses said.

Local human rights activist Jackson Kasereka said residents in north Beni were burning tyres in the streets.

"The police have just taken the body off us but we will continue to protest. It's not normal that they slaughter us like goats," said motorcycle taxi driver Georges Kamate.

"Our government is incapable of keeping us safe!" shouted another protester.

Story continues

The killings came three days after Kabila visited the region, promising to do everything in his power to bring peace and security.

"It's worrying because the president of the republic came here and then we were massacred," said Gilbert Kambale, a local civil society leader.

"There is a blatant lack of security, (the authorities) are not capable of keeping the population safe. That is why these people have come into the street," he said.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende announced three days of national mourning would begin from Monday.

"Flags will be lowered to half-mast across the country and media scheduling will be adjusted to the situation," he said.

- String of massacres -

Beni lies on the edge of the vast Virunga national park, used as a hideout for some of the dozens of militant groups active in North Kivu.

The area has been badly hit by violence over the past two years, suffering a series of massacres which the Congolese government and the UN's mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, have blamed on the ADF.

But in March, that allegation was recently questioned in a report published by the Congo Research Group at New York University, which looked into the massacres around Beni, and claimed that soldiers from the regular army had also participated in the killings.

The government rejected the claims and said the ADF was "definitely" responsible for the massacres.

The ADF, opposed to Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, is thought to be deeply embroiled in criminal networks funded by kidnappings, smuggling and logging.

"MONUSCO condemns this barbaric act against the civilian population, and reaffirms its support to the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Congolese National Police to protect the civilian population in Beni," the UN force's leader Maman Sidikou said in a statement.

Despite efforts by the international community and the Congolese authorities, the region has remained mired in violence since the end of the second Congolese war (1998-2003).

On August 8, 11 Congolese soldiers and a UN peacekeeper were wounded in the Beni area during a confrontation with ADF forces, MONUSCO said.
These videos show the aftermath of the violent protests in Milwaukee on the evening of Saturday, August 13, over the police shooting of a 23-year-old man. Demonstrators clashed with police, lighting several buildings and cars on fire, including a BP gas station.

Police and firefighters struggled to provide emergency services on Saturday night, tweeting that firefighters could not put out the flames because of the gunshots being fired in the area.

On Sunday, August 14, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker activated the National Guard to aid local law enforcement upon request. Credit: Facebook/facebook.com/cliffx71
ALERT: Justin Biebers new romance has at last hit Instagram proportions

ALERT: Justin Biebers new romance has at last hit Instagram proportions

As Bieber Fever remains a totally and real thing no matter how many times we try to deny the ~swaggy~ kid our adoration (after all, he has made some *huge* missteps throughout his career), we were all abuzz when we found out that Justin Biebers new romance has reached new heights. Because his relationship with with Sofia Richie official, as in Instagram official, about as official as things get in a world where updating your Facebook relationship status is basically dead. Ooh la la.

The stylish duo landed in Japan to prep for Biebers world tour for Purpose World Tour, and, in true ~millenial~ fashion, started posting photos of each other.

Most notably, he posted a series of six photos back-to-back and took a second to defend Sofia against haters.

A photo posted by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Aug 13, 2016 at 10:34pm PDT

Im gonna make my Instagram private if you guys dont stop the hate this is getting out of hand, Bieber wrote. If you guys are really fans you wouldnt be so mean to people that I like.

Here are a few of our fave shots of the duo.

Is that a smile, Bieber? It sure looks like the tiniest of smirks.

A photo posted by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Aug 12, 2016 at 7:33pm PDT

Aw, aw, aw.

Justin Bieber posted this super edgy black and white selfie.

A photo posted by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Aug 12, 2016 at 6:09pm PDT

They really are too cool.

Sofia posted this surprisingly normal shot of them coupled up.

A photo posted by Sofia Richie (@sofiarichie) on Aug 13, 2016 at 11:34pm PDT

Hello, fall style goals.

And this silly shot is probably a fave.

A photo posted by Sofia Richie (@sofiarichie) on Aug 13, 2016 at 10:37pm PDT

He looks so relaxed, and so happy. Shes still a picture of cool, but we hope her heart is warm and fuzzy on the inside.

The post ALERT: Justin Biebers new romance has at last hit Instagram proportions appeared first on HelloGiggles.
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Following the murder of two men outside a mosque in Queens, New York, on Saturday, Americans are pledging to walk shoulder to shoulder with their Muslim neighbors.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his associate Tharam Uddin, 64, were shot as they left afternoon prayers at the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque just before 2 p.m. ET.

SEE ALSO: Australian football makes history with first LGBT Pride Game

Police have said no motive has yet been established, and it's not clear the men were targeted because of their faith. Nevertheless, many Americans used social media to send a powerful message of support and protection to the Muslim community using the hashtag #IllWalkWithYou.

The message echoes the #IllRideWithYou movement that began in Australia after Man Haron Monis took 18 people hostage at a cafe in Martin Place in Sydney, Australia, in early 2014. The resulting siege left three people dead, including Monis.

The #IllRideWithYou hashtag started trending after a Sydney commuter, Rachael Jacobs, saw a Muslim woman removing her hijab after the tragedy. Jacobs went up to her, offering a quiet message of support: "No, if you want to wear it, then wear it. I'll walk with you."

The two deaths in New York come as the American Muslim community has been increasingly vilified, not least by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Most recently, Trump lashed out at the parents of slain Muslim soldier, Humayun Khan, after his father Khizr Khan's electrifying speech at the Democratic National Convention in July.

Trump also suggested his mother, Ghazala Khan, was not permitted to speak at the event as a Muslim woman. That particular comment prompted a social media campaign by American Muslim women with the hashtag, #CanYouHearUsNow.

The women wielded social media to counter Trump's message, and people of all stripes are again using it to show the Muslim community a different side of America.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.
(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Amy Schumer has been busy filming her new movie in Hawaii, but she managed to squeeze in time to be a bridesmaid at her friends wedding this weekend.



The comedian, 35, shared her a photo on Sunday wearing a bridesmaid gown alongside her newlywed friends Tara and Rusty Fitton, and her boyfriend Ben Hanisch.



Congratulations to @tara_alana and @rustolleum in the best wedding ever, she captioned the black and white photo. Very proud to be a bmaid.





Congratulations to @tara_alana and @rustolleum in the best wedding ever. Very proud to be a bmaid. A photo posted by @amyschumer on Aug 14, 2016 at 10:39am PDT





The wedding day was also a special day for Hanisch, who was celebrating his 30th birthday.



Happy 30th birthday to one of our bestest friends @benhanisch, the bride posted on Instagram.





Happy 30th birthday to one of our bestest friends @benhanisch #tarafoundherFITton A photo posted by tara_alana (@tara_alana) on Aug 14, 2016 at 10:23am PDT











Schumer and Hanisch celebrated their six-month dating anniversary in May.



Being in love is the scariest thing in the world, she told Marie Claire last month. You want to f***ing cry and scream. I cant handle it.
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.
Buenos Aires (AFP) - The leading female candidate to be the next secretary-general of the United Nations, Argentine Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra, said Sunday she sees lingering sexism in the election.

The world body has never had a female leader in its 70 years. With Ban Ki-moon, the current incumbent, set to step down at the end of the year, Malcorra leads a pack of five women candidates seeking to change that.

But she told Argentine newspaper Clarin that "there is still a biased vote against women" at the UN.

"Given equal abilities, there is always a small negative margin against women," she said.

"When one sees that there is currently only one woman on the Security Council (Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN), it is difficult to maintain a certain level of balance and equality. But maybe I'm wrong."

In the UN's most recent secret straw poll leading up to the election, Malcorra came in third place, behind Portugal's former prime minister Antonio Guterres and Serbia's former foreign minister Vuk Jeremic.

She said she was "very satisfied on a personal level" with the August 5 vote.

But she added: "Unfortunately, in general terms, women candidates do much worse than the men. That pains me, because it seems to me I have very distinguished women colleagues with a lot of experience."

Malcorra, a veteran UN insider, was Ban's chief of staff.

She was named Argentine foreign minister when conservative President Mauricio Macri took office last December.

The 15-member Security Council has so far held two straw polls to whittle down the field of 11 candidates for secretary-general. More are expected in the coming weeks.

Members are facing calls to pick the first woman after eight men in the job, and to give preference to a candidate from Eastern Europe, a region that has yet to be represented in the post.

Council diplomats are expecting a nominee to emerge in October, who will then be endorsed by the General Assembly.

The new UN secretary-general will begin his or her five-year term on January 1.
Baghdad (AFP) - A fire that killed 13 children in an Iraqi maternity ward was apparently started intentionally, the health ministry's spokesman said on Sunday.

Ahmed al-Rudeini had previously said the Wednesday fire at Yarmuk Hospital, one of the main such facilities in Baghdad, had been started by an electrical fault.

But an investigation found "the presence of flammable materials at the site, and this of course indicates the occurence of arson," he said, also raising the death toll from the blaze to 13 from 12.

Many of Baghdad's public hospitals are poorly maintained and offer sub-standard healthcare, forcing a number of Iraqis to seek private treatment or travel abroad.

The lack of adequate public services, such as quality medical care, electricity and water supply, as well as widespread corruption in the country, has angered the public and led to a series of protests in the past year.
By Sonali Paul

MELBOURNE, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Australia is on track to become the world's biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter by 2019 yet faces a looming shortage at home as states restrict new drilling onshore and cash-strapped oil and gas companies cut spending.

The paradox has led to urgent calls from everyone from Australia's energy minister to petroleum giant Royal Dutch Shell and big industrial users like Dow Chemical and fertiliser group Incitec Pivot for action to spur new supply.

The issue is set to come to a head this month, with state and federal energy ministers due to meet on Friday and the government in the state of Victoria set to decide whether to lift a ban on onshore gas developments.

In a glimpse of the future, gas prices spiked to A$45 a gigajoule in Victoria in July, about six times the price of Asian LNG (LNG-AS), as a cold snap and a power shortage in neighbouring South Australia led to a surge in demand, forcing gas to be piped from the country's north, incurring high charges.

"When Australian gas is selling for less in Tokyo than it does on the east coast of Australia, there's clearly a market failure," Incitec Pivot Chief Executive James Fazzino said in an email to Reuters.

Over the next five years, Australia's energy market operator projects average wholesale gas prices will rise from A$5.46 per gigajoule to A$9.28.

EXPORT BONANZA

Part of the problem is that east coast gas demand is set to triple to more than 2,000 petajoules by 2018, from 700 PJ in 2014, as gas feeds three new LNG plants on Curtis Island off Queensland, operated by Shell, ConocoPhillips and Santos .

The companies agreed long-term export deals at a time of soaring global prices, and have locked in supplies from nearby coal seam gas fields, as well as gas from central Australia and even offshore Victoria, staple suppliers for the more populated southern states.

Incitec Pivot was so desperate for gas, which makes up half of its material costs, that it opted three years ago to build an ammonia plant in the United States, where gas prices have tumbled, thanks to the shale boom.

Story continues

Beyond 2019, there is a growing gap between demand and supply, which will require companies to develop new projects, but the fate of those is up in the air, as oil companies have cut investment due to weak oil prices.

"If you want lower gas prices and have greater confidence about future supply, you really should be encouraging more gas supply and more suppliers," said Malcolm Roberts, chief executive of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association.

Australian demand will be underpinned by a strong push towards renewables as gas will be needed for generation to smooth out power flows from intermittent wind and solar, especially as dirty coal-fired plants are shut.

PROJECTS AND PIPELINES

Solutions to get gas flowing include removing roadblocks to new projects and improving competition.

Under pressure from green voters and farmers, Victoria has banned onshore gas developments, including fracking, and New South Wales has restricted developments, limiting new supply.

Government moratoriums could mean that "importing LNG from Curtis Island or Papua New Guinea" may be the only way to meet gas demand in Victoria and New South Wales, Shell Australia Chairman Andrew Smith said in a speech last week.

Shell is sitting on one of the biggest undeveloped gas reserves onshore, at its Arrow arm in Queensland, but Smith says southern demand should be met with local gas due to the costs of pipeline transport.

Australia's competition watchdog has pipeline costs in its sights - saying operators have been able to charge monopoly prices - and also wants to boost competition between suppliers.

The federal government is trying to address the issues, with former Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg now running a revamped portfolio bringing energy and environment policy together.

Reforms would aim at a "more affordable, accessible and reliable energy supply" as Australia moves to cut emissions, Frydenberg said in an interview.

He urged states concerned about onshore drilling not to impose blanket bans, but to evaluate projects individually.

"I don't think they would want to be explaining to their constituents why they adopted policies that drove prices up," Frydenberg said.

(Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Richard Pullin)
By Krishna N. Das (Reuters) - A team from Bangladesh will meet officials of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice this week in New York in connection with the cyber theft of $81 million from the South Asian country's central bank in February, sources said. Two people close to the Bangladesh central bank said the goal of the meetings starting on Tuesday would be to discuss what led to the heist, carried out by unidentified hackers, and how such events can be prevented in future. A New York Fed official told Reuters the aim would be "to understand what happened, what remediation steps have been taken by Bangladesh Bank to meet its contractual obligations, and to begin a path to normalize operations." In one of the largest cyber heists ever, hackers penetrated Bangladesh Bank's systems and sent the New York branch of the U.S. central bank dozens of payment requests from an account it maintained for Bangladesh. They sought nearly $1 billion, and $81 million was paid out and lost. The New York Fed in June wrote to the Philippines' central bank, prodding it to help Bangladesh Bank recover the money that was transferred to beneficiary accounts at the Manila-based Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) before most of that was laundered through casinos there. Bangladesh Bank officials believe the nudge from the New York Fed was one of the reasons the Philippines central bank last week slapped a record fine of 1 billion pesos ($21 million) on RCBC in connection with the heist, and that it was important to sustain the pressure. Bangladesh Bank holds RCBC accountable for letting most of the money out despite stop-payments requests from Dhaka. But Maria Celia Estavillo, RCBC's legal and regulatory affairs head, told Reuters her bank should not be held accountable for the loss and that they were "victims too". "The theft took place in Bangladesh and the money is not with RCBC," she said in an interview last Tuesday. "They know where the money went. They should pursue them. We believe that people who received the funds should return the funds." Bangladesh Bank hopes the meetings in New York will prompt the Philippines to work toward retrieving the money, said the sources with direct knowledge of the meetings. Bangladesh's central bank already has said it had a commitment from Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte that the money would be returned. The meetings with the FBI and Justice Department will help to identify the hackers, who remain at large more than six months after the heists, said one of the sources. The New York Fed declined to comment. Bangladesh Bank spokesman Subhankar Saha could not immediately be reached for comment. The FBI and Justice Department, both of which are investigating, did not immediately respond to calls. Bangladesh police have been working with FBI officials but this would be a rare meeting between Bangladesh Bank officials and the U.S. agency. The team from Dhaka will consist of Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Abu Hena Mohd. Razee Hassan, Abdul Rab from its financial intelligence unit, the bank's lawyer Ajmalul Hossain, Debdulal Roy from its information systems development department and Zakir Hossain Chowdhury from its accounts department. (Reporting by Krishna N. Das; Additional reporting by Jonathan Spicer in New York, Karen Lema in Manila, and Serajul Quadir in Dhaka; Editing by Howard Goller)
These beauty experts share how to keep blonde hair blonde despite wind, sun, and sea

These beauty experts share how to keep blonde hair blonde despite wind, sun, and sea

Are you tired of your blonde hair turning less blonde as a result of outside elements, like wind, sun, and sea?

For instance, we remember seeing Olympian Ryan Lochtes hair go from a silver-blonde

Me and Mathew McConagauhey chillin in the Warm down pool area! #mathewmcconaughey #olympics #rio A photo posted by Ryanlochte (@ryanlochte) on Aug 12, 2016 at 7:22pm PDT

to a bluish-green

There it is the 4 x 200 free relay winning #gold for #USA #oympics A photo posted by Ryanlochte (@ryanlochte) on Aug 9, 2016 at 11:54pm PDT

Anyone else think the pool chemicals did the new dye job for him?

We did some digging and found some ways you can keep your blonde locks actually looking blonde.

Hydrate your hair:

Due to the elements in the summer months, you should spend extra time on your hair by following your normal hair regimen with a hydrating mask or treatment at least once a week, celebrity colorist Anival Morales told Glamour.

Wear a hat:

Puppyyyyyyyyyyyyyy A photo posted by Soo Joo (@soojmooj) on Jul 17, 2016 at 6:44pm PDT

Wearing a hat is the best way to have sun protection, model Soo Joo Park told Vogue.

My colorist Dhaniel Doud says you need sunblock for your hair the same way you need one for your skin.

Carry headscarves:

Just before I realised I'd parked in a sand-dune  @josieroscop (The kindness of strangers...) A photo posted by Laura Bailey (@laurabaileylondon) on Jul 30, 2016 at 10:28am PDT

I pack vintage headscarves as well as a beaten-up old straw hat to protect my hair from the harshest sun, and French-plait my hair with added leave-in conditioner for long, carefree beach days, model Laura Bailey told Vogue.

Story continues

Use a leave-in conditioner (or water) before going swimming:

Feeling honoured to be in the @violetgrey Directory 2016 summer edition with all the great colourist around the @lorrigoddard_ @nicolaclarkecolour @marierobinsonsalon @neginzand @salonbenjamin @goddardbragg A photo posted by Nicola Clarke (@nicolaclarkecolour) on Jul 12, 2016 at 9:06am PDT

Before you get into the water, use a leave-in conditioner or water, then rinse your hair with water when you get out.

Minerals and salt found in water and the sea can cause a buildup on your hair, making it look dull and discolored, Nicola Clarke, creative color director for Color Wow and celebrity hair colorist to people such as Kate Moss and Cate Blanchett, told Glamour.

Speaking of leave-in conditioner, try purple conditioner:

It goes back to an old laundry concept called bluing, where people would intentionally add blue dye to laundry, cosmetic chemist Jim Hammer told Allure. This would eliminate any yellowed, dingy appearance and make the laundry appear brighter and whiter.

[Subheader]]Meri Kate OConnor, a senior colorist at Eva Scrivo Salons in New York City, agreed. These formulas help to counteract the yellow, brassy tones often seen in blondes as they naturally oxidize, she said.[/subheader]

And lets not forget about coconut oil:

Best sellers. Organic Coconut Oil for Body or Beauty. The most versatile beauty product on the planet. Makeup remover Cleanser Moisturiser Hair treatment and conditioner Teeth whitener What do you use your coconut oil for? You can find us at @hankmarvinmarkets and @thecreatorsmarket today at Alma Park. Shop now. www.coconutrevolution.com.au A photo posted by Coconut Revolution (@coconutrevolution) on Jul 1, 2016 at 3:33pm PDT

Many people swear by coconut oil to help hydrate their hair, from xoVain to the Barefoot Blonde (who has a great how-to on her blog).

The post These beauty experts share how to keep blonde hair blonde despite wind, sun, and sea appeared first on HelloGiggles.
In this occasional series, OZY takes to streets and neighborhoods across the globe to ask a simple question: How was your day?

Oscar Aung

Luang Prabang, Laos

Honestly, I have been sick  I wasnt sure I was going to get out of bed today, but I have five appointments and a lot of problems in my hotel. Im a hotel manager.

In May, I left home and traveled to a temple in Yangon, Myanmar, to meditate. In the Burmese tradition, every 20-year-old man is supposed to do it at least once. Before the age of 20, we are expected to do it as a novice, a young apprentice monk. I did it three times as a novice, but this was my first time as a monk. I did it for six days.

I told my mom Id do something special for her on her 60th birthday. So that was my gift to her. The owner of my hotel asked me to start on May 1, and I said, I cannot, because Im going to Myanmar.

I was wearing a robe and sitting on the floor, but my mind was everywhere.

We had only one time, in the evening, to do the prayer. Every other hour we were doing meditation  one hour sitting, one hour walking, one hour sitting, one hour walking. Fom 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., the senior monk would come and ask us what we were seeing. Sometimes we felt the pain. Sometimes we saw something in our eyes. Sometimes our mind was loose and we thought about the past or thought about the future.

oscar

Oscar Aung during his six-day stint as a Buddhist monk in Yangon, Myanmar.

Source Courtesy of Oscar Aung

I was wearing a robe and sitting on the floor, but my mind was everywhere. I was here, in Laos. I was in Cambodia. I was in the U.S. I was with my mom. I was everywhere. When you realize that you are not putting your mind in your body, then you start to think. The monks teach us: You think, I am thinking, four times  thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking. Then you come to control your mind.

In my group of monks, we were 12. We discussed what we felt, what we saw in meditation. According to Buddhist ways, we were not allowed to talk about our kids or our wives  or our moms. This is the reason we are monks.

Story continues

From noon until the next days dawn we were not allowed to eat anything. But we could drink fresh fruit juice. At first, I thought that would be very difficult, but in fact it wasnt. Not even a single day was I hungry. Because I knew we were not able to eat, I cut my mind off of food; my mind controlled my body. Yet my mind was not free to react to what my body wanted.

When I was 13, I went for one month. I mean, 13 years old, right? Very young, energetic, always running around. But after, I became more calm, more peaceful.

The strange thing was, when we slept, we put our minds into our bodies. We told ourselves: I am going to wake up tomorrow morning, at 3:30. We said it in our minds deeply and then we started to count again  in, out, in, out. We didnt need an alarm. We just awoke at 3:30. I can still do it.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's exit from the European Union could be delayed until at least late 2019 because the government was too "chaotic" to start the two-year process early next year, the Sunday Times reported, citing sources it said were briefed by ministers. Britain voted to leave the EU on June 23, but views differ over when it should invoke "Article 50", which sets the clock ticking on a two-year deadline to leave the bloc, with some senior politicians calling for a quick departure. Prime Minister Theresa May, who campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU and leads a cabinet of ministers from either side of the debate, has said she will not trigger Brexit talks this year as Britain needs time to prepare. But British government ministers have warned senior figures in the City of London, London's financial district, that Article 50 was unlikely to be triggered early in 2017 because the situation in government was "chaotic", the Sunday Times reported on Sunday. "Ministers are now thinking the [Article 50] trigger could be delayed until autumn 2017," one source, who had spoken to two senior ministers, told the newspaper. "They don't have the infrastructure for the people they need to hire. They say they don't even know the right questions to ask when they finally begin bargaining with Europe." Asked about the reported delay to triggering Article 50, a Number 10 spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister has been clear that a top priority for this government is to deliver the decision of the British people to leave the EU and make a success of Brexit." "The PM has set out the government's position on Article 50 and has established a new department dedicated to taking forward the negotiations," she said. European leaders have taken a firm line on the speed of Britain's exit, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying that while it was understandable that Britain would need a few months to figure out its strategy, "nobody wants a long period of limbo". But behind the scenes, there has been a growing realisation in Europe's capitals that the two-year window for negotiating Brexit is far too short. Britain created two new government departments to handle Brexit and international trade, led by David Davis and Liam Fox, two prominent "Leave" campaigners in the referendum. Davis has recruited less than half of the 250 staff he needs for the Brexit department, the Sunday Times said, while Fox has fewer than 100 of the 1,000 trade negotiators he is seeking. Elections in France in May, and Germany in September, could also push back the timing of Brexit. Any delay to the process, however, is likely to draw criticism from the pro-leave side of May's Conservative party, with senior members such as John Redwood calling for a quick departure from the bloc. There was an early sign of tension between the pro-Brexit members of May's cabinet in a report that Fox had clashed with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson over the remit of his new department. Fox said economic diplomacy -- policies concerning trade and Britain's economic ties -- should be transferred to his department, according to a letter quoted in the Sunday Telegraph. Johnson had firmly rejected the Fox's demands, the newspaper said. The spokeswoman said the government did not comment on leaked documents. (Reporting by Sarah Young and Paul Sandle; Editing by Sandra Maler and Raissa Kasolowsky)
Yes, its hard to to tell when one enters the city limits

Yes, they will make the city more inviting

Maybe ... does it really matter?

No, the signs in place are fine

No, it would be a waste of taxpayer dollars

Vote

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London (AFP) - Britain's departure from the EU could be delayed until late 2019 as civil servants struggle with the task and French and German elections may hold up the start of exit negotiations, a report said Sunday.

Prime Minister Theresa May's government has indicated that it is planning to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which would start a two-year countdown to leaving the bloc, early in 2017.

But the Sunday Times newspaper said ministers had privately warned senior figures in the City of London financial sector that this may not now happen until later in the year, delaying Brexit until late 2019.

"Ministers are now thinking the trigger could be delayed to autumn 2017," said one City source who had spoken to two senior ministers on the issue.

"They don't have the infrastructure for the people they need to hire. They say they don't even know the right questions to ask when they finally begin bargaining with Europe."

An unnamed cabinet minister told the paper there were "some challenges" in the German and French electoral timetables.

France has presidential elections in April and May next year, and Germany has elections in the autumn.

May created a new ministry to oversee Brexit talks following the June 23 referendum vote to leave the EU, but the minister in charge, David Davis, has reportedly only hired about half of the staff that he needs.

Another new department, the ministry for international trade under Liam Fox, also has an uphill task to recruit experts after decades of leaving the job to Brussels left Britain with only a handful of experienced negotiators.
For the first time since 1970, a Balkan feature is taking home the Golden Leopard. Gritty Bulgarian-Danish-French co-production Godless, by debuting features helmer Ralitza Petrova, will be sailing into Sarajevos main competition this week proudly displaying Locarnos Golden Leopard, awarded Saturday evening at the conclusion of the 69th Locarno Film Festival. The jury, presided over by Arturo Ripstein, gave its Special Jury prize to Romanias Scarred Hearts, a 30s-set, formally rigorous drama by Radu Jude, whose previous film Aferim! took home the Silver Bear at last years Berlinale.

For best director, the jury gave its nod to cult helmer Joao Pedro Rodrigues, whose The Ornithologist is a handsomely made, highly personal and delightfully inventive riff on the legends of St. Anthony of Padua. The acting prizes were divided between Irena Ivanova, for her role in Godless as a corrupt medical aide awakening to her humanity, and veteran performer Andrzej Seweryn, star of Jan P. Matuszynskis impressively crafted The Last Family. Rounding out the main jurys prizes, a special mention was given to Mister Universo, by Italian-Austrian duo Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel.

As always, Locarnos Piazza Grande hosted a selection of more populist films, this year with nearly rain-free evening screenings. The audience prize, sponsored by Union Banque Suisse, was given to Ken Loachs Cannes-preemed I, Daniel Blake  no doubt an especially satisfying win for the English helmer, who was quoted in the festivals daily paper saying how impressed he was by the size of the screen and the warmth of the Piazza audience. Varietys own Piazza Grande prize, awarded to the film that stands out for both its artistic qualities and its potential for theatrical release went to French-Swiss co-production Moka, directed by Frederic Mermoud.

Dario Argento was jury president for the Cinema of the Present, Locarnos competition strand focusing on rising talent; its top prize, amounting to approximately $41,000, went to The Human Surge, by Argentine filmmaker Eduardo Williams. The Special Jury Prize went to Yuri Ancaranis The Challenge, while best emerging director was awarded to sophomore features helmer Mariko Tetsuya for Destruction Babies. Watchmaker Swatch sponsors the First Feature Award, given this year to Argentinian helmer Nele Wohlatzs debut, The Future Perfect.

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This year saw a continued high-power presence of top names in the industry, with cinema chats featuring legendary director Roger Corman, producer David Linde and composer Howard Shore, not to mention career prizes for such icons as Harvey Keitel and Stefania Sandrelli. Locarno closed its seventh decade Saturday evening with a screening of Bollywood epic Mohenjo Daro, starring Hrithik Roshan and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, best known for Lagaan.

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Niccolo Campriani fired his last shot, shook his head and smiled. No reason to look at the score. The Italian's long Olympics were over and he knew he had already secured another medal.

Winning gold was an added bonus.

Campriani became the only shooter to win two gold medals at the Rio de Janeiro Games, overcoming Sergey Kamensky of Russia on the final shot Sunday to repeat as men's 3-position rifle champion.

Alexis Raynaud of France earned bronze in the final shooting event in Rio.

''My heart just gave up,'' Campriani said. ''I was so tired from such a long week.''

He was already an accomplished shooter heading into Rio after capturing gold in 3-position and silver in air rifle at the 2012 London Games.

Campriani firmed up his position as one of the best rifle shooters of his generation with a strong performance in Brazil.

He opened the Rio Games with a gold medal in air rifle and made the finals of prone rifle, finishing seventh.

Worn down from competing in three events, Campriani squeaked out of 3-position qualifying, needing two shots deep in the 10-ring just to earn the final spot in the eight-man finals.

Once in the finals, Campriani led after the kneeling and standing positions, but Kamensky overtook him in the standing portion to lead heading into the elimination rounds. The pair traded spots at the top until Kamensky took a 0.6 lead into the final shot.

Campriani hit an average 9.2 on his final shot, sending a groan across the hall. Kamensky heard the crowd, but wasn't sure if it meant Campriani had hit a good shot or bad.

The 28-year-old Russian tried to put the crowd reaction out of his mind, but let nerves get the best of him and shot 8.3 to lose by 0.3 to Campriani.

''You're nervous and this is the high point of your emotions and it's really hard to find points with your emotions (churning),'' said Kamensky, who earlier missed a shot at bronze in prone rifle by 0.3 points. ''It's really hard with the pressure and I was unlucky.''

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Campriani's gold capped a strong Olympics for the Italian shooting team.

The Italians won four gold medals - skeet shooters Gabriele Rossetti and Diana Bacosi were the others - and three silver medals to match China for most during the nine days of shooting. Shooters have accounted for seven of Italy's 19 medals, including all but two golds.

Campriani is only 28 and at the peak of his shooting game, but is not a lock to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Games. He may just set aside his rifle and take up another pursuit.

''I know I'm good at this, but maybe there is something else I am good at,'' said Campriani, who graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in industrial engineering. ''Life is long and there are so many things I can do.''
Montreal (AFP) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marched with thousands of people in Montreal's annual Gay Pride parade Sunday, his third such appearance of the summer.

Large crowds along the parade route greeted the youthful politician whose popularity is soaring, as he walked through the city's downtown alongside colorful floats, dancers and musicians.

Trudeau made history in July when he became Canada's first sitting prime minister to participate in Toronto's Gay Pride parade, and also attended Vancouver's pride event.

Canada is "an open, positive society," the prime minister said, speaking in French. "It's an example that we should provide to the whole world."

Among G7 countries he is the only head of government or head of state to have participated in a Gay Pride parade.

Government representatives from all of Canada's political parties joined Trudeau in Montreal.

"It's important that all parties are here to recognize that the rights of the LGBT community are Canadian and human rights," Trudeau said before the event, sporting a seafoam green button-up and white pants.

Two girls led the procession holding a banner bearing the names of the 49 victims killed in the June 12 nightclub attack in Orlando, Florida.

"The Orlando massacre was a dark moment, and it's important to denounce these acts daily," said Quebec Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee, who is heading an action plan against homophobia.

"We must fight against homophobia, transphobia and aversion to diversity throughout the entire country," Vallee said.

Trudeau noted that the government would focus on recognizing transgender rights this year.

His government unveiled legislation in May that would add "gender identity" as a banned grounds for discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act, alongside race, religion, age, sex and sexual orientation.
In honor of Chanels new makeup collection, house artist and color designer Lucia Pica creates a high-definition look on actress Kristen Stewart.

Written By CHRISTINA HAN



(Photo Courtesy of Chanel)

Blushing can be a nuisance, particularly when your current flame takes notice. But that rosy complexion (also a side effect of brisk morning jogs or restorative soaks in a bathtub) also caught the attention of, and ultimately inspired, Lucia Pica, Chanels impossibly cool global creative designer for makeup and color (she wears a black patent leather skirt as comfortably as a pair of jeans). Red is a color that your face naturally produces, but for this collection I subverted it a little bit, explains Pica of Le Rouge Collection N1, an 11-piece makeup line that includes blush, velvet-matte eyeshadow (a new texture for Chanel), and even eyeliner in bewitching and surprisingly wearable shades of crimson. You use red on your lips, but you can also put it on your eyes or wear it as a blusher, she adds.



The house of Chanel has never shied away from a good rouge. As Coco Chanel once declared, Red is the color of life, of blood, I love red. Her affinity for the daring hue extended into her cosmetic wardrobe: The style maven mandated the inclusion of a lipstick compartment within the design of the classic flap and 2.55 bags. Her own signature shade was a vibrant true red (best translated in todays Rouge Coco in Gabrielle), and she rarely left home without her lip lacquer. I was inspired by Coco Chanel and her quote put on lipstick and attack, says Pica. Red exudes power, vulnerability, and warmth; its a celebration of women.



To prove her point, the Italian-born artist, whose expert skill was honed under the tutelage of Charlotte Tilbury and who is frequently showcased on magazine covers (Vogue Paris, Vogue UK, Another Magazine), artistically executes an impactful, all-red look on actress and Chanel muse Kristen Stewart. When I was working on the campaign with Kristen, she told me that actors sometimes apply red eyeliner to make their eyes appear more intense, Pica notes, referring to Eros, the universally complementary burgundy-brown eyeliner. But dont forget to have fun; mix and blend the shades, get playful. Read on below for Picas tips for how to play with the shade on your visage.



Get Kristen Stewarts look & shop the full CHANEL Le Rouge Collection at VIOLETGREY.COM
By Denis Dumo JUBA (Reuters) - Fighting flared in South Sudan late on Saturday southwest of the capital between forces loyal to the president and those backing the opposition, after clashes last month raised fears of a slide back into civil war. Steven Lodu Onseimo, the information minister for Yei region where Saturday's clashes took place, told Reuters two civilians and a soldier were killed but said the area was calm on Sunday. Witnesses had reported heavy gunfire around Yei, which lies on a road linking the capital Juba with neighboring Uganda. The government and opposition each blamed the other side. Following the fighting in July, the U.N. Security Council authorized the deployment of a 4,000-strong protection force to support the existing 12,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission. "Our forces have managed to close Juba-Yei road. Our forces destroyed the government's convoy that attacked our forces in the area," opposition spokesman James Gatdet said by telephone. The Yei information minister described it as an "ambush" of a government convoy by the opposition. Political differences between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar first erupted into conflict in late 2013. They signed a peace deal in August 2015, but sporadic fighting has continued. Machar had recently returned to Juba to take up his position as deputy again when the July clashes flared. Machar then withdrew with his forces from the capital. Kiir's spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said after Friday's vote for extra U.N. troops that the government would not accept the new force, describing it as a U.N. bid to take over South Sudan. The United Nations had threatened an arms embargo if the government did not cooperate. Regional states have backed sending extra troops to South Sudan in a bid to quell the conflict and prevent any further spillover. More than two million South Sudanese have been displaced by more than two years of conflict, and many have fled to nearby states. Kiir's cabinet is expected to meet on Sunday. (Writing by Edmund Blair; editing by Richard Pullin and Jason Neely)
Comfort dogs have become a familiar sight for communities and families ravaged by gun violence. This weekend, they became inadvertent victims.

Two golden retrievers from a Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog unit and their human handlers were among those wounded in a random shooting spree in Joplin, Mo., on Saturday morning, officials say.

A van carrying the dogs had just left Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin shortly after 5 a.m. when it was hit by gunfire from a suspect police were pursuing.

The church vans driver, Kenneth Eby, received multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the chest; Heidi Gustin, who was riding in the back seat, was struck in the arm. Both were transported to a hospital where they underwent surgery. Eby is listed in critical but stable condition; Gustin is in serious but stable condition.

A third passenger, Karen Mech, sustained cuts from shrapnel, police said. Her injuries were considered minor.

The dogs  Jackson and Louie  were also struck by gunfire. Jackson was grazed in the flap of his ear, while Louie took a bullet in his neck. Louie underwent surgery to remove the slug and is now recovering.

The suspect, 26-year-old Tom Mourning, then fired at a pickup truck, injuring the driver and a passenger, before surrendering to police. He was later charged with multiple counts of armed criminal action, assault in the first degree and unlawful use of a weapon, according to the Joplin Globe.

Police Capt. Bob Higginbotham told the Associated Press that there was no apparent motive for the shootings, which began after the suspects father called police to report the suspect was firing rounds at their home. Police responded to the home and then began pursuing the suspects vehicle when Mourning opened fire on the church van.

Were used to deploying our dogs to respond to these senseless shootings, Lutheran Church Charities president Tim Hetzner told Yahoo News. We were just in Orlando and Dallas.

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The comfort dogs were placed in Joplin following the E-5 tornado that tore through the southwest Missouri city, killing more than 150 people.

Jackson and Louie are well known in that community, Hetzner said.

To help the injured handlers and comfort dogs cope, six dogs (Chewie, Luther, Jeremiah, Olive, Jessy and Rufus) from three states have been dispatched to Joplin and were expected to arrive Sunday morning.
Bastia (France) (AFP) - Tensions remained high in Corsica on Sunday after five people were injured and three cars burned in clashes between young locals and families of North African origin, according to police.

Some 500 people rallied in the French Mediterranean island's second city Bastia a day after the clashes in Sisco, on the north of the island.

The dispute erupted between members of "three families of North African origin and young locals," prosecutors said in a statement, adding that stones and bottles were thrown and three cars went up in flames before police managed to restore calm.

A girl who witnessed the clashes, speaking to Sunday's rally through a megaphone, said they began after tourists took photos of several women bathing in burqinis.

According to the girl, whose account could not be verified, a group of immigrant origin youths shouted insults, before several older North African men arrived, carrying hatchets, and attacked a group of young Corsicans aged 15 to 18 on the beach.

Up to 100 members of the security forces were deployed to restore calm, police said.

- 'Intolerable' -

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve condemned the violence, and pledged a full investigation "to shed light on these intolerable deeds and to arrest those responsible."

The clashes come amid heightened tension in France after a string of attacks claimed by the Islamic State group, including the July 14 massacre in the southern city of Nice when a Tunisian ploughed a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day, killing 85 people.

In Corsica last December, angry protesters vandalised a Muslim prayer hall and trashed copies of the Koran after an assault on firefighters that was blamed on local youths of Arab origin.

The nearby French Riviera resort of Cannes has also sparked controversy by declaring a ban on burqinis -- a ruling which won a court backing at the weekend.

Islamic dress has long been a hot-button issue in secular France, where the full-face veil is banned in public places.

Last month Corsican lawmakers called on the French state to close down radical mosques on the island, hours after an underground separatist movement issued a threat against Islamic extremists.

A splinter group of the nationalist Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) warned Islamists that any attack on the island would trigger "a determined response, without any qualms".
Criminal Minds vet Shemar Moore has seemingly weighed in on the firing of onetime co-star Thomas Gibson.

RELATEDCriminal Minds Fires Thomas Gibson: Will Hotch Die? Or Be Recast?

In a video which has since been deleted from his Instagram account (but can be seen here), Moore  without directly addressing Gibson, who was fired on Friday after allegedly assaulting writer Virgil Williams during a heated dispute  stressed the importance of knowing that youre not better than anybody.

Lot of birdies chirping out there; the gossip is real, Moore said. I hear it, I see it. Im sure a lot of you do too, so Ill just say this: I believe in karma. Good things happen to good people. Honest people. Hard-working people. Humble people. People who believe in basic goodness.  Good things will happen to you.  Treat people how you expect them to treat you. Celebrate yourself and celebrate your blessings  as you should  but just know that youre not better than anybody.

PHOTOSTV Stars Back at Work: TV Gets Back to Work: Criminal Minds, Elementary, Five-0 and More

Both being original cast members, Moore worked with Gibson for 11 seasons before exiting the CBS drama in March. Per our sister site Variety, the duo had a contentious relationship, with Gibson oft frustrated by Moores well-known pattern of arriving late to set.

Related video:

As reported on Saturday, Gibson has hired a pair of top Los Angeles litigators to determine whether it would be in his interests to pursue legal action against Criminal Minds producers for his dismissal.

It is not known at this time how the series will address Gibsons abrupt departure in Season 12 (premiering Wednesday, Sept. 28). In a TVLine poll, 31 percent would prefer to see Hotch quit the FBI to focus on family, 23 percent think the character should be killed off and 7 percent are open to a recast.

Press PLAY on the video to view Moores full statement, then weigh in below.
Nicosia (AFP) - Cyprus police were hunting two men on Sunday wanted in connection with the killing of a British man in the seaside party resort of Ayia Napa, they said.

George Low, 22, was stabbed to death early Sunday in the southeast of the eastern Mediterranean holiday island.

Two men yielding knives attacked Low and another man near a nightclub in Ayia Napa, the police reported witnesses as saying.

"We have unfortunately yet to locate the suspects but our efforts are continuing," deputy police chief Giorgos Economou said.

"The only thing that we know is that they are non-Cypriots," he said of the suspects, adding that no security footage of their faces had yet been found.

He said checkpoints and airports on the island have been alerted.

"One of the victims sustained four knife wounds to his back and one to the neck which turned out to be a fatal blow," Economou said.

Ayia Napa is the island's most popular destination among young holidaymakers, especially British tourists attracted by the nightlife.

The bustling seaside town has also seen violence related to organised crime.

In June, four people were killed in a shootout outside a packed restaurant in the resort in an attack that had the hallmarks of a gangland vendetta.

And in 2013, five bodyguards were killed in Ayia Napa when two hired gunmen opened fire on a car belonging to a businessman they apparently thought was in it.

In 2012, a Briton killed a teenage British soldier during a disco fight in the resort.

Cyprus tourist arrivals hit a 14-year high in 2015 reaching 2.65 million, and this year industry officials are expecting an even bigger influx with an estimated three million arrivals for 2016.
hillary clinton arizona

For the first time in a generation, Democrats are getting serious about competing in one of the most reliably red states: Arizona.

With most polls showing Hillary Clinton within several points of Donald Trump in the Grand Canyon State, Democrats are building out the first serious field operation in the state to compete in 2016 and beyond.

This week, the Clinton campaign announced that it would invest in hiring staff to campaign in the state.

Though the Clinton campaign's concrete investment in Arizona is still unclear, a Democratic source familiar with Clinton's strategy in the state told Business Insider that there are no existing plans to air television ads. The majority of the campaign's resources  likely somewhere in the "six figures"  will likely be dedicated to helping build out the field program in the state, knocking on doors and collecting and updating outdated voter information.

With Trump's deep unpopularity among the state's Latino and Hispanic population, Democrats recognized an opportunity in 2015 to take a different approach to campaigning in the state.

Party executive director Sheila Healy said that Democrats decided to run an expanded field operation in order to increase voter registration and turnout by making earlier, more frequent contact with potential voters, rather than rely primarily on television advertisements and last-minute voter contact.

Rather than running separate field operations, around 130 campaign staffers are working in tandem for Clinton, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, who is challenging Sen. John McCain, and other down-ballot campaigns. That's a major shift from the 2012 elections, when the party had 20% of the field staff they employ currently.

Top Democratic campaign experts contend that field organizing can't win or lose a state on its own, but it can move a few points along the margins, potentially eeking out an upset Clinton victory and helping upgrade the state party's voter-information file in the process.

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"Were all really excited here,"Healy said. "Weve been building a program for the past year now because we believe and we know that Arizona is on the precipice of something huge and that a statewide win really is possible under these circumstances."

Demographics are rapidly shifting in a manner that favors Democrats in future elections if the party continues to win Latino and Hispanic populations by wide margins, though perhaps not at a pace quick enough to turn the state blue.

The Cook Political Report projected in 2015 that noncollege-educated white voters are expected to comprise almost 4 percentage points less of the electorate than they did in 2012, while Latino voters are projected to represent at least 1 percentage point more than in 2012. Pew notes that Arizona has the fifth-largest population of Hispanic voters of any state.

Democrats have a notable advantage: Arizona has been a reliably red state for so long that the state Republican party appears unprepared for a truly competitive race. A Politico article published in May noted that the state party at the time had just one field staffer.

Despite favorable polls, Clinton campaign officials caution that Arizona is still a long shot. Romney handily won the state in 2012 with a 10-point margin over President Barack Obama. Republicans also occupy most top elected offices, and the party has control of both legislative chambers.

Many Republican state officials agree that a Democratic victory in the presidential and senate race in Arizona would be an uphill climb.

Arizona GOP Communications Director Tim Sifert noted that it has a large base of volunteers that are helping man the party's 14 Arizona field offices. According to July Federal Election Commission filings, the state party reported more cash on hand than its Democratic counterpart and isn't soliciting significant financial help from the Republican National Committee, a sign that party officials say projects confidence in its security.

"To me, it doesn't look like a serious investment. Its just pennies," Sifert told Business Insider of Clinton's investment. "I think theyre just trying to go through the motions of making it look like Arizona could potentially be a swing state, and nobody here really sees it happening that way."

Sifert also noted that Democrats touted changing demographics for the past several elections, but lost numerous times.

"They talked about that in '08, they talk about it in 2010 and in 2012 and in 2014, and it just doesnt translate," Sifert said.

Still, many Democrats see the opposition to Trump in the state as an opportunity to build for future races. Some Democratic strategists point out that the state's voter file needs to be updated, and connecting with potential voters in the 2016 race could lay the groundwork to defend against a midterm sweep in 2018 if Clinton wins the White House.

"Its really a long-term game,"Healy said. "Its really smart that the Clinton campaign took advantage of this opportunity. We always struggle in midterm years, and this is a way to help prevent that from happening in a way that it did in 2014."

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Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump, clearly angered by news reports that he has grown depressed and sullen over his fading presidential prospects, has issued some of his sharpest attacks on the media.

"I am not running against Crooked Hillary Clinton," the Republican presidential candidate said in a speech late Saturday in Fairfield, Connecticut. "I'm running against the crooked media."

Trump seemed particularly upset with a New York Times article that quotes unnamed associates of his as saying that in private "his mood is often sullen and erratic." Republicans close to his campaign were quoted as saying he was "exhausted, frustrated and still bewildered" by the political process.

The real estate tycoon returned to his message on Sunday, tweeting: "My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm."

Later, amid a flurry of further tweets on the subject, he added: "It is not 'freedom of the press' when newspapers and others are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false!"

Trump has complained for months about media coverage. He has stripped a long list of news organizations -- including the New York Times, BuzzFeed, Politico and The Washington Post -- of their credentials, and vowed that as president he would make it easier to sue news outlets.

"Trump is right that most of the media want him to lose," wrote The Wall Street Journal editorial board Sunday, noting that is "true of every Republican presidential nominee. The difference is that Mr Trump has made it so easy for the media and his opponents."

The national news outlet recommended the Republican party "write off the nominee as hopeless" if Trump fails to act more presidential by Labor Day, in which case it said Trump should "turn the nomination over to Mike Pence," the Republican candidate's running mate.

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Despite Trump's complaints media monitors say he has received more extensive coverage than any candidate in years.

- Degree of desperation -

A prominent American journalist, James Fallows of The Atlantic magazine, suggested Trump's very criticism reflected a degree of desperation, tweeting on Sunday: "I've seen winning campaigns and losing ones. 100% Iron Law: campaign saying 'our problem is the media' is campaign on way down."

But Paul Manafort, the Trump campaign chairman, pushed back against that notion during an appearance Sunday on CNN, saying, "The campaign is moving forward and very strong. We raised over $132 million in the last two months."

He noted that Trump had visited key battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida repeatedly and was "starting to get traction in those states."

However, recent polls have shown Trump's numbers sagging badly in those battleground states, notably hurt by his critical comments about the Muslim parents of a fallen US soldier, and what some saw as his suggestion that "Second Amendment people" -- gun lovers -- take their dislike for Clinton into their own hands.

Manafort repeated the Trump claim that his Second Amendment remark was meant purely as an exhortation to vote.

But even one of Trump's top advisers, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, conceded Sunday that the candidate needed to communicate "more effectively."

"He's got to wrestle in his own heart, how does he communicate who he is, what he believes, the change he thinks he can bring to America," he said on ABC.

"He does need to communicate -- and I think he can -- more effectively."

The CNN interviewer also asked Manafort about mounting pressure on Trump to release his tax returns after Clinton released hers on Friday.

The channel broadcast video of Trump urging Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate in 2012, to release his returns at the time, saying, "If you didn't see the tax returns, you would think there is almost, like, something wrong."

Manafort repeated Trump's explanation that he is under audit by the Internal Revenue Service.

"When that's completed, he'll release the returns," Manafort said, adding that Clinton's returns showed income coming from "people who benefited from her State Department term as well," referring to her time as secretary of State.

"I haven't seen stories on that yet."
Donald Trump

Donald Trump signaled on Saturday that he's more interested in fighting the media than challenging his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

The Republican presidential nominee appeared to ramp up his crusade against the press at a campaign rally in Connecticut, calling out The New York Times for a feature story that detailed turmoil within the billionaire's election campaign.

"Honestly, Im not running against crooked Hillary Clinton, Im running against the crooked media," Trump said.

The real-estate mogul has made no secret of his disdain for the media.

The subject has been a cornerstone of his bid for the White House since it launched last year. In June, the Trump campaign revoked The Washington Post's press credentials. Trump indicated he may do the same to The Times.

"Maybe we will start thinking about taking their press credentials away," he said while calling it a "failing" newspaper.

Donald Trump

A tenuous relationship

Despite railing against various news outlets, newspapers, reporters and others among the press, Trump has been an ever-present figure on camera and in print.

The Huffington Post's Michael Calderone noted that Trump has given more than 70 interviews to The New York Times since stepping into the election race last June. The GOP candidate is also known for doing call-in interviews on cable networks.

At his campaign rallies, Trump routinely litigates the many controversies that have roiled his campaign and calls the media "dishonest" for covering those happenings. Trump blasted "liars" in the media last month for reporting on his praise of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during an event in North Carolina.

Some of Trump's supporters have taken his sentiments seriously  most recently at a Florida rally, where a man calling himself an "American patriot" unleashed a verbal assault on the assembled press.

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Lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties have admonished Trump for being unable to endure public scrutiny.

Donald Trump Connecticut rally

Criticism for all

The press wasn't the only group Trump targeted on Saturday. He had words for Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy as well  making fun of the Democratic governor's first name and calling him incompetent.

Malloy spoke against Trump's candidacy in a New York Times interview in July, saying the brash New Yorker's campaign "echoes the rise of fascism in Europe before World War II."

The real-estate magnate even briefly turned against his audience inside the sweltering auditorium at Sacred Heart University on Saturday, saying "I will never ever forgive the people of Connecticut" if they don't vote for him in November.

"I will never forgive the people of Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio," he added, "but I love them anyway."

NOW WATCH: This animated map shows the most probable path to a Trump victory





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Beirut (AFP) - Syrian and Russian warplanes have launched a wave of air strikes in northern Syria, killing dozens in areas held by a rebel alliance battling to take control of second city Aleppo.

The air strikes, which began Saturday and continued Sunday, killed 45 civilians in and around Aleppo and 22 in neighbouring Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The raids came as the Islamist Faylaq al-Sham Islamist faction, part of the rebel alliance, said it had begun a new offensive "to liberate" the regime-held area of Zahra on Aleppo's western outskirts.

The Britain-based Observatory and opposition fighters said a car bomb exploded in Zahra Sunday, but did not mention casualties.

Late Sunday, at least 15 rebels were killed and 20 wounded in a suicide bombing near their bus in Idlib near the Atme border crossing with Turkey, the monitor said.

It said Sunday's air strikes targeted areas held by the Army of Conquest, an alliance of rebel, Islamist and jihadist forces that has mounted a major Aleppo offensive.

"The intensification of the strikes in Idlib is due to the fact that this province is the main source of fighters for the Army of Conquest," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

An AFP correspondent in rebel-held eastern Aleppo said the strikes were especially intense around the southern district of Ramussa, seized by rebels earlier this month in a major setback for forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Nine other civilians were killed in rebel shelling of regime-held western Aleppo Saturday, the Observatory said.

Aleppo, Syria's former economic hub and a focal point of its five-year civil war, has been divided between a rebel-held east and regime-controlled west since mid-2012.

- Intensifying battle -

Fighting for the city has intensified after regime troops seized control of the last supply route into rebel-held areas in mid-July.

After a nearly three-week siege, rebels took Ramussa on August 6, linking up with opposition-held neighbourhoods.

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The Army of Conquest then announced an ambitious bid to capture all of Aleppo, which if successful would be the biggest opposition victory yet in Syria's conflict.

Alliance fighters late Sunday began an assault southeast of Ramussa on an area containing a former cement plant turned into an army barracks, where a large amount of weapons and military vehicles are stored, the Observatory said.

The rebels "want to secure the supply line they opened" last week into rebel districts, Abdel Rahman said.

The increased fighting has raised concerns for the estimated 1.5 million civilians still in Aleppo, including some 250,000 in rebel-held areas.

The United Nations has called for regular 48-hour pauses in the fighting to allow aid into the city, which has suffered from severe shortages of food, water and medical supplies.

Russia began air strikes last September in support of Assad, helping the regime to consolidate its hold on loyal areas and regain some territory.

The defence ministry in Moscow said Sunday six long-range bombers from Russia had struck around Deir Ezzor, a stronghold of the Islamic State group.

IS controls large parts of Deir Ezzor city and most of the oil-rich eastern province of the same name -- part of the territory in Syria and Iraq that it seized in mid-2014.

- Girl evacuated -

Russia said the Tupolev bombers carried out raids southwest, east and northeast of the city, wiping out two command posts, six arms depots, IS vehicles and "a large number of fighters".

IS emerged amid the chaos of Syria's conflict, a complex and multi-front war that has killed more than 290,000 and displaced millions since beginning with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

A US-led coalition is also battling IS in Syria and Iraq, with air strikes and backing for the Syrian Democratic Forces, an Arab-Kurdish militia alliance, which on Friday took full control of the strategic city of Manbij after IS retreated.

The jihadists took some 2,000 civilians as they fled to serve as human shields. Hundreds were released on Saturday but the SDF said the fate of many remained unclear.

On Sunday, the SDF said they had established a military council to push IS fighters out of Al-Bab, the alliance's next target in the same province.

In rare good news, a 10-year-old girl shot in the besieged town of Madaya was evacuated to a Damascus hospital where she was in a stable condition, the Observatory and a security source said.

Ghina Quwayder's leg was shattered when she was shot by a government sniper in the southwestern town this month while buying medicine for her mother, Amnesty International said.
Manila (AFP) - The Philippines has vowed to investigate reports of a wave of extrajudicial killings, the government said Sunday, after Washington warned military aid to its Asian ally was dependent on respect for human rights.

According to media reports, nearly a thousand people have been killed since President Rodrigo Duterte won a landslide election victory in May largely on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of criminals.

The US embassy warned the Duterte government on Friday that millions of dollars of military aid alloted to the Philippines was tied to adherence to the rule of law, due process and respect for human rights.

"We are concerned by reports regarding extrajudicial killings of individuals suspected to have been involved in drug activity in the Philippines," it said.

"We strongly urge the Philippines to ensure its law enforcement efforts are consistent with its human rights obligations," the embassy added.

A Philippine foreign department statement sent to AFP on Sunday said that it took note of US views on the issue, adding Manila was focused on the eradication of drugs in society.

"Nevertheless, while pursuing this objective, the Philippine government is committed to the rule of law, and the protection of human rights for all."

It added: "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."

Philippine police said Friday they had killed 550 drug suspects while arresting nearly 8,000 others since after the May election.

However, ABS-CBN, the country's largest broadcaster, said more than 400 other people have been killed since then by shadowy assassins who leave cardboard signs beside their victims accusing them of narcotics crimes.

Police said that while it was investigating these other killings, no suspects had been arrested.
What on earth is a Wine Queen and can we volunteer as tribute?

What on earth is a Wine Queen and can we volunteer as tribute?

If you knew that there was a job opening for a woman to taste local wine for free, would you even have to think twice before applying?! Apparently, every woman in a German town called Kesten did. As hard as it is to believe, no woman in that sweet town wanted the title of Wine Queen.

giphy (4)

Yeah, we know. If someone were to offer us this position, guess who would be purchasing tickets and filling out immigration forms tomorrow? Us. All of us. Wed be sipping wine until the sun came up and revel in our title of sovereign of that perfect nectar. Wed be messes, but we would be very happy messes.

giphy (9)

The title of Wine Queen is a traditional position bestowed upon a woman, who then becomes the ambassador for the towns wine industry. And in Kesten, not a single female out of the 350 citizens wanted to volunteer for the job. Shameful, Kesten, truly shameful. Thats like kicking the wine god straight in the balls.

Luckily, 24-year-old law student Sven Finke stepped up, becoming the first man to hold the title in the region  though instead of Wine Queen, theyre calling him Bacchus Castanidi. While he originally applied as a joke, Sven really ended up growing into his new role.

"Wenn Ihr niemanden findet, mache ich Euch die Weinkonigin Freitag wird Sven Finke gekront.https://t.co/wgPmblVLeu pic.twitter.com/HDo3lq5P0D  Sebastian Raabe (@es_be_er) August 10, 2016

Like, really growing into the new role.

Kesten an der Mosel: Jurastudent Sven Finke zur nachsten Weinkonigin gewahlt https://t.co/boNKOe4uwr  Nicht der Postillon (@satirefrei) August 14, 2016

Instead of the traditional dirndl and crown, Sven wears a toga and laurel wreath  basically embodying our wildest fantasies.

Story continues

Sven Finke  Die erste mannliche Weinkonigin https://t.co/29JnWYobEN via @logibode  Logibo Marketing (@logibode) August 11, 2016

Heres to hoping that the United States starts adopting this position into office as soon as possible. We know of a couple of hundred women who are totally down to apply.

The post What on earth is a Wine Queen and can we volunteer as tribute? appeared first on HelloGiggles.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Eight people were shot dead by unknown assailants early on Sunday in the outskirts of Honduras's capital Tegucigalpa, police said, an apparent reprisal attack in a bloody gang dispute that has devastated the poor Central-American nation. The victims were attacked outside a bar in the southern Altos de Loarque district, an area dominated by Honduras's infamous Mara Salvatrucha (MS) gang. Several men got out of a truck and opened fire with rifles and pistols, a police official said. Hours earlier, on Saturday, two people were killed and five injured in the nearby La Rosa neighborhood, which is controlled by a rival gang, Mara Barrio 18. "The attack in Los Altos de Loarque seems to be a response to the incident in La Rosa, part of the conflict between MS and 18," a police official told reporters at the scene of the crime. The gangs, which are involved in extortion, drug dealing and contract killings, are fighting over the control of neighborhoods in major cities across the country, where the homicide rate last year was 60 deaths for every 100,000 people. (Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
Baton Rouge (United States) (AFP) - As many as 30,000 people have been rescued following unprecedented floods in the southern US state of Louisiana, including a 78-year-old woman who spent a night stranded in a tree, police said late Monday.

Residents awoke Tuesday to find their homes and businesses still surrounded by muddy water, without clear answers about when the epic flooding that has killed at least seven is expected to recede.

Thousands were hunkering down in shelters after waterways in the southern part of the US state overflowed their banks following more than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain between Thursday and Saturday.

"Our state is currently experiencing a historic flooding event that is breaking every record," Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said in a statement late Monday.

"This event is ongoing, it is not over," he said. "We do not know when the floodwaters will recede, and they will continue to rise in some areas."

Police said the Louisiana National Guard would assist evacuees in the massive shelters, which included a film studio complex in the state capital Baton Rouge and an entertainment center in the city's downtown area.

Water covered roads, homes and commercial areas. Floodwaters even reached the rooflines of some homes in the worst-hit areas.

Seven people were confirmed dead, Louisiana State Police Superintendent Colonel Mike Edmonson said, noting the toll could rise in coming days.

"Once the water recedes, all these homes that are completely covered with water, we got to go to every single one of those and go inside of them and check for anybody who might be in those areas," he told CNN.

Some 40,000 homes and business were reported to be without power.

- Disaster areas -

The White House declared four parishes -- equivalent to counties in other states -- major disaster areas.

"I fully expect that more parishes will be added to the declaration on a rolling basis," Edwards said.

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Floodwaters appeared to be receding in some areas, but were flowing into others. The National Weather Service (NWS) continued to issue flood warnings in effect through early Tuesday, saying water in many areas would not recede at least for another day.

The Amite River, the source of flooding for many areas, had risen 14 feet (4.3 meters) above flood level in one reading, besting a previous record set during flooding in April 1983, the NWS said.

The agency forecast the river would not fall below flood level until Wednesday morning.

In some areas, clean-up work was already beginning, with members of the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge dumping water-damaged pews on a growing pile of debris outside.

Inside, a young boy rode his bicycle around the now-empty church.

- Offers of aid -

The White House declaration makes emergency federal funding available to support rescue crews and recovery efforts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Monday began asking those affected by the floods to apply for assistance, and officials said 11,000 people had already registered early in the day.

The American Red Cross called the flooding the worst since Superstorm Sandy hit coastal areas in New York and New Jersey in 2012.

Many parishes in Louisiana were collecting donations for flood victims, including food, water, blankets, school uniforms, bedding and hygiene products.

Louisiana was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and authorities learned from that disaster that many people are reluctant to leave their homes without their pets, even when conditions are life-threatening.

Several shelters in the Baton Rouge area were accepting evacuees with four legs.

Four-year-old Mariah McDowell, who was supposed to start preschool last Friday, was perched on the edge of a cot in a shelter, wearing rubber rain boots and cradling her turtle Zeus, The Advocate newspaper of Baton Rouge reported.

Mariah and her family were set up next to another group that came with their five cats.

- Dramatic rescues -

The Louisiana National Guard reported that its soldiers rescued nearly 500 people and 61 pets by boat, helicopter and high-water (high-clearance) vehicles in the 24 hours between Friday and Saturday.

"We've literally had hundreds of people who've brought boats in and have wanted to help," Edmonson said.

The volunteer rescuers have been dubbed the "Cajun Navy".

The NWS said other areas of the United States faced threats of flash floods this week -- from the Texas coast all the way up to the Ohio River Valley.

The storms threatening Texas are part of the same system that deluged Louisiana, although it is now less potent, said NWS meteorologist Gavin Phillips.
Abuja (AFP) - The father of one of the Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped from the remote area of Chibok more than two years ago said he recognised his daughter in a video released by Boko Haram on Sunday.

A spokesman for the Bring Back Our Girls movement, set up to demand the return of 276 schoolgirls kidnapped in April 2014, said he was "certain" of the identities of 10 other girls seen in the footage.

"When I heard her voice, I realised she is my daughter," Kanu Yakubu told reporters in Abuja.

He was referring to Maida Yakubu, whom he identifies as the girl seen in the video choking back her tears as she describes an air strike by the Nigerian armed forces.

The girl speaks in the Chibok dialect.

Bring Back Our Girls spokesman Abubakar Abdullahi earlier on Sunday said at least one of the girls had been recognised by a member of the movement.

The number of girls identified from the video has now risen significantly, he said.

"We're certain that these are the Chibok girls," Abdullahi told AFP.

"We recognise up to 10 from the video," Abdullahi said, adding that he is waiting for confirmation from the Nigerian government and parents of the girls before releasing any more names.

The video shows a masked man holding an assault rifle and dressed in military clothing.

In the background, several girls wearing Islamic clothing look visibly distressed and dab their eyes. One is holding a small baby.
What is a finsta account and why are teens getting obsessed with them?

What is a finsta account and why are teens getting obsessed with them?

About six months ago, Instagram announced they were going to make it easier for users to switch between accounts.

While many of us didnt understand what the big deal was, this was great news for teens who have two accounts: a finsta, and a rinsta.

brit

Finstagram, or finsta for short, stands for fake Instagram account. Ironically, the finsta account displays a less polished and, yet, more real version of their lives. Finstas are private, with access only given to a select group of friends. Meanwhile, an Instagram users rinsta account is the one they show to the world, where photos are carefully selected and edited to present a certain image.

iknewit

In a recent interview with Teen Vogue, popular Instagram user Sydney V. explained her reasons for maintaining two accounts, with her finsta containing mostly goofy photos of her friends and silly selfies:

I made [the finsta] so I wouldnt feel judged with what I post. I definitely feel more comfortable posting on it because I know only my close friends will see it.

In an interview with Business Insider, a group of teens reported similar feelings:

What we put to our close friends is so different than what we show the entire world. You have an ugly one for just your friends and family, and a pretty one for everyone to see on Facebook.

Associate professor at DePaul Universitys College of Communication and social media expert Paul Booth told Teen Vogue that fears of ruining ones image are one of the main reasons teens are creating finstas.Any social media account is a reflection of ourselves and theyre very curated.

Professor Booth adds that theres definitely a draw to having separate Instagram accounts for different audiences: you can curate an authentic version of yourself for the people who are following you without having to worry about how many likes youre getting or feeling judged by your followers.

dontjudge

This is all fascinating. Now, for those of us who, like me, have barely any followers, we neednt worry about our social media image. But its nice to know that if we hit it big on social media, we have options so we can start sharing those embarrassing selfies with puppies without fear of public ridicule!

The post What is a finsta account and why are teens getting obsessed with them? appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Five people have been killed in the Philippines and tens of thousands have fled from floods caused by days of unrelenting rain, rescuers said Sunday.

Civil defence officials warned residents of Manila and nearby provinces to expect more heavy seasonal rain over the coming days as more than 24,000 people sought refuge in schools and government buildings.

"We are expecting more low-lying areas to experience flooding," National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokeswoman Romina Marasigan told AFP.

"Those who are already in evacuation centres should stay there until the weather improves," she added.

Those evacuated include nearly 9,000 Manila residents displaced by flooding from the Marikina River on Saturday.

The council said three Manila slum residents were crushed to death Saturday by walls that collapsed in the floods.

A man drowned crossing a swift-flowing river on the central island of Panay on Wednesday, it said, while the authorities retrieved a body from a Manila canal on Friday -- the cause of death is under investigation.

A fisherman went missing at sea off the central island of Marinduque on Monday, while a man was injured by falling rocks at a highway east of Manila on Friday, it said.

In all, more than 70,000 people have had their houses swamped by floodwaters, the council said, though the majority of residents have remained at home.

The western section of the Philippines has been swamped by heavy rain over the past week, forcing the cancellation of some domestic commercial flights and the suspension of classes.
Milwaukee protest

New video from Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-based photojournalist, captured what appears to be drone footage of the wreckage the day after as many as 100 protestors took to the streets of Milwaukee's north side in response to the fatal shooting of an armed man by police.

Demonstrators and police clashed throughout the night and four businesses were set ablaze during the mayhem, the Associated Press reported.

But as early as Sunday morning, reports came out that citizens had again taken to the streets, this time to clean up.

See the destruction left behind from Saturday's riot in the video below:

Some aerial footage of the Milwaukee aftermath from last night. pic.twitter.com/55fn20QxcZ  Mike De Sisti (@mdesisti) August 14, 2016





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Carlos Gutierrez, the former Secretary of Commerce under President George W. Bush, has joined the ranks of Republicans who are supporting Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Gutierrez said Clinton would make a darned good president and be better for the U.S. economy, calling Trumps economic policies a disaster during an interview with CNNs Jake Tapper. While Gutierrez agrees with Trumps free trade platform, he said the Republican nominees economic policies would harm the country.

The economys important to me. His plan, I love the tax cuts, Im a Republican, but then he has this sort of import substitution strategy, which is a strategy like an underdeveloped country, very poor countries think that way, he said. (The idea) that we have to substitute our imports. That would be a disaster.

Gutierrez said he felt he couldnt support Trump following his racially insensitive comments in June, including one about U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel. At the time, Trump demanded Curiel recuse himself from the fraud cases against Trump University because his campaigns position on illegal immigration created an absolute conflict with the judge, who is of Mexican descent.

That for me was the end of it, Gutierrez said. I dont want to go back fifty years.
NEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Another body has been found after an explosion and fire ripped through at a Maryland apartment complex outside Washington, D.C. last week, bringing the total of known deaths to four with eight people still missing, authorities said on Sunday.

Montgomery County police are working alongside federal agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to sift through the site in Silver Spring for clues to the cause of the Aug. 10 blast, they said.

The explosion at the four-story apartment complex injured more than 30 people, the told a news briefing.

On Friday, local police said that three bodies had been found. Authorities previously said about five to seven people were likely killed in the blast, but offered no specific number or identifies at the time.

The identities of the bodies recovered at the site have yet to be determined. It's possible that the four bodies recovered are among those missing, local authorities said.

Among those believed to have been in the apartment buildings at the time of the fire were two boys, three and eight years old.

About 160 firefighters battled the blaze, which was brought under control after about two hours. Television footage showed flames and smoke pouring from the building as firefighters rescued a man from an upstairs apartment window.

Local officials said residents reported smelling gas just before the explosion, which was felt over a mile (1.6 km) away and tossed debris as far as 300 feet (90 meters).

Washington Gas, a unit of WGL Holdings Inc, which provided service to the complex, has said it was helping in the investigation.

(Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Another body has been found after an explosion and fire ripped through at a Maryland apartment complex outside Washington, D.C. last week, bringing the total of known deaths to four with eight people still missing, authorities said on Sunday.

Montgomery County police are working alongside federal agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to sift through the site in Silver Spring for clues to the cause of the Aug. 10 blast, they said.

The explosion at the four-story apartment complex injured more than 30 people, the told a news briefing.

On Friday, local police said that three bodies had been found. Authorities previously said about five to seven people were likely killed in the blast, but offered no specific number or identifies at the time.

The identities of the bodies recovered at the site have yet to be determined. It's possible that the four bodies recovered are among those missing, local authorities said.

Among those believed to have been in the apartment buildings at the time of the fire were two boys, three and eight years old.

About 160 firefighters battled the blaze, which was brought under control after about two hours. Television footage showed flames and smoke pouring from the building as firefighters rescued a man from an upstairs apartment window.

Local officials said residents reported smelling gas just before the explosion, which was felt over a mile (1.6 km) away and tossed debris as far as 300 feet (90 meters).

Washington Gas, a unit of WGL Holdings Inc, which provided service to the complex, has said it was helping in the investigation.

(Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
mike pence

Chris Wallace challenged Indiana Gov. Mike Pence over Donald Trump's claim that he was being sarcastic when he called President Barack Obama the "founder" and "MVP" of the terrorist group ISIS.

In an interview that aired on Sunday, the "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace repeatedly pressed Pence to explain why he said Trump's remarks were serious when the Republican nominee said himself that he was joking.

"You and he spent a day defending his remarks, saying that they were serious. Now Trump says that he was being sarcastic. So Governor, which is it?" Wallace asked.

The Indiana governor chalked Trump's comments up to his unorthodox campaign style, which Pence said resonated with Republican primary voters, and said Obama deserved part of the blame for allowing ISIS to fester in Syria and Iraq.

"He was making a very serious point. Donald Trump has a way of talking to get people's attention, and it's drawn attention to a very important issue," Pence said. "There was a time when a Democrat president knew where the buck stopped in the White House. And the responsibility for the failed policies in the Middle East that created the environment where ISIS developed belongs to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the American people know that."

But Wallace did not let up his line of questioning, noting that Trump also claimed he was joking last month when he called on Russian hackers to find and release over 30,000 emails Hillary Clinton deleted off her private email server while serving as secretary of state.

"Those are all perfectly legitimate points to make, but that isn't what Trump said. He said that Obama and Clinton were the most valuable players of ISIS, that they were the cofounders of ISIS. Then he said, 'well, I was just being sarcastic about that,' just as he said he was just being sarcastic about inviting Russia to come in and release emails of Hillary Clintons," Wallace said. "Isn't the sarcastic excuse getting a bit old?"

Story continues

For his part, Trump himself hasn't clarified whether his comments were serious or a joke.

During a rally in Pennsylvania on Friday, the real-estate magnate appeared to walk back his assertion that he was being sarcastic.

"So I said, the founder of ISIS. Obviously, Im being sarcastic," Trump said. "But not that sarcastic, to be honest with you."

NOW WATCH: Trump rips a protester in Pennsylvania: 'Your mother is voting for Trump'





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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Heavy fighting took place in different sectors of the Syrian city of Aleppo on Sunday as rebels assaulted two government strongholds in the city's northwest and south, a monitor of the war said. Fighting for control of Aleppo, split between its government-held west and rebel-held eastern neighborhoods, has intensified in recent weeks causing hundreds of deaths and depriving many civilians of power, water and vital supplies. Insurgents including Islamist militant groups detonated car bombs before launching an attack on the Jamiat al-Zahraa district, an army base and residential district, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Rebel groups then attacked the army's positions in a cement factory on the city's southwest, adjacent to the mouth of a corridor into opposition-held east Aleppo that insurgents had opened up a week ago, breaking a government siege. Earlier in the day, the Syrian army and its allies captured some buildings in the southwestern 1070 housing development, also located near the entrance to the rebel corridor into Aleppo. Aleppo is one of the bastions of the rebellion to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose army is backed on the ground by Shi'ite Muslim militias from neighboring countries and from the skies by Russian air strikes. Some recent gains by the insurgents have been made by Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, previously known as the Nusra Front, which described itself as an affiliate of al Qaeda until it cut ties with the militant movement and renamed itself late last month. (Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Susan Fenton)
Hong Kong (AFP) - Three leaders of Hong Kong's "Umbrella Revolution" avoided jail Monday over 2014 pro-democracy protests as a court said political tension would not sway its judgement, in a city divided by Beijing's tightening grip.

The young campaigners -- Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, and Alex Chow -- were charged for a protest in September 2014 which saw students climb over a fence into Hong Kong's government complex, known as Civic Square.

They were calling for fully free leadership elections for the semi-autonomous city and their arrests at the time sparked wider rallies.

Those exploded two days later when police fired tear gas on the crowds, triggering mass demonstrations that brought parts of Hong Kong to a standstill for more than two months.

The umbrellas that protesters used to defend themselves from pepper spray and tear gas gave the movement its name.

Tensions have remained high since the rallies ended without concessions from Beijing on political reform, splitting society into those who want to fight for greater autonomy and those who think there is little to gain.

Magistrate June Cheung said it would be unfair if she were influenced by the current political atmosphere into handing down a "deterrent sentence".

"The court believes the case is different from an ordinary criminal case. I accept they were genuinely expressing their views," she said in sentencing the men at Eastern Magistrates' Court.

Cheung added the three had no prior convictions, were concerned about social issues and passionate about politics.

Wong, 19, and Chow, 25, had been charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly at Civic Square, while Law, 23, was charged with inciting others to take part.

They were facing possible two-year jail terms.

Wong and Law were given community service.

Chow received a three-week sentence, suspended for a year -- he could not complete community service because he would be studying in the UK. He will not serve jail time unless he offends in the coming year.

Story continues

The defendants praised Cheung for her leniency.

"The court has taken the view that the Umbrella Movement and entering Civic Square was not for personal gain but public good," Wong said.

Law added it showed the three had been acting for "justice, benefits of society and people's civil liberties".

"She sent a message that such rights should be respected," Law said of the magistrate.

- 'Violation of rights' -

However, Human Rights Watch Monday slammed the authorities for pursuing the case, saying it was a "violation of their rights to peaceful expression and assembly".

Their convictions last month were also blasted by rights group Amnesty International, which described the case as a "chilling warning" to activists.

Wong and Law have been in and out of court hearings for the past year after being charged with offences linked to various protest actions.

Both were acquitted in June over a separate anti-China rally in the summer of 2014.

Since the failure of the Umbrella Movement to achieve political reform, an increasing number of young activists are calling for a break from the mainland -- a message that has infuriated Beijing.

Wong and Law have recently set up a new political party, Demosisto, campaigning for self-determination for Hong Kong. Law will run for lawmaker in upcoming elections.

Hong Kong was returned to China by Britain in 1997 with its freedoms guaranteed for 50 years.

But there are growing concerns Beijing is no longer adhering to the agreement as it is accused of interference in a wide range of areas, from politics to media and education.

However, Hong Kong-based political commentator Joseph Cheng said he believed the court system still had integrity.

"The independence of the judiciary is the final line of defence that city residents have counted upon while many have gradually lost their confidence in the administration," he told AFP.
New York (AFP) - A gunman shot and killed a New York imam and his assistant near their mosque in the borough of Queens during a brazen attack in broad daylight Saturday.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his assistant, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, were shot just before 2 pm (1800 GMT) in the Ozone Park neighborhood, police said.

The attack reportedly took place after the two, dressed in traditional Muslim garb, left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque following Saturday afternoon prayers.

The motive is unknown and no arrests have been made, the authorities said.

"There is nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," police told journalists.

However, Muslim community representatives pointed to growing Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment fueled by a series of deadly attacks in the United States and abroad as well as hostile statements by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, including his proposal for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country.

The suspected gunman approached the two men from behind at the corner of Liberty Avenue and 79th Street. Witnesses then saw him fleeing the scene with a gun, police said, adding that surveillance video appeared to show a man wearing shorts and a dark polo shirt.

A sketch of the suspect released early Sunday showed a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses. Police said witnesses described him as having a medium complexion.

Police said that Akonjee was carrying more than $1,000, but that the attacker did not take the money.

Both victims were taken to nearby Jamaica Hospital with gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead there.

The suspect was still at large Sunday morning and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

- Hate crime? -

The working-class area where the victims were killed, on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, is home to many Muslim families from Bangladesh.

"The NYPD is looking at all angles of this crime, including the hate crime (angle)," Sarah Sayeed of the New York mayor's office said.

Story continues

However, Muslim community representatives condemned what they see as a toxic climate of hatred.

"Please, read my lips. This is a hate crime, no matter which way you look at it," Kobir Chowdhury, who heads the nearby Masjid Al-Aman mosque in Brooklyn, said.

"It's hate against humanity, it's hate against Muslims, these are Islamophobes who are causing these kind of troubles."

Hundreds of local residents rallied near the crime scene chanting, "We want justice!"

During a vigil outside the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque, the faithful prayed, heads bent and palms facing the sky.

"Imagine your father gunned down for no reason, and then let that feeling, let that motivate you to come out of your silence," Afaf Nasher, director of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said at a tense news conference in front of the mosque.

"When we stay silent we allow crimes to continue to occur," she said.

"So every single one of us shares in this responsibility. And let's not forget the victims who are essential to all of this."

- Strong solidarity -

Imam Akonjee had moved to the United States from Bangladesh two years ago, US media reported.

"He would not hurt a fly," his nephew Rahi Majid, told the New York Daily News. "You would watch him come down the street and watch the peace he brings."

US Representative Nydia Velazquez tweeted that she was "horrified" by the shooting.

"All NYers must stand united in condemning acts like these," she said.

The neighborhood's city council representative Eric Ulrich tweeted that he stood "in strong solidarity with all Muslim New Yorkers tonight as we mourn the killings."

"When a religious leader is killed in broad daylight on the streets of Queens, we must come together as a community and demand justice!" he wrote.

Last year, hate crimes against Muslims and mosques across the country tripled following extremist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, the New York Times reported.
In May 2014, Indias national politics took a sharp turn right  and toward Hindu populism  when the country elected Narendra Modi as prime minister. It was a new era for Indian conservatives, one marked by nationalistic promises to flex Indias muscle, an obsession with redefining the identity of the postcolonial country, reviving the glories of premodern Vedic India and cashing in, at last, on Indias economic potential.

Today, midway through his five-year term, Modi and his party are facing opposition not only from the left but also the right, the sharpest of which comes from Modis former allies. Challenges are appearing in the impoverished state of Bihar, where the Bharatiya Janata Party lost the chief ministership to Modis former ally Nitish Kumar; Varanasi, the holiest of Hindu cities and Modis own parliament seat, turned its back on the BJP during local elections this year. In Modis own state of Gujarat, 23-year-old Hardik Patel, christened the New Modi by some, has split Modis voters and led agitations so violent, the army had to be called in.

Another such fratricidal war is brewing in Indias richest state, Maharashtra, between the BJP and its oldest ally, the staunchly right-wing Shiv Sena, which has stood hand in hand with the BJP for a quarter of a century. The split is occurring thanks to surprisingly liberal critiques: Opponents object to Modis treatment of lower classes and castes.

Nitin Bhujbal, the Pune city president of Yuva Sena, the Senas youth wing, laments the fall Modi has taken in his partys eyes. Even I looked up to Modi. His Hindutva and his promise of development was brilliant, Bhujbal says, referring to the philosophy of Hindu pride and nationalism often associated with the BJP. But what development do you see happening? Working-class areas are reeling under severe water shortage. The BJP government hasnt released the money for the metro rail project. Bhujbal points to a major Modi initiative, the Smart City challenge, which has taken off in Pune. But, Bhujbal inveighs, which areas did he choose? The most posh ones! Why? Why not bring the development to the slums?

The divisions within the Indian right today parallel the evolution of conservatism around the world.

Bhujbals criticism points to the essential dividing line between Modis version of conservative politics and many of the regional right-wing parties concerns: While other right-wingers agree with Modi on his cultural and social platforms  which include initiatives to ban beef on the grounds of its offensiveness to Hindus  theyre not seeing economic prowess trickle down.

Radical Dalit poet and retired Bombay Municipal Corp. employee Subhash Thorat points out that the Sainiks were born out of strong trade unions in Mumbai, with considerable support among the urban poor. The BJP, on the other hand, has long been the party of business owners and diamond traders. And dont forget linguistic identities and caste. Suhas Palshikar, a senior political scientist and expert on Marathi politics and former head of the department of political science at Pune University, agrees with these cultural assessments: The BJP ranks are filled with members of the Hindu nationalist organization the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, historically dominated by upper-caste Brahmans. The Shiv Sena, though open to Hindu nationalism, is more a party about Marathi pride  defending its state against Gujarati and northern carpetbaggers, in a manner not dissimilar to the American Souths pride. Where the BJP might cite vegetarianism as a key value in their party, Sainiks are often fishermen.

The divisions within the Indian right today parallel the evolution of conservatism around the world, and demonstrate the twin pillars of right-wing politics: culture and class. America has seen the evangelical wing of the Republican Party take a backseat to the populism of Donald Trump this election cycle; we saw it in the U.K., when a similar disenfranchisement of local populations caused the island nation to flee from the European Union, very possibly against its economic self-interest. Which makes us wonder: Three years down the line, could the Indian right begin to be pulled toward addressing similar issues of wealth and caste inequality? Could the alliances between right-wing parties, forged in part by way of consensus over Indias own culture wars and Hindu versus Muslim tensions, split the right into two distinct movements?

The BJP, for its part, dismisses the kerfuffle as mere jealousy. The Sena is unable to digest taking a second position to the BJP. Its as simple as that, says Madhav Bhandari, Maharashtra spokesman. Speaking to Saamna, the official mouthpiece of the Sena, on his 56th birthday, Shiv Sena supremo (actual job title) Uddhav Thackeray laid bare his disappointment, saying, Twenty-five years of our history have been wasted. But Bhujbal is optimistic about 2019. He points to Thackerays son, Aditya, who is modernizing and reinvigorating the party by reaching out to the youth.

How so? In part by abandoning its cultural crusades in favor of economic uplift. Bhujbal refers to a infamous series of incidents on the part of the Sainiks: harassing lovebirds in the streets for their immodesty. We dont beat up couples on Valentines Day anymore, he says, cheerily.
Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish had the most lavish wedding ceremony!

Hart, 37, and Parrish, 31, officially tied the knot in front of family and friends in Santa Barbara, California on Saturday.

Parrish wore a custom Vera Wang silk crepe mermaid gown boasting a soft white sheer plunging V neck lace. The gorgeous dress featured hand embroidered French Chantilly lace appliques, a French tulle skirt, and silk covered bridal button accents.

WATCH: Kevin Hart Reveals His 8-Year-Old Son Will Be His Best Man at Wedding: Hes My Best Friend

The new bride took to Instagram on Sunday to post several snapshots of her big day.

Cause Im a fooool.. such a fool (for youuuu), she wrote with a ring emoji. Babe we did it @kevinhart4real, she captioned a post-ceremony pic walking down the aisle with Hart.

Harts children from his first marriage  11-year-old daughter Heaven, and 8-year-old son Hendrix  were by dads side for the ceremony.

The Central Intelligence star also took to Instagram to share a few wedding photos.

U cant teach COOLU either have it or u dont..My son AKA my best man has it!!!!! Last night was MAGICAL, he wrote on Sunday about his son, adding the hashtags #Harts #MeAndMyBestFriend.

The Tuxedos were amazing, added Hart, giving a quick shout out to designers Musika Frere and Davidson Petit-Frere .

For the reception, Parrish slipped into another breathtaking custom Vera Wang creation, a long sleeve light ivory sheer lace gown with sumptuous hand placed French Chantilly lace applique artfully contoured along the entire gown.

The reception which featured crystal chandeliers, and white and ivory roses that draped over rustic white wooden tables.

Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this, Parrish captioned another snapshot, quoting Kelly Clarksons hit single A Moment Like This.

The excited new bride also posted an official wedding photo holding hands with Hart while standing on a beautiful white gazebo, and a family shot alongside Heaven and Hendrix.

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WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Hart Talks His Pricey Upcoming Wedding, Hilariously Reveals Why He Wasnt Allowed to Star in Baywatch

Parrishs friend, Kai Wilson, called the newlyweds and inspiration in an Instagram post on Sunday. I love you @enikobaby and @kevinhart4real. Im so proud of them and couldnt be happier #Family, Wilson captioned the romantic shot of the love birds holding hands.

Hart recently talked about his nuptials, and why his Central Intelligence co-star, Dwayne Johnson, wasnt allowed to plan his bachelor party, in a pre-wedding interview with ET.

See more in the video below.

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Rome (AFP) - Libyan authorities have warned Italy about an Islamic State cell based in the Milan area with links to one of the jihadist group's battle-hardened veterans, Italian media reported Sunday.

The existence of the network was reportedly revealed by documents seized by Libyan agents after government forces took over an IS headquarters in the city of Sirte earlier this week.

The Italy-based militants were said to be associates of Abu Nassim, 47, a Tunisian who lived in Italy for most of his 20s and subsequently fought in Afghanistan and Syria, before becoming an IS commander in Libya.

The reports came as concerns grow that IS fighters dispersed from Sirte could cross the Mediterranean on migrant boats and mount "lone wolf" terror attacks on Italian territory.

Security services have been put on a state of high alert for the peak holiday season and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano has stepped up expulsions of suspected jihadist sympathisers.

Late on Saturday, Alfano said he had ordered the deportation of Hosni Hachemi Ben Hassem, a Tunisian imam based in a mosque at Andria in Puglia.

The 49-year-old imam had been cleared of charges of recruiting jihadists but Alfano expelled him anyway on the basis of suspected incitement to racial hatred.

The cleric is the ninth imam to be kicked out since the start of 2015 under a 'zero tolerance' approach to Islamist militancy which Alfano says has reduced the risk of a terror attack on Italian soil.

The centre-right minister has signed a total of 109 expulsion orders since the start of last year, 43 of them in 2016, he said in a statement.

- Veteran extremist -

Abu Nassim, whose real name is Moez Ben Abdelkader Fezzani, first arrived in Italy in 1989 to work on building sites.

Suspected of trying to radicalise and recruit other Arab immigrants, he disappeared in 1997 and resurfaced in Pakistan, on his way to join the late Osama bin Laden's forces in Afghanistan.

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He was arrested by US forces in 2001 and held at the Bagram airbase detention facility, which was to become notorious for the torture and killing of inmates.

Abu Nassim was transferred to Italy in 2009 after prosecutors tabled charges of terrorist recruitment related to his previous stay.

He was acquitted in 2012 and deported to Tunisia. He was convicted on appeal the following year, by which time he was already fighting in Syria.

Since 2014, he has commanded IS forces around the Libyan port of Sabratha.

Tunisia issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with the March 2015 Bardo Museum attack in Tunis, in which gunmen killed 21 tourists and a policeman.
Japan will develop a new land-to-sea missile as part of plans to beef up its defence of remote southern islands, as tensions with China increase over the disputed territory, a report said Sunday.

The two countries are locked in a long-running dispute over the uninhabited islets known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

The report comes after repeated protests by Japanese foreign ministry officials over what Tokyo calls "intrusions" by Chinese ships in the territorial and contiguous waters of the rocky islands.

Tokyo plans to deploy the weapon, which reportedly will have a range of 300 kilometres (190 miles) on islands such as Miyako in Okinawa prefecture, the top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said, without citing sources.

The range will cover the disputed island chain, the Yomiuri said, adding that the deployment is expected by 2023.

Officials at the Defence Ministry could not be reached for comment.

"In light of China's repeated acts of provocation around the Senkaku islands, Japan aims to increase deterrence with improved long-range strike capability," the newspaper stated.

The missile will be developed by Japan and will use solid fuel, the Yomiuri said, referring to the technology that allows for weapon's long-term storage and capacity to be launched at short notice.

Japan also protested in June after it said a Chinese navy frigate sailed close to territorial waters near the islands for the first time.

Tensions over the islands have been a frequent irritant and strained bilateral relations, though tensions had markedly relaxed over the past two years as the countries held talks.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese boy band SMAP will break up at the end of the year, its promoter said on Sunday, disappointing legions of fans in Japan and Asia just seven months after its members pledged to stay together. The five-man group, which formed in 1988 when its members were in their teens, will split on December 31, Johnny & Associates said in a statement, adding that all members would continue solo careers. "We apologize for the trouble we have caused. Please forgive us for having led to a result like this. We are so sorry," group leader Masahiro Nakai said, the Kyodo news agency reported. The break-up attracted wide media coverage on Sunday, and distraught fans took to Twitter to express their sadness at the group's demise. SMAP, whose name stands for "Sports Music Assemble People" had averted a break-up in January, leading to a collective sigh of relief, even from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In its heyday the group packed venues around Asia and sang for Chinese leaders. Its 2003 single "The Only Flower in the World" sold over two million copies. (Reporting by Thomas Wilson; Editing by Richard Pullin)
Jeff Baena's sophomore feature Joshy is classified as an R-rated comedy, and while the movie's cast features several stellar comedic actors, the writer-director considers the film to be more of a drama with funny moments.

Indeed, the story has some dark elements, beginning with the abrupt end of Josh's (Thomas Middleditch) engagement, which hangs over Josh and his friends' attempt to salvage his bachelor party weekend with a guys' getaway in Ojai, California. Over the course of the weekend, there's some additional drama, partly from unexpected visitors. But this isn't the first time that Baena has blended comedy with heavier elements. His directorial debut, Life After Beth, served as a zombie rom-com about a young woman (Aubrey Plaza) who returns from the dead and reunites with her live boyfriend (Dane DeHaan) but can't seem to escape her zombie tendencies.

Unlike that film, though, Baena made Joshy entirely from an outline, instead of a traditional screenplay. Since most of the dialogue was being improvised, Baena put together a cast of comedy actors he knew and felt that he could trust, including Nick Kroll, Adam Pally and Jenny Slate.

Well known actors also pop up in some smaller roles, with Plaza, Paul Reiser, Lauren Graham, Jake Johnson and Alison Brie all making appearances. But Joshy doesn't feature a return appearance from Garry Marshall, who had a memorable role as a zombie grandfather in Life After Beth, one of Marshall's last acting roles.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about Joshy, Baena also shared his memories of working with Marshall, including the practical advice the filmmaker passed down from Francis Ford Coppola, and revealed that he even tried to get Marshall to make an appearance in an upcoming movie but the director, who died on July 19, was too ill to make the trip to Italy.

Joshy, which premiered at Sundance, is now in select theaters and on VOD and iTunes.

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Read more: 'Joshy': Sundance Review

How did you go about putting this cast together?

After Life After Beth, which was almost exclusively scripted, I wanted to try something new, so I decided to write an outline. It was only like, 20 pages. It had all the beats and pretty much what everyone was saying, but the dialogue wasn't written out. I knew I had to get actors who had experience in improvisation, so I got people that I personally knew to some extent. I knew in some way, either we were friendly or through friends, pretty much everyone in this movie. I just wanted to find people that I could trust. I've always maintained that people that are funny and smart can do anything in film. Even if you get people who are more accustomed to comedy and they're generally not doing too many dramas, I do feel like they can handle the dramatic stuff because I feel like, not to undermine what drama is, but drama tends to work on more of an emotional base level and comedy works sort of on a more layered level. And I think if somebody's able to get the comedy stuff, I think they can figure out how to do the drama stuff. So it was just finding actors that I knew or I had a rapport with that were sort of open and smart and capable of pulling this off. Most of the people were UCB [Upright Citizens Brigade] people. Alex Ross Perry, who's a director and a friend of mine, just having hung out with him a lot, I just knew as a character, he's able to maintain who he is without being too self-aware and I thought that would be an incredible performance. It was pretty much people that I had either worked with or knew personally.??

You said you wanted to try something new. How do you feel like your experience of working with an outline vs. a script went? Do you feel like this is something that you would do again?

I loved it. It's an intense experience because there's no time to slack, and we shot this in 15 days, and we didn't have a lot of money, so we were under the gun pretty much the whole time. But the necessity to produce something out of that environment, I think is really exciting as an artist, and to collaborate with actors and to really trust each other and know that we're all giving ourselves over to this and letting it kind of happen, it's a completely different experience than Life After Beth, where everything was scripted. Here we had so much wiggle room and fluidity that it just felt really alive and all of the performances felt real. We didn't rehearse because I feel like if you rehearse it then you lose generation and you're replicating a performance as opposed to producing it, so everything had a primal sort of impact as opposed to sort of massaging things or adjusting things. We found stuff and then we went into it and it just really felt alive. So to me it just felt like a really cool way of doing it. I definitely would do this kind of thing again.

Read more: 'Life After Beth' Stars Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, Director Talk Finding Truth in Zombie Rom-Com

Was there anything particularly surprising in the movie that came out of an improvised moment or exchange?

Nothing came out of left field. It wasn't like we were improvising the whole movie, just lines. There are certain lines that I think are hysterical. It's more little moments that I think are great. As I said, because we were so under the gun, we didn't really have a chance to say, 'What if the story went here? What if the story went here?' Everything had to kind of be worked out so we had a safety net. Everything was based on the performances. Thomas Middleditch's dramatic stuff for me was - ??I think he was so great and I don't think he's really had the opportunity to explore that side of him. I thought some of the stuff between Adam Pally and Jenny Slate, particularly the scene in the bar, where they're kind of having a heart-to-heart, I loved it. We'd talked about it at length but the way it came out, it felt like a real scene to me as opposed to something I'd seen before. There's lots of moments. Everyone's so good in it. I'm in awe of all of them.

There's a dark beginning to the movie in terms of how Josh's engagement ends and there's sort of a heaviness hanging over the bachelor party weekend and Josh's experience. How did you balance that with the comedic elements in the movie?

For me, this movie, it gets classified as a comedy but for me, it's hard to classify it. And the way I saw it was almost as a metaphor for the story itself. The movie keeps veering toward drama but everyone in the movie is trying to maintain a comedy. I feel like so much of how guys relate to and interact with one another and to some extent have an inability to articulate their emotional state - when something traumatic happens to guys they either avoid it, and in this case most [of Josh's friends] didn't show up [for the weekend in Ojai], or when they're confronting it they're almost confronting it by obfuscating it with distracting the person and just trying to have a good time. So for me it almost became the structure of, there's very obvious dramatic things that happen and then the movie itself is almost trying to focus on the fun, connected stuff between the guys but [the drama] kind of keeps rearing its head and we kind of keep pushing it down. In my mind this movie isn't even a comedy, it just has funny moments because there's a lot of funny people in it. But ultimately it's drama and it's just the way people are dealing with that drama is through comedy and joking around.

Read more: Sundance Comedy 'Joshy' Nabbed by Lionsgate, Hulu

You worked with Garry Marshall on Life After Beth?? - that was one of his last acting roles. What was it like to work with him, particularly with him as an actor?

He was the warmest, most generous guy ever. It was such a dream to be able to work with him and he was so pleasant. I was freaking out. Paul Reiser [who was also in Life After Beth] was freaking out. In between takes they would just be going off because there was an energy to him. It's so impossible to explain. He didn't have to do this. He had just had surgery like a week or two before he shot. He had every reason to just say, 'I don't want to do this.' But he just put himself out there for this stupid indie movie. If I was 80-something I'd just be like, 'I'd rather stay home.' He kept taking me on walks in between takes and between set-ups and giving me advice as a director. At one point he took me on a walk and he said, 'I'm going to give you the piece of advice that is the most important advice you can get as a director.' And I was like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening.' He's like, 'I learned this from Francis Ford Coppola and I'm going to teach it to you.' And I'm like, 'I can't wait to hear what this is.' And he's just like, 'Make sure whenever you're shooting a movie to make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes. Whether it's sneakers or whatever it is, just make sure you're comfortable because you're going to be standing on your feet all day. And the last thing you need is a bad back; that's going to change your mood and you're not going to be sensitive to things, so just make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes.' I thought that was kind of sweet. I was devastated when I heard he passed away. I was trying to get him to, in the spring, we were trying to get it to work for him to come out [to do another movie] and we found out that he was a little too ill to travel to Italy. But I loved him.

Read more: Remembering Garry Marshall: 5 Greatest Film and TV Cameos (Video)
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.

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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
Kevin Hart and longtime love Eniko Parrish are officially husband and wife!

Hart and Parrish tied the knot on Saturday in Santa Barbara, California, surrounded by family and friends. The 37-year-old actor was walked down the aisle by his two kids from a previous marriage, 11-year-old Heaven and 8-year-old Hendrix.

WATCH: Kevin Hart Shares Wedding Plans, Says He's Not A 'Groomzilla'

"#Harts what's understood doesn't need to be said!!!!" he captioned an Instagram post following the ceremony with the haghtag #LiveLoveLove.

Hart and Parrish have been dating for more than seven years, and got engaged on Aug. 18, 2014, the model's 30th birthday. Last January, the funnyman joked with ET about not being involved in all the planning leading up to the big day.

"I want nothing to do with the planning!" Hart said at the Los Angeles premiere of his film, The Wedding Ringer. "The reason I'm stepping out of the way? I don't want to be a part of the problem!"

"It's your day, honey. Be happy," he added.

In April, Hart sweetly told ET that his pricey wedding was all worth it because of his love for Parrish.

"I'm looking at numbers -- everything she says to me, I'm like, 'Yeah, that's great. It's gonna be nice. How much?'" he joked. "We're in some crazy places right now, but it's all worth it. You know why? Because this is the woman that I love. And I want my woman to have a perfect day. That's what any man should want."

EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Hart Talks His Pricey Upcoming Wedding, Hilariously Reveals Why He Wasn't Allowed to Star in 'Baywatch'

Monday's ceremony marks Hart's second marriage. He was previously married to Atlanta Exes star Torrei Hart, but they split in February 2010.

"When people get married young, you don't really understand the true definition of marriage," the Central Intelligence star told ET in June 2014 about him and his ex-wife, referring to the two getting married when they were both 24. "You have to learn to be partners for real, and in my first relationship, I didn't understand that definition because I was young, so you do things that you shouldn't do."

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RELATED: Kevin Hart: When You Marry Young, You Don't Really Understand Marriage

These days, it appears he couldn't be more smitten with Parrish.

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Watch the video below to see Hart gush over his new bride when ET caught up with him in June at the New York City premiere of The Secret Life of Pets.

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A look at what's happening all around the majors Sunday:

---

HISTORY AT FENWAY?

Right-hander Rick Porcello looks to become the first Red Sox pitcher in 70 years to open a season 12-0 at Fenway Park in a series finale against Arizona. Porcello (15-3, 3.40 ERA) is 11-0 in his 12 home starts. Righty Dave ''Boo'' Ferriss is the last Boston hurler to win his first 12 decisions in Fenway, finishing 13-0 at home when he went 25-6 overall with three saves in 1946. Right-hander Zack Greinke (11-3, 3.67) goes for the Diamondbacks. He's 8-0 with a 2.47 ERA in his last 10 starts.

HELLO OLD FRIEND

Cubs right-hander John Lackey (9-7, 3.56) makes his fourth start against the Cardinals in a primetime game at Wrigley Field. Lackey, who pitched for St. Louis the previous two seasons, is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA against his former team this year, although the Cards are 2-1 in those games. Righty Mike Leake (8-9, 4.79) signed an $80 million, five-year deal with St. Louis shortly after Lackey left in free agency. He has a 9.00 ERA in his past four starts.

SKIPPING JOSE

The Marlins will skip ace Jose Fernandez's scheduled turn to keep him on pace for his 180-inning limit this season. Instead, righty Tom Koehler will start against White Sox left-hander Chris Sale (14-5, 3.16). In his past four starts, Koehler is 3-0 with an ERA of 0.67, and Miami manager Don Mattingly called him ''our best pitcher since the All-Star break.'' Sale is 0-3 in his past five games and hasn't won since his suspension for cutting up the team's throwback jerseys on July 23.

SIXTH CHANCE AT 10

Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer (9-3, 2.43), the AL rookie leader in wins, tries again for his 10th victory. The series finale at Texas will be Fulmer's sixth start since his ninth win July 6 at Cleveland. Fulmer gave up only two runs over seven innings in a loss Monday at Seattle after no-decisions in his previous four games - all Detroit victories. During a 10-start stretch from May 21-July 17, Fulmer was 7-1 with a 0.83 ERA.
Sirte (Libya) (AFP) - Libyan pro-government forces pressed an advance against the Islamic State group in the coastal city of Sirte on Sunday as they battled jihadists holed up in waterfront residential areas.

In May, forces loyal to the unity government began an offensive to retake the Mediterranean city and home town of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, which IS seized in June last year.

The offensive came amid growing concern that jihadists would use Sirte, where they had set up centres to train militants, as a springboard for attacks on European shores hundreds of kilometres (miles) away.

One June 9, pro-government forces entered Sirte and more than two months later pushed the jihadists from key positions including their headquarters at the Ouagadougou conference centre, a sprawling compound near the city centre.

AFP correspondents who toured the city on Saturday said loyalist forces were pressing their advance, buoyed by US air strikes earlier this month that targeted IS holdouts in the city.

The forces fired machineguns mounted on pick-up trucks and light weapons at IS targets in the distance as they tried to advance towards an area known as "residential district three" facing the Mediterranean, the correspondents said.

On Sunday, the spokesman for the forces, General Mohamad Ghassri, told AFP that both residential districts near the waterfront were "currently battle zones".

Pro-government forces "have entered district number two" which could fall under their control later Sunday, he said.

"IS has only control over one sector, residential district one in the heart of downtown Sirte," he said.

"From a military point of view, the battle (for Sirte) is over," he said, adding that "victory" would be announced soon.

Earlier the forces loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord said in a statement that their fighters had seized buildings on the outskirts of district two and were chasing the jihadists.

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- Eyes on Rome -

Mustafa al-Faqih, one of the commanders of the loyalist forces, told AFP that the jihadists fled after their headquarters fell on Wednesday.

The "enemy forces collapsed" in the face of the loyalist advance, he said.

"We will advance on... areas where the enemy is still deployed in the coming days, God willing."

The taking of the Ouagadougou centre, where Kadhafi once hosted Arab and African summits as well as European leaders, was the first in a string of blistering losses sustained by the jihadists this week.

A statement by the loyalist forces on Saturday said they had seized a radio station near the centre which the jihadists used to broadcast propaganda, describing its capture as "important".

They also drove jihadists out of the university of Sirte which they had used as a key defensive position, they said.

On Sunday, pro-government fighters could be seen removing jihadist graffiti from the walls of the Ouagadougou centre.

"The caliphate will endure and expand," read one slogan at the centre's main entrance, before it was removed.

A trail of destruction has hit the once grandiose centre, with windows shattered, ceilings caved in and bullet strikes on its walls.

Outside, a group of pro-government fighters flashed victory signs and pointed to a banner left behind by the jihadists that read: "We are fighting in Libya but our eyes are on Rome."

Libya's former colonial power Italy lies a mere 300 kilometres (less than 200 miles) across the Mediterranean from Sirte.

On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi faced criticism at home for reportedly sending special forces to Libya to help the anti-IS fight without approval from parliament.

Renzi's centre-left government has refused to confirm or deny reports that dozens of special forces have been deployed to help with de-mining and training pro-GNA forces.

More than 300 pro-government fighters have been killed and 1,800 wounded since May in the battle for Sirte, medics have said.

The jihadists have not revealed their losses.
These lipsticks are going to be ESSENTIAL this fall

These lipsticks are going to be ESSENTIAL this fall

The lady is a vamp! Fall is coming and that means its time to spruce up your wardrobe (think big sweaters and lots of boots) and freshen up your makeup. Our favorite beauty trend for fall is vampy lipsticks!

Throughout the Fall 2016 runway shows, we spotted a serious theme when it came to lip color, and all signs are pointing to dark shades and vamp vibes.

From Versace to Marc Jacobs, deep reds, vibrant plums, and even darker hues were present. So get ready to channel your dark side this season with your lipstick choices. When in doubt, think the darker the shade, the sexier the lip pout!

Burgundy Babe

Halston Sage might not be a model, but the actress sure looked like one while attending the Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence fashion show in July. Her burgundy lip was both sexy and devilish at the same time. To recreate this deep red hue use Urban Decays Vice Lipstick in the Hex shade.

Glitter Red

Versaces Fall 2016 show revealed that red hues never go out of style. In order to switch things up just a little bit, the designer had her models rock a glitter hue of the classic shade for a glamorous and show-stopping look. Try Kat Von Ds Studded Kiss lipstick in Metallic Berry for your own glitzy pucker this season that will look great from fall all the way to New Years Eve!

The dream team @patmcgrathreal @guidopalau #versace pic by @delphineachard A photo posted by Carolyn Murphy (@carolynmurphy) on Jul 5, 2016 at 1:17am PDT

Ruby Red

If glitter isnt your thing, a glossy ruby red, might be more your style. This model sported a shiny and sweet red pucker while walking the Guo Pei Haute Couture show during Paris Fashion Week in July, and gave us major lip envy. You can dress up any look and go from day to night, by simply adding a bold cherry red color to your lip like Bobbi Browns Nourishing Lip Color in Poppy.

Berry Matte

Matte shades are definitely in this fall  in every dark shade imaginable. We suggest trying a berry matte tone (think wine lips) like the one used during the Dolce & Gabbana show at Milan Fashion Week earlier this year. It is just the right amount of color, while staying a little bit on the conservative side. To pull off this look, check out MILKs Dip Out in Wine.

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Dark Chocolate

Dior Fall 2016 show was all about the dark lip hues, especially cocoa-colored lipsticks. It is an edgy look that is both sophisticated and funky for the on-the-go girl. It might look a little dark for some, but you can lighten up your look with greens and neutrals in your wardrobe. To recreate this color palette, try MACs Antique Velvet Lipstick.

Rendering itself instantly timeless, the 'Runway' bag has two different straps and can be worn either on the shoulder for a sophisticated allure or carried for a more relaxed look. A photo posted by Dior Official (@dior) on Jul 22, 2016 at 6:19am PDT

Purple Pucker

While French actress, Adele Exarchopoulos didnt walk in H&Ms show during Paris Fashion Week, she was on point with her lip color as she watched the show. A bold purple pout screams confidence and definitely shows off ones personality. NYXs Full Throttle Lipstick in Trickster is ideal for this purple perfection.

Black Beauty

In the Marc Jacobs Fall 2016/Winter 2017 show, the models crossed over to their dark sides with a dark black pout. The whole feel was gothic and chic. If youre going to rock this shade, pair it with a dramatic eyeliner and sleek black wardrobe. For an everyday look, you can opt out of a dramatic eye and wear more white in your ensemble. Bite Beautys Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Black Truffle is the perfect lipstick for the job!

THREE BEAUTIES @kdhwillems @lilisumner @graciehartzel A photo posted by Marc Jacobs (@themarcjacobs) on Mar 4, 2016 at 7:08am PST

Which vampy shade are you willing to try this Fall?

The post These lipsticks are going to be ESSENTIAL this fall appeared first on HelloGiggles.
The world  at least the Bulgarian world  is mired in depression, corruption, and misanthropy. Love doesnt exist, even if sought on occasion. Thats the message of Ralitza Petrovas debut feature Godless, a film that goes to great lengths to rub the viewers face in the joylessness of life in a post-Communist world where nothing has changed. While undeniably consistent in how it sticks to its downbeat vision of a drugged-out medical aide stealing ID cards of vulnerable seniors and selling them on the black market, the films conviction that every, and that means every, degradation must be highlighted unfortunately reveals a distressing intellectual immaturity. Locarnos jury thought otherwise, and the Golden Leopard will accord Godless a modicum of visibility on the fest circuit.

According to the Wikipedia entry for the films location, The city of Vratsa is picturesque  a description that seems incongruous after seeing Godless, which goes out of its way to maintain a largely constricted view of the place (not just due to the Academy ratio), focusing instead on abandoned, weedy urban spaces and crumbling 1970s housing blocks. Gana (Irena Ivanova, who won the best actress prize in Locarno) is an expressionless visiting nurse making the rounds of elderly patients. In between cleaning bed sores and soiled sheets, she pilfers ID cards, which she sells to corrupt cop Pavel (Alexandr Triffonov), who passes them on to fraudsters setting up shell companies.

Gana has no inner light: shes in a sexless relationship with mechanic and co-conspirator Aleko (Ventzislav Konstantinov), and all they have in common is a morphine addiction and their ID card scam. When sourpuss Tereza (Maria Lazarova) cottons on and threatens to tattle, Aleko goes to scare the old lady but instead kills her. Gana is sort of put out (hard to tell since she maintains a hardened, passive expression), but only when she starts chatting with choir master retiree Yoan (Ivan Nalbantov), and listens to his chorus singing religious songs, does she realize that beauty can afford a way out of miserabilism.

Petrova doesnt miss an opportunity to highlight the sordid conditions in town. Cement walls are stained with mildew (theres a credit for set aging), and close-ups of elderly residents apparently with Alzheimers emphasize their decrepitude. The open door of an apartment reveals a man getting a blow-job just as a little girl walks in; a corrupt judge (Dimitar Petkov) joins a very unappetizing orgy; and Gana engages in unsuccessful dominant-submissive sex with Pavel. The concept of better days doesnt exist: not the distant past, referenced by an old woman who nostalgically recalls her happiness when the Nazis rolled into town, nor the Communist era, when this society was destroyed by fear and corruption.

Godless is clearly proclaiming that nothing has changed, and nearly thirty years after the fall of dictator Todor Zhivkov, Bulgarias social fabric remains in tatters. Some will admire the way Petrova refuses to let up, yet the films lack of nuance works against making a profound statement, and keeping Gana nearly catatonic until the very end robs the audience of any cathartic emotional response. The message is valid, despite being told many times throughout Eastern Europe in recent decades, but wallowing in unredeemed squalor with such a nonresponsive protagonist merely feels forced, and is an ineffective way of drawing attention to a despoiled legacy.

Its odd the director chose to shoot at least partly on 35mm (transferred to digital), since color correction turns everything to an undistinguished gray, in keeping with the mood of numbed misery. The camerawork is suitably gritty and closely observational.

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By Eduardo Simoes and Caroline Stauffer RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Armed robbers posing as police officers held a gun to the forehead of U.S. gold medal swimmer Ryan Lochte in a taxi hold-up in Rio de Janeiro after a party early on Sunday, Lochte said. Lochte told NBC's Today Show he was returning to the Olympic village from a party hosted by the French Games delegation, with swimming team mates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, when armed men carrying police badges pulled them over. The men told the swimmers to drop to the ground and demanded their money and belongings, but Lochte said he had initially refused to go to ground. "The guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, 'Get down,' and I put my hands up, I was like 'whatever'. He took our money, he took my wallet  he left my cell phone, he left my credentials," Lochte said. Security has been a major headache for organizers of South America's first Olympics. In addition to the swimmers, Swedish tourists were briefly abducted when they visited a slum, Portugal's visiting education minister was robbed at knife point, bullets flew into the equestrian center and a Games bus was attacked with stones. Lochte's mother said the swimmer was unharmed but shaken. "I think they're all shaken up. There were a few of them," Ileana Lochte told USA Today. "No, they were just, they just took their wallets and basically that was it." All four athletes are cooperating with authorities, U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky said. The International Olympic Committee had initially denied the robbery occurred. Fellow American swimmers Ryan Murphy and Nathan Adrian told reporters later that they felt security for the Games was adequate, despite the incident. "Rio is an amazing city. There are going to be problems anywhere you go and we've been briefed on how to mitigate those risks as best possible," Adrian told a news conference. (Reporting by Eduardo Simoes and Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Ossian Shine and Ed Osmond)
By Alan Baldwin RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Simone Manuel anchored the U.S. women's 4x100 metres medley relay team to the 1,000th gold medal in her country's summer Olympic history on Saturday, and the second of her career. Australia won the silver, with Cate Campbell touching out just 0.01 ahead of bronze medallists Denmark. The United States were the defending champions and Manuel's swim came about 40 minutes after she won silver in the 50 freestyle, an event she called a 'work in progress'. Had she won that, and she missed out by just 0.02, the landmark gold would have been hers alone but she was happy that was not the case. "It's really special and the fact that I could do it with the relay is amazing," said the 20-year-old, who leaves Rio with two golds and two silvers after winning the 100 freestyle in a dead-heat with Canada's Penny Oleksiak on Thursday. "Just sharing that with three other women is the icing on top of the cake ... all of them were pretty special." The relay win was the 23rd U.S. gold of the Rio Games and, according to the U.S. Olympic committee the 1,000th won by the country in summer competition since triple jumper James Connolly took the first in 1896. Dana Vollmer, who swam the third butterfly leg for the U.S., was the only one in the race line-up to have also been in the 2012 winning quartet. "This is an amazing group of girls," said Vollmer, who came back after taking two years off and having a baby son Arlen since London. "It was really a new group this time. "I think I needed a break, a new perspective, drive and motivation. I like challenges and goals like that. "To have people say that you no, can't come from two years off, having a baby and 16 months later get on the medal podium. I like having something to prove like that and something to chase." Olivia Smoliga, Katie Meili, Kelsi Worrell and Abbey Weitzeil also collected gold medals for swimming in the heats. Meili also won an individual 100 breaststroke bronze while Weitzeil won a 4x100 freestyle silver. Kathleen Baker was inside the backstroke world record after 50 metres, with Canada's Kylie Masse second, but had dropped to fourth at the handover to 100 breaststroke champion Lilly King with Denmark leading. King, racing against Russian Yulia Efimova, whose doping past she spoke out about earlier in the week, pulled back to second with the Russians in front. Vollmer, a bronze medallist in the 100 butterfly last Sunday, put the holders back ahead and handed over to Manuel, who powered to the finish. The United States also won the 4x200 freestyle relay on Wednesday, again beating Australia who had to settle for silver. "I didn't expect to come to this Olympics and get any medals," said Taylor McKeown, who swam the breaststroke leg for Australia. "So the fact that I'm walking away with the silver, I'm very happy. "And we beat Russia and China, so that's a win for the good guys." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by John O'Brien)
Manila (AFP) - Protests took place Sunday in Manila over Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's plans to honour the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos with a state burial.

About 2,000 people gathered in heavy rain to denounce Duterte's plans to move Marcos' remains from his northern hometown to the National Heroes' Cemetery in the capital, Manila, next month.

"We would be the laughing stock of the entire planet," Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of four members of parliament to attend the Manila rally, told AFP.

She called Marcos an "unrepentant enemy of our heroes".

Marcos's family have kept his preserved body on display after he died in exile in 1989 following a popular revolt three years earlier, demanding that it be buried with full honours in the Heroes' Cemetery.

Marcos was elected president in 1965 and declared martial law in 1972, allowing him to rule as a dictator while he, his family and allies enriched themselves through massive corruption and his troops brutally stamped out dissent.

But Duterte, who has styled himself as an anti-corruption crusader, defended Marcos, noting that his father had served in the Marcos cabinet and he himself had even voted for Marcos before.

Duterte has previously said that he won the May 9 elections partly with the support of the Marcos family who remain influential in their bailiwick in the northern Philippines.

A small protest was also staged by human rights victims outside Duterte's southern hometown of Davao city, where candles and flowers were placed outside the city hall, television reports said.

The protests Sunday were joined by Marcos-era victims of torture and imprisonment as well as relatives of victims of extrajudicial killings, which historians say claimed thousands of lives.

Protesters shed tears during the three-hour protest and organisers launched a signature campaign to try to reverse Duterte's decision.

"I was jailed when I was young. It's so hard to imagine that he will be buried in the Heroes' Cemetery," former Marcos prisoner Danny Tang told AFP.

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University of the Philippines Professor Ricardo Jose alleged that in order to win war medals for bravery, Marcos faked his service record in the anti-Japanese resistance when Japan occupied the country in World War II.

"There are World War II heroes buried there who sacrificed their lives.... But here's one guy who distorted things in his favour," Jose told AFP at the rally.

Duterte spokesman Martin Andanar told reporters Sunday that while the leader allowed protests against the burial plan, he "remains firm" it will be carried out.
Matisyahu made a Maui busker's day on Friday night (Aug. 12) at the Hollywood Palladium when he brought ukelele player and fan Clint "Kekoa" Alama on stage with him.

To recap: while in Hawaii for the annual MayJah RayJah Music Festival on July 29 and 30, reggae star Matisyahu happened into a Maui coffee shop where a guy was strumming away on his song "One Day." He started singing along with the busker only to realize that the local musician, who goes by the name Kekoa Alama, did not seem to know it was Matisyahu on vocals.

Matisyahu Talks Viral Coffee Shop Duet: 'I Didn't Want to Mess Up His Game'

Some 10 days later, Matisyahu worked to secure Alama's travel to Los Angeles for a surprise appearance. After gaining permission from Alama's probation officer -- the 27-year old busker had recently violated probation after convictions for assault and other charges -- and a local judge, he made it to L.A. in time for Matisyahu's set opening for 311.

The moment, caught on video by Matisyahu's bass player, producer and musical director Stu Brooks (watch below), elicited a swell of cheers from the Palladium crowd. Matisyahu announced Alama's arrival "with special permission from the judge," then launched into "One Day" trading verses. Alama, naturally, had his ukelele in hand, only breaking away to point his finger in the air.

How Matisyahu Beat a $50K Warrant to Bring Viral Street Performer to Hollywood

The song segued into Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry," after which Alama made his exit. But the night of surprise appearances was not over yet. An hour later, Matisyahu joined 311 for The Cure's "Love Song," which the rap-rock-reggae band famously covered in 2004.

Kekoa Alama live with Matisyahu.

Posted by Stu Brooks on Friday, August 12, 2016
MILWAUKEE (AP)  Simmering anger over the fatal shooting of a man by police erupted in violence on Milwaukees predominantly black north side, with protesters skirmishing with officers over several hours and setting fire to at least four businesses in an outburst the mayor says was fed by social media.

The uprising that broke out Saturday evening didnt subside until after midnight, after Mayor Tom Barrett and other city leaders appeared at a news conference to plead for calm. Police said three people were arrested, and one officer was hurt by a brick thrown into a squad car.

The triggering event came Saturday afternoon, when a man fleeing police after a traffic stop was shot and killed. Police said the man was armed, but it wasnt clear whether he was pointing the gun or aiming it at officers. Barrett said the man was hit twice, in the chest and arm.

Neither his race nor the officers was immediately released, nor were they identified.

The protesters were largely black, and Alderman Khalif Rainey  who represents the district  said early Sunday morning that the citys black residents are tired of living under this oppression.

This entire community has sat back and witnessed how Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has become the worst place to live for African-Americans in the entire country, Rainey said at the end of a news conference at which Barrett pleaded for calm. Now this is a warning cry. Where do we go from here? Where do we go as a community from here?

The state is investigating the shooting. The officer was wearing a body camera, Barrett said.

The mayor said the uprising was driven by social media messages instructing people to congregate in the area.

We have to have calm, Barrett said at the news conference. There are a lot of really good people who live in this neighborhood.

Milwaukee Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton echoed Barretts plea for help restoring order.

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We understand the frustration people feel with the police community nationally.  We have to go through the process of finding justice, but we have to be able to restore order to these neighborhoods, Hamilton said. Please participate in restoring order to these neighborhoods.

Barrett said the 23-year-old man who died was stopped by police for suspicious activity. Police said earlier that he was carrying a gun that had been stolen in a March burglary in suburban Waukesha.

This stop took place because two officers  saw suspicious activity, the mayor said. There were 23 rounds in that gun that that officer was staring at. I want to make sure we dont lose any police officers in this community, either.

As many as 100 protesters massed at 44th Street and Auer Avenue between 8 and 9 p.m., surging against a line of 20 to 30 officers. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that officers got in their cars to leave at one point and some in the crowd started smashing a squad cars windows. Another police car was set on fire. The newspaper reported that one of its reporters was shoved to the ground and punched.

Around 11 p.m., police with shields and helmets moved slowly into the intersection, telling a crowd of about 50 people to disperse. Some threw rocks and other debris at police, who held up their shields. People in the crowd also threw objects at a business a half-block from the intersection. A nearby traffic light was bent over and bus shelters overturned.

The businesses that burned included a BMO Harris bank branch, a BP gas station, an OReilly Auto Parts store and a beauty supply store. Firefighters held back from the gas station blaze because of gunshots.

Police said the man who was shot had an arrest record. The 24-year-old officer who shot the man has been placed on administrative duty. The officer has been with the Milwaukee department six years, three as an officer.

The shooting occurred just a few blocks from two fatal shootings Friday and Saturday, part of a violent stretch in the city in which five people died in shootings during a nine-hour stretch.

Assistant Chief Bill Jessup alluded to the violence in discussing the fatal shooting.

As everyone knows, this was a very, very violent 24 hours in the city of Milwaukee, Jessup told the Journal Sentinel. Our officers are out here taking risks on behalf of the community and making split-second decisions.

In December, the Justice Department announced it would work with Milwaukee police on reforms following the fatal shooting of a mentally ill black man in a confrontation with a white officer in 2014 at a downtown park. Chief Ed Flynn asked for whats known as a collaborative reform process after the federal government said it wouldnt pursue criminal civil rights charges against the officer in the death of Dontre Hamilton.

Critics said the department instead should have submitted to a patterns and practices review, as in Ferguson, Missouri, after the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black, by a white police officer in 2014.
- Andrea Iannone claimed his maiden MotoGP victory in the Austrian Grand Prix, giving Ducati their first win since 2010. Iannone started from pole at the Red Bull Ring circuit, and despite losing the lead temporarily to team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, hit the front again in the closing stages and held on with ease. Italian team Ducati had last tasted success when Casey Stoner won in Australia almost six years ago, but they were the fastest team all week as MotoGP returned to Austria for the first time since 1997. "It's an incredible feeling. It's very difficult to explain these emotions," said Iannone. "My first victory in this class with Ducati, with this incredible group. They support me from the beginning."

AFP
By Chris Prentice and Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City police searched on Sunday for a gunman who killed a Muslim cleric and his associate as they left prayers at a mosque in the borough of Queens on Saturday, sowing fear and sadness in their budding Bangladeshi community. Police had yet to establish a motive and said there was no evidence the men were targeted because of their faith, but nothing was being ruled out. Residents demanded authorities treat the brazen daylight shooting as a hate crime. The gunman approached the men from behind and shot both in the head at close range about 1:50 p.m. EDT in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, one of the city's five boroughs, police said in a statement. The victims, identified as Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, were wearing religious garb, police said. Police found them bleeding in the street and took them to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. "While we do not yet know the motivation for the murders of Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, we do know that our Muslim communities are in the perpetual crosshairs of bigotry," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. "Rest assured that our NYPD will bring this killer to justice." The men were attacked about two blocks from the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque where they had just left afternoon prayers. Ozone Park, a diverse, largely working-class area, is home to a growing number of Muslims of Bangladeshi heritage. Millat Uddin, 57, an Ozone Park resident who is not related to the imam's associate, said both men were born in Bangladesh. He said he was close to Akonjee, describing him as a "docile, calm" father of seven who was beloved in the neighborhood. "What matters most is harmless people have been shot dead, regardless of whether this was a hate crime," he said. "Our community's heart is broken." Akonjee was carrying $1,000 with him at the time of the attack but the money was not taken, The New York Times reported. "I have never felt this kind of tension," said Nizam Uddin, 57, a taxi driver who said he knew both the cleric and his associate. He also was not related to the associate. The shooting appeared to be the most violent attack against local Muslim leaders in recent years, said Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights and advocacy group. A report by CAIR and the University of California at Berkeley released in June said the number of recorded incidents in which mosques were targeted jumped to 78 in 2015, the most since the body began tracking them in 2009. Hooper said he could recall past incidents in which an imam was pushed, called names or otherwise harassed. "Things like that, but nothing of this nature, nothing where people were killed," he said. Police released a sketch of a male suspect with dark hair, a beard and glasses. Police described him as having a medium complexion. He appeared to be in his 30s or 40s. Witnesses told police they saw the assailant, dressed in a dark shirt and blue shorts, fleeing with a gun in his hand, police said. Surveillance footage showed the suspect tailing the victims. Mohammed Ahmed, 22, works at his father's corner store on traffic-filled Liberty Avenue just two blocks from the shooting. He said he heard the shots while he was at work. "It makes all the Muslims scared," he said. "Last time someone got shot in this neighborhood that I know of was probably 2001." (Writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by Howard Goller)
At his summon, Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azadi doonga thousands of young men relinquished the little comfort afforded by their enslaved country, submitted to the promise of a free nation, and formed an enormous armed force led by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. One of them was my Abbu. He was initiated in the love of his country by a man he held close to his heart as his ultimate leader, even when his memory failed him he never, for once, missed to remember and keep his beloved Netaji in his Dua.

Theyve pronounced him dead. But I know, its their conspiracy. One fine day he will show up, all stout, all spirited. He will reunite us, we will be one nation again. I often heard him murmur, there was hope in his inconsistent speech. Abbu dreamed of an undivided country, he could never bring himself to believe that the map he was once familiar with now ceases to exist, its been divided into three - three new nations, three new ways of life that has no bearing on each other apart from the mutual detestation that connects, if at all, the residents of these countries. After the partition, Abbu landed up in Bangladesh - the then East Pakistan- married a Bangladeshi woman and fathered children born as Bangladeshis. I could never comprehend why, despite his forced deracination from India, he proudly called himself an Indian till the end of his life.

Abbu was a namaazi, by far the truest and most abiding Muslim I have seen in my life. But he also belonged to that ilk of human race for whom the love of ones country was paramount  a love that binds the unrelated, a love that encourages strangers to come together  fight together, a love like none other known to mankind. As long as he lived, our neighbors in Bangladesh accused him of treachery toward his religion and country. But as much I, with my limited understanding have perceived of him, my Abbu, with his boundless patriotism was anything but a traitor. Renegade, as he often explained, were they who propagated the separation, traitors were they whose decisions based the displacement of hundreds of thousands of innocent families, and deceitful were they who supported the disunion in the name of religion, for they have the blood of their own countrymen on their hands.

While fighting for the liberation of Bangladesh, as a Mukti Bahini (what else do you expect out of a freedom fighters daughter) I met an Indian soldier, whom I eventually married. When I accompanied my husband to India, Abbu got unquestioned opportunities to frequent the land he revered so fondly. During one such visit, while narrating the old familiar stories to my twins, he fell asleep. The calm reflected on his face that night was like none I had seen on his face earlier -this was the glory of the contentedness he had finally found within. He was so much at peace, he chose not to wake up from his slumber. Though they named me a kafir when I decided better than sending his body to our relatives in Bangladesh, I am proud of my decision. He was a fighter who fought to bring freedom to India. He was born in India, and as his heart desired, he is buried in India. He rests in peace, in the freedom of this great country.

(This story was shared with Avantika Debnath. If you have a story worth sharing, please send it to Avantika_debnath@yahoo.in)
Kinshasa (AFP) - Nineteen people have been killed in clashes between police and militia in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said.

The dead included the leader of the militia group, Kamwina Nsapu, the governor of Kasai-Central province, Alex Kande, told public television late on Saturday.

He said Nsapu was among eight militia members killed in the fighting in the town of Tshimbulu on Friday. Eleven policemen also died, Kande said.

In recent weeks Nsapu has resolved to "rid Kasai-Central of the security forces, who have carried out all kinds of harassment against the population," the UN-backed Radio Okapi said, quoting local sources.

Kande said four other policemen were missing and about 40 militia members were captured including 17 children aged between five and 12.

Police also seized weapons and ammunition.

He said the fighting erupted "following an intervention by security forces who sought to protect and safeguard the peaceful citizens of Tshimbulu, before being "dangerously attacked by terrorists of leader Kamwina Nsapu".
UPDATED WITH LOCHTE STATEMENT BELOW Ryan Lochte and three other swimmers were robbed at gunpoint this morning in Rio de Janeiro. The swimmer, who was unharmed, confirmed the robbery during an off-air interview with NBC News Billy Bush. MSNBC broke into its usual programming to report the news at 9:35 am PT.

The confirmation to Todays Bush came after various and conflicting reports about the incident surfaced, with the IOC at first issuing denials.

We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over, Lochte told NBC. They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground  they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didnt do anything wrong, so  Im not getting down on the ground.

And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, get down and I put my hands up, I was like whatever. He took our money, he took my wallet  he left my cell phone, he left my credentials.

In a statement to NBC News, USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky confirmed that According to four members of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team (Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen and Ryan Lochte), they left France House early Sunday morning in a taxi headed for the Olympic Village. Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes money and other personal belongings. All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities.

Later on Sunday, Lochte posted an Instagram message thanking his supporters for their concern:

Instagram Photo

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The Olympic Villages leftover food will not go to waste  the plans are so inspiring

The Olympic Villages leftover food will not go to waste  the plans are so inspiring

If there was an Olympic gold medal for being a great humanitarian, then these top chefs serving Olympic athletes in Rio would win with flying colors. Top international culinary artists are serving leftover food from the Olympic Village to feed the poor, according to The Telegraph.

These chefs deserve a gold medal.

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Even though Olympic athletes, trainers and officials need all of the energy and food they can get, theres still a lot of leftovers that Italian chef Massimo Bottura and Brazilian chef David Hertz will not let go to waste.

The two culinary artists were inspired by Refettorio Ambrosiano, a project in Italy that brought 65 chefs together to cook meals using donated ingredients from the Milan World Expo, The Telegraph reports.

The Refettorio Ambrosiano site explains that Massimo Bottura has decided to create a six-month program that will involve bringing top chefs in the world to prepare dishes from excess and waste ingredients.

With the help of David Hertz, Mr. Bottura is able to put his program into gear at the Olympics in Rio. Theyve rounded up over 40 chefs from around the globe to help them with their project, Reuters reports. Both chefs are aiming to create 5,000 meals a day from the leftover food from the Olympic Village.

The top culinary artists taking part in this initiative are working with ingredients and foods that are about to be wasted.

Like ugly fruit and vegetables, or yogurt that is going to be wasted in two days if you dont buy it, David explained to the Thomas Reuters Foundation. We want to fight hunger and provide access to good food.

Reuters points out that between 30 and 40 percent of food produced around the world is never eaten due to spoiling after harvest and being damaged during transportation. Sometimes, its simply thrown away by consumers.

Brazilian chef David hopes this initiative continues in every city hosting the Olympics. He said he would like this to become a movement, not only to fight food waste and feed the hungry, but to provide training for future cooks, bakers and waiters.

Not all heroes wear capes, yall.

The post The Olympic Villages leftover food will not go to waste  the plans are so inspiring appeared first on HelloGiggles.
* Veteran has competed for Soviet Union, Germany, Uzbekistan * Organisers play farewell tribute, but she has other ideas By Mark Trevelyan RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Not content with seventh place at her seventh Olympics, Uzbek gymnast Oksana Chusovitina declared on Sunday she would be back to compete in Tokyo in 2020 at the age of 45. Minutes after taking part in the vault against gymnasts younger than her 17-year-old son Alisher, Chusovitina breezily announced she would keep going. "Of course I'm not entirely happy with today's performance, but what are you going to do? So we are going to move forward," she said. Over the course of an extraordinary career, the diminutive Chusovitina has competed for the Soviet Union, Germany - where she lived for a period while Alisher was receiving successful treatment for leukaemia - and Uzbekistan. Her first Olympic appearance was at Barcelona in 1992 where she won a team gold with the Unified Team of athletes from the former USSR. She flirted with the idea of retiring after each of the last two Games, but there was no hesitation when she was asked if she would be back in Tokyo for Olympics number eight. "Definitely," she replied. "I've already taken this decision... I just woke up in the morning and decided. "I'd like carry out an experiment to see how long it will take before I've had enough." Her gymnastics lifespan almost defies belief, as the next oldest competitor in Rio after her is 32-year-old Vasiliki Millousi from Greece. BILES TRIBUTE Vault winner Simone Biles of the United States paid tribute to her. "She's amazing. If there's one person that could do it, it is only her," said the American. Warmly greeted by the Rio crowd, Chusovitina began each of her two attempts by raising her right hand, then standing erect with her right foot outstretched to prepare her sprint for the springboard. On the first, she over-rotated her vault and crouched down on the landing before rolling over. On the second, she had to step slightly to the side to maintain her balance at the end. After the competition, in a special tribute that she described as a pleasant surprise, spectators were shown a short video of highlights from her long career. She bowed, waved and blew kisses to the crowd in what many must have assumed was her final Olympic appearance. Not so, said Chusovitina. And what does her son think of her decision to carry on? "He doesn't know yet," she said. (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Ken Ferris)
By Alan Baldwin RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Cate Campbell will leave Rio with some extra weight in her baggage and on her mind -- with the 'greatest choke in history' accompanying the Australian swimmer's gold and silver relay medals. Campbell, the 100 metres freestyle world record holder, arrived as a top tip for individual gold yet finished sixth in her strongest event. On Saturday, in the 50m freestyle, she finished fifth. "The world got to witness possibly the greatest choke in Olympic history a couple of nights ago," Campbell told Australia's Seven Network. Speaking to reporters, the older of the two Campbell sisters competing in Rio hinted at a possible injury but said now was not the time to talk about it. "I'm not here to make excuses. Everyone has injuries and setbacks and I'm not about to put anything in print just now," she said. "I want my results to stand for themselves and I want to be able to stand and take responsibility for my actions. There may be a few things coming out a little bit later but that is absolutely not relevant at the moment." Campbell said it had been a tough week in the Olympic pool, where Australia's wait for an individual women's gold continued unsatisfied despite 4x100m freestyle success. While Mack Horton and Kyle Chalmers won 400m and 100m freestyle golds respectively, the women failed to end a drought that has now extended to eight years. "It's been a tough week, there is no denying," said Campbell, after anchoring the Australian women to a final silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay with a last leg that pipped Denmark by just 0.01 of a second. "But I'm very proud of that swim. I executed exactly how I was supposed to do it two nights ago and came away with a very different result." Campbell said the 50m freestyle was a lottery and it just had not been her week, with her number not coming up, even though she had swum faster in Adelaide in April. Emma McKeon was Australia's most successful swimmer in Rio, walking away with a relay gold, two silvers and a bronze while the world champions and big guns like Cameron McEvoy failed to fire. "I probably wasn't expecting to come away with four," McKeon said. "Now that it's over, it's all a bit surreal. I feel like I don't know what I'm supposed to feel. Emotions are confused." (Editing by John O'Brien)
* U.S. win medley for 1,000th U.S. summer gold * Manuel takes her second victory in Rio * Australia second (Adds quotes) By Alan Baldwin RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Simone Manuel anchored the U.S. women's 4x100 metres medley relay team to the 1,000th gold medal in her country's summer Olympic history on Saturday, and the second of her career. Australia won the silver, with Cate Campbell touching out just 0.01 ahead of bronze medallists Denmark. The United States were the defending champions and Manuel's swim came about 40 minutes after she won silver in the 50 freestyle, an event she called a 'work in progress'. Had she won that, and she missed out by just 0.02, the landmark gold would have been hers alone but she was happy that was not the case. "It's really special and the fact that I could do it with the relay is amazing," said the 20-year-old, who leaves Rio with two golds and two silvers after winning the 100 freestyle in a dead-heat with Canada's Penny Oleksiak on Thursday. "Just sharing that with three other women is the icing on top of the cake ... all of them were pretty special." The relay win was the 23rd U.S. gold of the Rio Games and, according to the U.S. Olympic committee the 1,000th won by the country in summer competition since triple jumper James Connolly took the first in 1896. Dana Vollmer, who swam the third butterfly leg for the U.S., was the only one in the race line-up to have also been in the 2012 winning quartet. "This is an amazing group of girls," said Vollmer, who came back after taking two years off and having a baby son Arlen since London. "It was really a new group this time. "I think I needed a break, a new perspective, drive and motivation. I like challenges and goals like that. "To have people say that you no, can't come from two years off, having a baby and 16 months later get on the medal podium. I like having something to prove like that and something to chase." Olivia Smoliga, Katie Meili, Kelsi Worrell and Abbey Weitzeil also collected gold medals for swimming in the heats. Meili also won an individual 100 breaststroke bronze while Weitzeil won a 4x100 freestyle silver. Kathleen Baker was inside the backstroke world record after 50 metres, with Canada's Kylie Masse second, but had dropped to fourth at the handover to 100 breaststroke champion Lilly King with Denmark leading. King, racing against Russian Yulia Efimova, whose doping past she spoke out about earlier in the week, pulled back to second with the Russians in front. Vollmer, a bronze medallist in the 100 butterfly last Sunday, put the holders back ahead and handed over to Manuel, who powered to the finish. The United States also won the 4x200 freestyle relay on Wednesday, again beating Australia who had to settle for silver. "I didn't expect to come to this Olympics and get any medals," said Taylor McKeown, who swam the breaststroke leg for Australia. "So the fact that I'm walking away with the silver, I'm very happy. "And we beat Russia and China, so that's a win for the good guys." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by John O'Brien)
* Phelps ends Olympics career with 23rd gold * Murphy gave U.S. world record start * Britain's Peaty, Guy push U.S. all way * Australia finish third (Adds race details) By Mark Trevelyan RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The United States won the men's 4x100 metres medley relay on Saturday after Ryan Murphy had given them a world record start that propelled Michael Phelps to a 23rd gold medal in his final Olympic race. Britain took the silver medal and Australia bronze. Phelps, who swam the third butterfly leg, ends the most successful Olympic career of all time with 23 golds, three silver and two bronze. Murphy broke the world record for the 100 backstroke in the leadoff, clocking 51.85 seconds to eclipse the 51.94 that compatriot Aaron Peirsol swam in 2009. Britain's Olympic champion Adam Peaty then swam the breaststroke leg in a scorching 56.59 seconds to move his team up from sixth to first place, with Cody Miller touching second for the U.S. at half-way. A huge roar went up when Phelps hit the water for the butterfly and then caught and overhauled Britain's James Guy to hand a 0.41 second cushion to Nathan Adrian. After the race, Phelps raised his alarms aloft to acknowledge the cheers from the crowd, while fiancee Nicole wiped tears from her eyes as she cradled their baby, Boomer, in the crowd. The Americans finished in three minutes, 27.95 seconds, an Olympic record, to win by 1.29 seconds. The U.S. have won the event at every Olympics since 1960, except the 1980 Games in Moscow which they boycotted. (Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
Jerusalem (AFP) - A Palestinian stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier near Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Sunday and was arrested, a military spokesman said.

He said the attack took place at a checkpoint on a road near the Jewish settlement of Shaked when a Palestinian got out of his car and stabbed the soldier.

The assailant was arrested and the soldier was treated at the scene for his wounds, the spokesman said.

A wave of violence in the Palestinian territories and in Jerusalem since last October has resulted in the deaths of 219 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

While the number of attacks has declined in recent weeks, Palestinian fears of Israeli intentions to undermine Muslim control of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem were a key factor in the violence.

Earlier Sunday, hundreds of Jews visited the compound to mark Tisha B'av, a religious day of mourning, and several were expelled for praying, a right restricted to Muslims, police said.
Abu Qash (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - For Palestinians, summer is wedding season -- time for brides and grooms to celebrate. But for guests, who are expected to help cover the costs, it can mean financial misery.

The tradition of "naqout" encourages those invited to donate cash to help pay for the often lavish feasts.

They pick up an envelope, fill it with cash, usually sign it and place it in a box strategically placed at the entrance.

Technically the donations are voluntary, but hosts take a dim view of those failing to meet expectations.

Some Palestinians see the tradition as a way to share the costs of important community events. But others say the social pressure to contribute pushes them into dire financial straights.

Murad Shriteh, 46, from near the West Bank city of Ramallah, said he feels swamped after being invited to more than one wedding a week.

He spent $400, nearly half his monthly salary, in just two weeks of weddings, he told AFP at a wedding party in the West Bank town of Birzeit.

"I have already received several invitations for the rest of August, but I think I will refuse a few," he said.

The West Bank sees more than 25,000 weddings a year, according to Palestinian statistics.

Social pressures and tradition mean that most are extravagant celebrations, with much of the community invited.

They tend to involve mountains of food, live music and a photographer. The most lavish celebrations even offer each guest a traditional Palestinian scarf or a rosary.

A wedding can cost up to $30,000, while even a poor family may shell out $10,000.

- Sharing the burden -

That's a major in expense in the West Bank, where more than a quarter of people live under the poverty line after nearly 50 years of Israeli occupation.

The costs come out of the pockets of the family -- traditionally the father of the bride. Naqout is a way of sharing the burden.

Khaled Abdallah, 50, recently celebrated his son's marriage in a village near Ramallah in the West Bank.

Story continues

He splashed out $10,000 on the big day, but recouped the entire amount in donations. For him it was payback for decades of paying for other peoples weddings.

"The naqout endures because it is a part of solidarity," he said.

Some see their donations as investments, expecting similar sums in return when one of their family marries.

"It is a form of social security," said Majdi al-Malki, a professor of social sciences at the Birzeit University near Ramallah. "It is presented as a gift, but it is actually a practical and useful way to share the costs of marriage."

He said the tradition is a legacy of ancient Palestinian tribal society.

At some weddings, donations are even exposed for all to see: the cash is triumphantly hung around the neck of the groom in the midst of the guests.

"It's a way to show pride, to show off the size of the donations" and to thank donors, Malki said.

But it doesn't always work like that. One father who recently paid for a wedding said some guests had left empty, unmarked envelopes.

"Thanks to video recordings, I could work out who they were," he told AFP, speaking anonymously.

"When their relatives get married, I won't forget it."
Ivanka Trump is taking a break from the campaign trail to vacation with friends.



The daughter of GOP nominee Donald Trump shared a scenic snap with Wendi Deng Murdoch, the ex-wife of billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, from Dubrovnik, Croatia.



Trump, 34, was spotted with husband Jared Kushner in the city's old town, seemingly taking a couple's vacation without their three children  Arabella, 5, Joseph, 2, and Theodore, 4 months.



Deng Murdoch was actually responsible for setting up Trump and Kushner.







"Everything she has is available to her friends, which, believe me, is not common," Trump told Vogue earlier this summer of her friend. "There's nothing that doesn't interest her, and she can hit five topics in a 35-second conversation. It's really a whirlwind with Wendi. I can't recall the last time I had a conversation with her that didn't conclude with her connecting me to four people who might become great friends or great business opportunities."





WATCH: Ivanka Trump Shares Sweet Snap of New Son Theodore James!





Trump donned a casual look for the day of sightseeing, pairing a white blouse with cut-outs that revealed a white bikini underneath with matching shorts. Both women wore funky sunglasses to complete their looks.









Trump's vacation comes less than a month after introducing her father at the Republican National Convention and the GOP presidential nominee teasing that his daughter would be the first woman he'd name to his cabinet.



"My role is daughter," Trump told Harper's Bazaar in the magazine's September issue. "I'm his daughter."



And really, the mom of three isn't all that interested in a political career, she told the magazine.



"I made the mistake of once saying, 'Never say never,' " she shared. "I do believe that in life there are so many things I'm doing today that I never thought I'd be doing, so I generally take that perspective. But I said that, and the headline was 'IVANKA MIGHT RUN FOR OFFICE,' soa But, no, it's not something I think I would ever do."
Payments Ecosystem

The way we pay is changing dramatically. For example, people are beginning to use their smartphones for every kind of formal and informal transaction  to shop at stores, buy songs online, and even split their rent.

At the heart of these changes in how we pay are thousands of companies competing and collaborating to facilitate transactions.

To understand why the payments industry has faced so much disruption in such a short time, there's just one key thing to understand: Payments is about transferring information from one party to another, and nearly every stakeholder in the industry benefits when that process runs on digital rails.

But payments is also an extremely complex industry that few fully understand.

In BI Intelligence's 2016 Payments Ecosystem report, we make it simple, explaining how it works, who the key players are, and where it's headed.

In this latest edition of the report, BI Intelligence drills even further into the industry to explain how a broad range of transactions are processed, including prepaid and store cards, as well as revealing which types of companies are in the best and worst position to capitalize on the latest industry trends.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:



2016 will be a watershed year for the payments industry. Payments companies are improving security, expanding their mobile offerings, and building commerce capabilities that will give consumers a more compelling reason to make purchases using digital devices.

Payments is an extremely complex industry. To understand the next big digital opportunity lies, it's critical to understand how the traditional credit- and debit-processing chain works and what roles acquirers, processors, issuing banks, card networks, independent sales organizations, gateways, and software and hardware providers play.

Alternative technologies could disrupt the processing ecosystem. Devices ranging from refrigerators to smartwatches now feature payment capabilities, which will spur changes in consumer payment behaviors. Likewise, blockchain technology, the protocol that underlies Bitcoin, could one day change how consumer card payments are verified.

Story continues

In full, the report:



Uncovers the key themes and trends affecting the payments industry in 2016 and beyond.

Gives a detailed description of the stakeholders involved in a payment transaction, along with hardware and software providers.

Offers diagrams and infographics explaining how card transactions are processed and which players are involved in each step.

Provides charts on our latest forecasts, key company growth, survey results, and more.

Analyzes the alternative technologies, including blockchain, which could further disrupt the ecosystem.

The Payments Ecosystem Report: Everything You Need to Know About The Next Era of Payment Processing is the only place you can get the full story on the rapidly-evolving world of payments.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide to the payments industry, choose one of these options:

BEST VALUE: Join our BI Intelligence INSIGHTS service level and gain immediate access to this report PLUS much more. >> START A MEMBERSHIP Purchase the report and download it immediately from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORT





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Lima (AFP) - Some 50,000 people marched Saturday in Peru's capital and other cities, police said, to protest rampant violence against women in a highly conservative society.

The country recorded 95 murders of women last year. An additional 54 have taken place this year, together with 118 attempts, according to official figures.

Roughly a third of the victims had complained about their aggressors before the attacks, a government human rights unit says.

One woman was disfigured when her husband threw a brick at her in recent days, while others were savagely beaten by their partners.

Shirley Pajuelo's husband, the father of their six children, threw a brick that hit her eye because he said the meal she had served had too much garlic.

Another three women died last week in Peru from domestic violence.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski joined thousands of demonstrators in Lima marching in support of the "Ni una menos" (Not One Less) movement. They held banners and posters condemning gender violence and gender-based killings.

Peru ranks third in the world -- behind just Bangladesh and Ethiopia -- in the number of women aged 15 to 49 who are victims of domestic sexual violence, according to the World Health Organization.

Kuczynski urged Peruvians on Twitter to "reject all acts of inequality and masochistic violence."

Seventy-four percent of people in Lima consider Peruvian society to be masochistic, according to polls released Saturday, which also found that 53 percent said a woman dressed in a mini-skirt is responsible if she gets raped.
Anglade (France) (AFP) - The sight of a large, lumbering horse pulling a plough through a vineyard may seem like a time warp, but hundreds of French winegrowers have returned to the centuries-old practice.

"It's a picture postcard image," said oenologist Gilles de Revel, adding that the renaissance took off about 10 years ago with many vineyards looking to burnish their brands.

Using draught horses is a "strong new trend along with organic winegrowing", said De Revel, the dean of the oenology faculty at the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences at the University of Bordeaux.

But one Bordeaux vintner, Dominique Leandre-Chevalier, "was really a pioneer" in the revival, De Revel said, noting that he reintroduced horses soon after inheriting his father's vineyard back in 1985.

The vineyard and its Chateau Le Queyroux dates to 1895, a time when all winegrowers were still using horses as they had since the 16th century.

It lies by the Gironde River estuary near the town of Anglade, across from the renowned Medoc region, and includes land on Patiras island in the middle of the waterway -- his horses are loaded onto a barge to reach the spit.

After his father died in an accident at the winery, Leandre-Chevalier decided to revive the old tradition, or as he told AFP, "to reappropriate my ancestors' know-how".

The main advantage is that horses have a much lighter "footprint" than tractors, so they compact the ground much less.

"There's not a lot of science in it," said De Revel. "There's less compacting, so that the soil is allowed to breathe."

Leandre-Chevalier, 53, concentrates his efforts on three hectares (7.5 acres) of land, just a quarter of the original family estate.

- 'A horse won't break down' -

He also decided to concentrate his vines, replanting them at 10 times the density -- fitting in up to 33,000 plants per hectare compared with 3,500 previously.

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Many grand crus have densities of around 11,000 plants per hectare.

"It's what was done in past centuries, with few clusters on each plant, just two or three -- to conserve the stock's energy," says Leandre-Chevalier, who produces 66,000 bottles of red, white and rose wines a year.

While he set about replanting vines, he devised an original -- and picturesque -- layout for one plot: concentric circles.

Hundreds of other French winegrowers, in Bordeaux as well as Burgundy and the Loire Valley, have embraced draught horses, using them for some or all of their ploughing.

In the Loire winegrowing region of Chinon, British vintner Fiona Beeston hires a mare named Isis to plough her Clos des Capucins vineyard, two plots totalling a little less than three hectares that she bought in 2010 and 2012.

The tranquility of using a horse instead of a tractor "was a real discovery for me," she told AFP by telephone.

Behind the plough, "you are a long way off from the horse's ears... but all you have to do is whisper 'a gauche, un pas arriere' (to the left, one step back), and she hears it all and does it instantly and with tremendous gentleness."

The 60-year-old winegrower said that apart from the problem of compacted soil, tractors hurt the vines' roots with their vibrations, shortening the life of the plants.

"And the horse doesn't break down," she added with a laugh.

Even some grand crus have embraced horses at least for part of their domains, including the Chateau Latour in Pauillac, across the estuary from Leandre-Chevalier's operation.

In another nod to the past, Leandre-Chevalier uses the petit verdot grape -- which predates the 19th-century phylloxera plague that wiped out vast swathes of France's viticulture -- in some of his reds.

A bit of a rebel, Leandre-Chevalier says he is more concerned with creating wines "of character" than meeting the criteria required for certification as a "controlled designation of origin" (AOC).

While four of his wines do boast the coveted distinction, his best go to market as humble Vins de France -- table wines -- with cheeky names such as 100% Provocateur and L'Homme Cheval (The Horse Man).

Leandre-Chevalier's main claim to fame as a pioneer in the modern use of draught horses coincidentally resonates with his very name, which contains the root words for man and horse.
President Barack Obama engaged in a war of words with Republicans last week over allegations that he had secretly paid $400 million in ransom to Iran earlier this year to obtain the release of four Americans, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian.



Obama got the better of the argument. But the controversy was a reminder that a year after Iran entered into an agreement to dismantle much of its nuclear infrastructure  an agreement it has honored  resistance to the agreement is still strong in Washington. That is dismaying because the deal remains the best way to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and provoking a regional nuclear arms race.



The Republican cries of "ransom" were prompted by a belated report in the Wall Street Journal that the U.S. sent "wooden pallets stacked with Euros, Swiss francs and other currencies" to Iran by cargo plane in January at the same time the Americans were freed. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said the cash payment was "another chapter in the ongoing saga of misleading the American people to sell this dangerous nuclear deal."



At a news conference Thursday, an exasperated Obama disputed the allegations of ransom, noting that the $400 million payment was part of the settlement of a decades-old claim by Iran growing out of a failed arms deal. The settlement  though not the dramatic form of payment  was disclosed by the White House in January. As for the timing, Obama said it wasn't surprising that various negotiations with Iran would be concluded at the same time.



Obama then suggested that the same people who were involved in what he called the "manufacturing of outrage" over the cash payment had earlier predicted that the nuclear agreement would fail  and that both positions were grounded in politics.



He might also have added that some opponents of the nuclear agreement  Democrats as well as Republicans  continue to push for measures that would undermine the deal. For example, amendments approved by the Republican-controlled House seek to block the sale of Boeing passenger jets to Iran, even though the nuclear agreement says explicitly that he U.S. "will allow for the sale of commercial passenger aircraft and related parts and services to Iran."



Granted, Iran has itself to blame for much of the distrust it engenders in Washington. Obama has credited Iran for adhering to the nuclear agreement, but he also has criticized it for its "destabilizing behavior elsewhere, including its threats against Israel and our Gulf partners, and its support for violent proxies in places like Syria and Yemen." But that record only underscores the importance of keeping Iran from developing nuclear weapons.



The agreement that just celebrated its first anniversary remains the best way to accomplish that objective.



This editorial appeared on the Los Angeles Times and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




Rome (AFP) - In a sign of how good a summer it has been in Italy, coastguards are threatening holidaymakers with fines for bagging beach spots by parking deckchairs and towels overnight.

From Sicily to Venice, the "no-vacancies" signs are up and sunlounger spaces are thin on the sand as the country's holiday resorts operate at full capacity in the busiest week of the year.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi must wish the same could be said for the rest of his country's flagging economy.

Weighed down by sluggish domestic demand and a bad debt-laden banking sector's inability to finance investment, the eurozone's third biggest economy ground to a standstill in the second quarter of 2016.

That was bad news for Renzi, who has staked his political future on a constitutional reform referendum scheduled for November and has to produce a 2017 budget by mid-October.

The 41-year-old former mayor of Florence admitted last week it was a mistake to make the referendum personal, by vowing to quit if voters reject his proposed reforms of parliament and the electoral system.

The vote is shaping up as a referendum on Renzi's two and a half years in office and polls suggest it will be a close-run thing.

- The 'maximum possible' -

Analysts say Renzi needs a budget that will get voters back on side and his ministers began outlining his plans this weekend.

Economic Development Minister Carlo Calenda indicated Rome plans to ignore EU guidance on the country's budget deficit by unveiling an expansionary package.

Data published on Friday showed the Italian economy failed to grow between the first and second quarters of this year.

That means the government will now have to reduce forecasts of growth of 1.2 percent for this year and 1.4 percent in 2017, with knock-on effects on its deficit reduction plans.

"I can't hide the fact that the room for manoeuvre is tight," Calenda said, revealing talks with Brussels on how to stimulate investment were already under way.

Story continues

Calenda implied the 2017 budget deficit will be allowed to run higher than previously planned, possibly up to the three percent of GDP ceiling enshrined in the eurozone's rules.

The Commission has set Italy a deficit target of 1.8 percent for 2017 - an adjustment it says is necessary to reverse the upward trend in the country's huge debt, which hit a record of just under 2.25 trillion euros ($2.51 trillion) in June.

"We have already obtained a lot of flexibility. We intend to ask for more, the maximum possible, but always within the rules," Calenda said.

- 'Better devil you know' -

Renzi has already floated elements of a possible reflationary package.

These include pension increases for the poorest pensioners and an anti-poverty programme funded from the 500 million euros of annual savings projected to arise from one of the cornerstones of constitutional reform: the abolition of the lavishly financed Senate.

Infrastructure minister Graziano Delrio said Sunday the government is planning to hit the ground running in September by initiating, restarting or refinancing a string of major public works.

The plans include an acceleration of the construction of a new Brenner rail tunnel between Italy and Austria, linking Genoa's port to the high-speed rail network and a cross country high-speed train link between Naples and Bari, as well as several motorway projects.

Economic daily Il Sole 24 Ore said the envisaged measures would have a short-term cost of four billion euros.

Renzi has also mooted bringing forward income-tax cuts planned for 2018 to next year in a bid to appease voters frustrated by years of falling real incomes.

A senior EU official familiar with Italy's negotiations told AFP that Renzi would be able to twist arms in Brussels because of concern about the implications of him possibly losing the referendum and acting on his pledge to step down.

"Better the devil you know! If Renzi goes, who knows who will replace him," the official said on condition of anonymity.

A Renzi departure would be expected to lead to early elections which, current polls suggest, could be topped by the populist and increasingly popular Five Star Movement.

The movement founded by comedian Beppe Grillo officially supports a referendum on an 'Italexit' from the eurozone. Although it has played down that commitment of late, the prospect of it coming to power would send fresh shockwaves across Europe after the Brexit vote.
Princess Kate just shared a powerful message about her children

Princess Kate just shared a powerful message about her children

As though we needed even more reasons to love her, the Duchess of Cambridge, aka Kate Middleton, just shared an important message about her children  and all children, really. She said she and Prince William wouldnt hesitate if their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, needed help with their mental health.

Wishing a very happy 3rd birthday to Prince George today! Head over to @KensingtonRoyal for more photos of Prince George, shared by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on his birthday. A photo posted by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Jul 22, 2016 at 1:36am PDT

She hopes other parents will feel the same way, too.

With the right help, children have a good chance of overcoming their issues while they are still young, and can have the bright future they deserve, the Duchess said.

The Duke and Duchess are very happy to be able to share these important family moments, ahead of their daughter's first birthday. A photo posted by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on May 1, 2016 at 3:04am PDT

The Duchess is speaking out now because shes launching a series of podcasts with the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families to help parents understand and manage mental health. Each 20-minute episode of the series, called Child in Mind, will cover a topic and feature an expert, as well as a parent or young person.

One in three adults still say they would be embarrassed to seek help for their childs mental health, Kate said. No parent would fail to call the doctor if their child developed a fever, yet some children are tackling tough times without the support that can help them because the adults in their life are scared to ask. It doesnt need to be like this.

Awww. The Duchess is so right.

Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge At America's Cup World Series

Throughout my work with family and child support organizations, one thing that has stood out to me time and again is that getting early support for a child who is struggling to cope is the best possible thing we can do to help our children as they grow up, Kate said. Knowing this, both William and I feel very strongly that we wouldnt hesitate to get expert support for George and Charlotte if they need it.

Of course, ICYMI, The Royal Family is no stranger to advocating for mental health among young people. Earlier this year, Princess Kate, Prince William, and Prince Harry formed Heads Together, a charitable organization to support mental health and help eliminate the stigma associated with it.

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The Duchess of Cambridge does boxercise at the #HeadsTogether launch event Mind charity - one of the 7 #HeadsTogether charities - is promoting the benefits of physical activity for mental wellbeing. A video posted by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on May 16, 2016 at 3:34am PDT

Big ups to Kate for the new podcasts now, and we hope everyone tunes into Child in Mind. The first episode focuses on childhood anxiety, and you can find the episodes on the Anna Freud National Centres iTunes channel as well as SoundCloud.

Please do listen, and share them with your friends and family and lets change the way we all talk to each other about our mental health, said the Duchess.

We cant say no to the Duchess, right?!

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Emergency crews worked through the night to rescue scores of south Louisiana residents from homes and stranded cars as deadly flooding continued to inundate large swaths of the region Sunday, three days after rain-swollen water levels began rapidly rising.

From the air homes in southwest Louisiana looked more like little islands surrounded by flooded fields. Farmland was covered, streets descended into impassable pools of water, shopping centers were inundated with only roofs of cars peeking above the water.

From the ground it was just as catastrophic. Drivers tried to navigate treacherous roads where the water lapped at the side or covered the asphalt in a running stream. Abandoned cars were pushed to the side of the road, lawn furniture and childrens toys floating through the waters.

And in many places, the water was still rising.

Mike Steele, spokesman for the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said there was an overnight spike in flood rescues in the eastern part of Baton Rouge. Two nursing homes were being evacuated.

Police were rescuing people from cars stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12, which was closed from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa Parish.

One of those motorists was Alex Cobb of Baton Rouge, who has been stuck since around 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

Reached by telephone Sunday, she said she was on her way to a bridal shower she was supposed to host Saturday when flooding closed off the highway.

She said she had food intended for the bridal shower and a produce truck about a  mile up the road shared its stock with drivers.

They opened up their truck and started giving out fruits and vegetables to people, she said.

Cobb said some of the people stranded were actually fleeing flooding in their homes when they got caught on the freeway. Nearby her were a pregnant woman and an 80-year-old woman.

People are surprisingly upbeat. I dont know how long that is going to last because its getting kind of hot, she said. We just want water.

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Steele said the flooding that started Friday has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 homes in Livingston Parish, and hundreds more in other areas, including St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

It never slowed down last night, Steele said Sunday morning. For the last few hours, there has been just as much activity as at any point.

At least three deaths have been blamed on the flooding. One person is missing.

Louisiana Nation Guard alone had rescued more than 3,000 people as of midnight, and that number was bound to rise Sunday, Steele said.

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.

The governor toured flood-ravaged areas by helicopter Saturday and warned Louisiana residents it would be too risky to venture out even after the rains start to subside.

One of the worries, the governor said, is that as the rain lessens people will become complacent and feel too at ease in areas where waters may still be rising for several days, getting in cars in areas that could still be dangerous.

Im still asking people to be patient. Dont get out and sightsee, Edwards said.

In one dramatic rescue Saturday, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car almost completely underwater, according to video by WAFB. The woman, whos 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 OK.

In Baker, just north of Baton Rouge, residents were rescued by boats or waded through waist-deep, 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 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.

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.

Forecasters expected a turn to the north Sunday by the system, warning 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.

As floodwaters swallowed Lyn Gibsons two-story home in Louisianas Tangipahoa Parish, 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 and was eventually rescued by National Guard soldiers on a boat.

I just kept picking and hitting and prying until I could get a hole big enough, the slightly built, 115-pound woman said.
By Harry Pearl SYDNEY (Reuters) - A human rights group on Sunday said two refugees being held at a Papua New Guinea detention center were bashed by locals, fuelling criticism of Australia's tough offshore detention rules for asylum seekers. Lobby group Get Up released photos of the two men, showing them with bloodied faces and bodies, after they were allegedly attacked by Manus Island locals while returning to the Australian-funded detention center after day release on Wednesday. Almost 900 asylum seekers are held on Manus despite Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court ruling three months ago that their detention was illegal. Australia and Papua New Guinea have been fighting a legal battle since, each claiming the other has responsibility for resettling the men. Under Australia's hardline immigration policy, anyone intercepted trying to reach the country by boat is sent for processing to camps on Manus or Nauru in the South Pacific. They are never eligible to be resettled in Australia. Human rights advocates say tensions are rising as many in Papua New Guinea do not want the asylum seekers in their community after the anticipated closure of the center, which has a history of violent protests and self-harm by detainees. Daniel Webb, a lawyer with the Human Rights Law Centre, said he witnessed the aftermath of the alleged attack in Lorengau and spoke with the men, Afghan Hazaras who have refugee status, two days later. "As they were walking back to get the bus to the detention center they were surrounded by a group of seven locals, who abused them, robbed them and beat them," Webb told Reuters. "One of the locals had an iron bar and was hitting them over the head. The assault ended when another Papua New Guinean man intervened." Photographer Matthew Abbott said one of the men collapsed after walking to a nearby police station. A spokeswoman for Australia's Department of Immigration said the men suffered cuts and bruises and were taken to a local hospital before being returned to the detention center. PNG Police charged two men in relation to the assault, the spokeswoman said. PNG authorities could not immediately be reached for comment. Australia's offshore detention program has increasingly come under the spotlight. Leaked documents published by The Guardian Australia earlier this week detailed more than 2,000 incidents, including sexual abuse, assault and attempted self-harm, reported in the Nauru center over the past two years. A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday the situation at the centers on both Nauru and Manus was becoming "increasingly dire and untenable." (Editing by Jane Wardell and Richard Pullin)
South Korea's military will greatly increase the number of Hyunmoo missiles in its inventory to better counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats, sources said Sunday.



Government insiders said the military is devising a plan to simultaneously take out missile bases all across North Korea in times of crisis.



"To accomplish this, the South needs more ballistic missiles at its disposal," said an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.



He said that procuring more Hyunmoo 2A and 2B short range ballistic missiles that have maximum ranges of 300 kilometers and 500 km, respectively, and the 1,000 km Hyunmoo 3 cruise missiles can help Seoul "neutralize" Pyongyang's missile threat. South Korean missiles generally have shorter range, but they are much more accurate than their North Korean counterparts.



The remarks indicate that Seoul is aware that the North may launch its missiles all at once against the South if it starts another war, and of the need to destroy them before they get airborne if it has advance intelligence of a pending attack. The communist country is known to have some 1,000 missiles it can unleash at once.



This pre-emptive strike capability, coupled with South Korea's plan to build a Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) and "kill chain" to detect, identify and intercept incoming missiles, should allow the South to counter the North's asymmetrical threats coming from its weapons of mass destruction.



This "triple defense posture" was first mentioned by Defense Minister Han Min-koo on July 11. In a question raised by an opposition lawmaker, the minister said that Seoul is moving forward with its plan and that it has made considerable headway.



South Korea's military has identified three belts of North Korean missiles, with the first belt located some 50-90 km north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). This belt has 500-600 Scud missiles that have ranges of 300-700 km. It said the North has some 40 transporter erector launchers (TEL) in this belt. TELs allow missiles to be moved about much more easily, making them hard to detect and destroy.



In the second belt lying 90-120 km north of the DMZ, Pyongyang is known to have placed 200-300 Rodong medium-range missiles with a range of around 1,300 km with 30 TELs.



In the third belt lying deeper inside the country, the North may have 30-50 Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles and 30 TELs, with the latest reports indicating the deployment of the North's KN-08 long-range missiles. The IRBMs could reach U.S. bases in the Pacific, such as in Guam. The North has fired off six Musudan missiles so far, with only one being viewed as partially successful. (Yonhap)




Bangladeshi and Indian rescuers pulled two Indian fishermen alive Sunday from the Bay of Bengal one day after their trawler capsized, but 10 others were still missing, officials said.

Five bodies have also been recovered, as naval and coast guard rescuers search an area just south of the huge Sundarbans mangrove forest that straddles both countries.

"So far two fishermen were rescued alive and we recovered five bodies," Tapushi Rabeya, a Bangladesh defence ministry spokesperson, told AFP.

The trawler sent out a distress signal in rough seas on Saturday, some 40 nautical miles (70 kilometres) south of Hiron Point, a docking station in the Sundarbans.

Rescuers have located the sunken boat but efforts to find the fishermen were being hampered by continuing bad weather.

Two Bangladesh naval ships, three coast guard speedboats and a maritime patrol plane have been deployed in the search.

"Indian coastguards and patrol aircraft have also joined us in the rescue mission," a senior naval officer told AFP.

"The sunken vessel has been located and the Bangladeshi and Indian rescue teams were trying to salvage it. But the rescue efforts have been hampered by very rough seas," he said.

The Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest and the Hiron docking station is popular with both fishermen and tourists.
(Repeats article published late Friday. No changes to text.)

* Indonesia leans towards spectrum-sharing - officials

* Operators to be compensated for past investment

* Telecoms industry grew 14.5 pct to $14 bln - IDC

* Telcos looking to expand outside Java

By Eveline Danubrata and Cindy Silviana

JAKARTA, Aug 12 (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 liberalise 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 clamoured 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)

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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 liberalisation.

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)
Moscow (AFP) - Six long-range bombers from Russia on Sunday destroyed Islamic State group weapon stores around the jihadist stronghold of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, the defence ministry in Moscow said.

The ministry said in a statement that the Russian Tupolev bombers carried out raids to the southwest, east and northeast of the city, wiping out two command posts, six arms depots, IS vehicles and "a large number of fighters".

IS controls large parts of Deir Ezzor city and most of oil-rich Deir Ezzor province in the east of the country, and has battled Syrian regime forces for control of a key military airbase there.

Russia has been flying a bombing campaign in support of long-time ally President Bashar Al-Assad since September that has helped shore up the strongman's crumbling forces.

IS militants were on Friday forced out of the city of Manbij near the Turkish border by a US-backed Arab-Kurdish alliance in a blow the Pentagon said showed the extremists were "on the ropes".

Russian-backed government forces are also battling other rebels groups in fierce fighting for the country's second city of Aleppo, a fortnight on from the launch of a major rebel offensive.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz returned home on Sunday after a month-long holiday in Morocco, and ordered a month's extra pay for Saudi military and security personnel actively involved in military operations in Yemen, state news agency SPA said. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef had been left to manage the kingdom's affairs in the king's absence. Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of Arab states backing Yemeni forces loyal to the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi who are trying to oust Iran-allied Houthi forces who control Yemen's capital Sanaa. Hadi is currently in exile in Saudi Arabia, while his forces, backed by the coalition, are waging an offensive to try to recapture Sanaa from the Houthis and troops loyal to their ally, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. SPA said King Salman flew back from Tangier in Morocco to the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where the government of the world's top oil exporter usually moves in the summer to escape the scorching heat of the capital Riyadh. Referring to the two stages of the military campaign in Yemen that began in March 2015, the agency said that King Salman ordered a month's salary for staff in the Defence Ministry, the Interior Ministry and the National Guard who are "actual participants in the front line of the Decisive Storm and Restoring Hope" operations. (Reporting by Mostafa Hashem; Writing by Reem Shamseddine; Editing by Sami Aboudi, Greg Mahlich)
Hurricane Sandy From Space

We're moving into the peak of a hurricane season that could be the strongest since 2012, the year Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration now expects a higher likelihood of a near-normal or above-normal hurricane season.

"We've raised the numbers because some conditions now in place are indicative of a more active hurricane season," says Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAAs Climate Prediction Center.

The NOAA reports a 70% chance of 12 to 17 named storms, of which five to eight are expected to become hurricanes, including two to four major hurricanes.

This is an increase from the NOAA's May outlook, which called for 10 to 16 named storms, of which four to eight were expected to become hurricanes, including one to four major hurricanes.

While a difference of one predicted major hurricane may not seem significant, as Hurricane Sandy proved, one major storm can take a catastrophic toll on life and property.

As the NOAA estimated in 2013, the death count from Hurricane Sandy totaled 147 direct deaths, and the storm damaged or destroyed at least 650,000 houses and left approximately 8.5 million customers without power during the storm and its wake.

Since Hurricane Sandy, the past few hurricane seasons in the Atlantic have been considered "below normal."

So far we've seen a number of tropical storms named, including Bonnie in South Carolina, Colin in western Florida, Danielle in eastern Mexico, and Earl in Belize and Mexico:

2016 storms so far

NOW WATCH: These futuristic beach homes were inspired by the devastating power of hurricanes





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Paying for NK fishing rights to violate UN rule



China is obligated to clarify whether it has paid North Korea millions of dollars for fishing rights in the West and East Sea, because if they had it could be a flagrant violation of an important United Nations resolution.



The government recently confirmed that the North received about 82 billion won ($74 million) from Beijing in return for allowing Chinese fishing boats to catch fish in their territorial waters.



Last month, the National Intelligence Service, the nation's spy agency, disclosed that about $30 million was handed over to Pyongyang for allowing China to fish in the West Sea alone. At that time, it was seen purely as an issue of the Chinese wiping out fishing resources, such as crabs, as their armada illegally crossed the border southward. This time an immediate concern appears to be the depletion of squid in the East Sea.



This issue about fishing resources is important and should be dealt with between Seoul and Beijing but requiring equal attention, if not more, is whether the transfer of money by Beijing to Pyongyang in this transaction violates UN Resolution 2270.



This resolution is seen to be the toughest-ever against North Korea slapped on it early this year after the rogue state conducted a nuclear test and followed it with a long-range missile test. It was passed with the consensus of five veto-wielding permanent members of the United Nations Security Council including China and Russia, the two old ideological allies of the North, along with the United States, the United Kingdom and France.



It basically forces U.N. members to ban imports and exports to and from the North that may help the North in its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs and allows them to conduct inspections into freighters that are suspected of carrying related materials. China, which accounted for much of the North's outside trade, fought to exempt fuels for civilian use from the embargo list.



The latest U.N. resolution is aimed at preventing the North from continuing on its dangerous path toward miniaturizing nuclear payloads on a more reliable delivery system with a longer range.



Buying fishing rights from the North may not be included in the "no-no" list but it would and should be a different matter, if the proceeds are being used to supplement the North's shortage of hard currency  pivotal to securing parts and materials for its WMD programs.



For instance, the North has seen a drop of 40 percent and 88 percent respectively in its exports of coal and weaponry since the U.N. sanctions were implemented in March. This came on top of Seoul's closure of the joint industrial town of Gaeseong, the annual source of about $100 million, much of it being in hard currency. Reports have it that Pyongyang is also trying to sell mining rights for rare earth metals cheaply.



First, it is imperative to account for how China's payment is used and whether it is compromising the main goal of the U.N. resolution. If Beijing doesn't roll the fishing deal back when the North is found to have used it for forbidden purposes, the result would further damage China's trustworthiness, already being questioned for its bullying act in the South China Sea. Additionally, Seoul, Washington and Tokyo should take this issue seriously, considering that the more sophisticated the North's WMDs are the greater the threat to them. It's their obligation to confront China on this issue in the U.N. as well.




Milwaukee protest

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker activated the National Guard on Sunday to help law enforcement if needed after approximately 100 individuals rioted the night before in Milwaukee over the fatal police shooting of an armed man.

"[I] have activated the Wisconsin National Guard to be in a position to aid local law enforcement upon request," Walker said in a press release announcing the decision.

The decision, made in conjunction with Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and Adjutant General Donald Dunbar, came after four businesses were torched in a riot triggered by the shooting of an armed man who fled police at a traffic stop.

sylville smith

Neither the race nor identity of the man shot had been released at the time of the demonstration, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has reported the man's identity as Sylville Smith. The paper reports that Smith had a lengthy arrest record, including charges for a shooting and trying to intimidate a witness of the same shooting.

The Sherman Park neighborhood of Milwaukee, where the National Guard was called to, is a predominantly black, lower-income neighborhood with a reputation for crime, Reuters noted. The neighborhood has been calm throughout Sunday however. The state is investigating the incident.

Walker said he would "not comment on the specifics of the case" during the probe.

"I do, however, hope people will give law enforcement the respect they deserve for working so hard to keep us safe," he said.

Walker also thanked the individuals who assisted Sunday morning in cleaning the streets.

"This act of selfless caring sets a powerful example for Milwaukee's youth and the entire community," he said. "I join Milwaukee's leaders and citizens in calling for continued peace and prayer."



NOW WATCH: Trump rips a protester in Pennsylvania: 'Your mother is voting for Trump'





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Its prime time, a big night during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Onstage, a budding star is giving the type of rousing speech that can turn a political nobody into somebody. Somewhere below, under a sea of blue Hillary placards, is Clare Doody. The 28-year-old speechwriter is easy to miss, and, honestly, thats how the blond Texan prefers it. Im here to shoot her photo, but when I pull out my camera, she asks if the speaker will be visible in the background. Maybe we should wait for the next one, she says, letting the words sink in. It takes me a moment to realize why.

Just a few weeks before, we were sitting in the Mayflower Hotel bar, across from her office at the left-leaning speechwriting firm West Wing Writers. Its a ritzy haunt, the type she frequents enough to still have the pen she accidentally took the last time around. The best part of my job is that the people we write for are really cool, she says off the bat, nursing a Makers Mark Manhattan. The worst part is that I absolutely cant talk about them. Writer-client privilege, so to speak. Which puts me in a difficult spot. How do you write about a speechwriter who cant show you her speeches or tell you for whom shes written? Later, she apologizes for being unable to give me more to work with, quipping, Its kind of like the professional equivalent of saying, I have a girlfriend in Canada, right?

What I have learned about Clare Doody is that her words have been spoken by senators, governors, activist icons and CEOs. Her employers tell me shes ghostwritten pieces in the New York Times, Time and Foreign Policy, and that they wouldnt be surprised if she became a chief presidential speechwriter one day. Politicos Playbook once dubbed one of her jokes an instant classic, though again, if she told it to you, shed have to kill you. And those shes worked with entertain honorifics like the next Peggy Noonan (Reagans speechwriter), Thomas Friedman, Maureen Dowd. Speechwriters are heard, but rarely heard from, says West Wing Writers partner Jeff Nussbaum, a former speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore. But when people hear the work Clare does, they want to find their way behind the curtain.

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At the Mayflower Hotel, I try to pull back that curtain one more time, mentioning offhandedly a major global health leader whom Im almost certain shes worked for. She doesnt bat an eye. She has her public persona, mostly humor writing under her own byline at the Washington Post, including headlines like What to expect when your orangutan is expecting. But she fiercely protects the anonymity of her serious work, the countless hours spent trying to craft words that others will use to make the case for change publicly, memorably, movingly, as she puts it. Those words are her legacy, and the ones she will never take credit for. The speechwriters divide remains intact.

You, President Kennedy, are no Berliner and other nerdy jokes I wrote about past presidents Twitter wars: https://t.co/PkAiHRJrol  Clare Doody (@claredoody) February 20, 2016

Its been a decade since The West Wing ended, taking with it Toby Ziegler and Sam Seaborn, television characters who made speechwriting famous. The beloved series always operated as a form of wish-fulfillment for idealistic bureaucrats. Its an idealism shared by Doody, the type of true believer who waxes poetic about things as dull as Philadelphias centuries-old grid system because, in her view, it shows the lasting impact of good governing. Not that shes rosy-eyed  around the office, shes known for her snappy, and hilarious, one-liners. Once, Im told, when news broke about George W. Bushs painting exhibition of world leaders, she memorably fired off: I guess weve been wrong all along. He is no Hitler. (When asked, she says she remembers a slightly different punch line: Well, we can finally all agree he is no Hitler. Its a little friendlier, she says.) Still, speechwriters like herself face a unique challenge. Silver-screen mythos aside, people have become much less trusting of their leaders, and the writers behind them.

The term speechwriter itself sounds outdated today, considering the sheer volume of channels for communication. Its easy for the smartest voices and ideas to be submarined by white noise. The most successful news driver of this election cycle, Donald Trump, has mostly done so without the help of a speechwriter, or anything resembling the lofty rhetoric that defined acclaimed speakers like Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Its much more difficult for any speech, no matter how well written or delivered, to resonate, says political communications expert Dan Schnur, who taught Doody at the University of Southern California before she graduated with a degree in American Studies in 2010.

If the first rule of speechwriting is to never reveal who you write for, a close second is to never forget you write for someone else. That means building a personal relationship with your client, balancing policy and personality effectively and commanding enough respect to have your voice heard, says Jeremy Derfner, a speechwriter who has worked with Doody on global health issues in the past. It takes humility to derive more meaning from the work than having your name attached to it, Nussbaum says, and yet top speechwriters dont forget their own voice either. Doody believes the best speeches teach someone something new  or a new way to look at something they already knew. As Leonard Steinhorn, a political communications expert at American University, wrote in a recent op-ed about the effectiveness of Michelle Obamas much-praised convention speech: It was woven with a single unifying thread that bound it together, told a story, left us enchanted, and made us better for hearing it.

Like a good comedian, Doody reads her audience, and she speaks precisely while being interviewed, as if she herself were giving a speech. You sound like someone by thinking like someone, she says, and with each carefully weighed syllable, she projects confidence, that ineffable quality of being put together. Even if, behind her keyboard, she wrestles with words as much as any other writer. Truly putting yourself in anothers shoes takes empathy, a virtue she learned partly while attending Greek Orthodox and Jewish day schools as a child, where she developed a taste for baklava and novels about the Holocaust. This is always where the conversation ends, the Houston native jokes, but that morbid interest inspired thoughts about the fragility of government structures. Her love for reading fiction  she calls it an exercise in empathy  was encouraged by her father, an English professor.

If a speaker is new to public life, it can take more one-on-one time to hone his or her voice, says Doody, whose favorite speech is Reagans response to the Challenger disaster. The day-to-day work is often spent writing and researching from her office, but shes also traveled with clients to places like India and East Africa, building her familiarity in the personal aspect of global health and development. Its not just being a scribe. Its often also being a thought partner, Nussbaum says. By seeing firsthand the effect of complex policy issues  everything from extreme poverty to child mortality and deaths during childbirth  Doody can reduce them to the power of one, stripping back statistics and attaching a face, a name. Establishing the human stakes is so crucial, she says. Her motivation is to gather the public will necessary to create solutions: While the things my name is attached to are the humor pieces, most of what I do is quite serious.

img 5904

Clare Doody at the Democratic National Convention.

Source Nick Fouriezos/OZY

There is no typical road map to becoming a speechwriter, those in the industry say, and thats certainly been true for Doody. For the first few weeks after her arrival in Washington, D.C., as a paid intern, she slept on a friends dining room floor, on a punctured air mattress with a blanket oddly emblazoned with the words Office of Steny Hoyer, the former House majority leader. Previously, shed worked for then state assemblyman Mike Furor, on the gubernatorial campaign of former Houston Mayor Bill White and as an intern for Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Her big break into West Wing Writers, in 2012, was when she penned an application so absurd that her mother, a neurologist, suggested she not submit it. It essentially made fun of Los Angeles in the form of an LSAT question, says Doody, with some John F. Kennedy quotes sprinkled in.

Influencers, and the unnamed writers (like Doody) behind them, have more ways to reach an audience than ever before, personally or through social media and television. The appetite for smart, humorous and entertainingly inane commentary shows in the success of mediums like TED Talks, the Daily Show and Facebook Live. The payoff of a viral hit is a historically massive global audience. Speeches are a part of it, but theres also a six-second vine, a 140-character tweet, coming up with a hashtag, says Nussbaum. Doody believes tech allows previously ignored people to make their voices heard, and yet, she also admits that theres an unprecedented opportunity to only hear what you want to hear.

Whats so sexy about the #grexit? My #GreeceCrisis pickup lines in @washingtonpost. Because love waits for no bailout http://t.co/7of3CKRyxz  Clare Doody (@claredoody) July 7, 2015

Back at the Democratic National Convention, I finally relent. No photo. The speaker is delivering one of Doodys speeches. Its my only up-close look at her work, and it begins with an impassioned anecdote about facing discrimination and finding the American dream. A few of the one-liners, aimed at Trump, land applause. It ends on a hopeful note, with a conclusion that ties neatly back to its aspirational intro. Cue more applause.

Watching Doody hear her own words get delivered back to her is bizarre enough. But what makes the scene even stranger is that speechwriters have recently been the ones featured in news headlines. In July, one of the writers behind Melania Trumps keynote address, Meredith McIver, offered to resign after plagiarism accusations surfaced. Donald Trump Jr. also drew scrutiny after his speechwriter, Frank Buckley, recycled his own words. Doodys firm uses software to detect possible plagiarism, and she is quick to say she doesnt condone the practice. Still, she also understands how an honest mistake could happen. The cold reality is that soaring words are attributed to their speakers, while controversial ones almost always blow back on the writers. You only hear about us when something bad happens, she says with a laugh.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified Leonard Steinhorn as a professor from George Washington University. He lectures at American University.
Los Angeles (AFP) - Serena Williams will work to put the heartbreak of early Rio Olympic exits in singles and doubles behind her as she heads the women's field at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.

The tournament will be the last major test prior to the start of the US Open on August 29, but falls directly after the Summer Games.

Williams, who has won her last 10 matches at the venue after claiming the last two titles, will have to be on her guard.

Her first opponent could be Elina Svitolina, who sent her crashing out of the Olympic tournament. Svitolina needs to beat world No. 60 Christina McHale in her opening match.

The 34-year-old is being chased in the rankings by German world number two Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion and Wimbledon finalist.

Should Williams lose before the quarter-finals with Kerber claiming the title, then the longtime number one from the US would find herself second in the world for the first time since February 2013.

Williams accepted a Cincinnati wild card from organisers just two days after losing in singles in Brazil and may use Cincinnati as a test for an apparent shoulder problem. All 16 women's seeds receive byes into the second round.

Romanian Simona Halep, last year's losing finalist to Williams, takes the third seeding ahead of Spain's Garbine Muguruza and fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

Freshly crowned Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig faces Louisa Chirico of the US in her first round match. Puig upset Kerber on Saturday in Rio to become the first Puerto Rican athlete to win a gold medal.

Swiss world number 16 Belinda Bencic will play for the first time since Wimbledon, taking the 13th seeding after an injury recovery which cause her to miss Rio.

- Bronze winner withdraws -

Czech Petra Kvitova, who was seeded 11th, also pulled out of the women's draw after claiming the bronze medal in Rio.

The men's field is missing Novak Djokovic as the Serb, who lost in the Rio first round to Juan Martin del Potro, delays his return to the courts until the US Open. Djokovic withdrew from Cincinnati with a wrist injury.

Story continues

Roger Federer, who has won three of the last four Cincinnati tournaments, will not play after ending his season because of a knee injury.

The top seed will be Andy Murray, who owns 2008 and 2001 titles at the summer hardcourt venue.

The Scot was not expected to start before Wednesday in the second round after making the trip from Brazil to the US midwest.

Rafael Nadal is seeded third after putting his left wrist to a test at the Rio Games by starting in all three events.

Hard-serving Canadian Milos Raonic, seeded fourth, will come back refreshed after skipping Rio and not playing since his loss to Gael Monfils in the Toronto quarter-finals.

Japan's Kei Nishikori takes the fifth seeding, ahead of Tomas Berdych and number seven Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.

Austrian eighth seed Dominic Thiem will return after an injury pause which kept him from playing as top seed at the new ATP event in Mexico.
By Denis Dumo JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan said on Sunday it would consider the U.N.'s decision to authorize sending extra troops to the country following an eruption of fierce fighting, softening its stance after initially rejecting the initiative. The U.N. Security Council voted to authorize an extra 4,000 troops on Friday, drawing a swift response from South Sudan's presidential spokesman who said the government would oppose the move, calling it a bid by the United Nations to take over the country. The U.N. decision followed several days of fierce fighting in the capital Juba last month that raised fears of a slide back into civil war after more than two years of conflict in the world's youngest nation, which gained independence in 2011. After lengthy deliberation of the document (U.N. resolution), it is clear that this document has some pros and cons," Information Minister Michael Makuei told a news conference after an emergency cabinet meeting on the issue. "It is decided that this process be taken to the executive and then parliament so that ... a decision (is) taken by the whole government," he said without giving a timeframe. The extra U.N. troops, described as a protection force that has the backing of regional African nations, will fall under the command of the existing 12,000-strong U.N. mission UNMISS. The U.N. resolution had threatened an arms embargo if South Sudan did not cooperate. Sunday's meeting followed another flare-up of fighting southwest of the capital on Saturday between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and opposition troops, led by his former deputy Riek Machar. Each side blamed the other for the violence. Steven Lodu Onseimo, the information minister for Yei region where Saturday's clashes took place, told Reuters two civilians and a soldier were killed but said the area was calm on Sunday. Witnesses had reported heavy gunfire around Yei, which lies on a road linking Juba with neighboring Uganda. Longstanding political differences between Kiir and Machar first erupted into conflict in late 2013. They signed a peace deal in August 2015, but sporadic fighting continued. Machar had recently returned to Juba to resume his role as deputy again when the July clashes in Juba flared. Machar then withdrew with his forces from the capital. (Writing by Edmund Blair; editing by Jason Neely and Susan Fenton)
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SpaceX is starting to make this look (relatively) easy.

Keeping plenty of space-loving Americans up late on a Saturday night, it successfully undertook its eighth Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, around 1:30 a.m. ET.

Minutes later, Elon Musk's private spaceflight company also managed to re-land the rocket's booster intact on the "Of Course I Still Love You" drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

SEE ALSO: High-speed video of SpaceX missions is hauntingly beautiful

The launch's payload was a Japanese commercial communications satellite called JCSAT-16 for the SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation. The satellite was delivered to what's known as Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) at a height of around 36,000 kilometers, or 22,000 miles, above our planet.

The Falcon 9's booster rocket landing success follows a failed attempt in June, when the booster made it to the drone ship but did not survive. This time, although the livestream froze at the exact nail-biting moment, the booster appeared to make a perfect bullseye landing, based on still photos SpaceX released.

This is the fourth time SpaceX has landed a rocket booster at sea in 2016.

To make it to the drone ship whole, the booster survived what SpaceX in a statement called "extreme velocities and re-entry heating."

SpaceX has also reclaimed boosters on land, but drone ship landings require less fuel, making them the best option when fuel-thirsty trips to high orbit are undertaken.

"The first stage made it successfully back from GTO, which is ticking all the boxes," one of SpaceX's livestream hosts said.

Landing the booster is integral to the company's long-term commercial plans, which include lowering the cost of space flight by reusing pricey rocket boosters. Typically, such components are discarded after each launch, with a new booster rocket used for the next one.

SpaceX has yet to reuse one of its recovered boosters, but it has indicated it will attempt to re-fly one in September or October.

If all goes to plan, SpaceX will relaunch a booster that landed on a drone ship in April, although its exact payload has yet to be announced.
By Alwyn Scott

NEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) - A data breach at 20 U.S. hotels operated by HEI Hotels & Resorts for Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt and Intercontinental may have divulged payment card data from tens of thousands of food, drink and other transactions, HEI said on Sunday.

The breach follows similar attacks at Hyatt Hotels Corp and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc in recent months.

Norwalk, Connecticut-based HEI, which is privately held, said malware designed to collect card data was found on HEI's systems.

The malware was discovered in early to mid-June on payment systems used at restaurants, bars, spas, lobby shops and other facilities at the properties, Chris Daly, a spokesman for HEI, said in emails and phone calls.

The number of customers affected is difficult to calculate because they might have used their cards multiple times, Daly said. About 8,000 transactions occurred during the affected period at the Hyatt Centric Santa Barbara hotel in California, and about 12,800 at the IHG Intercontinental in Tampa, Florida, Daly said.

The malware affected 12 Starwood hotels, six Marriott International Inc properties, one Hyatt hotel and one InterContinental Hotels Group PLC hotel. It was active from March 1, 2015 to June 21, 2016, with 14 of the hotels affected after Dec. 2, 2015, HEI said on its website on Friday.

Marriott and IHG declined to comment. Representatives from the other hotel groups did not respond to requests for comment.

HEI said outside experts investigated the breach and determined that hackers might have stolen customer names, account numbers, payment card expiration dates and verification codes. The hackers did not appear to have gained PIN codes, since those are not collected by its system, it added.

The company has informed federal authorities and has installed a new payment processing system that is separate from other parts of its computer network.

Among the properties affected were Starwood's Westin hotels in Minneapolis; Pasadena, California; Philadelphia; Snowmass, Colorado; Washington, D.C.; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Also affected were Starwood properties in Arlington, Virginia; Manchester Village, Vermont; San Francisco; Miami; and Nashville, Tennessee.

The Marriott properties affected were in Boca Raton, Florida; Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago; San Diego, California; and Minneapolis.

(Reporting by Alwyn Scott; Editing by Richard Chang)
The De Tomaso Pantera is one of those cars that turns heads even when its in sorry shape. On occasion, youll see folks less familiar with automotive history get excited when they see one and incorrectly identify it as a Lamborghini or Ferrari. You cant blame them either, the Ghia body work is very similar to what youd find on the more famous Italian autos of the same era.

However, when you pop the hood of this Pantera GTS America thats up for sale on eBay, you wont find an Italian built V10 or V12, but a more appropriate Ford 351 Cleveland V8.

RELATED: See Photos of the 1974 De Tomaso Pantera

Pantera Interior

This car enjoys status as a very rare ride, just one of 133 built for the United States, and the lowest mileage example known with just 785 miles on the clock. Inside and out, the condition of the car appears to be immaculate, and I bet it smells amazing inside the car. If you wanted to travel back to 1974, throw on some Levis 505 jeans, a Sabbath Bloody Sabbath tee, and hop in this Pantera GTS America.

If sliding into the low-slung drivers seat, grabbing hold of that three spoke Ghia Ferrero steering wheel and operating the five-speed ZF manual transmission via the gated shifter doesnt sell you on the Pantera experience, then perhaps the sound it makes will. The burbling of the American V8 paired with the extreme 1970s Ghia styling is a match made in heaven. If you dont agree, you may want to look somewhere else because this GTS had the radio delete option box ticked.

RELATED: See Photos of the 1974 De Tomaso Group 4 Competition Coupe

Making this car even more special, are the many U.S. only options that were approved by Ford for this year. The pop riveted fiberglass fender flares, Power by Ford badge on the rear decklip, and removal of all De Tomaso badging set the GTS America apart from its foreign counterparts.

Those 15-inch Campagnolo Magnesium sport wheels look perfect wearing Goodyear Arriva tires with raised lettering, and the stickers are still affixed to each hub. All chrome trim was blacked out to match GTS black hood, trunk and lower body accents. Basically, the GTS America is a much more badass version of the already badass Pantera GTS. With four owners having put those 785 miles on it over the course of 42 years, this is one De Tomaso Pantera that will be turning heads for years to come, even if it were covered in dust and dirt.

RELATED: See Photos of the 1979 De Tomaso Pantera Group 3
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A fire on Friday night that injured seven workers had no significant impact on operations at Sunoco Logistics' giant crude oil terminal on the Texas Gulf Coast, a company spokesman said on Saturday.

"This hasn't significantly impacted our operations," said Sunoco Logistics spokesman Jeffrey Shields by telephone.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation into the accident on Saturday, Shields said. An OSHA spokesman was not available on Saturday.

The seven workers were injured in an apparent flash fire while constructing piping that will connect new tanks at the crude oil terminal with a storage capacity of 24 million barrels.

The workers, all employees of L-Con Inc, which was hired by Sunoco Logistics to perform the construction work, were welding when the fire broke out, the company said in a statement.

Three of the workers sustained minor injuries and have been treated and released from hospitals near Nederland, which is 93 miles (150 km ) east of Houston.

Four workers remain in burn centers in southeast Texas. Three were flown to hospitals in Houston and Galveston, Texas by helicopters shortly after being injured.

Crude oil, natural gas liquids and refined products are stored at the Nederland terminal, which is connected to a 6,000-mile pipeline network in the Midwest and along the Gulf Coast.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Tom Brown and Simon Cameron-Moore)
KINSHASA (Reuters) - Suspected rebels killed at least 36 civilians in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the provincial governor said on Sunday, marking the deadliest massacre in the conflict-ravaged region this year. The assailants hacked to death 22 men and 14 women late on Saturday in their homes and fields on the outskirts of the local commercial hub of Beni, Julien Paluku said in a statement. The population of Beni "has once again been hit by terrorist acts of diverse origins whose objective is to sabotage the efforts at peace undertaken over the last two years," he said. Local activists say more than 500 civilians have been killed near Beni since October 2014, most in overnight raids by rebels carried out with machetes and hatchets. Local army spokesman Mak Hazukay told Reuters that the attack was staged in the early evening by rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist militia that has operated in eastern Congo since the 1990s. The ADF, a secretive organization of only a few hundred fighters, did not comment. Hazukay said the raid was in reprisal for army operations against the ADF, which the government says is responsible for nearly all the attacks near Beni over the last year. However, a United Nations panel of experts and independent analysts says that other armed groups, including some Congolese soldiers, have been involved in attacks on civilians. It appeared to be the deadliest attack in the area since an assault blamed on the ADF in November 2014 killed some 80 people. "The goal of the attack is to incite the population to rise up against us," Hazukay said. Omar Kavota, the executive director at the Centre of Study for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights that documents violence in North Kivu, said he had received reports of as many as 50 dead. Eastern Congo is plagued by dozens of armed groups that prey on locals and exploit mineral reserves. Millions died there between 1996 and 2003 as a regional conflict caused hunger and disease. Analysts say insufficient intelligence, coordination and resources have rendered the Congolese army and the country's U.N. peacekeeping force ineffective against the small ADF force, raising tensions in the region. On Sunday, dozens took to the streets in Beni, erecting barricades in protest against the army's inability to deal with the attacks, witnesses said. (Reporting by Aaron Ross; Editing by Edward McAllister and Tom Heneghan)
By Hamid Shalizi CHAH-E-ANJIR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Only a few days ago, this village of mud huts in southern Afghanistan was a battlefield. Afghan security forces beat back attacks by encroaching Taliban fighters on Chah-e-Anjir, just 10 km (6 miles) from Helmand's provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, but schools remain shuttered and many residents who fled are too scared to return. Helmand, a Taliban stronghold and the heartland of the lucrative illicit drug trade, is seen as a strategic target for the militants who would win a major psychological victory by capturing the provincial capital. Soldiers at the sharp end of the latest offensive described a battle that pitted increasingly well-armed and disciplined Taliban militants against Afghan special forces backed by U.S. air strikes. "The Taliban have heavily armed, uniformed units that are equipped with night vision and modern weapons," said Sayed Murad, a special forces commander. During more than a decade of international intervention, Helmand was the deadliest province for foreign troops, claiming nearly 1,000 lives. Already said to be in control of or contesting the majority of Helmand's districts, Taliban fighters continue to attack all around Lashkar Gah. Afghan reinforcements and U.S. air strikes were credited with preventing a rout of the city's defenders. The Taliban are seeking to make Lashkar Gah the second provincial capital they have captured since their extremist Islamic rule was toppled in 2001. The insurgents briefly held the northern city of Kunduz last October before being driven out by U.S.-backed government troops. "Helmand is a strategic province for the Taliban and therefore they are determined to make a push," said deputy interior minister General Abdul Rahman Rahman. Towards that goal, the Taliban have deployed a specialized "Red Unit" said to be equipped with advanced weaponry, including night vision scopes, 82mm rockets, heavy machine guns and U.S.-made assault rifles, special forces commander Murad said. U.S. military spokesman Brigadier Charles Cleveland said it was possible Afghan troops on the frontline had seen Taliban wielding night vision technology, but that the NATO-led coalition had "not seen any evidence" of such a capability. "The Taliban consistently spread false information and inflate their own capabilities in an effort to intimidate Afghans," he said. LINGERING FEAR In downtown Lashkar Gah, most businesses were open as usual on Friday, but residents and the thousands of refugees displaced by the fighting spoke of lingering fear as Taliban forces remain active not far from the city. "I fled my home and left everything behind," said Abdul Bari, a resident of Nad Ali district. "We are fed up with this situation and it is better to die one day instead of dying every day." Taliban forces have made major gains across the province in the past year, forcing government troops to abandon some bases and checkpoints in a bid to consolidate their defenses. Provincial Governor Hayatullah Hayat accused militants of planting indiscriminate roadside bombs and using residents as human shields. "I am assuring the people in Helmand that (the Taliban) won't be able to overrun our districts, let alone capture Lashkar Gah," he said. Such assurances may offer little comfort to residents wearied by constant conflict. "We prefer to live under the current government, not the Taliban, but absolutely not under this current situation," said Abdul Khaliq. Officials blame elements across the border in Pakistan for fuelling the conflict by supplying the Taliban fighters with better weapons. "It is not the regular Taliban force with a pair of sandals and an AK-47," said one senior government official in Lashkar Gah. "They are better trained and equipped." The violence means Helmand will continue to be a pressure point for over-stretched government troops and their international backers. Hundreds of international military advisers are stationed at bases in Helmand and U.S. warplanes conducted at least two dozen air strikes in the two weeks of most recent fighting. Even if the lull in fighting around the provincial capital lasts, civilians doubt the government will be able to bring peace any time soon. "Either the government should get rid of the Taliban or let them come and govern," said one shopkeeper. "We have been burning in this fire for so many years and we don't know what could be worse than this." (Writing by Kay Johnson and Josh Smith; Editing by Alex Richardson)
By Alana Wise WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior official with the Republican National Committee on Sunday played down the prospect that the party would cut off cash and logistical support to White House nominee Donald Trump in order to shift resources toward congressional races. Last week 70 Republicans wrote a letter urging the RNC to stop helping Trump and to focus instead on candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The letter, signed by former members both of Congress and RNC staff, said Trump's actions were "divisive and dangerous" and posed a threat to the party and the country. Sean Spicer, RNC communications director, said in a telephone interview that abandoning Trump with nearly three months to go to the Nov. 8 election "doesn't make logical sense." In October 1996 the RNC moved money from the presidential race to congressional candidates after Republican nominee Bob Dole fell far behind Democratic President Bill Clinton in opinion polls. But Spicer said giving up on Trump could be harmful to other Republican candidates and there was still time for him to rebound in opinion polls against Democrat Hillary Clinton. "Number one, you need a strong top of the ticket. That's number one. Number two, we're only six points down," Spicer said, referring to the gap that Clinton has opened up against Trump in some national polls. Clinton led Trump by more than five percentage points in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday. Clinton has strong leads in hotly contested states such as Pennsylvania and New Hampshire and some polls show her within a few percentage points of Trump in some states such as Georgia that normally lean strongly Republican. Any discussions of cutting off funds to Trump in August would be "ridiculous," Spicer said. Trump has polarized the party with his vow to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and his plan to impose a temporary ban on Muslims seeking to enter the country. Trump has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats for a prolonged feud with the Muslim family of a fallen U.S. Army captain and his assertion last week that President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton had co-founded the Islamic State militant group. (Reporting by Alana Wise; Editing by Caren Bohan and Howard Goller)


Credit: caradelevingne/Instagram

Taylor Swift has made it no secret she's all about her girl squad and celebrating the women in it. Just a week after wishing her BFF Karlie Kloss a happy 24th birthday, the songstress helped Cara Delevingne ring in her big 2-4 with a sweet birthday tribute on Instagram Friday.

"Happy Birthday Cara!! Thanks for making my life more exciting, spontaneous and imaginative. Everyone who knows you is better for it. Love you!!," Swift captioned the photo, which showed Cara standing on stage waving a U.K. flag with a smile, rocking a cropped black blazer and matching pants.

Happy Birthday Cara!! Thanks for making my life more exciting, spontaneous and imaginative. Everyone who knows you is better for it. Love you!! A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Aug 12, 2016 at 2:03pm PDT

RELATED: 24 Times Cara Delevingne Made Us Rethink Ever Touching Our Eyebrows Again

Swift stands behind her, beaming in a glitzy onesie, as she cozies up in a group with Serena Williams, Gigi Hadid, Martha Hunt, Kendall Jenner and Kloss. The "Bad Blood" crooner's birthday tribute comes just a couple of months after she and Delevingne spent Fourth of July weekend together with the rest of Swift's squad via a big bash at her Rhode Island home.

Happy 4th from us  A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Jul 4, 2016 at 6:14pm PDT

Happy Birthday, Cara!
Thai police discovered unexploded bombs in three top tourist destinations over the weekend as they searched for clues to a wave of blasts that rocked resort areas and killed four last week.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing spree, which hit seven southern provinces on Thursday and Friday and left dozens wounded, including European tourists.

Police said they know who to blame but have yet to reveal a culprit or suspected motive.

They have ruled out international terrorist groups, calling the attacks an act of "local sabotage".

"Our investigation is progressing. We know who was behind it," deputy national police spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang told AFP, declining to give further details.

Unexploded devices were found and defused Sunday in two bomb-hit areas -- the upscale beach town of Hua Hin and the popular island of Phuket, according to the interior ministry permanent secretary.

"It is likely they were intended to explode at the same time of the previous explosions," said Grisada Boonrach.

Police said other unexploded devices were found Saturday in Phang Nga province, which had been struck by bomb blasts and a suspected arson attack the day before.

One man has been arrested over a separate case of arson in Nakhon Si Thammarat province and two men have been held for questioning over the Hua Hin bombings, police said.

A junta spokesman confirmed that multiple people have been questioned but stressed it was too early to identify them as suspects.

"It's just asking questions. They will not be treated as suspects unless the questioning procedure is done and any of them are found to have violated laws," said Colonel Winthai Suvaree.

Some analysts suggest the assault was the work of Muslim rebels waging a long-running insurgency in Thailand's southern tip, but Thai officials have rejected that theory.

If the rebels are to blame, it would mark an unprecedented escalation of a 12-year revolt so far confined largely to the border region.

Story continues

The blasts are seen as an affront to a military government that prides itself on having brought some stability to Thailand since its 2014 coup.

The kingdom has been battered by a decade of political unrest, driven by a bitter power struggle between the military-allied elite and populist forces loyal to the ousted democratically elected government.

But the violence has not matched the coordinated nature of the latest bombings or targeted tourist towns.

The attacks came only days after the junta won a referendum vote on a controversial new charter it drafted.

The document, which critics say will make Thailand less democratic, was approved by 61 percent of voters but rejected in the north and northeast -- strongholds of the ousted government -- and in the three insurgency-torn southern provinces.

- Stalled talks -

The shadowy southern rebellion has left more than 6,500 people dead since it erupted in 2004.

But the violence rarely makes international headlines or affects Thais outside the conflict zone, a Muslim-majority region annexed more than a century ago.

Analysts say the rebels are frustrated over stalled negotiations with the military government.

"It looks like the work of (the insurgents), judging from their kind of arms... it was not aimed to create mass casualties, so that's very similar to the far south," Don Pathan, a security analyst and expert on the insurgency, said of last week's bombings.

But he said the junta would be loath to admit a major expansion of the conflict, since it would signal a significant "policy failure in the south".

A leader of the "Red Shirts" -- the grassroots movement supportive of the ousted government and hostile to the junta -- expressed concern Sunday his network would be fingered for the attacks.

"We have been made victims for things we did not do several times before," Jatuporn Prompan said in a video posted on Facebook.

The Red Shirts, who hail chiefly from the poor and rural northeast, are fiercely loyal to the powerful Shinawatra family, whose repeated election victories have been undone by two coups and a series of judicial rulings in the past decade.

Their political network has come under heavy surveillance by the military since the 2014 coup.

The bombings in top tourist destinations threaten a vital source of income for tropical Thailand.

The sector accounts for at least 10 percent of an economy the military government has struggled to revive.
By Wirat Buranakanokthanasan and Pairat Temphairojana BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai police over the weekend found and defused five explosive devices that had failed to detonate when an as yet unidentified group carried out a series of deadly bomb attacks on popular tourist spots late last week. Police said they had arrested one suspect following the bomb and arson attacks on Thursday and Friday that killed four people and wounded dozens more in some of Thailand's best-known southern resorts and islands. The attacks came just days after Thais voted to accept a military-backed constitution that the ruling junta, which seized power in 2014, has said will lead to an election by the end next year. "These acts were undertaken by a group in many areas simultaneously, following orders from one individual," Pongsapat Pongcharoen, a deputy national police chief, told reporters on Sunday, without elaborating. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Analysts say suspicion would inevitably fall on enemies of the ruling junta aggrieved by the referendum results, or insurgents from Muslim-majority provinces in the south of the mostly Buddhist country. Two incendiary devices in mobile telephone power packs were found in a market in the upscale resort of Hua Hin on Sunday, the interior ministry said in a statement. A bomb disposal team defused both, and local police said the devices had been there since Wednesday. The resort was the scene of the most devastating of the wave of bombs when a blast ripped through an alley in a bar area on Thursday evening. There were two more blasts in the town less than 12 hours later. Another fire bomb was found on the island of Phuket on Sunday and defused, local police said. It had been set to detonate at 3 a.m. on Friday (1600 ET on Thursday), local police said. In Phang Nga, two devices were found on Saturday near a market that was torched in an attack early on Friday. "One worked and the other two didn't," Phakaphong Tavipatana, the governor of Phang Nga, told Reuters, adding that police hoped to find fingerprints on the defused devices. Phuket and Phang Nga were both hit in the attacks on Thursday and Friday, as was Surat Thani, a city that is the gateway to the popular islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Attackers struck targets in seven southern Thai provinces, using bombs as well as incendiary devices that set shops and markets ablaze. A man has been arrested and was being questioned in connection to an arson attack on a supermarket in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pongsapat said. Police believe more than one individual was involved in that attack, he said. The movements of other suspects were being monitored, he added. NO SCAPEGOATS Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the army chief who led the coup two years ago, has instructed the police to be thorough and cautious in their investigation, said Pongsapat, adding that police were "not catching scapegoats." No evidence has been found yet to connect southern insurgents to the attacks, Pongsapat said, but DNA samples collected at the blast sites were being compared with databases in the southern Muslim provinces. Fears that followers of former prime ministers Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra could be blamed prompted a senior figure in their Puea Thai Party to issue a sharp denial on Saturday. Thaksin's government was toppled by the military in 2006, while Yingluck's was ovethrown two years ago. The anti-government United Front For Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), known as the "red shirt" group and sympathetic to the Shinawatras, condemned the attacks in a statement on Sunday. (Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Juarawee Kittisilpa and Aukkaraporn Niyomyat; Writing by Simon Webb; Editing by Richard Pullin and Simon Cameron-Moore)
Thomas Gibson, who on Friday was fired from veteran CBS procedural Criminal Minds following an on-set altercation, is looking to file suit against the shows producers.

RELATEDCriminal Minds Fires Thomas Gibson: Will Hotch Die? Quit? Or Be Recast?

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Gibson has hired Los Angeles-based litigators Skip Miller and Sasha Frid to mull over whether it would be in his best interests to pursue legal action after he was dismissed for allegedly kicking writer Virgil Williams during a heated dispute over creative differences. Williams is said to have filed a complaint with human resources, forcing Gibson, who was directing the episode in question, to be replaced by an alternate director before he was initially suspended and subsequently let go.

Upon his dismissal on Friday, Gibson released a statement to TVLine in which he expressed sorrow for not being able to see Criminal Minds through to the very end, but did not at any point address the supposed conflict:

I love Criminal Minds and have put my heart and soul into it for the last 12 years, Gibson said. 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.

RELATEDStar Trek: Discovery: Prime Setting, Gay Character, Heavy Alien Presence and 11 More Spoilers About CBS Reboot

As reported by our sister site Deadline, this latest incident was the second of its kind for Gibson, who years ago reportedly shoved an assistant director and was in turn assigned mandatory anger management classes.

Criminal Minds Season 12 premieres Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Launch Gallery: How Criminal Minds Could Write Out Thomas Gibson

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Criminal Minds Fires Thomas Gibson: Will Hotch Die? Quit? Or Be Recast?

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Criminal Minds alum Shemar Moore seems to have weighed in on the firing of his former co-star Thomas Gibson.

In a video recently posted on Moore's Instagram and quickly deleted, the actor took an indirect jab at Gibson in which he implied the fired star got what he deserved.

Read more: Thomas Gibson Mulls Lawsuit Over 'Criminal Minds' Firing as New Details Emerge

"Lot of birdies chirping out there; the gossip is real," Moore said in the video. "I hear it. I see it. I'm sure a lot of you do, too, so I'll just say this: I believe in karma. Good things happen to good people. Honest people. Hard-working people. Humble people. People who believe in basic goodness. People who believe in themselves. People who believe in others. Good things will happen to you; it's not always easy; but you gotta grind it out and you gotta believe in you. Treat people how you expect them to treat you. Celebrate yourself; celebrate your blessings - as you should. But just know that you're not better than anybody. We all have our own gifts, so unwrap them bad boys and show 'em off. But then appreciate other people's gifts. Church is over."

Read more: Thomas Gibson Fired From CBS' 'Criminal Minds'

Moore and Gibson co-starred on the CBS drama for 11 seasons before Moore decided to exit the drama last season and was subsequently written out of the series. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Moore had a contentious relationship with Gibson, who tightly scheduled his duties on??Criminal Minds??so he could fly home to his family in San Antonio and often was upset by Moore showing up late to work.

Gibson was??fired from Criminal Minds on Friday??after allegedly kicking writer-producer Virgil Williams in the shins during an on-set argument more than two weeks ago. Gibson, who was directing an episode written by Williams, is said to have disagreed with Williams about a creative choice and the argument escalated to a??physical fight. (A source close to Gibson describes his actions as "self-defense" because Williams trains as a boxer, but other sources say Williams is known to be a non-aggressive presence on the set and is small in stature and often wears a bow tie and blazer to work.)??The incident was witnessed by several??Criminal Minds??producers, including showrunner??Erica Messer. Gibson has since hired a top Los Angeles law firm to pursue possible legal claims against the show's producers, ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios.

Story continues

Read more: 'Criminal Minds' Shocker: Original Series Star Explains Decision to Leave

Watch the video below.??

shemar just posted this on ig with the caption "karma is real" no shade just tea! pic.twitter.com/7ufsJ6WmOE

- sof (@davdboreanaz) August 12, 2016
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey summoned Austria's charge d'affaires in Ankara over what it said was "indecent report" about Turkey on a news ticker at Vienna airport, a foreign ministry official said on Sunday. "Turkey allows sex with children under the age of 15," read a headline on an electronic news ticker at the airport, images circulated on social media showed. "Our disturbance and reaction over this display which tarnishes Turkey's image and deliberately misinforms the public have been strongly conveyed to the charge d'affaires," the Turkish ministry official said, adding that the headline was removed following the ministry's intervention. Turkey's constitutional court last month ruled in favor of removing a provision in the penal code which identifies all sexual acts against children under the age of 15 as "sexual abuse" following an application made by a local court. The 7-6 ruling by the panel of judges, which is to take effect in January 2017, stirred outrage on Turkish social media and among women's rights activists, who voiced concern that it would lead to cases of child abuses going unpunished. Activists were expected to seek a reversal of the ruling, possibly by going to the European Court of Human Rights, Turkish media quoted them as saying. An Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed Turkey had summoned its charge d'affaires on Saturday evening. "We take notice of the reaction of the Turkish authorities, and this is for us a matter of freedom of the press," Thomas Schnoell said. A spokesman for Vienna airport said that while the news ticker was on its premises, it was not responsible for its contents. "(It) is operated by an Austrian newspaper, which has editorial responsibility over its content," the spokesman said. "The airport does not have any influence over its contents." Tensions between Turkey and Europe have risen since Ankara's crackdown in the wake of last month's failed coup in Turkey. Turkish authorities have detained, sacked or suspended tens of thousands of people over their alleged links with Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric whom the government blames for orchestrating the coup attempt. Last week Turkey's foreign minister called Austria the "capital of radical racism" after Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern suggested ending EU accession talks with Turkey, which have made minimal progress since they began in 2005. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and many Turks accuse the West of focusing more on the rights of the coup plotters and their supporters than on the coup itself, in which more than 240 people were killed after rogue soldiers bombed parliament and seized bridges with tanks and helicopters. Halting Turkey's EU accession process could scupper a landmark migration deal between Brussels and Ankara designed to stop illegal migration to Europe via Turkey in return for financial aid, the promise of visa-free travel to much of the bloc and accelerated talks on membership. Turkey has lived up to its side of the deal with Brussels but visa-free access has been subject to delays due to a dispute over Turkish anti-terrorism legislation, which some in Europe see as too broad, and to its post-coup crackdown. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz; writing by Humeyra Pamuk; editing by Jason Neely/Mark Heinrich)
By John Whitesides WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said on Saturday she has been flooded with "obscene and sick" calls and text messages after a hacker linked to Russia posted personal contact information online for her and hundreds of other Democratic lawmakers and aides. Pelosi sent a letter to colleagues warning them to take precautions and said she was changing her phone number after a hacker identified as "Guccifer 2.0" posted the personal cellphone numbers and email addresses on Friday. The posted information appeared to have been gained in the electronic breach of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the fundraising and campaign arm of Democrats in the House of Representatives. Other Democratic campaign groups, including the Democratic National Committee, also were targeted by the cyber attack, which was made public late last month. "On a personal note, I was in the air flying from Florida to California when the news broke. Upon landing, I have received scores of mostly obscene and sick calls, voicemails and text messages," Pelosi told her colleagues, urging them to keep their phones and incoming text messages away from their family members and children. "This is a sad course of events, not only for us, but more importantly for our country," said Pelosi, who earlier in the week blamed Russia for the cyber attack and called it an "electronic Watergate" akin to the 1972 burglary at Democratic Party headquarters that ultimately brought down Republican President Richard Nixon. John Ramsey, the House's chief information security officer, sent a memo to lawmakers and aides whose information had been made public urging them to change passwords for all their accounts and to consider changing their non-House email addresses. He said the hacker had uploaded a spreadsheet with a mix of House and personal email addresses and cellphone numbers for "nearly every" House Democrat and "an assorted number of Republicans," and similar information for hundreds of staffers. "Along with the Excel file, 'Guccifer 2.0' uploaded documents that included the account names and passwords for an assortment of subscription services used by the DCCC. Initial analysis identifies some members' home addresses, along with their spouse's name, marital status, and religion," the memo said. U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Guccifer 2.0 is an individual or group operating with or for the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency. Russia has denied involvement in the breach. The potential Russian involvement in the cyber attack has ignited a fierce campaign debate, with Democrats accusing the Russians of trying to aid Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. But U.S. officials suspect the operation and others directed at the DNC and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign were more likely an attempt to pursue email chains into classified networks or in search of national security policy information than to influence the Nov. 8 U.S. election. "The Russian assumption probably is that it doesn't matter much who wins the election, because Wall Street and other powerful lobbies really run the country," one of the officials said on Saturday, speaking like the others on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence assessments. "The old Soviet belief hasn't faded completely when it comes to foreign policy," the official said. (Additional reporting by John Wolcott; Editing by Paul Simao)
Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - The UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic said on Sunday it arrested 10 heavily armed men, who a minister identified as former rebels.

Two of the men, Abdoulaye Hissene and Haroun Gaye, were warlords from the majority-Muslim Seleka rebellion, whose ouster in 2013 of longtime president Francois Bozize triggered a brutal sectarian war, according to Security Minister Jean-Serge Bokassa.

"Members of the MINUSCA force stopped a convoy of some 35 heavily armed men travelling in seven vehicles" on Saturday near the centre of the country, the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA said in a statement.

"Of these 35 individuals, several were wanted under arrest warrants," it added.

"The convoy left Bangui late on August 12, 2016, and exchanged fire with the national security forces at several checkpoints along the way. These incidents left several people dead and injured," MINUSCA said.

A UN peacekeeping source told AFP all the casualties were rebels.

"MINUSCA's ground forces were backed by air cover. When a helicopter circled overhead, the members of the convoy fled into the surrounding forest, pursued by MINUSCA forces. MINUSCA captured and detained 10 men," the statement said, without identifying the detainees.

The other 25 managed to flee, though the MINUSCA source said the peacekeepers were working to track them down.

Abdoulaye Hissene, a former rebel "general", was arrested in March, but he escaped after fellow fighters stormed the centre where he was being held in Bangui.

Haroun Gaye, who was added to the UN sanctions list in December last year, heads a radical ex-Seleka faction.

The Seleka rebellion's takeover in 2013 plunged the poor nation into chaos, as its majority Muslim fighters went to war with the mainly Christian anti-Balaka (machete) militia.

Thousands of people were killed and hundreds of thousands more were forced to flee their homes.

Elected in a peaceful vote in February this year, President Faustin-Archange Touadera is pushing a drive to disarm armed groups and restore security.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - U.S. gold medal swimmer Ryan Lochte was robbed in a taxi hold-up in Rio de Janeiro after leaving a party where he had been celebrating the end of the Olympic swimming programme, he told fellow competitor Thiago Pereira. A spokesman for Brazilian Pereira told Reuters on Sunday Pereira had called Lochte after hearing reports the U.S. swimmer had been the victim of a gun-point robbery the night before. "Thiago and his wife went yesterday night to a birthday party for a common friend with Lochte in the France House," the spokesman said. "He parted ways with Lochte when he returned to his hotel with his wife. "Today in the morning he received the news about Lochte's incident, so he called him and Lochte told him he was fine and said the taxi he was in got robbed." It was not immediately clear if a firearm had been used in the robbery. (Reporting by Eduardo Simoes; Editing by: Ossian Shine)
San Antonio del Tachira (Venezuela) (AFP) - Venezuela and Colombia are gradually reopening several "provisional" border crossing points for pedestrians for the first time in nearly a year, marking a turning point after long-running enmity.

More than 54,000 people entered Colombia on Saturday, 81 percent of them returning to their place of origin, immigration authorities said in Bogota.

A total of six border crossings were opened in the Venezuelan states 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 told VTV official television.

An agreement clinched 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.

Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles took to Twitter to criticize the closure.

"What was the Maduro border closure good for? Nothing! It just hurt people and sought excuses for his failure! Get out!" he wrote.

Santos called it the "first phase of opening," without specifying when the passage of vehicles would be authorized again, key to restoring commercial activity to normal levels in the border area.

With severe shortages of commodities plaguing Venezuela -- affecting some 80 percent of food and with medicine in short supply -- many crossed the border into Colombia to stock up.

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"We bought sugar, oil, rice, lentils and medicine," Luis Jimenez, a farmer who crossed the border and returned to Venezuela in less than four hours, told AFP.

"We are happy that the government made this decision, because it benefits the people."

Carolina Quintero went to Colombia to buy chickpeas, a product she sells in Venezuela.

"It was easy for me to buy the chickpeas today. It's more expensive to buy them in Colombia, but there aren't any in Venezuela," said Quintero, 42.

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.

The border opening agreement also called for an exchange of customs information to help stem fuel smuggling.
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Forty-one-year-old Uzbek gymnast Oksana Chusovitina had warned that she was ready to pull out the 'vault of death' in her bid to upstage US teen sensation Simone Biles in Rio.

But the gymnast who made history by qualifying for her seventh Olympic Games, failed miserably, ending up tumbling on her head in the Rio Olympic Arena.

Biles, just two years older than Chusovitina's 17-year-old son Alisher, easily bagged her third Games gold by a 0.700-margin on Russian world champion Maria Paseka.

Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, 23, also attempted the vault and just missed the podium. Karmakar, the first Indian gymnast to compete in a final at the Olympics, finished fourth by just 0.150.

"I'm disappointed but I lost by only 0.2," said Karmakar. "It's no problem. This is my first Olympics. In 2020 I will get a medal," added the 1.51m (4ft 11in) gymnast from Agartala, the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Named after Russian gymnast Yelena Produnova, the Vault of Death was first introduced in 1999, but is so dangerous some want it banned.

It involves a handspring double-front somersault, and has one of the highest degrees of difficulty rating a seven, but only a handful of gymnasts have attempted it in competition.

The judges gave the Indian credit for the vault which she landed on her bottom.

Karmakar received a final score of 15.066 -- well behind Biles's 15.966.

Chusovitina achieved 14.933 to finish seventh in the eight-gymnast field.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Washington Monument closed on Sunday when the elevator in the marble obelisk failed for the second time this weekend, the latest in a string of problems for the system, a spokesman said.

The elevator doors failed to open near the top of the 555-foot-high (169-meter-high) monument, a major tourist draw in the U.S. capital, said Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service. Sixty-two people were able to ride down before the site was shutdown of the site, which draws about 600,000 visitors a year.

An electrical circuit breaker had repeatedly tripped, Litterst said. Technicians would look at whether high demand for electricity during a heat wave had affected the equipment, he added.

The elevator had restarted after shutting down near the top late on Saturday, forcing 73 visitors to exit using the stairs, Litterst said.

Officials hope to reopen the site about a half-mile (1 km) south of the White House on Monday, he said.

The elevator has been shut down 24 times since the Washington Monument reopened in May 2014 following repairs for earthquake damage in 2011. The problems include the elevator's computer system, he said.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Richard Chang)
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker activated his states National Guard on Sunday to help police in Milwaukee if violent protests persist following the fatal shooting of a man by officers who said he was fleeing a traffic stop.

At least four businesses were burned and one police officer was hurt in violence that broke out Saturday night a few hours after the officer-involved shooting. Police said the man had a handgun.

The protests happened on the citys predominantly black north side. The races of the man and the officer werent immediately released, but an alderman called the violence a warning sign from black residents tired of living under this oppression.

Walker said he took the step after receiving a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke and talking with Mayor Tom Barrett and the Guards leader. His announcement said the Guard will be in position to help upon request.

Walker praised citizens who showed up Sunday to clean up the north side neighborhood where the violence took place. He called for continued peace and prayer.

Earlier Sunday, volunteers swept and picked up debris in the neighborhood rocked by Saturdays violence.

The races of the officer and victim havent been released, but an alderman called the violence a warning sign from black residents tired of living under this oppression.

Up to three dozen people swept up glass and filled trash bags with rocks, bricks and bottles at an intersection where a BP gas station burned to the ground, a traffic light was bent and bus shelters were shoved to the ground Saturday night. One volunteer picked up a bullet casing and handed it to police.

Darlene Rose, 31, said she understands the anger that fueled the violence, but that it doesnt help.

I feel like if youre going to make a difference, its got to be an organized difference, Rose said. The people that came and looted, youre not going to see them here today.

Story continues

Three protesters were arrested, and one officer was injured by a thrown brick. During a late night news conference at which city leaders appealed for calm, Mayor Tom Barrett said the man was hit twice, in the chest and arm.

The protesters were largely black, and Alderman Khalif Rainey  who represents the district  said early Sunday that the citys black residents are tired of living under this oppression. Nearly 40 percent of Milwaukees 600,000 residents are black, and heavily concentrated on the north side.

Now this is a warning cry. Where do we go from here? Where do we go as a community from here? Rainey said at the news conference with Barrett.

The anger at shootings by Milwaukee police is not new, and comes as tension between black communities and law enforcement has ramped up across the nation, resulting in protests and the recent killings of officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dallas.

Milwaukee was beset by protests and calls for police reform after an officer fatally shot Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill black man, in 2014. In December, the Justice Department announced it would work with Milwaukee police on reforms. Chief Ed Flynn had asked for whats known as a collaborative reform process after the federal government said it wouldnt pursue criminal civil rights charges against the officer.

Critics said the department should have submitted to a review of its patterns and practices, as was conducted in Ferguson, Missouri, after the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black, by a white police officer in 2014.

The state is investigating the latest shooting in Milwaukee. Barrett said the officer was wearing a body camera.

Barrett said police stopped the 23-year-old man who died for suspicious activity. Police said he was carrying a gun that had been stolen in a March burglary in suburban Waukesha.

This stop took place because two officers  saw suspicious activity, the mayor said. There were 23 rounds in that gun that that officer was staring at. I want to make sure we dont lose any police officers in this community, either.

At one point Saturday evening, as many as 100 protesters massed at 44th Street and Auer Avenue, surging against a line of 20 to 30 officers. Police made at least two efforts to disperse the protesters before they finally dwindled after midnight.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that officers got in their cars to leave at one point and some in the crowd started smashing a squad cars windows. Another police car was set on fire. The newspaper reported that one of its reporters was shoved to the ground and punched.

A bank, a gas station, an auto parts store and a beauty supplies shop were burned in the violence. Firefighters held back from the gas station blaze because of gunshots.

Police said the man who was shot had an arrest record. The 24-year-old officer who shot the man has been placed on administrative duty. The officer has been with the Milwaukee department six years, three as an officer.
ZURICH (Reuters) - One woman died and two girls were in serious condition a day after an attack on a Swiss train by a man armed with a knife and flammable fluid which also claimed the suspect's life, local police said on Sunday. The 34-year-old woman and the 27-year-old suspect died from their injuries on Sunday, St Gallen cantonal police said. Five people were stabbed or suffered burns during an attack by a Swiss man on a train nearing Salez station in St Gallen in northeast Switzerland. A sixth person suffered smoke inhalation as he came to the aid of the others. Three victims remained in hospital on Sunday morning, including the two girls in serious condition who are aged 6 and 17 years old. Police searched the home of the suspect, who lived in a neighboring canton. They said they had found no indication of a politically or terrorist motivated act. "The motive remains unclear," they said in a statement. "There is currently none that can be found." Police have not released the suspect's name. (Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; editing by Tom Heneghan and Jason Neely)
It would be hard to find a better deal than this round-trip flight to Cambodia.

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Melanie Lieberman is the Assistant Digital Editor at Travel + Leisure. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @melanietaryn.
Based on the Israeli series Prisoners of War, Showtime's Homeland has consistently been one of the best shows on TV for a number of years now. Seasons 1 and 2 in particular are, in my opinion, bonafide classics that deliver some of the most thrilling and suspenseful action to ever hit the screen.

With the sixth season of Homeland set to premiere in 2017, executive producer Alex Gansa answered a few questions about the highly anticipated season during a recent panel session at the Television Critics Association press tour. As for some basic logistics, it was revealed that season six will begin shooting next week and is slated to premiere on January 15, 2017. Additionally, Gansa believes that season 8 will likely be the show's last.

Now as for nitty-gritty details surrounding the upcoming season, Gansa was thankfully willing to give us a few interesting tidbits of information along with a few teasers for good measure.

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Right off the bat, Gansa explained that Quinn is still alive, a notable admission given the harrowing ending of season 5. As for the overarching plot, Gansa said that season six takes place a few months after season 5 ends and will take place during a very specific time frame -- the months between the U.S. election and the Presidential inauguration. Also interesting is that the President-elect in season six -- a character named Elizabeth Keane -- is described as being "a little bit Hillary, a little bit Donald Trump" and a little bit Bernie Sanders.

Intriguing, to say the least.

As for overarching plot points, our sister site Variety was in attendance at the panel and relayed some of the more interesting details about what we can expect to see in season six.

Counterterrorism policies in the U.S. will be the big focus of season six. As will the practical application of Obama administrations nuclear agreement with Iran  the pact that has faced so much criticism during Donald Trumps real-life presidential campaign. Those themes are a direct result of Homeland producers annual field trip to Washington, D.C. to take the pulse of intelligence officials. We talked about the Iran nuclear deal, so thats a fairly big part of the show, and also about how law enforcement in this country is treating the Muslim community right now, and how theyve been treating the Muslim community since 9/11, Gansa said. There are strong feelings on both sides.

Story continues

Saul Berenson and F. Murray Abrahams Dar Adal will be in charge of briefing the president-elect on the realpolitik of national security crises. Gansa described Dar as the ultimate example of the permanent government that rules the country no matter who lives in the White House. Dars the ultimate barnacle on the side of the intelligence ship, and probably the most threatened by Elizabeth Keane, Gansa said. Hes a firm believer that the ends justify the means.

Saul and Carrie will still be at odds, but they also still have an unbreakable bond. Carrie is not likely to take up Sauls offer to rejoin the CIA. There has been a split that theyve been working on repairing over the course of the past couple of seasons, Danes said. I think that Saul has committed himself even more fully to the agency, and Carrie rejects some fundamental principles of it. They are so profoundly bonded, thats not anything that they will be able to rid themselves of, nor would they want to. Shes matured into a very different place from where he has matured to.

Make sure to hit the source link below for the full rundown of information regarding season 6 of Homeland.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
- By Sangara Narayanan





After spending years and years fighting against each other, PayPal (PYPL) and Visa (NYSE:V) announced a truce last month, signaling a huge tipping point in the payments world. Visa has long treated PayPal as an adversary because it was possibly the only company that came close to breaking Visa's payment network moat.





With PayPal's payment volume nearly doubling in three years, the threat the company posed to the world's largest card payment network was a real and clear one, and to top that off, PayPal was actually able to increase in size despite cutting Visa out of its transactions and processing through the much cheaper bank-owned ACH network. Every day that PayPal got bigger, Visa was potentially losing its bread and butter.

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But here's the rub: If things were going so well for PayPal, why did the company choose to execute what looks like a meek surrender to the Visa kingdom?

The answer to the question is two-fold: The drop in desktop usage, which caused a decline in web-based engagement and the simultaneous rise of mobile devices that resulted in increasing mobile based engagement.

Death of the desktop

PC sales have been declining all over the globe as we transition into a mobile device based world. Take, for example, the world's largest social network, Facebook (FB), which makes nearly 85% of its revenue from mobile advertisements. The odds are extremely high that mobile is where the bulk of the person-to-person, business-to-business and person-to-business transactions are going to happen in the future. Ad dollars naturally flow only to places where people are present, and if companies are ready to pour that money into mobile advertising, then it's clear that is where the people are. If that's where the people are, then that's where the bulk of transactions are also going to happen.

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The tech majors in the mobile wallet space

It's clear that future payment transactions are going to increasingly skew toward mobile devices. Android and iOS are the two operating systems that hold more than 90% of that market. With nine out of 10 smart devices powered by these two companies, both Google (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL) have the ability to keep their digital wallet a click away from their users. With Samsung now in the fray with Samsung Pay, all three companies are piggybacking on the Visa network, making it extremely convenient for users to start using their services.

Now, why on earth would an iPhone or Android user even think of going with PayPal when a transaction is as easy as opening up an app and making a payment? To make things worse, if that same user can also pay for groceries by tapping or swiping their phone, why wouldn't they completely switch to their mobile wallet instead of being encumbered with plastic? And what should really scare PayPal is that Apple is now moving in on web payments -- a domain that PayPal still rules over.

My take on the PayPal-Visa-Apple-Google-Samsung equation

Here's what Bloomberg thinks about this:

"In return for funneling more transactions through Visa's network, PayPal will get help expanding its reach into physical stores, an area it has been struggling with for several years. Most transactions still happen in the real world, rather than online, so it's a big opportunity for PayPal. But Apple Inc.'s Apple Pay and Google's Android Pay have made bigger strides in this area than PayPal lately."

Of course, PayPal users might still be more comfortable continuing with the company, especially if they could also make physical payments using that same account, but it's the new users that PayPal needs to worry about. At the end of the day, new users is what growth is all about. Apple, Google or Samsung can tap into that new user base simply because it's available by default on the devices they sell, so PayPal really has something to worry about for the future.

All three companies have enough money muscle to grow their user bases and give PayPal a run for their money. In fact, even Visa should be scared of what it's doing in the mobile space. That's exactly why I think the two companies have teamed up now. They're looking to join hands and mitigate any future erosion to their respective market shares, while ensuring that they stay relevant in a world that is increasingly depending on their smartphones and tablets to get them through the day.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

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This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






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Working with a tattoo artist is all about intimacy and creative expression. And, most of all, its about trust. But say youre the kind of person who likes the idea of getting inked, but is a little freaked out by the possibility of human error. (Even amateur artist Margot Robbie  who has inked more than 50 designs on various friends, including Cara Delevingne  has admitted to misspelling a word here and there.) Well, the worlds first robot tattooist is here to help.

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The robot is the brainchild of Appropriate Audiences, the French duo known for arming a 3-D printer with a tattooing needle to make an inking machine dubbed Tatoue. In order to bring automated tattooing out of the box, Appropriate Audiences teamed up with the Applied Research Lab at Autodesk, which is really focused on this more intimate relationship that people are likely to have with machines in the not-so-distant future, according to David Thomasson, the principal research engineer at the lab.

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Immediately, we were thinking along the same lines, Thomasson continues. We wanted to see a big, mean industrial robot arm doing this really subtle interaction with a human.

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Hes not kidding. The robot arm is massive  something that looks sized to put together a car, not ink a delicate forearm. The team collaborated with health and safety pros and a few outside groups to program the robots fine-point precision. After scanning the body part to be tattooed, and translating the information into zeros and ones for the robot to read geometrically, the team then programmed the graphic design to be inked onto the skins surface, exporting the code as the robots marching orders.



As you can see in the video, witnessing a massive robot arm descend upon someones skin with a needle is a little nerve-racking. And because the robot cant account for bodily movement, its first subject had to be tightly strapped down to ensure the design didnt go awry.

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This all seems particularly jarring considering how far removed it is from the intimate experience human-on-human tattooing creates. A big part of getting a tattoo is human touch  allowing an artist to read your vibe, learn about your lifestyle, and create the perfect design just for you. (And maybe even to spot skin conditions.) So, we dont anticipate a robot takeover when it comes to getting inked anytime soon. Still, as Thomasson points out, the machines first stab at tattooing is elegant, precise, and beautiful  in other words, right on trend.

By: Erika Stalder
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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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.

Story continues

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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Related stories from TheWrap:

'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
Good Greens Aquaponics at 2424 Commerce St. on the far North Side of La Crosse has started offering tours by appointment and plans to open its own retail store within a few weeks.

Good Greens is a new division of ORC Industries, which employs people with disabilities. Its 14,000-square-foot aquaponics system is growing tilapia fish as well as lettuce and herbs such as basil, oregano and mint.

The retail store in part of the aquaponics building will sell whole tilapia fish on ice, as well as romaine lettuce and herbs such as basil, oregano and mint, said Erik Carlson, facilities manager.

Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture, or the raising of fish, with hydroponics, or the raising of produce in a water-based system. The system has 12 tanks that each hold up to 600 tilapia. Their waste is processed and turned into nitrates and other plant foods that then circulate to the hydroponics system.

Good Greens began selling produce earlier this year, mostly for restaurants. Fish sales initially will be only at the Good Greens store, but later will expand to grocery stores and restaurants.

Tours will cost $5 per person. For more information, call 608-781-7727 and ask for Carlson or e-mail him at ecarlson@orcind.com. Good Greens also is on Facebook.

After major upgrades, new owners will reopen the closed Starlite Bowling Alley in Caledonia, Minn., in early September as the MAAD Alley. Open bowling is expected to begin Sept. 9, with league play starting shortly before that.

The bowling alley at 114 Bissen St. almost closed for good at the end of April. After it closed, Matt Phillips and Adam Augedahl, who own Winona Controls Inc. next door at 108 Bissen St., negotiated to buy the property so they would have room to expand their mechanical and electrical contracting business.

The community kind of leaned on us to reopen the bowling alley, Augedahl said with a laugh. So he and Phillips decided to upgrade, rename and reopen it, and hire someone to manage it. They still have room on the property they bought Aug. 1 to construct another Winona Controls building, probably in 2017, he said.

Were doing a complete renovation of the 10-lane bowling alley, Augedahl said. Improvements include new ceilings and floors, new heating and air conditioning systems, improved lighting including black lights over the lanes, new pins and rebuilding machinery.

The bowling alley opened in 1977 and is the only one in Caledonia. It probably will have 10 to 15 employees and a grand reopening in late September, Augedahl said.

The new owners came up with the MADD name by combining the first two letters of their first names. The bowling alleys telephone number is 507-725-6223 and it also is on Facebook.

Look for a Dunkin Donuts restaurant to open in late fall or early winter in the Riverside Square shopping center along Hwy. 18 on the South Side of Prairie du Chien.

The new location will be owned and operated by Wisconsin Dells-based franchisee Travel Mart Inc., which has 20 Dunkin Donuts restaurants in operation. That includes the La Crosse location that opened last November at 1422 S. Losey Blvd.

Travel Mart continues to look at possible locations for a second restaurant in the La Crosse/Onalaska area, said Jeremy Alsaker, its chief executive officer.

A space is being remodeled, and a drive-thru is being added, for the new Prairie du Chien restaurant, Alsaker said.

It will have iced coffee, hot coffee, cold brew coffee, lattes, macchiato, hot chocolate and other beverages along with doughnuts, breakfast, lunch and dinner sandwiches, he said.

We really like the area and are looking forward to being part of the community, Alsaker said of opening a Dunkin Donuts in Prairie du Chien.
GENOA  Florente Edward Jambois, 89, of Genoa passed away Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, at Gundersen Health System, La Crosse.

He was born March 13, 1927, in Genoa, to Dominic and Elizabeth (Groeschel) Jambois. He joined the U.S. Army in the spring of 1945. He was a squad leader in the mortar section and was stationed in Italy. While in Italy, he attended non-commissioned officers candidate school. After his return to Genoa, he did commercial fishing and then worked in a plant in Rockford, Ill. From 1962 until his retirement, he worked for the Corps of Engineers. At the time of his retirement he was head operator at Lock and Dam No. 8.

May 28, 1955, he married Patricia Hastings at West Prairie Lutheran Church. The family enjoyed camping trips, fishing, and hunting. He was an avid card player and enjoyed canasta, pinochle, and euchre. In his younger years he played softball with several local teams and enjoyed the many pot luck dinners they shared. He had been a member of Genoa-De Soto American Legion Post No. 246 for 70 years. He had served as commander of the post and was a loyal and faithful member of the Legion Military Honor Guard. He also was a member of the Viroqua Eagles Club Aerie No. 2707.

Florente is survived by his wife, Patricia of Genoa; daughters, Brenda (Douglas) Burke of Eau Claire, Sally (Richard) Phillips of Genoa; sons, Brad Duke (Heide) Jambois of La Crescent, Scott Jambois of Genoa, Bart (Nancy) Jambois of Hokah; brother, Duane Jambois of Genoa; 17 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; other relatives and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; infant sister; and brothers, George, Bill, and Harris Jambois.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, at Thorson Funeral Home, Viroqua. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Genoa, with military rites by Genoa-De Soto American Legion Post No. 246. Friends may call from 11 a.m. until the time of the service Wednesday at the funeral home.
BROWNSVILLE, Minn.  Lois Davy, 97, of Brownsville passed away peacefully Friday, Aug. 12, 2016.

Lois was born Jan. 1, 1919, in Manchester, Iowa, to George and Alba (Milligan) Glissendorf.

At 4 years of age, she moved with her family to Hokah, Minn. A year after this move, her father died, and Lois, her mother, her brother and two sisters continued to make their home in Hokah.

Lois attended the Hokah Public School for the first eight years of her education, then continued at Houston High School for four years. She then attended Winona State Teachers College, receiving a degree in elementary education.

For more than fifty years, Lois taught in the schools of Houston County. Most of those teaching years were spent in Freeburg, Minnesota. She saw the one room school grow to a fine up-to-date two classroom facility, the result of the extreme interest in education of the Freeburg people. Lois taught many children in that area, a place she loved dearly. Later, after the Freeburg School closed, Lois finished her teaching career at St. Marys Catholic School, Caledonia.

After retirement she taught G.E.D. classes and did substitute teaching in the Caledonia Public School System. Most of her life has been in the classroom, happy in her chosen profession.

Lois married Harold Davy of Brownsville in 1942, and since that time has been a resident of the Brownsville community. The Davys have lived on Harolds forefathers farm, one that has been in the Davy name for over a hundred years. They received the honor of being a Century Farm at the Minnesota State Fair in 1976.

Lois was active in the 4-H program of Houston County for many years, as a member, and later as a leader of the Brownsville Busy Bees for ten years. She was pleased to have received the state award for leadership.

Lois was forever an active friend of the Houston County Fair. The schools in which she taught exhibited work in the former school building, and the 4-H club which she led exhibited in the 4-H building. For many years she supervised the floral department at the fair. In later years she organized the Senior Citizen Spelling Bee. She was very proud to have received the Friend of the Fair plaque in 2003.

Lois was an active member of the Church of St. Patrick, Brownsville, and in the St. Marys Circle of that church. She was a member of the National Education Association (NEA) and the local and state Retired Educators Associations.

Harold and Lois spent winters in Sun City and Mesa, Ariz. Since Harolds passing in 1986, Lois had spent the winter months at Apache Junction, Ariz., at Lost Dutchman RV resort. She had been active in the Retired Teachers of Apache Junction, and in the organizations of Lost Dutchmans various communities, as well as a member of St. Georges Catholic Church.

Most recently, Lois resided in Jones-Harrison Assisted Living, Minneapolis, where she enjoyed quality time and made new friendships with residents and staff.

Harold and Lois were always fondly attached to Harolds maternal relatives, the Finbraaten and Hanson families of Grand Meadow, Minn., and Lois continued that love until her passing.

Lois was preceded in death by her husband, Harold; infant daughter; mother and father; siblings, Frances Guenther, Gladys Deters, and Dale Glissendorf; and sister-in-law, Mary Hurley.

She is survived by her children, Raymond (Jeanne), Richard (Cathy) Davy, and Georgene (Tony) Davy all of the Twin Cities area; grandchildren, Jennifer Davy, Ann Davy, Ian (Brittany) Davy, Alec Davy; great-granddaughters, Mia Davy Stone and Ophelia Olander Davy; and many special nieces and nephews that she loved dearly.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, at St. Patricks Catholic Church, Brownsville. Visitation will be5 to 8 p.m. Monday, at St.Patricks Breza Hall, where there will be a 7:30 p.m. prayer service. Visitation will also be 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church.

McCormick Funeral Home, Caledonia, is assisting the family and online condolences may be given at mccormickfuneralhome.net.
Sherry Lynn Hotchkiss, 69, of La Crosse passed away Monday, Aug. 8, 2016, at Lakeview Health Center, West Salem.

She was born Aug. 13, 1946, and grew up in Beloit, Wis., with her adopted parents, Eugene and Nova Spence. After a couple of failed marriages, Sherry met and married the love of her life, Tom Hotchkiss. After 13 years of marriage they divorced. She lived most of her life in La Crosse. Sherry worked as a waitress for many years in addition to working many other jobs in the area.

Sherry will long be remembered for her witty jokes, contagious smile, and her all over craziness. She loved tap dancing, camping, kayaking, country music, and her furry friend, Rusty, Lindas dog.

Sherry is survived by her very close friends, Connie, Linda, and Ron; the John Hotchkiss family of La Crosse; the Florence Harvey family of the Beloit area; and a few cousins in southern Ontario.

Sherry was preceded in death by her parents; former in-laws, John and Geri Hotchkiss; and brothers-in-law, John Jr. and Jeff Hotchkiss.

She will be laid to rest next to her parents in South Beloit, Ill.

A special thank you to the staff at Lakeview Health Center, REM House, Cashton, Western Wisconsin Cares, and Ron Hotchkiss, for all the wonderful care that was given to Sherry.

Jandt-Fredrickson Funeral Homes and Crematory, Woodruff Chapel, La Crosse is assisting the family with arrangements.

Online condolences may be sent at www.jandtfredrickson.com.
You might guess that Pat and Joanne Stephens would opt for vacations as far away from the frenetic pace of festivals as possible  without falling off the face of the earth.

That hunch would be wrong, because the La Crosse festival power couple is as drawn to such events as mayflies are to light arrays on bridges and at convenience stores.

You might hazard a similar bet about Dan and Ruth Kapanke, suggesting that their field of vacation dreams would be farther away from home than Babe Ruths longest dinger.

You would lose that wager, too, as diamonds often are the best friends for the owners of the La Crosse Loggers when they seek relaxation.

Some might imagine that Lutheran Bishop Jim Arends and his wife, Lynn, of La Crescent, indulge themselves during vacations by following the historical footsteps of Martin Luther.

Those folks would be in not only the wrong pew but also the wrong church, because the Arendses gravitate toward family gatherings instead of knocking on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, where Luther nailed his 95 theses.

Those are the findings of a random sampling of several Coulee Region notables asking about their favorite and/or ideal vacations.

Other fests offer edge

One (festival) I really enjoy is the Milwaukee Irish Fest, a week after ours, said Stephens, the Coulee Regions festival guru, as president of not only Irishfest but also Rotary Lights, as well as being a Freedom Fest board member, a Riverfest volunteer and commodore and former president of Airfest.

My family, most of whom live in Milwaukee, also enjoy it and attend, providing the twofer opportunity to celebrate their heritage at a festival that boasts more than 100 acts on 17 stages and a homecoming of sorts at the same time, Stephens said.

The St. Paul Irish Fair, a week before this weekends La Crosse Irishfest, also is a draw, so those are our bookends, Stephens said.

As if to rebut Irish folks reputation for telling white lies  the Irish Daily Mirror in Dublin reported on a survey last year that found Irish people tell an average of four lies a day  Stephens came clean with an ulterior motive for their treks to fests in St. Paul, Milwaukee, Oshkosh and other spots that the Irish and wannabe Irish frequent.

We steal as many ideas as we can, he said with a laugh but nary a hint of remorse.

Another edge the La Crosse leprechaun has hidden in his pot of gold is being able to cut deals to land talent.

For example, the wildly popular Gaelic Storm generally performs in St. Paul, then heads to Milwaukee. For the past several years, Stephens has been able to entice the multi-national band to stop in La Crosse between the big gigs to perform at Irishfest, usually on Saturday.

This year, they are performing Friday and Saturday in St. Paul, at a much higher rate, so we booked them for Sunday instead, Stephens said.

The arrangement gives the Storm another port at the same time it provides Irishfest with a big name at a smaller cost, he said.

Kapankes take in games on road

Meanwhile, the Kapankes are fond of the Rocky Mountains, having spent their honeymoon in Colorado and a week at Glacier National Park last year, Kapanke said.

Last summer, their attendance at a wedding in the mountains happily coincided with their quest for games on road trips, he said, and they were able to see two minor league playoff games.

We like to check and see whats going on while traveling and take in games even if they dont know the players, he said.

Something Ruth and I have enjoyed doing the past couple of years is spending time in Arizona for spring training, he said. I know Arizona is beastly hot now, but in March, its 75 to 85 degrees.

Bishop is fisher of people, but not fish

Bishop Arends describes his favorite vacation times as being any time I can have with my family.

With four children and five grandchildren, the Arendses have plenty of company on those family outings, many of which include camping.

We dont take lots of photos on vacation. Were having too much fun, Arends said in a note accompanying photos requested for this story.

Youve got the family wearing the Arends superhero capes and posing at my sisters lake cabin, he explained of a themed outing, for which the T-shirts were emblazoned with a photo of the bishop and Lynn and the capes, with an A instead of an S.

The best part of getting together is listening to the kids and the kids kids, said Arends, who is spiritual leader of 38,100 souls in the La Crosse Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which includes 74 churches, partner camps, nursing homes and Lutheran campus ministries in southwestern Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota.

The clan is headed to northern Minnesota this week, said Arends, who grew up in Walker, Minn., and confesses to being fishing challenged.

When you grow up in Walker, most of us have two jobs, he said. Fishing was for tourists.

These days, he said, Im too darn goal-oriented. If I go fishing, and its been a half-hour with no fish, Im done. I have a friend who is a fly fisherman who wants to teach me that.

The goal for fly fishing is to cast well, so I still might have problems, he said with a self-deprecating laugh.

Duty calls Frels on vacation

Moving from the sacred back toward the slightly profane pursuit of pilfering, A.J. Frels travels two roads with his wife, Anita, and their two children.

On the high road, I often spend vacation days with my elderly mother, said Frels, whose role as the new executive director of the La Crosse County Convention and Visitors Bureau includes luring vacationers to the Coulee Region.

Frels, whose dad, Calvin, died in May at the age of 91, tries to spend a weekend a month with his mother, Lois, who lives in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa where he grew up.

At Christmas time, the Frelses try to spend extended time with Lois and/or their college-age children.

Just family, bonding and talking to the kids at that age, is great, he said.

Beyond that, his ideal vacation is spending time outdoors, especially hunting and fishing, as well as traveling abroad.

Then there is the tendency to follow Pat Stephens route when the family is out and about, Frels acknowledged.

I snap pictures and bring them home to see if they will work here, said Frels, who has hotel, lodge and restaurant experience and came to La Crosse County from the Carson Valley (Nev.) Visitors Authority. He also was executive director of the Wisconsin Rapids Area Convention and Visitors Bureau for five years.

Health director Rombalski unplugs

La Crosse County Health Director Jen Rombalski finds that the best way to connect is to disconnect.

Rombalski, her husband, Jake, and their three children join annual caravans with her parents and siblings on camping trips to one of several lakes in the region, where they turn off all the electronics and go fishing and hang out with the cousins, even though we see them regularly anyway, she said.

Rombalski acknowledged that she is a poster child for the fact that the sport is called fishing instead of catching.

At every place, we never can get on a slew of fish, she said, adding that thats OK, because its really about shutting off the electronics and the phones.

Staffers heed her need to disconnect from work, too, she said, recalling an instance last year, when she was health director in Chippewa County.

As it turned out, there was an outbreak of a food-borne illness  at, of all places, a staff members daughters wedding  during her absence. But the health department staff handled the crisis without contacting her.

I was really proud of them, she said.

Kwik Trip workers

20-year bonus time

The world is an oyster for Kwik Trip employees who have worked for 20 years at the three-state, La Crosse-based chain of gas/convenience stores, some of which include restaurants.

At that milestone, Kwik Trip workers  both full time and part time  receive an extra four weeks of paid time off, over and above any PTO and vacation benefits they already have earned, said Steve Wrobel, a Kwik Trip spokesman.

Rumor has it that the company deactivates their ties to work via email and other technological means, although Wrobel dismissed it as just that  a figment of folks imagination.

The company intends it to be regenerative, but it doesnt dictate such conditions, Wrobel said, noting that it may be necessary for some employees to remain somewhat connected.

Its intended to be uplifting, rejuvenating  its up to them, he said. Some volunteer and work for a community-service-type project. Others use it to visit their kids and grandchildren.

Sounds like Kwik Trip might be a good gig for Bishop Arends, should he choose to retire from the ministry  and work another two decades.
TOMAH  When Karen Rapp graduated from Tomah High School in 1956, she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life.

Sixty years later, she is not only celebrating her 60-year high school reunion but also her 60th anniversary at F&M Bank.

On Aug. 13, 1956, just months after graduating, Rapp was hired as a proof operator.

Everybody had to have a job, and there was an opening at the bank, so I applied, she said. It was between me and another lady  the other lady didnt show up, so they said, Karen, you got the job.

The day she started, Rapp was taken to a big, iron machine where she would be sorting, inputting and then checking the credits and debits  one by one  and then making sure the deposits balanced.

Once finished she had to take the checks to another bank they worked with to make sure their totals matched.

At first Rapp was intimidated by the machine.

They sat me down in front of that (machine)  it was big and had about 45 keys on it and I thought, Oh my God, what am I going to do with this? How the heck am I going to learn how to run that machine and all those keys on there? she said. It was a lot of learning, but I must have been all right  Im still here.

Today banking is easy, she said.

People just cant visualize from what it was 60 years ago, she said. Banking has changed a whole lot ... I know its not just the laws, its the processing of everything  if they had to process everything like I did, wed be here to midnight.

Rapp has seen many changes, from the manual checking and balancing she did, to computers and drive-up windows, credit and debit cards.

And with bankings changes, Rapps positions have changed. But she has always worked in operations.

I was the proof operator mostly, she said. Then I went to what they called the general ledger, which was ... the person who balanced the whole bank, nobody could go home at 5 p.m. until that person said, The banks in balance  you can go home. ... Then I was supervisor of the bookkeeping department. Then we went to in-house computers.

She also worked as a teller at the drive-up window for a time.

Now, working 10 hours a week instead of 40, Rapp does mail return, and scanning and indexing.

The variety is what Rapp has liked best about her jobs at the bank.

Every year you had to have a goal. For the last five years, mine have been to make it to my 60th year  because no ones ever going to pass me, she said.

Pete Reichardt, F&M president and CEO, said hes honored to have Rapp at the bank.

Were very thrilled to have her and work with her, he said. With the mobility that people have and just changes in peoples lives, to have somebody thats at one organization for 60 years and shes still giving back to the community is great ... shes still a vibrant member of our bank, and were just honored to have her here.

The people have made it easy to stay at her job, Rapp said.

The most memorable moment of all her time at F&M happened in the early 1960s, when a police officer sat in the bank all day with a rifle.

Somebody called into the police station and said that the Farmers and Merchants was going to be robbed, she said. I was (pregnant with) one of my six children, and a policeman sat in an office ... the whole day with a rifle. Someone said, Karen, dont you think you should stay home? We dont want you to get too excited. I said, No, how am I going to know what happened if I stay home? So I came to work. ... That was something else.

The robber never showed up.

Banking has changed a whole lot ... I know its not just the laws, its the processing of everything  if they had to process everything like I did, wed be here to midnight. Karen Rapp, 60-year F&M Bank employee
TOMAH  A $20 million cranberry processing facility has opened near Warrens.

Local and state officials, including Gov. Scott Walker, were on hand for Cranberry Growers Cooperatives ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, where they celebrated its impact to independent growers and Wisconsins economy.

Walker shared stories of his own love of cranberry juice and said: Cranberries are a key part of our states economy.

Today, this is really what its about  its about the future.

The plant, also referred to as CranGrow, is the result of a vision of independent growers and is used to process member fruit into a variety of cranberry products, including dried cranberries, juice concentrate, whole frozen berries and cranberry seed pomace at its Aspen Avenue site in the town of Lincoln.

The operation is believed to be the largest independent co-op in the world with its 30 family-owned cranberry farms that supply fruit to CranGrow, which got work under way just days ago by processing berries from 2015s crop. This years fall harvest will begin processing this winter.

Today is our day, said Fred Prehn, a member who has a 160-acre cranberry farm outside of Tomah. Today, lets reflect on what weve accomplished.

CranGrow has 50 employees and will have the ability to expand to double its workforce as production moves forward. Officials also thanked the village of Warrens, which was granted permission by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to sell water to the plant despite being outside of its normal utility service area.

The facility will work to distribute its products to areas of the country that dont have ready access to cranberries, and it also will expand its reach to 30 countries across the world.

Were looking to reach where people should have the opportunity to (have) cranberries but dont, said Jim Reed, CranGrows CEO, who started in his position in April. This is an amazing deal.

Sean Duffy, who represents Wisconsins 7th Congressional District, praised the co-op members for their efforts to launch the facility, an endeavor he noted didnt require government assistance or funding.

This is a great day, said Duffy, whose district includes a portion of northern Monroe County. This is how its done. This is fantastic.
In dueling speeches last week in Michigan, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton laid out opposing visions for the U.S. economy.

Neither candidate, however, has grappled with what may be the most challenging economic crisis of our times: what to do with older workers whose jobs have disappeared and are never coming back  and who are injecting so much frustration (and rage) into this election cycle.

These are the workers who got a raw deal, who saw their livelihoods ripped from beneath them, who feel left behind by an increasingly globalized and automated 21st-century economy. They are predominantly white, non-degree-holding men, many of whom lost stable middle-class jobs in shrinking sectors such as manufacturing and coal.

To be fair, theres a good reason neither presidential candidate has proposed a comprehensive, credible plan for how to help these workers.

Its really, really hard to come up with one.

We basically have a playbook for how to help younger people secure stable jobs and boost their long-term earning potential. That includes subsidizing their educations or even just helping them navigate the training (or retraining) they need to get better opportunities. Policies that make it easier for workers to stay attached to the labor force, or in school, such as subsidized child care or family leave, are also useful.

Clintons economic package, as laid out in her Thursday speech, is rich in these kinds of programs; Trumps nods at some of them, such as child care. Unfortunately, such proposals would do little to help displaced, mid-skilled 50-somethings get back on their feet.

Older workers, after all, are less likely to benefit from work-support programs targeted at parents of small children.

Likewise, subsidizing their retraining offers limited benefits, at least from a fiscal perspective. Its certainly not impossible to teach an old dog new tricks, so to speak, but retraining a worker whos a decade from retirement may not be the best use of public funds (or that workers time)  especially because rampant ageism makes it harder for older workers to find jobs in new fields even when they do get training.

Trumps solution, instead, involves a promise to bring back these workers jobs in coal mining and manufacturing  through energy deregulation and tough trade talk, respectively.

Coal miners jobs are long gone. These positions vanished not primarily because of regulatory burdens but because of technological advances that make it easier to extract more coal with fewer workers and also to produce natural gas  coals most important competitor  at much lower costs.

Trumps promised tariffs and ripped-up trade deals, on the other hand, have been forecast to start a trade war, as well as a major recession. But even if you didnt believe those forecasts, a bump in manufacturing  which Clinton now promises as well  seems unlikely to help already-laid-off manufacturing workers much.

Thats because the kinds of jobs that the manufacturing industry has been adding, and will likely continue to add, look pretty different from the kinds that have been lost. Innovation has turned U.S. manufacturing into increasingly highly educated, white-collar work; about a third of manufacturing occupations in 2010 were high-skilled, compared with less than a fifth in 1980, according to economists Lawrence F. Katz and Robert A. Margo.

So what options are left for helping the bereft boomer worker?

One is to increase direct transfers  that is, cash payments  to these unlucky job-losers. We already basically have a backdoor version of this policy; the Social Security Disability Insurance program, whose rolls have swelled in the past decade, has served as a sort of last-resort unemployment insurance for many Americans whose occupations or skills have become largely obsolete.

Given that many Americans base their identity on the dignity of their work, though, paying more people to give up on employment wont fully resolve their anxiety and frustration.

Expanding the earned-income tax credit, which supplements the wages of low- and moderate-income workers, is one possible way to improve these workers lives, if theyre willing to take a job paying less than the one they lost.

Trump has played pied piper to millions of Americans displaced by tectonic global shifts, who not coincidentally remember America as being great when they themselves had greater economic security. But neither he nor Clinton has offered a true antidote to their suffering. Theres an opportunity here for someone to offer a thoughtful solution.
Ron Kinds victory over challenger Myron Buchholz in Tuesdays 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary was also a victory for those who support fairly constructed international trade agreements. In the 2016 election season, many politicians have been either cowed into silence on the topic or have expressed opposition to any prospect of expanding international trade. Not Ron Kind.

Kind has strongly supported expansion of trade agreements since entering Congress in 1997. In his stance this year, Kind is displaying what political scientists call trustee representation. He is bucking the common campaign consensus that trade deals are the major reason for stagnant wages and job losses. On Tuesday, voters placed their trust in his long-held principle that well-constructed international trade deals are vital to the continued prosperity of his constituents.

Consistency on this issue has required engaging a bipartisan approach to trade legislation. As a member of the New Democrat Coalition, Kind joined House Republicans to provide President Barack Obama fast-track negotiation authority for the Trans Pacific Partnership  the proposed multinational trade pact that includes 12 Pacific Rim countries: the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Peru.

Fast-track authority allowed the executive branch to negotiate the pact, and now provides Congress the opportunity to consent or reject by simple majority votes in both the House and Senate. The pact intends to deepen member states economic ties by significantly reducing tariffs, which in turn should foster trade and boost economic growth.

Buchholz campaigned on Bernie Sanders position that trade deals are part of a rigged economic system benefiting corporations to the detriment of workers. In Wisconsins presidential primary last spring, Sanders defeated Hilary Clinton 56 percent to 43 percent. Buchholz garnered only 20 percent of the vote against Kind. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, voters are sending politicians mixed messages.

But we must clearly recognize trade is only one factor to fuel our economic growth and prosperity.

A higher minimum wage would especially increase living standards for working Americans at the lowest rungs of our pay scale. Returning unions to a respected and healthy place in our society would provide workers collective strength in bargaining for higher wages. A more equitable tax system would provide greater justice for middle income wage earners, as well as firmer economic growth for future generations.

These are policy improvements we should implement here at home, with or without the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

But international trade brings people together across national borders through commercial activity. We thus avoid remaining divided behind overly protected borders, leading us to fear others with whom we interact too little. Trade provides the venue to build a working peace system in our too often contentious and hostile world.

This is no easy task in the face of threats from todays terrorism. But our becoming isolationist and giving up hope for global peace and prosperity is one of terrorists aspiration.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership specifically provides the United States a venue to engage in setting the trade rules in a region predicted to experience the greatest economic growth in the immediate future. It also furnishes us with trade allies as China expresses its growing strength and influence.

In the presidential contest, Republican nominee Donald Trump not only rejects the partnership, but he promises to abrogate trade arrangements already in place. He also threatens tariff retaliation against trade partners he would deem non-compliant.

The Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership in its current form, but she advocates improvements to benefit American workers and the environment. President Obama has reminded us the pact already requires less developed countries to abide by international labor laws, such as introducing a minimum wage. It also contains a chapter on environmental protection.

After World War II, we Americans chose to build international multilateral institutions to encourage global commerce that proved a great benefit to our prosperity. Unfortunately, for too many Americans that prosperity seems threatened, or has even dissipated. However, we can address such problems here at home while also benefiting from international trade.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership provides evidence that our elected officials and trade negotiators are learning lessons from past trade agreement deficiencies. It also creates a system within which we may peacefully and prosperously engage with prospective partners in the Pacific Rim. It is advisable we agree to the deal.
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.
Jimmy Anderson was recovering in a hospital from a wreck that left him paralyzed when he got two letters that planted seeds for a future in public service.

That future edged closer to the present Tuesday when Anderson, 29, won a Democratic primary election and became the overwhelming favorite to be the next representative from Assembly District 47. The district covers Monona, McFarland and most of Fitchburg.

Both of the letters to Anderson, a Fitchburg Democrat, came from his health insurance company shortly after he was in a car wreck in 2010. A drunken driver hit a vehicle carrying Anderson and his family, killing his father, mother and brother, and leaving Anderson paralyzed from the chest down.

The first letter warned Anderson that he was nearing his lifetime limit for health coverage and needed to prepare to pay future costs out of pocket.

Andersons health expenses after the wreck included spinal fusion surgery and a private jet and personal paramedic crew to transport him from California, where the wreck occurred and he initially was hospitalized, back to the Madison area, where he then was a student at UW-Madison Law School.

For Anderson and his wife, Ashley, the letter triggered panic.

We were staring down financial ruin, Anderson said. We didnt know what to do.

The second letter, which came three days later, told them not to worry after all. The lifetime limit no longer applied because the newly enacted Affordable Care Act barred insurance companies from imposing it.

It left a mark on me, Anderson said. It was that moment that kind of made me realize: good public policy doesnt happen by accident.

Support from Falk, Pocan

huge

Anderson is likely to be the next representative for Assembly District 47 because he faces no Republican candidate in the November election. He is opposed only by an independent, Adam Dahl.

The winner succeeds Rep. Robb Kahl, D-Monona, who chose not to seek re-election.

The primary race pitted Anderson against two Fitchburg alders, Julia Arata-Fratta and Tony Hartmann. It gave Anderson, who is running his first campaign, a taste of how nasty politics can be. A third-party group, the Construction Trades Coalition, hammered Anderson in a radio ad for not signing the petition to recall Gov. Scott Walker in 2011.

Anderson still was recovering from the wreck at the time and said he was physically unable to even hold a pen to sign the petition.

Yet Anderson beat both his opponents with the help of a door-to-door campaign and endorsements from leading Madison-area liberals such as former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and Congressman Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth.

Having those endorsements was huge, Anderson acknowledged. He also won the support of key public-sector unions such as the Wisconsin Education Association Council, or WEAC, and AFSCME Council 32.

Should he be elected in November, Anderson said he wants to focus on education, environmental issues, health care and tax policy.

He said education was by far the biggest concern voters shared with him when he went door-to-door during the campaign. He wants to boost funding for K-12 schools and colleges and universities and end voucher schools.

Anderson moved to Wisconsin from California, where he grew up, to attend UW-Madison Law School. The fact that the university is a national magnet for young talent underscores why it must be protected from further funding cuts, he said.

Disability as advantage

After completing his initial recovery from the car crash, Anderson finished law school. He went on to found Drive Clear, a nonprofit that helps victims of drunken-driving crashes and works to prevent future ones. Anderson said it was his work with Drive Clear, coupled with those letters from his insurance companies, that got him thinking seriously about a bid for public office.

Anderson would be the first state lawmaker in recent memory to serve while permanently in a wheelchair. The Legislative Reference Bureau, the official reference source for the Wisconsin Legislature, has no record of such lawmakers. But at least one other legislator -- Russel Weisensel of Sun Prairie -- served while using a wheelchair, from 1966 to 1970.

Anderson has tried to tackle the disability issue head-on, and with a dash of humor. The Q&A at his campaign website addresses the question: Are you able to fully represent me in the Assembly with your disability?

His answer includes this: You can trust me to stand against Scott Walkers radical agenda as I literally have more steel in my spine than anyone in the Legislature.

Anderson said being paralyzed causes him to view some things differently. Take voter ID. Anderson doesnt have a drivers license. He has a wheelchair-accessible van and family and friends to help him get to the DMV to get a free voter ID. But Anderson said not everyone living with disabilities can rely on that.

Voter ID is actually really harmful to individuals with disabilities, but you wouldnt think about that unless you lived that life in a wheelchair, Anderson said.

Theres another side to being in a wheelchair, Anderson said  people often treat him with empathy. He hopes that can help him connect with people who are cynical about politics.

I hope I can disabuse them of some of that cynicism, Anderson said. Appealing to our better angels  I think I kind of bring that out in people.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that Anderson would not be the first lawmaker to permanently use a wheelchair. The Legislative Reference Bureau, the official reference source for the Wisconsin Legislature, has no record of such lawmakers. But at least one other legislator -- Russel Weisensel of Sun Prairie -- served while using a wheelchair, from 1966 to 1970.]
5 men killed in 3 separate shootings: MILWAUKEE  Five men died in three separate shootings within nine hours in Milwaukee, prompting the citys mayor to pledge to work for a safer community. The shootings happened between 6 p.m. Friday and 3 a.m. Saturday, according to police. No suspects were in custody Saturday and police believe the shootings were not related, although they continue to investigate.

Wisconsin man charged in Illinois stabbings of 4 people, dog: BUFFALO GROVE, Ill.  Authorities say a Wisconsin man is charged in connection with the stabbings of four people and a dog during a break-in at a suburban Chicago home. Buffalo Grove police said Friday that 29-year-old Jacob William Beeman of Arkdale, Wisconsin, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, home invasion and aggravated animal cruelty. He was being held on a $2 million cash bond Friday evening. Police said the homeowner injured in the attack early Wednesday remains hospitalized. The three other victims were treated and released and the dog was in good condition after surgery.

Primary vote turnout falls short of prediction: MADISON, Wis.  The Wisconsin Elections Commission estimates turnout for last Tuesdays primary was about 13 percent of the electorate, based on unofficial results from county clerks. The commission earlier predicted about 16 percent turnout. Approximately 572,000 votes were cast in the statewide U.S. Senate primaries, which is 12.8 percent of Wisconsins 2016 voting-age population. Official results wont be reported to the Elections Commission until early next week.

Big losses for Minnesota medical pot providers: ST. PAUL, Minn.  Minnesotas two licensed medical marijuana manufacturers 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 saw the rush to build up facilities, the growing and cultivating of the plants and the first six months of legal medical marijuana sales. The company also said it lost more than $542,000 in 2014. The other manufacturer, LeafLine Labs, lost roughly $2.2 million in 2015. Their audit does not include information from 2014.
The 2016 classical chamber music festival returns to Houston, Minn., for nine days of music Aug. 26 through Sept. 3.

Led by Houston native and Twin Cities resident Garret Ross, 12 musicians from the region will take part in four concerts, six master classes and outreach activities.

All events, which are free, take place at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 210 S. Chase St.

Apollo Music Festival had its beginning in 2012 with a debut concert in Houston featuring pianist Ross and cellist Ruth Marshall, known as Artu Duo. The festivals programming has been expanding ever since.

For more information, including full concert repertoire and artist biographies and photographs, visit www.apollomusicfestival.org.
The rain arrived suddenly overnight and lingered much too long.

But while the storm that tore through western Wisconsin and parts of southeast Minnesota damaged houses, roads and bridges, it spared both life and limb.

Buffalo and Trempealeau counties suffered through the worst flash flood in years Wednesday night and into the predawn hours Thursday, with heavy rains washing out roads and inundating areas of some small towns, including Gilmanton and Independence.

Several Buffalo County roads remained closed Thursday. Both counties reported significant damage to homes. Buffalo County officials estimated from $500,000 to $1 million or more to infrastructure damage alone.

Both counties were placed under a state of emergency Thursday, with several primary and secondary roads closed, some with sections washed out. Gov. Scott Walkers office said Thursday afternoon that it is closely monitoring flood developments across western Wisconsin.

Independence threatened

Watching Bugle Lake swell, emergency officials Thursday afternoon announced a voluntary evacuation of Independence in Trempealeau County, along Hwy. 93 from Cedar Street to Whitehall Road/Hwy. 121.

Much of Independence was already underwater, with the lake brushing against the backs of houses, and the intersection of Osseo Road and Elm Street impassable.

Damage, road closures across region

In Buffalo County, the Red Cross was assisting at least six displaced families from the Gilmanton and Mondovi areas, where the forks and fingers of Elk Creek that reach Independence first brought floodwaters farther north that rose above basement level and forced residents out of their homes.

Gilmanton, with a population just above 400, was particularly affected. Waters rushed through several homes, which led to neighbors rescuing neighbors as some were cut off from dry land. Treig Pronschinske, the Mondovi mayor who spent his Tuesday night watching primary election returns that won him a chance at a state Assembly seat, spent his Wednesday night and Thursday morning in his capacity as a volunteer firefighter, working with others to rescue area residents. Cream, an unincorporated town in Buffalo County, also suffered significant damage.

State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout of Alma and other officials on Thursday urged all Buffalo and Trempealeau county residents to fully report all flood damage, because the final tallies will determine whether the county will be eligible for state and federal aid.

While some roads re-opened Thursday, others remained closed in parts or in entirety due to washouts, bridge collapses, cave-ins, and other damages.

A deluge

Nearly 8 inches of rain fell in parts of Wabasha County, with parts of Buffalo County reporting between 5 and 7 inches. In Trempealeau County, the Arcadia area saw about 5.5 inches of rain.

About 1.3 inches of rain fell in the city of Winona, Minn., with areas in the northern part of the county closer to Whitewater State Park seeing about 3 inches of rain.

More storms were expected Thursday night into this morning, though revised forecasts throughout the evening offered increasingly optimistic outlooks, with initial reports of heavy rain revised to an estimate of 1 to 3 inches falling across the region.
Some poor souls go a lifetime without finding love. But one lonely sap had it even worse: He spent 10 days in an airport.

Last month, a 41-year-old Dutchman headed to a Chinese airport to meet a 26-year-old woman he had met online. What started with high hopes ended in heartbreak as the lovesick Alexander Cirk never met his girlfriend and had to be treated for exhaustion. Its not unusual to find courtship exhausting, but if youre getting carted around in an airport in a wheelchair with an IV drip, youre doing it wrong.

CCTV reports that Cirk arrived at Changshas airport hoping to meet a woman named Zhang. He had encountered her online two months earlier, and they hit it off. After sending her a copy of his travel papers, Cirk camped out in the arrivals terminal and waited. Subsisting on instant noodles and soda, he lasted 10 days before being hospitalized.

Its not unusual for a gal to keep a guy waiting. Sometimes women like to be fashionably late. Its a fellas duty to wait patiently, smile understandingly and pretend not to be enraged. After all, romance cant bloom without a sprinkle of duplicity. But when you find yourself doubled over with a case of noodle-induced gut rot, its time to move on.

Before he was confined to a wheelchair, Cirk was noticed by Chinese media. They learned his story, found Zhang and attempted to play Cupid. Zhang told Hunan ETV by phone that she had not expected Cirk to come to Changsha. This development represented a good news, bad news situation for Cirk: On the down side, she wasnt coming. But on a positive note, she may be an actual female and not an undercover government agent investigating international sex trade.

Zhang claimed she was unable to meet Cirk because recent cosmetic surgery had made it inconvenient for her to step outside. She added that while the couple seemed bound for marriage early on, he became a bit indifferent towards me.

Lets review: He traveled thousands of miles and was willing to live on ramen noodles and Sprite to meet her. She and I have very different definitions for indifferent.

Despite being tired and wheelchair-bound, Cirk remained interested in Zhang. He told Hunan ETV he was still determined to have a good talk with the woman I love, (and bring her) back to my hometown.

He learned an important lesson about women. They may say they value spontaneity, but they get weirded out when you unexpectedly fly to their country and camp out in the airport.

In time, Cirk may also learn a tough lesson about online dating. Things are not always what they seem. Profiles are easy to falsify. The fawning beauty giving you come hither looks may be the avatar of some old guy in boxers trying to get your credit card number. Hence the old I cant be seen in public because my face is bursting with Botox excuse.

Either way, this couple found out how easy it can be to miscommunicate. Zhang said she hadnt heard from Cirk after his arrival. But he had left her messages online, which went unseen when the surgery prompted Zhang to turn her phone off. So what, it was cosmetic ear surgery?

Despite all of these difficulties, there is hope for these lovebirds. Zhang said she wants to continue the romance and will meet the Dutchman when she recovers from her operation.

Its reassuring when hopeful people demonstrate their belief in love. But this particular romance should serve as a cautionary tale for anyone looking to see an online relationship take flight. Lonely hearts, remember: Heartbreak can be terminal.


The maker of a popular college entrance exam reportedly is dismissing its head of test security. The Reuters news service says the not-for-profit group, ACT Inc., now plans to audit about 200 education centers.

The moves come after Reuters reported widespread cheating in an ACTowned college preparatory program for international students.

Rachel Schoenig heads a security team for thousands of ACT exam centers worldwide. She will leave ACT Inc. next month, said individuals with knowledge of the move. It is not clear if the organization will replace her.

In June, a test released without the permission of ACT, Inc. forced it to cancel exams in Hong Kong and South Korea.

Schoenig's team repeatedly proposed ways to improve security overseas before the test cancellations. However, ACT officials rejected those suggestions, Reuters reported .

Several other top security officials left ACT Inc. recently.

ACT spokesperson Ed Colby said he did not want to talk with Reuters about the changes. But he added, Nothing has changed regarding ACTs commitment to test security and to providing a fair and level playing field for all examinees, nor to our ongoing efforts to improve our testing and security procedures.

The College Board

ACT's main competitor in college entrance exams is the College Board, which administers the SAT. Thousands of American colleges use the ACT and SAT when judging students for admission.

The SAT, like the ACT, continues to have security problems. Last week, hundreds of questions for future SAT exams were made public without the College Boards permission.

A College Board spokesperson said the organization is investigating "a serious criminal matter."

Reuters reported in March that test-preparation businesses in East Asia had found security weaknesses in the SAT. Often, students overseas are given questions from tests already used in the United States. The test-preparation businesses harvest information from the earlier exams, enabling students to memorize questions that are recycled for international versions of the SAT.

The Global Assessment Certificate Program

Last month, reports showed cheating in the ACTowned Global Assessment Certificate Program (GAC). The program has about 5,000 students, mostly in Asia.

Seven students who attended three GAC centers in China told about how school officials and exam proctors ignored the cheating. The students said those individuals sometimes even helped students cheat on the ACT.

Eight teachers or administrators who have worked at seven different GAC centers also described cheating.

Andrew Todd is the leader of the ACT office that oversees the GAC program. He said he was "a bit shocked" by news of the cheating.

ACT Inc. policy bars test preparation businesses from giving the ACT to students. The reason for this policy is that the businesses could easily provide information about the test to their students.

But six GAC centers  five in China and one in South Korea  had administered the ACT while also selling test preparation services.

Todd said he did not remember such a policy. "If it is a policy, I should have known about it," he said.

Admissions offices react to the reports

Most of the students in the GAC program take the ACT. The GAC program is recognized by admissions offices at more than 60 colleges in the United States. Some colleges give credit for completing the GAC program.

Todd said ACT Education Solutions had contacted the colleges affiliated with the GAC program and told them "we are dealing with the situation."

Officials at several universities contacted by Reuters said they were concerned about the reports of cheating.

Katharine Johnson Suski is the director of admissions at Iowa State University. She said she plans to examine the success rates of GAC students.

In an email, she wrote "We will also discuss the steps we will take moving forward and whether we are comfortable continuing our relationship with GAC and, if so, in what ways."

Im John Russell.

John Russell adapted this Reuters article for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

audit  v. to check the financial records of (a business or person)

facilitate  v. to make (something) easier

proctor  n. the person who watch students who are taking an examination

recycling  n. to use (something) again

administer  v. to give (a drug, medicine, or treatment, or test) to someone

commitment  n. a stated desire or promise


On a usual Friday night in Ivory Coast, movie lovers will choose between American-made blockbusters and French comedies.

It can be hard to find African-made films at movie theaters in Africa.

A limited number of African movies make it into theaters around the continent. But a new organization is trying to increase the number and inspire young filmmakers.

African Screen Network, known as ASN, opened earlier this year. It is trying to bring African films to African audiences. Steve Markovitz is a South African movie producer who started the network with help from the Goethe Institute, a German cultural organization.

Because of ASN, an award-winning film from South Africa was also available in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. It is called Necktie Youth. The film tells the story of young people in a Johannesburg suburb dealing with the suicide of a friend.

Bienvenu, an audience member, said he liked the movie.

I liked the interracial friendships in it; its a good introduction to South Africa, he said.

Bienvenu grew up in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. He watched mostly French and American movies. There were not many African-made movies available.

I can count on my fingers the number of Congolese movies Ive seen. I want us to be open on the world, but I also want the promotion of African cinema. We have a lot of actors, a lot of movies, but little resources, no marketing. They are not known, Bienvenu said.

Khanyo Mjamba works with ASN. He said it is difficult to make sure African films are available throughout Africa. Money can be a problem. Also, producers do not always know someone who can help them get a movie played in a new city.

Currently ASN offers six movies to theaters around Africa. The films are from Kenya, Sudan, Ivory Coast and South Africa. A theater must pay a fee that is split between ASN and the films producers if it wants to show one of the movies.

So far, about 20 theaters in 16 countries are taking advantage of ASNs offerings. ASN hopes it can reach 30 theaters by the end of the year.

The goal is not only to help movie producers earn more money. ASN also wants to inspire new filmmakers around Africa.

Mjamba said he wants to show movies that make people say: Hey, I could actually make a movie like this, I could be daring and make a film that has never been done before.

Im Mehrnoush Karimian-Ainsworth.

Emilie Iob wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

What do you think about the attempt to get more African films shown in Africa? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

network  n. a group of people or organizations that are closely connected and that work with each other

daring  adj. willing to do dangerous or difficult things

cinema  n. the art or technique of making movies

blockbuster  n. something that is very large, expensive, or successful

comedy  n. a play, movie, television program, novel, etc., that is meant to make people laugh

interracial  adj. involving people of different races

introduction  n. the act of making a person known to others by name usually plural


Many jobs in the United States can be outsourced, or done by workers in other countries. Much of the clothing sold in the U.S. is made in other countries, for example.

One job that cannot be outsourced, however, is health care. That is one reason nursing is a growing field.

Another reason is the large number of aging Americans, called Baby Boomers - the children of the late 1940s through the 1960s. They are getting older and many are entering hospitals and nursing homes.

Now those nursing jobs are available to immigrants looking for the American dream.

At Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, a program started in 2009 to train nurse aides. A nurse aide is a person who works with a nurse to give basic services, such as feeding, washing, making beds, and moving patients.

Need for nurse aides

The staff of Carlos Rosario researched the need for entry-level employees before starting the Nurse Aide Training program, or NAT. Curriculum developer Heather Tatton-Harris explains the process.

We were looking at what the DC area job growth was - what areas, what jobs were growing, in DC, and health care was one of the fastest growing opportunities for students like ours to get new jobs. And then at the same time, we surveyed our student population to see what jobs they were interested in.

The NAT program started in 2009 with high-level speakers of English as a Second Language.

In 2014, a pilot program began for intermediate level speakers of English. Students continue to improve their English at the same time they learn how to work as a nurse aide. The program combines teaching by a professional nurse trainer with instruction by an English as a Second Language, or ESL, teacher.

Tatton-Harris helped to design the new nurse aide training class for ESL students. She says that it has two courses.

One course is designed for students that complete our highest level of English. And theyre ready to dive right into the Nurse Aide Training content. The other course that we have is designed for intermediate level speakers of English. And that course, we have paired up a nurse with an ESL instructor, so that the content is made more accessible to the students. The curriculum is the same in terms of the content, but the way it is delivered to the students is done at a different pace.

Designing an ESL nurse aide training program

Before starting an ESL NAT class, Tatton-Harris recommends looking at other programs for ideas.

Look at what other schools are doing. Learn from the road that they've walked. The things that we learned were really important for us. We went to programs in Washington State where they are doing these types of training situations with an ESL instructor side by side with a content instructor. Its called IBEST, in Washington State they developed that model. IBEST stands for Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training. And its a model that is becoming more and more adopted around the U.S. So you have two instructors teaching what they know best.

Tatton-Harris says the ESL instructor plays a very important part in the program.

When you are bringing a career training program down to a level, and helping students at a lower level of English prepare for a career training situation, its really important to bring in the expertise of an ESL teacher in that picture, [because] that ESL teacher really knows how to make that content accessible to the students. We find that our content teachers do a great job with teaching the content. They dont know what they dont know, about where the students are with their comprehension

Highly motivated students

Laurel Anderson is the ESL instructor for the intermediate-level NAT program at Carlos Rosario. She says that the students are different from a usual class of ESL students.

I would say that Im seeing a difference in the level of motivation - knowing that there is this big Red Cross board exam coming up at the end of the course is really motivating to them. Weve gotten near perfect attendance; every single day Ive got 100 percent of my students here. Thats different from other ESL classes that Ive taught where the stakes arent quite as high. So, theres an aspect of bringing in the real world here - taking this exam, getting a job after that, that is very, very motivating. So, yeah I would say thats a difference from a straight ESL class.

Practical training

Students in the NAT class practiced feeding a patient. Next to their classroom, there is a room that looks like a hospital room. Students learn how to raise and lower the bed with electrical controls. A teacher assistant checked each action the students made during the practice.

Back in the classroom, the NAT content teacher, Arlene Venable, taught students the correct way to move a heavy object. Nurse aides sometimes move patients and supplies. They have to know how to do it without causing injury to themselves.

Adjusting the teaching materials

ESL Instructor Anderson says the ESL NAT program has required some important changes to the earlier course design. One is the level of the textbook.

Learning how to modify this textbook for different students. We have a couple of students that are struggling with this textbook. Last week we contacted the publisher and [found] there is a more basic version of the textbook. So we are going to bring that in and see if that makes it more accessible.

Language teaching in the program also changed. Anderson says the course started with an importance on the students speaking skills. The idea was that the students should be able to speak clearly to patients and fellow staff members.

 that was a big focus when we started out. And then learning along the way that reading comprehension was also a big, big part of what I need to be focusing on. So we have adjusted there - more reading strategies and comprehension activities to help them process all of this material - that has been a bigger focus this semester.

Tatton-Harris says the ESL NAT program also had to change the timing of presenting new material.

I think pacing was one thing that we learned, in terms of how quickly, and/or how much time needed to be spent on certain topics.

Using technology in the program

Tatton-Harris adds that the ESL NAT program has been learning better ways of showing student progress.

We also learned to keep track of where students are in their learning better. We're capturing more data about how they are doing on their quizzes, how they are doing in the lab, how we use technology to capture that. So we record our students by video and they can reflect on what they see in their own recording as well as the teacher can watch them do skills through that recording and evaluate that. So all of these things we are sort of learning through experience.

In the next Education story, we introduce two students in the Carlos Rosario Nurse Aide Training program. Other stories will present the school's culinary arts program.

Im Jill Robbins.

Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Kelly Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

outsource - v. to send away (some of a company's work) to be done by people outside the company

nurses aide - n. (medical) a person who is employed to carry out basic tasks in the care of patients, such as bathing and feeding, making beds, and transporting patients, under the supervision and direction of a registered nurse

content - n. (in education) the body of knowledge and information that teachers teach and that students are expected to learn in a given subject

intermediate - adj. relating to or having the knowledge or skill of someone who is more advanced than a beginner but not yet an expert

accessible - adj. easy to appreciate or understand

expertise - n. special skill or knowledge

motivation - n. a force or influence that causes someone to do something

aspect - n. a part of something

textbook - n. a book about a particular subject that is used in the study of that subject especially in a school

focus - n. a main purpose or interest

adjust - v. to change (something) in a minor way so that it works better

strategy - n. the skill of making or carrying out plans to achieve a goal

semester - n. one of two usually 18-week periods that make up an academic year at a school or college (compare to term, quarter, trimester)

pace - n. the speed at which something happens

deliver - v. to present (a speech, statement, etc.) to a group of people

integrated - adj. having different parts working together as a unit

adopt - v. to begin to use or have (a different manner, method, etc.)

patient - n. a person who receives medical care or treatment

curriculum - n. the courses that are taught by a school, college, etc.

practice - v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it

Now its your turn. What field do you want to work in? Is there training available near you for that field? Is English needed for a job in the field? Write to us in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Read More About Working as a Nursing Assistant

How much do Nurse Assistants earn?

What does the future look like for this career?

How do you become a Nurse Assistant in the United States?

Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant

Training Materials and Vocabulary

American Red Cross Nurse Assistant Training Manual

Vocabulary for Nursing Assistants

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Nursing Assistants and Orderlies,

on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nursing-assistants.htm


The United Nations estimates that more than 45 million people worldwide are refugees.

For most of his life, Awadh Alsrya was a refugee. He was never a citizen of any country. Now, he finally has a place to call his home.

Alsrya became a citizen of the United States last month on July 4, American Independence Day. It was then that he, his two sons and 80 other people took the oath of citizenship at a ceremony in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Alsrya waited more than half a century before becoming a U.S. citizen.



"When I passed my (citizenship) test, I cried because this was my dream for 58 years. It was a long time. I was waiting, waiting, waiting, and waiting."

Awadh Alsrya was born in Iraq. His parents were Palestinian refugees.

Before coming to the United States, Alsrya and his family lived in Baghdad. There, he operated a successful grocery business with an Iraqi partner.

In 2003, the United States and its allies launched a military campaign to disarm Iraq. The U.S.-Iraq War was followed by outbreaks of sectarian violence.



"Every day when I open my door, I see dead bodies in the street. When I go to my store, I see dead bodies in the street. This is not life."



When Alsryas business partner was shot and killed, and his wife was shot in the shoulder, the family got their belongings and left Baghdad.



"I closed everything. I don't need anything. I lost all my money, all my businesses. I only wanted to save my sons and my family to leave because I thought one day, one month, my sons might get killed."



He and his family came to the United States six years ago through the State Department's refugee program. They resettled in Charlottesville, Virginia.



"Believe me, the first day when I came to America, I don't know what happened from my body, I just felt this is my country."



Now, Alsrya works in a grocery store, which is similar to his former business in Iraq. His youngest son also has a part-time job there.



"I like this job. I want to give (back) America because she gave me a citizenship. I want to give her more. Until now for six years, I didn't take a vacation..."



Since becoming U.S. citizens, he and his sons have requested passports for the first time in their lives.



"May my God give me more time to live. I will give back America more, more, more, more because America helped make my dream come true."

Im Marsha James.

VOAs June Soh reported this story from Charlottesville, Virginia. Marsha James adapted her report for Learning English. Her story also has information from an Associated Press report. George Grow was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

oath  n. a formal and serious promise to do something

outbreak  n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease

sectarian  adj. relating to religious or political sects and the difference between them

grocery  n. food sold at a store

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.


Now, the weekly program Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

On this program, we explore the history and usage of common expressions in American English. And we give examples so that you can learn to use them yourself.

Sometimes we talk about a very simple term  like the word take.

But "take" is not as simple as it sounds. In fact, the Oxford English Dictionary calls it one of the elemental words of the (English) language.

Many expressions using the word take first appeared in American English years ago and have not changed at all. For example, the website Etymology Online says the saying take it or leave it was first used in the late 19th century. But you can find this phrase commonly used and in many different situations.

The phrase to take it out on someone or something means to express anger at someone or something. It is a sign of misplaced anger. One website says this expression was first used in 1840. Today you can often hear it in conversational speech.

Lets say your friend lost his job. He is angry and shouts at you for something unrelated. You can say to him, Look I know youre upset. But dont take it out on me. I didnt fire you!

Taking it out on someone is very different from having a give-and-take with someone. Give-and-take is the process opposing sides go through to reach an agreement. Its a compromise . Both sides give up something they want but also take something they want. Give-and-take can also mean the act of exchanging ideas or comments.

If you take after someone, it means you seem to be like them in some way. If Felix is very much like his father, you could say he takes after his father.

If you are simply taken by someone, you either show complete respect for or are totally in love with the person. For example, She is really taken with the new man in the office. He is all she talks about!

Take can also be used as a noun. And it has several meanings.

Take can be money collected during a performance of something. If you are a criminal, your take is your share of what was stolen.

But when using the word take, the situation is very important. If I ask you what your take is, I am asking for your opinion about something. For example, give me your take on this years election.

Combining the verb take with any number of prepositions is where the fun really starts.

Lets start with the term take away. Take away when used as a combination noun is what you learned from something. For example, What was your take away from the meeting today?

Take off means something really progressed quickly. You could say, Her career in politics really took off when she moved to Washington, D.C.

Yet the adjective take-out is very different. Take-out describes the food you buy from a restaurant and bring home to eat. Chinese take-out meals are very popular in the United States.

However, if are tired of spending money on Chinese take-out, you can take up Chinese cooking. This means you are learning how to do it. You can also take up an instrument or take up a hobby like painting.

Change the order of those two words and you have uptake. Uptake is the process by which something is taken in by the body or a plant. But that is not the way we often use it in every day speech. Uptake also means the ability to learn new things, to understand what is happening or being said  as in this example:

Hello, miss. Fill out this form and give me your health insurance card. The doctor will see you shortly.

You want me to fill out my health insurance and give it to the doctor?

No. Just complete this insurance form and give ME the form.

Sorry, Im a little slow on the uptake. I dont know what is wrong with my brain today.

You can also use the expression uptake, like this: Hes kind of slow on the up-take. This means he is slow to understand a situation.

If all this information is too much, you might want to take five, or take a break.

Take five is what actors, dancers and musicians say when they want to take a break. But these days anyone can say take five if they need a little rest from work. Word historians say this expression was first used in the late 1920s. It may have come from the fact that smoking a cigarette takes about five minutes.

But please do not think that we are expressing support for smoking. If we did that, we would have to take on anti-smoking health activists around the world.

To take on has several meanings.

In our example, it means to deal with someone or something as an opponent. You can also take on new responsibilities. Then the phrase means to begin performing or to deal with something, such as she took on the job of manager after Steve resigned.

But to take on can also mean to get control of or to become like something, as in this example: On the day of the celebration, the boring citys town center took on the air of a happy carnival.

You can add the word take to word combinations and create new expressions.

For example, if people take something for granted, they do not place much value on it. Or you believe it to be true, real or expected. This is a very common expression. For example, if you take your friends for granted, you may not have friends for very long. Its better to let your friends know that you value them.

Unless that friend takes you for a ride. If you are taken for a ride, you are fooled by someone.

If you take a plunge, you act bravely and with determination. This expression began in the late 1800s. And if you take a back seat to someone or something you have assumed the secondary position of importance to them.

The criminal world of the 1930s is responsible for at least two take expressions.

To take the rap means to accept punishment for something you didnt do. And to be on the take means to take money from criminals.

And if you take the money and run, you are a criminal.

To take into account means to consider something. For example, when the man planned his trip to Hawaii, he did not take into account the cost of fuel. He went over-budget by several hundreds of dollars.

If someone tells you to take it easy, they want you to calm down. Taking it easy can also mean to simply relax and do nothing.

So, do you see what we mean? The word "take" has so many uses. You can take our word for it. That means you can trust us.

Im Jonathan Evans.

And Im Anna Matteo.

Take on me, take me on, Ill be gone, in a day 

What is your take on this story? Let us know in the Comments Section.

Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. The song at the end is the pop band A-Ha singing "Take on Me."

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

compromise  n. a way of reaching agreement in which each person or group gives up something that was wanted in order to end an argument or dispute

hobby  n. a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation




Particularly during my sojourns in South Africa, it may not be possible for me to perform the moderation function speedily. I regret the necessity of moderation but it has been rendered inevitable by the behaviour of a particular commentator whose contributions will always and without exception be rejected.





No correspondence will be entered into regarding moderation decisions.

Readers are invited to comment on blog posts. All comments require to be pre-moderated by me, and I shall reject all (a) that are not related to the Lockerbie disaster or (b) that fail to meet my -- perhaps idiosyncratic -- standards of courtesy towards other contributors. Comments will not be rejected simply because I disagree with them or because I, or other contributors, find them irritating. But comments will be rejected if they distort or misrepresent the evidence; are defamatory; or if they risk embroiling me, as publisher, in defamation proceedings. I am perfectly relaxed about being sued in respect of material which I personally have posted -- but not in respect of material that others wish to post as comments and which, in any case, I often strongly disagree with.
Nearly 100 students from Jesuit High School in Tampa just returned from a trip of a lifetime.

Jesuit High School attend mass given by Pope for World Youth Day

School leaders said trip strengthened and renewed faith

The students and their chaperones recently spent two weeks traveling through Europe. The trip led up to World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland.

There, the group camped out with two million others and got the opportunity to attend a mass given by Pope Francis.



(Photo: Jesuit High School)

"There were a lot of highlights it's too big to even capture in one thing," student Ethan Clark said.

The students said they were overwhelmed with emotions during the trip but said it gave them a chance to learn, celebrate, and reflect.

"During the mass, the one feeling I had was just thankfulness," student Sean Hughes said.

Students said their journey and the Popes words made an impact that will last a lifetime.



(Photo: Jesuit High School)

"He said we can't be youth of the couch in the Catholic Church we need to get out there and spread ove and goodness," student Chris Kambach said.

An opportunity to spread love and goodness in a world thats often times filled with fear and uncertainty.

Jesuit High School leaders said the trip has strengthened and renewed their faith.

"There is a reason to believe and there's a reason to hope. A reason to believe in the church and that God has a plan that is so much more than we often think," Father Patrick Hough said.

World Youth Day was started by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1985. Its hosted every two to three years.
The recent amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act providing 26 weeks of maternity leave (against the existing 12 weeks) can be described as historic. The amendment also provides an enabling provision of 12 weeks of work from home for nursing mothers. In addition, it has made it mandatory for firms with 50 employees or more to have creche arrangements with prescribed distance. This amendment is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more people, and will help 1.8 million women in the organised sector. It is expected that the amendment will be passed in the Lok Sabha in the Winter Session, and receive Presidential assent thereafter.

The amendment recognises the economic rationale of women's participation in Indias economy. Innumerable studies have highlighted the importance of involving half of Indias population in measurable economic activities. Today, women contribute only 17 percent to Indias GDP against a global average of 37 percent (source: McKinsey). Countries like Norway, Sweden or Denmark, that have one of the world's highest median per capita income, also have the highest female labour participation rate, higher than 70 percent. If India can increase its women participation in labour force by 10 percentage points by 2025, it could increase its GDP by16 percent (source: Catalyst). A study by Booz and Company estimates that if men and women in India were to be equally employed, its GDP could go up by 27 percent. For a family, double income helps them to fulfil their economics needs and social aspirations while single women need it as a cushion against economic adversity. Therefore, household bound non-employed women who are finding it difficult to work are an economic concern that needs to be fixed.

A recent survey by ILO reflects that out of 131 countries, India ranks 11 from the bottom in female labour force participation.

India is among the few countries to witness a drastic decline in participation of women in work force, which has decreased to 27 percent in 2011-12 from 37 percent in 2004-5. Ironically, women are diminishing and missing at the workplace at a time when womens education is witnessing a sharp rise and women are effectively closing the higher education gap. Increase in urbanisation and GDP are two other factors that normally should lead to enhanced employment opportunities just as substantial decrease in total fertility rates should free up womens time, enabling them to avail of these opportunities. Regrettably, all this has neither translated into equal participation, nor in equal wages. In fact, the more educated a woman, the wider the gender pay gap.

Another concern is the leaking pipeline, a phrase that highlights the losses within the formal employment channels. Between the age of 25 to 30, one third of women move out of the work force and 30 percent of these never return. A report by Accenture estimates that 72 percent of Indian women have turned down or have not pursued an opportunity because of personal reasons. Consequently, out of the professionals joining at the entry level, 29 percent are women, this number dwindles to 9 percent at mid to senior management and is less than 1 percent at CEO level (source: Mckinsey data base). In various forums, women have highlighted what would prevent them from leaving the work force. Guaranteed leave of absence for childcare, telecommuting, flexi time, rational working hours, safe environment, good transportation are prerequisites commonly considered essential. Legislation is much needed for external enablers to position these, and each change in policy like the present amendment can greatly impact the ability of many women to continue in work force.

Like most societies, India values motherhood, though it has been remarkably laggard in providing formalised support to women for this role. Maternal care for a child during the period of its initial growth is essential for the childs development and growth. Womens role as a nurturer is a source of strength, admiration and sustenance, and should not be in conflict with her professional aspirations and growth. Else many women will be forced to choose one over the other.

Many countries have recognised this and have shown the way through legislation, regulations and institutional support mechanisms. A good example is Brazil and Norway which provide very effective childcare system to ensure that women participate and re-enter the work force. Over the past two decades, Brazils female labour force participation rate has increased by more than 15 percentage points, almost touching 64 percent, and the increase is mainly driven by married women and by women with children.

For developed economies, participation of women in work force is an economic compulsion, essential to address their shrinking population and declining labour force. However in India, where no such compulsions exist, this legislation to retain women in work force addresses factors beyond economics and has its genesis in political and social reality. Women today are participating in electoral process in large number often more than men, and no government can ignore this. It is not surprising that government is considering extension of this facility to women working within the unorganised sector. As the amendment goes beyond economics, it can be termed historic. It is a long overdue recognition of the aspirations of innumerable Indian women who aspire to attain their rightful place in Indias economic growth, without requiring to compromise on their role as mother and nurturer.

(The author is an ex-bureaucrat, first woman President of Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Chairperson of CARE India.)
New Delhi: Lt Col Niranjan EK, head of NSG's bomb disposal unit who was killed while sanitising a terrorist's body during the Pathankot air base terror attack in January, has been honoured with the Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry medal of the country, on the eve of the 70th Independence Day.

Niranjan, an officer of the Army's Corps of Engineer, was part of the special NSG commandos unit that was rushed to the IAF base in Punjab after four terrorists entered the high-security military facility on the intervening night of 1-2 January.

NSG had said it lost the experienced and brilliant counter-IED officer to a deadly booby trap as the terrorists had used an "innovative technique" whose antidote was not included in the Standard Operating Procedure of the 'black cat' commandos force.

Niranjan's lungs got punctured due to the impact of the blast of a grenade that was kept in the pocket of a slain terrorist and the officer died before being taken to hospital.

NSG Director General RC Tayal, had maintained that Niranjan, an experienced and highly trained Commanding Officer of the Bomb Disposal and Detection Unit, had followed all laid down SOPs while sanitising the bodies of the four terrorists, killed in the attack on IAF base on 3 January.

Niranjan was probably the only officer who had a wide-range of experience in conducting back-to-back anti-sabotage and sanitisation checks on live bombs, including defusing IEDs found in Patna and Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Bangalore and Burdwan in West Bengal.

The DG had said a grenade that took the FBI-trained officer's life was concealed very "cleverly" by the terrorists.

The brave officer had sanitised two bodies and was working on the third when the fatal blast claimed his life.

The Pathankot attack claimed the lives of seven security personnel while four terrorists were killed by NSG and other

security personnel.

While the NSG has maintained six terrorists were involved in the attack, including two in the airmen billet which they brought down using heavy explosives, according to the NIA, it so far has proof of presence of only four militants whose

bodies were later recovered.
New Delhi: Senior BJP leader LK Advani on Sunday condoled the death of spiritual guru Pramukh Swaminarayan Maharaj and said that the creator of Akshardham temples will remain a guide to humanity.

Describing him as a teacher and scholar, Advani said his message of compassion and service will remain an inspiration and he will be remembered for his wisdom and vision for humanity.

Swami was the head of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha.

"I deeply mourn the sad demise of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharajji. He was a spiritual guru and head of the Swaminarayan Sect," Advani said in a statement.

Advani said that Pramukh Swami created and consecrated many temples and a giant cultural complex known as Swaminarayan Akshardham in his lifetime and was a "guide for humanity".

Advani said that though Akshardham was first created in Gujarat, soon similar temples were set up around the world.

"Swamiji was a teacher, a scholar, a sage, a companion of the needy. He was a pleasant, soft spoken individual and had a

magnanimous personality.

"His message of compassion and service will remain an inspiration. We will always remember him for his wisdom and vision for humanity. I pay my heartfelt homage to the departed soul," Advani said.

Advani also remembered accompanying Pramukh Swamiji to UK where the first such overseas temple was constructed in Neasden near London.

Later on, similar complexes have been set up in the US and other parts of the world, he said.

Pramukh Swami, who was ailing for some time due to old age-related problems, breathed his last in Sarangpur in Gujarat's Botad district on Saturday. He was 95.
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments have come under flak from rationalists and atheists for spending public funds on ongoing Krishna Pushkaralu river festival.

They alleged that the governments in both the Telugu states were acting against the Constitution and promoting superstitions by spending people's money on the 12-day festival.

While Andhra Pradesh is spending over Rs 1,000 crore on the mega event, Telangana has released Rs 825 crore for providing amenities to the devotees during the festival which began on Friday.

Andhra Pradesh in particular has come under strong criticism for spending the public money despite the financial crunch the state is facing.

The authorities have built bathing ghats along the river to enable pilgrims to take holy dip.

They have deployed over 40,000 policemen for maintaining law and order during the event and employed thousands others for making and maintaining arrangements for the pilgrims.

Special buses and trains are being operated to transport pilgrims. Over 6.5 crore people are expected to take part in the festival.

Atheist Centre of Vijayawada's G. Samaram termed this as a waste of public money.

"Ours' is a secular state and celebrating one particular religion's event in such a big way is not at all good," Samaram told IANS.

He said Pushkar entering the river was a superstitious belief and by promoting this the government was going against the Constitution.

"The Article 51A(h) of the Constitution of India clearly states that the government should develop the scientific temper but the governments in these two states are promoting a superstition," he said.

Samaram, a physician by profession and former president of Indian Medical Association, also warned that people may contract infection by taking bath in Krishna river during the festival.

"During Godavari pushkaram last year, a large number of people suffered skin, eye and throat infection and the same will happen this year in Krishna as there is hardly any water in the river," he said.

Another well-known atheist G. Vijayam voiced concern that the distinction between state and religion was blurring.

"It's not just the money they spent but the very attitude of mixing state with religion is objectionable. They are religionising the politics and politicising the religion so that they have an advantage in elections," he said.

Vijayam believes that religion is a personal matter in a secular state and the state should be equal to all. "Religion is a personal matter while state is everyone's matter," he said.

He said no one denies that the government can make minimum arrangements for such events to maintain law and order.

"But encouraging people to come in large numbers, inviting religious heads and making this an agenda of the government for 10 to 12 days in a way that the governance comes to a standstill is not correct attitude," said Vijayam.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu are known for organising religious rituals and actively participating in them.

"They are deliberately confusing people and this is not good for the states. They can perform the rituals in their personal capacity. No one will have an objection to it," Vijayam said.

"Ours is a composite culture. People from different background live here. There is freedom of speech and religion but at the same time state is secular. We should not forget this and this character must be held," he added.
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has directed that a senior police officer not below the rank of an IGP will head the investigation into the alleged suicide of former state CM Kalikho Pul.

Khandu said this during a high-level meeting with Chief Secretary Shakuntala Doley Gamlin, DGP S Nithianandam and Principal Secretary (Home) Satya Gopal to review the law and order situation of the state capital on Saturday, a communique from the Chief Minister's office said on Sunday.

Khandu also asked the police to expedite the investigation into Pul's death and complete it within the shortest possible time.

However, an IGP was yet to be named to head the investigation.

Pul, a rebel Congress MLA, who had become Chief Minister of the state on February 19 amid political drama that had begun in December last year, ceased to hold the office following a Supreme Court judgement of 13 July.

While the apex court order had reinstated Nabam Tuki as Chief Minister, the latter resigned two days later to make way for Pema Khandu to become the new chief minister of the frontier state.

Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa, who had landed in a controversy following the dismissal of then chief minister Nabam Tuki and installation of Kalikho Pul in his place, has resumed charge as governor of the state yesterday after remaining on leave for over six weeks following serious illness.

As Rajkhowa underwent a major surgery and had to remain on leave, Tripura governor Tathagata Roy was given the additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh for the past five weeks.

Khandu yesterday called on Governor Rajkhowa at Raj Bhawan who expressed hope that the state government under the leadership of Khandu would rise to the expectations of the people.
Sanaa (Yemen): 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 on Saturday, 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.
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has made it clear that his government's move to set up an office to find about 65,000 people reported missing during the civil war was not aimed at targeting the security forces but for the redressal of those affected by the strife.

"Those who claim that this Office on Missing Persons (OMP) would betray the security forces, I would like to tell

them that I am ready to meet them and argue our case," Sirisena told a television channel on Saturday.

He denied that the move was aimed at targeting government troops.

"We only want to give redress to those who have been affected not to punish anyone," he said.

Sirisena said the original form of the OMP bill was changed with many amendments by the government at the last

stage before bringing it in parliament and there was nothing to fear about it.

The function of the office is to establish whether a missing person is dead or alive and, if they are dead, discover when, how and where they died.

While the Tamil rights groups have welcomed the move, the Sinhala nationalist majority groups stay opposed.

They said the move will extract revenge from security forces for needing the LTTE's militancy which killed thousands of civilians and soldiers.

The Joint Opposition backing the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa created a rumpus in parliament when the bill was introduced last Thursday. They said the bill had not been legally adopted.

Amidst opposition protests Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said the bill had been approved without a vote. He said the

opposition did not take his offer to debate and go for a vote if needed.

The draft bill to establish an OMP was passed with amendments in Parliament without a vote on 11 August.
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The second edition of a training event targeting Macau Convention and Exhibition Talents was held in Dalian, China between 9 to 12 August. The event was co-organized by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China.

According to a statement issued yesterday by IPIM, the training program aims to enhance the professional standards of locals working in the citys convention and exhibition industry and increase regional cooperation.

IPIM organized a delegation of 20 representatives from the Macau convention and exhibition industry that joined the training seminar in Dalian. Irene Lau, executive director of IPIM, headed the delegation.

At a networking dinner attended by representatives from relevant MICE-related sectors on the Mainland, Irene Lau said she hoped such training sessions could help sharpening further the industrys competitive edge in Macau.

The latest session of the training event followed a similar event held in 2015.
The Legislative Assembly (AL) has finally approved, with little discussion, the draft legislation complying with a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution on fighting terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

In a plenary meeting held last Friday, lawmakers unanimously approved one of the laws (with exception of number 2 of Article 31), which the government had requested as a matter of urgency.

Few questions were asked during the final presentation to the plenary about a law that had gathered a general consensus among the legislators after being discussed in seven committee meetings between late March and early August this year.

Replacing standing committee president Kwan Tsui Hang, who had a temporary loss of speech capability due to health problems, Ma Chi Seng made the final presentation before the voting.

Article 31 led to a discussion regarding its clause on the litigious appeal about asset freezing. On this matter, lawmaker Leonel Alves said, there is a reversal of the burden of proof, a situation with which he disagrees.

A representative of the Secretariat for Administration and Justice replied: We are in [an] administrative law matter which means that even if there is an appeal, that doesnt mean asset unfreezing. [] There is a presumption that whenever we are involved in possible terrorist acts, this means that we are in the presence of a matter of onerous public interest.

The explanation did not convince Alves, who argued, I do not agree with an exception to the rule. I think we have been doing that a lot lately [making laws with many exceptions] and that isnt a good practice. Consecrating exceptions to the law always deserve a very good explanation.

Alves requested that the voting for this specific part be done separately from the rest of the article.

AL president Ho Iat Seng granted the request, contrary to all the other articles (approval with 30 votes in favor), with two votes against and two other abstentions.

On the final vote, lawmaker Gabriel Tong justified his opposing vote by agreeing with Alves that the legislative option might be a door left ajar for the future application of the law.
The Legislative Assembly (AL) gathered last Friday for the final approval of the medical malpractice bill, which has been discussed over the last three years.

However, the plenary session was not without doubts.

Lawmakers questioned the composition and operation of the experts evaluation committee, which will analyze and finally decide on all cases related to hypothetical medical malpractice claims from users of healthcare services in both the public and private sectors.

Lawmaker Pereira Coutinho asked: What kind of qualifications should be stipulated for these members? [] What is essential is a declaration of interests. We have to know if these people [committee members] are competent. He also requested more details on how the government proposes to select the experts for the group.

The first difficulty that the government will encounter is the constitution of the committee itself, said Leonel Alves, explaining that seven effective members and three substitutes are required.

I dont know if we have these people in Macau. Regarding the medical staff, I have my doubts since I dont know the sector well; regarding the jurists, I find it difficult since I cant envision how they could have the necessary qualifications to perform such a task, Alves said, remarking that the law permits the recruitment of committee members from outside the territory in the case of medical members, but this is not the case for juridical members.

But the legislator went even further, challenging the composition of the seven-member committee, that is expected to include five members from the medical sector and two from the judiciary one.

Why is it necessary to have these specialized juridical members? In what sense can they conclude an investigation and technical expertise of the physicians? If I [have] my doubts about the need for one, why do we need two?

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, did not disclose many details on the inclusion of these members, claiming to have heard a proposal from the standing committee which the government attended.

In Macau, there are many professionals from the health sector and we believe that it is possible to find them, said Tam, even suggesting recruiting retired physicians, even from abroad, that can still serve society.

The Secretary also remarked that the committee can also hire and even request experts from abroad to give a technical opinion, even if they arent included in the committee.

Alves did not agree with Article 18 of the law, which states it is possible to appeal the committee decision. But there isnt a real mechanism for that, since the appeal is done for the same committee that analyzed the case in the first place, he said.

In his opinion, this fact weakens the protection of the rights of those that consider to have been harmed by the conclusions of the experts committee.

Alves also said that the committee was created to expedite the processes, thus avoiding the need to go to court, but does not replace that possibility.

Au Kam San, another lawmaker, criticized some of the bills articles, claiming that the mechanism requires the payment of an expectedly large sum for the filing of a medical malpractice process, which might constitute an obstruction for many people and more specifically for most of the vulnerable groups. He called on the government to set a mechanism to exempt people in need from paying such a tax.

According to the bill, the sum in question should be similar to the ones now paid in mainland China (approximately MOP5,500) or Taiwan (MOP8,900) which Tam admitted are the reference amounts that are being considered.

One of the relevant aspects of the bill now approves the introduction of mandatory insurance that grants compensation to patients in the case of proven medical malpractice. The insurance should be acquired by six types of medical professionals, said Health Bureau (SSM) director Lei Chin Ion. These include traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

Tam says, the introduction of the indemnity insurance protects both users and healthcare professionals.

Legislator Chan Iek Lap, a physician, had participated in all the sessions and was most concerned with the insurance premium costs as well as the lack of information regarding the insurance.

The physicians in Macau do not know how to acquire the insurance. Im not as concerned about the hospitals [as I am] for the independent professionals; especially for the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, this will be a problem, he said, urging the government to think of the reasonability of the premium and call for the support of the Monetary Authority of Macao [AMCM] to negotiate with the insurance companies.

Executive director and AMCM representative Maria Luisa Man said: We are working on that and probing the insurance sector regarding this matter. [After] the approval [of the bill] we need to review the administrative regulations to define the insurance contractual terms.

The law was unanimously approved in general terms with the exception of Article 12  Composition of the Committee  which had been voted upon separately, gathering two votes against and one abstention.

On the lawmakers agenda

Shortage of drivers Mak Soi Kun has called the governments attention to the fact that the shortage of heavy vehicle drivers has led to lower requirements and skills for these positions. The lawmaker cited a large number of recent accidents involving such vehicles, and said that the drivers have exhibited problems such as a lack of experience and care when driving, [exhaustion], driving under the influence of alcohol, and driving with expired driving licenses. According to him, this has caused serious accidents with the loss of lives and assets by the drivers, passengers and pedestrians. The legislator urged the government to fulfill their promises regarding the drivers professional training, but noted things seem to be going the opposite way.

Taipa Ferry Terminal Song Pek Kei and Lau Veng Seng said at the AL plenary that the Taipa Ferry Terminal at Pac On presents a serious mismatching in size and function to what was expected. According to data collected by Song, the Terminal will cost MOP3.8 billion, six times more than the initial budget projections. She added that society thinks it will be a white elephant. The lawmaker considers the project over-sized, claiming that the total area of 201,000 square meters is also four times bigger than predicted. Song remarked that the terminal could receive 400,000 passengers per day, while both existing terminals currently host 69,000 passengers per day. With the conclusion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, a further reduction on these figures is expected, she said. Lau Veng Seng added that the tourism capacity of the new terminal surpasses the actual needs by a large scale and suggested that the routes to the mainland be expanded to capitalize on this.

Ride-hailing apps The government should follow Chinas legalization of ride-hailing apps, Au Kam San said. He stated that the MSAR government should take inspiration from the mainlands legalization of the taxi services in order to address issues with companies such as Uber. The legalization of this kind of service could solve the shortcomings of the taxi industry, the lawmaker said. Aus suggestion comes in light of what he called the lack of vision from the government on this matter and his implication that following Chinas resolutions on the matter might be an advancement.
Australias treasurer on Friday rejected accusations that the true reason his government plans to ban Chinese bidders from leasing a Sydney electricity grid is to appease influential lawmakers with xenophobic views.

Treasurer Scott Morrison announced Thursday that he intends to block Chinese state-owned State Grid Corp. and Hong Kong-registered Cheung Kong Infrastructure Group from bidding for a 99-year lease over a 50.4 percent stake in Ausgrid because of classified national security reasons.

Critics including Bob Carr, director of the Sydney-based Australia-China Relations Institute and a former foreign minister, said the decision reflected the wishes of anti-establishment lawmakers who gained balance-of-power roles in the Parliament in elections in early July.

The treasurers decision [] is a huge concession  the first major policy sacrifice  to the Witches Sabbath of xenophobia and economic nationalism stirred up in the recent federal election, Carr said in a statement. The treasurer is conceding to economic populism in the Senate.

Morrison dismissed the views of Carr, who was a minister until 2013 in a Labor Party government which is now in opposition, as complete nonsense.

I dont trade on national security, Morrison told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The decision has been welcomed by Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party that has four senators opposed to Asian and Muslim immigration as well as trade liberalization. They and other lawmakers not aligned with either the conservative government or Labor oppose Australias free-trade deal with its biggest trading partner, China, and want tighter foreign investment rules.

The deal for the New South Wales state-owned electricity network would have earned more than 10 billion Australian dollars ($7.6 billion).

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull later declined to explain why a banned bidder, State Grid, was allowed last year to bid for another New South Wales-owned power network, TransGrid.

But State Grid was out-bid in November by an Australian-led consortium.

The advice we received was absolutely unequivocal. This was not a political decision, Turnbull told reporters.

Chinas state-run Xinhua News Agency criticized the Australian decision and a recent move by Britain to delay a decision on a new nuclear power plant backed by Chinese investment. It said that although Chinas dramatic development, huge population and unique culture may cause concern for some countries, it could also result in China-phobia.

Chinese foreign investment, particularly from state-owned companies, has become increasingly contentious in Australia as China takes a more aggressive stance in territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

New South Wales Premier Michael Baird said he was frustrated that the security veto had not come earlier in the year-long negotiations over the bid. Rod McGuirk, AP
The Macao Cultural Centre (CCM) will host ARTmusing Fun on August 28, an event to celebrate the end of the warm season, according to a statement from the organization. For its fourth edition, the event will feature a variety of performances and creative workshops.

The day will kick off with the engagement of workshop participants in a number of performances. Among them, Musical GoGoGo! will invite children on stage to act as lions, monkeys and other characters inspired by musical classics The Wizard of Oz and The Lion King.

Meanwhile, participants in the Big Time Clowning and Puppet Magicians workshops will perform together with their instructors and learn puppetry skills.

Also appearing at the event will be CCMs Childrens Choir, which will perform a mini-concert involving a mix of musical and physical theater elements.

Local artists have separately prepared a series of amusing and creative activities for the event, according to the CCM statement, including imaginative storytelling and a secret backstage tour to a mini-cinema screening of local animations. There will also be a childrens mini-catwalk show inviting kids aged three and above to dress up as their favorite animals.

ARTmusing Fun is a free admission event and will be starting from 3.30 p.m. at CCM.
Billionaire Li Ka-shings Cheung Kong Property Holdings Ltd. signaled its willing to part with some buildings in Hong Kong, as it seeks to lessen dependence on a market where sales have plummeted.

I always look at deals, its my job to look at deals, both purchases and sales, Deputy Chairman Victor Li told analysts Thursday when asked if he would consider selling commercial buildings, according to a recording of the briefing. There is no deal that we must have, there is no property we must own, other than this building  we do need an office ourselves, he said, referring to the Cheung Kong Center where CK Property has its headquarters.

Just over one year after it was spun off from Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd., the Li family is looking to expand beyond the city where CK Property was founded. The companys shares dropped on Friday after Li reiterated his bearish outlook for the local property market.

His comments came after Lis father, billionaire Li Ka-

shing, the companys chairman, said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange that the group was looking for growth beyond Hong Kong, its traditional base.

As it is presently challenging to identify property investments with reasonable returns in the current cyclical stage of the property market, the Group will also pursue global investments to extend our reach to new business areas, the elder Li said in the statement.

Apart from Cheung Kong Center, CK Propertys commercial portfolio includes Hutchison House and The Center in the Central business district on Hong Kong Island, and The Harbourfront in Kowloon, across the harbor.

At the briefing, the younger Li painted a bleak picture for the city, where sales declined 16 percent to HKD8.7 billion (USD1.1 billion) in the first half. We are not changing our view, he said. I cant paint you an optimistic, not bearish angle.

He also said the company was not looking to buy new land for development as margins on land purchases are at an unhealthy level.

He said the company was looking to expand into non-

property businesses outside Hong Kong, without providing concrete details. I cant tell you too much now, it is going to be complementary to our property portfolio, he said. Frederik Balfour, Bloomberg
Japanese coast guard ships searched Friday for eight missing Chinese crewmembers after rescuing six others from a fishing boat that collided with a cargo ship off disputed islands in the East China Sea, government officials said.

The boat apparently sank Thursday after colliding with the Greek-flagged ship off the Japan-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims. The collision occurred as hundreds of Chinese fishing boats have gathered around the islands since early August following the start of the mackerel season.

Up to 15 Chinese coast guard vessels  four to five times the usual number  were also in the area. Foreign Ministry officials say some have been converted from warships and are armed. The increase prompted Japan to lodge protests 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 over how to develop undersea gas deposits in the area, as well as by their wartime history, a sensitive topic during recent months because of end-of-World War II anniversaries.

Japanese officials have raised concerns over Chinas increasingly assertive activity around the Senkaku islands. Over the past few years, China has built a dozen gas development platforms in the East China Sea, and Japan has recently discovered that China has installed radar facilities and surveillance cameras there, they said.

Japanese media reports say the recent escalation in Chinese activity around the disputed islands may be seen as a warning against planned visits by members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abes Cabinet to Tokyos Yasukuni Shrine, which honors war criminals among Japans war dead, for the Aug. 15 anniversary of the end of World War II. Mari Yamaguchi, AP
The 400-mile trek of a radio-collared moose named Alice is the inspiration for a proposed hiking trail from Ontarios forested Algonquin Park to the heart of New Yorks Adirondack Mountains.

Planners of the A2A  Algonquin to Adirondack  Trail liken it to Spains 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. Its 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.

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. Armys Fort Drum, swam the St. Lawrence River and loped across Canadas 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 Yorks Department of Environmental Conservation who serves privately as A2As 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 hasnt 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. Weve only been working on this for less than two years. Mary Esch, AP
Two members of the New Macau Association (ANM), including the president of the Association, Scott Chiang, have been arrested on suspicion of being behind the hoisting of a banner on the derelict Hotel Estoril on Thursday afternoon.

On the black-colored banner hoisted shortly before the inauguration ceremony of the Wushu Masters Challenge event could be discerned (in Chinese) white characters that read Alexis Tam: Heritage killer.

According to online media source, Macau Concealers, Chiang and Alin Lam were caught by the police in the nearby area a few minutes after the act and were taken to the police station. There the two spent the night before being escorted to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Friday afternoon.

Released after a four-hour hearing with the Prosecutor, from which they are required to regularly meet with authorities and are prohibited from leaving the territory, the two might face charges of invasion of property and vandalism.

However, there are no formal charges yet as the investigation is still running, said Scott Chiang as cited by Radio Macau. He also told the broadcaster that he will have to present himself to the police every month.

Without assuming any responsibilities over the staged protest, Chiang in the same statement accused the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, of the destruction of Macaus heritage.

I think more people should worry not only about the preservation of heritage, but about the actions of the government. As the banner said, now we have a serial killer who smashes any opposition; there is no discussion in society. Its not what we want; its not what Macau deserves, Chiang said, affirming that a request for the resignation of the Secretary is being considered as Secretary Alexis Tam creates more problems than [solutions].

Speaking at the door of the MP on Friday evening, vice president of ANM Jason Chao did not credit the action as in any way a New Macau-affiliated activity, but nevertheless reaffirmed support to the members involved.

It is not an action initiated by the New Macau Association. We just [got to] know about it after the appearance of the banner, he stated.

The Times tried to reach both Chiang and Chao for a comment on the topic, but was informed that more information would be provided in a press conference to be held this afternoon. RM
A Chinese billionaire arrested in a United Nations bribery scandal asserted in court papers last week that charges against him were politically motivated, a way for the United States to block his construction of a major U.N. conference center in China and slow the progress of Chinese influence over developing nations.

Lawyers for Ng Lap Seng said in papers filed in Manhattan federal court that charges brought against the 68-year-

old businessman last fall were based on a fundamentally unsound and unprecedented criminal prosecution.

They said the charges had derailed any plans for a permanent conference center in Macau that would serve southern hemisphere nations.

There is every reason to believe that the U.N. has, indeed, completely shelved the idea of such a center. The U.S. geopolitical interest in slowing the progress of Chinese influence over developing nations has been achieved, the lawyers wrote.

Ng is free on USD50 million bail with a requirement he be guarded by around-the-clock private security at a luxury Manhattan apartment.

Prosecutors say he contributed a portion of over $1 million in bribes to a former U.N. General Assembly president to generate support for his plans for a U.N. conference center in Macau.

But his lawyers say his prosecution was designed to prevent the establishment of the Macau center. They note that his arrest came within three days of a scheduled state visit by the Chinese president to the United States.

They also argued in the court papers Thursday that the United States was improperly interfering with the customs and operations of the United Nations.

Not only has the prosecution intruded into U.N. affairs, it threatens to import American sensibilities and customs into a uniquely international environment that has its own set of customs and expectations, the lawyers said.

As part of their court submission, the lawyers submitted a transcript of an interview the FBI conducted with Ng after his arrest.

In it, Ng was asked about a photograph on the internet of him with President Barack Obama.

According to the transcript, Ng said he was introduced to Obama by a friend from Taiwan.

Ng also said in the transcript that his primary reason for trips to the United Nation was to promote the construction of the U.N. center in Macau. Larry Neumeister, New York, AP
The pastry industry in Macau is set to expand, along with the dynamics of the citys casinos and new hotels opening up, experts say.

The 5th Fonterra Foodservices Pastry Challenge 2016 was held last week at the University of Science and Technology, where pastry chefs gathered for The Best Pastry Chef in Town tournament.

The competition, aimed at fostering the baking industry in Macau, provided a platform for professional pastry chefs from eight teams of different establishments in Macau to compete for four awards, including the Angliss Excellence Award, as well as Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.

Pastry chefs from the Hard Rock hotel were awarded the Angliss Excellence Award, while pastry chefs from Studio City, Galaxy Macau and the Sheraton received Bronze, Silver and Gold awards respectively.

Recipients of the Gold Award Hong Xuan Xuan and Wong Chon In told the Times that such competitions have allowed them to enhance their skills and hence improve their contribution to their workplace.

Themed Tea in Fusion, the three-hour competition asked pastry chefs to create unique recipes using tea with Anchor dairy products. The judgment was based on the artistic merit of the work and the degree of skill.

According to Gordon Ma, associate food director of Fonterra, this years contestants have greatly demonstrated their passion and commitment to the pastry industry. Ma expressed his hopes that the F&B industry in the region will continually grow.

I see that the Macau pastry [industry is] much more internationalized because a lot of pastry chefs come from Southeast Asia, China and from some European countries, Ma told the Times.

Ma believes that the current interaction between local and international pastry chefs is much more closer and stronger, stressing that the industry will become more recognized due to the establishment of new resorts and tourist attractions.

It will make the F&B [industry] more internationalized yet they [will] still keep their authentic and Macanese food. I see a lot of potential for the F&B industry in Macau to [grow] he noted.

Echoing the same sentiments, Matthew Helm, vice president of the Macau Culinary Association hinted that the regions gastronomy would entice the Fully Independent Travelers [FIT].

With all the dynamics of so many casinos and new hotels opening up, its just going to expand and evolve, he noted.

He stressed that the regions F&B industry has been undergoing constant improvements each day and has been innovative.

Macaus [going] through a transition. Theres more non-gaming aspects added to the environment to entice the FIT to come experience Macau, he explained.

Helm believes that the peninsulas baking industry has the capacity to continually progress and attract more travelers. On a side note, he mentioned that transportation in the city should be looked after as well.

The 5th Fonterra Foodservices Pastry Challenge 2016 was organized by Fonterra Foodservices and co-organized by Angliss Macau Food Service Limited and was endorsed by Macau University of Science and Technology and Macau Culinary Association.
Hundreds of Filipinos rallied in stormy weather yesterday against President Rodrigo Dutertes decision to allow dictator Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in a heroes cemetery, but Duterte remained firm in his stance despite growing opposition.

About 1,500 protesters carrying a large streamer that read Marcos not a hero braved the rain, wind and mud at Manilas seaside Rizal Park to call on Duterte to reconsider his decision. They launched a signature campaign to try to stop the burial, tentatively set for next month.

Loretta Ann Rosales, who formerly headed the governments Commission on Human Rights, said she was tortured and molested along with thousands of other detained left-wing activists under Marcos during a dark era that clearly shows why the brutal leader does not deserve to be accorded any state honors.

Is that not enough evidence? [] Is Marcos a hero? Rosales asked, with the crowd yelling back: No!

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who was among the protesters, said she has filed a Senate resolution opposing a heros burial for Marcos, adding that Duterte should not commit this atrocious mistake of bestowing honors to the dictator.

Marcos went down in history as an unrepentant enemy of our heroes, Hontiveros said. To honor the man a hero and bury his remains in a place reserved for the brave and martyred is an inimitable political abomination.

Burying a dictator accused of massive rights violations and plunder at the heroes cemetery has long been an emotional and divisive issue in the Philippines, where Marcos was ousted by a people power revolt in 1986. He was flown to Hawaii, where he lived with his wife and children in exile until he died in 1989.

His remains were later returned to his northern Philippine hometown and displayed in a glass coffin. His wife, Imelda, and two of their three children gradually regained political influence after being elected to public office.

Duterte, who was sworn in as president in June, argues that Marcos is qualified to be buried at the military-run cemetery as a former soldier and president. He has disclosed that he once voted for Marcos and that his late father, a politician, served in Marcoss Cabinet. 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.

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, 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 dont 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 countrys 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.

Dont 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 Bangkoks 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. Natnicha Chuwiruch, Todd Pitman AP

Junta accused of exploiting bombings for political ends

Critics of Thailands military government accused it yesterday of taking advantage of last weeks spate of deadly bombings and arson attacks to crack down on its opponents. The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, better known as the Red Shirts, issued their criticism as Thai authorities said they were keeping security high after attacks Thursday and Friday killed four people  all Thai  and wounded dozens in seven tourist destinations. Injured foreigners came from Austria, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Reports by Thai PBS television and other media said at least three people identified as Red Shirt leaders or supporters have been detained since Saturday at army camps, apparently for questioning about the attacks.

GGCT warns residents of crisis

Given the recent security situation in Thailand, the embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Thailand has issued a travel security alert to Chinese citizens, advising nationals who intend to visit to closely monitor ongoing developments.

At least 11 explosions have occurred across multiple locations in Thailand since Thursday, which appear to have targeted tourist locations and have so far resulted in casualties.

Macaus Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) notified in a statement that, as of Friday, the bureau has received two requests for information and no requests for assistance.

GGCT advises Macau residents who intend to travel to Thailand to closely follow the situation, critically assess the security risks and cautiously consider their travel plans.

According to a statement from GGCT, the embassy of the PRC urges Chinese nationals who intend to visit Thailand to closely monitor the local security situation, reinforce safety measures and avoid places with large concentration of people. The alert will stay in effect until August 26.
Last weeks tour bus accident at Rua da Entena was one of the main topics addressed at the Legislative Assembly (AL) plenary session on Friday, with several lawmakers touching on the topic.

Chui Sai Peng said the accident should be a wake up call to the government regarding traffic congestion surrounding popular tourist sites.

Authorities need to learn their lesson and [study] the way to ensure the security of residents and tourists, he said. For a long time, there has been a lot of pressure on people and vehicles in tourist areas, leading to several problems such as serious traffic jams and reduction of air quality. This results in claims from residents of a decrease in their quality of life, and a bad image of Macau for tourists.

The legislator attributed the congestion in the area to the number of tour buses that travel there daily, and said it also presented a security risk. He added that many mainland regions also restrict heavy vehicles from entering tourist sites.

Ho Iong Sang noted that it is not the first tour bus accident to occur near the St Pauls Ruins. It is regretful that the government doesnt take this matter seriously and only says that it is not going, for the time being, to consider restricting the area of operation of tour buses, he said.

The same person also criticized the governments lack of coordination in dealing with such incidents, claiming that each service acted in its own way and calling for a serious review of the interdepartmental emergency procedures.

The Government Information Bureau (GCS) also issued several statements about follow-

up measures, adding that a total of 11 mainland tourists are still being treated in Kiang Wu Hospital. These include two patients, one in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the other in a coma.

The remaining nine patients are in a stable condition at the hospital.

The same statement also claims that 20 of the 44 tourists involved in the accident are still in the territory, including those being treated in hospital. The nine passengers  who were either uninjured or have recovered  have remained behind to support their injured family members or seek compensation from their travel agency. According to official information, they are currently staying in a hotel arranged by the agency.

Concerns have also been extended to the building and its residents, since the crash seriously damaged one of the buildings supporting pillars. Five of the residential units and one of the commercial sections will require repairs, said the government last Thursday.

The Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) has taken steps to reinforce the buildings structure and safety. They will draft a repair plan for the affected building within 10 days.

Six people living in the affected units have been housed at the Centre for Victims of Disaster following emergency arrangements by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS).

The IAS also arranged hotel rooms to serve as temporary accommodation for 18 people from four families. These people are expected to be transferred to new lodgings shortly.
Methodist Church food drive, Pastor Elaine Steele to return

TWIN FALLS  Pastor Elaine Steele will return to the pulpit at Twin Falls United Methodist Church Sunday, August 14, at 9:30 am.

The First Sunday food drive will be held that day because the August 7 worship was held at Sawtooth Camp or Jerome UMC. Food donations will go to the Wendell Food Pantry, which is a ministry of the Wendell United Methodist Church.

A rummage sale will be held at First Church, 360 Shoshone Street East, on Saturday, September 17. Beginning August 14, gently-used items for the sale may be brought to the church. Helpers will be available on Sundays to bring in items. In addition, Terry and Jean Dowd will pick up boxed items from the homes of donors. For more information, call 731-8962.

Wanna get totally healthy?

TWIN FALLS  There will be an orientation meeting for FirstPlace4Health at 9 a.m., Aug. 20, in the sanctuary of Rock Creek Community Church, 262 Fifth Ave. E., in Twin Falls. Come and learn about a fresh approach to a healthy, balanced lifestyle, based on tried and true practices and biblical principles. Open to the public. Contact: 736-0104. 

Jerome Methodist to welcome Elaine Steele and hold pot luck

JEROME  Sunday the Jerome Methodist Church will officially welcome Rev. Elaine Steele following the morning church service with a pot luck dinner . Meat, beverages and table service will be provided. Please bring side dishes and desserts to share. Coffee time and fellowship is at 11 a.m. and church services begin at 11:30. All are welcome.

The Magic Valley Methodist churches will hold a short charge conference meeting 6:30 p.m. September 6, at the Filer Methodist Church. Following the charge conference the regular quarterly Magic Valley Methodist Leadership meeting will be held. All members of the six churches are welcome and encouraged to attend.

On September 11, the Magic Valley Methodist Churches will welcome new members and celebrate baptism. Please contact one of these ministers if you are interested or have questions: Pastor Elaine Steele (541)217-0691, Mike Holloman (208)539-1515,Penny Hodges (208)308-0609.

Enneagram BasicsNine Behavioral Pathways

TWIN FALLS  Have you ever wondered why you do the things you do? Why you cant seem to break habits that you want to? The Enneagram is a tool to help us learn the whys. Come and join us for an insightful and sometimes humorous look at what makes us behave in the ways that we do.

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

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

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

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

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

To submit information about church events and news. Contact Matt Gooch at mgooch@magicvalley.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday for publication on the Saturday religion page. Please insert Church News in the email subject line.
Soldiers of the Army National Guards 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team are returning home after two weeks of supporting the International Joint Exercise Saber Guardian 2016 in Romania. The 116th provided over 1,100 National Guardsmen from Idaho, Oregon, and Montana to augment the U.S. Army active duty component during this years annual joint exercise with nine other countries.

Gen. Nicolae Tonu, the deputy commander of the Romanian Land Forces 4th Infantry Division, spoke at the closing ceremony to congratulate and thank the participants of Saber Guardian 16.

Today we finish an exercise that brought all of us closer together as nations and partners. This exercise gave us the opportunity to prove ourselves and to anyone else that we can work together as a team, Tonu said.

Saber Guardian is an annual multinational exercise hosted alternately by Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine. The exercise is part of U.S. European Commands Joint Exercise Program designed to enhance joint combined interoperability with allied and partner nations.

The training allowed Soldiers a unique opportunity to interact with military members from other nations. For some Soldiers of the 116th this was their first time leaving the United States. Saber Guardian 16 provided these Soldiers with a new perspective in which to observe the differences in culture, language and terrain they may encounter during a future deployment.

Saber Guardian 16 involved nearly 2,800 troops from five NATO countries (Bulgaria, Canada, Poland, Romania and the United States) and five Partnership for Peace states (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine) and ran from July 27 to August 7.

This was the first year the 116th CBCT was invited to participate in the international exercise and follows their exemplary performance last year during their rotation to the National Training Center in Ft. Irwin, CA.

Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Kadavy, director of the Army National Guard, complimented the 116th CBCT and indicated the National Guards growing importance as a component of the U.S. Army total force structure.

The Army, as it gets smaller, is going to need each and every Soldier in each and every unit, said Kadavy. The 116th is a tremendous unit and theyve done a great job.

Col. Farin D. Schwartz, commander of the 116th CBCT, expressed gratitude to the host nation of Romania and their outstanding performance throughout the exercise.

The Romanians are excellent allies, he said. Theyve been very impressive in their ability to integrate themselves. They practice the United States doctrine and are very proficient at what we do.

Schwartz also praised his own 116th Soldiers for their continued excellence and hard work.

The men and women here with the 116th are really trendsetters and blazed a path for others to follow, Schwartz said. It doesnt matter what component you are, regular Army or National Guard, we all integrate and we all have the capabilities to execute any mission that is given to us.

Soldiers of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team are scheduled to begin returning home later this week.
TWIN FALLS COUNTY

FELONY SENTENCING

Naomi Linda Phillips Riojas, 38, Washington, assault or battery upon certain personnel, $245.50 costs, $100 DNA, five years penitentiary, three determinate, two indeterminate, credit for time served, sentence suspended, 90 days state prison, four days supervised probation.

Austin Joseph Worring, 22, Jerome; aiding and abetting a robbery, $245.50 costs, five years penitentiary, one determinate, four indeterminate, credit for time served, sentence to serve consecutively to Twin Falls cases.

Austin Joseph Worring, 22, Jerome; battery against a present or past official, judge, officer, jailer or correctional employee, $245.50 costs, five years indeterminate penitentiary, credit for time served, sentence to serve consecutively to Twin Falls cases.

Dawn Marie Yarrington, AKA Dawn M. Benito, AKA Dawn M. Yarrington-Jones, 33, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $100 DNA, five years penitentiary, two determinate, three indeterminate, credit for time served, 365 days retained jurisdiction.

Eric Joseph Wolters, 42, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, seven years penitentiary, two determinate, five indeterminate, credit for time served.

Lindsay Ceviles Guiles, 34, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $100 DNA, $500 public defender, $60 workmans comp. program fees, three years penitentiary, one determinate, two indeterminate, credit for time served, sentence suspended, two years supervised probation.

Breean Kootstra, AKA Breeann F. Kootstra, AKA Breeann Frances Holton, 32, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $500 public defender, $843.27 restitution, eight years penitentiary, three determinate, five indeterminate, credit for time served, 365 days retained jurisdiction, sentence to run concurrent to 2015 case.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE SENTENCINGS

Reyes Rodriguez Lopez, 63, Buhl; DUI, $1,000 fine, $1,000 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 175 suspended, two days credited, guilty withheld judgment, 365 days restricted drivers license, 24 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school, 365 days interlock device.

Breezee Leigh Green, 25, Twin Falls; DUI, $1,000 fine, $800 suspended, $202.50 costs, $50 public defender, 180 days jail, 177 suspended, two days credited, guilty withheld judgment, eight hours work detail, 180 days restricted drivers license, 12 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

Heather Marie Murphy, 36, Twin Falls; DUI second offense within 10 years, $1,000 fine, $800 suspended, $202.50 costs, $300 restitution, 365 days, 355 suspended, 32 hours work detail, 365 days drivers license suspension, 24 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel.

Arthur Frank Jansson, 54, Twin Falls; DUI, $1,000 fine, $600 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 176 suspended, two days credited, 16 hours work detail, 180 days restricted drivers license, 24 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

Brennon Randall Lancaster, 25, Twin Falls; DUI, $1,000 fine, $700 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 177 suspended, one day credited, guilty withheld judgment, 16 hours work detail, 180 days restricted drivers license, 12 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

Robert Michael Stirling, 52, Kimberly; DUI, $1,000 fine, $600 suspended, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 177 suspended, two days credited, eight hours work detail, 180 days restricted drivers license, 12 months supervised probation, attend victim impact panel and court alcohol school.

DIVORCE CIVIL PROCEEDINGS

Brittany Dickerson v. Ashley Dickerson

Jamie Plott v. Valerie Plott

Salvador Cuna v. Maricela Amarillas

Joseph Smith v. Emily Harmon

Chantelle Hanson v. Keneth Maxwell
GLENNS FERRY  After a six-year hiatus, the River Crossing Celebration at Three Island Crossing State Park was back on Saturday.

The last crossing celebration was held in 2009. The plan had been to hold a re-enactment of the river crossing this year, and teams of horses and wagons had been practicing, but the re-enactment was called off earlier this week because the river was too high, and a horse drowned during a practice crossing.

Despite the disappointment, the rest of the celebration went on as planned. Early Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people were at the park checking out the vendors and the historical displays, eating, listening to the music and admiring the restored covered wagons that were in a circle near the food vendors. Dale Jeffrey, of World Wide Equine, owned most of the wagons, and gave wagon rides for the visitors.

Three Island Crossing is where pioneers taking the Oregon Trail had to decide whether to cross the Snake River or to continue on without trying to cross. Crossing the river could be risky, and many people drowned trying, but it would also get them to Oregon quicker, and there was more water and feed on the other side of the river. The celebration is meant to honor and remember the areas pioneer history.

The historical re-enactors set up near the main stage area dressed in 19th-century clothing and carrying their old-fashioned weapons and other accessories. One of them was Jared Crider, of Twin Falls, who was wearing leather moccasins and pants and a vest and checked shirt that, he said, were modeled on the style of the period from 1790 to 1810. Spread on a bearskin in front of where he sat were several antique powder horns and firearms from a mix of 19th century time periods, and props such as fire-starting tools, an old clay tobacco pipe and a small betty lamp. Whale oil isnt as easy to find now as it was in the 1800s, so Crider uses kerosene. He said he prefers his lamp to candles because the lamp can burn for six to eight hours.

Crider said he was at the last River Crossing Celebration, and he goes to a number of other rendezvous events  events for people who are interested in black powder shooting and in early American history and lifestyle. He said he had always been interested in history.

I got tired of reading about it, Crider said. Theres only so much they tell you in the books, and then theres a lot of detail left out on how they did it.

Next to a teepee, Rick Lind was demonstrating tomahawk throwing, sometimes throwing two at once, one from each hand, at a tree stump in front of him. Some people stopped to give it a try themselves. Riley Traudt of Glenns Ferry said he was no stranger to the skills involved.

Ive thrown a lot of knives and hatchets in my day, he said.

Traudt said visiting the River Crossing Celebration had been something on his bucket list.

Its just something Ive always wanted to do growing up, he said.

Lind is from Nampa, and was at the celebration because he is a member of the rendezvous club, Idaho Free Trappers. Lind was wearing leggings he made himself decades ago from elk skin. On the sides of the legs were pictures made of beads that, he said, told the story of how he got his nickname Goose. They started out as pants, but he cut them into leggings later after they no longer fit him at the waist.

I tell people the first time I saw them, they were walking on their own, he joked.

Crider said his hobby has given him insight into how much we think we know as a modern world, and how much weve forgotten. For example, Crider said, how many people today know how to start a fire without gasoline and matches?

Its been kind of interesting, figuring it out, he said. Frustrating, sometimes.
TWIN FALLS  Magic Valley parents may notice a change at school registrations this month: no more class fees.

Thats because many school districts are eliminating them as a result of a lawsuit against the West Ada School District in Meridian. Last year, a judge ruled class fees unconstitutional because children are supposed to receive a free, public education.

The decision is having a major ripple effect across Idaho. Schools arent technically required to eliminate fees, but many are deciding to anyway  starting this school year  to avoid possible legal action and level the playing field for students.

But Debbie Critchfield, spokeswoman for the Cassia County School District, said shed hate for the perception to be that schools can easily remove fees without consequences.

The money will come from somewhere, she said. It will need to come out of a different fund.

The Cassia County district will pay an estimated $140,000 as a result of eliminating fees. Thats nothing that you just blink your eyes at, Critchfield said.

Jeff Church, spokesman for the Idaho Department of Education, declined to comment on the West Ada lawsuit.

Schools arent required to report to the state whether they charge fees, Church said. And he doesnt know which school districts are eliminating fees.

As a result of the West Ada lawsuit, the Twin Falls School District revamped its fee structure after consulting with an attorney about what was legit to ask of our parents, said federal programs director Bill Brulotte.

For school supplies, parents are required only to bring personal use items for their child, such as notebooks and crayons  not items for the entire classroom.

Extra supplies, like tissues and disinfecting wipes for the classroom, are labeled on supply lists as optional for parents to buy.

Class and registration fees tied directly to the learning environment also arent required anymore.

Its a return to 1970s and 80s-era practices, Brulotte said. He said he doesnt know how many parents will choose to pay optional fees.

School principals will track the extra expenses this school year, school district spokeswoman Eva Craner said. I think this is kind of a learning year where were figuring it out.

Some fees will still be required for items seen as optional, such as a parking pass or locker.

To make up for the lack of fees, the school district will have to spend more general fund money. And supplies schools used to purchase for student activities or classes will have to be scaled back, Brulotte said.

Plus, parent teacher associations are being asked to do more fundraisers, he said. Were really putting a lot back on the PTAs.

The Twin Falls School District Education Foundation is also being proactive in looking for grant funding, Brulotte added.

Across Idaho, the topic of school fees has come up periodically in recent years.

There are two pending class action lawsuits about school fees seeking refunds for parents: in the West Ada School District and Pocatello-Chubbuck School District, Idaho Education News reported in June.

In a case last year, a judge ruled the West Ada School District failed to provide a free education to a Meridian family because it charged fees for certain classes.

Fourth District Judge Richard Greenwood addressed only the fees charged to Russell Jokis grandchildren while they attended the school district, but the ruling could have implications statewide. Greenwood agreed with Joki that fees are unconstitutional.

Magic Valley school officials were watching the case closely and talking about the implications.

In Cassia County, the district plans to make up for the lack of fees partly using general fund money and partly via a supplemental levy.

This particular year, it makes the passage of our supplemental levy even more critical, Critchfield said.

Voters will decide during the Aug. 30 election whether to support the renewal of a two-year, $744,244 measure  the same amount now in place.

Cassia County middle and high schools are eliminating fees for core classes, such as biology, that are required to graduate. But fees will remain in place for elective classes such as art or yearbook.

For elementary schools, there wont be any fees, Critchfield said.

Parents will be asked to buy school supplies specifically for their student. Buying communal items for the whole classroom was a frustration parents expressed in past years, Critchfield said.

But for years, Cassia County schools have invited parents who are struggling financially to talk with a teacher or school administrator if they cant pay fees.

No child has to limit their choices or options simply based on economic need, Critchfield said.

One gray area for next year: Fees for shop classes, such as welding. Those still apply for now, Critchfield said, but the school board will revisit the topic at the end of this school year.

In Jerome, the school district is eliminating class fees, including for electives. The only fees that exist now are for items such as a yearbook or activity card.

The school district plans to cover the additional $15,000 cost through its general fund. Its a lower dollar amount than many other school districts.

But in Jerome, there werent many class fees to begin with, Superintendent Dale Layne said. Were totally eliminating that barrier.

For school supplies, teachers are making sure supply lists are whittled down to keep costs low for families, Layne said.

He hasnt heard any parent feedback on the changes yet. But school registrations just started Wednesday and hes not sure if parents are aware of the changes.
TWIN FALLS  A virtual high school is now enrolling students across Idaho through Friday for the upcoming school year.

iSucceed Virtual High School, a tuition-free online school, has classes starting Aug. 22. Its a public charter school thats accredited and 100 percent online, allowing students to study from home.

The school, founded in 2008, provides students with a free Chromebook laptop to use while attending iSucceed.

iSucceed uses the StrongMind curriculum from FlipSwitch, which is research-based, and aligned with national and Idaho state standards.

It includes an array of multimedia, games and interactive elements that have earned awards.

For more information, visit http://isucceedvhs.net.
RUPERT  Ruth Blount, part-time employee at the Mini-Cassia Shelter Advocates against Violence, sees first hand the devastation and trauma that domestic violence victims suffer.

When the calls for help come they are panicked, urgent and often in the middle of the night.

A Declo woman with five children was leaving an abusive relationship and called the shelter for help.

The woman and her kids took off with what they could stuff in backpacks and they were at the Declo park hiding in the bathroom, Blount said.

The womans husband had taken her car keys and cell phone after she placed the call for help. She was on foot and he knew she couldnt get far. The woman could see him driving around looking for her from her hiding place.

The man kept recalling Blounts number because it was the last recorded call his wife made.

When we pulled up to the park they came running across the park and got into the van and we took off, Blount said. Id like to say that is an isolated incident, but unfortunately it happens more than people would like to think.

The shelter, which was denied grant funding from the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victims Assistance earlier this year after a former director resigned, has since been the subject of rumors that it closed, said Mark Burgess, president of the shelters board of directors.

This shelter is not going away, said Burgess, who is also pastor for the New Life Assembly church. There is such a need in this community and the shelter needs to be located in this community and not 50 miles away.

Burgess, former military man and cop, said it is part of his calling.

The rumors about the shelter closing are not only untrue, he said, they hurt victims, who may fail to reach out for help thinking help is no longer available in the community.

If someone is in danger they have to know well be there, Burgess said.

The only safe place

There is just one safe house in Mini-Cassia for victims of domestic violence, Burgess said.

The shelter serves 180 people a month with its food pantry and responds to about 12 domestic violence calls a month. The safe house, which can house three families, averages two to three families a month.

A recent murder-suicide in Rupert stemming from domestic violence highlights the need in the community, he said.

Domestic violence encompasses not only physical and sexual abuse but often psychological abuse, and it crosses every socio-economic barrier.

In rural areas it can be even more insidious, because abusers can isolate victims in the country where screams and cries are never heard, Burgess said.

Part of the abuse, he said, can include keeping a spouse from working and having her own money or vehicle, which could allow her to escape.

Often, children in an abusive home have been traumatized as well.

When the victims leave the situation one of their major sources of stability for the children will be continuing to attend the same school, he said.

If you ship them to a safe house in Twin Falls or Pocatello, you take them away from that sense of stability, Burgess said. You are re-victimizing that child.

It also causes additional hardship for the adult, who may not have a car or gas money to travel from another city back to Burley for court appointments or to their job.

Sometimes people have jobs in this community and if you take them to a safe house in Twin Falls, they have to worry about juggling transportation to get back and forth, said Audrey Neiwerth, shelter board member and volunteer. It makes a difficult situation worse.

The shelter recently helped a woman with six children get re-established in a home after leaving an abusive situation. The shelter helped another woman with two small children and a baby on the way get into an apartment.

She fled in fear for her two children and baby, Burgess said. Those are great success stories.

How the shelter runs

The shelter, which has a safe house, also runs a food pantry and has a supply of has gently-used clothing for victims and children, and supplies like diapers and personal care items. The shelter also helps victims find other resources in the community and provides transportation to doctor, attorney, court and job interview appointments and offers follow-up planning.

The shelter has only one part-time paid employee.

Lynda Brennen was removed from the payroll as director because of lack of funds, but she continues to volunteer her time in that role.

After denial of the grant, the board went through the process of establishing a new 501(3) foundation.

The shelters safe house is not staffed 24 hours a day, but most shelters are not, Burgess said, especially in rural communities.

That takes a lot of money, which we dont have, he said.

The safe house has security cameras that can be monitored by staff.

What is needed

The shelter needs more volunteers Burgess said, and while all types of donations, like the sod needed for the backyard of the safe house, are appreciated, there is a dire need for cash donations to keep the doors open.

The board has set a financial goal of raising $6,100.

We are so far behind financially, Burgess said. Our greatest need right now is financial.

If you ship them to a safe house in Twin Falls or Pocatello, you take them away from that sense of stability. You are re-victimizing that child. Mark Burgess Board President, Mini-Cassia Shelter Advocates against Violence
TWIN FALLS  Theres plenty of hype on social media for Eddie Brauns planned rocket launch over the Snake River Canyon, but it likely wont draw the crowds Evel Knievel did in 1974.

Braun announced his plans this summer to fulfill his heros dream Sept. 17, when he will launch the Evel Spirit rocket across the canyon from private property near the Hansen Bridge.

While its expected to draw the attention of Evel Knievel fans across the nation, the event itself appears to be relatively private  allowing fewer than 500 people on site unless organizers obtain a Jerome County event permit.

Evel Knievel touches so many people, Idaho Tourism Director Diane Norton said. It will draw a specific audience.

Multiple area hotels, however, have said they arent yet seeing an uptick in reservations.

We really havent (seen many), and weve been watching our reservations daily, Safari Hospitality Sales Associate Kellee Traughber said this week.

Safari Hospitality manages Twin Falls Holiday Inn Express, Quality Inn & Suites and Hampton Inn.

If reservations do go up, the hotels will establish an event rate, Traughber said. Rates are based on demand, she said.

Air fares on Deltas website for flights into Twin Falls during that week were comparable to other September dates. The company did not respond to requests for reservation information.

Event organizers did not respond to attempts to contact them, but the groups Kickstarter campaign website makes it clear there are a limited number of VIP tickets available  and it appears they have sold out. About 12 VIP tickets were available for $1,000 or more.

People will be able to watch the event via live streaming online for a $5 ticket purchase. More than 500 people had registered as of Friday, raising more than $45,000 of the $150,000 goal  with 13 days left in the campaign.

Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce CEO Shawn Barigar said he didnt believe the event would draw nearly the number of people it did in 1974, with limited space to accommodate viewers.

And if youre planning on being a spectator from public property, you might not be able to. Bureau of Land Management Outdoor Recreation Planner John Kurtz said the groups permit application for crossing BLM land makes its intentions clear.

They wanted to see if they could limit access to public land before and after the event, Kurtz said.

This may be done through private landowners, whose property is required to access nearby BLM land. The reason given in the application is for health and safety concerns with large crowds around cliffs, and the potential for wildfire.

The BLM permit was still pending Thursday, with approval expected.

While the company also said it would try to restrict pedestrian traffic and parking at the pullout near the Hansen Bridge, Idaho Transportation Department spokesman Nathan Jerke said no application had been submitted. The event would need one if it will impact the normal flow of traffic, he said.

They would be responsible for any traffic control, he said, should an event permit be granted.

Jerome County Administrator Art Brown said the county would not require a permit for the event so long as 499 people or fewer are present on site. This number would not include onlookers.

Southern Idaho Tourism Executive Director Melissa Barry brought up the jump during a recent meeting of a hospitality group.

Itll be a huge attraction, she said during an interview. We will promote it as much as we can.

But just how many will attend was unsure until the company begins releasing more information, she added.

A launch time has not been announced.
A federal court this week upheld the approach that the government uses to calculate the social cost of carbon when it issues regulations  and not just the cost imposed on Americans, but on people worldwide. Its technical stuff, but also one of the most important climate change rulings ever.

The social cost of carbon is meant to capture the economic damage of a ton of carbon emissions. The assumptions that go into the analysis, and the resulting number, matter a lot, because they play a key role in the cost-benefit analysis for countless regulations  not only the Obama Administrations Clean Power Plan, but also fuel economy rules for automobiles and trucks and energy efficiency rules for appliances, including refrigerators, microwave ovens, clothes washers, small motors, and clothes driers. The cost-benefit analysis can in turn help agencies to determine the level of stringency for such regulations, and indeed whether to go forward at all.

First established by the Barack Obama administration in 2010, the central value for the social cost of carbon, last updated in 2015, is now $36. That figure is set within a range from $11 to $105, meant to acknowledge scientific and economic uncertainty. (Disclosure: As administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, I was involved in the process.) The $36 figure has international resonance; many nations are paying attention to it. It also plays a large role in discussions about the size of any possible carbon tax.

Any particular number will of course be highly controversial. Some people believe that the real cost of a ton of carbon emissions far exceeds $36; others say its too high. Still others argue that the administration based its analysis on scientific and economic models that are simply too speculative, rendering any number illusory and misleading.

With the stakes so high, a legal challenge was inevitable. This weeks decision involved energy conservation standards issued by the Department of Energy for commercial refrigeration equipment. The standards werent exactly cheap; DOE estimates the annual cost to manufacturers at $93.9 million to $165 million. At the same time, it projects total benefits in excess of $4 billion, including both savings for consumers and greenhouse gas reductions  measured by reference to the social cost of carbon.

Zero Zone Inc., a small business that makes commercial refrigerator equipment, joined an association of manufacturers to challenge the standards in court. Their most far-reaching objections involved the social cost of carbon, which in their view was irredeemably flawed  and therefore arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. The courts answer was simple and brisk: There was nothing arbitrary about the governments choices (including its assessment of the magnitude and costs of sea level rise).

Zero Zone made a specific objection that has received some support from outside commentators. In deciding on the social cost of carbon, the Department of Energy considered global damages, not damages limited to the U. S.. That means that if a power plant in New York emits carbon, the U. S. government will consider not merely costs to Americans, but also costs to people in Canada, China, Germany, Russia and anywhere else. Indeed, it will treat the latter costs as if they were every bit as important as the former.

This is an admittedly unusual step. In making regulatory choices, the federal government doesnt ordinarily take account of global damages. A purely national social cost of carbon would be a lot lower than $36  certainly less than $10, and possibly below $5. Zero Zone argued that it was arbitrary and unlawful to consider global costs.

The court disagreed. It embraced DOEs explanation that climate change involves a global externality, meaning that carbon released in the United States affects the climate of the world. Because energy conservation has indisputably global benefits, it is perfectly acceptable for the government to take them into account.

The courts ruling isnt just right on the merits. It also signals an appropriate degree of judicial modesty in the face of complex judgments of science, economics, and policy. The court didnt merely validate the use of a global social cost of carbon; it also rejected numerous other challenges to DOEs refrigerator standards, including engineering questions, anticompetitive effects and consequences for small business. It did so on the ground that DOE had acted reasonably, whether or not it was right.

Thats the right course for the future. The problem of climate change, and the numerous regulations designed to address it, raise exceedingly difficult technical questions. They should not be answered by federal judges.

For climate change in particular, the courts ruling is massively important. It upholds a foundation of countless regulations designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Unless the Supreme Court intervenes (which is unlikely), that foundation is now secure. In the U.S. and elsewhere, the social cost of carbon is likely to play a defining role in the coming years.
Special To The Washington Post

When people talk about conspiracy theorists in the 2016 presidential campaign, they usually focus on Donald Trump.

It isnt hard to see why. Many candidates have played with conspiracy theories over the years, but Trump is far more flamboyant (most politicians do not insinuate that an opponents family is linked to the JFK assassination) and far less interested in sounding refined (most do not cite the National Enquirer as a source).

But hes not the only conspiracist around. Yes, Trump and his fans are prone to seeing plots. But alleged cabals have captured the imagination of Trumps foes, too. Conspiracy chatter isnt an occasional interruption that flares up on the fringes in especially weird election years. Its a regular feature of American politics.

The anti-Trump conspiracy theories started early. Because of his long history of claiming that he might run for president, many people initially thought Trumps potential campaign was a con. Once the contest got going, those suspicions changed shape: When news broke that Hillary Clintons husband had spoken with Trump shortly before the TV star entered the race, many anti-Trump Republicans (and even some Democrats) speculated that his candidacy was a Clintonite conspiracy. To this day, you dont have to look far on Twitter to see people wondering whether hes trying to lose.

Theres also the thesis that the media, for political reasons or higher ratings, tried to boost Trump, at least temporarily. In March, Ted Cruz posited that journalists were deliberately helping Trump in the primaries but planned to release all the damaging stories they had once he clinched the nomination. I cant tell you how many media outlets I hear, you know, have this great expose on Donald, on different aspects of his business dealings or his past, but they said: You know what? Were going to hold it to June or July, Cruz said on Face the Nation.

But the biggest Trump conspiracy stories are the ones that call the candidate a tentacle of the Kremlin. Half a year ago, this idea was largely limited to the fringes, where it was flogged by folks like Cliff Kincaid, a conservative gadfly who posed such queries as Is Trump a sleeper agent for Moscow? The idea started percolating into the mainstream media over the summer. It picked up steam after WikiLeaks release of the Democratic National Committees emails, a data dump many blamed on Russian hackers.

Eventually it made its way to the Clinton campaign, which now has a page on its websitedevoted to the topic, framed in just-asking-questions style: Why does Trump surround himself with advisers with links to the Kremlin? Why do Trumps foreign policy ideas read like a Putin wish list? Do Trumps still-secret tax returns show ties to Russian oligarchs? The whole thing feels like a throwback to the Cold War, though in those days such intimations were usually reserved for candidates on the left. (Not always, though. In 1952, the Democratic pol Averell Harriman called Republican Sen. Robert Taft the Kremlins candidate.)

At the core of this idea is a genuine intersection of interests. Trump and Vladimir Putin do have similar views on several issues, and Putin may well be rooting for the Republican. That is not a conspiracy or even in itself a strong argument against Trump  unless you think U.S. foreign policy should be based on doing the opposite of what Putin wants in all circumstances. But its the starting point. The Putin/Trump theorists jump from there to a plausible-but-unproven possibility (that Russia was behind the exposure of the DNCs emails), and from there to wilder speculations that Trump is a Putinist puppet, based on various suggestive links between the two.

Sometimes those links have at least some substance: Trump does have Russian financial ties, and his campaign managers clients have included various Kremlin allies. Sometimes theres basically nothing there: In Slates story on the subject, the ur-text for center-left writers embracing these accusations, Trump backer Michael Flynns connections to Moscow consist of attending an anniversary gala for a Russian news channel and sitting near Putin at the party. The whole tale is circumstantial, a fact the writers often admit. But those caveats tend to get lost somewhere between their articles and the people sharing them online.

Even the most plain-vanilla presidential races are filled with conspiracy talk. Pundits speculate about secret deals. Reporters chase down candidates financial ties and look for quid pro quos. Activists parse speeches for secret messages  dog whistles  pitched at frequencies only certain constituencies can hear. Pretty much everyone acknowledges that such small-scale conspiring takes place. And pretty much everyone acknowledges that larger conspiracies are sometimes at work, such as Richard Nixons sabotage and surveillance operations in 1972. In each partys base, rumors circulate every four years. Under certain circumstances, some of those rumors might find their way to the lips of campaign officials.

But which stories take hold, and why? While there are plenty of reasons the Russia theory would find a receptive audience, given the unpopularity of both Putin and Trump with large segments of the electorate, one element of these accusations may be especially appealing to Trumps foes.

By linking the candidate to Moscow, this narrative suggests that Trump is precisely the sort of threat that he constantly warns against. His political rise began five years ago when he embraced birtherism  the notion that President Obama is a foreigner who has been hiding his origins from the public. The idea that Trump is a foreign pawn flips that script on its head; now it is a prominent birther who stands accused of uncertain loyalties. The Putin story invites voters to reject Trump on Trumpian grounds, a combination that could undermine the mans appeal. But by amplifying anxieties about outsiders, it may reinforce a fear that isnt so far from Trumpism.

Paranoia seems to require being imitated to be understood, Eve Sedgwick once wrote, and it, in turn, seems to understand only by imitation. Like a vast conspiracy, its everywhere.
THE STAGGERING COST OF ALL THAT 'CHEAP' LABOR: Encouraging both legal and illegal mass immigration continues to be a primary aim for both politicians and organizations on the left. Breitbart News previously revealed that the wealthy Ford Foundation poured an astonishing $114 million into organizations that push for mass immigration and amnesty. Spencer Lindquist
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I didnt mean to end up scooting across the dance floor of a night club in Livingstone.

Especially one with this invitation  or warning, in my case  painted at the base of the stairs leading to the VIP Lounge: Smartly Dressed.

I was dirtily dressed, having trekked down and up a long steep pathway to the Boiling Point at Victoria Falls, a place where the Zambezi River churns into a giant eddy.

Photo editor Kurt Wilson and I traveled to Africa this summer to work on a series of stories about conservation across continents, and I had been warned about this clubbing situation, albeit not directly.

Before leaving, I had lunch with a friend to talk about the trip, and she gave me this piece of advice, along with some others: Technology will fail you.

I believed her, but I didnt know it would fail me over and over again. Kurt and I had traveled to Zambia for a project related to the University of Montana School of Forestry and Conservation. Zambia and Montana face similar challenges in saving animals and wild places, and we were going to find and tell those stories.

We booked lodging at the cheapest option UM had suggested, the ZigZag Lodge. The price was right, at $50 a night per room, and the setup was perfect there for our work, with plenty of seats and tables outside in a courtyard where we could do our work.

One night, wed promised to send a story and photo to the Missoulian, and the editor was counting on it. We sat outside in the courtyard as close to the main building as possible. The building was locked since it was about 10 p.m., but we could still connect to WiFi. Well, Kurt could. He filed his photos, and about two minutes later, I tried to send my story. Alas, the connection was nowhere to be seen again that night.

I stayed outside for a while longer and kept trying to hook into this ethereal link to Montana, but to no avail. At this lodge, guards stand at a locked gate all night long, so it feels safe. I thought they might be able to help me out. I told one of the guards that I had an emergency email I needed to send. Was there any place in town where I could get WiFi?

No problem, the guard said. Hed call a cab to take me to the 7-Eleven. Perfect, I thought.

The 7-Eleven turned out to be a nightclub.

I could hear Bob Marley playing even outside the doors. The cab driver walked me through the downstairs dance floor, then the upstairs one, where I did not get kicked out for failing to be smartly dressed, and we handed my iPad over to the very-smartly-dressed-and-sporting-a-cute-hat manager, who punched the clubs password into the computer.

No luck.

The manager tried a couple more times, but it just didnt work.

So away we went, onto the next possibility, the Cafe Zambezi, a restaurant where Kurt and I had eaten earlier in the week. Server  and Missoulian rescuer  Martha swiftly plugged me into their WiFi, and I sent the story maybe a dozen times, just to be sure.

***

People refer to The Big Five in Africa, and if youre a hunter, you probably already know all about this phrase. It refers to five animals, lions, Cape buffalo, elephants, leopard (pronounced lay-o-perd in Zambia, which I heart), and rhinoceros. At first, I thought these animals were the ones tourists needed to see, without a doubt.

And it made me wonder. Whod decided on this list? Why five? Honestly, I didnt care if I ever saw a Cape buffalo, but I really, really wanted to see a giraffe.

So I started asking questions about The Big Five and promptly revealed my fish-out-of-water status. When I asked our favorite cab driver, Axon Zulu, why the giraffe wasnt one of the five, I thought he was going to have a heart attack.

The man howled in laughter at the notion, chortling on and on, and his hilarity gave me some insight into the absurdity of my proposal.

Zulu, though, didnt get the last laugh.

Later, I brought up the idea to Oluronke Oke, a planning officer with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. Ms. Oke clearly endorsed augmenting the list to The Big Six, and adding the giraffe  or trading out the buffalo altogether. Seriously, she was ready to toss out the list and start from scratch.

When I looked up The Big Five online, I learned the list originally represented the most difficult trophy animals to hunt in Africa, though tourists now use the reference too.

In case youre wondering, the giraffes were cool.

***

In Zambia, people went out of their way to give of their time, even of the food on their table.

One day, Ms. Oke took us to see the rhinos in a small national park adjacent to Livingstone, and one of the guards told me how lucky we were. Sometimes, tourists have to walk for hours to reach the animals, which the guards follow to ward off poachers. We walked not even an eighth of a mile.

The venture was short, and it wasnt enough time for me to talk with the guards or for Kurt to get the shot he wanted. We talked about these holes in our coverage, and we decided we needed to return to the rhinos.

Later the same week, we showed up in Ms. Okes office unannounced. We told her we understood wed already had a once-in-a-lifetime experience seeing the rhinos  and we wanted another shot. Ms. Oke has responsibilities at her desk, but she loves being in the field, and she went out of her way to get us to the rhinos a second time. She found a vehicle that was available, a guard that could talk with us, and she put us in the back of a pickup truck with her and away we went.

Sandy Simpson showed us the same generous spirit. The human-wildlife conflict manager hauled us all over the place in his Land Rover, to the Village of Maloni and back again, to Linda Village, to his favorite restaurant, an Italian cafe with gelato that rivals the dessert at Caffe Dolce. I asked him one time why he was showing us around, and he said, You seem interested.

In Linda, a mom cooking pinto beans and nshima, a traditional staple similar to polenta, shared the lunch she had cooked for her children. She passed around one small bowl of beans and nshima with one spoon so all the visitors could eat.

***

At times, Livingstone reminded me of Missoula. The people in town were friendly in the same way I think we are here. When I go to a new place, I like to lace up my sneakers and head out on a run in a random direction to see something different, and I always rely on strangers. The first morning I headed out of the ZigZag, I ran into some people getting off a bus within the first block, so I pointed the direction I was heading and got the nod from a couple of the guys. Just around the corner, the Forever Bridge stretched across a dry riverbed. It was a curved structure with old planks that rattled and banged when you stepped on them, but the view from the top was beautiful.

You could see homes down a dirt road, and the sun through a smoky haze. The bridge turned out to connect a residential area with town, and it was a pedestrian highway of sorts in the mornings, with school kids in uniforms and men in mechanic's coveralls walking up the lane. I was a person the opposite color going in the opposite direction and wearing opposite clothes, not work clothes but workout clothes, my fish-out-of-water status unmistakable. Ive never said good morning to so many people in such a short time in my life, or had as many people join me for a short stretch, mostly schoolchildren laughing, but also one old lady. I think the dudes on the bus steered me straight because that route turned out to be my favorite.

***

Ill tell you about my panic attack, too.

When Kurt and I first talked with UM professor Wayne Freimund about the connection hed built with conservationists in Zambia, wed planned to tag along with a class. Long story short, the class was canceled, but we decided to proceed at the recommendation of Freimund, and follow roughly the same itinerary since a couple of UM assistant professors were going anyway. The original itinerary included a three-day safari, so we booked that leg in Botswana.

The day we took off for the safari, I was thinking about one of the stories I wanted to write. I knew the theme, that you cant ask people to care about animals and the planet if their own homes on the planet arent safe, but I didnt know how I was going to tell that story. We were riding around the Kalahari desert, rolling along the sand getting the African massage, as the guide described it, and I had an epiphany, and shortly after, a bit of a panic. I figured out that the people in the village of Maloni were the ones I needed to spend time with to tell that story. But we were in another country, and running out of time. These cruisers carry 10 or so people, and I was sitting in the very back, and Kurt was riding shotgun, so I couldnt say anything to him until we arrived at camp that night. The second we got there, I told him I needed to go back to Maloni ASAP. He agreed to go, too: Were a team.

When we got back to Livingstone, we walked to Cafe Zambezi for dinner, and Martha greeted us with open arms. It felt like running into a friend at a Missoula restaurant. The next day, Sandy took us back to Maloni, and thats the reason you were able to read about Robby Kilebwenta and Anthony Sishau, the farmers, and British Mambwe and the Kukus last week.
LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA  When the elephant swallows the seed of a wild fruit, and the seed germinates after passing, the plant grows strong.

"Few people understand that," said Rita Chizawa. "If we kill the elephant, how will we have wild fruit?"

Chizawa was born in Kafue National Park  "a bush girl, proper"  and now lives in Livingstone. She loves nature and still believes that the elephants will be around in 100 years if people make an effort to save them.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in the United States, and it's a watershed era for wild animals and their natural homes everywhere, from the wolverines scrambling up rock faces in Glacier National Park to the rhinos snacking on grasses in the African savanna.

Climate change and human interference are putting more and more pressure on animals, including endangered species. Ensuring that rhinos and jackal and big cats and wildebeests and plovers remain on the planet in the next century isn't a given, according to conservationists.

Douglas Chadwick, a wildlife journalist and author of "The Fate of the Elephant" and "The Wolverine Way," said the predictions he's read show one-third to one-half of the mammals on the planet will disappear over the course of the next century.

"That just gets me up every morning looking for a fight," said Chadwick, who is based in Whitefish and has traveled to various regions of Africa since the 1980s. "I mean, damn. All the bright and beautiful and splendid and elegant and inspiring creatures out there are at risk. And, gosh, what we do now is so critically important because otherwise, it's really going to be a struggle."

Whether there's time enough to ensure the elephants will still parade to the marsh to roll in the mud in 100 years depends on whom you ask.

***

Amy Allen, a veterinarian from California and world traveler with her family, sees the threats against animals holding steady, and isn't overly optimistic about their future.

She and her husband, Trip Allen, brought their teenage children to Africa this summer to see lions and hippos and other critters in their natural environments. The airfare was costly, but the family from San Rafael, California, snatched up tickets when prices dropped because they believe time may be running short.

"With global warming and poaching, it's an unsure future for these animals," Allen said. "So coming here now, we really can't afford a trip like this, but we wanted to come while the animals were still here."

Climate change isn't the only threat. Deforestation is another one, both in Africa and in the United States, destroying animals' dens and nesting grounds and encroaching on their homes.

"While the continent is home to 17 percent of the worlds forests, it is losing them at four times the rate of the global average," according to the African Wildlife Foundation.

***

Victoria Falls may be around in 100 years, but the cataracts may shift on the cliff face, and they may look vastly different than the site that enchanted Cecil John Rhodes, a racial segregationist and controversial historic figure, more than a century ago.

Then, the waterfalls spanning the Zambezi River captivated Rhodes, a businessman who wanted to build a path for commerce from the tip of South Africa to Cairo. Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, was named for him, as are the prestigious scholarships, but he is sometimes called "the architect of apartheid" and his obituary in the Guardian in 1902 described his legacy as "an unbroken sequence of evil."

Rhodes died before the bridge over the natural wonder of the world opened in 1905, but he had a dream about traveling across it. At the cascades these days, visitors walk into a mist or a sprinkle or even a deluge, and a sign at one viewpoint offers a quote from Rhodes.

"I should like to have the spray of the water (of Victoria Falls) over the carriages," reads the inscription.

A century later, the spray of the falls has diminished, but Musawa Hamusonde is certain the waterfalls will be around in some form in the next 100 years.

She said the water takes a fluid path, one that shifts with time, and she offers a perspective that's much longer than a century.

"If you read back, you will discover that this is the eighth waterfall," said Hamusonde, an ecologist at Victoria Falls, a designated World Heritage site. "The position at which it is, it has shifted seven times before, and hence, the reason for those cracks."

The gorges form a zigzag, and they show the former positions of the waterfalls, a shift that takes place maybe every 5,000 years. It's possible that bad river management and other factors could slow the falls, but she believes the people will save them if necessary, and the waterfalls will survive.

"If it has been in existence for that long, because it takes that many years to shift to the next position ... why shouldn't it be there in 100 years?"

***

Some species may go by the wayside in the years ahead. The West African black rhino is already considered extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and all rhinos are in trouble.

This year, University of Montana assistant professor Jennifer Thomsen traveled to Africa to deepen UM's connections to wildlife officials and educators in Zambia, and she saw firsthand programs at work to protect rhinos.

In reality, wildlife protection depends on money, and people can't always do more with less, Thomsen said. When funding dries up, those working to protect wildlife must do less with less.

In Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, armed guards protect rhinos around the clock, and the animals' keepers report the poachers have never taken an animal from them.

Thomsen, though, wonders if that model is sustainable.

Are there priorities to set in saving wild lands and animals?

Is the fight already lost on behalf of some species?

"It may be past the point of being able to help (some animals), unfortunately," said Thomsen, of the UM College of Forestry and Conservation.

***

In order to survive the coming decades, some animals will need to be able to outlast the twists and turns of bureaucracies, including agencies that are disingenuous at times.

Take the recent saga in the United States over the wolverine. To make its way across a snowfield, the wolverine nearly floats along on its snowshoe feet, and its double fur coat sheds frost easily, said Chadwick, who wrote a book about the fierce and elusive creature.

The animal is ferocious in legends, but Chadwick's book showed that in the wild, it's as playful as it is tenacious. It thrives in the cold and needs the ice and snow to store food and raise cubs, and the best place for it in the lower 48 states is Glacier National Park.

Chadwick said the park holds probably 35 wolverines  at the most.

The wildlife biologist didn't start out with a plan to write a book about the creature, but his volunteer time in Glacier Park led him to it. The book was published in 2010. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen cited it in a court order about protecting the lithe and muscular carnivore.

In the order, the judge said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision on whether the "mountain devil" is endangered must take into account climate change and projected declines in snow cover.

"No greater level of certainty is needed to see the writing on the wall for this snow-dependent species standing squarely in the path of global climate change," Christensen said.

"It has taken us 20 years to get to this point. It is the undersigned's view that if there is one thing required of the Service under the ESA (Endangered Species Act), it is to take action at the earliest possible, defensible point in time to protect against the loss of biodiversity within our reach as a nation.

"For the wolverine, that time is now."

So the fate of that animal is in the hands of an agency that had to be forced to protect it. In the lawsuit, the states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming backed the agency, as did the oil and gas industry.

"Why would ... a wildlife agency be on that side of the courtroom with those guys?" Chadwick said.

He, for one, is leery of the office empowered to direct the fates of imperiled species in the next century.

***

Perhaps the demise of some wildlife will open the door for other species to flourish, though the idea may be heresy to those working to protect nature.

In Africa, tour guides and cab drivers and wildlife agency officials use a similar refrain when making observations about natural cycles.

"Nature balances itself."

"Nature corrects itself."

In Chobe National Park, a dead baby elephant lay on the riverbank, its throat torn open, and the safari guide came to a stop at the site, the same way he tapped the brakes at the herds of strong elephants making their way to the water or across the dirt road.

Some young lions had gnawed at the elephant carcass, but Moagi Rain Robson said an illness had taken the animal earlier, and the death wasn't the result of a predator attack.

Earlier, the group had spied crocodiles biting into the carcass of a Cape buffalo floating in the river.

The 10 tourists shooting pictures and scoping the treeline with binoculars didn't pay fares and slather on sunscreen to see carcasses, but along the beach, Mother Nature had scattered large bones and skulls along with the dead body.

"This is the nature of death," Robson said.

Near the elephant, at a dried tree branch where vultures sat with hooked necks, the guide narrated the scene: "They are reading the menu."

The birds help mop up the Kalahari Desert like a hazardous waste cleanup crew as they chomp on diseased flesh and cleanse it with their stomach acids.

In a century, if tourists still roam the savanna, they may encounter a wake of vultures perched above a bygone baby elephant, and surely, they will see new sites in a place where change is a constant.

"Each and every day is different, and each and every minute of the day is totally different," Robson said. "It will never be the same."

***

In Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, men with weapons at the ready look after the rhinos, horned beasts beautiful in their slow and quiet strides.

Among them, zebra graze, baboons frolic and fight, and on occasion, an agitated elephant flings a pestering crocodile into a tree.

Here, nature balances itself, too, and at times, the people assist, filling ponds with river water when they dry so the animals can drink, feeding rhinos when the savanna offers too little.

The park holds just nine rhinos. Their future is uncertain, but at least one guard spends his hours watching over them because he wants his grandchildren and their children to see with their own eyes the rugged animals and their ancient grace in the wild.

Last year, a baby rhinoceros was born in the park, and the guards named it "Sepo."

"Hope."
Big Sky High School lost longtime librarian Christine Fogerty on Friday when she died in a car accident while visiting family in Bozeman, according to Principal Natalie Jaeger.

The Montana Highway Patrol listed a single fatal wreck in Bozeman Friday, but released no name.

Highway Patrol Trooper Michael Walrath said the accident happened just before 9:30 a.m. on Baxter Lane when a dump trucks flatbed trailer came loose and crashed into an oncoming car, killing the female driver and injuring the passenger.

Walrath said the wreck happened on a strip of Baxter Lane outside city limits, just before its intersection with Monforton School Road. Although the car was pushed off the road by the oncoming trailer, Walrath said there was no evidence either of the cars was going too fast.

The injured passenger was airlifted to an unspecified city.

Jaeger sent out a note Saturday morning to students and parents informing them of Fogertys death, which she called "a great loss" to Big Sky and the community of Missoula.

Christine's work in our schools and throughout Missoula and across Montana made an incredible positive impact on all of our lives," Jaeger wrote.

Jaeger said on Sunday that Fogerty worked for years for the Missoula County Public School District, where she served as a librarian at various schools, including Willard Alternative High School, Sentinel High, C.S. Porter Middle School and Big Sky.

Fogerty, Jaeger said, was one of the most energetic and innovative educators in Missoula. Although Jaeger said Big Sky will be looking for another librarian in the near future, the faculty and students are focusing first on grieving their beloved librarian and supporting her family.

I can imagine that Christine would want us to take care of the professional loss immediately, Jaeger said. She was so organized and all business in that way. But well get to that next week because there is no way to ever replace her or fill that void.

Jaeger said Big Sky will be planning a vigil so students and faculty can pay their respects to Fogerty. Funeral arrangements are being planned by her two daughters, Sloan and Sundee Fogerty, she said.

MCPS Director of Communications Hatton Littman said Fogerty was involved in curriculum all across the state.
This month, more than 120 animals were rescued from a suspected puppy mill in Libby.

Less than a week before that, nearly a dozen dogs were seized from a commercial breeder in Lake County.

And less than two years ago, 31 Labradors, including 15 puppies, were removed from an alleged puppy mill in Plains. The owner, who sold puppies for $500 each, would allegedly dump those that didnt sell somewhere in the woods nearby.

Unfortunately, thats only a sample of recent cases in western Montana in which domestic animals were found living in deplorable conditions; sometimes dehydrated, starved and suffering from serious health conditions.

Montana can expect to continue seeing large numbers of woefully neglected cats, dogs and other pets so long as it refuses to pass legislation to stop commercial pet breeders from making a buck off the backs of mistreated animals. And county taxpayers can expect to continue picking up the tab for food, shelter and veterinary care whenever these animals are seized from their unscrupulous owners.

Montana law does allow for a person convicted of cruelty to animals to be fined up to $1,000 or imprisoned for up to one year, or both. However, that doesnt begin to cover the costs associated with caring for dozens of animals with severe health and behavior problems.

Far better to prevent such suffering and protect consumers with clearly defined laws that spell out the minimum expected standards of care, and create a framework for enforcing those standards. Yet a bill to do just that was tabled in committee during the most recent legislature.

House Bill 608 proposed to establish a board, which would include breeders, to ensure that dogs and cats that are bred, sold, exchanged, or adopted in Montana are healthy and to ensure that an animal does not enter commerce with diseases or injuries that cause suffering to the animal and are unfairly and unexpectedly financially and emotionally expensive to purchasers and adopters.

The bills failure to advance through the legislature leaves Montana among the 16 states that lack any regulations for commercial animal breeders.

Theres no telling how many such operations are active in Montana, because the state does not track them. Organizations like the American Kennel Club, which keeps a registry of breeders, provide information and programs that encourage reputable breeders to follow best practices and protect the health and well-being of all dogs, among other core values. The AKC maintains that the vast majority of breeders take excellent care of their animals.

Unfortunately, Montana has ample evidence to conclude that additional measures are warranted.

Too many breeding outfits dont concern themselves with meeting any standards. Instead, they keep large numbers of animals in substandard conditions, with little to no human contact, churning out litters as quickly as possible in order to make as much money as possible without regard for the well-being of the creatures in their care, or for the people buying them. Such operations can produce litters of animals with significant health problems that may go undetected for years.

If enough people complain, and if the animals are treated badly enough, county law enforcement may be able to bring animal cruelty charges and seize any suffering animals, who are then cared for by county animal shelters at county taxpayers expense, although nonprofits may provide additional support.

Lincoln County Animal Control, for instance, this month suddenly found itself responsible for caring six donkeys, 53 poodles, 60 parakeets and three canaries that had been seized from their owner, who sells animals online. The county sheriff reported that the puppies and adult dogs were in the worst shape, severely underweight and with eye, ear and dental infections.

The Humane Society of the United States stepped in to offer financial assistance to help care for the animals, and PetSmart Charities donated money, food and other supplies as well.

Now, the Lincoln County Attorneys Office will decide whether to file criminal charges.

Meanwhile, felony aggravated cruelty charges have been brought against a couple who operate a commercial kennel in Lake County that sells Chihuahua, Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, Havanese and Shih Tzus. Following the latest in what sounds like a lengthy list of complaints, 11 dogs were seized; seven were eventually returned to the kennel while four are still receiving veterinary care. Apparently, under state law, the dogs who were returned arent considered ill enough to be kept away. Some of the animals were reportedly found with feces matted into their fur, skin diseases and rotten teeth. The Lake County Attorneys Office is reviewing the case to determine if additional charges should be filed.

Montana must put a stop to such cruelty. People who wish to make money from breeding large numbers of pets ought to be licensed and subject to regular inspections. And if they violate these rules by neglecting or mistreating their animals, they should not be allowed to breed and sell animals anymore.
HAMILTON  The dream of building a destination skatepark in Hamilton is about to take another large step forward.

By the middle of the week, those involved will have received quotes from skatepark designers interested in designing and building the structure adjacent to the Ravalli County Fairgrounds.

Its a key deadline for us, said Bryan Dufresne, president of the Circle 13 board. Its the last of the red tape that we need to move past to begin our fundraising efforts.

The Circle 13 organization acquired about half an acre on the southeastern edge of the county fairgrounds earlier this year.

Dufresne said the project is expected to cost about $500,000. The new park will include restrooms, lighting, landscaping and a paved parking area.

Finding the right piece of land took the group nearly seven years.

Dufresne expects the process to move forward much more quickly now.

The skatepark construction firm the group decides to hire will help design the park as well as build it.

Over the last few years, Dufresne said the Circle 13 group has developed a general idea of what it wants to see in its skatepark.

Weve had a lot of open forums over the years, he said. Kids have jotted down what they wanted. So we have a good general idea of what were looking for.

The new skatepark will be a place where the novice meets the expert. Dufresne expects that while some of the terrain will be challenging, the hope is to build a kiddie bowl where young children can learn to skate.

At lots of parks, the bowls are too intimidating for youngsters, he said. What we want to do is somewhat unique. We want a place where young skaters can learn to skate.

The new parks design will also be required to incorporate a parking area and a bathroom.

We will have to design around those spaces, Dufresne said. That also makes this project somewhat unique.

Bill Watkins of Discovery Care Center has kicked off the fundraising effort with a $50,000 matching grant. Others have stepped up, too.

Dufresne hopes the community will get behind this project thats been in the works for so many years.

It took us a long time to find the right piece of land, he said. I feel like as soon as the community sees that this is finally real, they will get excited about it.

Dufresne would like to see a good contingent of skateboarders show up to participate in the upcoming Ravalli County Fair parade.

He also hopes that people interested in the project will come to an open meeting at the Bitterroot College on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 7:30 p.m.

People interested in learning more about the parade, meeting or any other information about the proposed park can check out the groups Facebook page called Circle 13  Hamilton Skate Park.
A member of the Lolo Hotshots died Saturday while fighting a fire in Nevada, according to the National Park Service.

Justin Beebe of Bellows Falls, Vermont, was struck by a falling tree, the Park Service said. The crew was fighting the Strawberry Fire in Great Basin National Park near Baker, Nevada, according to the Park Service.

The U.S. Forest Service is gathering details and will initiate an accident investigation, said Lolo National Forest Supervisor Tim Garcia.

This was Beebes first season with the Lolo Hotshots, Garcia said in a statement issued Sunday to Forest Service employees. Every employee is impacted by such a tragic loss. ... I can tell you he was a fine person and tremendous employee and his loss is deeply felt. I spoke with his mother late last night, and we are providing all needed support to them."

Great Basin National Park Superintendent Steve Mietz called Beebes loss tragic and heartbreaking."
BILLINGS  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 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.
Montana native Aaron Parrett was getting set to read from his new book, "Montana Americana Music: Boot Stomping in Big Sky Country," Friday at Shakespeare and Co. before he and some friends played a relaxed set of songs.

Although the book includes information about music one might define as "country music," Parrett said its not what most people are thinking.

Its not about this new bro country music, Parrett said. Its not that Blake Shelton crap. I think Ill read a short section from the intro that talks about what Americana music really is. Its kind of a blanket term that isnt very helpful so I tried to delineate what that means in the book.

Americana music, Parrett said, isnt a specific genre. The term is more of a radio format in that it includes many genres of music in the same way that "easy listening" or "adult contemporary" include different, similar genres.

When it comes to Americana, Parrett said all the genres under its umbrella are associated with the country rather than the city.

Parrett said his book, which includes the history of and interviews with Americana bands all over Montana, was released about two weeks ago on July 27. The book only took about six months to write, as Parrett had already done much of the research for an article he wrote years ago called The History of Montana Fiddling. The University of Great Falls faculty member has also written book-length history titles such as "Literary Butte: A History in Novels and Film" and published his fiction.

Parrett said his interest in writing about Americana music stems from being a longtime country musician.

The main band I play in is called Balled and Burlap and were an old-time string band, Parrett said. We play mostly square dances and classic 40s and 50s type country. My favorite music is the old-time tradition, front-porch kind of music.

Parrett and some of the musicians included in his book planned to play a few songs after the reading. Those musicians include Joseph Running Crane, who started off in a punk band and transitioned into what Parrett calls acoustic soulful country music.

Running Crane said Parretts book is a great resource for anyone interested in local music.

Montana has a very rich history of Americana music that I think is overlooked by a lot of mainstream musicians and writers, Running Crane said. This is the first project Ive seen in a while that Im excited about. Everything Aaron does is a great, inventive idea so Im happy to support whatever he has going on.

Running Crane said his interest in Americana music came after he looked into his fathers old music tastes in musicians like Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and Hank Williams. Running Crane said he then started writing songs using those musicians as inspiration and that naturally progressed to him playing the solo acoustic shows he does now.

Garth Whitson, owner at Shakespeare and Co., was looking forward to Parrett's reading.

Aaron's remarkable book is a must-have for any musician or fan of homegrown music in the state of Montana, Whitson said.
A member of the Lolo Hotshots died Saturday while fighting a fire in Nevada, according to the National Park Service.

Justin Beebe of Bellows Falls, Vermont, was struck by a falling tree, the Park Service said. The crew was fighting the Strawberry Fire in Great Basin National Park near Baker, Nevada, according to the Park Service.

The U.S. Forest Service is gathering details and will initiate an accident investigation, said Lolo National Forest Supervisor Tim Garcia.

This was Beebe's first season with the Lolo Hotshots, Garcia said in a statement issued Sunday to Forest Service employees. "Every employee is impacted by such a tragic loss. ... I can tell you he was a fine person and tremendous employee and his loss is deeply felt. I spoke with his mother late last night, and we are providing all needed support to them."

Great Basin National Park Superintendent Steve Mietz called Beebe's loss "tragic and heartbreaking."

"Please keep the family and Forest Service employees in your thoughts and prayers during this time," he said in a news release issued Sunday.
McKenna Wendt, a junior at Butte High School, attended the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Lowell, Massachusetts, in June.

The congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields.

Wendt was nominated by Dr. Robert Darling, the medical director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, to represent Butte High based on her academic achievement and leadership potential, according to a news release.

At the congress, Wendt heard Nobel laureates and National Medal of Science winners talk about leading medical research, witnessed stories told by patients who are living medical miracles, and learned about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.

Following the close of the congress, participants remain members of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists. The academy offers free services and programs to students who want to be physicians or go into medical science.

Wendt said she is going to fund-raise for herself and to help her peers who would like to attend next years congress. Details: mckennawendt2000@gmail.com or 406-494-3643.
The eminent Butte novelist David Abrams is a specialist at finding fantastic humor in deadly situations.

But even Mr. Abrams could not create a more absurdist setting than the one laid out for us over the past few decades a few miles west of here, courtesy of a shockingly somnolent EPA and a cavalcade of chemical-company owners wriggling with the responsibility for a truly fearsome waste site.

Imagine a site littered with radioactive slag and scrap metal. A site where bricks burst into flame. A site where half a million gallons of highly explosive sludge sits waiting for a bureaucrat to do something.

For the better part of two decades.

Thats how long the Environmental Protection Agency has been protecting nothing but the distressing status quo at a site with the horrifying capacity to make Ramsay a very bad memory.

As detailed in a story in The Montana Standard last Sunday, the agency, along with the state Department of Environmental Quality, raided the site in 2000, discovering the frightening residue of the shuttered phosphorus-plant operation, and hauling the then-owner, Rhodia Corp., into federal court, where the company pleaded guilty to two felonies and eventually paid the federal government more than $16 million and another nearly $2 million to the state.

Fair enough. Good work. But what has EPA done with that money since then to make the site safe?

Very little.

The agency is still considering several exceedingly unpleasant options, including capping the sludge but leaving it in place, with all the attendant dangers; removing it for disposal elsewhere; and building a plant to recover and treat the deadly chemical.

Once again, Butte deserves better.

The fact the site, particularly the sludge-fouled tank, has been left basically untouched for so long is scandalous, considering its present threat to the environment and its potential threat to public health.

We also must admit that the thought of building a plant to extract and treat the phosphorus, even though it would represent a new industry in the area, gives us pause. The plant would cost at least $25 million for the current site owner, Solvay, to build  and it would recover only $2.5 million worth of chemical from the waste on site. That leaves the inescapable conclusion that the company would want to bring at least ten times as much phosphorus to the site for treatment, in order to recoup its investment.

Thats a lot of a hugely dangerous chemical to bring here.

In any event, we deserve a decision and a real cleanup plan, not years of bureaucratic inertia.
I was happy to read Dr. Paul Siddoways article in The Montana Standard Aug. 8 on recommending off-stream storage on the Big Hole River. This years diseased wild brown trout makes Dr. Siddoways proposal even more critical. I hope that all sportsmen and women, ranchers and FWP agree and will act on his proposal.

Another concern I have lies in the fishing regulations. I have fished the Big Hole River for over 55 years and I strongly feel we should revert back to the regulations that were in place in the 1960s, 1970s and earlier. The river was open from the third Saturday in May through Nov. 30, with no winter fishing and no early fishing or wade fishing.

The rainbows are being stressed too much in the spring spawning time. The brown trout are being stressed in the late fall, spawning time. We do not need a winter whitefish season. Too many trout are being kept and/or stressed. We do not need year-round fishing on the Big Hole.

The Ruby River below the Ruby Dam to Alder is feeling way too much pressure by wade fishermen year-round. The fishing regulations should revert back to the third Saturday in May through Nov. 30.

-- Tom Bugni, Butte, is a fishing outfitter and guide, and past president of the Montana Coalition for Stream Access, and past president and director of the Skyline Sportmen's Association.

Fishing outfitter and guide
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Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life!
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 []
Hackers recently breached computer systems at Oracle, which included a customer support portal for companies using MICROS point-of-sale credit card systems.

Oracle said it had detected and addressed malicious code in certain legacy MICROS systems.

To prevent a recurrence, Oracle said it implemented additional security measures for the MICROS systems.

In South Africa, MICROS is used by numerous chains, including KFC, Steers, Nandos, Wimpy, Mugg & Bean, and Woolworths.

This raises two questions: Are any South African payment systems compromised? If so, what is the impact on the compromised systems?

The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) told MyBroadband it has been made aware of the breach, but does not have further information on the matter.

Sabric has not received any reports on the impact of the breach on SA-based merchants at yet, it said.

The Payments Association of South Africa said it is looking into the breach, but could not provide comment by the time of publication.

MICROS in South Africa did not respond to questions about the security breach.

Update

Statement from Micros South Africa: Micros South Africa operates a completely separate support system to that of Micros Inc/Oracle Corp. The local support system was not compromised nor do we store sensitive customer data in our support system.

The Payment Association of South Africa (PASA) said it is not aware of any data compromise incidents relating to the Micros systems in the South African payment system.

More on credit card security

R300-million Standard Bank credit card theft may have been inside job: Expert

Why you should never sign a credit card slip when you use a PIN: security expert

How criminals steal your credit card info
Another 0% fee increase will mean the beginning of the end for public universities in South Africa, warns Jonathan Jansen, rector of the University of the Free State.

A decision regarding the increase of university fees for 2017 by minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande was expected on Friday, but was postponed.

The departments spokesperson Khaye Nkwanyana said the postponement was needed to allow for further consultations.

While experts warn that a 0% fee increase is not sustainable, students have warned that a fee increase will lead to disruptions at universities.

Student leaders say they are not prepared to contemplate any increase.

University of Cape Town student leader Masixole Mlandu said students were ready to take to the streets to ensure they get what they want.

The beginning of the end for South African universities

Jansen warned that another 0% fee increase will mean the beginning of the end for public universities worthy of that name in South Africa.

In a column on Herald Live, Jansen said the public universities are in serious crisis and the public served by these institutions of higher learning better take note.

If the minister makes an announcement of a fee increase somewhere between 6 and 8%, already far below the actual costs of higher education expenditure in each university, the public higher education institutions will hobble their way into the next academic year, said Jansen.

If, as expected, students protest in response to the announcement, as some have promised, shut down the universities and further make 2017 a gap year, then it is over.

More on universities

The best degrees to study for a big starting salary

Massive university degrees-for-sale scam in South Africa
By

by Wallace Wyss

This is a story about a barn finder who had an unbelievable stroke of luck. And how happenstance can make fortune come your way.

First of all the car, the 1966 Ford GT Mk II. To sum it up quickly, Henry Ford IIafter being spurned in his attempts to buy out Ferrari around 1963authorized his engineers to build a Ford endurance racer, with the goal of winning the 24 Hours of LeMans.

The first version, in 64, was powered by a 260 cu. in. V8 from their Indy car, but that engine proved no good in an endurance racer. In 64 they switched to a wet sump 289 out of a racing Cobra and got some reliability, but still not enough endurance to win LeMans. In 65, they go to the bright idea of jamming in a 427 big block (same as used in the Cobra) but still didnt have reliability.

It all came together in 66 when they were able to field several 427 powered Mk. II Ford GTs and not only dominated the race, but came across the finish line 1-2-3.

Enzo Ferrari had to eat crow and just to rub it in, 50 years later, a Ferrari still hasnt finished first overall at LeMans.

There was a lot of lamenting over the years over how the team of Ken Miles and Denny Hulme, piloting the Ford GT40 Mk II numbered P/1015 should have won.

True, their almost certain victory was pulled out from under them by some Ford official who wanted them to slow up so all three of the Ford GTs near the lead could cross the finish line together. Better for the news pictures, yunderstand.

But somehow those dastardly Kiwis, Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, in a following GT40 Mk II (chassis P/1046) were awarded the win though the picture shows them neck and neck.

Ken Miles was heartbroken. From Ford management standpoint, it was not much of a concern, after all, Ford won!

Some also grouse that Ford stacked the deck by entering not less than eight Mk IIs in the 1966 race, splitting them among three teams three for Shelby American, three for Holman Moody and two from UK development partner Alan Mann Racing. There were also five private teams running the old small block Mk.I GT40s, so Fords made up nearly 24-percent of the total entries.

By contrast, Ferrari, their arch enemy sent only two works-prepared 330 P3s to the race, but by lap 227 only two Ferraris were still in the running, and they were 275 GTB models that couldnt catch the prototypes.

The decision by race officials on who was the winner was based on where the winning car startedeight meters further back on the grid, so since the two crossed the finish line at the same time, the Kiwi-piloted car was ruled having traveled the furthest and thus was ruled the winner.

THE PUBLICITY BLITZ

Now Ford wanted to get publicity so they painted several Mk. II cars black to match P/1046 and sent them around for display at dealers. The actual winner, was not allowed to rest, though, it was shipped back to Shelby-American and modified for a round of transmission development testing. Its next race was by the Holman-Moody team, which unfortunately had it crashed at Daytona in 1967 by Texan Lloyd Ruby.

It was repaired and a shirt company, Hathaway, tied in with the car for promotion and it toured the country.

The car was then taken apart, the chassis sold, according to Hemmings, to David Brown and then a later owner, Ed Zamarelli, took it back to Holman-Moody to make it a road car, complete with a gold metalflake paint job that would have done George Barris proud.

A sacrilege, right? Right. So fortunately in 1973, the next owner took it back to Holman-Moody to return it to racing spec.

THE HAPPENSTANCE

So, several owners later, we flash forward to Blue Mounds Wisconsin in the early 80s. George Stauffer is a cheese man indulging in his hobby business, selling interesting cars, having started with Rolls Royces. A stranger wandered in and asked if he was still buying Rolls Royces. George said well, that used to be the case, but now he liked Cobras. The guy looked at the Cobra out front and said something to the effect of: Well, then, if you like Cobras do you also like GT40s?

How fast could Stauffer say Yes? Turns out the guy had three GT40s, and a Rolls Royce for sale. Only trouble was they were all in storage over in Paris. Not Paris, Texas but Paris France. Now George was not your average countrified used car dealer, the kind with a broad brimmed straw hat, chewing on a stick of cornsilk.

He had friends. Among them was a Scot, Ronnie Spain, who wrote books about GT40s. Stauffer bought a ticket to France and then called Spain in Scotland and paid to have him fly to Paris and the two buyers and seller went to the warehouse where the cars were. When the seller opened the door and George saw the Mk. II, he thought it was one of the ones painted to look like the LeMans winner and then, after Spain checked the SN and other clues to its identity found out it was the actual LeMans winner.

Another problem, thoughGeorge had to buy all the cars to get the one he really wantedthe LeMans winner. But he was able to sell the other cars and not lose money.

George took to vintage racing the car, but finally sold it in late 2014, when the car was sold to RK Motors founder Rob Kauffman. Kauffman knew there would be a lot of celebrations of Fords 50th anniversary of their first win at Le Mans, and that his car would be sure to be invited to these occasions. He took it to New Hampshires Rare Drive, Inc. firm which did a full restoration on the car.

The goal was to display it at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concourse dElegance.

Lesson learned? When a customer wanders into your car showroom and wants to sell a car, then dont send him packing just because you dont need whats offered. Ask him what else hes got in his garage.you might be pleasantly surprised

Let us know what you think in the Comments.

THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss tells almost all his secrets in his series of books entitled Incredible Barn Finds available directly from the publisher at (715) 381 9755
Even though California gas prices remain the highest in the nation, abundant supplies of gasoline have contributed to lower gas prices statewide during this summer driving season.

State prices on Tuesday were $2.66 on average for a gallon of unleaded gasoline  that was 22 cents less than prices since AAA Northern Californias latest monthly gas survey of July 12.

In the Napa-Vallejo-Fairfield area, gas prices averaged $2.58 a gallon this past week. One year ago that average was $3.29.

Northern Californias average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $2.63 19 cents less than last months AAA reported price on July 12. The highest recorded price ever registered in the state of California was in October, 2012, at $4.67 a gallon for unleaded regular.

With gasoline supplies high and oil prices low, pump prices are likely to remain relatively cheap through the remainder of the summer and into the fall, said Cynthia Harris, AAA Northern California spokeswoman.

Provided the next month does not bring a major market-moving event, like a major hurricane or escalating geopolitical tensions overseas, prices are likely to remain at relatively low levels.

The least expensive average price in Northern California was found in Marysville, where regular unleaded gasoline was $2.25 per gallon.

Of all metro areas tracked by AAA in Northern California, San Francisco, registering at $2.83 per gallon of unleaded regular, and South Lake Tahoe at $2.91 per gallon, were showing the two highest gas prices on Aug. 9.

West Coast pumps feature both the highest prices in the country and the most dramatic yearly savings. The largest year-over-year declines in the nation are seen in California (down 95 cents). Contributing to these substantial yearly savings is the fact that there have been relatively few refinery issues this summer compared to a number of regional problems in the summer of 2015.

The national average price of gas held relatively steady over the past week. The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.12 per gallon, which was the lowest price for this date since 2004.

Strong global oil production and a strengthening U.S. dollar have contributed to West Texas Intermediate crude oil trading near lows not seen since spring.

Recent news suggests that OPEC may again consider production limits by cartel members in an effort to boost oil prices by curbing supply. Similar efforts earlier this year were unsuccessful, as members opted to preserve market share by maintaining production, which has preserved the global state of oversupply and resulted in low oil prices. If OPEC members agree to limit production, crude oil prices could again rise as demand moves into balance with supply.

To get the best mileage possible, AAA recommends keeping tires at the proper pressure suggested by the vehicle manufacturer, performing routine maintenance and making sure fluids are clean and belts and hoses are in good repair. The way you drive can also impact fuel economy. Smooth driving to avoid sudden stops and starts, combining trips and lightening your load also help conserve gasoline.
If school officials wrote about what they did over their summer vacation, the essays would reveal that a lot of their time was spent working on new projects.

A host of changes will become apparent to students and parents when classes begin Wednesday at most Napa Valley Unified School District campuses.

Moms and dads will immediately notice something different when they pull into the parking lots at Silverado Middle School and American Canyon Middle School.

There, the once open-air parking spaces are now covered with large solar-paneled carports.

The sloping metal structures, installed over the past two months, are part of a $4 million project approved last year by the school board to install solar generation at four middle schools and reduce energy bills.

Buoyed by the success of solar power at American Canyon High School, whose electric bill is less than $100 a year, the district contracted with SunPower Corp. to install photovoltaic systems at Silverado, American Canyon, Redwood and Harvest middle schools.

The solar panels at Redwood and Harvest were not installed over the parking lots. Instead, they were mounted elsewhere on campus and fenced off to ensure safety and security.

School construction chief Don Evans said they had planned to install solar carports at Harvest and Redwood, but then realized it would have been too costly to underground the necessary cables at those parking lots.

Evans also said NVUSD would no longer have to pay more than $420,000 a year for electricity at the four middle schools.

The solar systems will generate approximately 85 percent of our annual needs each year for 20 years, said Evans.

While classes start Wednesday in the NVUSD and the St. Helena Unified School District, they began Thursday in the Calistoga Joint Unified School District. Justin-Siena High School in Napa starts the student year on Thursday.

Middle school as well as high school students in the NVUSD will notice other changes, too, this year.

Gone are the days of needing a separate library card to check out books from the Napa County Library, which has partnered with NVUSD to create the new Student One Card.

All secondary students will receive a Student One Card, allowing them to:

 Borrow up to five items from any Napa County Library location.

 Request books from partner libraries, including academic collections.

 Receive free online, one-on-one homework tutoring in English or Spanish in all major subjects.

Use public library computers at any of the four public library locations.

Access e-books, music and other electronic resources via the Napa County Library website.

For students at New Tech High School, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, their school year started Monday with a three-day project intended to help them appreciate diversity and become culturally responsive citizens.

By examining cultural responsiveness to start the year, our students will not only be reflecting on their own identity, but why it matters to learn from and relate respectfully to other cultures, said Principal Riley Johnson.

Johnson hopes the project will enable his students to tackle problems in a way that celebrates differences and sustains growing a community together with all walks of life.

The 2016-2017 school year will also see another expansion of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), a college readiness program geared to help English learners and other students become the first in their families to attend higher education.

First established in local high schools last decade and then added to middle schools, AVID is now being used at the elementary level. West Park and Snow elementary schools will get it this fall.

At-risk teens will also be getting some expanded help this school year.

The Napa County Office of Education has been running a special gang-prevention program for middle and high school girls called Mariposa.

The program creates a safe place for them to meet weekly, according to NCOE spokesperson Seana Wagner, and build trust, improve interpersonal skills, and overcome struggles and the peer pressure they experience to engage in activities that are destructive.

Satisfied with Mariposas results, NCOE tried a pilot project last spring for boys, called Bridging Brothers.

Officials plan to offer Bridging Brothers this year at Valley Oak High School, NCOE Court & Community Schools, and Redwood and Harvest middle schools.
Aug. 25 marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service. The National Park Service has often been described as, Americas Greatest Idea, and if this is so, John Muir may arguably be considered Americas greatest naturalist.

It is impossible to imagine how the Park Service would have evolved without his vision, passion and dedication. After camping in Yosemite with Muir, Teddy Roosevelt was so profoundly moved that after he returned to Washington, D.C. he set aside an astounding 230 million acres, which became the beginning of the National Forest Service and National Parks Service. Annual visits to all National Park Service facilities are approaching 300 million, with nearly $30 billion being generated from recreation and ecotourism.

In the fall of 1973, under the guidance of principal Dr. William Noble, St. Helena High School initiated a revolutionary advanced biology curriculum that included examining the life, wisdom and spirituality of the legendary Muir. The new class considered contemporary biological and ecological concepts, and following Muirs lead, students were invited to consider the possibility of their own spirituality.

Not surprisingly, the new class, called Biodesign, became a lightning rod, not only drawing criticism from non-believers, but surprisingly from some local Christian clerics.

In an ironic disconnect, critics were generally in favor of National Parks. However, some of them vehemently objected to references to Muirs spiritual invocations in a public school. They were not persuaded by the fact that he became widely known as the Father of the National Park Service, a sobriquet not lacking in spiritual overtones.

The Biodesign Class lasted 24 years and involved 63 wilderness adventures, including trips to Yosemite, Grand Canyon and the Mendocino coast. Following Muirs guidance, many students exulted in spiritual awakenings that were not necessarily associated with any particular religion.

Several years after I retired, I decided to follow John Muirs model and attempted the impossible; describing nature-induced epiphanies. The process resulted in a book whose title reflects the essence of Muir: Biodesign Out For A Walk.

After the book was released, I fully expected to be challenged from aforementioned critics, including secular scientists. After all, suggesting that Carl Sagans explanation of the origin of life was purely science fiction was tantamount to challenging the humanists god. Surprisingly, all of the reviews and comments I have received have been positive, except for one.

The lone critic was an ex-student who informed me that Henry Thoreau was historically far more important than John Muir because of his intellectual superiority and writing style. These are legitimate, arguable issues. However, he went on to describe Muir as lacking an inquisitive mind.

Every mans opinion is his sacred privilege. However, I was intrigued that anyone who had studied Muir could possibly arrive at that conclusion.

Both men became literary giants who agreed that nature was a pathway for human transcendence. Both engendered thoughts and deeds that influenced world history. Muir emerged from the wilderness like a bearded prophet proclaiming the healing power of Nature.

Thoreau emerged from Walden Pond and described the importance of civil disobedience as a way to avoid the galling harness of society.

Muirs legacy led to raising worldwide recognition of the importance of conservation and eco-spirituality.

Thoreau inspired millions, and prompted Mahatma Gandhi to lead the ousting of the British Raj government in India and later encouraged Dr. Martin Luther King to peacefully protest the cruel injustice of racism in the U.S.

However, in terms of an inquisitive mind?

After moving to the U.S. at age 11, Muir would go to bed at 9 p.m., sleep until 1 a.m. and get up to carve various inventions. Then he would work from dawn to dusk on the family farm. He attended the University of Wisconsin without graduating, but became a self-taught mechanical engineer. Eventually, he invented over 50 mechanical tools, devices and machines that improved the efficiency in woodworking mills. Interestingly, he refused to take out any patents believing that all of his inventions; were inspired by God and therefore belonged to all mankind.

When he nearly blinded one of his eyes, he vowed to stop studying the works of man and begin to study the works of God. He began with a 1,000-mile walk to Florida and planned to follow Baron Von Humboldts studies in South America. Unfortunately (or maybe not) he contracted malaria and his doctor advised him to move to the dryer climate of California. His discoveries and descriptions of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada became legendary and were widely distributed around the U.S. and even abroad.

Muir founded the Sierra Club, which became a powerful voice in California conservation and was primarily responsible for saving the remaining 5 percent of the virgin redwood forest. However, his greatest contribution was his vision of the U.S. National Park Service. Today, there are over 400 National Parks, reserves and monuments, nearly 7,000 state parks in the U.S., and his thesis that parks are necessary for spiritual renewal has gone global.

However, one of his greatest acts of being inquisitive came near the end of his life. At the age of 72, he began a 40,000-mile, 7-month exploration. When he got to Buenos Aires, Argentina, he took a 1,200-mile round-trip train ride into the Andes Mountains, simply for the privilege of sleeping under an araucaria (monkey-puzzle) tree. He knew that the araucarias were among the oldest seed-bearing plants on Earth and communing with them had been a lifelong dream.

He combined sailing and walking from New York to South America, across the Atlantic Ocean to the Canary Islands; circumnavigated Africa with many stops for exploring; sailed through the Red and Mediterranean Seas and back to New York.

Muir literally and figuratively walked around the world several times, exploring five continents in response to his lifelong quest for knowledge.

Poets claim that everything is ironic. And in this case, if I had not selected John Muir as a primary mentor, the Biodesign Class and Biodesign Out For A Walk would not have happened and my critic would not have been in a position to question the efficacy of my choice of Muir as the most inquisitive and proficient wilderness guide.

Happy 100th anniversary, National Parks.

Lowell Young is a retired St. Helena teacher and author of Biodesign Out For A Walk.
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The opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxists-Leninists) [CPN-UML] on Sunday urged the newly-installed government to focus on the implementation of bilateral agreements signed with China and India in the recent past. Speaking in parliament, CPN-UML MP Keshav Baral asked the government to implement a number of bilateral agreements reached with neighbouring countries India and China during visits by then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Xinhua reported. CPN-UML Chairman Oli resigned as Prime Minister earlier this month after his main ally CPN (Maoist-Centre) withdrew support. This paved the way for CPN (Maoist-Centre) chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' to ascend to the post of Premier with the support of the Nepali Congress -- the single- largest group in the Nepali Parliament. "The incumbent government should work toward enhancing bilateral relationship with neighbouring countries and for this, implementation of the bilateral agreements reached with China and India will be crucial. Our party strongly suggests to the government to implement those bilateral deals reached with both neighbours," Baral said. He also said that the government should work closely with China for the effective implementation of the Transit Transport Agreement signed with the northern neighbour. "At the same time, the government should work toward implementing a deal with southern neighbour India to utilise the Visakhapatnam Port of India (for shipping in third-country imports)," he said. Welcoming the government's decision to send special envoys to China and India to strengthen bilateral ties, the opposition leader said the special envoys should seize the opportunity to discuss with the authorities in both countries the implementation of bilateral agreements. Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara is leaving for China on Monday where he will hold high level-meetings with Chinese officials, according to his media advisor Triibhuwan Poudel. Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi will be travelling to India later during the week to hold talks with Indian authorities. Deputy Prime Minister Mahara, who belongs to the CPN (Maoist-Centre) party, holds the finance portfolio in the Prachanda administration that came to power on August 3 while Deputy Prime Minister Nidhi, a Nepali Congress leader, is looking after the home affairs portfolio. --IANS sm/ksk/sac/dg ( 366 Words) 2016-08-14-16:58:01 (IANS)
"All metro lines will be fully functional on August 15. All trains will be available for passengers from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.," Delhi Metro spokesman Anuj Dayal told IANS.

He said no station will be closed on Monday.

Dayal said only parking lots at all metro stations will be shut from 6 a.m of Sunday to 2 p.m. on Monday for security reasons.

--IANS rak/mr

( 93 Words)

2016-08-14-19:28:01 (IANS)
Actor Vin Diesel has shared an emotional video about late actor Paul Walker amid the drama surrounding Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnsons "Fast 8" rant. It's been almost three years since Paul Walker passed away. But the "Fast & Furious" actor is always at the forefront of his co-star and good friend Diesel's mind, reports mirror.co.uk. Diesel took to Instagram to share an emotional anecdote about the late actor. "My son earlier this morning, we were going over his birthday list, and he said, 'I want Paul to come,' an emotional Diesel recalled. "And then he said, 'I really miss him.' Paul came to his second birthday in London while we were shooting 'Fast 6'. It comes after the 49-year-old actor-and-producer promised fans that he will reveal "everything" following The Rock's Facebook outburst about an unprofessional co-star, widely thought to be Diesel. "After being on set since literally Christmas and to finally come home and learn that your little angel learned a new word I have to share it with you, its more important than anything," he says in a video. "Her new word kind of describes my spirit and soul and most people who stay positive. The new word is happy'. When I heard her say happy I just lit up in ways that I cant describe." He then finished it off with this cryptic line: "Just give me a second and I will tell you everything. Everything." --IANS nn/ ( 250 Words) 2016-08-14-05:26:01 (IANS)
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday expressed his support for the current Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's move of taking action against the police officials failing to enforce the liquor ban in state. When asked about the statement of a cop, who was willing to give up his post in the backdrop of liquor ban he said, "New people will be recruited. Liquor has been banned, we will stick to it. It is their duty they should look after it. Arrest them, take them in custody, why will anyone drink this poison?" The RJD leader's statement came after CM's remarks 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 Bihar Excise law, passed by the state assembly earlier this month, includes provisions like punishing the entire family of an adult found drinking and severe penalties for policemen found lax in enforcing prohibition. (ANI)
As many as 200 students from madrasas of Uttar Pradesh and various other states have celebrated the 70th Independence Day by participating in a national Tiranga painting competition organised by Darul Uloom Firangi Mahal madrasa here. Firing their imagination, madrasa students of age group of 6-24 years from U.P., Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Bihar, gave different forms to Tricolour on Saturday. The winners will be awarded first, second, third and consolation prizes on August 15. Darul Uloom Firangi Mahal madrasa principle Maulana Khalid Rasheed told ANI their aim behind organising the Tiranga painting competition was to inculcate respect, love and affection for the national flag and the country among children, who participated in a big number. "We are happy to note that the children have knowledge about the national flag, colours and design. At Darul Uloom, we are having a week-long Independence Day celebration, during which we are organising, besides the national flag competition, quiz and debate competitions as well. We have given children topics related to India's independence so that they can understand contributions made by different religious groups for the freedom of India and realise that the country was freed after great sacrifices by the people," added Maulana Khalid Rasheed. One of the participating students, Mohammad Nanmad, who hails from U.P.'s Deoria district, said: "I participated in the competition for the first time. I am happy that I participated in the competition and made a flag. 'Hamare desh ka jhand humko mehboob hai' (I love my country's flag). I wanted to make my country's flag from the heart." Another student, Mohammad Azam told ANI, "I have participated in the competition earlier too. I am very happy to participate in the competition. I have made a flag." (ANI)
The address will be broadcast from 7 p.m. in the entire national network of All India Radio (AIR) and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in English followed by Hindi versions.

Broadcast of the address in English and Hindi on Doordarshan will be followed by broadcast in regional languages by regional channels of Doordarshan.

AIR will broadcast regional language versions from 8 p.m. onwards on its respective regional networks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be hoisting the national flag at the Red Fort on the occasion of India's 70th Independence Day on August 15.

In his last year's Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the resolve of 125 crore Indians, as 'Team India' to root out corruption and to make India a developed nation by 2022.

He stressed on the need for farmers' welfare and said that his government was focusing on raising farm productivity and providing electricity and irrigation to farmers and spoke on the welfare schemes launched by the Union Government.

The Prime Minister stated children's as the face of 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' and announced 'Start-Up' initiative.

Number of promises made by him last year took shape and this year also the eyes are set on the Prime Minister's speech that will be delivered from the ramparts of the Red Fort. (ANI)
Defence Minister Manohar Pariikkar tonightdefended Prime Minister narendra modi's remarks that Pakistanbombs its own citizens, while pushing jehadis into India. Taking a dig at Pakistan on the issue of terrorism and its handling of Baluchistan, he said "Pakistan is facing the problem of terrorism to such an extent that while they push ten jihadis into our side, there is a bomb blast that kills 70-80 people somewhere in Pakistan. Mr Parikkar wa he said while speaking at a panel discussion organized by Chinmaya Mission here. Echoing Mr Modi who had said in an all party meeting yesterday that Pakistan "forgets that it bombs its own citizens" in Balochistan, Mr Parrikar said that it was the only country to do so. "While they talk about Kashmir, the way they deal with POK (Pakistan Occuied Kashmir) and Balochistan... it is the only country which had to bomb its own citizens with fighter planes," he said. On the Kashmir controversy, he said that the younger generation in the state should be enlightened about their "historical good things" as a result of which "a lot of things could change." Meanwhile,it is time of spiritual fervour in the city. Just as the curtains came down on the Hindu Spirituality and Service Fair,Chinmaya Mission today Mission organised five-day exhibitionon Bhagvad Geeta under the title 'Spirit of Geeta' as part of the birthcentenary celebrations of Swami Chinmayananda.UNI GV 2342 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-886911.Xml
Yamuna river crossed the danger level in Delhi tonight, forcing authority to order closure of the old Yamuna iron bridge.The level of the river increased from 204 m to 204.83 m this evening. Consequently the old Yamuna bridge, connecting east Delhi with the National Capital, was closed as a precautionary measure.The closure of the bridge resulted in the diversion of traffic onto other roads.In a statement , Northern Railway said,''Subsequent to an advise by CBE to suspend traffic on Old Yamuna bridge since it has crossed the danger mark, all traffic has been stopped there upon with effect from 18.25 hours on date. A detailed program of diversion/cancellation/short termination of trains has been put in place. The control will be manned round the clock by an officer and a WMI. Station Managers have been asked to monitor their stations closely and ensure effective crowd control/refund/announcements. NCR has been requested to control freight trains on its own system to the extent possible. Concerned state Govt authorities have also been informed to take necessary action with respect to road traffic.''UNI AR PR 2346 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-886907.Xml
Following Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit's provoking statement on Kashmir, the Shiv Sena on Sunday asserted that the former should be sent back to Islamabad within 24 hours. Speaking to ANI here, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut called for shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission office in New Delhi and the embassy in Mumbai. "Such a person, who spews venom against the country sitting in Delhi, should to sent back to Islamabad within 24 hours. He is making such statement a day before our Independence Day and I'm sure the government will take action against him," Raut told ANI here. "Don't know why Pakistan is celebrating Independence Day as it is observed by nations and Pakistan is not a nation, it's a hub of terrorists," he added. The Congress also condemned Basit's statement and demanded an apology from the envoy, adding the '56 inch' government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completely failed in its efforts to ostracise Islamabad. Speaking to ANI here, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi called for introspection by the Centre on how they have failed to get Pakistan isolated globally, adding Islamabad's 'wish' of claiming Kashmir is destined to go unfulfilled. "I think normally one would not give importance to such comments, but when it comes from the High Commissioner of a nation it has a full official flavour and colour to it. Pakistan will of course have to wait for millennia to even consider its wish being fulfilled, which they have expressed as the year of Kashmir 'azadi'," he said. The Pakistani envoy earlier in the day said Islamabad has dedicated the 70th Independence Day to the freedom of Kashmir. Basit said Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India. "As far as the relation of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we dedicate this year's Independence Day to Kashmir's freedom. We are confident that the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be successful," Basit said. He asserted Pakistan has always given moral support to Jammu and Kashmir's freedom struggle and would continue to do so. "Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom; sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain," he said. Basit was reiterating Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statement dedicating the day to the "freedom movement" in Kashmir. "I dedicate this year's 14th August to the freedom of Kashmir," the Express Tribune quoted Sharif as saying. Pakistan's provocation comes just days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's assertion that there is no power in the world, which can take Jammu and Kashmir away from India. "Nawaz Sharif said that he is waiting for Kashmir to be handed over to Pakistan, he even wrote to UN Secretary General regarding this. I want to assert that no power in the world can wrest Kashmir from us. And if at all they want to have a dialogue with us, then we are ready. But it will be about Pakistan occupied Kashmir, not Kashmir," Rajnath said in his address in the Rajya Sabha. (ANI)
Lauding the coming together of the ruling coalition and the Opposition in pursuit of the national agenda of development, unity, integrity and security, President Pranab Mukherjee today said the passage of the 122nd Constitution Amendment Bill for the introduction of Goods and Services Tax was a reflection of the maturity of India's democracy. Addressing the nation on the eve of 70th Independence Day, the President said in the last four years he has seen the ruling party and the Opposition coming together in pursuit of national agenda of development, unity, integrity and security of the nation. ''This is for the fifth time that I speak to you on the eve of Independence Day. ''In the past four years, I have seen with some satisfaction a stable and progressive democracy in full play with peaceful transfer of power from one party to another, from one government to another, and from one generation to another. ''Notwithstanding the different hues of political thought, I have seen the ruling party and the opposition coming together in pursuit of national agenda of development, unity, integrity and security of the nation. ''In the just-concluded session of Parliament, the passage of the Constitution Amendment Bill for the introduction of GST amidst non-partisan and quality parliamentary deliberations is reason enough to celebrate our democratic maturity,'' the President said. The GST Bill, which has been pending in the Rajya Sabha for long, was finally passed in the Upper House during the just-concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament, paving the way for the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, a key measure in the National Democratic Alliance government agenda for economic reform.UNI AR AE RP1552 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-887389.Xml
A tight security cover shrouded the national capital ahead of the celebrations of the 70th Independence Day, to avert any untoward incident and to tackle the heightened terror threat in the country. Areas around the Red Fort, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unfurl the national flag and address the nation tomorrow, have been put under a massive security blanket and the air space in this area has been declared a 'no-fly zone". According to sources, all the buildings facing the Red Fort are under the radar of the security forces and are being checked keeping in mind the wide view that the Prime Minister will face. Equipment and arrangements that are in place to secure the VVIP zone, included the deployment of drones and para-gliders, apart from other traditional means. Residents and even beggars, trees, almost everything will be under the radar of security agencies around the historic Lal Qila. The police have also got 3,000 trees trimmed in and around the venue for providing better security, which will be thoroughly checked and guarded by the security personnel on the Independence Day.Over 5000 Delhi policemen and 1000 security personnel will guard the Red Fort venue apart from the elite NSG commodes to ensure smooth state festivities on the Nation Day. According to sources, around 40,000 security personnel will take to Delhi streets in the wake of intelligence inputs, saying that terrorists might strike at crowded, religious places and government establishments. In an extra precautionary measure, Police has already prohibited sub-conventional aerial platforms like para-gliders, para-motors, hang gliders etc till October 10. The order issued by Police also prohibits UAVs, UASs, microlight aircrafts, remotely piloted aircrafts, hot air balloons, small size powered aircrafts, quadcopters or even by Para jumping from aircraft etc.Special teams will be deputed in the national capital to overcome any potential air borne threat such as drones. Sources said the top cop has cancelled leave of all the cops for August 15. Also, directions have been issued to keep sufficient bullet-proof jackets in every PCR van. Security has been further beefed up in Delhi by the security agencies following a threatening phone call received by a Noida resident.''An unidentified caller had made a call to a Noida resident on August 11 and said there would be a blast in Delhi and Noida on the Independence day,'' sources said.Several traffic restrictions have been put in the national capital ahead of the celebrations. Delhi Metro Parking lots will remain closed due to security measures on August 14 and 15.UNI RG SS -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0377-887385.Xml
Hundreds of Shiv Sainiks assembled at Maheshpura Chowk and burnt Pakistani Flag to observe 'black day' today.

Protestors led by Shiv Sena state president Dimpy Kohli demonstrated against Pakistan.

Mr Kohli addressing the protestors said that Pakistan is a sponsor of terrorism around the world.

"India is suffering because of the faults made by the leaders of Congress, which gave birth to Pakistan," he said adding that Pakistan can never be relied upon and India should strictly deal with the Pakistan.

He added that Shiv Sena will oppose any misdeed made by the Pakistan Government and its agencies (ISI and militant outfits) to disturb peace in India.

He blamed Pakistan for provoking Kashmir situation, adding, "we urge Govt of India to snap all ties with Pakistan".UNI VBH AE 1521

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-887365.Xml
Over 30 activists of ABVP were detained in the city today after the student organisations continued their protest in several parts of Karnataka against the workshop by Amnesty International and the Theosophical college in the city, in which student's families participated from Jammu and Kashmir. The families which participated in the workshop last evening, indulged in verbal duel which resulted in chaos. While some groups condemned the acts of Indian Army, others supported the Army's presence in Kashmir. The workshop titled 'Broken Families' saw participation of many people and students in Kashmir. This led to trouble when anti-Indian Army sentiments were expressed by one group. The Kashmiri families however, narrated the Army action in Kashmir from 2002 that had led them to face trouble. The sloganeering led to a chaos and led to more ''pro-India and pro-Kashmir independence'' slogans. Police who were present at the meeting there video-graphed the entire incident, immediately. Meanwhile, the ABVP continued its protest today in the city and some other parts of Karnataka. They protested in front of Amnesty International local office and the Theosophical College in the city. BJP Yuva Morcha President and Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha member Pratap Simha led the protest before the college premises. The activists painted the boards of the college black and raised slogans against what they called anti-national sentiments of the organisers who held the workshop. Police rounded up the protesting ABVP youth and bundled them into a bus and took them away. Karnataka BJP Yuva Morcha President Pratap Simha, who is also the Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha member, joined the protesters at the college premises and condemned the anti-social statements made during theworkshop yesterday. BJP State unit President B S Yeddyurappa told reporters in the city that such a behaviour by the people who accused the Indian Army personnel who safeguard the national interest at the cost of their own life is a 'crime', and the state government should take action against those who expressed anti-national sentiments inyesterday's event. The J C Nagar police have filed an FIR in this case following a complaint filed by ABVP activists against some persons, who were named, for expressing sentiments and shouting slogans against theIndian Army. They alleged that such behaviour was 'seditious' in nature. The ABVP activists in the complaint had alleged that some persons who took part in the workshop had shouted slogans that ''Jammu and Kashmir does not belong to India and give it to Pakistan''.UNI RS HVB AKC AE 1647 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-887411.Xml
The Sena activist led by district chief Ambadas Danve gathered at Kranthi chowk and held demonstrations against the Pakistan and burnt Pakistani flag.

Talking to the media, Mr Danve said, Pakistan continued to sending terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir for long. He demanded stern action against those burning India's national flag in Kashmir valley.

Mr Danve also demanded that the security personnel should be given bullet gun so that they can be use them in self defence.

The City Mayor, all Sena corporators, office bearers and Sena Mahila Agadhi activists also participated in the demonstration.UNI VKB SHK 1723

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-887447.Xml
Snubbing Pakistan's offer to send supplies to Kashmir, India today said it and other countries had already enough of the neighbour's ''exports'' that were playing havoc in the region. Responding to a query over a note verbale to India's High Commissioner in Islamabad on sending aid to Kashmir, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, ''I can only characterise its contents that propose sending supplies to the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir as absurd.'' The rebuff from the MEA came as Pakistan this morning resorted to fresh provocations over Kashmir, with its High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, declaring that his country was dedicating this year's Independence day to the Kashmiri people's struggle for ''azadi''(freedom). The spokesperson said, ''India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistan's trademark exports international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency. '' We completely and categorically reject this purported communication from the Pakistan Foreign Ministry.'' The war of words between the two countries intensified after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Kashmir was not an internal matter of India and it would ask its diplomats to apprise the world about the violation of human rights in Kashmir and its people's struggle for freedom. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shot back that if anything could be a subject of negotiation regarding Kashmir with Pakistan, it was only Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and cross-border terrorism. Yesterday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said any engagement with Pakistan was linked on its action against terror. UNI NAZ AE RP1830 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-887574.Xml
A 13-year-old minor girl learning in eight standard allegedly committed suicide after being sacked by a teacher from her class for allegedly violating school uniform code here in the city.The deceased identified as Sandhya Jalba Sonkamble, studying in eight standard went to her Vivek Vardhini school located at Yeshwant Nagar but faced flak from enraged lady teacher Paingalkar for allegedly violating dress code amid class hours.Feeling embarrassed, Sandhya went to her home after school and committed suicide by hanging herself with a ceiling fan. She was admitted at a private hospital but the doctors declared her dead. The matter came to light last night.On the basis of a complaint lodged by deceased's father Jalba Narayan Sonkamble,. the Shivaji Nagar police have filed a case against the teacher. No arrest was made in this regard.UNI XR VKB SDR AE 1821 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-887601.Xml
The Daurul Ifta, Mazre-e-Islam, at the Dargah of Ala Hazrat, the seat of Sunni sect of Barelvi Islam, has asked Muslims to boycott the MNC popular food outlet Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), terming it a 'sin' to eat there as the company is not using the `halal' chickens. In a Fatwa, Mufti Salim Noori said that `` it has come to my notice that the chicken served in KFC outlets is not halal (food that adheres to Islamic law) and thus it is forbidden to consume it as per the tenets of Islam,". He added,'' the KFC process the meat away from the eyes of Muslims and such meat has been termed haram in Islam.'' The Mufti further said that the halal certificates shown at these stores had no relevance if the store owners and workers could not give details about the procedure which they follow to process the meat. "Halal is not only about killing the animal it is also about the way its meat is processed and cooked. The KFC stores do not process or cook the meat in an Islamic way which makes it haram," said the mufti. The fatwa also claimed that the halal certificates shown at these stores were old and invalid. Nasir Qureshi, a spokesman of the Dargah Ala Hazrat, said the fatwa was issued verbally after several people called the mufti to ask him whether it was allowed in Islam to consume meat at KFC. "This is a verbal fatwa and we will soon issue a written fatwa on the issue," said Nasir Qureshi.UNI MB RP1918 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0087-887702.Xml
In recognition of the supreme sacrifice, gallant performance, distinguished and meritorious service during various activities by the BSF personnel, President Pranab Mukherjee has awarded 62 Medals which include 10 Police Medal for Gallantry, including three posthumously, six President's Police Medals for Distinguished Service and 46 Police Medals for Meritorious Services to the BSF personnel on the occasion of Independence Day.Head Constable Adil Abbas of 98 Bn BSF posted for protection duty to Indo-Bangladesh Border Fence displayed exemplary courage and professionalism,by saving life of vehicle driver as well as by preventing Arms & Ammunition from getting looted and thwarting a well-conceived deliberate ambush by militants. But he succumbed to his injuries in a hospital. In recognition of his conspicuous gallant action, combat audacity and devotion to duty, Head Constable Adil Abbas of 98 Battalion BSF has been awarded'Police Medal for Gallantry (Posthumously).Constable Devendra Singh of 09 Bn BSF was deployed in a hyper sensitive area of Samba under Jammu Frontier. On 5th January, 2015, Pak Rangers resorted to unprovoked shelling with heavy Mortars and indiscriminate firing from medium range machine guns targeting Border Security Force outposts and other defence positions. He fought and made supreme sacrifice of his life and attained martyrdom proving the motto of the BSF i.e"Duty unto Death". In recognition of his conspicuous gallant action, he has been awarded 'Police Medal for Gallantry (Posthumously)'. Constable Shri Ram Gawaria despite of grievous bullet injuries stood his ground and fired till he breathed his last, exhibiting highest degree of chivalry and courage under heavy odds. Owing to his timely action and retaliation, lives of other members of patrol party could be saved. He killed one Pak Ranger and evacuated trapped patrol party from danger zone. For this, he has been awarded with'Police Medal for Gallantry Medal'.123 Battalion BSF is deployed in anti-Naxal Operation in Kanker District of Chhattisgarh. Krishna Kumar Sharma displayed unmatched courage and fought the LWEs and even apprehended one dreaded LWE who was senior Commander Military Commission & Member DVC Keshkal Committee and was reportedly carrying two Lakhs reward on his head. This was one of the rarest operations, when a dreaded Left Wing Extremists was apprehended by security forces after fierce gun battle, without any loss to own party. The gallant action, determination and presence of mind exhibited by Krishna Kumar Sharma, AC and SI Ram Narayan Singh made it a successful operation and saved the precious lives of other members of the operation party. They have been awarded with'Police Medal for Gallantry'.122 Battalion BSF is deployed in a hyper sensitive Naxals infested area of District-Kanker (Chhattisgarh). Constable Jagjit Singh played a major role in fighting LWEs in this area as he kept on changing position and fired UBGL when confronted with them which created panic among LWEs. Constable Jagjit Singh demonstrated highest level of bravery by exposing himself taking position and firing on LWEs who were trying to outnumber the BSF and Police party. Vivek Rawat, AC has displayed highest level of leadership quality, presence of mind, fighting spirit and bravery. Constable Ramdhan Gujar with injured eye and ankle fought with LWEs with valor and contained them. Constable Vijay Kumar injured with right wrist retaliated LWEs fire with left hand and contained LWEs to their position only. His act of bravery augmented the efforts of team. The incident is indisputable one of its kind where a large group of LWEs was not only defeated by a very small team of well-trained soldiers, but LWEs cadre was also killed in retaliatory fire. In recognition of their conspicuous gallant action, combat audacity and devotion to duty exhibited in the above ambush, the mentioned brave soldiers of 122 Battalion BSF have been awarded with'Police Medal for Gallantry'.UNI SY SHK 1919 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0093-887597.Xml
As India celebrates the 70th anniversary of its freedom from British yoke tomorrow, the Daurul Ifta, Mazre-e-Islam, at the Dargah of Ala Hazrat, the seat of Sunni sect of Barelvi Islam, has issued a fatwa asking Muslims to join the celebrations of national days like Independence and Republic Day with fervour and enthusiasm. The fatwa said here yesterday that there is no bar in Islam on hoisting the national flag and celebrating the national days. A resident of Ahmedabad in Gujarat had sought religious edict whether Muslims can hoist national flags at their residence, educational institutions and commercial establishments and whether this act would be in conformity with the tenets of Islam. Mufti Saleem Noori of Darul Ifta, Bareilly, said in his fatwa ,"as per Islamic jurisprudence and framework of the Shariat law Muslims can hoist national flag and celebrate the national days like Independence day and Republic day.'' He said Muslims are not forbidden from celebrating the national days and hoisting the national flag. The Fatwa (religious edict) further said, "It would be better if tributes are also paid to the prominent Muslim clerics, religious leaders from the Madarsas who raised their voice and mobilised the society and fought the colonial powers and laid down their lives in fighting the tyrant British regime". Mufti Saleem Noori said as per the prevailing conditions in the country, Muslims should lead from the front in celebrating the national days and also hoist the national flag. He said people with communal mindset are conspiring to create hatred against Muslims and it was desirable for the community to join the Independence Day celebrations to thwart the design of the communal forces. UNI MB RP1913 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-887683.Xml
Upon her arrival at Banbasa village in Champawat district, schoolchildren greeted Maneka by waving Tricolours.

Later, the minister attended a cultural programme presented by SSB jawans and schoolchildren.

Speaking on the occasion, Maneka said her father was also in the armed forces that was why she planned to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with jawans and patriotic songs sung by jawans brought tears to her eyes.

Maneka also met SSB women personnel and their children and presented them gifts.

She also expressed her happiness over accommodation and education facilities provided to women personnel and their children.

SSB Inspector General Shyam Singh said jawans were happy to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with the minister. "The way she tied Rakhis on our wrists, we promise that we will protect the border till the last breath," he added. (ANI)
At the time when Pakistan is celebrating the 70th Independence Day, people in Balochistan province, in southwestern region of Pakistan, are demanding freedom from atrocities by the Pakistani army, which is going on unabated for years, but has been intensified since Nawaz Sharif's government came to power. Representative of Balochistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and European Union (EU) Mehran Marri told ANI: "The army operation has been going on unabated for many years, but its intensity varies from time to time. However, I have realised that since Nawaz Sharif's government has come into power, the military has increased its activities in Balochistan. Moreover, since the creation of military courts, although it has been claimed that it is only for certain Taliban and terrorists, it is mainly formed to persecute Baloch nationals." Mehran, the youngest son of noted politician the late Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, said, "The situation in Balochistan is as grave as ever. Pakistan's military operations have been continuing unabated. The Army Chief, the Prime Minister and the stooge ministers, who are sitting in the Baloch Cabinet had a meeting and they agreed on a National Action Plan to further isolate Baloch activists, freedom-loving nationals and the population from the rest of Pakistan, and certain other elimination process of genocide through a plan called the National Action Plan." Talking about atrocities committed by the military in on the people of the province, he said, "The Baloch youth are getting abducted on a routine basis and people such as Mama Qadir and Fazana Majeed are raising their voice on this issue. Even as they had valid travel documents and valid visa for the U.S., they were stopped at the Karachi airport when they were going to attend a conference there. They were not allowed to leave. This is a good example of harassment meted out to activists as even their freedom of travel is being curtailed by the establishment." Stating that Pakistan has always been scared of people like him coming for the U.N. and informing the world about the Human Rights violations, abductions, genocides, etc, he said: "On the face of things, they have these diplomats, who work on the behest of the Pakistani agencies and the establishment, and they say all is good. So, they are very scared of Balcoh coming out and informing the international community." Talking about the way forward for the Balochistan problem, Marri said, "You can have negotiation talks or dialogues with political figures in Pakistan. What Baloch are dealing with is the military generals and military leaders. Dialogue with the military establishment is very difficult and impossible. Pakistan has its plans to exploit Balochistan and its resources from the day of its occupation since 1948. Baloch nationals have been a hurdle in areas, where they have not been able to exploit. But, now that their wish is to get certain elements in our tribe, who are stooges in our establishment to give them access. My father worked very hard for 65 years against the exploitation of Balochistan resources." "Most interesting and the saddest part is the whole world was shocked and we were shocked more than anybody else after Bin Laden's capture and killing in Abbottabad. If it was any other country... like Iraq was conquered and occupied because there was fears of WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction). Pakistan was harbouring world's number one terrorist who was thought to be behind 9/11 and 7/7 and behind a lot of terrorist activities in the international world. But, it has got a secret with their blackmailing the international community. They have some weakness and they are not responding. But I am sure sooner or later they will," he said. Dubbing China as "great threat" to Baloch people, Balochistan and Baloch resources like Punjab or Pakistan, Marri said: "China really-really is spreading its tentacles in Balochistan very rapidly, and therefore, we are appealing to the international community. The Gwadar project is for the Chinese military. This would be detrimental to international powers to the people's interest, where 60 percent of world's oil flows. So, the world has to really take rapid action in curbing China's influence in Balochistan in particular and in Pakistan in general." Talking about the political situation in Pakistan, he said, "Balochistan, unfortunately, is neither sovereign nor independent. It doesn't have the right to self-determination. Balochistan is functioning into the hands of Pakistan. Pakistan is a rogue state. Pakistan is unfortunately taking us to its direction. Pakistan believes in Talibanisation, Jehadism and extremism. It is spreading all these on us as well. We are harming ourselves in this dirty game of Pakistan." Accusing Pakistan of using Balochistan in order to keep its viability in the international community, Marri said: "We are being damaged here. Pakistan won't be able to hide itself in this. I think 95 percent of the world population knows Pakistan's reality. They know what Pakistan is. Pakistan is not a sovereign and dignified nation. It's a rogue element in this region, which has destablised the entire region and even plans to further destablise it. It has to be curtailed and curbed. It has to be stopped." (ANI)
Republican Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence has a more positive image than Democratic Party pick Tim Kaine, a latest poll showed. According to the Gallup poll released on Saturday, Pence is better known across the US as his image has grown significantly more positive over time than Kaine's. As of now, Republicans were embracing Pence more than the Democrats embraced Kaine, Xinhua news agency reported. Both Pence's favourable and unfavourable ratings have increased, while the percentage of those who have never heard of him has dropped from 65 per cent before last month's National Republican Convention to 39 per cent. His favourable rating has gone up more than his unfavourable rating, Gallup found. Pence, the Indiana governor received some nationwide media attention last year for signing a "religious freedom" law that the gay and lesbian community of that US state sharply criticised, 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 Pence 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 favourable ratings, Pence has gained substantially in net favourability, Gallup said. Pence is now better known and liked across key subgroups than he was before the Republican convention. Sixty-four per cent of Republicans have a favourable impression of Pence, up from 40 per cent in mid-July. He has risen to 33 per cent favourability among independents and even has a 17 per cent score among Democrats, up from a paltry 5 per cent in July. Americans' overall image of Hillary Clinton's choice Kaine has become somewhat more negative since the beginning of the Democratic convention, Gallup said. The US senator from Virginia has a favourable rating of 33 per cent, up from 24 per cent before the convention. But his unfavourable rating has increased from 14 per cent to 30 per cent. In the next three months, the country will continue to form opinions of Kaine and Pence, and their images may be affected by the forthcoming Vice Presidential debate on October 4 at Longwood University in Virginia, Gallup added. --IANS ksk ( 417 Words) 2016-08-14-08:50:00 (IANS)
Thousands of Venezuelans were welcomed to Colombia by a military band early today 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 (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 am to 9 pm.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 today.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. REUTERS DS0125 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0177-886929.Xml
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 today, 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 US 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 US 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 today that US Vice President Joe Biden would visit Turkey on August 24, the first trip by a high-ranking US official since the abortive coup.Yildirim said a US technical team would visit Turkey on August 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.US 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 US 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, EUThere 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."REUTERS DS0046 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0177-886930.Xml
Fidel Castro made a rare public appearance 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 yesterday. 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 US presidents," he wrote.True to form, Castro went on to blast Barack Obama, this time for the US 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 US 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 US domination and introducing 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. REUTERS DS0519 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0177-886967.Xml
The victims either drowned or were killed by collapsing walls, Xinhua news agency quoted the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as saying.

A total of 5,665 families were affected in six regions with 5,139 still inside 52 evacuation centers.

The state forecasting agency warned that monsoon rains, which may trigger flashfloods and landslides, would still prevail over Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Mimaropa regions.

--IANS sm/ksk/sac

( 103 Words)

2016-08-14-15:54:03 (IANS)
Turkey summoned Austria's charge d'affaires in Ankara late over what it said was "indecent report" about Turkey on a news ticker at Vienna airport, a foreign ministry official said."Turkey allows sex with children under the age of 15," read a headline on an electronic news ticker at the airport, images circulated on social media showed."Our disturbance and reaction over this display which tarnishes Turkey's image and deliberately misinforms the public have been strongly conveyed to the charge d'affaires," the ministry official said, adding that the headline was removed following the ministry's intervention.Turkey's constitutional court last month ruled in favour of removing a provision in the penal code which identifies all sexual acts against children under the age of 15 as "sexual abuse" following an application made by a local court.Tensions between Turkey and Europe have risen following Ankara's crackdown in the wake of last month's failed coup in Turkey.Turkish authorities have detained, sacked or suspended tens of thousands of people over their alleged links with Fethullah Gulen, a US-based cleric whom the government blames for orchestrating the coup attempt.Last week Turkey's foreign minister called Austria the "capital of radical racism" after Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern suggested ending EU accession talks with Turkey which have made minimal progress since they began in 2005.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and many Turks accuse the West of focusing more on the rights of the coup plotters and their supporters than on the coup itself, in which more than 240 people were killed after rogue soldiers bombed parliament and seized bridges with tanks and helicopters.Halting Turkey's EU accession process could scupper a landmark migration deal between Brussels and Ankara designed to stop illegal migration to Europe via Turkey in return for financial aid, the promise of visa-free travel to much of the bloc and accelerated talks on membership.Turkey has lived up to its side of the deal with Brussels but visa-free access has been subject to delays due to a dispute over Turkish anti-terrorism legislation, which some in Europe see as too broad, and to its post-coup crackdown.REUTERS AKC BD1523 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-887384.Xml
Thai police over the weekend found and defused five explosive devices that had failed to detonate when an as yet unidentified group carried out a series of deadly bomb attacks on popular tourist spots late last week.Police said they had arrested one suspect following the bomb and arson attacks on Thursday and Friday that killed four people and wounded dozens more in some of Thailand's best-known southern resorts and islands.The attacks came just days after Thais voted to accept a military-backed constitution that the ruling junta, which seized power in 2014, has said will lead to an election by the end next year."These acts were undertaken by a group in many areas simultaneously, following orders from one individual," Pongsapat Pongcharoen, a deputy national police chief, told reporters today, without elaborating.No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.Analysts say suspicion would inevitably fall on enemies of the ruling junta aggrieved by the referendum results, or insurgents from Muslim-majority provinces in the south of the mostly Buddhist country.Two incendiary devices in mobile telephone power packs were found in a market in the upscale resort of Hua Hin today, the interior ministry said in a statement. A bomb disposal team defused both, and local police said the devices had been there since Wednesday.The resort was the scene of the most devastating of the wave of bombs when a blast ripped through an alley in a bar area on Thursday evening. There were two more blasts in the town less than 12 hours later.Another fire bomb was found on the island of Phuket today and defused, local police said. It had been set to detonate at 3 a.m. on Friday (1030 IST on Thursday), local police said.In Phang Nga, two devices were found yesterday near a market that was torched in an attack early on Friday."One worked and the other two didn't," Phakaphong Tavipatana, the governor of Phang Nga, told Reuters, adding that police hoped to find fingerprints on the defused devices.Phuket and Phang Nga were both hit in the attacks on Thursday and Friday, as was Surat Thani, a city that is the gateway to the popular islands in the Gulf of Thailand.Attackers struck targets in seven southern Thai provinces, using bombs as well as incendiary devices that set shops and markets ablaze.A man has been arrested and was being questioned in connection to an arson attack on a supermarket in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pongsapat said. Police believe more than one individual was involved in that attack, he said.The movements of other suspects were being monitored, he added.NO SCAPEGOATSPrime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the army chief who led the coup two years ago, has instructed the police to be thorough and cautious in their investigation, said Pongsapat, adding that police were "not catching scapegoats."No evidence has been found yet to connect southern insurgents to the attacks, Pongsapat said, but DNA samples collected at the blast sites were being compared with databases in the southern Muslim provinces.Fears that followers of former prime ministers Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra could be blamed prompted a senior figure in their Puea Thai Party to issue a sharp denial yesterday.Thaksin's government was toppled by the military in 2006, while Yingluck's was ovethrown two years ago.The anti-government United Front For Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), known as the "red shirt" group and sympathetic to the Shinawatras, condemned the attacks in a statement today. REUTERS AKC BD1535 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-887387.Xml
The Thai army said it was searching for a military helicopter that went missing today in northern Thailand with five people on board, including a major general.The UH-72 light helicopter disappeared from radar at around 10.30 a.m. (0860 IST) around 30 minutes into its flight, said Lieutenant General Somsak Ninbanjerdkun, Third Area Army commander overseeing Thailand's north.Among those on board was Major General Nopporn Ruanchan, commander of the army's 4th Infantry Division, he said."The helicopter is still missing," junta spokesman Winthai Suvaree said today.The helicopter was returning to its base in Phitsanuloke from a flood relief mission in the Pai district near the border with Myanmar, Somsak said. REUTERS AKC BD1603 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-887419.Xml
She made the comment during an exchange with CNN's Victor Blackwell.

When asked to explain Trump's recent assertion that the US President is the "founder of ISIS", Pierson put the blame on Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's opposition to the surge in Iraq.

Clinton was the senator from New York previously.

"If you want to go way back, we can look at the troop surge, and after 2007 al Qaeda was essentially in ashes.. It was Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton who then destroyed the entire rollout by wanting to pull out early... That is the reason why ISIS is a global issue," CNN quoted Pierson as saying.

The spokeswoman then talked about Afghanistan saying, "Remember, we weren't even in Afghanistan by this time. Barack Obama went into Afghanistan, creating another problem."

She, however, later acknowledged the Afghanistan mission was not launched on Obama's watch.

She later took to Twitter and clarified her remarks.

Pierson blamed former president Bill Clinton for failing to confront Osama bin Laden. (ANI)
A clash erupted between police and demonstrators in Wisconsin state of the US after a police official shot dead an armed man, the media reported on Sunday. A gas station and a vehicle were set on fire in Milwaukee city of the state when about 100 protesters gathered at a predominately African-American part of the city where two police officers on Saturday pulled over a car with two suspects inside, Xinhua news agency reported. According to witnesses, gun fires were heard as police officers wearing riot gear tried to disperse the protesters. At least three persons were detained. A police officer was hit in the head by a brick, the witnesses said. On Saturday, the police officer shot dead one of the two 23-year-old suspects as they tried to escape. The name of the suspect or the officer remain undisclosed. The police officer, who shot and who was not hurt, was placed on administrative leave while an investigation into his conduct was launched. The second suspect was in custody, a police official said. The man who was killed carried a stolen handgun and has "a lengthy arrest record", which he failed to specify, he said. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, appealing for restraint and calm, acknowledged that the neighbourhood, where the shooting took place, had been affected by violence in the recent past. "There are a lot of really, really good people who live in this area...and can't stand this violence," Barrett said. The incident was preceded by several police-involved shootings across the US, in which the use of force by police has been questioned. In July, two black men were shot dead by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, which sparked angry protests by African Americans across the nation against police brutality and racial discrimination. --IANS ask/py/vt ( 308 Words) 2016-08-14-18:14:00 (IANS)
GENEVA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A man on Saturday set fire to flammable liquid on a train travelling between Buchs and Sennwald in Switzerland, injuring seven people including the man himself, the Switzerland's St. Gallen cantonal police reported.

According to the Swiss authorities, the attacker was a 27-year-old Swiss male who was wielding at least one knife. Among the wounded there were a six-year-old child, three women and two men.

Passengers were either injured by flames or by stabbing, the authorities said.Rescue teams on site have transferred those affected to various hospitals.

Damage to the train, which was nearing Salez station when the attack took place at around 2:20 p.m. local time, amounted to around 100,000 CHF (103,000 U.S. dollars).

The attacker's motive remains unclear. A criminal investigation has been kicked off.

The latest development came after a spate of attacks across Europe, notably in France, Belgium and Germany.

In May, a man stabbed four people at a train station on early morning in Grafing near Munich. One man later died.

On June 23, a masked gunman stormed a cinema in western Germany and took some people hostage. He was shot dead by police. No one was injured.

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, while a 27-year-old Syrian killed himself in a suicide bomb attack, injuring 15 people in Ansbach.

In response to the recent attacks, German Interior Minister Thomas De Maiziere has introduced several measures to increase security in Germany.

In France, Mohamen Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian national, drove a white truck at high speed into crowds gathered along the promenade in Nice to watch fireworks marking the French national day on July 14, killing 85 people.

Belgium's capital Brussels was also struck in March this year by twin bombings targeting at the city's airport and metro.

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.
EDINBURGH, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival opened on Saturday under the theme of "Imagine Better" to encourage people to share ideas and envisage a better world.

More than 800 writers, politicians, actors and scientists from 55 countries were expected to gather at the Book Festival with over 700 events to address issues from the EU referendum to the refugee crisis.

"We are living in an age of global uncertainty: a time of mass migration and of shifting power. I believe the world wants to and needs to imagine better," said the Book Festival Director Nick Barley.

Gordon Brown, former British prime minister and chancellor of the exchequer, was scheduled to talk on Scotland, Britain and Europe on the last day of the Book Festival on Aug. 29.

The program also includes hundreds of events for families, created especially for children to enjoy, such as free daily storytelling and craft activities.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival began in 1983 and is now a key event in the August Festival season, celebrated annually in Scotland's capital city. Biennial at first, the Book Festival became a yearly celebration in 1997.
STOCKHOLM, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Sweden's government minister Aida Hadzialic announced resignation on Saturday after being caught driving above permitted alcohol limit.

Hadzialic, 29, is minister for upper secondary school ,adult education and training. She was caught by police Thursday night when she was detected a blood-alcohol level of 0.2 grams per liter, which is just above the legal limit in Sweden. Local media reported she would likely face a fine and a driving ban.

At a press conference on Saturday, Hadzialic said the incident was her "life's biggest mistake".

She said: "I understand that many people are disappointed with me and I am angry with myself and above all I am deeply regretful."

Hadzialic explained that she had been to a concert in Copenhagen on Thursday night with a female friend and drank two glasses of wine early in the evening before setting off to cross the Oresund bridge over to Malmo, southern Sweden, four hours later. She apparently believed the alcohol would have left her system by then.

However, the Social Democrat minister was then stopped at random in a police alcohol control on the Swedish side of the border.

Speaking to local media, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he had a long conversation with Hadzialic before she announced her resignation on Saturday.

"Aida Hadzialic has thought this through carefully. She has spoken with people around her and her colleagues. I also had a long discussion with her last night in order really to go through the situation. This is her conclusion and I share it," said Lofven.

Speaking to the Expressen newspaper, Lofven also praised Hadzialic as an "appreciated colleague and a successful cabinet minister". He said she is a skilled politician who has done an "excellent work" as a government minister. Enditem
by Larry Neild

LONDON, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Scientists and farmers in Britain were Saturday given post-Brexit funding guarantees in a new move by Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond.

Treasury officials in London said it would end uncertainty over the future of key projects following the referendum decision by Britain to leave the European Union (EU).

It will also mean British universities bidding for EU funding before the departure from Europe would have that money underwritten by the government.

Funding would also continue for farmers who currently receive subsidies and other payments under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) worth nearly 4 billion U.S.dollars a year.

Hammond's Treasury Department said the move will give the farming sector, British businesses and universities certainty over future funding. He said they should continue to bid for competitive EU funds while Britain remains a member of the EU.

The measure, they say, will support economic development, with assurances set out by the Treasury including agri-environment schemes signed before the chancellor's upcoming Autumn Statement. These will be fully funded, even when the projects continue beyond Britain's departure from the EU.

Hammond said Saturday: "We recognize 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.

"We are guaranteeing that projects that have already been signed or that are going to be signed over the coming months, even if the payment of those funds runs on beyond the time we leave the EU, will be guaranteed by the British government."

The official added,"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."

The government guarantee will extend to British institutions bidding for a share of the EU's 90 billion U.S.dollar Horizon 2020 program which funds research and innovation.

The Treasury is also looking at whether it will guarantee funding for specific structural and investment fund projects signed after the Autumn Statement.

Andrea Leadsom, secretary of state for environment,food and rural affairs, said: "This is excellent news for our farmers. It means farmers are assured of current levels of funding until 2020. Any agri-environment schemes agreed before the Autumn Statement will be fully funded -- even when these projects continue beyond the UK's departure from the EU."

"Food and farming are central to our national identity and together they are a bedrock of our economy, generating over 100 billion pounds a year (130 billion U.S.dollars) and employing one in eight people."

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: "The government's commitment to our world-leading science and research base remains steadfast."

"By underwriting the significant Horizon 2020 grants we are showing the extent of our commitment, standing squarely behind our researchers and scientists as they continue working with their European partners to develop new technologies, discover life-saving medicines and pioneer every day innovations that will benefit all hard-working Britons," he said.

The National Farmers' Union welcomed the Treasury's announcement describing it as positive for farming.
A worker cleans the Garissa County Referral Hospital in Garissa, northern Kenya, June 30, 2016. Five people have been admitted at the hospital following an outbreak of cholera in Boka village in the neigbouring Tana River County. Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated. (Xinhua/Ingati Stephen)

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and its partners need to act in an urgent manner to respond to the outbreak of cholera in the Central African Republic (CAR), where at least 16 people have died in the first cholera outbreak since 2011, a press release said here Saturday.

The outbreak was declared by the CAR authorities on Aug.10 Sixty cases, including at least seven children, were recorded along the Oubangui River, the press release said.

"Young children, especially those under five years of age, are particularly vulnerable to this deadly disease," said Mohammed Malick Fall, UNICEF representative in the CAR. "We need to act quickly to ensure this easily preventable disease is not taking more lives."

The World Health Organization also confirmed the cholera outbreak, saying that 13 deaths were reported from from Djoujou, Damara and Bangui cities.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by ingestion of food or water that has been contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera, which is found in faecal matter.

The outbreak started in Djoukou, in Kemo district, a hard-to-reach area located abut 100 kilometers up the river from the capital Bangui.

Communities in this area have little or no access to clean water and use the Oubangui river as their primary source of water, the press release said. "Some of those areas are very difficult, if not impossible, to access by road. Affected people travelling in overcrowded boats have carried the bacteria downstream."

In collaboration with the CAR's Ministry of Health and partners, UNICEF is providing medicine, clean water, water purification tablets and hygiene kits to the affected communities, it said.

In addition, community mobilizers in the affected areas are educating the public on prevention measures such as drinking only safe water, washing hands with soap, eating cooked food and avoiding open defecation, it added. "Community mobilisation is key to prevent the spread of the disease since most of the affected villages have no access to electricity or telephone network."
DAMASCUS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 51 people were killed Saturday as a result of rebels' shelling and airstrikes in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, a monitor group reported.

Four children and six women were among those killed by rebels' shelling on government-controlled areas and Syrian airstrikes on rebel-held districts, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watchdog group said 15 people were killed by Syrian airstrikes on the rebel-held districts of Fardus, Wajr al-Haj and others in the rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo.

It added that another 27 people were killed in airstrikes in the western countryside of Aleppo.

In the government-controlled areas west of Aleppo city, nine people including a child and an old man were killed when mortar shells struck residential areas in the Salahuddien district in Aleppo.

Meanwhile, state news agency SANA confirmed that nine people were killed and 20 others wounded in renewed rebel shelling on western Aleppo.

Aleppo, Syria's largest province and once a thriving economic metropolis, has witnessed intensified violent battles lately as both warring parties have stepped up their game in the hope of achieving more gains in that key province.
NEW YORK, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- An Imam of a mosque in Queens, New York City, and his associate were shot and killed Saturday afternoon after leaving their place of worship, NBC reported on its website.
HAVANA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro made a rare public appearance Saturday alongside his brother, President Raul Castro, during a gala in honor of his 90th birthday at the Karl Marx theater in Havana.

The official daily, Granma, reported that the leader appeared just after 6 p.m. local time, dressed in his usual tracksuit. Over 5,000 spectators attended the gala broadcast live on television and gave him a standing ovation, chanting "Fidel, Fidel, Fidel" and "Congratulations, father."
NEW YORK, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Muslim Imam and his assistant were shot and killed by a lone gunman Saturday in broad daylight while leaving a mosque in the Queens Borough of New York City.

The shooting occurred around 2 p.m. near the Al-Furqan Masjid Mosque, where the two victims were attending their Saturday afternoon prayers, according to local media.

The victims were wearing traditional Muslim garb and were both shot in the head from close range. The killer approached them from behind, according to police.

The shooter had fled the scene and his motive was not yet clear, according to police.

Members of the mosque had gathered at the mosque, denouncing the shooting as a hate crime against their faith.

The investigation into the motive behind the attack was underway, police said.
Cuban former President Fidel Castro listens to a speaker during the May Day parade on Havana's Revolution Square in this May 1, 2005. (Xinhua/Reuters)

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.

A banner near Santa Clara depicts Cuba smashing the U.S. Commercial banners and advertisements are almost non-existent in Cuba. (Xinhua/ZUMA)

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.
The national flags of China and Argentina wave during the closing ceremony of Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 28, 2014. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)

BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- With an economy expected to contract by 1.5 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, Argentina is desperate for foreign investments to help restart its stalling engine.

Juan Procaccini, president of the Argentina Agency for International Investment and Trade (AAICI), hopes that a summit he is preparing will help this quest.

The Argentina Business & Investment Forum will be held in Buenos Aires on Sept. 12-14 and will count on the participation of 1,500 CEOs from the world's foremost companies and around 500 more from Argentina. It will seek to bring about the strategy of President Mauricio Macri to "boost economic sectors, strengthen the public sector and stimulate long-term, public investment, for which foreign investment will be a crucial pillar."

Procaccini told Xinhua this forum must help Argentina to obtain "the 150 to 170 million U.S. dollars it needs to be competitive in a range of sectors,"

For this, he believes "China must be a strategic partner, with its technological capacity, its experience and financing."

"The complementarity between both countries is very large, while Chinese companies can be helped by the AAICI as their permanent point of contact," added Procaccini.

"We have identified four major sectors in need of investment: energy, mining, infrastructure and agriculture," Procaccini told Xinhua, adding that Chinese investment was particularly needed in agriculture.

Image taken on June 30, 2015, shows the windmills of the Arauco Wind Farm in the village of Aimogasta, La Rioja province, 1,320 km from Buenos Aires city, Argentina. (Xinhua/Martin Zabala)

With cooperation from China, the executive believes Argentina can go from producing enough food to feed 400 million people to producing a sufficient amount for 650 million people.

However, a bright spark has come this year since foreign investment pledges have risen to around 22 billion U.S. dollars since Macri came to power in December.

Those having confirmed their attendance at the three-day summit include Donna Hrinak, Boeing's president for Latin America; Joe Kaeser, CEO of Siemens; Muhtar Kent, CEO of Coca-Cola; Miguel Kozuszok, president of Unilever for Latin America, and Andrew Liveris, chairman and CEO for Dow Chemical.

"Argentina is once again on the global investment map and offers some of the most interesting investment opportunities in the next decade," Macri said earlier this year.

For Procaccini, the meeting will serve "to show the changes and reforms Argentina is making, including the most ambitious infrastructure plan in its history."
YANGON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A total of 137 detained Myanmar nationals in Malaysia have been repatriated as the second batch following the first which made up of 138, official media reported on Sunday.

Under the sponsorship of some three private donors, the 137 detained Myanmar nationals, who have been issued certificate of identity, returned to Yangon Friday on a chartered Myanmar international airline from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

The return of the 137 has brought the total being repatriated to Myanmar to 275.

There were 2,294 Myanmar nationals reportedly detained for various reasons at 11 camps in Malaysia.
CANBERRA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Forty-one returned Australian military veterans have taken their own lives so far in 2016, which is the same number of Australian servicemen killed in Afghanistan since 2003.

Local media reported on Sunday that veterans were not getting enough post-service support from the Australian Defence Force (ADF), with many families reporting that soldiers are returning from battle with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Families have slammed the ADF and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), saying many of the suicides could have been prevented with adequate help, and they've called for wide-spread reform about how the ADF and DVA treats returned servicemen and women.

Former Australian chief of army, Peter Leahy, told News Corp that the government needed to take notice of the growing problem, and offer veterans and their families adequate support after they return from the war zones.

"The number of suicides and the incidence of despair, depression and broken lives among our veteran community is a national shame," Leahy said on Sunday.

"Before we lose any more lives we need action and we need it now. It is time to stop talking about the problem."

The News Corp report also found that charity groups were being asked to plug the gap in veteran welfare, as the DVA was too slow in handing out entitlements. Some veterans reportedly waited four years or more for their entitlements because of a negative "insurance company" mentality.

One widow told News Corp that neither she nor her late husband, a fight sergeant in the air force, received any help from the defence department after he returned from service.

"Families need support. I got none. No one contacted me. Not once," Bonny Perry said.

Despite many soldiers feeling like their concerns are "brushed off", DVA spokesperson Stephanie Hodson told News Corp that the agency would continue to do all it could to help veterans transition back into society.

"We will do anything we can to prevent any suicide that we possibly can," Hodson said.

Meanwhile, defense spokesman Nicole Sadler said while the risks of enlisting in the military are well known, the ADF was always looking to improve its wellbeing programs for returned personnel.

"This includes how we select, prepare and support them through all stages of their career and their transition out," Sadler said.

"We are always looking for ways to prevent and reduce those (suicide) numbers."
BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) - The imminent launch of the world's first quantum communication satellite is widely believed to herald a breakthrough in China's development of quantum technology.

Mysterious and confusing, the study of minute particles smaller than atoms has been applied in fields as diverse as computer processing, lasers and nuclear technology.

How will quantum communication change our lives - especially in the age of cyber attacks, wiretapping and information leakage?

SUPER PROCESSING ABILITY

Based on the quantum phenomenon that a tiny particle acts as if it's simultaneously in two locations, quantum computing could dwarf the processing power of today's supercomputers.

In normal silicon computer chips, data is rendered in one of two states: 0 or 1. However, in quantum computers, data could exist in both states simultaneously, holding exponentially more information.

One analogy to explain the concept of quantum computing is that it is like being able to read all the books in a library at the same time, whereas conventional computing is like having to read them one after another.

Scientists say that a problem that takes Tianhe-2, one of the fastest super computers in China, 100 years to solve might take a quantum computer just one hundredth of a second.

Many countries have invested heavily in the research and development of such computers.

In July 2015, a quantum-computing lab jointly established by Chinese Academy of Science and Chinese Internet giant Alibaba opened in Shanghai. The lab is expected to produce a general-purpose quantum computer prototype with 50 to 100 quantum bits by 2030.

HACK-PROOF COMMUNUCATION

Such powerful computing ability is also viewed as a threat in that it could make everything on a conventional computer hackable.

However, like a coin with two sides, quantum mechanics also serves as protector of information. Quantum key technology boasts ultra-high security as a photon can be neither separated nor duplicated, so it is impossible to wiretap or intercept the information transmitting through it.

Moreover, it has the ability to inform the two communicating users of the presence of any third party trying to eavesdrop. At the same time, the information being intercepted would "collapse" or self-destruct.

China will launch the world's first quantum communication satellite in a matter of days. If the satellite works well, it will pave the way to a hack-proof communication system.

Meanwhile, China will complete and put into operation the world's first secure quantum communication backbone network, the Beijing-Shanghai backbone network, later this year, according to Pan Jianwei, academician of Chinese Academy of Science and chief scientist of quantum communication satellite project.

The 2,000-kilometer backbone network will be used in the fields of finance, electronics and government affairs.

The satellite and the ground-based network will ensure the secure passage of information, Pan said.

Pan reckoned that quantum communication would enter everyday life in about 10 years, securing online banking and payments.
GUANGZHOU, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A fire that broke out in a rented house in south China killed seven people on Sunday morning, authorities said.

Firefighters received a fire report at 4:51 a.m. in Dongguan's Dalang Township, Guangdong Province. The local fire control headquarters sent 90 firefighters in 18 fire engines, who saved 14 residents before the fire was extinguished by 5:25 a.m..

Seven people later died in hospital and another two are still in intensive care.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.
BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank saw its yuan funds outstanding for foreign exchange fall 190.5 billion yuan (28.6 billion U.S. dollars) to 23.4 trillion yuan in July, official data showed on Sunday.

The drop, more than the 97.7 billion yuan in June, was the ninth consecutive monthly decline.

As the Chinese currency is not freely convertible under the capital account, the central bank has to purchase foreign currency generated by China's trade surplus and foreign investment in the country, adding funds to the money market.

Such funds are an important indicator for foreign capital flow in and out of China as well as domestic yuan liquidity.

Concerns about capital outflows had been on the rise as the economy slowed, and the Chinese currency had fallen since China revamped its forex mechanism last year.
Yu Zhengsheng (C), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), talks with workers at a substation of State Grid Corporation of China, in Qamdo, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Aug. 12, 2016. Yu made an inspection tour in Qamdo from Aug. 12 to 13. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)

BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng has called on religious figures in Tibet to resist the influence of foreign forces, to ensure stability in the autonomous region.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, was in Qamdo, Tibet on Friday and Saturday, where he visited businesses, hospitals, and lamaseries.

At Galden Jampaling Monastery, Yu urged religious figures in Tibet to carry forward their patriotic traditions and guide their followers in the region to safeguard national and ethnic unity.

He called on local authorities to defend the religious freedom of all ethnic groups.

Authorities should protect monasteries and ensure a normal religious life for adherents.

Work should support "representative personages of Tibetan Buddhism to interpret religious doctrines in line with socialist core values, and help Tibetan Buddhism better adapt to socialist society," he said.

Yu told authorities should put environmental protection at the top of their agenda while scaling up.

They must also optimize the allocation of poverty alleviation resources in line with national plans.
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan said on Sunday that Indian troops have "violated" ceasefire along the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region.

The latest incident took place when Pakistan is celebrating its Independence Day.

No one was hurt, an army statement said.

"Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing on LoC (Line of Control) in Nezapir sector near Rawlakot," a statement from the army's Inter-Services Public Relations said.

"India used all types of heavy weapons including mortar and artillery. Some of rounds landed at even civilian houses near LoC."

The statement said firing which started at 2 a.m. lasted till 8.30 a.m.

"Pakistani troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing,"the army said.

The exchange between the two sides came after months of a lull on the LoC. Both Pakistan and India routinely accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements.

The troops of India and Pakistan intermittently exchange fire on 720 km-long LoC and 198-km international border in Kashmir, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe a cease-fire. Though some violations have been reported on both sides, the cease-fire, however, remains in effect.

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts. The LoC is heavily guarded by military on both sides.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
KABUL, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Some 11 Taliban insurgents had been killed in two separate airstrikes in Afghanistan, sources said on Sunday.

"On Saturday, Afghan army air force conducted an air raid attack against the militants' position in Pasaband district, western Ghor province, killing five Taliban militants and destroying five motorcycles along with several rounds of weapons," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

In similar attack, six Taliban fighters were killed in Dara-e-Noorlam area of Alingar district of eastern Laghman province on the same day, according to statement of army's Selaab 201 Corps.

The Taliban has yet to make comments.

The Afghan security forces have beefed up security operations against militants since early April after Taliban started their so-called annual spring offensive and stepped up attacks across the country.

The Taliban responded by bombing and armed attacks.

Earlier on Sunday, one intelligence agency officer was injured in a roadside bombing in Kunduz city, capital of northern Kunduz province, the provincial police department confirmed.
BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- More small companies are turning to the National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ), China's start-up board, for fund-raising.

During the past week, 396 companies debuted on the NEEQ, up from 231 seen a week ago and bringing NEEQ-listed companies to 8,542.

Three companies recorded transactions worth of more than 100 million yuan (around 15 million U.S. dollars). Donghai Securities, a small brokerage firm headquartered in the eastern city of Changzhou in Jiangsu Province, became the biggest winner with shares worth 1.1 billion yuan traded.

Total turnover climbed 6.26 percent week on week to 3.32 billion yuan from Aug. 8 to 12. However, the benchmark NEEQ Component Index declined 1.16 percent to 1,148.42.

The NEEQ was launched in Beijing in late 2012 and is also known as the "new third board" that supplements the main Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses.

The Chinese government is promoting a multi-level capital market to satisfy growing financial demands from both large and small companies.
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Thai security forces have asked for Malaysia's help to look into the owner of a phone that may be used in one of several bombings that struck Thailand over Thursday and Friday, Bernama news agency reported on Sunday.

The investigation linked to Malaysia because investigators found part of mobile phone, which was used to detonate one of the bombs in Phuket, showed visible serial number of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

Bernama quoted a Malaysian security source as saying that Thai investigators have asked Malaysia's help to identify the origin of the headphone.

Mobile phones were used to detonate home-made bombs in a series of blasts that hit several places in Thailand, including Phuket and Hua Hin. Four people were killed in the blasts while more than 30 were injured.

According to the source, tracing the phone is not easy since the device may have changed hands several times.

The connection underscores the importance and necessity of cooperation between Southeast Asian countries in intelligence gathering and sharing, though no terrorism connections have been found in Thailand bombings.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said last week that intelligence sharing between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore helped foiled a planned rocket attack on Singapore's Marina Bay, though the details were not revealed.
NEW DELHI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's envoy in India raked up the issue of Indian-controlled Kashmir yet again Sunday, saying that his country's Independence Day celebration is dedicated to the disputed region getting freedom.

Pakistan is celebrating its Independence Day on Sunday, while its arch-rival India will celebrate its Independence Day on Monday.

"Pakistan has always made efforts to improve its relationship with India. Pakistan will dedicate this year's Independence Day to Kashmir and its struggle for freedom," Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit told the media.

"Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom. Sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain."

Basit's comments came barely a week after the Indian External Affairs Ministry had summoned him and lodged a strong protest over the growing tension between the two countries in the wake of the violence in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Over 60 people have been killed since the unrest broke out in Kashmir, following the killing of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen's poster boy for new militancy, 22-year-old Burhan Wani, by Indian security forces last month.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had declared Wani a "martyr" and even observed July 19 as black day to mourn the continuing violence in Kashmir.

"Pakistan has no locus standi in addressing any aspect of the situation in Kashmir, which is an internal matter of India, except to put an end to all cross-border terrorism..." External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said.

India and Pakistan have fought at least three major wars over Kashmir in the past 65 years, with both countries staking its claim over the disputed region.
NEW DELHI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- India's main opposition Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi was discharged from a private hospital in Delhi on Sunday, more than 10 days after being admitted there with fever, dehydration and shoulder injury.

Gandhi had been shifted to Ganga Ram Hospital, a leading private hospital in Delhi, on Aug. 3, from the Army Hospital, a day after she fell ill during a roadshow in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency of Varanasi in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

She had reportedly sustained a shoulder fracture during the roadshow and also underwent a surgery on her left shoulder at the same hospital. The 69-year-old was to be discharged from the hospital last week, but it was delayed as she had been suffering from an infection.

Doctors said that Gandhi's medical condition at the time of discharge "is stable."

"She has been advised rest and continuation of medicines. Gandhi is likely to visit the hospital for further evaluation of her condition in the coming week," a doctor, who treated her, told the media.

In 2014, she was admitted to a Delhi hospital for treatment of an infection. And in 2013, Gandhi was taken to a hospital for a few hours after she fell ill in the Indian Parliament. In 2011, she went to the U.S. to get surgery for an undisclosed medical condition.

Gandhi is the widow of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, a member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has governed the country for nearly 60 years since independence in 1947. She is also the head of Congress party that lost the 2014 general elections to Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.
People wave Turkish national flags as they gather on August 10, 2016 at Kizilay Democracy Square in Ankara during a rally against failed military coup on July 15. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

CAIRO, Aug. 14 (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.
A girl reacts while walking with women after they were evacuated with others by the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters from an Islamic State-controlled neighbourhood of Manbij, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria, August 12, 2016. The SDF has said Islamic State was using civilians as human shields. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

DAMASCUS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- At least 51 people were killed Saturday as a result of rebels' shelling and airstrikes in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, a monitor group reported.

Four children and six women were among those killed by rebels' shelling on government-controlled areas and Syrian airstrikes on rebel-held districts, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watchdog group said 15 people were killed by Syrian airstrikes on the rebel-held districts of Fardus, Wajr al-Haj and others in the rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo.

It added that another 27 people were killed in airstrikes in the western countryside of Aleppo.

In the government-controlled areas west of Aleppo city, nine people including a child and an old man were killed when mortar shells struck residential areas in the Salahuddien district in Aleppo.

Meanwhile, state news agency SANA confirmed that nine people were killed and 20 others wounded in renewed rebel shelling on western Aleppo.

Aleppo, Syria's largest province and once a thriving economic metropolis, has witnessed intensified violent battles lately as both warring parties have stepped up their game in the hope of achieving more gains in that key province.
KATHMANDU, Aug. 14 (Xinhua)-- The CPN (UML), the main opposition in the Nepalese Parliament, on Sunday urged the government to focus on the implementation of bilateral agreements signed with China and India in the erstwhile K.P Sharma Oli-led government.

Speaking at a parliament session on behalf of his party, CPN (UML) parliamentarian Keshav Badal asked the government to implement a number of bilateral agreements reached with neighboring countries during the then prime minister's visits.

"The incumbent government should work toward enhancing bilateral relationship with neighboring countries and for this, implementation of the bilateral agreements reached with China and India will be crucial. Our party strongly suggests the government to implement those bilateral deals reached with both neighbors," he said.

Parliamentarian Badal also said that the government should closely work with China for effective implementation of the Transit Transport Agreement signed with China.

"At the same time, the government should work toward implementing a deal with southern neighbor India to utilize the Visakhapatnam Port of India," he said.

Welcoming the government's decision to send special envoys to China and India to strengthen bilateral ties, the CPN (UML) said that the special envoys should seize the opportunity to discuss with the authorities of both countries the implementation of bilateral deals.

The Nepalese government on Thursday decided to send two deputy prime ministers as special envoys of the government to China and India, respectively.

As per the decision, Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara is leaving for China on Monday where he will hold high level meetings with Chinese officials, according to his media advisor Triibhuwan Poudel.

Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi will be traveling to India later this week to hold talks with Indian authorities.

Deputy Prime Minister Mahara, who belongs to the CPN (Maoist Center) party, is in charge of finance of the government, while another Deputy Prime Minister Nidhi, a leader from the Nepali Congress, is overseeing home affairs in the Dahal-led new coalition government that came to power on Aug. 3.
General Taban Deng Gai (L), new First Vice President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir (2nd L), South Sudanese President and Vice President James Wani Igaa (R front) pose for a photo at the presidential palace in Juba, South Sudan, July 26, 2016. Salva Kiir replaced Riek Machar as the first Vice President and appointed General Taban Deng Gai to the new post. (Xinhua/Gale Julius)

JUBA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has ordered integration of troops belonging to the former rebel force SPLA-IO into the government army.

Government Spokesperson Michael Makuei told journalists in the capital Juba on Friday that President Kiir ordered establishment of cantonment sites for the opposition troops in Equatoria, Bar-el-Ghazel and Upper Nile regions for the integration as required by the August 2015 peace agreement aimed at ending South Sudan's civil war.

Makuei however said opposition forces rallying behind ousted Vice President Riek Machar will not be part of the arrangement.

Renewed fighting erupted in Juba in early July between government troops led by Kiir and opposition troops loyal to Machar. Kiir sacked Machar later that month.

The two sides had fought a civil war which broke out in December 2013 and left tens of thousands dead. The August 2015 peace agreement failed to quell the fresh violence.

"Anybody who defected with Machar is no longer an SPLA-IO member and has to find a new name. And anybody who will not report to the cantonment site will be deemed as a rebel," Makuei said.

It remains unclear whether Machar and his followers will heed the president's order after Machar's disappearance from Juba last month following the deadly fighting.

Machar was replaced by his former chief negotiator Taban Deng Gai, after he failed to listen to a 48-hour ultimatum calling for him to return Juba.

Machar said he will only return to Juba after a regional protection force proposed by the African Union is deployed to the capital city to buffer the rival army factions.

The UN Security Council is expected to meet on Friday to vote on a resolution granting regional protection force to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, enhancing their strength to protect UN personnel and civilians.

Unrest in South Sudan has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly three million people. Renewed violence last month further uprooted over 100,000 people from their homes into neighboring countries.
Zimbabwean children play at the opening ceremony of a new children's home donated by the Chinese community at Hatcliffe, north of Harare, Zimbabwe, Aug.12, 2016. (Xinhua/Xu Lingui)

HARARE, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Touched by the plight of Zimbabwe's orphaned children in one of Harare's impoverished suburbs, a group of Chinese mothers have sprung into action to better the lives of these children.

Hossana Love In Africa Children's Home in Hatcliffe, a high density suburb in northern Harare, is a new orphanage built with support from Chinese mothers and businesses operating in Zimbabwe.

It is among a string of orphanages that have been assisted by the Chinese community in Zimbabwe as they move to offer a helping hand to the needy.

A Zimbabwean child smiles after climbing up a double-decker bed of a new children's home donated by the Chinese community at Hatcliffe, north of Harare, Zimbabwe, Aug.12, 2016. (Xinhua/Xu Lingui)

Previously playing and learning at a ramshackle tent at church premises, the lives of the disadvantaged children at the orphanage have been drastically transformed after the Chinese built a modern house and put a playground for them.

The house, currently accommodating 12 children drawn from the surrounding community, has been well furnished for the comfort of the children by the Chinese Embassy in Harare with support from other Chinese companies.

"From April we visited more than 10 orphanages in Zimbabwe to see which ones we could assist and the conditions we saw at all the orphanages were bad," said Li Manjuan from Love in Africa, a group of caring and vibrant Chinese mothers who have partnered with Chinese businesses to assist the vulnerable children in Zimbabwe since 2014.

"But when we visited this place, we were deeply touched by the level of suffering and we instantly decided to assist the orphanage," Li said.

A Zimbabwean child speaks at the opening ceremony of a new children's home donated by the Chinese community at Hatcliffe, north of Harare, Zimbabwe, Aug.12, 2016. (Xinhua/Xu Lingui)

Since its formation, the charity organization has been supporting six children's homes in Zimbabwe.

Li said plans were afoot to construct more buildings to cater for pre-school and accommodate more disadvantaged children, as well as equip them with life skills to become self-reliant.

"We plan to initiate a series of training programs to ensure the orphanage becomes self-reliant. We will assist them to grow vegetables like mushrooms and we will assist them to sell the produce to Chinese restaurants and the Chinese community," said Li who was speaking at the opening of the Hossana Love In Africa Children's Home.

She said they will invite teachers from China to come and teach the children Chinese culture including martial arts.

"We are also going to make arrangements for every Chinese family in Zimbabwe to adopt a child at this orphanage so they can assist with school fees and other things. We are going to expand this place and make it bigger," she added.

Li said the Chinese mothers and businesses were being driven by their deep love and care for Zimbabwean children in offering this support.

Zimbabwean children play at the opening ceremony of a new children's home donated by the Chinese community at Hatcliffe, north of Harare, Zimbabwe, Aug.12, 2016. (Xinhua/Xu Lingui)

Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Huang Ping said the support to the disadvantaged children reflected strong, friendly and warm ties between the peoples of China and Zimbabwe.

"The project opens up a brighter future for the children. It provides a sound environment most positive for the growth, well-being and protection of 12 children and more in the future," he said.

The ambassador commended the Chinese community in Zimbabwe for the support they have given to the disadvantaged children in Zimbabwe over the years.

Harare Metropolitan Province Resident Minister Miriam Chikukwa hailed the Chinese mothers and businesses for building the orphanage, saying the gesture complemented government efforts to better the lives of vulnerable children.

"Your efforts will go a long way in giving the disadvantaged children among us, the love, comfort and peace of mind that they deserve at this early stage of their development," she said.

The orphanage's administrator Abel Chivambo applauded the Chinese for the assistance, noting that the support would help them to increase the number of children they are supporting to around 50.

"With support from the Chinese we are going to construct a pre-school and a dining hall in the next two weeks and we hope to increase the number of children that we support in the near future," he said.
QALAT, Afghanistan, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A bomb blast organized by militants destroyed a primary school in Afghanistan's Zabul district with Qalat as its capital 340 km south of Kabul on Sunday, a local official said.

"Militants exploded an explosive device inside a school in Shahr-e-Safa district early Saturday and destroyed the building," district governor Abdul Samad Durani told Xinhua.

Since the attack happened early morning, no one was hurt in the blast, the official asserted.

The official, however, blamed the enemies of peace, a reference to the Taliban for organizing the blast.

Taliban militants who had outlawed modern education and girls school during their rule which collapsed in late 2001 are yet to claim responsibility.

More than 400 schools have been shut down due to security reasons in southern parts of Afghanistan where Taliban militants are active.
AMMAN, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Germany and Jordan on Sunday signed a agreement of 20 million euro (22.3 million U.S. dollar) grants to support the teaching of Syrian refugees at Jordanian schools, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Emad Fakhoury said the grant is part of support donor countries pledged to extend to Jordan during a meeting for the donor community held in London early this year.

The minister said Germany pledged to provide 300 million euros (335 million dollars) in aid to Jordan during 2016 of which 100 million euros (112 million dollars) will be for refugees and 200 million euros (223 million dollars) to support host communities of Syrian refugees.

The minister, who reviewed challenges Jordan in the field of education, stressed on the importance of the support extended to reduce pressure on Jordan in this regard.

The minister added that there are some 193,000 Syrian students at Jordanian public universities.
BENI, DR Congo, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- At least 45 people were found dead in a massacre perpetrated on Saturday night in Beni city of North Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, city mayor Nyonyi Bwanakawa confirmed on Sunday.

According to the mayor, the assailants attacked the village of Rwangoma in the outskirts of the city, killing civilians.

President Kabila who is staying in the province of North Kivu, told the press that these acts were of pure terrorism.

"The terrorist massacre happening at the moment in the east is not different from what happened in Mali, France, Somalia and other corners of the world," said Joseph Kabila in Goma.

Suspected rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces, an armed group of Ugandan origin, were responsible for the attack, according to army spokesperson Mak Hazukay.

Several military operations are underway in the region against the rebels in various parts of the province of North Kivu.

Local authorities said more than a thousand people have been massacred in this part of the country, in the province of North Kivu since last year.
YANGON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has been stepping up cracking down on illegal logging and has punished a total of 300 people for the offense in Myanmar's Bago region since the new government took office on April 1.

During the period, more than 1,800 tons of illegally logged timber were confiscated in the region, the local forestry department revealed.

A total of 128 vehicles, used in illegally transporting the confiscated timber, were also caught, doubling the seizure of the vehicles compared with last year.

The seized timber comprised of over 700 tons of teak, 500 tons of hardwood and 600 tons of other varieties of wood, according to the report.

In July, Myanmar forestry authorities announced suspension of wood logging along Bago Yoma mountain range in the central part of the country for the next 10 years.

As of 2015, the mountain range is 26 percent forest, accounting for 9 million acres (3.6 million hectares), the forestry department said.

Upon resumption of logging activities to other areas around the country, the annual volume will be reduced, an official of the department disclosed.

Forest conservation efforts will be carried out simultaneously with logging activities, while unofficial logging has been prohibited and logging permit for private companies will no longer be granted, the official added.

According to earlier report, Myanmar will stop teak wood production and reduce logging of hardwood this year due to severe deforestation.

The number of teak trees in Myanmar has gradually declined due to illegal logging. The rate of forest coverage in Myanmar has decreased to 45 percent in 2015 from over 57 percent in 1990, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation.

However, the ministry is planning to replant teak in Bago mountain range in a bid to protect natural resources.

Myanmar is one of most resource-rich countries in Southeast Asia covered by 38 percent mixed deciduous forests, 25 percent hills and temperate evergreen forests.

The logging volume of teak and hardwood in the fiscal year 2012-2013 reached 925,050 tons, according to statistics.

Meanwhile, Myanmar government has restricted wood logs export to encourage more export of value added wood products since 2014.
GUIYANG, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A platform that helps truck drivers find commodities to transport is helping improve logistics efficiency in China.

Headquartered in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Huochebang, or "truck groups" in Chinese, provides information about commodities to be transported, as well as vacant parking lots for truck drivers.

Drivers can register at the company by uploading their ID information and drivers' licenses. Then they get free information about commodities waiting to be shipped and vacant parking lots.

Established in 2014, the company now has 3,000 employees.

Most of China's 5.5 million truck drivers are independent and have to look for information about freight via small agents, who often charge for sometimes fake information.

"In the past, it was common for drivers to return home empty-trucked due to a lack of information," said Li Liheng, a truck driver from east China's Shandong Province.

Empty trucks waste gasoline, but with Huochebang, an average driver can save up to 34,000 yuan of gas fees each year, said Luo Peng, Huochebang president.

"Last year, Huochebang helped save more than 30 billion yuan worth of gasoline and decreased about 27 million tonnes of carbon emissions," he said.

The company also works with Aliyun, the cloud computing brand under e-commerce giant Alibaba, to publicize a "road logistics index" each day, allowing the drivers to understand what commodities they are carrying, the commodity amount as well as road conditions.

But Huochebang's success did not come easy. Back in June 2014 when the company started to recruit employees in Guiyang, many college teachers and graduates thought it consisted of "a group of cheats."

"We wanted to hire 100 people by July 2014, but people were suspicious as our company was new," said Luo Peng.

The local government helped prove its authenticity and did campus promotions for Huochebang, which paved the way for the company.

The local government also helped build connections between Huochebang and local colleges to create a talent pool for the company. Officials also introduced highly skilled talents to the company by offering free accommodations.

All of these have helped Huochebang reach the current success.

The company currently publicizes about five million items of information about commodity sources on a daily basis, with average daily trade turnover standing at six billion yuan (903 million U.S. dollars). In 2015, the company helped bring down the rate of trucks without freight to 6 percent.

So far, more than two million drivers have registered on the platform, according to the company.

Riding on the success of the platform, Huochebang has set its eye on future expansion, perhaps overseas.

Luo Peng said the company will work with neighboring Yunnan Province to integrate commodity information in Southeast Asia.

"For a long time, Chinese truck drivers transporting from Yunnan to Southeast Asia could not find anything to carry when they returned to China due to language barriers, so we hope to help by sharing information," Luo said.

"Our goal is to create an industrial chain that not only includes publicizing commodity information, but also group purchasing of trucks, mortgage loans for second-hand truck trading, and truck insurance," said Dai Wenjian.

The company recently revealed plans to enter the new energy vehicle market, aiming to introduce its own green trucks in its industry chain, according to the local news portal gywb.cn.

A 100-plus-member research team has been set up to create engines for the electric vehicles, while the company is trying to finance more than 300 million U.S. dollars, the portal reported earlier this month.
MANILA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine crime volume fell by 9.8 percent year-on-year in July, one month after President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, as the latest number of the drug suspects who were killed hit 592, a senior government official said Sunday.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar said the Philippine National Police recorded crime volume of 50,817 in July from 56,339 during the same period last year.

Duterte has vowed to address criminality during the first three to six months of his administration.

Andanar said the index crime also went down by 31 percent to 11,800 in July from 17,105 last year.

He said the significant drop in the crime incidents in the country only shows the "strong and quick action" of the Duterte government.

In the campaign against illegal drugs, Andanar also cited that authorities have already conducted 5,422 operations from July 1 to Aug. 14.

The operations resulted in the killing of 592 suspected drug personalities and arrests of 8,332 others.

The total number of drug users and pushers who surrendered has reached 554,243.

Some groups, including the United Nations and the United States, have raised concern over the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines against individuals who were allegedly involved in illegal drugs.
CHICAGO, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A confrontation between police and protestors turned violent Saturday night in Milwaukee in the north-central U.S. state of Wisconsin, after a police officer shot and killed an armed 23-year-old man.

A gas station and a vehicle were set on fire after some 100 protestors gathered near the scene of the shooting, a predominately African-American part of the city, and confronted with the police for about an hour earlier in the evening.

A police officer was hit in the head by a brick thrown through the car's windows.

Witnesses say gun fires were heard as police officers wearing riot gear tried to disperse the protesters. At least three people have been detained.

The shooting happened Saturday afternoon when two police officers pulled over a car with two suspects inside. The suspects then began to run. In a foot chase, a police officer shot and killed the 23-year-old, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The race and the name of the suspect or the officer remain unknown.

The police officer, who was not hurt, was placed on administrative leave while an investigation into his conduct has been launched.

The second suspect, also a 23-year-old man, has been in custody.

In a news briefing at the scene shortly after the shooting, Milwaukee Police Assistant Chief Bill Jessup said the man who was killed carried a stolen handgun and has "a lengthy arrest record," which he failed to specify.

Mayor Tom Barrett, appealing for restraint and calm, acknowledged that the neighborhood, where the shooting took place, has been affected by violence in the recent past.

"There are a lot of really, really good people who live in this area ... and can't stand this violence," Barrett said.

The incident was preceded by several police-involved shootings across the United States, in which the use of force by police is questioned.

In July, two black men were shot dead by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, which sparked angry protests by African Americans across the nation against police brutality and racial discrimination.

Earlier this year, a native American woman was killed by an Arizona police officer. The shooting has prompted protests in recent months by Native American activists.

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U.S. Justice Dept finds another major police forces biased against blacks

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) report said on Wednesday discriminatory practices against the African-American communities had long existed among police forces in Baltimore, Maryland. Full story

Before July shootings, blacks divided on U.S. police behavior
Local residents have a good time in an aqua park amid hot weather in Luzhou, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Yang Tao)

BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's meteorological authority on Sunday issued a yellow alert for high temperatures, urging people to reduce outdoor activity.

On Monday, temperatures will exceed 35 degrees Celsius in Anhui, Chongqing, Gansu, Henan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Xinjiang and Zhejiang, the National Meteorological Center announced.

Some of those regions will experience temperatures up to 40 degrees, the center said.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

The center warned that people -- especially the old, young and infirm -- should avoid outdoor activity around noon, and asked local authorities to take precautions against fires that may come from excessive power loads for air conditioners.

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China renews alerts for heat wave, rainstorms
LANZHOU, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- After almost ten years in Beijing, Wei Wei, 35, has returned to his hometown of Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province.

"I've gained skills and experiences in Beijing, and I can help bring Beijing's business practices to the west," said the self-confessed IT geek. "The IT market in my hometown is full of potential and very attractive to me."

Wei and his friends opened a business in 2014, but was soon in trouble as IT skills do not equate to business acumen.

One year later, the government started its support for mass entrepreneurship and innovation and "incubators" emerged, offering workspace and business advice to eager would-be executives.

In Gansu, more than 1,200 college teams have joined incubators, each receiving an average investment of around 300,000 yuan (45,000 U.S. dollars) by April.

Incubator Chuanshuo Cafe opened in Lanzhou in April 2015 and provides a range of training and services. With Chuanshuo's help, Wei's problems were soon resolved. His company was registered, he has his own offices and a steady flow of customers. His company has an order to develop a mobile app for online payment platform Guaniu.

After working in Shanghai, Zhou Jianzhen has also headed back home to Lanzhou and set up an online store selling local specialties. With the incubator's help, he now has more than 80 suppliers and made sales worth 5 million yuan in the second half of last year.

"Incubators, policy and support are bringing people to their hometowns. Business opportunities in east China are shrinking and the potential of here is now sucking talent back west," said Chuanshuo's CEO Li Guoliang.

Deng Yubo, who quit as a college teacher and started an online beef noodle company believes the biggest difficulties entrepreneurs face are their own impatience and high costs, but incubators can help remove those obstacles."Incubators provide for us with government resources, capital and services, which are usually difficult to find by ourselves. Affordable offices and services have slashed costs and created an easy environment for business."

Last month, the first incubator opened in Tibet, in the regional capital Lhasa. In Qinghai, the government has set aside 50 million yuan each year for three consecutive years to support college graduates to start businesses.

Yuan Chun of Lanzhou University believes that incubators are attracting talent. "Business models and fresh ideas brought by young start-ups are a strong incentive to economic development in the western part of China," he said.
ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni army on Sunday stormed a key city in southern province of Abyan near Aden from different directions, following intense battles against al-Qaida terrorist group, a military source told Xinhua.

The newly-trained army forces backed by Saudi-led warplanes and helicopters stormed the city of Zinjibar, the Abyan's provincial capital, from different directions, a day after pro-government tribal fighters on the ground recaptured areas held by al-Qaida militants in southern parts of the country.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the army's entry into Zinjibar came after intense fighting that continued for several hours and the bomb squads dismantled explosive devices and other booby-traps the al-Qaida terrorists had planted to target Yemeni army.

Fighter jets of the Saudi-led Arab coalition are playing a significant role in the anti-terror military campaign by providing air power and air-covering the pro-government forces that made advances on the ground.

The al-Qaida terrorists tried to use suicide car bombings to impede the government forces from advancing into Zinjibar, but the warplanes destroyed explosive-laden cars before attacking the troops.

An al-Qaida suicide bomber wearing explosive belt detonated himself near an army position in Abyan province, causing no casualties among the soldiers, witnesses said.

"The anti-terror military offensive is ongoing until fully recapturing Abyan province. We urged the residents to stay at homes and avoid the fighting areas," the military source said.

The local government building and key state facilities in Zinjibar city were retaken by the army forces that deployed heavy armored vehicles and tanks in the city's streets, according to the local source.

Scores of al-Qaida mid-level commanders used private cars and moved their families outside the region after the UAE-backed Yemeni forces approached and entered the city of Zinjibar, al-Qaida's key stronghold in southern Yemen, residents told Xinhua.

On Saturday, the Fourth Regional Military Command based in neighboring southern province of Aden announced the unleash of a wide-scale offensive against al-Qaida in Abyan province and mobilized hundreds of troops newly trained by the United Arab Emirates.

The city of Zinjibar is strategically important due to its proximity to the port city of Aden, which houses ministers of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government after the capital Sanaa was occupied by the Shiite Houthi group in September 2014.

Last December, gunmen of the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) took full control over two strategic towns in neighboring southern Abyan province, about 45 km away from Aden, where Yemen's internationally recognized government has based itself.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The AQAP, also known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, emerged in January 2009. It had claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks on Yemen's army and government institutions.

It took advantage of the current security vacuum and the ongoing civil war to expand its influence and seize more territories in Yemen's southern part.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullash Saleh, and the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.
LHASA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism held a traditional dharma assembly during the weekend, drawing hundreds of thousands of believers from Tibet and elsewhere in China.

This dharma assembly held by Drikung Kagyu, one of the eight minor lineages of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, dates back more than 300 years and is held in the year of monkey in the Tibetan calendar, this year in the Drikung Valley near the Drigung Thil Monastery.

The assembly centers on a mediation practice called Phowa, which means the transfer of consciousness at the time of death in Tibetan culture.

Many disciples set up tents on the grassland to prepare for the teachings by a living buddha during the assembly.

A living buddha walked to the altar at around 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon and was welcomed by disciples holding khata, a ceremonial scarf in Tibetan Buddhism.

These khatas were then thrown from the back of the crowd to the front, eventually piling up into a white stripe.
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Up to 25 militants were killed as warplanes targeted Taliban hideouts and positions in several parts of the beleaguered Helmand province in southern Afghanistan Saturday night, according to a statement of provincial government released here Sunday.

According to the statement, the air strikes pounded Taliban positions in Garmsir, Chah-e-Anjir and Nahr-e-Saraj district late last night, killing 25 Taliban insurgents including some group commanders.

"Taliban notorious commander Mullah Rahmatullah is also among those killed in the air raids," the statement added.

However, Taliban outfit in contact with media without confirming air strikes claimed that the militants had repulsed government forces offensives in several fronts in Helmand province.

Notorious for growing poppy and militancy, Helmand province with Lashkar Gah as its capital, 555 km south of Kabul, has been the scene of increasing insurgency over the past few years.

Fierce fighting has been continuing between the Taliban and government forces in several districts of Helmand province over the past couple of months as the hardliner outfit has been attempting to overrun provincial capital Lashkar Gah to destabilize the neighboring Kandahar, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces.
BANGKOK, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A search and rescue mission has been going on throughout dense forests in northern Thailand where an army helicopter was reportedly missing on Sunday.

The UH-72 Lakota utility helicopter lost contact with ground control since the mid-morning hours while en route to base over the forests of Chiang Mai province, about 900 kilometers north of Bangkok, said Third Army Region commander Lt Gen Somsak Nilbancherdkul.

Somsak denied earlier reports which said that the helicopter was found and all people aboard safe, adding that they are still looking for it, Thai media Post Today reported.

Aboard the UH-72 helicopter were Fourth Infantry Division commander Maj Gen Nopporn Ruenchand, two pilots and two mechanics, he said.

Maj Gen Nopporn was reportedly flying from Mae Hong Son province, west of Chiang Mai, to his division base in Pitsanulok province, southeast of Chiang Mai, when the helicopter's crew could not be reached by army communication gear.

The army pilots were known to have used the route over Indanon national park and nearby forest areas in Mae Jam district of Chiang Mai through which the search and rescue teams consisting of army soldiers, rangers and forestry personnel have combed in search of the missing aircraft.
MOGADISH, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The United States Special Forces have killed more than 30 Al-Shabab militants including senior commanders during two separate security operations in southern Somalia in the past four days.

Sources close to the government army told Xinhua on Sunday that the operations which took place on Aug. 10 and 13 targeted insurgents in Sakow town in Middle Jubba region.

"The U.S. backed by Somali commandos hit Al-Shabaab targets in Sakow town, killing 30 militants in separate security operations that took place on Aug. 10 and Aug 13. Senior members of the terror group were killed," the source who declined to be identified told Xinhua by telephone.

He said Al-Shabaab leader, Abu Ubeida is suspected to be either killed or captured during the operation. Three of his deputies including the spokesman of the group, Abu Mus'ab and another identified as Abu Omar were among those killed.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (C, front) attends a luncheon hosted by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic (R, front) and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic (L, front) in Belgrade, Serbia, June 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

by Wang Huijuan, Nemanja Cabric

BELGRADE, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China-proposed Belt and Road initiative offers new perspective for the growth of the friendly ties between China and Serbia towards achieving win-win results in various fields, Zivadin Jovanovic, a Serbian expert on international relations, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Jovanovic served as Yugoslavian foreign minister from 1998 to 2000 and is now president of the think-tank "Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals" founded in 2000.

Jovanovic said people in both Serbia and China shared in history a tradition of fighting against aggression and oppression and defending national dignity.

"Today our two countries share the same basic objectives, such as peaceful coexistence, independent internal and foreign policy, support to United Nations and respect for the international law," he said, adding that both countries acknowledge the need to build a new world order based on the principle of sovereign equality of all nations.

Both countries have "stable friendship" and are "trusted partners" in various fields, the Serbian expert said, citing China's solidarity with Serbia during the 1999 NATO bombing of then Yugoslavia as well as China's support for Serbia following the 2014 floods that struck Serbia hard as examples.

He also noted that in a move to honor the Serbia-China friendship, just two months ago, Belgrade named the street in front of the future Chinese cultural center after the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC) and named the area around the center as "Square of Serbian-Chinese Friendship".

Serbia and China in June agreed to upgrade their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. "This is a natural result of long-lasting friendship, comprehensive cooperation and mutual trust between the two countries," Jovanovic said, stressing that it presents an iron foundation for accelerating bilateral cooperation in the 21st century.

"Multidimensional, global initiative Belt and Road has opened new unprecedented perspectives for expansion and intensification of cooperation," he said.

When it comes to bilateral economic cooperation, Jovanovic listed some of the major achievements within the framework of the Belt and Road initiative -- Mihajlo Pupin Bridge, Kostolac thermal power plant, the E763 highway, the Serbia-Hungary railway and Smederevo Steel Mill.

In his opinion, the Belt and Road initiative expands, widens and intensifies Sebia-China cooperation.

The initiative provides an opportunity to expand and modernize Serbia's regional and European infrastructure and will help Serbia activate its existing resources towards achieving modern and sustainable development, Jovanovic said.

Moreover, it will help Serbia adapt its strategy of development and distribution of international cooperation towards its own potentials, priorities and new realities in the world, the Serbian expert said.

Serbia and China "in spite of geographic distance, incomparable size of territories, population and economic potentials, do respect each other, do share values of peace stability and win-win cooperation," therefore they have wide area for bilateral and international cooperation, he added.

"Thanks to cooperation with China, especially within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Serbia is resolving some long-standing economic difficulties, accelerating economic and technological development and reinforcing partnership position in Europe," Jovanovic said, adding, "China, on the other side, can always be confident in Serbia that it will be its stable partner in Europe, particularly in the process of the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative."
LAGOS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Sunday said it is doing everything possible to secure the release of the Chibok school girls and put an end to the horrible saga of their abduction.

In reaction to the latest video of some of the girls, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the government is in touch with those purportedly behind the video.

"We are on top of the situation. But we are being extremely careful because the situation has been compounded by the split in the leadership of Boko Haram. We are also being guided by the need to ensure the safety of the girls," he added.

"Since this is not the first time we have been contacted over the issue, we want to be doubly sure that those we are in touch with are who they claim to be," the minister said in a statement made available to Xinhua.

Mohammed expressed the hope that the latest development will signal the beginning of the end of the nightmare to which the girls, their families and all Nigerians have been subjected since the unfortunate abduction.

A faction of Boko Haram militants, which seeks to impose strict Islamic law in northern Nigeria, on Sunday released a new video showing the abducted Chibok girls and claiming that some of the girls were killed by air strikes launched by the Nigerian Air Force on their locations.

The video showed a masked armed man standing in front of several girls, who, he claimed, were the over 200 girls abducted from their school hostel at Government Secondary School, Chibok, in 2014.

The man said the video was released to send a message to the parents of the girls to beg the Nigerian government to release Boko Haram members in various detention centers in exchange for the girls.

The man said about 40 of the girls were already married while some were dead.

Boko Haram has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and displacing of more than 2.6 million people since 2009.
File photo taken on Sept. 9, 1945 shows He Yingqin (L), representative of the Chinese government, receiving the surrender of Japan in Nanjing, east China. On Aug. 15, 1945, Japanese Emperor Hirohito delivered a recorded radio address to the nation, announcing the surrender of Japan in World War II, one day after Japan declared its acceptance of the provisions of the Potsdam Proclamation jointly issued by China, the United States and Britain on July 26, 1945, with the Soviet Union joining later. More than 35 million Chinese were killed or injured in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, accounting for one-third of the total casualties of all countries during WWII, according to incomplete official statistics. (Xinhua)

by Yan Lei, Shen Honghui

TOKYO, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- "The Abe government's warped historical view won't have any future. Only by reflecting upon history, can Japan achieve true reconciliation with its Asian neighbors," said Takakage Fujita, director general of a civic group dedicated to upholding and developing the well-known Murayama Statement.

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, the then Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama issued a statement on Aug. 15, 1995, apologizing for the tremendous damage and suffering Japan had caused, through its colonial rule and aggression, to the people of many countries.

"Abe, in contrast to Murayama, has never admitted that Japan launched an aggressive war or Japan's colonial rule caused severe suffering to other nations," Fujita pointed out.

Last year, Abe, in a closely-watched statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, failed once again to offer a full and direct apology over the past war and even said that it was unnecessary for the younger generations to apologize in the future.

"Such a gesture won't help Japan achieve reconciliation with other nations in Asia. Japan shall deeply reflect upon the past wrongdoings and renew its vow that it will never launch an aggressive war again," said Fujita.

Fujita also criticized Abe's cabinet members' visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine.

"Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 convicted WWII Class-A war criminals. Politicians visiting the shrine shall not be tolerated as it shows support to the aggressive war," he said.

"Yasukuni Shirne embodies a reactionary historical view, with the Yushukan Museum located inside the shrine advocating that the past war was a necessary move to promote national glory," he said.

Fujita believed that Abe administration's recent moves, including enacting the controversial security laws and attempting to amend the pacifist Constitution, were embodiment of a distorted historical view.

"Since Abe retook office in 2012, Japan's military expenses increased for four consecutive years. The Abe government also used the so-called China threat as an excuse to enact the security laws and to ease restrictions on the right to collective self-defense," he said.

"With pro-amendment forces taking two-thirds majority in both chambers of the parliament, the Abe administration is also speeding up the efforts to amend the Constitution, though polls show that the majority of the Japanese people are against the change," he added.

"Abe is trying to remake Japan a military power, which will do no good to both Japan and its Asian neighbors," he said.

"As time goes by, the Japanese people's memory about the past war is fading. It's the government's responsibility to convey to the people the truth about the war, including the aggressive nature of the past war and tragedies like the Nanjing Massacre, instead of erasing these things from the textbooks like what the Abe government has been doing," said Fujita.

"In the long run, only by reflecting upon the history could Japan achieve reconciliation and co-development with other nations in Asia," he said.
BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The following is a chronology of police-involved shooting cases in the United States so far this year:

-- March 27: A native American woman was killed by an Arizona police officer. The shooting has prompted protests by native American activists.

-- July 5-6: Two black men were shot dead by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, which sparked angry protests by African Americans across the nation against police brutality and racial discrimination.

-- July 7: A 25-year-old sniper named Micah Johnson ambushed and killed five police officers and wounded seven others and two civilians in downtown Dallas, Texas. He was shot dead by the police.

-- July 17: Three gunmen killed three police officers and wounded several others in a shooting incident in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. One gunman was shot dead by the police, and the other two are still on the run.

-- August 13: A confrontation between police and protestors turned violent Saturday night in Milwaukee in the north central U.S. state of Wisconsin, after a police officer shot and killed an armed 23-year-old man.
LAGOS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's military is examining the latest video from Boko Haram group purporting to show some of the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls, an official said Sunday.

In a statement sent to Xinhua in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, spokesperson for the Defense Headquarters said the military is examining the video clip to verify its authenticity.

Some girls wearing headscarves, in the video, were seen behind a Boko Haram militant who demanded the release of fighters in return for freeing the girls. The militant also claimed that some of the girls have been killed in air strikes.

"Currently we are studying the video clips to verify its authenticity and analyzing the comments of the speakers in the video especially the terrorist member and the girl that spoke in mother tongue," he added.

Abubakar disputed allegations in the video that some of the kidnapped girls were hit by an airstrike.

"It is extremely difficult and rare to hit innocent people during airstrike because the operation is done through precision attack on identified and registered targets and locations," the defense spokesperson said.

According to him, the precision airstrike is very effective at taking out targeted enemies because it is not a random operation.

"We are nevertheless studying the video clips to examine if the victims died from other causes rather than from the allegation of airstrike," he added.

Recently, the Nigerian Airforce has focused on sustaining air operations and providing support to ground troops of the Armed Forces' strive to rid Nigeria of the Boko Haram insurgency.

The airstrikes are controlled by professionally trained officers who coordinate the strike with ground troops, after plentiful surveillance to limit casualty on the ground.

A faction of Boko Haram militants, which seeks to impose strict Islamic law in northern Nigeria, on Sunday released a new video showing the abducted Chibok girls and claiming that some of the girls were killed by air strikes launched by the Nigerian Air Force on their locations.

The video showed a masked armed man standing in front of several girls, who, he claimed, were the over 200 girls abducted from their school hostel at Government Secondary School, Chibok, in 2014.

The man said the video was released to send a message to the parents of the girls to beg the Nigerian government to release Boko Haram members in various detention centers in exchange for the girls.

The man said about 40 of the girls were already married while some were dead.

Boko Haram has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and displacing of more than 2.6 million people since 2009.
A picture taken on August 10, 2016 shows flames and smoke rising from a well on fire at Bai Hassan oil field, the largest in Iraqi oil-rich Kirkuk province. (AFP/Xinhua)

MOSUL, Iraq, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Kurdish security forces have freed nine villages in the northeast of the Islamic State (IS) major stronghold of Mosul on Sunday, a Kurdish security source said.

After heavy artillery shelling and U.S.-led air strikes on the IS positions, the Kurdish troops, known as Peshmerga, launched an attack at dawn on the villages scattered in the northeast of Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The extremist militants fought back with mortar shells and machine guns and detonated roadside bombs and booby-trapped cars, the source said.

But the Kurdish fighters with their armored vehicles managed to enter at least nine villages, despite continued clashes around other villages.

The battles have so far killed 47 IS militants and at least three Peshmerga members, with 15 others injured, the source said.

The Iraqi army and the Peshmerga forces are now fighting to seize back positions around Mosul amid a major offensive to liberate the whole city.

Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, has been under IS control since June 2014, when the Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, giving opportunities for IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Romanian man was arrested at the Phnom Penh International Airport on Sunday for smuggling about 4.96 kg of cocaine into Cambodia, said an anti-drug chief.

The suspect was identified as Vanadi Adrian Calin, 35 years old.

"The Romanian man, boarded (Qatar Airways) flight QR970 from Doha to Phnom Penh, was arrested at 3:50 p.m. local time with 4.96 kg of cocaine," General Meas Vyrith, secretary-general of the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD), said in a report posted on NACD's Facebook page.

Cambodia has no death sentence for drug traffickers, under its law, a person who traffics more than 80 grams of drug will be facing life imprisonment.

The Southeast Asian country saw a remarkable rise in drug arrests in the first half of 2016. According to the NACD, some 5,266 drug suspects were caught during the January-June period this year in 2,158 cases.
Yemenis walk amidst the rubble of a house in Yemen's Huthi rebel-held capital Sanaa on August 11, 2016, after it was reportedly hit by a Saudi-led coalition air strike. (AFP/Xinhua)

ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni army on Sunday stormed a key city in southern province of Abyan near Aden from different directions, following intense battles against al-Qaida terrorist group, a military source told Xinhua.

The newly-trained army forces backed by Saudi-led warplanes and helicopters stormed the city of Zinjibar, the Abyan's provincial capital, from different directions, a day after pro-government tribal fighters on the ground recaptured areas held by al-Qaida militants in southern parts of the country.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the army's entry into Zinjibar came after intense fighting that continued for several hours and the bomb squads dismantled explosive devices and other booby-traps the al-Qaida terrorists had planted to target Yemeni army.

Fighter jets of the Saudi-led Arab coalition are playing a significant role in the anti-terror military campaign by providing air power and air-covering the pro-government forces that made advances on the ground.

The al-Qaida terrorists tried to use suicide car bombings to impede the government forces from advancing into Zinjibar, but the warplanes destroyed explosive-laden cars before attacking the troops.

An al-Qaida suicide bomber wearing explosive belt detonated himself near an army position in Abyan province, causing no casualties among the soldiers, witnesses said.

"The anti-terror military offensive is ongoing until fully recapturing Abyan province. We urged the residents to stay at homes and avoid the fighting areas," the military source said.

The local government building and key state facilities in Zinjibar city were retaken by the army forces that deployed heavy armored vehicles and tanks in the city's streets, according to the local source.

Scores of al-Qaida mid-level commanders used private cars and moved their families outside the region after the UAE-backed Yemeni forces approached and entered the city of Zinjibar, al-Qaida's key stronghold in southern Yemen, residents told Xinhua.

On Saturday, the Fourth Regional Military Command based in neighboring southern province of Aden announced the unleash of a wide-scale offensive against al-Qaida in Abyan province and mobilized hundreds of troops newly trained by the United Arab Emirates.

The city of Zinjibar is strategically important due to its proximity to the port city of Aden, which houses ministers of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government after the capital Sanaa was occupied by the Shiite Houthi group in September 2014.

Last December, gunmen of the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) took full control over two strategic towns in neighboring southern Abyan province, about 45 km away from Aden, where Yemen's internationally recognized government has based itself.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The AQAP, also known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, emerged in January 2009. It had claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks on Yemen's army and government institutions.

It took advantage of the current security vacuum and the ongoing civil war to expand its influence and seize more territories in Yemen's southern part.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullash Saleh, and the government backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (C, front) attends a luncheon hosted by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic (R, front) and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic (L, front) in Belgrade, Serbia, June 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BELGRADE, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China-proposed Belt and Road initiative offers new perspective for the growth of the friendly ties between China and Serbia towards achieving win-win results in various fields, Zivadin Jovanovic, a Serbian expert on international relations, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Jovanovic served as Yugoslavian foreign minister from 1998 to 2000 and is now president of the think-tank "Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals" founded in 2000.

Jovanovic said people in both Serbia and China shared in history a tradition of fighting against aggression and oppression and defending national dignity.

"Today our two countries share the same basic objectives, such as peaceful coexistence, independent internal and foreign policy, support to United Nations and respect for the international law," he said, adding that both countries acknowledge the need to build a new world order based on the principle of sovereign equality of all nations.

Both countries have "stable friendship" and are "trusted partners" in various fields, the Serbian expert said, citing China's solidarity with Serbia during the 1999 NATO bombing of then Yugoslavia as well as China's support for Serbia following the 2014 floods that struck Serbia hard as examples.

He also noted that in a move to honor the Serbia-China friendship, just two months ago, Belgrade named the street in front of the future Chinese cultural center after the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC) and named the area around the center as "Square of Serbian-Chinese Friendship".

Serbia and China in June agreed to upgrade their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. "This is a natural result of long-lasting friendship, comprehensive cooperation and mutual trust between the two countries," Jovanovic said, stressing that it presents an iron foundation for accelerating bilateral cooperation in the 21st century.

"Multidimensional, global initiative Belt and Road has opened new unprecedented perspectives for expansion and intensification of cooperation," he said.

When it comes to bilateral economic cooperation, Jovanovic listed some of the major achievements within the framework of the Belt and Road initiative -- Mihajlo Pupin Bridge, Kostolac thermal power plant, the E763 highway, the Serbia-Hungary railway and Smederevo Steel Mill.

In his opinion, the Belt and Road initiative expands, widens and intensifies Sebia-China cooperation.

The initiative provides an opportunity to expand and modernize Serbia's regional and European infrastructure and will help Serbia activate its existing resources towards achieving modern and sustainable development, Jovanovic said.

Moreover, it will help Serbia adapt its strategy of development and distribution of international cooperation towards its own potentials, priorities and new realities in the world, the Serbian expert said.

Serbia and China "in spite of geographic distance, incomparable size of territories, population and economic potentials, do respect each other, do share values of peace stability and win-win cooperation," therefore they have wide area for bilateral and international cooperation, he added.

"Thanks to cooperation with China, especially within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Serbia is resolving some long-standing economic difficulties, accelerating economic and technological development and reinforcing partnership position in Europe," Jovanovic said, adding, "China, on the other side, can always be confident in Serbia that it will be its stable partner in Europe, particularly in the process of the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative."
RAMALLAH, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat sent letters to several foreign ministers on Sunday, urging them to intervene immediately and oblige Israel to halt its settlement construction.

In an emailed press release, he said "the illegal settlement construction engulfs Palestinian territories and undermines the two-state solution."

Erekat said the continued settlement construction "violates the international law, which does not allow the occupying power to take over or destroy public or private property," referring to the Israeli decision to confiscate 221 acres of land near Ramallah in the West Bank, despite the fact that the land is registered under its owners' names.

He said the month of July witnessed the highest surge in settlement construction thus far, which was announced by Jerusalem municipality.

"Extremist Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains these illegal policies and plans right before the international community," said the statement.

The statement called on the international community to assume its ethical responsibility towards the inalienable rights of Palestinians, and respond, instead of issuing condemnation statements, by holding Israel accountable.

The PLO secretary general called on foreign ministers to boycott all organizations and companies complying with Israel's occupation and settlement expansion, and to ban the export of Israeli settlement products.

The settlement issue is one of the main reasons for halting the direct peace negotiations that were sponsored by the United States for nine months and ended in April 2014.
Trains are seen at the Secheron Station in Geneva, Switzerland, Aug. 21, 2015. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

GENEVA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The man who set fire to flammable liquid and stabbed six passengers on a train in northern Switzerland was confirmed dead on Sunday after suffering serious burns in the attack Saturday.

A 34-year-old woman victim also died from her injuries on Sunday. Another two injured passengers, a 17-year-old girl and a six-year-old child, are reportedly in serious conditions.

Local police said in a statement issued Sunday that the motive for the attack remained unclear, but "to date there is no evidence this was a terrorist attack or politically motivated."

According to the statement, the Swiss authority has not found any criminal record of the attacker.

The police believe that the attacker was acting alone after viewing a video footage showing the whole process of the event.

Swiss authority has confirmed that the attacker was a Swiss national and did not have an immigration background.

A 27-year man set fire to flammable liquid and stabbed six passengers on a train travelling between Buchs and Sennwald in Switzerland at about 2:20 p.m. Saturday afternoon local time, the first of its kind in Switzerland for years.
On July 2, 1992, the 5th seminar on Edgar Snow, a famous American reporter and author of Red Star over China, was held in Beijing. Photo shows the president of the American Edgar Snow Foundation presenting a gift to Huang Hua, president of China International Friend Research Society. (Xinhua File Photo)

CHICAGO, Aug. 14 (Xinhua)-- On the third floor of the Miller Nichols Library of the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), there is an around 30-square-meter Edgar Snow reading room that has shelved 614 books covering the household, schooling, trip, connections, biographies and old-age life of well-known American journalist Edgar Snow.

UMKC now collects 718 files, 173 sets of image information, 49 rolls of recording, and 1,200 feet of film footage on Edgar Snow, with contents covering his whole life.

Born in 1905 in Kansas City, Missouri, Edgar Snow was known for his books and articles on Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese Communist revolution in the 1930s.

"Edgar Snow was a very adventurous and curious person," Robert Farnsworth, UMKC professor and author of "From Vagabond to Journalist", a biography on Edgar Snow, told Xinhua. "He wanted to find out more about the world." This adventurous nature and curiosity led Snow to China in 1928, a place where he fell in love with and stayed for 13 years.

Snow travelled lots of places in China and wrote articles about China for newspapers and magazines. China in the eyes of Snow at the time was falling apart, buried deep in internal troubles, and faced aggression from the outside, as against the background of prevailing corruption under the leadership of Kuomintang, and destitute Chinese people.

Then Snow discovered a new world in China through a friend, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, where the Chinese Red Army led by Mao Zedong had just finished the Long March and settled.

With the help of Soong Ching-ling, widow of Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, Snow paid a visit to the region on June-October 1936. During the stay there, he had long conversations with Red Army leaders including Mao Zedong and Peng Dehuai, interviewed Red Army soldiers, and collected sources materials on the Long March.

Snow found that though life was hard and materials ran short, people, civilians, officers and soldiers there were united. They opened up wasteland, did ploughing work, wove clothes, and got ample food and clothing all on their own. Through the enthusiasm of the Red Army soldiers for revolution and the support of local residents for these revolutionaries, Snow saw China's hope

From 1928 when he first set his foot on the Chinese soil to 1941 when he left China, Snow had been to the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region twice. He had witnessed China's revolutionary struggle and the War of Resistance against Japan, introduced them to the world by writing articles, and helped the Western world better understand China.

In 1937, Snow finished the book "Red Star over China", an account of the Long March led by the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). British Gollancz Co. published the book, and sales of the book exceeded 100,000 in Britain alone in the same year. The book has never been out of printing ever since.

Snow was interested in common people, and was particularly focused on poverty, disease, war, and social problems, UMKC professor Robert Gamer told Xinhua. "He (Snow) was the first western journalist who went to the (Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border) region and interviewed CPC leaders."

U.S. sinologist John King Fairbank referred to Edgar Snow as an important part in modern Chinese history.

Nancy Hill, executive director of Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation, got her knowledge of Snow through Grey Diamond, founder of the UMKC School of Medicine. Father of Mary Diamond, wife of Grey Diamond, is Snow's good friend. Mr. and Mrs. Diamonds established Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation after Snow died in 1972, and the foundation is affiliated to the UMKC.

Hill briefed Xinhua on the primary purposes for the foundation: to preserve the memory and legacy of Edgar Snow and to collect his scholarly papers and all information on his China reporting and other reporting.

"We want to preserve the memory and work of Edgar Snow for future scholars, and at the same time, we want to preserve Snow' s life and goal of creating a kind of friendship between U.S. and Chinese citizens," Hill said.

"Edgar Snow wanted the two peoples to be friends, that has been a big goal of the Edgar Snow Foundation, to introduce the Chinese people to United States people, and vice versa."

For this purpose, the foundation is hosting Edgar Snow symposiums every other year, and they rotate between Kansas City and Beijing. "We' re going to Beijing this October for the 17th Snow Symposium," Hill told Xinhua.

Hill talked to Xinhua about her experiences of looking for the treeless landscape in Shaanxi Province that Snow has described in great detail in his book, "It is not there anymore. There are trees, I was so surprised, I kept looking for these hills and there were these beautiful forested hills and trees everywhere."

Compared to the Snow era, earthshaking changes have been taken place in China. Hill noticed these changes, and said "China has become so rich."

The fact is China has grown from an impoverished, falling-apart country into the second largest economy in the world. Khairy Tourk, associate member of the Center for East Asian Studies of the University of Chicago and professor of Stuart School of Business of Illinois Institute of Technology, described Chinese economy as "a rising sun whose brightness is impossible to hide" .

But Tourk also admitted that China faces multiple economic, social, and foreign policy challenges at present, and most of these issues need to be tackled simultaneously.

"These challenges are formidable, and could only be compared with those China faced during Mao's Long March," said Tourk. "It is Xi Jinping's destiny to be the leader of China's 'Second' Long March."

Tourk told Xinhua that China aims to achieve sustainable economic growth while reforming the economy, "carrying out reforms is not easy during a time of global economic weakness."

In the meantime, Xi aims to "achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation not only economically, but also morally and culturally" , Tourk said. For the purpose, "the Chinese leadership is pushing the rule of law, fighting corruption and strengthening the CPC so that it could provide the kind of moral leadership that the country needs."

The success of the "Second" Long March requires China to follow the same principles that underpinned the success of the First Long March. "They include patriotism, strong leadership, courage, perseverance, dedication, cooperation, boldness and last but not least, sacrifice," Tourk said.

Snow has been attached to China for his whole life. After moving to the Switzerland as a result of persecution in the U.S., he still wrote to friends in the U.S., encouraging them to go to China.

Hill agreed with Mr. Diamond: "Chinese people are a civilization. They' re a proud, intelligent, wonderfully effective race of people." Hill echoed Mr. Diamond, saying the Chinese people and American people have a similar industriousness, "they' re hardworking, have a similar sense of humor, like to laugh, and have a similar love of art and music. There are more things that we have in common than our differences."

Having influenced generations of Chinese people since its publication, "Red Star over China" is also a window for many American people to better understand Chinese Communist Party and the Long March.
ZARANJ, Afghanistan, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Three police personnel were killed in a bomb attack in western Afghanistan's province of Nimroz on Sunday, a district governor said.

"An improvised bomb struck a police mobile at around midday in Khashroad district, killing three police officers and injuring three policemen aboard the vehicle," Mohammad Hashim Noorzai told Xinhua.

The force of the explosion destroyed the police vehicle, he said.

The Afghan security forces' casualties have risen recently as they struggle against a surge in attacks by Taliban militant group and other anti-government fighters.

Earlier on Sunday, Aqa Noor Kentoz, police chief of neighboring Helmand province, and three policemen were wounded in a roadside bombing on outskirts of Lashkar Gah city, capital of restive Helmand province.

Sediq Sediqqi, Interior Ministry spokesman, confirmed the incident and twitted that Kentoz's wounds were not life-threatening.

Fierce fighting has been continuing between the Taliban and security forces in several districts of Helmand over the past couple of months as the hardliner outfit has been attempting to overrun Lashkar Gah to destabilize the neighboring Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan and Nimroz provinces.
RIYADH, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led coalition denied on Sunday airstriking a school in Yemen, adding that its jets targeted a Houthi military training center, local news Al Arabiya reported.

"We denied allegations that a school was targeted, as we contacted the Yemeni government, which confirmed that there is no school in the attacked area," spokesperson of the coalition Major-General Ahmed Asiri said in a statement.

The humanitarian association Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said 10 children were killed and 28 others injured on Saturday after a school in the Houthi main stronghold province of Saada was hit.

The Houthi-held Saba news agency also reported the airstrike.

The report said the Saudi-led warplanes launched over 100 airstrikes against military targets of Houthi and Saleh in several northern provinces on Saturday, including the Houthi-held capital Sanaa.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in support of exiled Yemeni government in 2015, but failed to bring it back to power in the rebel-held capital Sanaa.

The war and airstrikes have since killed over 6,400 people, mostly civilians.
by Robert Manyara

NAKURU, Kenya, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- For about a year now, Esther Muraya has enjoyed a better health lifestyle uncommon among women in the rural parts of Kenya thanks to the adoption of an efficient mode of cooking and heating water.

Muraya is a family woman living in the remote Gatongu village in the Rift Valley county of Nakuru. Her daily chores include preparing food, maintaining home hygiene and tending to crops and livestock.

The major problem comes with finding firewood. She has to walk long distances to buy the fuel sourced from nearby forests and carry it home on her back.

Now the combined energy saving double stove and boiler is saving her from a weekly three-day errand of fetching firewood. "These days it's just one day in a fortnight," she said earlier this week.

"My back, head and neck usually hurts because I have to support the firewood with a piece of cloth or rope wrapped on the head. But I can say I am relieved," she said, adding that it can take her more than three hours to travel to and from the firewood's fetching point.

With the energy saving stove, she uses one bundle for a maximum of two weeks saving her from the hustles and pains of looking for the firewood. Currently, a bundle goes for 1 U.S. dollar.

The boiler provides hot water for cleaning the dishes, her school going children's bath in the chilly morning and cooking, she said.

"I use hot water and that cuts the time I spend on the fire and I can rest a bit. That also reduces amount of firewood I use," she said with a distant smile.

"I always heat water for washing dishes in the morning or in the evening. Warm water removes the dirt fast and quick leaving the utensils clean unlike cold water. I am so happy I have the ready water throughout the day."

The unit constitutes of two stoves built onto the floor of her cemented kitchen. They are made from ceramic material which holds the heat and covered in a body of galvanized flat iron sheets.

The boiler is erected on the front side of the stoves with a pipe connected to transfer the heat from burning firewood. There are two taps connected to the boiler: one inside the house and another outside.

It also has a chimney that vents smoke to the outside. The smoke is usually irritating to the eyes and causes difficulty in breathing while cooking, Muraya said.

To her, this is a domestic technology that ought to be adopted in all rural households. She said it could benefit women the most as it would relieve them from undue exhaustion and physical pains.

"My neighbours and other people in this village have come to see it and have expressed interest in having it in their homes. It just feels good having it," she said.

In Kenyan communities, women are main custodians of fuel collectors.

However, environmental changes such as deforestation further aggravates difficulties in searching for firewood among women thus calling for the need to actively involve them in decisions regarding energy, says UN Women.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) denotes the necessity of availing effective and efficient energy solutions and options to households since it is key to achieving the sustainable development goals.

Solutions such as low-cost burning stoves with chimneys to vent smokes to the outside to reduce the indoor pollution.

Use of cheap burning stoves could reduce the indoor pollution by 50 percent in African countries, according to the WHO.

Using effective technologies to carry out their domestic and farming activities enables women to productively engage in building the rural economy, says Dr. Damaris Parsitau, Director of the Institute of Women, Gender and Development Studies at the Egerton University.

"You realize that they (women) take so many hours looking for firewood or fetching water. Worse still end up in the farms even after the long walk. This puts so much pressure on women and they suffer a lot," said Parsitau.

Women need to be assisted to adopt modern technology that could make their work easier, she said.

She added technology was critical to increasing women's productivity and in the long-term result to decreased poverty levels in the households.
NAIROBI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The new counter-terrorism strategies adopted by the Kenya and bilateral allies have paid off as evidenced by a slump in number of attacks by Somalia based Al-Shabaab militants, an international relations scholar said on Sunday

Peter Kagwanja, the CEO of Nairobi based Pan African think-tank, Africa Policy Institute, said in a commentary published by the Daily Nation that anti-terrorism initiatives that are intelligence driven and sensitive to national cohesion have succeeded considerably in the last two years.

"A shift from military led to a more holistic counter-terrorism approach that focus on winning the hearts and minds of the population has been a success given the dramatic slump in the number of attacks on Kenyan soil by foreign adversaries," Kagwanja remarked.

The East African nation has experienced a spate of terrorist attacks since its troops entered Somalia in 2011 to flush out Al-Qaida linked terrorist network, Al-Shabaab.

The militants were responsible for a siege in Nairobi's upscale Westgate shopping mall in September 2013 where they killed 68 civilians.

The year 2014 marked an escalation of Al-Shabaab attacks in the coast and northeastern region where dozens of civilians lost their lives.

In April 2015, the militants again raided Garissa University campus where they killed 147 students.

This horrific attack drew widespread condemnation and forced the Kenyan security personnel to rethink their counter-terrorism strategy.

Kagwanja noted that 2015 marked a new epoch in the fight against terrorism in Kenya and across the eastern African region.

"After Westgate and the attacks that followed, Kenya's political and security elite were in agreement the country's fledgling democracy must be protected from terror," said Kagwanja.

He noted that the horrific massacres from Al-Shabaab terrorists forced the security apparatus to devise a multi-pronged and better coordinated approach to combat the menace.

"Kenya's security agencies have foiled numerous attacks and saved many lives.Al-Shabaab attacks fell from 72 in 2014 to 28 by the end of 2015," Kagwanja said.

He added that by August 2016, terrorist attacks inside the Kenyan soil were less than ten while community led deradicalization program has prevented many youth from joining militant groups.

According to a recent report from Kenya's security agencies, hundreds of youth have been intercepted on their way to Somalia to join Al-Shabaab since 2015.

The report disclosed that in the last one year, 100 Kenyan youth have defected from Al-Shabaab and are gradually being integrated in the community.

Kagwanja noted that heightened vigilance has led to arrest of more than 50 Al-Shabaab fighters while one hundred are on terror watch list.

He stressed that additional resources should be channeled towards community policing, intelligence gathering and sharing alongside youth empowerment to weaken terrorist infrastructure.
KIGALI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Youth from Commonwealth member countries have been urged to step up efforts towards global awareness and take up their social and economic responsibilities.

Global Scholars from Africa and beyond called on the young people during the opening of this year's Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) summer school in the Rwandan, Capital Kigali.

The week-long forum has attracted about 40 delegates from 14 Commonwealth countries to deliberate development solutions for common global challenges.

"You're the World's future and you need to help generate change in your communities by raising your voices towards achieving sustainable social and economic development. The world needs you to help bring peace across the globe," Prof. Mammo Muchie, from Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa told young participants at the meeting.

He pointed out that some young people have been radicalized by extremists to destabilize the world, saying that they need to shun all negative minds because they are destroying the world's future.

"By the end of this event, you will have a better understanding of how we seek to build consensus and tackle major global challenges. Strong prosperous societies will only be achieved if all of us - including you young people - work to make them happen," Muchie noted.

More than 60 students from Rwanda higher institutions are also attending the forum.

According to Prof. Philip Cotton, vice-chancellor, University of Rwanda, youth are at the heart of many of today's challenges, and its time they get involved in shaping the future of the world today.

"Keep showing your leadership as global citizens. That way, you will be in position to create a better future for all people," he told youth.

Terri Jacques, senior scholarships and fellowships officer at ACU said the event has convened participants from different academic backgrounds such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics and humanities to promote discussions on the role of universities in implementing the global Sustainable Development Goals.

"The summer school has been running in five different countries which give participants a chance for them to network," she noted.

First initiated in 2011, the forum is the first of its kind in Rwanda. Last year, it was hosted in Canada and next year it will be held in the UK.

University of Rwanda is the only academic institution in Rwanda that subscribes to the ACU.
A SpaceX rocket blasted off July 18 toward the International Space Station, carrying a load of supplies for the astronauts living in space, including equipment to enable future spaceships to park at the orbiting outpost. "Falcon 9 is on its way," said a commentator atSpaceX mission control as the white rocket launched under a dark night sky from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 12:45 am (0445 GMT). AFP FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. space firm SpaceX successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean again on Sunday, after launching a Japanese communications satellite into orbit.

This year, the California-based company has made a total of six rocket recovery attempts, one on land and five on sea. Only one sea-based landing attempt in June failed.

This time, the two-stage Falcon 9 lifted off on schedule at 1:26 a.m. EDT (0526 GMT) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, carrying JCSAT-16 toward a geosynchronous transfer orbit.

Everything went smooth, with the rocket's first stage sticking a vertical landing about nine minutes after launch on the "Of Course I Still Love You" droneship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

All of these landing attempts were part of SpaceX's effort to produce a fully and rapidly reusable rocket, which the company said will dramatically reduce the cost of space transport.

Traditionally, rockets are designed for a single use only, burning up or crashing into the ocean after liftoff.

JCSAT-16 was the second communications satellite SpaceX has launched this year for Japan's SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, which offers a wide range of services including video distribution, data transfer communications in Asia, Russia, Oceania, Middle East and North America.
On July 2, 1992, the 5th seminar on Edgar Snow, a famous American reporter and author of Red Star over China, was held in Beijing. Photo shows the president of the American Edgar Snow Foundation presenting a gift to Huang Hua, president of China International Friend Research Society. (Xinhua File Photo)

CHICAGO, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- On the third floor of the Miller Nichols Library of the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), there is an around 30-square-meter Edgar Snow reading room that has shelved 614 books covering the household, schooling, trip, connections, biographies and old-age life of well-known American journalist Edgar Snow.

UMKC now collects 718 files, 173 sets of image information, 49 rolls of recording, and 1,200 feet of film footage on Edgar Snow, with contents covering his whole life.

Born in 1905 in Kansas City, Missouri, Edgar Snow was known for his books and articles on Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese Communist revolution in the 1930s.

"Edgar Snow was a very adventurous and curious person," Robert Farnsworth, UMKC professor and author of "From Vagabond to Journalist", a biography on Edgar Snow, told Xinhua. "He wanted to find out more about the world." This adventurous nature and curiosity led Snow to China in 1928, a place where he fell in love with and stayed for 13 years.

Snow travelled lots of places in China and wrote articles about China for newspapers and magazines. China in the eyes of Snow at the time was falling apart, buried deep in internal troubles, and faced aggression from the outside, as against the background of prevailing corruption under the leadership of Kuomintang, and destitute Chinese people.

Then Snow discovered a new world in China through a friend, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, where the Chinese Red Army led by Mao Zedong had just finished the Long March and settled.

With the help of Soong Ching-ling, widow of Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, Snow paid a visit to the region on June-October 1936. During the stay there, he had long conversations with Red Army leaders including Mao Zedong and Peng Dehuai, interviewed Red Army soldiers, and collected sources materials on the Long March.

Snow found that though life was hard and materials ran short, people, civilians, officers and soldiers there were united. They opened up wasteland, did ploughing work, wove clothes, and got ample food and clothing all on their own. Through the enthusiasm of the Red Army soldiers for revolution and the support of local residents for these revolutionaries, Snow saw China's hope

From 1928 when he first set his foot on the Chinese soil to 1941 when he left China, Snow had been to the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region twice. He had witnessed China's revolutionary struggle and the War of Resistance against Japan, introduced them to the world by writing articles, and helped the Western world better understand China.

In 1937, Snow finished the book "Red Star over China", an account of the Long March led by the Chinese Communist Party (CPC). British Gollancz Co. published the book, and sales of the book exceeded 100,000 in Britain alone in the same year. The book has never been out of printing ever since.

Snow was interested in common people, and was particularly focused on poverty, disease, war, and social problems, UMKC professor Robert Gamer told Xinhua. "He (Snow) was the first western journalist who went to the (Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border) region and interviewed CPC leaders."

U.S. sinologist John King Fairbank referred to Edgar Snow as an important part in modern Chinese history.

Nancy Hill, executive director of Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation, got her knowledge of Snow through Grey Diamond, founder of the UMKC School of Medicine. Father of Mary Diamond, wife of Grey Diamond, is Snow's good friend. Mr. and Mrs. Diamonds established Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation after Snow died in 1972, and the foundation is affiliated to the UMKC.

Hill briefed Xinhua on the primary purposes for the foundation: to preserve the memory and legacy of Edgar Snow and to collect his scholarly papers and all information on his China reporting and other reporting.

"We want to preserve the memory and work of Edgar Snow for future scholars, and at the same time, we want to preserve Snow' s life and goal of creating a kind of friendship between U.S. and Chinese citizens," Hill said.

"Edgar Snow wanted the two peoples to be friends, that has been a big goal of the Edgar Snow Foundation, to introduce the Chinese people to United States people, and vice versa."

For this purpose, the foundation is hosting Edgar Snow symposiums every other year, and they rotate between Kansas City and Beijing. "We' re going to Beijing this October for the 17th Snow Symposium," Hill told Xinhua.

Hill talked to Xinhua about her experiences of looking for the treeless landscape in Shaanxi Province that Snow has described in great detail in his book, "It is not there anymore. There are trees, I was so surprised, I kept looking for these hills and there were these beautiful forested hills and trees everywhere."

Compared to the Snow era, earthshaking changes have been taken place in China. Hill noticed these changes, and said "China has become so rich."

The fact is China has grown from an impoverished, falling-apart country into the second largest economy in the world. Khairy Tourk, associate member of the Center for East Asian Studies of the University of Chicago and professor of Stuart School of Business of Illinois Institute of Technology, described Chinese economy as "a rising sun whose brightness is impossible to hide" .

But Tourk also admitted that China faces multiple economic, social, and foreign policy challenges at present, and most of these issues need to be tackled simultaneously.

"These challenges are formidable, and could only be compared with those China faced during Mao's Long March," said Tourk. "It is Xi Jinping's destiny to be the leader of China's 'Second' Long March."

Tourk told Xinhua that China aims to achieve sustainable economic growth while reforming the economy, "carrying out reforms is not easy during a time of global economic weakness."

In the meantime, Xi aims to "achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation not only economically, but also morally and culturally" , Tourk said. For the purpose, "the Chinese leadership is pushing the rule of law, fighting corruption and strengthening the CPC so that it could provide the kind of moral leadership that the country needs."

The success of the "Second" Long March requires China to follow the same principles that underpinned the success of the First Long March. "They include patriotism, strong leadership, courage, perseverance, dedication, cooperation, boldness and last but not least, sacrifice," Tourk said.

Snow has been attached to China for his whole life. After moving to the Switzerland as a result of persecution in the U.S., he still wrote to friends in the U.S., encouraging them to go to China.

Hill agreed with Mr. Diamond: "Chinese people are a civilization. They' re a proud, intelligent, wonderfully effective race of people." Hill echoed Mr. Diamond, saying the Chinese people and American people have a similar industriousness, "they' re hardworking, have a similar sense of humor, like to laugh, and have a similar love of art and music. There are more things that we have in common than our differences."

Having influenced generations of Chinese people since its publication, "Red Star over China" is also a window for many American people to better understand Chinese Communist Party and the Long March.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- US Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte has confirmed he was robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning.

The 32-year-old said he was with fellow US swimmers Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen when their taxi was stopped by thieves posing as police.

"We got pulled over in the taxi and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing, just a police badge, and they pulled us over," Lochte told the NBC's Today program.

"They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground. I refused. I was like, we didn't do anything wrong so I'm not getting down on the ground.

"And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, 'Get down,' and I put my hands up. I was like, 'whatever'. He took our money, he took my wallet. He left my cell phone, he left my credentials."

The athletes were returning to the Olympic village after celebrating the end of the swimming competition at the Rio Games.

A US Olympic Committee spokesperson said: "Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes' money and other personal belongings. All four athletes are safe and are cooperating with authorities."

Lochte's mother, Ileana, told the USA Today that she had spoken to her son on the phone. "I think they're all shaken up. There were a few of them," she said. "They just took their wallets and basically that was it."

Lochte, 32, has won six Olympic gold medals, including his victory with the USA's 4x200m freestyle relay team in Rio.
LISBON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese holiday island Madeira will receive a credit line worth over 10 million euros (11.2 million U.S. dollars) to support its tourism industry, Portugal's Minister of Economy Manuel Caldeira Cabral said on Sunday.

The minister made the remarks following deadly wildfires earlier this week which killed at least three and caused some 1,000 people to evacuate their homes.

Caldeira Cabral told journalists during a visit to Madeira capital Funchal that this credit line will be available from next week, according to local media.

Caldeira Cabral explained that a calculation of the island's losses was still being carried out, and that a credit line would avoid job losses and companies being forced to close.

He also praised work carried out by personnel in the tourism industry, noting that in some hotels staff offered tourists to go back to their homes.

Mayor of Funchal Paulo Cafofo has said that "the potential of Funchal's tourism industry is intact and unaltered," according to Lusa News Agency.

The fires which raged through Madeira led to damages of at least 55 million euros, Mayor of Madeira capital Funchal Paulo Cafofo revealed on Thursday. (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollars)
DAMASCUS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 rebels were killed and tens of others wounded on Sunday, when a blast rocked a rebel-held border crossing between Syria and Turkey, activists reported.
LAGOS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian Army on Sunday declared a journalist and two other persons wanted over their alleged links with the Boko Haram sect.

One of the three persons declared wanted by the Army is Ahmed Salkida, a journalist, who had on Sunday claimed that the Boko Haram group had released a video recording of the killing of scores of the Chibok girls in air strikes by the Nigerian military to him.

The other two are (Ambassador) Ahmed U. Bolori and Aisha Wakil.

The Army alleged that the three were also to privy to information on the conditions and exact location of the missing Chibok girls.

Spokesperson for the Army, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman said in a statement reaching Xinhua that the three persons were wanted for interrogation on their links with the militant sect.

A faction of Boko Haram militants, which seeks to impose strict Islamic law in northern Nigeria, on Sunday released a new video showing the abducted Chibok girls and claiming that some of the girls were killed by air strikes launched by the Nigerian Air Force on their locations.

The video showed a masked armed man standing in front of several girls, who, he claimed, were the over 200 girls abducted from their school hostel at Government Secondary School, Chibok, in 2014.

The man said the video was released to send a message to the parents of the girls to beg the Nigerian government to release Boko Haram members in various detention centers in exchange for the girls.

The man said about 40 of the girls were already married while some were dead.

Boko Haram has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and displacing of more than 2.6 million people since 2009.
A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) walks on a street with his weapon in the northern Syrian town of Manbij on August 7, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua)

DAMASCUS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 rebels were killed and tens of others wounded on Sunday, when a blast rocked a rebel-held border crossing between Syria and Turkey, activists reported.

A suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt at the border crossing in the northern countryside of Idlib, one activist group said.

Another activist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, also confirmed the explosion, saying the suicide bomber detonated himself inside a bus carrying rebel fighters from the Turkish territories into Syria.

The UK-based watchdog group said some Turkish border guards were killed as a result of the explosion, which indicates that the blast rocked at the Turkish side of the border crossing.

Several explosions rocked near the Turkish borders throughout the Syrian crisis, as part of the rebel-on-rebel tension.

The Syrian government has for long accused Turkey of facilitating the flow of rebel fighters from its territories into Syria.

The rebels' Jaish al-Fateh, or the Army of Conquest, are in control of much of Idlib, save for a couple of towns that are still inhabited by government loyalists.
LAGOS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Operatives of the anti drugs agency in Nigeria have detected parcels of cocaine hidden inside the sole of shoes at the Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport, an official said Sunday.

The consignment of shoes, in which the cocaine was discovered, was said to have originated from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Ahmadu Garuba, the Airport Commander of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) told Xinhua in Lagos, the country's economic hub.

He said the owner of the luggage has been arrested, while two other suspected drug traffickers who tested positive and excreted narcotic, are also being investigated.

A white powdery substance found to be cocaine with a total weight of 3.950 kilograms were seized from the suspects.

Garuba said one of the suspects concealed the drugs inside shoe soles while the remaining two ingested wraps of cocaine.
CAIRO, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian judicial committee decided to seize the funds of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and over 200 other members of his now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group due to a verdict designating them as "terror entities," state-run Al-Ahram news website reported Sunday.

The verdict against Morsi is related to a case known as "espionage with Hamas" where the former president is charged with leaking classified information to the Gaza-ruling Palestinian movement, yet the verdict does not extend to his family members, Al-Ahram quoted an unnamed judicial source as saying.

Other leading Brotherhood members are included in the list of fund seizure issued by the judicial panel tasked with managing the Brotherhood funds, including the group's top chief Mohamed Badie, his two deputies Khairat al-Shater and Mahmoud Ezzat, former parliament speaker Mohamed Saad al-Katatni and others.

Egypt has been launching a massive crackdown on the Brotherhood group since Morsi was removed by the military in July 2013 after mass protests against his one-year rule.

A later dispersal of pro-Morsi sit-ins in the capital and nearby Giza left about 1,000 killed and thousands more arrested and facing mass trials.

Since then, growing anti-government terror attacks left hundreds of police and military men killed, with most of them claimed by a Sinai-based militant group loyal to the regional Islamic State (IS) group.

The judicial panel in charge of the group's money has previously seized funds of several Brotherhood-run businesses including supermarkets and private schools.
AMMAN, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Jordan and Sweden said here on Sunday that establishing an independent Palestinian state is the key to Mideast peace, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Jordanian Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki and his Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven made the remarks during a talk on ways to cement bilateral ties and a host of Middle East issues, namely the Palestinian issue and the Syrian crisis.

They stressed that the establishment of a viable Palestinian state is key to peace and stability in the region, warning that failure to do justice to the Palestinian people will fuel more violence.

Mulki said Jordan and Sweden are key players in peacemaking efforts across the globe and they demonstrate strong commitment towards the fight against terrorism and extremism.

He warned that the current turmoil in the Middle East would impact security and stability in Europe since regional problems know no borders.

Mulki reiterated that the Palestinian issue remains the core of the conflict in the region, and any political solution should entail a two-state formula, vowing that Jordan will always embrace this issue as a top national priority.

Lofven hailed Jordan's efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world, saying that Sweden wants to boost cooperation and coordination with Jordan in hosting refugees, as both countries currently host refugees from Syria.

Mulki said Jordan saw a massive influx of Syrian refugees, which pushed the country into the need of more international support.

The Swedish official also stressed that the international community must increase aid to host countries.

The two sides emphasized ties in the economic domain and said opportunities exist for forging closer cooperation between the two countries.
PH taxi driver shot dead

Ossie Callender of Battoo Avenue, Marabella was shot once to the back of his head while inside his car .

Police report that at about 11 pm, officers responded to a report of a gunshot at Alexander Street, Vistabella. When they got to the location officers found Callenders body slumped in the drivers seat of his blue Nissan Primera car. Police cordoned off the area as a crime scene and a district medical officer gave instructions for the young mans body to be taken to the San Fernando Mortuary .

Callender lived with his common- law wife Sarah Baptiste and their two children, Elizabeth, four, and one-year-old Elijah .

Sunday Newsday learnt Baptiste and the children had travelled to Tobago to visit relatives for a few days and were expected to return home in the next few days .

Callenders cousin Nicole Leonard was stunned by the devastating news, saying Callendar was making a living operating his car as a PH taxi to provide for his family. Callendar worked along the Marabella/San Fernando and Couva/San Fernando routes, she said .

I was not there, so I cant say what happened exactly, but from what the police told us my cousin was robbed, said Leonard, 39, who lives at Mac Naughton-Jones Street, Plaisance Park, Pointe-a- Pierre. The mother of six said she did not know of any threats made against her cousin .

They killed a man with two young children. Crime in this country is really appalling now .

When you see all these killings on television and now it comes on your doorsteps, it is really sad, Leonard said. People need to stop blaming governments for crime, and find ways, instead, of getting young people to avoid committing crimes .

It is not the government that is at fault, parents need to sit and talk to their children. The youths are using firearms and weapons to commit these crimes. We need to talk to the youths, we need to talk to them, she urged. Crime is getting too ridiculous, just now taxi drivers would be also afraid to work and many people would not be able to reach to their homes. A month ago, Kurt Levero, 43, also a PH taxi driver, was stabbed to death while operating his Nissan Almera in Marabella. Levero lived at Calcutta No 3 Extension, Couva. Homicide Bureau region III are continuing investigations .
Chaud: A decade of exquisite dining

And chef/owner Khalid Mohammed says it is the greatest feeling to still be relevant after so many years.

Lets Eat visited Chaud, located at Nook Avenue, St Anns and Mohammed recounted his journey into the culinary field.

As a child he was surrounded by great cooks, including his mother, who is phenomenal, grandmother, aunts and uncles, the latter of which do a very good curry duck. The young future chef began cooking in the late 1980s and did not imagine that it could lead to him becoming a chef.

At about age 18 he started his own catering company called Bon App?tit providing lunches to business places. After doing this for two years his father realised that he was serious about the culinary industry and suggested he attend culinary school.

He enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in New York City and did his Grand Diplome (culinary programme) and the pastry programme in 18 months. He graduated as valedictorian and lectured at the school.

After he left the French Culinary Institute, Mohammed worked at several restaurants around New York and in Florida, and remained working in the US for five years before returning to Trinidad in 1999.

He then worked two and a half years at Crews Inn and five years at Battimamzelle, where he built his reputation and used it as a stepping stone to Chaud. He explained that Crews Inn was big with a certain kind of food and he was getting his proverbial feet wet and learning the culinary scene. Battimamzelle was a smaller restaurant with about 40 seats, similar to Chaud, and suited him better. At Battimamzelle he really developed the kind of cuisine that he cooks now.

Without even trying over the years people see me as the local chef who uses local ingredients with an international kind of thing, and that is what I am now. But I didnt set out to do that you know? It was just obvious, because if you in Trinidad you have to try to use local ingredients. He continued: Its as simple as food grown closer to the plate will always be better. He said there is a feeling that foreign and imported products is better and makes the menu more interesting, but he uses local products to elevate his food.

Mohammed first opened Chaud, which means hot in French.

It was a term he discovered while studying at the Queens Park Savannah in 2006.

This was followed by Chaud Creole (formerly at the current location) and Chaud Caf?, a wine bar and brunch cafe located at One Woodbrook Place.

Chaud Creole was strictly local food with local products, but it was not as successful as anticipated. Mohammed believes it was because people did not want to pay for food they could cook at home. Last January he moved the original Chaud from the Queens Park Savannah to the St Anns location and said while it was not as popular for lunch, it is much better logistically for serving a la carte as well as catering, which is as big as the dining business.

On the cuisine, Mohammed said the restaurant is focused on fine dining, which doesnt equate to expensive but means properly presented, good technique and the best ingredients. He explained that when he returned from New York he wanted to cook at the same or a higher level. On the service he said he tries hard with the house staff and he also travels and keeps abreast of cuisine and techniques so they are not stagnant. As a result the food keeps evolving.

One of the techniques adopted is molecular cuisine, where science is used to create new dishes.

For our meal my photographer and I had a crab cake with pineapple salsa, avocado and chive oil, which was moist and spicy; a brand new dish called shrimp in aqua diablo, which was a comforting and wonderful mix of flavours from raw and fried banana and cashews in spicy cooking liquid; the guava BBQ grouper with roasted garlic yam in a coconut pumpkin sauce, and a callaloo fondue which was a roller coaster of sweet and smoky flavours; and finally a sweet and crunchy lemon tart with a tart yogurt sherbet and strawberry pearls made with the molecular cuisine.

But Mohammed said he is partial to the steak tartar or a red snapper dish.

He stressed that the biggest part was procuring the best ingredients, adding that he uses a lot of locally grown produce which he purchases from local farmers. People could tell through the food that we are thinking about the food and constantly developing it, he explained.

On the most requested dish at Chaud he said that at Battimamzelle his signature dish was guava BBQ king fish, which is now the guava BBQ grouper at Chaud. For the past 15 years it is the one dish that dinners rave about.

Chaud has won numerous awards, and he (Mohammed) has also won awards, including gold with the TT national culinary team.

He has customers who have stayed with him since his days in Battimamzelle, some dining once or twice per week, and he thanked them for their support over the years.

He said that to be a restaurant that people still choose from night to night is a privilege as chef.

In the 10 years Chaud has been in existence other restaurants have opened and closed, but the restaurant is still a favourite. Mohammed said it does not feel a decade and he is still excited to be in the kitchen and takes part as much as he did when they first started.

Im still rearing to go.
Daaga deeply loved people of TT

The incident occurred at the funeral service for Daaga held at the Grand Stand of the Queens Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain which saw hundreds attend including politicians, religious heads and members of the arts fraternity.

Minister of Public Administration and Communications Maxie Cuffie, delivering remarks on behalf of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley who is abroad on vacation, had expressed condolences on Daagas passing. He said Daaga was a husband, father, mentor, political leader and social activist but perhaps more importantly a true patriot of Trinidad and Tobago.

He added that if late Dr Eric Williams gave the country political independence and the reasons for the abolition of slavery Daagas contribution is to emancipate us from mental slavery.

He said this country, the Caribbean and the African diaspora owes him a tremendous gratitude for helping us to emancipate our minds.

Cuffie, reading Rowleys address, pointed out that after attending St Marys College and the University of the West Indies, Daaga could have settled for a middle class lifestyle but he opted for a road less travelled, created his own path and changed the face and fortunes of thousands of citizens.

At this point Welch got up from his seat and began pointing a stick at Cuffie and shouting hypocrites.

NJAC political leader Kwasi Mutema tried to calm Welch down but he was brushed off.

He became so disruptive that a police officer had to escort him away to the end of the Grand Stand. He informed Sunday Newsday he was upset because acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert had said Daaga did not deserve a State funeral. Imbert, speaking at the post-Cabinet media conference last Thursday, said that according to the rule Daaga did not qualify for a State funeral as they are reserved for Presidents and Prime Ministers who die in office.

Despite the disruption, Cuffie continued to read Rowleys address and said Daaga dreamt of a vision of a united Trinidad and Tobago and the nation was poorer for his passing but richer for his contribution to the development of local culture. One of the emcees said Daaga was about unity of purpose and they do not encourage dissent as displayed by Welchs protests. She apologised to Cuffie and asked him to also extend apologies to the Prime Minister.

Bro Aiyegoro Ome, delivering remarks on behalf of NJAC, said Daaga was a mentor and elder brother to him and had guided him through the vicissitudes of life.

He recalled Rowley was a member of NJAC and spoke on their platform in 1970. He said Rowley went in a different political direction likely because his father was concerned about his safety. Ome explained that in those days you could not speak on a NJAC platform without being visited by the police who terrorised them.

NJAC political leader Kwasi Mutema in his tribute recognised some of the Black Power Revolution present at the service including Khafra Kambon, Clive Nunez and Embau Moheni. He recalled Daaga would always say he would not have been able to achieve what he did without the NJAC members and the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

He said they will miss his hug, broad smile and loving hard slap on your back. He described Daaga, as an embodiment of love for his people and his country and whatever he did was for this love even if you disagreed with his decisions; embodiment of compassion who seemed to have time for everyone and would listen to people for hours even having Mutema and NJAC leaders waiting; embodiment of humility who once in the 1980s allowed people to criticise him at an event in Queens Hall and always said that criticism builds you as a human being; the embodiment of sacrifice and selflessness, leaving the University of West Indies to assist some workers and never returning; the embodiment of passion who fulfilled his promise to never leave Laventille until he died and was passionate about calypso; and the embodiment of leadership who inspired thousands. United National Congress chairman David Lee delivered a tribute on behalf of Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who he reported was unable to attend as she had a dental operation on Friday.

Reading her message, he said they celebrate the life of a great leader and expressed thanks for his service to the nation.
Wear conservative hairstyle

Many postings on the companys Facebook page accused the management of discrimination, prejudice, and even racism. The story surfaced last Friday when the employee posted a copy of the letter he received that same day issued by the companys Human Resource Manager saying his hair did not conform to its dress code for conservative hairstyles. I refer to our uniform and Dress Code Policy Section 8, which states that hairstyles and hair colours must be conservative. Hair should be kept clean and well groomed.

This letter serves as a final warning and we expect immediate and sustained improvement in your professional grooming. Kindly note that you are expected to report to work on Monday 15th August in keeping with our Uniform and Dress Code policy, it read. The employee and companys names are being withheld as Sunday Newsday was unable to reach either party on the matter.

The employee posted a photograph of himself in which he is wearing a long sleeved shirt and tie, with his hairline shaven and marked, with his locks short, resembling corkscrews.

The caption for the photo of the letter stated, Look what I received in work today. Since the genesis of the firestorm, the post on the employees profile has been removed.

Pearce Robinson, founder of the group Speak out TnT, posted a letter from the groups page which he wrote to the insurance companys Chief Organisation Officer and Executive Director.

The post outlined the fact that the companys letter to the employee contained a myriad of stereo-typical assumptions which are grounded in colonialism and racism about the style of your employees hair.

This letter is an affront to all right-thinking citizens and adds to a struggle that many black women and indeed men across the world face when it comes to the identity as espoused by their natural hair. Some comments by users in the comments thread of the companys page which may have been viewed as borderline offensive by the company have been removed.

One users post stated, You all should be ashamed in 2016 to call that mans hairstyle unacceptable! Its discrimination at its fullest! Apparently you need to have good hair and conform to archaic, Colonial (European/white) ideals of grooming and aesthetics in order to get a card. #JustNo #Keep- AllyuhCard #IKeeping- MyHair, was posted by another user, referring to a customer benefits card given out by the insurance company.

Users appeared to be aware of the implications that the companys action can have as they made made references to cases of discrimination that have been successful in court locally.
Fishermen send SoS to Imbert

Yesterday the fishermen held a media briefing Member of Parliament Dr Lackram Bodoe at the Otaheite Fishing Depot.

President of the Otaheite Vendors Association Clement Charles told Sunday Newsday 99 percent of the vendors were unable to sell their fish stocks as consumers were not buying.

Nothing is selling, consumers are panicking presently and the vendors are losing sales. We are now calling on the acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert to address the situation.

We the vendors have no money and the fishing industry is now dying, he said.

Charles said there was a miscommunication on what was sent out to the public about recent incidents of fish washing ashore.

We need to have good communication with the consumers so we can sell our fresh sea food daily, he said. He further said dialogue was needed between Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat and the public about the fish stocks.

Consumers must know exactly what is taking place, what is safe to eat and what is unsafe and who is accountable for what, he said.

He said vendors also have a responsibility to provide for their families.

They have school books to buy and groceries, what are they going to do now? Charles said officials of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) have been playing a cat and mouse game with the fishermen.

They said at first that the fish was good to eat because we have a clip of them buying big shrimp and more and then a few days after to say that the fish had Corexit and is unsafe to eat, he said.

Bodoe said fishermen were now faced with very unfortunate circumstances.

We seem to have a loss of confidence in the system because I realize there have been many conflicting reports as to what is happening and this is leaving the general population and the key stakeholders, the fishermen, vendors and so on very confused, he stated.
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The two men were reportedly attacked from behind on a busy street in the middle of the day. No motive has been established for the crime. Photo: Craig Ruttle/AP

A Muslim imam and his associate were shot and killed in broad daylight as they walked away from a mosque in Queens on Saturday afternoon. The New York Daily News and New York Post report that a lone gunman approached the men from behind and shot them both in the head from close range, according to New York police and witnesses. The gunman, who has not been apprehended or identified, may have fired as many as five shots before running away. The attack occurred just before 2 p.m. on 79th Street in Ozone Park, about a block from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque, where both men, who were dressed in Muslim garb, had just finished praying. Police initially treated the shooting as a robbery, and police sources told NBC 4 that a preliminary investigation suggested that the men were not targeted because of their religion. No motive has yet been established, however, and the NYPD is continuing to investigate whether or not it was, in fact, a hate crime. That motivation is certainly what many in Ozone Parks Muslim community already fear.

The imam has been identified as 55-year-old Maulama Akonjee, a Bangladeshi immigrant who was the head of the mosque. The other victim was Akonjees associate, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, who was critically injured during the attack and later died while being treated at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Imam Akonjee was a well-respected religious leader in the community who was married with three children, according the Daily News.

Uddin, who was also considered a Muslim leader in the community, had moved to the U.S. from Bangladesh five years ago. His brother told the Associated Press that Uddin was devoted to his family and his religion.

Meet 55 yr old Maulama Akonjee (imam) & 64 yr old Thara Uddin (assistant) fatally shot after leaving Queens mosque. pic.twitter.com/EHIXf9Lwwe  Mai El-Sadany (@maitelsadany) August 14, 2016

Kobir Chowdhury, who is the president of another nearby mosque, told the Daily News that the community is devastated, and that Imam Akonjee was a very sweet, soft-spoken, humble man who was a role model as an imam, as a father, [and] as a community member. He also insisted that the imam didnt have any disputes with anybody, and another community member told the Post that Akonjee was like the pope for this neighborhood.

Indeed, it is because of Akonjees pious and peaceful personality, in addition to when and where the shooting occurred, that those who knew the men are having trouble believing that the attack could have been motivated by anything other than Islamophobia. Remarked Chowdhury, We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to know if they did this just because of our religion.

Following the attack, many in the community gathered near the scene. Photo: Craig Ruttle/AP

Members of the mostly Bangladeshi Muslim community who gathered near the scene were quick to call the attack a hate crime, and according to reports, at least some people blamed the political climate in the country  and particularly Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps Islamophobic rhetoric  for the crime. (The Trump campaign later rejected the association as a highly irresponsible and obviously politically motivated attempt to push an agenda.)

Per the Post, one witness reported that Akonjee and Uddin seemed like they were singled out, noting that, There was a carload of people across the street, and a girl across the street, and [the gunman] just targeted these two guys.

Law-enforcement sources who spoke with the New York Times agreed, saying that the crime seemed planned, didnt fit any existing pattern, and that, There is no question that he was targeting them, but its hard to say why. They also report that Akonjee was carrying $1,000 at the time of the shooting, but none of the money was taken.

Neighbor watches from his window as Queens Bengalis rally for slain imam. pic.twitter.com/LSAlrg3hC1  Matthew Chayes (@chayesmatthew) August 13, 2016

One area resident who spoke with the Post felt that the shooting should be considered a hate crime, in the sense that the police should be at the corners, near the mosque area immediately so that we could feel secure. On average, there have been more than 12 suspected anti-Muslim hate crimes per month in the U.S. over the past few years, according to the FBI, and they spiked following the San Bernardino terrorist attack last year as well.

Suspect sketch released by the NYPD. Photo: Handout

The suspected killer was originally described by police and witnesses as a tall Hispanic man carrying a large handgun and wearing a dark-blue polo shirt and shorts, and on Sunday the police released a police sketch of the man. No one heard the gunman say anything during the attack. Detectives have video footage of the suspect following the victims, then running away, but no video of the actual shooting itself  at least yet. Police are looking for more surveillance videos and additional witnesses. Meanwhile, New York City leaders, including the mayors office, say they are monitoring the situation, and promise that justice will be served.

This is a developing story and this post has been updated throughout.
Casting stories are my fave



I've always wanted access to a list of everyone who was considered for roles I care about (imbd trivia will only take you so far lol)

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Right? Especially actors that missed out on great movies for other projects



Kinda related but I can't even imagine how awful Emma Roberts would've been if she accepted to play Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, Margot was definitely one of the best things about the movie

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why'd she turn it down? is she waiting for marvel to call?

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Omg what? I can't imagine her as Harley at all. I wouldn't have seen it if she was cast

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yikes. it would be one thing to hear Emma was simply interested and vying for role of Harley, but to hear it was hers to turn down. eesh

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I thought she would've been perfect imho. She's got the look for it. She's not a great actress but she plays crazy well. Robbie is a shit actress also so there wouldn't have been a huge difference.

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Casting stories are so interesting!



Who was Goldie Hawn up for, Susan Saradon or Geena Davis' role? Guessing Susan's but my math skills are not great. We'll always have Overboard, Goldie.

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One of my favorite 80's comedies. I hate to say it but Kurt was so damn hot back then.

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I love it too. The story is really fucked up tho lmao

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i hate david miscavige

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i can't see anyone else besides Sarah as Carrie

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when i see the name as just 'sarah' i cant process it lol. i only know her as sarah jessica parker

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I feel that way with most celebrities tbh

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Does "Once a producer Parker liked joined the show" translate to "Once she saw her salary"?

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Probably (just ask Kim Catrall) but it also gave her more control so over what her character does.

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this sentence confused me too, i think it means once a person that SJP liked came on as a new producer, she was more interested in doing the show.

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Phoebe is such a different character in the unaired pilot, Alyssa Milano really brought the child out in Phoebe.

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Never seen this, is it steaming online anywhere?

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I always feel kind of bad for the actors or actresses who get cast in a pilot then get replaced. The same thing happened with OTH. Another actress was cast as Haley, then they replaced her with Bethany Joy Lenz. And though I feel bad, she was so much better than the other actress, and I cannot imagine the show without her. Shit, it probably wouldn't have lasted as long, because Nathan and Haley wouldn't have happened. haha

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I really disliked phoebe for the most part but I love Alyssa Milano somehow lol. Same with Dawn actually, hated her in Buffy but always love Michelle Trachtenberg. I guess it's enough that they were just in the shows

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girl kinda looks crazy tbh

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Whoa, that looks weird to me.

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I had no idea! I looked it up and she was pretty good:







Se was also much cuter than in that photo.

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i know i should be more creeped out by the face but she looks like she has man hands

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Yaay I love casting stuff!

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Not wearing pants is what makes that Risky Business scene so ~relatable and #iconic (like otherwise what is even the point) so ty Tom for that.

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It really is #iconic af

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Dude is a bit nuts but he's responsible for a lot of awesome things in his films (most recently, it was his idea to have Rebecca Ferguson remove her heels in M:I-5). He does a lot with a little.

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He may be a Scientologist weirdo IRL but I like Tom in movies. He never phones it in as far as I've seen.

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Iawtc he's a bonafide movie star and I like him in the roles he does. That said, I haven't seen a movie for him in a LONG time

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casting is such a delicate process. it could totally shape and affect a show/movie when not done right. i find it fascinating tbh

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Me too! I had this old article from Elle for years but lost it somewhere along the way, but it was this famous casting agent and she shared casting photos of a bunch of celebs early in their careers and gave little blurbs about them, I was so interested lol

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So true! It really is an art in its own right. Casting directors hold a lot of power too. They can make or break a show or film and have the ability to launch someone's career.

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yep, after watching Casting By your words have more weight

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Just imagine Pam Anderson or a Pam type as Scully...

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lol the studio actually didnt want gillian as scully at all, i think it was the casting director and the producers who had to convince them so they probably did wanted someone like that



Edited at 2016-08-14 03:22 am (UTC)

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That show never would've made it out of the Friday night death slot if that were the case. It would've died after 3 seasons. The chemistry between Anderson and Duchovny is next level tbh.

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i really want some juicy celeb gossip tbh

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Really? I get a completely opposite vibe from her tbh. She seems very warm to me.

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Me too! She's very likable to me.

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I liked her until it was obvious she was skirting issues like equal pay and feminism; now she just comes across as twee and irksome now

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I completely agree. I was just about to comment I wish she wasn't cast in that role. Also, no matter what she's doing she seems so condescending to me. I was only a fan of Miranda's and Samantha's casting, would've recast the other two

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it's her horse face, tbh

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everything i've heard about her is that she's really lovely and wonderful to work with, lol. her instagram is also really quirky and cute.

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I LOVE CARRIE. i know she's a fucking mess, the show is a mess, but it's one of my favs ever.

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Ovtiz is such a flop.



I honestly feel like so many people failed Tom because it seems that he does, or did, have a good core.



Relieved at nothing bad regarding SJP! As much as I can't stand Carrie, I think SJP is a really charismatic actress.

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A lot of people failed Tom Cruise. There's another excerpt where Paula Wagner (his former business partner/agent) says they were good friends because they never discussed personal stuff. Basically, all the people he trusted used him as a cash cow, knew that cult was harmful and did nothing.



Literally the only person who gave two shits about Tom was Nicole Kidman, who saw a bad situation and helped remove him from it.



It legit makes me angry, ugh.

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yup, and didn't he come from an abusive childhood? It's honestly tragic. Especially because everyone, actors and film crew members, talks about how kind and generous he is to work with.

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Nicole never even wanted Tom to divorce her and then her kids got taken away from her.

So messy. I'm glad she's found some happiness with Keith and that her kids do visit her still

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I always see Carrie in whatever role/character SJP plays. It's like she's stuck being/playing a Carrie type of character her whole career.

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That is such a dick move. I mean of course sometimes actors need to be fired but to waste time and money and continue filming him?

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Michael J Fox was tied up in other stuff, so they basically filmed until his schedule freed up.

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They kept filming with Eric because they would still be able to use certain shots and takes with him as Marty, and they knew that the only way Universal would agree is if they'd been able to work out a complete schedule and had everyone committed and signed off on. So they basically kept production going as a way to pull the fast one on Universal for their approval. There's a lot of information about it in the BTTF book.

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I think Eric would've worked just fine tbh

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Wow that sucks for Eric, he really was cute. I love Michael J Fox though.

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Teslas increasingly ambitious plans to rule not only the electric vehicle space but also the solar energy space are likely to become more difficult to achieve over the next year. It has been widely reported in recent weeks that Teslas gigafactory is facing some challenges in becoming fully operational. What is perhaps less well understood is the magnitude of the supply chain challenges that will face Tesla and its gigafactory.

Teslas goal is to produce 500,000 vehicles a year by 2018. The company has accelerated its production time table in large part due to the enormous amount of demand the company saw for its Model 3 sedan. The firm announced almost 375,000 preorders for the vehicle. To fulfill this demand plus new demand that the company will likely see for its products over the next couple of years, Tesla needs to produce more lithium ion batteries in 2018 than the entire world produced in 2013. Thats not an impossible feat given the size of the gigafactory, but it is challenging.

In particular, while Tesla may have the facility to manufacture the batteries it needs, the company still requires enough metal to make all of those batteries. Nickel, cobalt, aluminum, and most of all lithium are all going to be needed in vast quantities for Tesla to meet its ambitious plans. And with the start of 2018 less 18 months away, that does not leave the firm much time to get all of its plans set in motion.

Teslas plans are also setting the company up as a competing customer against the likes of Apple and IBM which need lithium ion batteries for a host of other small electronic devices. To deal with the supply chain challenge, Tesla is taking page from Henry Fords playbook and attempting to vertically integrate its supply chain (hence the gigafactory).

To deal with its metal sourcing needs, Tesla is hiring supply chain specialists to help it cut deals with small miners around the world. The company has signed deals with Pure Energy Metals and Bancanora Metals among others. Pure Energy is exploring lithium deposits in Nevada while Bacanora Minerals is looking at developing lithium deposits in Sonora, Mexico.

Lithium supplies are likely to stay tight throughout 2016 with a deficit this year of 4,500 metric tons according to Macquarie Research, before balancing out in 2017 and 2018. That respite in demand shortages will be short lived though, with stratospheric demand in the later years of the decade leading to a shortage of 46,000 tons of lithium by 2021. Related: Why Oil Companies Must Look Beyond Oil To Survive

Nickel may be an even bigger problem though. Despite their name, lithium ion batteries are only about 2 percent lithium by mass, whereas nickel is a bigger cost contributor. Elon Musk called out the price of nickel as a primary driver of battery cell costs on an investor call in late May. Prices for nickel were as high as $21,000 per metric ton in 2014 before the Chinese economic slowdown became obvious. Nickel prices have fallen back since that time, but the current small surplus of nickel will likely turn to a deficit by the end of the decade causing yet more headaches for Musk and Tesla. While Tesla is wise to be planning for its future battery needs now, other firms are likely to be doing the same if only so they can keep up with the automakers exponentially increasing thirst.

To be clear, most firms would kill to face the problem Tesla has. While most companies have too little demand and suffer from sluggish sales, Tesla has exactly the opposite problem. The company can pretty much sell every car it can make at a premium price and a large profit. The problem is executing on making all of those cars. Tesla has been able to grow its production impressively in recent years, but going from production of around 50K cars to production of around 500K cars in the span of 3 years is going to be a tough feat indeed. Investors should stay tuned.

By Michael McDonald of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
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As the Bishop said to the actress when he tried to gently lift her dress""my dear darling, this is for your own good!" WTF?! Guess I was dreaming when Donald Trump just upped and intervened. This is yuuuge! I got to thinking about his mentally and intellectually challenged, spokesgoblin Katrina Pierson, whose social gymnastics would put Simone Biles to shame and who delights in telling "tall tales" -- like her boss -- about Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Man, has that chick got issues! She has a very long history of having an adversarial relationship with the truth! You know she's traumatized from that little, teeny shoplifting incident in her checkered past! See we must understand; she's badly damaged goods!

So her boss whose statements and buccal cavity gushings are on par with that sanitary orifice from which raw sewage spews and gushes out goes on television and tells the most outrageous of bedtime stories, leaving the presumed prima donna to clean up after him. Yes, yes it's the law: clan up after your doggie. Well, we all know that the ferret-headed one is a bit of a maverick, right? I mean, his remoteness from Planet Truth is as far as earth is from Mars. But who the heck cares? It makes for good TV, right? And the bonus is that he can't be called to account for your f***ing BS because you're a billionaire whose intellect is akin to that of a sea slug.

Yeah, yeah we know. He does not follow the "normal" rules of behavior or conventional wisdom -- political or otherwise. My dear cockroach"when you reject the very idea of buying presidential campaign TV ads but opt for obliquely calling for the assassination of your opponent, or for that matter your inability to see the wisdom of setting up campaign offices in swing states, then, my dear invertebrate, you are very, very daft. As daft as the proverbial mud hen.

We know Trump don't prepare for debates and after he craps all over the TV in full view of a dumbfounded America, its Katrina to the rescue! Only she makes him look even more clueless and unhinged by going on her little liefests and trying to fit the part of Trump's female "mini me." But for all of the dog doo-doo that she has to clean up and TV viewers have to grind their teeth and suck up I have to admit that I was thrown for a loop by Trump's lack of very basic political campaign issues.

Appearing on Fox 5, that bastion of Republican skullduggery, on "The O'Reilly Factor" Trump imparted to viewers his imperial wisdom that "getting out the vote" is not a big deal and looked vague when asked about this key political campaign task. He told guest host Eric Bolling that one (1) he was not worried about the fact that the Republican Party was running away from him and two (2) that he could care less about the resources that the RNC would bring to his campaign.

And now, in answer to the question as to if he, the Great One, was just a teeny bit worried about getting people out to vote for him, he imparted these Pearls of Wisdom-- in his own words!

"I don't know. I will let you know on the ninth, on November ninth, meaning the eighth is your election and the ninth is when we find out"I think we're gonna have tremendous voter turnout."

What?! YOU DON'T KNOW! You will let people know ON THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION! That's your strategy -- not knowing is knowing that you do not know! God help us! Yes, we are going to have tremendous voter turnout, just not for you Donald the Dumb! Voters just don't "come out" because you somehow believe that willing them to is going to translate to getting out the vote. I've just re-read -- for the 5th time actually -- Miguel Cervantes's "Don Quixote" and he's far saner than you at this moment, if we can get past the fact that he attacked a set of windmills because he believed them to be giants!

Ah, I wallow in the domain of the certifiable. I seek solace and shelter in the illogic of the insane and "touched." I find and take refuge in Lewis Carroll's timeless wisdom:

"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:

Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--

Of cabbages--and kings--

And why the sea is boiling hot--

And whether pigs have wings."

Mr. Trump continued and offered this clarification on how to "get out the vote," much to the amazement of guest host of "The O'Reiley Factor":

"You'll see what happens. I don't know that we need to get out the vote. I think people that really want to vote, they're gonna just get up and they're going to get out and they're going to vote for Trump and we're going to make America great again."

Okay, okay Donald. NP. Pack up and go on that long vacation and you have fun, hear? The people just loooove you. So no worries. Remember you could shoot someone in broad daylight in the middle of 5th Avenue in New York and not lose votes! If you believe that then may I offer you some "green eggs and ham?" Man, I want to see just how your spokesgoblin, dear, dear Katrina of the Forked Tongue explains this gem of wisdom. Aha! I got it! Obama made you say it! Hillary hoodwinked you into believing that political campaigns are run by a process of human osmosis! Drat! This is tremendous!

Ye Gads! I need to find an explanation for all of this. So I'm reaching out to dear Lewis Carroll AGAIN.

"The sun was shining on the sea,

Shining with all his might:

He did his very best to make

The billows smooth and bright--

And this was odd, because it was

The middle of the night."

What a campaign! Where up is down and down is up -- even in the middle of the night!

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According to leading American and British intelligence experts, a declassified Pentagon report confirms that the West accelerated support to extremist rebels in Syria, despite knowing full well the strategy would pave the way for the emergence of the 'Islamic State' (ISIS).

The experts who have spoken out include renowned government whistleblowers such as the Pentagon's Daniel Ellsberg, the NSA's Thomas Drake, and the FBI's Coleen Rowley, among others.

Their remarks demonstrate the fraudulent nature of claims by two other former officials, the CIA's Michael Morell and the NSA's John Schindler, both of whom attempt to absolve the Obama administration of responsibility for the policy failures exposed by the DIA documents.









As I reported on May 22nd, the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) document obtained by Judicial Watch under Freedom of Information confirms that the US intelligence community foresaw the rise of ISIS three years ago, as a direct consequence of the support to extremist rebels in Syria.

The August 2012 'Information Intelligence Report' (IIR) reveals that the overwhelming core of the Syrian insurgency at that time was dominated by a range of Islamist militant groups, including al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). It warned that the "supporting powers" to the insurgency"--"identified in the document as the West, Gulf states, and Turkey"--"wanted to see the emergence of a "Salafist Principality" in eastern Syria to "isolate" the Assad regime.

The document also provided an extraordinarily prescient prediction that such an Islamist quasi-statelet, backed by the region's Sunni states, would amplify the risk of the declaration of an "Islamic State" across Iraq and Syria. The DIA report even anticipated the fall of Mosul and Ramadi.





Last week, legendary whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, the former career Pentagon officer and US military analyst who leaked Pentagon papers exposing White House lies about the Vietnam War, described my Insurge report on the DIA document as "a very important story."







In an extensive podcast interview, he said that the DIA document provided compelling evidence that the West's Syria strategy created ISIS. The DIA, he said, "in 2012, was asserting that Western powers were supporting extremist Islamic groups in Syria that were opposing Assad"

"They were not only as they claimed supporting moderate groups, who were losing members to the more extremist groups, but that they were directly supporting the extremist groups. And they were predicting that this support would result in an Islamic State organization, an ISIS or ISIL" They were encouraging it, regarding it as a positive development, because it was anti-Assad, Assad being supported by Russia, but also interestingly China" and Iran" So we have China, Russia and Iran backing Assad, and the US, starting out saying Assad must go" What he [Nafeez Ahmed] is talking about, the DIA report, is extremely significant. It fits into a general framework that I'm aware of, and sounds plausible to me."

Ellsberg also noted that "it's pretty well known" in the intelligence community that Saudi Arabia sponsors Islamist terrorists to this day:

"It's kind of a deal that the Saudis will support various Islamic extremists, all around the world, and the deal is that they [extremists] will not try to overthrow the corrupt, alcohol-drinking clique in Saudi Arabia."

Ellsberg, who was a former senior analyst at RAND Corp, also agreed with the relevance of a 2008 US Army-commissioned RAND report, quoted in my Insurge story, and also examined in-depth for Middle East Eye.

The US Army-funded RAND report advocated a range of policy scenarios for the Middle East, including a "divide and rule" strategy to play off Sunni and Shi'a factions against each other, which Ellsberg describes as "standard imperial policy" for the US.

The RAND report even confirmed (p. 113) that its "divide and rule" strategy was already being executed in Iraq at the time:

"Today in Iraq such a strategy is being used a tactical level, as the United States now forms temporary alliances with nationalist insurgent groups that it had been fighting for four years" providing carrots in the form of weapons and cash. In the past, these nationalists have cooperated with al-Qaeda against US forces."

The confirmed activation of this divide-and-rule strategy perhaps explains why the self-defeating US approach in Syria is fanning the flames of both sides: simultaneously allying with states like Turkey who have continued to covertly sponsor ISIS, while working with Assad through the Russians to fight ISIS. Ellsberg added:
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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Reprinted from Consortium News

Coverage of the breakdown of the partial ceasefire in Syria illustrated the main way corporate news media distort public understanding of a major foreign policy story. The problem is not that the key events in the story are entirely unreported, but that they were downplayed and quickly forgotten in the media's embrace of themes with which they were more comfortable.

In this case, the one key event was the major offensive launched in early April by Al Nusra Front -- the Al Qaeda franchise in Syria -- alongside U.S.-backed armed opposition groups. This offensive was mentioned in at least two "quality" U.S. newspapers. Their readers, however, would not have read that it was that offensive that broke the back of the partial ceasefire.

On the contrary, they would have gotten the clear impression from following the major newspapers' coverage that systematic violations by the Assad government doomed the ceasefire from the beginning.

Corporate media heralded the ceasefire agreement when it was negotiated by the United States and Russia in February, with the Los Angeles Times (2/3/16) calling it "the most determined diplomatic push to date aimed at ending the nation's almost five-year conflict." The "partial cessation of hostilities" was to apply between the Syrian regime and the non-jihadist forces, but not to the regime's war with Nusra and with ISIS.

The clear implication was that the U.S.-supported non-jihadist opposition forces would have to separate themselves from Nusra, or else they would be legitimate targets for airstrikes.

But the relationship between the CIA-backed armed opposition to Assad and the jihadist Nusra Front was an issue that major U.S. newspapers had already found very difficult to cover (FAIR.org, 3/21/16 ).

U.S. Syria policy has been dependent on the military potential of the Nusra Front (and its close ally, Ahrar al Sham) for leverage on the Syrian regime, since the "moderate" opposition was unable to operate in northwest Syria without jihadist support. This central element in U.S. Syria policy, which both the government and the media were unwilling to acknowledge, was a central obstacle to accurate coverage of what happened to the Syrian ceasefire.

Shaping the Story

This problem began shaping the story as soon as the ceasefire agreement was announced. On Feb. 23, New York Times correspondent Neil MacFarquhar wrote a news analysis on the wider tensions between the Obama administration and Russia that pointed to "a gaping loophole" in the Syria ceasefire agreement: the fact that "it permits attacks against the Islamic State and the Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda affiliate, to continue."

MacFarquhar asserted that exempting Nusra from the ceasefire "could work in Moscow's favor, since many of the anti-Assad groups aligned with the United States fight alongside the Nusra Front." That meant that Russia could "continue to strike United States-backed rebel groups without fear ... of Washington's doing anything to stop them," he wrote.

On the same day, Adam Entous of the Wall Street Journal reported that Obama's "top military and intelligence advisers don't believe Russia will abide by a just-announced ceasefire in Syria and want to ready plans to increase pressure on Moscow by expanding covert support to rebels fighting the Russia-backed Assad regime."

For two of the country's most prominent newspapers, it was thus clear that the primary context of the Syria ceasefire was not its impact on Syria's population, but how it affected the rivalry between powerful national security officials and Russia.

Contrary to those dark suspicions of Russian intentions to take advantage of the agreement to hit U.S.-supported Syrian opposition groups, however, as soon as the partial ceasefire agreement took effect on Feb. 27, Russia released a map that designated "green zones" where its air forces would not strike.

The green zones, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense , corresponded with Syrian opposition groups that had signed on to the ceasefire. Furthermore, Russia stopped bombing the Nusra-controlled areas of northwest Syria, instead focusing on ISIS targets, as Pentagon spokesperson Jeff Davis confirmed on March 14.

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Reprinted from Gush Shalom

IF I were a cartoonist, I would draw Israel as a length of hose pipe.

At one end, Jews are flowing in, encouraged by anti-Semites and a large Zionist apparatus.

At the other end, young disappointed Israelis are flowing out and settling in Berlin and other places.

By the way, the numbers entering and leaving seem to be about equal.

FOR SOME weeks now, I have felt like a boy who has thrown a stone into a pool. Rings of water created by the splash get larger and larger and expand more and more.

All I did was write a short article in Haaretz, calling upon Israeli emigrants in Berlin and other places to come home and take part in the struggle to save Israel from itself.

I readily conceded that every human being has the right to choose where he or she wants to live (provided the local authorities welcome them), but I appealed to them not to give up on their home country. Come back and fight, I pleaded.

An Israeli who lives in Berlin, the son of a well-known Israeli professor (who I appreciate very much) answered with an article entitled "Thank you, No!" He asserted that he has finally despaired of Israel and its eternal wars. He wants his children to grow up in a normal, peaceful country.

This started a furious debate which is still going on.

WHAT IS new about this verbal fight is that both sides have given up pretense.

From the first days of Israel, there have always been Israelis who preferred to live somewhere else. But they always pretended that their stay abroad was temporary, just to finish their studies, just to earn some money, just to convince their non-Israeli spouse. Soon, very soon, they would return and become full-fledged Israelis.

Not anymore. Today's emigrants proudly proclaim that they do not want to live and raise their children here, that they have finally despaired of Israel, that they see their future in their new homelands. They do not even pretend that they have any plan to return.

On the other hand, Israelis have ceased to treat the emigrants as traitors, deserters, scum of the earth. It was not so long ago that Yitzhak Rabin, who had a talent for turning a Hebrew phrase, called emigrants "the fall-out of weaklings." (In Hebrew it sounds far more insulting.)

The almost official designation of emigrants was "yordim," those who go down. Immigrants are continuing to be called "olim," those who go up.

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Streetwise - Stanyan Street Days

by Frank Dunnigan

August 2016

It was the start of San Franciscos annual Indian Summer in 1966.

Wearing a button-down shirt, sweater, khaki pants, and loafers, I was standing on the southeast corner of 19th Avenue and Vicente Street, MUNI car ticket in hand, waiting to see the #28 bus turn the corner at Sloat Boulevard, two blocks away. It was the start of high school at the old St. Ignatiusa fog-stained, weather-beaten bomb shelterand I was a brand-new freshman.

Orientation was overwith all of us looking particularly bug-eyed in our yearbook pictures taken a week earlier. High school was just beginning for thousands of 14-year-olds across San Francisco, and I had no idea what lay ahead for the next several hours. It would be an adventure, no doubt, and for most of us, it all began with a MUNI ride.

Sitting with fresh notebooks, binder paper, a handful of new Bic pens (stored in my plastic pocket protector), slide rule, and an English syllabus that outlined the entire years course of study, I envisioned a busy time aheadknowing that many textbooks, including World History, Algebra, Latin, English and others, were already stacked up and waiting in my locker (#73 on the first floor of the old building). I repeated the padlock combination (29-38-20) silently while on the bus ride, just to be sure that I had memorized it correctly.

Transferring to the #5-McAllister at Fulton was easy, since the morning MUNI schedule provided plenty of buses to get office workers to their Financial District jobs on time. Just like the #28, the #5 usually had seats available, and I seldom had to stand on the way to school, thus leaving time for last-minute study.

As I got off the #5-McAllister at Stanyan about 7:30 a.m., and walked two short downhill blocks, I saw a few classmates that I recognized from the prior weeks Orientationplus many older students, aged 16 or 17, walking up from the #31 Balboa or being dropped off 222 Stanyan Street by their fathers who were headed to work themselves.

Urged by my parents and older friends to be outgoing as a freshman, I introduced myself to others, while struggling to remember their names, neighborhoods, and prior schools. Although one-half of the boys from my 8th grade class at St. Cecilias were also my classmates here at SI (about 25 or so), with a freshman class totaling nearly 250, there did not seem to be too many familiar faces in the crowd during those first few days.

My first class was World History, taught by curmudgeonly Father Pallaswho turned out to be Dads 1932 classmate from SI. That night over dinner, the conversation clearly indicated that my father still thought of his old buddy as a 16-year-old and not as a priest in his 50s: Dont let him offer you any cigaretteshes the one who got me started smoking. Reality check: Uh, Dad, priests dont offer students cigarettesthey confiscate them and give you detention. Father Pallas was the very last Jesuit at SI who insisted that the school leave his beloved lecture daisa raised platform 10 inches off the groundin his classroom. He read aloud standing on that platform, his desk was up there, and he exuded his pedagogical presence from that perch. The dais, once a standard part of Jesuit education, had long been abandoned by every other teacher in the schoolbut Father Pallas was not about to succumb to any modern trends, so we were the last generation to experience traditional Jesuit education in his class. He pontificated over a group of baffled 14-year-olds in true old-world style, and was not above physically throwing out any would-be class clowns. He would also toss off the occasional joke with a Latin punchline, just to see if we were keeping up with our studiesLatin was then still a requirement for freshmen and sophomores.

After that, it was Father Jacobs for Algebrayet another of Dads classmates, thus convincing me that I would never be able to get away with anything! European-born and highly methodical, he used a chalk pen and insisted that all homework be done on plain white paper set atop a delta forma background of small dark squares designed to keep penmanship and mathematical calculations in straight lines. He could draw quadratic equations on the blackboard at lightning speed, and then pivot around and ask, So, gentlemenwhat now? as we all stared back at him with varying degrees of bafflement.

Next was Public Speaking 3 days a week, where we debated everything from pro/con on the death penalty, dividing California into two states, and memorizing/reciting classic routines like Whos on First? We went from a pretty shy bunch of young boys in September of that year to a classroom full of would-be performers, lawyers, politicians, and business people by Junealways having an appropriate and snappy comeback for any given situation. PE occupied the other two weekdays, where jocks and bookworms alike all hated running laps around the track in every possible weather condition.

After a morning spent learning the three phases of Peloponnesian War, the commutative, associative, distributive, and transitive properties of equality, the logical fallacy of circular argument, plus a chilly shower after a 3-lap run, we were all a bit dizzy and ready for lunch.

SI was a closed campus then, except for seniors. The rest of us ate in the cafeteriarecently renovated to remove every trace of hot, nourishing food, and filled with vending machines that provided all the sugar, salt, fat, and caffeine required to get through the rest of the day. Facing west, the space heated up quickly from the mid-day sun, so most students soon moved into the cool, dark basement corridor, lined with old graffiti-covered benches dating back to the schools 1929 construction. Just as in later life, friendships were often made over bagged luncheswith a few homework answers tossed in for good measure. Although there were clear social castes among the 1,000 studentsas the school secretary in Ferris Buellers Day Off noted: the sportos, motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheadswe were all on equal footing at lunch. Friendships were formed over tuna-fish sandwiches that might never have been possible in extra-curricular activities like team sports, yearbook, band, or drama where everyone shared similar interests.

Bells still regulated our movements, and before long, the 5-minute warning sounded, producing a rush to lockers, exchanging books, and climbing or descending a couple of flights of cramped staircases, before settling into an assigned seat before the classroom door slammed thunderously shut.

English was next, with required summertime/school year reading lists, daily writing assignments (100-word essays), plus endless discussion of short stories and Shakespearean plays. The Merchant of Venice was always a 1st-year assignmentSignor Antonio, many a time and oft in the Rialto you have rated me There was also memorizing and reciting poetry. There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold, the arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold...the opening lines of Robert W. Services The Cremation of Sam McGeesomething every SI boy from that era can still recite at the drop of hat. Building Word Power was a paperback text with thousands of entries (each having a specific number), to be learned and incorporated into daily writing assignments, with the identifying number clearly annotated. Today, the phrase BWP Word #193! remains an impromptu remark that many of us make during conversations with other alums in which one person incorporates a particularly impressive word. Our class was fortunate to have had a relatively young Jesuit, six years out of SI himself (and 1960 student body president), as our teacher. He proved to be an excellent listener who taught a bunch of young kids far more than just the basics of the syllabus. It is no surprise to anyone that he eventually became a child/adolescent psychologist.

Next was Religion with Father Keating, whom we thought to be incredibly old (he was 38 then). In addition to the standard overview of Judeo-Christian history, the school had recently added a mild Sex Education component to this course. That topic was covered in a small booklet titled The Right Answers to a Teen-age Boys Questionsor as it was popularly known, Vague Answers to the Wrong Questions.

The day wrapped up with Latinagain with a younger Jesuit instructorwho was able to make a dead subject bearable by having us analyze and discuss the culture of the Roman Empirewhile still making us practice verb tenses and noun/pronoun/adjective declensions. He was one of the few teachers with whom I corresponded through later high school and college years, as he moved on to complete his own studies. Again, not surprisingly, his career led him to the field of psychology.

The end of the day had finally arrived, with one thousand teenage boys being dispersed into the Inner Richmond neighborhood and jamming onto the #31-Balboa or #5-McAllister buses. By the end of that first week, there were a few recognizable faces on the ride home, and a nod or two of acknowledgement or discussion of homework assignments among those of us who had become acquainted during Orientation and those first days of class.

Throughout the years, our shared experienceseven if we had not been particularly close friends at schoolhave always made for easy conversations. What have you been up to? has always been the standard opener, while responses have run the gamut of college/career/marital/family. Today, the talk often includes a new componentjust how close we each are to retirement. All these subjects are usually dealt with quickly before one of us veers off onto something specific:



 What about those last two minutes in the Turkey Day game against Lowell at Kezar in 1966?



 Then her Mom showed up in slippers and bathrobe, banging on the steamed-up car window at the Circle down by the end of Sunset Boulevard.



 Thanks for sharing your Physics homework with me during senior year, or Father Spohn would never have let me graduate.



 The two girls got into a hair-pulling fight one Friday night at Pirros on Irving Street when they realized they were dating the same guythen they both attacked him.



 Brother Draper caught us red-hand with smokes and Olympia six-packs at Strawberry Hill and my parents grounded me for a whole month.



 The cops busted him for doing 90 on Great Highway, but we all chipped in enough to bail him out and pay the fine.



 It took a week to air out the chem lab after he accidentally created butyric acid and got an F in the class.



 The cast party after the 1969 Spring Musical when that girl from Pres was coming on to you



 How many raffle tickets and Worlds Finest Chocolate bars did you sell?



 We always hung out after school on Meatball Day at Herbs Deli on Taraval.



 Were you there when someone brought that nasty, barking German Shepherd dressed in his sisters St. Rose uniform to a pre-game rally?



 Yeah, he was always the class clownlike that time he arrived at school on a Pogo stick.



 Bruce Bary in Stonestown always had a big weekend crowd.

Sadly, some new comments have begun to surface:

 His recreational drugs are now Coumadin and Lipitor.



 Their oldest kid just turned 45.



 Hes OK after the hip replacement.



 That cute girl from Mercy that you likedshes now called Nana by her nine grandchildren."



 I went to his funeral two weeks ago

As we approach our final dozen or so laps in the race of life, we look back and are grateful to have shared memorieswith many long-gone events still warming and sustaining us today. Our 1970 yearbook said it best, quoting Simon & Garfunkel:



Time it was, and what a time it was
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...